Drawings

An ability that I always wished I had is drawing and painting. I am not good at either one however. I just always considered myself a bad artist and with no talent what soever for art. Anyway, I decided to teach my self to draw, by just trial and error. I picked up a book called Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Betty Edwards hopefully7 I can pick up some pointers, and well just pick it up I guess. I think the way we see an object or the subject to be depicted, really matters. How we see something, really matters to how we draw something. The space relationship must be considered, proportion, shadow, etc. Anyway, here are my first drawings, even if my drawing doesn't get better, I'm sure these drawings will at least get some hahas. 

day 1 of drawings

rEtEnTiOn

Like the wind crying endlessly through the universe, Time carries away the names and the deeds of conquerors and commoners alike. And all that we are, all that remains, is in the memories of those who cared we came this way for a brief moment. ~ Harlan Ellison

What would life be like if we could remember every single event in our life, every single day, every single minute. What would it be like if we could entertain every single thought or idea or image that appears in our vision and our imagination. Would this type of retention be a good thing or a bad thing?

Image found at: http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSvMJ3kPrYfFOWXsArWH-7tIOB_wRG4lQRWqzpAMNrU-T-EImFi&t=1

History is not a burden on the memory but an illumination of the soul. ~ John emerich Edward Adlberg Acton

When it comes to memories, we already selectively choose what we want to remember and repress those memories that haunt us, my guess is that its good that we don't remember everything. I think that if people remembered everything, people would be more inclined to be nice to each other, or it could be that people may hold grudges more often, it can go either way. Memories are such a great thing, they allow us to travel back into time, and relive those magic moments. I think that we can view memory as a defense mechanism. We remember the pain, we remember when we feel good, the love, whats amazing to our taste buds, and anything that moves us. Memory can help keep us safe. We are reminded of times maybe that we may have faced a similar situation, but now we can take a different route, and explore other options. Say you had an experience where you burned yourself while cooking, memories allow us to reflect on these events and allow us to be more cautious. Memory, what a great thing, the ability to place us somewhere, without physically being there. Memory is a mechanism that allows us to make connections with other beings. Sharing experiences and being able to look back, whether memories are good or bad, nonetheless it is a shared moment in time, that will always link you in some sort of sense with those who share in your memory.

Memory is good because it allows us to learn. Memory is a drive that allows us to relive moments in which we felt great, brave, honest, beautiful and so it gives us courage and a feeling of happiness, knowing that if we once achieved a particular thing, if we once felt that happiness, or beauty, then it can be felt again; finding that may be difficult, but knowing that it is possible, can give us great relief.

A man at work, making something which he feels will exist because he is working at it and will it, is exercising the energies of his mind and soul as well as of his body. Memory and imagination help him as he works. ~ William Morris

One thing I enjoy doing is recording, myself or others, just doing ordinary things. It is so cool being able to look back, and see our actions, emotions and ourselves in action.

What about thought and ideas, , what if we could retain every single though we ever have, what if we had some sort of device in our body that kept record of all our thoughts and ideas, and there would be some sort of engine through which we could search our ideas and thoughts. After all, humans are like libraries, full of knowledge, in various subjects, and different parts of life. Our minds are galleries that hold vivid images of people, art, and anything that can be seen with both the human eye and the imagination. 

click to englarge

 Image found at: http://www.austinkleon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/memories_map_500px.gif

Friendship

Friend defined by dictionary.com is: a person known well to another and regarded with liking, affection, and loyalty. Friend is a word with Germanic origin. Freond, is the present participle of freon, which means to love. The root of the verb was ‘fri-’ which meant ‘to like, love, or be affectionate to (suite 101.com). Friend is a word that has stayed true to its original meaning, yet its overuse in our lexicon has diluted its meaning. Friendship is a very special relationship because one has choice over this type of relationship. One cannot choose their parents, brothers or sisters, yet, we can pick our friends. Friendship is also different in that it is reciprocal. In order for the friendship to work, both parties are responsible for its growth and maintenance. It is important to know who are friends are and be thankful for them, for they are a blessing. 

“It is mutual respect which makes friendship lasting.” ~ John Henry Newman 

 

A good friendship requires trust and loyalty. It is important to keep ones promises, and to be able to be counted on. Friends can be of many sorts. They can be different from us in race, gender, physical ability, sexual preference, social economic status, education level or age. I have been lucky enough to have friends of all walks of life. My friendship with different people has taught me so much. It has broaden my understanding of the world and other cultures, other societies and mentalities.

“Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” ~ Proverbs 27:6

It is important however to choose our friends wisely. I have observed that a common element among my friends is that they have a drive for becoming better people. They are good people who try and do what is right, in their life. They are kind, generous, and willing to help some one in need. A good friend will always tell you the truth, even if its painful. A good friend not only rejoices with you but will share your pains. A friend offers help even before you ask. Friends make us feel good about ourselves; they can make make us laugh, make us cry, and move us in so many ways. Friends are like little rays of sunshine, they warm our hearts and they warm our souls. A friendship is enlightening.

Don't take your friends for granted! I look back at various points in my life, where I wish I had been a better friend. One lesson I learned is: don't put your friendship with others on the back burner when you enter new relationships.

To all those I call friends, I am thankful for your friendship. I am glad you were all part of my life. I apologize if I ever did you wrong, and hope that our friendship continues to grow.

When was the last time you told a friend how much you appreciate them?

Image taken from Cherrybam.com

Not ready to clock out yet

Minutes turn to hours, hours to days and days into weeks. Stuck on an island waiting to be rescued. Waiting to live, waiting to die, waiting for a sign, waiting till hope runs out. There are times I feel spiritually weak. It is difficult to always put on a front, I cannot always be strong.. I grow weaker as time passes. Hope sometimes dwindles to a mere thread which my life hangs by. I wish at times that I was an eagle, or any other simple mind; no moral dilemmas, not much to strive for, your goal; to pass on your genes. Humans on the other hand are so complex; emotions, spiritually, hope, morality, a need for accomplishment. How is it that a person can have so much, yet be so tormented? Same token; how is it that those who are completely devastated and have nothing to lose, how can they know God? How can they know hope? I grow more tired each day, this journey is long, and winding, I cannot see the light, I cannot see the end. To reduce life to mere existence, how devastating.

