Life, Not a Spectator Sport

The Black Panther Party-do we need them today?

2011-05-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a great deal about The Black Panther Party lately and it has quite enlightening. This all started with my learning about Assata Shakur who is in exile in Cuba and seeing a documentary on Pete O'Neal , who is in exile in Tanzania, both former party members.

The photo to the left is of the six founding members of the party. That was taken from Wikipedia. {Original six members of the Black Panther Party (November, 1966) Top left to right: Elbert "Big Man" Howard; Huey P. Newton (Defense Minister), Sherman Forte, Bobby Seale (Chairman). Bottom: Reggie Forte and Little Bobby Hutton (Treasurer)}

One of the books I read was, Seize the Time: The Story of the Black Panther Party and Huey P. Newton, by Bobby Seale. I had read many things in the media as I was growing up about the party and the fear that was sparked by the many state governments, as the party started chapters in many states across the country. I am learning that their basic premise was to protect their neighborhoods and its residents from the blatant racism of the time, as well as to start programs that would help us better care for our own. Yes they did come from some of the worst neighborhoods in the various states just like the many doctors, lawyers, and business people that many became so proud of. The were self-educated even though the founders did meet in college. They knew their constitutional rights and were determined to protect them.
There were many organizations in the 1960s that were fighting for civil rights, and the Black Panther Party was no exception, but because they armed themselves, per their constitutional right, they were considered dangerous. They were arming themselves because it was mostly policemen that brutalized many in the neighborhoods and the people were tired of falling prey to this abuse.
The FBI created a special task force, COINTELPRO, for what they considered a problem.

The Black Panther Party was not only attacked from outside forces but also from within the organization. There were operatives that went undercover to infiltrate the organization and wreak havoc to divide and destroy the mission, but there were also those that joined the party to have a cover for their criminal activity. Both of these things were successful in accelerating the demise of the party. When the leaders realized that they were being destroyed from the inside, they ceased new membership, but it was already too late. They were being attacked from every direction.

Today the media attacks would not be as successful because of citizen journalism. The truth would hit the airways before the news outlets even got a hold of the story. The sad thing is, that not much has changed in our society in reference to racism. In the 60s it was just against blacks, but now it is against most people of color. So instead of going away, it has just spread o like a fungus. Most people are too busy trying to keep their heads above water or the poverty line until they don't even notice.
There are still large numbers of people of color being incarcerated and often railroaded into taking plea deals. The neighborhoods where people of color are concentrated are still under attack by police brutality and institutionalize racism. The schools in the area are still extremely inferior, rendering hopelessness for those that attend them, breeding crime and the like. The children in these neighborhoods are still sadly aware that they are not deemed worthy of quality education in a safe and clean environment.
So do we need another Black Panther Party? A group that protects and works hard to take care of their own? A group that fights for the rights of its children? Fight for the rights promised to them by the constitution? Or do we just sit back and continue to be brainwashed by the system into believing that one day we too will have the American dream if we just continue to work hard and keep our noses clean. We can now see that this didn't work for our parents who in their later years are still working to keep a roof over their heads way past retirement. What I am advocating here is not accepting the status quo. We can't change the system without first changing ourselves. We know that the rules of the game doesn't apply to people of color, even though a few of them eke by; and as soon as we learn the game they change the rules. We have to force ourselves into that picture. And that starts with self, with home, with our own. We need to help our kids get a better education and that may not start in the schools, but usually within the home, the neighborhood Creating the kind of student that demands better for themselves. The now cliché phrase, 'it takes a village to raise a child', is not new to us. It is something that we have been doing since we were brought to this country, and we need to return to that.

Before I get off on this rant, I would love to know what you think.

Photos taken by llka Harmann shows beautifully the climate of the times.

Charity Benefit in Chicago

2010-09-24T22:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight I attended a fund raising benefit for the Global Alliance for Africa which was held at the Millinnium Knickerbocker Hotel. There was a silent auction of many pieces of art as well as a raffle for two tickets to Africa. My girlfried was saying all night that she was going to win that trip and amazingly enough the winner's ticket was one number away from hers. It was bittersweet for sure.

The benefit was a fund raiser for Global Alliance for Africa. This fundraiser is done every year and consists of a great deal of the volunteers for the alliance. It was great to witness such giving from so many. Most of the people there were from the non-profit sector and it was just a beautiful event.

Adopt and Adapt

2010-09-21T07:24:00.001-07:00

It has been wonderful traveling this month visiting family and friends. Seeing how those you love from a distance, live in their everyday lives. Noticing their habits, the traditions they are creating and just watching carve out a life for themselves is quite interesting.
The way people live has always been fascinating to me. I love seeing how we are similar as well as seeing how we are different.

