MY HAPPIEST NEW YEAR sandra, ttgp
this year, no complaints.. but, really, my happiest new year's eve was last year. my ex-husband went out of town for the rose bowl game, i think it was. and so, i did what any ex-wife would do under the circumstances,
i threw a party in his house.
for the kids.
and it was a really cool party too. a "shrinky dink dance party!" now, if you have never made shrinky dinks, you do not know what fun is...
first, you use paint pens in every color of the rainbow and create any picture you want on the shrinky dink plastic sheets (found at your local craft store)
that's fun all by itself, but gets way better..
next, you bake 'em. and they might not offer the same aroma as chocolate chip cookies, but what they lack in fragrance, they make up for in high stakes excitement.
i mean, the suspense! it is very important your oven have a light, so you can watch and pray.
not all shrinky dinks make it. some, during the shrinking process will fold and touch and ..."
oh no! no! not mine! i worked so hard!" -and stick, and you have to start all over.
others will look like they're going to stick and be ruined, but, pray, pray, and shout out loud
sing to the shrinky dink gods! and.. watch... write before your very eyes, just when you thought your creative life was over.. your masterpiece unfolds, and lies flat, 1/9th of it's original size. -now you've got a great zipper pull, necklace, or backpack decor; whatever you want it to be.
and after we made several shrinky dinks; we danced.
we cranked up the disney tunes, spread out the balloons, put on masks, decorated each child with a colorful lei from the party store, gave em' each a silver, sparkly shaker, and let the music move them. dance, dance, FREEZE!
dance, dance, (stop the music) FREEZE!
smiles everywhere you looked.
and the party didn't stop there either. after the shrinky dinks and along with the dancing.. the kids made up there very own game, spontaneous and right on the spot
pictures on a paper in a circle, then the name of each picture in a hat. step from paper picture to paper picture (like a cake walk), and when the music stops...
name is pulled from the hat, and whoever is standing on that picture is "YOU'RE OUT!" 'til there's just one standing and "YOU WIN!"
we had a great time bringing in the new year.
and the next morning.. my kids must have played for more than four hours with the left over balloons. -and i'm not exaggerating.
they danced with them. drew on them. and made up several games.. how many balloons can you get to stay around your body without having them float up in the air? and after you surround yourself in balloons... who can walk the farthest without a balloon drifting off?
and don't tell.. but i let them take turns jumping from the couch to catch balloons from the ceiling
so far, that was my happiest new year, and it preceded the best year of my life.
yesterday, we were at it again. shrinky dinks!
the perfect way to spend a rainy day.
What does fuel my imagination? -sandra mickanen, location scout
my imagination keeps write on projecting itself on different buildings, different locations. i experience no poverty of imagination! lack of funding has no effect. lack of capital, lack of knowing the write people, lack of any architectural education... none of it seems to matter.
even though, my track record currently remains at zero, when it comes to the projected image/idea into actual manifestation -this does absolutely nothing to dampen..
and i still believe, the ideas for this, at that location, are still wonderful and valid.
couple examples and then current imagined projections: its all in my blog archives somewhere:
* a mel's diner-ish place, where cars pull up around a given restaurant, and customers receive their orders from servers on skates.. -seen in american graffitti, and, something similar with sonic in hayward, california -this type of experience needs to be available directly across from the alameda county fair grounds in pleasanton, california. is it currently a seafood restaurant? don't know.. haven't tracked.
* kits, gifts & ideas, with the speciality ovens for shrinky dinks: this needs to be across the street from the historic gas station on main street in downtown pleasanton.
