The Ojai Post

Psalm for the 4th of July

2009-07-04T05:39:51Z

By Ojai author Stephen Mitchell

Take a gentle deep breath and please click here: Psalm 122

I rejoiced when I heard them announce,
“The time of warfare is past.
No more will brother hate brother
or violence have its way.
No more will they drown out God’s silence
and shut their hearts to his song.”

Pray for peace in the cities
and harmony among the races.
May peace come to live on our streets
and justice within our walls.
With all my heart I will pray
that peace comes to live among us.
For the sake of all earth’s people,
I will do my utmost for peace.

(The Psalms, translated by Stephen Mitchell)

I dedicate Psalm 122
to evan Austin and his family,
Tara Blasco and Lyn Hebenstreit, the 2008 Noble Peace Prize honorees,
and the Ojai Peace Coalition.
Look for them in the 2009 Parade, Entry #46!

Sarah Palin Resigning as Governor

2009-07-03T22:22:02Z

Wow. Here's the AP news story lead:

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin made a surprise announcement Friday that she is resigning from office at the end of the month without explaining why she plans to step down, raising speculation that she would focus on a run for the White House in the 2012 race.

Right, she is stepping down to run for the White House, and has nothing to do with mounting legal fees associated with ethics complaints. We'll see.

Tea Parties on the Fourth

2009-07-01T23:49:04Z

The world’s greatest newspaper, the Ventura Star, in it’s quest to provide a balanced point of view, has outdone itself by publishing just about anything. Including letters from unhappy folks who seek a platform to misinform.

Carla Bonney claims to be part of a “diverse, nonpartisan group of people, who share a common commitment to work as hard as we can to stop our government from running wild over our rights and freedoms.”

Carla is the organizer of one of many Tea Party protests scheduled for the Fourth. She and others are opposed to the continuation of the tax and spend policies that have brought us to the brink of insolvency and moral ruination. Evidence of her glowing patriotism and her supporters can be found at her website Patriot Revival.

Included in Carla’s list of objections are socialized medicine, deficits, and the administration running roughshod over the Constitution. Good thing socialized medicine was in the list or I would have thought she was talking about her favorite past president. Ooops. Excuse me. She’s non-partisan.

Tea parties are nice. I wonder what kept Carla from having one during the previous administration. Politics? Perish the thought. Where was she when we became unwanted guests fighting the wrong battles? Where was Carla when accumulated surpluses were replaced with misbegotten deficits that benefited no one except the merchants of war? Where was she when personal privacy was trampled? Where was Carla when the rich got richer and the poor got poorer?

The Republican party is in deep doo-doo. Maybe changing its name to the Tea Party is one way of recovering. But, after eight years of unrivaled disaster, I think you’ll need something more than a new name to hide behind.

Yes, Carla. You’re right. We are spending money, lots of it. Maybe too much. But what’s your solution when the economy is in the shitter and the once safe middle class is out of work. What’s your solution when your neighbor loses his home, his kids depend on food stamps and no one’s hiring? Do nothing? We tried that for eight years and all we got was dead people, lots of them.

Yes, Carla, there is someone who is doing something. But he won’t be marching with you in this Fourth’s Tea Party Parade. No, he’ll be busy trying to fix the economic and global mess that your heroes left us. And he may even be trying to deal with the disaster that’s befallen California as a result of your minority holding the majority hostage.

He’ll be shooting off fireworks on the White House lawn and thinking about those less fortunate than you and me. Thinking that world domination isn’t such a hot thing while global warming, stem cell research, market regulation, health care, women’s rights, and jobs are.

But you go ahead and march, Carla. There’ll be plenty of room.

DUI Checkpoint on July 3rd

2009-06-30T21:41:08Z

From the Ojai substation of the VCSD...

On July 3, 2009 the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department / Ojai Substation will be hosting a Multi-Agency DUI Check Point called “Avoid the 14”. “Avoid the 14” represents the 14 law enforcement agencies involved in a grant that the Oxnard Police Department obtained through the Office of Traffic Safety. The grant calls for multi-agency cooperation on DUI Check Points with the intention of increasing DUI awareness during the holiday season as well as acting as a deterrent to driving while intoxicated.

This checkpoint will be on July 3, 2009 between the hours of 6:00 P.M. and midnight at an undisclosed location in the Ojai Valley.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Luxury of Fireworks Dampened to Feed Hungry Residents

2009-06-29T22:39:46Z

Cities across the Nation are reconsidering where to put their funding. The idea of fireworks is becoming a luxury when stacked up against citizens going hungry or people losing their jobs. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-fireworks29-2009jun29,0,2351470.story

"The last food bank line I saw had more than 1,000 people in it," said Mayor Rosemarie Vasquez of Montebello Ca. "We figured that, instead of burning the money in the air, why not give it to people who need it." ~~ on why she's spending the $39,000 budget on food rather than fireworks.

