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hot pink witch

9/10/2015

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redeeming the princess myth

4/11/2015

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Redeeming the Princess Myth: Glamour, Glitter, Fashion and Fame
Posted by Norton on Tue, Mar 16, 2010

Anyone who was a child in the ’80s certainly remembers the fleet of shitty animated cartoons in the afternoons and Saturday mornings. This was around the time when the industry was deregulated and transformed (pun intended!) into a platform for advertising, targeting America’s youth as the great new frontier market. During the Reagan administration, legislation was passed which dramatically increased advertisers’ ability to market products to children, increasing the allotment of time per program in which they could run spots and include commercial content directly related to programming.

Before the industry was deregulated, advertising on children’s programs was limited to nine and-a-half minutes on weekends and twelve minutes per hour on weekdays. Since then, commercials have taken up as much as eleven minutes per hour on weekends, when viewing by children is heaviest, and up to fourteen minutes per hour on weekdays.
-Jeremy Gerard, New York Times


The Media Education Foundation has these facts to report:
In a nutshell: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had tried to ban all advertising aimed at children eight and under, but the toy and cereal industries fought back and eventually won, convincing Congress to pass the FTC Improvement Act of 1980.
The FTC Improvement Act actually did the opposite of banning advertising to kids: it mandated that the FTC would no longer have any authority whatsoever to regulate advertising and marketing to children, leaving marketers virtually free to target kids as they saw fit.
…One result of deregulation was that it became possible to create a television program for the sole purpose of selling a toy, essentially turning kid’s shows into program-length toy commercials. And sure enough, the year after deregulation, all ten of the best selling toys were based on media: Transformers, G.I. Joe, Carebears, Voltron, Mask, Cabbage Patch Kids, He-Man, Super Gobots, WWF Figures, and My Little Pony.
…Children now spend $40 billion dollars of their own money and influence another $700 billion in spending annually — roughly the equivalent of the combined economies of the world’s 115 poorest countries.


The shows were fucking terrible from an artistic standpoint, with serious continuity flaws and simply awful art and animation. Some of the associated toys were pretty bad too, but what the creators of these cartoons successfully provided was the relevant mythology around which children could structure their play.
A significant part of childhood cognitive development is participation in dramatic play (when kids act out scenarios with scale objects, such as a doll house or farm set, it is referred to as “miniature dramatic play”).

Dramatic play permits children to fit the reality of the world into their own interests and knowledge. One of the purest forms of symbolic thought available to young children, dramatic play contributes strongly to the intellectual development of children (Piaget, 1962). Symbolic play is a necessary part of a child’s language development (Edmonds, 1976).
-The Center, part of the College of Education and Human services at Western Illinois University

Recently, I got an urge to watch one of my favorites from the mid-’80s, a rock ‘n’ roll fantasy called “Jem,” later “Jem and the Holograms.” The show’s premise: Jerrica Benton, who had recently and suspiciously lost her father, inherits one half of Starlight Records and Starlight House, a home for foster girls. When Evil Record Executive Eric Raymond refuses to provide funding for the dilapidated Starlight House, while simultaneously presenting the obnoxious and sociopathic Misfits (sadly, no Danzig) as Starlight Records new flagship act, Jerrica is forced to take drastic action to preserve her family’s legacy (presumably Jerrica does not have access to a good entertainment lawyer). A pair of magical earrings are mysteriously delivered to her, which she soon finds are linked to a fabulous computer called Synergy, “designed to be the ultimate visual entertainment synthesizer.” Led to Synergy’s secret lair, housed in an abandoned drive-in movie theater, she and her friends find themselves outfitted with not only the magical hologram-generating supercomputer, but also glamorous fashions, musical instruments and a totally rad convertible roadster. Thus equipped, the friends form Jem and the Holograms, a pop group aimed to defeat the Misfits in a battle of the bands, which will win Jerrica total control of the record company as well as a feature film deal and a mansion.

