Lice as Art?

Saw this and had to write a post. I thought it was a funny, sort of, follow up to the death as art article I talked about last week.
These artists are going to be living in an Israeli museum for three weeks. Where it gets weird is that while they are living there, lice will be living and thriving in their hair. Pretty gross if you ask me, but not nearly as unsettling as watching a stranger die.

Thoughts?

My Thoughts on Meditation...Thus Far

I've gone to two meditation classes now. I arrived the first week not really knowing what to expect, but I was really shocked to find that there were only two other participants. They both had been working with the instructor for almost a year, and seemed very comfortable with the whole thing. I was nervous, and started asking a bunch of questions about technique. My personality is such, that in situations like this I assume there is a right way to do something and I need to know how to do it, so I can practice and get it right. What I'm realizing, about meditation, is there is no one way to go about it. The experience is different for everyone, and it wouldn't work any other way. This, in itself, is an obstacle that I'm having to overcome.

The first class went really well. After the half an hour,(I really thought it had only been 10 minutes.), I felt almost high. Really, really good...like nothing could faze me, and I could accomplish anything. It went away after a bit, but the feeling of calmness remained. I was really excited to go back the next week.

But by the time class rolled around again, I was having a really tough week to begin with, my mind was just not ready. I brought to much mental crap into it with me. I couldn't silence my thoughts. And I kept getting frustrated for not letting go... for just half an hour. I was struggling with myself the whole time, and when the half hour was up, this time, I felt drained and disappointed.

Later, I forgave myself, and decided I would go again next time and give it another shot. I'm hoping, with time and practice, I can learn what works for me, and what can make my time in meditation really fulfilling.

Six Things About Me

Lauren and Barbara tagged me with this. Thanks guys! :) I'm leaving it open to everyone. I think anyone I would tag has already done one.

Rules:
List Six Unimportant Things About Yourself
1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your entry.

1. I love to cook…especially bake. But I didn’t really figure that out until about five years ago.

2. I did extremely horrible in High School…but I did have fun! I started college when I was 24 and graduated last year Magna Cum Laude!

3. I’ve lived in Madison Wi, San Diego, Ca, Vancouver BC, Atlanta, Ga, and spent most of my summers, while I was growing up, in NYC.

4. I love really old movies.

5. I’m somewhat of a hypochondriac.

6. I’m not really a fan of driving, but I love to take road trips, and Sunday drives.

Dear Slurpee

Dear Slurpee,
I'm sorry you're dead. You were so full of life; I really don't know what I could have done to keep you alive longer. I wonder how old you were. They said you had the potential to live for ten years.
How long were you living at Walmart? Hmm, I guess we will never be sure. Well, I guess that's it. All I can say is that I hope the last week of your life was amazing.

Love,
Jessica

Johnathan Coulton=Good Music

I don't really have anything good to post today. Nothing interesting! Listen to Johnathan Coulton. He is amazing and funny. A good combo! :)











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Now playing: Jonathan Coulton - I Crush Everything
via FoxyTunes

Death as Art?

Ok, so I found this article today, and I'm really not sure what I think about it. I DO know that it leaves me with an eerie feeling. An artist in Germany, who is obsessed with death, is looking for a subject who is willing to die in front of a group of spectators. Basically death as art. This seems like a little too much to me. I'm just starting to be ok with the concept of the "Bodies" exhibit, so real death at an art gallery...I'm not really feeling it. What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday

This is one of my Dad's Pictures. I love it. :)

Nonsense and a Philosophical Rant

So, I was going to write a long meaningful post tonight, but I think my mind has a different idea...sleep. When I see a fruit cup out of the corner of my eye and think it's a huge spider-it's definitely time to go to bed!

Here's the short version:

Lately I've been trying to get myself accustom to the idea that "we" can't always get exactly what we want in life. This is a pretty hard concept for me to wrap my brain around.

I not spoiled. And I haven't been given everything I've asked for or anything. It's just that my parents raised me with the attitude...if you want something than get it, work for it, it's possible. It's doable.

In fact, I've amazed people my whole life by getting stuff done that they didn't think was going to happen. It's a great philosophy...I love it. For the most part, it keeps me positive and ready for the next challenge in life.

