RISEN MAGAZINE

So, a while ago,
people I didn't know contacted me through my website
and asked me to do an interview for their magazine.
"Risen Magazine".

I did not know what it was.
They gave me three copies to peruse.

The covers of the three I got
were Ozzy, Adrian Brody, and Bam Margera.
I was told that the magazine asks important questions;
Philosophical questions, spiritual questions.
But I hear a lot of shit, all the time.
One night I pulled them out and
it was so true.

I love this magazine.
It is no fluff in content,
(yes there are ads, because, it's a magazine).
I sat down for hours and read all three
magazines from cover to cover
and I fell in love.
It is absolutely my favorite magazine ever.
They interview all kinds of people,
but instead of silly Hollywood stuff,
it's about the real stuff,
mind, heart and soul.

I decided to do this interview
and met with the writer/editor Steve
and his friend (and my dogs, and
later, my boyfriend joined us as well)
for what turned into hours upon hours
of conversation about important questions.
Philosophies, spirituality.

So, I'm posting to say that my interview
is in the current issue of Risen Magazine.
(march-april, '06)
Well, some of it.
If they had actually transcribed the like FIVE
hours of conversation, it would have had to
have been a book (maybe later).

The issue also includes interviews with
The AMAZING Will.I.Am
from the Black Eyed Peas (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
(they put out two different covers per issue,
I'm on one cover, Will.I.Am is on the other,
and his interview is GREAT!),
Anne Rice, and Danny Trejo (awesome),
and articles on Bono, and other multi medium artists.

The reason I'm posting about it is because I love this
magazine, and I really want it to keep on coming.
It's important and interesting.
You can get it at good newsstands everywhere.
If you can't, go to their site,
www.risenmagazine.com
and request a copy, or better yet, subscribe.
If they are sold out of this one,
tell them to make you a new one.
(you can also download the articles on-line)
It's good stuff by good people.

Cheers.

P.S. Fun facts:
- In the opening photo on page 48, that is my beautiful
friend Tony's hand, he was mentioned and pictured on my
blog just after halloween with his costume (11/10/05)
He was the make-up artist. To the photographer's credit,
he snapped that picture as Tony was doing my make-up
and the stylist had thrown the shawl on me because it was cold.

- The dress I am wearing on page 51, my sister in Tennessee had
sent me in the mail the day before.

- The t-shirt I am wearing on page 52 is one of my
all time favorites in my huge collection of vintage T-shirts
that I bought for $1 at a thrift store.

- In the photo on page 54, I am wearing a T-shirt I made,
the words used to be on the back of the shirt, so I cut it up
so the words would look right on the front. And the socks
are my favorite old school tubes that I have 100 pairs of.

3/27/06

Happy Birthday to
Quentin Tarantino
and
Fergie from
the Black Eyed Peas!

3 is the magic number,
27 is 9x3
9 is THREE THREES (great number)
and 6 is double three.
A good day.

Thank you to everyone who
sent happies today.

UPDATE: BURNING CROSSES

THANK YOU STAN H. :

I got an e-mail from Stan in Alabama
(I know exactly where Tuscaloosa is, BTW)
about the real, latest scoop on the church burnings.
(I got a lot of e-mails about "Burning Crosses", actually, thank you)
How right was the description of the culprits (SUVs!!!) and
how astounding were the
congregations and pastors of Alabama in their forgiveness?

Here is the latest from Stan in Alabama
(edited for length):

"There were three boys, wealthy, upper middle class, all in
college. They were cruising in one of their SUVs in wooded, rural areas.
They were doing illegal hunting using spotlights to startle deer then
shoot them before they could respond.

They got bored with looking for deer, spotted a church and one of
them decided it would be a good joke to burn it down. That's what
really happened.

Most of the people from the burned churches have come on local TV to
publicly state that they have forgiven the boys. These are very
fine, good, honest country folks, both black and white.
They have not only big hearts but good, big hearts."

Thank you Stan. -pp

UPDATE: BANANAS

(thanks, Andrea, I read it on the news and was sad)

A hurricane wiped out 80% of Australia's
Banana crops.
It was a devastating loss
for the hard working people
who make their living
growing these wonderful fruits.

For everyone of you that e-mailed
with banana stories and banana love
and banana nutrition information,
please say a little prayer for the
Australian Banana farmers.

