Sometimes I listen to podcasts of radio shows at work. OK, pretty much all the time, I listen to podcasts at work. It's usually NPR shows but occasionally I throw in a New York radio show my coworker recommended to me. Today they were discussing the controversial trial of Kahlid Shaikh Mohammed in New York City. The show is based in NYC and the people were speaking against the trial being held there. One of the DJs said Mohammed shouldn't have the same rights as "us" (to a fair trial). "Us" was understood to mean American citizens. Why does he not deserve the same rights as us? Because he was not born on American soil or because he committed a heinous crime? Are we going to start judging if Americans should have a fair trial according to the seriousness of the crime? I thought that the rights Americans are given were-at least theoretically-God-given to ALL people everywhere!
Sometimes I worry about the compassion of my fellow Americans.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Art is Life
So I mentioned that I'm an amateur artist. I deal primarily with acrylic on canvas but I also have been known to do charcoals and sculpting. I even started branching out this summer with some apparel type art. I have a goal to produce more and sell it on Etsy.com. Today I also found a local store where I think my art apparel would be a perfect fit! To date, I've only made it for my family, though. My poor family is my guinea pig frequently!
The prospect of selling some of my work and branching out excites me! I have been getting increasingly more involved in a sub-culture in my city recently that I enjoy a lot! I'm getting more and more into the "natural" movement. I won't bore you with the changes I've made in my home at this time, but I'm glad I have made them. I'm also getting interested in re-using things. So I've been thinking more about making art out of other objects. Sort of a repurposing. It's better for the environment, makes me feel better about what I'm producing, and it's more economical for me AND the people buying it! If that's not good business sense, I'm not sure what is! In addition, it's becoming quite a trend!
I'm enjoying this forward momentum I have going on-now if I can only find the time to cash in on it!!
The prospect of selling some of my work and branching out excites me! I have been getting increasingly more involved in a sub-culture in my city recently that I enjoy a lot! I'm getting more and more into the "natural" movement. I won't bore you with the changes I've made in my home at this time, but I'm glad I have made them. I'm also getting interested in re-using things. So I've been thinking more about making art out of other objects. Sort of a repurposing. It's better for the environment, makes me feel better about what I'm producing, and it's more economical for me AND the people buying it! If that's not good business sense, I'm not sure what is! In addition, it's becoming quite a trend!
I'm enjoying this forward momentum I have going on-now if I can only find the time to cash in on it!!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Life As Theory
I suppose the best place to start a blog is in the beginning, with an introduction. My name is Karen. I'm a mother, a wife, an employee, and a student. I have a 16 month old son, I've been married to his father for five years this April, I am an IRS Section 125 Cafeteria Plan Manager for a Third Party Administrator, and I am a Junior Public Administration major at a local university in my "spare" time. I'm also an amateur artist.
In the last year or two, I've been getting more involved with my industry, more interested in politics, and I've started putting myself out there with my art a bit. I decided a blog in which I could muse on these subjects and also share some of my ideas would be a good outlet for me.
I'm currently enrolled in a class called Organizational Behavior Theory. It's a study of behavior within organizations. Why people act they way they do and what can be done about it. It's very management oriented and very abstract in concept. This is not a class where they give you x and y and ask you to find z. It's more like they give you all 26 letters in the alphabet, tell you that the organization is having trouble finding the right words and which words they've tried-and then ask you to propose some words!
I hope to do something similar with my blog. To take a concept I've heard in the radio or seen on TV and analyze and look at it. To take an issue at work (without divulging too much of course!) and look at WHY it happened and if there's anything I can do about it. I also hope I can live out some of my ideas, some of my theories.I hope to learn some and maybe share some wisdom. I hope to have some readers but if not at least I can learn a little more in my life as theory.
In the last year or two, I've been getting more involved with my industry, more interested in politics, and I've started putting myself out there with my art a bit. I decided a blog in which I could muse on these subjects and also share some of my ideas would be a good outlet for me.
I'm currently enrolled in a class called Organizational Behavior Theory. It's a study of behavior within organizations. Why people act they way they do and what can be done about it. It's very management oriented and very abstract in concept. This is not a class where they give you x and y and ask you to find z. It's more like they give you all 26 letters in the alphabet, tell you that the organization is having trouble finding the right words and which words they've tried-and then ask you to propose some words!
I hope to do something similar with my blog. To take a concept I've heard in the radio or seen on TV and analyze and look at it. To take an issue at work (without divulging too much of course!) and look at WHY it happened and if there's anything I can do about it. I also hope I can live out some of my ideas, some of my theories.I hope to learn some and maybe share some wisdom. I hope to have some readers but if not at least I can learn a little more in my life as theory.
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