RantWoman finds this whole series delightful. Start with the obvious, about nonviolence.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Elders? Blind Copy? Crud?
In the continuing saga of Quakerism The Soap Opera, RantWoman is absurdly happy!
RantWoman received email containing the phrase "held hostage" from an actual firsthand sender, not subsumed in secondhand mush. Praise Jesus! Now RantWoman needs actually to READ--and interact with-- the email.
But first....
First of all RantWoman needs to be held in the Light, and not just because she isdeliriously happy to receive first-hand what should sound like a terribly off-putting message.
Everyone else around RantWoman and RantWoman's Inner Blowtorch also needs to be held in the Light.. Hold that problem in the Light.
Next, RantWoman needs some elders. Oh boy does RantWoman need some elders.
Possible candidates in RantWoman's vicinity, subject of course to the RantWoman message manglement service:
--I can think about your accommodations needs as soon as you provide me about 3 zillion hours of blindness tourism that has nothing to do with encouraging someone else to deliver documents timely Friend. Enough said?
--I think we have talked about your accommodations needs because you accommodated mine Friend.
--I do not want to talk about it because you are talking about my friends Friend. REALLY? What am I, chopped liver?
--I am glad to talk while I drive you home but I do not get that you do not like having difficult conversations while someone is driving Friend.
--"It's not good for the community (to name problems and try to work on them)" Friend
--I might be able to spare a few seconds either later in the evening before I eat dinner or via cellphone while I am driving Friend. Friend, you have reached Dial-a-Tirade. RantWoman routinely hangs up on EVERYONE who tells her they are talking on a cellphone while driving, so can you suggest other options.
--Several variants of please deliver your request in easily digestible bites that conform to my worldview.
--Several variants of "RantWoman, you are just taking up too much space" Friend.
--Friend who says Care Committee when RantWoman thinks she means Elder or Clearness Committee.
--Be charitable Friend. Friend, RantWoman is to be true to her Light. Charitable means HOPEFULLY couched in gentle language as opposed to encased in epithets.
In other words, RantWoman has found the elder candidates at hand wanting and will.(SURPRISE!)...turn to Email.
Bang. Crash. Clatter! the question To Blind copy or not to Blind copy?
In comes email from potential elder-by-email Friend: Some Friends dislike blind copy on Quaker integrity grounds.
RantWoman has heard this before. People like knowing who is in the conversation.
RantWoman is seasoning several thoughts in collision.
1. Having someone in the blind copy field offers options for confidential wise eldering. The same thing could be accomplished by just forwarding emails but using Blind Copy saves steps.
2. RantWoman sometimes discloses the existence of person in blind copy but not identity of someone in the Blind copy field. RantWoman wants to offer her elders the coice of how much to share of their time and tends to invite person to speak up if there is something that could contribute to the whole group.
3. Skip the blind copy and let others see the contributions.
4. Tell people who already are not thrilled to be in conversation that
guess what they are part of a community of Friends working on a
problem.
It's a bright sunny day and RantWoman is fighting some kind of crud. So RantWoman means to meditate for a bit before thinking about what to ask of whom. Hold all and sundry in the Light.
RantWoman received email containing the phrase "held hostage" from an actual firsthand sender, not subsumed in secondhand mush. Praise Jesus! Now RantWoman needs actually to READ--and interact with-- the email.
But first....
First of all RantWoman needs to be held in the Light, and not just because she isdeliriously happy to receive first-hand what should sound like a terribly off-putting message.
Everyone else around RantWoman and RantWoman's Inner Blowtorch also needs to be held in the Light.. Hold that problem in the Light.
Next, RantWoman needs some elders. Oh boy does RantWoman need some elders.
Possible candidates in RantWoman's vicinity, subject of course to the RantWoman message manglement service:
--I can think about your accommodations needs as soon as you provide me about 3 zillion hours of blindness tourism that has nothing to do with encouraging someone else to deliver documents timely Friend. Enough said?
--I think we have talked about your accommodations needs because you accommodated mine Friend.
--I do not want to talk about it because you are talking about my friends Friend. REALLY? What am I, chopped liver?
--I am glad to talk while I drive you home but I do not get that you do not like having difficult conversations while someone is driving Friend.
--"It's not good for the community (to name problems and try to work on them)" Friend
--I might be able to spare a few seconds either later in the evening before I eat dinner or via cellphone while I am driving Friend. Friend, you have reached Dial-a-Tirade. RantWoman routinely hangs up on EVERYONE who tells her they are talking on a cellphone while driving, so can you suggest other options.
--Several variants of please deliver your request in easily digestible bites that conform to my worldview.
--Several variants of "RantWoman, you are just taking up too much space" Friend.
--Friend who says Care Committee when RantWoman thinks she means Elder or Clearness Committee.
--Be charitable Friend. Friend, RantWoman is to be true to her Light. Charitable means HOPEFULLY couched in gentle language as opposed to encased in epithets.
In other words, RantWoman has found the elder candidates at hand wanting and will.(SURPRISE!)...turn to Email.
Bang. Crash. Clatter! the question To Blind copy or not to Blind copy?
In comes email from potential elder-by-email Friend: Some Friends dislike blind copy on Quaker integrity grounds.
RantWoman has heard this before. People like knowing who is in the conversation.
RantWoman is seasoning several thoughts in collision.
1. Having someone in the blind copy field offers options for confidential wise eldering. The same thing could be accomplished by just forwarding emails but using Blind Copy saves steps.
2. RantWoman sometimes discloses the existence of person in blind copy but not identity of someone in the Blind copy field. RantWoman wants to offer her elders the coice of how much to share of their time and tends to invite person to speak up if there is something that could contribute to the whole group.
3. Skip the blind copy and let others see the contributions.
4. Tell people who already are not thrilled to be in conversation that
guess what they are part of a community of Friends working on a
problem.
It's a bright sunny day and RantWoman is fighting some kind of crud. So RantWoman means to meditate for a bit before thinking about what to ask of whom. Hold all and sundry in the Light.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Restless, with gratuitous Barclay reference: Music, Quarterly Meeting.
RantWoman was WELL-blessed at this session of Pacific Northwest Quarterly Meeting. RantWoman offers notes and gratitudes, along with selected hastags #quakers .
RantWoman blesses the ministry of car ride conversation and very congenial travel companions.
Stop RantWoman before she records again. RantWoman volunteered to be acting FCWPP Recording Clerk because RantWoman's replacement in the role was unable to come. Old habits die hard. RantWoman enjoyed the energy of the FCWPP Steering committee. RantWoman has other opinions but they do not belong in the blog.
RantWoman blesses the weather, sunny but a little chilly. The creek was fast but not as high as some years.
RantWoman had a total of 4 different roommates, thankfully only 3 at a time. RantWoman THOUGHT she was doing her customary "pack to be able to carry everything and still add a cello." Nevertheless, RantWoman and all of her roommates seemed to have really a ridiculous amount of stuff. Welcome to modern life? At least people got along.
RantWoman had several great conversations with people attending Quarterly Meeting for the first time, at least one of whom RantWoman expects to see again at Annual Session.
RantWoman mobility notes:
--Really nice to see people with canes and walkers using a sidewalk path between the large dorm and the dining room.
--Having tables both upstairs and downstairs in the dining hall made getting around MUCH easier and not only for RantWoman.
--Service dog: No fuss no muss! Dog was nicely behaved and had a harness. Yes!
(Obligatory Digression: Do not ask RantWoman about Wonder Chihuahua the alleged service hound residing in another part of rantWoman's life. When quizzed about how a chihuahua could be a service dog in the first place, RantWoman did not cite any psychic capacity to detect that someone is about to have a seizure or needs to take medication. RantWoman cited only that the dog has a way of asking to go out just as the nuclear family is about to hit meltdown. RantWoman really has no idea how this is covered in service dog regulations.)
--Worship walking while blind or very idiosyncratically vision impaired or...
--RantWoman thanks everyone who helped point out especially rough spots on the trail.
--Thank you to everyone who kept asking RantWoman whether she wanted to take their arms. RantWoman is, um, built like a linebacker. Even if RantWoman were closer to HWP, RantWoman would still be a large person with ahealthy respect for gravity and the ability to do damage while falling. If RantWoman falls that has to be one thing. If RantWoman falls on someone else that is a bigger problem. TRUST RantWoman on this. RantWoman is going to be pretty nervous taking someone's arm unless someone is a pretty large person.
--Everyone please bear with RantWoman about reluctance to let others carry bags
--RantWoman likes to feel ground under feet even when it is bumpy.
--Thank you all for bearing with RantWoman's need to go on and on about this.
Business Meeting: RantWoman ignored Meeting for Business but did receive word of an upcoming conference call organized by NPYM M&O about email. RantWoman is seasoning whether the Still Didn't Get the Memo Committee on Email Immoderation is going to appoint a representative or whether RantWoman for now will confine herself to chronicling authentic spiritual experience as manifest through Facebook.
Interest groups: there is lots of interest in electronic communication. There was critical mass of participants but one absent leader and another with leading for plan B. The critical mass split: some went to work about climate disruptions; others went in for conflict and eldering. Courtesy of the conversation about conflict, RantWoman's inner data geek was guided to an observation. The Much-Eldered Friend with a Ministry of Audible Eye-rolling these days mostly has his moments of prophetic eruption around ....drum roll please...Friends who are also on RantWoman's Frequent flyer list! What if, instead of only continuing to exhort Eye Roller Friend to be quiet, some wise and thoughtful elder could encourage him to think about what he might say if words were to align and he were in the presence of those who vex him????
State of Society Reports:
--RantWoman still owes the world both her Meeting's missive and a augmented rant about same.
--Favorite quotes:
Mid-Columbia Worship Group: "We exist! ... Six of us....."
Eastside Friends Meeting: further phrasing about #opendata work with WA Department of Health gun deaths: suicide deaths outnumber homicides about 5/1. What this suggests is...
RantWoman is seasoning a sort of symphonic reflection departing from the music theme. The message did not make it out of RantWoman's mouth during worship. Oh well.