I have always been one to adopt the habits of others that I admire. It was something that I started to do many years ago. You often find people who are jealous of others because of the way they live, better yet their perception of how they live. I have always been one to adopt the habits or traditions that I find pleasing and adapt it to my life. Jealousy is such a waste of time and energy. My mother taught me years ago to never desire and definitely not covet what you see in others, because you have no idea what they do or have to go through to maintain. My method has always been to adopt and adapt, and most of all compliment.

My Trip Home

2010-09-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

The first two weeks of September I spent in Georgia visiting family and friends. I was not aware of how much I have missed everyone back home. I have been living in Los Angeles for just about five years without those close connections. Yes I have been back to Georgia a few times but only for a few days at a time. So I stay connected to everyone via cell phone and internet. I am sure that is not surprising to anyone. However convenient modern day technology is, it is no substitute for socializing with those you love and those who love you.

I was also fortunate enough to reconnect with some old friends that I have not spent anytime with in 25+ years and that was great. In every situation it appeared as though all of those years were a blur because we just picked up where we left off. A couple of them I didn't have a real relationship with at all, but we went to school together and traveled in the same circle of friends, so in that case we were able to discover each other and enjoy each other.

My time in Georgia also allowed me to meet some new relatives that I discovered through my genealogy research, predominantly with the use of ancestry.com. That was especially powerful, because we discovered how much we have in common and in a few cases how similar our personalities are. It continues to prove how strong genetics can be.

This trip was tremendously enlightening and encouraging as well as soothing to my spirit.

Two major events took place while I was in Savannah. One was the Labor Day Cookout given by my cousins Ella and Delores who are sisters.Delores Thompson Blige

Ella Thompson Brown

This is an event that takes place every year and the family comes from all over the US to attend. I think this time I was the one that traveled the furthest, coming from California, and their brother Marvin and his family coming from Denver. It was great to see them all.

The second major even in the order of which they happened was my parents surprise 5oth Anniversary Dinner. It was much smaller than I would have liked but it was nice just the same, and they didn't expect it.

This was an intimate dinner of 20 people held at the The Pink House in downtown Savannah.
There were pleasantly surprised, my mother started to cry and my father was smiling from ear to ear. It was great to be able to do something for the two people that have given me so very much in my love. I love them dearly and I wish them many more years together.

What is his story? What was his position in life 20 yrs ago?

2010-08-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

I often ask myself these questions when I see people like this gentlemen. He obviously has a story and something to say. What is it? Has anyone of us ever stopped to ask? I want to ask at times, but am afraid of what I going to hear. I am afraid that I am going to hear how he was once, what we would consider, a productive citizen and fell on bad luck. Possibly because of mental illness, physical illness, or merely lost of income, and even worst, lost of hope.
Then there is another fear,, that he would be angry and say or do something to me that would hurt my feelings or worst hurt me physically. This is not the greatest fear at all.

We don't want to ask because we don't want to care, so as not to feel even more helpless in this massive problem called "Homelessness" than we feel already.

So at most we give them money, feed them, talk to them for awhile, or just give them a smile and go on with our lives.
I know I often feel very bad when faced with these situations because I know that I am not but a heart beat away from being in his shoes. All of these fears are ways we justify doing nothing, and I must admit that I am included in this bunch. I wish that I was not but I am. How do I move away from the excuses and move toward some sort of action.

As I was sitting outside of California Pizza Kitchen eating with my daughter, this gentleman passed by, as we were eating outside on the patio, he looked right at me. That is when I noticed that his left eye was cloudy, but he was looking right at me. I smiled at him and said hello, and he greeted me in such respectful and warm way. At that moment my thoughts of pity turned into respect. Respect for him as a man, as my brother, that has endured something heavy in his life. What could that be?

This reminds me of my most recent visit to Wal-Mart a few days later and the cashier was a mature gentleman. The total of my bill was $19.68, and without any real thought, I blurted out, "that was a good year", like I would know, because I was only seven years old. The cashier said "not for me", and I asked him why not, and he said, "I was in Vietnam." I immediately felt terrible for making the comment, but I came back with, "Thank God that you lived to tell about it."
He may not feel that way either, because I have no idea what he has suffered and may still suffer from being in that war. This may not have effected me as much before, but now that I am living through the times of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and am mature enough to understand the pain and politics involved, I see things a bit different.

When I had this short exchange with the Wal-Mart cashier, the gentleman in the above photos came to mind, because I don't know his story and I do know that there are a great deal of Vietnam veterans living on the streets here in Los Angeles.

How do you feel when you are faced with the same things? What do you do? What would you like to do?

