Feb 15, 2013

Tenisha Taylor Bell, Special to CNN, on Chicago Violence

Chicago's violence took my dad, friends

By Tenisha Taylor Bell, Special to CNN
updated 12:22 PM EST, Fri February 15, 2013
Tenisha Bell's mother and father Velma and Ezekiel Taylor. Bell's father was shot and killed in Chicago when she was 5.
Tenisha Bell's mother and father Velma and Ezekiel Taylor. Bell's father was shot and killed in Chicago when she was 5.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • President Obama's visit to Chicago brings attention to city's extreme gun violence
  • Tenisha Bell grew up on South Side; her dad and two friends were shot and killed there
  • Bell worked hard at school, fled Chicago and will never live in her hometown again
  • Bell credits her mom for her success; says kids need education, mentors, jobs
Editor's note: Tenisha Bell is an executive producer at CNN and president of the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists.
(CNN) -- President Obama is visiting my hometown of Chicago -- the city I hate to love.
The president's visit focuses attention on gun violence, and comes soon after the funeral of Hadiya Pendleton, the 15-year-old who was shot down in Chicago after participating in the president's inauguration festivities.
I know way too much about urban gun violence; three people I love were shot and killed, like Hadiya, on Chicago's streets.
Tenisha Taylor Bell
Tenisha Taylor Bell
I grew up on the South Side in the late '70s and early 80s. I was very young, but I recall the evening of my dad's death vividly. We had a green phone mounted on our kitchen wall. One night as my mom and I were sleeping in her bed, the phone rang. My mom awoke and went to the kitchen to answer.
She leaned against the wall, that green phone in her hand, with a look of despair and horror as her sister-in-law told her the news.
Become a fan of CNNOpinion
Stay up to date on the latest opinion, analysis and conversations through social media. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion and follow us @CNNOpinion on Twitter. We welcome your ideas and comments.



The Chicago police then banged on the door, saying, "We just found your husband dead." At that moment our lives changed. Chicago's ruthless streets had stolen my father. Ezekiel Taylor was shot and killed in a robbery, on his way home from church. He died four minutes away from the house where Michelle Obama grew up.
And so my mother, Velma, was left to raise me in a single parent household. Without her husband's income, she struggled to keep me in private school and extra curricular activities -- from ballet, to tap, to flute lessons, to drum lessons. Her sacrifice can never be repaid. She taught me how to be a survivor, and imparted strong values, standards and morals.
She also taught me the lesson of forgiveness. I forgive the two men and woman who killed my father because you can't go forward if you don't.
In high school, my great friend and honorary "big brother" died in the same street violence. Ron Hollister was intelligent, upstanding, funny and a good student . He was gunned down in a robbery on a summer day when he was home from his freshman year at college. He had gone to get his car washed.

Chicago's gun violence: Can Obama help?

Chicago's 500th homicide this year

National politics cloud teen's funeral

Pendletons: Hadiya was bubbly, funny
As a senior in high school, I vowed to get out of Chicago, to escape the pain and tragedy. I worked hard and landed a full four year scholarship to Clark Atlanta University. I never looked back.
But in March of 2010, Chicago reached me in Atlanta with another horrifying phone call. My grade school buddy Steven Lee -- kind, funny and generous -- was leaving his birthday party and was caught in the crossfire of two gangs. Steven was killed by a stray bullet and his killer was never captured. To add to the tragedy for his family, his older brother was a Chicago police officer who was killed in the line of duty in August 2001.
My hometown is a war zone. Too many innocent children and young adults have died. Chicago police reported that 506 people were murdered in the city in 2012, about 16% more than 2011. Compare that with the fact that 310 American troops were killed in Afghanistan in 2012.
Chicagoans can be proud and hopeful that our president is going to the city to bring attention to this epidemic of violence. Too many mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers of murder victims have been suffering for too long.
Leaders like Chicago Police Commissioner Garry McCarthy and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel need to figure out why murder rates in cities like New York and Los Angeles are plummeting while Chicago's continues to soar.
And parents, religious leaders, teachers and community organizers also need to help take back the streets.
The city needs an action plan to save innocent people from becoming victims like Ronnie, Steven and Hadiya. It needs more community centers to offer a safe haven and alternative to gang banging for kids. Young people need direction and mentors -- people like my mother, who instilled in me the values you need to rise above the challenges of poverty and despair.
I love Chicago because it made me who I am. It has the best pizza, a great skyline, gorgeous Lake Michigan, museums and a diversity of cultures on every corner. Obama called it home. It gave us Oprah, Michael Jordan, Nobel Prize winning author Saul Bellow -- and the great University of Chicago. It gave us Michelle Obama, who was also raised on the South Side.
But it's the city I hate to love, and I won't go back -- especially now that I'm raising a son. I don't want to lose him to the streets of Chicago.
I hope President Obama's visit will inspire the city to save itself, so young people in the future will feel they can live and raise a family in the city they love.
Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Tenisha Bell.