Wait. Part of the message was going to be "Well if Friend Geneticist can talk about methylated something or other and epigenetics during Community Night, RantWoman can darn well talk about neurodiversity during Meeting for Worship. By neurodiversity RantWoman does not mean only the term some on the autism spectrum as a mark of acceptance about their situation. RantWoman means a respect for the many different ways people work with information.
See, Barclay and the early Quakers were WRONG about music distracting one from God. People from other faith traditions have made this same mistake. Thank God for continuing revelation and for people's ability to forgive themselves for not attaining the unattainable and being able to imagine multiple paths to God.. Then maybe there would be some motifs about getting too stuck in repetitive small details and losing track of how things add up to a big picture.
Then there would be some moments of dissonance and chord progresssion as work passes from one key to another, followed by threads of Quaker witness and weaving people together and.... By this time the kids had entered and the half-woven symphony was too close to topics kids don't need to have to worship about and have partly made it into an email, never mind the Barclay reference.
Blessings upon...
Now RantWoman will resume more vigorous turning of the spiritual compost heap.
RantWoman blesses the ministry of car ride conversation and very congenial travel companions.
Stop RantWoman before she records again. RantWoman volunteered to be acting FCWPP Recording Clerk because RantWoman's replacement in the role was unable to come. Old habits die hard. RantWoman enjoyed the energy of the FCWPP Steering committee. RantWoman has other opinions but they do not belong in the blog.
RantWoman blesses the weather, sunny but a little chilly. The creek was fast but not as high as some years.
RantWoman had a total of 4 different roommates, thankfully only 3 at a time. RantWoman THOUGHT she was doing her customary "pack to be able to carry everything and still add a cello." Nevertheless, RantWoman and all of her roommates seemed to have really a ridiculous amount of stuff. Welcome to modern life? At least people got along.
RantWoman had several great conversations with people attending Quarterly Meeting for the first time, at least one of whom RantWoman expects to see again at Annual Session.
RantWoman mobility notes:
--Really nice to see people with canes and walkers using a sidewalk path between the large dorm and the dining room.
--Having tables both upstairs and downstairs in the dining hall made getting around MUCH easier and not only for RantWoman.
--Service dog: No fuss no muss! Dog was nicely behaved and had a harness. Yes!
(Obligatory Digression: Do not ask RantWoman about Wonder Chihuahua the alleged service hound residing in another part of rantWoman's life. When quizzed about how a chihuahua could be a service dog in the first place, RantWoman did not cite any psychic capacity to detect that someone is about to have a seizure or needs to take medication. RantWoman cited only that the dog has a way of asking to go out just as the nuclear family is about to hit meltdown. RantWoman really has no idea how this is covered in service dog regulations.)
--Worship walking while blind or very idiosyncratically vision impaired or...
--RantWoman thanks everyone who helped point out especially rough spots on the trail.
--Thank you to everyone who kept asking RantWoman whether she wanted to take their arms. RantWoman is, um, built like a linebacker. Even if RantWoman were closer to HWP, RantWoman would still be a large person with ahealthy respect for gravity and the ability to do damage while falling. If RantWoman falls that has to be one thing. If RantWoman falls on someone else that is a bigger problem. TRUST RantWoman on this. RantWoman is going to be pretty nervous taking someone's arm unless someone is a pretty large person.
--Everyone please bear with RantWoman about reluctance to let others carry bags
--RantWoman likes to feel ground under feet even when it is bumpy.
--Thank you all for bearing with RantWoman's need to go on and on about this.
Business Meeting: RantWoman ignored Meeting for Business but did receive word of an upcoming conference call organized by NPYM M&O about email. RantWoman is seasoning whether the Still Didn't Get the Memo Committee on Email Immoderation is going to appoint a representative or whether RantWoman for now will confine herself to chronicling authentic spiritual experience as manifest through Facebook.
Interest groups: there is lots of interest in electronic communication. There was critical mass of participants but one absent leader and another with leading for plan B. The critical mass split: some went to work about climate disruptions; others went in for conflict and eldering. Courtesy of the conversation about conflict, RantWoman's inner data geek was guided to an observation. The Much-Eldered Friend with a Ministry of Audible Eye-rolling these days mostly has his moments of prophetic eruption around ....drum roll please...Friends who are also on RantWoman's Frequent flyer list! What if, instead of only continuing to exhort Eye Roller Friend to be quiet, some wise and thoughtful elder could encourage him to think about what he might say if words were to align and he were in the presence of those who vex him????
State of Society Reports:
--RantWoman still owes the world both her Meeting's missive and a augmented rant about same.
--Favorite quotes:
Mid-Columbia Worship Group: "We exist! ... Six of us....."
Eastside Friends Meeting: further phrasing about #opendata work with WA Department of Health gun deaths: suicide deaths outnumber homicides about 5/1. What this suggests is...
RantWoman is seasoning a sort of symphonic reflection departing from the music theme. The message did not make it out of RantWoman's mouth during worship. Oh well.
Wait. Part of the message was going to be "Well if Friend Geneticist can talk about methylated something or other and epigenetics during Community Night, RantWoman can darn well talk about neurodiversity during Meeting for Worship. By neurodiversity RantWoman does not mean only the term some on the autism spectrum as a mark of acceptance about their situation. RantWoman means a respect for the many different ways people work with information.
See, Barclay and the early Quakers were WRONG about music distracting one from God. People from other faith traditions have made this same mistake. Thank God for continuing revelation and for people's ability to forgive themselves for not attaining the unattainable and being able to imagine multiple paths to God.. Then maybe there would be some motifs about getting too stuck in repetitive small details and losing track of how things add up to a big picture.
Then there would be some moments of dissonance and chord progresssion as work passes from one key to another, followed by threads of Quaker witness and weaving people together and.... By this time the kids had entered and the half-woven symphony was too close to topics kids don't need to have to worship about and have partly made it into an email, never mind the Barclay reference.
Blessings upon...
Now RantWoman will resume more vigorous turning of the spiritual compost heap.
Monday, April 27, 2015
The Tantrum Option
Popcorn Kernel from recent worship sharing
Queries were something like:
What are your hopes and concerns for the next year?
What help do you need / what are you going to do to ask for it?
and "take care of ... If you need restroom, snacks..."
RantWoman: "and if I need to lie on the floor and kick and scream and have a giant tantrum...?"
DO IT!
[RantWoman is pretty sure there might have been tremulous eye-rolling. RantWoman? REALLY?]
(RantWoman to herself REALLY?)
RantWoman has been thinking of many kins and of people in her family's life who were adults not parents and how much difference they made at times.
RantWoman has also been thinking of a much younger self, new to Friends who found it a great relief actually that people much older than she were still struggling and trying to figure things out.
RantWoman munched popcorn and attended to others' offerings. Apparently she attended badly because other than deep gratitude for the sharing RantWoman humbly admits remembers no details she can work with after the fact.
Oh, and apparently if RantWoman and others around her can admit the POSSIBLE need for a tantrum, RantWoman just MAY be able to get along without an actual tantrum.
Queries were something like:
What are your hopes and concerns for the next year?
What help do you need / what are you going to do to ask for it?
and "take care of ... If you need restroom, snacks..."
RantWoman: "and if I need to lie on the floor and kick and scream and have a giant tantrum...?"
DO IT!
[RantWoman is pretty sure there might have been tremulous eye-rolling. RantWoman? REALLY?]
(RantWoman to herself REALLY?)
RantWoman has been thinking of many kins and of people in her family's life who were adults not parents and how much difference they made at times.
RantWoman has also been thinking of a much younger self, new to Friends who found it a great relief actually that people much older than she were still struggling and trying to figure things out.
RantWoman munched popcorn and attended to others' offerings. Apparently she attended badly because other than deep gratitude for the sharing RantWoman humbly admits remembers no details she can work with after the fact.
Oh, and apparently if RantWoman and others around her can admit the POSSIBLE need for a tantrum, RantWoman just MAY be able to get along without an actual tantrum.
Friday, April 24, 2015
State of...Married
Opening Blasphemy, and yes, RantWoman humbly acknowledges this could really, really use and editor.: Jesus Christ on a Pizza Crust.
RantWoman WILL post her Meeting's State of Society report anon.
Hypothetically, there would be an outtake of the form: Did anyone get married?
(RantWoman notes here two weddings in past years: rantWoman wishes the happy heterosexual couples extra decades together and still DOES NOT APOLOGIZE for, um, RantWoman PRESENCE in the same time frame as the weddings. Hold sundry sore points in the Light especially if it winds up that RantWoman haunts anniversaries. But RantWoman digresses.)
RantWoman has lost track of which same-gender couples in her community have finally done the state paperwork after WA Referendum 74 made same-gender marriage legal in 2012 and the Obama administration refused to enforce DOMA and various court rulings have inched things forward. RantWoman remembers a couple moments in Meeting or on Facebook. RantWoman notes that federal circuit after federal circuit is striking down bans on same-gender marriage but has a pretty strong leading not to take or to let others take anything for granted.
A Friend from RantWoman's Meeting who now lives far away has been very active in the FLGBTQC Ad-hoc committee on Friend of the Court Briefs. MAYBE if the State of Society report was mentioning people by name who are very visible outside Meeting, the report could have gone all out and mentioned this Friend. (Okayyyy, RantWoman, TRY to stay away from topics that tempt you toward Dial-a-Tirade, like that Friend's ministry.)
RantWoman is unclear whether faithful work by the FLGBTQC ad-hoc committee and other faith communities on Friend of the Court Briefs has played any role in these decisions or whether this is just a tide of federal precedent.
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-marryin-thang-faithfulness-in.html
Either way, RantWoman thinks, given her Monthly and Yearly Meeting's long history of work about marriage equality, RantWoman might think to take note in the State of Society Report. Okay, RantWoman thought that taking note of Referendum 74 would have been entirely on point in the 2013 State of society Report and was darned grateful that other Meetings in her Quarter DID take note in that year's State of Society reports.
