#we believe in an infinite diversity of cakes

[inloveweverything]

I unironically love it when an author's note includes something to the effect of, "I know that in the show/movie/books there's [canon-compliant plot device], but I wanted [non-canon-compliant plot device that's now incredibly horny] so I did that instead."

[shareeanne-deactivated]

Everyone’s Doing The Best That They Can

“All I know is that my life is better when I assume that people are doing their best. It keeps me out of judgment and lets me focus on what is, and not what should or could be.” ~Brené Brown

My favorite principle is this simple truth: Everyone is doing the best that they can with the resources they have. Adopting this belief has radically changed my relationship to myself and to others.

This idea has been explored by a constellation of religious, spiritual, and wellness practitioners. As Deepak Chopra said, “People are doing the best that they can from their own level of consciousness.”

At first, it's a hard concept for us to swallow. In a culture that constantly urges us to do more, to be better, and to excel,  “I'm doing the best that I can” sounds like complacency—like an excuse. But what if we took a step back from our culture's infinite growth paradigm and considered, “What if, right now, there is a limit to what I can achieve? Can I be okay with that?”

I first stumbled across this principle a few weeks after I quit drinking in 2016. It was a challenging time for me. In the absence of alcohol, I watched my anxiety soar.

I stayed away from bars and clubs to avoid temptation, but then felt guilty and “boring” for spending Saturday nights at home. When I met up with friends who'd previously been drinking buddies, our interactions felt stilted. I knew sobriety was the healthiest choice for me, but I couldn't accept the way it impacted my ability to be social. I felt like I wasn't trying hard enough.

I spent weeks in a frustrated mind space until I stumbled across that precious idea: “I'm doing the best I can with the resources at my disposal.”

At first, I recoiled. The high achiever in me—the climber, the pusher—scoffed at the suggestion that I was doing my best. “But other people have healthy relationships with alcohol. Other people maintain active, thriving social lives.”

But in that moment, I realized that my negative self-talk was an exercise in futility. It never boosted my inspiration or activated me toward progress. It just sparked a shame spiral that sunk me deeper into inaction and guilt.

So over time, I began to internalize this idea as my own. And as I did, I felt like a blanket of comfort had been draped over me. For the first time in weeks, I could sit back on my couch and watch Vampire Diaries without hating myself. It enabled me to find peace in the present moment and accept—not even accept, but celebrate—that I was doing the absolute best that I could.

I've found that this principle has been easiest for me to internalize when I've been going through deep stuff.

After a painful breakup last August, it took all of my energy to drag myself from bed in the morning. My intense emotions were riding shotgun, which sometimes meant canceling plans last minute, postponing work calls, or calling a friend to cry it out.

Because I was so obviously using all of my inner resources to get through each day, it was easy for me to accept that I was doing the best that I could. Throughout those months, I gave myself total permission not to do more, not to be “better.” For that very reason, those painful months were also some of the most peaceful months of my life.

Here's the thing, though: We don’t have to hit rock bottom in order to show ourselves compassion.

We don’t need to be heartbroken, shattered, or at wit’s end. Maybe we're just having a rough day. Maybe we're feeling anxious. See, our abilities in any given moment depend entirely on our inner resources, and our inner resources are constantly in a state of flux depending on our emotions (pain, stress, anxiety, fear), our physicality (sickness, ailments, how much sleep we got), our histories (the habits we’ve adopted, the trauma we've experienced, the socialization we’ve internalized), and so much more.

When we consider everything that affects our capacity to show up as we'd like to be, we realize how narrow-minded our negative self-talk is. We also begin to understand that everyone comes from a wildly complex, diverse array of experiences, and that comparisons among us are useless.

Consider how this idea can be applied in some more challenging situations:

The Friend Who Is Stuck In A Cycle of Stagnancy

This goes for anyone who complains about a monotonous cycle in their life but can't seem to break it: the friend who hates their job but doesn't leave it, or the friend who complains about their partner but won't end their relationship.

Those of us on the receiving end of our friend's complaints may get tired of hearing the same story every day. But our advice to “just leave your job” or “just break up” will fall on deaf ears because it's not that simple. They are doing the best that they can in that moment because their current need for familiarity and security outweighs their desire for exploration.

They are experiencing a tension within their desires, but don't yet have the ability to act on that tension. The limitations of their emotional (or sometimes, financial) resources make it difficult for them to move on.

By accepting that we're doing the best we can, we give ourselves the gift of self-acceptance and self-love. Only from this place can positive, sustainable changes to actions or behaviors be made

The Parents Who Hurt Us When We Were Kids

It can be especially challenging to apply this principle to those who have wounded us most deeply. But oftentimes, those are the folks most deserving of our compassion.

Parents have a responsibility to their children, and parents who hurt, neglect, shame, or otherwise harm their children are not doing their job as parents. But sometimes, our parents can't do their jobs well because they don't have the resources at their disposal. And even then, they are doing the best that they can.

More than likely, our parents didn't learn the necessary parenting skills from their own parents. Maybe they never got therapy to heal old wounds or never developed the coping skills necessary to handle intense emotions. This principle can be very challenging, yet very healing, when applied to parents and other family members.

The Binge Eater (Or Other Addict)

This used to be me, and it took me years to accept that even when I was in the thick of my eating disorders, I was doing the best that I could.

From the outside, the solution seems simple: “Put down the cake.” “Don't have a third serving.” But for folks with addiction issues—food, alcohol, sex, drugs, you name it—the anxiety or emptiness of not engaging with the addiction can be insurmountable.

Resisting the impulse to fill an inner void requires extensive resources, including self-love, self-empowerment, and oftentimes, a web of support from friends and family. Folks in the throes of addiction are caught in a painful cycle of indulgence, shame, and self-judgment, which makes it all the more difficult to develop the emotional resources necessary to resist the tug of the addiction.

But by accepting that they're doing the best they can, they give themselves the gift of self-acceptance and self-love. Only from this place can we make positive, sustainable changes to our actions or behaviors.

It's worth noting: Our actions have consequences, and when we harm others, we should be held accountable. But simultaneously, we can acknowledge that we are doing the best that we can, even when we “fall short” in others' eyes. Forgiving ourselves (and others) is an emotional experience that transcends logic or justice. We can make the conscious choice not to hold ourselves to a constant standard of absolute perfection.

Believing that we are all doing the best that we can opens our hearts to kindness and compassion. It allows us to see one another as humans, flaws and all. Next time you feel frustrated with yourself, stop to consider that maybe, just maybe, you’re doing the best that you can.

Sit down with a piece of paper and divide it in half. On one side, write down the voices of your inner gremlins. What exactly are they saying? Are they calling you lazy, selfish, mean? On the second side, consider what inner and external factors affected your actions or decisions. Consider the emotional, physical, historical, and financial obstacles you face.

As you review your list of obstacles in contrast with your negative self-talk, summon compassion and kindness for your inner self. If she is struggling, you can ease her burden by quieting the self-judgment and replacing those negative messages with an honest truth: That you're doing the best you can with the resources at your disposal.

About Hailey Magee

Hailey Magee is a Trailblazer Coach, writer, and digital nomad. She envisions a world where trailblazers are empowered to explore uncharted territory and unfurl a world of possibility - professionally, emotionally, spiritually, and more - to people everywhere. She has worked with over 100 clients of all ages across the United States and Canada. Learn more at haileymagee.com.

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The post Everyone’s Doing The Best That They Can appeared first on Tiny Buddha.

[modernresale]

B & B Italia Furniture

From its creation, B&B Italia has adopted an innovative image of being a modern Italian brand based on industrial models. The company uses high-tech production techniques and materials such as plastic and polyurethane foams. B&B quickly established itself as one of the leading companies in the furniture market during the second half of the 20th century.

Alchemy is built up between creativity, innovation, and industrial capacity. From this alchemy emerges modern, exclusive furnishing elements that are characterized by high quality and timeless elegance. Adventure, challenge, and innovation are the key words to describe B&B Italia.

B & B Italia

The B&B Italia furniture collection was created to represent contemporary culture. B&B responds quickly to the evolution of the home environment. The modern furnishing elements are both distinctive and uniquely beautiful as a result. 

Continuous research and collaboration with international designers have been key factors in the company's strategic development. It is an approach that has allowed B&B to distinguish itself from all others over the years. B&B has received many honors and awards over the years, including four Golden Compasses--the most prestigious award for industrial design in Italy.

Diversity of designs

Among the wide range of products you can find:

Sofas

Chairs

Armchairs

Tables

Desks

Cabinets

B&B’s extraordinary design and quality of workmanship has always delighted people over the years. The brand's designs decorate the interiors of exclusive apartments, hotels and buildings. The variety of designs offered allows you to choose furniture that will fit harmoniously into both minimalist and modern interiors, as well as those decorated in a classic style.

The first steps of Piero Ambrogio Busnelli

The identity of this famous brand owes everything to its founder, Piero Ambrogio Busnelli - nicknamed "il Leone" (the lion). He was born in 1926 to poor parents in la Brianza. This is both a fertile breeding ground in terms of entrepreneurship and the historical cradle of design in the province of Como in Lombardy. 

Busnelli was a talent spotter and invented a revolutionary process for mass production: polyurethane foam padding. In order to build the image of the brand on which he would build his empire, he relied on unknown geniuses in architecture and photography. He then teamed up with some of the leading names in design. 

Busnelli & Piano 

Busnelli trusted a young architect who had not yet proven himself: Renzo Piano. Busnelli commissioned him to design the headquarters of his company in Novedrate. Even if it was not visible from the city skyline, he wanted it to be unique. 

In 1971, the young architect imagined a sort of sketch of the future Pompidou Centre, which made him famous a few years later. The concept was that of a box suspended inside a tubular metal structure with--on the outside--visible and colored pipes.

Risk taking and poker moves

In the 1960s, Piero Ambrogio Busnelli's main concern was not to follow in the footsteps of the artisanal businesses that flourished in the region. The design pioneer preferred to take risks, which paid off as he managed to revolutionize the production process. From improbable poker shots to brilliant intuitions, his goal was to win the market with a managerial approach. 

The origin of the name B & B Italia 

B&B was initially called C&B, following a partnership with the artisan chair maker Cesare Cassina. However, Busnelli was looking at the rapidly developing plastic materials sector, and as a result, he left Cassina to his artisanal production, and borrowed his network of designers such as:

Afra and Tobia Scarpa

Vico Magistretti

Gaetano Pesce

He was always looking for ways to industrialize his own production. Forced to find the funds for this purpose because he no longer had a partner, Busnelli turned to the banks. In a grateful stroke of humor, he named his company B&B for "Bank & Busnelli".

The discovery of Piero Ambrogio Busnelli

Torn by the need to stay ahead of progress, Piero Ambrogio Busnelli found himself strolling around London at the plastic materials fair in the mid-60s. He saw a stand with perfectly round ducks, made in one piece thanks to a special mold casting. He then had the idea of adapting this process to produce a seat.

The entrepreneur returned to Italy with the recipe for the polyurethane that gave life to the famous ducks. It's a mixture of two milky liquids that--when fused together--produce a chemical reaction that creates a voluminous paste that perfectly fits the shape of any container. 

New innovative technology

After his London trip, a new way of designing furniture was born. It allowed Busnelli to drastically reduce production costs and to experiment with infinite forms and shapes of furniture. An organic sofa such as Zaha Hadid's Moon System marketed in 2007 could not have been conceived without such structural simplicity.

For each of them a specially designed mold was made. It's a sort of monumental waffle iron from which the entire piece of furniture is extracted. The density of the upholstery is calculated beforehand in the same way as you would make cake dough. And by combining technological discoveries such as the use of metal instead of wood, it became possible to increase the dimensions of the seat.

This entrepreneurial breakthrough in the 1960s led to the creation of the one-piece sofas, which became so iconic and shaped the history of the company. 

Innovations boom

The Coronado model, dating from 1966, represented a first revolution as its elements were assembled using only six screws, thus allowing delivery in kit form. Other inventions then followed one after the other. 

In 1969, Gaetano Pesce designed a round armchair shaped like a woman's body, which he named « Up ». It is sold under vacuum and once out of its packaging, it is spontaneously inflated with freon gas to take its final shape. It is a technique that is forbidden today. This was a kind of artistic performance to which a political message was added. The chair was tied by a rope to a large ball that was believed to symbolize the condition of women in prison.

Mario Bellini's Bambole (1972) was presented at the Milan Fair that same year. It made its way into the spotlight thanks to a suggestive advertising campaign by a young unknown photographer, Oliviero Toscani. He was the controversial author of the Benetton ads. The poster, displayed in front of the stand, showed the top model of the time, Donna Jordan, half-naked on the couch. It stirred up the censorship committee. The scandal prompted unexpected success for B&B Italia.

Magic shapes 

Like the materials, shapes also have a story at B&B Italia. In order to get the line of his Papilio chair accepted, Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa had to revise his model several times before it was approved by the Research and Development Center. He had to lighten the prototype with his originally planned metal legs, which were considered too vintage. The result was a hollowed-out cone with a wing-shaped backrest. It was anchored to the ground, with a streamlined yet enveloping design. 

As for the Crinoline armchair designed for an outdoor collection, Patricia Urquiola was inspired by the rattan of a basket brought back from a trip. She uses polyethylene fibers for this project.

Maxalto

The trademark would perhaps not have the world-wide reputation it enjoys without its more consensual line: Maxalto. The brand was founded by B&B Italia in 1975, with a focus on the reinterpretation of classic design forms. 

The brand name refers to the term "Massa Alto", which means “highest” in Italian. This is precisely what we can expect from this company's products--top quality design that never disappoints.

The artistic direction of Maxalto was first entrusted to Afra and Tobia Scarpa, then to Antonio Citterio in 1993. In 2002, Antonio Citterio was entrusted with the construction of a third building. It houses:

The research and development center

The underground mold storage room

A professional showroom

The B&B Italia woodworking plant uses more traditional techniques, from precious wood veneers to shellac varnishing techniques. The aim is to design furniture whose luxury is ingrained in the smallest details.

B&B Italia : the expert of Italian design

At B&B Italia, the technologies and materials used to manufacture the products are an integral part of advanced research. Moreover, quality control is carried out at every phase of production. These manufacturing processes ensure that each product has its own identity and meets the requirements of the international market.

