Nope, it’s not a name of a band…well it might be…err…but it’s not what I am talking about today.  It has come to my attention that many people do not know what the difference between irony and coincidence(or even what irony is).  What?  There’s a difference?  They can’t be used interchangeably?   NO, they cannot be used interchangeably.

 The other day, I heard a girl talking to a woman.  They hadn’t seen each other in quite some time.  When the girl asked the woman where she lived, it turned out that they live close to each other.   The girl exclaimed, “Oh my god!  How ironic!”  Another time, I went to the movies with a friend, saw other friends there, to which one said, “It’s ironic that we saw you here.”  No, actually it’s awkward that we met you there, because neither group invited the other…but more importantly it’s a coincidence

 That really irked me.  Now, there’s dramatic irony, tragic irony, Socratic irony, situational irony and the stuff that happens everyday irony.  These examples are none of them.  None of them.  But wait, they were living by each other and didn’t know it. And you saw your friends there, that’s soo ironic That is ironic.

 IRONY  a : the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning b : a usually humorous or sardonic literary style or form characterized by irony c : an ironic expression or utterance

 COINCIDENCE  : the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection

Do you understand now?  Umm…kind of…  

  Irony and coincidence are definitely related.  But related like you and your aunt’s father’s brother named Uncle Ricky. 

 Irony has been so misused that things that are not truly ironic are thought to be so.  This has become situational irony.  It’s a way for people to pretend that it’s ironic, when it truly isn’t.  For example:  An actor who is best known for a soap opera actually hated that soap opera.  Ironic? No

 Oh, one more thing.  Do not go to Alanis Morissette on advice about Irony.  She does not know what she is talking about. 

EXAMPLES

 A firehouse catches on fire- irony

 Two fire-houses catch on fire on the same street- coincidence

 Advair(asthma inhaler)- can raise the chances of asthma related death- irony

 You and your friend both have asthma- coincidence

 A pilot is afraid of heights-not ironic

Your turn: answer ironic, coincidence or not ironic.   

Antidepressants can cause suicidal thoughts-            

 You feel depressed today and I said something about antidepressants-                 

 The actual song Ironic-               

 The name of the song Ironic-             

 A cat is named Dog-             

Do you understand better now?

Answers!!!

Ironic, coincidence, not ironic, ironic, not ironic/coincidence 

If the fourth one confused you, it is ironic that a not ironic song is called Ironic. 

 How did you do? 

i took her to my toefl 9 class. while daddy was teaching she was designing a mural. she kept on going and going until she said: “daddy, i want to go out”. later, she would be in the lab playing games.

alanis tells her mother she wants to do the shower taking, the getting dressed, the teeth brushing, etc… herself. she is about to be six. there goes my daughter.

Yes, covers. everbody has that cover of a song they consider blaspemous, and yet others will say are brilliant. But, do they have a point?

Cover songs are (in my opinion) essential to music. If you want to get into a band, and you have no idea where to start; find some covers they have done. They allow you to get a good grasp of what the band sound like.

went to parents’ meeting. she was honored with a diploma for best student. teacher spoke nice of her. she is so sociable, quick to perform tasks assigned, focused, etc…

went to mario’s christmas project with family. alanis sat front row. i wonder what would come out of watching it. the bad vs good. the art of acting. i should continue to expose her to arts.

end of academic year. now, a plan to get her busy: martial arts?, painting?, and even some kind of edteaching moments.

i saw mario and his family. discussed life things and our distaste for the city that saw us born. the german school for alanis is a good option. alanis under lucero’s therapy for the fear of dogs. good job.

The date has been set….

Ed is on to it and so shall i be lol

it’s a few days to the Alanis 09: thank U tribute event at Route 196 Bar in Katipunan.

it was just like yesterday when Ed and I only communicated through text, forums and email. fast forward to a few years later, here we are, together with our soul sister Alain, merging to honor our hero of sorts, Alanis.

just last week, i was under rug swept from work, events, write ups, deadlines and all that. I’ve done tens of events in my work years, but this one is different. it’s close to my heart and i do hope that with this, we will be able to broaden our network. i dont expect much but im overwhelmed by the support i get from my friends–old and new.

just last week, we didnt have support materials, i have not gotten around it or asked someone to do it for us, now it’s all over facebook, jane’s blog and spot.

just last week, i almost forgot about this

just last week, we were playing it easy

just last week, i didnt know what my role was

fast forward to a few days later…it’s coming together with a little less but a lot more to do.

kuddos to Ed and Alain…the Alanissettes as we call ourselves. we will make it!

celebrate the continuing legacy of Alanis Morissette at Route 196 Bar, Katipunan Ave., QC.

this is Ed, Alain and I’s first foray into show productions and all for the love of Alanis.

