The Inside-Place.

So it is April 4th, a Memphis sky...Free at Last...The memory of  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,  and his assassination, is one of the "defining moments" in my own personal history. On my next day of school, after the shooting,  that I learned what the word prejudice meant. I learned how when people are hurt, they become angry, as did the folks I witnessed, pelting our car with bricks and rocks, as my young sister and I were told by our beloved mother, to "Get down girls; lie down on the floor of the backseat; we are going to play the quiet game. Whoever stays the quietest until we get home, wins."
I wasn't afraid; I just didn't understand.
"Mommy, why are the black people throwing rocks at us?"
"I'm going to explain when we get home, but I need you girls to behave, okay?"
So we dutifully lay down on the floor of the backseat, as mom revved the engine of our old Chevrolet, and pulled away quickly from the corner of the expensive parochial school we attended. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Academy was predominantly white, and also, Cuban. Situated in the heart of Tampa's "Ybor (pronounced eee-bohr) City", many new immigrants (escaping the fall of Batista, and the takeover by Fidel Castro) were enrolled at O.L.P H., many with scholarship assistance. Ybor City then, was little more than a slum. The school and the huge cathedral of Our Lady dominated the surroundings with ornate carvings, palm trees, and wealthy benefactors. Those who lived within walking distance of the school, were very poor, and black.
Once we arrived home, Mom carefully explained that "Someone great has died. He was a leader for peace, for all people."
"Like Jesus?" I asked.
"Yes, just like that," Mom said, while dabbing her by-now-red eyes.
The people throwing bricks and rocks, were angry, because he was killed by someone, and, well, it felt to them, like we had something to do with it."
"Well, Mom, tell them we didn't!", I offered with much frustration.
"Tell them that we are sad, too", I said earnestly.
"It's not that easy", said Mom with a sigh. "There's this thing called prejudice..."
"Prejuudee...?"
"Prejudice", she repeated.
She went on to explain it was about judging someone based on whether their skin was lighter or darker, which was very puzzling to me. I pointed out she had darker skin, and black curly hair, while Daddy had blond hair, blue eyes, and lighter skin.
"Yes, and some people don't like that."
We put the tv on, and when I saw the police confronting black people sitting quietly with signs, I asked Mom
"Why are the police spraying the black people with water, Mommy?"
"Because sometimes, the police are wrong..." her voice trailed off, as I quickly asked,
 "The police can be wrong?Then how do you know what's right?"
"In here. You know what's right, in here," she said, circling her chest. I knew that was where my heart--and likely--my soul--lived.
I suddenly understood that if everyone would listen to that inside-place, then the prejudice would not matter. It would not mater what anyone on the outside said, the prejudice would go away.

I'm still waiting for that day.
The day when we can all say,
"Free at Last, Thank God Almighty, I'm Free At Last."
Thank you, Dr. King.
And Thank You, Mom.
Peace, kids.

Actively Practicing Peace

Practicing gratefulness even when others are rude, show little gratitude, or are just. plain. mean..... Yeah, it's been that kind of (so far) evening..... I think if someone asked me, "What do you want your 'legacy' to be?" I'd answer with the following: "I would want people to remember that I was kind--even when I didn't have to be; that I treated others--humans and non-humans--with respect; that I tried to live in PEACE-- even when others created war around me, even when others wanted to argue over nothing (and seemingly, everything)." I want my legacy to be that I lived a good life--not perfect mind you-- just good. I enjoyed life--I loved, I stood up for what I believed in, I spoke up for those who could not (the downtrodden, what the Bible calls "....the least of these."). Sure, I love writing, and getting published. Discovering what it is I need to say, simply by writing it down. And I adore acting, and getting cast. Finding myself, in the role, especially a role which challenges me to look at the hardest, darkest parts of what it is, to be human...and yet. The most important thing in my life, is to be kind. And one day, to be remembered for that. I hope that speaking up and stating that kindness is important to me, and that I believe I AM kind, does not subtract from this quality. I hope this is not about "ego". How about YOU? What do you want your legacy to be? Peace, kids.

Summer Loves: family, fresh air, faith, films, and poetry.

So I am dealing with loss (Casandra), exhaustion(not complaining, it just "is what it is") due to my doggies becoming demanding(I have less time for them, so they are 'acting-out', a bit).I also love feeding and caring for my (very beloved) in-laws, and would not have it any other way....but then I also have, mixed in with a lot of (bad) stress, tremendous creative exhiliration as the excitement builds towards the completion of the film, "Unspoken Words".
Casandra is gone, but I am praying for a renewed sense of faith, because this has been so very, very hard. My Mother-in-Law is improving everyday, though it hurts to see her hurting. My Father-in-Law is pretty well, but of course, wounded, seeing his wife so injured. All I can do is cook nutritious meals that hopefully taste great, (I'm doing lots of Breakfasts of omelettes, steel-cut oats with chopped pecans or maple syrup or strawberries, fresh fruit salads, and homemade pecan syrups,Greek potatoes, etc.; for Lunch: curries, stir-frys, curried eggs, spinach salads with berries and apples, brisket(I love "Jewish" food),spaghetti sauces including veggie ones, and ones with carmelized vidalia onions with pancetta(Italian Bacon);Dinner: soups, stews, tuna melts(with mushrooms and sharp cheddar on a croissant, or sliced apples and white cheddar cheese), fresh salmon patties and rice or soba noodles,etc.,and each time I snip from my herb garden a sprig of fresh rosemary or Greek oregano, I pray for my in-laws'full recovery.
I commence filming again, tomorrow. I am very enthused that we will first be working on younger Benetha(my character ages about 15 years in the film).The most physically demanding scenes for me, will be shot over the next several days, when Benetha is older, and hopefully, I'll be wrapped by July 3rd. The film is expected to be completely wrapped by July 8th. The photo shoot for film-posters, and interviews for press kit, will be on July 10th.
The film's "Trailer Release" is on August 23rd.
I must mention the kinship and love I felt, in two separate events recently:
The Howl-A-Thon at First Existentialist Congregation, in Atlanta's Inman Park, where pal Julie Bloemeke and I delivered Allen Ginsburg lines as we tossed rose petals, a la the 1960's, at an enthusiastic audience.That fundraiser, the brainchild of poet/resident hippie/phrasemaker Rupert Fike, was quite successful (in attracting attention and dollars!) for Atlanta Queer Literature Festival.And speaking of AQLF....WOWSERS!
We had a huge, appreciative audience at the kickoff for AQLF, which I Emceed, at Charis Books last Thursday night.I was thrilled with the diversity present, reading, performing, and sharing the love! I purchased Alice Teeter's award-winning book of poems, "String Theory" and Reginald T. Jackson's "This Morning I Woke Up Black: The Barack Obama Poems".I had Reginald sign my copy, but Alice was out the door before I could let her know I needed her signature. Both books are amazing!
My only regret is that I could not interact with AQLF more, because I had family responsibilities here, which prevented me from going out, and staying out, over last weekend.One of those responsibilities, was lovely little Morgan Catherine, our newest niece(born last September 21st), who came to visit with her lovable Daddy, my bro-in-law, Arthur.I discovered babies are truly cool.
Next big project to finish: A two-part Scrapbook, and Photo Album for my Pax Christi, St. Jude's group, which I will be finishing in mid-July, (with help from a couple of Pax Christi members who offered!)and plan to present at our August meeting.
After that: A "Second Sundays Feature Poet/Author with Open Mic" which I will Emcee, at Red Door Playhouse, in Roswell, beginning in September.Admission will be six dollars, but we will be offering CASH PRIZES at quarterly Poetry Competition/Slams.Our first scheduled Feature Poet will be announced in August. More details, soon!
I hope Summer 2011 finds you all, my readers, followers, and friends, both "real life" and "Facebook life", doing well, and enjoying wild blackberries, sunshine, and fresh air.
Peace, kids.

Growing Larger

The past several posts,I've probably worn ya'll out with joy.
Right now, I'm in-training. I've decided that one of the persons I will become the next several weeks(a person I will be portraying) needs to be "leaner, and meaner". So I'm lifting weights so she'll be larger, and stronger than little ol' Lisa.
I'm working on two separate projects:
One is a "small but pivotal role" in the short-film, "Just Us", by Atlanta director Reggie Price.
The other I cannot reveal, but it is a large Supporting Role, in a Feature-Length Film, and has a well-known, award-winning director at the helm!It is for this role, that I will grow larger.
Bonus for me, for working out with weights:
I'll finally be large enough, to hold all this joy! :)
Peace, kids.