Dear Lord, please just throw me a bone, give me a hint, give me something. God I lack not hope but courage. That thread of hope by which my life hangs, is a lot stronger than you would know, so please send no more hope; I would appreciate however if you send some courage. God, also please take this world back, its too heavy for me to carry. I don't want to be strong anymore, please teach me to ask for help. The human soul is a heavy and ruthless animal, one that must be treated with care, and respect. The human soul however is also delicate like glass,and easily shattered. Like stained glass however, beautiful with all its colors, should be shared with others. One alone cannot bear the pain.

Loosen up. Don't you have some people to hug, rocks to skip, or lips to kiss?... Someday you are going to retire, why not today? Not retire from your job, just retire from your attitude. Honestly, has complaining ever made the day better? has grumbling ever paid the bills? Has worrying about tomorrow ever changed it? Let someone else run the world for a while. ~ Everyday Blessings, Max Lucado

Share your talents with the world.

Another day passes, another day of existing. The days, weeks, months, are no longer distinct. No beginning, no end, a monotonous cycle; wake up, eat, shower, occupy the hours of the day. Day is night, and night is day. I know that in order for me and many more like me, to lead a happy life, one needs to be able to make use of their talents. One needs to be able to make this world a little better. One needs to feel like they make a difference. Mere existence for people like me just doesn't cut it. I get very depressed sometimes, because I feel like I'm just sitting here wasting my life away. Now a little something you must know before you start wondering, why I don't get up off my ass and so something. Well I am in a particular situation that does not allow me to work, drive, or do many things that people take for granted. Yes this situation is supposed to be fixed soon, but its kind of hard without money. Its hard to get much done with two jobless people. I get very impatient, you can even say I get itchy feet. I want to go out and do, I want to create, I want to make this world better. One thing I have learned, is that its a poison, to live life as a cynic. I know every once in a while I fall into that trap, and its just easier to complain about things, easier to mope, its easier to feel sorry for yourself. The days pass, and each day get heavier. Maybe I should read my previous blog about complaining, ha.

Today's blog is about sharing your talents with the world and living a life you love. Only when we start doing what we were put on this earth to do, can we really start living.

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you game me.'” ~ Erma Bombeck

The world is a better place, when people are happy, fulfilled and passionate about life and their work. Lynn A. Robinson, in her book Divine Intuition, explains three key factors in creating a life we love. The first step is to identify your dream, secondly, visualize your success, and thirdly move in the direction of your dream. Now you may think that it is difficult to reconcile what we like doing, and making a living out of it. I have actually read several books on authors who end up doing what they are passionate about, some examples include Peggy McColl, Lynn A. Robionson, . If you love fashion for example, why not start making your own clothes, start out small, redesign stuff you already have. If you love writing, why not start a blog. The important part is taking a first step.

God honestly must have a good sense of humor. It's funny how things turn out sometimes. Sometimes its these difficult situations, that give us insight or nudge us in the right direction. Even though I have a bachelors degree in French and Philosophy, and I have a masters degree in higher education, yet I still am not sure what I am supposed to do with my life. I am not even sure what my gifts and talents are. I have an idea of what I am good at, but I am unsatisfied with my current state of affairs, and by that I mean my contribution to this world. I have mentioned in a previous blog of maybe going into ministry, my problem with that is that one, I don't feel like a good enough person, two I want to know for sure that this is the right thing to do and that it is what God wants me to do. Lastly I don't want to take on a project just to add to my life's bookcase of things that will sit there and gather dust. I can think of many more reasons why not to do it, but then when I ask my pastor about this, he sees it as a good sign. In fact many clergy people have expressed this feeling of not being fit for the job. I honestly don't know where my life is going. All I hope is that cynicism doesn't make too deep of wounds before I get the opportunity to start doing what I want to do; what ever that is and whenever I figure out what it is. Lesson here people, be creative, share your talents, do what you love doing, invest some emotional labor and make art!

The constants in life

Time and change are to the universe, as food and drink are to a human beings. Time and change are constants. Time and change are infinite rulers; they are absolute. We have clocks because it portrays a physical, mechanical manifestation of the evanescent. it serves as an instrument for measurement. The clock changes, as time passes, yet it is always the same, unless your batteries are low, 3 o'clock will always be at three o'clock. The hands will change positions, just like you change locations. The impression left by these changes, mark the constancy of time. Time has always been a fascinating topic to me. I have come across several ways in which time is understood. The two I will talk about today is: task orientation labor practiced amongst the Lakota Indians, and labor measured by that of a clock, and secondly through a survey of the dreams that Einstein may have had. The second part are all ideas taken from: Einsteins Dream, a book by Alan Lightman. This book is a series of short fictitious essays, on what Einstein may have been dreaming while working on his theory of relativity. Great book, I would really recommend it.

One class project I had to complete while at U of I, was to research several aspects of a people as a whole. Our group was assigned Native Americans. Things that were to be included in the project were: the labor force, education, economy, religious aspects, culture, family life etc. My part in the project was to understand their economy. One article I came across explained how Lakota Indians in the Pine Valley Ridge reservation allocate their time between clock-based wage jobs and task-oriented forms of production governed by social relationships (Pickering, 2004).

When capitalism was brought about, there had been a shift from task force, to labor timed by the clock . For Lakota Indians, time is not marked by the clock, rather the passage of events, is their instrument of time measurement. Lakota Indians don't assign times for specif things, rather events themselves, and the relationships built on these events mark the time, mark the speed one should work at, mark the activity itself. This sort of task orientation, shows little demarcation between work and life. Production is not separated from necessities of life. All forms of production are integrally related to the social relationships that surround that production (Pickering, 2004). Clock time on the other hand, as that practiced by capitalist regimes, is transformed from a quality of human life into a quantified commodity removed from its social dimension. It becomes an economic variable used in exchange value (Pickering, 2004).

This journal article gave me a sense of sadness with the way our institutions have diminished our lives and our bodies to robot like living, in which our bodies are to be ordered around, deadlines to be met, life merely to exist, rather than live.