B&B Italia has a network of over 700 businesses who use its products located in some 50 countries. Among its customers are:

Luxurious hotels

Gourmet restaurants

Dreamy yachts and holidays cruise ships

Multi-function stores and showrooms

Huge banks

Renowned theaters

High-quality museums

International airports

Is there any secret to such a wide range of activities? Yes, there is. Not only does B&B Italia offer a very rich selection of furniture, but its expertise also enables the manufacturer to provide tailor-made answers to each customer. This is made possible with an innovative industrial tool that features four production units and a center dedicated to research and development.

Collaboration with famous international designers 

B&B Italia has collaborated with the most important international designers and architects, including:

Afra and Tobia Scarpa

Antonio Citterio

Atelier Oi

Chris Howker

David Chipperfield

Ettore Sottsass

Gaetano Pesce

Jakob Wahner

Jean-Marie Massaud

Jeffrey Bernett

Marcel Wanders

Mario Bellini

Naoto Fukasawa

Paolo Piva

Patricia Urquiola

Richard Sapper

Richard Schultz

Studio Kairos

Vico Magistretti

Zaha Hadid

B&B Italia in figures

Year of creation : 1966

Factory : 28 000 m2

Workforce: 500 people, including 250 in the 3 plants

Presence: in 80 countries

Flagship-stores: 8

Monobrand stores: 40

Resellers: approximately 800

Turnover: €170 M (of which 78% comes from exports)

The term that best sums up B&B Italia is quality. Since its creation, the research center has allowed it to become an industrial company at the service of design. Busnelli has devoted 3% of the company's revenue to it. As a result, thousands of innovative projects have been created and spread on a global scale. 

B&B Italia is a world-famous brand because it exported its products very early on. The policy of opening flagship-stores, initiated in 2001 in France, has had an impact on its great notoriety. 

The first flagship in Paris 

A new space entirely dedicated to the Italian brand B&B Italia has opened up in the historic district of Paris. It was natural for B&B Italia to partner with the leading distributor Silvera for its first Parisian flagship store.

The prestigious Italian publisher is located in a former customs listed building. The layout was entrusted to the architect and designer Jean-Marie Massaud, who transformed the 8,000 square feet location to reflect the image of B&B: creative and modern.

The showroom’s layout

The three levels of the building are connected by a smoked glass staircase that is more than 100 feet high. The home, outdoor and project collections of B&B Italia are displayed on each platform.

Collections for the interior, exterior and public spaces with sofas and outdoor furniture fill the ground floor and the basement. Offices, large meeting tables and rest areas for the tertiary sector are located on the 1st floor.

Iconic collections

The setting is immaculate, fluid and luminous. It fades away to highlight the lines and curves of the furniture, so that you can discover the brand's best-sellers such as:

The Up collection signed by Gaetano Pesce

The Moon System by Zaha Hadid

The Crinoline armchair designed by Patricia Urquiola

Jean-Marie Massaud's sublime daybed

The Luis sofa by Antonio Citterio

And much more

B&B Italia's contract business

B&B Italia's contract business is now responsible for a big part of its overall revenue. Sales Director Roberto Barbazza says that this is a very good time for the contract business, especially in Europe. 

He also mentions the Olympic Games in London, which brought B&B some prestigious projects. These include the luxurious Bulgari Hotel and the Café Royal Hotel. 

B&B designer Piero Lissoni worked on the beautiful Conservatorium Hotel in Amsterdam. The brand has also signed with the Clarion Hotel Post in Gothenburg in Sweden, and the Clarion in Norway.  

Discover the durability secret of this emblematic brand

To look at the duration is to evoke that of the products themselves. It would not be wrong to say that a B&B Italia sofa or armchair is indestructible. To understand why, you have to drop the cover and dive into the soul of the product, both in the literal and figurative sense. 

After Piero Ambrogio Busnelli discovered polyurethane foam at the event in London, he developed it into an extraordinary product for the manufacture of armchairs and sofas with original shapes. 

By combining this cold-molded material with a metal frame, it becomes possible to obtain a comfortable and resistant seat, and to do so without the traditional wooden structure. As a result, the shapes given by a metal mold are freed up and can adopt any fantasy in terms of dimensions and design.

Behind the scenes of furniture production 

At the factory, production is divided into two lines: 

Sofas

Armchairs and footstools

A carousel is used to hold the molds that rotate for about 20 minutes. The polyurethane foam is cold injected, swells to 40 times its initial volume and solidifies. 

The workers then simply have to remove the sofa or armchair from the mold and remove the remaining residue. The garment department then takes over, preparing the leathers and fabrics that have been checked one by one and then assembled. The last step is to cover the foam with a protective layer of Dacron, a synthetic textile, which gives it more flexibility before the final dressing.

B&B Italia is able to create custom-made products for both individuals and contracts. The company uses both the products of the collection, but can modify the size or the finishes as well. B&B can also create tailor-made products with architects, or even manage an entire project, like a hotel for example. 

The fabric

The fabrics used are the result of rigorous research. They are a mixture of natural and synthetic yarns, tested for their resistance to all types of use. Some fabrics are also subjected to treatments to increase their performance tenfold and meet customer expectations. 

The leather

Whether it is the Diesis sofa or the Mart armchair, the beauty and suppleness of the leather used is amazing. And this is not surprising, because the brand pays particular attention to the origin of its skins. 

The selected leathers come from animals bred within the European Union. All demonstrate a guarantee of care and attention to the animal's well-being.

To preserve the excellence of this raw material, treatments and finishes ensure optimal conservation of the natural characteristics of the leather.

The wood

As far as wood is concerned, the Italian designer is banking on American white oak rift. It’s easily recognizable by its straight and irregular fiber, with a texture that is sometimes a little coarse.

Rosewood comes from controlled cultivation in Latin America. Its veins with chromatic reflections make this wood an inimitable and unique species.

The teak used for outdoor collections is one of the most prestigious tropical woods. Its exceptional qualities against bad weather and its natural fatty resin increase its impermeability and make it extremely resistant.

The marble

The different marbles offered by B&B Italia have two types of finishes, depending on the customer's expectations: matte or varnished. An anti-stain treatment slows down the absorption of liquids. The polyester varnish enhances the marked veining and chromatic reflections of the marbles.

There’s a big selection, which includes:

Emperador marble

White Calacatta marble

Marquinia black marble

With all these options, you are sure to find the perfect marble look.

Family business in the hands of global investors 

B&B Italia has always been run by its founder, who was very intuitive and visionary. When he became sick, his son made the decision to bring in investors. 

In 2011, he bought B&B from the private financial company Opera, which obtained a majority stake in 2002. He has been running the company with his brother since the death of their father in 2014.

Investindustrial has been alongside B&B Italia since 2015. It provides a vision for the future and motivates the development of the company's communication. A year later, the company bought out his fellow businesses Arclinea and Azucena. Arclinea is a high-end chef and Azucena owns the archives and the rights to the designer's creations, Luigi Caccia Dominioni.

In 2016, B&B Italia celebrated its 50th anniversary by presenting limited edition pieces at the Salone del Mobile in Milan.

International Design Group

As part of the International Design Group, B&B Italia joins two small and medium-sized lighting specialists--the Danish Louis Poulsen and the Italian Flos. For its part, Flos acquired the outdoor lighting manufacturer Ariès. 

All of these companies carry out most of their business outside Italy. Exports account for 80% of B&B Italia's sales--40% of which are in the United States and China--and 65% at Arclinea. The chef has just launched his first showroom in Paris in Beaupassage, the small luxury mall. 

These brands enjoy a strong image with architects and decorators and are generating a growing share of their business through contracts to fit out:

Concert halls

Yachts

Hotels

And other luxury boutiques

Within the same entity, it will be easier for them to create large showrooms to highlight their offerings. The first of its kind has already opened in Paris, bringing together the Boffi, De Padova and MA/U Studio brands.

Awards 

The visionary spirit of Piero Ambrogio Busnelli always seems to hover in the corridors, taking the company to other territories.

Awarded four Compasso d'Oro awards--one of which was given to the company itself in 1989--B&B Italia can boast of having earned a special place in the furniture industry. The company is supported by prestigious collaborations. 

Tips for choosing furniture colors 

We can increase the aesthetic value of the living room by making appropriate color adjustments. For example, the fashionable and timeless combination of white and black requires using appropriate proportions with a clear advantage of one color. Grey is also popular in interior design, but it is good to break through it with a flashy color. A bit of turquoise, yellow or red in decorative elements is all it takes.

Tips to arrange your interior with taste 

Healthy moderation should also be maintained when choosing forms of furniture. A coffee table inspired by a shell shape is enough to emphasize the modern character of the living room. Therefore, there is no need to duplicate this pattern of design, as you do not want it to become desperately kitschy.

Visit Modern Resale’s website and shop your favorite collection from this fantastic Italian designer. More information can be found by clicking any of the links near the top of this page.

source https://www.modernresale.com/blogs/news-feed/b-b-italia-furniture

[theseadagiodays]

April 20, 2020

No more muzzling my words

OK, so I’m just going to say it.  There are times when this really stinks.  And it actually feels good to give myself permission to admit that.  

One of my favorite novelists, Anne Patchett, author of Bel Canto, also wrote a memoir called Truth & Beauty about her lifelong best friendship with someone who struggled with cancer since childhood.  What I remember most is her friend’s very unusual way of enduring horrific hardships that included having her jaw surgically removed, (no less in the middle of self-conscious adolescence).  To feel better about her own situation, she would regularly re-read The Diary of Anne Frank in a sort of schadenfreude effort to remember that there were people who’d had it far worse than herself.    However, these contrived gestures only took her so far.

I guess the truth is, there is only so much glass-half-full thinking any of us can exercise.  Realizing this, I was relieved to hear Brene Brown’s recent podcast about Comparitive Suffering,

https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-on-comparative-suffering-the-50-50-myth-and-settling-the-ball/  

Here, she recognizes that while the daily news barrages us with crises much greater than our own (lost jobs, health, and even loved ones), many of us feel guilty for bemoaning our own losses at this time, because we think we should be grateful for what we have.  Certainly, this universal suffering has allowed us to gain some clearer perspective on our lives and our blessings.  And the fact that the entire world is experiencing some similar aspects of this reality has enabled us to build real global empathy.  However, it is also true that each micro-loss deserves its own relative mouring period.  So, I am going to give myself a little license to acknowledge what I am grieving at this time.  But I wanted to find a creative way to do this.  So, I am going to write a love letter to the time before COVID, identifying the things I truly miss. This idea came out of an exercise we led with my non-profit’s Women Rock group.  They are co-writing songs to express the myriad of feelings they are having during this period. In one song, they plan to write about the solace that nature brings them right now.  But they also want a vehicle to communicate their challenges.  In other words, they want somewhere to “deposit the negative,” because this can actually be very healing: to name what’s wrong, genuinely feel the impact of it in your life, and then let it go.  The etymological root of the word de-posit means to put (poner), away (-de).   Ironically, this is similar to the origin of the word positive, which is to formally lay down (or to state absolutely).   So, perhaps by absoluting stating what we feel bad about, we leave room to feel good about what’s left.

But in case this is just a little too sad for some people to read, try imagining the theme song to Jimmy Fallon’s regular Thank You Notes segment, for a bit of comic relief while you read.  Here he is in his At-Home Edition, writing some with his daughters:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6x2UgPVYJs

Vancouver Mural Festival on Main St 

Dear pre-COVID days,

I remember how good it felt to walk down Main St and hug everyone from my neighbor, to my colleague, to the barista.  You were so open in the way you invited human touch on a daily basis.

I was so grateful that you allowed me the opportunity to interact with people from all different walks of life.  You let me work in so many different environments, from elementary schools, to prisons, to seniors centres, where I was privileged to hear people’s stories as they found their own creative voices.  

I loved being free to spend time with my family even though they live far away. You made it possible to see my parents in Arizona, and my brother in NY, and my uncle in Colorado, and my in-laws in Ontario, every year, despite the distance.

I enjoyed all of the opportunities you gave me to experience live art.  You animated my world and made it technicolor, with concerts, dance clubs, galleries, theatre performances, and different arts festivals every week.

I loved how healthy I felt running around the tennis courts at Queen Elizabeth Park.  You made it so easy to exercise my lungs, my legs, my arms, my focus, my flexibility and my stamina all at the same time.  

I felt so much passion for the adventures that you brought me to.  You generously satisfied my infinite curiosities with music projects in Zambia, and holidays in Hawaii, and cultural immersions in Guatemala.  

I miss all of the the ways you let me love and live and work and play freely.  And I long for the day you return,

Laura

April 21, 2020

Neighborhood Art

There are so many signs that we are all missing connection and stimulation during quarantine. But the human spirit is extremely buoyant.  So, we’ve found remarkable ways to share artistic moments through the walls of COVID.  

In Rome, locals are projecting classic films against their apartment building facades: https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/lockdown-rome-lights-up-with-cinema-by-night.html

In Berlin, neighbors are displaying art installations from their balconies:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/berlin-artists-turn-their-balconies-mini-galleries-180974677/

An art installation by Raul Walch, created for the “Life, art, pandemic and proximity” project

In Ohio, kids play cello duets for an elderly neighbor:

And right here in Vancouver, people lead streetside Zumba classes as seniors home residents dance along:

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1716406851557

April 22, 2020

Earth Day in Isolation

I am hardly the first to note that while this virus has taken so much from mankind, it has also given Mother Earth the long-awaited rest she so deserves.  There have been plenty of photos of Himalayan mountain tops viewed from Indian cities for the first time in decades, or Orcas returning to Vancouver’s shores to prove this.    

In another gift to our planet, appropriately on Earth Day here in BC, where it has oddly not rained for 30 days, it appears that Gaia is being showered with much needed rain for her day of celebration.  And even a sun-worshipper like me has been doing rain dances lately, to ensure that our city will not be shrouded in smoke from a fire-ravaged province, as we have been for the past two summers.

On a different note, a more distorted personification of nature has been touted by many a cynical observer in recent weeks, citing Covid as retribution against humans from a vengeful Mother Earth. I do not subscribe to such punitive thinking.  But I do believe there are environmental lessons to be learned from this crisis if we listen closely enough.

Writer Kristin Flyntz makes this point more beautifully than I ever could, in her Greatful Web post: https://www.gratefulweb.com/articles/imagined-letter-covid-19-humans  Here, instead of a love letter to pre-Covid days, she has imagined the letter that Covid might write to humans.  The tone is intentional and generous but also insistent.   It is spoken as if from a friend not an enemy.  And it proposes that we ask the hard questions:  “As the health of a tree, a river, the sky tells you about the quality of your own health, what might the quality of your health tell you about the health of the rivers, the trees, the sky, and all of us who share this planet with you?”

