Let the Blogging begin...
This blog is formatted by date and only includes the most recent
ones.
For topics, please look at the archive.
You will also find the 9/11 archive
there.
It's very rare for me to be moved by a Youtube video. This one made me cry...
.:May 19, 2008:.
The Universe: A terrestrial perspective
Elections, mortgage payments, war and earthquakes, even celebrity gossip and the new fad diet.. they all keep us focused on the our lives and a very limited and small section of this great whole we belong to. But then, once in a while, human ingenuity comes up with a tool that reminds us of just how small we are in relation to the big picture and how even smaller our little bickerings seem from a different perspective.
This time, the tool came from big, old Microsoft, and it came to make a statement. I am a long time Google fan, and was excited to try Google Sky when they launched it, but the usages of the tool are limited and clunky. In a beautiful competitive move, Microsoft came up with World Wide Telescope ( yes, terrible title. They still need a lot of help with marketing), which happens to be one of the most user friendly and interactive tools around, sure to please kids curious about the universe and scientists alike. The software, which can be downloaded for free from: http://www.worldwidetelescope.org
not only allows for the exploration of the universe from different satellite collections and perspectives, but also has a library of guided tours where professors, cosmologists and even curious amateurs can post their "tours" so you can learn about the universe from different minds all over the world.
Microsoft research, this humble geek with a penchant for quantum physics and cosmology thanks you... Let's see if Google can up the ante.
.:May 14, 2008:.
Our brothers and sisters in Myanmar (Burma) and China.
It has been a difficult month for millions across the world. Besides all of the issues already happening, there have been 2 major natural disasters.
First, Cyclone Nargis hits Myanmar and death tolls can reach as many as 100 000 and as many as 2 million people could be homeless. Not much later China suffers it's largest earthquake in 30 years and as many as 10000 people were killed in a province of just over 160000. it is believed that at least 900 of them were students buried when their schools collapsed.Our thoughts, prayers and wishes for some peace are with the victims and their families.
Another stupid video worth sharing.
Two Chinese Boys at their best.
For those who don't know, "2 Chinese Boys" have a series of internet stupid videos that have become a sensation in China. They even do live performances now. Below is one of their videos.
.:March 18, 2008:.
Why are the Tibetans protesting? And what you can do to help.
Over 1.2 million Tibetans have been killed by the Chinese government.
6000 monasteries were destroyed. And the tortures, killings and human rights violations continue. After 50 years, and watching their monks being beaten and arrested for a peaceful protest people revolted.
Because there are times when we all need to laugh...
I received the text below from a mass mailing, and usually I just delete them, but I was actually tempted to pass this one along, and decided I should post it here instead:
Spread the Stupidity
Only in America ......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.
Only in America ......do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke.
Only in America ......do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.
Only in America ......do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.
Only in America ......do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.
Only in America ......do we use the word 'politics' to describe the process so well: 'Poli' in Latin meaning 'many' and 'tics' meaning 'bloodsucking creatures'.
Only in America ... ...do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.
EVER WONDER ....
Why the sun lightens our hair,
but darkens our skin ?
Why women can't put on mascara with their mouth closed?
Why don't you ever see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?
Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?
Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'?
Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?
Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?
Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?
Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?
Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?
You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes?
Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?!
Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?
Why are they called apartments when
they are all stuck together?
If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?
If flying is so safe,
why do they call the airport the terminal?
Now that you've smiled at least once, it's your turn to spread the stupidity and send this to someone you want to bring a smile to (maybe even a chuckle)...in other words, send it to everyone. We all need to smile every once in a while.
.:February 20, 2008:.
Steven Spielberg pulls out of Olympics in protest at China's policy on Darfur
?
Recent news show that at least some of the entertainment heavyweights still put values ahead of profit. The Chinese communist regime is responsible for the murder of 1.2 million Tibetans, the destruction of 6000 monasteries of for on-going torture and imprisonment of Tibetans who are trying to retain their freedoms. They are now prohibited from having a religion, from saying the name of or carrying images of the Dalai Lama. Most of their cultural and societal traditions have been banned and those who try to escape into India, where they can ask for exile, get shot by Chinese guards.
China has also been destroying any signs of the Tibetan culture in an attempt to erradicate their identities so that any claims to freedom can disappear forever. it is currently almost impossible to find Tibetan speakers in Lhasa (the capital of Tibet) and polution and overpopulation are dripping from China into Tibet.
It is no surprise that there would be reluctance from the Chinese regime to interfere in other human rights issues. But it is important to maintain international pressure for a needed change in their policies.
Below is an excerpt of an article on Spielberg's decision written by Philip Stephens:
SMALL tremors sometimes foreshadow bigger shocks. Few people will have known before last week that Steven Spielberg — he of Jaws, Jurassic Park, ET and other Hollywood epics — was to lend his creative talents to the Beijing Olympics.
Of itself, his withdrawal on grounds of conscience scarcely registers on the Richter scale. Spielberg's protest, though, is not without significance. It maps out uncomfortable terrain for China that reaches well beyond the choreography of this summer's Olympic ceremonies.
Spielberg concluded that Beijing had not deployed sufficient influence to help bring a halt to the killing in the Sudanese province of Darfur. China is Sudan's most important economic partner. It has invested heavily in its energy industry and buys most of its oil. In Spielberg's view — one shared, incidentally, at the United Nations (UN) — it could apply much more pressure on Khartoum.
The Sudanese regime has obstructed all efforts by the international community to bring an end to the terror wrought in Darfur by the so-called Janjaweed militias. Only last week fighting spilled over into neighbouring Chad. Sudan has blocked the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force. China is the only big power with real leverage.
Spielberg is far from alone in his disquiet. The actress Mia Farrow has led a celebrity campaign labelling this summer's event the “genocide Olympics”.
A clutch of Nobel peace laureates have added their voices to the protest, writing to Hu Jintao, the Chinese president.
These gestures are keenly felt. The Olympics have been planned meticulously to showcase China's rise. Beijing expects the games to confer the prestige and respect it considers its due as a fast-emerging global power. Boycotts and protests over Darfur — alongside separate calls for China to loosen its grip on Tibet — provoke a mixture of anger and angst.
.:January 20, 2008:.
WHAT IS GOD?
