Zune Has Officially Blown Me Away!

I received my Zune yesterday, my black, sleek, 8GB sliver of perfection! The package arrived, and Jove and I opened it together. Jove's matching Zune will be arriving next week. Our Zunes will be able to communicate with each other!

The packaging is gorgeous, and minimalist with soul. That's hard to accomplish! The key packaging colour is a rich, chocolate brown accompanied by a fiery orange and zingy magenta. I gushed. I gushed at the premium headphones, as well. The entire set-up is a work of art!

It seems materialistic to be so excited by the packaging, but honestly...you have to see for yourself! Also, many elements of the box can be re-used. Since the box and the colours are so gorgeous, and the material so durable, I'll be using my little Zune box for as long as it holds up, which will surely be for the rest of my days.

We plugged in the Zune (which is also a thing of great beauty!!!), went to the site, and quickly and easily had everything up and running within about 20 minutes. The software is excellent! Better than iTunes, Windows Media, and any other media player I've tried. It's extremely user-friendly, and so gorgeous to look at. Intuitive and stunning, with many options and additional features...yet not at all overwhelming.

It plays music and videos, it holds photos, and has a built-in FM radio player. The sound quality is incredible! So far, I only have excellent things to say about this product.

I have owned three iPods, and none of them have satisfied me as much as my Zune. I will fill you in on more qualities as I continue to befriend my new tech-toy.

FYI: Zune products are not yet available in Canada. In the US, you can find them (the 8GB version) for about $170.00USD.

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image 1 from Hardware resource center.
image 2 from AppleInsider.

A Working Definition of Objectification

I would like to share this definition, as an extension of the *Women as Scenery* post from a few days ago. I welcome (and would adore) your feedback and thoughts on this. (And props to BlogHer for featuring the post, in all its profanity and contention...)

Objectification is the process by which people assign meaning to things, people, places, activities, (or, in the case of self-objectification, themselves), and thus become part of cultural constructions which inform and guide behavior.

This term also refers to behavior in which one person treats another person as an object and not as a fellow human being with feelings and consciousness of his or her own, in other words as, as without agency. In this sense, it is an antonym of reification.

The term also makes reference to sexual relations; in this context it refers to the reduction of a person solely to their sexual attributes, enacted by an emphasis upon their physical appearance, whilst deemphasising several of their other qualities, such as individual emotion and feeling.

Sexual objectification may be enacted by either sex, but it is more commonly associated with an attitude of men towards women, and the term has been used by feminists in reference to the purported mass media portrayal of women as sex objects. As such, it is important within feminist and psychological theory.

-Wikipedia

City University of Seattle

The biggest news in my life right now, besides the trip up the coast this weekend with Jove, is my status of "student-again". I knew it would happen eventually, and I've been silently scoping out programs, deciding which way to go, and waiting for a school to really resonate with me. I've had some pretty serious plans in the past to go into various programs, but after visiting the schools or speaking with faculty, I've always changed my mind or lost interest. So many programs seem so dry or so mainstream...not empowering and/or challenging and/or cutting edge enough.

After doing a lot of thinking and researching, I've decided on the City University of Seattle. It's centred in Seattle, Washington, but has a branch here in Vancouver. I will be working towards my Masters of Counselling (Psychology). I'm most excited about working on the following:

• therapeutic change (in all its varieties and facets...)
• transference and countertransference
• multicultural issues in psychology
• diversity counselling
• multiple dimensions of identity and identity development
• power and oppression
• gender and sexuality
• the grieving process
• Feminist Critique models of family systems therapy
• post-modern issues in psychology and psychological growth/development

From what I've heard about the school, most of the profs are alternatively-minded and more radical. That would be me, so I'm really, REALLY looking forward to starting. I'd eventually like to be a psychotherapist with a private practice.

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image from angelreich at deviantART.

Women as Scenery

Women are not objects. They are not scenery. It's symptomatic of a deep, lingering problem that men speak of women as objects, that women speak of women as objects. I'm so tired of it. Tired and sad.

From a psychological perspective, we objectify all the time. As embodied beings, as types of objects ourselves, we cannot escape certain levels of objectification. To encounter others, we objectify. But then there's ignorant objectification. Ignorant complacent objectification. And that's what I'm talking about here. Irresponsible ego-serving bottomless-pit objectification.

Some say that we should write fiction to address these issues, and not be so didactic. I generally agree, but sometimes straight-up is best. I'm all for candid swift kicks in the ass sometimes.

Just as individuals can be psychoanalyzed, so can societies. We can't just shrug our shoulders and claim that this is the way it is, so let it be, so wait it out, so be patient little girl. We are too grown-up of a culture to let these things slide. With maturity comes great responsibility. Right? Sometimes I want to say grow the fuck up. Myself included.

Theory is so far ahead of action. We speak equality this and equality that, but my ears and my eyes and my body take in quite otherwise. Some countries don't even have theory for protection. Raw hatred. Earth-shattering body-splitting hatred.

I agree that we have come a long way, but we have longer to go.

Check out this scene from Spirited Away...when No Face regurgitates all the crap inside.



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image by mansongothic-photos at deviantART.

Folly

Bring me the sunset in a cup
and I will sink down in folly
for an end-time
when the only sunlight
comes forth from human vessels.

***
written for Poefusion.
image by CrisVector at deviantART,

My Mittens, No Cream or Sugar

Here in Vancouver, we don't wear gloves or mittens very often. When we do, it's usually not for very long. This winter, supposedly the worst in 150 years, had us wearing protective winter gear a bit longer, admittedly.

Normally, we need to wear gloves or mittens when we go up to one of our beautiful mountains, the same mountains that many of us can see from our homes or workplaces. When you're in the Northwest, almost everyone has tried skiing or snowboarding or snowshoeing at least once.

