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Sep. 20th, 2015 10:22 amIt's a lovely day, soft and peaceful. Overcast. Not the clear crystal blue of yesterday. But in a way that provides a calmness to the day, a feeling of rest, fitting for a Sunday. Yesterday -- the sky was a loud blue. Bright. Sunny. Looking up, I got a bit lost in the sky. No clouds marking it. And warm, almost too warm for mid-September. A hot blazing 85 degrees, with a touch of humidity scenting the air.
Meditative mood. Thoughts flow in and out.
These past two years...I've been practicing mindfulness, which is basically letting go of things that worry you. Focusing on the now. Being present in the moment. Also, focusing on the positive things.
Letting go of negative thoughts as much as possible. Psychological studies have been done - showing how negativity attracts negativity. If you think horribly about yourself -- you will attract people who feel the same way. It's getting easier to free my mind as I go, just as it got easier to not eat certain things as I go. For example? I no longer have any desire at all to eat cheese, diary, breads, or grains. I don't really miss them. And I feel 98% better without them. (shrugs)
The X-men comic that I finished reading this morning, written by Grant Morrison, has the following dialogue exchange:
Subtle character development, layers of psychology, and controversial take on socio-political culture issues. The issue was written in 2001-2002. It sort of throws in people's faces - how wrong stereotypes are. Hank - is called "The Beast" because of his mutant ability makes him appear like a Beast. Yet he is the smartest person in the room. With multiple degrees in Medicine and Physics. Also a bit of a Renassiance man, he can play music, discuss the arts, recite Shakespeare. But to look at him - you'd think an animal, stupid. He comes out as gay - to explode the stereotype and make fun of it. Just as he made fun of the concept of the superhero.
Art often is the most effective way of exploding stereotype or showing how silly stereotypes are and damaging. Mel Brooks has done it most of his life - poking fun at anti-semitic jokes and racial humor, showing the stupidity of the stereotypes. As has Quentin Tarantino, and various other edgy artists. Whedon did it with Buffy - exploding the stereotype of the dumb blond cheerleader in many slasher films or the damsel in distress - turning the male hero into the damsel, the little female heroine into the rescuer. By doing this, he changed views, flipped the narrative. But did it in a humorous fashion...subtle, not quite advert, and not preachy.
Meditative mood. Thoughts flow in and out.
These past two years...I've been practicing mindfulness, which is basically letting go of things that worry you. Focusing on the now. Being present in the moment. Also, focusing on the positive things.
Letting go of negative thoughts as much as possible. Psychological studies have been done - showing how negativity attracts negativity. If you think horribly about yourself -- you will attract people who feel the same way. It's getting easier to free my mind as I go, just as it got easier to not eat certain things as I go. For example? I no longer have any desire at all to eat cheese, diary, breads, or grains. I don't really miss them. And I feel 98% better without them. (shrugs)
The X-men comic that I finished reading this morning, written by Grant Morrison, has the following dialogue exchange:
Hank: So I detect you're in agreement with Scott on this particular issue? You think I'm being deliberately provocative?
Emma: Henry darling, I'm one of the world's most renowned and prurient telepathic talents. I actually know for sure that you've never had any kind of physical relationship with another man. I even know you made hoax phonecalls to super heroes headquarters when you were younger, didn't you? (She's being shown reading a magazine where Henry has come out as gay.) Always something of a practical joker, hmmm? The Institute's already being portrayed as some Boho experiment in mutant sociology. These outrageous statements you've been making do nothing but fan the flames of controversy.
Hank: I'm doing this to challenge preconceived notions about language, gender and species. (Hank by the way has mutated until he looks like a big blue cat man). I'm also learning to play the drums.(He can't play the guitar or piano any longer - no fingers, paws.) Please excuse me Emma, I have a medical class in five minutes.
Subtle character development, layers of psychology, and controversial take on socio-political culture issues. The issue was written in 2001-2002. It sort of throws in people's faces - how wrong stereotypes are. Hank - is called "The Beast" because of his mutant ability makes him appear like a Beast. Yet he is the smartest person in the room. With multiple degrees in Medicine and Physics. Also a bit of a Renassiance man, he can play music, discuss the arts, recite Shakespeare. But to look at him - you'd think an animal, stupid. He comes out as gay - to explode the stereotype and make fun of it. Just as he made fun of the concept of the superhero.
Art often is the most effective way of exploding stereotype or showing how silly stereotypes are and damaging. Mel Brooks has done it most of his life - poking fun at anti-semitic jokes and racial humor, showing the stupidity of the stereotypes. As has Quentin Tarantino, and various other edgy artists. Whedon did it with Buffy - exploding the stereotype of the dumb blond cheerleader in many slasher films or the damsel in distress - turning the male hero into the damsel, the little female heroine into the rescuer. By doing this, he changed views, flipped the narrative. But did it in a humorous fashion...subtle, not quite advert, and not preachy.