Todays Nightmare - at the Dentist

2010-08-09T22:13:00.000-07:00

Today was a pretty tough one after spending five hours at the dentist office.I was so ready to run out of there. I have never liked going to the dentist. For me it is almost as invasive as my gynecologist. I guess with the latter, I have come to expect it and am use to it, and it is usually pretty quick. However, when someone is in your head sticking and poking and prodding for five hours, you are ready for them to get the hell out. I don’t know anyone that likes the dentist, but I like it even less than most. I always associate a dentist with a construction worker. These days they do pretty much the same thing. Often times they build foundations to put a crown or a bridge or even an implant. Then they sit back and admire their work. They say things like, “that is a beautiful crown, it’s porcelain”, even before it is in your mouth.
They use a great deal of tools for pushing things in the gums, in the teeth, around the teeth and for clean-up during and after their construction. Not too mention, they often times use a great deal of pressure to make things stay in place. We will not even talk about the DRILLING. Like I say, very much like a construction worker. One of the differences may be that a construction worker often times have a larger space, or parcel, to start his construction, when the dentist has a hole in the front of your face to go through, frequently forgetting that there are lips in front of those teeth. After they finish rubbing every instrument and cleaning device over them, you want to forget that the lips are there too. Sort of like building a small city in a gourd. It takes patience, precision, and if you are lucky, a gentle hand.

Santa Monica Mall

2010-08-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

The Santa Monica Mall is now re-opened after closing for reconstruction two years ago. Of course I was anxious to see it and I did just that. It was impressively designed, but I still think the Promenade is my favorite. This new mall is three stories high and is an open air design. The concern I have with that is the fact that it gets pretty cool out there as it was yesterday after five, and what happens when it rains?
However it is beautiful. My favorite store is going to be there, Nordstrom, but it was not opened as of yesterday.

I love shopping in Santa Monica and now there is somewhere else to go.

Westward Migration

2010-06-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

Finally I worked my way to the Autry Museum and it was well worth it. I have been fascinated with the natural landscape of California every since I arrived here.

This exhibit shows the importance of the contribution of women in the development of the west along with many African Americans.

There was something that I read in the museum's brochure about a female doctor named Justina Ford.
Dr. Justina Laurena Warren Ford was the first African American female doctor in Colorado, and was still the only female African American doctor there when she died in 1952. She demonstrates perseverance and dedication to her dream as many pioneers have and did not let the obvious roadblock deter her. Her home in Denver has been moved from its original location, and is now the home of the Black American West Museum.

I was quite surprised in the number of African American Cowboys there were in this migration west, now realizing that one-third of the cowboys were black. They had established all black townships, and owned a great deal of prime real estate. Information that is not in our history text books. It make me angry that so much of our history is omitted as though it is not American History.
There is also a beautiful exhibit throughout of the American Indian and their contribution to the westward migration of the cowboy.

There are more photos of the exhibits here.

Realizing Memorial Day

2010-05-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

Deciding to go out to Santa Monica Beach is always something I want to do, but this being a holiday weekend I wanted to go take in the sun and sights before the holiday crowd came on Sunday and Monday.

I discovered that the older I get the less I like large crowds. Well I was not able to avoid the crowd, but I knew that it would be worst the more we got into this holiday weekend.

After parking in the first parking lot right on the beach, we decided to walk back toward the Santa Monica Pier. It was a nice breeze on the beach and there were people everywhere. As we started to walk along the pier trying to decide where we will eat, we noticed a memorial down below, actually on the beach. It was at that moment when the real meaning and purpose of this holiday hit home for me.

The white crosses were for those lost in the war in Iraq, and the red crosses were for those lost in Afghanistan.

We decided to go down and take a closer look and there were names and pictures as well as an area where you could write what every you wanted in memory of our fallen troops. When I read the names and looked at the faces and read what had already been written there, I started to feel that pull at my heart and became a bit emotional. I found that there were many others there having the same experience.

This was actually the first time that I got it. I was living through this war, that we often try not to think about, because it is actually occurring on foreign soil. At first I was sad that so many lives were lost and so many families forever affected by it, and then I started to feel a sense of pride and gratitude. That is what I left with.

I was also grateful that whoever decided to put the memorial there did so. It reminded those that were on the beach to have fun in the sun,
why they really are able to celebrate this
day with such freedom.

These are the names and it goes on and on. It makes these people more than just a casualty, it makes them human. Somebody's son, daughter, husband, wife, mother, father, or friend. It made you feel the sacrifice of so many people.

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day, when many women would decorate the grave sites of fallen soldiers. After the Civil War, there were said to be celebrations all over the country to mark the end of the war and to memorialize those that died.

