Grammy Award winning Mykal Rose @The Barn

Originally uploaded by Kaleidoscope Soup

It’s been a long while since I’ve written anything so I thought I would try something different for a change.

I decided to take a late lunch tonight and treat myself to a good show as well.

When I heard Mykal Rose was coming to the Barn @UCR for a free show I was sure I had to be there to catch part of the show and let me tell ya, I’m glad that I did.

The energy that was present as Mykal took the stage was incredible to say the least and it became plainly evident why they call him a living legend.

From “Feed The Children” to “Shoot Out” and a well received “Sinsemilla” from the Black Uhuru days Mykal gave all he had to the audience as he drew them in with every word as they sang along….

In a nutshell if you ever have an opportunity to catch Mykal in action don’t pass it up, a definite must see, hear, experience!

From UCR press release:

Cited by many as one of the greatest reggae artists in the world today and the true heir to the legacy of Bob Marley, Mykal Rose is a genuine living legend. His deeply soulful singing style and his brilliant song-craft is evident in many classic tracks under his own name and with his former band, Black Uhuru. Rose has released a remarkable 28 albums, featuring numerous hits. He won the first-ever Grammy Award for reggae. And Mykal Rose’s music continues to innovate. Rose headlined the Reggae Festival held last summer at the Hollywood Bowl and has played to huge audiences worldwide.

Mykal at MySpace

I hadn’t realized that so much time had passed since my last post so I thought I should give a shout out to say “Hey” I’m still alive and staying busy learning new things in photography with the acquisition of new studio lights and what not. We (the family & I) are also embarking on a new venture with a T shirt silk screening business.
Peace and love to all…..

What would the worlds oceans be like without its top predator?

A happy place you say?

Wrong……………

Think about this:

Over 100 million sharks are killed each year by humans

Most of them are killed just for their fins

Sharks are slow growing and have few offspring

Some shark populations have diminished by 99 percent due to overfishing

It’s easy to see how the absence of a top predator can effect an ecosystem as it’s all about balance. Without the sharks certain other species will multiply to unnatural numbers and monopolize the food chain therefore causing serious issues such as diminished food supplies for other species as well as humans.

Some species my even perish due to this imbalance.
For more info visit oceana.org or read this report.

Take action!

Ok, so my last post was a bit of a rant but it did serve its purpose in raising awareness even if it does not come to be. (The infringements on our rights)

At the moment we are all recovering from an upper respiratory infection that is part of the flu season which is now happening in the greater Los Angeles area and in fact the Swine flu has hit the nation widespread.

See this for more info.

While the link above may seem a bit scary, keep in mind that the symptoms are not much different than any other flu and that in most cases “people who have been sick have recovered without needing medical treatment.” (This quoted directly from the C.D.C. website)

The issue I suppose is the ability this particular virus has to spread rather quickly compared to other viruses from the past. Which of course means the chance of escaping illness during a flu season is perhaps a futile endeavor.

So what is one to do to protect one self?

Of course you can use any of the conventional methods available such as seasonal flu vaccines, the H1N1 vaccine that was developed specifically for this years Swine flu, or you can limit the amount of travel activity during the season.

What if you’re not into “those” vaccines for whatever reason?

There are many natural immune system builders that have been around for ages such as
Echinacea, Elderberry, Olive Leaf Extract, Acidophilus and of course the commonly known Vitamin C and Zinc.

Of course eating healthy and avoiding meals “prepared by others” are also helpful, the less you go “out to eat” the lesser your chances are of contracting a virus or nasty bacteria in general.

Unfortunately for us because of our “recent lifestyle conditions” we were unable to do any of the above.

One, I’m not totally up on the news let alone reports from the CDC.

Two, our life has been so busy with helping provide care for a loved one that fast food became the norm instead of the “once in a blue moon.”

Three, it’s not likely we would have done any vaccinations since we don’t generally turn to “health care professionals” for illnesses or prevention we can handle ourselves.

