First Amendment Rights

I'd like to preface this by saying that I do not condone with what Dr. Laura said. But, do I think that she was being racist? No, not at all. Would Dr. Laura have been more sympathetic to the caller if she were more like the doctor and was complaining about her husband's friends and family making anti-semitic remarks? Maybe. Do I believe Dr. Laura is out out touch? Yes, very. Most people in her demographic are. (I'm happy that Larry King is retiring.) I thought that above all else she was rude and insensitive to the caller. She treated the caller as though what she was saying was completely without merit and that she [the caller] was just being overly sensitive.

The situation was really as simple as stepping in to someone else's shoes which it seemed that the doctor was unable to, didn't want to or maybe it just isn't her style to do. It seemed like from the transcripts of the show that Dr. Laura had some things of her own that she wanted to sound off about. Maybe one thing being that she didn't have a right to use a certain word because of the color of her skin. Language for good or bad does belong to us all and so does the responsibility in its use.

I do believe that she has a right to voice her opinion (to a certain extent) on her radio show but I feel for the caller. I feel for them both actually.

I have been labeled as being racially overly sensitive myself when I have in the past only merely stated facts. If you did it, said it--own it, (is all I was saying.) The facts are the facts and they don't change. Over sensitive seems to be the go to phrase that people use when they are trying to blame the victim thereby escaping accountability, social and otherwise.

I have been made to feel as though I have no rights to an opinion even on my own blog that I thought no one read. Yes, I have used bad words as a form of self expression. Yes, my blog started out as a way to make fun of people (mainly celebrities) for profit. It didn't remain that way because making fun of people is hard work for me because I'm not naturally a mean person and moreover it just felt wrong. Other people do it and say far worse than I could ever imagine but nothing I ever wrote was to be taken as literally as it has been made out to be. ( I'll take that as a lesson learned and guess what? I own it). "Move over, Over- Sensitive and say hello to Brave."

No, it's just unlike others I "don't hang my shit on other people". ( Madonna's words-- not mine.) My personality is multifaceted and I'm not hard; I have a heart ( a big compassionate one) but this is where I greatly differ from others that I have been compared to. I have never put a loaded, color coded, group identifying adjective in front of any of the dirty words that I have written or spoken there by disapasparaging anyone because of their race, creed or religion. To do that is wrong and down right low. Besides every bad deed must be atoned for somewhere-- "Help! Someone all the karma police!" It also has an air of illegality to it ( especially in print) that also makes me want to stay away from any base urges that creep up along side of me while sometimes going out on a limb to prove a point and or to win an argument. I'm also not one to trample on someone else's Civil Rights.

One would think that I'm one of the good guys in the blogosphere realm so to speak because at least I'm conscientious. I never dropped the N word once let alone eleven times on a radio show or in the office for that matter but yet even I am made to feel that I don't have a right to an opinion maybe because I'm a woman and when people see me they have their own image and ideas of what I'm supposed to be based on what I look like. Although they have no idea of who I am, where I come from or what's in my heart.

It's sad that no one sees Dr. Laura's point, although it's difficult and there is a lot to get around (that pesky use of one word that quite honestly no one, no matter what color they are should or want to use. Yes, rappers and comedians I'm talking to you too.) She did have one.

Image via vegasrex.com

An Ultimate Destination

Sunday August 8, 2010

Every relationship we have prior to meeting our soul mate is merely a step on the path to our ultimate destination. No relationship, even if it ends up in divorce, is a mistake. Every relationship serves a profound purpose by taking us closer to our true soul mate.

The trick is, are we taking the opportunity to transform our nature by learning from our mistakes? If we don’t learn from our mistakes, we’ll wind up in another relationship that will merely be a repeat of those lessons that came before. Only the names and faces will be different.

Today, think about one thing you messed up royally in a previous relationship. How can you do things different now?

Yehuda Berg (Daily Kabbalah Tune Up)

An Uncompromised Life

I can't even pretend to be an eloquent person especially in the morning. My actual thoughts don't start to form solidly until around two in the afternoon. In this case I will make an attempt no matter how feeble to speak about someone that I a mere mortal such as I can hardly begin to fathom; That super nova being English magazine editor and international style icon Isabella Blow.

I admit that there was a time not long before now that I didn't really know that much about her other than from seeing pictures of her in some fabulous hat here and there or getting some bit of news about her from the Daily Mail or style.com about what she wore to some event or what fashion phenom was her latest discovery. However, the news about her death was hard to ignore. The reports about how she died and the tributes paid to her after her passing have left an indelible mark on my soul and will stay with me, I'm sure for the rest of my life. It's hard for me to understand why someone so brave, brilliant, gifted, known and loved could take her life so tragically because she was everything that I wish, I could be and she seemed to have everything that I thought I ever wanted.

There are several stories circulating about why she may have done it--The top two being that she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer the other being that she was depressed but both seem to be somehow intertwined. Well who really knows for sure other than her family, close friends and Ms. Blow herself. Besides when it comes down to it; It really is a private matter.

Yesterday, I stumbled upon a beautiful picture of Isabella Blow taken by the incomparable Steven Meisel on a popular fashion blog where her haircut was being compared in a side by side to that of Jim Carry's character in the movie Dumb and Dumber. Yes, it was meant to be funny and I'm sure was thought of at the time from the Blog Master's perspective as harmless. I saw the point that was being made and I'm sure it was[funny] to more than a few but not to me.

It isn't my place to judge what others say or do on their blogs especially when theirs are way more popular than mine. (Hello audience of one-- With the sole reader being myself! ) But I do think that we as human beings should have more reverence for the dead especially when a life ends as tragically and as beautifully as Isabella Blow's did. Its sad to think that upon dying she may have worried than she "hadn't taken enough poison."