A history professor from Yale University believes that the first observance of memorial day was in Charleston, South Carolina, where the was a prison camp for captured Union soldiers as well as a mass grave. After the hostilities of the Civil War, in 1865, formerly enslaved people exhumed the bodies from the mass graves and reinterred them into individual graves. They then put a fence around the grounds and called it a union graveyard.This was all finished in about ten days.

It was reported in the Charleston newspaper on May 1, 1865, that a crowd of approximately ten thousand people, predominantly black, gathered at this graveyard where there were sermons, singing, and picnics.

Many years later it was changed to Memorial Day and observed by all 50 states.

Annenberg Space for Photographers

2010-05-28T23:34:00.001-07:00

Today as I paced the floor trying to figure out what I was going to do with this beautiful holiday weekend, I searched the internet for goings on in Los Angeles. Well of course there are always lots of things going on, but I was looking for some kind of festival, a great photo opportunity. I did not come across any festivals, but I was so anxious to get out of the house before all of the holiday traffic and mishaps filled the city.

I decided to go to the Annenberg Space for Photography, a place that I intended to visit for almost two years. I first heard about this place when I became a member of this local photography club, Photographers and Digital Artist of Los Angeles, but never found the time to go. There has been numerous lectures and exhibits that I intended to see, but never made it.

Today I decided that it was time. After mapping my way with Google Maps, I decided that I would catch the bus to avoid parking fees as well as traffic on a Friday after noon before Memorial Day weekend, and I headed out.

Annenberg is located on Avenue of the Stars off of Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood. The main exhibit was a collaboration with National Geographic on the state of fresh water in our world, and it was beautifully done; as is anything with National Geographic. The space is smaller than I expected, however not too small, and beautifully designed.

Being a photographer myself, it was well worth the visit and a place I hope to frequent.

The above photo was taken from http://www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org/

Sam Elliot- Star Sighting

2010-05-25T14:14:00.000-07:00

While hanging out in Malibu, I decided to stop to the How's Market off Trancas Canyon Road to get me bottle of pomegranate juice. This is small How's market and quite conjusted, but also quite adequate. As I am walking down the left side of the store where they keep cold bottled drinks in an open cooler, my friend is walking behind me. As I barrel around this corner I almost bumped into the buggy of a gentleman that was headed my way, I said, "I am sorry excuse me" as pulled his cart more to the right side to keep from bumping me with it. He then said something that sounded like' no problem honey", as I had already passed by, and I immediately turned around, and pointed to him, and my girlfriend said yes that was him. I recognized the voice, more than the face because I didn't look him directly in the face. But it was Sam Elliot.

So I went on and got my pomegranate juice but as I was going back to the register he was headed my way again, so I said hello again, and as we were passing told him that I loved his movies, and he said thanks and blew me a kiss, and a great big smile.

Park at the end of Malibu Canyon Road-What a View

2010-05-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

I was out to a park on near Peppidine University in Malibu and there was this long path that leads down to the water. If you look closely at this picture you can see it going toward the water. My friend told me that I should walk on down there, but I was hesitant. I know where there is water and brush there are usually rattlesnakes or water moccasins. I told her that if the gentleman with the dog went down that trail I would go along or behind them, because I trust the instincts of a dog.

This little lady's name is Sadie.

I started talking to the dogs owner telling him what we were talking about and of course he agreed about the instincts of a dog. His name was Jim and he told me that a couple of weeks ago there was rather large rattlesnake there off to the side of the walkway, and before approaching Sadie started to walk to the opposite side as though she sensed something directly in front of them in their path.

As they got closer he saw the rattlesnake and the dog was walking further and further away.

Jim went on telling me more stories about Sadie, how she was raised by the cats that he and his wife have at home, so often times, she acts like a cat. She gets excited and will chase something as small as a leaf blowing in the wind. She was picking up on the light caused by the sun shining on my camera lens. It appeared as though she wanted to chase that as well.

He told me how Sadie was a really friendly dog but sometimes when he notices that she does not like a person that he may come in contact with, he will just speak and keep going. He has learned to trust her instincts, because often time we ignore our own.

At this point Sadie was just enjoying the cool breeze and the warmth of the sun.

Malibu Canyon Road

2010-05-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

One of the beautiful things about living in California is the incredibly beautiful landscape. It is full of hills, rock formations, valleys and the Pacific Ocean. I enjoying riding on the roads between the mountains and rock always wondering what is up there. Well we know there are quite a few mountain lions and bears in those mountains, that often times wonder into the backyards of those that build their houses in this natural landscape. We are always invading the habitat of wild animals and are afraid when they wonder into our yards. Oh well, we are in their yards.

