I took this photo to illustrate Structuralism and Deconstruction, but this picture isn’t worth a thousand words. Still, it’s a cool picture. On the right, a solid structure, a pyramid made of pyramids. On the left, a mess. I find the left one interesting, because it opens my mind to fantasy. The pyramid is solid and reassuring, but it’s going nowhere else. Except that the pyramid could be a base to solidify the art.
this one is about Liquake, the unique literary festival; spirituality vs. science; and going from Orwelian to Kafkaesque… here on lindaleith.com
Part 1 – Debit, Credit, or Cash? Small merchants (a cafe, and a small grocery store) on my street will not take debit or credit cards if you buy for less than $5. That’s because they’ll loose money on the transaction (i.e. what they have to pay the bank is well above their profit margin). This morning I asked the man at the cafe what the transaction cost was. He said it was $0.65 or thereabout, which surprised me because it was higher than I thought. It’s higher than, say, Paypal, because they have to set up the devices there at the register. So my recommendation here is: avoid using cards whenever you can, especially at small independent merchants. Help them survive. That is less the case for big chain stores that just want you to be hooked, and set their prices to afford a higher margin. They may even be more concerned about taking cash because they’re easily the target for robberies and petty thefts. In that way, airlines stopped taking cash just because …
Berkeley is a very walkable city in a country where people dislike being away from their cars… It’s about the Addison Street Anthology… Go read it on lindaleith.com!
Today I went to the vigil preceding the execution of Troy Davis. This was the first time I attended such a vigil, and this one in San Francisco was across the continent from Georgia. I must say it was very sad. A few came to speak into the megaphone, two sang beautifully. Ten minutes before four o’clock, we moved from a loose pack to a huge circle there on Justin Herman Plaza, held hands, in silence. Even the zip line above us was silent for that time, as they had eerily sent a few tourists down before, shouting their joy above somber statements. It was city silence, the sirens and the street noises in the background. The Ferry Building’s clock rang at four, waking me from meditation. Actually, it startled me, knocked me out of meditation. Many people checked their smart phones for several minutes. Then someone announced there had been no execution. There were cheers and tears, but the Amnesty person then announced it hadn’t been a stay, just the Supreme Court asking for …
This is a comment about this post on lindaleith.com I’ve never been a fan of Tout le Monde en Parle, the talk show designed to squeeze its guests in a corner and confess their sins, for the few times I saw it on my friends or family’s TV set. They think it’s a good show, my friends and family. To me, it’s like being at a party where someone drunk insists on telling “the truth” about your uncle’s sex life. As it would certainly become the center of Quebecers’ attention for a few days, drawing comments from everyone, I initially refrained from adding my point of view. It would be among the minority, easily squashed by the brash voices that would be quick to blame the victim. Many people would resent the implied reproach that they need to be politically correct, or at the very least polite. I read La Honte, initially in admiration of her ability to write down her feelings. I learned that she had discussed with her agent why she should take …
Ever wondered if you could travel in America without a car? Most people wouldn’t think it were possible, but we traveled from Seattle to Victoria BC via Port Townsend and Port Angeles with nothing more than our feet, buses, and regular ferries. Initially we thought of taking our tandem bicycle along, which would have added a few complications we weren’t ready to encounter. If you’re going solo with a bicycle, most buses and all ferries could take you when you need a push. We started from San Jose, taking Amtrak’s Coast Starlight to Seattle, a 24-hour journey through Northern California, Oregon, and Washington State. The purpose of going on a trip is to slow down, and avoiding the hustle and bustle of airports was just refreshing. We took a roomette, which in Amtrak’s world is the equivalent of Business Class, providing us with a small compartment where the seats transform into bunk beds, complete with sheets and pillows, made by our attendant when we asked. Right before departure time, I ran to a grocery store …
I use these photos for computer desktop use like a slow slide show. Please let me know if you use one, I’d like to know…
An almond fell off the spoon, bounced on his right shoe, and landed on the dusty pavement near his customer’s foot. Diego plunged the spoon in his bucket again, hoping to remain steady if another explosion startled him. Every year, the firecrackers of December penetrated Diego’s mind to haunt him. Signs of celebration for those who lit them, preparing for Christmas and New Year, they awoke in Diego the feelings he had tried to put to rest for many years already. The peddler of nuts – cashews, almonds, macadamia, etc. – not normally affected by the noises of everyday life in Guatemala, the passing of trucks, tuk-tuks, and buses, could not blend the explosions into his soundscape. So many years had passed since the end of the war and his daily nightmare, that he had managed to forget most of it. He could now make a modest living from the sales of nuts to passersby, mostly tourists with little else to do than considering the flow of good deals coming to their eyes. Over time …
Bibi Tiphane 