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A few nice How to Make images I found:
How to Make a Blueberry Pie
Image by Dot D
Blogged HERE
All the instructions are in the Notes on this pictures – For larger pictures, click through to the originals in the set Here.
Created with fd’s Flickr Toys.
Full how-to will be posted at www.dabbled.org
February 2013 ..item 2.. Raising Millennials (June 3, 2013 / 25 Sivan 5773) …item 3.. Common Ground — Someone, I promise you, is always watching. (June 20, 2013 / 12 Tammuz 5773) ..
Image by marsmet548
Arrogance and Entitlement — Along with narcissism, this generation has become famous for their sense of entitlement. Do not think for a moment that this is a challenge that only wealthier parents must grapple with. It is not a question of ‘rich-kid’ problems. Time reports that “poor millennials have even higher rates of narcissism, materialism and technology addiction.” No one is safe.
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…..item 1)…. The Age of Narcissism and Homogenization with Instagram …
… pdn … Photo District News … www.pdnonline.com/ …
PhotoServe … A Visual Database Of The World’s Best Photographers …
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img code photo … ADORE NOIR … Issue 12 – February 2013 – ISSN 1925-5160
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© TIMOTHY B. ANDERSON
February 2013 cover of Adore Noir.
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MARCH 01, 2013
By Kathleen Hay
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Note: This month PhotoServe.com presents an article courtesy of Adore Noir Magazine. PhotoServe welcomes interesting views on photography trends and topical subject matter. The views in the article below, however, are not necessarily the opinions of PhotoServe or PDN.
The Age of Narcissism – Digitized, Homogenized, The explosion of the [simulated] self-portrait on Instagram," originally published for Adore Noir.
One of the world’s oldest photographic portraits is that of Philadelphian metallurgist and chemist, Robert Cornelius – taken by Robert Cornelius. The silver plate image, captured in 1839 on the heels of Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre’s invention of photography, is the first ever Daguerreotype self-portrait, and is one of the first documented photographs of a human being.
Though Cornelius’ photographic endeavors were not that of an artist, but of a professional studio portraitist, his self-portrait heralded a revolutionary era of artistic expression. However, the genre of self-portraiture is as old as the first renderings on cave walls, preceding Daguerre’s invention by centuries.
It was the fifteenth century period of the Renaissance that witnessed an increasing prevalence of the self-portrait – an abundant subject demonstrative of many artists’ paintings and drawings of the time through their seemingly innate curiosity to explore themselves, as much as new facets and aspects of their medium.
Throughout all the ages of art, narcissism has played out to varying degrees. Whether innocent curiosity, sheer playfulness, or a developed inquiry into self – aesthetically, spiritually or otherwise, the reflection of one’s own image has played catalyst to a great many deeper explorations, and yes, even deeper obsessions, and has, as a genre unto itself, manifested some of the most fascinating art, in all its various forms.
This centuries-old curiosity has, in the span of two recent years, mutated into a creative juggernaut. With the new millennium celebrity and social media obsession detonating an age of narcissism, artistic endeavor is being homogenized via the most enabling, vastly accessible and photographically simulated landscape that is social media giant: Instagram – square format, sixteen filters, and all.
From Daguerreotype to Instagram, the mammoth technological shifts in photography towards the digital mass-market camera-phone snapshot has not only roused young users into a ‘me’ epidemic, it has levelled the medium’s creative gravitas – wringing it from its ancestral roots and leaving to the archival world a cultural wasteland of digitally filtered ‘selfies’.
With over eighty million users and counting since its inception in 2010, and recent acquisition by Facebook, Instagram has been satiating the narcissist pandemic, providing the platform for users to alter and to show themselves off to the world [with perhaps grandiose hopes of fame], be seen by as many as possible, be ‘liked’, and be instantly gratified – so to speak, by this instant process.
Statigram, a third-party tool on Instagram, functions as a web viewer for statistics. At 11 p.m. PST, December 28, 2012, Statigram’s tallied stats for number of photos tagged ‘selfie’ was 5,509,922. Photos tagged ‘me’ beat ‘selfie’ out of the ballpark, coming in at 72, 657,637. An hour later ‘selfie’ jumped to 5,512,860. A day later, ‘me’ jumps to 73,085,204. It’s a busy site.
We are drowning in a digital, social-media sea of computer generated, retro-filtered ‘me’ portraits, and Instagram users are posting proof of the takeover of narcissistic traits: displays of pure egocentrism, inordinate self-fascination, exaggerated and excessive preoccupation with vanity. By all appearances, this is an era of ‘it’s all about me’.
Instagram’s FAQ page states: “We imagine a world more connected through photos.” Lack of empathy, a trait at the heart of narcissism, is the antithesis to connection.
