What I'm Watching #202

"Black Is... Black Ain't" is the last film that Marlon T. Riggs directed and produced. In fact, he died from complications due to AIDS during the project, and it was completed by his assistant, Nicole Atkinson. Billed as a frank look at the contradictions in African American culture, at 87 minutes, it's barely a Table of Contents. It whirls you through a montage of topics from AIDS, education, skin tonality, and religion, to suburbanization, language and definitions of cultural terms, music, manhood, and ritual. It's so all over the place it really leaves one wondering what he could have done with this topic, had he lived.

Helping him to tell the story is an army of African Americans from across the socio-economic spectrum from California to Louisiana, from South Carolina to Maryland. He takes you to jazz clubs and ghetto neighbors, to Cajun kitchens and upper middle-class suburbia in search of answers to what black is and black ain't. And mixed amongst the witnesses are cultural icons like Angela Davis and Cornell West, the poet Essex Hemphill and the dancer Bill T. Jones. He uses quotes from people like Zora Neal Hurston and clips from Louis Farrakhan speeches. It's a tour de force of a documentary in serious need of an expanded notation. And most poignant of all is the way in which he weaves into the narrative the story of his own decline in the last months of his life, while co-producer Nicole interviews him through one hospitalization to the next to the last.

Completed only in 1994, there are portions of this film that feel very distant from today. Not many, but some that seem to say, we're not a stagnant nation, and "Black" is not a fixed point, but a movable force within and without its cultural place in the greater fabric of America. Students of cultures, aficionados of history, and those who long to learn to know to grow will find this film a necessary step in their journey.

Kudu's To VQR!

Pow! Another home run from my favorite literary quarterly. Once a quiet little backwater publication with poems and fiction, it has transformed itself into one of the most ambitious and engaging university based magazines out there. VQR (Virginia Quarterly Review) chooses a theme and works it with outstanding prose and photos that make National Greographic look like yesterday's news. The summer 2009 issue features articles on the people of the middle east. You go to the Gaza Strip, you read about the history of the West Bank, Beruit, Lebabnon, Sadr City, and the images are simply stunning.

But more there are still amazing poems and fiction, criticism and a graphic novella--AND an amazing photo-essay of the young mothers of Port-au-Prince, Haiti! Favorite past issues have included a thorough celebration of Darwin and the theory of evolution, the effects of global warming on the worlds most vulnerable mountain cultures from Nepal to Peru, the cultural impact of the petroleum industry in equitorial Africa, and the world that is Cuba under Castro. Every 3 months, the arrival of VQR is like a little Christmas morning 4 times a year.

Early July Gardens 01

My Lysimachia Purpurea is in full bloom all around my yard. The deeply maroon to nearly chocolate colored foliage has lightened to a variation of medium purple to olive as the yellow blossoms are popping open. Due the abundance of rain this spring the height of the plants have also increased by a good 6" with some breaking 48".

I have a colony of Coreopsis Verticillata common name Zagreb Coreopsis growing in the little garden beneath my kitchen window. When I first planted it there, it went through a couple of years of only half-hearted return, but for the past 3 years it has thrived and muscled out the Evening Primrose, Bee Balm and Black-eyed Susan's. In mid-May I severely cut it back to make room for some Petunias and Snapdragons, but here it is, completely unwilling to accept any chastening.

Birds!

Woke up this morning to discover my first Baltimore Oriole! A magnificent bird, and a real treat to finally see one here in Takoma Park. As a child, I would see them all of the time at my grandmother's home in Flintstone. She had an enormous weeping willow in her back yard and the orioles would build their hammock-like nests in the long swaying branches. The oriole was joined by many of the usual denizens of my backyard, Gold Finches, Catbirds, Carolina Wrens and Cardinals.

An hour later, I glanced out of front window to find a pair of Purple Finches perched on the powerline over my driveway. I can't remember the last time I saw a purple finch in my yard! What's next? A California Condor? One can always hope!

228 Reasons To Be Proud!

As the month of Gay Pride slips away with all of the hoopla surrounding the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots this year, I've been thinking a lot again about the idea of pride. It's always been an odd fit in my mind. How can anyone be proud of an attribute that is not within their control? I'm finally understanding that its not the attribute that solicites pride.

Therefore, it's not pride in the attribute, but in the community that shares that attribute. A feeling of pride by association with those who share that attribute and in my opinion, too little has been done to emphasis the accomplishments of our forebearers. And thus I offer this post.

Again, as we bid good-bye to the 40th anniversary month of Gay Pride and the Stonewall Riots in NYC, I have compiled a list of just some of the Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual People who make me PROUD to be a member of the Tribe! 228 very excellent reason so far as I can see.