* there's more, but skipping now to: serra center, milpitas, california. -pause, to note, in northern california, in milpitas, -excellent weather the majority of the year.
in fact, -need to just repeat that fact: there is such hostile weather in other places.. northern california offers both indoor and outdoor opportunities because the weather is beautiful, -hospitable. we should have more outdoor opportunities in general.. family friendly, safe & fun
now, -for serra center.. in just the 8 years i've lived here in san jose, very near the border of milpitas, i've watched this center slowly become abandoned.. look more and more neglected.
but it is like, 16 acres of the greatest opportunities! and, it seems, what my imagination has done is this: i've been accumulating a wish list.. and 16 acres allows this wish list to live together in one stunning area
-k- to start, look how starved people are for beautiful landscaping.. STARVED! we've got buildings and parking lots; lots of buildings.. lots of parking lots
we need more beautiful landscaping! -way more!
i am very inspired here by blackhawk plaza in danville -waterfalls, gorgeous bridge, koi pond, sculptures, fountains..
so pretty! draws its own crowd; and then surrounded by museum, restaurants, shopping of many kinds, spas.. etc.
so, serra center: have to start with gorgeous landscaping.
then, let's add all the stores/businesses i've been writing about over many years..
a stationery store! -let me add on here. a stationery, book store! where people are provided an opportunity, and more importantly a special space to -read BOOKS; and, -to handwrite letters! like, in my imagination, it is a fun, novel thing, that people visit specifically to say there were at... and handwrote this letter.. and they can purchase stationery, pens, stamps, and mail their letter from this location also.. it would a special deal to mail from/receive a letter from... iconic; literary swag..
-this, by the way, -way more fun than a 'historical' museum, which just shows what people used to do before computers, cell phones, texts, emails, etc. -you experience it. you sit down write there, write your letter/postcard.. send from the iconic mailbox.. /send a text w/picture of you dropping your letter in the [way cool looking/creative, one of a kind] mailbox..
BUT LET me make this very important point: there are special spaces for people to bring their own book to read too.. bring their own supplies, and enjoy the space..
k,
there is an area for bring your own picnics.. really attractive, diverse, picnic spaces..
-have to also have
* custom fortune cookie store! -but, remember my caveat here: we need people to design new fortune cookie machines which allow for one cookie to be made at a time.. people come to order custom, personalized fortune cookies.. /inspired here by my visit to the oakland fortune factory store
* we need a ricks picks store...
* we need a pub, sports bar.. currently straw hat is there, i believe, -keep, but remodel.. make it awesome!
* there is already a theater there.. -keep, remodel, make it awesome!
* there is already a stellar, award-winning photography studio there /shesayswithasmile, -keep, make it even more awesome
* there needs to be a store, where people can come to get anything personalized, customized..
cricut professionals, who take and fulfill order same day; they make it write in front of you..
these are for individual, smaller orders.. large quantities taken care of elsewhere.
but, in fact, it is the theme of the center itself.. -personalized.. from shrinky dinks, mag time frames, to fortune cookies, to t shirts, hats, apparel.. to letter writing...
the overall thing, no matter the business.. added personal touch..
there is already an 'event' center... keep, make it more beautiful, add a rooftop experience..
there is more... but,
* gotta have a traumlicht.de for custom orders, and viewing the artistic process...
how is it? how is it, that i can even 'see' these things in my imagination? and doesn't seem to matter whether it can really happen or not. it is just a pleasure to entertain the ideas..
i mean, it is still true, that any and every time we are at beresford square for this or that.. "barones!"
it should absolutely go where there is currently a... private school, i think it is; pre-school? it was formerly an orchard hardware? in any case,
i've already shared, but.. wow! to how we need places like barones.. safe, beautiful, excellent restaurant, outdoor patio, beautiful, live music, dancing, a night club.. a safe place to let your hair down, cast your cares, mix, mingle, dance for a bit
i am enormously grateful this was available to my sister and i, to our friends, family in pleasanton. and it is my understanding, 'music under the stars' -thursday nights at barones, -they no longer have it.
we were so blessed by it!
****
but yes, when we drive by, serra center... i ache a little.. this gorgeous location! in milpitas, northern california, -these acres, -the way, store by store, businesses have closed and left.. the parking lot, and landscaping neglected..
in an area where the climate is so nice..
all i can see is possibility, is 'the potential!' -all i can see, is blackhawk plaza like landscaping and remodeling, updated store fronts, people walking around, shopping, writing letters, reading books, picnicking..
the place people want to bring their families, friends when they come visit.. the place parents want to host their children's birthday parties..
the place people feel great about purchasing personalized gifts.. the delight experienced by the recipients of gifts from..