So I've been writing in too many different places to update my own blog. Dreadful, I know, but figured if I at least link to some of the articles it will be one step in the right direction.
I've had so many things to write about. The vicious attacks on the Burmese monks, Bhutto's assassination, the american elections.
It all just seemed too overwhelming to write a small post about, so I ended up writing long dissertations in other places.
The New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC)
came and went and I didn't manage to write one word about it... I figured that I should at least link to my newest articles since so many people have been writing to me to ask what I think of the new anti-religion movements.
So my reply is below:
Anticipating the angry emails I ask you to please use the forum at that site for any replies. I will not be responding to personal emails.
Peace
.:March
12, 2007:.
Hello
All
Trying to get back to the blog and post some updates. Have had
a lot to say, but action has taken the time I would have used
to post about things. Below is a post from my martial arts school
( http://www.worldmartial.com
). It was relevant and worth posting, so here it goes:
There
was a mouse, who lived on a farm and his life was perfect. Until
one day the farmer asked his wife lay down a mouse trap. The
mouse watched in horror because it knew that this was not good,
but the mouse did not know what to do or who to turn to. So
it ran out of the house in search of help. Hysterically and
frantically the mouse ran to the chicken and said, “There’s
a mouse trap in the house, there’s a mouse trap in the
house!, can you help me, can you help me?” The chicken
said, “I’m too busy tending my eggs and I don’t
even go into the house and it’s a mouse trap that’s
no concern of mine, I’m a chicken”. So the mouse,
in despair, ran down to the pig pen and told the pig, “There’s
a mouse trap in the house - I told the chicken, but the chicken
would not help and the pig said, “What has this to do
with me, I’m further away from the house than the chicken
it’s none of my concern—maybe you should go and
talk to the cow”. So the mouse ran all the way out in
the field and said to the cow, “Mr. Cow, Mr. Cow, there’s
a mouse trap in the house can you help me?” and the cow
said, “Moooooo life is good, but the house is too far
away for me to go back there and help you. You should do your
best to just avoid it and probably nothing will happen”.
So
the mouse finally gave up and in great despair walked back toward
the farm house and as he approached the house he heard a ruckus.
A snake had gotten his tail caught in the mouse trap. The farmer’s
wife after hearing the mouse trap snap ran and reached under
the cupboard to pull out the mouse in the trap not knowing it
was a snake. The snake bit her and she fell on the floor unconscious
and developed a high fever. The farmer tried to contact a doctor
but couldn't. He knew that chicken soup was good for fevers,
so he went out to that barn and killed the chicken to make chicken
soup. Shortly thereafter, the wife’s condition worsened,
she grew weaker and weaker. The farmer thought that pork would
give his wife strength, so he went out and killed the pig, but
the wife died and the farmer was devastated. So they had a funeral
and all the relatives came over and he had to feed all of them,
so he took an ax and went out and killed the cow. Somehow we
are all connected.
All
over the world there are people suffering from atrocities beyond
belief and this is nothing new. Most of the world simply says
it’s not my problem, I can do nothing or pretend it does
not exist. What is new is this— with 60 seconds of your
time you can go onto this website and simply click 3 buttons
to request that world powers address this issue. As you wake
up in the morning and have your nice breakfast and go about
your pleasant day, there are others who wake up to genocide,
rape, starvation or the death of their 2 year old child. When
you go home at night and get into your warm bed, you are relatively
sure that tomorrow you will wake up refreshed looking forward
to the new day. But there are thousands of families that could
not even imagine such a thing—they get to huddle together
on the hard desert ground, hungry and dehydrated not sure if
they will see tomorrow. Learn something—do something.
Contact: www.savedarfur.com.
.:Dec
15, 2006:.
APPLE
COMPUTERS BAD ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PRACTICES
(Pictures
below of Greenpeace protest in from of the Apple Store in NYC.)
THE
ISSUE:
Globally, between 22 and 55 million tons of electronic waste
gets trashed every year. Many of these materials are toxic and
carcinogens (lead, PVC, BFRs) and end up in landfills and incinerators,
and often get shipped to the developing world to get dismantled
by hand in horrendous conditions by poor workers and their children.
Many of these children use the parts as toys after they are
done helping their parents assemble parts. The waste leaks into
water sources and planting areas and end up being consumed by
the whole region.
Since 2003, Greenpeace has been working with the main electronics
companies in the world to help reduce or eliminate these toxic
materials, and most companies have agreed to reduce, and in
some cases eliminate the most dangerous chemicals. With one
main exception.: Apple Computers.
THE
CAMPAIGN:
Apple computers has scored one of the lowest of all main computer
companies: 2.7/10
Apple now uses of the highest concentrations of carcinogens
and toxic chemicals on their production.
Their products are now manufactured with a life span of about
a 1 year ( just about as long as the warranty lasts and as often
as new Ipods come in the market).
After Greenpeace had been discussing the issues with Apple for
about 3 years, back in April 2005, Steve Jobs publicly called
environmentalists' concerns about Apple "bullshit".
Come on Steve, we'd expect that kind of reaction from fat corporate
CEOs who dump polychlorinated biphenyls into rivers, not from
a cool, potentially eco-friendly titan of the information age.
New
Yorkers were trying to make a very clear point today. We are
sick of what's been going on, sick of politicians using The
World Trade Center as a means to getting their way and tired
of how misrepresented we have all been. But in typical manner,
we at least had a sense of humor about it. A few moments from
today:
-
Astor Place, 2 PM.
A man with a megaphone (who
happened to be a retired veteran who was evicted), asking people
to vote because "rent is too damn high".
Also publicizing his personal party and website: http://www.rentistoodamnhigh.org
Which is.. well... interesting.
EVERY page plays the "rent is too damn high" song
which is distributed by Hamster
Records (seriously..) and takes forever to load since nothing
was optimized.
He is also looking for sponsors to pay for the "rent is
too damn high" merchandise. As crazy as the whole thing
is.. gee, rent IS too damn high in NYC.
-
Brooklyn Heights, 4 PM
A dog is sitting on a chair in front of the subway, and a small
crowd is gathering to read the sign below:
One
has to love NY....(yes, you guessed it. I am in a good mood
because the Democrats seem to be taking most of the seats...
Yeepee)
.:Nov
01, 2006:.
