History repeats itself

George Santayana, philosopher and poet said "those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it." He must have been prophetic as well 'cause we do it throughout history - in our personal lives and aggregately. I've previously communicated that I think the economic stimulus package does nothing to stem the real problem of furious spending and greed. Now, bank bailouts are the mode du jour. In the early 1930's FDR called for restraint and reorganization of the banking system because it was under threat of collapse due, you guessed it, to speculation and greed. Here we are exactly 75 years later with deja vu all over again. I know we want to avert catastrophe and we can't have banks failing but they took the risks, why shouldn't they have to pay the consequences for making poor decisions? Was anybody balking all the years it went the other way? I think it diminishes the real plight of a select number who are truly struggling to meet financial obligations. Government bail outs send the wrong message. Whatever happened to survival of the fittest?

I figured it out

Priscilla has cellulite on her face! Gives a whole new meaning to BUTTer face, don't it?

City of Lost Angeles

What has happened to our city? Contrast the natural beauty of the seaside, year-round sunny skies and the fantastic folly of Hollywood with deep scars of inner-city blight, havoc and the grim consequential reality it spawns. I'm not naive enough to think there hasn't always been these divisions but something has shifted. The City of Angels is fraught with devils and, rather than selling our souls, we need to fight them off otherwise they'll pull us into their hell. LA is overrun with gangs and violence and we have a municipal government that does little more than play the blame game and make excuses. In fact, by it's sanctuary city policies, the government aides and abets this criminal behavior that is a cancer eating us from the inside out. When will we have had enough of senseless, random killing ? What are we afraid of? If it were just gangbangers killing each other I might not care as much. But every single day there are reports of innocent bystanders caught it the crossfire or someone picked off for being in the wrong place or the wrong color or looking "wrong".

I don't profess to know anything about gangs but I venture to guess that it's ultimately a power grab by those who feel it's eluded them. We're told of the litany of reasons kids join a gangs; a sense of belonging, personal security & survival, generational. How have we lost control? Control seems amiss but I can't think of a better word. Is it cultural differences? socio-economic disparity? lack of opportunity? perceptions of inequality? fatherless families? drugs? anger? fear? racism? Godlessness? hopelessness? How did it become them against us? I'm long on questions and short on answers.

The fulcrum has collapsed and it effects all of our quality of life. Apathy has to come to an end or the good people will have lost. For those of us who have been lucky enough to live in the peripheral merely "empathizing" with those living in rough neighborhoods we ought to be ashamed. LA is our city and I'm tired of shitty people. I'm going to call them out whenever I see them. I'm not intimidated, which is the primary tactic they employ. Saving ourselves means saving these kids too. The question is not can we, it's will we?

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Let's Chat

Most of you know that I HATE the telephone. My entire physiology changes when the phone rings. I know, I'm weird. It doesn't mean, however, that I don't want to talk. Why don't you all just download skype and we can chat over the internet for free? If you have a webcam we can even look at each other but beware the camera is not my friend. Technology is so great. In fact, according to Bill Gates, "....technology [is] a revolution without limits".

Hillyar (NB: sp)

Hillary Clinton is a skank. She thinks we're all dumb. She is a pathetic opportunist and a prevaricator. (I learned a new word reading The Heart of Darkness and wanted to use it. It means liar to save you the trouble of looking it up, Jerry :]) I hope she stays in the presidential race all the way till August. Her stories are so amusing I don't know what I'll do when she's not under a microscope. Hey, I bet if we did put her under a microscope we might find that she's actually a sow.

A slip of the tongue

"Thus conscience does make cowards of us all." - William Shakespeare (Hamlet)
How true, although, I think I like my friend Melinda's rendition better which is "consciousness does make cowards of us all." Go ahead, I dare you to dream.

Who's BAD?

Priscilla needs to lose Michael Jackson's surgeon's phone number! Yikes!

For Sale

I'm selling my car. If you or anyone you know would like to buy it let me know. View the link to the ad I posted on craigslist.


Today's quote: "Glitter conceals everything". I love this! (I could give you the context but it's better without). Thanks to Laura ? for supplying this humor.