-what will actually become of this 16 acres; i have no idea.
*****
and i wonder... what does fuel my imagination? and keep it so verve-ful in the absence of manifestations?
****
selah! and amen
I HAVE A DREAM FOR THE VACANT DOMUS BUILDING (me!) sandra, tvgp
I HAVE A (pipe) DREAM!
for the vacant domus building -do you?
i must drive by the vacant domus building at least twelve times a week. and it is exactly the vacant nature of this large, abandoned, neglected, lonely lot, with ample parking space, directly across from my favorite gas station and stationery store.. walking distance to towne center books and all the great restaurants and shops downtown;
that feeds my creative imagination.
like, first off: i do not like the dark blue awning with white lettering. that will have to go. although i have not decided whether my new awning should be bright gold, with ruby red lettering, or ruby red, with bright gold lettering. ut either way, it will be a spectacular looking canvas, and a total attention-getter for everyone who actually stops at the stop sign at this popular three-way intersection.
and i haven’t quite decided whether it should be called, Sandra Kay’s arts & crafts studio, or maybe, Sandra Kay’s, and then in a pretty script font below my name:
kits, gifts & ideas.
yes. that has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it. anyway.. inside. Inside! well inside, i plan to put the best looking michael’s craft store, and the top-selling independent scrapbook store -to shame! sorry, richard… . because it will have the look and feel of a warm and welcoming café, (not a retail store) but will house the best designer paper selection in the world! plus, only the greatest and actually useful arts/crafts supplies, and only the best, fully-functioning, consumer-tested/proven, tried & true arts n’ craft tools of the trade.
nothing cheapy. nothing in fancy packaging that isn’t actually creatively productive.
and i will have gorgeous work stationS -plural, where people can create at will: a stamping station, an embossing station, an adhering station, a sticker creating station.. and giant ovens for our –first of its kind, shrinky-dink station! ( i hear children cheering, clapping, yahoo'ing)
and of course! a whole very user-friendly station devoted to creating-your-own mag time frames! -and we will collaborate with our local TV30 to provide the most inspiring series of "live! from Sandra Kay's" how-to craft shows.
Sandra Kay’s will have traffic-stopping window displays that will become the talk of the town, and we will collaborate with local artists for décor, and local musicians for our music.
you will be allowed to sit down, with food and drink, in a library area, loaded with arts/crafts magazines to browse through for inspiration. plus we will have a selection of beverages, and healthy snacks available. maybe some of my mom’s famous fudge.
crafters, teachers, scrapbookers, stampers, mixed-media artists, students and children will come from all over the tri-valley and tourists from all over the world! to visit, shop and create at Sandra Kay’s…
but of course i will need to talk to charles huff first, about adding some large sky-lights.. i can’t be expected to thrive without lots of natural light…
TRUTH AND LIES IN LITERATURE by (Stephen Vizinczey!)
I honor this quirk in my personality again... The same quirk that inspired me to devour Joyce carol oats journals, but not her actual novels. -because I find myself devouring Stephen vizinczey's essays and reviews, but not his... Well, wait a minute; a change of heart has come on.../and perhaps a dose of hormones... Landed me write at the Pleasanton library again: I pulled out truth and lies which I received thank you to the link program , from San Francisco university, I said.."let me tell you what has happened here... I love this so much I am forced to order another Vizinczey.. Can you link me up with in praise of older women?" -and I did not get her name, but the woman who placed my order /my age.. She said out loud how she liked the title. so, I will let you know when the masterpiece arrives. Now, I read for pleasure, for growth, and have managed to skip "reviewing" or critizing what I read personally, and also quite intentionally skip scholarly reviews and criticisms. I know what I like, and if I do, I keep reading... If I don't I stop. Especially! I detest when crap written by ugly people with ugly motivations is given even more time and attention due to public reviews and criticisms.. Feed what you love; starve what you don't.
And speaking of feeding what you love... My daughter has just requested I make her a birds nest... That is my 1 out of about 3 things I can make in the kitchen that is not a shrinky dink. I'm off to foreign territory... Have a blessed day.