Barbra
Streisand Concert Woes and Freedom of Speech
To
anyone who has known me for a while, it comes as no surprise
that I am a very avid Barbra Streisand fan. I had been a little
disappointed because what attracted me most to her (besides
what I consider to be one of the greatest voices of our times)
was the courage she has always shown, be it in the career moves
she has made or in the honesty of her opinions and how passionately
she defends them, and I had been feeling that she had only be
making safe choices recently, with her music and her movies.
It is also known to anyone who has followed her career that
she is an outspoken liberal who has started using he influence
early on and even participated in her first political fund-raiser,
for George McGovern (an act that would place her on Richard
Nixon's enemies list), and continued to support liberal causes
and singing at benefits, like she did for Clinton.
And yet, during her recent tour, in every city she's been in,
there has been some kind of "audience outburst" whenever
she does a skit in which she jokes with a Bush impersonator.
It happened in Philadelphia, here in NY (though we are mostly
liberals) and now in Florida, where someone actually threw a
drink at her during the show.
Why? How? And why does it seem so much like a set up?
Let's see the facts:
~ Barbra Streisand comes back to the stage to get funds for
the Streisand Foundation (http://www.barbrastreisand.com/foundationguidelines.html).
Her organization which has made grants totaling nearly 15 million
dollars to national organizations working on preservation of
the environment, voter education, the protection of civil liberties
and civil rights, women’s issues and nuclear disarmament.
~ She is one of the most known democratic and liberal celebrities
in this country (Bill and Hillary Clinton were sitting by me
at Madison Square Garden) who regularly posts political statements
on her blog (http://www.barbrastreisand.com/statements.html).
~ The ticket prices varied from a few hundred to $5000 dollars,
being that those sitting on the cheaper seats were too far to
be able to reach her with anything, so the assumption is that
the turmoil was caused by someone from the $5000 section, which
was most of the lower levels of the stadiums.
~ Anyone willing to pay $5000 to see someone would have to be
a very big fan.
And the question is, what kind of fan who would be willing to
pay $5000 for a ticket to see an artist would be ignorant enough
to offend her and throw things at her during the show?
What kind of person would do that to an artist under any circumstances?
And what are the chances of that randomly happening in SEVERAL
CITIES?
If that really were a random event, then, by gosh, this country
is in worse shape than we think.
If it were, as many suggest, someone planted in the shows to
discredit her (they managed to make her curse here in NYC and
that was all over the news), then this country is STILL in worse
shape than we think.
Below is a reminder of some basic principles we seem to be forgetting:
FREEDOM OF SPEECH:
The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted
in 1948, provides, in Article 19, that:
Everyone has the right to opinions without interference and
to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any
media and regardless of frontiers.
Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.
Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this
right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information
and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally,
in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other
media of his choice.
.:Oct
21, 2006:.
N.J.
and gay marriage
The
times have been sobering to say the least. So much violence,
so much suffering and the inescapable feeling that the world
is moving backwards. We seem to have taken a turn towards religious
sectism, narrow views, intolerance and war. The issues have
been so depressing and so many I have chosen not to write about
them. It feels like every topic almost deserved a book, not
the concise and easy read format of a blog. Well, a topic has
just caught my attention in a black hole of bad news. N.J. is
moving towards legalization of gay marriage.
I have to admit to having fallen for the NYer stereotype. I
was not a huge fan of N.J. Having dwelled there for a short
period of time, I don’t have many good memories of the
town where I lived. I was always aware of how ridiculous the
usual comments were, that people who moved to N.J. have exchanged
a rich cultural life for a large house, but deep inside I couldn’t
help but have my own thoughts that maybe there was some truth
to the comments.
And then something happens to prove us all wrong.
In a moment of enlightenment and civil rights justice, N.J.
starts moving towards the legalization of one of the most basics
of social steps towards a truly democratic system, that which
ensures all of its citizens the same basic legal privileges
to all direct family members.
Seems logical, doesn’t it? But because of extremist religious
groups (and the amount of money they have been using to manipulate
the system) and a lack of understanding of what liberty and
democracy really means, this country has been denying its citizens
the right to pick the people they love and to provide for them
in times of need.
I
am still to understand why some people believe they have a right
to dictate who others can or cannot love. I live under the principles
that your life is yours to live unless your choices harm someone
else. And love is never really the reason why people get harmed,
now, is it? If anything, we are in dire need of some more of
that to go around.
So
I bow my head in shame. Shame for not giving N.J. the respect
it deserved. For making the same generalizations I criticize
others for making, and for assuming the narrow minded influential
minority would make enough noise to bring us one more step towards
the middle ages.
So there is hope...
Bravo, N.J.
Let’s just stay the course (the right one)…
.:Sept
11, 2006:.
September
11th, 2006
So we wake up on Sept
11th like we do every day, except that there is some tension
in the air that we try to ignore to help us go through the day
as if it were any other day. But the truth is that it's not.
It can't be. At least not yet.
There
is a lot of pain still in
the hearts of all of us affected by this atrocity, and there
are many reasons why we cannot settle and just move on. The
main reason is, of course, because that hole in our souls that
was caused by the sudden death of our friends and family members
will never really disappear. But there are other reasons, many
other reasons...
If
you are watching the news coverage of the events, in particular
the reading of the names of the three thousand victims of 9/11,
one thing becomes clear watching some of the readers stumbling
or mispronouncing many of the names, the victims were from all
over the world, all kinds of backgrounds, all religions.
One
brutal, prejudiced, unjustified, criminal, cowardly act does
not justify another, and most of what we have seen since 9/11
has been a reaction from individuals and from the government
that mirror what has been done here.
The
terrorists attacked us due to an uneducated and enlightened
view of the world that is composed of manipulative leaders who
brain wash them into believing that what they think is right,
religious fanaticism that increases their hatred for anyone
who doesn't have the same believes they do and a desire for
revenge that makes them lose their humanity and make them incapable
of realizing that the people they are attacking are just like
them.
Have
we been acting any differently?
We have attacked a country that never attacked us because our
leaders lied and convinced a large part of the population that
it was for the best. Since that Invasion of Iraq by the USA,
it is estimated that over 46000 civilians have been killed.
That is over 15 times the number of people killed at 9/11. But
somehow, that is viewed as being acceptable.
