I must introduce my nephew to this blog: Henrique.

Laughter has got to make me move on...

Top Ten Signs that You're a Christian

10 - You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of your god.

9 - You feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from lesser life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.

8 - You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Trinity god.

7 - Your face turns purple when you hear of the "atrocities" attributed to Allah, but you don't even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in "Exodus" and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in "Joshua" -- including women, children, and trees!

6 - You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.

5 - You are willing to spend your life looking for little loop-holes in the scientifically established age of the Earth (4.55 billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by pre-historic tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that the Earth is a couple of generations old.

4 - You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs -- though excluding those in all rival sects -- will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering. And yet you consider your religion the most "tolerant" and "loving".

3 - While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in "tongues" may be all the evidence you need to prove Christianity.

2 - You define 0.01% as a "high success rate" when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.

1 - You actually know a lot less than many Atheists and Agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history -- but still call yourself a Christian.

Bloody incident and query

There is an Atari Teenage Riot happening in my uterus... scheisse! Periods, not a big fan!
Every month I get rust-spotted underwear. I get sheets, pants, and public benches ruined. I have stained dining chairs, bus/car seats, and stools in bars. 

I am so bloated and not very attractive hehehe

I bleed for 8 days straight and I am sure I should be in the Guinness Book of records. I have already submitted my application form to Dublin. Apart from jokes, I suffer crippling cramps. I am having them now, accompanied with vomit but no diarrhea this time. Chances are, if you've had your period, you've had PMS, you know what I am writing about here. 

As a teenager, yours truly experienced a terrible incident involving getting my first period in that month while taking a Math test in 8th grade, during which I had a pair of jeans destroyed and I could only leave the classroom after everyone had been gone from the classroom. Traumatizing. Many people ask me if I didn't know to do the count of days so that I'd be prepared for when my period is supposed to show up... I did know that. I do the count as my birth control, however I keep forgetting THE DAY...

And you? Do you have a wretched, blood-soaked tale to tell? You may do so in the comments, or more anonymously via email. I have absolutely nothing against a super scatological story or let's go for a super sad medical tragedy, regardless feel free to share it.

My husband made me this gorgeous tofu salad. He had also cooked Paella and I roasted fish steaks, breaded with crushed nuts, lemon zest, anchovies, capers, fresh minced garlic, and butter. What an awesome Christmas lunch ;)

This salad calls for: seasoned tofu, cucumber, seeded and peeled tomatoes, strawberries on a bed of Romaine lettuce with a drizzle of ranch salad dressing... It was Roberto's specialty. So delish!!!!

Christmas day in Brazil is usually the nicest day for suntanning

Merry Christmas to you, Roberto!

OLDIES...Merry Christmas Everyone!

Tibby
Jerônimo and Tibby
Lisônia and me
Ernesto and meMariana and Giovanni
Sabrina, Felipe, and Anderson
Me and Vitória

Fröhliche Weihnachten! Christmas with snow? In Brazil? My first time I ever seeing snowfall in my country. Footage from late August, my city of residence downtown, one block away from home

Style Rookie

Post by ROOKIE.

Self-portrait Tuesday

Light Fixtures

Tired of poor judgement coming from me...

I hate the idea of "new beginnings" that holiday seasons bring to our unconscious. Poor judgement, I think this is all the result of poor judgement. Poor judgement? Yeah, misjudgment, error of judgment, error, miscalculation, slip-up, slip, faux pas, mistake, oversight, anything that a bipolar mind would do. 

No one knows what is gonna happen in this country with the World Cup and all, people my start realizing that they need to learn the basics of English. My professional life must be back on track next year... but what if this is lack of perspective in reality, instead of expecting better economy for Brazil  and for the rest of the world next year. Sigh.  

This is my reality without judgement: I've been taking 200mg of quetiapine, an antipsychotic approved for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and along with an antidepressant to treat major depressive disorder. And this is what I have been doing, taking quetiopine along with Zolofot 50mg since August, this year. I have felt sleepier and sleepier and lot more down with major black dogs rather going through stages of well-being as antidepressants are expected to work for you. I don't want to feel hyper, I just wanted to be me again. 

Bipolar patients are keen on false or poor judgement.  This morning, my moods were quite deep and my emotions powerful. My mom called me early, for my standards, but fine, she's family. She's my mom. I rarely write about her here. Funny thing is that I talk about her all the time in real life. If I could be aware, all my contacts at this time would show me how my emotional state affects other people. I am glad and handful has already offered help. I could not tell her about my bipolarity. I simply announced that we are not going to São Paulo to visit them. Bummer. In a way, it is good to spend ONE MORE VACATION home, doing nothing special, except for the blogging thing. I am so regretful that I set this tool aside. It could have served me better during down times. This can be either good or bad, but the growth in consciousness is usually very beneficial. I feel I am growing, I just don't know how.  One problem with this influence, however, is that I find it difficult to see any point of view but my own: a typical bipolar mind. And this is way far from being mature. Also, in dealings with a group there is a danger that I might feel that my own interests and desires are opposed to theirs, thus creating more potential for disagreement. Or worse, they just accept whatever I say, even though what I say may be wrong.  Lesson for 2014: I must learn to detach myself somewhat in order to observe my feelings in action. Otherwise I will not be able afterwards to evaluate what I see without POOR JUDGEMENT.

