Paola D'alessio

RantWoman thanks a college housemate's post on Facebook for this interview with astronomer Paola D'Alessio who died recently of cancer.

Interview in Spanish
http://www.lahuesuda.com/html/contenido.php?id=1252

Read More

Hanukkah, Peculiar Gratitudes, Inner Blowtorch Day 1

RantWoman feels led to celebrate the historic convergence of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah with 8 days of Dark and Light, peculiar gratitudes, possibly tasteless observations, and questionable reflections all illumined in RantWoman's Inner Blowtorch. By the grace of God(dess?) perhaps RantWoman will even include some reflections on the actual history and story behind the celebration.

Or RantWoman will ask Adam Sandler:
http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2013/11/thank-you-adam-sandler.html

Please, hold this all in Light and stay tuned

Read More

Scientific American: how does meditation change the brain?

How does Meditation Change the Brain

http://www.scientificamerican.com/video.cfm?id=how-does-meditation-change-the-brai2013-10-30&WT.mc_id=SA_Facebook

Read More

Watercolor Show and Silent Auction to Beneffit Indigenous project in Suriname

An invitation from watercolor artist Ruth Yarrow:

To raise funds for a wonderful project led by  indigenous people in Suriname and our Mennonite friends Sarah Augustine and Dan Peplow, I am putting up an exhibit of my watercolors at the 

Seattle Mennonite Church,

3120 NE 125th St., 98125, just east of Lake City Way.

The opening will be on Sunday,November 3, from 11:15 am to 1:00 pm.

I am donating the paintings, new frames, mats and work of  cutting the mats.

The total income from this silent auction goes to the Suriname Indigenous Health Fund.

Minimum bids will be $100.

The exhibit will be up from November 1 to December 15, and bidding will close promptly on Sunday December 15 at 12:00 Noon. I hope you can make it!

Read More

Awash. Living Water

RantWoman has been awash in the Living Water.


Living Water round 1: OR Coast, Newport OR. A timeshare right on the water.

Part A: RAIN SQUALLS. Exuberant racket from seagulls sea lions, seals slurping up waste from a nearby fish processing plant. Memorial benches along the boardwalk commemorating sailors lost at sea. Some years there were people listed from multiple vessels. Probably stormy years.

Part B. Deepoe Bay. Waves crashing against walls of waterworn igneous formations, leaving tidal pools behind as the waves return to the sea. A view of Boiler Bay. Not called that because the water looks like it's in a boiler, though it does. Boiler Bay because a ship called the Boiler sank there.

Part C: No Tsunami Option vacation with #disasterprep included:

http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-no-tsunami-option.html
RantWoman tried to walk up the tsunami evacuation hill. It would be a tough haul for RantWoman, never mind about RantMom. Go walk the boardwalk and listen to sea lions barking. They are loud and smelly and close, an improvement over an excursion possibility: cold and dark and smelly after an overpriced elevator trip down to some sea lion caves. Anyway, bank on the "no tsunami" option.

What means "we seek an earth restored" here?

Living Water, Round 2: 500-year floods down mountain valleys in CO. 22" of rain in a day or two; more water than usually falls for a whole year. Lots of roads along mountain valleys just GONE. RantWoman is peculiarly fascinated when Acts of God make human efforts crumble. The good news is RantBrother kadeit through a couple days of work doing flood cleanup before his body rebelled. Now he is back to looking after his own fashion for other work. The rest of family are poking at psychic cleanup options after his last visit.

Living Water: Quarterly Meeting.
Call down the fire of your justice; Call down the rain of your love. Ummm, wildfires burning miles to the south at the beginning of the month are by now a non-event. We still need rain, even in Friday traffic out of town or over the pass.

Plenary Bible Passage about a Samaritan woman and a Jew sharing water at the well. A big deal that they are drinking together even though the woman misses out on the Living Water because she does not know who Jesus is. Interesting approach to brand appreciation.
Plenary Promo: Friendly Water
http://www.friendlywaterfortheworld.com/
If RantWoman were going to go all intercultural on the #disasterprep efforts, she MIGHT want something like this in her home disaster resources.

Worship Sharing queries include no floods or tears; messages came about both, with riffs on brothers / parenting / loss / living / growing / mourning / hoping.

Read More

Howling About Dimishments Aunts and Uncles Division

On howling about Diminishments, relatives edition.