Another letter, falsely attributed to Bill Gates, whose proven himself to be a true leader of responsiveness in this critical time, also had similar things to say.  The anonymous writer claims that this time: “is reminding us that this Earth is sick. It is reminding us that we need to look at the rate of deforestation just as urgently as we look at the speed at which toilet rolls are disappearing off of shelves. We are sick because our home is sick.”

And as usual, artists are responding too.  The NY-based NGO, Earth Celebrations has postponed their Virtual Earth Day Pageant for May 9th in the interest of garnering more public participation, with a callout for anyone who wants to craft a costume, mask, puppet, etc.  All are welcome.  And more details can be found here: https://earthcelebrations.com/?fbclid=IwAR30nj7NtS52E-RLjpvz739L-3fcp-DtnJ1YeVE8Roln4vJXPC7bzBLxew0

April 23

Virtual Festivals

If you’re looking for an alternative to Netflix and chillin’, there are endless arts festivals that have moved content online, for your streaming pleasure.   So, I thought I’d recommend a few interesting ones here.  

If it’s efficiency you’re after, when browsing thru infinite entertainment options, the Social Distancing Festival does all the work for you, by scouring the globe to curate the best livestreamed events they can find.  Links include everything from modern dance to virtual gallery tours to musical theatre:

https://www.socialdistancingfestival.com

Myseum of Toronto’s Art in the Time of Covid - work by Evgeni Tcherkassk

For some lighter fare, this Edmonton Series hosts nightly cabaret, music, and comedy acts performed by local artists from their homes.

https://www.citadeltheatre.com/2019-2020/stuckinthehouse?utm_source=Citadel+Theatre&utm_campaign=67600c620f-Stuck-in-the-House&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_482a5c3fca-67600c620f-80741247

And if you’re looking for a bit more sophistication, Toronto’s Festival of Literary Diversity has managed to move online, and it starts next Thursday. Their line-up features many of Canada’s finest emerging and established voices.  My personal favorite, Mona Awad will be reading from her new novel, Bunny, which was the funniest read I’ve had in ages.  In this high art version of Mean Girls, she nails the pretentious banter of grad school writing cliques with a dash of magical realism.   https://thefoldcanada.org

April 23

Creative Gratitude

Florida police thank-you

Our shared appreciation for front line workers has become a true muse for collective community creativity.

Clockwise: Navajo muralist Ivan Lee; local Vancouver sidewalk; Long Island artist, Kara Hoblin

But this one takes the cake for audacity!

https://gfycat.com/magnificentabsolutegosling-health-workers-coronavirus-thank-you-meme

[templarhalo]

Endryd Haar: The Riven Hound Chapter 3

This is chapter 3 unbolded and with some minor editing here and there Chapter 4 is coming soon.

“So how long do I have?” Danek asked.

“Six Terran months.”  Apothecary-Captain Asclepias  Phoebus Reticulus said.

“You really need to work on your bedside manner Custodes.” Danek said with a laugh.

“You are an Astartes, not a mortal, and not a Ligo aetos going through accelerated aging and enhancement. “ Asclepias said dryly.

Asclepias’ was quite different from Danek.  He was pale and blond with sea-green eyes. He was quite handsome.

Danek knew Asclepias’ dry  tone was his way of coming to terms with the fact that his closest friend was going to be dead in less than a year.

He grunted in pain as Asclepias  injected  him with another shot.   Everytime he visited Asclepias,he needed more shots.   Fresh Larraman’s cells, antibiotics, stimulants and more.

He grunted again as he felt soft but calloused hands gently remove the covering of the  bionics that made up half of his chest .

“At least the bionics are holding up.” Asclepias said.

“That’s not the only thing holding up.”  Danek said with a smile.

Danek’s bionic eye had been modified to assess medical data,and Asclepias’ heart rate had increased.

“ I should get you fitted for that augmetic leg first.” The Custodes replied.

“And how long will that take?”

“Not long.  And Aella won't back for an hour.” Asclepias said.

Danek smiled.

The Petitioner’s City was huge .

Vesta felt like she could spend days here and only scratch the surface of the city.  The architecture was so diverse, the people were so varied.  Different skin tones, different clothing.  It was like nothing she had seen, not even on Byzas Longa,a world that had been on the crossroads between Segmentum Obscurus and Segmentum Solar.  

She saw vendors peddling their wares.  Stands selling food, spices, clothing, books.

A man shoved a tray of chocolates in her face .   Another held up a piece of green  silk so sheer she could make out the man's acne from behind it.

She saw an ogryn hammering at a piece of Adamantium.   She saw a team of Caucasian broadbacks hawling stone.

In the distance she could see the Himalazia mountains.  

“It’s good to be home.” Boian  said.

“You’re from Terra?” Vesta asked.

“Aye, Haar, Danek  and I were part of the first recruits for the Twelfth. Before we were World Eaters, before we were the War Hounds, were the just the Twelfth.  Haar,Danek  and I are the last of the Old Grey Legions.  I was from Slavia. Haar was from Europa and I have no idea where Danek was from.” Boian said.

The crowds were thick.  Lucifer Blacks, Administratum scribes, tech priests.  Haar even saw a pair of Imperial Fists on patrol.

The stands and tightly packed streets soon  gave way to the residential area.  Two story houses and small stores dominated the area.  

Boian paused near one of them.  Vesta smelled grilling meat and freshly baked bread.

Boian returned with a paper wrapped fresh off the grill steak in one hand and a jar of black olives in another. Vesta saw six more crammed in his ammo pouches.

“Kal Jakar may be armored physically and spiritually  against corruption,but he loves olives. “ Boian said.

He took a bite of steak. Meat juice dribbled onto his gorget.  Vesta saw Haar conversing with  a man  in ragged clothing.  He handed him a red coin with the lightening and Eagle symbol of Unity.

“What’s that coin for?’ Vesta asked.

“Identification, the Administratum can’t identify every citizen on Terra, let alone alone the refugees that have been pouring in.  That coin will get him to the Tyrannis without any Bureaucratic delay.” Boian said.  The Blackshield finished his steak and chucked the paper wrapper in an already overflowing waste receptacle.  He opened a jar of olives and popped a few in his mouth.

Vesta held out her hand, and Boian dropped a handful into her awaiting palm.

They continued to walk for a block and that entered a two story store.

Its sign read

Alessander Graves: Rogue Trader  and collector.

Haar opened the door. A bell chimed.  

The store was rather small, with a counter of  dark wood and

“ Endryd! It's been too long my friend! How can I be of service?”   

Haar actually smiled.  

“Any Astartes wargear you've managed to scavenge. And anything else that might catch our eyes.”

Alessander Graves was an older man  with slicked back silver hair and wild blue eyes. He wore a red and gold longcoat over a plain white dress shirt and blue pants with ornate silver shinguards. A Charnabal saber was sheathed at his hip and a plasma pistol in  his shoulder holster.

“And you brought a young lady this time! I would have preferred Lady Philone, but I love meeting new people!” Graves said with a hearty laugh.

“My name is Vesta Augustus.”  she said.

Graves  bowed.

“Alessander Graves, Rogue Trader and scounderal of Segmentum Obscurus at your service.”

He shook Vesta’s hand.

“You have a firm handshake my dear.” Graves said.

“Thank you sir.” Vesta said.

Graves laughed like a melodic horse. She found his laugh annoying,but she liked him much better than many of the Rogue Traders who had come into her father's court.

“In terms of Astartes wargear I don’t have much.  I recovered some suits of MKIII power armor from one of the Corpse Grinders Destroyers.    A few Bolters and Chainswords, some autocannons, and a couple of Plasma guns.”

“What kind of condition are they in?”

“It varies.  Some are just worth their weight in scrap, others look fresh from Mars.”

“Mind if I take a look?” Boian asked.

“It’s your coin old friend.” Alessander said.

Boian nodded and strode to a room in the back of a store.

Alessander stared at Vesta.

“Oh! Before I forget, “ He led Vesta to a stasis field.

Inside was a  suit of Power Armor.  The chest and shoulders  was clearly from a suit  MK1  Thunder power that were adapted for a regular sized human.  The legs pieces were Carapace armor.  The gauntlets were smooth grey Ceramite, untouched by war. A purple cloak woven th gold with threads of gold was draped over the armor shoulders.

It was the most beautiful thing Vesta had ever seen.

Haar felt his breath hitch,

“Is that-”

“A voidsheen cloak, aye.”

Alessander looked at Vesta.

“Well put it on  lass! You're gonna be wearing it! For throne's sake you're running around with a Blackshield! You're going to  need more protection than that pretty sword of yours.”

Before Vesta moved to deactivate the stasis field, she had to  ask one question.

“Do you sell black  paint?”

Refugee Camp  TK57-1128-117-2224-A was just one of many refugee camps that had sprung up on Terra when the galaxy caught fire.  The Emperor in his infinite wisdom had guided Kal Jakar here.

Laden with Rucksacks full of food that wasn't nutrient paste and liquid electrolyte packets, toys and clothing, Kal Jakar strode into  the camp.  

Many of the refugees wore tattered clothing and had thin faces.

Kar Jakar wordlessly  began distributing the supplies.  

There was fear on some of the faces.  An Astartes, one in blackened armor distributing supplies ? In what universe did that happen?  Astartes were gene-forged killers, murderers conquers.  They burned worlds with a smile beneath the helms.  

When did Astartes show such  compassion?

When did an Astartes act Human?

Once the supplies was distributed he walked among the camp, blessing the refugees.  He taught children how to read.  He helped clean the camp to  prevent disease spreading.

As he was leading a small group of refugees in prayer, Kal heard the clanking of Ceramite on  rough dirt.

It was an Imperial Fist.  A veteran judging by the heraldic cross on his right shoulder pad.  He bore the insignia of a breacher legionnaire, as if the boarding shield and modified Tigrus pattern bolter didn’t distinguish it.  A Two handed Power Sword with a silver cross hilt rested in a scabbard of black Inwit leather  Judging by his unit markings and laurel insignia the legionnaire was  the sergeant  of the 5th Breacher Siege Squad of the 30th company, 7th Battalion of the Second Shield Corp of the First Sphere.  

The Legionnaire removed his Mark III helm ,revealing a scarred face with  close cropped  black hair and eyes the color of Terra’s drained oceans.  

He reached into  a bolt pistol magazine and removed  a tattered Lectio Divinitatus chapbook.

“My Wall Brother believed  in this faith.  He prayed to the Emperor as he dyed to the poisoned blade of an Alpha Legionnaire. “

The Legionnaire's face curled.

“I wish to  know more,  I need guidance.  Horus draws closer to Terra.  I need to know Chaplain. Does He protect?  Does the Emperor Protect?!”

Tears streaked down his face and great sobs racked the Space Marine’s body.  A little girl no more than eight Terran years put a hand on his shoulder pad.  She had the same blue eyes as him and long messy blond hair.  She wore a blue dress and had a blue bow in her hair.

The Imperial Fist looked at the child than at Kal Jakar.

“He does protect.  In ways you cannot possibly imagine.  Tell me brother, what is your name?’

“It is Emetris, I am stationed at Daylight Wall.”

“Will you pray with us Emetris?” Kal Jakar asked.

Emetris looked around at the refugees, than at Kal Jakar.

“ I will Chaplain.”

Danek felt something burrowing under the sheets.  His eyes snapped open.  

Asclepius was snuggled next to him .  His breathing was steady.

Danek felt a cough in his throat and forced it down.  He reached for the glass of water and the pills on  a small bronze tray.

After, he got the water and pills down his  burned throat he looked at the sheets and then held a hand under his nose.  No blood on the clean white sheets or the furs.  That was some improvement.      

He turned and his diminishing eyesight picked out little Aella laying next to Asclepius.

“How’d you get in here little one?” Danek asked

“Picked the lock. I learned to do that yesterday.”

“And how was today?” he layed back down.  Aella snuggled next to him and engulfed herself in the pile of furs and cotton sheets.

“Paperwork, classes, The Emperor set his hair on fire again. Valdor and Lady Arlette were bickering again, Amon gave us some cake from the palace kitchens, We got to practice with our Guardian Spears again, but it wasn’t as fun because we weren’t shooting at Tribune Ra. ”

“Maybe tomorrow you’ll shoot at  Prefect Diocletian.” Danek rasped.  He’d half to  get his augmetics checked tomorrow.

“ Maybe.” She said with a yawn.

“Are you feeling better?” she asked.

Danek felt warmth blossom in what was left of his chest.

“I am now.”

[mfmagazine]

Cake

Article by Kelli Kickham

Photo by Robert McKnight

In 1991, John McCrea formed Cake. Little could he have know what the next 20 years would lead to-- being repetitively on the Modern Rock Tracks music chart, band members leaving and making way for new musicians, and going from being independent artists to being on a big label back to doing things on their own.

While you may remember Cake for their earlier singles (Rock ‘n’ Roll Lifestyle, The Distance, Short Skirt/Long Jacket), they aren’t slowing down one bit. The band released Showroom of Compassion in January, which debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 charts, something they’ve never done before.

We had the privilege of talking to the infinitely talented, if not a bit drowsy, guitarist Xan McCurdy about the band: interests outside of music, how things have changed over the past two decades, and what it’s like to go from a big label to starting your own.

Without further ado, here’s the interview you’ve been waiting for your entire life (or, at least, since you started reading this a couple of minutes ago).

How are you doing?

I’m doing really great because I woke up 5 minutes ago from the best sleep I’ve had in weeks. And all I’ve been doing for the past five minutes is going over what formula of events and food and drink items that I had yesterday that could add up to such a lovely slumber.

That sounds fantastic. Have you come to any conclusions yet?

No, no. I mean, I can’t think of anything. I think I had a pretty good exercise day, I walked a lot and ate healthy food.

That is always a good. You recently toured in Europe, and right before you left you appeared on Letterman, how was that experience?

It was fun, we hadn’t been on Letterman in a while, so it was great to do it again. We felt really lucky because now that we’re not on a major label anymore we don’t have those ties to the big media outlets as much. There’s no relationship we have with the people who book those things. It’s just sort of like,we say, “Hey...you think maybe, because we did it before..?” and hope they’re cool enough about it to let us come back.

Once you were there,  was there anything really exciting that happened?