1) BERNICE ABBOTT (1898-1991, African American Photographer)
2) ROBERTA ACHTENBERG (1950- American Politician)
3) JANE ADDAMS (1860-1935, American Educator, Nobel prize winner)
4) CLAY AIKEN (1978- American singer)
5) ALVIN AILEY (1931-1989, African American Dancer Choreographer)
6) EDWARD ALBEE (1928- American Playwright)
7) CHAD ALLEN (1974- American Actor)
8) PEDRO ALMODÓVAR (1949- Spanish Filmaker)
9) JOHN AMAECHI (1970- English Athlete, NBA Basketball Player)
10) GREGG ARAKI (1959- Japanese-American Filmaker)
11) RENALDO ARENAS (1943-1990, Cuban Writer)
12) W. H. AUDEN (1907-1973, English Poet)
13) JOSEPHINE BAKER (1906-1975, African American Singer/Dancer)
14) JAMES BALDWIN (1924-1987, African American Writer)
15) TAMMY BALDWIN (1962- American Politician)
16) SAMUEL BARBER (1910-1981, American Classical Music Composer)
17) LANCE BASS (1979- American Singer)
18) AMANDA BEARSE (1958- American Actor)
19) SIMONE de BEAUVOIR (1908-1986, French Philosopher, Writer)
20) LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918-1990, American Classical Composer/Conductor)
21) ELIZABETH BISHOP (1911-1979 American Poet)
22) ROSA BONHEUR (1822-1899, French Painter/Sculptor)
23) JOHN BOSWELL (1947-1994, American Historian)
24) KARIN BOYE (1900-1941, Swedish Poet/Writer)
25) BENJAMIN BRITTEN (1913-1976, English Classical Music Composer)
26) RUPERT BROOKE (1887-1915, English Poet)
27) RAYMOND BURR (1917-1993, Canadian Actor)
28) LORD BYRON (1788-1824, English Poet)
29) PAUL CADMUS (1904-1999, American Artist)
30) JOHN CAGE (1912-1992, American Classical Music Composer)
31) MARGARETHE CAMMERMEYER (1942- American Soldier)
32) TRUMAN CAPOTE (1924-1984, American Writer)
33) WILLA CATHER (1873-1947, American Writer)
34) CONSTANTINE P. CAVAFY (1863-1933, Greek Poet)
35) RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN (1934- American Actor)
36) OTIS CHARLES (1926- American Episcopal Bishop)
37) MARGARET CHO (1969- Korean-American Comedian)
38) VAN CLIBURN (1935- American Pianist)
39) MONTGOMERY CLIFT (1920-1966, American Actor)
40) JAMES COCO (1930-1987, American Actor)
41) JEAN COCTEAU (1889-1963, French Writer/Artist/Filmaker)
42) AARON COPLAND (1900-1990, American Classical Music Composer)
43) JOHN CORIGLIANO (1938- American Classical Music Composer)
44) HART CRANE (1899-1932, American Poet)
45) QUENTIN CRISP (1908-1999, English Writer)
46) WILSON CRUZ (1973- American Actor)
47) COUNTEE CULLEN (1903-1946, African American Poet)
48) ALAN CUMMING (1965- Scottish Actor)
49) MERCE CUNNINGHAM (1919- American Choreographer)
50) MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM (1952- American Writer)
51) JOHN CURRY (1949-1994, English Figure Skater)
52) JAMES DEAN (1931-1955, American Actor)
53) ELLEN DeGENERES (1958- American Actor/Comedian)
54) Charles Demuth (1883-1935, American Artist)
55) SERGEI DIAGHILEV (1872-1929, Russian Ballet Producer)
56) MARLENE DIETRICH (1901-1992, German Actor/Singer)
57) ANI DiFRANCO (1970- American Singer)
58) MARK DOTY (1953- American Poet)
59) MARTIN DUBERMAN (1932- American Historian)
60) ISADORA DUNCAN (1887-1927, American Dancer)
61) MELISSA ETHERIDGE (1961- American Singer)
62) RUPERT EVERETT (1959- English Actor)
63) EDWARD FIELD (1924- American Poet)
64) HARVEY FIERSTEIN (1954- American Actor/Playwright)
65) LESLIE FISH (1947- American Anarchist/Writer/Singer)
66) E. M. FORSTER (1879-1970, English Writer)
67) JODIE FOSTER (1962- American Actor)
68) MICHEL FOUCAULT (1926-1984, French Philosopher)
69) BARNEY FRANK (1940- American Politician)
70) STEPHEN FRY (1957- English Actor)
71) RUDY GALINDO (1969- American Figure Skater)
72) FEDERICO GARCIA LORCA (1898-1936, Spanish Poet)
73) WILL GEER (1902-1978, American Actor)
74) DAVID GEFFEN (1943- American Business Executive)
75) JEAN GENET (1910-1986, French Playwright/Writer)
76) ANDRÉ GIDE (French Writer/Nobel Prize Winner)
