I despair about the US foreign policy, about the wars.
Is healthcare a reason to hope? I keep watching.
Item quoted in full below
Black Wool Girl
It is all go! I am planning a speedy return to pick up our new pup at the airport. She is a mix of poodle, lab and spaniel, a labraspoodle.
Later: She’s here, what a lovely little girl. We are very impressed by the place we got her from:
Blog Maintenance
Updated and tweaked:
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Writing Page
I had an old one from the website – now here as a page – see it in the Pages section in the Sidebar.
About this Blog
Updated it – better focus for this blog.
Sidebar
Organised & added links, added Tag Cloud
Revolutionary Road
Great movie. (Spoilers coming up) Deeply disturbing. One reason is that it echoed my parents relationship. Really disturbing when John, the sane but mad truth sayer says: “I am glad I am not that child” pointing to April’s pregnant tummy.
I saw 1950’s lives described through the current consciousness. These people did not know about the 60’s countercultureal response to “empty lives”, 70’s wave of feminism, let alone the “me” generation of personal groth & self actualisation. They actually did well if you think about what was available to them. (My parents did too) They attacked each other and themselves, and oscillated between moments of false peace & dubious truth.
Disturbing too in that our lives now are lived with similar inadequate resources of consciousness & skill. We could see what they missed, but what are we missing? Kate Winslet as April sums up her own plight, but it fits the best of lives any time. This is existential despair that is hard to escape without deep love and acceptance of who we are now.
April Wheeler: I wanted IN. I just wanted us to live again. For years I thought we’ve shared this secret that we would be wonderful in the world. I don’t know exactly how, but just the possibility kept me hoping. How pathetic is that? So stupid. To put all your hopes in a promise that was never made. Frank knows what he wants, he found his place, he’s just fine. Married, two kids, it should be enough. It is for him. And he’s right; we were never special or destined for anything at all
Why “Revolutionary Road”? It is not hard to see this as a deeply cynical political analogy. All the way through there is comment about unrealistic plans. Mendes’ “American Beauty” another family saga, similarly invited to be seen as transcending the particular lives of particular people.
Future Primitive
I have just listened to two interview by Joanna Harcourt-Smith. I liked them both. Bill Plotkin has a braod overview of human & cosmic development and sounds like he would be a trustworthy guide to explore personal transformations.
Miriam Sagan’s story is the story of an artist & her life, particularly interesting to me on her relationship with her students. Also the interview touches on the parallel processes of the cosmic & the particular.
January 17, 2009 – GAIALOGUES: Interview with Bill Plotkin
Bill Plotkin, PhD, has been a psychotherapist, research psychologist, rock musician, river runner, professor of psychology, and mountain-bike racer. As a research psychologist, he studied dreams and nonordinary states of consciousness achieved through meditation, biofeedback, and hypnosis. The founder and president of Animas Valley Institute, he has guided thousands of people through initiatory passages in nature since 1980. Currently an ecotherapist, depth psychologist, and wilderness guide, he leads a variety of experiential, nature-based individuation programs. He is the author of Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche and Nature and the Human Mind.January 16, 2009 – GAIALOGUES: Interview with Miram Sagan
Miriam Sagan is the author of over twenty books, including a memoir, Searching for a Mustard Seed : A Young Widow’s Unconventional Story (Winner best Memoir from Independent Publishers, 2004). Her poetry includes Rag Trade, The Widow’s Coat), and The Art of Love.
Sagan directs the creative writing program at Santa Fe Community College, and has taught at the College of Santa Fe, University of New Mexico, Taos Institute of the Arts, Aspen Writer’s Conference, around the country, and on line for writers.com and UCLA Extension. She has held residency grants at Yaddo and MacDowell, and is the recipient of a grant from The Barbara Deming Foundation/Money for Women and a Lannan Foundation Marfa Residency.
Psychotherapy Registration
I am now official. In the past my credentials were confirmed by NZAP, now by the GOVT. There are some pro & cons, but one pro is that for Online Psychotherapy clients can see my credential online.
REGISTRATION
From the 1st January 2009 you must be registered or have submitted a completed application for registration with the Psychotherapists Board of Aotearoa New Zealand and hold or be eligible to hold a current Annual Practising Certificate to practise as a psychotherapist in New Zealand.The Annual Practising Certificate (APC) year will run from the 1st October to the 30th September.
Magical Negro in Chief
We saw Australia (the movie) last night, this led to the discussion of how there wqas something condescending in the way the aboriginals had magical powers. Then Amy showed us this item which clinched the idea of the archetype very fully, great article.
As usual I think the archetype is fine, we all have a wise old man in our psyche, but to literalise the idea is the problem.
But this is movie was not History. it is a fable, and so as long as we see it as that it is not so bad. But is the USA is literalising a fable, now that could be a disaster!
Magical Negro in Chief
By Bijan C. Bayne | TheRoot.comIn Obama, pop devotees of the black spiritual guide have found their ultimate savior.
Type SizeNov. 13, 2008–By now we’ve become familiar with the Negro Spirit Guide in pop culture. Think Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost, Sister Act and The Long Walk Home. Laurence Fishburne in Searching for Bobby Fischer and The Matrix.
Ethical practice online
This is a thorough survey, with a predictable outcome. We don’t know much!
In the conclusion she advocates that professional bodies create more effective guidelines for online practice. It is one that makes sense, and there may be some that are needed, however I have a belief that for 99% of the work the existing principles are fine. Usually when an ethical question pops up, it is not so different from face-to-face practice. Are they who they say they are? Is the environment that suits? Is the pratitioner competent to use the tools they use? All apply broadly!
Ethical practice online: An exploration of provider liability risk among practitioners in the emerging field of online therapy
by Holmes, Kristie, Ph.D., Capella University, 2008, 201 pages; AAT 3324818
Roles and permissions in WordPress
I am always fascinated to see how various roles are named in online forums. I need to know these as I set up an active team of contributors on http://www.katetapley.co.nz, so it is handy to have this link here. I am pleased to see the term “moderator” is not used, though no doubt it has a place at times.
Summary of Roles
* Administrator – Somebody who has access to all the administration features
* Editor – Somebody who can publish posts, manage posts as well as manage other people’s posts, etc.
* Author – Somebody who can publish and manage their own posts
* Contributor – Somebody who can write and manage their posts but not publish posts
* Subscriber – Somebody who can read comments/comment/receive news letters, etc.