deadicated.org blog

    The powers that be have truly blessed me with some artistic / crafty talent; and I am grateful to the Goddess / God for it. Truth be known, I’m just not feeling it when it comes to my artwork; I just can’t find my groove.

    It use to be that the Grateful Dead and it’s imagery inspired me; but since Jerry died, I feel like “The Man Without A Country”. So, I’ve been taking inventory, of the soul and otherwise. I have quite a bit of raw material for my candle, soap & dyeworks business. My potential audience / networking circle has exploded, with the help of FaceBook and being employed at a hospital that is a relatively small enough place to get to know just about everyone. I never wanted to be that obnoxious person at work trying to sell you something though.

    Today I motivated myself to do some silkpainting on a hemp-silk piece. My job has been working me to death and I’ve really had it. Seems the rules only apply to some in my department. I called in sick for the first time, on a day that was an overtime day, because I was having bathroom issues; and they made a big deal about. No, I should get impacted for them. In a pigs ass! Just about everyone I work with has an excuse not to be called for overtime; it’s bullshit and I’m sick of it. I also have serious issues about how they calculate overtime. If I understand the law correctly, it should be calculated weekly, payroll told me they do it twice a week. The Department of Labor told me overtime starts after you have worked more than 40 hours in a week. My job may be calculating it after 80 hours. So does that mean that you get screwed if they schedule you for an extra day in the first week of your paycheck?

Chinese New Year Tiger 2010
Originally uploaded by kuanhoong.

    As many of you know by now, Squidoo is one of my favorite sites, as is Flickr (you can’t beat them for a source of eye candy for a blog); so it’s no surprise I would go to them for the skinny on The Year of the Metal Tiger.

2010 Year of the Tiger

Year of the Tiger

Chinese Astrology

Squidoo Search 2010 Year of the Tiger Chinese New Year

Firecrackers, originally uploaded by Marie’s Shots.

Fels – Naptha

20 Mule Team Borax

Laundry Detergent on Instructables.

Green Laundry Detergent on Squidoo

    I ran out of laundry detergent the other day (after having one of those gianormous containers for what seemed like a hundred years). Many detergents contain phosphate, not so good for the environment, hence us. I did a search on some of my favorite “How-To” sites and found a few useful articles / recipes to which I’ve posted the above links to. Not only is this a good, Earth friendly detergent, it’s also cheaper (probably pennies on the dollar) to make your own. Basically you grate a bar of laundry soap, add Borax and washing soda. There are many different specific recipes out there, you’ll have to play around with it. I’ve been aware of the materials used because of my tie-dye business but they’re great stand-alone products too.


Spring Cleaning & Housekeeping Resources:

Homekeeping at Martha

Better Homes & Gardens

    I just found out a friend of mine has lung cancer. It got me thinking, again (cause I went through this with my mother and Bob); I can understand when a person who smokes gets cancer, but Bob didn’t and my mother smoked for a few years. Cancer is on the rise, the hospital I work at has plans to make a cancer center because (obviously) there is a growing demand for it in the community. All this cancer and we always blame ourselves; meanwhile, much of it is environmental. Our homes have become toxic, we bath ourselves in chemicals; or in my case, I have a laundromat shitting lint on me for years (and the whole community, then we wonder why the Bronx has the highest asthma occurrences in the city). You cam live the healthiest lifestyle possible and still come down with cancer, and most people blame themselves.

    I probably didn’t spell that right in Italian but that was the 1st Italian phrase my Nanny (grandma) taught me. It’s a “Wolf Moon” out there tonight, the 1st full moon of the New Year. It is believed that wolves howl at the moon on a cold night like this (I guess more so than usual). The moon is also at it’s closest to the Earth, making it appear at least 14% bigger, and brighter.

    This is a good thing, although there’s been no ryme or reason to my sleep patterns this week as well. Working the graveyard shift isn’t easy at times but it’s a job I’m grateful for in such terrible economic times. You can bet if the stats show 10 percent unemployment, it’s really more like 15 percent because they’re not considering all those people who fall under the radar. So you do what you have to do to pay the rent.

