Diva For Today: Jill Bolte Taylor

Happy New Year, all.

I keep slipping in and out of blogland,

and this doesn't make me happy.

If I'm not blogging, that means I'm over extended somewhere else.

Not a good thing.

Today, I heard this TED talk, and it blew me away.

This woman is a diva, and what she's talking about

could change the world,

if we dare let it.

I also tend to think that what she's talking about is what is wrong with the world:

we're too left brained,

overburdened too with being linear and logical.

So we short circuit.

Listen to what this wonderful woman,

and hear her solution:

Don't Know Much About Money . . . . (Breaking Even)

I never won at the game of Monopoly

and at Life, I always

broke even,

But that is, after all,

all we really need to do,

isn't it? 

:

square our debts

before we die,

love our friends

and family

unselfishly, and hopefully,

receive equal love in return.

What more can we give and take

during our time on this domain?

( museumofplay )

Obviously, for a long time, some people in this world have opted to give

and take

a hell of a lot more than that.

This morning, right after I heard a brief accounting of 

yesterday's trepidatious Wall Street plummet,

NPR broadcast a story about 

The State of the Economy in Spain:

Flat Line.

The juxtaposition of these two stories might cause 

a listener to conclude one of three things.

Well, actually, one might take the stance, 

Well, I have a job (trust fund, unemployment, disability, healthy retirement, etc. . . )

so this has nothing to do with me.

OR 

one might conclude one of the following three things:

1.  Sure it's bad here, but it could be worse; it could be Spain.

or

2.  Sure it's bad here, and hold on tight, it can get worse; look at Spain.

or

3. We are in a global crisis and it's not anywhere near over yet,

and it might look pretty dismal everywhere

before it ends.

I will preface the following contemplation by saying

I am NOT an Economist.

I sincerely do NOT understand Wall Street or High Finance,

and I should probably keep my mouth shut, my pen still,

and leave this type of blogging to those who really know

what they are talking about.

I should, but I won't.  After all, the economists of the world

are not doing a very good job of fixing things,

so what the heck, why shouldn't I take a stab at it?

~ * ~

My overall observation and conclusion is that this is a global crisis, and we

have to stop sticking our fingers in our ears and singing loud.   

What is happening in Spain is impacted by what happens in the USA,

and visa versa.  In other words, there are Macro forces at work

that span beyond nations.  In the 21st Century, where someone

in India can read my words seconds after I press "POST", we have to begin

thinking of things in global terms.  I suspect economists know this, and they are working

on refining equations and strategies for balancing global economies

and crises, but it's a relatively new field, and while they are probably 

silently trying to make deals and fix things, national economies are

Titanicking.

( 24flinching )

And the suffering occurs most visibly locally.

"Locally" in this schema, can include "nationally;" however,

I'm guessing that in the next 100 years (or maybe just 50)

the notion of the sovereign nation state will lose its solvency,

and it will go the same route as feudalism, monarchy, empire

and other antiquated forms of dividing and ruling territory.

As they say in the NPR story on Spain,

it's the middle ground, the middle class, that is disappearing,

and that is, in this shifting global economic topography,

equivalent to national power.

In this emerging global economy, while the notion of nations loses relevance,

the more Micro notion of the "local" will return to currency.

Unfortunately, as the Macro has evolved as a dominant force,

the local has taken a terrific beating.  Consider this: in the USA, first

the Big Box stores put local merchants out of business; now it's interesting to note

that the Big Box stores are being conquered by online stores.

( Time-Moneyland )

Simultaneously, it appears to me, that (for instance)

that local Mom n' Pop store with the fabulous apple butter they make

from the apples picked in their orchard is becoming more appealing

to us (in the USA in particular, though this may be true elsewhere,

as well) again, because

a.) we know those people; they lost their other job, just like we did;

b.) we know their apples and their orchard.  We used to play in it

when we were kids, and in fact, our son now helps pick those apples;

c.) we trust them;

and

d.) it may even help us, especially since I just invented a new form

of apple peeler made out of old tin cans that Mom n Pop

love to use -- they even sell it in their shop!