As it goes we did have our time with a virus this past week (probably H1N1 but not officially confirmed) and boy was it a pesky one.

What follows are some observations from the past week as I obviously have had plenty of time make these since I took nearly the entire week off from work.

10. Always allow enough time to fully recover, your body will thank you for it by “kicking” the virus out sooner.

As you can tell by my list I’ve had plenty of time to ponder things as I lay in bed but that’s not the half of it. These are just the most pertinent items I could think of.

I had antibiotics at my fingertips but I chose not to use them instead opting for Echinacea and Peppermint Oil. (To deal the nasty headaches associated with the fever.) That and plenty of fluids and rest!

After three days of fever I got my first break and I finally felt like eating something, at which time I knew the worst was over. Fortunately, my daughter and I are similar when it comes to being ill. We generally like to be left alone and we typically aren’t much bother to others.

Unfortunately for my wife, she is now dealing with the virus and it’s always tough when the “mom” of the family is hit.

So it’s time to give mom her “time” to recover and offer assistance where possible.

The words above offer a glimpse of alternative ways to deal with illness and are a part of a larger body of work (a larger piece on this topic I’m working on) with regard to “the history of medicine and good health” in general.

There is so much more to think about when it comes to alternative medicine and mindset including such topics as these to ponder:

Edit: Yes I know we eradicated many diseases with vaccinations but had we not would evolution taken it’s course anyway even with all the deaths that would have occurred? Perhaps we will never know the answer to this although in some areas today cases still are reported I doubt seriously that our species would have been wiped out.

I leave you with these further thoughts and welcome any and all comments and or scrutiny.

Thanks for reading as always.

Imagine if you will, a society where local and state officials have a hand in raising your children?

Surly you wouldn’t mind the government coming into your home and instructing you on early childhood development?

Or how about participating in a home visitation program implemented by state and local government where they can monitor your children and instruct you on how to raise them?

Never in the USA you say?

Well the time has come for our government to come into our homes and take over our last bit of freedoms!

What you say?

I have not heard of such a thing!

Well it’s true and it’s  here on the table and being pushed by our new President.

It’s all part of the H. R. 3200 – “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009″

Or as most know it by;  “The National Health Care Plan.”

As a true believer in what this country is about I strongly oppose such measures to ensure that everyone can afford health insurance.

I have nothing against the thought that everyone should have health insurance but did you know that there are items written into H. R. 3200 that could compromise our freedoms?

Have a look for yourself:

H.R. 3200 establishes home visitation programs by adding two amendments to the Social Security Act: H.R. 3200 will establish a “Quality Home Visitation Program” and “Optional Coverage of Nurse Home Visitation Services.” The states will apply for grants from the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and will use the federal grants to create or expand state-run home visitation programs. While these programs are not supposed to be forced on families, families who accept these services will have government officials entering their homes, monitoring their children, and teaching the parents how to raise their children.

H.R. 3200’s home visitation programs could encourage states to pressure families into these home visitation programs: Page 843 requires states that receive grants from the federal government to “provide voluntary home visitation for as many families with young children and families expecting children as practicable, through the implementation or expansion of high quality home visitation programs….” While H.R. 3200 says that these visits will be voluntary, the states may have an economic incentive to increase enrollments in these home visits, and may pressure families to participate in them. This is especially likely because page 848 requires states that receive these grants to submit an annual report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, which includes the number of families in the home visitation program and retention rate.

H.R. 3200 could lead to politically influenced parenting classes that pressure parents to raise their children how the government mandates: Pages 843–847 set forth the requirements that states, which receive the federal grants, need to meet. Subsection (v) on page 843 requires that the state home visitation programs provide parents with “knowledge of age-appropriate child development… knowledge of realistic expectations of age-appropriate child behaviors; knowledge of health and wellness issues for children and parents; modeling, consulting, and coaching on parenting practices; skills to interact with their child to enhance age-appropriate development; skills to recognize and seek help for issues related to health, developmental delays, and social, emotional, and behavioral skills; activities designed to help parents become full partners in the education of their children….”