RantWoman is still aglow with the family warmth surrounding RantMom, 3 pairs of aunts and uncles, and RantWoman herself after a LOVELY excursion to the Oregon Coast. The glow endures even after numerous rain squalls, chattering sea gulls, rambunctious and smelly sea lions, lots of views of waves crashing ashore, other such seaside attractions.

The Howling about Diminishments part: EVERYONE, EVERYONE there was struggling with various physical frustrations, listed here with the Retired RantRelations' former professions.

RantWoman and RantMom were both counting our blessings to be there. The last time RantMom and her siblings tried to gather on the OR coast, they wound up at the last minute diverting to MT to help RantMom ease into the routine of treatment for her second cancer. RantWoman could not even help. Instead RantWoman got surgery for a second detached retina, a gas bubble in her eye and some no-fly orders.

This time RantWoman and RantMom got to get there and back primarily on public transit. RantMom especially found it a challenge to scramble in and out of one of the available vehicles but was otherwise comparatively spry for this visit.

But the maladies rundown:

Aunt Schoolteacher: now blind in one eye and struggling about things visual because of glaucoma. Not necessarily easy to chat much with RantWoman but seems to have some good social support.
Uncle Schoolteacher: painful to stand very long because of back and knee issues as well as neuropathy in feet lingering after long ago cancer treatment.

Aunt Office Manager: numbness in hands, in theory because of carpal tunnel issues.Needed to borrow RantWoman's fingers to open a bottle of laundry detergent.
Uncle Bus Driver: approximately deaf as a post. Wears hearing aids unevenly. Stand facing him to talk and he lipreads with enthusiasm. Do not expect him to interact with anything said to his side or from behind.

Aunt Travel Agent: on blood thinners and eschewing green vegetables after harrowing medical events in summer that turned out to be lots of small blood clots in lungs.
Uncle Beer Boiler Tender: walks a couple miles every day to keep serious heart issues under control.

Multiple people needed to put in their teeth in the morning before trying to say much.


The family has a tradition of trying to do a whole jigsaw puzzle over their time together. This means everyone is invited to participate. Some of the everyones ONLY do puzzles at reunions; some only look on and silently cheerlead. This year's puzzle got put back into the box in bigger chunks than it came out of the box. Save it for next time.

RantWoman sat through a conversation about dementia and personality changes and spent a certain amount of time thinking / trying not to think about present day RantMom.

There was mention of various teenage and preteen grandchildren. They did not seem to be missed.

And still RantWoman came back aglow.

Read More

Minutes on Climate Change and Transformations

RantWoman means to see whether coherent thoughts can be woven from the following items in terms of what is my Meeting / Yearly Meeting / my own soul called to do, to do next in the presence of Climate Change. But RantWoman is posting these items together unwoven thinking that others might feel called to weave faster than RantWoman will



An interesting minute arising from holding Meeting for Business every day during a workshop at Friends General Conference 2013
http://pathsoflight.us/musing/2013/08/quaker-workshop-minute-on-climate-change/

Closing statement from the World Gathering, the Kabarack Call for Peace and Ecojustice, findable via http://www.saltandlight2012.org/

The Overconsumption / Overpopulation Minute seasoned but never approved by North Pacific Yearly Meeting
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2011/07/population-overconsumption-climate.html

2008 NPYM MInute on Climate Change
http://www.npym.org/archives/minute2008_climate.html

Read More

Memorial because what else does one do?

RantWoman has little to add to the torrents of words already written about 9/11 and instead grabs some images in prayer.

A budweiser ad?
Uh-huh.
RantWoman does not buy the beer but does appreciate the ad.





WARNING: powerful, stunning, some will find upsetting!
A stunning reflection about all the people who jumped out of the burning towers.

http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ0903-SEP_FALLINGMAN



And for a window into the spooky world of people trained and accustomed to thinking about what bad things might happen, a peculiar contribution to NationalPreparedness Month, #NPM2013, a History Channel item about RickRiscola, the Director of Security atn Dean Witter / Morgan Stanley and all of his drill practices.

http://youtu.be/w9jUEp_l7cE

Read More

Pacific NW Quarterly Meeting: Let the Living Water Flow Zawadi Nikuze. Sept. 27-29

We dedicate ourselves to let the living water flow where we live regionally and in a wider world fellowship.We dedicate ourselves to building the peace that passeth understanding, to repair of the world, opening our eyes to the Light in each small step.

Lazy F Camp, Ellensburg WA
September  27-29
For registration details see http://www.pnqm.org/

Early Registration Deadline August 28.