Gloria Allred Begs KOGO 600's LaDona Harvey to Move Out of the Dark Ages



Gloria Allred Begs KOGO 600's LaDona Harvey to Move Out of the Dark Ages

LaDona said  "Well, what do you think?"

LaDona please--Gloria Allred is right--there is no other answer then discrimination against women.

Allred suing the college for gender discrimination--the mother fired--the father hired

To me that only means men can do it and women can't--the conservatives and rush limbaugh--do they wonder why they lost the election?

Talking about the lady that was fired from San Diego Christian College for getting pregnant--It's illegal to have sex, get pregnant--really.  Apparently she signed some sort of contract that she would not get pregnant without being married while working at this business, but that discriminates against women Gloria said and that is illeagal by the constitution of California.  It also discriminates against women because men can have children without losing their job--there is really no evidence, but the woman's condition is obvious and she loses her job.

To further rub salt into the wound the father was employed by the school while the mom was let go.

The real question--La Dona cannot possibly be that obtuse--I think these talk radio people just say anything to make a show.

The other important fact LaDona is missing.  Gloria Allred is quite the amazing lady.  She has fought very hard for the rights of women.  She has taken many cases and won where the lady did not have the finances to fight the case by purchasing the services of an attorney.

LaDona claims she would just not do it....


Okay LaDona, I give you the self-control idea for just a moment--that does sound good on the surface.  I guess LDona is maintaining she has incredible self-control and judgement.  LaDona--have you ever been a teenager?  Maybe you signed the agreement because you desperately needed a job but did not really understand the agreement you signed.  Maybe the employee really did not have full command of the language. 

LaDona, claims she is an atheist, sent to the moon over Ms. Allred, calls Gloria a self-promoter and a "fame-ho"......LaDona says they would fire the man that got the girlfriend pregnant in the same situation--LaDona, how would they know?

LaDona made a joke and said it hurt the girls feelings--in a condescending tone--but wait LaDona, I bet it hurt more than her feelings, I bet it hurt her wallet.

I think LaDona is an embarrassment against women and women's rights--LaDona reads everything carefully in advance, LaDona does not make mistakes.  That's a fabulous idea, but not every girl, lady, employee falls into that category--besides that their school statement is unreasonable--If I heard it correctly that feel homosexuality is immoral, as well.

Really LaDona--I am embarrassed for you--what are the gay kids supposed to do--what are the gay kids at that school suppose to do.  Tell me what you think about that LaDona--kids who fell into their ridiculous contract of immorality through no fault ofr their own--kids who do not have the power or control to do anything about the situation. answer that LaDona. 

Tell me what you think.
--
chloelouise

Feb 5, 2013

Dr. Ardy Sixkiller Clarke--The Interview on Coast to Coast

Dr. Ardy Sixkiller Clarke--The Interview on Coast to Coast

George Knapp Knocks One Out of the Ballpark on Coast 2 Coast

Right, everyone is so excited when George Knapp takes over the microphone on the last 2 Sunday nights of each month, but this last Sunday, Jan 27, 2013 George really did an exceptional job.

George always puts on a good show, but every now and then he runs a dialog that is so insightful--really--I feel lucky to have been a listener.

Well, to start off the show he interviewed Dr. Ardy Sixkiller Clarke, Professor Emeritus at Montana State University--She has dedicated her life to the study of indigenous populations.  Her stories and research of Native Americans was so interesting and respectful--I had to know more about her interview techniques.  That is the word that is beaming in my mind right now--respectful.

Once she starts talking the listener is drawn in--I had to know more:

I contacted her via her website and she very graciously agreed to an on-line interview--I am honored.  This lady, this writer, this researcher has a certain insight and quiet that is unequaled and rare in today's modern society.  There is a quality about her that allows one to see a truth about people and about ourselves that we often miss because we are so busy running through the activities of daily living.  Heaven for bid if we actually took time to think about people who have lived before us, people who occupied our land with respect and valor--shouldn't we take time to observe this--to have respect for lives past. 

Can I take the time to learn something--to increase the capacity of my mind?