BROTHER TIM'S "BLOG OF REVELATION"

BROTHER TIM'S "BLOG OF REVELATION".
If you haven't clicked on Brother Tim's blog, you simply must. Scroll down to his August post entitled "It....Killed Us" and marvel at an obviously naturally funny guy use metaphor in fresh, exciting ways!
Then read his most recent post, on the insurance-industry.
Both posts will have you howling with laughter; though in the former, we're glad you're SAFE, brother Tim!
Here's his link:
http://ofrevelation.blogspot.com/
Enjoy!
Peace, kids.

CHILD-LIKE FREE PLAY.

CHILD-LIKE FREE PLAY.
What's happened to childhood? Though I was more of an "indoor" girl myself(constantly reading and playing records), I certainly knew, as all kids back then did, that outside was where we did our real playing: running, tag, flying kites, hiking, hide and seek, "treasure hunt", (where you look for a list of items--whoever gets most or all of the items first, wins!)"statues", where another child calls "freeze" and whatever position you are in, you must stay in, until "action" is resumed).
This article illuminates what kids, adults--and therapists--are discovering nowadays.
If you did not get "free play" as a child, I highly recommend engaging in this, as an adult. I bet you'll feel more relaxed, and if you have any rage and anger in you, I bet you'll see it begin to melt.
Here's that article:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
New Theory: People Need to Play More
By LiveScience Staff

Goofing around goes way back, according to a new theory that suggests society can break down when we don't take time to play.

Early hunter-gatherers used playtime, humor and inclusive joking around to overcome the innate tendencies toward aggression and dominance, the thinking goes, and all that play was necessary to make a cooperative society possible.

"Play and humor were not just means of adding fun to their lives,"explains Boston College developmental psychologist Peter Gray. "They were means of maintaining the band's existence — means of promoting actively the egalitarian attitude, intense sharing, and relative peacefulness for which hunter-gatherers are justly famous and upon which they depended for survival."

Other research has shown that humor makes us hopeful. And a recent study indicated that sarcasm is part of human nature and probably an evolutionarily good thing. Other researchers have shown that choosing to work while foregoing vacations and other play leads to regret among adults, and the regrets grow as we age.

Gray looks at all this but focuses on a less-studied area: child-like free play.

No competition

To understand his theory, you have to think back to a type of play that may be unfamiliar to many.

Gray figures hunter-gatherer children in early human history developed into cooperative adults with the help of a type of play similar to that which once characterized American children's summers and after-school hours in contemporary culture. This play is freely chosen, age-mixed, and, because it is not adult-organized, non-competitive, he explained. This "free play" is distinct from leisure pursuits such as video games, watching TV, or structured extracurricular activities and sports.

"Even when children are playing nominally competitive games, such as pickup baseball or card games, there is usually relatively little concern for winning," Gray said. "Striving to do well, as individuals or teams, and helping others do well, is all part of the fun. It is the presence of adult supervisors and observers that pushes play in a competitive direction — and if it gets pushed too far in that direction it is no longer truly play."

The most important skill for social life, Gray said, is how to please other people while still fulfilling one's own needs and desires. In self-organized play, he contends, children learn to get along with diverse others, to compromise, and to anticipate and meet others' needs.

"To play well," he said, "and to keep others interested in continuing to play with you, you must be able to see the world from the other players' points of view. Children and teenagers in hunter-gatherer cultures played in this way more or less constantly," he figures, "and they developed into extraordinarily cooperative, egalitarian adults. My observations — published in previous articles — indicate that age-mixed free play in our culture, in those places where it can still be found, has all of these qualities."

The value of play

Social play counteracts tendencies toward greed and arrogance, and promotes concern for the feelings and well being of others, Gray writes in the current issue of the American Journal of Play. But, he thinks, we've gotten away from our roots.

Certainly other studies show that U.S adults have less time to play. Over the past 30 years, time spent at work has jumped 10 hours a week. Meanwhile, many parents make sure their children are involved in structured activities and competitive sports — and many of them find time to show up and yell at their children or the opposing team or the referees.

"People are beginning to realize that we have gone too far in the direction of teaching children to compete," Gray said in a statement this week. "We have been depriving children of the normal, noncompetitive forms of social play that are essential for developing a sense of equality, connectedness, and concern for others."

Gray even says it "may not be too much of a stretch ... to suggest that the selfish actions that led to the recent economic collapse are, in part, symptoms of a society that has forgotten how to play."

Hunter-gatherers used humor, deliberately, to maintain equality and stop quarrels, Gray contends, and their means of sharing had game-like qualities. Their religious beliefs and ceremonies were playful, founded on assumptions of equality, humor, and capriciousness among the deities. They maintained playful attitudes in their hunting, gathering, and other sustenance activities, partly by allowing each person to choose when, how, and how much they would engage in such activities.

"Professor Gray's novel insight sheds new light on the question of how such societies can maintain social harmony and cooperation while emphasizing the autonomy of individuals," said anthropologist Kirk M. Endicott, a hunter-gatherer expert at Dartmouth College. "Conversely, his demonstration of the wide-ranging role of play in hunter-gatherer societies focuses attention on the importance of play in the evolutionary success of the human species."
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
I personally believe without play, we have become less empathetic. I feel certain the lack of civility we see so often--the rude-ness, lack of consideration for others, the extreme hostility on the highways, etc. etc. is a direct result of learning to compete, which has cost many the ability to co-operate!
What do YOU think?

Peace, kids.

MEMORIAL DAY MUSINGS/PRESIDENT OBAMA'S APPOINTEE FOR THE SUPREME COURT

MEMORIAL DAY MUSINGS/PRESIDENT OBAMA'S APPOINTEE FOR SUPREME COURT!
I hope you all had a restful Monday--it was Memorial Day here in the USA, and I thought of my Grandpa--Reed Allender--who served with honor and distinction during WWII, and received a Purple Heart, and a Silver Star.He was a fighter in the famous "Battle of the Bulge", and at Normandy! Grandpa was also the inspiration for one of my first poems(written in 1997)"Hitler's Hands", which you can read, below.
My Uncle Lee, married to my Daddy, (J.R.)'s younger sister, (my lovely, talented Aunt Carolyn) is another person still on my mind, as he served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War. When he was finally allowed to return home, Uncle Lee was awarded the Bronze Star for Bravery.He would've been awarded the Silver Star, except he was not wounded in the battle(a requirement for receiving the Silver Star ) in which he saved several fellow soldiers from certain death!
It suddenly struck me, when speaking to my Daddy last night on the phone(we talked exclusively about war,(and all the various satellite-channels which are focused on war--apparently, there is a "Pentagon Channel" I did not even know existed!)that when we say we are grateful for soldiers' sacrifices and soldiers' families sacrifices, that it must not be limited to "good" or "honorable" wars. All wars kill people, and I believe all wars lessen our humanity. But it struck me suddenly, that even though we(the USA) should never have asked our young people to fight in that Vietnam War(and many others!), for the ones willing to do so--to do what they were asked, to willingly DIE because their country asked them to lay down their life--that ability to risk all, for one's country, that is something to admire.
Here's to veterans, and to their sacrifice--the ones still here to read this, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
And here's to Peace--there's no conflict in mentioning Peace, here, because what better way to honor those who thought they were "Keeping the peace" or "Promoting peace", than to actually make living in harmony, a goal?

President Obama's nominee, and WHY she should be approved, immediately--and with no backtalk, from Republicans:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sophia-a-nelson/republicans-judge-sonia-s_b_207530.html

Here's my poem I mentioned in this entry. This poem was published online by the journal, Gravity, a few years ago.:
___________________________________________________
Hitler's Hands

His hands touched this
an unblinking serious blue eye
watches me as I peer at this object
this thing of death:
an iron cross,
tainted by a touch.

I tremble as I reach for it,
imagine frightened dark eyes
look up from their graves
if they got a grave
peer out of dark ovens
I see white specks on earth
too ashen to be snow.
I hear voices in the specks
still speak of dark days,
darker nights
and a world so busy
those voices worry it, this world, will forget.

But I remember
1942 and Bergen-Belsen
a young girl’s diary
a mapped adolescence
a hope for love
a wish for peace
a few pale pages
all that was left of Anne
and my youth, too.

As for my grandfather,
no Jew, but Native-American-English
his are my roots,
he pulled the iron-cross
from a dying SS man
"We shot his legs off,
you shoulda seen
what they done- no man
should live- a man could
do that: women and children,
Lisa, in that barn, tried
to claw their way out."

I pick up the cross
still wrapped in tissue,
never touch it.
I want to know no part of this,
I have history enough in my head,
I have no need for
Hitler’s hands.
__________________________________________________
Peace, kids.