What's even better is the butter could also be sold on line,

if Mom and Pop are computer proficient.  If not,

the neighbor can send their son over and help them;

he's a whiz at computers.

( dianasaurdishes )

My own humble solution to our current crisis, then, is simple:

Leave the messes of the world to world leaders, and

Buy Locally.

Do what you can to make sure your neighbors have jobs. 

Support their stores and talents.  This means, among other things,

that we needn't push every kid to go to college: if he's a mechanic,

celebrate his talents, take your car to him, and pay him well if he fixes it well.

If she really does fingernails well, go get your nails done!  And if that

far-sighted child with the thick glasses is really smart,

celebrate her, encourage him, educate them, 

and don't hold them back if they opt to develop their skills

someplace else.  

They will come home to you again.

They may even decide to stay home if they can see

that helping at home can ultimately

help everyone.

In this Micro-Macro vision, 

the Micro (the local) is everything you can walk to or ride a bike to,

and the Macro is everything you can find on your computer,

which is pretty much everything.

And there is a fluidity between the two.

~ * ~ * ~

Well, I suppose this is a pretty naive response to a major economic catastrophe,

but it's the meager thought I had 

while I listened to the radio this morning.

And it's not original.  Just do a Google search on "buy local"

and you'll find others who agree.

I am no fool: I know that neither I alone,

nor you alone,

nor Barack Obama alone,

nor Anyone Else alone

can save the world from Eternal Financial Damnation,

but 

we can each try our damnedest to make sure

our neighbors and friends and family members have a roof over their heads,

companionship,

self-respect,

and dinner tonight.

That we can do.

And I dare say if everyone took responsibility for that, well, 

perhaps we could turn this economic disaster

into lemonade

or apple butter.

After all, when it all comes right down to it,

when we reach our final moments

here in this earthly life,

we will probably be most satisfied if we each can say

we broke even.

(rat-race-escape-artists )

Air Conditioning: aka: the Great Grid Fear.

(film: Makropoulos' Air Conditoner)

Well,

the heat in my part of the world today was so intense

that it was unbearable.

However, it was not actually all that unbearable to me

because

for the first time in my multi-centennial existence,

I live in a place with central air.

So I sat here, in my cool cool house --

I and all those other select few --

I sat here in my air conditioning

while the rest of the world

smoldered.

I sat here soooo long, 

my guilt became unbearable ---

For so many years, for centuries in fact,

I have sweat it out with the best of you,

and during that time,  I felt like I was participating somehow

in the agony of the planet,

And I felt ethical, and compassionate, and good.

But this time,

I sipped ice tea 

in the a.c.

And it made me feel so two-faced -- I, who advocate love

and peace and togetherness,

sat excluded and comfortable.

So I decided that,

if nothing else,

I should take a walk and participate

in the pain,

and what you see above is the sun

as it shined

somewhere in America

where I happen to live

at around 7:45 p.m.

That's one hot sun.

~ ~ ~

As I walked, the source

of my guilt and self-loathing solidified:

me, and a couple cats, and a friend or two,

sat in my apartment

all of this smoggy, miserable hot afternoon

and zapped that overtaxed power grid

of however many kilowats of energy

that I devoured today.

And in the meantime,

people are hot and starving

in Somalia.

Heck,

they're hot and starving somewhere

in America, too,

I'm sure,

even as I type.

(sprinkling the sidewalk)

You see, I have an intense concern for the Health of the Grid.

The Grid,

by its very design,

could go on infinitely,

or at least it could embrace the entire planet,

if we were disposed to let it do so.

( infinite grid of resistors )

Instead,

largely because of commercial interests,

it's localized;

my Grid, probably

isn't your Grid,

if you don't live

in America,

and even if you live in another part of America

my Grid may not be your Grid.

 ( celsias )

One outcome of 

this Localization of Gridded service is

The Great Grid Fear.

The Great Grid Fear, of course,

is that if we load too much energy on our regional power grid,

we'll blow the fuse,

so to speak,

which is why I was so darned upset

about my airconditioner.

I was so upset that when I came home from my walk, I turned it off.

