Of mice and men....

So I spent the weekend with my husband vending at the Colorado motorcycle show and swap. It's always and interesting experience. I like getting to see people that I only get to see once a year, and it also gives me time to get in some grade- A people watching.

I find people fascinating. I think that our behaviors speak loudly about who we believe we are. If we believe ourselves to be confident, then we tend to walk a bit differently, we do not need to rely on flash to bring attention to ourselves. If we are shy, we carry our shoulders a bit lower. If we are insecure we feel the need to group together to validate ourselves.

At times we try really, really hard to make it seem like we don't care. We want certain labels, yet we don't want to be labeled. People go out of their way to seem indifferent. They seem to think that their outward presentation is accurate, and true. For some it is, for others it is an attempt to blend and yet stand out at the same time. Both men and women are guilty of this but in entirely different ways.

Men want other men to pay attention to them, and they want them to envy what they have. Be it a car, a girl or even clothes. Men have taken this so far as to say, 'If you're not wearing what we are wearing, then I am better than you.'  Men who need to cling to objects, or symbols, seem to be the ones saying "Look at me, but don't notice me"

Women have a few of the same wants, but also a very twisted way of playing the game. Women will dress provocatively, and then get upset when someone looks in their direction, or makes a comment. I know this for a fact. I used to do this when I was younger. I have since grown out of this, but I see many, many women who haven't grown out of this phase. And it shows.

If you don't want people to pay attention to you, then don't do anything to draw attention to you. If you don't care, then just do what you have been doing. If you want people to notice you, then don't get all pissy when they do, remember you wanted their attention in the first place.

So starts off the beginning of my people watching for the year.

Another year older....

So Monday was my birthday, I had to work. So in between running around and dealing with meetings, I had a few seconds to reflect on things.

I have become jaded and cynical. I don't trust anyone that I don't know really well, and I think that the carreer politician should be shot on principle. Everywhere I look, I see bullshit. I see drama, and I see bored people. I am also tired of hearing how much things suck right now. Listen, things suck for me too, but I am working on a plan. I have cut back on the shows that cost too much money to do, and I am going to invest that energy in my body art business, and my garden.

I love my garden. It is one place where I can go and be alone without truly being alone. Mainly because the hubby won't help...but that's another story. A few years ago I had a killer garden going. I had tons of tomatoes and potatoes, garlic and onions. This year I am going to be planting more stuff that I can freeze, or that will keep for a really long time. I made sure and left my weekends open from Mothers Day through Labor Day.

I have also discovered that my tolerance level has bottomed out.

Someone once told me that in your 20's, everything is mutable. Everything can change for the better and you see the world in color. In your 30's the color fades to shades of grey where the lines start to blur. The edges get fuzzier. Then in your 40's, the world, having lost all of it's fantastic colors has become stark black and white. There are no fuzzy edges, and there is little room for much to change in your mind. You like what you like and that's all there is to it.

I can understand part of that now. But only part

Safe once more

Or is it? If you have been living under a rock for the last week then you either don't know or don't care about SOPA. SOPA is the brain-child of politicians trying to make the internet more politically correct. Yep. That's right. No more cute cat pictures, no more pron...

In my opinion, SOPA wasn't about copyrights. It was about trying to sneak politically correct censorship around the general public. Adding copyright infringement on was just a way to be able to give reason for shutting down a site. It would have given the 'powers that be' a reason to stop by a crappy little blog if they used a trademarked picture or a song and talked poorly about anything other than the aforementioned cats and pron. It was a sneaky trick that backfired.

Now don't get me wrong, as an artist I believe in copyrights and trademarks, but I also don't expect my work to be kept off of the internet. If I post a picture of any of my work on sites like Deviant Art, Etsy or Facebook, I expect that someone will like and hopefully be inspired by my designs. But I don't expect them to not steal my shit. I realize that once I place something in the public forum, that even though I maintain the copyright because it is my original design, I give up the expectation that people may be as honorable and not steal designs. But alas, people are people. And given the proliferation of different ways to put things on the Internet, I don't think that you can expect anything to be kept off the 'net.

So we are at a point where we can decide, do we want our freedoms on the internet, or do we want our intellectual property rights protected? Because I don't think there is any way you can have one without trampling over the other like a herd of stampeding buffalo. The only way that anyone can have their cake and eat it too would be to bake a freakin' cake and dig in. And as for stopping the piracy, has anyone been out to the flea market lately? There is more pirated shit out there then there are legal immigrants. People will always find a way to steal others ideas. Yes, even though we have laws that say you can't do it.

So agree or don't agree, but the only place I think you can expect people to respect your trademarks and copyrights is in your mind.

It's a bit early, but here ya go!

I know we are still a while away from Valentines day, but the cards and the candy have replaced the breakable stuff and the spray snow. Here is a classic Fig and Frag for your enjoyment.