There have been 2,897 coalition deaths, 2,668 Americans, two
Australians, 117 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, four Danes, two Dutch,
two Estonians, one Fijian, one Hungarian, 31 Italians, one Kazakh,
one Latvian, 17 Poles, two Romanians, two Salvadoran, three
Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians in the war
in Iraq as of September 11, 2006. That is as many people as
those killed in the World Trade Center. And for what? Oil?
There is also another interesting twist to the government's
excuse that this is all being done for our safety and so that
we can keep our "democratic and free" way of life.
Instead of trying to fix the causes for terrorism in the world,
we have been reduced to a cat and mouse game.
In a new age of government monitoring of private conversions
and actions and all the civil rights violations of the Patriot
Act, of lies about the handling of political prisoners, abuses
and the recent admission of secret illegal prisons found by
an European investigator which held detainees in Europe that
were hurriedly shipped out to North Africa a month ago when
word leaked out.
The current American freedom of widespread ID checks, locked
and bulletproof cockpit doors in airliners, armed pilots, tracking
foreigners' visas and monitoring Muslim and Arab communities,
to even prohibiting shampoo from being brought on board, tapped
phones and monitored internet access. All done for our freedom
and safety.
Let's also consider, as we watch the images of ground zero,
that that same Department of Homeland Security has just slashed
New York City anti-terror funds by 40 percent. FORTY PERCENT!!!
Their explanation is that New York has no national monuments
or icons. Of course, The Empire State Building, The United Nations,
The Statue of Liberty and others found on several terror target
hit lists are probably not important. There are also landmarks,
such as the New York Public Library, Times Square, City Hall
and at least three of the nation's most renowned museums: The
Guggenheim, The Metropolitan and The Museum of Natural History.
Let's also forget that NYC is the financial capital of the world, home
to Chase, JP Morgan, Citi Group, The New York Stock Exchange,
The Commodities Exchange, American Express, George Soros funds,
Michael Gabelli's funds, Lazard Frere and Salomon Brothers,
to name just a few of the more prominent banking interests located
here.
How
about ignoring a commuter population of more than 16 million
around the city twice struck by fundamentalist terrorists and
twice more targeted in plots halted in pre-operational stages.
Or more than eight million residents and the largest rail ridership
in the nation - more than five million. It is those commuters
and rail riders who are expected to suffer most from the cuts
since mass transit is listed on most DHS alerts as the top terror
target.
Yes,
there is a lot of sadness today. Let us all hope for better
days...
.:July
29, 2006:.
FringeNYC has come of age
Every year a mysterious phenomenon happens in lower Manhattan.
Theater lovers find incredible shows they want to see. Audience
members find out they can actually afford to see many shows
without going broke. People who have never been to the theater
discover its magic. And all of that is called The New York International
Fringe Festival (FringeNYC.org).
FringeNYC, for those who don't know is the largest multi-arts
festival in North America, with more than 200 companies from
all over the world performing for 16 days in more than 20 venues
with almost 2000 performances, art events, free classes and
outdoor performances.
FringeNYC started this year with a series of internet issues,
with a British company stuck at the airport for 3 days and with
one of the actors suffering from collapsed lungs and having
to cancel his show, and yet, its spirit and power has been stronger
than ever.
For the 16 days of the festival, lower Manhattan is transformed.
It changes from being the business area of NY, the sad resting
place of 9/11, the executive stronghold of the Big Apple to
becoming the heart of the creative pulse of NYC.
Streets are taken over by characters and artists, volunteers
race to get to theaters so they can help with the crowds, shows
move about spreading the word about their performances and audience
members come to FringeCENTRAL (27 Mercer street) to share their
experiences.
They talk about being moved to tears by "Sakura",
a show from Japan. About laughing until their cheeks hurt at
the crazy guys with spatulas from "Minimum Wage".
About being shocked at the honesty of the art of "Billy
The Mime".
FringeNYC has come of age. It has turned 10 this year. Let its
spirit, passion and art endure for many decades to come...
For
information on the shows, podcasting and more.
.:July
24, 2006:.
Just a light post for a change...
Hi everyone
So I figured it was about time to just post something light,
non-political and with a touch of fluff.
Starting with the fluff:
After having several friends email me, call me and message me
about the show Final Fu on MTV2 I finally decided to record
a few and check them out, and I am completely hooked. Who knew
Martial Arts drama could be so much fun.
The show is basically a competition of different styles and
is represented by great martial artists like Ernie Reyes Jr.
(who hosts the show), Matt Mullins and a group of blackbelts
who can be a lot of fun to watch and who seem to be representing
their art to their best abilities. Of course, there is always
the bad guy of the bunch, Brian W, who is an embarrassment to
martial artists anywhere, by cheating, breaking rules and basically
making comments about why he wants to be the "Final Fu"
which can make his fellow Taekwondoists cringe with shame.
All in all a lot of fun for martial artists and with enough
drama to keep other audiences entertained too.
Now, the web:
Am I the only person who has noticed a bunch of sites having
issues at the same time and who suspects it might be more than
a coincidence?
Let's see.. four of the webservers I use seem to be either down
or having major issues right now, gmail is having difficulties,
MySpace has been down or having serious problems for a while
now and several of the main sites I visit are either experiencing
difficulties, down or very very slow. It's not some problem
from my end, they all have warnings about it. What's going on?
.:June
20, 2006:.
INVISIBLE
CHILDREN
So we have a group of inexperienced filmmakers, from a typical
spoiled American background who decide to go to Africa to document
on the war that has been going on there for the past two decades.
The result is an amateur documentary that goes from just plain
silly to an incredibly moving report on the condition of the
children whose lives have been destroyed by the ravages of this
insane war. You can see it in its entirety on Google Video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3166797753930210643
I have been away for a long time. It's not because I haven't
had things going on, actually, I have had too many things going
on to post. But back once again. Things that really caught my
attention recently:
The Amazing march of the millions of immigrants all over the
USA for legalization Rights:
Jan
16, 2006: The first woman president takes office in Liberia,
Africa
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a graduate of Harvard University who
worked as a waitress here in the US to pay for her education
becomes the example that the world needs to follow. How a low
income self educated african woman can overcome obstacles and
become a leader in women's rights in a continent with the highest
rape and violence towards women and children in the world. Her
first action: making rape illegal in a country that saw it simply
as " men misbehaving".
