213. It is the nature of women to seduce men in this (world); for that reason the wise are never unguarded in (the company of) females.

214. For women are able to lead astray in (this) world not only a fool, but even a learned man, and (to make) him a slave of desire and anger.

When I was young, around seven or eight, I used to get really upset at the way women were treated. In my own home, my mother used to give preference to my little brother when it came to serving food. My father, having brought me up with plenty of freedom to act, think, and speak as a mindful human being, has humored my many complaints against Manu growing up! I used to think that the man must have been really rejected by beautiful women. He might have had his heart broken or had his over zealous amorous advances rejected by a woman. I thought his laws were a bit vindictive. In any case, wow. You opened something here Dr.-, for sure!
There is so much more I could write here, but I have to get back to work! And in all fairness, Manu has some nice female friendly laws that apparently, many Indian men conveniently seem to ignore:

55. Women must be honoured and adorned by their fathers, brothers, husbands, and brothers-in-law, who desire (their own) welfare.
56. Where women are honoured, there the gods are pleased; but where they are not honoured, no sacred rite yields rewards.
57. Where the female relations live in grief, the family soon wholly perishes; but that family where they are not unhappy ever prospers.
58. The houses on which female relations, not being duly honoured, pronounce a curse, perish completely, as if destroyed by magic.
59. Hence men who seek (their own) welfare, should always honour women on holidays and festivals with (gifts of) ornaments, clothes, and (dainty) food.
60. In that family, where the husband is pleased with his wife and the wife with her husband, happiness will assuredly be lasting.
61. For if the wife is not radiant with beauty, she will not attract her husband; but if she has no attractions for him, no children will be born.
62. If the wife is radiant with beauty, the whole house is bright; but if she is destitute of beauty, all will appear dismal.

And aren't people really happy in love, "radiant" and beautiful? Even more so! But even this law # 61 becomes ugly when we allow silly people in power to they define beauty with "fair, large eyed, well endowed, etc..." Arg! But, then you leave any laws, even with the noblest intentions, to unmindful, unconscious, selfish people, it seems natural that so many things will get twisted, misunderstood, and abused. What do the masses without the 'm' signifier, act like, anyway? Well that is that. I will save the rest for class. And FYI, these days, my brother not only gets served with the rest of us, but he does his own dishes and laundry too when he visits! HAHAHAHA! M.'s laws in effect at the house ;) In all seriousness, I have the best male examples ever in my family. All very strong, passionate, and maverick males and as well the females. I have been very fortunate that my father has humored and allowed and cherished all of my rantings and cries of "ITS NOT FAIR!!! We shouldn't allow things like that to happen!" my whole life. And my mother, she has allowed me my rants and cries only because she sees herself in me. I am her spitting image. Did you expect all of this in response to your email?"

He responds with :

Well, I do. But that is besides the point.

I dated a guy for about eight-ten months earlier this year. He was obsessed with Paris Hilton. It ended badly. It started off sweet enough, but I think, he was right, that in his overall estimation he was indeed "too emotionally immature" and that he was "intimidated by my sexuality" and couldn't "be what I wanted."

What I wanted was emotional honesty and courage, and I guess a man who is immature and underdeveloped in that area can never be what I want, much less, need. At least he was incisive enough to understand that. And I was the slow one... thinking miracles could happen. Now, after all of my efforts, again a bit heart battered and broken. But I'm a big girl, I'm all right. I am handling it. I've been through a lot worse. Hell, if you've been through one excruciatingly painful heartbreak in your life, the rest are minor superficial flesh wounds, a veritable walk in the park. A walk in the park, folks. But still, it hurts, and it still feels painful. I will not discount that!

I don't blame him too much for the lack of physical compatibility. Hell, even I am intimidated by my own off the charts libidinal sexual intensity! (I'm really not). I look to art and academics for sublimation. And batteries! And its all good. I surmise that we can be friends sometime in the future. I was a good confidant to him and was genuinely interested in his welfare. If he paid me I could do well to consult him in his career interests. I know him so well, I also have many good looking single gay men to set him up with.

I kid I kid. Oh, but let me tell you HOW MANY:

He is possibly bisexual. Sexually repressed, emotionally immature and confused, not healed fully from his last relationship, but I don't think, possibly, that he's gay. Maybe he is. I don't know. The poor guy. Sometimes I still feel like shielding him from the bullies and silliness that is our weird and messed up society that seems to only see in black and white and not in the luminousness that is its greys and technicolor. In any case, I spew too much here. Weren't expecting all this, were ya'll, eh?

But still, I do not want to be with him. Gay or not, soft spoken or not, non-sexual or not, I just don't have any interest in dating a man that feels he's not good enough for me or has all these crazy hang ups from his past. That insecure bull shit I will not accept! I don't know what it is to feel that someone else is good enough or bad enough. For me, it is very simple. I like what I like, I love what I love, I pursue that, give it my best, my all, and the rest, well, can go to hell! It just doesn't make enough sense to be with anyone that has been too emotionally and spiritually lazy to not have tackled his inner demons and frustrations, to not have taken responsibility for his actions, before getting seriously involved with someone who has more than done her share! Plus he really yelled and screamed at me way too many times and ultimately hurt my sensitive feelings for me to ever trust in him, intimately, again. For this, there is just no excuse. He's been a bully to me and I need to protect my self. Fuck that noise.

Aso to live the life of a tempest, it is hard, but I can assure you, it is never dull or lacking of loveliness or lustre! The storms, and the silent aftermath that is found in my life, it has all brought blessings. Having become more and more in touch with what it is that is emotionally authentic within me, I am finding that it is getting easier and easier to weather these storms. And one day, I will just be like a soothing waterfall or a gentle windy caress. For now, I'm a fiery tempest, beware!!

At present I am working in a field that I LOVE. Really, and truly LOVE. I started a month ago. And boy oh boy, I cannot believe that the universe has been this kind and compassionate. I have no complaints!

I have a sweet friend that writes to me every day. He just shawls me so beautifully with his energy, fire and passion. He made a video for me on youtube with just his feet and sand running in and out on the shores of the Oregon coastline. Oh, the keys to my heart: the bravery of art, the fire of love, and the tenderness of spirit and passion expressed to me in a package with the words, "for your eyes only..." I have met another of my soul's kindred spirits. (How very Anne of me) When we finally meet, we are bound to have fun, I am sure! But for now, he is too far away and well, I have too much work to do right now for anything else. So, this it. I filled in some of the cracks with some detail. Mmmmm. Rosemary, so good!

[UPDATE] I just got my CS3 in the mail at worky! EEEEEEEEEEE!!! So excited! The weekend with fun color and flash stuffs. YAY!!!