Dr Clarke's website is very simple and pleasing to the eye--to me her website is good Feng Shui.   On her website she talks about her writing process.  She is also very helpful to new writers.  She also holds classes for aspiring writers.

Well enough of my ramblings--lets move over to the expert and the interview:

from the website www.sixkiller.com
The author of several children's books and the best-selling, Sisters in the Blood, she lives in Montana with her husband, Kip; her beloved Lhasa Apso, Prairie Rose and her Maine Coon cat, Rez Perez.   While retired from academia, she continues to work as a consultant to American Indian tribes and  indigenous communities worldwide and is currently working on a second volume of work about the indigenous people of Mexico and the Star People.

She also speaks at UFO conferences about the Starpeople, as she did on Coast To Coast, and even holds retreats for aspiring writers.

I asked questions about her writing style and interview philosophy and then some practical questions about the website, etc.



First and foremost I would like to hear what you have to say about interview skills.  It seems like you must be able to create an environment where people are not afraid to speak.

I think the best interviewer is one who LISTENS.  I did not gain access to most of the people I interviewed without their either having observed me over a long period of time and believing I was a person who could be trusted or being introduced by a family member or friend who knew me.  I never really grilled the individuals.  I let them tell me the story and I tried never to interject my personal feelings or show any kind of shock or emotions that might lead them to believe I did not believe their story.

Do you give yourself a writing assignment or do you just follow your passion and write about whatever you feel like--because the media sets me off good or bad and I cannot stop writing about it.  How do you make your writing decisions.

There is a website called Nanowrimo--it stands for National Novel Writing Month.  The month is November.  Every year, writers come together all over the world and try to write a 50,000 word novel in one month.  I did that last November.  It was the most challenging thing I have ever done and to be honest, I like the novel I wrote.  As I have time, I am going back and working on it and developing the characters.   So that is the only time I have ever given myself a “writing assignment” so to speak, unless you would count all of the professional articles I have written for publication over the years.  Other writing decisions come from something I read or hear about and I think I have to write my thoughts about that.  For example, if you go to my website www.sixkiller.com, you will find some essays there.  I wrote one when Ray Bradbury died and his death is what motivated me to write the essay.  

How often do you write?  Do you consider it work or fun.  What part of writing do you like or not like.

I write every day.  I consider it work in that I do it every day.  I can’t think of anything about it that I do not like.  I have been writing all of my life.  

I particularly admire your ability to tell a story that I think must have been very emotional for the people involved.  You did not sell the people out in any way.  You created an environment of respect for the individuals.  Can you talk about your approach.  

My approach is not to rush anything.  I approach interviews as though I have all the time in the world.  Often, for the first hour, we might talk about family, friends we have in common, places we have been, etc.  I also give my word that under no circumstances will I ever reveal their identity and I mean to keep my word.  I think most people know when you are telling the truth.  

Are you interested in having a blog on Salon.com or anything like that and what do you think of those things.  Do you try to submit your things to newspapers or magazines of the traditional type and what do you think about those kind of publications?

I always admire people who have blogs, but I don’t think I would ever do that.  I just do not think I have that many things to say that would attract a following and I have no interest in Twitter or Facebook.   I never submit anything to newspapers.  I have done a few articles for magazines, but until now, most of my articles were written for professional journals.  

How many different subjects do you write about and why?

Well, obviously I write about UFO/Star people encounters.  I wrote, Sisters in the Blood, a best seller in academia about native American Women.  I have written children’s books.  I am currently writing a series of books about three pre-teens, The Three Amigoes, who travel in the world to archeological sites and discover things, get into trouble, solve mysteries, etc.  I have not submitted to anyone so I do not know if there will even be an interested publisher.  I also just completed a children’s book called Starchaser’s First Christmas.  I have no publisher for it either.  

Are you trying to write to make a living or are you trying to share certain information with the public or are you writing about what inspires you the most?

If I were writing for a living I would probably starve.  Unless you write a best seller, there is not much chance you can support yourself.  I write about what inspires me.

But how do you keep from being angry yet still keep writing?

I focus on the positive.

About the practicality of your website--did you design it yourself--are you happy with the way it functions?  

Yes, I am very happy with the website.  No, I hired a website designer.  He brought me several designs.  I chose this one for simplicity.  I hate complicated websites when I am surfing.  

How do you suggest to new writers to be successful with exposure.  

