InSanity~Normalize, Don't Stigmatize Mentall Illness.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Halloween Erotica: Mummy Porn


a repost for immature, playful audiences

Bite me.

You suck.

Sweep me away.

No treats, just tricks for you today.

 Fill my bag with all you've got

It's what you give that makes me hot.

You scare.

You creep.

You're ugly too.

My zombie freak,

My favorite shrew.

I love and fear you just the same. 

Your candy corns scream out my name.

Now hide your face beneath a mask.

Let's nail down this dreaded task

And score and score until the dawn

We'll lick and chew til candy's gone.


Be safe everyone! Have fun! Wink.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Miscellaneous, Sundays in My City

UnknownMami did it again. She does it every week - hosts a wonderfully scenic worldwide party.

I'm sharing a few miscellaneous shots.
I'm also sharing concern for all my friends on the US East Coast. Please stay out of harm's way. I'm keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

                                            Saturday in my city

Hundreds of Chico, CA zombies made our town proudly scared yesterday with their participation in this year's Thrill the World. Did anyone else have this in your city? See it? Dance in it?


I'm sure you can find Nemo. Can you also find the baby star fish? Cute, huh?

GO AWAY, SANDY!

Again, to all East Coasters, please stay safe and keep your loved ones safe. 
My prayers and thoughts go out to you.


Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Getting in Gear for Halloween

I'm not thrilled about Halloween this year, though I used to love dressing in costume.

In both pictures, I was 3 years old. 

                                      Sorry for the poor quality.
                                      These photos date back to 1969.


 Please forgive this one. I was only 3 and didn't know any better. 


I hope you're gearing up for a fun and safe Halloween.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Haunted Horse: Sundays in My City

UnknownMami hosts a scenic viewing of blogland every Sunday.

Thanks for visiting Chico, California, where you can find:

                                             a 7-11 that sells inner tubes and offers free air!

But that's not all. We also have an...
 angry hippie pumpkin, and --last but never least--

                                                  our town mascot, the HAUNTED HORSE.

Sorry for a creepy tour. 'Tis the season. I hope you take in more pleasant sights and clean, free air.
                  Happy Sunday and new week!

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Please Boycott Hershey's: The Post I Hate to Post

Warning: This annual Halloween-time (re)post is disturbing, but the information is too important to ignore. Please be mindful of these facts when purchasing your Halloween candy and/or when feeding a cocoa craving. 

The data to follow is based on my research in the fall of 2010. Hershey’s hasn’t budged since then, despite routine empty promises.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Two of my great loves – kids and chocolate – have been at a morbid impasse for years or, perhaps, centuries. While I previously enjoyed a blissful dose of cheap (i.e., Hershey’s) chocolate, I was ignorant of the true cost of this pleasantry.

Every year thousands of children are kidnapped, trafficked, and sold to cocoa plantations. The average price per child: $1.20-1.90. The rate of pay: $.01 for chocolate that is sold for $1 in the United States. Sometimes they aren’t paid at all. Yet they are forced to endure 12-18 hour workdays, handle machetes, climb high trees – while exposed to hazardous chemicals in a treacherous climate. Those who rebel or perform “poorly” are beaten. Those attempting to escape are killed. A vast majority of these known abuses -over 15,000 annually- occur in West Africa’s Ivory Coast.

While Hershey’s claims moral outrage, it continues business with the Ivory Coast. Meanwhile other chocolate companies assure exploitation-free products. Certainly the world’s largest chocolate corporation, boasting over $5 billion in revenue annually, can afford to take a stance.

Americans pay $15 billion for chocolate each year, with nearly 43% of this for Hershey’s candies. This monstrous entity acquired Sharffen-Berger in 2005 and Dagoba in 2006. It continues to produce many non-chocolate products, such as Twizzlers, along with numerous non-food items.

