Cute Fix: Broken-Hearted
One of my most loving Cute Fixes was dedicated to the German bear Knut (that’s Kuh-NOOT), who was abandoned by his mother and thus raised by a keeper, Thomas Dorflein, at the Berlin Zoo. I became absolutely obsessed with this bear. I watched countless videos, read articles, learned German and flew to Berlin in a hot-air balloon just to get a peek at him. I gave so many hours of my life to him, I shouldn’t even call myself Jewish. I became Knutish.
Now comes the sad, sad, sad news that Thomas Dorflein, my heroic doppleganger, has died at 44 under “mysterious circumstances.” No, Knut didn’t swipe him. But what happened? It’s not clear yet. Below, the most savagely misleading, incorrect headline ever. The content of the article says, in fact, that it would be impossible for Knut to mourn Dorflein, and that there never was a “love story” between them. But it certainly gets people to read, right Susan?
Love story: Knut mourns his keeper
And I defy you to tell me, after watching the below video, that there wasn’t love between Knut and Dorflein. I won’t believe it!
liz | 10:55 AM | Uncategorized
Self-Harm in Australia
This is a serious shame:
TEENAGE girls are more likely to be admitted to hospital for overdoses, slashed limbs or other forms of deliberate self-harm than for any other type of injury, including road accidents.
The alarming development, revealed in new national figures, illustrate the effects of intense academic pressure, changing family dynamics and rising drug and alcohol use, experts say.
The rate of self-harm among girls aged 13 to 19 has risen by one-third in the past eight years, moving in the opposite direction to the improved suicide rate, analysis from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows. For every 100,000 girls in that age group, 300 were admitted to hospital after harming themselves last year, compared with 100 boys, the institute’s report, Making Progress, says.
It makes intuitive sense to me that self-harm is more popular among girls than boys, though I don’t know why I feel that way. I’ve just never met a boy or man who does that, while I’ve met many women (including myself) who do. What is it about the female brain/mind (to continue an earlier conversation) or socialization (to continue a decades-old conversation) that compels women to do this? Or is it just more reporting?
Self-harm increasing at alarming rate among girls
liz | 2:59 PM | Uncategorized
From Me to Sarah Palin, With Jewish Love
The famous “Moose Routine” by Woody Allen. Even if you don’t like him now, this is some classic comedy.
liz | 12:26 PM | Uncategorized
Brain vs. Mind: The Big Smackdown
As a regular subscriber, I’ve noticed that Newsweek has sort of gone downhill since it changed editors several months ago. And I generally dislike its reporting on mental health issues. But I suppose there are some good nuggets to be gleaned from “Sad Brain, Happy Brain,” which is about the way feelings derive from brain function.
Many express amazement that emotions, pain, sexual feelings or religious belief could be a product of brain function. They are put off by the notion that such rich experiences could be reduced to mechanical or chemical bits. Or they worry that scientific explanations may seduce people into a kind of moral laziness that provides a ready excuse for any human failing: “My brain made me do it.” Our brains indeed do make us do it, but that is nonetheless consistent with meaningful lives and moral choices. Writing for the President’s Council on Bioethics earlier this year, philosopher Daniel Dennett made the point that building knowledge about the biology of mental life may improve our decision making, even our moral decision making. And it could enhance our chances of survival as a species, too.
Fore more, go here. If you feel like it.
[I got this image from BoingBoing. It's by Ari Pescovitz -- photos of his friends playing Guitar Hero, during which the brain and the mind are clearly fully engaged.]
liz | 9:40 AM | Uncategorized
It’s Verbiage, You Idiot!
This really depressed me. “Verbage”? Dear God. Please, John McC. Take good care of yourself.
liz | 3:09 PM | Uncategorized
Song of the Day: “I Decided” Part One
Because this video just cheers me up. I apologize for the goofy advertising on it, but I couldn’t find any other way to show it to you.
liz | 1:36 PM | Uncategorized
Boring But Important (BBI): Update on Parity From Mental Health America
Your advocacy worked! The House of Representatives will be voting as early as this evening, Monday, September 22, on the parity law you’ve called for! Help make history! Please urge your representative to vote YES on the “Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.”
Earlier this year after the Senate and House had passed their own parity bills, negotiators forged a historic agreement that establishes a comprehensive standard of equitable coverage. But time is running out to win its enactment. And it’s long overdue. An overwhelming House vote for the Wellstone-Domenici bill would set the stage for Senate passage in the days ahead.