DRUGS, ANYONE?

Drugs, Anyone?
There's been a lot of talk about legalizing marijuana to establish a means of raising more money for individual states who choose to legalize it. President Obama was asked about it the other evening(He said "I don't think that's the way to go.")
I personally think it would raise a lot of money, but I doubt it could "solve" the economic crisis we're currently in.
My politics have certainly skewed much more Liberal the past several years, but even Liberals do not espouse "legalization of all drugs" as Libertarians (who believe in the freedom to do with your own body, what you will, so long as you hurt no one else.)do.
My feelings? While I freely admit I've personally tried marijuana (3 times in my life) and even the potentially very dangerous "Ecstacy", or "X" as it is commonly called,(4 times in my life), I can say positively that if tomorrow, drugs were free, legal, and even if they were unable to hurt me, I still would have NO desire to use them.
I do not want to be intoxicated, simple as that.
Which is why I do NOT believe legalization would cause more folks to use, or use more frequently. The fact is, some people feel a desperate need to get high--no matter what. These people will do so--no matter what. If these folks would get counseling, and discover WHY they need to get high(Bipolar Disease(what used to be called Manic-Depressive Illness is one possibility, as users often say they don't feel "normal"--the "self-medication"(using) that results is often an attempt to "feel better"), they might not feel the need to keep using. Talk-therapy with a quaified therapist, and possibly prescribed medications(Medicine has come a long way, and if deemed absolutely necessary,some meds are incredibly effective, when used short-term)could "stabilize" their brains so that using drugs to get high, would not be so attractive. Sadly, most of these folks will continue to use, until they develop lung cancer from smoking, or pancreatic cancer, or sclerosis of the liver, from drinking(Alcohol is certainly legal, but every bit as damaging to both body, and soul) and die.
There is also the argument that by definition, a user/addict is hurting others, and I know first-hand, how true that statement is. The lives of countless friends, siblings, sons, daughters are damaged irrepairably by friends, siblings, or parents whose first focus is on getting high, not on being a friend, a sister or brother, or a parent.
Bill Maher and other witty, creative folks(including the late, great George Carlin) have long argued for legalization of marijuana and other drugs, for "practical" reasons(how much time,money, and energy are we spending on chasing down, and locking up pot smokers?How about the lack of room at our jails and prisons?Shouldn't that be used for violent offenders?)as well as their obviously "personal"(they enjoy smoking dope) ones. While I absolutely support one's right to indulge, SO LONG AS YOU DO NOT HURT ANYONE ELSE(whatever that means), I feel a need to speak up about something no one ever seems to address.
If you currently smoke pot, or use any illegal drug, unless you get it "home-grown"--that is, grow it yourself, or obtain it from persons THAT YOU KNOW are unaffiliated with drug cartels, you are SUPPORTING TERROR AND MURDER. Yes, you are.If you purchase from someone whose "contact" or "supplier" is from Mexico, Bolivia, Columbia, etc.--you are supporting, in a very real way, kidnappings and murder which occurs in those countries(as well as many others) on a daily basis. If you receive your drug of choice from Afghanistan, or Pakistan, you are supporting The Taliban, and those who would do harm to the United States via their religious-political extremism, no question about it.
I cannot respect you as a human being, if you don't think about this, let it sink in, and vow to NOT use from "outside" sources.
While I do not smoke ANYthing, or use ANY drugs, I am NOT judging the behavior of using. I AM telling you to be mindful of WHERE your drugs come from--if you are engaging in exchanges of money or accepting--even for free--the drugs from folks who work as distributors for cartels, you are supporting the murder of not only those men who work with these thugs of organized crime, but the rape, torture, and murder of their families--women and children, too. Period.
Read CNN's columnist on the drug war, below. And think about WHERE you get your intoxicants, if you must intoxicate yourselves.
Peace, kids.(Peace doesn't harm your body or mind, and Peace can be a great "intoxicant")
______________________________________________________________________
Read Jack Cafferty's column, from CNN, below!
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/31/cafferty.legal.drugs/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

HELP FOR YOUR ELDERY PARENTS AND LOVED ONES.

NURSING HOMES AND THE MENTALLY ILL.
We're all becoming adjusted to calling "nursing homes" elder-care facilities, or assisted-living care centers, etc. But did you know that often, these homes are a depository for severely mentally ill people?
Read on, and learn what to look out for. From the Associated Press:
________________________________________________________
AP IMPACT: Mentally ill a threat in nursing homes
By CARLA K. JOHNSON, AP Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson, Ap Medical Writer
Sun Mar 22
CHICAGO – Ivory Jackson had Alzheimer's, but that wasn't what killed him. At 77, he was smashed in the face with a clock radio as he lay in his nursing home bed.
Jackson's roommate — a mentally ill man nearly 30 years younger — was arrested and charged with the killing. Police found him sitting next to the nurse's station, blood on his hands, clothes and shoes. Inside their room, the ceiling was spattered with blood.
"Why didn't they do what they needed to do to protect my dad?" wondered Jackson's stepson, Russell Smith.
Over the past several years, nursing homes have become dumping grounds for young and middle-age people with mental illness, according to Associated Press interviews and an analysis of data from all 50 states. And that has proved a prescription for violence, as Jackson's case and others across the country illustrate.
Younger, stronger residents with schizophrenia, depression or bipolar disorder are living beside frail senior citizens, and sometimes taking their rage out on them.
"Sadly, we're seeing the tragic results of the failure of federal and state governments to provide appropriate treatment and housing for those with mental illnesses and to provide a safe environment for the frail elderly," said Janet Wells, director of public policy for the National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform.
Numbers obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and prepared exclusively for the AP by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services show nearly 125,000 young and middle-aged adults with serious mental illness lived in U.S. nursing homes last year.
That was a 41 percent increase from 2002, when nursing homes housed nearly 89,000 mentally ill people ages 22 to 64. Most states saw increases, with Utah, Nevada, Missouri, Alabama and Texas showing the steepest climbs.
Younger mentally ill people now make up more than 9 percent of the nation's nearly 1.4 million nursing home residents, up from 6 percent in 2002.
Several forces are behind the trend, among them: the closing of state mental institutions and a shortage of hospital psychiatric beds. Also, nursing homes have beds to fill because today's elderly are healthier than the generation before them and are more independent and more likely to stay in their homes.
No government agency keeps count of killings or serious assaults committed by the mentally ill against the elderly in nursing homes. But a number of tragic cases have occurred:
• In 2003, a 23-year-old woman in Connecticut was charged with starting a fire that killed 16 fellow patients at her Hartford nursing home. A court guardian said Leslie Andino suffered from multiple sclerosis, dementia and depression. She was found incompetent to stand trial and committed to a mental institution.
• In 2006, 77-year-old Norbert Konwin died at a South Toledo, Ohio, nursing home 10 days after authorities said his 62-year-old roommate beat him with a bathroom towel bar. Sharon John Hawkins was found incompetent to stand trial.
• In January, a 21-year-old man diagnosed with bipolar disorder with aggression was charged with raping a 69-year-old fellow patient at their nursing home in Elgin, near Chicago. A state review found that Christopher Shelton was admitted to the nursing home despite a history of violence and was left unsupervised even after he told staff he was sexually frustrated.
Jackson's roommate was 50 and had a history of aggression and "altered mental status," according to the state nursing home inspector's report. Solomon Owasanoye wandered the streets before he came to All Faith Pavilion, a Chicago nursing home, and he yelled, screamed and kicked doors after he got there.
On May 30, 2008, he allegedly picked up a clock radio, apparently while Jackson slept, and beat him into a coma. Exactly what set him off is unclear. Jackson died of his injuries less than a month later. Owasanoye pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, and after a psychiatric review was ruled unfit to stand trial. He now lives in a state mental hospital.
All Faith Pavilion co-owner Brian Levinson said his staff is trained to deal with aggressive behavior, and he disputed state findings that Owasanoye had a history of aggression. The for-profit nursing home was fined $32,500 for failing to prevent the assault.
Under federal law, nursing homes are barred from admitting a mentally ill patient unless the state has determined that the person needs the high level of care a nursing home can provide. States are responsible for doing the screening. Also, federal law guarantees nursing home residents the right to be free from physical abuse.
Families have sued in hopes of forcing states to change their practices and pressuring nursing homes to prevent assaults. Advocates say many mentally ill people in nursing homes could live in apartments if they got help taking their medication and managing their lives.
The problem has its roots in the 1960s, when deplorable conditions, improved drug treatments and civil rights lawsuits led officials to close many state mental hospitals. As a result, some states have come to rely largely on nursing homes to care for mentally ill people of all ages.
Also, mixing the mentally ill with the elderly makes economic sense for states. As long as a nursing home's mentally ill population stays under 50 percent, the federal government will help pay for the residents' care under Medicaid. Otherwise, the home is classified a mental institution, and the government won't pay.
In Missouri, more than 4,400 younger mentally ill people are living in nursing homes, in part because of a state program that helps the elderly stay in their own homes longer.
Nursing homes "are looking at 60 to 70 percent occupancy, and the statistics tell us they've got to be in the 90s to operate successfully," said Carol Scott, the state long-term care ombudsman for 20 years. "They're going to take anybody they can."
Gaps in staff training leave the homes inept at handling the delusions and aggression of the mentally ill, said Becky Kurtz, the state long-term care ombudsman in Georgia, where nearly 3,300 younger mentally ill people live in nursing homes.
"Often they'll say, 'I hate it there. I'm angry. I don't want to be there.' Sometimes the behavioral issues are the result of being ticked off you're in a nursing home," Kurtz said.
Pat Willis of the Center for Prevention of Abuse said she has seen elderly residents terrified by younger, mentally ill residents who scream and yell, day and night. "The senior residents are afraid," Willis said. "They would prefer to sit in their rooms now and keep the doors shut."
Nursing home operators say protections against frivolous transfer or discharge keep the homes from throwing out some mentally ill residents.
"Many times, the nursing home's only option becomes dialing 911," said Lauren Shaham, a spokeswoman for the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.
_____________________________________________
______________________________
I hope anyone reading this who has older parents or other loved ones they must provide care for, will pay attention to this article. Perhaps we all should think long and hard about what care we can offer our loved ones, in their own home--or ours--if possible.
There are many caring nurses, nurse-assistants, and even volunteers(through various charities and houses of worship) who are happy to lend a hand. I have already begun setting up what I've termed my "Structure Of Support" (SOS) as I call it--a list of friends, neighbors, relatives I know I can count on, for when times get rough.
And remember to "be there" for the friends, neighbors, relatives who ask for YOUR help, too. It feels good to be of service--and not just because you might need help yourself one day. It feels good, because you know you're doing the correct thing. Every time we choose "goodness"over apathy or neutrality, we feel better. Try "goodness"--I guarantee you'll feel better when you wake in the morning, and everyone else will breathe eassier, too, because you're helping to carry their burden, and they will feel your love, your "goodness".
A few groups to contact, for help(Please note: you don't need to be Roman Catholic to utilize the free services offered by Catholic organizations):
Catholic Charities:
http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1174
Volunteers of America:
http://www.voa.org/Services/Elderly/tabid/2858/Default.aspx
Little Brothers--Friends Of The Elderly
http://www.littlebrothers.org/