One more wouldn't hurt. Sure, it would.

Old, but gold ;)

Summer Time Mode On

the stars say...

Deeper understanding

...for someone who has confided in me This quality of time will help you to develop a deeper understanding of those psychological areas that are connected with the experience of pain, suffering and rejection.  This influence is especially well suited to so deepening the understanding of these interrelations that the first inklings of how to carry out a healing can be perceived.  During this phase it is important to talk to other people who are interested in this theme.  This time is well suited to penetrating the complicated connections and dependencies between human behavior, the psyche and early injuries - to differentiate between cause and effect -, whether for yourself or for someone who has confided in you.

I don't know who wrote this poem... So sorry for its author.

Suicide

My Bridge of sighs divides in two a town...

I stare into the river’s spew, 

It mirrors dumb despair, -

why worry what the world will do

when one’s no longer there? 

The grieving grass is hung with dew, 

shaved, stumpy trees stripped bare; -

shivering ghosts of greyish hue

in sharp autumnal air.

My bridge of sighs divides in two

a town of spirit spare, 

and therefore, by extension, too, 

linked life to - God knows where.

Where are the friendships once I knew.

the love that two should share? 

The once exciting avenue

of life’s an impasse where, 

as I past happiness review

with emptiness compare, 

the options, once so bright and blue, 

too soon seem tarnished, wear.

Forlorn men fenced off from the blue, 

worn faces, torn white hair -

from uniformity of view

I turn without a prayer.

For future life, reborn anew, 

nor prayer, regret, nor dare, 

a splash, some bubbles, all is  through ! 

Will anybody care ?  

18 June 1975 

R.E.M. = Random English Mayhem

Do these sentences mean the same? Anyone who understands English, please, help me out with this doubt...

She drove off. = She left by car.

He flew off to Chicago. = He left for Chicago by plane.

vacation cannot last forever, or else I will die of boredom

Puffy eyes for having cried to a documentary I had been watching minutes before I took these cell phone snaps

This is Roberto's action figure Royce Gracie, spl?, wandering in my makeup bank

I bought this manequim torso a couple of months ago. I paid 20 reais for it; it is less than 10 American Dollars

The manequim holds most of my necklaces. I am not a big spender
when it comes to accessories. I stick with the basics

A close up on this nice key ring I got from Gabriela, a student of mine
who has recently gone to NYC and brought me this delightful souvenir

And boredom is established  when vacation is lame lame lame... we will see til when.

Some of the things I hate about vacation are:
I notice that the car wash across the street is damn noisy.
There are children who show up at the neighbors' on weekends. They are also damn noisy.
Btw, I live on the ninth floor. Was I supposed to be listening to so much damn noise?
Insects everywhere all the time. Food gets spoiled much easier since it is summer - 30C average.
I'm a cat person and I live with 4 of them. They also don't like summer much due to their furry bodies.
Me, me, me  more about "me" later!

Came across this old post somewhere

There is so much selfishness in life. Exaggerated selfishness can be destructive sometimes. It can kill many other feelings. Joining forces - gathering minds, or really the attitude of holding hands - in its purest purpose -- can be placed under doubt. People don't trust one another anymore therefore they don't think quite possible caring for someone else in its most truthful way.

The lack of selfishness would be the acceptance for being altruistic.

I agree that there is a big difference between choosing to be altruistic and feeling altruistic. It is my hope that others will feel altruistic as a result of their own understanding of themselves. Even though I am aware of the altruistic feeling, I don't so much choose to be altruistic, but instead I acknowledge and understand the feeling for both what it is and its possible effects.

If one just 'tolerates' people's differences, then is he/she not just remaining ignorant? In fact, it isn't even that important that we know any of our similarities or differences, but instead that we have a mindset of openeness when it comes to experiencing and becoming aware of them - and therefore wouldn't we be aware of each other's feelings?

My  black dog has been a subject on this blog for such long time... 

Yes, one of the SOLUTIONS is elimination the fear of the unknown. In fact, this is directly related to how we deal with differences and selfishness. Each difference has its own degree of fear. Each fear has its own POWER to block the will to dive into the unknown!

That is why is needed to take some time to get into self-awareness which isn't only the understanding of oneself, but also the understanding of others, and of the environment which IDEAS can be found. There is a deepness to existence. It seems obvious to me that the understanding of ourselves is an effect of society. You can increase your awareness, but still remain in this effect. There is much more to explore. Understanding is a feeling, and words are just words, although they tell about feelings.

One should try harder to hold hands!
That one is in fact ME. "There are two special moments in life. The times when you are thinking about it, and every second in between. I see awareness as those times when I am thinking about my existence. A time to steer the ship based on the feelings and understandings generated by my thoughts..."