tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.comments2012-02-07T07:08:07.200-05:00Stephanie Rexrothnoreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-69268759230301727102012-02-06T22:03:50.460-05:002012-02-06T22:03:50.460-05:00I think this is among the such a lot important info for me. And i&#39;m glad reading your article. However wanna observation on some common issues, The website style is great, the articles is truly nice : D. Good task, cheers<br /><i>my page</i>: <b><a href="http://oofolio.com" rel="nofollow">online portfolio</a></b>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-65622882006820140662011-10-20T18:02:45.500-04:002011-10-20T18:02:45.500-04:00I miss the fair so much! When I moved away I think that is what I have missed the most. Now instead of enjoying the beautiful summer nights I have to worry about <a href="http://www.cellurales.com" rel="nofollow">snow removal</a> instead. That is so cool they have added a &quot;green&quot; fair. I might have to check this out one day! Thanks for sharing.natdaltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07087778173564706009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-64694564416349459192011-04-02T07:32:30.377-04:002011-04-02T07:32:30.377-04:00The flip side, I enjoyed the good that people have found to cope with this event. Everyone -- including myself -- does feel a sense of hopelessness + helplessness to do anything to remedy that situation and effect any kind of good. On top of everything else, I tend to be a cynic + pessimist + have a hard time believing anything I do can make a difference on a large scale. However, small scale like community-based initiatives, where I can see the impact, is where I tend to live. <br /><br />What’s been really neat to watch is how people have ingeniously merged those two worlds; killing two birds with one stone. The number of local individuals doing something solo or partnering with other heartbroken individuals to do something that people right here, right now can easily grasp, get behind + support a cause half-a-world-away has been inspiring.<br /><br />A few folks from AIGA Pgh got together w/Commonwealth Press to utilize their talents/professional skills to do something to help: http://www.japanshirtproject.com/<br /><br />Many, many events that I have recently attended have either donated a portion of the door fees or donated a portion of the sales or made a mention to some small way that they support to help the cause. <br /><br />Even this morning, my fave cartoonist, The Oatmeal, posted that he’ll be donating 100% of his book sales in the next 7 days to the relief effort: http://theoatmeal.com/blog/japan_fund<br /><br />Every little bit helps. <br /><br />It can go to the extreme now of becoming a cliche... we do get the criticism “Americans just throw $$ at a problem + assume it goes away.” But that is a whole other post as well.<br /><br />There are definitely more problems than $$ available to fix them and it is absolutely overwhelming to look at all of them. I personally have a few causes that I’m invested in, but that also means that I must turn a blind eye to the hundred-fold of others just as a self-preservation tactic. It could easily make one crazy + more cynical + jaded to look at all the local community’s, region’s, national + international problems where people are suffering, struggling to survive + dying every day. <br /><br />I guess you do what you can and hope that it makes a difference to someone, somewhere -- whether you’ll ever know it does for sure or not. <br /><br />And on that bright + cheery note... Thanks for taking the time to read + comment, Andrew. It’s given me much to think about:)On The Vine Creativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05949626558367208065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-70782519752563433382011-04-02T07:32:00.064-04:002011-04-02T07:32:00.064-04:00Well articulated. I concur. Your comment could absolutely be the basis of an entire series of blog posts... though I think you’ve hit all the major points that I could possibly cover. <br /><br />This piece was my vent to try to understand why I was crying + full of rage at the same time in that little coffee shop in front of my laptop that day of the disaster. The Madwomen in the Attic asked very poignant questions in response when I presented it on Thursday: Why did I feel that way? What happened in my past that this event strikes a cord with? Why do I get so upset + feel a connection with those people? Is this disaster a metaphor for my life?<br /><br />All very good questions that I wish I had the answers to... more soul searching is in order, I suppose. <br /><br />That said, I’m planning a follow-up, ‘after the dust settles’ article. Things have changed significantly since that day -- some for better, many for worse. <br /><br />The idea/problem of ‘disaster porn’ came up quickly in response when I presented on Thurs. I totally agree... I’ve avoided getting sucked in as much as possible this time around. I don’t watch any news, at all, which is sad in itself, but not so much so when all 24-hr news does is propagate fear, paranoia + anxiety as well as desensitization (as you’ve well put) + unhealthy obsession on the extremes of the human condition (ie: needing to see death, destruction + human suffering every day to achieve the same adrenaline high of fear, paranoia + anxiety). <br /><br />Many, many things need to change in our country + culture... I’d propose that news be at the top of the list. I remember being depressed + locked in the house last February when the whole Haiti earthquake went down. I thankfully only had 3 or 4 channels via the ol’ rabbit ears, but was overwhelmed at first by really horrifying + soul-crushing images. That quickly turned to unnaturally numb as I consumed the local + Nightly News every day for about a month. I began craving more of it. Even in my less-than-coherent state, I still had enough presence of mind to recognize an addiction. I chose to turn it off + not take in any more of that fix. <br /><br />[ continued in the next post... I talk too much according to Blogger ]On The Vine Creativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05949626558367208065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-43151998484189424512011-03-31T19:54:55.569-04:002011-03-31T19:54:55.569-04:00Very well-written and insightful.