Peeps Show 2010

Yes, yes, yes, I've seen them before. I've just never seen them wearing trench coats and doing poses. I tend to stay away from the Easter candy. It kinda creeps me out.

I guess, I never got over the time when I got this chocolate rabbit and I of course felt very rebellious; just to think a Jew eating a chocolate Easter rabbit all wrapped in the shiny colorful foil. Ooo, and he was wearing a lavender and pink suit with teal detailing!

Being a sucker for the fashion and the shiny, I of course peeled away his foil suit-- Oh, so carefully. I wanted to keep it and press it-out. I thought that I would keep it forever. Yes, I had plans for the rabbit and his suit.
To make a long story short I went to bite into his ear-- The damn thing was hollow and crumbled like a freakin' deck of cards.

I expected him to be like I thought moreover assumed that they all were "Solid". I mean why bother if they weren't right? I threw the rabbit and his suit away. I felt like such a dirty whore and I never told my mother becuase she would have said that the rabbit was off limits in the first place.

Ever since then Easter candy has given me the creeps and I stay away from the stuff.

Now I have a renewed interest and its nice to know that they (the peeps) have a name :-)

Thanks G!

There's a reasonable explanation for all my neuroses,

M.M.

I'm selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control, and at times hard to handle, but if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." - Marilyn Monroe

Where's The Funny?

Okay, in an odd twist of irony... My work bully, the one that I have endured years of cynical, racist, disparaging remarks from, the one that openly laughed at my productorial aspirations, the one that told me that I was "never gonna achieve" for one reason or another ( yes, she gave me reasons, albeit stupid reasons), the one that not only said horrible things about me and my loved ones behind my back but to my face, the one whose side everyone chose over mine, the one that I dreamed of punching in the mouth one day, the one that worked the titty bar circuit on the Alaskan Pipeline, the fifty year old, the one that wears braces but who is still orthadontically challenged, the blonde one, the former trailer park dweller, the one that I would dare not call my nemesis because that would be to much like saying that she was my equal is working at the new company too.

G-d has a sense of humor but I'm not laughing yet.

Something New

You know… I've never been one of these people that have this be like a duck and let it slide attitude. When I moved to L.A. I tried to be this person that I clearly wasn’t.

I don't know what it was that inspired this change in me. Maybe, it was that my old approach didn't seem to be garnering the results that I wanted them to. Honestly, I wanted to be loved and loved so much so that I became this person that I thought I needed to be in order to get what I thought that I wanted.

I was wrong but I think, it’s kind of brave to try a new way of not only doing things but of actually existing; Where your mental stability hangs in the balance.

Thankfully, I made it through--Though not unscathed--but changed.

Let it never be said that I was afraid to try new things.

Grace

Grace is the receipt of a positive benefit that one does not necessarily deserves to receive--This time speaking in terms of my friendship but I always think...Who am I to really to deny anyone. Relating to people even ones that are difficult is an opportunity to grow.

I thought you were gone forever from my life when you moved away and started a family. I was happy that you found happiness with a person that you could share your life with. I thought that we’d lost touch and it was something that I gladly excepted because agreeing with you all of the time was really a lot of work or at least our friendship was more work for me than it was really worth because I often felt as though there was no reciprocal benefit for me. Especially after the bizarre text that you sent chastisingly informing me that I should remember the meaning of Christmas Day after I had sent you an e- holiday greeting with Jesus (pronounced Heh-soo, from The Big Labowski, ) dressed in a purple leisure suit and I take it that you thought that I was making fun of Jesus which was never my intent.

It was actually more insensitive of you to send me that text bearing in mind that I’m Jewish ( Christmas was and is a day that we have always ordered Chinese food ). Although, Jesus is inspiring, he is the hero of many and he never did anything to me--I have no plans on ever switching sides by converting, perhaps that makes you uneasy but then you found me again on Facebook.

I let you in and now I'm stifled again. I can no longer express myself in the carefree comforts of my own home page as I once had with out some angry judgmental rant of yours.

I've humbly walked myself back countless times and I'm obliged to think that I could be wrong (which is just my way) and I'm often the first to admit when and if I'm wrong. I would much rather be the one hurt then to know that I hurt another person.

Friendship cuts both ways you know and If I can except you
for all of your stupid, small, nonsensical opinions and not judge you so why can't you do the same when my opinions aren't half as idiotic as most of yours.

If Jesus is really your hero, at least walk the talk that you preach by being a good Christian because I refuse to play small anymore so that you can feel better about yourselves.

Like Attracts Like

Karl Lagerfeld once said that one shouldn't look to others for approval of ones own mental stability.... And to that I say, Bravo!
To truly march to the beat of your own drum is always easier said than done.

You know...I must say that I was a little surprised when you took that idiot's side over mine, today. I don't know why I was so surprised because actually when I think about it, really think about it--You were always one for controversy which, is why David never liked you in the first place. Besides, you were also one to forget who your friends were but I never would have imagined that you would forget me so quickly because I counted you as one of my longest known and closest friend.

It all happened so fast and it seemed to come out no where. It's okay. It really is.

But, if I can tell you anything from my many years of experience of being around shady, toxic people in L.A.

--Always make sure that you pick the winning side i.e make sure that you have all the information because once the bets are in there's no turning back, not in Vegas and not with me.

Though, I'll continue to sincerely wish you always the best of luck in all your endeavors and from what I saw today; You're going to need it.

FYI...She's mentally unstable and needs medication but of course she doesn't believe that because she's marching to the beat of her own band.