77) JOHN GIELGUD (1904-2000, English Actor)
78) SARA GILBERT (1975- American Actor)
79) ALLEN GINSBERG (1926-1997, American Poet)
80) ALLAN GURGANUS (1947- American Writer)
81) MARILYN HACKER (1942- American Poet)
82) LORRAINE HANSBERRY (1930-1965, African American Playwright)
83) E. LYNN HARRIS (1955- African American Writer)
84) NEAL PATRICK HARRIS (1973- American Actor)
85) LORENZ HART (1895-1943, American Musical Theater Composer)
86) MARSDEN HARTLEY (1877-1943 American Artist)
87) DARREN HAYES (1972- Australian Singer)
88) TODD HAYNES (1961- American Filmaker)
89) ESSEX HEMPHILL (1957-1995, African American Poet
90) JERRY HERMAN (1933- American Musical Theater Composer)
91) DAVID HOCKNEY (1937- English Artist)
92) ANDREW HOLLERAN (1944- American Writer)
93) JAMES HORMEL (1933- American Ambassador: Luxembourg 1999-2000)
94) VLADIMIR HOROWITZ (1902-1989, Russian Pianist)
95) A. E. HOUSMAN (1859-1939, English Poet)
96) ROCK HUDSON (1925-1985, American Actor)
97) LANGSTON HUGHES (1902-1967, African American Poet)
98) JANIS IAN (1951- American Singer)
99) JOHN INMAN (1935-2007, English Actor)
100) Sir DEREK JACOBI (1938- English Actor)
101) CHEYENNE JACKSON (1975- American Actor)
102) DEREK JARMAN (1942-1994, English Filmaker)
103) Sir ELTON JOHN (1947- English Singer/Composer)
104) PHILIP JOHNSON (1906-2005, American Architect)
105) BARBARA JORDAN (1936-1996, African American Politician)
106) LESLIE JORDAN (1955- American Actor)
107) MYCHAL F. JUDGE (1933-2001, American Priest)
108) JOSHUA KADISON (1963- American Singer)
109) FRIDA KAHLO (1907-1954, Mexican Artist)
110) MOISÉS KAUFMAN (1963- Venezuelan Playwright)
111) ALFRED KINSEY (1894-1956, American Biologist/Sexual Researcher)
112) DAVID KOPAY (1942- American Professional Football Athlete)
113) LARRY KRAMER (1935- American Writer/Political Activist)
114) TONY KUSHNER ( 1956- American Playwright)
115) NANCY KULP (1921-1991, American Actor)
116) ADAM LAMBERT (1982- American Singer)
117) NATHAN LANE (1956- American Actor)
118) K. D. LANG (1961- Canadian Singer)
119) YVES SAINT LAURENT (1936-2008, French Fashion Designer)
120) MARK LEDUC (1964- Canadian Boxer Athlete)
121) ANNIE LEIBOVITZ (1949- American Photographer)
122) LEONARDO da VINCI (1452-1519, Italian Artist/Sculptor/Inventor)
123) ANDRE LOURDE (1934-1992, American Poet)
124) GREG LOUGANIS (1960- Philippino-American Diver/Olympic Gold Medalist)
125) PAUL LYNDE (1926-1982, American Actor/Comedian)
126) RACHEL MADDOW (1973- American TV/Radio Commentator/Host)
127) RICKY MARTIN (1971- Puerto Rican Singer)
128) JOHNNY MATHIS (1935- American Singer)
129) J. D. McCLATCHY (1945- American Poet/Writer)
130) KELLY McGILLIS (1957- American Actor)
131) CLAUDE McKAY (1889-1948, Jamaican Writer)
132) IAN McKELLEN (1939- English Actor)
133) TERRANCE McNALLY (1939- American Playwright)
134) CARMEN McREA (1920-1994, American Singer)
135) GIAN CARLO MENOTTI (1911-2007, Italian-American Classical Music Composer)
136) FREDDY MERCURY (1946-1991, English Singer)
137) GEORGE MICHAEL (1963- English Singer)
138) MICHAELANGELO (1475-1564, Italian Sculptor/Painter)
139) HARVEY MILK (1930-1978, American Politician)
140) SAL MINEO (1939-1976, American Actor)
141) ISAAC MIZRAHI (1961- American Fashion Designer)
142) MEGAN MULLALLY (1958- American Actor)
143) JIM NABORS (1930- American Actor/Singer)
144) KATHY NAJIMY (1957- American Actor/Comedian/Voice Artist)
145) MARTINA NAVRATILOVA (1956- Czech Tennis Player/Athlete)
146) ADI NES (1966- Israeli Photographer)
147) CYNTHIA NIXON (1966- American Actor)
148) HENRI NOUWEN (1932-1996, Dutch Theologian/Writer)
149) RUDOLF NUREYEV (1938-1993, Russian Classical Dancer)
150) DIANA NYAD (1949- American Swimmer Athlete)
151) ROSIE O’DONNELL (1962- American Comedian/Actor)
152) FRANK O’HARA (1926-1966, American Poet)
153) MARY OLIVER (1935- American Poet)