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

Moving on to a different way of understanding time, Alan Lightman, writes a compilation of fictitious essays which portray Einstein during his time of writing the theory of relativity. The different essays, posit different worlds and time is constructed differently in each.

In one of the worlds, time is circular, so that people experience the same events, time and again, but without knowledge of doing so.

In another world he posits a society that has built houses on stilts on mountains. Brought about by the idea that the farther you are from the center of the earth, the slower time passes, and therefore to maintain their youth, they build these houses up high. These people have even convinced themselves that thin air like that in the mountains is good , with that same logic they take up spare diets, taking up only the most gossamer food. As a result this population has become “thin like the air, bony, old before their time (p. 24).”

In a different world, cause and effect are erratic. Cause does not necessarily presume effect. In this world a law has been made so that pistols may not be sold to the public. This world is ripped by the worst crimes. It seems as though these crimes have been misplaced in time, or is it that because of these crimes that the laws were made. Were the laws, action or reaction? People here live in the moment, for each act is an island in time. It is a world of sincerity, for it is not known which is cause, or effect, so all you have is the present. (p.30)

Yet, another world is described by two times. Mechanical time, and body time. Mechanical is rigid, unyielding, predetermined, while body time responds with an attitude of living accordingly to the rhythm of their bodies. In mechanical time, peoples body is merely a machine, it is a thing to be ordered rather than obeyed. “Where the two times meet, desperation, where the two times go their separate way, contentment” (p. 21).

In yet a different world, little happens from year to year, month to month, day to day. If one is to characterize time by the passage of events, then time hardly moved, but if these two are not the same, then it is the people who barely move (p. 36).

These were just a few of the many worlds and their view of time posited in the book.

As I said before Einsteins Dream is an excellent book, if you have a chance you should read it. Its short and easy to read. I have included a video of someones class project, based on the book. I have also included the website, that gives a book review, a video explanation of Einstein's Theory, and other interesting information.

Sources

-Einstein's Dream by Alan Lightman

-Decolonizing Time Regimes, Lakota conceptions of work economy and society. by Kathleen Pickering

- http://www.squidoo.com/einsteins-dreams

Forward, Together Forward 2-14-08

During my time at NIU, our school experienced and event that marked our hearts. Three years ago, today, 6 people lost their lives at NIU. A gun man opened fire in a classroom, and killed five people, and himself. A day of love, turned into a day of sorrow. Today, is a day of reflection and remembrance. We will never forget you.

Here is a short video tribute I found on the web.

http://www.break.com/usercontent/2008/2/NIU-Tribute-2-14-08-456066

How can a loving God, let bad things happen?

Today's Blog is about spirituality. I know some of you may not believe in God, or something greater than ourselves. Even those that do believe, may sometimes have trouble reconciling the idea of a loving God, allowing bad things to in the world to innocent people, children, etc. I think Tom Honey, a pastor of Exeter Cathedral in the UK, does an excellent job of describing this greater good, this force or what some of us call God. His view of a supreme power, abates the problem of bad things happening to good people. Enjoy

http://www.ted.com/talks/tom_honey_on_god_and_the_tsunami.html

sources: TED TALKS

Complaining

I'm sure I heard a version of this somewhere, I apologize if I don't cite you because I don't remember where I read it, but anyway, I decided that I should try and adopt an attitude of minimal complaining. My motto “bitch, moan and complain, all you want, but do it only for five minutes, then either do something about the problem or move on.” For those of you that don't know me that well, here's a fun fact, I used to be a waitress at I-HOP back in Champaign, boy did that job teach me so much, especially about complaining.

When I first started working at IHOP, I feel that all I did was complain. “Oh this place sucks. There's never enough silver wear for customers, its a sauna in here, never enough plates, one of the grills is always broken, the heat doesn't work, Mondays and Fridays we are out of all the good things on the menu, oh and the guy that comes in at 7am didn't get here till 8 again, why should I have to give the bus boy 2 % of my tips when all the tables are dirty, blah blah blah blah the list goes on and on.” Don't even get me started with the complaining from customers, or how about the cooks yelling at the servers for messing up an order. How about your coworker is complaining your ear off the minute you walk in. Lets make one thing clear, I'm sure I was that chick at one point when I used to work there but after a while, I even got sick of myself bitching and complaining, I decided in order to succeed in this job, you either fix it yourself, or move on, and learned how to handle complaints. You can't control what others do, but you can control how you react to customers situations and everyday work challenges. I don't think complaining ever got much done, other than irritate someone.

In a restaurant, complaining takes place all over in different sectors. In fact there is so much complaining that if a dollar was donated to hunger for every complain that goes down, we would probably rid this world of hunger. Now maybe this may be a tiny bit of an overstatement, but seriously, there is lots of complaining. Cooks complain at the servers because customers want their food to be made a certain way, servers complain about their customers complaining about their food being horrible. Oh, and the poor managers, who have to hear it all, they complain about all the complaints.

Despite all the complaining, I loved I-HOP. If any of my I-HOP friends are reading this, I miss you guys! Let me tell you a little bit about the great things of working at the I-HOP in Champaign. When you get to work with those people for two years, they become your family. You look out for each other. Some of these people are pretty tough, but let me tell you, you have to be tough in this job, or else it will tear you apart. Honestly, many people have quit this job, many have gone home crying not to come back. These folks will make you develop a tough skin. This job taught me so much patience, and how to work with people, how to work with difficult co workers. You eventually learn to play on peoples good side. Some of these people if you get to know them a little bit, they are pretty cool, they have big hearts, and are people just trying to make a living, and live life like every body else. These people serve others for a living, day in and day out. Most of these people take some sort of satisfaction and pride doing their work. These people are hard working people that keep the restaurant running. I would like to share a few stories from I-HOP that stuck with me.

One day one of my friends was waiting on an order, the customers had been waiting for a while. She even asked the cook about the food. There is no ticket for that meal they say. So she goes back to the computer, and surely enough, there was her order that had not been sent in. We are humans, we make mistakes, its just hard when your wages depend on your service however. What did she do thought? She walked over to the table and apologized, she says, “I'm sorry It was my fault, I forgot to send in your order, and that is why your meal is taking so long, but it is being made right now.” You may have thought that she would have gotten either no tip or a small one at that, they were happy with their meal, and appreciated her honesty, and left her a good tip.