RantWoman thinks it would also have been AWESOME if someone other than RantWoman thought to bring either Referendum 74 of this past year's marriage equality advances up. RantWoman thinks this but RantWoman is biased. RantWoman in a fit of social awkwardness one night at Annual session teamed up with another Friend to put the final touches on the draft 1997 NPYM minute on civil recognition of same-gender marriage. And before that RantWoman remembers being in Meeting for Business when Meeting finally came to unity to call same gender commitments maririages. And RantWoman remembers that unity about the marriage wording was important because for a time her Meeting was marrying no one, not same-gender couples and not heterosexual couples in solidarity.
RantWoman wonders whether people doing clearness committees for marriage under care of her Meeting even talk about this history or the part of Faith and Practice that talks a little about this. RantWoman specifically wonders this in humble irritation about the editing process that year and that the nice couple who drafted the 2013 State of Society report was married under the care of the Meeting!
Along the way from unity and NPYM minutes, RantWoman has both signed petitions and, when the Yes on 74 campaign was already big and well-funded united with Friends clear to move onto other things. RantWoman is grateful for the stalwarts who did phone-banking for the big campaign.
Just when RantWoman thought she was going to get by with only another outtake from the State of Society report, crash, rattle, bang, with computerized chatter, along comes dialogue about the role of Care and Counsel Committee with the brave Clerk of Nominating committee who serves Meeting heroically and is not clear to become a member for what RantWoman considers a very important reason related partly to heritage.
Brave Clerk gets to help put together Care and Counsel without exactly knowing what they do. Start with memberships and marriages and clearness processes for both. Add in "I'm not interested in Your Thought Processes Friend who a. will not return phone calls or respond to phone calls and only wants to talk in a loud environment when rantWoman finds it hard to have centered conversation anyway, and b is the liason between Nominating committee and Care and Counsel. So please hold RantWoman in the Light because she feels entitled to another temper tantrum and sort of hopes the tantrum will get transformed into appropriate actual live conversations but has no freaking idea even where to start!
RantWoman thinks of
--One Friend who was married in the manner of Friends in our worship room and a couple years ago gratefully announced the couple's 50th anniversary.
--Another young Friend, not a member, who reports a "We''re kind of busy" response when she expressed interested in community help about a wedding. It's true that marriage in the manner of Friends is a different task than a clearness committee and marriage under the care of Meeting, but, really!
(For the record, RantWoman was thinking about marriage and Ferrener Husband in the same timeframe where Oversight Committee lost RantWoman's first letter applying for membership. Okayyy, RantWoman, STOP! Membership meditations get their own post!)
RantWoman WILL post her Meeting's State of Society report anon.
Hypothetically, there would be an outtake of the form: Did anyone get married?
(RantWoman notes here two weddings in past years: rantWoman wishes the happy heterosexual couples extra decades together and still DOES NOT APOLOGIZE for, um, RantWoman PRESENCE in the same time frame as the weddings. Hold sundry sore points in the Light especially if it winds up that RantWoman haunts anniversaries. But RantWoman digresses.)
RantWoman has lost track of which same-gender couples in her community have finally done the state paperwork after WA Referendum 74 made same-gender marriage legal in 2012 and the Obama administration refused to enforce DOMA and various court rulings have inched things forward. RantWoman remembers a couple moments in Meeting or on Facebook. RantWoman notes that federal circuit after federal circuit is striking down bans on same-gender marriage but has a pretty strong leading not to take or to let others take anything for granted.
A Friend from RantWoman's Meeting who now lives far away has been very active in the FLGBTQC Ad-hoc committee on Friend of the Court Briefs. MAYBE if the State of Society report was mentioning people by name who are very visible outside Meeting, the report could have gone all out and mentioned this Friend. (Okayyyy, RantWoman, TRY to stay away from topics that tempt you toward Dial-a-Tirade, like that Friend's ministry.)
RantWoman is unclear whether faithful work by the FLGBTQC ad-hoc committee and other faith communities on Friend of the Court Briefs has played any role in these decisions or whether this is just a tide of federal precedent.
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-marryin-thang-faithfulness-in.html
Either way, RantWoman thinks, given her Monthly and Yearly Meeting's long history of work about marriage equality, RantWoman might think to take note in the State of Society Report. Okay, RantWoman thought that taking note of Referendum 74 would have been entirely on point in the 2013 State of society Report and was darned grateful that other Meetings in her Quarter DID take note in that year's State of Society reports.
RantWoman thinks it would also have been AWESOME if someone other than RantWoman thought to bring either Referendum 74 of this past year's marriage equality advances up. RantWoman thinks this but RantWoman is biased. RantWoman in a fit of social awkwardness one night at Annual session teamed up with another Friend to put the final touches on the draft 1997 NPYM minute on civil recognition of same-gender marriage. And before that RantWoman remembers being in Meeting for Business when Meeting finally came to unity to call same gender commitments maririages. And RantWoman remembers that unity about the marriage wording was important because for a time her Meeting was marrying no one, not same-gender couples and not heterosexual couples in solidarity.
RantWoman wonders whether people doing clearness committees for marriage under care of her Meeting even talk about this history or the part of Faith and Practice that talks a little about this. RantWoman specifically wonders this in humble irritation about the editing process that year and that the nice couple who drafted the 2013 State of Society report was married under the care of the Meeting!
Along the way from unity and NPYM minutes, RantWoman has both signed petitions and, when the Yes on 74 campaign was already big and well-funded united with Friends clear to move onto other things. RantWoman is grateful for the stalwarts who did phone-banking for the big campaign.
Just when RantWoman thought she was going to get by with only another outtake from the State of Society report, crash, rattle, bang, with computerized chatter, along comes dialogue about the role of Care and Counsel Committee with the brave Clerk of Nominating committee who serves Meeting heroically and is not clear to become a member for what RantWoman considers a very important reason related partly to heritage.
Brave Clerk gets to help put together Care and Counsel without exactly knowing what they do. Start with memberships and marriages and clearness processes for both. Add in "I'm not interested in Your Thought Processes Friend who a. will not return phone calls or respond to phone calls and only wants to talk in a loud environment when rantWoman finds it hard to have centered conversation anyway, and b is the liason between Nominating committee and Care and Counsel. So please hold RantWoman in the Light because she feels entitled to another temper tantrum and sort of hopes the tantrum will get transformed into appropriate actual live conversations but has no freaking idea even where to start!
RantWoman thinks of
--One Friend who was married in the manner of Friends in our worship room and a couple years ago gratefully announced the couple's 50th anniversary.
--Another young Friend, not a member, who reports a "We''re kind of busy" response when she expressed interested in community help about a wedding. It's true that marriage in the manner of Friends is a different task than a clearness committee and marriage under the care of Meeting, but, really!
(For the record, RantWoman was thinking about marriage and Ferrener Husband in the same timeframe where Oversight Committee lost RantWoman's first letter applying for membership. Okayyy, RantWoman, STOP! Membership meditations get their own post!)
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Guided By An Inner Truth: Quakers, Hip Hop, and Social Justice Quaker Speak Videos
Has RantWoman mentioned lately how much she appreciates the Quake r Speak videos?
My Goodness Quakers acting like we have something to say to the world!
Shocking!
We need a lot more of it!
Here is a wonderful item about a young Quaker rapper whose path to Quaker worship began with a scholarship to a Friends school in W Philadelphia.
My Goodness Quakers acting like we have something to say to the world!
Shocking!
We need a lot more of it!
Here is a wonderful item about a young Quaker rapper whose path to Quaker worship began with a scholarship to a Friends school in W Philadelphia.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Heaven, Faithfulness...kidnapping?
RantWoman is working on heaven and her friend Lu's memorial, held recently at St Benedict's Church in Wallingford. RantWoman wishes to honor a number of things that might be all wrong for adamant Catholic traditionalists but that RantWoman were wonderful.
RantWoman really likes the church. It is a huge old building but the sanctuary has this wonderful airy feeling. RantWoman noticed somewhere that it has Saturday night service at 6 pm. Maybe for curiosity, RantWoman will stop by.
RantWoman arrived there independently with only Ambassador Thwack. No, RantWoman did not need to take the arm of the person who greeted her but Yes, RantWoman quite appreciates being shown where the restroom is.
RantWoman did not intersect with a song sheet. Not actually a problem.
RantWoman found a blind couple she knows; then her buddies the Weed Whackin Wenches Wing Nut and Curmudgeon arrived too. RantWoman has more than once gone to a memorial and spent the whole time sobbing more about some other grief than the stated focus of the memorial. This time it was Wing Nut's turn,the peculiar communion of parallel circumstances.
Pianist and soloist with really nice voice. Modern, praise-filled music evocative of Jesus, heaven and RantWoman apologizes for not remembering what all.
Lead by Lay Deacon, father and grandfather, who says "Don't call me father" but told a wonderful story of how much it meant to him to help with a service on the Mount of the Beatitudes in Jerusalem even though it was pouring rain, "like Seattle" during the service. Blessed are... blessed are...
Prayers of Christ and heaven. Prayers reminded RantWoman she was in a Catholic church and her task was to honor what the texts mean to Lu and Andrew.
Funeral Rite, not the same as funeral mass. RantWoman's friend Curmudgeon who went to Catholic school says Funeral Rite means no communion. RantWoman thinks, oh thank god. Much nicer than another Catholic memorial Rantwoman attended where the priest was insistent about communion only for baptized Catholics.
Lu's husband Andrew read from the book of Wisdom which RantWoman assumes without checking is one of those books in the Catholic Bible but not the protestant one. It was a passage sort of like the one in the New Testament about "in my father's house are many mansions," definitely about eternal life, heaven, the life beyond this life.
Lu's husband told wonderful stories of Lu's long career and all the people her energy touched. RantWoman thought of harrumphing about how it would be nice to let the voices tell their own stories but also really resonates about how well Andrew appreciated them.
Lu would have been a formidable presence even if she were not blind. Before she went blind she was studying Nuclear Medicine. After she went blind she switched to epidemiology and was consistently a fire hose of numerical information and Wonder Blind Person and always dressed WELL to boot.