The guests on the show were really great. It was Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. And Julia Roberts, when she was on air, she said nice stuff about us. We were just watching from the back room going, “Wow, this is crazy.” I think Cake is not really, for some people and critics, all that “safe” to like.

Right. There are always critics. Some of them critiqued your cover of “I Will Survive,” calling it a put-down to the original.

Well, everything is open to interpretation, and they misinterpreted it. There’s not a lot you can do. It’s not a put down, and anytime John did an interview around that time he was really vehement saying that it wasn’t a put down. You know, I think people have an issue with the timbre of his voice, really. He is singing a lot of that stuff. Of course there are songs, like “Short Skirt” and “The Distance,” for example, where he is speaking those words. He’s adding tonal inflection, for sure, but there’s no real distinct melody. But a huge majority of the songs he is singing. He just has a type of voice that’s not like (sing-songy) “I’m siiiinging!” It’s just the nature of it, and I think it’s cool.

But that’s also why Cake’s fans like them so much, because it’s so different from everything else that’s put in front of them. Speaking of which, your music is so diverse in terms of genre. To what do you attribute the unique blend?

We’re all different. James is a trumpet player, and he spent a lot of time in school learning classical pieces and apparently listened to punk rock outside of that. I mean, we all have a lot of  varied taste.  You know what I think it is? I think in this day in age, you have access to so much music that everyone listens to more than one type. We’ve all listened to a lot of music, and we’re up for anything. Bring it.

And then you don’t have to worry so much about being pigeon-holed.

Exactly. John writes these songs, primarily. He could enforce some sort of limits, but instead he encourages us to write parts. Because that’s what he does with us. He’s got his four chords and his melody and a lyric and he goes, “Now what?” And from there each of us will try anything. We’re all coming from different directions, so you can get some weird stuff. It’s a free kind of approach to music, which I think we all want.

Do you feel like anything has changed over the past 20 years in how you work together?

We’re always getting better and more comfortable doing what we do together. We’re better at working at our studio, which really helps in being able to convey each other’s ideas more efficiently. It’s becoming a little more seamless of a working relationship now that we know the rhythm of things.

When you were working on Showroom of Compassion, where there many outside parties involved?

There was no one else involved. It was just us. And then we had mastering engineers the last two days.

How did you like the recording environment with just the band?

It’s great. We weren’t “on the clock” so much. Once you’re done with the album, and you’ve all decided that you done, you feel like you did it. Then if it fails miserably, you can blame yourself. And if it does OK, you can pat yourself on the back, which we don’t do very often. But we did this time.

How long were you in the studio?

About two years.

Wow. That’s long time.

Yeah, we treated it like a day job. We went to work at 9 or 10 am and left at 6 or 7 at night. We spent eight hours a day there everyday Monday through Friday. We got to try lots of options and play with it. We weren’t on a major label that was telling us we had to have a release out soon, so we got to learn how to explore different ways to work in the studio. Plus, we got to work on a lot of other things that weren’t in the album that we can use later.

When you spend eight hours a day with the same five people, does it ever feel a little claustrophobic?

Oh, yeah. Of course. But we’re all really polite to each other. So if anyone is starting to feel like that, you go take a walk. Our little studio was just a bunch of gear thrown into a tiny house in the Bay area. So you can take a walk, go grab a coffee, and come back refreshed.

It’s understandable. You were there enough that you might as well have lived there.

I actually did live there. This house is in Sacramento, and everyone else lives there or in the area, but I lived in Portland, Oregon. So I flew down and I stayed there five days a week and then usually I would stay two days with friends and family in the area.

Wow! So you spent eight hours a week working there, and then you would just go upstairs?

Well, it was a one story house. So I would walk twelve feet to the bed. Everyone else would go home and I’d be pretty much stuck there. I would actually continue working because I was bored.

Well, that’s really gas efficient.

Yeah, my carbon footprint was pretty much nonexistent. And the studio is even solar-powered.

How did it feel to get back into the swing of normal life after two years in the studio?

Well, you go from being in the house working on songs at arm’s length everyday, to then getting on an airplane with everybody, and then getting into the van with everybody, and then into the dressing room with everybody, and then onto the stage with everybody, and then back into the dressing room...I think it’s just a different job all of the sudden. You get into the flow of writing and producing everyday. And then suddenly you aren’t making music anymore, you’re performing it. You’re playing with everyone with precision on a stage every night and not screwing up while people are yelling and stuff. It’s a completely different gig. One day you’re sitting in chairs in a room, and the next you’re in this loud chaos. People are telling you they really think you’re great, and then they’re also throwing bottles at you. Then you have to be a little bit of a personality. We have to put on some sort of face. I think it’s an interesting switch of jobs, going from the job that’s totally private to the one that’s totally public.

Do you prefer one, or do you just like that you get to switch it up?

I definitely like switching it up, but if i had to pick one, performing music on stage with other people is really enjoyable. And then you get to see people who appreciate your work... there’s nothing better, it’s really fantastic. Especially when you’ve been working in the studio for two years.  Then, when you’re done, eight months later people are listening to it. You don’t know how it’s going to be received. You know you like it and you think it’s great. But then you see people like it, because they’re clapping or dancing or smiling or whatever, it’s a really big perk of the job. A lot of people don’t get that-- they work in a toy shop and make toys, and then they get shipped off somewhere else. We get the satisfaction of seeing people receive what we’ve made.

Well, you just got to see people’s reaction in Europe. How were you received?

Europe was great. We were nervous. You know, we hadn’t been to Europe in a long time. So, we have no idea what our musical currency is at this point. You know, it fades if you don’t kind of keep it up and keep coming back. But it was a great reaction. We had a great time.

What was the most memorable thing that happened, music related or not?

We had some time off to site-see. We got to see the Acropolis in Greece. Me and James, the bass player, hiked up the hill to see it, and it was beautiful and ancient.  We also all went to rent a bike, for free, in Zurich. And we rode around the lake there and swam in it. What was very cool, is the last night we were there, we were in Liege, in Belgium, and we opened for Snoop Dog at a festival. Can you believe that?

No way!

Yeah, it was really fun. I had a good time with this guy named Carl Barât, who used to play in a band called the Libertines. And we watched Snoop Dog, which was a lot of fun to see up close. And then seeing him backstage with this amazing line of photo-ops, which I think he was somewhat obligated to give. He’s such a pop-culture icon, getting a picture with him is a big deal.

That would go right up on your Facebook.

That’s your Facebook for the rest of your life, are you kidding? People would get, like, a tattoo on their chest of that picture, “This is me and Snoop Dog. What?”

Would you get a tattoo on your chest of you and Snoop Dog?

I didn’t do it. I’m not the type of person to go up to people and hassle them with... well, not anything really.

That’s such an odd mix, you guys and Snoop Dog.

Yeah, it’s a European thing I think. Before us was a pretty heavy rock band.

Aside from playing, do you guys do much together?

You know, not really, we’re all getting older. A lot of it’s family-oriented. Everyone in the band besides the drummer Paulo and myself have kids. But, I mean, when we’re on the road we like to go see concerts together.  Last time we were all in Australia we went to dinner and went to go see George Clinton, which was really fun. And then we all like to go bike ride sometimes.

Is everyone in the band really active?

You know, being in vans and hotel rooms, you just wear yourself out. I always think that if I get some exercise during the day, I come to the show really feeling sharp. If you just sleep through the day, you never really wake up.

Do you do things outside besides exercise?

Vince is mostly the site-seer. He does something for our website called the Road Journal. He films things that happen to us, and that’s really cool.

Do you ever use the gyms at the hotels?

You know, I prefer to be outside, but I always find out if there’s a gym at the hotel. But, you know, sometimes the gyms are great, but a lot of times you go to their “fitness center” and they have a exercise bike from like 1984 and one dumbbell that weighs nine lbs and one that weighs 40 lbs. It’s ridiculous.

Well, then you can all five go to the gym and share the nine lbs dumbbell, right?

Yeah, “spot me, John, spot me!”

But sometimes the gyms are OK, right?

Yeah. And we’ll use them. It’s good for your head. And it also keeps you from getting fat. But, really, mainly for your head.

So when you go out on the road, do you bring anything that you’re really attached to?

You know, I try not to take anything really special with me. Things on the road so often get lost or broken. Except, of course, my guitar.

Yeah, that’s probably a requirement.

Definitely. But anything super special, like if I had a talisman or a vial of my great-grandmother’s ashes... I would never take anything I couldn’t live without. Too many things could happen.

What about when you’re at home. Do you have anything that you feel like you couldn’t live without?

Hmmm... a favorite thing that I own, that is so special to me. I mean, I’m a guitar player. I have a guitar that I absolutely adore. Sometimes people ask if they can borrow it at a gig and I say, “not that one.”  It’s this beautiful Gibson SG that’s exactly like the one that Angus Young would play. And it’s from 1968 and it’s really fantastic and it’s beautiful.  It’s the best guitar in the world for me. I wish I could play it on the road, but it’s too easy for it to be lost, or stolen, or broken. So I only play that when we’re close to Portland. It’s too valuable for me to take far from home.

[interfaithconnect]

Would Sikhs be considered Noahides according to Judaism?

Shalom and Sat Sri Akal! This is a really interesting and exciting question for us. We both (Mod Elana and Mod Lily) had to research Noahidism in order to answer this question, so please forgive us if we make any mistakes.

From our understanding, Noahides are goyim who live in accordance with the Seven Laws of Noah. Although only Jews must abide by Halacha (Jewish law), goyim living in Jewish states or societies are nonetheless required to abide by these laws. There are many ways to restate and reinterpret the Seven Laws of Noah, but in simplistic terms they are as follows:

Believe in one God and do not worship false idols.

Do not blaspheme or speak ill of God.

Do not murder.

Do not engage in illicit sexual relations.

Do not steal.

Do not eat meat from an animal while it is still alive.

Establish courts and legal systems to ensure obedience to the preceding six laws.

From what we’ve read, there’s at least two ways to use the label “Noahide.” The first is a self-identifier, applied to themselves by some goyim who wish to be spiritually closer to Judaism but who are not inoculated into the Jewish tribe. The second is used by Jews to describe goyim who live in accordance with these Seven Laws, irrespective of whether they want to be closer to Judaism or not or whether they identify with the label or not.

Under the first definition of a Noahide, there could certainly be such a thing as a Sikh Noahide, i.e. a Sikh who wishes to be spiritually closer to Judaism but who is not a Jew. Such a Sikh would likely modify their practice in such a way that more closely aligned with the principles expressed in the Seven Laws of Noah.

Under the second definition of a Noahide, however, it is not easy to apply such a concept to Sikhi. The Seven Laws of Noah are expressed in the form of commands and prohibitions (“thou shalts” and “thou shalt nots”), but there is no such corresponding concept as “Sikh law.” There is no direct Sikh parallel to Halacha (Jewish law). Rather than laws or commandments, Sikh beliefs and principles are meant to be inferred and interpreted by reading and pondering poetic scriptures. The word Sikkh (ਸਿੱਖ) itself means “learner”, and Sikkhī (ਸਿੱਖੀ) means “way of learning”. According to Sikh philosophy, teaching believers to follow laws is less effective than teaching believers to discover them. Right action (ਧਰਮ dharam) is not explicitly stated, but rather, intimated through poetry. Upon contemplating this poetry, the learner (Sikh) will discover and truly understand the dharam of Waheguru. In her book Sikhism: An Introduction, Nikki-Guninder Kaur Singh writes:

“The text [Sri Guru Granth Sahib] does not give any direct injunctions. Neither is it prescriptive, nor proscriptive. The Gurus offered only sublime poetry with intimations, which, more than rules, has the capacity to reach the inner recesses of the mind and bring about social change.” – Nikki-Guninder Kaur Singh, Sikhism: An Introduction (2011), p. 104

There is a Sikh code of conduct called the Rehat Maryada, “Code of Discipline”, but its contents are not meant to be ethical guidelines. Instead, the Rehat Maryada provides guidance on practical aspects of Sikh practice such as the maintenance of Gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) and proper Sikh dress code. The scope of the Rehat Maryada does not cover ethical principles, but rather pragmatic ones.

Because there’s no transparent legal code governing Sikhi, it’s hard to say if Sikhs “are Noahides.” Noahidism is expressed in the form of laws, but Sikhi governs by teaching dharam, not commanding it. One Sikh might be a Noahide and live by these laws, but another might not be. It depends on what these Sikhs have learned or discovered to be Waheguru’s dharam. There are, of course, correct and incorrect ways to interpret Sri Guru Granth Sahib, but much of it is quite ambiguous and interpretable in many ways. I (Mod Lily) am going to go through each of the Seven Laws of Noah and do my best to provide scriptural support for these laws where applicable, but with the caveat that applying any kind of “laws” to Sikhi is often a difficult, ill-fated endeavor.

NOTE: Mod Lily apologizes in advance for the many errors she has surely made in transcribing Gurbani. She is rather clumsy when typing in Gurmukhi and hopes that astute readers will forgive her for any mistakes.

1. Believe in one God and do not worship false idols.

Of all the Seven Laws, this one most unambiguously applies to Sikhi. Sikhi is unflinchingly monotheistic. The name Waheguru itself (the Sikh name for the Divine) consists of ਵਾਹਿ wāhe (“singular, supreme, incomparable”) + ਗੁਰੂ gurū (“master, teacher, illuminator”). The very first verse of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, known as the Mūl Mantar (“Fundamental Mantra”), states:

ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥One Infinite Divine whose Name is Truth. The Creator and Sculptor of All. Fearless, hateless. Timeless and undying. Unborn, self-existent, self-illuminated; by Guru’s grace. - SGGS p. 1

The symbol ੴ (Ik Onkar), meaning One Divinity or One Universal Truth/Being/Entity, appears dozens of times throughout Sri Guru Granth Sahib. It adorns every Gurdwara (Sikh place of worship) and is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Sikh faith. ੴ serves to remind Sikhs of Waheguru’s Oneness. This Oneness is impossible to overstate. Throughout Sri Guru Granth Sahib, it is emphasized that there is quite literally nothing in existence besides Waheguru. According to Sikh belief, Waheguru pervades and permeates all of creation, and all of creation is intimately connected to the Divine:

ਤੋਹੀ ਮੋਹੀ ਮੋਹੀ ਤੋਹੀ ਅੰਤਰੁ ਕੈਸਾ ॥ ਕਨਕ ਕਟਿਕ ਤਰੰਗ ਜੈਸਾ ॥੧॥You are me, I am you; what is the difference between us? We are like gold and the bracelet, or water and the waves. - SGGS p. 93

ਤੂੰ ਪੇਡੁ ਸਾਖ ਤੇਰੀ ਫੂਲੀ ॥ ਤੂੰ ਸੂਖਮੁ ਹੋਆ ਅਸਥੂਲੀ ॥ ਤੂੰ ਜਲਨਿਧਿ ਤੂੰ ਫੇਨੁ ਬੁਦਬੁਦਾ ਤੁਧੁ ਬਿਨੁ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਭਾਲੀਐ ਜੀਉ ॥੧॥O Waheguru, You are like a big tree, and this world is the blossoming branches. You are the subtle essence, which has become tangible. You are like the ocean, and this world is like bubbles and froth arising from it. Except You I do not see anything else. - SGGS p. 102

As far as idolatry is concerned, Sikhs are not to worship any physical symbols of the Divine. We have many symbols and images which remind us of our faith, such as the previously mentioned ੴ (Ik Onkar), but we are not to pay worship or tribute to anyone or anything but Waheguru. (NOTE: I include the following verse only for elaboration on the agreements between Sikhi and the Seven Laws of Noah. This blog serves a hugely diverse group of people with a wide range of beliefs, and I would never to wish to antagonize those faiths which do place immense value on paying tribute to idols, shrines, and other representations of the Divine.)