People just like to complain sometimes. My favorite is when people complain about their food after scarfing down practically the whole dish.

There was an instance in which I had a table of customers, and this lady was complaining about her eggs. She asked for them over medium, she made sure that I understood that they HAD to be over medium. I knew already that this would be a picky customer, so I made sure I told the cook to make sure those eggs were over medium. I bring the food out, she automatically sends the eggs back, too runny. I have the cook remake them, bring them out, nope sorry these are way too done. So I think to myself, well, third times usually a charm right, hey my boss even decided he would make them himself, I bring them out, nope, these just ain't right, “it must just be me the customer replies.” Ohhh sure enough I am screaming inside my head, of course its you, we tried three different times, but what do I do, I just jokingly laugh with her, offer her something else.

There was a time that a customer complained about not having extra cheese on his burger, even though I saw my manager make it, and put extra cheese, and she also made sure she put extra cheese, but it didn't matter because the customer is always right.

We had a woman I will give her a pseudo name of Ruthy, who always came in for coffee, every once in a while she would order food. She would just sit there for hours and drink coffee and talk to her self, or just be in her own world. Ruthy was a very intelligent woman, who had 5 master degrees and knew at least two languages, and even served on the faculty at U Of I back in the day. Ruthy suffers from schizophrenia. Some times she will have her episodes and may get a little loud, but she is harmless, and an interesting person to get to know. Ruthy doesn't normally tip, every once in a while I had gotten some spare change from her, I was not bothered by this however. She is very kind and generous, there was several occasions that she brought us treats, or other things for the staff to share. This one busy Saturday, most of us had anywhere from 3-5 tables in our section. If you got stuck with a small section, you had to get your customers in and out otherwise you would make no money. Now I can understand the want and the need to make money, but to treat someone as less important than a paying customer was wrong. One of my coworkers, was ignoring Ruthy, and failed to give her proper service, she just wanted her gone from her section so she could seat tipping customers. This coworker of mine, sure liked to complain. I almost felt like telling her, if you are so concerned about making money then just seat your customers at one of my tables, but please don't make yourself the victim here. It was easier to just express my negative feelings about this coworker, and I sure did for a long time , but complaining wasn't going to get any thing done. I think I eventually learned to work with this coworker.

I am really glad I got an opportunity to work with all the people that I did at I-HOP, they taught me so much, and I made some really great friends, not just the staff but the customers as well.

So getting back to my blog, now that I have reminisced a little, back to the topic of complaining. Complaining can take out the fun in anything. “It can make a fun job into a chore; at home a complainer can make a relaxing place into a place of stress.” We can find things to complain about just in anything and everything. If you see something and don't do anything about it, it must not be that bad to warrant your complaining. I know if there is a tag inside my shirt that is just annoying the hell out of me, I sure am quick to change shirts or take a pair of scissors to it. Sure you may tell me that it's not always that easy. But no one did say it was. Life isn't always easy and it isn't always fair. You can get a lot more done by fixing a problem then complaining about it. I guess another way of putting this is don't be victimized. You choose how things affect you. It is easier to play the card of the victim for we are delivered from responsibility but we aren't called to be victims. Fred Kratic put it like this: “we celebrate our failings when we make ourselves the victim.”

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. ~ Matthew 5:10-11

You may be wondering how can you be blessed and persecuted at the same time. Simply put, God calls on victims, but he doesn't call us to BE victims. You can take initiative or control of the situation. Maybe the situation at hand is a blessing in disguise. Call me a an optimist if you want, maybe even naïve, but I choose how I play the cards I'm dealt.

“Instead of complaining that the rosebush is full of thorns, be happy that the thorn bush has roses.”~ unknown

Checklist for Life, Thomas Nelson Publishers

Bible KJV

Hubris

It was postmarked April 27,

1992. “Greetings from Fairbanks!” it reads,

This is the last you shall hear from me Wayne. Arrived here 2 days ago. It was very difficult to catch rides in the Yukon Territory. But I finally got here. Please return all mail I receive to the sender. It might be a very long I return South. If this adventure proves fatal and you don’t ever me again, I want you to know you’re a great man. I now walk into the wild.

- Alex

Happy birthday, Christopher McCandless. 2/12/1968- 1992

Today's post explores the life of Christopher McCandless aka Alex Supertramp.

For Those of you that know me, know that I spent a few months up in Fairbanks, Alaska. My husband spent about two years up there working. Alaska is something else. Even though I did not get experience Alaska for all that it is, I am still glad I had the opportunity to live there for a moment. My husband and I want to own a cabin up there, sometime down the road. I yet have to experience its – 60° weather. Fairbanks, is the city where Alex ventures out into the wild.

Written by Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild, is a book that retells Alex's life and adventures. There is also a a film with the same title directed by Shaun Penn. Some of my Alaskan friends may criticize the McCandless story and be annoyed at how his death and lifestyle is romanticized, I do not blame them. The most critical statements made towards McCandless, come from people who live in Alaska, people who are experienced in rugged outdoor living. Regardless of these views, there is much to be learned from Alex. By no means do I deny the fact that Alex died a stupid death. Even thought he was gifted and talented and had above average intelligence, he sure lacked some common sense. His lack in humility, stubborn idealism, and hubris attitude, with an underestimation of the land and a mixture of unfortunate events with the course of time lead to a solemn death. Ironically, the artists he so idolized, lived a life contrary to what they preached, or what their art portrayed. Alex however measured his friends and those he admired by their art and works, rather than the life they lead. And even though he held himself and close friends to an extremely high code of ethics, and extended forgiveness to those who had lead their life astray, and had made grave mistakes he failed to extend this same courtesy to his family, especially his father. He is also a jerk for just leaving his family, with no explanation, never called or write to let them know he was ok. He Pretty much erased his family.

So why then do I defend him, or why do I feel sympathy towards him? What is there to learn from him? Well like everything else boys and girls, learning comes in all sorts of ways. Even though his death is a tragedy, there is much to be said about his drive for life, his desire for people to treat each other better, his go out and do attitude, and a desire to improve this world. And of course we can't forget the obvious lesson, to be taken away from this : be humble, be prepared.