Deacon did a tolerable job of speaking about both Lu and blindness, despite not knowing her very well and only while she was ill. RantWoman had not realized that illness dated to Lu's resignation from her job.
A funeral rite involves commending the sould to God and blessing of the remains, or what was reserved after most were buried in MI where Lu grew up. RantWoman thinks it's actually kind of sweet, given how grief clobbers the bereaved unpredictably for awhile after a death, if several communities want memorials and the soul has not all made it to heaven at once, to commend a couple extra times
After a final blessing, everyone gathered for food, socializing, and amazing pictures of Lu and Andrew and all the love and magic between them.
After the service and the gathering with food, the subject of dinner came up. RantWoman did not have anywhere she had to be so RantWoman's buddies the Weed Whacking Wenches "kidnapped" her to come to supper at their house in Lynnwood. The trip featured:
--big trees and fresh air and space to breathe
--tour of wonderful gardens
--opportunity to meet the Wenches' chickens and A DOZEN FRESH eggs to take home
--sit-down with Wing Nut in the middle of huge eldercare challenges and in need of vocabularly like "medical release," Medical Power of Attorney, Advance Directive, Social Worker, Discharge Planner. Wing Nut can do MUCH by phone and needs to be held in the Light.
--Thai food and fresh asparagus from the garden.
--four lovely plastic gelatto containers now repurposed for other food storage in RantWoman's kitchen.
--a nice bag of fresh rhubarb.
Definitely close enough to heaven for now.
RantWoman can stand kidnappings like this anytime.
PS More heaven-themed ministry just because
http://www.efcmaym.org/news/becoming-a-part-of-the-distance/
RantWoman really likes the church. It is a huge old building but the sanctuary has this wonderful airy feeling. RantWoman noticed somewhere that it has Saturday night service at 6 pm. Maybe for curiosity, RantWoman will stop by.
RantWoman arrived there independently with only Ambassador Thwack. No, RantWoman did not need to take the arm of the person who greeted her but Yes, RantWoman quite appreciates being shown where the restroom is.
RantWoman did not intersect with a song sheet. Not actually a problem.
RantWoman found a blind couple she knows; then her buddies the Weed Whackin Wenches Wing Nut and Curmudgeon arrived too. RantWoman has more than once gone to a memorial and spent the whole time sobbing more about some other grief than the stated focus of the memorial. This time it was Wing Nut's turn,the peculiar communion of parallel circumstances.
Pianist and soloist with really nice voice. Modern, praise-filled music evocative of Jesus, heaven and RantWoman apologizes for not remembering what all.
Lead by Lay Deacon, father and grandfather, who says "Don't call me father" but told a wonderful story of how much it meant to him to help with a service on the Mount of the Beatitudes in Jerusalem even though it was pouring rain, "like Seattle" during the service. Blessed are... blessed are...
Prayers of Christ and heaven. Prayers reminded RantWoman she was in a Catholic church and her task was to honor what the texts mean to Lu and Andrew.
Funeral Rite, not the same as funeral mass. RantWoman's friend Curmudgeon who went to Catholic school says Funeral Rite means no communion. RantWoman thinks, oh thank god. Much nicer than another Catholic memorial Rantwoman attended where the priest was insistent about communion only for baptized Catholics.
Lu's husband Andrew read from the book of Wisdom which RantWoman assumes without checking is one of those books in the Catholic Bible but not the protestant one. It was a passage sort of like the one in the New Testament about "in my father's house are many mansions," definitely about eternal life, heaven, the life beyond this life.
Lu's husband told wonderful stories of Lu's long career and all the people her energy touched. RantWoman thought of harrumphing about how it would be nice to let the voices tell their own stories but also really resonates about how well Andrew appreciated them.
Lu would have been a formidable presence even if she were not blind. Before she went blind she was studying Nuclear Medicine. After she went blind she switched to epidemiology and was consistently a fire hose of numerical information and Wonder Blind Person and always dressed WELL to boot.
Deacon did a tolerable job of speaking about both Lu and blindness, despite not knowing her very well and only while she was ill. RantWoman had not realized that illness dated to Lu's resignation from her job.
A funeral rite involves commending the sould to God and blessing of the remains, or what was reserved after most were buried in MI where Lu grew up. RantWoman thinks it's actually kind of sweet, given how grief clobbers the bereaved unpredictably for awhile after a death, if several communities want memorials and the soul has not all made it to heaven at once, to commend a couple extra times
After a final blessing, everyone gathered for food, socializing, and amazing pictures of Lu and Andrew and all the love and magic between them.
After the service and the gathering with food, the subject of dinner came up. RantWoman did not have anywhere she had to be so RantWoman's buddies the Weed Whacking Wenches "kidnapped" her to come to supper at their house in Lynnwood. The trip featured:
--big trees and fresh air and space to breathe
--tour of wonderful gardens
--opportunity to meet the Wenches' chickens and A DOZEN FRESH eggs to take home
--sit-down with Wing Nut in the middle of huge eldercare challenges and in need of vocabularly like "medical release," Medical Power of Attorney, Advance Directive, Social Worker, Discharge Planner. Wing Nut can do MUCH by phone and needs to be held in the Light.
--Thai food and fresh asparagus from the garden.
--four lovely plastic gelatto containers now repurposed for other food storage in RantWoman's kitchen.
--a nice bag of fresh rhubarb.
Definitely close enough to heaven for now.
RantWoman can stand kidnappings like this anytime.
PS More heaven-themed ministry just because
http://www.efcmaym.org/news/becoming-a-part-of-the-distance/
Heaven, with Mouseketeer
RantWoman has in her two popcorn kernel items about heaven.
This one is dedicated to the most recently-deceased of RantWoman's neighbors. RantWoman lives in a world where staff who know these things usually can neither confirm nor deny, but RantWoman is grateful to learn the news from multiple people via the building grapevine.
(RantWoman is grateful to learn via the same grapevine that someone she feared might have passed away without notice has moved away closer to relatives. Rantwoman is not sure the email address she has will work, but...)
Recently Deceased Neighbor had some kind of intellectual disability. He was also legally blind and used a wheelchair. He had a whiny voice and always wanted to make sure RantWoman was signed up for events she really was neither interested in nor eligible for, though RantWoman never wanted to belabor the point with him.
Recently Deceased Neighbor always wanted to go to a meeting RantWoman attends; other people in the building attend the same meeting and RantWoman never thought to suggest he team up with them about getting there. Oh Lord have Mercy!.
Recently Deceased Neighbor frequently wanted to talk to RantWoman about the Mickey Mouse Club and a Mouseketeer who shares RantWoman's first name but not the spelling. Sorry. That was BT, Before Television in the Rant Family household, and RantWoman further does not care because the topical Mouseketeer spells her name all wrong.
A couple strokes in the last year or so did not improve Recently Deceased neighbor's agreeability quotient or lessen his Annoyingness Index. Hold that problem in the Light.
Bus Stop consensus about Recently Deceased Neighbor: he's in a better place. Heaven is where bodies do all of what they are supposed to and people can do what they want to do with people who want to be with them.
May the Lord Bless and Keep Recently Deceased neighbor, whatever faith tradition he did or did not have !
PS, weeks later: BLESSINGS on the family and caregivers who organized a memorial. Neighbor was clearly WELL loved. RantWoman had forgotten about his affinity for phone books. RantWoman is touched that her name was not the only one he seized on with endless need to comment on some or antoehr distinguishing feature: ethnic origin, unusual spelling... RantWoman is also VERY grateful that others were more willing to introduce him to children, parents grandchildren than RantWoman could ever manage. Sigh! Here is to neighbor well-remembered.
This one is dedicated to the most recently-deceased of RantWoman's neighbors. RantWoman lives in a world where staff who know these things usually can neither confirm nor deny, but RantWoman is grateful to learn the news from multiple people via the building grapevine.
(RantWoman is grateful to learn via the same grapevine that someone she feared might have passed away without notice has moved away closer to relatives. Rantwoman is not sure the email address she has will work, but...)
Recently Deceased Neighbor had some kind of intellectual disability. He was also legally blind and used a wheelchair. He had a whiny voice and always wanted to make sure RantWoman was signed up for events she really was neither interested in nor eligible for, though RantWoman never wanted to belabor the point with him.
Recently Deceased Neighbor always wanted to go to a meeting RantWoman attends; other people in the building attend the same meeting and RantWoman never thought to suggest he team up with them about getting there. Oh Lord have Mercy!.
Recently Deceased Neighbor frequently wanted to talk to RantWoman about the Mickey Mouse Club and a Mouseketeer who shares RantWoman's first name but not the spelling. Sorry. That was BT, Before Television in the Rant Family household, and RantWoman further does not care because the topical Mouseketeer spells her name all wrong.
A couple strokes in the last year or so did not improve Recently Deceased neighbor's agreeability quotient or lessen his Annoyingness Index. Hold that problem in the Light.
Bus Stop consensus about Recently Deceased Neighbor: he's in a better place. Heaven is where bodies do all of what they are supposed to and people can do what they want to do with people who want to be with them.
May the Lord Bless and Keep Recently Deceased neighbor, whatever faith tradition he did or did not have !
PS, weeks later: BLESSINGS on the family and caregivers who organized a memorial. Neighbor was clearly WELL loved. RantWoman had forgotten about his affinity for phone books. RantWoman is touched that her name was not the only one he seized on with endless need to comment on some or antoehr distinguishing feature: ethnic origin, unusual spelling... RantWoman is also VERY grateful that others were more willing to introduce him to children, parents grandchildren than RantWoman could ever manage. Sigh! Here is to neighbor well-remembered.
Avis, Upper Dublin, Prayers.
Yo, God, if you are going to give RantWoman a message, could you maybe possibly aim for something more compact than an entire Russian novel?
Worship at RantWoman's Meeting opened with two messages about death, one a sudden death of a weighty elder's also elderly sister and the second a toddle in a car seat shot by a presumed road rage drive-by shooting.
