Once More Into the Daylight

I really don't want to go outside. Because once I do I have to commit to facing another day. I have to go through this day in order to get to Saturday and Sunday.

I have to put on the big girl panties and deal with people, rules, conflicting rules, being held accountable by the conflicting rules and then taking a huge breath and remembering it really does not matter.

Not one bit.

I bought a magazine called Light of Consciousness. I think it is for folks that want to apply Buddhist principles in everyday life. I'm not a Buddhist but I'm willing to learn anything to help suppress my desire to beat stupid people with a wet noodle.

A wet noodle attached to a Cat-of-9 tails.

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In Memory of Fred and Tears of Remembrance

Each generation brings something new to the party. What we held true 20 years ago gets pushed to the past and then evaporated. It is hard to understand until you live it. I have my memories and they can't really be touched by re-inventors.

Most of the time.

This is a re-mix video by PBS Digital Studios called Garden of the Mind. It is some words and moments  with a neighbor.



It has been a good long while since Fred Rogers has passed on. Certainly a icon in children's television and as an advocate of quality television.

I remember seeing Mr. Rogers talking to Congress about the need for a national educational television system. In that quiet powerful way the real Fred Rogers got the money.


I've seen Fred parodied by comedians and some were less than kind.  You had to work hard to find people who would publicly said they didn't care for the man or his show. Sure, they would have had to been a couple of folks. But not many.

On of my favorite stories is when his car was stolen on day one and on day two it was returned with an apology because they didn't know it was "his car."

Truth be told, I barely hear the music in the video. I think what struck me was his reminder to be creative, to explore, to be open.

To be kind. Civil. Engaged.

I'm tearing up again. That man has me in tears and it is not logical.

I gotta brace up and get on with the day.

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Confirmed - I'm Not In the One Percent

The appointment was for 4:30 p.m. I get there at 4:10 p.m. and wait for about an hour or so. In the meantime I get to read a 1% magazine. I am sure that the 1% folks read this magazine because there were ads in it for jewelry that crested around the $367,000 level.

I'm not into polished rocks but I have to say there was not a cubic zirconia in the entire magazine. Fire stones and ice laced with golden circles. There was skimpy food served on porcelain . There were rich guys on private islands trying to keep the natives from encroaching on their land.

There were men in pinstripe suits so tight they couldn't pass gas. You could tell they steamed those male models to make sure not a fleck of dirt got near the cloth of the hem of that suit.

Truth be told I was focusing on the men because if you see one blonde woman wearing an evening gown on a surf board you have seen plenty.

No ads for plastic surgery or lap bands. No ads for ED. There were a lot of stories about exclusive hotels that have rooms for $2, 500+ a night.

Photographically the place looked magical. Until it got to the food. If I'm paying $100 a meal there has got to be some food on the plate. I like impressionistic paintings but I just can't do impressionistic dinning.

I read that sucker from stem to stern and not only did I learn that I am not worthy of the finer things in life I am content in my undesirability to swig up on high tone white rum. Unless you are going to mix some in rum raisin ice cream or rum water ice.

See, pedestrian. I know it.

This is not to say that if my long lost Sugar Daddy, or as I would prefer it, My patron and artistic supporter, happen to show up and offered me a weekend on the island I'd refuse.

I would not.

But we'd be stopping at the market to pick up some real food before we board the flight.

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Passing Through June Gloom

June Gloom here in Los Angeles is when the mornings are really cloudy. It is cool outside. It is blah. As the day moves on it get sunny and bright. The warmth hits the body and life is good again.

But you have to pass through June Gloom.

Not only a weather condition but a reality of life. You can BS yourself into saying you want make a change or you can just up and do it.

Most folks would rather not. People change because they are in trouble and they have no choice in the matter. I am of the opinion you should not wait for life to kick your tushy in order to make it happen. Life kicks kinda hard and it is usually the same lesson I thought I learned the last time.

I know I have to put new things in place. I am ready. I've been ready but that fear monster creeps up on you. The "woulda, coulda, shoulda's" are hitting me hard now.

I am being cryptic and I don't mean to be. I would like to take different kinds of multimedia storytelling classes. That can happen; I just need to find one that I can afford and I don't need to drive to get there.

I need to clear out old unused ideas and how it use to be.  Those days are gone. What do I want to do now?

What I know is that the world I was prepped for is almost gone. Since I am planning to be around for a bunch more years what do I do? With what skills?

How many tribes will I have to hook up with that will have me? 

I'm thinking hard about it and it is still the June Gloom that envelopes me.

I know it.

I am not a patient person. I am still working on that lesson. I still am rubbing my tushy.

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Vlogging While Brown 2011 Panel Session Video

When the blahs hit and you think there isn't anything to conjure up I say dive into the external hard drive video shoe box and see what you got.

The Blogging While Brown Conference 2012 is happening in Philadelphia this year. I can't make the trip this year but I do have some video to share.

These are two brief clips from the Vlogging While Brown panel. The first clip talks about how to present yourself as an expert or a resource to your viewers.


The second clip talks about the need to have a thick skin when you present yourself to the viewing public.


The Vlogging While Brown Panel participants were Roshini Cope, Andrea Tasia and Lydia Cotten.

Just two quick points. There is all kinds of ways to do videoblogging. There is talking head, personal narrative, advocacy, travel, cooking,  pick a topic and somebody has done a video on it. 

You do want to put on your internal slickers to repel some the bile that could come your way.

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A Study of Los Angeles in Four Seconds

I was sitting here wanting not to be sitting here not being productive. I'm looking through old videos I hadn't taken the time to take a second look to review. One of my camcorders has a feature that takes a four second video snapshots.



So I am looking at all these files and getting more depressed. Not depressed enough to do the dishes but  I'm down kinda low.

I start pulling the videos down into my editing time line and there have certain colors and sounds. I notice this and start to play with what I am seeing.

This is good. Play is good. It is good to remember why you invest time and money into something that you actually enjoy.

This is a sense piece. Seeing Los Angeles in a certain color pallet I guess. Not something I intentionally tried to do. It feels right and I should do this again.

After the dishes.

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A Moment to Laugh Freely

We use to have fun. You know? We use to laugh freely and didn't care what anybody thought. When I look at this video I remember when I was this open and ready to laugh and just enjoy the moment.



It isn't about the erotic cookies. To me, it is about being engage in work that make you happy.

We have creaky old hypocritical men trying to dictate what we can do with our bodies. Trying to re-introduce shame. This is a video by Philip Campbell for the Montreal Gazette.


Let's not help them do that. Let's laugh in their sad faces and find joy, how ever you define it. But if you want to kick it with Roscoe Palmer that is okay by me.
No shame. A bit of peak a boo but more "oo la la".

Mainly I just wanted to share her laughter.

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