Alanis Morissette&s Time: NYC Marathon Results 2009 : In Entertainment
together as one
john mayer battle studies
wpial football playoffs
droid accessories
when is daylight savings
chipotle
what time does daylight savings time change
Club Dread
glenn bias
world series game 4 time

wordle.net

So I promised you a positive entry.  No controversy.  No ranting.

I was driving home the other night and had the chance to listen to a significant number of songs on my iPod (about 2 hours worth, to be exact), and I realized how much music has helped me over the years.

I love listening to music to pick me up when I feel broken.  So here are some of my favorite songs.  They are not about eating disorders, specifically, but there are parts of the songs that apply to my particular experience, and they’ve gotten me through rough times.  (I’m on a Missy Higgins obsession at the moment, so bear with me.)

1.  ”Dust Road” by Missy Higgins

“I gotta tell you, I need you to know / you were my ruin and you took hold / You made me believe the lies you told / but you won’t get away with the girl you stole / getting off this dusty road.”

2.  ”Steer” by Missy Higgins

“But the search ends here, where the night is totally clear / and your heart is fierce, so now you know that you control where you go you can steer”

3. “Unbroken” by Missy Higgins

“‘Cuz this is the day that everything changes /And the world stops turning, running straight, / Into the break lights, you’ve come to nothing / This is the day that everything changes and your worlds collide / You know in time you’ll wake to find you’re a little unbroken”

(I particularly like “Unbroken,” because for me, there was a day that everything changed and everything became clear.)

4. “Learning to Breathe” Nerina Pallot

“So I don’t want to be the last, I don’t want to be the first, / Don’t want to be alone with my thoughts tomorrow, / And I don’t want to be afraid, don’t want to look away, / I’m learning to breathe, / No I don’t want to be the last, I don’t want to be the first, / I just need a hope and a light to follow, / Like sailors look to stars to find their way home, / I’m learning to breathe on my own.”

5. “Blackbird” (version by) Sarah McLachlan

“Blackbird singing in the dead of night / Take these broken wings and learn to fly / All your life / You were only waiting for this moment to arise”

6. “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus (and I don’t like her.  I don’t like the Hannah Montana idea of changing yourself in such a dramatic way to go onstage and sing.  But I like this song.)

“The struggles I’m facing / The changes I’m taking / Sometimes might knock me down / But I’m not breaking.”

7. “Melody” by Kate Earl

“And I find that I’m never alone / And I find that my heart is my home / and the music within makes me whole / A world that I build on my own”

8. “After All” by Dar Williams (This is the themesong/biography song of my life.)

“Well the sun rose with so many colors / It nearly broke my heart / And worked me over like a work of art / And I was a part of all that”

9.  ”Pass in Time” by Beth Orton

“So much stays unknown till the time has come. / Did you imagine you could ever be so strong, / Then watch your fear just turn into relief? / Your sea of doubt become your own belief?”

10. “Not as We” by Alanis Morissette (as a reminder that a slip does not make a relapse.  That you can take another step one and start over again, without that eating disorder at your side.)

“Day one, Day one, start over again / Step one, step one, I’m barely making sense. / For now I’m faking it till I’m pseudo-making it / from scratch begin again, / but this time I as I and not as we”

Your job is to post your favorite inspirational, pro-recovery song.  You can give a clip of the lyrics if you’d like.  Please don’t quote the whole song!  But I do reserve the right to edit or delete comments that have songs that I feel are not recovery natured.

Do not pick songs that remind you of why you left it behind (i.e. don’t pick songs that describe the bad times).  Pick songs that give you hope for change and life.  Again, I will delete comments of the first type.