Dr. Jean M. Twenge, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology and author of Generation Me and co-author of The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement explains that at the core of narcissism is the fantasy that you are better than you really are (and better than those around you). Any process that allows that fantasy to exist despite the less glamorous reality is an opportunity for narcissism to thrive.
She adds that narcissists aren’t particularly interested in warmth and caring in their relationships, spending a good deal of their time and energy doing things to make themselves look and feel good, and pumping up their egos.
In a September interview with the Washington Times, Dr. Twenge, in response to a question of whether technology has had a negative impact on the younger generation, says, “Technology has mostly been beneficial. But negative consequences can result if technology means people are not seeing each other in person and not connecting on a deep and personal level.”
Appearances aren’t everything. Most of us have learned this somewhere along the way. And yet, the competitive race for keeping up appearances has users in the digital grip of Apple Inc.’s 2011 App of the Year, Instagram, posting at a frantic pace, the moments-to-moments of their selves.
The perilous cultural value placed on how we look, or how we are seen by others, has become malignant in the digital space, and is adding to our already malfunctioning human-to-human, in-the-present-moment daily interactions. We are separating, not connecting – at least not beyond digital appearances.
A world connected through photography is a world in which individually inspired creative expression is neither a race for number of likes, nor an obsessive pre-occupation with sixteen pre-sets to process and post your shot.
The creation of Instagram was a simple, yet inventive solution to something mundane. There is no disputing the photo-altering playground’s creative edge when it comes to re-imagining iPhone snapshots. But, the app’s lightening-speed rise to stardom has usurped the individual’s creative edge, with users hunkering down, millions of times over, into the square tinted box – begging the question of its ultimate impact. And it doesn’t take a psychology degree to notice its sociological effects.
We need to temper our obsession with ‘selfie’ through meaningful in-person encounters and in exploring other facets, formats and tools of photography. Stepping away from the computer – and the mirror, once in a while, and allowing other perspectives to filter through into each of our naturally unique, innately creative personal spaces can also satiate our curiosity to explore ourselves, as well as gift us with the opportunity of seeing ourselves in those we meet, vis-Ã -vis.
Article courtesy of Adore Noir magazine. Adore Noir is a black & white fine art photography e-zine and can be found at www.adorenoir.com. Kathleen Hay is a freelance writer and graphic designer based out of Victoria, BC, Canada. Her title at Adore Noir is currently contributing editor. She can be reached for assignments at kedikat@gmail.com
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…..item 2)…. Raising Millennials …
… aish.com … www.aish.com/f/p …
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How to instill empathy and sensitivity in an age of narcissism and entitlement. …
by Slovie Jungreis-Wolff
June 3, 2013 / 25 Sivan 5773
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Waiting on line for a salad, I observe the two teens in front of me. They take their iced coffees but before they drink there is a ritual. They stick their straws into their mouths, stand cheek to cheek, and make identical exaggerated faces. They hold their iPhone a few inches away and click. As they check out their image they giggle together. Their picture is out in cyberspace.
Welcome to the iGeneration. We have iPhones, iPads, and iPods that accompany our kids throughout their waking hours. They fight sleep as their text messages ping through the night. Everyone is posting their parties, vacations and hourly location on Instagram; you need to be sure that you can keep up.
Sometimes that means embellishing because FOMO (fear of missing out) is real. You are not really popular unless you have hundreds of facebook friends and maybe even a twitter following. You have grown up watching reality TV shows and are confident that you, too, can become a celebrity. You can turn yourself into a brand. All you need is a great You Tube clip and overnight you will become a sensation.
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— Age of Narcissism
Here is some shocking hard data Time magazine recently presented in their article, “The Me Me Me Generation” about millennials – those born between 1980—2000:
… The incidence of narcissistic personality disorder is nearly three times as high for people in their 20’s as for the generation that’s now 65 and older.
… 58% more college students scored higher on a narcissism scale in 2009 than in 1982.
… One third of adults under 30, the highest percentage ever, are religiously unaffiliated.
… Millennials got so many participation trophies growing up that 40% believe they should be promoted every two years despite performance.
… They are fame obsessed. They are convinced of their own greatness.
… They are their own moral guides. 60% believe that they will always just feel what’s right in a situation.
When I read this I am reminded of the mother who raised her hand during class with a great parenting tip she hoped to share:
“A famous politician changed the way we bring up our son. He said that he believes that he became so successful because as a child his parents would always applaud him. So now every morning when our son comes down to the kitchen, my husband and I applaud. ‘Hooray for Noah!’ we say, and then we clap. We feel that we are really giving Noah the gift of self-esteem.”