Live From OCRC

2009-06-29T22:31:18Z

Down here at Ojai Coffee Roasting Co. getting a little work done, and David Harris is set up with a drum machine and an electric guitar playing and singing really tastefully. Very nice. He'll be playing here until about 3:30pm or so - if you get a chance, pop in, grab a tea and enjoy some tunes.

OJAI-VENTURA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR 10th ANNIVERSARY

2009-06-28T17:26:59Z

Press Release:

Meegan Huff Expected to Expand Existing and Forge New Community Partnerships as Visibility of Regional Festival Rises

OJAI, CALIF. (June 25, 2009) – Formerly the Ojai Film Festival, the Ojai-Ventura International Film Festival is proud to announce that Meegan Huff has been named the organization’s new executive director as the Festival approaches its 10th anniversary this fall. The behind-the-scenes leadership change comes on the heels of the Festival’s recent announcement that it is broadening its regional footprint by becoming an event encompassing the cities of Ojai and Ventura.

“We are thrilled to have Meegan as a part of our team,” says David Shor, chairman of the Festival. “She brings a strong creative energy to the team—not to mention enormous professional experience in diverse industries that benefit the Festival. We are confident that Meegan will move our vision forward and will take us to the next step in our evolution as we enter our next chapter as a lifestyle-driven destination festival.”

With widespread experience in community outreach, project management, media relations and film and television production, Huff brings a well-rounded perspective to the festival’s executive team. In her recent position as community outreach director for The Pinnacle Development Group, Huff coordinated building projects amounting to more than $1 billion in California and Texas. Huff also brings experience with several city council campaigns and work as a production coordinator for CBS Productions and World Race Productions, all of which enhance her ability to think and communicate strategically and secure new partnerships on behalf of the film festival.

As the new executive director, Huff oversees all aspects of the Ojai-Ventura International Film Festival including: coordinating film screening locations, securing strategic partnerships and sponsorships, acting as the Festival’s spokesperson, and working with Artistic Director Steve Grumette and Chairman David Shor to establish the Festival’s expansion strategy and determine the long term sustainability of the Festival. Huff considers her top priority during her first year in office to be working with the Board to gain consensus on a strategic plan for the future of the Festival and leveraging the assets and relationships the Festival currently has in Ojai and Ventura to maximize ticket sales and notoriety.

“Film has always intrigued me,” says Huff, who officially began her position as director in May. “During my college years I spent time living in Budapest and was given a grant to make a documentary on the Roma in eastern Hungary. This experience catapulted my love of documentaries and, in many ways, being a part of this festival feels very full-circle.”

The 2009 Ojai-Ventura International Film Festival will take place on November 5-8. For the latest information or to purchase passes, visit www.ojai-venturafilmfestival.com.

More about the Ojai-Ventura International Film Festival here on Ojai Post.

For more information about the Ojai-Ventura International Film Festival, please visit www.ojai-venturafilmfestival.com or call (805) 640-1947.

YouTubin' for Social Change

2009-06-28T01:58:50Z

evan austin

Open Thread: Imposion of Society Edition

2009-06-27T23:43:35Z

Tyler Suchman http://www.ojaiblog.com/

Deepak Chopra: A Tribute to My Friend, Michael Jackson

2009-06-27T23:15:38Z

Some of you may remember when Deepak Chopra came to Ojai a few years ago. First he spoke to a SRO crowd at the Krotona Institute where he eloquently reminded us of the perennial wisdom, the oneness of all life, and not to identify too much with the various roles we play in this world. For one fleeting moment I almost felt enlightened. I "got it" when he said, "Life is not only stranger than you think, it is stranger than you CAN think."

After the Krotona event, Deepak gave a talk to an intimate gathering at the Ojai Retreat. I got lucky and was invited to dinner with him and his wife at the Ranch House. The next day he did a booksigning at Local Hero before being whisked away to a series of events in Los Angeles where he spoke before an audience of several thousand.

I'm sure Deepak has his flaws like all human beings, but I am impressed by his astute observations on the human condition. I just finished reading his compassionate tribute to Michael Jackson on the Huffington Post, and felt moved to post it here.

A Tribute to My Friend, Michael Jackson

"Michael Jackson will be remembered, most likely, as a shattered icon, a pop genius who wound up a mutant of fame. That's not who I will remember, however. His mixture of mystery, isolation, indulgence, overwhelming global fame, and personal loneliness was intimately known to me. For twenty years I observed every aspect, and as easy as it was to love Michael -- and to want to protect him -- his sudden death yesterday seemed almost fated.

Two days previously he had called me in an upbeat, excited mood. The voice message said, "I've got some really good news to share with you." He was writing a song about the environment, and he wanted me to help informally with the lyrics, as we had done several times before. When I tried to return his call, however, the number was disconnected. (Terminally spooked by his treatment in the press, he changed his phone number often.) So I never got to talk to him, and the music demo he sent me lies on my bedside table as a poignant symbol of an unfinished life.