World on Fire:
And in an act that should be followed by many other artists
in the world, Sarah McLachlan creates a video with $15 and distributes
the rest of the estimated cost of it to charities around the
world.
Watch the video here: http://www.worldonfire.ca/
or
listen to the song on Napster by clicking here: World
On Fire
.:Feb
20, 2006:.
What
a year....
Starting Dec 26th, 2004 - Tsunami hits southeast Asia. 230 thousand
dead.
First Iraqi elections.
Bush starts 2nd term.
6.4 earthquake devastates Iran.
Palestine
and Israel declare truce
Car bomb kills former Prime Minister in Lebanon. Syria blamed.
Pope John Paul ll dies. Pope Benedict XVl elected.
Charles marries Camilla.
Deep throat reveled.
L yndie England guilty of atrocities against prisoners of war.
Iran elects new president.
Sandra Day O'Connor resigns.
Lance Armstrong wins 7th Tour de France.
Terrorists bomb London, 16 days later car bombs shatter Egypt.
Discovery damaged, fleet grounded.
Five planes crash in one month.
Cindy Sheehan ignites anti-war protests.
Israel removes settlers from Palestinian territories.
Hurricane Katrina devastates Gulf Coast.
Government slow to respond, average Americans rush to help.
FEMA directors resigns.
7.6 Earthquake hits Pakistan. 86 thousand killed, 3.5 million
homeless.
U.S. deaths in Iraq reach 2000.
Avian flu grips the world.
Most active hurricane season in record.
Race riots grip Australia. Parisians riot.
Bush defends domestic spying.
Debates intensifies over torture.
11 Million Iraquis vote for national assembly.
Gas prices rise, Bush approval plummets.
Hussein goes to trial.
White Sox win World Series.
Appointed:
John Roberts - Chief of Justice.
Condoleeza Rice - Secretary of State.
John Balton - U.N. Ambassador.
Alberto Gonzalez - Attorney General.
Indicted:
Tom Delay - House Majority Lead.
Scooter Libby - VP Chief of Staff.
Deaths:
Peter Jennings, ABC news anchor.
Prince Rainier of Monaco.
Richard Pryor, comedian.
Shirley Chisholm, 1st black congressman.
Simon Wiesenthal, Nazi hunter.
Rosa Park, civil rights pioneer.
William Rehnquist, U.S. chief justice.
.:Dec 21, 2005:.
NYC
Transit Strike , part 2
So
the strike continues and the TWU is still trying to convince
us that they are fighting for their rights becayse they have
been, oh, so unfaily treated.
Let's look at the facts:
They were asking for 24% salary raise (ridiculous if you ask
me).
They were offered 10.5%, their retirement age would remain 55
years old and all their benefits and health would remain the
same. The one point the MTA asked for was that NEW hires would
have to contribute 6% to their retirement. Current workers would
not be affected.
The salaries of NYC transit workers:
The
starting salary for a NYC Transit train operator is $52,644
a year, before overtime. In the new contracts that the city’s
municipal unions negotiated this year, the starting salary for
a New York Police Department officer will be $25,100 a year.
The average subway or bus operator earns nearly $63,000 per
year. The average subway conductor earns about $54,000. The
average station agent earns about $51,000. A subway cleaner
earns about $40,000
The
people most affected happen to be those who need the money the
most:
People who live in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, especially those
who couldn't afford homes closer to the city and who have been
walking 3-4 hours in the middle of the winter to get to work
in Manhattan because they will lose their jobs if they don't
show up.
Those who have lost their jobs right before Christmas because
they couldn't get to work and whose families will suffer right
before the holidays.
The people who sell food and magazines by subway stations, flowers
inside the trains, musicians who play underground, plays and
concerts who can't sell tickets.
Small restaurants and the waiters and busboys who depend on
the tips to make a living.
All freelancers who can't get to work, therefore don't get paid,
delivery people who can't make deliveries.
People who live in NJ and are riding their bikes to Manhattan.
Students
who can't get to school and parents who can't go to work because
their kids would be home alone.
And so many more people who are losing their livelihoods, who
can't get to doctors and hospitals even for emergency treatments
(like chemotherapy and dialysis) and small stores and business
who will go bankrupt without the Christmas sales, all because
the TWU decided they want a fuller pocket no matter what.
NYers
are strong people. We survived 9/11and a blackout in the past
few years. We are used to walking and have been biking, roller
skating, or scootering
(like me) hundreds of blocks to get where we need to go.
People have been offering rides to complete strangers and have
been going out of their way to pick up stranded co-workers in
the morning.
It's just harder when the problems have been caused by other
NYer who are just too selfish to care about their fellow citizens
and who believe their own pockets are worth more than the safety
and well being of 7 million other people.
Even the TWU international
is against the strike. I hope they pay even heftier fines until
they stop listening to manipulators like TWU President Roger
Toussaint.
.:Dec
20, 2005:.
Subway,
Transit, TWU Strike in NYC
So just heard news that the transportation workers (TWU) in
NYC decided to go on strike like they have been threatening
to do for several weeks now.
My thoughts:
As much as I believe that they have been treated less than fairly
in general by the MTA, they have lost all of my sympathy by
appealing to a strike that more than inconveniences, but also
seriously affects the lives of over 7 million people who use
the subways everyday.
The Transit Workers Union has a history of making excessive
demands and of being uncompromising. By having the strike so
close to major holidays they seem to have absolutely no concern
for the small stores that need the business so much, the people
who need to work now to buy gifts for their kids and for the
people of the city in general.
As always the people most affected will be those who are the
poorest, who need to live far away and who usually have to commute
for an hour or longer just to get to work. Those people can't
afford the suggested cab shares or van services and are also
the ones who will suffer the most if they lose money from missed
days of work.
The strike is also illegal and the transit workers will be fined
2 pay days for each day of strike. Somehow I don't feel bad
for them this time around.....
Suggested (though ridiculous) options and suggestions by the
MTA and the Mayor's office:
Driving
Alternatives:
Residents and commuters are encouraged to walk or bike, especially
during rush hours. Bicyclists are encouraged to keep to car-free
greenway paths and on-street bike lanes (some of which will
have orange cones along them for added protection from car traffic).