I was floored. How can we applaud a child for simply waking up in the morning and walking into the kitchen? This is not the gift of self-esteem; it’s creating a monster.
From their earliest memories these kids have been told that they are ‘special’ and ‘amazing’. They have worn T-shirts that proclaim them to be princesses, stars and fashionistas. Parents and grandparents hang on to their every word and post their daily toilet training schedule on Facebook. Is it any wonder that they expect the world to be about them?
Along with narcissism, this generation has become famous for their sense of entitlement.
And what happens when these kids grow up and realize that relationships and careers are all about sweating and giving? When your baby wakes up crying at 3am, there is no one applauding you. When your child needs you to hold her hand and you are scared and frightened yourself, no one is telling you how awesome you are.
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— Arrogance and Entitlement
Along with narcissism, this generation has become famous for their sense of entitlement. Do not think for a moment that this is a challenge that only wealthier parents must grapple with. It is not a question of ‘rich-kid’ problems. Time reports that “poor millennials have even higher rates of narcissism, materialism and technology addiction.” No one is safe.
Think about it. When you need to figure something out on your new iPhone or need help with an app, whom do you turn to? Usually it is your kids. After a while, these sons and daughters start rolling their eyes at their parents whom they see as ignorant and ‘left behind’. It is difficult to respect somebody if you feel superior to them, especially if that somebody is your parent. This leads to incredible chutzpah and arrogance.
Our children are mostly interacting with their friends and peers. Parents are often shut out and have no idea what their children are up to. I have spoken to parents who were shocked when they discovered secret Facebook accounts, scandalizing pictures on Instagram, and parental blocks that were somehow bypassed. For some teens, it is a world devoid of adult wisdom. Imagine arriving to your 20’s and missing out on years of guidance and inspiration. There is simply a lack of communication. Screen time with peers has overtaken family time. Even when you are out in a restaurant or together on a family trip, your teen’s eyes are not on you. If he is skilled he can text and maintain eye contact at the same time. We are alone-together.
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— What Can We Do?
… No Screen Zone: The first thing we must do is recognize the problem. When parents, themselves, sit at a breakfast or dinner table and keep half an eye on the screen, they are setting an awful example. We cannot expect more from our children than we do from ourselves. We need to establish a ‘no screen zone.’ This means that meal times at home and while in a restaurant be set aside as family time.
The same goes for picking up kids from school or while doing an activity with them. Even our toddlers sit in their strollers scrolling through an iPad. Older siblings are shocked when they realize how easily their younger brothers and sisters maneuver their devices. We are quickly becoming disconnected from the ones we are supposed to be sharing our lives with. When children see that we are more interested in the person on the other side of the screen, it will not take long for them to get the message that they are number 2. They will also infer that tuning out from family is totally acceptable behavior. It is not.
… Nurture Empathy: Next, we should work on encouraging our children’s ability to feel empathy. We can counter the narcissism if we ignite the spark of sensitivity and compassion that lies within each child’s heart. Allow children to see that this world is not just about them.
The other week a group of teen girls and their moms who study with me came to my home. After doing a ‘spring cleaning’, they carried huge bags of winter coats that their families had outgrown. We joined with two women who send packages to Israel at this time of year, for children who have to share coats with their siblings that are often too large or too small. The girls were shocked to hear about other kids their age that must battle the freezing cold without warm coats and would cry tears of joy when they receive their packages. This coming winter at least they will be warm.
We can encourage our children to use their technology and connections to better this world.
We can encourage our children to use their technology and connections to better this world. We can pierce the bubble of self-pride and teach them to think beyond themselves. Imagine if instead of just snapping photos of their drinking iced coffees, they would share pictures of their joining together as they organize community bike drives, marathons, or bake sales for charity. This generation has the world at its fingertips. They can connect to hundreds of peers in an instant. They are driven when they want to be, empowered by their optimism and knowledge. Why not use these gifts to accomplish greatness?
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… Set Limits: There is no doubt that we are growing more addicted to our devices each day. (How many times did you check your emails while reading this article?) It is difficult to do any activity without our phones nearby. When kids do homework and try to study while constantly checking their messages, their school work becomes affected. When they stay up late through the night answering ‘just one more’ text, their ability to concentrate in class the next day is impeded. We need to firmly set limits. Phones cannot be used throughout the night. Nor can they become part of homework and studying time. This is about self-discipline and self-control. And for those who wonder how they can enforce these rules – we cannot fear setting limits in our homes. This is where effective discipline and natural consequences come in.