En las últimas actualizaciones en la sección de conventiones, patycosplay.com ha recibido colaboraciones de varias personas en el medio otaku. Entre las cuales podemos mencionar a Carolina Torres (Meimi), José Alanis , Alina, Ricardo Llamas, Manuel Aceves, Kurenai, Anime Holic  e Iván Lara (Ivanovich). Este último, residente de la capital mexicana, ha colaborado con cuatro galerías mostrándonos el cosplay de Veracruz, Toluca y el DF.

Iván Lara

Este sitio se conforma de fans del cosplay que fomentan su difusión en todo el país y el mundo. Cualquier colaboración con este mismo fin es bienvenida. Gracias por su aportación.

Y hablando de fotógrafos, quiero mostrarles una foto que tomo Cato, fotógrafo y webmaster de Kosupure:

patycosplay.com por Cato

Cato por Iván

to make drawing for daddy everyday. to the invitation of using her experiences all around i am curious about what she will do.

cornerstones of alanis development: physical (swimming), mind expansion (arts) and body/mind (martial arts). i hope i could make it real

Ալանիսի վերջին ալբոմը բանի պետք չէր, բացի էս երգից: Ընդհանրապես, իմ ամենա-ամենասիրած երգերից ա սա: Բա որ էս տարբերակն էլ լսեցի, էլ դիսկի վրայինը չեմ էլ կարողանում լսել: Բառերն էլ դզում են:

One day I’ll find relief
I’ll be arrived and I’ll be a friend to my friends who know how to be friends

One day I’ll be at peace
I’ll be enlightened and I’ll be married with children and maybe adopt

One day I will be healed
I will gather my wounds forge the end of tragic comedy

I have been running so sweaty my whole life
Urgent for a finish line
And I have been missing the rapture this whole time
Of being forever incomplete

One day, my mind will retreat, and I’ll know god and I’ll be constantly one with her night dusk and day
One day I’ll be secure, like the women I see on their 30th anniversaries

I have been running so sweaty my whole life
Urgent for a finish line
And I have been missing the rapture this whole time
Of being forever incomplete

Ever unfolding
Ever expanding
Ever adventurous and torturous
But never done

One day, I will speak freely
I’ll be less afraid
And measured outside of my poems and lyrics and art
One day I will be faith-filled
I’ll be trusting and spacious authentic and grounded and whole

I have been running so sweaty my whole life
Urgent for a finish line
And I have been missing the rapture this whole time
Of being forever incomplete

… տասնմեկ տարի շարունակ լսում եմ ու չեմ ձանձրանում…

“

Running the Bizz Johnson Marathon on October 11, 2009

On October 11, 2009, Alanis Morissette ran the Bizz Johnson Marathon in California, donating her fundraising proceeds to the National Eating Disorders Association.  On her website, and as part of her fundraising efforts, Alanis openly admits to having had an eating disorder.

Please note the use of the phrase “had an eating disorder.”

Because her generous fundraising and bravery in coming forward to speak out about eating disorders has given rise to a lot of controversy.  Is running a marathon an appropriate way to raise money for eating disorder awareness when a significant number of eating disorder sufferers have problems with over-exercise?  Are the walks NEDA itself is hosting across the nation as a means of awareness appropriate?

Laura Collins, in her own infamous blog, “Are you ‘Eating with Your Anorexic’”, addresses this issues in an entry, “Hair of the Racedog” Which, in and of itself is interesting, given the use of the term racedog and the negative connotations.  The analogy would be Alanis being the racedog?  I’m not quite sure.  Collins compares walks and runs for awareness to fasts for awareness.  The two types of activities are not comparable.  Fasts, I think we would all agree, are generally not healthy for most individuals.  Even those doing fasts for spiritual reasons (which dates back for centuries by people without eating disorders) do so under controlled environments.  But running and walking?  These are healthy and normal activities.

Yes, even people who used to have an eating disorder can partake of these activities.  And they should. Exercise, when done in a healthy amount, is something that can bring joy to a person’s life.  It improves mood and health and can strengthen your immune system and increase your energy.  Training for a marathon is, in and of itself, not excessive exercise if you are doing it correctly and you are healthy.  Alanis, on her website, states she had someone to check in with to make sure she wasn’t doing too much, and her priorities had sleep and food first–and if she didn’t get those two priorities met, she didn’t run.  That sounds healthy to me.  In fact, her definition of health is something I think, in an ideal society, we should all accept.

