Over the next 20 years there will be about 15 blue moons

a blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month. For a blue moon to occur, the first of the full moons must appear at or near the beginning of the month so that the second will fall within the same month.

Fallout from the Oakland police killings will be cosmic

This is just such a great Article, you have to read it.
Article
An Infamous Legend is Born and a Community is Under Siege
OAKLAND, Calif. -- This is how infamous legends are born, repressive laws are passed and communities are occupied and terrorized.

Lovelle Mixon – the suspected shooter behind the deaths of four Oakland police officers on Saturday – has joined the pantheon of black men who have conducted deadly rebellions, though the parolee was 26 and living in the 21st century in Oakland, Calif.
Moving forward, you’ll have to mention his name with Denmark Vesey, Nat Turner, Huey Newton, Jonathan Jackson and Larry Davis. Depending on your politics, all of these men are cold-blooded murderers or heroes in the human rights struggle for black people in America. We don’t know yet what Mixon’s politics were, whether there was some calculated consciousness that could be articulated behind his heinous actions. It doesn’t matter. One thing is clear, all of these men’s actions led to decisive reactions by government to squash the community responsible for producing them.
Mixon was killed after he shot five officers – the fifth was grazed in the head by a bullet from Mixon’s assault rifle, according to reports – but it is the African American community of Oakland, particularly young black males, that will have to live with the inevitable political and social backlash that accompanies open armed rebellion against the powers that be that result in police officers getting killed.

This incident couldn’t have come at a worse time for Oakland: with its scandal-plagued and embattled police department; its second-guessed and ridiculed mayor – Ron Dellums – and its shrinking, increasingly unemployed and desperate African American community.

Even as the protests against police brutality and misconduct continue in association with the New Year's Day killing of Oscar Grant by BART police, black Oakland has to brace itself for a new official onslaught of the magnitude not seen since the kidnapping, rape and murder of 12-year-old Polly Klaas in Petaluma led to the enactment of the Three Strikes Law that turned California into the modern American gulag it is today.

The Grant case is a particularly brutal reminder that although we have a black president, African American life is still cheap on these streets to the police. The dozen murders in Oakland after Grant will let you know black life is cheap to black people (the typical suspect and victim of murder in Oakland is young and black and male), and – by extension – everyone else in this society.

But the videotaped shooting of Grant outraged young people in the Bay Area, and the residue of that seeming execution lies on the skin like a putrid oil you can’t wipe off. Grant is the latest in a list of outrages that has led up to this latest atrocious mass murder. Two other cases that stand out are the 2008 shooting of 51-year-old Anita Gay in nearby Berkeley, and the 2007 shooting of 20-year-old Gary King Jr. in West Oakland – the birthplace of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense. Both of the victims were unarmed and their shooting-deaths occurred in front of witnesses.

The Bay Area isn’t alone when it comes to black communities in a battle with police departments, which makes you wonder why there aren’t more Lovelle Mixons.

Chicago has a long history of corrupt police, with cops working as enforcers for the mob, and has one of the highest officer-involved shooting rates in the country. In New York City, the acquittal of four police officers accused of killing Sean Bell in a hail of 50 bullets was another outrage in a long history of injustices committed by police against the black community. In Inglewood, Calif., the Feds are investigating four officer-involved killings in the last 18 months. La Habra, Calif., Lima, Iowa., Atlanta, New Orleans – the list of controversial shootings goes on and on.

If there were a scoreboard that displayed the number of police killed by black people versus the number of black people killed by police – it would look like the scoreboard of the Lakers playing a junior high school team. So when an aberration like Mixon appears – a once in a generation kind of event -– the implications are cosmic.

While the Obama administration is focusing on the economy and Afghanistan and Iraq – there is that age-old conflict between the overseers/officers and the people. Violence was the No. 1 issue of concern in the black community before the economy tanked, and during the election the only candidate that addressed it was Hillary Clinton. How long will it be before Obama has to face this issue head on?