1990 Alex graduated Emory University. After graduating, he had a remainder of 24,000 dollars left in his account that had been given to him by family for school. He signed over a check for that full amount to OXFAM American, a charity whose focus is on fighting hunger, something that Alex always had a heart for. “At long last he was unencumbered, emancipated from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess, a world in which he felt grievously cut off from the raw throb of existence” (p 18). Alex was on a search for a raw transcendental experience, in a Thoreauvian sort of sense. Alex was an itinerant, who made his way through Arizona, California, paddled down remote parts of the, Colorodo river, temporarily worked in South Dakota, and even ended up in Mexico. All through his journey he met many people, who often fed him and provided him aid. Alex was the type to make an impression on someone. The time had finally come for him to embark on what he called is Alaskan odyssey. He hitch hiked his way up to the Yukon territory and eventually into Fairbanks Alaska. Out into the bush he went, with minimal supplies and food. Setting camp in an old abandoned bus off stampede trail. He spent 4 months in solitude living off the land hunting and foraging for food. With him he had a 10-pound bag of rice, a semi-automatic rifle with 400 rounds of ammunition, a book of local plant life, several other books, and some camping equipment. He took pride in surviving with the minimal supplies. The 113 days spent in the bush, he kept a diary of some sort, high lighted passages from some of his favorite books, and inscribed to do lists. It appears that Alex was planing on rejoining society, he had come to the realization that“happiness only real when shared.” Life took a turn for the worst however.

From reading the book and looking on the internet, his cause of death is a debate. While Kraukauer would have us believe that Alex died from ingesting seeds that may have contained alkoloids, which are sometimes produced even by non toxic foods, such as the wild potato which he had been eating for a while now. Even though the wild potato is not toxic, the seeds could have been the possible cause of his demise. The problem with this theory however is that no toxins were found in Alex's autopsy. The most probable cause is starvation. The game he had been hunting was lean, he probably died of what is called rabbit starvation. It is so stupid, how relatively close civilization was to magic bus. Alex however for practical purposes was cut off from the rest of the world. “The bush is an unforgiving place, however , that cares nothing for hope or longing.” Pg 6

According to the moral absolutism which Alex adopted, a challenge in which a successful outcome is assured isn't much of a challenge (p 125). Alex saw the world in black and white. If I can characterize Alex, one thing for sure is that he is immature. For being the type of person that loves others, he failed to show forgiveness towards his family. Alex had six half siblings from his father's previous marriage. Alex however did not find this out till later. His father had led a double life, he remained with his previous wife while at the same time living with Alex's mom. Alex was hurt by the fact that his father's time love and affection was shared by a whole other family, which his father failed to mention and even tried hiding it. I don't think Alex ever forgave his father. In a way I can understand Alex. My father has done things that when I was younger I didn't think I could forgive him for. This however did me no good. I also understand Alex's longing for people treating each other better. One lesson I have taken away from my life however is that helping out starts out in your own home, with your own family. Forgive those you are close to, and love them. It is important not to give up on the world, and to have faith in people.

If you haven't read the book or seen the movie, I would really encourage you to see it. Alex is an interesting character.

sources
"Into the Wild", by Jon Krakauer
2007 Sean Penn film "Into the Wild"
Wikipedia

The Sanctity of Marriage

Welcome to Real talk everyone. Today's topic is: the defense of marriage. It is my opinion that if you believe in the sanctity of marriage, then it can only get better. If you didn't make vows that you plan on keeping till death do you part, then you are in trouble. When you take your vows; you gave your self to that person for the rest of your life, and as cheesy as it may sound, your heart and soul are now part of that other person. I am not arguing against divorce, I'm arguing for marriage. Trust me, some people are better apart, people change, and well divorce is justified sometimes but should be used with discretion. In my opinion, if you married for love, than you will spend the rest of your life with this person, given that circumstances permit. If you are like most people, you prefer a life of joy, fun, and love. If you really want something, than you put your heart and soul into it, you use all the elbow grease it takes, you use all the tools you can get, you give everything you have. If both partners believe in the sanctity of their marriage; then marriage is just one big team project. The more time you spend with someone, the easier it should be to live them. You learn what ticks your partner off. You learn what they like, what makes them happy; their ways. You can read them with out them speaking a word. Now whether this type of love still exists or not, I am not sure, all I know is that I'm in this to win it, and I'm in it for love.

Just today, while sitting at the dinner table, Dro mentioned how we used to argue while grocery shopping when we first started living together. Grocery shopping, is no longer something we dread. We have learned to work as a team. Sure there may still be a few punches and kicks thrown around when deciding whether to get wheat bread or white bread, but for the most part we kick grocery shopping's ass. He has learned the brands I like, how to pick out a bargain, and we both fill the cart, which limits the time we spend in the store, without losing each other for too long.

I know many people see marriage as a death sentence, and maybe for some it is, maybe some don't have a choice. But if you did choose marriage and you did it for love, then it can only get better. I know that we have only been married for 20 days and I know we have a lot to learn and I'm sure many fights and arguments are yet to come. I hope however that all those will be made for the betterment of our marriage. So if you see any one of us complaining about marriage down the road, make sure you remind us of this post.

If you are married, what can you do, to improve your marriage? If you are not married, don't let all the bad rep that marriage gets deter you from making a lifetime commitment to someone you love. Trust me, when you find the right one, it is so worth it.

Ramen Noodles surprise

Happy Tuesday Everyone. On Tasty Tuesday today, the topic is the wonders of Ramen Noodles.

One of the things you get to exercise when you are broke and unemployed is creativity. As I have mentioned before, cooking is one of the many ways in which I express creativity. Living on a budget, should not preclude some one from eating delicious meals. I have learned to buy items in which I can make many dishes from, and an example of this is Ramen noodles. First of all Ramen Noodles are great when you are sick, its an easy chicken soup. Second of all, there are so many ways you can dress up Ramen. You can add vegetables, or meat. Just yesterday I added some left over pot roast meat to my beef noodles, and it made it hearty and delicious. The other day I made a cauliflower dish with sausage, my hubby put some of those leftover in Ramen.... DELISH! With Ramen, you can make a simple version of stir fry, just cook your noodles, cut up some veggies and add them to the noodles. You can also use the powder flavoring in other dishes.