We

Read More

Hedningarna / Heathens Earworms

Why is a metaphysical question; RantWoman nevertheless wonders why she has Hedningarna earworms crawling around among concerns about public transit and digital inclusion.

RantWoman is unsure how Hedningarna came into her life.RantWoman recognizes that one should be cautious bisitng other cultures' folk traditions because one might wind up carrying along all sorts of associations one does not intend. RantWoman also recognizes that some in her circles will not want anything to do with a band whose name means "Heathens." And still RantWoman has earworms. Even worse RantWoman has earworms readers are invited to try for themselves without RantWoman intros to help pick! Try one. If that does not speak to you try another! It's the experience!

A Hedningarna instrumental.
http://youtu.be/gFLrrxH0st4


Nordic dance fave Pornopolka
http://youtu.be/-sHd9gGRgv8


Raven
http://youtu.be/CCHceyuKhFM


Min Skog
http://youtu.be/EX-qqPsAHtM


Tina Vieri
http://youtu.be/J8CBVcTamv8 



Tuuli
http://youtu.be/17NdsjD3FjA


Tass'on nainen, with lyrics and translation
http://youtu.be/usDgBw8oy-U

Read More

Food, Fed, Feed Spiritually

On eating,food, stewardship and Wealth

Eating sunshine for the butterflies in one's stomach
http://nancyjthomas.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-sunshine-eater.html

Spirituality and community and struggles with anorexia
http://morewithmuchless.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-name-is-michelle-and-i-am-thirty-two.html

Biking as meditation and the gratitudes involved in a family being able to do it.
http://quakeroatslive.blogspot.com/2013/06/mama-does-god-hate-cars.html

Pope Francis: Wasting Food is like Stealing from the Poor
http://sojo.net/blogs/2013/06/05/pope-francis-wasting-food-stealing-poor?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sojourners%2Fgods-politics+%28Sojourners+God%27s+Politics+Blog%29

The Lamb's war wioth dialogue in the comments about stewardship
http://www.lambswar.com/give-it-all-away/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LambsWar+%28The+Lamb%27s+War%29

Read More

Dancing our Beloved Dead; Beltane Belatedly

RantWoman thanks A Quaker Witch, for the perfect thing to do with beloved spirits bouncing around in RantWoman's psyche and presence over the last few weeks: let them dance.

Dancing with our beloved dead at Beltane
http://aquakerwitch.blogspot.com/2013/05/dancing-with-beloved-dead-at-beltane.html


Anyone who thinks RantWoman is just an insensitive pushy overpowering bitch about all this is invited to complain as loudly as he or she feels entitled. But first you must get in line and dance and dance for an hour or several. THEN, only then may you complain.

The state of the Meeting, one more time
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2013/05/beloved-dead-restated.html

Beloved dead, or not yet; war zones
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2013/05/beloved-dead-or-not-yet-from-war-zones.html


Beloved Dead, while recording
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2013/05/beloved-dead-about-recording-clerk.html

Beloved Dead, Belonging
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2013/05/our-beloved-dead-belonging.html

Beloved Dead: Doris
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2013/05/dances-with-our-beloved-doris.html

Read More

The Gospel of Disaster Preparedness and Checkbox Theology

RantWoman is always ready to preach the gospel of disaster preparedness. Here is a link about awesome opportunities in Seattle with additional commentary from RantWoman as to her Meeting's previous interactions with preparedness and presence in different circumstances.
http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2013/04/faith-based-disaster-preparedness-forums.html

A small warning of theologies in collision:

The blog post includes a link to sign up for one of the upcoming fora.

http://seattlefaithbasedforums.eventbrite.com/

RantWoman nearly got stuck on

"Please tell us whether you are a Faith-based leader or a member / ambassador representative of your congregation."
RantWoman internal dialogue:

I am definitely faith-based. We are all ministers of God. We don't HAVE leaders. The only leader I recognize is the holy Spirit.

But I do not feel like a member ambassador either. Today for instance someone suggested getting thrown off a bridge sounded like more fun.


RantWoman, it's the Fire Department. How many meetings have you sat through in large rooms with interprettation to and from several languages.

Question from group 1: this is what we think in our country.

Answer: We're the fire department and this is how we do things.

Question from group 2: In our country....

Answer 2: We're the fire department and this is how we do things.

RantWoman, thinking, gosh it's really helpful even to know what my neighbors might be thinking, not to mention "single standard of Truth" as far as the Fire Department!