ਪਾਤੀ ਤੋਰੈ ਮਾਲਿਨੀ ਪਾਤੀ ਪਾਤੀ ਜੀਉ ॥ ਜਿਸੁ ਪਾਹਨ ਕਉ ਪਾਤੀ ਤੋਰੈ ਸੋ ਪਾਹਨ ਨਿਰਜੀਉ ॥੧॥ ਭੂਲੀ ਮਾਲਨੀ ਹੈ ਏਉ ॥ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਜਾਗਤਾ ਹੈ ਦੇਉ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਪਾਤੀ ਬਿਸਨੁ ਡਾਰੀ ਫੂਲ ਸੰਕਰਦੇਉ ॥ ਤੀਨਿ ਦੇਵ ਪ੍ਰਤਖਿ ਤੋਰਹਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਕਿਸ ਕੀ ਸੇਉ ॥੨॥ ਪਾਖਾਨ ਗਢਿ ਕੈ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਕੀਨ੍ੀ ਦੇ ਤੈ ਛਾਤੀ ਪਾਉ ॥ ਜੇ ਏਹ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਸਾਚੀ ਹੈ ਤਉ ਗੜ੍ਹਣਾਹਰੇ ਖਾਉ ॥੩॥ ਭਾਤੁ ਪਹਿਤਿ ਅਰੁ ਲਾਪਸੀ ਕਰਕਰਾ ਕਾਸਾਰੁ ॥ ਭੋਗਨਹਾਰੇ ਭੋਗਿਆ ਇਸੁ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਕੇ ਮੁਖ ਛਾਰੁ ॥੪॥You tear off the leaves, O gardener, but in each and every leaf, there is life. That stone idol, for which you tear off those leaves — that stone idol is lifeless. In this, you are mistaken, O gardener. The True Guru is the Living Lord. Brahma is in the leaves, Vishnu is in the branches, and Shiva is in the flowers. When you break these three gods, whose service are you performing? The sculptor carves the stone and fashions it into an idol, placing his feet upon its chest. If this stone god was true, it would devour the sculptor for this! Rice and beans, candies, cakes and goodies — the priest enjoys these, while he puts ashes into the mouth of the idol. - SGGS p. 479

2. Do not blaspheme or speak ill of God.

There is no direct injunction or intimation in Sikh scriptures against speaking ill of Waheguru. It is generally believed that Waheguru’s Glory is neither increased nor diminished by the words of humans. However, slander (ਨਿੰਦਾ nindā) is referenced and condemned dozens of times. Sikhs are to refrain from speaking ill of all others, not merely Waheguru.

ਪ੍ਰਥਮੇ ਛੋਡੀ ਪਰਾਈ ਨਿੰਦਾ ॥ ਉਤਰਿ ਗਈ ਸਭ ਮਨ ਕੀ ਚਿੰਦਾ ॥ ਲੋਭੁ ਮੋਹੁ ਸਭੁ ਕੀਨੋ ਦੂਰਿ ॥ ਪਰਮ ਬੈਸਨੋ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਪੇਖਿ ਹਜੂਰਿ ॥੧॥ ਐਸੋ ਤਿਆਗੀ ਵਿਰਲਾ ਕੋਇ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪੈ ਜਨੁ ਸੋਇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥First, I gave up slandering others. All of the anxiety of my mind was dispelled. Greed and attachment were totally banished. I see Waheguru ever-present, close at hand; I have become a great devotee. Such a renunciate is very rare. Such a humble servant chants the Name of the Divine, Har, Har. – SGGS p. 1147

Slander is seen as a very high offense in Sikhi, and slanderers are portrayed in Sri Guru Granth Sahib as pitiful, wretched figures. Those who slander are false, and do not know themselves; they are full of ego and selfishness (ਹਉਮੇ haume), and most importantly of all, they are unhappy. One who does not slander or speak ill of others realizes that all are connected to Waheguru, and remains happy and blissful while the slanderer is lost in anger and vitriol.

ਨਿੰਦਕ ਕਾ ਕਹਿਆ ਕੋਇ ਨ ਸਾਨੈ ॥ ਨਿੰਦਕ ਝੂਠੁ ਬੋਲਿ ਪਛੁਤਾਨੇ ॥ ਹਾਥ ਪਥੋਰਹਿ ਸਿਰੁ ਧਰਨਿ ਲਗਾਹਿ ॥ ਨਿੰਦਕ ਕਉ ਦਈ ਛੋਡੈ ਨਾਹਿ ॥੨॥ ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਦਾਸੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਬੁਰਾ ਨ ਮਾਗੈ ॥ ਨਿੰਦਕ ਕਉ ਲਾਗੈ ਦੁਖ ਸਾਂਗੈ ॥ ਬਗੁਲੇ ਜਿਉ ਰਹਿਆ ਪੰਖ ਪਸਾਰਿ ॥ ਮੁਖ ਤੇ ਬੋਲਿਆ ਤਾਂ ਕਢਿਆ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥੩॥No one believes what the slanderer says. The slanderer tells lies, and later regrets and repents. He wrings his hands, and his his head against the ground. The Lord does not forgive the slanderer. The Lord’s slave does not wish anyone ill. The slanderer suffers, as if stabbed by a spear. Like a crane, he spreads his feathers, to look like a swan. When he speaks with his mouth, then he is exposed and driven out. - SGGS p. 1152

Only one passage makes explicit reference to “slandering the Saints”, the closest which Sri Guru Granth Sahib comes to discussing the notion of blasphemy.

ਸੰਤ ਕੀ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਜੋਨੀ ਭਵਨਾ ॥ ਸੰਤ ਕੀ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਰੋਗੀ ਕਰਨਾ ॥ ਸੰਤ ਕੀ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਦੂਖ ਸਹਾਮ ॥ ਡਾਨੁ ਦੈਤ ਨਿੰਦਕ ਕਉ ਜਾਮ ॥੧॥ ਸੰਤਸੰਗਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਜੋ ਬਾਦੁ ॥ ਤਿਨ ਨਿੰਦਕ ਨਾਹੀ ਕਿਛੁ ਸਾਦੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥Slandering the Saints, the mortal wanders in reincarnation. Slandering the Saints, he is diseased. Slandering the Saints, he suffers in pain. The slanderer is punished by the Messenger of Death. Those who argue and fight with the Saints — those slanderers find no happiness at all. - SGGS p. 1145

3. Do not murder.

Sikhs have great respect for the intrinsic value of life, from the smallest ant to the largest elephant. Even water itself is described as a living thing in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Because all living things are connected to one another as siblings and children of Waheguru, causing unnecessary pain to living things is considered a heinous act. Killing others, especially in the name of God or faith, is condemned.

ਰੋਜਾ ਧਰੈ ਮਨਾਵੈ ਅਲਹੁ ਸੁਆਦਤਿ ਜੀਅ ਸੰਘਾਰੈ ॥ ਆਪਾ ਦੇਖਿ ਅਵਰ ਨਹੀ ਦੇਖੈ ਕਾਹੇ ਕਉ ਝਖ ਸਾਰੈ ॥੧॥You keep your fasts to please Allah, while you murder other beings for pleasure. You look after your own interests, and do not see the interests of others. What good is your word? - SGGS p. 483

ਜੀਅ ਬਧਹੁ ਸੁ ਧਰਮੁ ਕਰਿ ਥਾਪਹੁ ਅਧਰਮੁ ਕਹਹੁ ਕਤ ਭਾਈ ॥ ਆਪਸ ਕਉ ਮੁਨਿਵਰ ਕਰਿ ਥਾਪਹੁ ਕਾ ਕਉ ਕਹਹੁ ਕਸਾਈ ॥੨॥You kill living beings, and call it a righteous action. Tell me, brother, what would you call an unrighteous action? You call yourself the most excellent sage; then who would you call a butcher? - SGGS p. 1103

ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀਅ ਜੁ ਮਾਰਹਿ ਜੋਰੁ ਕਰਿ ਕਹਤੇ ਹਹਿ ਜੁ ਹਲਾਲੁ ॥ ਦਫਤਰੁ ਦਈ ਜਬ ਕਾਢਿ ਹੈ ਦੋਇਗਾ ਕਉਨੁ ਹਵਾਲੁ ॥੧੯੯॥ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੋਰੁ ਕੀਅ ਸੋ ਜੁਲਮੁ ਹੈ ਲੇਇ ਜਬਾਬੁ ਖੁਦਾਇ ॥ ਦਫਤਰਿ ਲੇਖਾ ਨੀਕਸੈ ਮਾਰ ਮੁਹੈ ਮੁਹਿ ਖਾਇ ॥੨੦੦॥Kabir, they oppress living beings and kill them, and it call it proper. When the Lord calls for their account, what will their condition be? Kabir, it is tyranny to use force; the Lord shall call you to account. When your account is called for, your face and mouth shall be beaten. - SGGS p. 1375

However, Sikhi is not a pacifist religion and Sikhs are not necessarily called to nonviolence. Sikhs believe that violence is acceptable only if it is an act of defense of the self or of others. Sikhi teaches that the only time when violence is acceptable is to defend innocents from evil which would seek to kill them first.

ਕਬੀਰ ਸੋਈ ਮਾਰੀਐ ਜਿਹ ਮੂਐ ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਭਲੋ ਭਲੋ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਕਹੈ ਬੁਰੋ ਨ ਮਾਨੈ ਕੋਇ ॥੯॥ ਕਬੀਰ ਰਾਤੀ ਹੋਵਹਿ ਕਾਕੀਆ ਕਾਰੇ ਊਭੇ ਜੰਤ ॥ ਲੈ ਫਾਹੇ ਉਠਿ ਧਾਵਤੇ ਸਿ ਜਾਨਿ ਮਾਰੇ ਭਗਵੰਤ ॥੧੦॥Kabir, kill only that, which, when killed, shall bring peace. Everyone shall call you good, and no one shall think you are bad. Kabir, the night is dark, and men go about doing their dark deeds. They take the noose and run around; but rest assured that God shall destroy them. - SGGS p. 1364-5

4. Do not engage in illicit sexual activities.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib makes frequent reference to the “five thieves”, or ਪੰਜ ਚੋਰ (panj cor): conceit (ਅਹੰਕਾਰ ahankār), greed (ਲੋਭ lobh), anger (ਕ੍ਰੋਧ krodh), attachment (ਮੋਹ moh), and lust (ਕਾਮ kām). These thieves steal one’s happiness, and lead people away from Waheguru into suffering (ਦੁੱਖ dukkh). They are not “sins”, but rather vices which bring emotional and spiritual pain to people who practice them. Replacing these thieves with the “five virtues” is the path to unwavering happiness (ਚੜਦੀ ਕਲਾ caṛdī kalā): truth (ਸਤ sat), contenment (ਸੰਤੋਖ santokh), compassion (ਦਇਆ dayā), humility (ਨਿਮਰਤਾ nimartā), and love (ਪਿਆਰ pyār).

Lust is condemned many times throughout Sri Guru Granth Sahib, portrayed as one of the thieves who steal one’s mind away from remembrance of Waheguru. However, Sikhi does not elaborate as much on the topic of lust and sexuality as Judaism does, so I cannot say for certain whether “illicit sexual activities” under Jewish law would be considered “illicit” by Sikh teachings. One teaching that Sikhi is clear on is that adultery (having sex with the spouse or significant other of another) is a spiritual poison:

ਦਿਨੁ ਦਿਨੁ ਕਰਤ ਭੋਜਨ ਬਹੁ ਬਿੰਜਨ ਤਾ ਕੀ ਮਿਟੈ ਨ ਭੂਖਾ ॥ ਉਦਮੁ ਕਰੈ ਸੁਆਨ ਕੀ ਨਿਆਈ ਚਾਰੇ ਕੁੰਟਾ ਘੋਖਾ ॥੨॥ ਕਾਮਵੰਤ ਕਾਮੀ ਬਹੁ ਨਾਰੀ ਪਰ ਗ੍ਰਿਹ ਜੋਹ ਨ ਚੂਕੈ ॥ ਦਿਨ ਪ੍ਰਤਿ ਕਰੈ ਕਰੈ ਪਛੁਤਾਪੈ ਸੋਗ ਲੋਭ ਮਹਿ ਸੂਕੈ ॥੩॥Day after day, he eats his meals with many different foods, but his hunger is not eradicated. He runs around like a dog, searching in the four directions. The lustful, lecherous man desires many women, and he never stops peeking into the homes of others. Day after day, he commits adultery again and again, and then he regrets his actions; he wastes away in misery and greed. - SGGS p. 672

Beyond this, Sikhi’s teachings on sexual conduct are rather vague. The Five Thieves are referenced dozens of times in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, but lust is rarely elaborated upon on its own; almost always, when lust is described, it is grouped together with the other Thieves. When lust is discussed on its own, it is described quite painfully:

ਮਿਥਨ ਮੋਹ ਅਗਨਿ ਸੋਕ ਸਾਗਰ ॥ ਕਰਿ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਉਧਰੁ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਗਰ ॥੧॥Attachment to sex is an ocean of fire and pain. By Your Grace, O Waheguru, please save me from it. - SGGS p. 760

It can be inferred from Sri Guru Granth Sahib that excessive obsession and addiction to sex are great spiritual poisons, but beyond adultery does not describe what constitutes an “illicit sex act”. Traditionally and culturally, there are plenty of taboos around sex and sexuality among Sikhs, such as abstaining from sex until marriage and opposition to homosexuality, but there is no unambiguous scriptural basis for these things. On a personal note, while trying to find scriptural quotes dealing with this topic, I was startled to realize just how vague Sikhi’s teachings are regarding sexuality, considering how entrenched Sikh culture can unfortunately be in the policing of sex and sexuality.