    I just can’t get started (as the song goes). I’m just not too passionate about much these days. The Grateful Dead imagery kinda bums me out, and I’ve been striving for originality in my work, so that’s not too original. My photography usually requires me to tote equipment around, and I don’t always have the energy level for it as well. I have a Vitamin D deficiency, do to lack of sunshine (a side effect of the graveyard shift); a good excuse to be lazy I guess.

    I never give myself credit for all the craft work I do. I’ve been in candle making mode since before Thanksgiving. My electric bill was $56.00 last month. LoL I’m also working on a book of my Holga photography I may use Blurb to print. Also my constant search for content that will keep my Squidoo lenses fresh. I bake whenever I can work it in too. Somehow I never feel productive enough.

It’s maddening I tell you!

Ugh! I just can’t seem to get it right with scented candles. They stink! LoL

I remember the Turkish earthquake was preceded by an eclipse. Leaders die, natural disasters happen, and change in general, are what eclipses portend. There are astrologers who specialize in eclipse interpolation.

My astrology says it’s a good time for creative projects, if I can only get out of lazy town and apply myself. It’s also warning of overindulgence. I was pretty darn good over the Holidays; I had to work all of them, thank goodness I’m not a drinker. I didn’t even over eat too much, cause when you bake or are the one doing the cooking, you really don’t want to see food anymore (let alone eat it).

“Be the change you’d like to see in the world”

    Wow, that’s what I call ending the year with a bang. Nothing portends change better than a Lunar Eclipse in your sign on New Years Eve. Buckle your seat belts my fellow Cancerians …! Just keep repeating the mantra, change is good.

    If your not willing to be transparent, and your going to pull the same shit as MPCA and Van Nest; BEWARE! We will be watching you closely. If The Ferony name is to be on any of it. If this turns out to be yet another sweetheart deal to pocket and misspend money, I really will feel sorry for you cause what The Deadicated Group will have in store for you will make what we did to the MPCA look like a MF’in cake walk. This I promise you!!!

Whistler village, originally uploaded by nigeltriharder.

    Merry Christmas to all, and a big thank you to James (My Fezzywig), who gave me the greatest gift of all, employment. I’ll be working this Christmas / Eve & New Years /Eve, and darn grateful for it. Brightest of Blessings to all and a Happy, Healthy, & Wealthy New Year too!

    I can count the time I spent doing surface design this past year on one hand with change leftover. Frankly, I’m just too damn tired most of the time, or maybe I just lost my passion for art. I have certainly given up all hopes of doing it as a business, not even my so-called friends reached in their pockets to buy any of my work (some even bought over priced foreign made crap from stores like Macy’s).

    Morris Park, you spoke loud and clear by not getting behind me in regards to building an Arts & Crafts Center; and as a result of that, I really don’t care what happens to your little brats. They’ll probably all grow up to be Morris Park junkies, like all the generations prior. I wasn’t asking for a lot of money, just enough to pay my rent and get by, and have a chance to busy many idle hands. Meanwhile, no one ever questions where all the millions of dollars Congressman Crowley states that we get on his web site. The lesson I learnt is that people just want to be spoon fed and have all the hard leg work done for them, but are the first to bitch about not having anything constructive for there children to do. Also, never mind the children, how about a place where adults can learn arts and the trades surrounding it. Yes, people actually do make money from art when they have a venue to show, share and sell their work; even in tough times. Remember the great public works projects of the deppression? Well now many of those artists prints sell for a significant profit, according to programs like The Antiques Roadshow. Either way, I get to do my art (when I have the time and inclination) so it’s no skin off my teeth.

    I hear that there has been an effort to rally the good people of Van Nest, a community my family helped build and the community I consider myself a part of the MPCA can kiss my ass (and don’t kid yourself, there are plenty of good people left down here)! I hear they had a good turn out at a recent meeting of the minds and I am so happy to hear this; as long as the Van Nest Seniors are not displaced in all this. My mother loved to go to play Bingo there, and gather with all the ole gals; she called it “The Base” and it really meant a lot to her. So trend lightly on them please, they should be allowed to continue, Mary & Zena do a lot for those ladies and deserve some kind of recognition for sure.