If we ban walks and runs as awareness events (and Alanis is not the first to run a marathon and donate her fundraising money to an eating disorder organization, but she is the first celebrity), should we also do away with the dinners at eating disorder conferences?  What about those elaborate desserts at these dinners? Let’s celebrate someone’s contribution to the eating disorder field by eating?

I honestly think both–the runs and walks and the dinners–are excellent tools for awareness.  And they reinforce what is healthy and normal in society.   They are also ways that recovered individuals can say, “Yes.  You can enjoy these things in recovery. You can live a balanced life and life in freedom.”

I’m not sure why we want to keep that message underground.  We should be shouting it out loud so that every person still suffering from an eating disorder has hope that full recovery is possible, that freedom is possible.

“Head Over Feet”

I had no choice but to hear you
You stated your case time and again
I thought about it

You treat me like I’m a princess
I’m not used to liking that
You ask how my day was

You’ve already won me over in spite of me
And don’t be alarmed if I fall head over feet
Don’t be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I couldn’t help it
It’s all your fault

Your love is thick and it swallowed me whole
You’re so much braver than I gave you credit for
That’s not lip service

You’ve already won me over in spite of me
And don’t be alarmed if I fall head over feet
Don’t be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I couldn’t help it
It’s all your fault

You are the bearer of unconditional things
You held your breath and the door for me
Thanks for your patience

You’re the best listener that I’ve ever met
You’re my best friend
Best friend with benefits
What took me so long

I’ve never felt this healthy before
I’ve never wanted something rational
I am aware now
I am aware now

You’ve already won me over in spite of me
And don’t be alarmed if I fall head over feet
Don’t be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I couldn’t help it
It’s all your fault

“Der Priester,
ob gut oder schlecht,
ist immer ein zweideutiges Geschöpf,
ein zwischen Himmel und Erde schwebendes Wesen.”
Denis Diderot (1713-1784)

Liverollenspiel-Charakter Alanis Tatius,
Priesterin der fünf Elemente und Heilerin
(Fotoshooting am 10. Oktober 2009)

“Weibliche Unschuld und Reinheit im höchsten Sinne
ist das Höchste und Heiligste auf Erden.
Hier ist die Stufe,
über welche das Göttliche zum Menschen herabsteigt.”
Johann Gottfried von Herder (1744-1803)

Liverollenspiel-Charakter Alanis Tatius,
Priesterin der fünf Elemente und Heilerin
(Fotoshooting am 10. Oktober 2009)

It’s at the Essence Festival. It’s high energy, watch out for the hair tosses at the end. And it’s embedded in “If I were a boy,” but I’m sure you don’t mind. 2:00 – 3:00. She’s angry.

Nessa onda excitante pelo novo e pelo desconhecido, estou com muitas coisas pra dizer a quem interesse ler este blog.

Agora eu quero falar SÓ de música. Música boa. Música ruim. Música do youtube. Música, enfim.

Antes, algo que me dói ler/ouvir de todos os meus honráveis improváveis leitores, e amados precisos queridos amigos: acham que meu gosto musical não é muito variado.

Muito pelo contrário, meu gosto é variadíssimo!! Aceito todas as vertentes do pop, seja classic-pop, eletro-pop, j-pop, k-pop, c-pop, mando-pop, funk-pop, brazilian-pop (MPB, galera), brega-pop, forró-pop (?), pop rock, pop corn, enfim, POP. Aceito até o sabão em pó “POP” sem nenhum preconceito, eu abraço todas as culturas, meus amigos.

Só não venham querer enfiar na minha cabeça que bandas “Artic Monkeys” alike são boas, pois essa inverdade eu não aceito. Mas os perdôo, afinal ter um gosto musical tão refinado quanto o meu, é para bem poucos.

Garanto que um dia, vocês aprendem.

Gente, isso tudo foi bastante irônico, por favor não enfiem facas em mim. Tiros também não são bem-vindos.

Sobre música, o que eu queria dizer…

Pelo começo: “3”

É, “3”. Three para alguns pode ser somente um número. Para outros, um número cabalístico, um número pouco auspicioso, um número da sorte, enfim, não significa mais que isso.

