The Bok Tower

Bok Tower - April 5, 1931

Since Grandma Kate died, I have been working (off and on) on our family genealogy. I found this picture of the Bok Tower among her pictures, which she kept in an old tin box that once held Peek Frean's "famous English biscuits." Grandma, her brother Bob, and her parents are seen in a series of pictures taken in front of the tower and at the gate to the Historic Bok Sanctuary. The Sanctuary includes a belltower, an estate, and gardens. The pictures are marked on the back in faint pencil with the date and a brief description of the scene. The top picture is marked, "Bob, Dud and Ada in front of the gate at the Bok Tower, Lake Wales, Florida, April 5, 1931." Grandma's mother and father were Dudley and Ada Ringleben. You just don't hear names like Dudley or Ada anymore, and I've only met one Ringleben outside our family in my whole life. The bottom right side picture is marked, "Ada, Bob & Kate looking very sad because they're getting rained on. Though our hats and clothes dried out and looked about as good as before." Even if I hadn't known the handwriting on the back of the picture was hers, I'd have known she wrote those words. They just sound like something she would say.


Bok Tower

Today, the Bok Tower still stands as a National Historic Landmark. The sanctuary's gardens were designed by the famous landscape designer, Frederick Law Olmsted, who "turned a sandhill into a subtropical garden." Olmsted was also the landscape architect for the White City, at the Columbian Exposition World's Fair in Chicago, 1893.


Edward Bok

I found this picture of Edward Bok on the website for the Historic Bok Sanctuary and noticed that he looked a lot happier than most men of his ilk in pictures taken during that era. I read his history and I think it makes sense that he looks as pleased as he does. He was not only a wealthy and successful man, but he also did a lot of good things with his money and his time. Born in the Netherlands, his contributions are listed on the website for The Historical Bok Sanctuary, including:

• In 1921, he created The Philadelphia Award of $10,000 a year to the citizen of Philadelphia or vicinity who, during the preceding year, performed or brought to its culmination an act or contributed a service calculated to advance the best interests of the community of Philadelphia.
• In 1921, he founded The Philadelphia Forum.
• In 1922, he founded the Citizens' Award of $1,000 to be awarded each year, to each of the policemen, firemen and park guards of the city of Philadelphia who performed an outstanding act of service, or contributed to the efficiency of the service during the preceding calendar year.
• In 1923, he created The American Peace Award, providing $100,000 for the best practicable plan by which the United States might co-operate with other nations to achieve and preserve the peace of the world, one half to be paid upon the acceptance of the plan by a selected jury, and the balance upon its acceptance by the Senate. The plan submitted by Doctor Charles Herbert Levermore of the New York Peace Society won the award.
• In 1923, he created The Harvard Advertising Awards bestowed by the Harvard University School of Business Administration for raising the standard of advertisements in American and Canadian periodicals and for the intelligent conception and execution of plans for advertising.
• In 1925, Bok created The American Foundation, Incorporated, (later known as The Bok Tower Gardens Foundation, Inc.)
• In 1926, Bok founded, with others, The Philadelphia Commission, devoted to the beautification of the metropolitan area at Philadelphia. He also established the Woodrow Wilson Professorship of Literature of Princeton University by endowment, and in 1929 he established "The Woodrow Wilson Chair" at Williams College by endowment.
• On February 1, 1929, President Calvin Coolidge dedicated the Sanctuary in Lake Wales, Florida, that Bok had made as a gift for visitation by the American people in gratitude for the opportunity they had given him.

Edward Bok died in Lake Wales in 1930 and he is buried at the base of the Bok Tower. The Bok Tower is great monument to its creator and a lovely gift from Edward Bok to America. I'm glad Grandma Kate took so many pictures of her travels, and I hope one day to visit some of the beautiful places she has been.

The Mind Tree

The Mind Tree

My friend Amanda sent me a copy of The Mind Tree by Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay for my birthday, and I just finished it this week. Tito is a young man who has autism, a neurological disorder that causes problems with the development of communication skills and social interaction. Although his autism is quite severe, Tito has very well developed language skills and a beautiful writing style. In The Mind Tree, which was written when he was 15 years old, he tells of his despair at not being "normal." He explains with detail what it is like to be locked inside himself and unable to communicate his intentions and needs. He also explains that he spins, rocks, and flaps his arms in an effort to make himself whole. His description of how it felt to be taken from one specialist to the next, and also how it felt to be rejected by people and schools because of his disability is heart wrenching, but he also inspires hope that people with autism can be reached and taught. He went from being completely disconnected to being able to write poetry and stories that are deep and insightful. Tito wrote:

