I grew up near the ocean, in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York City. I loved it, the boardwalk, the penny arcade, even the jelly fish down my bathing suit and the sand in my food. Oh I miss skeeball! Eventually, we even had a subway to Manhattan. What more could a kid ask for? No matter where I dwell, NYC is home forever in my heart and soul.
Politics in Popular Culture
Popular culture is meant to entertain us, to be sure. And I hope you'll find many entertaining videos and text on my page. However, popular culture also often tackles a variety of political issues, whether by hitting the audience over the head or by being subtle, even hysterically funny (e.g. "Saturday Night Live"). I hope you'll find the movies, television shows, musicians, comics, actors, etc. as interesting as I do in their "political mode." And I mean "political" here in it's broadest sense, not in the narrow confines of election politics.
"Seven Days in May"
A thrilling novel made into an equally riveting movie about a planned military take over of the US government. The military men involved saw the US President as too in favor of reducing nuclear arsenals, and in general too "weak" and not nearly war mongering enough. It was scary back then-the idea is still scary (to me).
Seven Days in May: A scene from the film
Note to parents and everyone else: The Lesbian Mafia podcasts played here are rated R/X!(Yea!)
Popular and Classical Culture Section: Some of my personal favorites for your pleasure, displeasure, acceptance or rejection
I'll be featuring many of my favorite artists in this section, but one singer- Emmylou Harris-has been THE one for me for decades. I don't know if I believe in angels, but if they do exist I'm sure they sound just like her, and that she sings from the place where angels live.
If you visit my page you know I like to feature new and/or independent artists (independent of the corporate recording business). But in this section the only rule is these are songs, artists and composers I love, past and present.
I picked this video because this song expresses a place I'm working on getting to. I also just love the song and Tom Petty. Enjoy!
Tom Petty and the heartbreakers - "I wont back down"
I am mad about movies always have been, and love so many actors. I will share many of both in this section. But there's something about Mary (Louise-Parker). I don't have words to describe what "it" is, but when Ms. Parker is on screen, movies or television, I am simply in a trance, always moved (to laughter, tears or both), and constantly amazed. For me, she stands apart from the rest. If you haven't seen her in the genius dark comedy "Weeds" on Showtime, (my new favorite TV show), find a way to do so! Oh yeah-and see all of her movies too. ALL of them!
Current Movie Recommended
"Almost Famous"
"Director Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical drama tells the story of a high school kid coming of age in the 1970s." He realizes his dream of being a rock journalist when he gets to follow a rising band on tour. But I can't describe this glorious movie in a few sentences or a long winded explanation. It is a coming of age story, but it's also a story about the death of classic rock, complex love, ego, and so much more. An extraordinary cast, with one of the best performances in any movie I've ever seen by Kate Hudson, the music-all of it-make this one of my most beloved films ever. EVER!
Television
My new selection from my favorites on television is "The Office." This off beat, intelligent and most of all extremely funny show breaks every "sit-com" rule and for the better. A great cast, headed by Steve Carrel, one of the funniest people on the planet, doesn't hurt. If you haven't seen it, I suggest you give it a try!
Books
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
The plot summary of this novel would read something like, "Clarissa Dalloway, an upper class woman in post WWI England, hosts a party." But as is the case with most plot summaries, this one does nothing to alert the reader to the profound journey Woolf takes one on exploring the inner life of Mrs. Dalloway and various other characters in the novel, in a ground breaking narrative style that, like all great art, broke rules and boundaries. It is my favorite of all of Virginia Woolf's remarkable writings, including her diaries and letters. If you are willing to follow Woolf on this demanding journey, the rewards at the end are well worth it-in my opinion, of course.
Heroes
Neil Postman, revolutionary thinker, author and teacher of Communication and Culture, and all around amazing guy! Author of over 20 books, world renowned speaker and expert on media and culture, and the founder and heart and soul of a cutting edge doctoral program at New York University. Postman left a giant legacy, and many followers teaching, writing, and continuing to learn today. I loved him, I miss him and was blessed that he was my mentor and friend.
Molly Ivins
"So keep fightin' for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't you forget to have fun doin' it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin' ass and celebratin' the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was."
My beloved Giants! What a game, and how sweet the ending!
Carrie Haggart, founder, owner, operator, primary care giver and guardian angel of Out to Pasture Farm & Rescue, Inc.