154) KANAKO OTSUJI (1974- Japanese Politician)
155) WILFRED OWEN (1893-1918, English Poet)
156) PIER PAOLO PASOLINI (192-1975, Italian Filmaker)
157) TROY D. PERRY (1940- American Clergyperson)
158) CARL PHILLIPS (1959- African American Writer/Poet)
159) DAVID HYDE PIERCE (1959- American Actor)
160) COLE PORTER (1891-1964, American Composer)
161) MA RAINEY (1882-1939, African American Singer)
162) ANTHONY RAPP (1971- American Singer/Actor)
163) AMY RAY (1964- American Singer)
164) ROBERT REED (1932-1992, American Actor)
165) CHARLES NELSON REILLY (1931-2007, American Actor)
166) ADRIENNE RICH (1929- American Poet)
167) ARTHUR RIMBAUD (1854-1891, French Poet)
168) JEROME ROBBINS (1918-1998, American Choreographer)
169) GENE ROBINSON (1947- American Episcopal Bishop)
170) CESAR ROMERO (1907-1994, Cuban Actor)
171) NED ROREM (1923- American Classical Music Composer)
172) KAY RYAN (1945- American Poet--16th Poet Laureat of the United States)
173) EMILY SALIERS (1963- American Singer)
174) SIEGFRIED SASSOON (1887-1967, English Writer/Poet)
175) MAY SARTON (1912-1995, American Poet)
176) DAN SAVAGE (1964- American Syndicated-Sex Advise Columnist)
177) JAMES SCHUYLER (1923-1991, American Poet)
178) ERNESTO SCORSONE (1952- American Politician)
179) DAVID SEDARIS (1956- American Writer/Humorist)
180) PARVEZ SHARMA (1964- Indian Filmaker)
181) MATTHEW SHEPHERD (1976-1998, American Martyr)
182) RANDY SHILTZ (1951-1994, American Writer)
183) STEPHEN SONDHEIM (1930- American Playwright/Composer)
184) SUSAN SONTAG (1933-2004, American Writer)
185) SAM SPARROW (1982- Australian Singer)
186) STEPHEN SPINELLA (1956- American Actor)
187) GERTRUDE STEIN (1874-1946, American Writer)
188) MICHAEL STIPE (1960- American Singer)
189) BILLY STRAYHORN (1915-1967, African American Composer)
190) KEITH STRICKLAND (1953- American Singer)
191) GERRY STUDDS (1937-2006, American Politician)
192) MAY SWENSON (1913-1989, American Poet)
193) WANDA SYKES (1964- African American Actor/Comedian)
194) GEORGE TAKEI (1937- Japanese American Actor)
195) PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893, Russian Classical Music Composer)
196) SCOTT THOMPSON (1959- Canadian Actor/Comedian)
197) VIRGIL THOMSON (1896-1989, American Classical Music Composer)
198) WOLFGANG TILLMANS (1968- German Photographer)
199) LILY TOMLIN (1939- American Comedian/Actor)
200) JIM TOY (1930- American GLBT Rights Activist)
201) HENRY SCOTT TUKE (1858-1929, English Artist)
202) URVASHI VAID (1958- Indian American Lawyer/Human Rigths Activist)
203) GUS VAN SANT (1952- American Filmaker)
204) CARL VAN VECHTEN (1880-1964, African American Photographer)
205) ELIHU VEDDER (1836-1923, American Artist)
206) PAUL VERLAINE (1844-1896, French Poet)
207) GIANNI VERSACE (1946-1997, Italian Fashion Designer)
208) GORE VIDAL (1925- American Writer)
209) WILHELM VON GLOEDEN (1856-1931, German Photographer)
210) TOM WADDELL (1937-1987, American Athlete, Founder of the Gay Games)
211) RUFUS WAINWRIGHT (1972- Canadian Singer)
212) ALICE WALKER (1944- African American Writer/Poet)
213) ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987, American Artist)
214) JOHN WATERS (1946- American Filmaker)
215) SUZANNE WESTENHOEFER (1961- American Comedian)
216) EDMUND WHITE (1940- American Writer)
217) MEL WHITE (1940- American Clergyperson)
218) WALT WHITMAN (1819-1892, American Poet)
219) OSCAR WILDE (1854-1900, Irish Playwright)
220) THORNTON WILDER (1897-1975, American Playwright)
221) TENNESSEE WILLIAMS (1911-1983, American Playwright)
222) RICKY WILSON (1953-1985, American Musician)
223) PAUL WINFIELD (1939-2004, African American Actor)
224) B. D. WONG (1960- Chinese American Actor)
225) NOBUKO YOSHIYA (1914-1973, Japanese Writer)
226) PEDRO ZAMORA (1972-1994, Cuban-American AIDS Activist)
227) FRANCO ZEFFIRELLI (1923- Italian Filmaker)
228) DAN ZHOU (1974- Chinese Civil Rights Lawyer)