Peace, kids.

81st ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS

GORGEOUS.
That's the word that kept coming to mind. Host, Hugh Jackman. The Swarovski crystals individually created, and hung, forming a frame for the Kodak Theatre's proscenium. And gowns galore!
The big difference this year is that when each category was announced for the performers, there were five previous winners from the same category, presenting, and offering words of congratulation to each nominee. Which truly made it memorable, I thought...
I mean, even if you did not walk away with the Oscar, you would have this exchange with the likes of Sophia Loren, or Goldie Hawn(two of the featured former Best Actress winners).
I was moved to tears when Sean Penn accepted the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor, for his Harvey Milk in MILK.
Sean Penn echoed the feelings of the screenwriter,Dustin Lance Black, who had his own lovely moment, when he won for the script of MILK. Check out both moments at my favorite blog, Modern Cofessional, from Collin Kelley, at:
www.collinkelley.blogspot.com

It will be a more whole, inclusive and loving, and yes!...God-led world when there are EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL. God Bless and Keep, Dustin Lance Black, Sean Penn, and dear Harvey Milk.

Peace, kids.

25 Random Things About Me.

Okay, just now getting to this.I've been tagged at Facebook, to do this.
So........
25 Random Things About Me

1) I used to be very very shy. In fact, I had tremendous difficulty speaking in front of class.Even in college, I was unable to do this, though I loved performing onstage.I suppose when I'm in "the skin of someone else", it's easier than just li'l ol' me standing up there. But poetry(reading it aloud) has helped me immeasurably!
2) I've always wanted to be Irish/Celtic, and I discovered recently that I do indeed have that in my Allender-background.
3) I have a secret fantasy where I am a glass-blower.(in the unbelieveable-irony-category, there is someone named Lisa Allender who is a ceramicist and also blows glass. She lives in UK. I guess she's the Lisa Allender, who gets to do that!)
4)I never had a burning desire for babies, but I would consider adopting an older child/children.So many kids have no home.
5)When I was growing up, we had dozens of dogs, as my parents raised German Shepherds. I used to think "dog-people"(my definition was anyone who raised and spent gobs of time with dogs,and/or showed dogs to win prizes or awards) were weird. Now, I'm older, and love dogs. And dog-people. I don't care about prizes or awards, though.
6) I am survivor of several types of violence in my life. And I believe that much-quoted statistic which claims that 1 out of 4 girls is molested by a friend of the family, or an(extended)relative.In fact, almost every woman I've ever asked, has said they were molested, or raped, at least once in their life. Really.
7) Regarding #6, I still have a bright, optimistic view of mostly all of humanity, and I have completely forgiven those who did harm to me. I figure, they must've been incredibly damaged, to commit awful acts, on others.
8)I love dancing, and once danced, NON-STOP, for nearly 7 hours(I was drinking water while dancing).
9)I think it's incredibly sexy to hear a woman/man read her/his own poetry.(No wonder I spend so much time, listening to poets!)
10)I am a very good cook. I love making pasta dishes, vegetarian dishes, and baking-- cakes, cupcakes, pies, cobblers--is my favorite!
11) A huge disappointment to me was not getting to complete the Team-in-Training Leukemia & Lymphoma Walk/Run of November, 2007(my doctor would not give permission for me to finish). I'm going to try again, though!
12) I used to read all about serial killers. I read so much about Ted Bundy, that I feel like I met him!(excellent books on him: "The Only Living Witness", by, uh, Hugh Aynesworth and his cop-partner, whose name escapes me right now(that book was given to me by a concerned boyfriend, who worried I'm too friendly(true) and would attract bad people(sometimes true)), "The Stranger Beside Me", by famed author, Ann Rule.)
13)I have held over 50 different jobs in my life.All were legal, though some of the jobs had me compromising a few things, but I do not regret any job I've held. Among the jobs:
*dee-jay at a night-club during college(I was 20 years old, and it was during the Disco-Years)
* a planter at a swelteringly hot, humid, seed plant in Ruskin, Florida.It was a summer-job. The folks who owned it were "religious", which meant I had to wear long-sleeved shirt(no bare arms!), with a bra underneath and long pants(no bare legs!)--in a 120 degree(yes, you read that right) greenhouse. In June, July, August. In Florida.
*Barista(before anyone in the US called us that) at Atlanta's Lenox Mall's Macy's Cellar Cafe'. We were "Sales Associates", but were trained to make cappucino's, lattes, etc. there. First espresso/cappucino machine in all of Atlanta, it was from Italy, and very expensive. I loved that job, because of the lovely people I worked with(I discovered, 10 years later--one gentleman I worked with was the uncle of a man I am now very close with!!).
*Actor. In numerous plays, and a few commercials/tv/film. I love acting, but may enjoy writing even more!
*Writer. I've interviewed many famous authors(including Oprah Book Club pick, Elizabeth Berg)and always love learning what they hold dear.
*Director of a musical, at a children's theater.I assisted at a well-known theater, in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida. It was crazy-making, but very fun. The show was "Oliver!"
* Undercover detective. I was hired to report on suspected drug/alcohol use at companies, while posing as a secretary there.(gain the employees' trust, then report on them.)It felt VERY immoral/unethical, but no one ever lost their job on account of my job. All were offered drug/alcohol counseling. I guess that makes me feel a little better.
* Nightclub work. I held several different jobs, in a variety of nightclubs. Use your imagination.
* House/Pet-sitter. Love this work, as it's lots of fun. I did this, off and on, for four years.
*Voice-Over Actor. Really fun job(Anime' voices, commercial work). Pays really well, for very little time invested. But you should have an acting background. It IS acting!
* Waitress.Of course. Too many venues to mention(see also, nightclub work)
Those are just a few of the jobs that I've held.
14) Whenever I worked a job NOT connected to acting, or writing, I dubbed it a "job-job".
15) I used to catch colds, all the time. Because I do meditation, I haven't had a cold in over 9 years.(I believe meditation "centers" me, and so I am "shored-up" when bacteria or viruses near me). The average adult in the US catches 4 colds per year.
16) I love working as a volunteer, and am sad since I've been ill(the past several months, with Diverticular disease/pre-surgery/surgery/recovery) that I have not been able to volunteer with the schoolchildren through BookPALS, help out at theatres, or feed the hungry at the homeless shelter, downtown. I don't understand why more people don't volunteer. Even an hour or two a week, can help!
17)I miss doing retail work. I am very interested in jewelry, and especially, Gemology.I think working for Tiffany's would be a hoot.
18)Although I was raised Catholic, I lost all faith in any god, by 1987. In late 2003, however, and early 2004, I had an "awakening"(way too many things happening--and happening "perfectly"--that I could not explain in any rational way) to faith. I'd call myself a Catholic-Christian, but I'm VERY progressive.I'm much more spiritual, than religious. My way "in" to faith, was through the marvelous Peace & Social Justice group, Pax Christi.
www.paxchristiusa.org
19)When I was very young, I wanted to be a nun.
20) I first had strong urges/crushes on women, when I was 17. I did not seriously(I kissed a few women, that's all) act on those urges, until I was 27.My first woman was only 19--and she definitely seduced me(she was very experienced, etc.).
21)The second man I had sex with, in my life, Bobby, was exclusively gay. We were great friends, and worked together, briefly, at "Penrod's". He came over one evening, we watched t.v., and talked, and I tried marijuana(I'd only tried it once before,I don't usually use drugs)with him. And we joked about a pretty hostess we both knew. I said I thought she'd be a good kisser. He asked "How would you kiss her?" I showed him, and, well, one thing led to another. He was two hours late, picking his boyfriend up from work. I knew his boyfriend, and in fact, we were all good friends. Two days later, his boyfriend came storming over to my apartment, and pounded on the door, threatening to kill me. I hid in my tiny bathroom, and did not answer the door.
A few weeks later, Bobby showed up where I served food at a rib-restaurant, and tried to give me a ring(!). Said his parents and family(in Tennessee) would "just love you, Lisa." I explained I still had feelings for my first boyfriend, that what happened was once-only, etc. I told him I believed he, Bobby, was gay, that it was just an experiment for him. He said no, that he wanted me to marry him.I asked him to please leave. I never heard from him, again.
22)I have few regrets. Except I feel really bad about hurting lovers in my life. I was not always faithful, and loving, as a person in a relationship, should aim to be.
23)If I could live in any other country, I think I'd pick Greece.
24)My niece is top priority with me. Her health, well-being, self-expression, happiness.Young people have all that bright, open promise!
25) I was one of 12--count 'em--12 students, in 1976, in "College Republicans".Within two years,however,I was an Independent. I'm a registered Libertarian(since 1998), but beginning in 1984(in 1980, I voted Independent, just as I did in 1976),
I have voted in national elections, Democrat, all the way!
26) Because I sometimes am naughty--I'm adding a 26th thing:
I think friends really are "the family you choose". I do have a great, strong family-of-origin/family I've married into, both of which I am grateful for, but I'd be lost without my loving, creative, politically-aware, blogging, selfless, inclusive friends!
Peace, kids.