Not to mention that, just like after the Vietnam War, ex-military are flooding police departments, meaning that the rules of engagement on the streets are bound to change for the worse. We are going to have to deal with younger – less experienced - police used to killing brown men, women and children in Iraq or Afghanistan, looking at us like we are the Taliban or insurgents in our own neighborhoods.

In the meantime, I’m telling all the young brothers I know that stay in Oakland to pump their breaks – there are mad cops out there and your life is worth even less than it was 48 hours ago, when it was worth almost nothing to anyone.

Kevin Weston is a writer and director of New Media at New America Media. kweston@newamericamedia.org

Once in a lifetime

Many of today’s hottest celebrities got their start in roles they wouldn’t be caught dead in these days. The following are of embarrassing breakout roles of today’s stars. I love making fun of Celebrities, they just take them selves so seriously.

Watching the toga-clad Schwarzenegger roam around NYC because Zeus banished him from Olympus is not only so bad its embarrassing, but it is a far cry from the Terminator.

Kevin Bacon (Animal House)
You can imagine his disappointment when his debut role as a sniveling fraternity pledge in Animal House did not exactly land him a lifelong meal ticket.

The quintessential girl next door, Jennifer Aniston, is known more for her role on Friends and for staring in movies like The Breakup. Her breakout performance in Leprechaun.

My favorite** To many, however, Penn will always be remembered as this dim-witted (awesome) stoner from Fast Times.

Long before David Hasselhoff was the object of every woman’s desire and every man’s envy on Baywatch, he broke into entertainment as Boner. This was his character’s name,(fitting), wherein he played the boyfriend of a bimbo cheerleader in the 1970’s gag/soft-core porn film Revenge of the Cheerleaders.

Unbeknown to many, Tom Hanks cut his film teeth as the 26 year-old star of Mazes & Monsters.

Benicio Del Toro (Big Top Pee-Wee)

Non-Toxic Kids

As soon as this time of year comes i can not wait to Open my windows. Stuffy winter is such a drag and a health hazard! Bad indoor air. Yuck. Unfortunately, due to weather-tight homes, dust, pollen, dander, chemical cleaners, etc, the indoor air we breath can be as bad as the most polluted city. Indoor air quality is listed as one of the EPA’s top three health concerns.
What we bring into our homes directly affects our indoor air quality. The good news is we can choose what we bring into our homes.

Here’s a few easy ways to improve the air quality in your child’s (or your) bedroom:

1. Ventilate. The easiest way to improve your indoor air quality is to open the window and let the fresh air in. This will get rid of any accumulated VOCs. For the winter months, a good-quality Hepa air filter is a great thing to have, such as the Austin Air Filter. Consider using a washable electrostatic air filter for your HVAC vents which trap five times the amount of airborne particles as opposed to a regular filter. This will end up saving you money over time since you will never have to replace another air filter again.

2. Vacuum often. This will get rid of allergy-triggering dust and dander (if you have pets). Vacuum or wash anything else that traps dust such as stuffed animals, comforters, and window treatments.

4. Use natural cleaners. Most common cleaners have harmful chemical ingredients. Most of these chemicals are not tested for toxicity before being put into products we buy off the shelves. We are the lab rats who end up testing for product safety! An easy solution is to make your own inexpensive, non-toxic cleaners with water, vinegar, a touch of essential oil to scent, and a few drops of liquid castille soap.

5. Buy natural toys. A lot of flexible plastic toys such as blow-up balls or blow-up chairs, etc, have harmful chemicals that offgas into the air. A good rule of thumb is if you open up a package and smell that “new” vinyl smell, it’s got to go right back to the store. For future purchases, consider natural toys made out of wood or cloth, and don’t forget beeswax or soy crayons and no-VOC paint for crafts.

6. Natural bedding and mattresses. Kids spend a lot of time in their beds sleeping (or so us moms wish!) Make it a safe haven by using organic cotton bedding. Organic fabrics aren’t treated with formaldehyde, and are kinder to the earth in how they are processed. If you can’t afford one now, plan to save up for an organic cotton, wool, or hemp mattress. Regular mattresses are full of fire retardants and other nasty chemicals which kids will be breathing in while sleeping. If you are planning on having a baby soon, organic mattresses are made to fit in cribs too. Or better yet, buy a used one.