Fortunately there are plenty of alternatives. The most safe option carries a Fair Trade Label. This guarantees a minimum price for farmers, prohibits abusive labor, and promotes environmental sustainability. We pay a bit more for fair trade chocolate, but dollars go directly to community resources such as schools and hospitals. Fair trade cocoa originates in Belize, Bolivia, Cameroon, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, Nicaragua, and Peru. To find out a chocolate bar’s source, simply look at the back label.

A second option is organic chocolate (e.g., Newman’s Organics). Organic farms have their own systems of independent monitoring that checks labor practices.

There’s much guesstimating in this area. Here's my best effort to delineate some of the “good” vs the “bad.” On the good team, I included companies that have begun socially conscious efforts.

There’s plenty of slavery-free chocolate, too, that is neither Fair Trade Certified nor organic. When in doubt, AVOID HERSHEY'S.
 
Good Chocolate: Cadbury Canada, Ben & Jerry's, Starbuck's, Ah!laska, Endangered Species, Ithaca, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Newman's Organics, Clif Bar, Guittard, Green and Black's, Mayordomo/Mexican chocolate, European chocolate, smaller mom & pop brands, and lots more.

Bad Chocolate: Hershey’s and any chocolate from West Africa's Ivory Coast, Mars/M&M's, Dove, Dagoba (taken over by Hershey's, though they do have at least one fair trade chocolate bar), Scharffen Berger (also taken over by Hershey's).

Finally, many are fighting the good fight, including my sources of this information:

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/
Fair Trade Labeling Organization
Fair Trade Candy Blog
http://www.visionursd.edu/
http://www.saveafricachildren.com/
http://www.globalexchange.com/
http://www.change.org/
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements

Thank you, and enjoy fair-trade chocolate this Halloween and always!

Monday, October 15, 2012

Indecent Exposure, Sundays in My City on Monday

UnknownMami hosts a scenic viewing of blogland every Sunday. Excuse me for being tardy to the party, but I'm glad you stopped by.

Welcome to Chico, CA.
Warning: sights may be offensive to some.



          Bieber spotting

                                                                     Indecent exposure  (?!)

                                                                                                      Justin's not amused.


Thanks for visiting. Happy mid-October, and a great week to you!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Stupidisms


E-MAIL FROM A MAGAZINE TO WHICH I SENT A QUERY AND WRITING SAMPLES:


Hi Maryanne,
I have no idea if this has any relevance to us.
Stew Pid Lady, Stewpid Magazine dot com, Copy Editor

Dear Stew Pid Lady at Stewpid Magazine dot com, Copy Editor,
Do you mean to say,“Thank you, but we’re not interested”? If so, say it. If not, do you mean to admit that  you are completely inept at determining the relevance of my writing in relation to Stewpid Magazine dot com? If so, I question your relevance as a Copy Editor.

Finally, who is Maryanne? Note that I am Robyn, as per the name in my email address, the one to which you sent this dubious message, the same address in the links and at the closing of  my email below your dubious message. Hint: look below your dubious message.

Good day, Ginger.

Sincerely,

Robyn Alana Engel

WRITING GIGS ON CRAIGSLIST:

Looking for a winter for a short film Good luck finding a winter in California.


I'm looking for some one to brang my short film idea to life would like to do a mad max tipe of film looking some one to get a basic stay or scriped dawn on paper any help would be grate thanks

Sounds like an idea worth grating. See the poster above. Do you work during the winter?


I suspect your search may take a while.  




Friday, October 5, 2012

Something

                                                         -a tree in Berkeley, photographed by me, 10.2.12
To everyone whose love and support have lifted me through this challenging time:




Something

Sometimes we reach for something
but it’s something we can’t see
When a moment feels like hours,
And we struggle to just be.
Despair is all-consuming
And what’s next is what we fear.
We listen hard for something
Uncertain what we’ll hear.
Sometimes we pray for something,
but lack religious creed.
When all it takes is something
And with it, we are freed.  

I’m glad you are that something
 when something’s what I need.


Thank you!

 with love, Robyn