A BRILLIANT PLAYWRIGHT AND SCREENWRITER, GONE. RIP, HAROLD PINTER.

One of the first plays I read at University was "The Birthday Party", by Harold Pinter.
His language is searing, and he challenges all actors to finely hone their skills. Pinter's plays are complex, and intricate, and ask much of the performers, and the audience. I have always felt he asks us to THINK. It seems it's never enough for the audience to merely be "informed" by Pinter, he longs for us to react, to respond.
As the article I've posted below explains, he became increasingly political in his work. I hope he died feeling we(the world) are on the precipice of a new beginning, a time where we can elicit change, ensure accountability of our elected leaders, and forge peace.
Pinter would've wanted exactly that.
Here are some details of Harold Pinter's illustrious career/life, from the AP, below.
______________________________________________
___
Nobel-winning playwright Harold Pinter dies at 78
By PAISLEY DODDS, Associated Press Writer Paisley Dodds, Associated Press Writer LONDON – Harold Pinter, praised as the most influential British playwright of his generation and a longtime voice of political protest, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 78.
Pinter, whose distinctive contribution to the stage was recognized with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005, died on Wednesday, according to his second wife, Lady Antonia Fraser.
"Pinter restored theater to its basic elements: an enclosed space and unpredictable dialogue, where people are at the mercy of each other and pretense crumbles," the Nobel Academy said when it announced Pinter's award. "With a minimum of plot, drama emerges from the power struggle and hide-and-seek of interlocution."
The Nobel Prize gave Pinter a global platform which he seized enthusiastically to denounce U.S. President George W. Bush and then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
"The invasion of Iraq was a bandit act, an act of blatant state terrorism, demonstrating absolute contempt for the concept of international law," Pinter said in his Nobel lecture, which he recorded rather than traveling to Stockholm.
"How many people do you have to kill before you qualify to be described as a mass murderer and a war criminal? One hundred thousand?" he asked, in a hoarse voice.
Weakened by cancer and bandaged from a fall on a slippery pavement, Pinter seemed a vulnerable old man when he emerged from his London home to speak about the Nobel Award.
Though he had been looking forward to giving a Nobel lecture — "the longest speech I will ever have made" — he first canceled plans to attend the awards, then announced he would skip the lecture as well on his doctor's advice.
Pinter wrote 32 plays; one novel, "The Dwarfs," in 1990; and put his hand to 22 screenplays including "The Quiller Memorandum" (1965) and "The French Lieutenant's Woman" (1980). He admitted, and said he deeply regretted, voting for Margaret Thatcher in 1979 and Tony Blair in 1997.
Pinter fulminated against what he saw as the overweening arrogance of American power, and belittled Blair as seeming like a "deluded idiot" in support of Bush's war in Iraq.
In his Nobel lecture, Pinter accused the United States of supporting "every right-wing military dictatorship in the world" after World War II.
"The crimes of the United States have been systematic, constant, vicious, remorseless, but very few people have actually talked about them," he said.
The United States, he added, "also has its own bleating little lamb tagging behind it on a lead, the pathetic and supine Great Britain."
Most prolific between 1957 and 1965, Pinter relished the juxtaposition of brutality and the banal and turned the conversational pause into an emotional minefield.
His characters' internal fears and longings, their guilt and difficult sexual drives are set against the neat lives they have constructed in order to try to survive.
Usually enclosed in one room, they organize their lives as a sort of grim game and their actions often contradict their words. Gradually, the layers are peeled back to reveal the characters' nakedness.
The protection promised by the room usually disappears and the language begins to disintegrate.
Pinter once said of language, "The speech we hear is an indication of that which we don't hear. It is a necessary avoidance, a violent, sly, and anguished or mocking smoke screen which keeps the other in its true place. When true silence falls we are left with echo but are nearer nakedness. One way of looking at speech is to say that it is a constant stratagem to cover nakedness."
Pinter's influence was felt in the United States in the plays of Sam Shepard and David Mamet and throughout British literature.
"With his earliest work, he stood alone in British theater up against the bewilderment and incomprehension of critics, the audience and writers too," British playwright Tom Stoppard said when the Nobel Prize was announced.
"Not only has Harold Pinter written some of the outstanding plays of his time, he has also blown fresh air into the musty attic of conventional English literature, by insisting that everything he does has a public and political dimension," added British playwright David Hare, who also writes politically charged dramas.
The working-class milieu of plays like "The Birthday Party" and "The Homecoming" reflected Pinter's early life as the son of a Jewish tailor from London's East End. He began his career in the provinces as an actor.
In his first major play, "The Birthday Party" (1958), intruders enter the retreat of Stanley, a young man who is hiding from childhood guilt. He becomes violent, telling them, "You stink of sin, you contaminate womankind."
And in "The Caretaker," a manipulative old man threatens the fragile relationship of two brothers while "The Homecoming" explores the hidden rage and confused sexuality of an all-male household by inserting a woman.
In "Silence and Landscape," Pinter moved from exploring the dark underbelly of human life to showing the simultaneous levels of fantasy and reality that equally occupy the individual.
In the 1980s, Pinter's only stage plays were one-acts: "A Kind of Alaska" (1982), "One for the Road" (1984) and the 20-minute "Mountain Language" (1988).
During the late 1980s, his work became more overtly political; he said he had a responsibility to pursue his role as "a citizen of the world in which I live, (and) insist upon taking responsibility."
In March 2005 Pinter announced his retirement as a playwright to concentrate on politics. But he created a radio play, "Voices," that was broadcast on BBC radio to mark his 75th birthday.
"I have written 29 plays and I think that's really enough," Pinter said . "I think the world has had enough of my plays."
Pinter had a son, Daniel, from his marriage to actress Vivien Merchant, which ended in divorce in 1980. That year he married the writer Fraser.
"It was a privilege to live with him for over 33 years. He will never be forgotten," Fraser said.
___________________________________________________
__________
Peace, kids.