However, what I'm learning is that, the philosophy has some flaws that there are really no way around. You can be chugging along...set path, set goal, going after what you want, doing what you want, and then life happens. People and/or circumstances get in the way. Then...it's up to you to make adjustments to your plan. Do you get what you want? Or even what you thought you wanted? Maybe some version of it, or maybe not. Depends on the circumstances in general and how you proceed.

I know I'm rambling, but this subject is hard for me. I wish sometimes that there was a clear cut instruction manual for life. You go through steps 1,2,3 and boom there you go end result A.

Does this make sense? Any thoughts?



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Now playing: R.E.M. - The Great Beyond
via FoxyTunes

New York Mail Carrier Catches Baby Who Fell Out of Second-St

There is some good in the world! Yes. :) I knew it. Thought I would share this story.A U.S. Postal Service worker is credited with saving a 1-year-old girl's life by catching the baby after she fell out of a second-story window in Albany.

read more | digg story

Tom Petty and Mudcrutch

Thought this was cool. Along with touring with the Heartbrakers, Tom Petty is getting back together with his old band Mudcrutch. They are putting out an album and doing a small tour. I Love Tom Petty, and have always thought he was way underrated. (Don't know what that really has to do with anything.) I can't wait to see them!

Sunday Thought

Ok, so... today, as I was flipping through my 900 cable channels I thought about how cable was 10 or 15 years ago. Not nearly as many channels, right? Then I started to think about people's mindset back then. I think most couldn't have imagined so many channels, or even a need for them. It is amazing what they've come up with. Most are, in one way or another, just a version of the same thing. But, I do think there are channels that can be addicting. I don't know what some people would do with out their fix of food network, home and garden, animal planet, discovery, or even the weather channel. (oh, and I know I didn't capitalize any of the network names! lol) Guys, whether we like it or not there is no going back to the days of being satisfied by 25 channels.

Slurpee

Meet Slurpee! He is the newest member of the family. Every time I go to Walmart I check the cleanliness of the fish tanks. I suggest you all do the same. For the longest time they were so dirty:dead fish were stuck to the filter in every tank, and they all looked like they hadn't been cleaned in months. Finally, after talking to numerous employees, and a number of visits to the store- the problem got resolved. Now they're clean every time, and I bet they sell a lot more fish.
Anyway, Slurpee asked to go home with me today, so I took him. :)

If you are looking for a good laugh

go see Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I just saw it and I was laughing the whole time. The preview doesn't do the movie justice. I mean it; if you are in need of a laugh...go this weekend and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Meditation and Carrot Cake

This is what I had for dinner. Strangely it wasn't very satisfying.

I'm contemplating meditation tonight. People have told me for years that I should try to meditate for relaxation and such. And for one reason or another I just haven't pursued it. After reading Eat, Pray, Love I started seriously thinking about trying it sometime. Well, an opportunity has presented itself, and tomorrow I am taking an introductory meditation class! I'm pretty excited and a bit nervous. So we'll see how it goes. :) I'm not hoping for a Zen like state quite yet, but a little inner peace would be nice.

There's a First Time for Everything

Today I met a man with a passion for Polka music! :) I had forgotten Polka music existed. But apparently there is a whole subculture that digs it. I think that's cool. lol

Alain Robert is sometimes called...

the Human Spider. His latest endeavor was scaling a 45 story hotel in Hong Kong. What he does is illegal in most places; he climbs skyscrapers and other such things without ropes, netting, or protective gear. From looking at his website, I've come to the conclusion that his choice of no safety precaution stems from the fact that in the past he had suffered two bad accidents both at the hand of faulty ropes. So, he probably just said screw it; I've already had two horrible accidents I might as well go for it. Who knows?
I think what he does is pretty interesting. What do you think? In your opinion is the "Human Spider" foolish or brave?

Show Me The Way To Go Home

Show me the way to go home
I'm tired and I want to go to bed
I had a little drink about an hour ago
And it went right to my head
Where ever I may roam
On land or sea or foam
You will always hear me singing this song
Show me the way to go home

The way I'm feeling tonight... minus the drink.
I love this song; my grandfather used to sing it when I was a kid.
Happy Memories. :)

One of My Biggest Pet Peeves...

is when people ask for advice...you give it, and then they automatically question its validity, dismiss it, or make excuses about why they can't follow it. Don't get me wrong, I don't care if people follow my advice. (I don't claim to be an expert on anything!) I just don't want to waste my time advising people that obviously don't want to be advised.