5. Do not steal.

There aren’t many literal references to thievery in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Most of the time, thievery is used as a metaphorical device to describe spiritual degradation, such as the Five Thieves. Whether literally or metaphorically, thievery is particularly associated with the vice of greed. Materialism and greed, according to Sikh scriptures, are useless, because one’s wealth and physical things will waste away and leave, but one’s love for Waheguru will not disappear even in death.

ਅਗਨਿ ਨ ਦਹੈ ਪਵਨੁ ਨਹੀ ਮਗਨੈ ਤਸਕਰੁ ਨੇਰਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ॥ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਧਨੁ ਕਰਿ ਸੰਚਉਨੀ ਸੋ ਧਨੁ ਕਤ ਹੀ ਨ ਜਾਵੈ ॥੧॥Fire does not burn it, and the wind does not blow it away; thieves cannot get near it. Accumulate the wealth of the Lord’s Name; that wealth does not go anywhere. - SGGS p. 336

ਸੋ ਧਨੁ ਵਖਰੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਰਿਦੈ ਹਮਾਰੈ ॥ ਜਿਸੁ ਤੂ ਦੇਹਿ ਤਿਸੈ ਨਿਸਤਾਰੈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਨ ਇਹੁ ਧਨੁ ਜਲੈ ਨ ਤਸਕਰੁ ਲੈ ਜਾਇ ॥ ਨ ਇਹੁ ਧਨੁ ਡੂਬੈ ਨ ਇਸੁ ਧਨ ਕਉ ਮਿਲੈ ਸਜਾਇ ॥੨॥That commodity, the wealth of the Naam, is within my heart. Whoever You bless with it, is emancipated. This wealth does not burn; it cannot be stolen by a thief. This wealth does not drown, and its owner is never punished. Gaze upon the glorious greatness of this wealth, and your nights and days will pass, imbued with celestial peace. - SGGS p. 991

When literal references to thievery are made, thievery is usually juxtaposed with charity. While the stealing of material goods is condemned, the giving of them is praised.

ਹਕੁ ਪਰਾਇਆ ਨਾਨਕ ਉਸੁ ਸੂਅਰ ਉਸੁ ਗਾਇ ॥ ਗੁਰੁ ਪੀਰੁ ਹਾਮਾ ਤਾ ਭਰੇ ਜਾ ਮੁਰਦਾਰੁ ਨ ਖਾਇ ॥To take what rightfully belongs to another, is like a Muslim eating pork, or a Hindu eating beef. Our Guru, our Guide, stands by us, if we do do not eat those carcasses. - SGGS p. 141

ਜੇ ਮੋਹਾਕਾ ਘਰੁ ਮੁਹੈ ਘਰੁ ਮੁਹਿ ਪਿਤਰੀ ਦੇਇ ॥ ਅਗੈ ਵਸਤੁ ਸਿਵਾਣੀਐ ਪਿਤਰੀ ਚੋਰ ਕਰੇਇ ॥ ਵਢੀਅਹਿ ਪਥ ਦਲਾਲ ਕੇ ਮੁਸਫੀ ਏਹ ਕਰੇਇ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਅਗੈ ਸੋ ਮਿਲੈ ਜਿ ਖਟੇ ਘਾਲੇ ਦੇਇ ॥੧॥The thief robs a house, and offers the stolen goods to his ancestors. In the world hereafter, this is recognized, and his ancestors are considered thieves as well. The hands of the go-between are cut off; this is the Divine’s justice. O Nanak, in the world hereafter, that alone is received which one gives to the needy from his own earnings and labor. - SGGS p. 472

6. Do not eat eat from an animal while it is still alive.

I’m unable to find any verses to this effect in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, though I believe most Sikhs would certainly find the idea abhorrent. Causing unnecessary harm to any creature is abhorrent to most Sikhs.

When Sikhs eat meat, we prefer to eat meat from animals which have been killed in a single instant with a single strike, so that the animal does not suffer needlessly. Meat killed in this way is called ਝਟਕਾ jhaṭkā. A very significant proportion of Sikhs practice vegetarianism, but Sikh scripture does not specifically require it. There are several verses which state that the eating of meat is not necessarily wrong, but rather a necessary part of the natural cycle of life from which humans are not exempt.

ਸੀਹਾ ਬਾਜਾ ਚਰਗਾ ਕੁਹੀਆ ਏਨਾ ਖਵਾਲੇ ਘਾਹ ॥ ਘਾਹੁ ਖਾਨਿ ਤਿਨਾ ਮਾਸੁ ਖਵਾਲੇ ਏਹਿ ਚਨਾਏ ਰਾਹ ॥ ਨਦੀਆ ਵਿਚਿ ਟਿਬੇ ਦੇਖਾਲੇ ਥਲੀ ਕਰੇ ਅਸਗਾਹ ॥ ਕੀੜਾ ਥਾਪਿ ਦੇਇ ਪਾਤਿਸਾਹੀ ਲਸਕਰ ਕਰੇ ਸੁਆਹ ॥ ਜੇਤੇ ਜੀਅ ਜੀਵਹਿ ਲੈ ਸਾਹਾ ਜੀਵਾਲੇ ਤਾ ਕਿ ਅਸਾਹ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਜਿਉ ਜਿਉ ਸਚੇ ਭਾਵੈ ਤਿਉ ਤਿਉ ਦੇਇ ਗਿਰਾਹ ॥੧॥Tigers, hawks, falcons and eagles — the Divine could make them eat grass. And those animals which eat grass — They could make them eat meat. He could make them follow this way of life. Waheguru could raise dry land from the rivers, and turn the deserts into bottomless oceans. They could appoint a worm as king, and reduce an army to ashes. All beings and creatures live by breathing, but They could keep us alive, even without the breath. O Nanak, as it please the True Divine, They give us sustenance. - SGGS p. 144

Knowingly eating meat from an animal which has been slaughtered in a slow and painful manner, known as ਕੁਠਾ kuṭhā, is one of the cardinal sins for which a Sikh can be excommunicated.

7. Establish courts and legal systems to ensure obedience to the preceding six laws.

This is the hardest of the Seven Laws to apply to Sikhi because Sikhi lacks “laws” comparable to those of Judaism. Sri Guru Granth Sahib does not suggest any kind of “Sikh government” or the creation of Sikh courts. Under the Rehat Maryada, there are laws and judiciary systems in place to admonish Sikhs who have committed a cardinal sin, such as the eating of kutha meat mentioned above. However, the Rehat Maryada is very limited in scope and applies only to Sikhs, and only baptized (Amritdhari) Sikhs at that. A common epithet for Waheguru is ਧਰਮ ਰਾਈ Dharam Rāī, “the Judge of Dharma (righteous action)”, and it is believed that only They can truly administer judgment and punishment. There is no true system of jurisprudence in Sikhi which would provide for the creation of such a legal system.

There is historical precedent of Sikhs not enforcing the first two laws: Believe in one God, and do not blaspheme Him. From the late 18th to early 19th centuries, the Sikh Empire existed in modern Punjab and other parts of South Asia, ruled by Maharaj Ranjit Singh, a titanic figure in Sikh history. During his reign, although it was the Sikh Empire, Sikhi was not the state religion and Maharaj Ranjit Singh did not impose Sikh beliefs or practices on his subjects. Instead, his court was famously diverse, including not only Sikhs but also Muslims, Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and even Christians and possibly Jews. Polytheistic and atheistic practices were tolerated and given equal legal status, and broad religious freedoms were put in place. Sikhs generally do not believe that it is right to govern or impose upon the religious practices and beliefs of other faiths, and Sri Guru Granth Sahib instructs us many times to tolerate and respect every faith.

ਕੋਈ ਬੋਲੈ ਰਾਮ ਰਾਮ ਕੋਈ ਖੁਦਾਇ ॥ ਕੋਈ ਸੇਵੈ ਗੁਸਈਏ ਕੋਈ ਅਲਾਹਿ ॥੧॥ ਕਾਰਣ ਕਰਣ ਕਰੀਮ ॥ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਧਾਰਿ ਰਹੀਮ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਕੋਈ ਨਾਵੈ ਤੀਰਥਿ ਕੋਈ ਹਜ ਜਾਇ ॥ ਕੋਈ ਕਰੈ ਪੂਜਾ ਕੋਈ ਸਿਰੁ ਨਿਵਾਇ ॥ ਕੋਈ ਪੜੈ ਬੇਦ ਕੋਈ ਕਤੇਬ ॥ ਕੋਈ ਓਢੈ ਨੀਲ ਕੋਈ ਸੁਪੇਦ ॥੩॥ ਕੋਈ ਕਹੈ ਕੁਰਕੁ ਕੋਈ ਕਹੈ ਹਿੰਦੂ ॥ ਕੋਈ ਬਾਛੈ ਭਿਸਤੁ ਕੋਈ ਸੁਰਗਿੰਦੂ ॥੪॥ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਜਿਨਿ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਪਛਾਤਾ ॥ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਕਾ ਤਿਲਿ ਭੇਦੁ ਜਾਤਾ ॥੫॥੯॥Some call Them ‘Raam, Raam’, and some call Them, ‘Khudaa-i’. Some serve Them as ‘Gusain’, others as ‘Allaah’. They are the Cause of Causes, the Generous Lord. They shower Their Grace and Mercy upon us. Some bathe at sacred shrines of pilgrimage, and some make pilgrimage to Mecca. Some perform devotional worship services, and bow their heads in prayer. Some read the Vedas, and some the Qur’an. Some wear blue robes, and some wear white. Some call themselves Muslim, and some call themselves Hindu. Some yearn for paradise, and others long for heaven. Says Nanak, one who realizes the Will of the Divine, knows the secrets of his Lord and Master. - SGGS p. 885

ਰਮਤ ਰਾਸ ਘਟ ਘਟ ਆਧਾਰ ॥ ਬਾਸੁਦੇਵ ਬਸਤਸਭ ਠਾਇ ॥ ਲੀਲਾ ਕਿਛੁ ਲਖੀ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥੪॥ ਮਿਹਰ ਦਇਆ ਕਰਿ ਕਰਨੈਹਾਰ ॥ ਭਗਤਿ ਬੰਦਗੀ ਦੇਹਿ ਸਿਰਜਣਹਾਰ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਿ ਖੋਏ ਭਰਮ ॥ ਏਕੋ ਅਲਹੁ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ॥੫॥੩੪॥੪੫॥The Lord is powerful and merciful. The all-pervading Lord is the support of each and every heart. The luminous Lord dwells everywhere. Their play cannot be known. Be kind and compassionate to me, O Creator. Bless me with devotion and meditation, O Creator. Says Nanak, the Guru has rid me of doubt. The Muslim God Allah and the Hindu God Paarbrahm are one and the same. - SGGS p. 897

On a more personal note, Mod Elana believes that it is unfair to designate a member/practitioner/disciple of a given faith under a term not exclusive to their own faith without examining the connotations of it.

For example, the term “Noahide” is typically applied to someone who is not a Jew, but follows the Seven Laws of Noah. However, the designation would not be, for example, a Christian Noahide, but a Noahide with Christian influence. Her (personal, opinion-derived) problem with that is that it seems/sounds to be negating the importance of their faith.

Lastly, to answer the question as it was sent: would someone practicing Sikhi be called a Noahide “in Judaism”? Well, there’s no real yes or no answer, because it depends on who you ask - different learned Jewish scholars from different sects of the faith would have different interpretations and feelings on the matter.

ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕੀ ਫ਼ਤਿਹ ।Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.

- Mod Elana and Mod Lily

[jasonisanerd]

My favorites from 2017!

2017 was a strange year for the people living in America. A reality TV star enjoyed his first year as president of the free world, the most popular smartphone brand just entered the quadruple digit pricing zone, and the biggest entertainment company in the world is dangerously close to becoming a monopoly after accusations of marketing gambling to kids. It’s really easy to be a reactionary critic and just focus on the negatives, but I want to go over what I felt were some of the best things to happen this year. Don’t think of this as a “Top Things of 2017” and more as a “Things that happened in 2017 that I think are interesting and worth thinking about and appreciating.”

--Stuff I didn’t get to--

Nioh, Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds, Black Mirror Season 4, Kendrick LaMar’s DAMN., Your Name’s Dub, and Dragon Ball Super.

-- Under The Covers Vol. 2 --

I was a big fan of Ninja Sex Party’s 2016 Cover Album “Under The Covers”, and it’s nice to see the album get a sequel in the form of “Under The Covers 2”. The concept for the album is to take a handful of 80’s pop songs and have them be performed by Danny Sexband and Ninja Brian, with backup instrumentals by TWRP. This results in some wonderfully catchy tunes and what I believe to be one of the band’s best singles, Like A Record. Definitely worth a listen.

-- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 --

Even though it doesn’t reach the same heights as the first, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 takes the cake as the best looking film Marvel Studios has ever produced. It also caught me off guard to see it inject some remarkably powerful pathos to it’s ending. It’s a great film, just make sure you watch the first Guardians film first.

-- Yakuza 0--

Yakuza 0 snuck up on me and the rest of the gaming public by being a low-budget, charming adventure in 1980’s Japan through the fictitious entertainment and red light district of Tokyo called Kamurocho. Featuring perilous, fierce combat, a collection of diverse minigames, and nearly 100 hilarious, off the wall side quests. I’m obviously a fan of this game, but I can’t help but feel that I’m missing out on something by not having played the rest of the series. Looks like that’s something I’ll have to rectify with the coming year.

-- Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite--

Many people, myself included, dropped Street Fighter 5 after a lackluster second season. Thankfully, Season 3 looks to be a hell of a lot better. In the meantime, we’ve got Marvel vs Capcom Infinite. I understand the disappointment when it comes to the roster and especially the visuals, but in terms of actual gameplay and mechanics, I think it’s phenomenal. Arguably better than Marvel vs Capcom 3. I’m exited to see what characters will get introduced. And if this goes well, this could end up being the best MvC to date.