These are pictures of what it looks like driving on Malibu Canyon Road headed toward the Pacific Ocean. This road ends on Pacific Coast Highway, which runs from Santa Monica to San Francisco. I hear that this ride is long but spectacular. I did take it to Santa Barbara, and then took highway 58 to Solvang, and that highway will take your breath away.

The closer we got to the coast the more green it was. It is not usually so green but we had a great deal of rain this year. I would imagine there will be a great deal of breeding in those hills as well.

Dinghy Sailing at Marina del Rey

2010-05-22T19:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a friend of mine and I decided to ride out to the beach. We first walked along Venice Beach, which is always entertaining and sometimes even a bit scary. We decided to go watch the sail boats and fisherman at Marina del Rey. There are always lots to see out there as well. The last time I was there I came upon a photo shoot which was not going so well. Mostly because it was quite windy as it was yesterday, and those that were helping the photographer did not seem prepared for the amount of wind and sand that they encountered. The model didn't seem that excited about it either. So I just sat back and watched them fumbled through it all as the egotistical photographer became quite annoyed.

However, on this day there were various sailboats in the harbor, then I noticed a small sailboat had capsized.

We were wondering how they were going to be able to get the boat right-side up and continue on, but they did. As we were watching all of this we noticed that there were about four other sail boats of the same small size in the harbor, but this was different from any sailing that I had ever seen. It appeared as though the passengers in the boat often shifted themselves from one side of the vessel to the other. They used their bodies in the turning of the boat and immediately shifted to the other side of the boat after the turn and leaned backwards toward the water over the side.

We then realized that if this was not done with a certain precision the boat would become unsteady and turn over. I was thinking that this was way too much work for any kind of enjoyment, but often times this is so with various sports.

Dinghy Sailing is the name of this sport and it was at times painful to watch. One young couple spent more time in the water than on the boat itself. At one point the coast guard came to help them by pulling the boat to aid in flipping it back to the right side, so this couple could continue on.

Well that they did. It was intriguing to watch but nothing that I would want to do. It looked quite difficult

Changing sides and leaning to keep the boat afloat gives one the impression of the needed dedication and skill.

I had never seen this done before, even though I have seen many sailboats in the past. I have met sailors that sailed in the Atlantic Ocean in Savannah, Ga. as well as in the Gulf while I lived in Tampa, Fl. but I had never seen dinghy sailing.

Legal Scam by the Sprint Corporation

2010-05-19T23:29:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the Sprint store on Van Nuys Blvd. and no I was not a happy camper. I was in there just about a week ago because I have had many problems with my Samsung Instinct. I have the first edition of this phone and because of the same problems they gave me a refurbished phone against my wishes back in September, as though my wishes mattered.

Often times we have no choice in the matter unless we decided to cancel the service and go to another mobile company. I am always hesitant to do that because I don't feel that any of these companies give good customer service. Even with such a tough economy they do less and less for their customers.

When I got the refurbished phone I was told by the manager, who had been there for awhile, that the warranty was the same as a new phone. Last week I was told that the warranty was only 6 months on a refurbished phone. Now you know I am livid at this time, because I was just about two months past the warranty, due to the fact that I had two major surgeries in a four month span and was not able to go back until now, also knowing that I had 12 months worth of warranty. I was eligible for an upgrade but didn't want to spend the money on a new phone because I have been out on disability for almost a year. It just was not a necessary expense. I just wanted a phone that worked the way it was suppose to. I don't think it is too much to ask for one to get what they paid for. Obviously that is in fact too much to ask for.

So today I was forced to upgrade and add another 300 dollars to my bill, because the phone was not working at all. Needless to say again I am not happy.

Of course again they tell me that I have thirty days to see if I like the phone or not, but if I don't like it and decided to bring it back they will give me another new phone. But here is the catch, if I don't get the same model, then I will have to pay a 35 dollar restocking fee. So tell me if for some reason I don't like the phone, then why would I get the same model. Do they really think the consumer is that stupid. I get it, they just don't care, whether we are happy with their product or their service.

I feel the need for the cell phone because I live on the west coast and all of my family including my daughter lives on the east coast. As always a telephone has become a necessity, since I no longer have a home phone.

Now here is another way to screw with the consumer. There is a 100 dollar mail in rebate on the phone, but in the fine print it says that I must write my name as well as the other pertinent information in all capitol letters. Now who normally writes their name in all capital letters.

This is a reason that they will wait four months to return the rebate form telling you that the rebate was not accepted because it did not meet the guidelines provided. Now I say four months because they will wait just enough time for the rebate to have expired before they inform you of this error.

It is so annoying to me to be a slave to this system of capitalism or should I just call it was it is, another way to stick it to the working class. Another way to LEGALLY SCAM the little guy.