Bikers should review the 2005 New York City Cycling Map, available
on the Department of City Planning’s Web site: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/bike/bm.shtml
Ferries will run more frequently.
Public
School Information:
Beginning with the first day of a strike, all regular school
start times will be delayed for two hours. School bus times
will be delayed two hours as well, to accomodate for the new
start time. The end of the school day will not be changed.
Car Pooling and Parking:
Cars crossing the main bridges to Manhattan must have at least
4 passengers. For help finding other people to pool with: http://www.commuterlink.com/
Alternate side of the street parking rules will be suspended
Citywide for the duration of the transit strike.
Keep
safe and let's hope for a short strike.
.:Dec
20, 2005:.
Problems
with Internet Explorer? Need more traffic for your site? Steve
Jobs and the Ipod on Saturday Night live?
So for another tech section, I decided to help new webmasters
who just need to get some hits so their site gets ranked in
search engines.
There are several traffic exchange sites and below are some
I suggest:
Another
important thing is to always have a back-up browser in case
you have problems with Internet Explorer or Safari if you have
a Mac. A very good alternative is Firefox:
It's reliable, has hundreds if not thousands of add ons you
can download to make your browsing experience richer and it's
free.
And
a great Saturday Night Live sketch about Steve Jobs and the
Ipod. (thank you Dale for sending it to me). Here
(Quicktime, 3.4mb, so it might take a little while to appear)
I have been planning a "Reasons to love NY" post for a while,
but decided instead to open it to anyone who has reasons to
love where they live, or a special place or community.
So here is the invitation, open to all:
Send your phone pictures by messaging them (via mms, or phone
email to:
any23shot2blog@photos.flickr.com
with a SHORT title (fewer than 30 characters) saying where it
was taken, a SHORT caption and by whom.
Hi everyone
A good explanation of why foreigners have a hard time with the
English language found on a posts on a Lamma Island forum site
( I could add another 1000 more examples, but it would make
the post too long):
Have you ever wondered why non-native speakers have trouble
with the English Language?
Let's face it, English is a stupid language.
There is no egg in the eggplant
No ham in the hamburger
And neither pine nor apple in the pineapple.
English muffins were not invented in England
French fries were not invented in France.
We sometimes take English for granted
But if we examine its paradoxes we find that
Quicksand takes you down slowly
Boxing rings are square
And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
If writers write, how come fingers don't fing.
If the plural of tooth is teeth
Shouldn't the plural of phone booth be phone beeth (Or the plural
of toothbrush, teethbrush)?
If the teacher taught, why didn't the preacher praught.
If a vegetarian eats vegetables
What the heck does a humanitarian eat?
Why do people recite at a play
Yet play at a recital?
Park on driveways and drive on parkways
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy
Of a language where a house can burn up as it burns down
And in which you fill in a form by filling it out
And a bell is only heard once it goes!
English was invented by people, not computers
And it reflects the creativity of the human race (Which of course
isn't a race at all)
That is why
When the stars are out they are visible but when the lights
are out they are invisible
And why it is that when I wind up my watch it starts
But when I wind up this observation, it ends.
Go figure...
.:Oct
31, 2005:.
MARTIAL
ARTS UPDATE
To those who have been asking me about Martial Arts updates.
I will add more information on my personal experiences with
Martial Arts, but for now, check our sister site:
Beholders.org - Body, Mind and Spirit
http://www.beholders.org.
We just added a martial arts section and forum to the site.
It's also where we sell Xootr scooters, and all the profits
go to support a low income teen filmmakers program. I will leave
information to that site and my personal experiences to this
blog.
Peace :)
.:Oct
26, 2005:.
ROSA
PARKS DIES, HER LEGACY LIVES ON...
The
year was 1955... the day was December 1st... the place was Montgomery,
Alabama...and a petit African American woman, 42 years of age
boarded a bus on her way home after a long exausting day working
as a seamstress. A common action, a common day, and yet, that
petit woman would show the world that day the power of one person,
one voice, one action...
In a world that was still far from even vaguely acknowledging
the rights of African Americans, that woman was asked to stand
up and move to the back so a white man could take her seat.
Her reply was a two letter word that would change history. She
said "No".
That
woman was Rosa Parks, and her revolutionary action initiated
a series of events: She was arrested and fined $14 for violating
a city ordinance, a 381-day Montgomery bus boycott followed,
organized by a then little-known Baptist minister, the Rev.
Martin Luther King Jr., and, finally, the Supreme Court's ruling
in November 1956 that segregation on transportation is unconstitutional.
“At
the time I was arrested I had no idea it would turn into this,”
Mrs. Parks said 30 years later. “It was just a day like any
other day. The only thing that made it significant was that
the masses of the people joined in.”
Rosa Parks died yesterday, at 92. May her spirit and example
change generations to come.
.:Oct
07, 2005:. Suggested
Tools: Protect your computer
So I always get calls from people asking me to recommend a good
anti-virus and spyware protection they could buy. And the idea
is, why buy it when you can get it for free? So here are a few
tools I'd recommend:
Ad-aware (Anti-spyware, look at the bottom of the page for current
build for the free version which they keep almost hidden within
the site) http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
Ok, Ok.. so I decided to give into the ease of update of blogger.
Considering that I don't always have my computer with me when
I feel like updating the blog, I figured I might actually get
more consistent using Blogger. Now, it will still be hosted in
this server and I will eventually switch to that format completly,
but for now, there will be two blog home pages and I will continue
to post the same article on both until they catch up with each
other. The structure will change a little bit, but not much.
To make the life of those who check it often a little easier,
I have also added an rss feed to this blog ( http://simplytatydesigns.com/feed.xml
))
The new page can be found at: http://www.simplytatydesigns.com/blogger.htm
Enjoy :)
.:Sept
26, 2005:.
CIRCUS
AMOK AND MEG
To
those who haven't heard of it, Circus Amok is a circus that
is small in size but big in personality.
Since 1989 Circus Amok has been performing free at parks and
squares all over NYC.
What makes them even more extraordinary is the fact that they
do their circus acts while educating the communities about some
of the most pressing social issues happening
in NY and in the world. They accomplish that feat while entertaining
the children with dynamic acts and getting the adults to feel
like kids again.