-- Content Cop: Jake Paul --

The YouTube channel iDubbbzTV has been growing steadily over the years, but grew substantially over 2016 with the erupting success of it’s show Content Cop. Which entered the YouTube zeitgeist with it’s savagely meticulous takedowns of various, sometimes despicable, YouTubers. The show saw it’s creative peak this year with Content Cop - Jake Paul. Despite it’s name it was a 30 minute behemoth of a video of Ian just destroying the human trash bag RiceGum culminating in an incredible diss track with a star studded cast including Boyinaband, H3H3, Jacksfilms, and even Pewdiepie. The Diss Track itself, Asian Jake Paul, is also in a contender for my favorite song of the year.

--Nintendo Switch--

There have been a great deal of great games this year, but how about an entire game console? The Nintendo Switch is Big N’s latest handheld and console as a result of being a hybrid of the two. People have raved about the switch over the past year, with games like Splatoon, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Golf Story, and especially The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. All of these games are great commercial and critical successes, but my favorite is Super Mario Odyssey. Just about my favorite Super Mario game to date.

--From Zero To Golden--

While all of these were made by people I respect, The two part YouTube series “From Zero To Golden” was made by me! This is by far my favorite thing I’ve made this year, but I also look at it now, almost 8 months later, and can clearly see what I can improve for later videos. 

You can also watch it here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erzOwj02OTc&list=PLY0SBqI68H4C2bhC4oX9xetEg0BgxnwLz

--Honorable Mentions Rapid Fire--

iOS 11 is robust and incredibly useful. The ProCrastinators Podcast itunes release got me into one of my new favorite podcasts even with it’s slightly yellow tint (Also RIP Mumkey). Binging With Babish is a delicious cooking channel on YT and inspired me so much it got me cooking more robust dishes. It’s not crazy, but it’s great stuff. Played Neir Automata, haven’t finished it (partway through Route C).

--Persona 5--

Taken how big of a fan of Persona 4 I was, Persona 5 had a lot to live up to. Thankfully, Persona 5 exceeded any expectation I had of it and became my favorite game of 2017. A gripping, multi-layered story about how an oppressed group of teenagers battle against the system fueled by a fast, kinesthetically gratifying combat system. I almost want to say it’s better than P3 or even P4 for it’s gameplay, but that’s difficult to say because I feel they stride to do different things. Persona 5 however, is a great addition to the Shin Megami Tensei Canon and I’m definitely going to buy all of the spinoffs.

--Closing--

Look, life gets rough, and sometimes we all need a break. Especially in this day-and-age where it seems the entire world can burn down at the drop of a hat. Either through Violence, Nuclear Warfare, or cancerous fidget spinner memes. But, hey now that we can show our appreciation for the things we love through the power of the internet we can all find new ways to love what we do, as well as find new things to love. Hopefully that can carry over to the new year, and we can make 2018 better than previous years. Have a happy new year and here’s to 2018!

[tinysharkcomputer-blog]

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[dasynka]

One year ago we were leaving with our parents to Warsaw. It was our last trip. Who would have thought that a year later my sister and I would have had to go alone to solve problems of wills, houses and money at mom’s country, including distant relatives, other language, opposite life. It was exciting to get back in the house where my grandparents and my mother have lived, where I spent so much time too. I didn’t think to remember so much of my childhood. We lack here for 8 years.

How much history mom kept at her home here. Hundreds of vinyls, endless books on subjects ranging from history to art to literature in different languages ​​all readed (she knew Russian, Ukrainian, Italian, Polish, English, French), thousands of letters and photographs, tea’s services, clothing, university theses (she working as a translator, in cybernetics and as a university teacher of Russian literature). We don’t know quite what to do with all this history that has collected and put together. We’d like to keep it all with us but would serve a lifetime to see everything. Unimaginable the amount of things. How many memories in this house. It seems a distant life away.

Looking at all these pictures I’m getting to know mom when was young, talking to her friends and relatives I’m getting to know a girl to whom we resemble very much and we are so proud of her. Mom was a woman full of culture. She spoke many languages, made several jobs at once, she went to any art and cultural exhibition, never missed a concert, was always at the Opera watching ballets, has read hundreds of books of all kinds, she had an insatiable curiosity for everything that was new. She was good, kind, always willing to help others, never presumptuous, she avoided quarrels, handed the other cheek, went to church even when communism forbade it, she loved the Beatles, translating texts and gave them to friends, always in the company but nothing would stop her doing alone what she wanted. She traveled a lot. She was determined, sure of her choices but unsure of herself at times. Always smiling. She studied so much, her tipical afternoons with friends were around a table with tea and food cooked at home listening vinyls of classical music and the Beatles, or picnic somewhere. She loved to draw live with pencil, played the piano and dancing. She was greedy of sweets and ice-cream. She sewed knitted garments by herself. Open to the cultures, religions, had an aura very high and was always upbeat, positive energy continuously. When she came in Italy and decided to get married in a few months, she abandoned her whole life, friends, family, work she loved, social position, for us. For me that I was in the womb. And she has dedicated all of the remaining 22 years of her life to us, to raise us home with a love and a culture that I barely acknowledge elsewhere. She would have given us all the life that would yet come. She gave her whole world for love, and despite the difficulties, she has never regretted. For us. One can not explain in words the infinite pride we feel for her, and that we have always felt. I have always known and recognized to have an exceptional mother. Being the result of an incomparable love. If I am how I am, it’s only thanks to her.

We walked along the same shore where my parents have walked the last time they were here, in September. We took the photographs in the same points where they have take them. And we were to dinner at the most dear mom’s friend, 40 years of friendship. We retraced their history, reminded a lot of things. It’s all very emotional, here. I miss from Kiev 8 years and I have surprised me to remember so many things, houses, people, anecdotes, traditions from my childhood. Another life, another culture where mom immersed us and shaped. You miss to everyone, mom, and no one can believe that only a few months ago you were instead of us here with them.

We went to the National Opera Theater of Kiev where mom would take us every time we came here. As tradition. Together with her friends, as a commemoration. We have seen “Nights in the Gardens of Spain” by De Falla.

Today is Easter, and this year it falls on the same day both for Christians and for Orthodox (mom was Orthodox). And today are exactly five months that she is no longer with us. A revival in every way of life. For her. For us. xx Dasynka

Un anno fa eravamo in viaggio con in miei genitori a Varsavia. È stato il nostro ultimo viaggio. Non avrei mai immaginato che un anno dopo saremmo dovute andare io e mia sorella sole a risolvere problemi di testamenti, case e soldi nel paese di mamma, tra parenti lontani, lingua diversa, vita opposta. È stato emozionante tornare nella casa in cui hanno vissuto i miei nonni e mia madre, in cui ho trascorso tanto tempo anche io. Non pensavo di ricordare così tanto della mia infanzia. Manchiamo qui da 8 anni.

Quanta storia mamma conservava a casa sua qui. Centinaia di vinili, infiniti libri su svariati temi dalla letteratura alla storia all’arte in diverse lingue tutti letti (conosceva il russo, l’ucraino, l’italiano, il polacco, l’inglese, il francese), migliaia di lettere e fotografie, servizi da tea, vestiti, le tesi universitarie (lavorava come traduttrice, in cibernetica e come insegnante universitaria di letteratura russa). Non sappiamo bene cosa fare con tutta questa storia che ha raccolto e messo insieme. Ci piacerebbe tenerla tutta con noi ma servirebbe una vita intera a rivederla. Inimmaginabile la quantità di cose. Quanti ricordi in questa casa. Sembra una vita lontana lontana.

A guardare tutte queste foto sto conoscendo mamma da giovane, a parlare con i suoi amici e parenti sto conoscendo una ragazza a cui assomigliamo molto e di cui siamo tanto orgogliose. Mamma era una donna piena di cultura. Parlava molte lingue, faceva molti lavori contemporaneamente, andava a qualsiasi mostra artistica, culturale, non perdeva un concerto, era sempre all’Opera a guardare balletti, leggeva centinaia di libri di ogni genere, possedeva una curiosità insaziabile per tutto ciò che era nuovo. Era buona, gentile, sempre disposta ad aiutare il prossimo, mai presuntuosa, evitava litigi, porgeva l’altra guancia, andava in chiesa anche quando il comunismo lo vietava, amava i Beatles, traduceva i testi e li regalava agli amici, sempre in compagnia ma nulla la fermava di fare da sola ciò che voleva. Viaggiava molto. Era determinata, sicura delle sue scelte ma insicura di sé, a volte. Sempre sorridente. Studiava tanto, i tipici pomeriggi con gli amici erano attorno ad un tavolo con tea e cibo cucinato in casa ascoltando i vinili di musica classica e Beatles, oppure picnick da qualche parte. Amava disegnare dal vivo con la matita, suonava il pianoforte e danzava. Molto golosa si dolci e gelato. Si cuciva abiti a maglia e a mano. Aperta alle culture, alle religioni, aveva un’aurea molto alta ed era sempre ottimista, energie positive continue. Quando è venuta in Italia e ha deciso di sposarsi nel giro di pochi mesi, ha abbandonato tutta la sua vita, gli amici, la famiglia, i lavori che amava, la posizione sociale, per noi. Per me che ero in grembo. E ha dedicato tutti i restanti 22 anni della sua vita a noi, a crescerci a casa con un amore e una cultura che stento a riconoscere altrove. E ci avrebbe regalato tutta la vita che ancora sarebbe venuta. Ha dato tutto il suo mondo per amore, ha giocato tutto, e nonostante le difficoltà, non si è mai pentita. Per noi. Non si può spiegare a parole l’orgoglio infinito che proviamo per lei, e che sempre abbiamo provato. Ho sempre saputo e riconosciuto di avere una madre eccezionale. Di essere frutto di un amore incomparabile. Se sono come sono, è solo grazie a lei.

Abbiamo passeggiato lungo la stessa riva dove i miei genitori hanno passeggiato l’ultima volta che sono stati qui, a Settembre. Abbiamo scattato le fotografie negli stessi punti in cui le hanno scattate loro. E siamo stati a cena dall’amica pi�� cara di mamma, 40 anni di amicizia. Abbiamo ripercorso la loro storia, ricordato tante cose. È tutto molto emozionante, qui. Manco da 8 anni e mi sono sorpresa a ricordare così tante cose, le case, le persone, aneddoti, tradizioni della mia infanzia. Un’altra vita, un’altra cultura in cui mamma ci ha immerse e plasmate. Manchi a tutti quanti, mamma, e nessuno riesce a credere che solo pochi mesi fa eri tu al posto nostro qui con loro.

Siamo andati al teatro Nazionale dell’Opera di Kiev dove mamma ci portava ogni volta che venivamo qui. Come tradizione. Assieme alle sue amiche, come commemorazione. Abbiamo visto “Notti nei Giardini di Spagna” di De Falla.

Oggi è Pasqua, e quest’anno cade lo stesso giorno sia per i cristiani che per gli ortodossi (mamma era ortodossa). Ed oggi sono anche esattamente 5 mesi che non è più con noi. Una rinascita sotto ogni punto di vita. Per lei. Per noi. xx Dasynka

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St. Sophia. When my mom took me there the first time, I found that the Orthodox don’t represent the saints in three dimensions but only two. So there are no statues in their churches but only icons.

Typical orthodox hand-painted eggs.

Dnepr, the river that runs through Kiev. Exactly where my parents walked seven months ago.

Ortodox church.

There, you drink tea at all hours.

Mom’s vinyls.

I remember when I celebrated my fifteenth birthday here with a delicious cake bought by mom.

Mom.

National Opera of Ukraine.

Nights in the Gardens of Spain.

Photography by me.

KIEV One year ago we were leaving with our parents to Warsaw. It was our last trip. Who would have thought that a year later my sister and I would have had to go alone to solve problems of wills, houses and money at mom's country, including distant relatives, other language, opposite life.

[keywords-r-us-blog]

Social Identity 

Social identity is the way in which individuals present/express themselves to the public, predominantly via social media. A person’s social identity is usually warped in some way to appear more acceptable to society. This is due to the standardised factors such as gender, socioeconomic status, nationality and fear of judgement from others. Below I have collated several entries from individuals via social media and asked them to describe themselves briefly based on what they believe to be their social identity. I gave minimal guidelines and asked for a small about of information to pressure individuals to be concise. The results are evidently varied, and represent the varying identities people can present on social media. 

Lachlan Baker: Male, 20 white Australian,  party animal, friends and family means everything, adventuring, life is a beach ride the wave of life, stay positive go forward never go back. 

Jean Cameron: Almost 50 years old (April 3) Carer  One beautiful son ☺ Married 2 cheeky dogs Favorite movie is Labyrinth with David Bowie  Favorite musician is Bruce Springsteen  Favorite colour is orange 

Dylan sky:18 years old, male, Australian, the wheres wally books

Angela Callaghan: 50 years old, Love my kids unconditionally, I commit to what i feel is important, And My priorities are family first then work, I love the honest relationship I have with my kids and cherish them every day. 

Jennifer Dias: 44 | female | Australian / Brasilian heritage | Employed as a youth events development worker. I am passionate about all art forms, cultural diversity and in developing networks and providing opportunities for young people & 50+ers | in MyTime I'm a volunteer/an artist/a photographer/ a tone deaf singer/ songwriter and an off key guitarist/ an interpretive dancer/ an observer/ a mother/a grandmother aka Vovo / and a friend | I absolutely love love love my family unit in all its complexities and moments of joy and appreciate the lessons I learn along the way that assist me in my own personal growth. 

Stacey Harrell: The Indispensable Man (by Saxon White Kessinger) Sometime when you're feeling important; Sometime when your ego 's in bloom; Sometime when you take it for granted, You're the best qualified in the room: Sometime when you feel that your going, Would leave an unfillable hole, Just follow these simple instructions, And see how they humble your soul. Take a bucket and fill it with water, Put your hand in it up to the wrist, Pull it out and the hole that's remaining, Is a measure of how much you'll be missed. You can splash all you wish when you enter, You may stir up the water galore, But stop, and you'll find that in no time, It looks quite the same as before. The moral of this quaint example, Is to do just the best that you can, Be proud of yourself but remember, There's no indispensable man.

Britney:  20yrs, female, Australian. Favourite bible verse: Philippians 4:13 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. I like to take photos of stuff, im a 3rd Year Nursing Student and I like spongebob memes.Also, I am super normal and quiet when people first meet me and then when I get comfortable  i get real weird.

