I began this series of drawings in 2007, after several years of not drawing or painting, the longest I had gone since I first started. Drawing and painting have been another medium of expression, a wall to bounce off of when video or writing or photography wasn’t quite the medium to capture what I was [...]

I was introduced to Todd Brown, founder of The Red Poppy Art House located in the Mission District of San Francisco, by Sherwood Chen, with A.C.T.A. (Alliance for California Traditional Arts). I was very taken with The Red Poppy space, the couches and window seats, a vase of flowers on the wicker table, the energetic [...]

Take a look at this short 9 minute video I shot and edited. Please download video first before playing for maximum viewing pleasure!

Sharing one’s feelings, even in writing, is never easy. As I began reviewing the footage from Girrrls on a Mission, I heard the strong voices of girls and young women standing up to [...]

You know how there are those moments when some one reaches out and you reach back, and life takes you somewhere you never expected.
Shout out to Ras K’dee and Richard Casteneda for the invite to the SNAG release party on Friday.
I watched a two-year old carried by ancient spirit dancing beats on the earth to [...]

I spent the weekend in touch with loved ones in Mexico and Mexico City, we talked about how deserted Mexico City had become with everyone staying home as ordered to contain the swine flu outbreak. I reached everyone, but one. My dear friend’s phone was disconnected. I tried her sister - disconnected too. The economy has probably hit their families even harder since we spoke back in November. I’ll try her number again in a few days.
The outbreak of the swine flu in Mexico has brought home and center the importance of information exchange between the two countries. Between U.S. and Mexico papers, there is a difference of 70 plus confirmed deaths by swine flu. Mexico media is reporting 25 confirmed deaths, while the U.S. media often says its over 100 people. Accurate, bi-national facts can be extremely helpful in keeping panic down, and give the appearance of consistent information, thereby increasing trust by citizens in both countries since most often access news bi-nationally.
The value of good reporting on Mexico is evident to me again this morning. During my favorite The View program of the week, the day of Hot Topics, ABC7 reports a 6.0 Earthquake near Mexico City.
My heart dropped and I scrambled to find out more facts. My cousin helped, jumping quickly on CNN to find video in Spanish. We were able to determine the earthquake was much closer to Acapulco than Mexico City, in fact almost 3 x closer. A 6.0 shaker close to Mexico City, like right outside it, is something extremely different than the deep sea earth shakers near Acapulco some 130 miles away.
For people that know Mexico well, or have family there, nonspecific, and misleading information is not useful at this point, particularly in light of the urgent need to communicate across borders now.
My thoughts and prayers are with friends and family in Mexico. As officials search for the cause of difference between deaths in the country, I remember clearly when living in Mexico how often I’d hear that chi

The promise and hope of internet news is still to be financially proven, although, by now, we can see the value socially and culturally in a huge way by how our lives have changed. We can see the impact on the current news industry structure. The end result is still too far off for us to know with certainty how things are going to play out. I suppose that’s part of the excitement for new technologies and exploring new ways of telling a story.
I know that personally, what has been most significant about being able to publish online is the ability to go back to that spontaneous feeling of creating and sharing something that had been lost for me over the years of applying and applying to make it beyond the gatekeepers and “there is no market for that…” to see for myself. In some cases, the gatekeepers were right, in other cases not. Yet, its being in the game that makes the difference because otherwise, one can not grow artistically. Plant without water.
Its been eye-opening for me to see what articles or photos people connect with and feel inspired by - whether out of like or dislike - but inspired. This immediate connection is what brought me into this field in the first place.
So it was that I watched Beyond Good Intentions, a webseries that explores the question of whether good intentions are enough in international aid practices and if not, what we can learn to make international aid policy more effective. Built around an engagement strategy, people can write in with ideas and suggestions and join a dialog. I am curious to know how the discussion is coming along. In the meantime, you can click below to see Episode #2 which questions the impact of volunteerism to ask what good is being done.