The Holograms’ songs themselves were poorly written but well executed (Jem’s singing was performed by Britta Phillips, later of the band Luna and composer for The Squid and The Whale) — essentially music-video-style backdrops for fantastical montages of Jerrica and her boyfriend traveling over rainbows astride unicorns, etc. The show delivered exactly what it promised — all of the glamor, glitter, fashion and fame that any human mind could handle within 30 minutes.

“Jem” was a show and a line of Hasbro toys marketed towards girls, intended to edge in on the behemoth Barbie brand. However, the Jem dolls proved to be large and awkward, their clothes easily fitting onto the body of a Ken doll, transforming him into an ever-lovable drag queen (but certainly not the terrifying supreme she-male embodied by Barbie herself). Mattel simply offered it’s knock-off line, “Barbie and the Rockers,” and subsequent efforts to market a girls’ doll, such as merchandise spin-offs of Disney’s pathetic princess heroines, were licensed to Mattel under the mighty fashion doll standard of Queen Barbie and her sundry, innocuously ethnic friends.

The children who grew up in the era of cartoon commercials are now evidencing a backlash, particularly in terms of feminine gender roles. Politically conscious feminist parents are rejecting the model of pink and sparkles and princesses altogether. In the various educational and toy retail fields in which I have found myself employed, I’ve wondered, sometimes aloud, why a parent would discourage a child from aspiring to be the leader of a nation (or merely fabulous).

Recently, I have been watching the Bill Moyers/Joseph Campbell series “The Power of Myth,” in which Campbell outlines the psychological symbology of the collective unconscious through storytelling. In certain episodes, Campbell speaks about coming-of-age myths in which the protagonist enacts adventures to the end of maturity and self-realization, as well as experiencing a sense of spiritual wonder that creates a sense of connectedness to society and the universe.

I was surprised to recognize, in the storyline of the “Jem” series as well as the standard princess tale in general, this myth of the transition into adulthood. Read any familiar Grimm’s fairy tale, such as “Cinderella,” “Snow White” and the like, and you will see similar content. A beautiful child falls from grace when she is suddenly bereft of parental guidance, often at the mercy of a hostile Id-like force (evil stepsisters, perhaps). In exile, the heroine takes on a typically mystical persona, often one in which she is secretly magical and glamourous, awaiting the opportunity in which she can be recognized as the proficient heir to a great kingdom. Often, the kingdom itself is the realm of magic and universal love, represented by a marriage and consecrated by humane acts such as the forgiveness of her former oppressors or benevolence towards the less fortunate. And that, my friends, is a fully-realized and mature adult.

This myth is not just a gender-specific coming-of-age tale, but one of a person realizing that their place in the world is bound to a sense of beauty grace and love. It is the magical, rock star aspect of a person, and our culture at its best encourages females to adorn the psychological environment with a sense of wonder and elemental power. The archaic use of the word glamor denotes magic and enchantment, and the urge to permeate the experience of maturity with these qualities is a noble urge indeed. This tale, told in the show “Jem” and in other forms via the Hasbro cartoon canon, was a story of this urge. Its appeal is therefore no mystery.

Perhaps the later realization that this story was told to us so we’d pester our parents to spend at Toys R Us put a sour taste in our mouths. The princess story was transformed into yet another tale of commodities, of a shrunken plastic body for sale, covered with rhinestones, yet not good enough to be Barbie. But if you believe this, you will believe that the major label’s current flagship act is the best music available, and Eric Raymond wins total control of Starlight Records forever.

You don’t have to buy the clunky man-doll and the mute plastic key-tar to believe in the power of sparkling, magical pop music and unicorn montages. You can still understand that it’s all just a hologram, an illusion. But every once in a while, if not often, we need someone to come along wearing a ton of rhinestones and glittery body paint, winning the day with their fabulousness and glamor and living happily ever after in the Starlight mansion.

That, for certain, is real. And truly, truly, truly outrageous.