Forward:

I don't read "forwards".
"FWD:" emails equal "delete" to me.
And from strangers, never...
But...
One of my most beloved people,
my friend Constance,
sent me this forward last week,
which I uncharacteristically read
because I love Constance,
and Connie doesn't "forward",
and it has stuck with me.
I keep thinking about it
and it makes me smile.
So... hypocritically,
here is a forward I got from my
friend Connie:
--------------------------------------
WE'RE STILL HERE:
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE
1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!
(author unknown)

First, we survived being born to mothers who
smoked and/or drank while they carried us.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing,
tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were
covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles,
doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes,
we had no helmets, not to mention,
the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children,
we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day
was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends,
from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and
drank soda pop with sugar in it, but
we weren't overweight because
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day,
as long as we were back
when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day.
And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts
out of scraps and then ride down
the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.
After running into the
bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes,
no video games at all,
no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies,
no surround sound, no cell
phones, no personal computers,
no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........
WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth
and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt,
and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays,
made up games with sticks and tennis balls and
although we were told it would happen,
we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and
knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone
made the team. Those who didn't
had to learn to deal with disappointment.
Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law
was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced
some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers
and inventors ever!

The past 50 years
have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility,
and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this
with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids,
before the lawyers and the government
regulated our lives for our own good.

and while you are at it,
forward it to your kids
so they will know how brave their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to
run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

- author unknown

BANANAS

I had seven bananas today.
Gosh, I love them.
Bananas are so cool,
their own little package,
so much potassium.
Not hot,
Not cold,
just perfect.
I wonder if one could live off bananas alone?
(of course including beer and water and oxygen)

Three cheers and more for bananas!

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

I just came back from walking my dogs.
It was an extra long walk because
I got one of those tiny little I-pod shuffles
out of a vending machine at the supermarket.
My main I-pod is loaded, but old, and the battery
doesn't hold out very long. I can leave it
on my dock for days of entertainment,
but if I take it out, it lasts like three minutes,
but it's been good to me, and I will remain loyal.
In-house, that is.

I got an extra one to run with,
and to walk my dogs to.
I got the new little, cheap one,
because since 1992, I have only listened to
one band, one cd, while running.
Over and over again.
Year after year.
Rage Against The Machine's first record
(entitled "Rage Against The Machine")
has been my mainstay, my life saver,
my pace, for that many years.
Through Walkman's, Portable CD players,
and I-pods, I run,
I listen to THAT record (or tape, CD, Digi).
Every now and then I try and convince myself
to give a go at running to something else.
But I never have, not once.
So, what is that?
How many times have I listened to that record?
Who knows?
But it remains the most important recording to
me ever (Jeff Buckley's "Grace" has another
little piece of my heart, but for other reasons,
and you can't really run to it, but EVERYONE
should own Jeff Buckley's "Grace", EVERYONE).

I put only ONE band on my new little I-pod,
Rage Against The Machine.
It's all I need.

I have only two big regrets in my crazy life,
I think that is pretty good.
The big one is everything having to do
with ever meeting the person I do not name,
and the other is not seeing RATM in L.A. at the
Democratic Convention in 2000.
And I was IN L.A. at the time.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

"Master Militant Poetry".
That's what it says,
That's what it is.
I would never persuade the faint of heart,
to go check them out because
They lay it down,
Straight Up...
Everything.
Government.
Xenophobia.
Capitalism.
Education.
Racism.
Everything.
And it's hard core.
And most do NOT want to hear that.

I know every lick and lyric on that record
and I still listen to it every day.
Every day.
I am grateful for that record
Every day.

They broke up,
That's what bands do.
Tom Morello (guitar god) is doing other projects
(Audioslaving with Tim and Brad and Chris Cornell)
and I heard that
Zach De La Rocha (lyricist/singer)
wanted to sit on a mountain and write
( WORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! )
but has also worked with Chuck D and
has done some solo stuff.

But That Recording.
That one.
Rage Against The Machine,
"Rage Against The Machine".
Timeless,
Perfect.
I love "Evil Empire" and
"Battle Of Los Angeles"
A Whole Lot
But the first one,
That's my record.
That's the one.
It's a part of my soul and life.
I keep several copies around,
just in case,
and it's on every computer and I-pod I have.

And I'm Very Grateful For It.
Whew...
Thank You, RATM.

BURNING CROSSES

I've been following this story on the news about the
recent church burnings an Alabama.
At first, as a fiery civil rights activist,
I was aflame because of the old pain and anger
about black churches in the south being burned
in some ignorant, disgusting, pathetic show of racism.
But, as this story developed,
it seemed there was no race thing.
Churches burned that were segregated
to different skin colored groups.
All burned down, across the board.