Há “3” dias, porém, saiu a nova música da velha princezinha do pop não-tão adolescente, Broxoney Spearms, opa, Britney Spears. Sim, galera, eu adoro a Brita.

Aliás, deixem eu fazer um parêntese, por favor:

Arrisco dizer que, após o nosso querido (e verdadeiramente merecido) Rei do Pop, Michael Jackson, ter passado pro lado “Ghost” da vida, Britney Spears cantando sua rendition of “You Oughta Know” (by Alanis Morissette, Diva Master do meu amiguénho, Thi <3) foi o segundo maior feito do pop este ano. E, como bem disse há algum tempo o melhor programa jornalístico brasileiro veiculado na TV aberta, “Furo MTV”, qual não é a nossa surpresa quando a SEGUNDA MAIOR NOTÍCIA DO POP É UMA CANTORA…. CANTAR!!! De fato, Britney deveria se utilizar desse artificio mais vezes, concordam?! O playback nem é bom, mesmo, visto que os cds dela, ultimamente, são um cocô. So sorry pros lovers da era “Blackout” e da era “Circus”… aliás, o “Circus” teria se salvado, na minha singela opinião, se a ÚNICA faixa que REALMENTE prestava houvesse sido lançada como bonus track. Produzida por nossa querida Lady GaGa, a lindamente magnífica “Quicksand” é a melhor faixa do cd, sem dúvidas. Agora, deixando esse devaneio de lado, voltando a “trois”.

“San” se mostrou uma música tão merda quanto sua respectiva capa, qual seja:

ORIGINAL QUE NEM RUFFLES, NÉ?

A verdade é que o mundo caiu de boca na faixa, e, agora, ninguém fala mais em outra coisa, senão “VOCÊ OUVIU “TRÊS”, A NOVA MÚSICA DA BRITINEI?”, e eu fico com aquela cara de cu, característica, quando me perguntam sobre coisas que eu não gosto.

Querem um conselho de amigo?

Não baixem.

Bah, deixa a Britoca pra lá, vou falar, muito atrasado, do VMA.

Querem saber?

Vou comentar, por alto, o que não me interessa, e babar o ovo na melhor apresentação do VMA’09.

Mads com seu discurso em homenagem a MJ.
Os dançarinos com suas homenagens a MJ.
Janet feat. Screen em “Scream”, para MJ.
Maravilhoso.
Mas ele merece mais, muito mais.

Taylor Swift não merecia o prêmio.
Porém merecia MUITO MENOS a humilhação pela qual passou.
Tadinha.

Bey ahazou onde podia, e o playback em Single Ladies rolou solto, Misses Z. Me lembrou até a gloriosa Britney em tempos áureos de danças exóticas com cobras albinas em navios negreiros, ou relativos.

Jay-Z, Alicia Silverstone e .. rs .. ‘Lil Mama… só uma coisa pra dizer: WHAT THE FUCK/HELL?!

Ok, cheguei na parte que eu queria comentar. O que foi aquela apresentação de “Paparazzi”?
Olha, não é só porque sou fã cego da GaGa, ou porque eu fiz parte do agradecimento dela, quando ganhou o prêmio revelação. Não.
A performance foi TUDO DE BOM.

Tem gente que reclamou do sangue, disse que era desnecessário, grosseiro e pouco artístico. Quem sou eu pra mudar a cabeça deles? Mas afirmo, com a certeza de quem já viu shows da Broadway ao vivo, que ela agiu como manda o figurino. LITERALMENTE.

Confesso que ainda estou ouvindo, freqüentemente, o áudio do VMA’09. Especificadamente, da performance de “Papa”. Lady GaGa rules.

Pra finalizar, pois eu tenho que ir pra facul, e estudar, eu deixo vocês com as fotos promocionais de BUMP BUMP, o novo single da BoA.

vou te comer de verdade, agora

PORRA, ELA TÁ LINDA!!

E, sim, ela cortou o cabelo. Arrasante, digam ai!! Está, também, bastante lesbo, mas quem realmente se importa?! Hahahaha

Au revoir, mon amies ;**

Thank you India
Thank you terror
Thank you disillusionment
Thank you frailty
Thank you consequence
Thank you,  thank you silence

My thanks to Ms. Morissette for her fabulous, poetic, wise, and encouraging lyrics. They, and she, have helped me get through some very tough and challenging days of my post-drug-addicted life. Every time I play “Thank U” she reminds me that pain, sorrow, disappointment, and loss, all the less-than-attractive emotions and life experiences really, are just points of gratitude and opportunities for growth and maturity. I simplify it further as a personal internal mantra that I meditate on and visualize as the yin-yang symbol.