Never turn down an opportunity to respond to  people who want to interview you--even if it is a small blog or radio show with a small audience--be willing to give of your time.  Do book signings at your local bookstores.  Anything that can bring positive attention to yourself.  For example, I am going to speak at a UFO Conference in July that only has about 80 participants annually.   Many people who write would not bother with such a small conference, but for me I want to reach out to as many people as possible and I will find the time to do that.  

I have in my mind--to me this places the book straight in the hands of the reader and I am saying good job for that.  

Is this what you were trying to accomplish?  

Absolutely.  I also publicize my e-mail.  I answer every e-mail as you well know.

Thank you.








Well, as everyone can see I had a very lovely and informative interview with Dr. Arde Sixkiller Clarke.  Her information for writers is very useful and helpful, too.  She is not only beautiful on the outside but gracious and generous, as well.

I don't mind saying that because recently I asked someone to give me some tips for a publication I am hoping to write for as they said they were interested in my subject matter.  This person writes for them often and as I knew someone who was having lunch with this individual--someone whose job is to talk about careers--I asked if she could call or e-mail me--well, enough of that...you know the answer....

This is Dr. Clarke's current work.....I copied this info from the website:
Encounters with the Star People: Untold Stories of American Indians  offers up a collection of intimate narratives of encounters between contemporary American Indians, UFOs and Extraterrestrials. The first person accounts, described as conscious experiences and recalled without the aid of hypnosis, reveal a worldview that unquestionably accepts the reality of Aliens or Star People.  The stories also reveal cultures that almost universally regard Star People as ancestors, which allows for interactions that take place without fear and helps explain the uniqueness of the encounters and experiences.  The stories range from an account of a UFO crash landing on a reservation where a team of alien scientists waited for a rescue, the unveiling of a petrified alien heart to an elder who had earned the title of "the man who shot an alien" among his family and friends.  Others told stories of aliens who assumed human identity, and were quietly inhabiting Earth to a race of aliens who lived underground.
The stories were told by people from all walks of life. Some had graduate degrees; others had never attended school. Some were adept at technology; others had never used a cell phone, owned a computer or a television set. A few of the stories were about events that occurred before the 1947 Roswell incident, however, the majority of the events took place between 1990 and 2010. This book contributes to the knowledge about UFOs from a group that until now have mostly remained silent. For readers, it is likely they will never look at the UFO/Alien phenomenon in the same way again.


I wanted to mention the UFO Watchtower Conference, July 27 and 28 – Hooper, Colorado in the famous mysterious valley.  Sixty-seven UFO sightings in November.                                                                   here is a link to her website:

http://www.sixkiller.com/

here is a link to Coast to Coast--go to shows and then recent shows to read more about Dr. Clarke's interview on C2C: 

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/

Thank you to Dr. Clarke--I really enjoyed our chat--I feel lucky to know you and I would love to attend a conference where you are speaking.



--
chloelouise

Feb 2, 2013

I can't wait to watch Liza in Cabaret this Tues on TCM










































I can't wait to watch Liza in Cabaret this Tues on TCM

I can't wait to watch Cabaret this Tues on TCM.

Gosh, Liza Minnelli is fantastic--her talent--in this particular film is unequaled.

I don't think any one could beat her in that role.

Talking about time and place--then and now, I'll give an example--remember the movie Chicago.

Well, I went to see that movie, somewhat reluctantly.

All the actors were very, very good, indeed, but I said wait a minute--haven't I seen this before?

That movie Chicago really showcases Liza Minnelli and her extraordinary gift.  Those people were real good, but as good as they were they only showed how expert Liza was in comparison.  I longed to watch Liza in Cabaret as I watched Chicago.

The whole movie is just about perfect.  Joel Grey and Michael York and Marisa Berensen--I was mesmerized watching it--not having a clue what it was about--it was a movie of my time, of my young adult hood--that always marks the time, who and when of what we are doesn't it?

Liza has the knack of portraying bold and vulnerable at the same time--Joel Grey--gosh--who ever saw anything like that--while he is equally gifted he still serves to show off my Liza.

She deserves the praise--everyone deserves praise involved in that show--who knew it was a musical--that's news to me, as they don't break into song at any given ridiculous moment.  I thought it was just Liza singing a few songs in a club because that's what she does.

The unanswerable question:
Seriously--what was Liza suppose to do as an entertainer given her heritage--how can anyone live up to that?  That's got to be a tough act to follow--she gave it her all, how taxing, she is to be commended for excellence.

What would be do without Liza, Robert and TCM?  As PBS says--Its a gift of art to the viewer and what a gift it is.