The Bugr qekr

Back in summer of 1994, I orchestrated a move from central Kentucky to the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. The impetus was my budding love affair with my ex-, and the move required me securing employment. The short of it is that I was hired by Montgomery Public Schools to teach 4th grade.

I was hired after the start of the school year to fill a position that was just allotted to a school to alleviate over-crowding and so my homeroom was created out of the 3 existing homerooms. I ended up with a class of 23 (15 boys --12 of which were headed to a career involving reform school at some point, and 8 girls -- another 3 of which where clear candidates for some future episode of "cellblock H")!

Among this motley crew was T. He was boy with tremendous social intelligence, a gift that he used without the benefit of any discernable moral compass. I am not a professional with the credentials to certify anyone as being "pathological" in anything, but the word was bandied about freely regarding T. by those with classier degrees than I.

And so today, when I stumbled upon "The Bugr qekr" a flip book that he made in art, a book that quickly ended up in my "June Box" because of its deleterious effects on the social fabric of my classroom when it first debuted back in the spring of 1994, I was much more nostalgic in my recollections of T.'s tenure in my class.

In reflecting upon him (I still can see his impish smile clearly in my mind’s eye) I hope that he's landed gently somewhere and found a place in this life where his talents and manias can contribute to the common good. And in any event, marvel with me at his superb narrative, riveting plot twists, and profound sense of the needs and desires of the common man: I give you with tongue firmly planted in my cheek, "The Bugr qekr".

Fresh Fruits

Went to the local farmer's market this morning and got some real tomatoes and peaches! With apologies to Luis Meléndez.......

Art I'm Seeing #39

Also up now at the National Gallery of Art is a relatively small show with a powerful impact. "Luis Meléndez: Master of the Spanish Still Life" features 31 works, 30 still lifes and his iconic self-portrait. Not-with-standing the fact that my friend and neighbor Cathy has spent the better part of the past two years conserving works and co-authoring the catelogue, it's a take your breath away exhibition. Meléndez' technical expertise creates canvas after canvas so beautiful, so realistic that you can almost smell the freshly baked bread and taste the lushly rendered fruit and vegetables. The tragedy for the 18th century artist was that he was never appointed to the courtly positions he spent his life pursuing in vain. The glory is how he therefore took common objects and the lowest form of genre painting in the esteem of those around him, and elevated them to a regal stature. The show's at the National Gallery of Art on the Mall in the east building through August 23rd, it's a must see for the summer.

Today's Sermon #16

THE CHARIOT

Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality.

We slowly drove, he knew no haste,
And I had put away
My labor, and my leisure too,
For his civility.

We passed the school where children played,
Their lessons scarcely done;
We passed the fields of gazing grain,
We passed the setting sun.

We paused before a house that seemed
A swelling of the ground;
The roof was scarcely visible,
The cornice but a mound.

Since then ‘t is centuries; but each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses’ heads
Were toward eternity.

~ Emily Dickinson
1830 - 1886

Power to the GLBT People!

So we march...and it's a generous leeway. This will either be a huge protest or a huge celebration. The ball is in Barack's court. No matter, I'll be there to witness it.

NGA Face Lift? -- or Fall!

Speaking of the National Gallery of Art, the poor I. M. Pei east building has a problem. It seems the huge slabs of marble covering its exterior are susceptible to falling off!--no, this is not part of an episode of "Life After People" on the History Channel. And according to the NGA, it's a repair job that will be possible thanks to stimulus money from the Federal government. So how does one enter the building in the meantime? Through these reinforced plywood tunnels, of course. Having been inside one, I'm not entirely certain that they would prevent a ton slab of marble plummeting at an on point angle from denting my brain, but then again, not having them there wouldn't have stopped me from entering the museum, either!

Art I'm Seeing #38

Judith Leyster was one of the rarest of birds in the 1600’s, a woman who was an artist. One of only two women to be admitted into the painter's guild in Haarlem during the seventeenth century, she must have been an amazing presence in her own right. Choosing for subjects the lives of the dubious; musicians, gamblers, "idlers" who forsook conventional discipline and morality for the merry life, didn't aid her in attaining a respectable status in the Dutch art world of the northern Renaissance. My overall complaint about her as an artist is her failure to command the human form. Often her subjects leave you feeling that something about their body is out of proportion or angled in such a way that indicates a dislocated joint or broken bone: middle school-esque in its competence. But what she lacks in anatomical accuracy, she makes up for in the simple joy of her subjects.

To celebrate her 400th birthday, the National Gallery of Art is hosting an intimate focus show of her paintings in their Dutch Cabinet galleries in the west building. You also get to see works by her husband, Jan Miense Molenaer, and her possible mentor, Frans Hals. Her oeuvre is relatively small to begin with, so anytime a dozen of her paintings are assembled in one place, it's worth the visit.

Furthermore, I commend to your attention the wonderful article in next week's issue of The New Yorker by Peter Schjeldahl, "A Woman's Work: The Brief Career of Judith Leyster." It provides excellent background information.

2009 Folklife Festival on the Mall

This year's folklife festival on the Mall in Washington, D.C. is faithfully another trio. The most traditional presentation is for the culture of Wales. Lots of exhibits depicting crafts, industry, lore, flora, flauna, of this oppressed nation within the United Kingdom. No aspect of this tyranny is present.

The other two foci are Latin American music and African American oration. Both are extremely low impact upon the mall, viewer passive, and cheep, common, and insignificant in the pantheon of folklife venues. I lunched at one of the Latin American food tents, and the food was disgusting. It was cooked so long before I got it, that it was inedible.

It's the most uninteresting, non-interactive, lame year of concepts for this "festival" in my 15 years of attending.

What I'm Watching #201

Went to see "Up" today. I have to tell you that when I first heard about this film and the basic concept behind it, I was having a hard time imagining how it was going to work. Thank goodness, figuring out how to make this one work wasn't up to me! "Up" in a word is AWESOME! It's one of the most beautiful stories ever turned into a pixar movie. Funny, scary, tense, tender, it's runs the gammit, and Ed Asner's voice for Carl was a brilliant choice. If you haven't seen it yet, by all means go out there and do it, before it leaves the big screen.