7. Clothing. Chemical flame-retardants can be in our child’s clothing. An inexpensive way to dress your child is to buy used clothes from garage sales, consignment sales or second-hand stores, since the chemicals have most likely been washed out. For new clothing, buy organic items which haven’t been treated with chemicals and are made with earth-friendly practices.

Unlike most, I feel John Oates is overrated

Well it's been a year now, i've been a blogging... it's like all my thoughts here for all 5 of you to read. As you may know i am obsessed with only one actor: The Office's Rainn Wilson. And it's not because of the Office. I find the office funny, but i only watch it to see Rainn. I have never worked in an office or even sat at a desk (cook, i am a cook, or a chef if you want to get all fancy) NO NO NO sitting for me. I leave that for home, on the computer as a matter of fact. I am also on Facebook and i filled out the 25 random things about my self. I am kind of boring so... Here is my friend (he doesn't know this, of course) Rainn's "25 Things" Facebook chain letter:
1. I would make a beautiful woman.
2. My wife is way funnier than I am.
3. I once thought it would be a good idea to be a pipe smoker like Sherlock Holmes or The Hef. I was 19.
4. I am "just not that into" seeing that new dating movie.
5. I know why the caged bird sings. To make female birds think he's sensitive.
6. I believe I can fly. I believe I can touch the sky. This causes a lot of injuries for me.
7. I've got 99 problems and a fish ain't one of them.
8. Fact: My mother wanted to name me Thucydides.
9. Maize: My people call it corn.
10. How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop? One, with my incredibly acidic saliva.
11. I believe in universal health care for every planet except Earth.
12. Unlike most, I feel John Oates is overrated.
13. I am 6-foot-1 and 5/6 inches.
14. I frigging hate negative people. They suck.
15. I once took a girl on a date and refused to pay for her movie ticket because, as a feminist, I was ideologically opposed to the idea. Never saw her again. I was 19.
16. If I see a fire extinguisher, I have to play with it.
17. When I was a child, I stepped on my pet gerbil, Frederick. My dad gave him a funeral flush.
18. I think Mary Todd Lincoln was a stone-cold fox.
19. I always thought the lyrics to "Jet Airliner" by the Steve Miller Band went "Big ol' Chad and the lineup."
20. I once put my left foot in while doing the hokeypokey and was unable to take it out for three days.
21. I'm an expert juggler, chess player and Call of Duty sniper.
22. I dance like a girl when Madonna's "Into the Groove" comes on.
23. Fact: My two favorite shows are Lost and Sesame Street.
24. My stunt double on The Office is a marionette.
25. I wish there was a Home Surgery Network.

Aint got no... I've got music

Eunice Waymon was born in Tryon, North Carolina as the sixth of seven children in a poor family. The child prodigy played piano at the age of four. With the help of her music teacher, who set up the "Eunice Waymon Fund", she could continue her general and musical education. She studied at the Julliard School of Music in New York.
Nina Simone died April 21, 2003 in Carry-le-Rouet, Bouches-du-Rhône, France.
Eunice made so much progress that in 1943, when she was 10, she gave her first piano recital at the town library. There she not only experienced her first applause, but also had her first encounter with racism: during the recital her parents were removed from the first row to accommodate some whites. This episode was a traumatic experience for her and may be the origin of her commitment to the fight for freedom and civil rights.
Singer - Pianist - Arranger - Composer
Honorary Doctor in Music and Humanities
High Priestess of Soul
Queen of African Rooted Classical Music fifteen-time Grammy Award-nominated american singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger and civil rights activist.

are you manly?