Call-in for Parity
Help us win passage of parity legislation by calling your U.S. Representative’s office today to urge a “yes” vote. You can use the toll-free Parity Hotline, 1-866-parity4 (1-866-727-4894). The Parity Hotline reaches the U.S. Capitol switchboard, which can connect callers to the offices of their members. You can also call the Capitol switchboard directly: 202-224-3121.
Call Today: 1-866-parity4
“I’m calling to ask the Representative to vote YES on the ‘Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.’ It’s long overdue.
Click here to find your rep.
Take Further Action
Follow up that call by sending an email. With your help, we can achieve victory on parity this week. Take Action!
[Portrait of Paul Wellstone by the artist Robert Shetterly, who does paintings of Americans Who Tell the Truth.]
liz | 11:11 AM | Uncategorized
Saucy TTWS Intern Becca Trabin Gets Political
To the Obama Volunteers:
Sometimes I get annoyed that total strangers ask me if I’m registered to vote every time I walk from one indoor location to another. I get annoyed that Obama volunteers ring my doorbell at 10:30 at night, make sure I’m registered, and then ask me to go get my upstairs neighbors. I’m so sick of having to tell people I’m registered eight times a day that I’ve resorted to snippy.
But then, I think about John McCain. And I imagine his cronies sitting in a lavishly decorated room, twiddling their custom-made cuff links, saying to themselves, “You know how we should peddle right-wing extremism? Wrap it up in some smart-looking T & A– someone with good highlights. We need a woman with a lifetime of internalized sexism rattling through her head. Nice legs, innocuous thoughts– a little pussy cat from Big Daddy Patriarchy. We need to get the Oedipal Urge Vote this election.”
I picture that scenario, and then I remember that it’s working. Now, I don’t condemn Sarah Palin for being super pro-life any more than I condemn Paris Hilton for gallivanting around as a spectacle of hotness, any more than I condemn Donatella Versace for doing this to herself. All of it is equally rooted in the cyclical process of shrinking away from gender equality after each Feminist Wave. It’s deeply embedded, and bound to take new forms each generation.
I don’t condemn them, but I wouldn’t want any woman with sexist social protection making important decisions for me. Obsessing over an attractive woman coming to power who’s against rape-based abortions is yet another sign of cultural illness. It’s the most grand-scale S&M fantasy I’ve ever heard. And let’s face it, if Hillary Clinton were still in the race, it’s uncomfortable to think about what our electoral process would devolve into. So to all of the obnoxious Obama volunteers incessantly harassing me about the election: Thank you. I’ll keep thinking pleasant thoughts about the erotic nature of Joe Biden’s strong character and sound judgment, just to even the score a little bit. Here’s a song of courage to keep you guys going.
liz | 4:15 PM | Uncategorized
Funny or Offensive?: Frances Bean’s Suicide Party
The daughter of Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain, who committed suicide 14 years ago, just had her sweet 16 party — and the theme was the death of childhood, or, as she put it in an email to friends, her “suicidal 16.”
Jeez. That’s kind of weird, right? Your dad kills himself, and you choose that as your theme? Glad she didn’t have a bat mitzvah.
Frances Bean Cobain has suicide-themed 16th birthday party
liz | 2:44 PM | Uncategorized
R.I.P. Kevin Greim
I just read the most beautiful tribute to Kevin Greim, a member of a support group I spoke to … last year maybe? I’m not sure when. Susan S. posted it on her excellent blog, If You’re Going Through Hell Keep Going. Here’s just a bit of what Susan said about Kevin, who jumped in front of a train in Princeton, N.J.
What I noticed immediately about [Kevin] was his smile. It wasn’t a perfect smile, but it lit up the room. He had one of those rare personalities, all magnetic; people just gravitated towards him. You couldn’t help but like Kevin, he had this amazing aura around him, and a lust for life.
Kevin was like a sponge. He wanted to learn everything, and as time went on, he contributed more and more to our meetings, eventually bringing his wife Jamie to our group. She too, made valuable contributions. … When Kevin found out I loved cats ,he told me about one of his cats, six toed like one of Hemingway’s.
What people don’t realize about Kevin is that he had so much love in his heart for other people. When his friend N- had car troubles and needed to purchase a car- he took her too his old car dealership and helped her purchase a beauty. He loved facilitating in our group, and helping other people when he worked at CSP. He was always there for his friend G. He was always there for me when my marriage ended. He gave freely of his time, offering and ear and never asked for anything in return, only to learn, more about human nature.
And maybe that is what ultimately lead him on the last few hours of his short life to the Princeton Junction train station. His heart gave out.
liz | 9:36 AM | Uncategorized