<br /><br />I kind of want to disagree with you, though - not your reaction itself, but your interpretation of others not reacting in a similar manner.<br /><br />One of the major downsides of globalization and the 24-hour news cycle is definitely desensitization. In 2001, our generation was suddenly and violently thrust into the realization that the world is a terrifying place. The relative comfort of America in the 1990s didn&#39;t prepare the kids just transitioning into adulthood for the decade-long (so far) parade of horrors that is the world situation at large.<br /><br />For me and probably millions of others, the increase in personal responsibility grew as our inherent belief in general comfort and security deteriorated. The day-to-day struggle, trivial as it may be, consumes most peoples&#39; energy and emotions to the point that seeing beyond becomes difficult, and caring becomes even harder. It doesn&#39;t mean people are bad, just that the big things become less easy to process.<br /><br />Earthquakes, genocides, tsunamis, hurricanes- These are heartbreaking, catastrophic, and nightmarish, and they are happening every day. For every disaster or injustice that we witness in High Definition, we know that there are easily 5 or 500 more that we&#39;ll never even hear about. That knowledge fatigues compassion and empathy until the reaction appears nonexistent. It&#39;s easy, from a rational standpoint, to understand a world event is horrible. it might be next to impossible to do anything about it. Given that wide gulf, the simple act of silence or non-comment, or going about the daily business, strikes me as sad, but honest.<br /><br />Of course, honesty cuts both ways. For as many bewildered individuals too overwhelmed to respond, or good-hearted souls wondering how to help, there are honest-to-god asses and and fools making bad godzilla jokes or racist puns or somehow lauding karmic payback for Pearl Harbor. Read enough of those, and a complaint about the Starbucks line seems absolutely saintly in comparison.<br /><br />I also find the perceived lack of compassion is often a misunderstanding of managed priorities. People who&#39;ve realized that life is hell often turn inward or to their communities and put their energies into making their own little corner of the world less hellish. It&#39;s easier to see and feel positive energy when the difference we make is between neighbors, friends, or family, and sometimes that level of emotion is all you can ask of another human being. The face of global emergency is sometimes unrecognizable while we&#39;re surrounded by others.Andrewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-10637041381510594962011-02-02T18:39:57.482-05:002011-02-02T18:39:57.482-05:00Thanks, Jeff... I&#39;ll be in touch in a few days to follow-up on any interview Qs for the Agents of Change article.<br /><br />Linda, many thanks:)On The Vine Creativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05949626558367208065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-52090271850673916392011-02-02T14:02:31.596-05:002011-02-02T14:02:31.596-05:00I&#39;m LTD vicariously through you *hugs* ~Linda LuluAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-65595704552426088682011-02-02T10:55:18.063-05:002011-02-02T10:55:18.063-05:00Cool Stephanie, it was great to meet you and good luck on your journey!Jeff Finleyhttp://gomedia.usnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-18170607575074294212011-01-31T12:27:20.924-05:002011-01-31T12:27:20.924-05:00Sweet... thanks J. I may be hitting you up for those Erie connections, particularly if I get stranded in the ice storm:) <br /><br />I&#39;ll definitely be in touch in regard to Demystifying Depression when I return after 2/10. We&#39;ve had very similar family lives and I&#39;ve always enjoyed your perspective on surviving those crazy years. Many of those conversations helped me to understand and heal from mine. They&#39;ve got to be told!On The Vine Creativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05949626558367208065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-56594786777299219002011-01-31T11:12:11.857-05:002011-01-31T11:12:11.857-05:00Stephanie, I have family in Erie, I am sure they would love to have ya. Give me a ring. Plenty of depression in my family to contribute! lol [j]justinjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323812772872156901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-62835634877903986692011-01-22T05:23:26.424-05:002011-01-22T05:23:26.424-05:00Many thanks, Mel, for the kind words. I&#39;m so thrilled that you enjoyed the article:)<br /><br />I wouldn&#39;t discount your own travel experience within the States -- it&#39;s only a mere technicality that you haven&#39;t left the country, but you&#39;ve certainly had to deal with your share of culture. Moving from east coast to west coast after college (not only becoming acclimated but also indigenous) has it&#39;s own merit that I can not yet claim. Well, besides the transition from country-girl to city-girl after college, myself, too.