Eat, Pray, Love

I cannot give this book enough praise. Elizabeth Gilbert is a wonderful writer; she draws her readers in with casual but meaningful prose. For those that don't know about the book, here is the short version: it's nonfiction, and about Elizabeth finding, and becoming her self via a year long trip overseas. She travels through Italy, India, and Indonesia; spending four months in each location.
Never have I related to a book like I did with this one, and I'm an avid reader. I found myself laughing, crying, sympathizing...reading and rereading. After the first couple of pages, I discovered that before I could go any further I needed a pen close at hand. My book is folded, worn, and covered with ink. Passages, quotes, or incites I deemed important were marked, so they became easily accessible for later reading. I'm waiting for the pocket version! lol When I was finished reading I longed for more. Thankfully, she has a semi-follow up book due out in 2009. I can't wait!
Has anyone read Eat, Pray, Love? I would love to hear your thoughts! :)

Dear Cable/Phone Jack Installer Guy

Dear Cable/Phone Jack Installer Guy,

First off, I would just like to say that I'm sorry for not addressing you by your proper name. It's just that you never introduced yourself formally, and you keep calling me ma'am, so I've created you a pseudonym of Cable/Phone Jack Installer Guy.

With that being said, the real purpose of this letter is to let you know that you shouldn't worry too much about not being able to install that extra phone jack. It was nice of you to put in two days of work, but it seems obvious now that there was a good reason that no phone jack was there to begin with. It just wasn't doable.

Sometimes life is like that...things just don't work out the way you want them to. You said that in your 11 or so years installing you've never not finished a job. Well, there's a first time for everything. Don't worry, I want to let you in on a little secret...after about your third hour here I decided that I really didn't want a phone jack there anyway. See no problem.

Also, please don't have anymore nightmares about not figuring out how to wire the house so the line will work. When you said that you were tossing and turning all night about the project I really felt for you. It's great that you take so much pride in your work! Very commendable, most people don't care about quality these days.

Thanks for all you hard work, but you have to let it go now. Nobody thinks any less of you. Go to your next job and give it your all.

Yours,
Ma'am (women whose house you couldn't wire for a new phone jack)

Jason Castro...Listen to him

Normally, I swear, I don't give pop culture much of a second thought, but this year I've really gotten into American Idol. I usually think most people that go on are just out for fame and money, and I guess most of them are, but this season I believe a few are actually pretty humble. Anyway, I love Jason Castro;his voice is great! :)

Rant Brought Upon By Being Exsposed to Way Too Many Furniture Stores

Why do sales people have to jump on patrons the minute they walk into a store? And then lurk behind the whole time you're shopping, and this is after you've told them, pleasantly, that you did not need help? That sucks; come on guys...I'm more likely to buy something if you leave me alone!

And what's with all the furniture looking the same? I don't really feel like being a clone of everyone else. What happened to individuality and creativity. Why do people accept this?

Humph, I guess you can tell what kind of mood I'm in tonight. lol

The Earth Shakes

The earth shakes, bellows, lurches,
opens beneath her feet.

Leaving her unaware, she falls.
Leaving her cold, she falls.
Leaving her numb, she falls.

Encompassed by darkness, she lands.

Struggling for days, she awakens.

The earth shakes, bellows, lurches,
extends a hand.

Slowly, she rises from the darkness into her new found light.

© 2008 Jessica-Thoughtful Reflections

Connected Heart

Over the past few years I've become somewhat intrigued with the link between organ donors and their recipients. This fascination started one night when I was flipping through channels and came across a program devoted to the topic. It seems that, often, people receiving the gift of an organ donation get more than just a healthy organ; they inherit new personality traits. It's been awhile, but one case I remember seeing was about a man who had a liver transplant; after the new liver had time to settle into his body, he acquired a love for fired chicken, which he'd never liked before. It turned out that fried chicken had been a staple in the donor's diet. Kinda weird. I've seen and read other things about this subject as well. Sometimes the owners of the new organs even inherit a new talent.
This is what prompted me to write about the subject. It's a disheartening story(no pun intended), but adds substance to the claim that organ recipients can acquire the traits of their donors. A man who got the heart of a young man who had committed suicide by gunshot, eventually married the man's wife and years later killed himself in the same way. Very odd. Some may say that something about the wife may be the culprit. lol

I personally think there is something very curious about this. What do you think about this topic overall? Has anyone heard about more instances of links between organ donors and their recipients? I'd like to hear em. :)

Dear Me

Dear Me,
Don't beat yourself up about not posting yesterday. (These things happen)
And continue, today, with NaBloPoMo as normal.

