 You ever have those days where you just don't want to think? For me, today is that day. It would be easier to just sit back and watch Rachel Ray so the I could clap along with the audience (if you don't know, go watch...the sheep mentality is amazing)
Days like this is the reason I have quotes in frames next to my bed. Today's quote is from the Dalai Lama, "I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe."
 If anyone else is feeling the same way, I would suggest surrounding yourself with positive things. I have my quotes, others go out in their garden or hug their pets (heaven forbid anyone has a pet alligator) but whatever you do, keep going.
<----Maybe post this above your bed. What's more enlightening than Uncle Sam preparing for a fight? If he can do it with a shitty economy and fatass kids, so can you!
Because I've gotten good feedback on the last post about art, I've decided to do it more. So once a month, I'm going to interview an artist and give you their contact info.
So I was at my favorite coffee shop, and I noticed these beautiful paintings up on the wall. I always love the artwork they have up, and I decided to not pass up this wonderful artist. I asked the barista (why wont the spell-check recognize 'barista'?) and he hooked me up with the artist, Julie Mason. Go here for her stuff.Of course, I wouldn't tease you with her website without letting you get to know her, which is why I decided to interview her. Get ready for a lot of reading (these interviews will be one of the few entries with no memes). And I might or might not have stolen the last two questions out of the Westword paper, but in my defense they shouldn't be asking such awesome questions!Her name is Julie Mason, and when she's not painting she is a mortgage loan officer. Me: How long have you been painting?Julie: For over twenty years. I did a loan for gal who owned an art studio, and I took watercolor class from her.Me: Do you have a schedule?Julie: I used to paint when my work was done, now the work is never done. I try to commit to paint every week. My goal is to make enough money to own a gallery, that would be ideal. So I'm very motivated to do a lot of loans, I've already got it all pictured in my mind. It's gotta be some place where people gather.
Me: Do you have a process?Julie: Whenever I have inspiration, it usually varies. I switch, I do a landscape, then a portrait (portraits are intense), then flowers.
Me: So do you like to listen to music or do you like to work in silence?Julie: Both, and I usually instrumental music. I would like to develop a playlist for when I paint. I like painting with other people. We can point out some things that are missing, it's very valuable to paint with other people.Me: Do you have any artists that inspire you?Julie: I wish I could say yes. I don't have a specific artist, but whenever I go look at art it inspires me. I'm from Scottsdale, and there there's an outdoor art show, some are sculptures, some are oils, etc...to be able to talk with them. The one thing I can't do is abstract.
Me: You mentioned working with watercolors and oils. What's your favorite material to work with?Julie: For the last fifteen years I've painted in oils. But, I just found a new watercolor paper, Yupo, which allows you to do different things with watercolor. I also like working with pastels.
Me: Would you still paint if you were the last person on earth?Julie: Definitely.
Me: Name one thing that everybody seems to love but you hate?Julie: Artist's statements--when an artist has to explain what their piece means. The art should speak for itself. Julie Mason's art website: juliemasonart.com
Yupo paper: dickblick.com
Most amazing free paper in Denver, CO: http://www.westword.com/
Best little coffee shop in Denver: http://sojoscoffee.com/
 Ok, I'll say what everybody else is thinking. Judas Iscariot gets a bad rap.
Where are you going? Hear me out!
Jesus worked around the other Disciples quirks--a lot of those guys were cool in my book, it takes a lot of courage to quit your day job as a stinky, sweaty fisherman to become a stinky, sweaty student (yet more and more kids are choosing this lifestyle today...?) I mean, he told Simon to calm down so much that Jesus changed his name! I bet Saint Peter would be rolling over in his grave when Pope Benedict resigned.
Where am I going with this? Jesus recognized Judas Iscariot as having the moxy to put the final steps of his plan into action. Didn't the man NEED to die? That was the point, wasn't it?
 I'm not Christian, so you probably shouldn't listen to me on this. But if the memes are true it looks pretty cool.
 So, I logged onto Facebook today, and I see all these colorful posts. I'm thinking--wtf, is everyone drunk? Then I realized what day it is, and so that's probably not far from the truth...
So...
Happy Mardi Gras! Where ever you celebrate, be safe. The Pope wont be there to absolve you. And now I'm freaking out because I don't want people to think I'm Catholic (I love you Catholics, no offense), which I'm not; I just know that here in America, we'll drink on any holiday we can get our hands on.
If you're interested in the history of this special holiday, go to the history channel, before they blame everything on aliens.
Anyone reading this trapped in the blizzard in the northeast U.S.? If you know come across a homeless person, if you can, give 'em a few bucks for a hotel, or your couch to bunk on so they don't die (and be thankful for what you have, I know I am.)
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/115130144.html
Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
--Samuel Beckett
Have you ever felt depressed? Do your friends complain about you being high strung? Are you a little lugubrious? Constantly an anxious wreck? As long as it's not due to my questions (or maybe because of them) keep reading. So I was cruising BBC.com (don't judge me, the UK needs love too) when I came across this article about the high incidences of anxiety and depression. Peter Kinderman, the author of the article, calls out the shrinks diagnosing so many people with 'meaningless mental illnesses.' He goes on to say:
"But diagnosis and the language of biological illness obscure the causal role of factors such as abuse, poverty and social deprivation. The result is often further stigma, discrimination and social exclusion."
I had suspected something like this for a long time, but couldn't put it to words, so I searched online, curious to read others opinions (that matched my own, who doesn't do that?), and found another article on CNN's website about ADHD cases in Western kids getting higher. I wondered why that was happening.
That really brings it home for me. In college, the school shrink diagnosed me with "Generalized Anxiety Disorder"--I was always a high strung, very strange child. I felt (and still do) that I didn't do well with others. When I got that label, I milked it. I had found a reason to stay in my room instead of socializing. But, the psychiatrist at my school was marvelous, and within a few sessions I was out of my shell and relatively normal, if still relatively high strung.
But, why are mental illnesses rising? I think it's a mix of slightly off brain functions mixing with a rise in assholes around us. I'm not trying to knock anyone who actually has a serious mental illness (I have plenty of friends with them--I know more about bi-polar than I care to...), but I think as a group, humans like to label things, which can lead to box-thinking.
Life is complex, and labeling can help us...if our ancestors didn't label something 'bad' we might've been trampled by mammoths or poisoned by bad mushrooms. We just need to be careful about going too far, or placing judgement on others. They may be less crazy than you think. BBC article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20986796
CNN article: http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/21/california-data-shows-adhd-cases-rising/
Psychology Today: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/alternative-truths/201005/why-its-dangerous-label-people
Some people try to find things in this game that don't exist, but football is only two things-blocking and tackling.
--Vince Lombardi Anyone see the Super Bowl? I don't watch football that often--I mainly tuned in so I had an excuse to get rid of the vodka that was taunting me every time I opened my freezer. And even though the 49ers lost, there's always next year!
And what's up with those lights, man? Apparently it wasn't that exhilarating reuniting of Destiny's Child, fireworks and everything--I guess it helps if you have your own generator. And next to Cain and Abel, I suppose the sibling rivalry between Harbaugh brothers isn't that bad (everyone kept an eye on them, right?)
It could've been faulty wiring, it could've been a freak accident,...but what if..?
I hope they figure it out soon, because football shouldn't have questions in it.
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