Not only is Ramen, cheap and have a long shelf life, and easy to store, but its so easy to make, your kids can make lunch.

Now you may think that Ramen is pretty easy to make, well let me tell you; it is, however to get it to the most perfect state, I would recommend cooking it for longer than it says on the package. This allows the noodles to soften up more, and they absorb the flavor more. Its funny how someone that loves to cook as much as I do, prefer to have my hubby make Ramen, he always makes it perfect, he cooks it so that the noodles are so soft, they almost remind me of mexican sopa de fideo, yum!

Do you have any fun easy, inexpensive recipes?

Lyric amalgam

Aside from food, music is another constant in my life. It is fair to say that I have a wide selection of music, and enjoy listening to it all. I like good beats, I love the lyrics, I like music composition. Music can move us in many ways. It can be encouraging, it can be energetic, it can even make us cry. I thought I would be a little creative and do a song mash up poem. The following are lyrics taken from some of my favorite songs. Each line, represents a line in a song. My organization format is as follows: I set up three parts, beginning, middle and end and filled it with the different lines. Then I went into each part, beginning, middle and end and arranged each of those parts in the same manner. I guess there is some organization to the randomness of the lyrics. I tried to make it rhyme if possible.

The artists: Tom Petty, Marvin Gaye, Kanye West featuring Jay-Z and Ivy, J.J. Grey and Mofro, John Lennon, Neil Young, Cyndi Lauper, Interpol, The Wallflowers. Elvis, A-ha, Alphaville, U2, Old Crowe Medicine Show, Lynard Skynard, Violent Femmes, Stevie Nicks, Alanis Morissette.

I did not make up any of these lines, they are all taken directly from the songs, my only doing is the extraction of the lines from different songs and arranging them in some order. So please artists, don't sue me.

And the town lit up and the world got still.

We are all here for a reason on a particular path.

Imagine all the people living for today.

An old man turned ninety-eight he won the lottery and died the next day.

You don't need a curriculum to know that you are part of the math.

Oh be something you love and understand.

I want to live, I want to give,I've been a miner for a heart of gold.

I'm free but I'm focused.

I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings, coming down is the hardest thing

A sea was stormin' inside of me.

I believe in everything from a river running backwards to a bee when it stings.

Don't be cruel to a heart that's true.

Tell them now your pleasure's set upon slow-release.
That's why I expose my soul to the globe.

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?

Well they said she died easy of a broken heart disease.

You belong among the wild flowers.

I want to be the one to walk in the sun.

I'm green but I'm wise.

A childhood imagination, has been my salvation.

My rhythmatic regimen navigates melodic notes for your soul and your mental.

It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife.

I'm high as a kite, I may just stop to check you out.

So needless to say, I'm odds and ends.

I'm a heaven-sent instrument.

Troubles will come and they will pass.

Have you come here to play Jesus, to the lepers in your head?

It's a death row pardon two minutes too late.

But it's the little things; the little things, not expectation, that make life worth living.

The future looks bright ahead.

Hey, come on try a little, nothing is forever.

Oh take your time, don't live to fast.

The love you give to me will free me.

It's a free ride when you've already paid.

Let it been known that God's penmanship has been signed with a language called love.

Cause I've got one hand in my pocket and the other one is giving the peace sign.

And don't forget son there is someone up above.

How many songs do you recognize?

The pleasures of sharing a meal

For those of you that don't know me, one of the things I really enjoy is food. I love cooking, baking, grilling, eating, potlucks, buffets, fine cuisine, colorful food, strange food, and the best: sharing a home cooked meal.

Some would agree, that growing up in Hispanic culture, food marks a big part of its traditions and family life style. Even though culture may be changing now, if you are a female who grew up in a Hispanic home, you were taught about food. You helped mom when it was time to fix dinner, you observed and learned and maybe passively but some how you started picking up on how to cook food; techniques and recopies. You accompanied her to do the grocery shopping, and you picked up on how to ask for meats at the butcher, how to tell if something is ripe, what meals can be maid on a budget etc. All that had to do with food, you learned. Most importantly however is the practice of being raised around the dinner table and the sharing of a meal and conversation. I don't want to make a blanket statement here and say that all girls are raised like this; families are different obviously, but this was, at least speaking for myself and many of my friends the way we were raised. As you can see then, food to me has been one of the constant joys in my life. Surely I knew that whether it was sunny, or stormy, whether mom felt well or not, whether we were poor or rich, whether it was a special occasion, or just another ordinary day, that there would be food on the table and that we would sit around the table and share; share a meal, share how our day was.

I have been very blessed, in having been able to partake in such a wonderful family, and to have been blessed with such delicious nourishment. From those of you that know me, know that my parents are divorced, and well not saying that family life was always a bliss, but one thing is for sure, I am blessed in having been able to have shared those meals with my family. I even have friends sometimes remind me of times that they shared a meal with my family, I may not remember, my mom may not remember, but the mere fact that they remember, tells you how meaningful sharing a meal can be. Not only is this true of friends having dinner with my family, but I also remember spending countless times eating at a friends house, always feeling welcomed.

I enjoy food for many reasons. First of all I really take pleasure in cooking because I have the power to create. I can prepare a feast, or soup for one. I have the ability to make art with food. If we think about it, food appeals to many of the senses. It can be colorful. It can be noisy, take that crackling candy for instance, or the whistle of a kettle. It can smell good. It can taste good, and have different textures. Another reason why I enjoy cooking is the fact that you can bring someone pleasure. It makes me and many moms and dads and people that love cooking, bringing satisfaction to someone's taste buds happy. Another reason that I enjoy cooking is that it gives me an appreciation for everything my mom taught me, all those times she dragged me to the grocery store as I threw a temper tantrum, all those times she made me help with dinner, and those countless times that we prepared food that was mostly eaten on special occasions. I enjoy cooking because it gives me a reason to invite someone over for dinner and company. It gives us an opportunity to be hospitable.