This article originally appeared as a column in The Contrarian, and can be seen here, with links to cited references here:
http://www.thecontrarianmedia.com/2010/03/redeeming-the-princess-myth-glamour-glitter-fashion-and-fame/
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40 rules of love from shams tabrizi

4/8/2015

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Shams of Tabriz was the famous mentor, friend, and muse of the Sufi poet Rumi. Their friendship sparked a remarkable spiritual awakening in Rumi, who spent the rest of his life creating prolific verse on the themes of ecstasy, surrender, and direct experience of god. He is perhaps the most widely-read poet in the entire world. The following distills Shams' themes of living a life inside of love.

Shams of Tabriz’s 40 Rules of Love:

  1. How we see God is a direct reflection of how we see ourselves. If God brings to mind mostly fear and blame, it means there is too much fear and blame welled inside us. If we see God as full of love and compassion, so are we.
  2. The path to the Truth is a labour of the heart, not of the head. Make your heart your primary guide! Not your mind. Meet, challenge and ultimately prevail over your nafs (self, psyche, soul) with your heart. Knowing your ego will lead you to the knowledge of God.
  3. You can study God through everything and everyone in the universe, because God is not confined in a mosque, synagogue or church. But if you are still in need of knowing where exactly His abode is, there is only one place to look for him: in the heart of a true lover.
  4. Intellect and love are made of different materials. Intellect ties people in knots and risks nothing, but love dissolves all tangles and risks everything. Intellect is always cautious and advises, ‘Beware too much ecstasy’, whereas love says, ‘Oh, never mind! Take the plunge!’ Intellect does not easily break down, whereas love can effortlessly reduce itself to rubble. But treasures are hidden among ruins. A broken heart hides treasures.
  5. Most of problems of the world stem from linguistic mistakes and simple misunderstanding. Don’t ever take words at face value. When you step into the zone of love, language, as we know it becomes obsolete. That which cannot be put into words can only be grasped through silence.
  6. Loneliness and solitude are two different things. When you are lonely, it is easy to delude yourself into believing that you are on the right path. Solitude is better for us, as it means being alone without feeling lonely. But eventually it is the best to find a person who will be your mirror. Remember only in another person’s heart can you truly see yourself and the presence of God within you.
  7. Whatever happens in your life, no matter how troubling things might seem, do not enter the neighbourhood of despair. Even when all doors remain closed, God will open up a new path only for you. Be thankful! It is easy to be thankful when all is well. A Sufi is thankful not only for what he has been given but also for all that he has been denied.
  8. Patience does not mean to passively endure. It means to look at the end of a process. What does patience mean? It means to look at the thorn and see the rose, to look at the night and see the dawn. Impatience means to be shortsighted as to not be able to see the outcome. The lovers of God never run out of patience, for they know that time is needed for the crescent moon to become full.
  9. East, west, south, or north makes little difference. No matter what your destination, just be sure to make every journey a journey within. If you travel within, you’ll travel the whole wide world and beyond.
  10. The midwife knows that when there is no pain, the way for the baby cannot be opened and the mother cannot give birth. Likewise, for a new self to be born, hardship is necessary. Just as clay needs to go through intense heat to become strong, Love can only be perfected in pain.
  11. The quest for love changes user. There is no seeker among those who search for love who has not matured on the way. The moment you start looking for love, you start to change within and without.
  12. There are more fake gurus and false teachers in this world than the number of stars in the visible universe. Don’t confuse power-driven, self-centered people with true mentors. A genuine spiritual master will not direct your attention to himself or herself and will not expect absolute obedience or utter admiration from you, but instead will help you to appreciate and admire your inner self. True mentors are as transparent as glass. They let the light of God pass through them.
  13. Try not to resist the changes, which come your way. Instead let life live through you. And do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come?
  14. God is busy with the completion of your work, both outwardly and inwardly. He is fully occupied with you. Every human being is a work in progress that is slowly but inexorably moving toward perfection. We are each an unfinished work of art both waiting and striving to be completed. God deals with each of us separately because humanity is fine art of skilled penmanship where every single dot is equally important for the entire picture.