What would a company look like that genuinely cares about it's customers and treat them the way they would want to be treated. We probably would not recognize it if we saw it, because we would think it was a SCAM.

Straddling That Threshold

2010-05-15T00:17:00.001-07:00

Why does it take sickness or near death experiences for us to wake up and see what is really important in this life. There are many people that do not wake up even then. I know of a woman that had cancer and even had to have a bone marrow transplant and she didn't change at all. She was still her insecure, jealous, and bitter self. How did she find the time and energy to hold on to that. I know another man that had a bout with prostate cancer and when he finished almost a year of treatment, he went back to his deceptive and greedy ways. Then there are those like myself that just get tired of the status quo and want something that is more meaningful in their lives. I say it is maturity, but others may think it is crazy. My problem is I don't know exactly how to let go of the old life and embrace the new one. So I am straddling the threshold, which is quite miserable. This is the time when I realize I just have to let go and let God. Anyone that has been here knows just how hard that is.

Why Here?

2010-05-15T00:17:00.000-07:00

It always amaze me where we build houses. Anywhere and everywhere. So much of nature is destroyed to build houses and shopping malls and I can't understand why. How many shopping areas do we need?

This is a photograph of a house built on the side of a hill, right off of Ventura Blvd. Many houses here are built high on mountains, hanging off of a hill, or deep in a valley. Most often it just takes away from the natural beauty of the area, because now there will be utility wires needed to supply the newly developed area.

I was talking to a woman on the Metro the other day and she said that she was from northern California but have been in Los Angeles for over 20 years, and she told me how much it has changed. How many of the parks have been destroyed to build more and more subdivisions and shopping centers. I still think that California is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever lived, but it is not too many locals that agree. I will say that the shopping here is more than I have seen anywhere. I often wonder how these stores make it financially year after year, but somehow they do. The recent economy disaster has devastated many, but there is so much more that is withstanding this disaster. I do enjoy the fact that there are so many choices, but it can be quite overwhelming. Loving it just the same.

The Allure of Newsstands.

2010-05-14T23:34:00.000-07:00

One of the first things I fell in love with when I moved to California was the many newsstands that are scattered throughout the city. The first one I encountered was in Hollywood on Cahuenga. It reminded me so much of New York. I am an avid reader of everything and anything that I can get my hands on. There are not any newsstands in my hometown of Savannah, Ga. , at least not any more. There was one in the downtown area, but I don't remember them carrying any of the international magazines. It was located on Drayton Street right off of Broughton Street, but it is long gone now.

The newsstand shown above is in San Fernando Valley on the corner of Van Nuys Blvd. and Ventura Blvd. It is one that I go to quite often even though Borders Books is right down the street in the same block. Often times the newsstand will have the newest magazines before the bookstore. However, I go to both quite often. I order my books from Amazon because I get a better price, even with the coupons offered by Borders. I love just browsing the shelves and seeing what is new out there.
There is now an electronic newsstand, which is good if you are looking for a particular periodical that you can't find anywhere. Nothing beats going to your neighborhood newsstand, seeing the proprietor often and he knows your name.

When I am in a city and I find newsstands their inventory usually gives me some idea of the diversity of that city. Even more so about the neighborhood of which it is located. At the newsstand above you will find your array of national newspapers and a great deal of latin magazines. There are also many magazines on Yoga and holistic health. Ventura Boulevard is lines with Vegan Restaurants, Yoga Studios, Acupuncturist, etc.

The newsstand on the corner of Cahuenga and Hollywood Blvd., there is a large section of magazines on film, photography, videography, also a large selection of international newspapers in many languages. It is quite interesting.
You will be in another area and find a great deal of Russian or Asian newspapers and magazines.
It is amazing what gives you insight to the demographics of an area.

These are the things that really draw me to large cities such as Los Angeles and New York. The different ethnic groups,experiencing their culture and food in such an authentic way. Often times I feel like a stranger in these neighborhoods and wonder how I would feel if I were visiting these cultures abroad.

This Baby was in pain.

2010-05-02T18:14:00.001-07:00

I went to the Los Angeles Equestrian Club yesterday and totally enjoyed myself. I watched a few horse shows taking place outside as well as inside the arena.

I came across this little horse that looked like a wounded puppy. He was in fact hurting in more ways than one. As I approached the pen, he was on the opposite side from me, so I decided to stick my camera lens through the bars to photograph him. I did get the first shot that way, but after that he started to walk toward me, slowly of course and with conscious precision. That is when I discovered that he was barely putting his right foot on the ground, realizing that he was hurt. When he approached me, he put his nose through the bars as a dog would when they want you to pet them. I was a little hesitant at first, because horses will bite you and this was an unfamiliar horse, and he was hurt.

