My daughter goes to a University with a core curriculum. One of her required units is a section of philosophy and a section of ethics. Currently she is taking ethics. (FYI- she said this 100 level class is kicking her ethical butt, way more than her 400 level classes)

She often tells me about the “problems” the teacher poses- like do people have the right to own chickens. (as it’s become very popular to keep chickens now, some townships are making laws about who can and can’t have chickens) I thought this was an interesting question and even though I don’t plan on writing about it- feel free to comment about it…

Another interesting topic is “Fake Humans of &^%^$# College”

As some of you know there’s a really popular website called Humans of, where a journalist would conduct random person on the street interviews and include them on Insta or a website. Now people are riffing off this: Colleges and universities have UNOFFICIAL accounts where they take a picture of a random person on campus and then make up a story about this person and post it online.

Where do we stand on taking a picture of a person and, without their knowledge or consent, and posting it on a website.

With the use of CCTV and everyone taking pictures continually, is there any sense of privacy anymore?

Do we give up our right to privacy every time we walk out the door?

Discuss

I was on the bus…

The setting was weekday, midday, so the bus wasn’t too crowded- maybe fifteen or so people. There was a woman sitting towards the front of the bus, talking very loudly to her friend.

Very Loudly. I was across the aisle and back about four rows and I could hear her loud and clear. Over the bus noise. Over the traffic. Over my airbuds playing my Chilling playlist…

The woman was a member of a minority group. And she was talking very loudly about members of another minority group. Very loudly. And very negatively.

Very negatively.

She was saying some really nasty stuff- many stereotypes. Many insults.

She was sitting under this sign…

She was sitting under the sign that specifically tells us that there is no place for hate on our transit system.

Does signage like this actually help anyone see the light about the thoughts that run through there heads and out their mouths?

Can you change someone’s mind just by “reminding” them?

Or are people going to do what people want to do and not listen to what any person, or any sign, says?

Did this woman think she wasn’t doing anything wrong because she wasn’t physically attacking anyone? Did she think she wasn’t doing anything wrong because she wasn’t saying these things to an actual member of the minority group that she was maligning?

How do you think we get rid of hate both in our transit systems and in the world?

1. The good news: I loved this book. The bad news: It took be about 150 pages to get into the story and understand what was going on. Good for book clubs as there are many layers to this novel. Very different than other popular book by Doerr, but expertly written. A writers writer.
2. Cozy mystery done really well. Fun and light, if that’s your thing. And refreshing to see characters of a certain age be full of life and wisdom and taking an active part in life. Clever and understated, but I wouldn’t read it for book club. It’s just an enjoyable read.
3. Second time I read this book. Loved it this time as much as I did when I first read it. And who doesn’t love a second chance at love just when everyone said you were too old. Can be compared to Pride and Prejudice for a variety of reasons, so if you’re a fan of that, give this a go. Good for book clubs.
4. The word feminism is used ten times throughout this book. I wish the author had included a definition, because the book “says” one thing but “does” another. Author tries to explain away the obvious problem with a throwaway paragraph. Author needs to get reality check. Or accept that they want to write a love story. Enough with the woe is me I’m 30 and dating is so hard because men want a younger woman. Get over yourself. But, book was well written and different so kudos there. And seriously- look up the definition of baby boomer while you’re at it.
5. Perfectly fine, light rom com. It is exactly what you expect when you want something of this genre. Good for beach or plane/train ride, but not for much else.
6. Psychological Drama- including all the twists and turns you can imagine- Yet somehow, I’m not sure if there wasn’t just one too many twists and turns. How do we know the difference between just right and overkill. If these type books are your thing, it’s worth a read. If you’re a casual reader of the genre you can probably pass.
7. This book is trying so hard to say how lousy men are, while simultaneously making men the hero time after time. Figure out what you’re trying to say and then write the book. Not a bad read if you like melodramatic sagas. I don’t like melodramatic sagas. I’m guessing if you like Colleen Hoover you will like this one. If someone tells you it’s good for book club, they’re wrong. It’s one, log flat note.

I am thankful for:

• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden
• Brooklyn Museum
• Roundabout Theater Company
• Carnegie Hall
• Film Forum
• Angelika
• AMC Kips Bay
• Barnes and Noble
• Union Square Farmers Market
• lists of foods I need to try
• Cheeseburgers at Pastis
• Ramen at Totto
• Dry Chicken Pot at Han Dynasty
• Champagne Cocktails anywhere they serve them
• Molasses Ginger Cookie at Citycakes
• Orchid Show
• Christian Dior Exhibit
• Books
• Reading
• fuzzy covered hot water bottle
• mug warmer
• my planner
• inspirational quotes
• my journal
• my little pink notebook that I carry everywhere
• my camera
• best, worst grateful book
• text and email
• My People

Thank you for being part of my life!!

Happy Day!!!

A few months ago my daughter and I attended an exhibit at Brooklyn Museum: Maximum Sensation by Mounir Fatmi. https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/197366

This installation is by a Moroccan born artist named Mounir Fatmi and it is called “Maximum Sensation”. The textiles you see are contemporary copies of traditional prayer rugs that you can buy at Moroccan markets. The combination of skateboarding culture and prayer rugs made as commodity makes a certain point important to all of Fatmi’s work. As he writes in his artist statement: My work “deals with the desecration of religious object, deconstruction and the end of dogmas and ideologies.”

Brooklyn Museum Website

The exhibition was of a bunch of skateboards covered in the cheap prayer rugs.

Even though I know the intent of the artist, directly from his brain, I still didn’t feel comfortable about this exhibit. I still felt it was not necessarily in the best taste to put prayer rugs on skateboards, no matter the cost or background of these rugs, or what the point is.

My daughter said that I don’t have the right to be offended because I am not Muslim. She said I should view it as art and a political statement, as which it was intended, not as a direct affront to a religion.

So where do we fall on this? Should we look at something strictly as art, no matter what it’s mocking or what its point is?

Is being offensive part of art, or art movements?

In theory, the artist certainly made a point with me. I am going to remember this exhibit far more than other things that I thought were pretty or serene or fun. This exhibit will stick. But does that make it good or right?

What if I hadn’t read the fine print of the exhibit, as most tend to do? What if I just saw it- no explanation. Would I be justified in being upset or angered? FYI- I have a post in the pipeline about explanations and art work. I’m still forming an opinion, so expect more on this soon.

But…to my original point:

What is the threshold for being offended by something that is not akin to your culture?