Somehow the messages meandered toward "The Dead are released; it's the living who suffer without them, with the holes death leaves in the spider we bs of our human connections.
RantWoman tried to summon words:
But no! The dead are not always at peace or summomoning the memories still disturbs the pale pablum some call peace. 100+ years after the Armenian genocide at the end of the Ottoman empire, it's still REALLY hard to use the word genocide and someone's embassador got summoned to the prime minster's office this week for using the word.
But NO! If a Meetinghouse is built almost on top of the graves of an African American member's enslaved forebears, the dead are NOT necessarily at peace, and RantWoman can definitely see God sending messages about at least honoring the dead, the circumstances of their death.
This past week RantWoman was grazing in the Facebook Quakers Talk about Racism group and came upon, basically, a call to renewed prayer for Upper Dublin Monthly Meeting, Abington Quarter PYM, and Avis Wanda McClintock. RantWoman offered to pray / hold in the Light... Facebook vexes RantWoman and RantWoman asked for email. Email suggests in different words that prayers, discernment, openings are sorely needed.
RantWoman offers the following links to Friends Journal items related to Upper Dublin Monthly Meeting
http://www.friendsjournal.org/experience-african-american-quaker/
RantWoman recommends spending some time with comments.
http://www.friendsjournal.org/presiding-clerk-philadelphia-yearly-meeting-responds/
Email indicates that the situation continues to evolve and prayers continue to be sorely needed.
Yo, Friends, are you in charge or is God in charge?
RantWoman is not clear to post further contents of email but does note that she can hold in the Light more clearly if participants in events post public accounts of...
Worship at RantWoman's Meeting opened with two messages about death, one a sudden death of a weighty elder's also elderly sister and the second a toddle in a car seat shot by a presumed road rage drive-by shooting.
Somehow the messages meandered toward "The Dead are released; it's the living who suffer without them, with the holes death leaves in the spider we bs of our human connections.
RantWoman tried to summon words:
But no! The dead are not always at peace or summomoning the memories still disturbs the pale pablum some call peace. 100+ years after the Armenian genocide at the end of the Ottoman empire, it's still REALLY hard to use the word genocide and someone's embassador got summoned to the prime minster's office this week for using the word.
But NO! If a Meetinghouse is built almost on top of the graves of an African American member's enslaved forebears, the dead are NOT necessarily at peace, and RantWoman can definitely see God sending messages about at least honoring the dead, the circumstances of their death.
This past week RantWoman was grazing in the Facebook Quakers Talk about Racism group and came upon, basically, a call to renewed prayer for Upper Dublin Monthly Meeting, Abington Quarter PYM, and Avis Wanda McClintock. RantWoman offered to pray / hold in the Light... Facebook vexes RantWoman and RantWoman asked for email. Email suggests in different words that prayers, discernment, openings are sorely needed.
RantWoman offers the following links to Friends Journal items related to Upper Dublin Monthly Meeting
http://www.friendsjournal.org/experience-african-american-quaker/
RantWoman recommends spending some time with comments.
http://www.friendsjournal.org/presiding-clerk-philadelphia-yearly-meeting-responds/
Email indicates that the situation continues to evolve and prayers continue to be sorely needed.
Yo, Friends, are you in charge or is God in charge?
RantWoman is not clear to post further contents of email but does note that she can hold in the Light more clearly if participants in events post public accounts of...
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Anand Giridharadas: A tale of two Americas. And the mini-mart where they...
Sometimes people set such amazing examples that they are just... intimidating!
Consider:
Consider:
Friday, April 17, 2015
Paths to Quakerism: PEACE CAMP, with invitation to Events
RantWoman's concept of God/dess, Divine presence, paths to Quakerism, living as a Quaker requires a massive and multifaceted sense of both humor and wonderment.
Take the "Found way to Quakers because of Peace Camp" path.
Consider contemporary Quaker historian and theologian Ben Pink Dandelion. Pink Dandelion's story: he was at one of the peace camps in Britain in the 1980's. He and many of his friends took very anarchist names. After a year, he was the only one who kept his name; RantWoman has been around enough data systems to imagine that his name continues to work its anarchist magic in all kinds of ways. Heck, Quakers cannot even figure out how to refer to him!
RantWoman heard Friend Pink Dandelion speak once. For someone with a peace camp background, RantWoman heard much less go out into the world and bear witnessin worldly terms than she expected.
RantWoman does remember among all the available nuggets , a comment about how early Quakers sometimes were (RantWoman editorializing: so certain of their own direct lines to God that they were) not very nice to each other.
But in the meantime, consider some sample teachings of friend Pink Dandelion on The Difference Between Quaker Meeting and Other Christian Services:
For something rather, uh, DIFFERENT, consider RantWoman and the Women's Encampment for Peace and Justice, chronicled among other places at
http://peacecampherstory.blogspot.com/
Alert readers should find without too much difficulty a video clip of RantWoman and also at least one picture
In particular, RantWoman expects to spend some time over the next little while wandering back and forth mentally between the 1980's and the present. One reason is a celebration consigning archival materials to the Schlesinger Library aat Harvard. RantWoman is happy to flack for the event; RantWoman has little leading to attend in person but definitely invites readers who will be in Boston over Mother's Day Weekend to check things out.
Updated Times! HeRSToRy HaPPeNiNG! May 8-10, 2015
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
SATURDAY, May 9
12:30-5 pm
Community Church of Boston, 565 Boylston St., Boston
And in case anyone wants the first piquant reflection which rises, after a sting at Peace Camp, rantWoman returned to college and finished up a degree. College went much better after time off than before. For instance, RantWoman signed up for a women's studies class. RantWoman remembers the professor being sort of in awe of RantWoman's attempt to write academic papers about her peace camp experience. RantWoman also remembers not wanting to demystify TOO MUCH. Really at times, peace campe was a lot about what does or does not go into oatmeal, how many days in a row one can eat bagels, conflict management mong both humans and felines, and movements of Spirit amid convoluted and hotly contested but very soul-filled circle meetings!
Alert readers who are dying to know how all of this ties into RantWoman and present-day spiritual travails, confrontation with Climate Change, sundry collisions with slices of the past all over the internet and at least SLIGHTLY more sedate contempoary presentation are just going to ahve to stay tuned for another episode.
and meanwhile, check out http://www.micahbales.com/church-more-sex/
Take the "Found way to Quakers because of Peace Camp" path.
Consider contemporary Quaker historian and theologian Ben Pink Dandelion. Pink Dandelion's story: he was at one of the peace camps in Britain in the 1980's. He and many of his friends took very anarchist names. After a year, he was the only one who kept his name; RantWoman has been around enough data systems to imagine that his name continues to work its anarchist magic in all kinds of ways. Heck, Quakers cannot even figure out how to refer to him!
RantWoman heard Friend Pink Dandelion speak once. For someone with a peace camp background, RantWoman heard much less go out into the world and bear witnessin worldly terms than she expected.
RantWoman does remember among all the available nuggets , a comment about how early Quakers sometimes were (RantWoman editorializing: so certain of their own direct lines to God that they were) not very nice to each other.
But in the meantime, consider some sample teachings of friend Pink Dandelion on The Difference Between Quaker Meeting and Other Christian Services:
For something rather, uh, DIFFERENT, consider RantWoman and the Women's Encampment for Peace and Justice, chronicled among other places at
http://peacecampherstory.blogspot.com/
Alert readers should find without too much difficulty a video clip of RantWoman and also at least one picture
In particular, RantWoman expects to spend some time over the next little while wandering back and forth mentally between the 1980's and the present. One reason is a celebration consigning archival materials to the Schlesinger Library aat Harvard. RantWoman is happy to flack for the event; RantWoman has little leading to attend in person but definitely invites readers who will be in Boston over Mother's Day Weekend to check things out.
Updated Times! HeRSToRy HaPPeNiNG! May 8-10, 2015
ViDeoFeST, aRTiFaCT eXHiBiTioN
& MuLTiMeDia STReaMiNG GaLLeRy
to officially launch this here archive and celebrate its inclusion in the Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice archives at the Schlesinger Library for the History of Women in America, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard.
Free. Open to the public.
to officially launch this here archive and celebrate its inclusion in the Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice archives at the Schlesinger Library for the History of Women in America, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard.
Free. Open to the public.
(subject to change)
FRIDAY, May 8
3-5:30 pm
PeHP Reception
Radcliffe Room, Schlesinger Library, Harvard
6-8 pm
Dinner
6-8 pm
Dinner
Harvard Square location TBD
SATURDAY, May 9
11 am-12:30 pm
Disarming the World--Pulling its Leg BRoaDCaST PeRFoRMaNCe
Disarming the World--Pulling its Leg BRoaDCaST PeRFoRMaNCe
A radio play woven from the sounds of demonstrations, singing, chanting and interviews recorded by composer Sorrel Hays in her travels to women's peace camps in Europe and the U.S. 1983-1986. The central characters in the play, Manhattan pianist Patrilla and political activist Tanner are based loosely on Sorrel and one of the women she met at Seneca, Katy van Deurs. Script and original piano music by Sorrel. Sound by Marilyn Ries.
Copley Square, 560 Bolyston St., Boston
Copley Square, 560 Bolyston St., Boston
12:30-5 pm
Fires of Freedom aRTiFaCT eXHiBiT & MuLTiMeDia STReaMiNG GaLLeRy
The Peace Encampment Herstory Project collection consisting of hundreds of photographs and slides, newspaper clippings, peace camp handbook/flyers/mailings/meeting minutes, published books, handcrafted wall hangings, original & replicated banners, and research from the peace camp's electromagnetic radiation committee will be on display.
5-6:30 pm
Like a Mountain ReMeMBeRiNG CeReMoNy
We will walk/shuttle five blocks to the Boston Women's Memorial for a ritual to acknowledge peace camp women who have died.