But this is not a post on Chinese philosophy and my personal armchair psychoanalysis, it’s about ME! Let’s be honest, the reason you’ve come to lap at the trough of James Luther is to be entertained and, bless you, inspired. Before I get into all that, I find it necessary to set the stage. It was a dark and stormy night. No really, it really IS a dark and stormy night and I’ve ALWAYS wanted to write that sentence à la Snoopy. As I clickety-clack on my laptop lightning is flashing in the sky and hail of an indeterminate size is falling outside my window in the courtyard of my apartment building. I absolutely LOVE a good thunderstorm! My roommate’s cats, on the other hand, are less than thrilled to be so rudely roused from their slumbers.

So back to my need for and appreciation of the song “Thank U” by Alanis Morissette. Had this evening gone as planned I wouldn’t have had the opportunity nor the honor of sharing my thoughts with you. However, it didn’t go as planned and I, James Luther, got stood up. This has never happened to me in the traditional sense. Sure I’ve arranged an NSA hookup online and the doorbell never rang but that’s completely different and a lot less tragic. That was just sex, a few grunts and moans and an awkward postcoital chat and they’re on their way. Tonight was to have been Romance with a capital ‘R’. I had already managed his expectations with regard to sex by flat-out stating that there would be none, zippo, zilch. I’m no prude mind you, I’ve had my share of men. Truth be told I’ve probably had your share, your neighbor’s share and possibly everyone’s share in every place I’ve ever lived. What’s that Alanis? Oh yes indeed, Thank U Frailty.

So back to this evening. I have been corresponding with a man, a suitor, a prospective partner, a guy on Craigslist.com for several weeks. Tonight was to be a blind date of sorts for us, more accurately a blind, deaf, and dumb date. We have been voraciously text messaging and emailing one another daily since I initially responded to his post on Craigslist. First he said he lived here in Madison and when I quizzed him as to why it was so difficult for us to get together since he’s unemployed and lives locally he fessed up and admitted he actually lives 45 minutes away. Don’t bother, let me do it for you, I’m now tossing the brightest and largest red flag I can find. Trust me, looking back there were many red flags, too numerous and obvious to detail here, during the course of several weeks. But hope and naivete spring eternal don’t they. Luckily, I prepared for his no-call/no-show well before it happened. You know what they say, if he sounds too good to be true, he’s a serial killer or he’s a she. The former being a very real concern for the new gay about town, a town that’s mere miles away from Milwaukee home of Laverne & Shirley & Jeffrey, as in Dahmer. Yes I know the chances of my demise at the lips of a serial killer are infinitesimal but I met a girl here in Madison recently who claimed to have had a friend whose brother had fallen victim to Dahmer. Listening to her tell the story gave me the creeps and they’ve never really gone away.

So back to Mr. Not-So-Wonderful. Oddly enough, coincidentally in fact, the last time I heard from this loser was two nights ago when we made plans for today. Not one text, email or phone call has been received since Friday evening. Very odd indeed since prior to that day we’d exchanged an average of 80, yes EIGHTY, text messages a day. In a previous life this sort of rejection, humiliation, and hurt feelings would have sent me into a tail spin where I spiraled out of control and turned to drugs to numb myself from to the pain. Prior to drugs I ignored the pain as best I could, pushed it down and prayed it would stay locked away from consciousness. Thank U Terror.

Of course my feelings are hurt. Of course I’m disappointed. I’m human, of course. I’m a beautifully and perfectly flawed person. So he wasn’t ‘the one’, there most certainly will be more. What’s important and meaningful is that although I’m slightly sad, I’m still sober. The hurt and ickiness I felt all day are gone and I’m still standing and dammit I’m still sober. (Namaste Ms. Morissette )

The moment I let go of it was
The moment I got more than I could handle
The moment I jumped off of it was
The moment I touched down

© Copyright by James Luther 2009, All Rights Reserved