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

UPDATE ON PROP 8

Here's the latest on perhaps WHY Prop 8 (the bill to ban gay marriage)was "approved" in California. I use quotation marks here, because this issue should NEVER have become a "ballot-issue". It will come as no surprise to us LGBT persons, that religion played a major role in this.
I am a believer in a good, loving God/Universe, and cannot for the life of me, understand what drives people to feel this way/interpret the Bible this way/etc.
All so-called "Christians" should re-read the "Christ-parts"(that would be the New Testament, kids) of the Bible. Sigh.

Poll: Calif. gay marriage ban driven by religion
By LISA LEFF, Associated Press Writer Lisa Leff, Associated Press Writer
SAN FRANCISCO – Voters' economic status and religious convictions played a greater role than race and age in determining whether they supported the Nov. 4 ballot measure outlawing same-sex marriage in California, a new poll shows.

The ban drew its strongest support from both evangelical Christians and voters who didn't attend college, according to results released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California.

Age and race, meanwhile, were not as strong factors as assumed. According to the poll, 56 percent of voters over age 55 and 57 percent of nonwhite voters cast a yes ballot for the gay marriage ban.

People who identified themselves as practicing Christians were highly likely to support the constitutional amendment, with 85 percent of evangelical Christians, 66 percent of Protestants and 60 percent of Roman Catholics favoring it.

The poll also showed that the measure got strong backing from voters who did not attend college (69 percent), voters who earned less than $40,000 a year (63 percent) and Latinos (61 percent).

The proposition, which passed with 52 percent of the vote, overturned the state Supreme Court's May decision legalizing gay marriage in California. The measure inserts language into the constitution limiting marriage to one man and one woman.

The poll found that, overall, 48 percent of voters oppose the idea of making gay marriage legal. Forty-seven percent support it, while 5 percent are undecided.

The results mirror previous PPIC polls from the last three years, suggesting that the $73 million spent for and against the measure did not do much to change public attitudes on allowing gay couples to wed, said survey director Mark Baldassare.

"At no point in time, before or after the election, did we have a majority of Californians saying they supported gay marriage," Baldassare said. "My takeaway from this is that until there is a major shift in public opinion one way or another, it's going to be another issue where voters are deeply divided."

Geoffrey Kors, executive director of the gay rights group Equality California, said the PPIC poll demonstrates that same-sex marriage advocates "need to make inroads in every category. If 2 percent of voters had voted differently, we would have had a different result," he said.

The poll was based on a phone survey of 2,003 California voters in the Nov. 4 election who were interviewed from Nov. 5-6. The sampling error was plus or minus 2 percentage points.

___

On the Net:

The poll: http://www.ppic.org/main/publication.asp?i860
____________________________________________________________________________________________
There you have it--the demographics of fear, and bigotry, and hate.

Peace, kids.

MY WEEKEND.
Although I am still ill, I was able to get over to "Voices Carry" the annual event suggested by the late, great Chante'Whitley-Head, and co-created with the help of Cecilia Woloch and Collin Kelley.
Pal Danny M. drove as I told myself I'd feel better once I was in the company of the featured artists. I missed getting to hear Collin Kelley read during the first few moments of the evening, but was buoyed that I was able to enjoy the rest of the wonderful night.
As usual,"Voices Carry" featured an eclectic mix of poets. Laurel Snyder's poem "It's a Boy" was hilarious and touching;Jim Elledge's excerpts from "A History of My Tatoo" were at times, hard to take in ("I was almost 13, and he said 'shhhhhh, don't tell anyone' " -- a refrain, and theme);Theresa Davis' poem about "Why Do I Do This?" was inspiring, and uplifting;Cecilia Woloch's magical, wistful "Bareback Pantoum" had us revisiting our own brink-of-adulthood memories;special visitor from San Francisco, Leroy Moore, and his poem on the history of differently-abled peoples challenged us to educate ourselves;Kodac Harrison's classic poems on the theme of Dreams, including my personal favorite,"Dream Turtle", saluted this historic week(re: President-Elect Barack Obama)).
Collin Kelley wrapped up the evening with a shout-out to Wordsmiths' Books, which always supports local authors and hosts local and national author-events.
I purchased Cecilia Woloch's brand-new "Narcissus", and am reading it now. The themes I'm already seeing have to do with losing one's voice through oppression(by a man? oneself?) and then finding it again(perhaps as a result of the oppression?). There also seem to be themes of reflection--in terms of "seeing" oneself reflected, and in the actual, thoughtful process of reflecting on one's own acts,on one's own character--weighty subjects, but handled with the ever-present pure,Woloch lyricism.

"I'm up so late, it's early."
I first said this phrase, nearly twenty years ago, when I worked "job-jobs"(my term for non-performing/non-writing work) that required late night hours(various jobs in bar/nightclub environs). I suppose at middle-age(what IS that, anyway, and hell, at 51, does that mean I get to live to see age 102?)we stay up because we simply can't sleep. (It is 3:00 A.M., as I write this.) In my case, it is not out of worry, but out of excitement. What I find in middle-age is not apathy, or a sense of loss (all those things I once thought would befall me, as I'd heard tell that's what happens), but a sense that life truly becomes more interesting, and I can begin to believe I can make a difference. In others'lives. In my own.
I even find myself trying things at which I may never excel. Like hiking!
Which brings me to how-I-spent-Sunday:
With "Louie" in tow, Hansoo and I drove out to Amicalola State Park
(I should note here we got away rather late(nearly 1:30 P.M.!), once again on account of my continual illness, but soon this will be remedied--after my surgery(coming up in December!) and I'll be better-than-new!)
So, we arrived, and commenced hiking up to see the famed Amicalola Falls.
"Louie" went nuts, looking less like a golden retreiver of nearly 11 years, more like a pup of a few months, eager with hot breath and huge, clumsy paws, and a tail that thumped continually, for adventure.
The leaves of the maples swirled around us--red, rust, bright gold. The ground had been blanketed so thickly, it was rather treacherous to climb. Slipping was a given, and I nearly fell,twice.
Nearing the peak, we could hear rushing water and a few quiet ooooh's and ahhhh's from a conglomeration of older white couples with Christian crosses and lots of babies(their grandchildren, or are these their children,courtesy of in-vitro-help?). There were also young Korean folks who live in the area.And several women with razor-short-hair who walked either arm-in-arm or hand-in-hand with whom I'm guessing were their life-partners. And an oddly large number of Chinese and Japanese tourists.

I pressed "Video" mode on my "Shine" phone, and recorded the crash of water over rock, hoping the sound would be at least as perfectly taped as the images of the water were...As much as I sometimes hate giving in to modern technology, I wanted to be able to play and re-play that soothing sound.
And there was that odd sensation once again--that feeling of being awed, scared of the height, of the danger--while simultaneously wanting to jump into the water, those rocks. No, I'm NOT suicidal, but this odd phenomenon plagues me every time I'm up high--whether it's at the top of the fake "tower" at the Paris Hotel casino in Las Vegas(I've been in the real Eiffel Tower, but it's safer there, because it's protected), or the various tall buildings in Chicago(Sears Tower)or San Francisco. It is an overwhelming sense of wanting to be set free, to fly. It's very odd.
In the past, I've asked my Mom about it,and she said she always feels that way, too. She said it's why she's "scared" of heights. In my case, I do have acrophobia(even looking at photos of tall buildings can make my palms sweat), but there is also an irresistible urge to climb and then look straight down.
I survived, kids, because the closest I got to the edge was when I teetered close to a cliff-hugging tree to see between the branches--curved, craggy, sharp--in order to witness a breathtaking burst of bright gold maple, branches spread out like the way a priest holds his arms out just before the sacrament of communion. I felt like crying for some reason, but I did not.
I just stared.
Starting back down the trail,I was pretty tired, so Hansoo left with "The Lou" to drive back to fetch me. In the meantime, I attempted some Haiku(the original intent of Haiku was to show praise/glory for nature--I daresay I went with that original intention on Sunday, though we'll see how successful my attempts are!), and checked my cell-phone for messages.
I saw some folks rolling their eyes as I sat on a rock, pen in hand, yellow-legal-pad (my preferred paper for writing poetry)at my side, and my cell-phone nestled next to me. I hope it wasn't too intrusive. In that moment, I was exactly the kind of person(a cell-phone-toting hiker!)that I find ridiculous.
Thirty minutes later(Hansoo told me Louie literally flew down the trail as they headed to the car)I piled into the car, and off we went.
On the way home, I told Hansoo how hungry I was. He agreed that hiking works up an appetite. After feeding "The Lou" at home, and seeing him nod off to sleep, we opted for a nearby buffet-restaurant that offers "comfort food"--mashed potatoes, veggies, fried chicken, and the like.
When I returned home, I found myself saying Thank You to a God that only a few years ago, I did not believe in.
If you've never been to Amicalola State Park, don't wait--get over there now, while there are still the colors of autumn on the trees, and at your feet. This year, they won't be there much longer.
Peace,kids.