Grayish Loneliness

The colour of loneliness is gray.
When I was sitting and waiting for the cow to come and moo at the gate, as it sometimes does. I realized that I felt lonely.
The moment I realized it, things started to change their colours. Not that they did not retain their actual colours, but they became grayish.
For instance, the sun was golden but grayish. The sky was blue, but grayish. My shirt was yellow, but grayish. The tree which has the crooked smile and without any leaves, was brown, but grayish.
Anna who was talking to the postman, had some grayish coloured words for me to breathe in. When I breathed them I could feel those grayish words, flow along with my blood all over my body. I knew that my blood was red, but a little grayish.
I was in fact enjoying this grayish loneliness because gray was a soft colour. It never covered up the other colours like the devouring jaundice yellow.
It was at that moment that I realize, that the gray tasted sweet. I opened my mouth to taste the sweet gray and fill myself with its sweetness.
The cow never turned up that day although I had mooed twice. But when I mooed, I found all those words which Anna spoke, which I had pulled in started coming out with the grayish moos.
I stopped mooing, lest I lose the filling gray from myself.
(pg. 157-158, The Mind Tree)

I have worked with several consumers who had autism over the years. I wish I had known about this book when I worked with them, because I feel like Tito's explanation of how it feels to have autism allowed me to understand a little more about what my consumers were going through. That type of insight could have helped me to better meet their needs as a counselor.

His mother deserves much of the credit for his being able to function as well as he does. She worked tirelessly with him repeating tasks; moving his limbs, his hands, and his fingers to teach him how to make the motions necessary to throw a ball, write, and draw. He described how his body felt scattered, so he could not make his limbs do what he wanted until she moved them for him repeatedly. Her teaching tactics could be viewed as harsh or even abusive. Tito writes about her methods, which included tying a pencil to his hands and forcing him write, sometimes withholding food until he wrote the letters of the alphabet. He also writes with frankness of times when she struck him to get his attention. I noticed that there is at least one website on which Tito's mother is accused of abuse, but after reading the book, I don't really believe that fits her actions. She was desperate when she discovered her child had a developmental disability, but she didn't ship him off to an institution. Instead, she gave up any hopes and aspirations she may have had prior to discovering that her child was disabled, so that she could care for him and help him to reach his potential, whatever his potential may be.

According to Tito, he felt disconnected from his body and being struck made him aware of his body. I don't advocate beating disabled children, but living with people who have ADHD, another neurological disorder, has given me some insight into what works and what does not work when trying to communicate with them. I understand how sometimes touch is necessary to get their attention, so it stands to reason that the touch may need to be more forceful with people who have autism, because the disorder is more extreme. ADHD causes problems with attention, but autism causes people to "go inside themselves." They are present, but not connected to what is happening around them, so a physical approach to training may be required to get through to them when they disconnect from their surroundings.

Sunset

Siamese Cat in Golden Splendor by Laura Milnor Iverson

The sun is setting on my time at my current job. I turned in my official notice today, and I was informed (as expected) that I cannot stay on through the 2nd. So, my last day will be August 31st. I am excited about my new opportunity and I will leave my job without regret. There is a melancholy tinge connected to leaving the job and friends I have known for the last ten years, but I am ready for the change.

Three Amigos Siesta

Three Amigos Siesta by Finijo

I was sitting here, minding my own business and surfing the net, when I happened to glance over to the couch. This is what I saw. All three of them just sacked out, and they could not be more relaxed or ridiculous. Saffie has no couth - at all! Lena is a doormat, really. Saffie is resting her foot and her anus on Lena's back, and Bodhi has HUGE feet. He's only a few months old, and we are already calling him "snowshoe." These guys are expensive and they can be a pain in the butt sometimes, but they make me laugh all the time, so they're worth it.

Speaking of making me laugh, notice the MXC on the TV in the background. This competition is called, "Irritable Bowl Syndrome." The guy in the bowl was ejected from the bowl when he hit the pool at the bottom of the slide. The announcer said, "He's starring in his own money shot." What else can I say, great show!