Commonwealth Avenue Mall, Boston
Commonwealth Avenue Mall, Boston
SUNDAY, May 10
1-5 pm
Rebel Wimmin ViDeoFeST
Regent Underground Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington (Alewife Station, Red Line to #350 Bus - MTBA)
Every Woman Here: Remnants of Seneca 1982-2006
Estelle Coleman, Alice O'Malley, hershe Michele, Kim Blacklock, Billijo Wolf, 2007; 32 minutes.
A nonlinear narrative documentary produced by the Peace Encampment Herstory Project of The Women’s Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice and its later incarnation, Women’s Peace Land. The video consists of excerpts from nine oral herstories and 18 songs and more than 300 images from dozens of photographers.
Rebel Wimmin ViDeoFeST
Regent Underground Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington (Alewife Station, Red Line to #350 Bus - MTBA)
Every Woman Here: Remnants of Seneca 1982-2006
Estelle Coleman, Alice O'Malley, hershe Michele, Kim Blacklock, Billijo Wolf, 2007; 32 minutes.
A nonlinear narrative documentary produced by the Peace Encampment Herstory Project of The Women’s Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice and its later incarnation, Women’s Peace Land. The video consists of excerpts from nine oral herstories and 18 songs and more than 300 images from dozens of photographers.
And in case anyone wants the first piquant reflection which rises, after a sting at Peace Camp, rantWoman returned to college and finished up a degree. College went much better after time off than before. For instance, RantWoman signed up for a women's studies class. RantWoman remembers the professor being sort of in awe of RantWoman's attempt to write academic papers about her peace camp experience. RantWoman also remembers not wanting to demystify TOO MUCH. Really at times, peace campe was a lot about what does or does not go into oatmeal, how many days in a row one can eat bagels, conflict management mong both humans and felines, and movements of Spirit amid convoluted and hotly contested but very soul-filled circle meetings!
Alert readers who are dying to know how all of this ties into RantWoman and present-day spiritual travails, confrontation with Climate Change, sundry collisions with slices of the past all over the internet and at least SLIGHTLY more sedate contempoary presentation are just going to ahve to stay tuned for another episode.
and meanwhile, check out http://www.micahbales.com/church-more-sex/
Saturday Morning Lecture Series on John Woolman at North Seattle friends Church
RantWoman notes the lecture series below with surprising to her interest. The interest is real after watching the promo video. So is the rest of RantWoman's calendar. RantWoman MAY be able to attend exactly 2 of the 6 sessions. This means RantWoman will be really interested to hear from others who might attend.
Info shamelessly pasted from http://northseattlefriends.org/the-theology-of-john-woolman/
The Theology of John Woolman
The Theology of John Woolman:
One Quaker’s Vision of a World Remade
Lecture Series by Jon R. Kershner, Ph.D.
(Additional information below the video)
This six week series examines the life of colonial New Jersey Quaker tailor John Woolman (1720-1772). Woolman is best known to historians for his antislavery activities, and he is best known to scholars of early American literature and spiritual writings for his autobiographical Journal. This series augments existing interpretations of Woolman by asserting that he is best considered from the perspective of theology, as a coherent thinker whose religious beliefs were inextricably intertwined with every aspect of his life. Moreover, this research contends that Woolman’s theology was apocalyptic, and that his various social reforms were united in a comprehensive vision he called “the Government of Christ.” Living under Christ’s direct leadership, the individual and society would be transformed so that the Kingdom of God would be realizing on earth. There will be time for questions and discussion. Suggested readings from Woolman’s published works will be given each week. All sessions will be held on Saturday mornings from 10am – 11:00am in the Conference Room at North Seattle Friends Church.
April 25: The Life and Times of John Woolman (1720-1772)
May 2: The “Principle that Proceeds from God”: Revelation, Conversion and Resignation
May 9: The Colonial American Jeremiah: Woolman’s Prophetic Witness
May 16: “On Earth as it is in Heaven”: John Woolman’s Apocalyptic-Eschatology
May 30: The Emergence of the “Government of Christ”: This-Worldly Perfection and Judgment
June 6: Woolman’s Books and his Peers: Constructing Theology, Maintaining Tradition
Jon R. Kershner, Ph.D., is interested in the way theology impacts social witness. He has published numerous articles and chapters on John Woolman, and continues to find Woolman to be a challenging figure whose life still speaks to us today. Jon enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, exercising and envisioning a world remade.
Info shamelessly pasted from http://northseattlefriends.org/the-theology-of-john-woolman/
The Theology of John Woolman
The Theology of John Woolman:
One Quaker’s Vision of a World Remade
Lecture Series by Jon R. Kershner, Ph.D.
(Additional information below the video)
This six week series examines the life of colonial New Jersey Quaker tailor John Woolman (1720-1772). Woolman is best known to historians for his antislavery activities, and he is best known to scholars of early American literature and spiritual writings for his autobiographical Journal. This series augments existing interpretations of Woolman by asserting that he is best considered from the perspective of theology, as a coherent thinker whose religious beliefs were inextricably intertwined with every aspect of his life. Moreover, this research contends that Woolman’s theology was apocalyptic, and that his various social reforms were united in a comprehensive vision he called “the Government of Christ.” Living under Christ’s direct leadership, the individual and society would be transformed so that the Kingdom of God would be realizing on earth. There will be time for questions and discussion. Suggested readings from Woolman’s published works will be given each week. All sessions will be held on Saturday mornings from 10am – 11:00am in the Conference Room at North Seattle Friends Church.
April 25: The Life and Times of John Woolman (1720-1772)
May 2: The “Principle that Proceeds from God”: Revelation, Conversion and Resignation
May 9: The Colonial American Jeremiah: Woolman’s Prophetic Witness
May 16: “On Earth as it is in Heaven”: John Woolman’s Apocalyptic-Eschatology
May 30: The Emergence of the “Government of Christ”: This-Worldly Perfection and Judgment
June 6: Woolman’s Books and his Peers: Constructing Theology, Maintaining Tradition
Jon R. Kershner, Ph.D., is interested in the way theology impacts social witness. He has published numerous articles and chapters on John Woolman, and continues to find Woolman to be a challenging figure whose life still speaks to us today. Jon enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, exercising and envisioning a world remade.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Doing it by Email?
Reading before Meeting for Worship with attention (somehow) to Business.
From the journal of John Woolman after he attended a quarterly meeting lasting a number of hours:
...detain 300 people 1 minute is equal to 5 hours imprisonment...
Clerk please, May the Still Didn't get the memo on Email Immoderation suggest just doing it by email?
From the journal of John Woolman after he attended a quarterly meeting lasting a number of hours:
...detain 300 people 1 minute is equal to 5 hours imprisonment...
Clerk please, May the Still Didn't get the memo on Email Immoderation suggest just doing it by email?
Eksperimentas VERTIMAS / Experiment TRANSLATION
This post is dedicated to every translator and interpreter who has ever been required to render something horrible in another language and to other unpleasant discoveries during the process.
WARNING: Extremely offensive content finally rendered in English.
Full disclosure: rantWoman has very occasionally been a Russian interpreter for people from Lithuanian, Lativa and Estonia who did nto want to be speaking Russian. RantWoman thanks them for bearing with that necessity and hopes Lithuanian speaker will find the website mentioned above helpful.
WARNING: Extremely offensive content finally rendered in English.
Published on Mar 16, 2015
This is a video experiment dedicated to promote our newly launched website www.svetimageda.lt (in Lithuanian only). The website is a digital “handbook”, full of advices on how all of us can react to racial, homophobic, other kind of bullying and hate speech not only online, but also in mass media, on the streets, at schools, work, etc.
Full disclosure: rantWoman has very occasionally been a Russian interpreter for people from Lithuanian, Lativa and Estonia who did nto want to be speaking Russian. RantWoman thanks them for bearing with that necessity and hopes Lithuanian speaker will find the website mentioned above helpful.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Care and Counsel Popcorn Kernels
Dear Friend who has moved away but not before telling RantWoman about feeling really, really, really relieved that our Meeting has renamed Oversight as Care and Counsel.
RantWoman is really, really, really stuck. Please bear with RantWoman's point of view, along with the fact that the word Oversight keeps popping out of RantWoman's keyboard when she means, cough, Care and Counsel.
Oversight as in "Oops, well."
Oversight as in "Oops, did it again?"
Could it be ABLEISM?
RantWoman feels really, really resentful that this name change was crammed down the community's throats without people taking just a tiny bit more time to talk TO RantWoman and understand that RantWoman is just not clear about history of the objectionable usage!!! RantWoman is still unclear about whether Oversight has the same burdensome associations as Overseers.
RantWoman is involved in a number of educational and community organizing activities and engaged with actual people of color and mutual capacity-building. RantWoman has never once heard any of them even ask RantWoman whether she is a part of some religious community with weird language in its committee names.
RantWoman does not at all want to minimize the knowledge and experience of people of Color among Friends for whom historical usage of the term Overseers evokes only oppression.
RantWoman does think it would be REALLY nice if some of well-educated white people around her could take time and sit with RantWoman at least a little more about the issue. Word!
RantWoman, which issue?
--The committee name?
--The issue of whether Oversight has the same burdensome baggage as Overseers.
--The seething piles of resentment?
--The difficulty even getting members of Care and Counsel on the phone, and no, 9:30 at night when you are about to eat dinner does not count and while you are in your car talking on your cellphone most emphatically does not count either.
--RantWoman's EXTRAAVAGANT gratitude wjhe n Friends are willing to interact by email.
--A giant kettle of popcorn kernels attached to "RantWoman I am not Interested in Your Thought Processes Friend."
--Assorted other threads still too tangled for the blogosphere?
Bless Your Heart. E,. All of the above....
RantWoman is really, really, really stuck. Please bear with RantWoman's point of view, along with the fact that the word Oversight keeps popping out of RantWoman's keyboard when she means, cough, Care and Counsel.
Oversight as in "Oops, well."
Oversight as in "Oops, did it again?"
Could it be ABLEISM?
RantWoman feels really, really resentful that this name change was crammed down the community's throats without people taking just a tiny bit more time to talk TO RantWoman and understand that RantWoman is just not clear about history of the objectionable usage!!! RantWoman is still unclear about whether Oversight has the same burdensome associations as Overseers.