When it rains; it poems. X-acto-ly by (me!) ~topps.
X-
X-acto-ly
Empty canvas’ is all I seek; Inspired each day of the week.
All pulp and no fiction, create my own diction
use color like words; my art speaks
Fastest glue gun in the west. X-acto blade slinger, -the best.
I can cut paper to pieces
-shame your art theory thesis
Find write what I need in a mess
You stuck with a color wheel flat? Can’t tell glossy from matte?
I can cut hair fine white whiskers, with a sharp pair of
Fiskars
And detail the Siamese in a cat.
Ain’t nothin’ I don’t wanna make. Don’t matter how long it
take.
I can paper punch flowers, keep crafting for hours
And mix media while my shrinky dinks bake.
Arts and crafts always lift
-paint makes my mental gears shift
When my creative heart beckons; Custom stickers in seconds!
My fav, -the
personalized gift
I don’t use books or take courses; have zero artistic
remorses
No paper untorn;
“mosaic!” reborn!
If it don’t fit -I, rip, cut, trim, try again.. and if I want to; I force it.
Original, fresh and new.
But I can share my creation with you
Give me a minute, I’ll design a quick template
Step by step, then skip to my hue
by Sandra Harrison Kay
AKA: WriteousMom AKA: ~topps.
I HAVE A DREAM FOR THE VACANT ROUND TABLE PIZZA BUILDING (me!) Sandra, tvgp
It's the exact same dream I had for the vacant DoMus building in a prior post, but! A. That building is no longer vacant; it's a hardware store... And B. "the former round table pizza building is even better because... ITS ALREADY SET UP FOR OVENS!". ...perfect for my shrinky dink parties.... My dream never dies.. Just changes imaginary locations...
AYESHA CURRY STEP(h)S IN TO HELP (me!) OUT -WriteousMom #warriors @writeousmom
fruit of the spirit: self -control. self control, self control... self control
wait.. be patient.. hang in there... only three days. only 2 days... only 1 more day...
AND NOW AT LAST!! Now that my daughter has opened her surprise,
I can share it with all of you: /Dear God, that was a looooong 5 days!
***
AYESHA CURRY TO THE RESCUE: K. this is how it went down. my daughter is a HUGE Ayesha Curry Fan. And! She also enjoys being in the kitchen; learning how to cook..
if you've read (me!) for any amount of time, you know.. while i do many things, -cooking is not one of them. when i'm in the kitchen and see an oven, i don't think dinner, i think "shrinky dinks!"
anyway.. my daughter was headed back to college on the 22nd, but Ayesha Curry was appearing in Danville on the 26th. - I prayed the obvious prayer..
but when i contacted Michael at Rakestraw Books.. this free/make reservations event was SOLD OUT. -he advised i show up anyway, on the in-case someone couldn't make it and a seat might be open. -so i showed up.
also, if you've read (me!) any amount of time, you know my ability to lie, is write up there with my ability to cook. so, i'm not able to do the, "press pass", or name-drop, or sneak through the door when no one is lookin' kind of things. when the greeter asked if i had a ticket... even though a few ideas/lies/stories very slowly/awkwardly passed through my mind, what came out of my mouth:
"no. i don't have a ticket, but i was told to show up anyway, on the in-case someone else doesn't show"
and then she kindly directed me away from the entrance door, and off to the side with the other group of no ticket hopefuls. just look how cute and hopeful we all are:
and we chit-chatted, got to know one another a little bit, and bonded over our mutual experience/common love for autographed books; Ayesha Curry; The Warriors; /and for the others; cooking.. and we shared stories about the type of people who can sneak their way in..
vs. us.. who have only hope. and as time passed and our excitement grew, we realized
-we started to realize, -like, hey! everyone with a ticket is already inside the church.. that means WE WILL GET TO SEE AYESHA ENTER THE BUILDING.. we don't even want to go inside..
and that's when it dawned on (me!), the bible passage, so i said it out loud..