Since she was a child, Carrie had a dream-to create a safe, healing space for sick, physically challenged, elderly and generly unwanted animals-an "orphanage" she called it. Well, with the help of her amazing husband Kevin, Carrie has turned that dream into an amazing facility that now is home to almost 100 dogs, cats, horses, sheep, goats and birds. All her charges came to her in one painful, horrid state or another. A visit to OTP reveals what Carrie's years of dedication, 18 hour days, volunteers and donors have accomplished: pain free, loving animals, who only want some love and care in return. She has truly become one of my greatest (s)heroes!
My once best friend is one of my sheroes. She's shown tenacity, determination and a "can do" attitude against often mega odds. She's also one of those people who brightens your spirits as soon as she walks into a room. She inspired me, made me think and laugh a lot, and reminded me to "zip it" when I complained about petty problems. I will admire and love her the rest of my days.
The first people who dared to fight for decent working conditions and wages, many of them immigrant teenagers and pre-teens. Many were killed, seriously hurt, jailed and/or fired. But they were not afraid of the government or its police, the bosses, or any other danger they faced. They were among those people willing to put it all on the line, and at the turn of the 20th century sowed the seeds for the US Labor Movement. Sadly, it seems the sacrifices of labor/union activists are being lost in the erosion of workers' rights here and around the globe. We must get in the fight again, to honor the ones before us and to make work justly paid for and honored again for working people. And btw, if you don't like unions, inform yourself on what it's like to work without and with one around. I only know my own work experience, and I thank my union every single day!
Mr. Ludwig Von B. is a hero of mine. Do I really need to explain why? To hear that glorious music in one's head, but not outside of it, and write it anyway? Heroic indeed and in deed. And what music!
Helen Keller (And her teacher, Annie Sullivan), are sheroes of mine. Ms. Keller suggests why far more eloquently in her own words than I ever could: "Miss Keller, is there anything that could have been worse
than losing your sight?" Helen Keller replied: "Yes, I could have lost my vision."
The people who carried out the Montgomery, AL bus boycott are all (s)heroes to me. We sometimes find it hard to devote one day to a protest of some sort. These people stuck to their guns for 14 months! Not a single one broke the boycott, and their courage and determination helped begin to break the back of legal segregation and Jim Crow.
Harry Hay is one of my great heroes. In the 1950's, in the midst of the McCarthy era and "red scare", Hay was not only openly affiliated with the US Communist Party, but he started the first Gay Rights organization, the Mattachine Society. Words cannot express my gratitude or admiration for Mr. Hay, and what his and his colleagues' courage meant to my life.
"Harriet Tubman's life was a monument to courage and determination that continues to stand out in American history. Born into slavery in Maryland, Harriet Tubman freed herself, and played a major role in freeing the remaining millions. After the Civil War, she joined her family in Auburn, NY, where she founded the Harriet Tubman Home." (from http://www.nyhistory.com/harriettubman/life.html)
April 30, 2007 was the ten year anniversary of the "Coming Out" episode of the former "Ellen" show. To me, that episode and the season devoted to Ellen's character's not so smooth entry into "Lesbianworld" was one of the most courageous acts by an entertainer I've seen in my life. Ellen Degeneres suffered painful blowback professionally, and other serious flack. But she blazed the trail. Heroic? You bet! It's so great to see her back on top again!
Dr. Bernard Kouchner, founder of Doctors without Borders (Médecins sans Frontières).
"Since its foundation in the early 1970's, Doctors Without Borders has adhered to the fundamental principle that all disaster victims, whether the disaster is natural or human in origin, have a right to professional assistance given as quickly and as efficiently as possible," the committee said. (Statement made in awarding the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins sans Frontières.) These doctors go to the harshest places on earth, "simply" because they believe helping people is the right thing to do. That, to me, is heroic.
Anne Frank. If you've read her diary, you find a child, really, who found hope and goodness in people in the most utterly hopeless and barbaric of times. That to me is beyond an heroic legacy to leave.
The refugees of Darfur, and those all over the world, who despite the most horrific suffering that life can heap upon them, continue to will themselves to survive. They all make me ashamed when I think about how I whine when I am deprived of some small comfort for even a short period of time. These brave souls, victims of violent and/or corrupt people and events, refuse to give up on living, no matter how deep the physical and emotional pain. They are heroes for the ages.
