Palm trees look most beautiful with a purple sunset backdrop. Add to that an orange crescent moon and real live colorful fireworks and well, it's just an awesome beauty. The sunset, like most natural beauty, is free.
There's so much to be grateful for in this country, so much we can give. We communicate in this country, with ourselves and other nations. We dialogue constantly about the dominant paradigm and how we can shift it to a more positive, peaceful place. I'm surrounded by people who are conscious and aware. There are organizations created just for more peace in the world. People collectively and individually forgiving themselves and each other for be-ing human and the failings that occurred as such, are simultaneously embracing the responsibility of a joyous and fulfilled life.
Natural beauty is mostly free, there is a small fee- and that is the choice to see it as such.
That's good to remember on a day when we are celebrating liberty while we are not in a recession. ; ) It's important to be aware, have compassion, understand our part in things and sometimes, learn by someone's example- what not to do.
This morning I saw people adding as they went down the aisles in the grocery store, putting things back. Things like bread, cause who can afford it at 4 dollars a loaf? We're told food prices are up at least 75% since 6 months ago because gasoline is up some criminal percent ($5 per gallon in L.A.). Meanwhile, there are more than twice as many uber rich Billionaires in this country and the world for that matter, than there ever were. I wonder, will the new uber wealthy and the old money families ever learn to break bread with us or at least offer cake?
I'm not wealthy, I'm not even middle class, but, I know what it's like to be completely penniless and not know where I was going to stay the night. Right now, I am better off than a lot of people in this country, let alone the world. Are you? Is there someone you know of that is struggling more than you are, who could benefit from your energy in some way? I'd love to see at least one Billionaire with us on Saturday. It's the one day in the week that I help feed people who are homeless and hungry in my community. Months ago, we were told we are no longer allowed to feed anyone on the federal building property, so, we moved to a park. Last month we were moved from the park. I missed a couple weeks due to work, I'm not sure where we'll be tomorrow. Maybe someone will open up the great expanse of their lawn in front of their mansion. I wont hold my breath on that.
Today is the Friday the fourth of July. My day started early and ended splendidly. We feasted on Red Velvet Cake with white, cream cheese icing and blue sprinkles that I made and shared. The cake went well with Blueberry and Pomegranite Cosmo's. Now the sky has turned from mauve to purple to dark purple and finally, midnight blue. I'm going to take my laptop in, watch the Witches of Eastwick and call it a night as the few remaining fireworks go off here n there like thunder in the sky.
I'll be up with sun, grateful again that I was born in the country whose media is communicating the world over. Grateful to be a part of it.
Edit: We worked from 5:30 AM till 8 AM making sandwiches out of ingredients donated by middle class folks. The sandwiches were taken to a privately owned parking lot near the park and distributed. So, there was a contribution of space from someone who is likely at least upper class. We haven't had the pleasure of support from anyone in the growing uber wealthy billionaire class yet, but, we look forward to it.Meanwhile, several children, women and men ate a meal they wouldn't have had otherwise. 2 single moms signed up for the "business make-over" that assists women who are down on their luck find and prepare for job interviews. It's a small effort, but, not fruitless.
I seriously should not watch films with time travel or characters that dont know they are dead especially when the time travel is in NOLA! No, I should not watch films like that ever,
let alone back to back on a day when I am alone at home
I've seen the film White Oleander several times. I continue to be awed by the female character driven story, the phenomenal, Oscar worthy performance by Michelle Pfeiffer and all the women in it. I love films with female characters who are not the side kick or girlfriend, who are not necessarily a super hero or the "strong women" hero type. Some say the main character, Ingrid, is evil. She is definitely complex, but, I wouldn't call her evil. I can relate to the 2 female leads as artists and to the part of Ingrids story that is a woman who broke her own rules to be with a man she fell hard for. When the man ended up being a heart breaking womanizer, Ingrid took revenge. That revenge led to her (and her daughters in a sense) incarceration. Astrid's journey through the foster care system, being placed in one very different home after another makes the cultural anthropologist and the runaway in me sing in harmony. The story triggers memories and feelings of survival and thriving, of toughening and balancing out with art as therapy. White Oleander profiles the many faces of femininity within the compelling story line of an artist and her artist mother.
I understand what makes me appreciate the story so much more after having read this Salon interview.
I've decided to get the book, which, I'm told is phenomenal.
Salon Question Did you worry in writing that character that you were going too far?
the writers Answer No. I think everyone has an aspect of themselves that doesn't want to care about other people, that just wants the absolute freedom. But we are more compassionate than that, we realize that in the long run, relationships have so much to offer, but you have to give in to that relationship to get anything back. And Ingrid is willing to sacrifice everything for her individual freedom.
Remember when were all afraid that Big Brother (electronics, surveillance video and the internet) would be the end of freedom?
I just heard of yet another case where a minority citizen who had been arrested by LAPD and charged with crimes that could lead to prison, was set free due to a surveillance video. The tape showed cops (formerly known as Big Brother's henchmen) breaking the law, bending the law, and generally being typical rogue cops. It turns out the defendants mother is the manager of the building they live in and happened to have the security video from outside the building. On it, the LAPD officers were deciding to embellish the police report to include drug possession and who knows what else.
"Stand up and tell em you're from Detroit" is just one of the many local phrases that demonstrate the determination to rise from the ashes and experience a renaissance, as futile as that determination is, that Detroit has.
I lived in the Cass Cooridor on 2nd and Prentice. I lived off 6 1/2 and Woodward Ave. on Goldengate. I lived in the famous Seyburn house of Punkity- rockity, scenester fame in "Indian Village" near Jefferson Ave. I lived in Hamtramick, off of Main St. over a blues bar and off the road that leads to the FWY (help me ben) behind the Kraut Funeral Home. Finally, before leaving the city, I owned a home off of 8 mile and Woodward on LaPrairie in what became known as "Fashionable Ferndale". Follow the links in this post to see what happened and what it looks like now. In this oddly named video (because most of Detroit is a ghetto, it isn't like it's all in one small area like L.A.) I recognize all but one of the buildings (a house) in the photos on the clip. That's what Detroit looked like when I lived there, not much has changed. The city influenced my artistic expression, and continues to influence me as a survivor and overall tough -assed bitch.
You may ask, "How did such a great city, the city that gave us shiny automobiles and Motown- the "HOME OF THE WHOPPER THANG!", get like that?" Well folks, it all started one hot summer night.. .
Go 1 min 54 seconds into this youtube clip and you'll see the routine that bit me. No other dance inspired me to dance more than this one... Cyd Charrise combining Folk, Jazz and Ballett- What could be more perfect for a lil ethnic dancer from Detroit to relate to?
I came to L.A. 12 years ago to tell the story (via the film medium) of time slips and genetic memory as I experienced it while dancing . 12 years ago. I had enough written to fill a music video or short film. 3 years ago, I sat with Asia (like a niece to me) who is a USC film school grad & a writer. We cranked out something that was not quite what I had in vision...but, it was getting closer closer closer Years have passed and I am having a Day off from the pilot I am working on. The pilot is strewn with trickster energy and reminders of my past.
I am watching a TVO'd episode of Oprah. It informs me that the mainstream is ready for my story.
It's a female character centered story with time slip, genetic memory, past life memory - or you could call it hallucination and put it in the film genre known as " fantasy".
Goodness, may it come thru more clearly. The right people to help bring it to life are coming in closer to help with it.
George Carlin had us not only laughing, but, also taking a look at ourselves- his look at us- and laughing. He pointed out absurdity and created a shift while he was here. Hanz and I bonded over his work. He was a poet. May he live on in the electron.
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