It all came together in that show--what a gift of life and talent for all of us---thanks Liza--you deserve it.......cl

copied from TCM................
10:15 PM ET
CABARET
After a box-office disaster with his film version of Sweet Charity in 1969, Bob Fosse bounced back with Cabaret in 1972, a year that would make him the most honored director in show business. And he wasn't the only winner in this case, as the film also brought Liza Minnelli her first chance to sing on screen and an Oscar for Best Actress. With Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor (Joel Grey), Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound, Adapted Score, and Editing, it holds the record for most Oscars earned by a film not honored as Best Picture.






Cabaret was the first property to travel from book to dramatic play to dramatic film to stage musical to screen musical (Auntie Mame would match that path a few years later). It had started as Christopher Isherwood's short story "Sally Bowles," about an amoral singer living in Berlin during the 1930s, and was later included in his collection, The Berlin Stories. "Sally Bowles" and another story about a gigolo who admits he's Jewish to win the heart of an heiress provided the basis for John Van Druten's I Am a Camera, a 1951 stage play starring Julie Harris as Bowles, which was adapted for the screen in 1955. Then, in 1966, Harold Prince scored a hit with Cabaret, a musical version featuring a different subplot (about a gentile landlady in love with a Jewish grocer) and a new character called the M.C. that made Joel Grey a star.

A film version of Cabaret was inevitable, but it was held up for years when the first deal, with Cinerama, Inc., for an unprecedented $2.1 million, fell through. At the time, off-screen companions Warren Beatty and Julie Christie were considered for the leading roles. When ABC Pictures and Allied Artists finally picked up the rights for $1.5 million, Broadway producer Cy Feuer signed on to produce the picture, with Bob Fosse directing and a budget of less than $5 million.

Playwrights Jay Presson Allen and Hugh Wheeler went back to the original stories to restore the subplot about the gigolo and the Jewish heiress. They also drew on original author Christopher Isherwood's openness about his homosexuality to make the leading male character, a writer modeled on him, a bisexual who shares his bed and a male lover with Sally. Fosse decided to increase the focus on the Kit Kat Club, where Sally performs, as a metaphor for the decadence of Germany in the 1930s by eliminating all but one of the musical numbers performed outside the club. The only remaining outside number is "Tomorrow Belongs to Me," a folk song rendered spontaneously by patrons at an open-air cafe in one of the film's most chilling scenes. In addition, the show's original songwriters, John Kander and Fred Ebb, wrote three new songs, "Mein Herr," "Money," and "Maybe This Time."

The new songs were all performed by the film's leading lady, Liza Minnelli ("Money" also featured Grey). Ironically, she had auditioned to play Sally in the original Broadway production. Some involved with the show say she was too inexperienced at the time (though she had already won Broadway's Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical). Others have suggested she was too big a presence for the role as written on Broadway. By the time Cabaret reached the screen, however, Minnelli was a major film star, having won an Oscar nomination as the emotionally damaged college student in The Sterile Cuckoo (1969).

Cabaret opened to glowing reviews and strong box office, eventually taking in more than $20 million. In addition to its eight Oscars, it won Best Picture citations from the National Board of Review and the Hollywood Foreign Press and took Best Supporting Actor honors for Grey from the National Board of Review, the Hollywood Foreign Press, and the National Society of Film Critics. But the biggest winner was Fosse. Shortly before the Academy Awards, he won two Tonys for directing and choreographing Pippin, his biggest stage hit to date. When months later he won Emmys for directing and choreographing Liza Minnelli's television special Liza with a Z, he became the first director to win all three awards in one year.

Producer: Cy Feuer
Director: Bob Fosse
Screenplay: Jay Presson Allen, Hugh Wheeler
Cinematography: Geoffrey Unsworth
Art Direction: Hans Jurgen Kiebach, Rolf Zehetbauer
Music: Ralph Burns, John Kander
Principal Cast: Liza Minnelli (Sally Bowles), Michael York (Brian Roberts), Helmut Griem (Maximilian von Heune), Joel Grey (Master of Ceremonies), Fritz Wepper (Fritz Wendel), Marisa Berenson (Natalia Landauer), Elizabeth Neumann-Viertel (Fraulein Schneider).
C-124m. Letterboxed. Closed captioning.

by Frank Miller

 Cabaret: 40th Anniversary Special Edition DVD
--
chloelouise

Jan 31, 2013

UN calls Israel's West Bank settlements 'creeping annexation' and suggests it jeopardises a future Palestinian state

UN calls Israel's West Bank settlements 'creeping annexation' and suggests it jeopardises a future Palestinian state

Report added that Israel has an obligation not to allow its citizens to move to the West Bank

Jerusalem
Israeli settlement building in the West Bank represents a “creeping annexation” of Palestinian territory and is putting a future Palestinian state in jeopardy, according to a UN fact-finding mission report, released today.