  15. It’s easy to love a perfect God, unblemished and infallible that He is. What is far more difficult is to love fellow human beings with all their imperfections and defects. Remember, one can only know what one is capable of loving. There is no wisdom without love. Unless we learn to love God’s creation, we can neither truly love nor truly know God.
  16. Real filth is the one inside. The rest simply washes off. There is only one type of dirt that cannot be cleansed with pure waters, and that is the stain of hatred and bigotry contaminating the soul. You can purify your body through abstinence and fasting, but only love will purify your heart.
  17. The whole universe is contained within a single human being-you. Everything that you see around, including the things that you might not be fond of and even the people you despise or abhor, is present within you in varying degrees. Therefore, do not look for Sheitan outside yourself either. The devil is not an extraordinary force that attacks from without. It is an ordinary voice within. If you set to know yourself fully, facing with honesty and hardness.
  18. If you want to change the ways others treat you, you should first change the way you treat yourself. Unless you learn to love yourself, fully and sincerely, there is no way you can be loved. Once you achieve that stage, however, be thankful for every thorn that others might throw at you. It is a sign that you will soon be showered in roses.
  19. Fret not where the road will take you. Instead concentrate on the first step. That is the hardest part and that is what you are responsible for. Once you take that step let everything do what it naturally does and the rest will follow. Don’t go with the flow. Be the flow.
  20. We were all created in His image, and yet we were each created different and unique. No two people are alike. No hearts beat to the same rhythm. If God had wanted everyone to be the same, He would have made it so. Therefore, disrespecting differences and imposing your thoughts on others is an amount to disrespecting God’s holy scheme.
  21. When a true lover of God goes into a tavern, the tavern becomes his chamber of prayer, but when a wine bibber goes into the same chamber, it becomes his tavern. In everything we do, it is our hearts that make the difference, not our outer appearance. Sufis do not judge other people on how they look or who they are. When a Sufi stares at someone, he keeps both eyes closed instead opens a third eye – the eye that sees the inner realm.
  22. Life is a temporary loan and this world is nothing but a sketchy imitation of Reality. Only children would mistake a toy for the real thing. And yet human beings either become infatuated with the toy or disrespectfully break it and throw it aside. In this life stay away from all kinds of extremities, for they will destroy your inner balance. Sufis do not go to extremes. A Sufi always remains mild and moderate.
  23. The human being has a unique place among God’s creation. “I breathed into him of My Spirit,” God says. Each and every one of us without exception is designed to be God’s delegate on earth. Ask yourself, just how often do you behave like a delegate, if you ever do so? Remember, it fells upon each of us to discover the divine spirit inside and live by it.
  24. Hell is in the here and now. So is heaven. Quit worrying about hell or dreaming about heaven, as they are both present inside this very moment. Every time we fall in love, we ascend to heaven. Every time we hate, envy or fight someone we tumble straight into the fires of hell.
  25. Each and every reader comprehends the Holy Qur’an on a different level of tandem with the depth of his understanding. There are four levels of insight. The first level is the outer meaning and it is the one that the majority of the people are content with. Next is the Batin – the inner level. Third, there is the inner of the inner. And the fourth level is so deep it cannot be put into words and is therefore bound to remain indescribable.
  26. The universe is one being. Everything and everyone is interconnected through an invisible web of stories. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are all in a silent conversation. Do no harm. Practice compassion. And do not gossip behind anyone’s back – not even a seemingly innocent remark! The words that come out of our mouths do not vanish but are perpetually stored in infinite space and they will come back to us in due time. One man’s pain will hurt us all. One man’s joy will make everyone smile.
  27. Whatever you speak, good or evil, will somehow come back to you. Therefore, if there is someone who harbours ill thoughts about you, saying similarly bad things about him will only make matters worse. You will be locked in a vicious circle of malevolent energy. Instead for forty days and nights say and think nice things about that person. Everything will be different at the end of 40 days, because you will be different inside.
  28. The past is an interpretation. The future is on illusion. The world does not move through time as if it were a straight line, proceeding from the past to the future. Instead time moves through and within us, in endless spirals. Eternity does not mean infinite time, but simply timelessness. If you want to experience eternal illumination, put the past and the future out of your mind and remain within the present moment.