Hospitality is a major theme in religious context. Hospitality often entails food. Worship, thousands of years ago, took place in the home; this would entail the practice of washing your guests feet at their arrival, and of sharing a meal around the table. Consider Jesus' last supper and the common practice of communion. What would it be like to have been that “chosen” person where Jesus and his disciples dined for the Last Supper?

“Something holy happens around a dinner table that will never happen in a sanctuary. In a church auditorium you see the backs of heads. Around the table you see the expressions of faces. In the auditorium one person speaks; around the table everyone has a voice. Church services are on the clock. Around the table there is time to talk.” Lucado Pg 56.

“Even more, open your circle. Be certain to invite not just the affluent and successful, “but when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed” Luke 14:13-14

Max Lucado, in his book: Outlive Your Life, offers us some insightful advice on how to be hospitable. He encourages us to offer an invitation. It could be anyone, this person may be a single person who eats alone every night, it could be an elderly neighbor who may receive very little meaningful contact with anyone, or a teenager who feels left out. He invites us to be someone's hospital. Not only can we feed their bellies but we can also feed their soul. Lucado instructs us to make that invitation and not to worry about the detail.

Remember this: “What is common to you is a banquet to someone else. You think your house is small, but to the lonely heart, it is a castle. You think the living room is a mess, but to the person whose life is a mess, your house is a sanctuary. You think the meal is simple, but to those who east alone every night, pork and beans on paper plates tastes like filet mignon. What is small to you is huge to them. Open your table.” Lucado Pg 58

Another one of my favorite examples in the religious context is that of Mother Teresa. “I didn't bring more rice that evening because I wanted them to enjoy the joy of sharing.”

Take time to be personal, in a society that is now impersonal, efficient, and isolated. Everyone walks around with headphones, separating themselves from society, texting away, surfing the net, on an electronic world, making banking transactions with machines. Be personal, open up your home. The following are good practices in how to open up your home. Issue a genuine invitation, make a big deal of your guests arrival and lastly address the needs of your guests.

I would hope that after having read this, you would consider my advice and make that invitation. Secondly, some of you maybe can answer this for me, because I can't find the answer, I can posit some ideas as to why, but just wondering: why is the host of the Last Supper not mentioned by name in the Bible?

This blog was brought to you by the one and only Hide Michel, previously known as Hide Flores. Wife, sister, daughter, niece, cousin, grand-daughter, friend, lover of all that is good. Stay tuned for more blogging.

Life is like a film production

Live life as if you were directing a production

Be emotional, be intense, be dramatic. Don't be afraid to put your self out there. Always strive to show your best face. Always be in character. Edit your actions and thoughts, cut out destructive behavior, get rid of abusive relationships. Shine light on new ideas, big projects. Be creative, make art! Most importantly make choices, you choose how to direct your life; your production.

Life is about making choices, like a director, you choose what comes, what goes, what needs more emphasis, what needs to be toned down. You have a choice of how to live your life, why not choose the good?

IT'S QUIET. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep.
The day is coming.
In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the
sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of
solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early
morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.
For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that I must
make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose.
I choose love . . .
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will
love God and what God loves.
I choose joy . . .
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be
cynical . . . the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than
human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an
opportunity to see God.
I choose peace . . .
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I choose patience . . .
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my
place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank
God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face
them with joy and courage.
I choose kindness . . .
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And
kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I choose goodness . . .
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will
boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.
I choose faithfulness . . .
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will
not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never
fear that their father will not come home.
I choose gentleness . . .
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in
praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of
myself.
I choose self-control . . .
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what
will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be
impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by
Christ. I choose self-control.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace.
And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

~ When God Whispers Your Name, Max Lucado

Hide's Mad Tea Party

This blog is a mixture of genres. Fiction and non fiction/ history. The layout is as follows. I am sharing a meal with five people of my choosing. It can be anybody, real, fictional, dead or alive. I did a little bit of research, most of this information I have previously read in books and just remember, or I took off Wikipedia. Yes I understand that Wikipedia is not necessarily considered a good source to cite, but given the fact that this is one: my blog, two: a fictional hypothetical instance, and three: most of the stuff that I have quoted or stated I have previously read in reliable primary source, but this isn't school so I don't feel like taking out the books and citing, did enough of that in grad school. Oh yeah fourthly, if you don't believe something than look it up lazy. Having said that, lets move on to the setting.

Just for kicks and giggles, I would imagine myself at the table of the Mad Hatter having tea, surrounded by excellent company including that of the Mad Hatter, Van Gogh, Einstein, Mother Teresa, da Vinci, and Dali. Not sure how the conversation would go down, but that's reserved for another blog . I have composed a short summary of these figures, their accomplishments and some of the qualities I admire in them. I have also come up with a series of questions that I would ask each of these figures if I had the chance. Here we go!

“As we advance in life it becomes more and more difficult, but in fighting the difficulties the inmost strength of the heart is developed.” - Van Gogh

Famously known for having cut off part of his left ear lobe, Van Gogh was a suffering artist. He was afflicted with mental illness. Some posit bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, temporal lobe epilepsy among others. His work makes use of vivid colors and great emotion.

Surprisingly, Van Gogh was a Christian man. He wanted to be a pastor and preach. During his ministry he lived a life of squalor; sharing in the pain of those he preached to, sleeping on straw in a small hut and eating meagerly.

I would like him at my table because not only do we share an aspect of craziness, not to the same extreme, but to some degree. Secondly I see him as a figure who suffered a great deal and his paintings clearly and vividly portray this. Also it is nice to know that if a crazy man such as Van Gogh attempted ministry why can't I. I have been giving ministry some though, and it gives me comfort to know that God uses people of all walks of life. I appreciate his honest attempt at ministry in sharing the hardships of those he preached to. Strong, honest and humble.

If I could ask Van Gogh a question, it would be:

• If today's medication and medical treatments were available to you, would you make use of them, if so, how would it have affected your art, and in what way?

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“"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." - Einstein

Father of modern physics, and author of the theory of general relativity. Thought enemy of the German regime, and found on a magazine; a list of names : “Not yet hanged.” America welcomed Einstein, as he escaped Nazi controlled Germany.