"those who are first will go last! and the last shall go first! -its in the bible!" AND JUST LOOK HERE: exactly because we were last.. and exactly because Betty, the hostess/greeter from Danville Congregational Church extended a very -very!- special invitation,
us hopefuls/last in line got to be FIRST to meet and have a picture with AYESHA CURRY! -BEFORE! the interview ever took place! /this post could really use some cool music in the background...
but, really.. HOW AWESOME IS THAT!?!
/long hair blond/parted on side (?) /must have sneak skill
AND so, yes, we all got in.. but as testimony to how much we bonded in the hopeful waiting area, when someone said, "what if only 3 of us can get in?" -someone else, i think it was zena.. she said, "we'll just sit on each others laps! we are ALL getting in!" /these are the type of people i want to clone..
and God helped, i know, with some seat-savin.. because we also ended up, off to the side, but very near the front.. and got to thoroughly enjoy, and soak up every word of the conversational style interview between Margo True and Ayesha Curry.
and one more time.. if you've read (me!) for any length, you also know.. i have been audience to, about ... a ... gazillion interviews; round high, and so, this qualifies me to say,
her conversational style interview with Ayesha was.. -receives my highest praises! She did an extraordinary job asking/listening/guiding the conversation..
and Ayesha.. she is as delightful, beautiful; gracious in conversation as she is in appearance. i'm grateful she is on my daughters admiration list.
and, then.. of course the bonus for (me!), for everyone.. is the meet/greet/sign/picture taking opportunities after the interview.. and, i could go on and on, but i'll just post the pictures here:
and so i raced home, had the pictures printed.. got them all organized in a frame.. and wrapped it up, along with the personally inscribed cook book by AYESHA CURRY! to my daughter /and might i mention here.. there is no way to make out her name from her signature, so these pictures help with that too:
and then have been bursting at the seams.. for her surprise to arrive; and have her open it.. so i could SHARE THIS POST.. WOO HOO!!
i love you baby!
***
AND PUBLIC "THANK YOU'S" here to: Rakestraw Books/Michael & team; to Danville Congregational Church/Betty; to (name?) nice lady who hosted hopeful/waiting area; to Margo True from Sunset Magazine; to AYESHA CURRY & her team, of course.. AND to my new friends and sisters in hope: loved meeting each of you! And always, always.. "Thank You!" Jesus..
and speaking of hope: zena, my new sister friend.. she is part of an organization providing more than hope for others: check it out here: zamzamwater.org
and lastly.. i have mentioned i'll be visiting a different church every sunday i go to church for the upcoming year. upon hearing the introduction/welcome by the current pastor at Danville Congregational "... when we say everyone is welcome here we mean.. no matter your education, no matter your political affiliation, no matter your orientation, no matter what you wear, no matter where you are at in your spiritual walk... everyone is welcome here"
i will definitely be there very soon. "Thank You!" for hosting this amazing, very memorable, very inspiring, very exciting experience
In Jesus obviously loves a good book name... hallelujah & amen!
***
related book signing posts: type
glass castle in the search bar to read my Jeanette Walls experience. type
sam's club to read my
those who are last will be first, joyce meyer experience.
"Cheers!" to Chef Claudia.. From (me!) Sandra, tvgp
another one of our favorite customers.. Chef Claudia.. Makes us all drool with her class descriptions.. Insists she can teach even (me!) how to prepare a few amazing meals.. "I need ultra novice level" I say with a smile..
/dare I confess I've only used an oven two times..
Well, not two times.. I mean for only two things
-shrinky Dink's
-break n' bake cookies
Wait! There is a third thing..
Storage.
"Merry Christmas!" My talented Chef friend..
Soon as my schedule permits it; flash class at pansonfire.com
I'm going for hot and unpredictable in 2015..
