The City

I love living in the city! It's such a mix of diversity. In the city, it doesn't matter what time of year it is... There's always somewhere to go, someone to spend time with, something to do.

People in my neighborhood are actually very flexible. So it doesn't matter if you believe in the same things they do or not. Because there's so much diversity, people just try to respect one another.

The most disturbing thing about living in the city is the homelessness. It does not seem acceptable or morally right in an age when people are supposedly becoming so educated and enlightened.

It's important to help someone when you can... Even if it is with a little food, or full meal. Many homeless people do not have clean clothes; some don't have shoes.

In a perfect world, they could at least have some clean clothes with a trip to the neighborhood thrift-store. (Yes, many of us are strapped in this economy... But even a pair of shoes from the thrift-store could make a world of difference to someone who has to live in the streets.)

Spirit of Jimi

So many have written of the magic and spiritual "experience" they feel when listening to the music of Jimi Hendrix. And it goes, without exception... We had a fun afternoon yesterday! Ron set up his electric guitar and mike near the OCCUPY protesters. (They are camping just across the street near the Jimi Hendrix statue.)

It always feels like quite a "scene" when Ron performs (smile)! He's immediately surrounded by crowds of people with their digital cameras. He performs Jimi's well-known songs. In spite of the clouds, the cold, the rain, we all spontaneously gathered around on the street for the music. It's a diverse neighborhood of people of all ages and colors. Etc. We might not camp with the OCCUPY groups, but we support them in spirit.

We met a guy who just drove in from Jimi's grave site. He came into town to take photos of the statue. He told us Bruce Lee's birthday is on the same day, as well!

Bless Your Soul, Jimi; Happy Birthday.

Ka-Blah-Blah Boyfriend

Ka-Blah-Blah Boyfriend

REALLY?

Life is always a little sad when the dreams of one's favorite celebs go crashing through the floor and into a kind of hell. I mean, come on Madonna and Demi!! Did you really??? Somebody got into their ka-blah-blah a little too much. And that's a drag when you've got people like reverends coaching you to believe someone is your soul-mate. Stop that shit!

Yeah. If you wanna believe or truly feel someone is your soul-mate? I would urge you, keep to yourself. Don't even confide to him or her! Hold on to what you believe. Cherish it, and celebrate it as a private secret. WHY? Because people overcompensate for things. We also have a very human need to prove to ourselves what's real or not real. We test the hell out of everything.

Don't give your "soul-mate" that opportunity. Put your ego on the back-burner.

Keep what you believe a private secret. And if things don't work out? You might have a good reason to laugh. If you feel it's real, regardless? Get in there and fight for it.

There Are Many Kinds of Love

We human beings love to love, but perhaps we should keep our egos out of it. (Ladies, I know that's a challenge! Don't let society push you into addictive spending/enabling to keep your love alive... Just love yourself, and be loving.) I'm talking about moving out of a kind of neediness and into grace.

I think I spent most my life feeling sorry for others, taking pity on them and calling it love. All it does is create a one-way energy!

Some people call it "pity-sex". I say, don't do it. Consider the source and it's lack. Look with stern compassion into the person's face. See if you can discover the reason WHY love seems to be just "missing" its mark when it comes you. Do you feel you are accepted and loved in return?

When I think of all the faces I've seen and all the people I know, wow! Love is situation-specific. And if you love someone? It will be unique, and incomparable to any other. You see? For each person, there's going to be a different kind of love. No two loves are the same.

Therefore, just make it your aim to feel good... And be "loving" about it. Love your life. That's a great start.

Race, The Power of an Illusion

Race, The Power of an Illusion
A Three-Part Documentary by California Newsreel
c) 2003
www.newsreel.org

"Racism... Is about how people assign meaning to how another looks."

- Robin D.G. Kelley

It's true, there are no genetic differences or sub-species in human beings based on color or race. In fact, the African culture contains the most diverse genetic encodings of all cultures. Most of what we in America think we know or feel about racism is based on old societal programs, governmental politics, and economics.