Pages 768–769 of H.R. 3200 provide that eligible first-time pregnant woman and families with children less than 2 years old will receive home visitation services “improving maternal or child health…increasing birth intervals between pregnancies, reducing the incidence of child abuse…increasing economic self-sufficiency, employment advancement, school-readiness, and educational achievement, or reducing dependence on public assistance.”

All of these detailed aspects of the home visitation programs are open to being politically influenced by government bureaucrats who may think that they know more about parenting than parents do. They may pressure parents to adopt child-rearing methods that are against the family’s religious beliefs. Home visitation officials may even threaten families with abuse and neglect investigations if the families do not choose to follow the official parenting education models.

Additionally, the program outlined in pages 768–769 of home visitation services to first-time pregnant women to teach about “increasing birth intervals between pregnancies…” may result in government officials teaching young mothers about birth control or abortion services.

H.R. 3200 could result in taxpayers and employers paying for abortion services: Although H.R. 3200 orginally did not explicitly mandate that health care plans cover abortion, it did require health care plans to cover “essential benefits.” Numerous amendments were introduced in various House and Senate committees to clarify that abortion was not an “essential benefit.” However, all of these amendments were defeated.

However, Representative Lois Capps (D-CA) offered a “compromise” amendment on July 30, dealing with abortion in the Energy and Commerce Committee, which passed 30–28.

Many say the Hyde Amendment, reauthorized every year for the past three decades keeping Medicaid from funding abortion, will prevent abortion coverage if H.R. 3200 becomes law. However, the language in the Capps amendment makes this unclear.

While this bill does not designate tax dollars to go towards abortions, this amendment could allow government funding to pay for abortions. Everyone that enrolls in the public plan will pay premiums. These premiums, placed in an account in the U.S. Treasury, cover benefit costs. Benefit costs could include abortions costs.

H.R. 3200 will expand the power of the federal government: The bill would create a “Health Benefits Advisory Committee” which would consist of 20 to 26 members appointed by the president and comptroller general. The committee will recommend benefit standards and updates to the secretary of health of human services. This unelected committee made up of government bureaucrats will dictate what services a health care plan must provide.

Some key points of opposition to H. R. 3200:

• Spend billions of dollars to allow the federal government to fund home visitation programs, where government officials would enter homes and monitor children and instruct parents in how to raise their children;

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• Encourage states to pressure families to enroll their children in these home visitation programs;

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• Put the federal government in the health care business, resulting in loss of competition, loss of patient choice, and loss of patient freedom;

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• Starting after the first initial five years, every plan, whether offered by a private company or the government, will have to cover the same required benefits determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, which may include medical procedures that businesses and taxpayers may oppose on philosophical and religious grounds; and

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• Increase the size and power of the federal government.

Source
HSLDA

As I said I’m all for everyone having some type of health insurance but not at the expense of our freedoms. I love my country and what it stands for but this is not and should not be a part of what it means to be an American!

Please call your U.S. representative, as well as your two U.S. senators, and urge them to oppose the federal government’s takeover of health care.  You can use some or all of the following message.

“Please oppose H.R. 3200, the ‘America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.’ In a time of economic hardship, the federal government should not take on a program that will double our national debt. I am also opposed to H.R. 3200’s creation of home visitation/early education programs through grants to the states. Parents, not federal or state officials, should make child-rearing decisions for their young children. Additionally, H.R. 3200 will expand the federal government’s role and will interfere with medical decisions between me and my doctor, as well as use my tax dollars to pay for someone else’s abortion.”

If your not sure how to contact them go here.

Do it for your children, do it for your freedom of choice!

Also see Health Reform Action for more info.

