Ownership as source of construction of self BIYAR

Strangely, I own nothing in this picture, except the dog whose paw is featured, slightly, in the upper left corner - and even that is a bit of a stretch. Do I "own" the dog? I don't like to think that I do. If anything, the dog really does own me. His pleading looks to be let out of the 5th floor highrise where we live, too high up even for the bees to visit so my tomato plants, featured below, flower and bloom but are unable to germinate since there is no bee for flower sex.

The balcony is total, complete, without bars for him to look through; thick white concrete parameter with the flagstone floor and two tomato plants whose leaves I can't even eat - in the family of nightshade, I'd probably die. Belladonna big eyes, maybe I could give that a try. But there are other ways to get the highly sought-after dilated look, some of which I prefer over poisoning.

But the turtle here, my little turtle friend, at least he, goddamn it, owns his shell. You own your body, don't you? Isn't that the primary source of ownership that nothing, save for pimps or sex/drug/human trafficking, can take away? Or organ donation? Or death? I own these hands that type these words, or at least I certainly pay for their upkeep - soap to prevent the swine flu, necessary lotions, balms and creams. I pay for the food that I put into these lovable little mitts that I then transfer, and transform, in my mouth. I even pay for mittens for my kute little kittens. Goddamn, these hands - like a turtle shell: mine.

So what does this make me? Google: Do I own my hands?

I didn't find much, but I did find THIS!

And maybe that's enough for today. Let's break for wine and cookies.

Gorilla, My Love

"As Democracy is perfected, the office of the president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."

H.L. Mencken

out with the old, in with the new

ownership as source of construction of self round 4

item(s) 5/6: tomati seedlings

what does growing these two tiny, striving creatures in the insufficient soil of a washington dc high-rise balcony red-painted box mean for me, the grower, who yearns for their fruit? this is no africa; no takoma park. am i foolish to try this experiment in urban pioneering, or simply enjoying the reduction that results in my own carbon-based footprint, soled in flip-flops, an heirloom varietal?

google meaning of:urban tomato growing.

and what do we learn?

whoa:

1.	tomato	47 up, 66 down
	A term used to describe someone who is denial of his homosexuality...because even though you think a tomato is a vegetable, it's really "fruit" What a tomato, he definitely likes guys 2. tomato 116 up, 45 down A sexy curvacious woman, usually dressed in a manner that invites men to try and fuck her Man, that chick is one hot tomato. I want to fuck the hell out of her and I don't care who's watching. (umm, thanks?: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tomato) this whole thing bothers me. man, i'm just trying to save the earth.

ownership as source of construction of self pt. 3

item 4: broom/stroom

google search meaning of: broom ownership

first of all, how can one not love the following picture (below)?

so, what have we learned? :: "A birch besom was placed aslant in the open doorway of the house, with its head on the doorstep and the top of its handle on the door-post. First a young man jumped over it, then his bride, in the presence of witnesses. If either touched or knocked it in any way, the marriage was not recognized. In this kind of marriage, a woman kept her own home and did not become the property of her husband. It was a partnership, “cyd-fydio,” rather than an ownership. A child of the marriage was considered to be legitimate. If the couple decided to divorce, they simply jumped back over the broomstick again, but this could only be done in the first year of marriage. If a child had come, it was the father’s responsibility."

(courtesy of: http://midnightmooncafe.blogspot.com/2009/05/origins-of-jumping-broom.html")

broom ownership does not mean that i am bound to the broom, or that the broom necessarily belongs to me. the broom has its own life, its own essence. i am journeying together with the broom, but am not of the broom, nor do i own the broom. should the broom and i jump back over itself, our union is dissolved. there is no ownership here - the hegemonic patronym (broomonym?) ceases to exist. this becomes, essentially, a perfect union, based upon choice and structured to allow for the greatest potential individuality.

like these two. and the guy with the sick ponytail.

ownership as source of construction of self pt. II

item 3: nearly boiling water.

google search meaning of: almost boiling water. who does this make me? (lazy? impatient? unwilling to commit?)

Did you know: there are no less than 820 comments by marginally witty people on epicurious's recipe page for 'salted water for boiling'? one was posted less than 20 days ago. the oldest was posted in 2001. will there be celebrations when 'salted water for boiling' reaches a decade of marginally witty comments? i'd celebrate it. i'd boil water for it. then i'd post something marginally witty. then, hopefully, i'd die.

(from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Salted-Water-for-Boiling-105591)

Lessons learned: nothing about myself, because i am an american. BUT if i were canadian (socialists!), i'd have to boil my water all the time for fear of death! (see below) my impatience would be my downfall, particularly if i were a member of the first nation, which i am not at all. i'm just a member of the neo-colonial nation. sigh.

(from: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2335191)

ownership as source of construction of self

if i were to look at what i possess:

can a self be constructed from mere trifles, baubles, knickknacks, gewgaws, pittances, chump change, toys?

meaning of: XXX

google search.

in non-discerning reverse order.

item 1: dog.

google search meaning of: dog ownership. who does this make me?

Did you know: "Previous literature has shown gender differences in human-animal interactions. However, differences in the meaning of dog ownership have not been examined. In this paper, I attempt to discover if there are differences in the meaning of dogs to their owners by interviewing 35 dog owners in a Midwestern city. Findings revealed that dog owners give different meanings to their dogs based on gender and marital status. Marital status differences hinge on gender in this study. Women and single men were more likely to view their dogs as companions and emotional support. Married men were more likely to view their dogs as a form of instrumental support." (from: www.allacademic.com, a go-to source for... who exactly?)

Therefore, kenan, donc, thus: I should a.) really be midwestern for this to apply (some controls are faulty in every experiment, this being no exception), b.) rely on my dog for emotional support, and c.) treat my dog differently than would a married man.

~.~.~.~

item 2: record player/olde tyme stereo.

google search meaning of: owning a record player. who does this make me?

Did you know: it took zestycoyote (below) 200 days to purchase a record player?

It took me

200 days

It made me

happy

"Finally prioritized this purchase and I am happy about it."

How I did it: A website was selling a record player for $60. I used part of my federal tax return to buy it. I usually forgot to look for discount record players, but saw this one by chance today.

Lessons & tips: Wait for a good price.

---

Apr 11, 12:05PM PDT | 0 comments

(from: www.43things.com)

Lessons learned: by already owning a record player i am 200 days ahead of zestycoyote. this should please me, as much as it pleased him. i should be happy because of my record player ownership.

Wendy Brown

Brown, a professor at UC Berkeley, a brilliant writer and mentor/advisor to my own advisor at GWU, Libby Anker, produces work I admire greatly, and utilizes a method similar to what I'd like to make my own: that is, eschewing disciplines as such in order to create formulations that combine, rather than constrict, politics, critical theory, psychoanalysis, Marxism, intellectual history, gender studies (feminist studies/queer studies), and, in this lecture especially, transnational history, globalization, and the study of built structures. She is, as should be clear already just given her lengthy list of interests, amazing.

Here is a link to her lecture, "Why do people want walls?" when, she adds, "walls don't actually do anything". Her views of the division currently taking place between the nation-state and the concept of sovereignty is clear, concise, and yet still surprising. Her ideas expose themselves like small diamonds, clear, sharp - as though they're something you already know, or should already know, but don't yet, and then there it is: she shows you just what you should've known before. Really quite incredible.

I'm listening to this as I post it, simply because I'm so excited to make sure that others see how incredibly Brown's mind functions. Perhaps I'll post again with a response, or with more exciting things.

The lecture comes from a site I'm interested in exploring further, but - as I said - I am too excited by Brown's words to do anything but post this lecture immediately.

Enjoy.