It kind of really confuses me when Barbie commercials have little girls dressing them up and brushing their hair Like no Barbie is not about fashion. Barbie is about collecting as many dolls as you can get your grubby 7 year old hands on and dominating the living room with your expansive empire of plastic women. Barbie is about creating intricate social structures and spicy inter-family conflicts between town house residents. Barbie is about formulating complex back stories for tortured Ken dolls with emotional scars. It’s about creating near-sadistic dramatic plot twists that split up marriages and cause that one Barbie you really dislike to be ceremoniously tossed down the stairs in order to be offed by the jealous ex-wife of Ken #4.
Yes, but how do you make it into a marketable commercial that won’t freak parents and caregivers out?
I’ve always had the impression that advertisers don’t really understand how girls play with their toys.
Alternatively, never use the Ken dolls at all and have Barbie marry your King Kong figurine.
Photograph by Lydia Kearney Carlis. Photo courtesy of Kearney family.
Thomas James (TJ) Kearney, an Arkansas sharecropper and descendent of Arkansas slaves, at age 105, holding his youngest great-grandchild at the time, who was less than one-year old. TJ lived to be 107. He and his wife had 19 children, 18 of whom graduated college. The majority went on to receive advanced degrees, becoming lawyers, judges, and public servants. Several worked in President Clinton’s Arkansas administration, with two joining him in his presidential administration.
When I captured this image, I was struck by all of the history my grandfather had experienced, evident in every line and wrinkle. And, that was juxtaposed with all of the unbridled possibilities available to his children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren because of his life’s work, accomplished largely through the sweat of TJ’s brow, with hands literally on the plow.
Portrait of a Cowboy (aka inspiration for the Marlboro Man) 📷Leonard McCombe: Clarence Hailey Long, foreman of the JA Ranch, 1949. http://buff.ly/2e6UloI
I was reluctant to involve myself in social media for years because the world I see depicted in it is often sordid and trivial. I hate the top ten lists I see on every website that show pictures of sad people … I mean fat people and ugly people and people who’ve been humiliated or defeated but I don’t even want to talk about those qualities because it’s cruel. So let’s just say that the world of the web disgusts me sometimes and I think people who write for websites, especially entertainment websites, are disgusting morons as well. I just didn’t want to be a part of the river of filth.
Now I can see however that the world of spirit has led me to start blogging and posting so I can develop my self-awareness because I can see, after having been immersed in social media for weeks now, that this constant flurry of memes is really determining huge aspects of identity in the 21st century. It really is disgusting and sordid and empty, but it’s all we’re going to get.
So in one sense I’m catching up with the world and in another I’m using what I’m learning to leave this world behind.
Tonight I feel pretty good but I have so many ideas spinning through my mind I don’t want to make the effort to crystallize them. I’ve got a bunch of ideas for writing but they’re all too big to start on.
I guess the election’s the biggest one. I’m going to do an extensive piece on Trump, I think. I have to dig into his life to understand both why a soul would incarnate as such a person and why spirit guides would describe this world where he is incarnated as “cocreative” and “free”. To me it seems the relentless shallowness of trump and his ilk poisons the very concept of creation.
In a way I gave up on traditional America when I watched the Bush administration date-rape us all into the Gulf War. I knew then that the rank and file of America weren’t intelligent enough to live up to the responsibilities of democracy, that it was in fact easier to lead the U.S. into evil than it was to lead it to the light. Trump’s candidacy is a desperate grab at lost glory the country doesn’t really deserve any more. Ultimately it doesn’t matter but I wonder at all the saccharine spirit guides and channels and social-media messengers out there telling us we’re “cocreating” when really we’re under the thumb of this callow and hapless emptiness. Sometimes I wonder why any spirit would want to be guiding this dirty and futureless mob at all.
You can find something to love in every sign but when it comes to actually being in longterm relationships you’re going to have to deal their negative qualities on a pretty regular basis. So, I thought I should make a post to make it easier for you to find which sign is perfect for you! (Based on Sun sign, and assuming they’re the mostly healthy versions of their signs. No one is free from having negative traits!). This is a long post, I apologise in advance.