The Jewish state has an obligation not to allow its citizens to move to the West Bank, which under international law is regarded as occupied territory, the report added.
The investigation was the first of its kind into the issue of settlements. In tough language, it concluded that the settlements exist for the exclusive benefit of Israeli Jews, and that they created a system of segregation.
The panel's chair, Christine Chanet, called on Israel to immediately stop all new building. Asma Jahangir, another member of the panel, said the settlements, “seriously impinge on the self-determination of the Palestinian people.” The UN’s Human Rights Council will debate the report in Geneva on 18 March.
Israel stopped cooperating with the three member investigatory panel, claiming that the probe was biased when it was launched in March last year. Since then, the country has not issued visas to members of the panel, and has denied access to areas of the West Bank
Palmor Yigal, a spokesman for Israel’s foreign ministry, said: “The only way to resolve all pending issues between Israel and the Palestinians, including the settlements issue, is through direct negotiations without pre-conditions. Counterproductive measures - such as the report before us, will only hamper efforts to find a sustainable solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
“The Human Rights Council has sadly distinguished itself by its systematically one-sided and biased approach towards Israel. This latest report is yet another unfortunate reminder of that.”
The report does not have any binding consequences, and indeed stops short of recommending that the issue be put before the ICC. However, the Palestinian Authority (PA), led by
President Mahmoud Abbas, has said that it might use the findings as a basis for its own case at the ICC, which it now entitled to do, having secure UN observer state status at the UN last November – a move which Israel was bitterly opposed to.
In response the Israeli government said it would resume settlement building in the controversial E1 area. The PA says that would cut Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank off from East Jerusalem, which it has designated as the capital of any future state.
The moribund peace process between Israel and the Palestinians has effectively been frozen since 2010, when an Israeli moratorium on settlement building was lifted. Both sides in the conflict say they are ready to resume meaningful talks, but the issue of settlement building has so far proved to be a major impediment to face to face negotiations. There have been no direct talks between the two sides since September 2010.

Jan 29, 2013

You just can't go wrong with tomatoes and mozzarella

Liked · August 30, 2012

Just stack tomatoes, some mozzarella cheese and asparagus and drizzle with some balsamic vinaigrette. ,- Please share!
—I have copied this and put it  on my blog---The Ronnie Republic--I'm honored as this is one of my all-time favorite food combinations.....Thank you ---this makes my day and I also like to collect pictures of food.

Jan 27, 2013

Edward Albee---will you marry me


Edward Albee---will you marry me

file under:  I should be cleaning, but I'm writing.......

I know there may be a few differences in our personalities, but we can work those bugs out.  Every relationship has a glitch. 

But the important tenants remain--you understand my mother, or better yet me, how I have had to endure my mother and you understand the confusion of alcohol.

I've heard it said "What is Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf about?"

.......that's not the question--its the confusion--the resulting alcohol fueled confusion and horrible beastly argument and insults--words that don't make any sense.

.......that's it--that's the issue--you're left with lasting confusion--confusion for the rest of your life.

.......unforgettable words---words that were really knives in my heart, knives in my mother's heart, knives in my grandmother's heart.

Why did he say that--why did she say that.

Did they really mean it --I have to spend the whole rest of my life asking these stupid, f>>>ing questions--why did my mother do that, why did my grandfather do that, was my grandfather a bad person,  was he a good person that was misinterpreted, do I love my mother, ....or, more importantly.....is it okay to not love my mother?

life long lasting confusion I can never figure out--was it my fault--does my mother like me?

That's it ''there are no answers but i wish i could just stop thinking about it--i wish my brain would stop asking the questions and let it go.