So I started to talk to him and he continued to push his nose through the bars. So I decided to take a chance but putting my hand in further down from his mouth and rubbing his neck. Thinking if he made a quick move toward my hand, I would have time to snatch it back. But he didn't do that and I continued to rubbed and touch him from his neck and finally to his jaw and nose. He just wanted some love because he was in pain. Is that not familiar! I continued to rub him and talk to him and he was really calm. It actually felt good to give him that attention, I wish that I could have spent more time with him . Again he was unfamiliar to me, so I moved on after awhile.

I was surprised to see William Shatner there participating in one of the horse shows, but I discovered that he was the one promoting the show. I was aware that he was putting on a charity event at the club later that afternoon. I was able to get a few photos of him.

How Many Ways Do We Victimize Our Children?

2010-04-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

When I think about all of the injustices in this world, it really just makes me sick to my stomach. But I often feel helpless in these situations because I don’t feel equipped or without enough black marks on my own life that could either land me in lot of trouble somewhere or embarrass me. Well it is not enough to stop me for sure, but I don’t even know where to start.
I am going to start by reading about children advocacy and see where that takes me. I feel like there is something that I can do and something I need to do for the sake of children in this world. They are victimized in so many ways. How do we stop this, where do we start? I guess that is the question on the minds of many of us. There are so many children that are victimized within the family structure, as well as outside of it.

As I am writing this, I look over and there is a picture of my late grandmother sitting on my pc laptop, which is open for quick use. It reminds me that my grandmother took in, or a tleast kept track of a young boy whose mother was an alcoholic. He was a couple of years younger than my father, who tells me that he and Smithy had been friends since he was six years old.
Smithy spent many nights at my grandmother’s house and on family vacations with them. My dad always talked about when they would sit down to dinner he and Smithy would sit and eat, they would drink a quart of milk each at one sitting. My grandmother told me that when she ordered milk from the milk man, which came in glass bottles at that time and delivered to your door, she would always order enough so Smithy would have exactly what my dad had.
I don’t know the extent of how she cared for Smithy, but I do know as an adult Smithy thanked her, and often said he would probably be dead if it was not for my grandmother.

This is what is lacking in our society, people, caring for others. There was a time when you didn’t have to be family or blood related to help others in their times of need. Others would see a young mother struggling and step in to help, with whatever they had to offer. Sometimes that may have just been guidance. We are so into our own little worlds these days, and we shut out what is going on around us, so we don’t have feel, we become emotionally disconnected from the pain of our fellow man. I have been guilty, as I think most people have, because we don’t think that we can make enough of a difference. We are afraid to get too involved because then we will lose focus on what we want and believe we need in this life.

We all have seen too any cases where the children in our society are abused and/or neglected, and end up in the foster care system. Many times these kids are placed again in abusive situation, and sometimes are lost in that system. We have read those stories where these kids end up dead in our system. There were a couple of cases in Florida when I lived there, that was beyond appalling. One such case was a toddler had been dead almost a year before her case worker realized that she was missing. Another, when two young kids were placed in the custody of their uncle after their mother's death to discovered that he had been sexually molesting the little girl for about four years, and had started on the little boy. After he was seen with the two children by a lady that knew his history called the authorities. It was discovered that this uncle had been convicted and served time for child molestation in another state. These two children were actually wards of the state of Florida, but the authorities allowed the uncle to care for them, without a complete and thorough background check. How did they not know this man's criminal history before allowing him to take these two young children.

After these cases the state of Florida was definitely under attack, rightfully so, and a number of people lost their jobs. However, no state is adequately staffed for the growing number of neglected children entering the system. I always wondered what could be done, and I had thought if regular citizens could volunteer to help with the overload, how could they be certified to do the job and do it well.

Well there is a program in place to do just that. It is called CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates. . If many of our youth that are serving life sentences in prison had someone there for them, many of them would not be in jail.

The young woman in the video above, Sara Kruzman, would have been one of those children that would have definitely benefited from having a child advocate. Her mother was on drugs so she found that home in Gigi, who was a pimp. Now she will spend the rest of her natural life in prison for fighting back. She is again victimized by the system.

Where is Home for you?

2010-04-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

I have been having a great deal of dreams about my hometown lately. I don't know what it is all about, but it is a great deal better than the nightmares that I have been having for the past month due to percocet of which I have been taking after surgery.
I have been reconnecting with old friends via facebook and it has been wonderful.