The fruit of our labor

Well, I've already broken my promise. I hope you'll let it slide as I was busy working the farm all day yesterday. Damon and I have lived in our little house for 6.5 years with one bathroom. It has been our intention all along to add a bathroom on to our bedroom, however this means busting through an exterior wall which backs to a retaining wall holding back a large, steeply graded hillside. It is highly possible that our plans cannot go forward as we imagined so in the meanwhile we decided to use that space to plant a vegetable garden. Not to mention it's cheaper. Last weekend Damon had someone come and carve out the space and eliminate the grass. Yesterday, he and I had the fun task of tilling. Heres me using the rototiller. Truth be told, while I look like an ox, I only plowed 10 of the 60 minutes it took to turn the earth. It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Cornering, however, is another thing. As usual we just said, "hey, let's plant a garden" without considering all the planning and preparation it takes. We both grew up with Grandparents that had large gardens and have fond memories of the chores we were assigned and certainly were beneficiaries of organic, home-grown food. The extent of our gardening skill was pulling weeds, podding peas and having tomato bug fights with our siblings. Anyway, we're giving it a go. And hopefully our efforts will bear fruit. We have corn, beans, carrots, beets, peppers, zucchini, and plenty of tomatoes. With any luck we'll have a harvest party come summer.

I'll quote Voltaire again (this one's for you, Lil) since it is apropos to the theme of this post. "We must cultivate our garden."

The famous and infamous

I thought I would add a new feature to my blogspot. My intent is to add a quote everyday - some famous, some not so famous. This will force me to sign in everyday - forgive me if I skip some - and maybe spur me to write something noteworthy. Where I can I will give the name of the person who said it. Sometimes they're plagiarized by someone else and the author not given the credit (or discredit as the case may be). I commence with one of my favorites:

"Sages retire into solitude and become sapless with ennui." - Voltaire (translation - have some fun!)

Please send me your favorites. I might run out.

Simply Shakespeare Shakeup

My friend and neighbor, Matthew, is a very gifted actor. He just closed a show with the Little Fish Theater company in San Pedro and I was lucky enough to see it. Simply Shakespeare weaves a "tantalizing tapestry of favorite Shakespearean scenes and monologues". Imagine your favorite characters and scenes of favorite plays chronicled in the life of man as he trod through each stage - from infant and back again to frail aged sage. Matt played Hamlet, MacBeth, Lysander, Antony and Richard III all in the span of 2 hours. Shakespeare wrote in a language that I do not understand without a lot of line by line dissection, but these virulent actors made me feel fluent. Bang on timing, body language & downright skill made this production a joy to watch. If you're left wanton, despair not you can catch many of the company players this summer at Shakespeare by the Sea, again in San Pedro.

No pain, no gain

Given all the social ills we face in America, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain our competitive advantage in the world. Science and technology are among our core competencies and must be the conduit to getting this done. I think government in general is an abysmal failure and often an impediment to progress but it is our right and duty as we the people to lend our voices to change that. Economic stability and the overall well-being of future generations at home and abroad depend on America's innovation and creativity. One way you can chime in is to join the discussion and urge the 2008 presidential candidates to engage in Science Debate 2008. I think science policy should be revered as a critical element in the way forward. One of the scientists makes a great point that in order for the candidates to make cogent arguments they will have to spend exhaustive hours puring over information - an exercise we can all benefit from. Thanks to Jerry, one of my best contributors, for sharing this with me.

Speaking of Lunatics

As usual, Barak Obama, orator extraordinaire, gave a brilliant speech hoping to deflect the stink of his pastor's rank and incendiary remarks regarding our country. I think he did a good job of pacifying the masses and made some convincing excuses, oops, justifications for the misguided reverend. And himself. And blacks. And whites. And racists. And Christians. And the mama baby daddy. Etcetera. I thought his words were carefully chosen and eloquently executed but where he fell short for me was explaining why he's continued to seek guidance from a man who he says he profoundly disagrees with. Of course we can't and don't always agree with the people we respect the most. And of course we are all shaped by our experiences but it seems to me that if you seek council from someone for the majority of your life there is something in their character that resonates. Obama is probably too bright to gobble up all the venom that has been spewed from Wright's mouth over the years but are his baby girls and all the other impressionable minds afront the pulpit? It is this very rhetoric and vitriol that propagates the hatred and racism he rails against and is so desperately trying to disavow. I love Obama and I love his message. Mostly, I love how he doesn't have the same condescending and cavalier manner that so many in his company have. However, if I weren't leery before, and I was because he espouses views that are far left of my personal core values, I have to exercise extreme caution now.

TED

While I was researching a future blog regarding faith and religion (the impetus after a conversation with my Mom) I came across one of the neatest website. I'm not much of a surfer or even a techie and this site doesn't have have anything specifically to do with religion, but TED is a community of a plethora of ideas and issues I care about. Their moniker, which I love, is "ideas worth spreading". I encourage anyone who has even a shred of curiosity in their bones to check it out. I know many of you genius friends of mine will love the TED prize in particular. I will also put a link to it in my Hoots & Hollers section at right. Happy browsing.

Pink tutu

God, I succumbed. I couldn't help it. It was too tempting. I talked to my Mom in a time zone 3 hours ahead, and she said I MUST watch the professional dancers at the beginning of the show. I knew if I sat through that there was a chance I'd be hooked - this show is like heroin. Haven't seen the ladies yet but the Miami Dolphin dude is HHHHot! tsssss! - even in a pink tutu. We'll see, I might have to renege on my earlier claims.