2 Views from the Mall

Was down on the Mall on Wednesday, and got these two shots of the Smithsonian Exhibition Hall, also known as the Smithsonian Castle. Built out of red limstone quarried in northern Montgomery county the grounds feature some of the most beautiful gardens in DC.

Silver Spring Mural 01

A new mural has just been painted on the side of the little Kefa Cafe on Bonifant Street. The cafe features organic coffee and a gallery "7:10" which bills itself as "an organic artspace exhibiting an evolving mix of contemporary, outsider, visionary, and world cultural artwork." The mural compliments the theme perfectly.

On an accompanying placard the story of the mural reads: "the Global Refugee Mural by Joel Bergner © 2009 creative director Tom Block This mural tells the story of 3 refugees who live here in Maryland, who were interviewed for this project. Georges, a former mayor of his city in eastern Congo (DRC), fled with his family when the war came to his region. Mai, from Myanmar (aka Burma) was unable to return to her country due to religious persecution by the government. Taameem, from southern Iraq, fled after her brother was murdered by local militia members and she was targeted as well. Funded by the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County. Partnership with the International Rescue Committee's refugee resettlement center in Silver Spring." A further reference is made to the artist's work @ www.joelsmurals.com

It's beautiful, check it out.

OMG!

Michael Jackson is dead and I'm for the briefest of moments 15 again. I'm at Band Camp somewhere in central Michigan in a room full of my high school classmates and someone suddenly bursts through the door of the room and shouts, "Elvis is dead!" The air ceases to move until someone cries.

Shack it off!

I'm 25 again. It's a winter morning, I'm drinking coffee alone at my kitchen table and planning to call my mom: it's her birthday. I'm home cause my county has called a snow day and now the sun is out when I hear on the radio that something has happened to the crew of the Challenger...I turn on my TV...soon I'm the one crying.

Shack it off....

I'm 48, just 2 year younger than him.

Michael Jackson is dead. DEAD. Like what the fuck? I'm barely absorbing the death of Farrah Fawcett, and now this? At least she had a reason. What was his? An all consuming hatred for himself and desire to be someone else until the bleaching off of his skin left his flesh and heart so exposed to life that all that was left to him was death?

Hamlet slide down and make room for Michael. Marilyn, can you get him a glass of cool water?

The Murals on University Boulevard

Skirting the northern edge of Takoma Park, not far from my home are a series of 5 little two story circa World War II apartments Each unit was originally designed with 4 apartments. Today they've been converted into offices and small businesses for the most part. They feature services by and for the Latino community in the area, and three of them where painted with these beautiful murals last summer. The bottom image is a law office and you can see kids playing futbol on a plain surrounded by mountains. I've seen these places in both Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The middle is a Chiropractor's office and features people in a park with a waterfall. The artist adeptly carries the railing of the wheelchair ramp into a bridge crossing the stream. And further he places a person on the opposite wall so that her image appears from this angle to be ascending the ramp--so clever. The top image is an underwater setting of a Caribbean coral reef.

Y todos eras muy bonitas!

What I'm Watching #200

"No Regret" is a Korean film about two men in love. One, an easy-going orphan who has come to the big city to make his fortune. The other the son of a corporate mogul who's life is a duplicitous lie as he seeks to both please his parents and his desires. The story is passionate and a little melodramatic with an ending that had me sitting on the edge of my seat and shouting at the Widescreen! No shit. See this one if you can.

What I'm Listening To #54

I've really been enjoying contemporary R & B and Hip Hop more and more...a reverting to my Motown roots, no doubt. And this group, "Outkast" a.k.a. "OKB", out of eastern Georgia has some really great music. Their song "Hey Ya" is both joyous and heart lifting!

Sunday Funnies #25

twittershitsonIran, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

If only the harsh reality behind this cartoon were actually funny.....

What I'm Watching #199

monstersvsaliens, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

Went to see Monsters Vs. Aliens today up in Baltimore. It was all right. It had its moments. It also had its annoyances, not the least of which was the main character, Susan, a.k.a. Giganticus. She was wholly underdeveloped to the point of engendering zero on the empathy meter. Hard to really get into a movie when you find yourself wondering who to root for let alone why you should be on anyone's side: although, Bob the blob was compelling, at times--and had most of the funny lines! I didn't see it in 3D, and perhaps that technical distraction would have left me feeling better about this one....

Pandora

pandora, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

Stumbled across this today, and checked it out. So far, it's fabulous.

In a nutshell, you type in the name of a favorite group, and it creates a random playlist for you to listen to featuring the group and similar sounding artists. Por exemplo, I typed in "Blick Eyed Peas" and then got a playlist with them, House of Pain, Nelly Furtado, Kanye West, etc. You have the option to remove any song from the playlist you don't like.

