Becoming something…

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I know it sounds a bit messy to put mayo into kissing, but recently Heinz discovered that in fact might be true. They pulled an ad in Britain (see below) after over 200 complaints to the government about its content. The ad contained two guys kissing after the stereotypical mum-dad morning “send the kids to school” routine. Their reasoning was that the humor was a miss for “all sides of the debate.” The ad having not shown in the U.S. still caused some local reaction. O’ Reilly, our bestest friend, decided to make further comment on the situation by bringing it across the pond to talk about the “gay thing.” Apparently he thinks mayo commercials should be devoid of homo-kisses. Something tells me O’ Reilly, save the fact that it wasn’t even an American ad, wasn’t Heinz’s target consumer.

I, personally, love it. It was caring and a bit masculine at the same time. Last night I watched a 30 Days episode on gay parenting, specific focus on adoptive families. The hosting couple was part EMU professor (Dennis), so I felt extra inclined to watch (Go Ypsi!). In both these situations the argument seems to be that we should be protected from people stepping on each other’s toes. There is a significant difference between belief and action. Preventing a family from adopting or preventing a gay family from being represented in a television ad prevents action and expression on an equal platform. This is wrong. The argument that putting it out there, via television ad or legalizing same-sex adoption, steps on the opposition’s moral toes is a bit off. The former is an extension in to my own personal space and rights, the latter does nothing to prevent free thought or action. Is personal and moral discomfort reason enough to pull an ad or prevent gay adoption? To the point, we actually do sue in civil court for these types of things but I feel like that even carries of level of absurdity with it too.

The ad:

O’ Reilly (they show the ad again, he commentary is :51 sec in):

Link to 30 Days episode - The show is installment #4

As the summer days have passed, I’ve enjoyed a few more hellos on the street. Part of this is that I’ve not been so relegated to closed methods of transportation. Riding my bike to work a “hello!” can almost frighten me, sometimes you forget how little we interact with each other. Even more the case, we are destination oriented. Work continues on into the summer and we have a little more time, or so it seems, to pause and wonder what we are actually making of our time. Wine is good and so is pomegranate juice. Things feel so loose, time only heating things up. Get lost in your own mess of words to the point that you forget ‘em. Doesn’t that feel better?

There is always time to be had, you just have to make time to have it. In your head and in your day. Happy Summer!

JustinFenwick.Net Power Pancakes -
A great recipe! Also the only one I have used that held up to protein powder as an ingredient. This creates a more substantive pancake with a bit more nutrition. Fluffy, sexy, and great!

INGREDIENTS

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
* 1 1/4 cups milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 scoop protein powder
* 1 egg
* 3 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar (I used a fork). Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth (with a fork).
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter (it will be thick and not spread out quite like normal, but don’t spread it too thin) onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

This recipe was modified slightly from Dakota Kelly’s on AllRecipes.com

Fearless Lover Podcast: How Spiritual Grounding Provides What Therapy Can’t | PLAY

When love is of yourself and of the relationship.

There is only one thing you can bring to relationships, yourself. To do this you need to spend time on it but not in the way that common culture defines. Also, to build a relationship that you can bring to everyone else you need to spend specific relationship time too.

What space isn’t:
•  TV
•  Internet
•  Hanging out with a group
•  Even reading a book

This is because you aren’t truly alone, truly taking space. Deliberate effort is required to make room for space for you and your relationships.

A great reality is mentioned in the above podcast, that scientists have discovered that atoms create themselves in a vacuum out of nothing. New things can’t be created if space is stuffed full.

Be a bit more empty, leave room for things to come to you.

The rebate check came into the account today (yours may be $600). I’m supposed to spend it on none-debt like things in a trained consumer kind of way. Grumble…but I have debt, loans, and some decent foreign ambition (which costs some money).

Fueling casual consumption will only be a short-term boost to an economy that has long-term issues. Government debt mimics ours and we no longer know how to save. We average a -1% savings rate when global neighbors are much higher (50% in China). Can’t we be our own safety blanket? We lost something after World War II, thrift. We all have that grandma (or mom for some) that saves aluminum foil pieces. This isn’t as absurd as it sounds. It is a reaction to finite resources. Isn’t that a global reality today?

Nothing much brings a smile like “free money.” Yet use with caution. If you succumb to consumerism, then do it wisely.

• Local
• Useful beyond yesterday
• Socially and environmentally sensitive
• As financial space to build to better habits
• Experience something new

If you get those damn sexy jeans that cost too much then make sure wear the hell out of them.

