Several times during my massage last week, my massage therapist stopped and said “I can’t tell if you’re breathing. Take a breath!”
She made me aware that when I’m focused on something, when my brain is grinding away at full speed, my breathing becomes so shallow that it’s barely perceptible.
I just linked out of Pox Americana because I realized that I had actually stopped taking in breaths. The mental process of absorbing all of the complexities — and all of the insane convolutions — of what’s going on literally took my breath away.
I’ve got to go and breathe — deep, relaxing, healing, mind-drifting breaths. I can’t make the fact that we are on the verge of triggering a world-wide murdering spree go away, but maybe I can breathe away the stress of knowing that. Certainly, a little more oxygen in my system can’t hurt.
Last month or so ago, I happened to catch a part of a special on life in the Long Island Hamptons about Oxygen Bars (they don’t serve liquor; they sell whiffs of oxygen). Right now, I wouldn’t mind a double.

While George Partington is linking to some historically timely educational pieces, and Marek is struggling to survive through the fiscal downslide of current history, and b!X is marching to affect the course of future history, I sit and watch a subtitled movie that reminds me, again, why educated dissent is important, why passionate ideals are important, why committed solidarity is important, why continuing to hold the mirror of truth up to our current grotesquely warped American government is important.
The Man of Iron, takes place in the context of Lech Walesa

I’m stealing the following off George Partington’s site because it really got to me. He got it from here.
Filmmaker Steve Tesich, who wrote love letters to America in films like Breaking Away and Four Friends, was described by his sister as being “romantic, sweetly na

The flocks are forming to the north,
flying in the face of a hungry hunter’s moon.
This is a moment on the verge–
of a burst of bold wind
carving color from the mountain,
a glint of dark wing
shredding the edges
of yesterday’s clouds.
I sit between the seasons,
astride the fine line of morning,
waiting for shadows
and willing the wind.

Five years ago, when he flew in for his sister

Enough with this god already. Vote YES.

Anita Bora comments in one of my previous posts that it seems as though I’m having more fun that she is. Well, there

Say what you want about what

I used to blog every day. Often, several times a day. I can’t figure out if I’ve run out of steam or out of things to say or out of the need to say them OR if I’ve just gotten bored with the whole process.
For me, hell would be a place of ultimate boredom. I get bored easily. Maybe I have more of an attention deficit than I thought.
I did have lunch earlier this week with Gina Guiliano, and I could have sat there and talked with her for the rest of the lovely early fall afternoon, but she had to get back to the university for her office hours. I think we covered every possible subject that we blog about, think about, and care about.
This weekend I’m going to a bead show in Providence RI with my friend who makes jewelry. I’ve been in touch with another Blog Sister, and will call her when I get in town to see if we can meet somewhere.
Meanwhile, I’m trying to figure out where this ennui is coming from. The kinds of things that used to energize me don’t seem to be doing it. Even dancing is a bore (but I’m going out tonight anyway to do some West Coast Swing and Salsa and take some photos for the magazine.) Of course, I’m making sure that I’m taping Friends and Will and Grace and ER and CSI (I have two vcrs.) I’m a series season premiere junkie. Buffy, as is to be expected, was awesome, but b!X already posted on that, so I’ll pass.
I guess, at my age, I should consider that my feeling of floting in limbo might be something physical. I’m sure my chocaholism doesn’t help my blood sugar levels. Ah, for the days of yesteryear when I never worried about any of those kinds of things!!
Over on Blog Sisters Drucilla Blood brings up what is sexy [note: permalink is not working]. We’re such a diverse group (physically, spiritually, maternally, materially….), we Blog Sisters. I have a feeling that if someone took a photo of us all in the same place at the same time, a stranger might well wonder what in hell we all have in common. What I think is that, for certain females, just being female is enough of a common ground from which to build conversations that are relevant to all of us. Such are the Blog Sisters.
Now, off to dance, snap photos, and try to have some fun. That’s what I’m missing. FUN!

In CNN.com/entertainment