<br /><br />I think your transition/life experience reveals that your own &#39;culture shock,&#39; when you do go international, will not be nearly as severe as mine. <br /><br />Do you have any inklings as to where you might want to go internationally?On The Vine Creativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05949626558367208065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-35863166528388336672011-01-21T23:35:36.789-05:002011-01-21T23:35:36.789-05:00Amazing post and experience Stephie! Great advice, &quot;I&#39;ve applied this principal to various areas of my life in the States since my trip. When I interact with people of different upbringings, generations or regions of the country, I find myself able to recognize our differences as simply different instead of wrong. It saves a lot of headaches and conflicts.&quot;<br /><br />That is SO TRUE and I wish more people would do that. Unfortunetly, I have never had an aboard experience, but I learned that when I went from living the city life to living the country life and had to deal with the harsh reality of distance does matter for some people.Mel DePaolihttp://www.meldepaoli.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-33815975910736163792011-01-20T05:36:18.183-05:002011-01-20T05:36:18.183-05:00Many thanks, Krissy. I&#39;m so thrilled you read it and enjoyed it:) Looking forward to catching up soon!On The Vine Creativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05949626558367208065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-32193478630704381542011-01-19T23:23:44.234-05:002011-01-19T23:23:44.234-05:00This was a great glimpse into your world, Steph. Hope to hear from you again soon!Krissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11983914941867961880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-74683725379774226712011-01-15T21:26:15.560-05:002011-01-15T21:26:15.560-05:00Aww... Thanks for the encouraging words, mom:)On The Vine Creativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05949626558367208065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-53773524326493238982011-01-15T17:59:18.572-05:002011-01-15T17:59:18.572-05:00These are stories that must be told. I look forward to many great things. Just letting you know I&#39;ve read your blog. Love Mom.Josey57http://www.blogger.com/profile/12769704388585633323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-35988611194268181892011-01-15T16:54:39.464-05:002011-01-15T16:54:39.464-05:00Thanks for the kind works:) Great to hear that it has struck a cord with you! Please email me to follow-up. There&#39;s lots to do to get things kicked off.On The Vine Creativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05949626558367208065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-4642123433727813092011-01-15T16:47:47.608-05:002011-01-15T16:47:47.608-05:00This is all so very interesting! I can&#39;t wait to see all of your projects come to fruition &amp; if you need any of my help..I&#39;d be happy to lend a hand.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-37583976802593443912011-01-15T14:02:33.297-05:002011-01-15T14:02:33.297-05:00Yep, yep... those were my sentiments exactly. Looking forward to it! Glad to hear that you&#39;re interested:)On The Vine Creativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05949626558367208065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-24670150548680493732011-01-15T10:59:06.150-05:002011-01-15T10:59:06.150-05:00Really hope we get to talkin&#39; about #1 and #3 tomorrow - very, very much in my realm of interest.Aaron M Fraserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01109003652590666367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-66552917760280905892010-08-15T21:21:18.563-04:002010-08-15T21:21:18.563-04:00What an epic post! It&#39;s a whole memoir in blog post form. Well done on sharing so much of your adventure -- I&#39;ll look forward to hearing what comes next.Chris Guillebeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877356949158705424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-30385448268335797382010-08-03T08:10:12.518-04:002010-08-03T08:10:12.518-04:00I know, right? I watched the movie 2 years ago -- I think like 6 times in a row:) It does the book justice, I&#39;m pleased to say. There&#39;s just much more back story than the movie is able to squeeze into two hours. <br /><br />I particularly enjoyed that Sasha&#39;s voice (played by Eugene Hütz of Gogol Bordello in the movie) is a perfect match from the book. Those were the parts that I laughed out loud at each time I read his humorous dialog. <br /><br />That movie is also how I discovered Gogol Bordello which has been a musical obsession ever since. Thanks to Amazon deals, I own pretty much the entire collection. I&#39;ve been transforming little by little to gypsy punk -- about 75% complete. It&#39;s such a fascinating, creative and passionate culture.On The Vinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05949626558367208065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-62034894368588497012010-08-02T21:54:33.161-04:002010-08-02T21:54:33.161-04:00love this film!Lauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10031428275480325286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-66179462469807181262010-07-21T12:16:56.842-04:002010-07-21T12:16:56.842-04:00Yay! Glad to have you on board. I&#39;ll send an email with next steps. <br /><br />In the meantime, feel free to determine/dictate how much and in what ways you&#39;d like to be involved. The theme that&#39;s unfolding is that everyone is going to have a different involvement level -- based on preference, type of business, promotion strategy, personality, life situation, etc.<br /><br />PS: I just subscribed to your blogs... super cool.On The Vinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05949626558367208065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6619556360520941426.post-79796776257105738612010-07-21T12:12:07.197-04:002010-07-21T12:12:07.197-04:00Yes please.<br /><br />I got nothing but time and rolled up sleeves. I will however need a bit of direction. What&#39;s first?<br /><br />[it might be a bit slow going until I get this whole move thing done]Lance!http://lancefromohio.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com