Fig-"Happy Valentines Day!" *carries in armload of pink and red boxes*

Frag-"Um, What the hell is all of that for? I mean, It's not like your dating anyone right now."

Fig-"I know, I know. But I figure if I see someone I wanna date (read 'sleep with') then all I have to do is give them this massive pile of fattening chocolate, and cheesey cards, and I won't be lonely any more. I mean it's supposed to be the most romantic day of the year."

Frag-"Okay...Put the heart shaped boxes down and step away from the negligee. What in the world would make you think that this could possibly work?"

Fig-"I saw it on TV. If I give someone a valentines day gift, they are supposed to return the favor. Right?"

Frag-"I think that you have completly missed the point of this Hallmark Holiday. Valentines day is nothing more than another day. It is a way for companies to fill the space between the Christmas season, and Easter (read sell more stuff). And I think that people place too much emphasis on this contrived pile of drivel."

Fig-"But, but..."

Frag-"Let me help you out here. If you carry that pile of stuff around hoping to charm your way into someones pants, then all your going to get are dirty looks. Valentines day is not a free pass for sex! Unfortunatly, the card companies have made this day about legalized prostitution. 'Here I bought you these chocolates, will you have sex with me?' It is one day of the year, when people trade goods in the hope for sex, without having to deal with dirty looks"

Fig-*jaw sits on the floor* "I have never looked at it that way. Now that I see it from a different angle, it does seem kinda foolish." *opens box of chocolate*

Frag-"The idea behind Valentines day is not a bad one, people expressing their love for one another is a wonderful thing. But that is something that should happen everyday, not just once a year. I would like to think that people are smart enough that they don't have to be reminded that they are in love with their signifigant other. Hey pass me some of those." *Starts digging into chocolate box*

Everyone else has given up, won't you?

For the longest time, we didn't have Internet service at our house. Well last year we caved and got everything hooked up. So this past holiday season, we decided that we would inch a bit further out from under our rock and we ended up with Netflix. I know, there are better services and even free ones, but it's a place for us to start. So I have spent some time watching all of my favorite old scary movies, and even some of the newer ones that I can't bring myself to buy on DVD.

Then I watched 'Season of the Witch'. And it was one of the most emotional, terrifying, comedic movies that I have seen in a long time (but not for the reasons you think!). The premise was solid-ish. The cast was decent. The costuming and props were stellar. But it was clear that beyond what the movie had going for it, that the actors just didn't give a shit. I mean at least Kevin Costner was able to try and hold an accent for about 5 minutes during Robin Hood. Yeah, the one from the 90's.

I was really disappointed in Nick Cage and Ron Pearlman. Nick Cage has about the same range of emotion as a rock, and with Ron Pearlman, it was like watching Clay (from Sons of Anarchy) on horse back instead of a motorcycle. Then it hit me.

They have given up. They just don't give a shit anymore. They don't care that they don't have an english accent in a movie that is based in the dark ages in Europe. They don't think twice about the fact that 2 former crusaders would just as quickly kill someone accused of witchcraft as spend 6 days escorting her across the mountains. They don't think twice about risking their life for someone who is a lesser class back when class meant everything.

I don't know maybe it's just me. But it's not just the movies. I have seen evidence of people everywhere just giving up. "I am not going to vote because it won't change anything." "I am not gonna look for work because the government will pay me to stay home." "I am not going to watch my kids, because they need to be kids." And so on. Our nation is in a state of decline because we have all become a bunch of lazy bastards. We want to take the easy way out. We join groups so we won't have to think for ourselves. We want others to tell us what to do or how to act.

We have lost our drive to excel. We have given up.

Meh...

I noticed that during the wonderful holiday season, that I was slacking on my little corner of the Internet. I had been distracted. I was busy trying to survive what will someday be known as 'The Most Stressful Time of the Year'. I think that the holidays will even beat out tax season for that honor. But enough about me...

I was listening to the radio this morning and what I can't help but notice is that everyone seems to have lost their damn minds. People are in a tizzy about Tebow and the Broncos, someone even tried to make the connection that he is the second coming of Jesus. Something about how all of the numbers match up from the first playoff game to his favorite bible verse. Then I was amused that our government is meeting today to discuss ending the censorship of public broadcasters.

Yep. Soon you could be able to hear George Carlin's 7 words you can't say on the radio, on the radio. Nudity and language would be essentially what you can get right now for the low, low price of your cable bill. Now don't get me wrong, I am not a prude, nor am I going to use the 'Think of the children' line. Right now it is a basic battle of rights versus censorship. Is the fact that television and radio are restricted by the FCC a violation of free speech? Should they have different rules governing them then everyone else? Just listen to the bleeps and watch the blurs. While it has been the standard for many years, now people are taking the fight to the supreme court claiming that it is a violation of rights.

