File: Religion

Brothel ad in Germany (via BBC) is upsetting.

Like every other brothel/strip club ad, it's insulting to women. At least that's the way I feel. It has the flags of all the World Cup countries (it's that time of year over in Europe), which has brought threats of Violence from some Muslims.

They find it as an insult to Islam that the flags, bearing Islamic symbol, were used in the ad, which is the size of a tall building.

From the article:

First there were telephone threats of violence, then about 30 hooded protesters armed with knives and sticks arrived..."The situation was explosive,"

Are these people just wacko? Don't Muslims find violence to be against Islam? Have they twisted an ad into an attack? Or, are they right? (I don't think they are, but I'm getting all turned around.) Please help me answer this.

I feel like the world is getting crazier every day.

File: Blog, Art

Changed the sidebar. Added some new reads.

Spent the majority of the weekend putting together a stage reading from Anne Frank's diary that I'm doing tonight at Kol Ami. It's a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, but it was intriguing to culminate the four weeks of work I've put into it. I chose, edited, and rehearsed parts from her diary to create a 15 minute performance. Hopefully, it'll be moving and respectful.

I walked a thin line, trying to decide what to include and what to leave out. In the first half of the book, she's going through all of these awful changes that involve going into hiding and living with seven other people in a cramped space that you can never leave; however, she's still 13 when she begins writing. And so she's got all the drama that comes from being 13. She's whiny, she hates her parents, people treat her like a baby, she wants her period to come.

It's the second half of the diary that she becomes the Anne Frank that everyone wants to remember. She's insightful, she writes beautifully, and she's slightly older (14-15). The weird thing is that her writing only changes after she hears a report on the radio. There's a news story about people who keep diaries after the war. She decides she wants to publish hers as the Secret Annexe and even goes back to rewrite and edit some of her earlier entries. (She goes as far to change the names of the other housemates.) After the war, her father only decides to have the diary published because of her constant entries detailing this very same desire. (There are a lot of them.)

It's true that writing for publication changed the way that she wrote. Most people (self included) write differently when they believe that someone may be reading. Does that make it any less true? I'm not sure what I think on this one. She wanted to be seen as insightful; therefore she is. I realize that there's more to it than that, but still. One never knows that, if she lived, what she would be like, or if the diary would have been published. I'd like to think that she would have gone on to great things, like I hope to do.

I need to go back and read my own journals from 13-15. What will I find in there? Did I leave myself a message in those forgotten pages? Is there something that will give me conviction and courage? Or will I only find the "unbosomings of a schoolgirl?" (Anne Frank.)

Her writing made me think about my personal heroes: Anne Frank, Nellie Bly, Anne Lamott, my husband, my dad. These are all people who worked to change their corner of the world. Sometimes, in light of the first three, they changed more than their corner. in the case of the second two, the jury's still out on how much of the world they ahve changed. They sure changed me.

File: Life

Karen asked how the seder went last Thursday. Today's the last day of Passover, so here's my seder wrap-up.

We were lucky because some wonderfully cool people showed up. The table looked beautiful, especially because we used hand-painted plates (painted by yours truly and Matt), which was a nice touch.

As I was the only Jew, when putting together the Haggadah, I really mixed up. I wanted it to be accessible, fun, and meaningful. So, I started out with the Muppets. I found this great song online set to the Muppet show. "It's time to start the Seder..." It was so popular that it got requested at the end, too.

It was long, with people leaving around 12:15, but it awesome. Much singing, multiple plagues. I did a progressive approach. After we named the ancient plagues (which include blood and frogs), we named current plagues (AIDS, poverty). Then, we opened it up to plagues we're worried about (corporate greed was among them). It was nice. New additions to the seder plate: an orange and an olive. I thought that the orange signified the inclusion of women as Rabbis, but I read that it actually means the inclusion of all of those on the outside of Judaism, especially gays, lesbians, and transexuals. I think it also stands for those of us who chose intermarriage. The olive stands for peace in the middle east.

We told the Passover story, but we did it in our own way. There was a lot of joy at that table. And it was great. It wasn't mom's Seder, but it was the seder I've always wanted. I think we're going to make it a tradition to throw the second night seder every year.

File: Art

We have a freelancer whose book was just published. I saw it on the front table at Borders, and on a special interest table at Barnes and Noble. It’s kind of exciting, knowing an author.

I say this despite being an author myself (at least a co-ghost-author, a slightly less sexy, but more accurate title).

That said, his book is just okay. The writer is a good one, but the book is just about a certain time in his life. Publisher’s Weekly called it “juvenile,” which is a pretty accurate description, if you ask me.

Yet, I love this book because it inspires me. If this guy can write a book that someone deems worthy enough to publish, what’s stopping me? As part of the spring of stuff that scares me, it’s time. I started two different titles over the weekend.

And here’s one of them:
What Question Do You Most Want Answered? My plan is to ask people all across America (and, hopefully, the world!) this question, find out the answers, and publish them in a book.