Of the forest

Originally uploaded by Kaleidoscope Soup

When I spend time in the woods I am often more in tune with my primal instincts. I sometimes forget how connected I am to nature and it’s inhabitants.
When I am in the presence of the children of the forest and I see how at home they are I feel that there is still hope for our earth.
I hope to pass this along to my own children & grandkids as they may aways know and remember me to be the tree huggin’ hippy daddy (grandpa) that I am.
When I look at this image of Em, I am reminded that as close as I think I am to nature, it is still wild and ruthless.
She (nature) lives by her own rules and is governed by the forces that make her up.
I fully accept this to be what it is and only question my own perception of what it is since there is nothing I can do to change her way!

In loving memory of Sharma Kay Flohr

Originally uploaded by Kaleidoscope Soup

As many of you are fully aware this has been a year of many deaths in the celebrity world, some expected and others a complete surprise.

A few days ago I was having a conversation with my co-workers about the countless other deaths that occur every day that only effect a small portion of the population. Family deaths and what not, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters and brothers and sisters.

I never thought in my lifetime that I would “feel” for so many in a single year.

Yesterday I was informed of a tragedy, one that is close to my heart. The loss of Sharma Kay Flohr, a dear friend and an Internet “celebrity” who touched the lives of hundreds of people.

I still remember the very first time I heard her sing, it was magical and I instantly connected with her words as she sang with such honesty and beauty.

It was a time when I myself was exploring my musical and song writing abilities and Sharma was right there with me, encouraging me to keep singing my songs.

Words of beauty came out of her mouth as we conversed for the first time on the telephone. She was enthusiastic and wise beyond her years and all that she said was in a positive demeanor.

I will never forget those precious conversations with her as she sometimes spoke at the speed of light. I will never forget how she loved life and those in her family no matter what the circumstances.

I truly believe in the collective consciousness and attribute Sharma’s influence along with people like my mother and my wife among others to helping shape who I am today.

All this and much more and I have never met Sharma in person though we were only separated by one state line. What I have learned today is that there is far more than meets the eye when it comes to relationships formed through the power of technology.

The sudden death of this beautiful person has left me at a loss that I am having trouble coming to terms with. I am compelled to do all that I can to be there for her family in any way that I can.

I remember when everyone thought she was crazy after she wholeheartedly extended her kindness to me by leaving a gift certificate at the local guitar shop so that she might contribute to my quest for the “right” guitar. She did this unselfishly and yet some of my friends thought that she had other intentions.

I knew far better and I saw it for what it was, one caring persons way of reaching out to another.

She was a special person to me, one that I will never forget, one that I will always remember till the day that I die.

Thank you Sharma

For touching my heart

For sharing your life

For being my friend

Rest in peace my dear friend

The very first song I heard from Sharma spoke to my heart as I thought to myself, this is a real person with an open and honest heart.

The Sun Will Rise

Sharma Kay~Keeping the dream alive

Sharma Kay Memorial

Yolanda Mary 1963-2009

Originally uploaded by Kaleidoscope Soup

She had been ill for some time with kidney failure and was in need of dialysis three times a week. My younger sisters took on the responsibility of making sure she made it to her treatments every week.

Still, even knowing this and somewhere in the back of my mind I knew her days were limited but nothing can totally prepare you for the loss of a family member and in this case my little sister Mary.

She lived a modest life and had three wonderful children and a granddaughter as well.

She was the wild child and I was the mild child. If there was a new adventure to try she was there, first in line……

I would like to dedicate this moment to her and the life she lived.

My younger sisters asked me to be the spokesperson for the family at her gathering. Below is a copy of the “words” I had prepared for her in their entirety.

Introduction

On behalf of the family I’d like to welcome everyone here and we are thankful that you have all joined us. We are gathered here today to bid farewell to a loved one, to help each other in this difficult time and to reinforce our thoughts and beliefs that the end of one life is only the beginning of another.

On behalf of my father, sisters, nieces and nephews once again, we thank you all for being here.

About Mary

As a child

She was always a happy little thing, always laughing and smiling and this was twenty-four/seven , fifty two weeks a year.

As second oldest she shared the responsibility of those yet to come, Dorene, Sylvia, Roberta and Veronica. Bottle feeding, diaper changes and plenty of hugs and cuddles were par for the course.

