Tonight is the last night I plan on mourning the death of my mother.  I am stating this in the hope that doing so will help me to gain some closure and momentum in my own life.

(Click here to read my father's obituary for my mother)

She has been my protector, provider, teacher, inspiration & guide and I will always miss her.  But I cannot continue to mourn the way I have.  It has impacted each day since she left very profoundly.  Tonight, I'll drink a few beers; withdraw for a while and allow myself time to say goodbye.  I am not setting her aside, but restarting my life.

I will always love you, Mom.  Thank you for letting me spend your last night with you.  It meant so much.

Aloha Ke Akua

When I think of the end of the world as we know it, this is the direction my mind travels. Thanks to Nahko Bear for this lovely creation.

Lend your ears, lend your hands,

Lend your movement, anything you can.

Come to teach, come to be taught.

Come in the likeness in the image of God.

Cause, you can be like that.

With all that humbleness, and all that respect.

All of the power invested in me,

be it hard to love my enemies.

All of the black bags over the heads of the dead and dying.

The more I understand about the human race,

the less I comprehend about our purpose and place

and maybe if there was a clearer line 

the curiosity would satisfy.

Time based prophecies that kept me from living,

in the moment I am struggling

to trust the divinity of all the guides

and what the hell they have planned for us.

I cry for the creatures who get left behind

but everything will change in a blink of an eye

and if you wish to survive,

you will find the guide inside.

I go back and forth every single day,

the clarity that comes to me in a choppy way,

as the feelings and the places

and the seasons change,

the galaxies remain.

Energy fields cone the body in space.

The angels that are coming from a spiritual waste.

The hate that gets me distant from my spiritual pace.

Ten fold the manna when the planets are in place, in polar alignment.

We're on assignment.

Bodies on consignment.

Return them to the circus.

And what is the purpose?

What is the purpose and would you believe it?

Would you believe it 

if you knew what you were for

and how you became so informed?

Bodies of info performing such miracles.

I am a miracle made up of particles

and in this existence,

I'll stay persistent,

and I'll make a difference

and I will have lived it.

Aloha, Aloha Ke Akua, Ke Akua,

Aloha, Aloha, Kuleana, Kuleana.

Aloha, Aloha Ke Akua, Ke Akua,

Aloha, Aloha, Kuleana, Kuleana.

Each day that I wake,

I will praise, I will praise.

Each day that I wake,

I give thanks, I give thanks.

Each day that I wake,

I will praise, I will praise.

Each day that I wake,

I give thanks, I give thanks.

And the day that I don't wake up

and transcend the holy make-up,

I am capable, I am powerful.

And the day that I don't wake up

and transcend the holy makeup,

I am on my way to a different place....

I'm not a leader, just a creature,

seeking the features of a teacher.

Whether you follow or whether you lead

All mysterious ways of nature and I'm into it.

Changing management.

And there are various ways to conquer this monotonous metropolis,

my stubbornness is bottomless,

my fearlessness is talking shit

and I'm wide awake and I'm taking names.

I am not a leader, just a creature.

Seeking the features of a teacher.

Whether you follow or whether you lead

All mysterious ways of nature and I'm into it.

I'm into it.

Changing management.

And there are various ways to conquer this monotonous metropolis,

my stubbornness is bottomless,

my fearlessness is talking shit

and I am wide awake.

And I'm taking names.

And there are various ways to conquer this monotonous metropolis,

my stubbornness is bottomless,

my fearlessness is talking shit,

and I'm wide awake and I'm taking names.

Do you speak to me like you speak to God?

All of the love and understanding between the father and the son?

Do you believe in the perfectness of where you are?

These are my people, these are my children,

this is the land that I would fight for.

My solidarity is telling me to patiently

be moving the musical medicine around the planet in a hurry,

Cuz there's no time to waste.

Got to wake up the people time to stand up and say,

we know what we are for

and how we became so informed.

Bodies of info, performing such miracles.

I am a miracle, made up of particles

and in this existence,

I'll stay persistent

and I'll make a difference

and I will have lived it. ........

Aloha, Aloha Ke Akua, Ke Akua,

Aloha, Aloha, Kuleana, Kuleana.