ALREADY MAKING PROGRESS AS OUR PRESIDENT-ELECT!
See how President-Elect Obama is already making progress in terms of Iraqis working with us to end this war and our occupation, below!(Bold type in article is mine.)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Senior Iraqi backs Obama withdrawal plan
By Peter Graff and Mariam Karouny Peter Graff And Mariam Karouny
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – A senior Iraqi official on Thursday explicitly backed U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's plans to withdraw combat troops from the country by mid-2010, Baghdad's clearest endorsement yet of Obama's exit strategy.

The outgoing administration of President George W. Bush presented Iraq with a "final text" of a pact accepting Baghdad's demand that troops leave in three years, but Baghdad said it wanted more talks on questions that were still unresolved.

Asked to comment on Obama's pledge to pull combat troops out within 16 months of taking office, National Security Adviser Mowaffaq al-Rubaie told Al-Arabiya television: "We think 16 months is good."

Iraqi officials were reluctant to publicly endorse Obama's plan while the campaign was under way. Obama's opponent John McCain -- and the Bush administration -- opposed setting a timeline, although the administration relented in recent months.

"Obama's presence at the head of the U.S. administration will give new blood, new thoughts and new plans. We want to be in a fundamental alliance with the United States," Rubaie said.

The Bush administration has agreed to a 2011 withdrawal date in a draft security pact which would replace a U.N. mandate that expires at the end of this year.

The pact was held up last month when Baghdad asked for last-minute changes, and Washington delivered its reply on Thursday, declaring the negotiations over.

"We've gotten back to them with a final text. Through this step we have completed the process on the U.S. side," U.S. embassy spokeswoman Susan Ziadeh said. "Iraq will now need to take it forward through their own process."

GRUELLING TALKS

Her remarks appeared to close the door on any further talks on the pact, the subject of nearly a year of grueling negotiations. But Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said more discussions were needed.

"They had some remarks on some of the amendments, which now requires meetings with the Americans to reach a common understanding," he said, adding: "The mood is positive."

Among issues needing further discussion was the question of when U.S. troops would be under Iraqi jurisdiction, Dabbagh said. The initial draft would let Iraqi courts try U.S. troops for crimes committed off duty, language Baghdad called vague.

Rubaie said Baghdad had proposed 110 changes, and Washington agreed to most of them, including language that would firm up the 2011 withdrawal deadline.

"Yes, they agreed on this amendment. The foreign military presence in Iraq will end in 2011," he said.

In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the latest text "respects both Iraqi sovereignty as well as provides for the necessary protections for our forces to operate."

The pact needs approval from the Iraqi parliament, leaving little time for further negotiations before year-end.

Iraq has said it will seek an extension of the existing U.N. mandate if a final agreement cannot be reached in time, but both sides say they would much prefer a bilateral deal now.

The U.S. military announced that one of its 15 combat brigades in Iraq will go home this month instead of early next year, accelerating by six weeks a reduction to 14 brigades that Bush already announced in September.

Iraq has become far less violent over the past year, with the number of U.S. troops and Iraq civilians killed in attacks last month falling to their lowest levels of the war.

Iraqi officials say they are confident Obama will not jeopardize Iraq's security by ordering a hasty withdrawal.

(Additional reporting by Waleed Ibrahim and Mohammed Abbas in Baghdad, and Andrew Gray, David Morgan and Susan Cornwell in Washington)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
So there you have it. Already positive change is coming!
Go Obama!
Peace, kids.

HOPE IS ALIVE AND WELL.
Last night, I dreamt about a President Obama. Again. At the risk of appearing silly, I want to share the dream. He was not surrounded by chipmunks(Hi Selma!) and squirrels and deer, and riding a unicorn(the humorous depiction of him in some YouTube renderings). This Obama was sitting quietly, hands folded. The room was actually rather subdued, and I was asking him how he felt, and he said "I feel like we just took one step--one step towards a future that sees hope trumping fear. One step towards solving some of the problems laid at our feet, these past eight years. But more than that, I feel humbled and am honored to serve you. I promise to do my best so that you can feel redeemed in that hope.... That's where we are, America, and that's where we are going."
The reason I can remember so much, is that when I wake up from a dream, I jot down the phrases I remember, immediately.
I used to keep a diary, and I wrote in it, nearly every day. I stopped keeping one
a couple of years ago, though I do journal "important" events--often in this outlet, Lisa Allender Writes.
Recently, I went back to my old diaries of 1985-1995, and
what I found was a woman whose interest in politics had waned. Not because we--the United States--didn't need addressing, or weren't doing well, but because I was a fragile, rather lost soul.The Lisa in some of those years (particularly 1988-1995)
had become interested mainly in money, and I only realized recently, how much that emphasis hurt who I was. How it shaped friendships I should never have encouraged. I lost faith in my country(I did not even vote in 1992)because I lost faith in myself. It's a shame that it took intense crisis here in the USA for me to try to regain
that faith in myself.(The wonderful administration of Bill Clinton being hampered--nearly toppled--not by his marital indiscretions, but by a vengeful, grasping investigation which caused even more dissatisfaction in this country).
So I became my authentic, political self again, several years ago(I voted for Clinton in 1996, and I felt very betrayed when light fell on his private life(when testifying to that Grand Jury, and to that camera, when facing us). My father advised me then:"Lisa, things are good. People will look back on this, and see these continued attacks on him, his private life, for what this is--just partisan politics driving this impeachment process.It's ridiculous.").
My Dad has been proven correct, of course. The man who promised in his first speeches
to this country, "I'm a uniter, not a divider..." and "I'm going to restore honor and dignity to the office of the President of the United States..." has succeeded
in doing the exact opposite of that. That's right--George W. Bush said those words.
In 2000,I became my authentic, political self(that young girl who volunteered in the very first Presidential year she could vote--1976)by volunteering once again. At that time, I was more "moderate" (I tended to vote Libertarian in local political contests, but I certainly hoped Al Gore could win.)
By 2004, I was galvanized, and actively campaigned for John Kerry. The severe illness I suffered, less than 24 hours after George W. Bush was "re-elected" certainly was brought on by stress, and it was then I realized just how invested I'd become.
Why? Why get so invested in something that often feels impossible? Because impossible things--things that seeem out of reach--can be accomplished.
In reading these diaries--in reading about bad things that happened to me, poor choices I myself made, that led to more pain, and scary, ugly things that could have made me bitter, or harsh--I read words that made me cry, not with sadness, but with pure joy. In a paragraph detailing one ugly incident, I remarked how my faith in people had not changed--how I still saw most folks as good,and I saw the person who attempted to victimize me, as a person who was ill, someone who had more hurt, more pain in his heart, than I could ever understand. What's interesting, is that I was certainly not in a place of faith back then. Back then, I called myself a "cheerful
Atheist, or Non-Theist", but I was still was able to make sense out of something senseless.
I think that's what we're going to do with this election, with our future.
We're going to make sense out of what's been senseless the past eight years:
the senseless killing in Iraq, the senseless shredding of our Constitution, the
senseless destruction of our good name-of the USA-in our interactions with other nations, the senseless neglect of the poorest, most helpless of our citizens(re:Katrina, the scandals surrounding foreclosures on the less fortunate, etc.),the senseless destruction of our beautiful natural forests and rivers, the senseless desruction of our earth, the death of our support for the teachers in our country, and the children they teach.
We will make sense of it after all, because we will achieve the impossible. How do I know this? Because the impossible HAS ALREADY HAPPENED.
Senator Barack Obama, a man whose name most people did not know, and could not pronounce, only 20 months ago, through his diligence and as a result of his strong faith, intellectual prowess, and unique skill sets, has won his party's nomination.
We can choose to remain in the past, afraid our dreams won't come true. Or we can--even after feeling abused, hurt, a bit broken--we can choose that hope that Senator Obama has asked us to keep alive.
Peace, kids.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK FOR V.P. PLEASE!!!!!!!!
I said some time ago that Wesley Clark ought to be considered as Senator Barack Obama's running-mate. Although I still adore John Edwards, General Wesley Clark would bolster Obama's foreign policy staff, by serving as V.P. He's four-star, and was correct about EVERYthing concerning Iraq, but no one (in this Administration) listened to him!
Read below, from salon.com, and writer Steve Benen, what the good General has been saying about John McCain's oft-touted "foreign policy experience"....
_________________________________________________
Wesley Clark boldly goes where few have gone beforeWesley Clark draws criticism after questioning McCain's military credentials.
by Steve Benen Jun. 30, 2008
Perhaps because of the four stars on his shoulder, retired Gen. Wesley Clark is bolder than most when it comes to criticizing John McCain's efforts to connect his military experience with his presidential qualifications. Indeed, Clark has been tougher than most in pushing back against the Republican nominee's pitch.
Clark, for example, spoke with the Huffington Post a few weeks ago, and was unrelenting in his criticism. "I know he's trying to get traction by seeking to play to what he thinks is his strong suit of national security," Clark said. "The truth is that, in national security terms, he's largely untested and untried. He's never been responsible for policy formulation. He's never had leadership in a crisis, or in anything larger than his own element on an aircraft carrier or [in managing] his own congressional staff. It's not clear that this is going to be the strong suit that he thinks it is."
Two weeks ago, Clark did it again on MSNBC. When the on-air media personalities noted that Obama, like McCain, has not been in a position to make leadership positions in a military context, Clark responded with the obvious point -- Obama's not the one making the claim.
Sunday, on CBS's "Face the Nation," Clark was just as emphatic....