When we first met, around 1988, I was struck by the combination of charisma and woundedness that surrounded Michael. He would be swarmed by crowds at an airport, perform an exhausting show for three hours, and then sit backstage afterward, as we did one night in Bucharest, drinking bottled water, glancing over some Sufi poetry as I walked into the room, and wanting to meditate..."

To read the rest, click here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deepak-chopra/a-tribute-to-my-friend-mi_b_221268.html

Source: The Huffington Post, June 26, 2009.

The Man Got You Down?

2009-06-27T19:18:33Z

If you're feeling too CENSORED here on The Ojai Post, then you have a brand new home at The Uncensored Ojai Poste.

Says UOP Founder Jock Doubleday: "Voice your opinion without censorship! Please include your full name, town and state, web site, and email address with every post or comment."

He also says "The Illuminati Will Fall" just so you know what you're getting into. Congrats, Jock, on an original site with an original name!

UPDATE 3:27pm: Did the Illuminati get to Jock?

Electric Car Needed for Parade

2009-06-26T20:54:38Z

[UPDATE 06.28.09] We could use a 2 OR 4 seat Gem-type electric car for our second dignitary. Please help, even if all you can offer is your neighbor's name and phone number! :)

Hey friends,

The Ojai Peace Coalition is looking for a 4-seat electric car to bear dignitaries in next weekend's Independence Day parade. If you own one that you'd be willing to lend, or know someone else who might help out, please email me.

Thanks!
-evan austin
Director, OPC

Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, RIP

2009-06-26T00:27:55Z

Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted "King of Pop" who emerged from childhood superstardom to become the entertainment world's most influential singer and dancer before his life and career deteriorated in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. He was 50.

A winsome smile, tousled hair and unfettered sensuality were Farrah Fawcett's trademarks as a sex symbol and 1970s TV star in "Charlie's Angels." But as her life drew to a close, she captivated the public in a far different way: as a cancer patient who fought for, then surrendered, her treasured privacy to document her struggle with the disease and inspire others. Fawcett, 62, died Thursday morning at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, nearly three years after being diagnosed with anal cancer. Ryan O'Neal, the longtime companion who returned to her side when she became ill, was with her.

In Memory of Theodore "Ted" L. Cartee, Ojai Activist, Spiritual Seeker, Kindred Spirit

2009-06-25T06:08:09Z

Death cuts you off with a very, very, very sharp razor from your attachments, from your gods, from your superstitions, from your desire for comfort . . . So how can I find out, actually, not theoretically, what it means to die? It means to be totally free, to be totally unattached to everything that man has put together, or what you have put together . . . totally free. . . While you are living, every moment you are dying, so that throughout life you are not attached to anything. That is what death means.
-- J. Krishnamurti, public talk, January 1, 1986, six weeks before his death

The Ojai Valley News web site has a spot that lists "RECENT DEATHS." There I read the names of my teachers and classmates from Matilija and Nordhoff... childhood dentists and doctors from long ago...my yoga students.... former mayors and city council members....Ojai activists....old friends and acquaintances... I am aware that someday my parent's name and then my own name....will appear under "RECENT DEATHS..."

Yesterday I got a shock when I suddenly saw the name of Ted Cartee, a man with deep roots in Ojai, a man only a few years older than me. I got on the phone and called one of his longtime friends. Today I read his obituary in the Ventura County Star. I am posting it here. I don't know what else to do. Life goes by in the twinkling of an eye. One brief moment in eternity he and I were carpooling to a meeting at the Government Center. We were laughing, speaking out, celebrating some small victory for Life On Planet Earth. Next moment we drop the body and fly free of this Earthly realm, with all it's joys and sorrows.

Yoga classes end with Savasana, Corpse Pose. Why do we do yoga? We do yoga to fully incarnate and consciously inhabit our bodies. And to prepare for death.

**********************************************************************************************************************************
"Theodore "Ted" L. Cartee, died suddenly June 15, of a stroke. Living in Los Angeles and Camarillo, he was 67.

Ted was a lifelong crusader for the environment, a civic activist, a world traveler since his youth, and a spiritual seeker. Living in Ojai for many years, Ted was an active community leader: he spearheaded the Stop the Weldon Canyon Dump campaign; served on the board of the Citizens to Preserve the Ojai; was elected to the Ojai Valley Sanitary District (OVSD) Board and, during his 9 year tenure, oversaw the design and construction of a state of the art sewage treatment plant. He was also a co-founder and first President of the Oak View Lion's Club.