Broken Flowers and Life Aquatic

The last DVD I watched was The Life Aquatic (with Steve Zissou) starring Bill Murray and written and directed by Wes Anderson. With the same quirky feel as Bill Murray's last few movies, The Life Aquatic uses decayed opulence as a metaphor for the squandered life of Bill Murray's character; much as Wes Anderson did in The Royal Tennenbaums. I loved the soundtrack, which has a strangely familiar sound. About halfway through the film, I realized that much of the music is comprised of classic David Bowie songs (Ziggy Stardust era) in acoustic arrangements, sung in Portuguese. The effect is beautiful and quite haunting. The Life Aquatic tells the story of an aging JacquesYves Cousteau type (Bill Murray) whose best friend is killed by a jaguar shark, sending him off to find and kill the shark. Just before his quest begins, he is contacted by the adult son he's never met (Owen Wilson), and they end up going off on the adventure together. It's an odd little movie with an interesting visuals; I especially like the the still pictures used in the portholes of the yellow submarine. Jeff Goldblum and Angelica Huston have great supporting roles and the closing credits are shown over a sequence like the one at the end of Buckaroo Bonzai in the 8th Dimension.

I saw Broken Flowers this weekend and enjoyed it a lot. In recent years, Bill Murray seems to have gone from doing the slightly manic and sarcastic comedy he was famous for in the 70's and 80's, to playing characters who are much more introspective and melancholy. His character, Don Johnston, in Broken Flowers fits the mold of the successful, older man, who is looking back on his life and wondering what happened to the years that have passed and to the happy ending he is not living. He's an aging Don Juan who receives a mysterious letter on pink stationary informing him that he is the father of a 19 year-old son, who may be looking for him. The unsigned letter sends him on a cross-country quest to find the mother of the child he never met. His odyssey leads him to the homes of four former lovers and allows him to glimpse the lives might have lead, if he had chosen to settle down.

The music in Broken Flowers is fabulous. The soundtrack is anchored by Ethiopian jazz, which gives it a very cool, mellow groove. There are a couple of songs by the Greenehornes and Holly Golightly in which her Patti Smith-esque voice evokes an ultra-hip, smoky 1960's nightclub. The music and the movie are a wonderful combination.

FX Network

I never thought I would want to laud a television network (especially one that is connected to the network that produces Fox News), but at the moment I think the FX network has some of the best original programming on TV. It's not just that they have a show or two that are good, it's more like they're on fire right now, and each show they produce is so well written, acted, and directed, they are all worthy of multiple Emmy awards. I have never seen so many unusual shows on one network. I have to guess that the two newest entries, Starved and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are too"in your face" to stay on the air for long, but I plan to enjoy them while I can.


Starved

Starved, one of the two new comedies showing on FX, is being protested by the Academy for Eating Disorders for dealing with the serious subject of eating disorders in a comedy. I understand that eating disorders are serious, but I also believe much in life is serious, and laughter helps take the edge off. If you can get people to talk about subjects that are taboo (and believe me some of the stuff covered in this show is taboo), then at least there is dialogue. After watching the first two episodes of Starved, I can guarantee that nobody could watch the show and believe eating disorders are desirable. The characters are all pretty pathetic, but not completely without redeeming qualities. It's their character defects and the situations that they get into that are hilarious. To anyone calling for a boycott, I say watch the show before you judge it. It may be too gross for some people's taste, but it's definitely not dangerous.


Sunny in Philadelphia

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a comedy that is set in a bar, but it's nothing like Cheers. In the first episode, the owners of the bar inadvertently allow it to turn into a gay bar, then struggle with the dilemma of keeping it gay and profitable, or going back to being an unprofitable pub. The second episode finds one of the characters trolling pro-life rallies for dates while another character deals with brat of a son he never knew he had. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is funny, but not as outrageous as Starved.

Nip/Tuck

Nip/Tuck tells the story of two college friends, one a swinging single and the other a family man, who become high profile plastic surgeons in Florida. The show centers on how the moral ambiguity of their profession impacts their friendship and their families. With graphic sexuality in almost every episode, it is also both suspenseful and funny. The last season ended with a cliffhanger involving a serial mutilator, and there are plenty of scenes of surgeries that have all the vivid gore of CSI. Nip/Tuck is a riveting watch.


Rescue Me

Rescue Me is a part drama, part comedy about fire fighters in post 9/11 NYC. Dennis Leary's character is rife with contradictions. He's an amoral, self-centered addict, but he tries to be a good father and he courageously risks life and limb to rescue strangers. He also has addictions to alcohol and pain killers and he sees/talks to dead people. In the last episode, he even took Jesus on a crazy car ride, to scare the hell out of him.