Episode #3 looks at Indonesia after the earthquake to examine how home construction aid is impacting local communities. In this third episode, I appreciate that local people were interviewed and offer local assessment of the successes and challenges. I believe this kin

Shout out to Pepe Urquijo for your film San Quentin Film School! Wow, the first episode is captivating right off the bat. I am linking here below to the first episode aired on Discovery. The Discovery Channel is running the entire series (check local listings or connect with filmmaker Pepe Urquijo on Facebook).
Maybe we’ll get Pepe online with an interview here at Sweet Entertainment, to talk more about how this project came to be, and how the process impacted him as a filmmaker.
My sense of shock at the number of people behind bars in our country is matched only by the fact that about fifteen years ago it became acceptable to make a profit off of our prison system. The obvious conflict of interest, and market driven factors to keep enough clients is such a stunning example of the weaknesses recently built into and seen in our economic system. Media coverage is already barely covering so many topics, its been easier to leave the subject to those who most passionately speak up.
Discovery Channel’s San Quentin Film School series introduces nine inmates selected like any filmmakers in a competition. In this case, the judges were the prison administration, Discovery and the filmmakers who deliberated and selected the men to attend this film school taught inside, giving the inmates an opportunity to tell their own stories. We as the audience benefit in meeting and learning about each of the students, and their intersection with prison system. Click on the link below to see the first episode on youtube thanks to joeymeadowcreek. The series runs through April on Discovery Channel Friday mornings at 9:00 a.m.
I appreciate the contribution Pepe has made. Its very impressive to see another filmmaker sharing his skills in that way - giving the tools to learn how to fish. For if we can tell our own stories we will live a life long filled with cultural richness. To be eliminated from telling one’s story is the cruelest punishment.
I also want to thank people like Ruth Mor

Hey peeps, Pepe Urquijo is at it again, creating compelling documentaries!
Check out this cut of an upcoming Urquijo production: Unsung: Love Me Old People

Love Me Old People!
Thanks Pepe for bringing these artists into our sightline to learn the good lessons!

more about "Offerings Harvest Video", posted with vodpod

I really feel impressed by this video Lost Generation (check it out below)
I admire the generation that grew up in diapers on the computer, for their ease with using the mash of tech options in their creative work. Very inspiring.
I don’t know if this word exists but find it applies: Tecreatives.
See what you think!

This video was made for an AARP contest….let me allow Metro Amy Channel say it best “This video was created for the AARP U@50 video contest and placed second. It is based on the Argentinian Political Advertisement “The Truth” by RECREAR. Thanks to joezandstra for posting it as a video response. If you would like more info about the video you can find it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFz5jb…
Another aspect of the digital communication era that I value so much is the global nature of the exchange, and an opportunity to connect with people on similarities as opposed to our differences.
Elizabeth Theriault offers drum making workshops in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Northern California and any location she is invited. I was invited by my dear friends, Charlene Sul, to attend one of Elizabeth’s workshops. I write about it here, with dramatic photographs of the fire that welcomed our arrival for the weekend.
To learn more about Elizabeth’s transformative workshops, visit her site
Elizabeth’s upcoming workshop on February 21-22 on Kailua-Kona is sure to be delightful.

Give a Man, Woman and Child a Home
Take a listen to this powerful rendition with Ben Harper and Blind Boys of Alabama singing Give a Man a Home.
Recently I have been wondering about all those people, like me, renters who may be struggling to keep a roof over their heads. I want to know how many are losing their homes, where did they end up?
I notice news reports only speak about home foreclosures. Not to belittle that coverage, I still ask where are the stats on renters? where are those voices? where are these people finding homes now?
As I watch the plans for homeowner assistance languish, pushed to the back of the line of hands stretching for a bailing out, I ask myself, what objective are we achieving in allowing millions of Americans to lose their homes, and millions more renters to lose the roofs over their heads?
I know we can come up with intelligent solutions for truly solving our long standing housing crisis: the lack of affordable, accessible housing for people of all income levels.
A home is the very foundation upon which a life is built. I hope we can find ways to keep everyone in their home until the storms blow over. To withstand the howling winds, we may have to acknowledge the extraordinary times in which we live and the extraordinary measures that must be taken to ensure the foundation of our economy is not blown apart in the gale force picking up speed over us.
Maybe we must, as I heard Depak Chopra speak of the crisis, regain our confidence. We must regain our confidence that we can house the people in our country, providing good, well constructed homes that we know will be the stage upon which individual lives are played out over a life time.
While my grandfather was overseas serving in World War II, my grandma was relieved when the owner of the house they rented told her not to worry about paying all the rent until her husband returned from fighting and got himself a good job. She was grateful, and never forgot it. They ended up buying that lit

See related article 12-17-08 on this blog