We often played “house” and we tended to the little ones, we did this of pure love and not because we were told to, mom and dad’s little big helpers we were.

As a young lady

She was the outgoing one, extroverted and fearless are words that come to mind, all along smiling and laughing as no harm was ever done to anyone even at the hand of her little practical jokes.

As I mentioned she wasn’t afraid of much and she lived life to the fullest. I watched sometimes in awe, often times laughing right along with her or “LOL” as they say nowadays.

She was the “life” in any room she entered and often filled the space with joy and happiness.

As an adult

She took on the responsibility of motherhood and matrimony early on having learned the basics from my mom, cleaning, cooking and of course child care. (Remember she had plenty of practice with four younger siblings)

She was a good mom and even during difficult times such as divorce she always gave lots of love and nurturing to her babies.

She also taught them to live and laugh and to take life a little on the lighthearted side.

In case you haven’t got the gist of Mary’s life I’ll say it again, ever since this child was old enough to crack a smile and to the very last days of her life, she laughed and enjoyed life wholeheartedly.

She always had a nurturing nature about her and made sure that bellies where full of her “home famous” sopa or fideo . Mary always made sure to make potential new family members at home by offering open arms and sincere gratitude. She did so to all three of my wives, they can testify to that!

But that’s not all; they were greeted to the sound of sweet laughter and warm smiles as well.

From my heart

Through thick and thin we always had a mutual admiration for each other. She WILL always be my first born baby sister, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

I will always carry a part of her spirit in my heart and sweet memories in my thoughts for the rest of my days and forevermore.

Speaking of memories

I’d like to take a few moments to read some sweet memories from those she called her loved ones and to offer an opportunity for anyone to come forward and share if they like.

Memories read

Closing

It is the nature of humanity to be mournful at the passing of a loved one, be it a mother, sister, father or brother, son or daughter. But think of what the word “pass” or “passing” really means. I’ll get back to that in a bit.

First off, Mother Nature wastes not a thing, eventually everything returns to the earth and becomes a part of the whole. The flesh becomes one with the soil and enriches it and eventually bones turn to dust and are carried to faraway places by the winds of time.

We become one with all that is. When you see that lovely flower or gorgeous sunset think of Mary and how her physical being has contributed to that beauty through the “magic” of transformation.

As for the spirit or soul, once it has been released from its being it also undergoes a transformation. What was once occupied by the mind and heart has been set free to pass into another realm. One that has been well documented by countless peoples of great civilizations of the past, and to this very day has been carried on in traditions and religious beliefs. A plainly evident common denominator among all, death is only the beginning of another form of life and therefore life is everlasting and infinite.

Life never ends, it simply “passes” or changes from one state to another and in our hearts and minds live a little part of those that have come and gone before us.

This I truly know to be

All said, I know that Mary is in a better place, one that is filled with pure love and everlasting life. I know that she is in the presence of loved ones and perhaps laughing up a storm with them at this very moment.

Perhaps she has been appointed to wholeheartedly welcome “new” souls as they arrive with open arms and a warm smile.

Whichever the case, the heavens have been graced with yet another angel and the Universe lit by one more bright and shiny star.

This I wholeheartedly know to be

Announcements

Speaking in front of friends and family some of which I had not seen in years was a challenge, to stay composed and coherent was another thing all together. I did it for my sister, I did it for my family and the love that I have for them.

That’s better, I think…..

Anyways, what was I just saying?

Oh yeah, I’m starting a new business venture!

And speaking of……here’s the other side of Rey, the muso side that is…check out OSP if you want to see what I’ve been up to in this area. I’ve also set up an on-line store for band merch and related items, check out the store link when you get there.