It's not especially surprising that Clark's remarks aren't going over well on the right. Several conservative bloggers have the outrage meter turned up to 11, and the McCain campaign issued a statement accusing the Obama campaign of wanting to "question John McCain's military service," and allowing Obama's campaign surrogates "to demean and attack John McCain's military service record."
This morning on MSNBC, Mika Brzezinski and Andrea Mitchell admonished Clark, insisting that his remarks weren't "fair." Yesterday, CNN's Rick Sanchez accused Clark of trying to "Swift boat" McCain.
I can appreciate the fact that Clark's comments might seem intemperate, but the reaction is more than a little over the top.
First, there are no similarities between Clark's remarks and the Swift boat attacks. Clark never said, and wouldn't say, that McCain lied about his service, or won medals he hadn't earned.
Second, did Clark say anything that was, you know, false? To be sure, McCain served heroically, and endured torture and abuse that I can hardly imagine as a POW. The nation will always owe him a debt of gratitude for what he endured. But Clark's point is that this service, four decades ago, does not necessarily constitute a presidential qualification today. We don't hear that often, but that doesn't make it outrageous.
_________________________________________________
Peace, kids!
Special note to my friends and family: Minor health problem identified today, and any serious issues will be tested for, next week!

So I'll use this post to detail (a bit!) that I've been quite ill, and getting/feeling worse. For weeks. I am addressing this, getting tests, etc...I am hoping for something mild, but am of course, concerned. Your thoughts and prayers at this time are greatly and deeply appreciated.
Now, for some good news:
I had posted in April at this Blog about the wonderful encounter at St. Jude The Apostle Church where Rami Elhanan and Mazen Faraj spoke on Peace & Reconciliation...The entry is entitled:
"Reconciliation", he said.
I discovered that The Parents Circle-Families Forum has ADDED MY BLOG POST FROM THAT DAY, TO THEIR "What's new?" Page!!!
I am so honored, and deeply humbled by this. I am included alongside great authors, and many beautiful, inspiring stories of courage, and peacemaking!
Here's the link, below, which you may click on here, or copy-n-paste to your browser, and/or send to all your Peace-loving pals!
http://www.theparentscircle.com/News.asp
I'll be posting this same entry at my new blog, which concentrates solely on Peace, it's called:
Practice What You Peace
Go out and make it a great Tuesday!
Peace, kids.

I'VE GOT ANOTHER BLOG UP, TOO!
It is called Practice What You Peace and can be accessed using the following address:
http://practicewhatyoupeace.blogspot.com/
The idea of a Blog which will primarily address peace issues, and how to, on a daily basis, infuse more Peace into our daily lives, has been brewing in me, for months. Just last night, I impulsively decided to set it up. If "Practice What You Peace" receives a good response, I plan to set up an entire website, with the same name.
So here's what YOU can do, to help me be successful with this, FOR you:
TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW, AND PUT THIS LINK IN YOUR E-MAILS, PLEASE!
I'll be accepting suggestions on:
* Topics of Peace to cover, including, but not limited to:
* Places in nature where you have found Peace
* Houses of worship where you feel love, Peace, and inclusion
* Places in the world where you feel Peace, or a Peace movement has grown/is growing
* Ways to "mentor/womentor" Peace in others' lives, in the workplace, the arts, in daily life(on the train, bus, in traffic while in your car, etc.)
* Specific practices from your own lives, where you contribute to more Peace, in this world!
Thanks, and as I say here at Lisa Allender Writes,
Peace, kids!

PRACTICING WHAT I PEACE...
I could engage in real battlefield language, what with John McCain's "spiritual mentor" calling the R.C. Church "the great whore". I could engage in a rowdy defense of the R.C. priest who has worked wonders for his church, and been a great supporter of Senator Barack Obama...and has been attacked by The Catholic League(no big feat here, The Catholic League attacks nearly everyone who disagrees with its outdated, ultra-conservative agenda), and ordered to withdraw from any campaigning, or even naming of a candidate, by his own archbishop.And while this priest's comments were mean-spirited, and I wish he'd expressed his outrage over his interpretation of Hillary feeling "entitled" to the Democratic candidacy for President in a less strident way(mimicking her crying, etc.), I defend his right to express himself.
So what I'll do here instead, is show you a way to more peace, kids. It's called music. Music doesn't just "soothe the savage beast". Apparently, it soothes the savage, in all of us...Read on, in an article from the AP:
Neurologist, choir explore music's healing power
By KAREN MATTHEWS, Associated Press Writer Sat May 31, 9:17 AM ET
NEW YORK - Noted neurologist Oliver Sacks has found common ground with the pastor of Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church:
Both men believe in the healing power of music.
Sacks, the best-selling author of "Awakenings" and "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat," was to share the church stage Saturday with the famed gospel choir as part of the inaugural World Science Festival, a five-day celebration of science taking place in New York this week.
"It should be an exciting and unusual event," Sacks said in an interview this week. "I will talk about the therapeutic and beneficent power of music as a physician, and then their wonderful choir will perform. ... And the audience will make what they can of it."
Sacks' most recent book is "Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain," which examines the relationship between music and the brain, including its healing effect on people suffering from such diseases as Tourette's syndrome, Parkinson's, autism and Alzheimer's.
"Even with advanced dementia, when powers of memory and language are lost, people will respond to music," he said.
A Baptist church is an unusual venue for Sacks, a professor of clinical neurology and clinical psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center who was brought up Jewish but is not a religious believer.
But the central role of music in church makes Abyssinian a good place to discuss the myriad ways that music affects the human brain, said Sacks, who was played by Robin Williams in the movie version of "Awakenings."
Abyssinian's pastor, the Rev. Calvin O. Butts III, said the choir is looking forward to performing with Sacks. He noted that music plays a central role in the healing power of prayer.
"What we have been studying ... is that when you pray, there's actually a physiological change in the body," he said. "Music is very much a part of this. There are certain notes that generate in the human body a kind of peacefulness."
Abyssinian was founded by Ethiopian sea traders in 1808 and is celebrating its bicentennial. It is a popular destination for European tourists who line up around the block in Harlem for Sunday services.
The event there is one of two Sacks is participating in during the World Science Festival. The other focuses on vision and the brain.
The festival was conceived by Columbia University physicist Brian Greene and his wife Tracy Day, a broadcast journalist.
"Our intent is to help shift the public perception of science, so that people realize that science is as important as art, literature, film, theater," Greene said.
Panelists include Nobel laureates as well as actors, dancers, philosophers and science journalists.
Greene said he hopes the festival will spread to other cities.
___
On the Net:
http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/
http://www.abyssinian.org:

Have a sacred, blessed, peaceful weekend!