The Shield

The Shield is a police drama that rivals HBO's prison series, Oz, when it comes to graphic violence. The protagonist is a cop who is capable of violence, but who also has a great capacity for self-sacrifice and loyalty. There are humorous moments in the suspense filled hour long series, but The Shield is currently the definitive gritty crime drama on the air.


Over There

Over There tells the story of the war in Iraq from the soldiers perspective. I've never heard of a television series telling about a war that is in progress. Because it is about war, it has to be realistic and frank, but because we still have soldiers fighting in Iraq, it has to be handled as sensitively as can be managed. I think Over There has done a good job of balancing both the horror of war and the humanity of the soldiers who fight.


30 Days
I loved Morgan Spurlock's documentary, Super Size Me, in which he ate McDonald's food exclusively for 30 days, and the impact it had on his mind and body. 30 Days is the documentary contribution to the line up. Using the intriguing premise of "changing your life in 30 days" Morgan Spurlock explores the Muslim religion, homosexuality, living on minimum wage, alcohol binging by college students, anti-aging therapies, and a host of other issues. I have seen 4 episodes of this show, so far, and they have all been fascinating.

I remember watching FX for the first time when it was running what seemed like non-stop reruns of the X-Files. Kudos to whoever turned FX into an innovative and edgy network, while its competitors continue to churn out Law and Order/CSI knock offs. I think it's great that FX is able to rise above its conservative roots and produce programming for adults who enjoy thinking and loath a laugh track.

Dizzy, Like a Fox

Dizzy by Finijo

I got a call today from a coworker, who is a good friend of mine, and we also went through our master's programs together. She told me that she spoke to "my future supervisor," who apparently was also a coworker of mine until two weeks ago, but I didn't know him. Clarified, what I mean is that he worked in another field office for several years and if I met him, I don't remember him.

My future supervisor asked her, "Did West tell you she got the job at the VA?" Wha? I don't even know that I got the job at the VA, but apparently word is getting out via the grapevine that I am hired. Unfortunately, none of this is concrete or official, so I am still just hanging here by the thread of what is left of my sanity and sense of humor.

My current employment/hire situation now ranks as the weirdest work situation I have ever been in. That is an impressive feat since I have not only a widely varied, but admittedly odd work history. I am living out an absurdist joke, just waiting for the punch line.

Texas Government Blogs

Governing Magazine July 2005 Cover

While at work today, I noticed the cover story by Christopher Swope (cswope@governing.com) on the July 2005 issue of Governing magazine, titled Blogger Power. I read the article and found that the focus was on Texas political blogs. The article was informative and it was interesting to discover the variety of political blogs that have developed in Texas. I usually avoid most of the political websites/blogs because there seems to be too much arguing and not enough discourse. To my surprise, the article showcases a couple of blogs that post live from the legislative sessions. "A Capitol Blog," by state legislator Aaron Pena, is posted live from the floor of the House of Representatives. According to the article Representative Pena's blog has become the blog to read if you want to know what is happening in the Texas legislature, and he feels that he is able to let his constituents get to know him and it allows him to explain to them why he votes the way he does. That's a pretty noble goal for a legislator, at least from my perspective. He hasn't been able to get any of the other legislators to follow his lead into the blogosphere, but I admire that he has tried. As a public servant, I appreciate every effort that is made to make governing more transparent. I can see how a trend of government officials blogging could evolve into a form of manipulation by the government, but I think that recent history (the last presidential election) showed that the nation's blogging community can be dogged in its determination to uncover the truth, as well as being merciless in dealing with anyone who is lying to the American public. I can see why most politicians would avoid blogging like the plague, they are terrified of having what they say scrutinized too closely.

On a lighter note, "In The Pink" is a political blog written by Eileen Smith in Austin, Texas. Her blog is named for the pink granite that covers the Texas state capitol building, and her style of blogging is irreverent. If Saturday Night Live had a Weekend Update segment on Texas politics, she would be the writer. Smith's delivery is sarcastic and funny, so she is gaining a following. She even has some contacts at the capitol and she at times blogs from the public gallery, so she has an interesting perspective on the Texas political system. I had a feeling I would like Smith's blog when I read that she is nonpartisan, but is known to go after conservatives who are against gay marriage and late term abortion. After reading her blog, I decided to link In the Pink, so that I remember to check it often for the political updates and for the laughs.