Coke addicts

Those of you who know me well know that I can get little off kilter sometimes. I've been called "bent", "spun" and other such endearing terms. I call it free-thinking and spirited. No matter how you define it (and me) I ALWAYS keep an open mind and am interested in opposing viewpoints. It's true I can get a little dogmatic and I do not open this topic to cast judgment- people will choose to do what they like - God knows I have my vices (good red wine and the occasional cigarette). I'm predicting a rash of complaints but.... I implore you to give up your addiction to soda. I raise this point only because I give a crap. Soda - containing caffeine, sugar, corn syrup, aspartame (diet), acids, preservatives and other artificial ingredients- is (controversially) blamed as a contributing culprit in many health problems afflicting those who imbibe; obesity, heart disease, diabetes, calcium deficiency, migraine headaches, hyperactivity, insomnia, kidney stones, heartburn, & rotten teeth to name a few. Obviously there are other lifestyle factors that can exacerbate these conditions and, granted, we'll all die of something, but ditching the soda is a good start to mitigating these problems. Problems that tax our already dire health care system. A corollary point appeals to your humanitarian sensibilities. Two varieties of the cola nut required to make coca cola are grown almost exclusively in countries in Western and Central Africa, some of which are run by wicked and corrupt leaders. Follow then that the massive soda industry is subsidizing and enabling these wretches to brutalize their citizens. This theory can be applied to everything we do and buy - gas in our cars cost human lives in oil-rich countries, clothes on our backs are made using child-slave labor, and so on. Every choice we make has an impact. Think about it - social awareness is good for our health.

Body Worlds

This awesome exhibit, Body Worlds, opens this weekend at the California Science Center in Exposition Park. Using a process called Plastination, a German scientist created a way to preserve human bodies and body parts for the study of anatomy and physiology. Sounds a bit gross but these are real bodies donated to science and, if you have any fascination with the human body, the exhibit is brilliant. The scientists have been able to separate skin, organs, muscles, tendons and even capillaries so we can see everything on its own. The exhibit includes such things as healthy versus diseased organs and healthy bones versus arthritic bones. And then there are bodies positioned as though they are playing soccer, chess, or doing yoga for example. It shows just what muscles etc. are having to engage to perform the activity. Amazing! I guarantee you will not be disappointed. It's only here for a short time though so get your tickets at www.californiasciencecenter.org. Can't wait to hear what you though of it.

Lunatic fringe (I know you're out there)

The following email, dated Feb 2006, accompanied by my own contemporary commentary, will assuredly rile my "fans" and get some knickers askew. But, I feel it's worthy enough to publish so bring it on, baby. The letter is in response to the the outcry surrounding cartoons of the prophet Muhammed that circulated around that time. It was written to the leader of the campus Muslim Association and has been confirmed to be true by snopes.

Dear Moslem Association:

As a professor of Mechanical Engineering here at MSU (Michigan State) I intend to protest your protest. I am offended not by cartoons, but by more mundane things like beheadings of civilians, cowardly attacks on public buildings, suicide murders, murders of Catholic priests (the latest in Turkey!), burnings of Christian churches, the continued persecution of Coptic Christians in Egypt, the imposition of Sharia law on non-Muslims, the rapes of Scandinavian girls and women (called "whores" in your culture), the murder of film directors in Holland, and the rioting and looting in Paris France. This is what offends me, a soft-spoken person and academic, and many, many, many of my colleagues. I counsel you dissatisfied, aggressive, brutal, and uncivilized slave-trading Moslems to be very aware of this as you proceeded with your infantile "protests." If you do not like the values of the West — see the 1st Amendment — you are free to leave. I hope for God's sake that most of you choose that option. Please return to your ancestral homelands and build them up yourselves instead of troubling Americans.

Cordially, I. S. Wichman, Professor of Mechanical Engineering

I agree with much of the sentiment written here and applaud the professor for standing up. His forthright manner of speaking is unusual in a higher academic setting where embracing diversity is the mantra. And, in general, it's MY mantra. I love that America is a tapestry of global cultures and values. I revere our differences, respect freedom and individual rights and the litany of principles which make us uniquely American. But I reject that it is no longer acceptable to hold these values and criticize those which are diametrically opposed. It is just as much our first amendment right to challenge abhorrent behavior. You see, I've recently finished reading Hirsi Ayan Ali's memoirs, Infadel, which gives me a new perspective; one that I did not fully embrace previously. Ali, an African Muslim woman, recounts heinous acts perpetrated against her by her own people in the name of Islam. She recalls that the Qu'ran teaches that "non-believers", i.e. non-Muslims, must be converted or extinguished. Perhaps it is a gross misinterpretation or has been perverted over time but, at least in some parts of the world for some believers (& not all of them marginalized), this is a common theme. The Dutch filmmaker the professor is referring to in the email is the man who documented Ali's life. He was murdered after the release of the film, again under the pretext of protecting and upholding the will of Alla as written by Muhammed.