Circus Amok is run by the brilliant Jennifer Miller, the bearded
woman from Coney Island and is performed by an eclectic group
of talented and spirited performers.
While
helping them out the other day, I witnessed a private and deeply
moving moment in the lives of these artists.
I got to Washington Square Park to meet them and they were somberly
sitting together holding each other. Jennifer came to me to
explain what had occured. One of the people who had been involved
with the circus for a long time, Meg, had died in a bicycle
accident the night before.
I had never met Meg, but watching their pain and hearing them
lovingly talk about all the small moments when she had affected
their lives brought tears to my eyes and seriously made me wonder
how they could perform that day.
Showtime started drawing closer and they started setting up,
silence and tears still punctuating so many of their actions.
And the audience begins to gather and they start announcing
the acts. Within minutes they start moving around with smiles
on their faces, blowing bubbles, juggling, running on stilts
and creating social change with their piercing humor and perspicacious
wit. If that is not art, I don't know what is...
Downtown
Artists Come Together for Marathon Hurricane Disaster Benefit
NY LOVES NOLA SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
The
French Quarter is relocating to Noho for one night only.
Spend tonight in solidarity with your friends from New Orleans
and the ravaged Gulf coast at NY LOVES NOLA, a benefit for the
American Red Cross.
Your minimum $25 donation gets you a delicious Cajun buffet
at Acme Bar & Grill, plus access to 10 hours of marathon performance
at two neighboring venues: Ace of Clubs and The Culture Project.
The roster of over 60 performers includes:
Charles Busch, John Cameron Mitchell, Kevin Aviance, Penny Arcade,
Madame, John Kelly, Ellen Foley, Creation Nation, Lisa Jackson,
Meat, Elephant Larry, Melissa Rauch, the Duelling Bankheads,
Da Lypstixx, David Gurland, Xavier, and Karen Mack, plus the
casts of "Joy," "Musical of Musicals: The Musical," NYMTF's
"Rooms," "Sides: The Fear is Real" and FringeNYC's "Fleet Week.".
There is something for everyone: rock, musical theater, pop,
cabaret, burlesque, dance, drama, comedy, drag, circus acts,
performance art and more. The generous folks at these venues
are even donating all the profits from the bar to the cause.
Tonight head for one big hangover that you can be proud of ---
and help ease the headaches faced by our friends down South.
5 PM - 1AM
ACME BAR & GRILL / ACE OF CLUBS (9 Great Jones St. at Lafayette)
THE CULTURE PROJECT (45 Bleecker St at Lafayette)
Minimum $25 donation. No advance reservations required. Tickets
are available at the Acme door which will allow all-evening
access to all 3 venues. For more information and a complete
performance roster, visit www.SpinCycleNYC.com.
.:Sept 08, 2005:.
KATRINA
HURRICANE VICTIMS
Considering August was taken over by the Fringe I haven't had
much time for updates. I wanted to write somethings about some
of the shows, but that will have to wait. What brought me to
the computer tonight was an absolute sense of helplessness and
torment at what is happening in Louisiana.
We
see hunger and poverty and violence on tv, and we always blame
it on the fact that the countries in which they occur are poor
and without resources. What is the excuse for that happening
here ?
How can one understand having an entire city devasted in the
most powerful country in the world being left with no help for
days? How can one make sense of a governement paying $260 million
for a single military aircraft and yet taking five days to send
resources to one million people who were (and still are) dying
for lack of basic needs?
People keep discussing the lootings, but let's be honest here,
as wrong as the act itself is, if you had been left abandoned
by your country for 5 days, on a flooded area of a devastated
city, with no food, no water ,no home, nothing left, starving
and with no place to buy anything, and there was a supermarket
full of food and clothes a block away, what would you have done?
We also heard of horrendous acts of violence. Need, despair,
loss of hope, destruction, tend to bring about the most extreme
reactions out of people. Ninety nine percent of people will
prove themselves heroic and altruistic. Will help others even
when that threatens their own well being. One percent will show
the worse they have to offer. Those are the ones we always hear
about in the news, be it a natural disaster, a war or extreme
poverty.
Certain politicians have also said:
"Well, they were told to evacuate!"
Others have also been critical of rapper Kanye West when he
said:
"George Bush doesn't care about black people" during a benefit
concert for the victims.
The problem, as has become atrociously apparent over the last
week, is that huge numbers of New Orleans’s poor don’t have
cars, and couldn’t get out. Let me specify further—huge numbers
of black people in New Orleans didn’t have cars, and were therefore
left seeking refuge on roofs. As reported by the New York Times,
of the 28 percent of New Orleans residents living below the
poverty line, 84 percent of those are black. Nearly 22,000 black
households live below the poverty line and don’t have a car,
almost ten times the number of corresponding white households.
.
The questions has to be, had the victims been affluent white
people from Dallas, would help have come that slowly?
And the New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC),
the largest multi-arts festival in North America is about to
happen again, right here in NYC.
With more than 200 companies from all over the world performing
more than 1300 performances for 16 days in more than 20 venues,
Fringe NYC is a force of creativity and expression to be reckoned
with.
Started in 1996 by The Present Company (a small off-off Broadway
company with one employee), this festival managed to grow into
the launching ground of off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway shows
and even one award winning Broadway show, Urinetown, in only
9 years.
Their success is greatly explained by how the festival is run,
by the people for the people literally.
The festival relies on volunteer work for most of its functions
and staff positions, and has at its core the passion, kindness
and open heartedness of people like Elena K. Holy (one of the
founders), who can make this huge event feel like a small funky
get together of incredibly talented friends from all over the
world.
So if you are around NYC between August 12th and August 28th,
make sure to catch some shows and volunteer. For 2 hours of
work you can see any show you'd like for free.
Many great plays, sense of humor, and meeting great people are
sure to be part of the experience.
Highly suggested song download. Below are the lyrics to one
of the songs from the new Gorillaz cd, Demon Days. Gorillaz
managed to turn a song about soldiers and war into a beautiful
tribute by adding a chorus of children and some hip-hop to match.