Speaking of Happy New Years... i say with a big smile
Happy New Year!
we will be having our grandchildren over soon.. encore the "
shrinky dinks!" party
CH
CH
In Jesus joyful, creative name.. hallelujah & amen
In Search of Memory, Eric R. Kandel ORIGINAL POST 5/27/2006
The Emergence of a New Science of Mind.
this is going to take me a long time to re-re-read. especially if i have to stop every other page to write my thoughts...
pg 6: ... It was then that i began to think about exploring the mystery of learning and memory in biological terms. How did the viennese past leave its lasting traces in the nerve cells of my brain? how was the complex three-dimensional space of the apartment where i steered my toy car woven into my brain's internal representation of the spatial world around me? how did terror sear the banging on the door of our apartment into the molecular and cellular fabric of my brain with such permanence that i can relive the experience in vivid visual and emotional detail more than half a century later? these questions, unanswerable a generation ago, are yielding to the new biology of mind.
to which i can only say -YAHOO!- and -IT'S ABOUT TIME!- god, for years, i've known intuitively, that psychoanalysis is an inappropriate treatment, in fact, maybe - a complete waste of time, when it comes to certain traumas, mental illnesses, odd behaviors. i've known it... i know it right now! and when i grow up, i want to be a molecular biologist! -just like eric kandler! (but, if i may let off a little bitter steam here, when "i" -me- when I, wrote to some experts in the brain/memory field, explaining my curiosity about the brain, the biology of post trauma stress after rape, they write me back saying, "i'm sorry, but i am not a counselor, or therapist.." when clearly in my correspondence i did not express any interest in "talking" to someone. i wanted to learn more about my BRAIN (you dickhead!), but when i write my questions/curiosities -they think they have the making of a new therapy patient - but when eric kandler says he's curious... when eric kandler wonders... when eric kandler asks, "how did terror sear the banging on the door of our apartment into the molecular and cellular fabric of my brain with such permanence that i can relive the experience in vivid visual and emotional detail more than half century later.." -oh, so now we have the making of a nobel prize winning neuroscientist! okay. i feel better now.
ironic, huh
writing. -good therapy-
back to point:because, i am always, constantly, non-stop like, wondering about my brain! what does happen during traumatic events to our brains?... what is the root cause, biologically speaking, of post traumatic stress disorder, what is happening -in the brain- during, "out of body" experiences? terror? shock? why do some people love to smoke, have addictions, lose the weight battle while others don't struggle at all with weight, alcohol, nicotine or sex addictions? i don't think it is nearly as related to "family lifestyle or stress, or poor choices" as it is a biological pre-disposition... brain default. (or, de- fault of the brain!) and i wonder lots and lots about motivation... yes, fascinated by motivation, lots about action vs. inaction, and i wonder, silly things, like today... i wanted some chocolate... not uncommon pre-period time, (pms time as it is more commonly known), and i had it in my head to go to the mall because i still have a gift certificate for see's candy, but then a flash went in my head on my way... a flash of trader joe's, and the chocolate covered orange and raspberry sticks... and then i headed right for trader joe's instead.. why? i haven't been there in a long time.. not a place i frequent.. what is going on in my brain when i have a thought, a desire, head in one direction, and then.. out of nowhere (but really out of somewhere in the brain... which is the whole point!), a very specific picture flashes and then i'm at trader joe's. i'm soooo curious about these common occurences!not to mention the curiosities born from having so many people in my life i love, suffer from, "mental disorders," - tourette's syndrome, alzheimers, parkinson's, alcohol addictions, and myself, 10 years + with post traumatic stress disorder. what is going on in our brains!!?? in the molecular and cellular fabric of our brains?!? (come to think of it, perhaps i was not as poetic about it as mr. kandler... in my inquiries to the brain/memory experts )