“I made one mistake when I signed the letter to president Roosevelt recommending that an atom bomb be made.” Einstein did not want to risk Hitler having possession of nuclear weapons and opted in the aid of the development of the atomic bomb, also known as the Manhattan Project. Einstein strongly felt however that “war was a disease.”

Einstein was a humanist and supporter of ethical welfare. Einstein received instruction in both the Bible and Talmud. Agnostic in the view of a personal God, he believed in a God closer to that described by the philosopher Spinoza; everything is one substance. “I prefer an attitude of humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual understanding of nature and of our own being."

I would like to dine with Einstein because he was a brilliant man. I would ask him to explain to me the concept of time, and explain his theory of relativity. He seems to be so knowledgeable and imaginative when it comes to how the world works. I would like to hear what he has to say about the cosmos and other dimensions.

If I could ask Eistein one question, it would be:

• Is time travel possible, if so what kind of of machine would have be invented, and would you create one, why or why not?

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“Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.” Mother Teresa

For over 45 years Mother Teresa ministered to the poor, the sick, the orphaned the dying, the unwanted, those shunned and who had become a burden on society. Mother Teresa is responsible for the founding of 610 missions in 123 countries. Mother Teresa, born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu took on this name after the patron st, of missionaries Therese Lisieux, on the day she took her vows. Since someone in her convent had already taken that name she opted for the Spanish spelling Teresa.

One day she got “the call with in the call”"I was to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them. It was an order. To fail would have been to break the faith." The first year she went out, with nothing, having to beg for food and supplies. Soon enough she caught the attention of Indian officials. Mother Theresa eventually developed houses for the dying, hospices for those who suffered from HIV/AIDS, leprosy , she opened counseling services for children, soup kitchens and schools all over the world.

Mother Teresa's philosophy was that suffering brought you closer to God, she believed that it was a gift to be able to share in Christ's suffering. This philosophy greatly affected the way her missions were administered and therefore was criticized by some. She did not believe in administering pain medication, even to those who were dying and in great pain, nor did she make much use of modern medical care. Her primary mission was to bring people to Christ with humanitarianism as a bi-product.

There have been several criticism raised against her two main critics include Colette Livermore who wrote a book about leaving the missions, and Christopher Hitchens. Even though I was taken by surprise and a bit disturbed with some of the charges made against her, I will not dispel them here but will leave that to the readers discretion. I rather celebrate the good she brought about, and her devotion to sharing in the suffering of others, giving them care, love, and a feeling of being wanted.

I want Mother Teresa at my table, because I would like her to share with me how she found the strength to preach and minister, when for a large part of her life she felt abandoned by God. I would like to learn from her how to push forth a cause when one feels not the love, the care or even believes in what they are pushing forth. Obedience, Mother Teresa thought to be important, the Bible however tells us that it is important we wrestle with God, that we question things, so that we can learn and understand from them. God doesn't mind us doing this as long as we are obedient and follow him for the right reasons. I would like her to give me her thoughts on this.

If I could ask Mother Teresa two questions, it would be:

• How do you turn someone in need of help away with grace?

• How can you preach something so strongly that you sometimes don't believe or have faith in? How do you deal in the struggle with faith?

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“Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something else.”- da Vinci

The archetype of a Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci was a man of many crafts:polymath, painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. Not only that but he was good looking too!

Famously known for having painted the Mona Lisa. Da Vinci is known to be one of the greatest painters of all time. This painting is loved by many because of the elusive smile, divine almost, the delicateness of the brushstrokes leaving a flawless canvas, no over painting or editing of any kind. He also studied the effects of age, and human emotion on the physiology, something he learned to portray in his paintings.

Da Vinci was very imaginative and creative, he filled journals with drawings with detailed descriptions, he was one of the first to draw a fetus. Among many of the things he designed was a helicopter, musical instruments, even a bridge as part of a civil engineering project. One thing he wold do, is purchase caged birds, and then he would set them free.

I would like da Vinci at my table because I feel that his mere presence would be a delight. It would be nice to delight in someone who has divine gifts, someone who imagines, creates, and solves problems with grace.

If I were to ask da Vinci one question, it would be the following:

• What would you consider are the 3 trades that everyone should learn to do?

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“In order to acquire a growing and lasting respect in society, it is a good thing, if you possess great talent, to give, early in your youth, a very hard kick to the right shin of the society that you love. After that, be a snob.” - Dali

Dali: pompous, unpredictable, crazy, creative, excessive, best known for his bizarre surrealistic paintings. He was admired for the use of paranoiac-critical method, in which one accesses the subconscious for the attainment of greater artistic creativity. He was among one of the first to experiment with holography.

Dali often brought attention to himself more through his actions than his works. His flamboyant mustache exemplified his attitude towards life. He partook in unusual and grandiose behavior. There was a time when he showed up to a lecture in a divers suit, “I was plunging deeply into the human mind.”

One of his famous paintings is The Persistence of Memory. Its a painting of soft, melting pocket watches. This painting typically interpreted as a rejection of the notion of time being rigid or deterministic. Another one of his crazy but famous creations is the lobster telephone which is a combination of a a working telephone with a plaster lobster. It was created so that the lobster's genitalia was aligned with the part of the phone in which one would speak into, and hence aligning the lobster's genitalia to the mouth of the person using the phone. The lobster and telephone for Dali, had strong sexual references. Why he chose to combine these two items is not sure, all we know is that one cannot confuse these two objects, only in the mind can this be done, and if possible in the mind then why not in art. This object clearly exemplifies surrealism.

Dali would be welcome at my table because he colored outside the lines.

The question I would ask Dali is:

• Why did you choose a lobster and a telephone as your subjects?

YOUR TURN

After having read the blog, feel free to answer what you think any or all of these figures would respond to the questions I asked them, or more creatively what the other figures at the table think the answer is to the questions being asked. For example: I asked Dali, why he chose a lobster and a telephone for his subject. You could answer: Dali chose the lobster and the telephone because Dali is crazy.... blah blah blah, or two: you can answer: Mother Teresa thinks that Dali chose the lobster and the telephone as subjects because... blah blah blah, have fun be creative, most important, share your answer and post it in the comments section. I apologize in advance if any of this offends anyone, but again this is fictional in a sense and its all happening in my head.