Now part of the 

Great Grid Fear is that

one too many airconditioners

could "blow the fuse"

so to speak,

and thereby,

destroy the power source

in a large sector of the civilized world,

and if that happens,

well, hell,

we'd have to live like the people of Somalia.

And if we had to live like the people of Somalia,

well,

hot damn,

we'd probably all start dying,

in very large numbers.

And that wouldn't be good,

would it?

( cbsnews )

So we preserve the health of our

individual Grids

by keeping them local

and somewhat flawed.

In fact,

right now,

I'm quite concerned that if I turn my a.c. back on

tomorrow,

when it's predicted to be even hotter,

I may be that unlucky one

to pop the circuit on my Grid,

and if I am,

well,

I just hope no one can track it

and find out.

(But they probably can,

whoever THEY are.)

~ ~ ~

Anyway,

so after feeling Great Guilt

for the Grid,

not to mention for the emotional and physical health

of all the people in my general part of the planet, I began to think,

as I am prone to do,

that perhaps the Electrical Grid could be made more coherent

and therefore stronger

if we just found the technology to extend it 

so it embraces the entire planet --

same, too, 

with all the other grids.

After all,

that is how we perceive of our planet isn't it?

In terms of a Grid?  So why can't we use the basic model,

and extend our Power Grid

infinitely?

( crystallinks )

And if that were the case,

perhaps

we could supply electricity,

and ultimately air conditioning

to the Samalis,

not to mention the homeless under a bridge in Manhattan,

or in Mississippi,

or Honduras,

or Ipswich

or Delhi

or Rotterdam,

or San Francisco,

or where ever.

And then I wouldn't have to participate

in the Great Grid Fear,

and neither would you --

(though on some level,

we'd all participate in it equally).

Now, I'm certain

that someone with more knowledge than I

in these areas could and would

tell me why my idea is absolutely

unfeasible,

and I welcome them to do so.

But anyone who reads this blog should know

that I'm not prone to go by what is scientifically viable.

So let's just entertain the notion for a moment:

what if it were indeed possible to build a Global Power Grid?

What if we took all the money,

from all the wars

and the crime

and the useless laws

and the committees produced to perpetuate Fear,

and what if we put it towards

building global resource grids.

And what if those global grids

would make it possible to provide

food and water to all people equally?

So when the planet enters weather patterns

like we're in right now,

everyone would have equal access

to airconditioning,

and water.

And let's add food.

~ ~

Yes, I'll agree to one argument against this:

it's true that if we get hit by a meteorite,

or a massive sun flare,

it would take out the whole planet,

grid wise,

but it would probably

take out the entire planet,

too, 

so what the heck:

why not spread the wealth?

Well, perhaps,

if you've gotten this far in this goofy entry,

you're thinking: this chick is nuts,

and I'm going to unsubscribe from this blog,

or just not read it again,

ever,

or at least for a long time.

Well,

let me submit this as a final contemplation:

last night, I saw a story on the BBC

that informed me that Somalia

is officially suffering a famine.

Today, I heard that the militant, rebel Al Shahab in Somalia

who are making it impossible for foreign aid to reach some areas,

have claimed that the international declaration of "famine"

in their nation is nothing but a political move.

( Voice of America ),

and I thought:

how many Americans really know about this?

I mean, seriously folks:

we're all sitting around in our air-conditioned homes

watching the news where the headline story is

how hot we are --

and people are dying 

in large large numbers

on the other side of the globe,

and the terrorist system has become so sophisticated

that it calls International Declarations of Disastor

"political propaganda."

They sound like American politicians.

So,

a.) turn off your a.c. for a little while, and send the money you save to Somalia,

or

b.) let's build a Global Grid.

Those are my best ideas --

they're probably both pretty far-fetched,

but at least now I feel like I've contributed positively to the world,

as I sit here

sweating.

UNICEFUsa.org

SUMMER FEAST FOR THE SOUL: Being Spiritual in the Age of the Cyborg

( sk8rrbol )

There is a message

on this blog,

on which I am consistent,

and it is a message about change

-- the dramatic change that I do feel we are all facing --

and an appropriate way to face it.