As a woman who became a professor, Mary Daly has long been one of my (s)heroes. Her accomplishments in the 1950's (a doctorate in philosophy and two doctorates in theology were just about unheard of. But it's the sum total of Prof. Daly's radical (in the truest sense of the word) writings, and courageous, brilliant stands about teaching (which eventually forced her to resign), that have impacted modest little profs like me for generations. Brilliant, courageous, determined and principled-that adds up to heroic to me.
I've studied and taught about the history and present of television journalism for 29 years. I am a constructive critic of TV "news" and other forms of programming.
JeanneProf's Companies
Western Connecticut State University Danbury, CT US Adjunct Professor (Emeritus) Communications Department
"If God, as they say, is homophobic, I wouldn't worship that God." (Archbishop Desmond Tutu)
I'm finally back after a roller coaster of "stuff" that I had to deal with. I ask your patience as I update my page, catch up on emails and comments, and mostly reconnect with the ones I've truly missed!
The motive for creating this page was my growing concern with the ways in which mainstream media are undermining our democratic process. After teaching a variety of media history and media studies courses for almost 29 years, that concern has only grown exponetially. I also have become increasingly interested in the potential for "new media" to serve as a balance to the (in my opinion) destructive role of mainstream journalism. Also, since communications is my "field", and social justice a passion, I wanted to pay tribute to the many people and organizations who use all forms of communications (including all art forms), to fight for social justice, equality, healing and compassion, and who enrich our lives with pleasure through the free expression of their talents. Finally, I wanted to demonstrate how communications at once frees and oppresses marginalized people marginalized people around the world.
"Academentia" (thanks to brilliant Mary Daly for that great word!)
I've taught communications at Western Connecticut State University since 1979. My main area of interest (and training) is in the study of Communication and Culture. This includes: the history and nature of information technologies, and their impact on every aspect of social life; the portrayal and role of minorities in media; propaganda and political communication; popular culture; and Interpersonal Communication (especially language, and relationship communication patterns). I see diminishing face to face interaction as one inevitable consequence of the explosion of new technologies. In response, I think we need to make a conscious effort to increase face to face conversations. Solidarity was born in Poland with a conversation between nine workers!
A group of famous (infamous?) and lovable Communication graduates of my academic home since 1979, WCSU-a GREAT university with the BEST students!
Some other of my "gigs."
I have served as LGBT Caucus Chair and newsletter editor, and Chair of the LGBT Studies Division of the National Communication Association, and as Chair of the greater Danbury, CT Women's History Project. I've facilitated a variety of groups, served as a journal editor, and offer community workshops and talks on communication as well.
Communication is the essence of our human-ness. Democracy is our birthright!
Please, as you have time, look through my friends' pages, and support the many groups, individuals and artists working to make this a better world. I also hope you enjoy the variety of posted videos! As most of you know, every You Tube video has several other great ones to click on and watch once the main one finishes!
COMMUNICATION and DEMOCRACY
New Media, New Politics: Jane Jacobs and An Activist Press
Ana Marie Cox & Rachel Maddow Discuss Latest On Don't Ask Don't Tell - 5/21/09
The Patchwork Quilt Digital Divide Initiative
The Nation's Victor Navasky on Democratic Conventions Past & Present
Brave New World News of Note
Holy Twitter! They're tweeting from the pews
Some like to share Sunday sermons; others tweet all week to do outreach
By Diane Mapes
msnbc.com contributor
"When Kevin Joyce, the 29-year-old pastor of the nondenominational Imagine Fellowship in San Antonio, Texas, looks out at his congregation during his Sunday sermons, he sees “a lot of illuminated faces.”
But it’s not the word of God that’s lighting them up. It’s their smartphone screens.
“We hold our service in a movie theater and keep it dark so we can protect the screen,” says Joyce, who not only encourages his congregation to use Twitter and "tweet" in church, but projects the live Twitter stream on a giant screen during services. “When I look out, I’ll see a lot of people texting and the screens on their phones light up their faces.”
Welcome to the 3G(od) network, where social media have become as vital a communication tool for clergy and congregations as the traditional post-sermon coffee hour. While not all churches have gone as far as to incorporate real-time Twitter streams into their Sunday services, many are using Facebook, Flickr, MySpace, LinkedIn and other social networking sites to get the word (or, rather, “the Word”) out there."
My slide show offers a sampling of some of my closest friends, and some of the people I admire most, favorite movies, music, & television shows, passion for animal rescue and other causes etc. It's an incomplete and small sampling of course!
One Love
Please visit: SavetheInternet.com--Your future freedom of expression depends on it! Join them in their critical fight!