There are many Texas political blogs, but the last one I will mention is Rick Perry vs. The World. Written by Evan, a Republican, currently living in Houston. He doesn't use his last name so that potential employer's don't Google him, then judge him by his blog. He's probably smarter than most bloggers in that respect. Evan's blog covers the gubernatorial race in Texas and I found it to be an interesting read. I don't agree with everything he says, but he doesn't offend me in the way he delivers his message, either. The fact that I am a liberal and a Democrat is no surprise to anyone who knows me, so linking Rick Perry vs. The World to my blog is a little surprising, but I see it as my small way to support bipartisanship.

Ethics Test

Venice Through the Masks' Eyes 3 by Alex Levin

Ethics Test

This test only has one question, but it's a very important one. By giving an honest answer, you will discover where you stand morally. The test features an unlikely,
completely fictional situation in which you will have to make a decision.

Remember that your answer needs to be honest, yet spontaneous.

Please scroll down slowly and give due consideration to each line.

You are in Florida, Miami to be specific. There is chaos all around you caused by a hurricane with severe flooding. This is a flood of biblical proportions. You are a photojournalist working for a major newspaper, and you're caught in the middle of this epic disaster. The situation is nearly hopeless. You're trying to shoot career-making photos. There are houses and people swirling around you, some disappearing under the water.

Nature is unleashing all of its destructive fury. Suddenly you see a man floundering in the water. He is fighting for his life, trying not to be taken down with the debris. You move closer . . .somehow the man looks familiar. You suddenly realize who it is. It's George W. Bush! At the same time you notice that the raging waters are about to pull him under.

You have two options: You can save the life of G.W. Bush, or you can shoot a dramatic Pulitzer Prize winning photo, documenting the death of one of the world's most powerful men. So here's the question, and please give an honest answer:

Would you select high contrast color film, or would you go with the classic simplicity of black and white?

My friend, Mike, sent that to me today. Since I still have not received a thumbs up or down from the V.A., it was nice to at least have a laugh. Thanks, Mike!

MXC - Most Extreme Elimination Challenge

MXC - Kenny and Vic

We have a new favorite show, MXC (Most Extreme Elimination Challenge) and it's on Spike TV. This show is so weird, it is almost impossible to do it justice with a description, but I'm going to try. Succintly put, MXC is a Japanese game show (called Takeshi's Castle in Japan) involving really weird physical competitions. Describing the different types of competition and the presentation of the show succintly is much more difficult. There are numerous obstacle course type competitions and two teams of competitors, which are usually given odd names like The Cops vs. The Cons or Addicts vs. Donors. The announcers on the show have all been given strange names, also, like Guy LeDouche and Captain Tenneal. Most of the competitions involve the contestants falling into what commonly called on MXC, "the fluid." It consists of putrid water and/or mud.

MXC Ball

MXC Mushroom

I have no idea what the show is about in Japanese, but the dubbing of the play by play and the side commentary done in English is hilarious. The games are tougher to win than they seem, and translating names of the games has turned them all into sexual and scatalogical double entendres. If you liked Mystery Science Theater, you will love the voice over. MXC is one show that you just have to see to appreciate. Keep an open mind when you watch it (I'm not kidding about it being weird), and you won't be able to stop laughing.

Void

Gape in History by Finijo

The home is gone and the rubble hauled off. Nothing left but dirt today, and pavement tomorrow. The home of who knows how many people and families obliterated, not even as much as an address left as a reminder of what once was.

Hope Fades

Wreckage by Finijo

After a long day at work (during which I still did not hear anything about the job I am supposed to be in line for), I arrived home to find that the cute peach colored 4-Plex next door was torn down to make way for a parking lot for the chiropractor's office one house down.


Destruction by Finijo
I always hate to see a building torn down or a car that's been in a wreck. Those sights just make me ache; it's so unsettling. I took pictures of the aftermath, though. It seemed like a visual metaphor for how I'm feeling lately. I wish they would either hire me or send me the rejection letter and put me out of my misery.

Shawinka Update

Shawinka Young

Shawinka Old

For anyone who's wondering, Shawinka is alive and almost well. My glamorous science experiment is coming to an end. She is aging as gracefully as a 3 month old tuber who has been dolled up and pierced can - (see the post from 06/16/05, if you don't know what I'm talking about).

My coworker, Becky, got a new (and better paying) job. As Becky's last day is tomorrow, she gave me custody of Shawinka today. Shawinka still has absolutely no odor at all, but she is spongier than ever. She is starting to feel almost human, which is pretty creepy for a spud. I did find a particularly gushy spot on her bottom (under her chin), and I have a feeling that I may come in Monday and find she has sprung a leak. I think I need to send her on a farewell cruise via the City of Houston Royal Maintenance Line.