Spending Your Tax Rebate Wisely, Don’t Spend Your Tax Rebate!, Stores Offering Bonuses For Spending Your Rebate Check, Luxurious ways to spend your rebate, Ten Tips: What to do with tax rebate?, How to wisely spend your rebate check, How Will You Spend Your Rebate?

Edit: A useful link, Likely Effects of the Tax Rebate

Like how Iraq was mission accomplished 5 years today, I too felt accomplished. I was just about to finish high school and I hadn’t even decided on a college. I was though flying high, mission accomplished. I had recently regained trust by my parents and summer “adult” freedom was ripening on my tongue.

I forgive Hilary for voting for the war. If was voting on mis-information too. Grownup had arrived. Today I know I have a lifetime of growing up to do.

So I am reemerging not to fill the spaces of the pages but to fill some parts of me that I too often look elsewhere to. I know that my mission isn’t accomplished and that I’ll consume lots of coffee to get there. The reset button is close by, could you push it? No, just a soft reset. I don’t want to lose everything.

Lets not fault Bush for calling a war or even calling it to a close super early, lets fault him for not listening to the experience and learning from it. Get out of there!

It is hard. It is what defines his stay in office. Victim to simple quick fixes, time is a difficult illusion. The longer you stay in it, the further you fall face first into reality.

I have spent a lot of time recently on MBA applications. It has been a while since I had to so craftily praise myself in front of others; it was never this specific. I am defending passion and my future career plans. In definition, I have gone through a transition. Unlike the addictions of war, I have turned the red tide. What are you surfing on when you need something else to keep the momentum?

We are not alone for a reason. Use your developing intuition and growing heart in sync to determine self-motivation. Look to those you know to be real sensors of your being. At the very least there is a technique that is simple to surf through the rougher and lonelier times.

List accomplishments of your day, w/o your minds side commentary; if any slips in, you are forbidden from making further note of it at all.

Today:
•  Entry to baited blog
•  Made progress on scholarship guidebook at work
•  Speedily organized home office
•  Felt reemergence of China-fondness
•  Large Mexican latte instead of small

Find your coastline and ride…summer is coming whether you want it to or not.

I feel like I’m trying to escape something, but I don’t know what it is.

Tonight, I hid under the coffee table. This is the dog’s space. He was very confused. Yet, at the very moment that I was trying to get away, I was trying to get closer to the ground.

Are we not just like the dog, trying to recognize one space as constant? This is our grounding. We have evolved as animals, but still need context. Unlike the dog, our being grounded isn’t as easily shattered, we can adjust to some variables but it can still just as easily disappear.

What can we do to stop running?

It may be about turning inward, instead of looking outward. I’ve pulled some interesting bits of information and insight from: Yoga Journal - Yoga Meditation - Teaching Grounded Meditation

These thoughts on meditation provide some great insight into our minds and facing our own moments of wanting to be down with the dog under the coffee table.

+The mind can be our greatest friend or our greatest enemy, the source of many of our problems or the solution to our problems.

+Stages of Meditation Meditation encompasses three distinct stages. The first is self-regulation, in which we teach our students to consciously alter their body-mind functioning and feelings. For example, teach your students breath awareness with the stated aim of inducing relaxation.

Having taught self-regulation, the second stage involves methods of self-exploration, which consist mainly of concentration combined with self-awareness. This allows us to become aware of parts of ourselves that were previously unconscious. Self-exploration techniques develop inner strength and stability.

Ultimately, self-exploration techniques open the door to the pursuit of self-liberation and spiritual growth, the linking of our awareness to higher consciousness. This third stage is called self-mastery, which leads to self-realization.

+…meditation teaches us that we cannot get rid of our problems, that life is inherently problematic and challenging…If we simply seek ecstasy, and hope to avoid sorrow and suffering, then we are actually seeking the loss of ourselves. The ultimate aim of meditation is to remain grounded in self-awareness under all conditions of joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, gain and loss.

I hope these thoughts have been helpful. I have tried to start my mornings with some quick yoga exercises. Today, I didn’t. A lesson learned. You can actually find some simple exercises online to get your day started (youtube). You could even start with five minutes in the morning attempting to focus on nothing but your breath (Tantric Breath Exercise or Three Breathing Exercises). Breathing should bring a level of self-awareness, so making noise while breathing is encouraged. I promise you will notice a difference with your day. You can check out what I do each morning here.