Now I don't think that I would really care that much if they decided that you could cuss on the radio. I also know that parents everywhere will be using the fact that they have kids to try and get the government to do what they want. Well here's an idea...pay attention to what your kids are watching! If you don't want to hear people cussing, then don't watch that channel. I am sure that despite all of the warnings and the doom sayers, that the industry will police itself. I don't think that if the standards are changed for radio and TV that every station in the US will develop an acute case of Touretts. I don't think that boobs and butts will take the place of the evening news. I would like to think that our broadcasters would want their stations to maintain the integrity that they have built over the years.

But then again I could be wrong.

Lack of support

There are all kinds of support. There are structural supports. There are emotional supports. There is child support. There is athletic support. There are way too many types of support to list here. Then there is community support. Now I define community support like this. We live in a giant group, there are people with several different roles. Each roll needs to be able to provide some type of support for the surrounding rolls. Otherwise we couldn't function as a giant colony. Kinda like a bra when the underwire snaps. Things get uncomfortable and binding.

So I have a hard time trying to figure out people who won't support anything.

And the definintion of support, just in case anyone forgot along the way...

sup·port

   /səˈpɔrt, -ˈpoʊrt/ Show Spelled[suh-pawrt, -pohrt] 

verb (used with object)

1. to bear or hold up (a load, mass, structure, part, etc.); serve as a foundation for.

2. to sustain or withstand (weight, pressure, strain, etc.) without giving way; serve as a prop for.

3. to undergo or endure, especially with patience or submission; tolerate.

4. to sustain (a person, the mind, spirits, courage, etc.) under trial or affliction: They supported him throughout his ordeal.

5. to maintain (a person, family, establishment, institution, etc.) by supplying with things necessary to existence; provide for: to support a family.

 

I look around me, and all I see are people who pay lip-service to the word above. They are willing to put their name behind something or someone as long as it fits in their grand plans.

Post Holiday fun!

Frag-"Today we are going to start the new post "Hannakwanzayulemasseid" tradition...The imaginary gift swap!"

Fig-"Huh? Oh I see, I can get rid of all the odd stuff I got by giving it to someone else!"

Frag-"Yep. Now here is how it works, You can gift anyone with anything, it does not matter that you may not have received a piece of ill fitting lingerie or Aunt Ethels Fruitcake. It is then up to the person you gifted to re-gift to someone else! So if you take part in the gift swap, please tag the people you are gifting to this community, so they can share in the joy!

Fig-"Okay, I'll go first. To my facebook friends I gift a years subscription to my issues! To Becky, I gift 1 brick of fruitcake that has no doubt been passed around for the last 5 years. To all of the politicians, I gift the extra brain cells that I have in hopes that someday they will be as smart as the average person. To Jules, I gift the Black leather teddy!"

Frag-"Good start. Now let's see...To Jesse I gift the tin of stale popcorn! To Wolf, I gift a 3 year old cheese and meat tray that I got last year from the person that I gave it to the year before, Raven and Eric get the creepy snowman candles..."

Frag-"Okay see how that works, it is now up to the people who read my little blog to find someone to re-gift the stuffs (and add their own stuff). Then it is up to the re-giftees to re-gift adding their own personal touches along the way!"

Fig-"Come on people! I wanna see how far that fruit cake will travel!!!"

Frag-"And the starting bell has sounded!! Swap Away!!!"

Leave your 'gifts' in the comments!

The point of no return...

We all have moments. We all want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. We all want to be needed and loved. We all want to belong. What we don't realize, is that in order to belong, we have to give up part of ourselves. We tell ourselves that what ever group we plan on joining, will accept us for who and what we are, but in the end most groups demand major changes in order to belong. Most groups want us to give up a part of ourselves and replace it with what they want in their members.

It is the party line. Any group no matter who they are or what they stand for have a party line. And they want their members to swallow that line like a fat kid chugs kool-aid. The 'party line' is how and what the group chooses to align itself with. Look at politics, you have democrats and republicans. They want the people who claim to be dems and reps to follow what the party says. They want them to vote for the party candidates. Fortunately in that case, people can and do exercise a certain amount of free will.

That is one end of the spectrum. The other end is the close knit groups. These are the frats, the gangs, and the clubs. They tend to use a much more subtle type of indoctrination. The promise of family and brotherhood is seductive. The promise that no matter what goes wrong, your 'brothers', your 'family' will be there. So many people are willing to let go of what makes them special, and they are willing to follow blindly what is asked of them. That's not loyalty, that's idiocy. True family, and true brothers never ask you to take on tasks that they, themselves would never take on first. They never ask you to give up a part of your self if you want to spend time with them.

As alluring and as tempting as it is to seek and perhaps find something like that, you have to ask yourself, 'Will I like what I will become if I take the leap?' 'Is it worth loosing my morals, and my internal compass just to fit in with a group?'

As a wise man once said..."I don't want to belong to any group that would have me as a member."