Now, as to earthquakes .... tsunami...volcanic eruptions ... rain...severe winter storms and snow...landslides ....flooding...meteorites? . sundry Acts of God...climate change?

Read More

Leslie Morgan Steiner: TED Talk; Crazy Love

Leslie Morgan Steiner, TED Talk
Leslie Morgan Steiner, blonde Harvard grad with MBA who works in marketing. Smart blonde woman in fashionable black leather dress giving a talk. One visual of a gun.
Includes frank, specific discussion of domestic violence incidents and patterns.
http://youtu.be/V1yW5IsnSjo
If a potential partner talks about a hisotry of abuse, DO NOT try to handle it alone.


The Book link on Amazon
http://www.lesliemorgansteiner.com/


The Video for people who like a visual

Read More

Sheep. Flocks. Shepherds, Grazing

And lo RantWoman cried out in angst. ?Come thou fount of every blessing, what is the theme or our holiday festival of music and dance  to be today?"

And the Lord spake unto RantWoman and the Lord said "Sheep Flocks Shepherds. Grazing. Search engine."


And Lo the search engine served unto RantWoman

Sheep May Safely Graze by "Louisville's greatest wedding ensemble"
http://youtu.be/4SXLhfRM1Jg


Some actual grazing, for everyone who won't go a day without thinking about climate change, Cows, Holistic High Density Mob Grazing, multiage but apparently not flash mob
http://youtu.be/I4h99OZgsIE


Intensive Rotational Grazing Whole Systems Design Carbon Farming, noodly music and text slides. Worth reading I guess but someone else besides me gets to do it.
http://youtu.be/E-lqgBxcNes


Holistic Management, Regenerative Agriculture
http://youtu.be/7Ix3JO2yo7s


Joel Salatin on Pasture management and Keyline Design for Grassfed Cattle
http://youtu.be/UCu9S1AwEwA



Now hopefully back to music
Sheep may safely graze or students may safely try to graze sheep
http://youtu.be/k8a1e2zMh3c

Sheep safely grazing with a whole baroque orchestra
http://youtu.be/ZIUCRXMM4pE


Sheep may safely graze on the piano
http://youtu.be/gK_p1vay-AY


Gloria in excelsis Deo from Messe in h Moll,
http://youtu.be/cGRbOjqOSYs



In honor of a sheepherding culture, something from the Basques,
http://youtu.be/ZR-oCaKsfrY


Turns out we have some shepherds who need to get to Bethlehem.




Además dijo El Señor, Otra Vez en Español
Los Pastores a Belén
http://youtu.be/G7UYEQq9IOo


Los Pastores a Belén, Yvonne y Yvette
http://youtu.be/UdzyC1Xddu4

Los Pastors a Belén, David Archuleta en el Templo de los Mormones
http://youtu.be/YbtNe1e8aFM


y otra
Tatiana, Los Peces en el Rio
http://youtu.be/SkOvStbLDFU




Done with holiness? RantWoman, secret and former cello imperialist, is not even sorry.
And a nod to cello imperialism; 12 'cellos; the carol of the bells

http://youtu.be/e9GtPX6c_kg


The Piano Guys, Star Was Parody. Electric Cellos with Light Saber Bows,  and an accordion?
http://youtu.be/BgAlQuqzl8o

Read More

Curiosity

Blog as file cabinet item about people leaving NASA Curiosity rover program because of demands that they submit to security clearance procedures.

http://www.nationofchange.org/security-obsession-drives-100-scientists-nasa-top-security-clearance-needed-help-steer-curiosity-rov



One of the many colorful moments in RantWoman's life: RantWoman briefly worked as an IT contractor for a certain local large aircraft manufacturer. RantWoman at some point might reflect on the circumstances that made her clear to do that, the circumstance RantWoman was called to witness as result. RantWoman's only point today: besides other circumstances pointing to layoffs, there appearedto be a good chance that RantWoman's group was going to get assigned to provide computer support to build fighter planes. RantWoman rather directly suggestedthat under the circumstances it would be fine just to lay her off. The fighter plane contract never came to fruition, so MAYBE RantWoman got ahead of herself about exiting. RantWoman hereby holds everyone facing the decion discussed here in the Light.

Read More

Dana Lyons...or Business Meeting ...?!?!?

RantWoman just helped abbreviate the following item for the weekly bulletin.