Love,
Me

Dear Throat

I am participating in NaBloPoMo this month. I try to write everyday, but I thought signing up would give me a little extra push on days when I don't feel like it. Anyway, the theme this month is letters; you don't have to stick to the theme, but tonight I thought I would give it a try.


Dear Throat,
Could you please be kind enough to stop hurting NOW. I was thoughtful enough to put up with the pain this morning, but, now, frankly it's getting pretty annoying. And if you can't fulfill that request, here's a suggestion...have a meeting with all of your germy buddies and come up with the plans for a full cold. Because the way it stands now, you just hurt like crap, but you're not making me feel sick enough to allow myself a rest. So basically, Throat, what I'm saying is (pardon my french) shit or get off the pot.

Thanks a Bunch,
Me

Thought this was Funny...

and I don't have much to say today, but this came to my in box from Borders and I thought it was funny. It's from a comic called Brevity.

Pain and Struggle= Change and Growth

Today I listened to a bit of Glenn Beck's radio show. He's great; I've been listening to him off and on since 9/11. The reason I like him more than most talk radio hosts is the fact that he never claims to have all the answers. Also, he is pretty open minded, and funny. I love to laugh and he is constantly making me laugh, so that's probably one of the main reasons I've been a listener for so long.

Anyway, today his topic led to a discussion about the importance of pain and struggle in people's lives. His ultimate point was that with out having moments of pain, struggle, and hardship that no one can change or grow.

So I started thinking, wow this is so true. His statements can be seen true with all things in life not just economic hardship. When you think about it, it makes total sense...when people are comfortable there's really no incentive for them to change. But when things get tough, personally, financially, or whatever people have more of a reason to evaluate their lives and change. Of course no one likes to deal with physical or mental pain and hardship, but in order to grow and see life from a different clearer prospective these things need to happen. In a way, I equate this to my thoughts on addiction... someone who is addicted has to reach their lowest, most uncomfortable point in order to allow themselves the opportunity to change.

Life is like this and I think even needs to be like this- Wonderful beautiful moments filled with happiness and light mixed in with moments of struggle and such. Because without this balance we wouldn't grow, change, or appreciate life to its fullest existent.

Just my thoughts...what do you think?

Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings...

the new Counting Crows album is amazing. Adam Duritz's lyrics have always done something for me. This is true...whenever I loose my center or my creativity (basically, when I'm depressed, feeling unnecessarily sorry for myself, or in a creative rut) I can listen to the Counting Crows and it all comes back to me. I like the way you can can listen to Adam's songs over and over, and still come away with an enhanced understanding of meaning each time.
I was unsure about how this album would be, it's been so long since they last recorded, but I've been listening for over a week and have determined it's really good. Check it out...it's worth it!

Below is a video of them preforming "Los Angeles" one of my favorites from Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings.

High on Kimya Dawson

Last weekend I went to see Kimya Dawson play. You know, she's the girl that became semi-well known for her music that was on the Juno soundtrack. She was in the Moldy Peaches and has had various stints recording with other friends of hers. Now, she is working on kids music. (which she played at the show...it was awesome, and in her words 'It's basically the same as my other music but I don't say cock.') I started listening to Kimya in January and haven't stopped. There's something about her lyrics and musical style that touches my heart. It's just so relateable and real.
For me, listening to her is a very emotional experience, and seeing her preform live only intensified my feelings. It was not like any show I have ever been to. I spent an hour and a half entranced and focused on her, my own thoughts, and the music. I realized that it's not just Kimya's music that is real...it's her. She is happy and doing what she loves. That rubs off on the people around her. In fact, when I left the show I had an intense feeling of euphoria. I'm not even kidding; It was like the same giddy feeling you get when you're just starting to get drunk. Only this was more intense...warm, happy, emotional. Almost like the after effects of a much needed cry. (which isn't to far from being literal...because there were points during the show when I was moved to tears.) I knew the feeling wouldn't last...but while it did it was amazing.

Writing and playing songs is what she does to deal with life. It's her creative outlet, and her audience is lucky enough to be a part of that. Wow...is all I have left to say. She's left me speechless. I'm hoping I will get to see her again soon. I'm kinda addicted! lol