A couple months ago, Jove, J-star (my son), and I went up to one of the mountains for a snowboarding lesson. Jove wore my sparkly midnight blue gloves over some black glove liners. When we returned from the trip I couldn't find the sparkly gloves ANYWHERE! I kept asking Jove where they went. They're back at your place. No they're not. I swear I put them back. No you didn't. And so on.

Just this past weekend, we dug out my backpack to take to the park. We filled it with baseballs and frisbees. The weather was finally warm enough to think of such things. As we were walking to the park, I saw some sparkle out of the corner of my eye. The sparkly gloves were crammed deep into the mesh water holder on the side of the backpack.

Of course, mini happy hysterics erupted.

Much fun was had at the park. Freckles were resurrected, ability to throw frisbees regained, that kind of thing. When we packed up, Jove was chosen to be the carrier of the backpack. I tried to stick the travel mug in the mesh water holder, and this is when Jove said: "I don't like my mittens to smell like coffee!"

Then more hysterics, because we were in that kind of mood.
Jove: "I don't like my mittens to smell like coffee."

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image by Elruu at deviantART.

Cento* Apothegms*

There is no God and we are his prophets / But his kind will always lose in the end.

Never is a man wholly a saint or a sinner / That was the last shudder of his awakening.

The curious are always in some danger / Even in hell, one can find the jewel without price. 

***

written for Poefusion.

image 1 by mehmeturgut at deviantART.

image 2 by OrgaNick at deviantART.

image 3 by larafairie at deviant ART.

*a CENTO is made by using lines written by one or more authors; the ones used here have been collected over the past two years.  

*an APOTHEGM is a pithy saying.

Strange Fruit

Billie Holiday sings a song called *Strange Fruit* (Southern trees bear a strange fruit / Blood on the leaves and blood at the root...).  It was written in 1937 in the form of a poem by a Jewish schoolteacher from the Bronx.  He went by the name Lewis Allan (the names of two of his children who died when they were babies).  He was inspired to write *Strange Fruit* after viewing the photo above.  He was gasping in horror, and went gasping to his grave.

Can you imagine?  Can you even imagine being there?  A witness to this?  Who are their mamas?  Who are their friends?  Their lovers, their children?  What are their dreams?  What are their likes and dislikes?  Their favourite songs?  What are their talents and disappointments?  Oh god, what are their names?

Using this photo for my entry, I've spent a great deal of time averting my eyes.  When I look at it closely, I feel ill.  This deep sick feeling radiates from my stomach and into my shoulders, but stays burning in my core.  It gathers in a tight coil of disgust, fear, rage, and sadness.  The one that stands out most is rage.  How can it happen?  How is it possible?  And it is still possible.  It is going on right now.  This moment, and now this, and this...

I've contemplated these issues until I've made myself sick and sleepless.  There's a parallel between the suffering of strangers and the suffering in one's own life.  They merge and act out together in dreams and in art.  Ashes to ashes.

May no one forget.  May no one avert their eyes.       

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image from The Digital Journalist. 

Don't Lose Faith in the Ink, Thank You Very Much

I found the card above at CardsDirect.  CardsDirect is great for bulk orders and card customization.  What I love is that you can add your OWN ARTWORK to the cards!  

I've been writing since I learned how to write.  I was writing even before then.  My mom would have me dictate letters and Thank you Cards to relatives and friends when I was very little.  There's something very real and nostalgic about a thank you card, one you can hold in your hand.  Most of us write emails and Facebook wall posts every day, but have lost the art of picking up a pen and putting it to paper.

When I get a thank you card in the mail now, it means so much.  I'm so moved by the simple little act of sweetness, that I want to write a thank you card in return FOR the thank you card!  There are many reasons to write a thank you card beyond the more typical reasons, like receiving a gift, or being invited to an event or gig.  Sometimes a person is merely rad, and they need a shout-out for that!

• Sometimes a person wears a cool, psychedelic sweater.  They need to be thanked, because they just brightened up your monotone day!
  
• A person might buy you some good food.  This food might be breaded and thigh-chunkifying, or it might be leafy and antioxidating...whatever you're into!  They also need to be thanked!  
  
• A friend might pay for you to get a massage followed by a round of acupuncture, sweet sweet acupuncture.  That friend MOST definitely needs a thank you card in return!
  
• Just think of the possibilities!!!!
  

What are some other reasons to send a thank you card?!??!?!  

Never lose faith in the Ink!!!    

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Thank you Cards

Magnificent Matcha

Have you ever tried matcha tea???  It's the next bestest thing, I assure you.  Originating in Japan, it has some mighty fine health benefits, both for your body and your mind.  I'm sipping on a Starbuck's version right now, and it's EXCELLENT! 

Drink it straight up, add it in powdered form to a yoghurt-fruit shake, or stir in some cream and sugar.  If you're not into dairy, matcha is super versatile.  There are millions of recipes out there, utilizing matcha powder in beverages, cupcakes, and breads.

  

Matcha tea contains a mild, long-lasting stimulant called theophylline.  Unlike caffeine, which will make you tired later in the day, theophylline is released in much smaller doses over a 3-6 hour period, and has none of the side-effects associated with coffee.  

Matcha tea is PACKED with nutrients!  It contains minerals, vitamins (including A, B1, B2, B6, C, E, K), fibres, antioxidants, and amino acids.  The types of amino acids in matcha are called theanines.  Theanines help to produce more ALPHA WAVES in your brain -- the same brain waves that are boosted during deep meditation or after you've had a long, relaxing massage.  Theanines trigger the brain to feel more relaxed, more open and at peace.

So, get your matcha on!!!    

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image from GreenTeaGourmet.com.