Caley Cameron:19 Years Old, Male, Australian 

Nicola Turner: I'm 18 going on 81  my favourite food is toast, I love my pet rabbit and second hand clothes. I can't add up in my head, I'm more of an english person. I like to think I'm independent but I'm a sucker for other people's company.

May Louise Bouchet: 28 Australian Profession- teacher Heritage- French/Mauritian, Italian and Polish Favourite music- anything popular I enjoy cooking, renovating, shopping, travelling, eating and playing sport. I like to be busy but also enjoy downtime and most days I feel mentally drained. If I could start my life over I would become a historian and work in a museum. I value family, friends, history and a good education. I'm also a feminist.

Denham Callanan: artist, friend, dreamer, romantic, procrastinator. 19 Male Love, family, philosophy, history, comedy, sarcasm, animals, nature. "He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt" -Joseph Heller, Catch 22 "Everyone you meet you start to fall in love with, what separates your enemies from your friends, and your lovers from your soul mate is at which point you stop"  -Me 

Sarah Bloggs: 35 your cousin from England :-) xx

Holly Schwebel: Female, 17, and I attached a picture of a poem that has resonated with me for as long as I've known of it. Let me know if you need anything more.

Sophia Blackwell: 19, and gender: female :--) I like the words captivate, kind, lovely, brilliant and fun. And those are things I'd like to surround myself with. I'd describe myself as a pretty easy going person and I care a lot. I'm pretty sensitive but not in all areas, definitely not when it comes to romance hahaha. Uhm, when it comes to an occupation I'd love to pursue something creative like cinematography. I'm learning Danish at the moment. I'd like to become stronger when it comes to speaking with confidence especially when I don't agree with something. I love doggos, well all animals and wholesome healthy foods and most certainly taking photos of both. I really like the outdoors because it makes me feel good inside and alongside that taking photos on old cameras.

Elizabeth, Renae, Anderson, Wisely: age- 18 gender: dinosaur (jk) I'm female nationality: Australian I like cats a lot and food. I'm obsessed with Alice in wonderland.  um I really love history and wish to pursue a career in it. I'm an introvert. I like to read and rarely watch movies or tv.

Hayley Watt: Age:18 Gender: Female "A rose grows best in a pile of shit" Music: welcome to your life by Grouplove I think of myself as a positive person and I believe everything happens for a reason, or at least I tell myself that to prevent deeper questioning about the meaning of life.

Anonymous: Age: 24, Male Came from a rough family background that leaves me drifting through experiences. I socialise while holding up endless walls. Everyone likes me, but no one gets close. Song that best describes me would be Hellfire from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. There's a constant nagging in my mind that I'm being judged severely for whatever reason. It's maddening. My interaction with the real world is to deal with people without them ever figuring out that I'm a 'fraud', whatever that means. I feel dishonest, even when I explicitly don't mean to be. I am sustained by my Catholic faith, and its instrumental to my being and keeps my cynicism in check. I wish it could be socially acceptable to talk openly about it, it feels limiting otherwise. My favourite quote is "Sometimes you have to walk past the good to get to the best." - Susan Calloway

Coby Borg: Well im me. Im half maltese. Born in straya. Lover of music. Pretty much any genre. Struggling to keep on top of work as we all are... 

Katie Hall: Gender: female Age: 19 Nationality: let's say I'm a "bitzer", no clue on where my parents come from, so I'm just a bit of everything A hole bunch of random stuff: Live by Disney's world famous Nanny's quote, "Anything can happen if you let it". I love dancing but not as much as I love my sister and I'm deadly afraid of elephant seals. Here is a picture of an adorable puppy!

Tahlia Gill: 18, Australian My fav quote is Shakespeare (I'm original I know ) “Cut him out into little stars And he shall make the face of heaven so fine That all would be in love with the night And none would worship the garish sun.” My fav songs are zombie by the cranberries, american pie by don McLean and anything by Hudson Taylor Another quote by William Blake: a truth that's told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent Love Harry Potter, lotr, avatar and soppy rom coms haha

Amber Walker: 18, British Adventures, outdoors, camping, hiking, explorer, Hippie, coffee, animals, love a bit of ed sheeran and Adele I'd live out of a backpack if it meant i got to truly see the world.

Genevieve Blenkin: 19, female, ginger, "you always miss the shots you don't take". The picture is of the country because its such a big part of my identity.

Stefano Rankin:20, Male, Australian, quote: victory stands on the back of sacrifice.

Mat Percival: 20, Aussie. Love a good beer and laugh with my mates and love any fiddly past times I can afford. Creative design and cars play a big role in my life, and I guess my goal is to produce works/products and a service (whatever it be) that people are amazed by and are impressed enough to tell their friends. Love a good burger as well and Hotwheels are my fav.

Allie Cook: 21, American, favourite quote: "And in this moment I swear we are infinite." -- Charlie, Perks of Being a Wallflower. This is my life outlook to always live life like I am infinite. 

Stephanie Hirsh: I like ball park music and I make cakes

Cameron Raymond Rawstron: Age 20, Quote: “That’s a bit how ya going”, I love Amity Affliction (anchors, Don’t lean on me), What do I do: Learn about computers, occasionally exercise, try to be socially accepted, hide my pan behind a smile, am brutally honest/too real. What I wanna do: re rich, be happy, be meaningful, listen to Amity Affliction, achieve happiness. Such memes, very wow. 

Taylah Zanardi: 18, female, chronic sick kid, "there is no magic to achievement. It's really about hard work, choices and persistence", I like to present myself as someone very put together and who knows where they're going in life, citity

[dasynka]

One year ago we were leaving with our parents to Warsaw. It was our last trip. Who would have thought that a year later my sister and I would have had to go alone to solve problems of wills, houses and money at mom’s country, including distant relatives, other language, opposite life. It was exciting to get back in the house where my grandparents and my mother have lived, where I spent so much time too. I didn’t think to remember so much of my childhood. We lack here for 8 years.

How much history mom kept at her home here. Hundreds of vinyls, endless books on subjects ranging from history to art to literature in different languages ​​all readed (she knew Russian, Ukrainian, Italian, Polish, English, French), thousands of letters and photographs, tea’s services, clothing, university theses (she working as a translator, in cybernetics and as a university teacher of Russian literature). We don’t know quite what to do with all this history that has collected and put together. We’d like to keep it all with us but would serve a lifetime to see everything. Unimaginable the amount of things. How many memories in this house. It seems a distant life away.

Looking at all these pictures I’m getting to know mom when was young, talking to her friends and relatives I’m getting to know a girl to whom we resemble very much and we are so proud of her. Mom was a woman full of culture. She spoke many languages, made several jobs at once, she went to any art and cultural exhibition, never missed a concert, was always at the Opera watching ballets, has read hundreds of books of all kinds, she had an insatiable curiosity for everything that was new. She was good, kind, always willing to help others, never presumptuous, she avoided quarrels, handed the other cheek, went to church even when communism forbade it, she loved the Beatles, translating texts and gave them to friends, always in the company but nothing would stop her doing alone what she wanted. She traveled a lot. She was determined, sure of her choices but unsure of herself at times. Always smiling. She studied so much, her tipical afternoons with friends were around a table with tea and food cooked at home listening vinyls of classical music and the Beatles, or picnic somewhere. She loved to draw live with pencil, played the piano and dancing. She was greedy of sweets and ice-cream. She sewed knitted garments by herself. Open to the cultures, religions, had an aura very high and was always upbeat, positive energy continuously. When she came in Italy and decided to get married in a few months, she abandoned her whole life, friends, family, work she loved, social position, for us. For me that I was in the womb. And she has dedicated all of the remaining 22 years of her life to us, to raise us home with a love and a culture that I barely acknowledge elsewhere. She would have given us all the life that would yet come. She gave her whole world for love, and despite the difficulties, she has never regretted. For us. One can not explain in words the infinite pride we feel for her, and that we have always felt. I have always known and recognized to have an exceptional mother. Being the result of an incomparable love. If I am how I am, it’s only thanks to her.

We walked along the same shore where my parents have walked the last time they were here, in September. We took the photographs in the same points where they have take them. And we were to dinner at the most dear mom’s friend, 40 years of friendship. We retraced their history, reminded a lot of things. It’s all very emotional, here. I miss from Kiev 8 years and I have surprised me to remember so many things, houses, people, anecdotes, traditions from my childhood. Another life, another culture where mom immersed us and shaped. You miss to everyone, mom, and no one can believe that only a few months ago you were instead of us here with them.

We went to the National Opera Theater of Kiev where mom would take us every time we came here. As tradition. Together with her friends, as a commemoration. We have seen “Nights in the Gardens of Spain” by De Falla.

Today is Easter, and this year it falls on the same day both for Christians and for Orthodox (mom was Orthodox). And today are exactly five months that she is no longer with us. A revival in every way of life. For her. For us. xx Dasynka

Un anno fa eravamo in viaggio con in miei genitori a Varsavia. È stato il nostro ultimo viaggio. Non avrei mai immaginato che un anno dopo saremmo dovute andare io e mia sorella sole a risolvere problemi di testamenti, case e soldi nel paese di mamma, tra parenti lontani, lingua diversa, vita opposta. È stato emozionante tornare nella casa in cui hanno vissuto i miei nonni e mia madre, in cui ho trascorso tanto tempo anche io. Non pensavo di ricordare così tanto della mia infanzia. Manchiamo qui da 8 anni.

Quanta storia mamma conservava a casa sua qui. Centinaia di vinili, infiniti libri su svariati temi dalla letteratura alla storia all’arte in diverse lingue tutti letti (conosceva il russo, l’ucraino, l’italiano, il polacco, l’inglese, il francese), migliaia di lettere e fotografie, servizi da tea, vestiti, le tesi universitarie (lavorava come traduttrice, in cibernetica e come insegnante universitaria di letteratura russa). Non sappiamo bene cosa fare con tutta questa storia che ha raccolto e messo insieme. Ci piacerebbe tenerla tutta con noi ma servirebbe una vita intera a rivederla. Inimmaginabile la quantità di cose. Quanti ricordi in questa casa. Sembra una vita lontana lontana.

A guardare tutte queste foto sto conoscendo mamma da giovane, a parlare con i suoi amici e parenti sto conoscendo una ragazza a cui assomigliamo molto e di cui siamo tanto orgogliose. Mamma era una donna piena di cultura. Parlava molte lingue, faceva molti lavori contemporaneamente, andava a qualsiasi mostra artistica, culturale, non perdeva un concerto, era sempre all’Opera a guardare balletti, leggeva centinaia di libri di ogni genere, possedeva una curiosità insaziabile per tutto ciò che era nuovo. Era buona, gentile, sempre disposta ad aiutare il prossimo, mai presuntuosa, evitava litigi, porgeva l’altra guancia, andava in chiesa anche quando il comunismo lo vietava, amava i Beatles, traduceva i testi e li regalava agli amici, sempre in compagnia ma nulla la fermava di fare da sola ciò che voleva. Viaggiava molto. Era determinata, sicura delle sue scelte ma insicura di sé, a volte. Sempre sorridente. Studiava tanto, i tipici pomeriggi con gli amici erano attorno ad un tavolo con tea e cibo cucinato in casa ascoltando i vinili di musica classica e Beatles, oppure picnick da qualche parte. Amava disegnare dal vivo con la matita, suonava il pianoforte e danzava. Molto golosa si dolci e gelato. Si cuciva abiti a maglia e a mano. Aperta alle culture, alle religioni, aveva un’aurea molto alta ed era sempre ottimista, energie positive continue. Quando è venuta in Italia e ha deciso di sposarsi nel giro di pochi mesi, ha abbandonato tutta la sua vita, gli amici, la famiglia, i lavori che amava, la posizione sociale, per noi. Per me che ero in grembo. E ha dedicato tutti i restanti 22 anni della sua vita a noi, a crescerci a casa con un amore e una cultura che stento a riconoscere altrove. E ci avrebbe regalato tutta la vita che ancora sarebbe venuta. Ha dato tutto il suo mondo per amore, ha giocato tutto, e nonostante le difficoltà, non si è mai pentita. Per noi. Non si può spiegare a parole l’orgoglio infinito che proviamo per lei, e che sempre abbiamo provato. Ho sempre saputo e riconosciuto di avere una madre eccezionale. Di essere frutto di un amore incomparabile. Se sono come sono, è solo grazie a lei.

Abbiamo passeggiato lungo la stessa riva dove i miei genitori hanno passeggiato l’ultima volta che sono stati qui, a Settembre. Abbiamo scattato le fotografie negli stessi punti in cui le hanno scattate loro. E siamo stati a cena dall’amica più cara di mamma, 40 anni di amicizia. Abbiamo ripercorso la loro storia, ricordato tante cose. È tutto molto emozionante, qui. Manco da 8 anni e mi sono sorpresa a ricordare così tante cose, le case, le persone, aneddoti, tradizioni della mia infanzia. Un’altra vita, un’altra cultura in cui mamma ci ha immerse e plasmate. Manchi a tutti quanti, mamma, e nessuno riesce a credere che solo pochi mesi fa eri tu al posto nostro qui con loro.

Siamo andati al teatro Nazionale dell’Opera di Kiev dove mamma ci portava ogni volta che venivamo qui. Come tradizione. Assieme alle sue amiche, come commemorazione. Abbiamo visto “Notti nei Giardini di Spagna” di De Falla.

Oggi è Pasqua, e quest’anno cade lo stesso giorno sia per i cristiani che per gli ortodossi (mamma era ortodossa). Ed oggi sono anche esattamente 5 mesi che non è più con noi. Una rinascita sotto ogni punto di vita. Per lei. Per noi. xx Dasynka

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St. Sophia. When my mom took me there the first time, I found that the Orthodox don’t represent the saints in three dimensions but only two. So there are no statues in their churches but only icons.

Typical orthodox hand-painted eggs.

Dnepr, the river that runs through Kiev. Exactly where my parents walked seven months ago.

Ortodox church.

There, you drink tea at all hours.

Mom’s vinyls.

I remember when I celebrated my fifteenth birthday here with a delicious cake bought by mom.

Mom.

National Opera of Ukraine.

Nights in the Gardens of Spain.

Photography by me.

KIEV One year ago we were leaving with our parents to Warsaw. It was our last trip. Who would have thought that a year later my sister and I would have had to go alone to solve problems of wills, houses and money at mom's country, including distant relatives, other language, opposite life.