Apparently having too many home furnishing stores in your city is a sign of being “unmanly.”
At least that’s the conclusion of a study released this week that ranks “America’s Manliest Cities” on criteria such as the number of professional major league sports teams, popularity of tools and hardware and frequency of monster truck rallies.
Nashville came out on top in the study conducted by Sperling’s BestPlaces. New York City finished last out of 50 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas.
Rounding out the top five were: Charlotte, N.C., Oklahoma City, Cincinnati and Denver.

The list

A list of the “Top 50 Manliest Cities” according to a snack-food study that ranks cities on criteria such as the number of professional major league sports teams, popularity of tools and hardware, and frequency of monster truck rallies:


1. Nashville, Tenn.
2. Charlotte, N.C.
3. Oklahoma City
4. Cincinnati
5. Denver
6. St. Louis
7. Columbus, Ohio
8. Kansas City, Mo.
9. Indianapolis
10. Toledo, Ohio
11. Memphis, Tenn.
12. Richmond, Va.
13. Columbia, S.C.
14. Orlando, Fla.
15. Dayton, Ohio
16. Salt Lake City
17. Milwaukee
18. Minneapolis
19. Cleveland
20. Detroit
21. Jacksonville, Fla.
22. Phoenix
23. Birmingham, Ala.
24. Grand Rapids, Mich.
25. Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.
26. Harrisburg, Pa.
27. New Orleans
28. Las Vegas
29. Pittsburgh
30. Philadelphia
31. Louisville, Ky.
32. Atlanta
33. Providence, R.I.
34. Dallas
35. Buffalo, N.Y.
36. Rochester, N.Y.
37. Baltimore
38. Boston
39. Houston
40. Seattle
41. Sacramento, Calif.
42. Miami
43. San Diego
44. Oakland, Calif.
45. Washington, D.C.
46. Chicago
47. Portland, Ore.
48. San Francisco
49. Los Angeles
50. New York

'The Orphan'

The tragic loss of their unborn child has devastated Kate and John, taking a toll on both their marriage and Kate's fragile psyche as she is plagued by nightmares and haunted by demons from her past.
Struggling to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives, the couple decides to adopt another child. At the local orphanage, both John and Kate find themselves strangely drawn to a young girl named Esther...

ORPHAN trailer in HD

Emily Bronte and Bush

I’ve never read Wuthering Heights, though I like to imagine its heroine does a pushy-arm dance at some point. Looking it up on Wikipedia, however, I was shocked to realise that Kate Bush is singing this song as a ghost. b. Catherine Bush, 30 July 1958, Bexleyheath, Kent, England. While still at school, the precocious Bush was discovered by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, who was so impressed by the imaginative quality of her songwriting that he financed some demo recordings. EMI Records were equally taken with the product and in an unusual act of faith decided not to record her immediately. Instead, she was encouraged to develop her writing, dancing and singing in preparation for a long-term career. The apprenticeship ended in 1978 with the release of the extraordinary "Wuthering Heights". Inspired by Emily Bronte's classic novel.

Star Wars Episode VI: Sophie's voyage

Return of the Jedi is a 1983 space opera?
My daughter is currently watching it. And she loves it! I was twice her age when i saw it (10) and i wonder if she is getting the full effect?
When Luke Skywalker abruptly abandoned his Jedi training at Dagobah to attempt to rescue his friends from the clutches of Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back, he promised Yoda to come back and finish his training.
In Return of the Jedi, when he keeps that promise, Yoda tells him, "No more training do you require. Already know you all that you need."
In spite of this, Return of the Jedi remains the weak link in the series. After the remarkably persuasive aliens in the first two films, including the convincing Chewbacca and the expressive Yoda, many of the creatures we meet in Return of the Jedi, especially the cut-rate Wookiees known as Ewoks and some of the sillier creatures in Jabba the Hutt’s crib, came as a disappointment.
On the other hand, needless to say, Jabba himself is an achievement of immense proportions, both literally and figuratively.
She looks and asks questions? Why is that guy doing that... Is he a bad guy Momma? She of course wonders all about Princess Leia, and really likes one of cinema’s most iconic villains ever, Darth Vader, like the Wicked Witch of the West; Hannibal Lecter; Nosferatu; Norman Bates; Mr. Potter? Darth Vader is one of those caricatures you secretly wanted to be friends with. And when you found out he was Luke's father you hoped for a second chance. Hollywood ending? Maybe one of the last movies to skip that cliche? The acting is better, by now, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher have all matured in their on-screen persona's. The chemistry amongst the trio is terrific, with the only awkward moments coming during the Luke/Leia conversations at the end. What? We kin? I must say it is much more bearable then episode 1 and 2. But i will always be an Empire strikes back girl. I like dark not campy sci-fi. But as far as age recommendations, this is great for the kids.