Humanity is changing so rapidly

right now,

we're going crazy.

Reality is shifting faster

than I can type this posting,

and faster

than you can read it.

Technology is overtaking us;

we can do with technology now things that

our bodies could not do in a lifetime;

we can use technology

to fix our bodies. 

We are living in the age of the cyborg.

( danpankraz )

Furthermore,
we are in
The Age of The Grid:

this is

a time when we can all be

in the same place, at the same time:

the same place,

(as long as we redefine "place"

as where we are in our minds)

at the same time.

Bottom line.

You know it and I know it.

People can play in Second Life

with folks on the other side of the world,

just as long as we agree to be there

at the same time;

people can blog about the problems they have

with their cars

as long as they agree to be on a car blog

at the same time;

people can do a number of things,

both licit and illicit,

with strangers,

all at the same time,

if we all agree to be here at the same time.

All you have to do is make sure you turn on your computer

at the same time I do, 

and I'm there,  as are you

along with

 several other hundreds of thousands of people

in the world.

Therefore,

the internet could be used

to unite humans

under one purpose--

All we'd have to do

is agree

to turn it on

and let it dictate where our mind is at

at the same time.

And humanity would be joined

in one spirit,

in whatever spirit

the people who commandeer the computers

put us in.

Isn't that funky?

Isn't that scary and wonderful?

This would be most wonderful if the spirit

we joined in were to be one

of cooperation and love.

This would also be wonderful if the spirit

we joined in were to be one

of spiritual growth and harmony.

Crazy right?

Well, here's a link to a group that is trying to do

precisely that:

I'm going to do it.

How about you?

Kutiman

If you haven't figured it out by now,

I am deeply inspired

by the internet's ability

to bridge differences,

and to facilitate collective artwork

that allows each individual to maintain

a shred of uniqueness.

It's most intriguing on the impact of this on music.

Here is my latest find in that regard --

Kutiman --

check it out; haven't much else to say about it.

(with gratitude to Dangerous Minds

for turning me on to this.)

Long Play

So,

please don't

be upset with me --

(I suspect you'll be relieved)

this is no intense

essay on the meaning of life, the world,

and everything.

I call those "channellings",

and this is not one

of them.

I am certain I lose readers when I do those channellings

those long,

long riffs -- and I'm grateful to those of you

who remain with me.

They're getting harder to do,

because what was meant to be said

in them,

has been said.

For the most part.
(But there may be more to come --
it's not something I have a terrific amount of control
over.)

For now, all I'm going to say

is that we should all learn to love life,

now, peacefully,

if we want to keep living life

as we know it.

That's all we can do.

happybirthdaypeace

So, in my own attempt

to learn to live life fully and happily

every single fucking lonely day

I decided to do a cleaning out of my stuff.

My goal:

to make sure that everything in my current house

is something I actually use and/or can use

in the near future.

Otherwise,

it's getting thrown out.

insideoscal

You see, I've moved so very much,

and accumulated stuff

all along the way,

and I've actually moved old stuff with me.

I'm talking old stuff, 

like this 30+ year old Sony TV

sitting behind me at this very moment.

It was always a good TV,

and it worked right up until

the change from switch

from analog to digital.

I'm bound and determined

to get it working this summer,

and I will.

The other thing I've carried around with me

-- also a Sony --

is a turntable,

that I bought in about

1983.

Seriously.

I've been absolutely convinced that

I would one day again

use it to

play the two boxes of albums I've also been carrying around with me

for the past thirty years,

or so.

Well, in my current abode, I have a room

that needs to be furnished,

and all my spare furniture includes

an old TV and my turntable,

and two boxes of albums.

hanskesteloo

So this past week I finally did it,

I went out to the nearby Radio Shack and bought

a receiver and speakers.

I took the first receive back
(I think it was a Panasonic):
it was a nightmare to set up and figure out,

and when I did figure it out,

I could not get either my turntable or my iPod

to work with it.

There I was: I had paid $200 dollars for this sucker,

and I was already thinking about the other components
I would have to buy to get it
to make due;

and then I got furious at my self: 

Why make due?  Why keep some crappy piece of equipment

that probably won't last even half

as long as my Sonys?