You get one shot without obligation that will last about an hour, and then you're asked to register. It is free, and once registered, it saves your playlist as your station. You can create as many stations as you like to acess whenever you're using your computer. I like it! A box worth opening!

www.pandora.com

V. My Buddy

vmybuddy, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

One of the great things about my job is that I not only get to help teachers, but I also get to assist kids all over the building. Over the years, I've come to grow very fond of a group developmentally delayed/Autistic children in one of our Learning Center classes. This spring they did their self-portraits in art and this is V.'s.

Picasso make a little room at the top!

Viva Mexico!

mexicopostcard, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

Latest Post Card from my friend R. who returned home to visit his family in mid-May. He works on a Green Card here for Conoco Oil, but is now suddenly struggling to gain approval for his return.... He's been told it's an H1N1 Influenza thing, even though he is perfectly healthy.

Governmental beaurocracies are actually some of the most capricious organizational structures ever devised by the hearts of men.

Teaching

MCPS15YRservicepin, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

Last day of school with kids today. And at the "End of the Year" assembly, I received a pin from the county in acknowledgement of my 15 years of service. It wasn't something that I expected--I thought it was only 14.....Where does the time go?

Mid-June Gardens #8

walkwaytrio, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

Here's an update on my choice for the border garden in the back. From my previous post (Late May Gardens #2) on May 25th, the growth has been amazing. The monsoonal rains of late have certainly helped this aspect of my gardens. I antiscipate that all three plants: pineapple sage, Choleus, and Begonias, will double in size as the summer progresses. And the Pineapple Sage will send out wavy shoots of brilliantly red flowers that never fail to attract hummingbirds. I believe this variant of Choleus will also blossom with spikes of lacy lavender flowers. So far my instincts have not disappointed me.

Mid-June Gardens #7

scarletemporer, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

And my first little Scarlet Emporer! The color is nearly edible.

Mid-June Gardens #6

dayglo, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

Another shot of those amazing Day-Glo lilies.... I'm gonna paint this one, I think.

Mid-June Gardens #5

lilyday-glohydrangeaoakleaf, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

Besides the Astillbe, there are the Asiatic Lilies. The first among them to open are these amazing orange beauties. I think their common monicre is "Day-Glo" lilies.

Here, I have captured them with an Oak Leaf Hydrangea in the background. This particular bush is a transplant from a volunteer off of an original nursery pruchase that was placed in my backyard in 1999.

Mid-June Gardens #4

astillbe, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

Another June, another transition of perennials in my gardens. Here is an image of my most beautiful Astillbe. I planted 5 of them 3 years ago: 1 died outright, 1 is still stuggling with pigmy-esque results, 2 are moderately successful, and then there is this one: magnificent! Such is the life of the gardener....

Olly Olly Ox In Free! -- Come Out, Come Out!

wesleyeure, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

When I try to parse out what aspects of culture had the most effect, held the most allure, on me as a kid it's gotta be TV. While it never performed the evil duty of surrogate parent, it was something that I spent a good deal of time with--with my parents, who happened to enjoy the medium, as well. And here in June 2009, yet another actor from those golden years has made his sexuality a matter of public record. Wesley Eure who played the David Cassidy look-a-like son on the Saturday morning staple "Land of the Lost," and the erstwhile David Horton on the soap "Days of Our Lives" for a decade has officially set the record clear: He's GAY. His revelation posted on the website AfterElton.com includes the year of living dangerously as Richard Chamberland's much younger lover. And to Wesley's credit, in an era that saw many closeted gay actors self-distruct, he's lived a good life with contributions to Nickelodeon TV, two children's books, the author of "Dragon Tales" on PBS, and countless hours of fundraising for causes like a cure for Breast Cancer, shelters for battered women, and AIDs. Welcome into the light. You may finally never have to worry about breathing in the foul smell of moth balls again, er, unless you like that sort of thing....

Happy Pride 2009!

newdesign, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

The Public Radio show Studio 360 did a little homage to the Gay Pride flag today and then issued a challenge to design a new one. So I bit. Here's my design. It has three components: 1) The Rainbow of the current flag, 2) The pink triangle of the Nazi holocaust against GLBT people, and 3) a new design of my own featuring a circle of 6 gender symbols in flesh tones that combine M-M F-F and M-F pairs.

Isaac Mizrahi will judge the entries. What do you think? Wish me luck.

You can judge my competition for yourself at: www.studio360.org

What I'm Reading #16

masnaviima'navi, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

Still reading the tales of Jelalu Din Rumi. The translation with gorgeous reproductions of illuminations was a gift from a former student. He bought it for me in Iran during a family vacation two years after leaving my class, and the giving of this gift was such a sweet surprise. The text was written in the 13th century and is naturally heavily influenced by the Koran The tales are written like epic poems and are intended to have a moral edge. They are by and large capricious, and illogical in there presentation of events; mystical and inhumane in their judgments. Basically, they are a reflection of the author's world and religious understandings.

I couldn't help but reflect on the elections today in Iran as I read. It would seem that what is happening there is just the next step in two worlds clashing: that of the 13th century with the 21st. Why modernity frightens so many is beyond me. With but a wisp of a moment to participate in this miracle of life, one would better be served by latching onto wonder, instead of fear.