RantWoman is involved in a number of educational and community organizing activities and engaged with actual people of color and mutual capacity-building. RantWoman has never once heard any of them even ask RantWoman whether she is a part of some religious community with weird language in its committee names.
RantWoman does not at all want to minimize the knowledge and experience of people of Color among Friends for whom historical usage of the term Overseers evokes only oppression.
RantWoman does think it would be REALLY nice if some of well-educated white people around her could take time and sit with RantWoman at least a little more about the issue. Word!
RantWoman, which issue?
--The committee name?
--The issue of whether Oversight has the same burdensome baggage as Overseers.
--The seething piles of resentment?
--The difficulty even getting members of Care and Counsel on the phone, and no, 9:30 at night when you are about to eat dinner does not count and while you are in your car talking on your cellphone most emphatically does not count either.
--RantWoman's EXTRAAVAGANT gratitude wjhe n Friends are willing to interact by email.
--A giant kettle of popcorn kernels attached to "RantWoman I am not Interested in Your Thought Processes Friend."
--Assorted other threads still too tangled for the blogosphere?
Bless Your Heart. E,. All of the above....
And all the children are above average: Look at us talk about Death!
One of several out-takes from the State of the Meeting report for Bad Friend Monthly Meeting; Bad Friend Monthly Meeting may or may not bear any resemblance to the Meeting RantWoman belongs to and the outtakes have unquestionably been filtered through the RantWoman Message Manglement Service.
...and all of the children are above average...
We are decrepitating and dying off at an alarming rate, but we think we have a handle on the problem because we found the right Quakerese for the ecclesiastical certification our resident hospice chaplain needs for the professional association certification that allows her to earn a living.
Oh look, and we held this awesome event about Advanced Directives which everyone but that sorehead RantWoman thought was absolutely wonderful.
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2015/01/happy-new-year-lets-talk-about-death.html
Look. RantWoman got useful information out of the event. RantWoman can live with the "it's only a pilot." RantWoman appreciates getting an electronic copy of a key document in advance. Is it a calamity that literally the ONLY people who came have all been around Meeting at least 10 years?
Is it a calamity that RantWoman did not also seize the opportunity in advance to point out the number of families in RantWoman's Meeting with one or more family members who just MIGHT appreciate materials in their native languages. Is it a calamity that RantWoman wound up not talking about interpreting for hospice situations? RantWoman can live with the possibility that people with minor children might need some other paperwork besides the options available.
And RantWoman would SO not mind if there were not also a throbbing YELLOW FLAG need to talk further about one situation and need to be true to Light about serious twitches and...
On the bright side:
--Another one bites the dust. Another person on RantWoman's mental list of people with vision loss issues passed away and RantWoman misses her very much from time to time.. Sigh.
--RantWoman THINKS she has forgiven Trombone and Mismatched Socks Friend, aka Mr. Nasturtiums in Salad Friend for decamping to other realms on rantWoman's birthday. RantWoman THINKS she has forgiven him for this, but she is apparently wavering about the issue. RantWoman recalls his first ever Nominating Committee call to RantWoman: would RantWoman consider the role of R-r-r-recording C-c-c-clerk?
...and all of the children are above average...
...and all of the children are above average...
We are decrepitating and dying off at an alarming rate, but we think we have a handle on the problem because we found the right Quakerese for the ecclesiastical certification our resident hospice chaplain needs for the professional association certification that allows her to earn a living.
Oh look, and we held this awesome event about Advanced Directives which everyone but that sorehead RantWoman thought was absolutely wonderful.
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2015/01/happy-new-year-lets-talk-about-death.html
Look. RantWoman got useful information out of the event. RantWoman can live with the "it's only a pilot." RantWoman appreciates getting an electronic copy of a key document in advance. Is it a calamity that literally the ONLY people who came have all been around Meeting at least 10 years?
Is it a calamity that RantWoman did not also seize the opportunity in advance to point out the number of families in RantWoman's Meeting with one or more family members who just MIGHT appreciate materials in their native languages. Is it a calamity that RantWoman wound up not talking about interpreting for hospice situations? RantWoman can live with the possibility that people with minor children might need some other paperwork besides the options available.
And RantWoman would SO not mind if there were not also a throbbing YELLOW FLAG need to talk further about one situation and need to be true to Light about serious twitches and...
On the bright side:
--Another one bites the dust. Another person on RantWoman's mental list of people with vision loss issues passed away and RantWoman misses her very much from time to time.. Sigh.
--RantWoman THINKS she has forgiven Trombone and Mismatched Socks Friend, aka Mr. Nasturtiums in Salad Friend for decamping to other realms on rantWoman's birthday. RantWoman THINKS she has forgiven him for this, but she is apparently wavering about the issue. RantWoman recalls his first ever Nominating Committee call to RantWoman: would RantWoman consider the role of R-r-r-recording C-c-c-clerk?
...and all of the children are above average...
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Super Pi Day, Push Pins, 18-pt Type PREPARATION (Privilege)
Dear Readers,
Did you find this entry because of Super Pi Day? You might like to watch the fun video about visualizing the number sequences in braille and moving a push pin along the series as more of the sequence of numbers was memorized. Then skip the rest of it?
Did you find this entry because you are interested in neurocognitive challenges such as memorizing 1000 digits of an irrational number (non-repeating infinite sequence) or tracking letters in Scrabble or counting cards in your favorite game? Don't say RantWoman hasn't warned you: the part after the video is another ride at RantWoman's spiritual amusement park; it departs from exactly this sort of mental lint.
RantWoman, we're already not that interested in your thought processes. Why...?
Yea, and RantWoman keeps wishing she weren't noticing. Plus, to tell the truth, RantWoman is aat least as interested in a half-forgotten mathematical question as she is in the rest of the conversation, so please bear with: Pi is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. It's a RATIO. Shouldn't that mean it's a rational number?
RantWoman remembers that there is in fact some good mathematical reason this ratio does not turn out to be a rational number. And RantWoman is peeved not to remember the precise mathematics.
But if we are VERY lucky that flavor of distraction MIGHT be the only thing in RantWoman's head getting in the way of expected and even desired social interactions, well besides numerous flavors of annoying blind person behavior (Yep. RantWoman notices them in other people; RantWoman is pretty aware of also doing some of them. RantWoman is sorry; she is nto even clear to apologize for soemthing she cannot help but does sometimes mange to beg forgiveness in advance.), twitches, and general epizooties... How about hold in the Light RantWoman and FOcus.
PS Just for grins, with even more techie jargon and less obvious Quaker content, a sampling from another blog:
http://worldgame.blogspot.com/2015/04/unicode-musings.html
PPS. RantWoman was going to salt this entry with more meditations on the wonders of preparation and maybe some palaver about unexamined privilege, but this post already has enough conceptual warrens and alleys so RantWoman will just STOP.
Did you find this entry because of Super Pi Day? You might like to watch the fun video about visualizing the number sequences in braille and moving a push pin along the series as more of the sequence of numbers was memorized. Then skip the rest of it?
Did you find this entry because you are interested in neurocognitive challenges such as memorizing 1000 digits of an irrational number (non-repeating infinite sequence) or tracking letters in Scrabble or counting cards in your favorite game? Don't say RantWoman hasn't warned you: the part after the video is another ride at RantWoman's spiritual amusement park; it departs from exactly this sort of mental lint.
RantWoman, we're already not that interested in your thought processes. Why...?
Yea, and RantWoman keeps wishing she weren't noticing. Plus, to tell the truth, RantWoman is aat least as interested in a half-forgotten mathematical question as she is in the rest of the conversation, so please bear with: Pi is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. It's a RATIO. Shouldn't that mean it's a rational number?
RantWoman remembers that there is in fact some good mathematical reason this ratio does not turn out to be a rational number. And RantWoman is peeved not to remember the precise mathematics.
But if we are VERY lucky that flavor of distraction MIGHT be the only thing in RantWoman's head getting in the way of expected and even desired social interactions, well besides numerous flavors of annoying blind person behavior (Yep. RantWoman notices them in other people; RantWoman is pretty aware of also doing some of them. RantWoman is sorry; she is nto even clear to apologize for soemthing she cannot help but does sometimes mange to beg forgiveness in advance.), twitches, and general epizooties... How about hold in the Light RantWoman and FOcus.
PS Just for grins, with even more techie jargon and less obvious Quaker content, a sampling from another blog:
http://worldgame.blogspot.com/2015/04/unicode-musings.html
PPS. RantWoman was going to salt this entry with more meditations on the wonders of preparation and maybe some palaver about unexamined privilege, but this post already has enough conceptual warrens and alleys so RantWoman will just STOP.
Ultimately The Voice of the Deaf Will be Heard: St Elizabeth's in NYC
RantWoman is not in a position really to comment in general about the closing of Catholic parishes but does take note particularly of physical characteristics of the current and proposed new buildings in this story below, about a parish which focuses on the needs of the Deaf.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2015/04/10/april-10-2015-deaf-church/25719/
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2015/04/10/april-10-2015-deaf-church/25719/
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
The Kitman Flower: a nice picture at least.
Has RantWoman mentioned how much she adores Twitter?
RantWoman enthusiastically posts the image below from a tweet about the Kitma Flower as an alternative to something about Maslow.
RantWoman humbly acknowledges that readers should also feel entitled to the same twitch RantWoman has about expecting cute simple diagrams to collapse everything that matters and turn into language instantly undersatandable and actionable by all and sundry.
Furthermore, RantWoman started this post just trying to file some email. RantWoman herself would like to take time and elaborate on ideas and concepts even a little. But when RantWoman invoked her search engine of choices, she got served:
--the internet equivalent of a blank stare from Instagram when RantWoman clicked something out of the tweet.
--"Did you mean batman flower?"
--Sundry graves for people named Kitman and options for adding flowers.
RantWoman takes all of this as a sign that the picture is going to have to do for now. Sigh.
RantWoman enthusiastically posts the image below from a tweet about the Kitma Flower as an alternative to something about Maslow.