Edward, please don't be mad now, if I have messed everything up and misinterpreted your play.....when I saw the movie I knew it was about my family....drinking and fighting.
--
from the writing desk of Susan LeCarre

Jan 24, 2013

Filner meets with Tijuana mayor, business leaders

Filner meets with Tijuana mayor, business leaders

San Diego's mayor said he'll push for closer ties

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner and Tijuana Mayor Carlos Bustamante during the Monday gathering. / Photo by Peggy Peattie * U-T
San Diego Mayor Bob Filner and Tijuana Mayor Carlos Bustamante during the Monday gathering. / Photo by Peggy Peattie * U-T
— Saying the rich potential of cross-border relations has not been tapped, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner on Monday pledged to promote increased ties with Tijuana at every level — from cultural initiatives to student exchanges to joint lobbying trips with his Mexican counterpart.
“We have to strengthen the sense that we are one, that we don’t just give lip service to dos ciudades, una región (two cities, one region) but actually make it true,” Filner said during a meeting hosted by the Tijuana Economic Development Corporation, or DEITAC.
The event marked Filner’s first formal public appearance in Tijuana since he took office in December, staff members said, though he has crossed south on two other occasions since becoming mayor.
Fighting for U.S. federal funds to relieve congestion at San Diego’s border crossings is a priority for Filner. “It’s the biggest obstacle to our relationship, for commercial things, for business,” he said. Together with Tijuana Mayor Carlos Bustamante, “we’re going to travel to Mexico City and to Washington together to try to make the case that this is so important to both countries, both cities, both peoples.”
In recent weeks, Filner has announced moves to increase cross-border contact with Tijuana, including the establishment of a telephone hotline linking his office directly to Bustamante’s. He has appointed a staff member, Mario López, to focus full time on border affairs.
And he plans to open San Diego’s first office in Tijuana next month. In its initial phase, the city will operate out of DEITAC’s offices in the city’s Río Zone, where the business group has offered space free of charge.
One way to truly become a binational region, Filner said, would be for Tijuana and San Diego to share the same area code — a move that would not only save the cost of calling long distance but also offer a powerful symbol.
Filner had broached the idea while serving as a U.S. congressman representing California’s border with Mexico. “Technically, it’s a trivial matter, you throw a few switches,” he said Monday. “Politically, it’s more difficult.”
John Eger, a telecommunications lawyer and professor at San Diego State University, promoted such a proposal in the 1990s. “It’s important that we find a way to blur the border, and one way to do that would be to establish a common area code,” Eger said. The proposal failed, he said “for want of support in Mexico City.”
On Monday, members of Tijuana’s business community urged the mayor to take action on other fronts. David Mayagoitia, the president of DEITAC, said a good first step would be supporting the rebuilding of rail links on both sides of the border — a move he said would help spur growth for the region’s automotive industry.
Tijuana’s future also depends on improving the city’s reputation in San Diego and beyond, Mayagoitia said. “We need San Diego to help us overcome the image problem.”
Bustamante said he hoped Filner could continue the relationship developed with San Diego’s previous mayor, Jerry Sanders, and “take it to a new level.”


Proponents of closer collaboration have said the mayors might want to take some pointers from a previous era — the 1990s with San Diego Mayor Susan Golding and Tijuana Mayor Hector Osuna Jaime, when their administrations forged a memorandum of understanding and staff members consulted regularly on issues such as public safety, sports, culture and the environment.
Jorge D’Garay, who served as the Tijuana’s public relations director at the time, said the formal arrangements, approved by the U.S. State Department and Mexico’s Foreign Ministry, helped keep the efforts on track. “Otherwise, you run the risk of turning into a social affair.”
sandra.dibble@utsandiego.com (619) 293-1716 Twitter @sandradibble

KOGO 600's chip franklin SHUT DOWN AND OUT BY SAN DIEGO MAYOR BOB FILNER

KOGO 600's chip franklin SHUT DOWN AND OUT BY SAN DIEGO MAYOR BOB FILNER

No, chip franklin of KOGO 600 morning talk radio in San Diego really thought he was going to get one over on mayor Bob Filner, but the newly elected mayor of San Diego just wasn't having it.......no, chip, not today.

chip was essentially down and out to begin with because there was no way he was going to be able to employ his usual tactics of shouting, hanging up on or calling the person an "ass" after the phone call was over, as he did the other day to the Fox network newswoman when she would not give more details that he desired.

The mayor wanted to put forth his idea to inject more money into the San Diego financial market by promoting tourism from Mexico, our convenient neighbor next door, to increase the dollar intake at such activities as football, shopping at all of our beautiful malls and enjoying all of our other activities sought after by tourists around the world....and I know its true because I see tourists from everywhere, speaking all kinds of different languages, when I walk in Balboa Park about once a week.  I think the mayor has a good idea.  Why not?

Apparently Mayor Bob Filner had a  head's up about chip's poo-pooing on immigration.  No, I guess chip's rush limbaugh-esque approach throws a monkey wrench right down on the welcome mat when it comes to dollars from Tijuana. 