… Taste of Shabbos: While trying to conquer this growing addiction, we have been blessed with a built in formula for success. Once a week we have been given an incredible gift to reconnect with our families. No phones, no iPads, no iPods. Only Shabbos candles dancing and precious family time. I know that each week I look around my Shabbos table and am so grateful that I have been given this opportunity to shut off all the stress and pressure of the past few days. We laugh, we speak, we bond and we rediscover the magic of our family.
We know that all this technology has introduced a new world to our children. It is a world where anything is possible. I am sure that this next generation will make life-changing discoveries. How they use their abilities to see beyond themselves and better our universe is our challenge.
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…..item 3)…. Common Ground …
… aish.com … www.aish.com/jw/id/ …
Home » Israel » Israel Diary … Spending three days with non-religious Israelis, I discovered surprising things about them, and myself. …
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June 20, 2013 / 12 Tammuz 5773
by Rabbi Emanuel Feldman
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“But officer, this was not deliberate. I am innocent. The one-way sign was blocked by the trees. I never saw it.” I am telling the truth, but the officer is unimpressed. He writes out my traffic ticket.
Two years later, on a different Jerusalem street, an identical blocked sign, an identical unimpressed officer, and an identical traffic ticket. After having driven 40 years in the USA without a single ticket, here in the space of a few years I am starting a veritable collection of them.
In the mail comes a personalized letter from the Office of Transportation, inviting me to attend a special three-day, 12-hour driving school to improve my driving skills. The cordiality of the invitation is somewhat mitigated by the polite reminder that non-attendance could result in the revocation of my driver’s license.
So here I am at driving school, and I am learning many new things —not only about driving safety, but about non-religious Israelis.
For three days I am thrown together with all kinds of Israelis from every level of society. In my class of 35, there are one Arab, two hareidim, and four knitted yarmulke types. The rest, a full 80% of the group, are Israelis, both men and women who seem on first blush to have no connection with a religious way of life. It is a strange, new world. A few men are sporting earrings and tattoos, all are wearing tee shirts and jeans, and none of the women are dressed in a manner that could be described as even remotely modest. What would be considered provocative in a religious neighborhood is here considered de rigueur, and what in a religious area is considered modest dress would here be out of place. And everyone – young and old, men and women, religious and non-religious – seems to be smoking.
Other than the fact that Hebrew is the language we all share, this could be Italy or Spain or Greece. The only other connection we seem to have with one another is that each of us had violated some traffic laws. We were all Israelis and Jews (except for one Arab), but on the surface, my compatriots and I, for better or for worse, seem to have nothing in common.
Well, I found myself thinking, is this not what the Zionist founders wanted: to shed the shackles of Judaism, the small-mindedness of the shtetl, to become citizens of the world?
But during the three days, as I chit-chat with many of them, I discover just how unfair I was in my assessment. At the end of the first day, the tough, wizened, and completely secular instructor says good night and adds that he will see us tomorrow, “Im yirtze Hashem, with the will of God.” Even if it was automatic, I did not expect such a religious expression to pass through his lips, but there it was. And he said it like he meant it.
In the small café on the premises, I reach out to buy an ice cream cone. The non-religious proprietor stays my hand. “I don’t think you want this; it has no hechsher (no kosher certification).” Perhaps it is my beard and black yarmulke, but during a break one classmate confesses wistfully that his teen-age sons all seem to be going off in unhealthy directions, that he longs for some religious anchor for them and wishes that there were some place for non-religious families to learn about Torah values.
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I’ve been too harsh, too quick to judge by external appearances.
Beneath all the disguises, these are my spiritual brothers and sisters, each with his genuine Yiddishe neshama, Jewish soul. I’ve been too harsh, too quick to judge by external appearances. These are good people, helpful and considerate Jews who are very respectful of, and curious about, genuine and sincere religious behavior. It occurs to me that my classmates are simply creatures of their environment, products of schools and teachers who themselves knew nothing about Judaism and imparted that nothingness to their charges. But underneath their exteriors, they seem quite open and ready to respond to sensitive and sympathetic teaching and examples.
Just as I have never been exposed to this aspect of Israeli society, so have they never been exposed to the religious component that is so integral a part of Jerusalem and Israel. If one could dig a bit beneath the surface of these folks, one would discover a love and a respect and openness toward our mutual Jewish heritage. What a pity that there are so very few people around who care enough and are talented enough to do the digging.
What I re-learned from the course, beyond driving safety and some new Hebrew terms, was that it is helpful to occasionally emerge from the social cocoon in which one finds himself, and to seek out people and groups who are not exactly like oneself. This could be mutually beneficial and spiritually broadening.
But along the way, try not to drive the wrong way on one-way streets. Someone, I promise you, is always watching. If not the traffic cop, Someone Else.
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