I am from Savannah, Georgia, which is an absolutely beautiful city, but I never felt it was a place for the upwardly mobile. The glass ceiling is definitely visible. Therefore most of my friends moved away after high school and never returned. However I did return for a few years and never felt good about being there. I always felt stagnated. So I left again. Now that I am getting older I feel a pull back home. Maybe it is just that I have been reconnecting with those from home and miss the days long gone.

My parents are still in Savannah and they are getting older, so I am sure that the day will come when I will return, but it is not today. I am grateful that my parents are still in good health and doing well, as am I.

Maybe it is just time for an extended visit.

Where is home for you? Do you still feel connected? Why?

The President in Savannah, Ga.

2010-03-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

Savannah residents were extremely excited on Tuesday when President Barack Obama visited the city. He was doing what he said that he wanted to do and that is to bring big government to the working class and find out what their needs and expectations are. He also does this to keep in touch with why he ran for office. He didn't come to see the dignitaries of the city, he came to see and be seen by those people that he is working hard for in his administration. He made four stops in the city that proved imperative . Even though his hands are tied in many issues, because politics is what it is, Politics, he is working as hard as he can to do what he thinks is right.

President Obama realizes the importance of tackling the high school dropout rate in this country and how important it is for these young people to find their gifts and be able to become productive, for themselves as well as for their country. His visit to Savannah Vocational School showed the students there, some of them high school dropouts, that what they are doing is just as important to this nation as the students with college degrees. This technical school has programs that teach skills for the green energy jobs, and that showed them that they are the future of this country.

Jack Kingston, a Republican congressman from Ga. hitched a ride back to DC with President Obama, against the judgement of many of his constituents. Obama did not carry the state of Georgia during his election, which was not a surprise to me, but a disappointment. It is still the mentality of the Old South, and that is unfortunate. Due to the reception that he received on his visit to the city, there are a number of people that did vote for him, but not enough for him to carry the state. It is great that the attitude of the old south didn't taint the enthusiasm of the others.

How is Desiree Rogers responsible for a SECURITY BREECH -not her job

2010-02-27T08:24:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Roger's job is Social Secretary not Security Secretary. How in the world could the security breech of the state dinner, where there were two party crashers that was waved through by more than one security check point be the responsibility of the party planner. I was really expecting to see secret service head roll, but that is not what happened. I wonder why it didn't, because it definitely should have been a myriad of pink slips floating in the air. Instead the pressure is on the Social Secretary.

It is obviously that there is a great deal more going on here. From where I stand, she did a great job for which she was hired. The President and the First Lady wanted to make the White House, the people's house and that is exactly what happened. The First Family was more accessible to those that voted him in office and not just to dignitaries. They hosted school children quite often even planting a garden that is maintained by school children. The list goes on and on. It appears as though this is more of 'crashing of egos' than anything else. The question is whose egos are crashing.

Who would she have actually rub the wrong way? Who would be jealous of the job she has done so well, and by the way looked fabulous doing?

Even though I am very proud of the woman that I see, I can't vouch for her character, because well I don't know her. Is there something in her character that makes her less attractive? I am sure there is still a great deal left to be said, but the problem will be the sources, and our only source is the media, and we know how they sensationalize everything, especially when there is a victim.

So I expect to see her character attacked in the weeks following her actually departure from the White House, because the security breech just could not possibly be the reason.

Bill Withers-The Music Man

2010-02-18T07:44:00.000-08:00

Still Bill Trailer from B-Side Entertainment on Vimeo.

Bill Withers has made music that transcends race and time, which is obvious by how much his music is played today. He was born William Harrison Withers on July 4th, 1938. Yes Independence Day, not surprising for a man that was definitely an independent thinker, true to himself and what he believes in.

It was during his nine year stint in the U.S. Navy that he decided to pursue a musical career, and upon discharge, he moved to Los Angeles, California. In 1971 he debut with " Ain't No Sunshine" which was an immediate success, but he refused to quit his day job.

In 1971, 1981, and 1987 he won a Grammy Award for the same category, 'Best Rythm and Blues Song'. Then he dropped out of site.

There were quite a few of us that wondered why Bill drop out of view. After listening to his being interviewed on the Jesse Thorn Radio Show, I now know.

Bill basically talked about the demands of being a performer and that there were some real mean people in the business, he called them "cold pimps". He said that there is a poem that he always kept in his head;

The Manager's son goes to Yale
The Blues Man's son goes to Jail

As he expressed in this interview, he had responsibilities that required that he be available.

Below is the interview with Bill Withers and Jesse Thorn.

The Sound of Young America

michael explains

2010-02-13T18:18:00.001-08:00

People have called Michael Jackson a great deal of things, and most of us loved him dearly in spite of the media. I don't remember ever seeing this video in the past, but he explains a great deal here.