A friend asked me recently if a good Muslim can be a good American. On face, given that America is intrinsically all-inclusive and encourages individual freedom, I should think the answer to that question is a resounding yes. However, knowing something of the rigidity of the practicing - key word, practicing- Muslim faith and that their guiding principles couldn't be further from our own, the answer is a definitive no. I have personally known many a decent and progressive Muslim born in other countries - none of them practicing I might add, but each of them share values of liberty and justice for all. It's the fringe element of ANYTHING that's frightening and toxic.

World Water Day

Saturday March 22 is World Water Day. A symbolic walk begins at 9:00 am on the Santa Monica pier. It is intended to bring awareness to the journey that women and children in underdeveloped countries make every day just to find drinkable water. Check out their website for more info at www.worldwaterday.net. Be there or be square.

Living vicariously

I wish I could dance. I am highly uncoordinated and have precious little patience for such things that require skill, focus and dedication. In lieu of this deficiency my guilty pleasure is the TV program Dancing with the Stars. It's lame. I'm lame. But I'm so impressed with these diverse and busy people, many of whom have never danced before, having to learn (and hope to perfect) a routine every week in order to advance to the next grueling week of competition. I have been a die hard fan for the last few seasons but I think my stint is over. I just caught the line-up of stars scheduled for this season and all I have to say is who are they? Part of the fun is watching obscure has-been celebs make a foolish comeback. I'm cheering for Priscilla Presley but I don't think I'll be watching.

Erin Go Braugh!...

... commonly meaning Ireland forever. I'm referring to their lucky little four-leaf clover, in honor of the forthcoming St. Pattys Day, as I had very good luck yesterday. I have never won a thing in my life, save for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place ribbons for the 100 meter dash, high jump, & triple jump, respectively, in my 6th grade Track & Field meet. I consider that more earned than won, though. I digress.

I have been impatiently anticipating the new album release of Lizz Wright since the beginning of the year. She is an amazing sultry and soulful young singer that has the same effect on me that Smokey Robinson does, i.e. they get into my bones and move me to tears. I first found Lizz when I heard her cover one of my favorite old songs entitled "Stop" and have followed her since. On her new recording, "The Orchard" she does an incredible rendition of the Ike and Tina Turner song "I Idolize You" better than they did it. Anyway, I found out last week that she was going to be playing a little club called the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood on Mon. March 10th so I immediately jumped online to score tickets. Purchasing online that day was not an option but they indicated there would be tickets at the door. As usual, there is no way to get in touch with any of the staff at this venue so my friend drove over to see if he could purchase at the "box office" in advance. The door gestapo said they do not sell tickets there or anywhere and must be acquired online. Humf! So, back online the next day and they're all of a sudden sold out. Industry people I'm sure. I have it in my mind that I will queue up on Mon. evening and hope to get in. Listening to KCRW throughout the week learn she will be playing a set in studio Mon. am, which of course I am glued to the radio to hear her croon. At the end they gave away 5 pair of tickets to see the show. I am a KCRW supporter and member, made the phone call and actually WON a pair of tickets. I'm peeing my pants with excitement (not literally in case there is a question) and told my friend that if he wanted to join me he'd have to ditch his date cuz I only had a coveted 2.

Thanks to Lizz and her gutsy voice the show was phenomenal. The venue is intimate and the sound system impressive. I was sat at a reserved table waiting for my friend expecting to get booted any moment by the reservee when Lawrence Fishburn approached me asking how to get a table. I told him to talk to the hostess since his name was not on MY table. There were literally 4 tables in the joint, all reserved - and his name was not one of them. Industry people I'm sure. So with a lot of shuffling and posturing guess who got my table? Yep, Ike Turner. What a bunch of hooey. That's Hollywood for ya. But all is well because we stood 10 feet from Lizz and the show was less than an hour of sheer swooning.

I was still reveling my good luck this morning and praising the day during my commute to work when suddenly my truck overheated and coolant came steaming and spewing out. Stranded on the side of the road waiting for a tow, I realize how fleeting good luck is. So Erin can Go *$!@.

Wishing you all a bit of luck in your life. Good or bad doesn't matter - interesting material just the same.
D :]

p.s. I know it's been awhile since my last post. I've got lots in the hopper I just haven't had the time to sit and pontificate. I promise there is more to come this week so check back. As always your thoughts are appreciated.