I need a gun to keep myself from harm
The poor people are burning in the sun
But they ain't got a chance
They ain't got a chance
I need a gun Cos all I do is dance
Cos all I do is dance
I need a gun to keep myself from harm
The poor people are burning in the sun
No, they ain't got a chance
They ain't got a chance
I need a gun Cos all I do is dance
Cos all I do is dance
In my backpack I got my act right
In case you act quite difficult
And your result is weakin'
With anger and discontent
Some are seeking and searching like nimnoy
I'm a peace-loving decoy
Ready for retaliation
I change the whole location to a pine box six-under
Impulsive don't ask wild wonder
Orders given to me is:
strike and I'm thunder with lightning
fast reflexes on constant alert from the constant hurt
that seems limitless with no dropping pressure
Seems like everybody's out to test ya
'til they see your brake
They can't conceal the hate
That consumes you I'm the reason why you flipped your soosa
Chill with your old lady at the tilt I got a 90 days digit
And I'm filled with guilt
From things that I've seen
Your water's from a bottle mine's from a canteen
At night I hear the shots
Ring so I'm a light sleeper
The cost of life, it seems to get cheaper out in the desert
with my street sweeper
The war is over
So said the speaker with the flight suit on
Maybe to him I'm just a pawn
So he can advance
Remember when I used to dance
Man, all I want to do is dance (Dance!) (Dance!) (Dance!)
I need a gun to keep myself from harm
In
a delightful trip through the world of Hip Hop, more specifically
krumpin' and Clownin', director David LaChapelle exposes cultural
aspects of South Central L.A. that help break certain sterotypes
while re-enforcing others.
Rize is a sincere and well directed and at times visually stunning
view of the Hip Hop movement that carries so much energy, it
is impossible not to pay attention.
The characters, Tommy the Clown ( the charismatic creator of
clowning), and several groups of dancers who inherited his legacy
and ultimately come to compete with him, demonstrate how dance
has affected their lives in an environment that fosters little
else.
The movie links Hip hop to its african origins while demonstrating
that its unique form in South Central serves simultaneously
as exercise, after school program, arts project and as a cathartic
way for the dancers to express their anger and frustrations
in relation to the violence of their surroundings.
These otherwise outcasts move with power and beauty that is
undeniable and with so much heart you can see through the defensive
shields their beautiful muscular bodies offer.
Most
of us started our day today with the tragic news about the terrorist
attack in London that killed at least 37 people and wounded
another 700.
It's with a heavy heart for those innocent people whose lives
were destroyed and for their families that I decided to write
this post. Not to explain what happened, since you all have
better resources for your news than this blog, but to try to
figure out why we are so vulnerable.
I understand the immediate feelings faced by those affected
by a terrorist attack, being directly hurt myself when the World
Trade Center was destroyed in my backyard, taking with it friends
who were just leading their lives and trying to do their best
for their families and fellow men.
Hatred, vengeance, discrimination and most of all, fear are
all feelings we face on the aftermath of acts of cowardly violence.
Now, considering how well prepared London has been, dealing
with IRA and their constant threat, how active their secret
service tends to be and how
many arrests have been made there recently, one can't help but
wonder, if that hasn't prevented the attacks, what can?
Let's face the truth... Living in NYC post 9/11, I have gotten
used to metal detectors in places like hospitals and libraries,
of having my bags checked before walking into a museum and
of having to show ID before entering business buildings and
to seeing army soldiers at Grand Central Station carrying HUGE
rifles. But do those measures really work?
IDs can be falsified, bombs can be made of plastic and I am
still to understand why someone who is willing to blow himself
up inside a train would care about a soldier carrying a rifle.
Do they imagine that after being blown up the terrorist would
worry about being shot?
Then what can we do?
Being alert helps, being paranoid doesn't.
Warning security about packages left behind helps, staring at
people wearing turbans, or anyone else for that matter, doesn't
(and by the way, the majority of people in the United States
wearing a turban are Sikhs, none of the terrorists was a Sikh).
Basically, we must go on with our lives, warriors in a battle
we never started.
Now, things change when we talk politics.
Has the approach of the USA and of other countries in the world
been effective or has it been making matters worse? Terrorist
attacks rose to 650 last year from about 175 in 2003.
Now, I believe in aggressively searching for terrorist cells
and arresting them, and if nothing else, would love to hear
that Bin Laden has been capture ( still waiting on that one...),
but aggression is not the only way to handle this. It's a superficial,
limited and uneducated way of dealing with the problem.
There is no way to arrest every uneducated fundamentalist in
the world who has had a miserable enough life to make him hold
on to hatred, destruction, lack of hope and the words of some
crazy murderous mind who gives him a meaning for his existence.
The solution is to prevent those situations from being so readily
available.
By bringing schools to poor areas in the Middle East and Africa
we can prevent fundamentalists from becoming the only source
of education in those areas.
By helping feed the hungry and helping them create a productive
society that allows them the basics of human dignity, we are
creating people who have more to live for than revenge their
miserable childhoods.
By providing them with hospitals that will save lives instead
of bombing their families and killing their dear ones, we are
helping them see what equality really means and why it's important
to value the lives of others.
.
A man with a megaphone (who
happened to be a retired veteran who was evicted), asking people
to vote because "rent is too damn high". 
The
times have been sobering to say the least. So much violence,
so much suffering and the inescapable feeling that the world
is moving backwards. We seem to have taken a turn towards religious
sectism, narrow views, intolerance and war. The issues have
been so depressing and so many I have chosen not to write about
them. It feels like every topic almost deserved a book, not
the concise and easy read format of a blog. Well, a topic has
just caught my attention in a black hole of bad news. N.J. is
moving towards legalization of gay marriage.
FringeNYC, for those who don't know is the largest multi-arts
festival in North America, with more than 200 companies from
all over the world performing for 16 days in more than 20 venues
with almost 2000 performances, art events, free classes and
outdoor performances.
World
On Fire
That
woman was Rosa Parks, and her revolutionary action initiated
a series of events: She was arrested and fined $14 for violating
a city ordinance, a 381-day Montgomery bus boycott followed,
organized by a then little-known Baptist minister, the Rev.
Martin Luther King Jr., and, finally, the Supreme Court's ruling
in November 1956 that segregation on transportation is unconstitutional.
In
a delightful trip through the world of Hip Hop, more specifically
krumpin' and Clownin', director David LaChapelle exposes cultural
aspects of South Central L.A. that help break certain sterotypes
while re-enforcing others.