I’m not entirely sure how to get the word out. I started on Craig’s list, and have received two questions so far. (Yippee!) As Chicago’s a pretty major market, I almost want to send out a press release, but that does seem a tad garish. Also, I need to get more things in place. Need to get the website up (a one page holder will be fine), need to get a form on the site so people can really send it anonymously, need to get a p.o. box, really need to get an agent/publisher.

Interested? Send me the question you most want answered. You can send it anonymously, or you can send me your city, state, and occupation with it. Or, if you’re a friend of mine, let me know if you want me to use your name or not. By sending me your question, you give me the right to publish your words. Help my dream while finding out the answer to your big question! Send the question you most want answered to: questionyoumostwantanswered@gmail.com.

File: Art, Life, Work

Just as I was leaving work today, Diane, a co-worker of mine, posed this question to me: If I won the billion dollar lottery, what would I do with myself? (An aside: I love that it's a billion dollar lottery, as inflation has finally won and a simple million won't cut it.)

I sort of whiffed on the question. I told her I'd keep working part time, just to keep myself on a schedule, as I'm at my best when I'm working on deadlines for others rather than myself. She countered with a follow up, "Yeah, but doing what? What industry?" My first answer was reading and books. But that quickly followed with my other loves: video, technology, theatre, writing. I'd definitely write that book.

I was thinking about it on the drive home. It's not really about medium for me. I love content. It's such a stale word, but it can describe so much, and that's why I'm using it. I love producing content, absorbing content, and almost most of all, sharing content. I'm just as happy to send a link to a cool website that's helped me, as I am to send a photograph I've taken, talk about a book I love, or recount a scene that made me laugh so hard I hyperventilated.

I like to help others.

Information sharing, especially through writing, is the method I'm best at; perhaps the only method of helping others that I really trust for myself. That said, there are so many other methods of information sharing that intrigue me. I think I would feel that I was missing something if I had to give up any one of those mediums.

Maybe it's the art school background. Communication arts, my area, exposed me to so many different playgrounds that I didn't want to choose just the slide or the swings. I just want to explore them all.

I should have said that as long as I have my hand in content creation, I'll be happy. I think a billion dollars would enable me to work smarter towards that, but I think it would also give me the opportunity to find new ways of content creation (maybe even ones that haven't been invented yet; it would be cool to invent something). I think what I'd really like from the lottery fairy is to split my winnings: some money (say, 8-12 million) and the rest in time. That's the biggest problem: I don't have the time to explore (and get really, really good at) all of the areas of content creation that pique my curiosity.

But, at least I can narrow it down. Cheesy business card here I come: Content Creator, Medium Flexible.

File: Greetings

Special hellos to Jerry, Ken, Mike, Diane, and Will.

File: Life

You probably can't see me like I see me. But, right now, I look like who I imagine myself to be.

File: Life

I keep forgetting how old I am.

I hadn't been asked since my birthday back in December. I realize that's not the longest time, but it's incredible that I just can't seem to remember. Am I 27 or 28? Both seem scary and neither seem like 26, which I thought I was.

Read an article in Jane about why it's awesome to be in your 20s followed by an article about a bunch of amazing women in their 20s. It made me blue. What am I doing with myself? How do I get mentioned as a "30 under 30"? If I die right now, will anyone remember me in five years? Blue kitty, I.

I need to remember to continue on my path and redefine my goals. The spring of stuff that scares me helps. Maybe? It's possible that I'm just diluting my goals, once again shying away in a passive act of self-sabotage. Plan: one weekend a month dedicated to goals. Current big goal: publish something. Matt's counter: I already have. My counter counter: Not good enough. Secondary goal: stop discounting self.

So there it is. Show shopping (matching Chucks) helped. Newfound love of piano playing helps. Cats who hate one another does not help.

Okay, off to conquer another week.

File: Life

I keep forgetting how old I am.

I hadn't been asked since my birthday back in December. I realize that's not the longest time, but it's incredible that I just can't seem to remember. Am I 27 or 28? Both seem scary and neither seem like 26, which I thought I was.

Read an article in Jane about why it's awesome to be in your 20s followed by an article about a bunch of amazing women in their 20s. It made me blue. What am I doing with myself? How do I get mentioned as a "30 under 30"? If I die right now, will anyone remember me in five years? Blue kitty, I.

I need to remember to continue on my path and redefine my goals. The spring of stuff that scares me helps. Maybe? It's possible that I'm just diluting my goals, once again shying away in a passive act of self-sabotage. Plan: one weekend a month dedicated to goals. Current big goal: publish something. Matt's counter: I already have. My counter counter: Not good enough. Secondary goal: stop discounting self.

So there it is. Show shopping (matching Chucks) helped. Newfound love of piano playing helps. Cats who hate one another does not help.

Okay, off to conquer another week.

File: Love

My love and me.