Ted's engineering and computer systems skills allowed a varied and challenging work life: Stadem Instruments rocket guidance equipment quality control officer in Oxnard; Ecoanalysis computer systems engineer in Ojai; CEO of Ironbender Corporation. He worked for and studied with the Krishnamurti Foundation both in Ojai and Brockwood Park, England, as both math teacher and plant manager. He served as Fifth District Supervisor John Flynn's administrative assistant on a variety of projects including the move of the giant Santa Claus vernacular art from Carpinteria to El Rio on the 101 freeway.

Ordained in 1965 as a Soto Zen Buddhist priest by Bishop Togen Sumi of Zenshuji Soto Temple, Ted became one of the earliest American students of Taizan Maezumi. He was a founding member of the L.A. Zendo, the precursor to the Zen Center of Los Angeles, which Maezumi Roshi founded in 1967. He continued his Zen studies with such teachers as the venerable Soen Nakagawa Roshi, Eido Tai Shimano Roshi, and Hakuun Yasutani Roshi, as well as J. Krishnamurti. In 2005, he resumed his Zen studies at the Zen Center of Los Angeles, and, in 2007, renewed his priestly vows with Roshi Egyoku Nakao, Zen Center's Abbot and Head Teacher. He also practiced from its earliest days until the time of his death at the Ocean Moon Sangha in Santa Monica, California.

Ted is survived by his wife of twenty-one years, Barbara Thorpe Cartee; his half-brother Gerald Cartee of Blue Hill, Maine; his half-sister Amy Cox of Wimberley, Texas; and his stepmother, Bertha Cartee of San Marcos, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Zen Center of Los Angeles (ZCLA) www.zcla.org A memorial service will be scheduled at ZCLA (check website and rsvp) on August 9 at 2 p.m. Condolences may be sent to: info@forestlawn.com."

Source: Published in the Ventura County Star from 6/24/2009 - 6/27/2009

No representation without taxation

2009-06-24T22:11:16Z

No, the title of this article is correct.

We had our monthly Ojai Valley Library Friends and Foundation meeting last night. I’ve been the treasurer since the end of the ice age. Lots of good folks on the OVLFF board. We don’t always agree but we seem to get things done.

The Foundation has been blessed of late with more income than expense. Funds provided by the community let us support the three branches in the Ojai Valley by providing equipment, building improvements, and programs that augment what the County spends.

The Wright Library is located in Ventura and is not in our sphere of influence. Hard times have hit Wright as County tax revenues have fallen. Cuts have been made. Wright has been targeted for closure even though it is an active, busy place. As with any change, those most affected by it have risen to Wright’s defense. The Friends Foundation in Ventura that supports Wright has taken on a herculean task to keep the doors open. The community is up in arms, money raised, ballot propositions written, sales tax increases contemplated, and commitments extracted from elected representatives.

Ray Bradbury even rolled in, headlined a fund raiser, and the NY Times wrote about the library’s plight. Nevertheless, Wright may be wrong. It may all be to no avail.

At last night’s OVLFF meeting, one of our board members who’s done much for the Ojai libraries, has a good heart and a strong community commitment, offered a suggestion. “Since OVLFF has some bucks, maybe we could donate a few of them to Wright’s cause.” A reasonable idea.

Now I’m no book-burner. And I obviously have a soft spot for libraries. But I think the idea of writing a check to keep the library open deserves closer examination. Let’s put aside the issue of “what do we do next year after we save Wright this year.” Instead, let’s focus on who’s responsible for keeping libraries open.

Is it a small group of committed individuals who dig into their pockets every year and subsidize staff, books, lights and heat? While the rest of us sneak in, borrow books, use computers, ask the librarian questions, attend community meetings, provide supplemental schooling to our kids…and then bad mouth the tax collector. Better keep those committed individuals healthy and happy…and pay heed to their values and politics, good or bad.

Or is it the community at large that’s responsible? Doesn’t the entire community benefit from the library? Even if half of them never set foot in it? I have a confession. I never borrowed a book from the Ojai Library until last year. Shame on me. Would I care if the library shut its doors? Do I want to dumb down kids and adults only to have them be a bigger problem than they are now? Perish the thought.

Would I have a fund raiser for Sheriff Bob’s police department if the money ran out? Would Sweetie bake cookies for it? No. I’d camp out in Sacramento or the Ventura Government Center until they paid attention. I’d oust my elected representative. I’d vote. I’d pay taxes.

Quiet, you say. They’ll hear you. They’ll raise our taxes. The scoundrels that we put in office. The ones who are supposed to make our community better. The nerve.

And that’s why I don’t want to give money to the Wright Library. And that’s why I don’t want to subsidize the basic services of schools through auctions, tea parties and private solicitations. I want the Government to do its job. I want there to be such an uproar in the community that we will actually force our elected representatives to raise our taxes. To pay for things that benefit the entire community, just like my folks did.

Sure, my dad complained about taxes. And so do I. It’s the American way. But so is responsibility.