    I have a night off tonight; I had to take some PTO time or lose it, only 150 hours can be carried over into the new year. I feel run down. I love my job but it sure does kick my butt sometimes. I never even thought I could keep such hours, seeing I’m the kind of person that would be in bed to watch the 11:00 PM news then it was lights out. I’d be up at the crack like an old school ginda-loon (with an emphasis on the loon part).

    I took a quick trip downtown to FAO Schwarz (and there was no line to get in, woo-hoo), and Borders. I bought my neighbors Yule gifts. This is the first time I’ll be giving them a store bought gift. I was back uptown at 3:00 PM on the nose, my get up and go was gone by then. I’ll have to start eating better in the new year, if I’m still tired then I can rule out diet issues as the culprit for my lack of energy.

    One of my favorite self-help gurus has leukemia; I wish him as good a journey as possible. I don’t think it’s the same kind my brother-in-law had. Wayne Dyer, I’ll be sending you healing vibes. I learnt a lot from this guy, he brought East to West beautifully and one of my favorite stories he tells is the one about “The Cookie Thief”.

    I guess this is just another reality check / wake up call to “Do What You Love” and actually at this point, I really don’t care if the money follows (as long as I can pay my rent). I’m grateful for my job but also have to find the time to do my art / projects. I put in for a few days of well earned PTO time; I have yet to take off a day and often wind up working other peoples days / nights when they bang out. I’m tired!

Everything old is new again! Holga is now making a 3D or Stereo Camera; maybe Santa will get that for me. LoL

All Agog, originally uploaded by paul.malon.

    Now it’s just no time nor money; due to unforeseen dental bills. At least I’m just getting by shall I say, as are many Americans and damn grateful too. I just need to buckle down where ever and when ever possible and make do with what I have. Shop the sales (most of the supermarkets have butter, cream cheese, sour cream and sugar on sale this week). It can always be worse that’s for sure.

    I started baking instead of buying store bought goodies for work. So far with no complaints from the peanut gallery. I’d be deadly with a KitchenAid, and probably 300 lbs.. There are ways to cut back on fat, calories, and cholesterol without the taste suffering too badly. It just takes a little more effort.

… or no money and time. I’m striving for a happy medium here folks. At this time last year I was seriously contemplating the fact that I was going to have to go on welfare; I had $500.. to my name and hadn’t been to the dentist in years (eew!). Now I have a job I seem to be at more often than not, and dental appointments in between (and I hope not too many bills, I have some coverage thank goodness) but no time for myself. Good thing I like my job, I get to help people all day long, so how bad can it be; it’s killer hours though, I wake up tired. I can hear my mother saying “Maybe you have tired blood”. Uh Huh, and eyes, ears, back, knees … LOL.

  It’s amazing how you approach (what I hope to be midlife, or better) mid-life and start to question your own path, mortality, and place in this whole big ball of wax. I guess it really wasn’t meant to be, me helping Van Nest through Art. Notice how I said “Van Nest” and not Morris Park. The truth is, I gave up on Morris Park a long time ago. Yay! You finally closed down a bar that shouldn’t have been opened in the first place. They opened under the false premise that they were going to be a Bar & Grill, with an emphasis on the Grill part.

  They’ll be back though! Maybe the names will change, and at another location, but usually not. Let me guess, they’ll be under new management but meanwhile it’s the same person holding the liquor license. I guess they take us for a bunch of idiots and we are because we just kept putting up with this crap till we now have a ghetto here. Yes, people, I gave up on this town the minute I had to leave here and go to another place to make a living for myself.

So please excuse my absence in the closing of Deja Vu; I didn’t have the energy to go looking for my hip boots in my closet. I also didn’t feel like picking up the pieces of any skeletons that may have fell out along side them too. LoL