Earth Ministry:Singer Dana Lyons, best known for his comedy hit song Cows with Guns, is touring communities from Billings to Bellingham and from Portland to Coos Bay along the route of proposed coal trains. These trains would carry millions of tons of coal from MT and WY to west coast ports for export to China. Dana will perform a concert and give a short informational presentation on the regional environmental and other economic effects of the proposed trains and coal ports.
Sunday, November 11, 1-3 pm

Woodland Park Presbyterian Church,

225 N. 70th St, Seattle 98103


========
RantWoman acknowledges she is doing everything she can to maintain her cred as a Bad Friend:

--Cows with guns?

--The timing of this event conflicts with Meeting for Business

--The Clerk himself will likely be strongly interested in attending.

COPE!

RantWoman promises to post further tiding about evnnts that do NOT conflict with Meeting for Business.

Read More

Not Smoked, especially younger kids

Dear Friends,
Here is RantWoman's take on cancelling / not cancelling the fall 2012 session of Pacific NW Quarterly Meeting. The blog entry below began life as an email to Friends in key roles about planning Quarterly Meeting. The venue where Quarterly Meeting occurs is in the middle of wildfire country. There are no actual fires for  miles and miles in any direction, but there is smoke. Conditions are very dry and at one point the weather forecast mentioned a chance of lightning.

Various elements of the ultimate decisionmaking process got anonymized because RantWoman's non-Quaker blog is read by some of her disaster preparedness groupies; other elements got added or expanded.
http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2012/09/smoked.html

Then Wednesday, Friend Newly in Responsible Role texted RantWoman to see whether RantWoman wanted a ride to midweek Meeting for Worship. Friend Newly In... lives very near RantWoman and RantWoman has ridden several places with Friend Newly in Responsible Role. RantWoman deeply appreciates the ministry of car ride conversations.

Friend Newly in Responsible Role is a mom. She reported that she personally is even less in tune with news streams than RantWoman but that she had been concerned for a few days. RantWoman is aware of another mom whose suggestions about cancelling had not quite been heard over the week's emails before Quarterly Meeting. RantWoman said a few words of vague invitation and  Friend Newly  in Responsible Role immediately offered to share her thinking.
As a mom, she realized she was going to want either to leave son at home or to explain to him why they were travelling to a dangerous area. And besides a bunch of adults she loves including RantWoman and two other specific adult Friends with health problems should not go there either. At this point RantWoman bristled: RantWoman and the two other Friends named are adults able to make our own decisions, good or bad. We all chose to go and did not regret it. RantWoman did not say in the moment but thought about later RantMom's past as a farm girl. in some circumstances, the RantParents would have said, we KNOW it's dangerous so you WILL modify your behavior as follows. But RantMom is not the mom in charge here;
Friend Newly in Responsible role was clear that it was her responsibility to put her foot down. She also reported that afterward multiple parents thanked her for articulating what they were thinking but hesitating to speak about.

RantWoman

1. Is grateful to have gone to her scheduled meetings, including the shortest plenary Business Meeting she has ever seen.

2. Wonders whether recommendations to cancel could have come together 
by Wednesday instead of the middle of Friday afternoon.

3. Recognizes that apparently the smoke from all the distant fires was getting worse on Friday than previously.

4. Is holding our venue and the people connected with the planning in the Light as Friends think more about this.

5. Does not regret attending herself even though she came home with nostrils and hair and head full of smoke.
RantWoman requests that Friends hold us all in the Light, especially people who live full time in the zones most affected by wildfires.

Read More

Curiosity

On the occasion of landing Curiosity, a nuclear powered rover the size of a compact car on Mars, a post about becoming a Quaker.


http://seekerfinding.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/on-becoming-of-quaker.html

Read More

Wild Goose 2012, Coming West Too!

RantWoman recently saw a retweet from @fwccAmericas looking form #quakers who might want to take FWCC or other materials To Wild Goose West. RantWomanwould LOVE to connect with a ride, especially a ride not embarrassed to hang out withRantWoman's middle-aged self. Then RantWoman would be glad then to consider how to get materials there!

Why we need Wild Goose and the symbolism of the Wild Goose
http://sojo.net/magazine/2012/06/chasing-wild-goose


RantWoman  is terribly excited.

RantWoman wishes the teaser site for Wild Goose West had more content but RantWoman is terribly excited to see that Wild Goose is coming West.
http://wildgoosefestival.org/west



All purpose convergent rock part piece just for a different flavor

http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/06/29/nights-were-flamed-fire

Read More