It's not easy being Green

I think as we head into this glorious new year, Yes i know it's March. I'm late in accepting the new year. Besides I am Jewish and, Rosh HaShanah in 2009 will start on Saturday, September 19Th. It has been a long decade, Bush really stretched his Presidency there with all the lies and war and katrina. And the illegal dealings, Ouch. We should start thinking of being GREEN. Just like Kermit, or that pseudo punk rock band from my home town Green day. It is time for GREEN.

Reduce your Carbon footprint
Great little web-site

There are a number of ways to reduce your carbon footprint and live a more earth-friendly lifestyle. Some of them are more feasible than others.
Dry clothes on a clothes line instead of in a dryer.
Wash clothes with cold water, hang dry your laundry rather than putting it in the dryer when it's warm outside.
Clean the lint filter in the dryer every time.
Replace any incandescent light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL) or Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs). Fluorescent light bulbs are more expensive, but replacing just one incandescent light bulb will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide and, because it lasts eight to 15 times longer than an incandescent bulb, save approximately US$30 over the course of its lifetime.
Use the microwave more Microwaves use a lot less energy than conventional ovens and stoves, especially for heating water.
Turn off your lights when they aren’t being used, even when you leave a room for a short period of time.
Regulate your home temperature: Move your thermostat two degrees cooler in winter and two degrees warmer in the summer.
Clean or replace air filters on your AC unit at least once a month.
Set refrigerator temperature at 36-38 degrees and your freezer to 0-5 degrees.
Pack your refrigerator tightly to reduce the amount of cooled air.
Use dishwashers instead of washing dishes by hand You actually use more hot water when you wash dishes by hand.
Do not use the heated dry mode on your dishwasher.
Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth.
Reduce water in your toilet tank. Putting a liter bottle filled with water in your toilet tank can save 300 gallons per month.
Reverse indoor ceiling fans for summer and winter operations.
Buy used furniture because there is a surplus of it. It is often cheaper than new, with the exception of some antique furniture.
Use cloth napkins instead of paper ones, although washing cloth napkins uses water too.
Unplug your electronics: Most electronics still use some energy even when turned off. This 'standby mode' or 'phantom load' drains up to 10 percent of electricity used in most homes.

PJ

So on face book there have been a lot of "get to know me" type "notes" which i have done, out of boredom or maybe i just like to talk about my self. So one of them was 15 albums from your youth and i wrote them, you can check them out of my face book page, i totally left off PJ Harvey, who i just adore. Sorry girl. She rocked my world back in 1992, most music from the early 90's rocked my world.

I was born on an Air Force base in Virginia to some teenage children.

"I'm an animal," cries Neko Case on her album, and there is something feral about her voice in full flight: It's a wild, woolly sound, part Patsy Cline, part coyote baying at the high desert moon.

life here in our city

Another year is flying by, i can not believe my little baby boy is not only gonna be 3 this month but is also potty trained. He was so small so tiny. It seems like it was yesterday. Also Sophie will be going off to kindergarten, not at the best school in town but our own neighborhood one. Which is very important to me. I want her to be independent and have friends that live down the street. Besides the schools are all good here in Corvallis. Here's some recent pictures, our new cat, Levi on top of the shower door. He's a climber. Mac and Sophie in the car. Me after my surgery. Looking well... a picture tells a thousand words.