  29. Destiny doesn’t mean that your life has been strictly predetermined. Therefore, to live everything to the fate and to not actively contribute to the music of the universe is a sign of sheer ignorance. The music of the universe is all pervading and it is composed on 40 different levels. Your destiny is the level where you play your tune. You might not change your instrument but how well to play is entirely in your hands.
  30. The true Sufi is such that even when he is unjustly accused, attacked and condemned from all sides, he patiently endures, uttering not a single bad word about any of his critics. A Sufi never apportions blame. How can there be opponents or rivals or even “others” when there is no “self” in the first place? How can there be anyone to blame when there is only One?
  31. If you want to strengthen your faith, you will need to soften inside. For your faith to be rock solid, your heart needs to be as soft as a feather. Through an illness, accident, loss or fright, one way or another, we are all faced with incidents that teach us how to become less selfish and judgmental and more compassionate and generous. Yet some of us learn the lesson and manage to become milder, while some others end up becoming even harsher than before…
  32. Nothing should stand between you and God. No imams, priests, rabbis or any other custodians of moral or religious leadership. Not spiritual masters and not even your faith. Believe in your values and your rules, but never lord them over others. If you keep breaking other people’s hearts, whatever religious duty you perform is no good. Stay away from all sorts of idolatry, for they will blur your vision. Let God and only God be your guide. Learn the Truth, my friend, but be careful not to make a fetish out of your truths.
  33. While everyone in this world strives to get somewhere and become someone, only to leave it all behind after death, you aim for the supreme stage of nothingness. Live this life as light and empty as the number zero. We are no different from a pot. It is not the decorations outside but the emptiness inside that holds us straight. Just like that, it is not what we aspire to achieve but the consciousness of nothingness that keeps us going.
  34. Submission does not mean being weak or passive. It leads to neither fatalism nor capitulation. Just the opposite. True power resides in submission to a power that comes within. Those who submit to the divine essence of life will live in unperturbed tranquility and peace even the whole wide world goes through turbulence after turbulence.
  35. In this world, it is not similarities or regularities that take us a step forward, but blunt opposites. And all the opposites in the universe are present within each and every one of us. Therefore the believer needs to meet the unbeliever residing within. And the nonbeliever should get to know the silent faithful in him. Until the day one reaches the stage of Insan-I Kamil, the perfect human being, faith is a gradual process and one that necessitates its seeming opposite: disbelief.
  36. This world is erected upon the principle of reciprocity. Neither a drop of kindness nor a speck of evil will remain unreciprocated. For not the plots, deceptions, or tricks of other people. If somebody is setting a trap, remember, so is God. He is the biggest plotter. Not even a leaf stirs outside God’s knowledge. Simply and fully believe in that. Whatever God does, He does it beautifully.
  37. God is a meticulous clock maker. So precise is His order that everything on earth happens in its own time. Neither a minute late nor a minute early. And for everyone without exception, the clock works accurately. For each there is a time to love and a time to die.
  38. It is never too late to ask yourself, “Am I ready to change the life I am living? Am I ready to change within?” Even if a single day in your life is the same as the day before, it surely is a pity. At every moment and with each new breath, one should be renewed and renewed again. There is only one-way to be born into a new life: to die before death.
  39. While the part change, the whole always remains the same. For every thief who departs this world, a new one is born. And every decent person who passes away is replaced by a new one. In this way not only does nothing remain the same but also nothing ever really changes. For every Sufi who dies, another is born somewhere.
  40. A life without love is of no account. Don’t ask yourself what kind of love you should seek, spiritual or material, divine or mundane, Eastern or Western. Divisions only lead to more divisions. Love has no labels, no definitions. It is what it is, pure and simple. Love is the water of life. And a lover is a soul of fire! The universe turns differently when fire loves water.

This text was taken from the Wikipedia article on Shams Tabrizi:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shams_Tabrizi

The reference cited for this specific section is:

The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saPd2WDJ4xI


More here:
http://www.amaana.org/ismaili/40-rules-of-love-shams-tabriz-rumis-teacher/


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    Susan norton

    ...is here to talk about the Feast of Life. Yum yum yum!

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