"Race is the great interest of the age." - from an American newspaper in the 1840's

This is an interesting but somewhat biased documentary. It's useful, however. I recommend it for students interested in evolution. I felt there was a missing issue here, barely touched on... The problem of criminal activity and language barriers with privileged whites assisting immigrants and people of color. This documentary outlines the absurd books and propaganda on racial profiling which were created in the 1800's.

President Andrew Jackson was responsible for propagating bigotry through his writings. These were later produced as the values-set for American politics. In spite of asserting "all men were created equal", Jackson wrote extensively about Native and African Americans as being inferior.

In the 1800's, charts and scales were created to show various grades of skin color used to classify people. Although Asians met these criteria (in comparison to Caucasians) they were denied American Citizenship with little or no real explanation.

Segregation, IMO, was imposed as a way to track criminal activity and force like-minded ethnic cultures to police themselves. Let's face it, in the 18oo's and early 1900's, there were no cell phones, digital cameras and recorders to track people or their crimes.

Why do we ("whites") have a legacy of generational wealth compared to "people of color"? (This is what I feel is rapidly becoming an illusion...) Some think American wealth is a "benefit" of conforming to American (white dominator culture) values.

The power dynamics are shifting radically. More crimes will be caught by American citizens, exposing the denial and false activities of all... Including those with "white" skin.

Coz We Be Good Soldiers

Coz We Be Good Soldiers

While you've been busy
regimenting and up-grading
your priorities,
I've been organizing
and ritualizing mine:
coz we be good soldiers
in hot or cold weather.
I've been linin' my drawers,
ritually-foldin' my socks
Sweepin' and cleanin' the rocks,
coz I be a good soldier.
You've been practicing your riffs
and driving your wiff
and walking the dog,regimenting your log
coz
you be a good soldier
in hot or cold weather.
We got it down to a T
scaling A, B & C
coz we got it set up
ritually.
No time to think
no time to ponder
no option for "mental"
when it's set up
regimental -it's all about freedom, right?
Coz we be good soldiers
in hot or cold weather.
It's not about choice -
we just get things well-done.
Gotta get it set up -
so others can have fun.
Have you cleaned-up the kitchen?
Did you thaw out the chicken?
Did you walk the dog?
Did you unplug the clog?
Have you scrubbed out the toilet
and vacuumed the rug?
Did you clean out the mail,
hit the holiday sales?
Did you call both the kids,and bleach-out your skids?
Did you talk to your shrink?
Have you abstained from drink?
Did you check-in with group?
Did you toss out the soup?
I forget how good you are -
you be such a good soldier!
Did you take all your meds?
Did they dumb-down your head?
Well, I fibbed a bit here...
I'm not really all that.
Sure, I cleaned out the closet,
got rid of old hats...
But I'm a Free Agent!
I do what I please!
Instead of do "solider" -I just say
"whatever".
What would happen if
the dog
passed away,
and the wiff ran away with the
garbage man?
Would you still stay
regimented, soldier?
I like to pretend
we do it together again...
Two god-damned good soldiers -
(whatever)!
I know you've done
every little thing you could
to be it...
So what of your dreams?
Your potentials, gifts and talents,
when the world won't let you see it?
I wish I could rip
the oppression from your eyes!
But my every attempt
seems to tyrannize...
So like you, I'll pretendI'll act like an excellent soldier.
Chin up,
forward
march

Loved

It's still very hard to read about the life of Michael Jackson, in an effort to understand what happened to him. In other areas of this blog I've written about Michael's lack of boundaries, how he internalized so much of his pain and confusion regarding people and fame. Today, his doctor of 4 months, Conrad Murray, was judged guilty of criminal negligence, resulting in Michael's death. Excellent verdict. It's just a shame to come to terms with the idea that Michael's life was never really his own. He was always inadvertently run and controlled by other people and their greed. Everyone wanted a piece of Michael Jackson.