(Rant: Why oh why are churches so segregated?
Why is anything?
Why does anyone judge anything by skin color?
I've never understood that.
Melanin, an enzyme, is what determines one's
skin color. It is produced by the body
as a protective agent, shielding
the body from harmful things, like sun rays.
The amount of melanin in a body may be traced to
that body's historic origin of location, yet ever evolving,
relative to it equatorial positioning,
since, of course, because of it's spherical nature,
the earth's equator is closest to the sun.
It's that simple.)

So, all kinds of churches in Alabama were burned down.
This is obviously a familiar place to me.
I grew up in southern churches,
I grew up in Alabama churches.
My dad teaches bible study at an Alabama church.
A very rural and secluded Alabama church.
The churches that were burned down this time
were reported to be all in "rural" and "secluded" areas.
I know what that often means.
People on the low side of the economic line.
Probably poor people assigned to this crazy planet
for whatever reason
who go to their "rural, secluded" church and try to put
some sort of meaning into their existence here.
To try to find some sort of
"peace that passes understanding"
because who the hell can understand all this?

And what the HELL is the point of burning them down?
I believe in faith, NOT religion, absolutely.
So, church? The actual thing, "structure"?
Not the biggest thing in my thing.
But my thing is different than other people's thing.
People need different things to survive.
I am strongly against any "church" that seems to be
a capitalistic venture.
I'm not a capitalist.
I'm not a republican.
I do not believe in using "God Lives Here",
or "I Represent God" to make money.
I don't believe in religious hierarchy for
power or control or money
which, yes, is often cooked up
in the kitchen of a church or a religion
(or a presidency).
I have a different, personal belief in
every person having very direct contact with God,
If You Choose To Accept This Mission
for yourself, and not just in group think.
I believe in a very, very, big, big spirit
of internal discernment,
God given,
that let's you know what is right and wrong,
If You Choose To LISTEN.
I believe in Love, and self sacrifice,
and altruism, and kindness,
and intelligence, and hard work,
and truth and all that stuff that
stands firm even in the harsh darkness
of iniquity.

But... Anyways...
Burning down poor, rural churches?
Hey, tough guy...
What the crazy ass loser are you doing?
One church, by the way...
I saw a picture of their corner stone
that said "established in 1819".
So, You? Asshole?
Born in like 1981 or after?
Get your kicks by burning down old,
historic, rural churches?
Pathetic.

Want an economy lesson now?
The rural poor is an enormous problem.
Rural areas are the hard hit as far as poverty
and unemployment go.
The urban poor get more screen time,
because they are more visible.
(read: there are more TV shows and film
productions in NY and L.A.).
The rural poor are often hard working people,
trying every way they can to survive.
And, yeah, are often big church goin' folk,
who are seeking hope and belief and Good Stuff.
I distinctly remember as a kid,
the little wooden charts on my church walls
every Sunday
(and Wednesday and other days and nights)
with slid in numbers proclaiming
the attendance and the offering and
the number of visitors at last week's
Sunday Meeting.
And I remember being blown away one time
that the offering was $200.
It was a record number.
$200, collected by hard working,
rural, secluded people,
so the lights would be on at the church the next week,
and there would be a little heat in the corner heater,
so the piano player would be paid
so they could give, if anything... something
and a so few people might have hope as they see it
for seven more days.

So... hey,
HOOD ROBIN,
You've got it ass backward.
What exactly are you fighting?
A hangover?

The suspects in this case were said,
by their friends and "college" classmates
to be friendly, smart, and blah, blah, blah.
That it was just a "joke" that got out of hand.
That they were just "drunk".

Note the word "college".
Note the word "joke".
Note the word "drunk".

Anybody else get the notion that this sounds like
a bunch of spoiled, white, frat guys
who make every other person who is
trying hard to get an education, or maybe loves
a funny, clever literary quip, or has a cocktail when
they have earned it, put to shame?
No...
Shame On Them.

"College"?
Education is so important.
Done in the right way,
it can teach one to think for oneself.
It can give you the tools to do the right thing.
This is something that millions only dream of,
and can not afford.
Many join the military for this reason alone,
for it's their only way to pay for college,
and kill and get killed for it
in the wake of an unexpected war.
Somebody paid these matchbook's tab, obviously.
They don't care.

"Joke"?
I am really, really funny.
I like plays on words,
and really, really smart humor.
And I come up with it and share it.
And I love it when others do.
DO NOT dishonor the word "joke", O.K.?

"Drunk"?
What?
I'm drinking a beer right now.
I am absolutely guilty
of drinking too much Budweiser on occasion,
and yes,
overly telling people how much I love them,
talking to my pets for hours,
praying, overly intensely,
dancing alot,
singing alot,
happy, embarrassing things,
but...
did I ever get a long neck and think,
"Hey, I'm gonna go burn down a church!!!"
Hey, you ninnies,
Do Not Blame The Beer.