And I took it back,

and got

another receiver -
this one is a Sherwood -
that

not only plays my iPod, but also

my nearly 30 year old Sony turntable

is currently working as well as it ever did,

and me,

I'm a happy woman, listening to my old

Ricki Lee Jones collection,

and feeling like I found

a part of me again.

Channelling: When Divided Time Meets No Time

(Preface: I don't know where this message came from.  If you can get through it,
and understand it, well,
I'll give you a piece of chocolate)

weber.edu

You see, in the New Age,

we will have to recognize and accept,

and forgive

the fact we are not one and never will be one --

we are parts, equal parts of a Whole, for sure,

but not One,

for God is the One.

It's impossible for us

to be one,

because we are all separate yet equal,

                                   different

parts of the whole that The One

produced

for the sole intent 

of being able to see                           

itself    . .  .  . . 

you see

this is what 2012 is:

it is                    

the year of the palindrome:

it is the year when

the Divided Self perceives the United Self, wholly, finally.

And Vise Versa.

 apod May 6 2011

As I said last week, how long can it take

for the Singular God (aka: the United Self)  to perceive 

its own Creation (aka: the Divided Self)

in all its parts?

Well, if you're on God's side 

of the mirror,

it takes an

unmeasurable instant

for the One to perceive 

its mirror image,

in all its disparate,

hopefully beautiful

parts.

But that instant

in Timeless Time

is an eternity on our side of the mirror --

paintingsilove

So anyway,

in the year of the palindrome,

God  (which is the linguistic placeholder

in our language used

to represent The Nothing Out of Which We All Came)

will have formed a conclusion

on what s/he thinks about the state

of her/his creation. 

                             (I hope you can follow what I'm saying)

I'm saying that by

12212012, D.T. (Divided, human time)

we, dear humans, will reach

the juncture at which 

the amount of time it takes the Creator to perceive It's Creation

intersects

with the numerical system we use to count the time.

That juncture, by the way,

can be best represented like this:

and that symbol,

dear friends,

is as much representational

as it is abstract.

Abstractly,

it is a number to indicate

no number:

the double zero,

so

to

speak.  And it is also representational 

(graphic):

it performs on the page

the intersection we

are about to experience.

The best way to describe it is an eclipse.

Now, we know about

Lunar Eclipses

boston.com

which occur when we, the earth that guides the moon

on its whirling, twirling path

stand directly in the way

of the moon's view of the sun.

It's an alignment that occurs because of a series of revolves

within revolves.

And then there are Solar Eclipses:

nationalgeographic


. and then there's something else,
that many people have speculated about:

infinitelymystical

 The eclipse we will encounter in a year or two
is much greater than the others,
it is the eclipse of one celestial habitation
as it comes in direct
alginment
with the larger force that it encircles,
and that keeps the celestial habitation
in motion,
just like the earth keeps the moon
in motion.

If you can foollow this,
then perhaps you'll be able to see
what I'm trying to say:

at this fabulous intersection,
all of creation (all of which exists
within the realm of Divided Time)
will be eclipsed by the force
that we call god,
and we
here on earth
will be in a position
where we will be gazing in
to God's eye,
as if gazing lengthwise along through the expanse
of the palindrome
of infinity.

And as with any eclipse
of the small
with the larger,
the smaller (we) will be able to see
the outline of the larger
around the the edges of the celestial bodies
between us.


~ ~ ~

The thing is:

the Unknown and Unknowable contains
the very force that produced
US,
and, well, we're about to have a good look at each other.

~ ~ ~ ~

And since we are, in essence,
a product of It, well,
the Unknown, the Unknowable, the Vast Emptyness
That is Everything Other Than Us
(let's just call that God, for the lack
of a better word),
so when God encounters us,
it will look upon us a bit
like a father looks at a son.  And if
S/He is not pleased
with what it sees,
well,
we may be screwed.

We are, after all,
just a product of division.

Yes.

For the One to Produce Many,
it must Divide.