RantWoman humbly acknowledges that readers should also feel entitled to the same twitch RantWoman has about expecting cute simple diagrams to collapse everything that matters and turn into language instantly undersatandable and actionable by all and sundry.
Furthermore, RantWoman started this post just trying to file some email. RantWoman herself would like to take time and elaborate on ideas and concepts even a little. But when RantWoman invoked her search engine of choices, she got served:
--the internet equivalent of a blank stare from Instagram when RantWoman clicked something out of the tweet.
--"Did you mean batman flower?"
--Sundry graves for people named Kitman and options for adding flowers.
RantWoman takes all of this as a sign that the picture is going to have to do for now. Sigh.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Micah Bales: Are Quakers capable of....
Very cool, theologically energetic discussion of how to share Quakers' light and grow.
Read both the posting and all the comments. RantWoman means to update her blog so this blog atain cycles in her blog roll. In the meantime, get it here:
http://www.micahbales.com/quakers-capable-planting-churches/
Please note: this language will be very comfortable to people who identify as christian; RantWoman is posting it here in honor of how discussions are fired by people sharing with integrity of how they are led spiritually across different languages.
Read both the posting and all the comments. RantWoman means to update her blog so this blog atain cycles in her blog roll. In the meantime, get it here:
http://www.micahbales.com/quakers-capable-planting-churches/
Please note: this language will be very comfortable to people who identify as christian; RantWoman is posting it here in honor of how discussions are fired by people sharing with integrity of how they are led spiritually across different languages.
Friday, April 3, 2015
Akvarium - Adelaida: Prayer with Blood Moon on the side.
God HELLLLP! (Citation: the Anne Lamont "Help Thanks Wow" schools of supplication.)
RantWoman apologizes for keeping readers in suspense about the full Schonbergian rattle of themes RantWoman needs HELLLP about. RantWoman more wishes to chronicle the sort of versatile God who delivers messages via Facebook and Scientific American. RantWoman emphatically does NOT apologize for finding messages in these places even though others she holds near and dear do not.
There would be that thought passing by fast somewhere amid RantWoman's electronic grazing: the Gospels maybe possibly (probably) got editted by people who looked up prophesy and wrote the Gospels to fulfill what previous texts had promised. Oh myyy! Now there is an idea that could, um, liven up RantFamily Easter dinner discussion.
But it's not Easter yet.
First we get to have a lunar eclipse and call it a blood moon!
Now there's some freaky symbolism. A blood moon. Good thing Dr. Science (degree mentioned specifically to avoid having to assume a gender) can already tell us it's a perfectly normal natural phenomenon even if this lunar elcipse will be the shortest one this century.
http://www.iflscience.com/space/moon-will-turn-red-easter
Hmmm. As the most frequently repeated phrase in the Bible says, "fear not." And in case RantWoman did not get the message, the gospel according to Scientific American says almost anything that reduces stress can help in some moments of psychic paralysis.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/when-you-get-stuck-guessing-relieve-stress/?WT.mc_id=SA_Facebook
Reduce stress?
RantWoman tried a very old Grateful Dead video. The very young-looking Grateful Dead may come back, but instead, RantWoman's search bar collected Russian artist Boris Grbenshchikov and the band Akvarium, and a very soothing song Adeleida.
RantWoman has given herself permission not even to try to parse everything.
..Wind, clouds, Snow. We're alone in this house. Don't be afraid of the knock at the window. It's for me. It's the north wind. The north wind is my friend. It preserves what is hidden and clears the sky of clouds where the star Adeleida is rising...I have heard that time erases everything. ... and there is no sadness or .. no pride or offendedness. There is only. ..(heartbeat?) and it will wake me up where the star Adeleida is rising....
Really?
NO God, This is RantWoman we're not there yet. But it's a a beautiful song. Start there.
RantWoman apologizes for keeping readers in suspense about the full Schonbergian rattle of themes RantWoman needs HELLLP about. RantWoman more wishes to chronicle the sort of versatile God who delivers messages via Facebook and Scientific American. RantWoman emphatically does NOT apologize for finding messages in these places even though others she holds near and dear do not.
There would be that thought passing by fast somewhere amid RantWoman's electronic grazing: the Gospels maybe possibly (probably) got editted by people who looked up prophesy and wrote the Gospels to fulfill what previous texts had promised. Oh myyy! Now there is an idea that could, um, liven up RantFamily Easter dinner discussion.
But it's not Easter yet.
First we get to have a lunar eclipse and call it a blood moon!
Now there's some freaky symbolism. A blood moon. Good thing Dr. Science (degree mentioned specifically to avoid having to assume a gender) can already tell us it's a perfectly normal natural phenomenon even if this lunar elcipse will be the shortest one this century.
http://www.iflscience.com/space/moon-will-turn-red-easter
Hmmm. As the most frequently repeated phrase in the Bible says, "fear not." And in case RantWoman did not get the message, the gospel according to Scientific American says almost anything that reduces stress can help in some moments of psychic paralysis.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/when-you-get-stuck-guessing-relieve-stress/?WT.mc_id=SA_Facebook
Reduce stress?
RantWoman tried a very old Grateful Dead video. The very young-looking Grateful Dead may come back, but instead, RantWoman's search bar collected Russian artist Boris Grbenshchikov and the band Akvarium, and a very soothing song Adeleida.
RantWoman has given herself permission not even to try to parse everything.
..Wind, clouds, Snow. We're alone in this house. Don't be afraid of the knock at the window. It's for me. It's the north wind. The north wind is my friend. It preserves what is hidden and clears the sky of clouds where the star Adeleida is rising...I have heard that time erases everything. ... and there is no sadness or .. no pride or offendedness. There is only. ..(heartbeat?) and it will wake me up where the star Adeleida is rising....
Really?
NO God, This is RantWoman we're not there yet. But it's a a beautiful song. Start there.
Good Friday for this year: Martin Luther King's Last Speech: "I've Been To The Mountaintop" April 3 1968
RantWoman used to have a co-worker who would never schedule meetings on Good Friday.
He would say "Jesus is dead and you expect me to work?" RantWoman, funnily enough one time reminded him of this when she looked at her calendar faster than he looked at his.
RantWoman has a long list of to-do's on top of some want-to-do's; yet RantWoman seems to be in the same boat about Good Friday.
And it's Good Frieday
and RantWoman has all sorts of tangled thoughts about people who come to Quakers from growing up with no religious background and people who come to Quakers needing to find faith community plus or minus somethign throbbing from their past. And then there are the people who come to Quakers fired up about some call to social action or sense of urgency about spiritual life and learning to live together and save the planet / prevent nulcea war / heal millenia of historical disputes. RantWoman does not actually CARE if this all seems way too much for her readers; RantWoman trusts that the threads will weabe the way they need to go.
For the occasion, RantWoman offers first a short clip from the end of Martin Luther King's Ihave been to the Mountaintop speech and then a link to the whole speech.
And the whole speech:
He would say "Jesus is dead and you expect me to work?" RantWoman, funnily enough one time reminded him of this when she looked at her calendar faster than he looked at his.
RantWoman has a long list of to-do's on top of some want-to-do's; yet RantWoman seems to be in the same boat about Good Friday.
And it's Good Frieday
and RantWoman has all sorts of tangled thoughts about people who come to Quakers from growing up with no religious background and people who come to Quakers needing to find faith community plus or minus somethign throbbing from their past. And then there are the people who come to Quakers fired up about some call to social action or sense of urgency about spiritual life and learning to live together and save the planet / prevent nulcea war / heal millenia of historical disputes. RantWoman does not actually CARE if this all seems way too much for her readers; RantWoman trusts that the threads will weabe the way they need to go.
For the occasion, RantWoman offers first a short clip from the end of Martin Luther King's Ihave been to the Mountaintop speech and then a link to the whole speech.
And the whole speech:
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Philadelphia: the great experiment The Storm (1765-1790) Official Trailer
Look World. It's Maundy bleeping Thursday. RantWoman is happy to flag an ABC television series called Philadelphia The Great Experiemnt on her mean to consume media list. Given the city's Quaker roots, it seems ENTIRELY on point to view AT SOME POINT.
RantWoman does not of course own a television so the viewing will either have to be the sort of social occasion where RantWoman invites herself to someone's house or mediated by the interwebs. Either way RantWoman expects to be too busy meditating on The Last Supper or at least on Ben & Jerry's Kosher for Passover Charoset ice cream (Does it sound kind of good to anyone besides RantWoman?) to want to watch the video tonight. Tough!
RantWoman does not of course own a television so the viewing will either have to be the sort of social occasion where RantWoman invites herself to someone's house or mediated by the interwebs. Either way RantWoman expects to be too busy meditating on The Last Supper or at least on Ben & Jerry's Kosher for Passover Charoset ice cream (Does it sound kind of good to anyone besides RantWoman?) to want to watch the video tonight. Tough!
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Happy April Fool's, with Lenin!
RantWoman will be spending April Fools day.... Never mind. Hold a medical procedure in the Light.
Also hold in the Light the peculiar communion sometimes of just blurting things out. RantWoman blurted out something about the medical procedure to someone she barely knows. Someone RantWoman barely knows gets to have the same procedure every year for her medical condition. RantWoman will now also be glad to have only her own problems!
In the meantime, a reprise of an item from long ago, along with a pic of Seattle's very own Fremont lenin mentioned in the blog post reprised here.
http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2009/04/snow-on-april-fools-day.html
And if Lenin in Fremont were not enough:
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-25299153
Also hold in the Light the peculiar communion sometimes of just blurting things out. RantWoman blurted out something about the medical procedure to someone she barely knows. Someone RantWoman barely knows gets to have the same procedure every year for her medical condition. RantWoman will now also be glad to have only her own problems!
In the meantime, a reprise of an item from long ago, along with a pic of Seattle's very own Fremont lenin mentioned in the blog post reprised here.
http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2009/04/snow-on-april-fools-day.html
And if Lenin in Fremont were not enough:
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-25299153
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