A pioneering organization that began defending critical rights in the digital age, long before the Internet exploded. From their Myspace page: "EFF broke new ground when it was founded in 1990 — well before the Internet was on most people's radar — and continues to confront cutting-edge issues defending free speech, privacy, innovation, and consumer rights today." If you haven't yet, add this remarkable organization to your Myspace friends, and visit their Myspace page and web site often. You'll gain many essential tools to take an active role in maintaining your basic communication rights in the new media world!
Who I'd like to meet: Living:
"Bill Moyers was one of the chief inheritors of the Edward R. Murrow tradition of "deep-think" journalism. Working alternately on CBS and PBS in the 1970s and early 1980s, and then almost exclusively on PBS. His achievements were principally in the areas of investigative documentary and long-form conversations with some of the world's leading thinkers. Moyers, who had been a print journalist, ordained Baptist minister, press secretary to President Lyndon Johnson, and newspaper publisher before coming to television in 1970, gained public and private foundation support for producing some of television's most incisive investigative documentaries." Source: The Museum of Broadcast Communications
This typically "dry" biographical snippet hardly captures the profound contribution Bill Moyers has made to our public discourse for more than four decades. Of the many critically important and fascinating issues Moyers has covered in interviews and in his own commentaries, I'd love to talk with him about all of his knowledge and analysis on two in particular: The modern "selling of the President" (packaging our candidates much like toothpaste) and the general changes in the way mainstream media covers politics; in both cases I'd like to hear what he has to say, up close and personal, about the consequences of these developments on the very health and soul of our democracy. I know I'd probably go into verbal paralysis in his presence!
Not Living:
"Sarah and Angelina Grimke eloquently fought the injustices of slavery, racism and sexism during the mid-19th century. As daughters of a prominent South Carolina judge and plantation owner, the Grimke sisters witnessed the suffering of slaves. Determined to speak out, they were eventually forced to move to the North, where they continued to appeal to northerners and southerners to work toward abolition. They also urged white northerners to end racial discrimination.
The Grimke sisters were pioneering women. Among the first female abolitionists, they were the first women to speak publicly against slavery, an important political topic. Faced with criticism from clergy and others that they were threatening "the female character," they continued their crusade. In 1838, Angelina became the first woman to address a legislative body when she spoke to the Massachusetts State Legislature on women's rights and abolition." Source:
Source: National Women's Hall of Fame-Women of the Hall
It was not only their brave and moral stand against slavery, but also their risky undertaking of speaking at public gatherings about that and issues of women's rights that makes me wish I could have a conversation, or just listen to the Grimke sisters talk about how they found the courage to speak in public, about controversial issues yet, at a time when women were discouraged and/or ridiculed and silenced when they attempted to do so! I think of them whenever I have a talk to give and feel those horrible nerves in the pit of my stomach. Really, what the heck do I have to be nervous about? All I'm risking is that someone won't like my outfit or what I have to say! They risked so much more. I'd be honored beyond what words could explain to just be in their presence.
POLITICAL MENACE of the MONTH (and BEYOND!)
The Right Wing Radio, Television & Internet Talking/Typing Heads
I'm pretty convinced by now-and it's hardly the conclusion of a political genius-that the extreme Right Wing media kings and queens are going to attempt to destroy Barack Obama in much the same way they went after Bill Clinton. (One must admit that Clinton did give these vindictive extremists a lot of ammunition). But from today through the end of Obama's first term, expect the whole gang, from Drudge to Hannity to Coulter to Ingrahm to Rush and others to dig for any "dirt", recycle old "dirt", lie, amplify the false and nasty rumors that began the day Obama announced, in short, spend every day attempting to discredit him and destroy his Presidency.
They will be joined by so called more "moderate" Republican strategists. Susan Molinari, for example, said the other day that "one good thing about the GOP being in the minority is that we'll have lots of targets." So much for Kumbaya. Last Tuesday's election did nothing to "transform" the agenda, tone or nature of the Right Wing attack dogs. And underestimate them at your own peril. They reach and persuade millions and millions of Americans. Their lies become mythological truths. They are powerful, and despite the success of folks like Rachel Maddow and Keith Olberman, the number of progressives with real power in the media is quite small by comparison. I trust the Obama administration will have the same kind of rapid response strategy as they did during the campaign-except that as President, Obama needs to appear to be above all the attacks. But he needs to watch his back. The pretty faces and the rich Neo-Conservatives behind them are exploding with rage-as they did when Clinton won-that some upstart Democrat interrupted their grand plan to control the government forever. So, one thing we can do is all become media activists. It's time we talked back-a lot louder and a lot more often.
