Neighbors

 

I think this bird is a cormorant.  I have seen it all week outside my window.  Most of the time, I just see its head like a little snake around the lake, fishing and swimming, I guess.  And, when it's not doing that, the bird sits here, on the water's edge, drying it's wings?  I don't know what it's doing, but that's what it looks like to me, taking a break between dips and feedings, drying off in the sun.  She/he is so beautiful to look at, and I feel so lucky.

A couple weeks ago, there was a giant, and I mean giant, blue heron, on the same shore.  Standing erect for over and hour, just contemplating?  I have no idea, but so peaceful, standing as tall as my chin.  I have never seen such a giant winged creature before.  I didn't take a picture, because it was so breathtaking and unusual, I couldn't dare spoil the moment.

Where I live is so beautiful, but there is so much trash everywhere.  It is so heartbreaking and mind boggling at the same time.  I do not understand the kind of person who drops their crap on the ground and keeps walking or driving or looking away or whatever they are doing.  And then there is everybody else, who just walks on by, with the trash already on the ground.

There are supposedly groundskeepers where I live.  I live in a condo, and I presume its their job to keep the grounds clean.  But they don't.  There is trash everywhere.  And that's not unusual to this community.  There is trash all over the Charleston area.  It kills me.

Anyhow, I've made it my personal duty, even against the snubs I get from others who are put out I guess by my community service (?), who knows what bothers these idiots, to keep the lake clean.  I remove disgusting trash all the time.  Boxes, clothes, plastic, you name it, I've grabbed a stick, hung on to a tree limb, balanced on one leg, to get the trash out of the lake.

I do it because trash is my personal number one pet peeve.  I also do it because I love animals.  And we have turtles and fish, and ducks who live here all year round.  I also love the earth and myself, and of all the problems we face on this planet today, trash seems one we can truly control, and one that is completely unnecessary.  So I do what I can.

Now, in recent weeks, we've had that amazing heron, that spent over a week here, resting on our shores.  And, now, in this past week, this beautiful cormorant.

I feel like it's my prize for the effort I make.  Because they could be anywhere on the lake, and yet they are resting peacefully outside my window.  To me they are saying, "thank you."  To them, I say, "thank you right back."  You are so beautiful.

Here's a smaller heron that arrived a couple days after I initially made this post.  This one is not so unusual in appearance or size, but still a stunning bird, I think.

going forward

"Wo, oh, what I want to know, is are you kind?"



(grateful dead)

White Famous - Another Television Review

Just finished watching the entire season of White Famous (Showtime).

There have been moments where it has kind of spun me on my head, and I’ve thought, is this ok?  Is this fucked up?  Is this biased, bigoted, prejudiced, wrong?

But an answer has never come to me.  All I know is, it is really, really funny.  And, honestly, so cute.

And, in the end, with the first season now complete, of this story of a rising black comic trying to make it big in Hollywood, it is the friendship between Floyd (the comic) and Balls (his best friend), the relationship between Sadie (Floyd's baby mama) and Floyd, their dedication to their son, the insanity and warmth of Teddy (a supposed genius, but deranged white director), the loyalty, perversion and sweetness of Malcom (Floyd's Indian agent), Jamie Foxx as himself making huge fun of himself, and the continued bashing of the white privileged of Hollywood (whether it’s spot on, or a wildly grotesque comic strip – I have no idea) that makes this show so amazing.

It is hysterical.  If this is your kind of thing, you’ll love it.  If it’s not…I don’t know what to say…I’m sorry.

Dylan Farrow

I believe you

I’m not famous, or a part of Hollywood, but, in my mind, it does not take a rocket scientist to see that what you are saying about your (previously) adoptive step-father is completely true.

It also breaks my heart when I see actors I really admire work for Woody Allen.

Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, and more recently Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, both who I think are so outspoken and bright and who were so brilliant in American Ultra.  There are too many to name, but those are the ones who immediately come to my mind.

When I was really young and in college in the 80’s, I was in a dorm with a lot of native New Yorkers.  Being pretty stupid myself, I was easily persuaded and intimidated by these young people who were, quite honestly, just being themselves also.

I remember when we all set out to see Annie Hall, which had come out years before but seeing it was still like earning an intellectual badge of honor, and an absolute must see according to this crowd.

I hated it.  And I hated every movie I saw of his after that until I became self-aware enough (many years ago) to realize no matter what anybody said I did not think this man was a genius nor did I think he had anything of value to say.

Godless, was and is the word that comes to mind, when I re-think those movies of his I did see.  Absolutely Godless.  Just ugly worlds with people doing ugly things, and with no greater meaning behind them. 

He doesn’t believe in God, which when I was young, I was too embarrassed to admit I saw and cared about.  I remember even some of those New Yorkers in my dorm saying “really smart people don’t believe in God.”  Which did in fact stop me in my tracks and cause me to doubt myself.

But now I realize that statement couldn’t be farther from the truth.

I think part of the reason I hated him so much, as a supposed artist, is because other people liked him so much.  And, in my mind, that gave those who liked him an excuse to act really badly.

I’m sorry the man left his long partner for her unbelievably young adoptive daughter.  Enough said.  Gross.  Mean.  Awful.

He’s no artist in my mind.  He’s a shame.  No matter how you put it.

I believe you Dylan.