Tattoo Dreaming #10

beachtattoo, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

Great Tat. Sand in the cracks!--never a good thing....well, almost never!

One Nation, Indivisible: African Americans

aamapusa, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

I like numbers. I like statistics, and I often relax by researching information of a numerical sort. Recently, I've been plotting out where minorities live in the United States. As a white guy, I've been told that within my lifetime (God willing), my demographic will become another minority in this country. I live in community where I'm already in the minority. I find this future exciting. Living in a diverse ethnic nation will so enrich us all. But just how diverse is the United States? That's the question that I set out to answer.

I know the key is hard to see, so here are the categories that I chose to create: Grey = 0% African Americans, Green = less that 1%, Ecru 1 to 14%, Yellow = 14.1 to 29.9%, Gold = 30 to 44.9%, Orange = 45 to 59.9%, Red = 60 to 74.9%, Purple = 75 to 89.9%, and Ultrmarine = 90 to 100%. There are no ultramarine jurisdictions on this map. Further, whenever a county surpassed 50%, I increased the thickenss of it's board and highlighted it in Aqua. To this end, there are 12 states and the District of Columbia with majority African American populations at the county level. For a total of 95 counties with a majority black population.

These facts are interesting, yet I find it far more interesting that such vast expanses of the United States are home to less than 1% of African Americans. And given the way our representative form of Federal governance works, there are a majority of Senators in Washington for whom the practical ability of Black Americans to effect their re-election is nil, and therefore the ability of African Americans to get their issues taken seriously is scant at best.

African Americans make up 13% of the entire population of the United States, yet they represent only 1% of the men and women in the United States Senate, 9% of the House of Representatives. On the Supreme Court, Justice Thomas comes closest to providing parity by single-handedly being 11% of that body, and yet his opinions would doubless better reflect the beliefs of aging, conservative white men than the average black person in America.

It will be very interesting to see how the legacy of our President will effect these inequities 20 years down the road. The rise of more diverse public servants and their ascendancy to Federal office may be his lasting gift to this nation.

One Nation, Indivisible: Hispanic Americans

hsmapusa, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

There are just 5 states with counties that have majority Hispanic populations: Arizona, California, Florida, New Mexico and Texas. 51 combines counties in all. Again, gray areas are those with no Hispanic residents and green where Hispanic citizens form less that 1% of the total population: Maine and West Virginia jump out in this category. And the range of the ecru is from 1 to 14% and so it's a little misleading in that the ecru in Michigan represents percentages hugging 1% and those in New Jersey range closer to 12%. But I deliberately chose 14%, because I think it's a threshold percentage toward political enfranchisement. With 15% or more of the population, it's possible to have an appreciable effect on the political landscape of a jurisdiction. Below that, no so much. With majority of Hispanic Americans trending toward the Democratic Party, and the majority being younger and trending toward the generally progressive leanings of the under 30 somethings, I have my eyes fixed on Texas in the 2012 presidential election. We already know that this demographic effected the Democratic tsunami in New Mexico and the switch from red to blue of Nevada. And if I were one of the three Cuban American representatives from south Florida, I'd be watching my back for 2010.

Fern Fountain

fernfountain, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

My trend toward ferns is bearing fronds! Here's my fountain in the front yard. I have Autumn, Japanese Painted, Lady, and Mexican ferns around it. In the background is a magnificent Cinnamon fern. And just out of the image on the left is a row of Ostrich ferns that flank my driveway. And the best part? The deer don't eat them!

Sunday Funnies #24

parents, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

Sunday Funnies #23

hungarianAP, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

Sunday Funnies #22

viagra, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

What I'm Reading #15

lifestory, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

Took time from quilting to peruse one of my all time favorite children's books. Virginia Lee Burton (1909-1968) created a history of our universe that gradually spirals down from billions of years to millions or years to thousands of years...... to a single year of change. Each page features a beautifully stylized illustration upon which the era, epoch, age, day is revealed like a scene on a stage. The narrator is always present, as well (reminiscent of Sondheim's narrator in "Into The Woods").

I love this book. It's factually accuracy remains unassailed, and it's detailed images demand more than a casual glance. I can't think of a better book to give a child.

The jacket cover contains this recommendation:

"Ages: To Look At 4-6; To Read Aloud 6-10; To Read To Yourself 10 up" I couldn't agree more!

War On Terrorism June Up-Date

wargraphic, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

After an autumn lull -- that was really no lull at all if you want to ask the families of the 113 soldiers who died in the field between September 1st and December 31st -- casualties have once again returned to a predictable, lullable, unexceptable average of 30 per month or one a day. And now in the first 5 days of June 13 have died. It's a rate that would lead to a month with 78 casualties if it were to continue. Isn't even one too many? Haven't we established that our aggressions in at least Iraq were unnecessary to our national security? I long for the day when we are no longer mired in that desolate land of age old conflict and allow them to either devour themselves or stand up and re-establish the heritage of art, literature, learning and prosperity as a self-determined people. We will never rid them of terrorists. Only they can do that for themselves. Our resources must be directed to our own shores and the things that need fixed here, and our courageous, obedient military needs to be reserved for the threats that are real.