"To successfully combat conservative misinformation, we must fight it at every level. As part of a new campaign to expose the conservative smears being pushed by local radio hosts and stop them from spreading, Media Matters for America has released new report on some of the most controversial hosts and their less-than-sparkling repertoire
on some of the most controversial hosts and their less-than-sparkling repertoire. You can join the fight by signing on to our Radio Action Team. As a member, you will receive information on local radio hosts, updates on their latest commentary, and the opportunity to make your voice heard.Join the Team"(Media Matters for America
ANIMAL RIGHTS & RESCUE
"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men."~St. Francis of Assisi
Out to Pasture Video
As those of you who visit my page know, Out to Pasture Farm & Rescue is a passion of mine. I do my small part as a volunteer fund raiser to help this remarkable hospice & sanctuary remain open as a healing, loving home for animals everyone else gave up on. I hope this video helps you better understand the challenges and miracles that happen at OTP daily, the amazing woman Carrie Haggart (OTP founder) is, and why your donations and other forms of support are so desperately needed and deeply appreciated. If you haven't already, please become a friend and supporter of OTP's special needs animals. Thanks so much for watching!
You can help OTP (And Other Charities You Care About) and it won't cost YOU a penny! Just use Goodsearch.com to surf the web or shop! Fill in Out to Pasture Farm & Rescue, Inc. as the charity (or whatever charity you want to support), click verify, and Goodsearch will donate the money.
Keith Olberman does his part to debunk the myth of the "liberal bias" in mainstream media.
"A great soul and noble heart always scorns your type. I am a noblewoman, who is used to ceremony, and I know how to make myself attended to. Go, talk to that ungrateful man, you will tell him that I am faithful. But he does not merit forgiveness. Yes, I want to take revenge."
(Mozart's arias often contain moments of genuine emotion, including anger and scorn.)
All my best, michael
..Today music by Béla Bartók, considered to be one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, is in my myspace classical music-video blog.
There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle. The choice is yours. Choose wisely.Hugs xoxo
May the light of your soul guide you. May the light of your soul bless the work that you do with the secret love and warmth of your heart. May you see in what you do the beauty of your own soul. May the sacredness of your work bring healing, light and renewal to those who work with you and to those who see and receive your work. May your work never weary you. May it release within you wellsprings of refreshment, inspiration and excitement. May you be present in what you do. May you never become lost in bland absences. May the day never burden. May dawn find you awake and alert, approaching your new day with dreams, possibilities and promises. May evening find you gracious and fulfilled. May you go into the night blessed, sheltered and protected. May your soul calm, console and renew you.
Come, my beloved; let us walk amidst the knolls, For the snow is water, and Life is alive from its Slumber and is roaming the hills and valleys. Let us follow the footprints of Spring into the Distant fields, and mount the hilltops to draw Inspiration high above the cool green plains. (Khalil Gibran)
“One of the secrets of inner peace is the practice of compassion.” -The 14th Dalai Lama “My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished 2 bags of M&M's and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.” -Dave Barry “Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past, and is therefore the means for correcting our misperceptions.” -Gerald Jampolsky My dear friend, Wishing you peace within and in the world surrounding you today and every day! Hugz xoxo
Whether one is twenty, forty, sixty, or eighty; whether one has succeeded, failed or just muddled along - life begins each morning! The greatest fact in life is that it is never too late to start again. Biography simply overflows with inspiring examples of this truth. However discouraging your days may have been, keep this thought burning brightly in your mind: life begins each morning! ~LMHodges
The past does not equal the future. Because you may have failed a moment ago, all day today, or for the last six months, or for the last sixteen years, or for the last fifty years of your life doesn't mean anything. All that matters is what are you going to do NOW? ~Anthony Robbins
Greetings my friend .. sorry it's been such a long time, hope all's well PLEASE do watch this vid ( mine, from one of my sites ) Do you know that you have all the money you need? .. we All have a Trust Fund/Bond, which we can access .. this is no scam, it's a fact .. our governments just haven't told us how to use it !!! .. wonder why??? a few minuses of your time will endow your life ... check out links in side bar of vid (from URL) Please help others by sharing this video '~) You Own A Bond Winston ShroutURL ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5l_oqqkADw Peace, Red.