Ok, enough with the plugs, here’s some things I’ve learned in the last few months:

1. The D700 is one hell of a camera.
2. Nikon Capture NX2 will change the way I post process .nef files forever!
3. Making the switch form PC to Mac is the best thing I’ve ever done in my life!
4. The new displays on 20″ iMac and Mackbooks suck for pro photography.
5. Thank god the iMac supports dual displays!
6. Old glass can be your best friend……
7. Shooting theater is a breeze with the right equipment
8. Building websites can be fun when you have Dreamweaver
9. Calling yourself a “photographer” is easy…com’n…just say it!
10. Last but not least, I still love my life and I wouldn’t change a thing about it!

Until next time……

Peace, love and chocolate !

For the sake of argument I’m going to focus on emotions such as anger, fear and jealousy though there are many others that I wont say are any more or less positive for they are all valid and have their place in our minds and hearts when understood properly.

Too many times I have seen people’s lives ruined negatively affected by the emotions listed above. These emotions cloud the mind and cause a downward spiral of deception and conjecture if dwelt upon vehemently.

How does one look beyond that?

I have a saying I use in the right context, “Stick to the facts, they will not lie to you, nor are they clouded by emotions.”

Cold and callous you say?

Perhaps……… I’m not going to deny that a set of circumstances and their facts can have an emotional outcome or weigh in heavily on your mind and soul but………….

If you focus on the facts based on your system of belief then it will be easier to “see” them for what they really are.

I’ve been supervising people for the majority of my life and I have come across many circumstances that have tested my veracity as a human being let alone my skills as a supervisor.

Here’s a example:

Bill is irate that Jane has been harassing him for the past few months and he has only just now decided to file a complaint. He approaches the situation in a manner that involves screaming and accusatory tones in the sense that I (As the supervisor) should have known that this situation had been going on for some time now.

Is Bill being insubordinate in his approach?

Well, if you take the emotion and name calling out of the factor and strip it down to the facts, what is really the issue here?

Is Rey an ass for not being attentive to the situation?

Should I rip the guys head off because of his mannerisms?

No, the fact of the matter is that Bill is upset and hurt because of Jane’s alleged actions. He is embarrassed and humiliated that it has come to this.

Therefore, his actions are not a reflection of my supervisory skills nor the person I am.

What does Rey do?

I ignore the emotion and address the facts.

In a case such as above it would be absolutely necessary to involve Human Resources, it is their job to gather the facts from the involved parties.

Point is I did my part by not adding to the situation and reacting to the emotions.

How about a personal situation?

I’ve been through two divorces so I have some experience here.

Ya know stuff like, “I’m outta here, this relationship sucks and by the way you take the kids asshole” or maybe “I hate you and this life and I don’t want to be a part of it anymore”!

Whoa, plenty words of emotion there right?

You bet ya!

Fact is, everything changes and nothing stays the same and some people were just not meant to be together. I don’t hate or even dislike the people that I once called my significant others…….why?

Because everyone has a mind of their own, it’s nothing personal, it just was not meant to be. In fact I still think of them and wish them the best that life has to offer……really!

The same is true with acquaintances, sometimes the roads lead to different destinations. So why do we try to hang on either by antagonizing them or letting them antagonize us?

Let them go, clear your mind and soul, free yourself of the energy wasted on emotions like anger and fear.

Remember the facts:

Everything is constantly changing around us and nothing stays the same!

In a case of death of perhaps a loved one, it’s true…there is no denying the role that emotions will play. Most of us have some way of dealing with death, the afterlife, heaven or even reincarnation, call it what you like…life goes on!

Grief and have sorrow but be assured of your beliefs as if they are facts.

My mom died and I went through a period of mourning but here’s the facts as I see them:

She had a positive impact on my life.

She lives on through me, I am an extension of her.

She is at one with the universe and her energy is in everything around me. (based on my belief of course)

My beliefs are factual as I see them.

It’s not a fool proof system as I realize that everyone has different beliefs but…….

I’ll say it again………

The fact is………………

Everything is constantly changing around us and nothing stays the same!

I live by this and I love my life because I embrace and understand this concept.

Don’t harbor emotions that will ruin your life or give you a bad headache!

Peace and love