Because one
cannot produce another one,
and remain the Only One.  No;
at that point when One becomes Two
it inevitably also become Three and Four and
on to Eternity

which is
12212012
or thereabouts.

Now,
the actual period of time
in our time
which summarizes
and translates the amount of time
that it takes NoTime to react to its perception of
All Time
is approxiamately four days,
give or take an hour or two,
and that four day juncture
that includes 12212012
will be kind of rough,
because for a brief
period of time,
when No Time meets All Time
we'll be in a state of,
well,
Frozen Time,
and there won't be much
we'll be able to do  about it,
except wait,
and it will seem like an eternity,
but it will really only be
four days,
give or take a minute or two,
and when
the big that after The Four Days occurs,
well,
we'll know the outcome
of the encounter of the All and Its Reproduction (aka US),
and those of us who survive
the intense interrogation
of Self against Self,

 will be in a time beyond eternity,
and in that time,
we'll finally realize
how insignificant
                   significance
really is.

Monumental Time

(photo by Makropoulos)

We're living in a time

when everything that happens

is becoming legendary:

Winters,

Earthquakes,

and Tsunamis,

and Floods

and Tornados

and Wars

and Riots

and Terrorism

and Political Corruption

is almost at a level at which we can say

"it's never been like this, during all of recorded history"

even as we hope it doesn't get any worse.

We're living in a time warp,

a warp in which

one time encounters another,

and explosions

happen.

This type of time warp doesn't happen

all too often, and when it does

the events that occur

are monumental,

memorable,

repeatable.

Furthermore,

this is an oral time,

a time when what we speak

and what we produce images of as much as what we say,

has more resonance

than what we write.

We can tell the tale of what we saw and did

much faster than we can

write it.

What we write, too, is important,

but nobody really has the time 

to read. 

People only read when they have a vested interest

in knowing

what they cannot see

(because what we can see is oh

so fascinating.

Reading and thinking is hard work.

Reading and thinking is scholarship,
and should be the domain of just a few.)

This is an Age of Hyper-Realism,
and Age of Non-Fiction
and intense Avant Garde.

Those who are satisfied with Hallmark landscapes
are incredibly
unsatisfied now.

because we're living in a time
when everything that happens
is legendary
and in such an age as this
people die legendary deaths,
and spark legendary fires. . .

~ ~ ~ ~
for what it's worth,
I "channelled" this entry this afternoon;
it was only as I was typing it up
that someone called me and told me
that Osama Bin Laden 
is dead.

I pray for us all tonight
Every single one of us, both living
and dead.
~ ~ ~ ~

2/11/11: Oh, Egypt (a channel ing)

( allin1one )

Well,

the world is full 

of patterns,

                             and today

is a most amazing pattern:

2 - 11 - 11

                               or, if you're

in Europe

11 - 2 - 11

which is prettier.

Either way,

it's magical:

and look what happened:

Egypt.

One of the world's very

oldest of civizations

made a peaceful decision

civilly.

May the peace they found

today

stay with them,

civilly,

in the spirit of 

11 - 2 - 11

                                 Who will the next nation

                                               be to find a civil

                                                  solution to an old

                                            problem

on a harmonious

                                         day?

God bless you,

Egypt.

September Equinox Channelling

( falconscience )

*

When two opposites meet,

face to face, well, they

stick together, right/

When two opposites meet,

well,

the negative and the positive

cancels each other out;

therefore,

there is

One.

A single, whole

entity.

( peppylicious )

When two opposites are not aligned,

that is

( physicssjsu )

 

the negative and the positive are farthest apart,

well I guess it gets really cold;

I suspect that's when

Ice Ages

occur.

Or something like that.

* *

Imagine it this way:

that we are all

rolling around inside

a giant ball, well, but

it's really like a half ball,

because -- remember the

sphere 

is perfect,

and the only way 

a perfect object

which is a 

sphere

can see its own face

is to break

itself

in half.

( murrayhudson )

and when the half meets

the half 

again

face-on

it fits so perfectly,

( dailymail )

but

in the meantime,

it's rocking 

It feels like 

its going

in circles

because it has to

rock its own

demi-circumference

twice

before it settles back

together again.