This is no Joke.
I don't even like church.
It scares me sometimes.
But I have my own faith in things
and my own opinions as to what I
think is good for me or not.

The government using "church" as a platform?
Not good for me.
The Church using believers to buy stuff for themselves?
Not good for me.
Anyone telling me what I should and should not
feel or believe in when I talk to God all
the time and get my very own, VERY clear answers?
Not good for me.

Being completely pissed off that a couple of stupid,
spoiled criminals thought it was was a drunk, college, joke
to burn down a bunch of rural churches
and then me writing about it...
Passionately?

Very Good For Me.

BZZZ-ZZZ

Not alot of posts because
I've been busy as a bee,
busy as a bee in a bonnet.
And when I'm not,
for fleeting moments,
I'm thinking about the 3 thousand other
things on my plate.
And when I'm not,
I'm trying to sleep.

Like last night, grrrrrrr...
I woke up suddenly at 6:30 AM,
after two hours sleep
when I didn't have to.
I remember being very, very happy.
I had some kind of dream where I
figured out something I was trying
to figure out, had wonderful resolution,
woke up happy, and in trying to
rerun my dream and it's lessons through
my head a zillion times so I'd remember,
I fell back asleep
and had an awful nightmare,
which is what I woke up to for my
real waking up to the day moment,
and I forgot what the hell my
happy dream was about.


Southern Saying Alert:
"Bee In Your Bonnet" is an old southern saying
which means whatever is driving you crazy,
or making you mad.
Like,
"I saw Sue down at the church house,
and she's got a real bee in her bonnet
about that pot luck dinner"

And for the international crowd:
(this may be southern as well)
"Busy As A Bee"
means, well, really busy,
ummmm...
like a bee is.
Clearly.

OH!
Also for the international crowd:
"TANG" is a powdered orange drink mix.
Yes, I got all the notes...
"What the hell is Tang?"

Southern Saying Alert #2:
"Pot Luck Dinner"
is where a bunch of people
(usually at the church house)
bring a whole bunch of home cooked food
in their own dishes and sit it out for
everyone to eat a bite of everything.
This usually involves alot of casseroles.
And I miss them, yum.

Tonight I had awesome Italian with
my boyfriend and friends Adam and Allie.
Adam was my roommate in NY,
and eating Italian in LA with him
brings back good NY memories.

must sleep, must sleep,
must work, must sleep.
must work, must work,
must sleep...

Here's to happy dreams for everybody!

PHISH IN THE SEE

This is a public service announcement.
Just in case anyone is not aware of new bad guy tactics,
"phishing" and "spoofing", read this.

These practices involve sending very clever e-mails
alerting you to a problem with your account from many
web based businesses.
I'll use E-bay and Amazon as examples.
Both companies have had their names fraudulently
used by these criminals, and both offer useful ways
of combatting this crime.

A common example is receiving an e-mail that appears
to be from a legitimate company you may have patronized.
These e-mails will often have some sort of urgency to them,
like "your account has been fraudulently accessed, contact us
immediately". Don't forget, it is very simple to configure the
"From" address, so never use that to determine if an email
is real or not. You can often check the headers and see
that the e-mail is actually from a completely different address.
If you don't know how to do this, it may be easier to just look at
what they are asking you to do.

Never Send Your Financial Info Or Passwords To Anyone.
Look at any links that may be present, but Do Not Click Them.
If you put your cursor on them, without clicking,
you can see the real address that it links to.
Also, ignore the "from" address at the top, and look at other
addresses in the body of the email. The fraudulent addresses
will have something BEFORE the name of the company.
For example, a real email address from E-bay will read:
_______@ebay.com
A fake e-mail could read:
_______@blahblah.ebay.com

E-bay has the very best security set up to combat this.
They are lightening fast with reports.
All you have to do is forward any suspect e-mail to:
spoof@ebay.com

Amazon has a reporting page that requires you to copy and
paste the headers and the text of the suspect e-mail into
boxes, which is harder to do, but they also are on top of this.

E-bay has an excellent little thing on their site
called "Spoof Tutorial". This walks you through the entire
process of Spoofing and Phishing, gives you all the
examples (that we know of now, of course, criminals morph),
and tells you what to do (far better than I just did).
Their tutorial should be read to understand all spoofing
of any company. It's very informative.
Private consumers are the victims of this process, so it's
imperative that companies join in the fight to protect against it.

I have received tons of these fake e-mails. That's why I started
doing research about it. I report all of them now.

Be careful.
Never let the bad guys win.