Skin: the book

Shelly Jackson's Skin Project is an attempt to write a book that only exists on people's skin and not on paper. A deconstruction worthy of Umberto Ecco. A living text.

Each person is given one word to tattoo on any part of their body; however, if your word is a body part you can't have it on the body part that it mentions. The completed text will only be given to people who volunteered to participate. Quite a limited run.

She says she is trying not to reify humans but turn words into subjects. Not dehumanizing people but humanizing words.

She says she will attend the words funerals(.)

A witch in our midst

via Brigitte Maria Mayer
Many Ghanian women are outcast to 'Witch Villages" after being accused of witchcraft.

The women come out and sit at the top of the tallest trees. And, when men come home they are confronted by the women.

Accusations of witchcraft can not be dispelled legally or most of all from people's minds. Perception delineates where people are on our social maps and often physically distances and removes them.

Ironically, "witches" from surrounding countries come to the Ghanian witch villages to live in safety after having people from their own countries throw them out they feel safer here.

Spirituality existing on the margin

via Rick Nahmias

We see the images cascading in front of us: prisoners doing zen meditation in San Quentin, Jewish addicts studying their own twelve steps - the Torah, the transgender worshiping St. Jude the saint of lost causes.

Through all these layers of the diaspora of the marginalized spirituality gives them a common homeland.

http://www.goldenstatesofgrace.com/preview.html

Citizen Poets or Subject Poets-Revisionist History

Jefferson's original draft of the "Declaration of Independence" stated that we were subjects rather than citizens, was there some kind of political epiphany that happened here?

Pinkwashing (peenk+woshing)
-noun
1. a term used to describe the activities of companies and groups that position themselves as leaders in the struggle to eradicate breast cancer while engaging in practices that may be contributing to rising rates of the disease.

Therapeutic ways of dealing with issues indirectly instead of saying oops we are part of the problem; instead let's pretend we are part of the solution.

But of course, let's not do anything in a real life kind of way. If we are a chicken franchise, let's be supportive keep on selling those buckets of carcinogens with pink ribbons.

Naked Voting in Illinois

It is going to be a historic election in more ways than one. It appears Illinois has an absentee ballot movement called "Vote Naked". To encourage youthful voting.

I like this country where else would they try and make something as important as civic duty and public discourse and turn it into something FUN!