and i'm sure if i could stop thinking and read more... i'll get some up to date answers...but this is so exciting! pg 7: ... in the 1970's cognitive psychology, the science of mind, merged with neuroscience, the science of the brain. the result was cognitive neuroscience, a discipline that introduced biological methods of exploring mental processes into modern cognitive psychology.thought bubble: now, when a person suffers physical pain... the doctors will prescribe pain medication, and, okay, sometimes there's nausea, but for the most part, the person's pain subsides substantially. the doctor does not say... well, if you do this, and that, and think this, and relax that, etc., etc., you can make your pain go away BUT with emotional and behavioral struggles, people are adverse to medication... like it's a big no, no. stigma.. if it is emotional or behavioral, you are supposed to be able to go "talk" about it, and "work through it" and it will go away... and okay, for some things yes... but for many things... too many things; no.for many things it seems as stupid to me, for emotional/behavioral changes, to suggest counseling as it does for the dentist who accomplished my root canal, to tell me, to talk about the excruciating pain afterward with a counselor. no. no. no! medicine is good. medicine can help. i think we need more of it, not less, to improve the lives of human beings across the globe. -not "control the lives of" as political phobics will have us believe -improve the lives of-if i had time, i would also become a pharmacist, or research person... i'd love to know how all the medications currently on the market do their job? so many of them, saving lives, improving lives, increasing life-times...why still, 2006 for goodness sakes, with all we know, do we not blink an eye when we see someone take medicine for physical symptoms, but freak-out and judge so harshly, when it is offered for mental/emotional/behavioral matters? this drives me nuts!"people are avoiding the human experience, the human condition, drowning themselves, numbing themselves with antidepressents" or "government just wants to control societies by medicating them... " i've read and heard ignorant people write and say...and i think, i had an epidural when i gave birth to both my daughter and son.. a positive experience.. and i had anesthesia when i had my tubal ligation.. and anesthesia to have my gallbladder removed, and having these things was WONDERFUL, a GIFT, and i in no way feel like these advances in medicine rob me of an authentic human experience! and i don't think i'm trying to be controlled by the government!i say.. let's study the brain, yes! cell by cell.. let's understand how these medicines work for physical symptoms, how they reduce pain, improve peoples lives. and bring on more drugs!! let's manipulate our brains with pharmaceuticals and/or surgeries so everyone has a great life...can you imagine?!? why are people resistent to enjoying a great life!?!? health, happiness, energy, vitality, curiosity; hunger for knowledge, the ability to retain it and pass it along! inner peace for everyone might accidentally result in peace across the globe? what if anger and violence can be prevented with medication!?!? should we ignore that? oh, i want to know everything about the brain!! every little thing... every tiny detail, cell by cell, oh, i am so jealous of you eric kandler!! and now i will shut up and continue reading...but first, i'm thinking now about the initial resistence to birth control (so against nature!), and in vitro-fertilization.. (a crime against god!), and, stem-cell research (freak-out!)...but look at the results!! look at the results when we allow ourselves to explore and discover our own amazing human bodies ... and more, the capacity we have as intelligent, sentient, human-beings to over-ride the default bodies/minds we are born with...have we not over-riden our default life-spans through manipulation with this knowledge to our own delight? vitamins, medicines, innoculations, surgeries, diet and exercise, -love- marriage, or divorce but pets! ( i think single parents with furry pets outlive married people by the way.. i hope) once, if you made it to 30, that was considered "a long life" ,
now my children, they may easily live to 125! i recently read, with all the advances and knowledge we have today and expect to see in the near future...i'm all for exploring, learning, knowing -cell by cell- everything! and i'm all for over-riding the default systems in the human mind/body (really one, i believe), i'm all for manipulating through science, medicine, pharmaceuticals, whatever... technology included, cyberbrains, bionic body parts, you name it... i'm for it! if it equals a better, more fulfilling, rewarding, life experience.. bring it on!i do not fear the good life! the good life for one and all!okay now, really... back to the book.. pg 8:but one, make that two more things: i wanna know why i have to write all the time! why am i compelled to blog my favorite book passages and share my thoughts here? my neighbor would rather have a root canal without anesthia than write one paragraph... why? and how can she cook 3 hot meals a day? i only use the oven to make shrinky dinks! why?why? why? why? how?
sing to the shrinky dink gods! and.. watch... write before your very eyes, just when you thought your creative life was over.. your masterpiece unfolds, and lies flat, 1/9th of it's original size. -now you've got a great zipper pull, necklace, or backpack decor; whatever you want it to be.
and the party didn't stop there either. after the shrinky dinks and along with the dancing.. the kids made up there very own game, spontaneous and right on the spot
and don't tell.. but i let them take turns jumping from the couch to catch balloons from the ceiling