The mayor was happy--he did not let chip rain on his parade.  He essentially said give me a break man, I'm trying to make head way in our San Diego financial issues--lend me a hand, don't run people out.

Well, its obvious chip doesn't get out much--like all conservatives he is little and afraid--he thinks the US is not only the best country but the only country.  Remember, this is a man who has never been to the UK, but when he goes he is going to use United States dollars--he feels our money is the best and always the most welcomed anywhere around the world.  Right, chip, have you heard of the pound?

I maintain, and I don't think anyone can go against it, it is this rush limbaugh and sean hannity sentiment that lost the election.  No, Mayor Filner is a democrat and by the way chip, so is our President Barack Obama and our beloved Governor, Jerry Brown.

chip you and sean hannity lost the election with statements like "taking back America."  America is a beautiful coat of many colors.  The dems are in and the ROWGs are out.  chip--get with the program--bullying and hating are out.

Good job, Mayor Filner.





--

chloelouise

Jan 22, 2013

.gosh I love all of this interesting JFK info

I have copied this from facebook.......cl......gosh I love all of this interesting JFK info.

Ruby - Oswald Connection - here is a list of all the witnesses who placed Ruby and Oswald together, saw them together, or they knew each other BEFORE the JFK assassination....do you feel they knew each other?...








Chloe Louise Now this is what gets me real annoyed--recently watched the c-span-history channel, showing interviews of people who were actually there, one being Jim Levealle--the sheriff in the white hat escorting Oswald when he was shot--when asked could he tie Oswald and Ruby together in any way shape or form--he replied that he tried to every way he could but there just was no evidence--also the fact that Oswald did not drink or go to clubs.

Jan 19, 2013

I like Ronnie Wood on Absolute Classic Rock

There are so many people who have been waiting for the return of Mick Taylor to the Rolling Stones....I would love to get a chance to see them, I hope they will have more concerts.  Speaking of the Stones, I listen to the Ronnie Wood show every Saturday on Absolute Classic Rock...he has not been on lately, I guess with his tour and wedding...I hope he will be on today.  It is really a good show and he has some very interesting stories.

Jan 17, 2013

I've Been A Hillary Girl Forever!









"She refers to me as her ‘first husband’. Because I told her once she’s going to live to be 120 and have time for plenty more.”

- President Bill Clinton speaking about his wife Hillary Clinton    




from   msnbc

Jan 15, 2013

Huell Howser--My Interview Hero



Kimber Kneeland · IT Helpdesk Support at Driscoll's
RIP Huell Howser...may all your sunsets be California perfect!
Chloe Louise · San Diego, California
Hope you don't mind--putting your nice comment in my blog--the ronnie republic--I think I have seen every one of Huell's shows. I have been to several of his recommendations--I love a road trip in sunny southern California and discovering an interesting place--I can usually bring my dog. it's not too crowded and I learn new information. I will really miss Huell's interesting shows and friendly style. He really had the interview knack of mirroring the statement back to the person and the art of the pause down to a science. The best thing about his interview skills was conveying sincerity and enthusiasm with very few words. If one notices his interview he strategically directs the conversation to reveal the true meaning of the place as told by the citizens or the docents who actually work at the site. He is low-key and inspirational at the same time--one of the most talented interviewers on television....cl

"Salute" to Huell Howser to be Held at Griffith Observatory on Tuesday

Howser, who devoted his life to chronicling people and places in California, died Jan. 6

By Sharon Bernstein
|  Tuesday, Jan 15, 2013  |  Updated 8:56 AM PST
View Comments (
1
)
|
Email
|
Print




"Salute" to Huell Howser at Griffith Observatory
advertisement
A public salute to Huell Howser, the affable host of public broadcasting’s long-running “California’s Gold” series, will be held at 4 p.m. on Tuesday at the Griffith Observatory, hosted by City Councilman Tom La Bonge.
Howser, an intensely private man whose chronicles of California locales earned him a warm spot in the hearts of many in the state, died Jan. 6 after a two-year battle with cancer.
He had told friends he did not want a memorial or funeral service.
LaBonge’s event will conclude with what the councilman is calling a “sunset salute” to Howser at 5:07 p.m.
A note on LaBonge’s website invited the public to gather at 3:30 p.m. on the steps of the observatory. A shuttle will be provided from the Greek Theater for those who prefer to park there.
"Huell had a tremendous enthusiasm for California landmarks like the Griffith Observatory," LaBonge, said in the online invitation. "And now we must say goodbye to our own California landmark, Huell Howser."
 
Howser was 67 when he died.

copied from: