Papa

The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began,
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
Let others follow it who can!
Let them a journey new begin,
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet.

Monkeys

Great Ape dynamics are all about domination, hierarchy, and status, even within the smallest group. If you would like to understand the Great Apes around you better, and yourself as well, it's not difficult; simply do what an animal behavior researcher does: become an observer, as much as possible. To get started, here are some tips:

1) Listen for language domination. Who finishes a sentence, and... who gets interrupted before they are finished with their sentence? Who corrects whom? It's not about correct information, oh no, not in regular conversation. If you are not in a classroom setting with a designated teacher and students, respectful dynamics do not include interruption or talking over another person, or dismissing what another person is saying. Watch to see and listen to hear who interrupts, who corrects, who dismisses who, and how they do it.

2) Personal space! Watch who moves aside to make room in a hallway or sidewalk for others, and who doesn't budge even if they are taking up the whole hallway. If you are the one who always moves over, see what happens when you DON'T.

This is enough to get started. Don't tell anyone you're watching or they will probably change their behavior. Have fun!

The Teacher Is The Student

 Step Lightly is a web log by Australian writer and teacher Jenni Joy.

"...In my world I like to grow with the person. I like learning to be part of the connection I have with the person. I have found that I gain great satisfaction from others’ learning when I open my mind and my heart. It enables me to be a learner in the process as well and learning is my passion.  If I open my mind, they open theirs...."

http://steplightlynow.wordpress.com/2011/10/26/open-learning/

Yes, Virginia,

It really is all an illusion. Busted.

Clear

If your heart were sincere and upright, every creature would be unto you a looking-glass of life and a book of holy doctrine.~T.Kempis

What If Superficial Control Freaks Ran The World?

Oh yeah, that's right, they do~  Okay, what if Superficial Control Freak FEMALES Ran The World?

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/07/19/man-up.html

Stupid Who?

"Pasteur's theory of germs is a ridiculous fiction. How do you think that these germs in the air can be numerous enough to develop into all these organic infusions? If that were true, they would be numerous enough to form a thick fog, as dense as iron."

- Professor Pierre Pochet, 1872

David Lee Black

Photographer David Lee Black shares his inspiring work here:

David Lee Black

I am a grateful collector of his work, and a fan. 

Confidence, Definitions

Confidence:              "I am looking forward to learning how to do this."

Over-Confidence:     "I will ace this with minimal preparation."

Arrogance:               "I don't need to learn this, I already get this and more, it's for lower people."

Low Self-Esteem :    "I can't do this, and everyone who can is smarter than me."

Insecurity:                "I can't do this, and everyone who can thinks they're better than me."

Small Moves, Peace Of Mind

That overwhelmed feeling, too many things to do, not enough time in the day, can't get it all done, seems to be shared by many. We may be overstimulated, or place too many demands on our own time, between the things we want to do, and the things we feel like we have to do. Of course there have been thousands of discussions about "shoulds", and choices, and modern society being over run with electronic communication. But there may be some shortcuts through the stress, back to "you".

One of the ways that time is organized in academic and professional settings is the simple schedule. Just like in school or work, put up a blackboard or whiteboard somewhere in plain sight. Then, simply write the things down that you need and want to get done that day, as if you were writing it for someone else; like you are the teacher, professor, or boss. Write the start time and the end time next to the task, just like a classroom or business day schedule. Then, walk away. Now you can be the student or the employee, and just go by that schedule that the "teacher" or the "boss" wrote on the board. If you finish a task early, you can take a break until the time for that task has ended.  If you do not finish by the time the next task starts, just shelve the task until after the schedule is finished, or resume the next day. If you find you did not schedule enough time for a task that must be completed, you can always adjust the schedule the next day. Just like in class, or working for someone else.

Your black or whiteboard doesn't need to be a permanent fixture, you don't need to figure out how to integrate it into your whole life. Just trying it may help to reset your stress levels, and give you a little more feeling of solid ground under your feet. Have fun with it.

 
Slán agus beannacht leat !


copyright Marianne Black 2011

Another Heads Up

As an abuse survivor and mother, I would like to support this organization, however I need to know, does this organization support and protect men and fathers in the same way? Please tell me whether this organization assumes that victims are female and abusers are male, or not~ gender prejudice has no place in a movement that is for protecting the rights of victims. I can not find a clear answer.
Yesterday at 2:22am · ·


    • American Mothers Political Party Our organization supports Mothers...bottom line. Until we have gender equality in all facets of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness then we can talk about fathers.
      48 minutes ago ·

    • Marianne Black wow okay thanks for your honesty. We can talk about whatever we want to talk about, since this is America; I have suffered abuse, was raped, was nearly murdered, and the 'system' had no care for me or for my son. I have been sexually harassed too many times to count. But believing that it is a gender problem and not a Human Behavior problem is one of the reasons it does not get resolved. People who have prejudice in their hearts ARE the people who released my abuser; they are the same kind of person who released my cousin's wife after she beat her daughter and threatened to kill her father. The protection of human beings is what matters. Misogyny and misandry are the same, grouping people into one category, not seeing the big picture. That is exactly what they want, that way they can keep it all going. Abused men are just as screwed as abused women.
      a few seconds ago ·

Mathematics Fun

Healing Shame

http://www.psychsight.com/ar-shame.html

"So the work of healing your shame is as profound as are the potentials of your soul. It reaches down into the heart of your concept of yourself and of your belief in the possibilities of life, alone, and in the company of others."

D. Shane Crouse

"I dug this hole with which I meant to finally plant flowers for you... I was shocked to unearth your remains... I thought there would always be a time, always a means. I watched the hands of the clock move forward in their predictable fashion and forgot the life that was living upon either side of them. I waited until there was nothing left to wait for..."
2011

One After Another

Grandfather gets life for molesting 6-year-old, while parents on active duty - Atlanta Crime | Examiner.com

Speaks For Itself

Gender Bulls**t (Or, get over yourself, your gender's not better than mine)

 Nice look at the gender constructs that still exist in people's imaginations, even in 2011. Of course as we know by watching Star Trek, women will still wear beehive hairdos and mini skirts in the future, and men will still be in charge of the ship... as long as they're relatively handsome, that is.

http://everything2.com/title/Boys+are+better+than+girls%253A+Adolescent+gender+socialization+in+North+America

Interesting comments on this one as well.
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