( davidasharman ) 

* * *

Imagine that creation was
a perfect sphere breaking
apart
so it could see its own
face, and then
in order
for it
to be
united
again, it would have to
rock back and forth
(do its demi
circumference
twice)
beffore its halves could
meld
together
again
at their widest
points;
in their perfect
shape
for awhile. . .

For
we are born of the compulsion
to have a compulsion
to see what we look like
when we walk
through a door --

the compulsion to break
ourselves in half
and see
is the compulsion
to create,
to see in
the compulsion to duplicate and
replicate is
the very compulsion that
created all
of us.

That's the truth.
(To fully understand
some of this,
read some of my earlier stuff on that
follow the link to representation,
The Fall,
and
The Grid,
always the Grid.)

That's the truth.

* * 8 * *

Let me please explain
the syntax of the previous
sentence ---
hold on tight --
this is the syntax
for a sentence in the Age of the Grid,
when sentences need to be
Understood across Languages.
In the Age of the Grid
SYNTAX
takes more value over actual meanings of words,
because, if we could all agree
on certain SYNTAX PATTERNS,
then we could communicate
Across Languages,
even translate
in real
time---

Let me explain a little further:

Here is a sentence pattern for theAge
of the Grid:
(I'd call it the Definition Pattern):

The first half of the sentence would
be the term or concept you seek to define;
the second half
of the sentence would be
the definition.

The definition --
the second clause
(which by the way is also the dominant clause)
(The first, the term to be defined
would be subordinate,
because
the first element of the sentence would be a term known by all.
It would work as a symbol.
It would need no verb.

) ).

An example:
M&M's: a milk chocolatey mess that melts
in your mouth and not
in your hands.

A perfect definition,
a perfect
proclaimation
of what you're trying
to say to each other.

Yes, this is the syntax
of the soundbite,
the syntax
of the momentary
blink
this
is the syntax of the next
generation.

(second rule for the Definition Pattern):

The first (subordinate)
clause
is often an internationally known symbol,
like Ford, McDonalds,
or
M&M's

(centerfornewmedia )

That symbol goes in the first part of the message.

The second part of the sentence
summarizes the new message --
ie: the argument --
you want to deliver
about the first,
well-known symbol.
Thus, even as this is a definition,
it is also an argument
for a new way of looking at things.

(Advertising has taught us, too,
that these arguments change
as the needs of socity
change:



It's just the way of the world.)


~~~~mmmmmmm~~~~

A shortened, elliptical version of this Definition Pattern
is the Direct Assault Pattern,
where you don't even bother
with the
second,
dominant,
clause of explanation.
In the
DAP,
you simply take that
internationally known symbol
and mark whatever message you want
to make about it
right over its face:

(worldkarma)

This is a very direct
and
unfortunately often
brutal
way to deliver
a message.

And its a syntax that is already in use
for much of the rest
of the world.

Consider this:

( killercoke )

It's only America that hasn't figured out
that the new language
of the new Century
is already taken
root, is
already making meaning
and changing minds.
And you'd think that America would
have figured out
and learned to communicate
more tactfully,
after receiving the kind of message
they did
on a rather ill-fated September Day
some Nine Years Ago.

Attacking one's central imagery
clearly expresses
what the other culture
thinks
of that central imagery.

( cargolaw )




Yes,
we have to protect ourselves,
but
we don't have to kill them all.
They are
our brothers
They are
the lover
we need
when no one else understands
US.
They are our
polar opposites, the ones
we don't tell
the rest of our friends
we love.
They are our
alcoholic sisters,
bisexual brothers,
paranoic mothers,
all the nutty ones
the ones
the human race has shunned,
the ones we love.

( accidentalmysteries )

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So we have a choice
as the rocking sphere
swings inward
towards its magnetic
center:

a) to love the Other,
all of the
Others
who we really love
already
or b) to shun
them
completely,
even knowing
that the other
will always
be other and
honestly be
other
for US,
we who need them
to hold us together
so we might be
one.

(Astronomy Picture of the Day

2002Nov25 )