Aries: Aries are the type of people to come over to your house, suggest that you both should share some quality baking time and then leave you to do all the cleaning up. They’ll demand to have control over the remote control and constantly interrupt you – one day, you’re going to be telling them a story but something you said reminded them of something that happened to them, so therefore, it’s more important. Do you want a romantic, calm evening out? Well too bad, they finished their food before you so now you’re leaving. Does this bother you? Not really? Well, then Aries is the one for you!
Taurus: The type to take their anger out on you even if they’re actually mad at someone else, and when they’re mad, they’re mad! They can be very mannerless and will expect a lot from you. They can be overly indulgent, wanting you to put in a lot of work and effort while they go through phases scraping the bare minimum. Plus, they are stubborn as heck. This doesn’t sound annoying? A Taurus partner may be good for you!
Gemini: They never shut up! Along with that, they are extremely flighty, devious and chaotic. You may find yourself waking up to a different version each day, it’ll still very much be them, but still enough to throw you out of the loop. And, you’ll constantly be told, “Oh, I just forgot.”. You’re okay with all of this? Good! A Gemini would be great for you!
Cancer: They whine a lot, they nag a lot and they complain a lot. Being with a Cancer means dealing with constant mood swings and the lovely surprise of finding what will unexpectedly upset them next. They can be highly manipulative and expect you to read their minds – and then get mad when you can’t! If you’re thinking, “This doesn’t even sound that bad?”, then a Cancer seems like a great partner choice!
Leo: You’ll often be the butt of their jokes but you’ll find yourself walking on eggshells to make sure your jokes about them don’t hit too close to home. They cannot take criticism. Surprisingly moody, they can be extremely melodramatic. They are demanding and somewhat arrogant (not to mention egoistic!). They want centre stage in one form or another, and you better be willing to let them. You’re thinking, “I could deal with that.”, then a Leo would be a fantastic partner for you.
Virgo: The nit-picky Virgo! They’ll do a lot for you and they’ll make sure you know it! Surprisingly, secretive and distant, it will sometimes seem like they aren’t there at all even if they’re right next to you. They are quite needy and they can have a certain amount of odd habits that you’ll have to accept despite them being a bit judgemental about yours. Being judgemental often also means you’ll need to get their “okay” before doing something too. You’re cool with this? Great, date a Virgo!
Libra: Let’s face it, dealing with constant passivity then being yelled at during weird times is obviously going to get annoying after awhile but that’s just what dating a Libra is like! They can be moody when they don’t get their way and despite wanting to be treated like they’re very special they can often be really lazy when it comes to putting in the effort themselves. When confronted, they can be very blaming and defensive (when they aren’t being passive) and at times, extremely hurtful. Plus, they’re extremely indecisive and inconsistent! But all of this is a-ok? Date a Libra!
Scorpio: They are stubborn! As well as, obsessive, moody, possessive and easily jealous. They can be very manipulative and irrationally angry. They’ll demand to know all your secrets, your motives, everything you’re up to and whatnot but will be very selective about what they tell you. They don’t easily forgive or forget so you have to be extra careful to be on your best behaviour. All of this sound fine to you? A Scorpio would be a great partner choice!
Sagittarius: The paradoxical hopeless romantic, commitment-phobe! Do you want a flighty, “I like my friends more than you”, name-dropping, try-hard, arrogant, and often superficial partner who is also prone to humblebrag? You may be looking for a Sagittarius!
Capricorn: They basically have a stick up their ass that inhibits them from doing anything naturally, there’s always a stiffness about them. Everything you do has to fit their schedule, they’re workaholics and even when they aren’t, there’s always something they prioritise before you. They can also be unimaginative and surprisingly naive. This doesn’t bother you? That’s fantastic, you would do great with a Capricorn.
Aquarius: An Aquarius will treat you the same way they treat everyone else. Sometimes, they may even treat strangers better than they’ll treat you. Their reasoning? “Well I’m dating you, that’s all that should matter.”. You’ll also have to deal with their God-complex, self-unaware, aloof, flighty and all-knowing attitude (along with some weird habits). You don’t consider this to be too bad? You should date an Aquarius!
Pisces: Dating a Pisces means dealing with constant forgetfulness and moodiness. They are often self-deprecating, not a bad trait in itself, but when taken to the extreme it equals victim complex! They are also very reclusive, ultra-sensitive, irresponsible and very dependent. Not to mention the fact they’re escapists and have the tendency to daydream all the time. But this doesn’t even seem bad in your eyes? Perfect! You should date a Pisces!