Aloha, Aloha Ke Akua, Ke Akua,

Aloha, Aloha, Kuleana, Kuleana.

Each day that I wake,

I will praise, I will praise.

Each day that I wake,

I give thanks, I give thanks.

Each day that I wake,

I will praise, I will praise.

Each day that I wake,

I give thanks, I give thanks.

And the day that I don't wake up 

and transcend the holy make-up,

I am capable, I am powerful.

And the day that I don't wake up 

and transcend the holy make-up,

I am on my way to a different place!

Aloha, Aloha Ke Akua, Ke Akua,

Aloha, Aloha, Kuleana, Kuleana.

Hooping at the Giant's Causeway in Ireland

Hooping with Revolva, Valentina, Gail, Tiana and Harlequin

When I go for a drive I like to pull off to the side

Of the road, turn out the lights, get out and look up at the sky

And I do this to remind me that I'm really, really tiny

In the grand scheme of things and sometimes this terrifies me

But it's only really scary cause it makes me feel serene

In a way I never thought I'd be because I've never been

So grounded, and so humbled, and so one with everything

I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything

Rock and roll is fun but if you ever hear someone

Say you are huge, look at the moon, look at the stars, look at the sun

Look at the ocean and the desert and the mountains and the sky

Say I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye

I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye

When I saw Geneviève I really liked it when she said

What she said about the giant and the lemmings on the cliff

She said 'I like giants

Especially girl giants

Cause all girls feel too big sometimes

Regardless of their size'

When I go for a drive I like to pull off to the side

Of the road and run and jump into the ocean in my clothes

*I'm smaller than a poppyseed inside a great big bowl

And the ocean is a giant that can swallow me whole

So I swim for all salvation and I swim to save my soul

But my soul is just a whisper trapped inside a tornado

So I flip to my back and I float and I sing

I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything

I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything

So I talked to Geneviève and almost cried when she said

That the giant on the cliff wished that she was dead

And the lemmings on the cliff wished that they were dead

So the giant told the lemmings why they ought to live instead

When she thought up all those reasons that they ought to live instead

It made her reconsider all the sad thoughts in her head

So thank you Geneviève, cause you take what is in your head

And you make things that are so beautiful and share them with your friends

We all become important when we realize our goal

Should be to figure out our role within the context of the whole

And yeah, rock and roll is fun, but if you ever hear someone

Say you are huge, look at the moon, look at the stars, look at the sun

Look at the ocean and the desert and the mountains and the sky

Say I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye

I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye

I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye

And I don't wanna make her cry

Cause I like giants

Officer Commendation

I am critical of abuses of power and often those abuses are perpetrated by law enforcement officials.  I write today to compliment a police officer from Albany, Oregon: Officer Jim Estes, a gentleman who represents law enforcement well. His actions and attitude speak to his training and his composure in today's environment of presumed guilt and aggressive interactions.  It also speaks to who he is as a man.

My desire is that all officers interact with the public with as much respect for the individual and the constitution as officer Estes, whether or not they are carrying guns or cameras.  

There is the fact he was being filmed and that he was approaching someone with an AR-15...maybe his composure was in response to both occurring simultaneously as he recognized their activism and that he would be tested and/or made an example of.   I like to think that he is just an intelligent, ethical officer with a protect and serve mindset and intent.  No matter what the situation was, he passed with flying colors and should be commended.

He did his job by verifying that the young men were adhering to state laws regarding chambering and clips while respecting the 1st, 2nd and 4th amendment rights of the individuals he was questioning. 

I think it's important to point out that he also respected them as people as he spoke to them, not just adhering to the letter of the Constitution.  He didn't overreact or get defensive.  He made multiple requests for information, but at no time intimated that they were obligated to comply.

Thank you for fulfilling your role as an honorable, knowledgeable and respectful public servant.

Ravi Shankar, Transitions at 92

The world has been forever-impacted by this talented, passionate, daring, loving spirit.  His music is considered by many, including me, a conduit.  The mathematical beauty of his music is inspirational and healing.

He introduced North America to Hindustani music; a true sitar virtuoso.  He is survived by his wife Sukanya and his daughters, Norah Jones (singer) & Anoushka Shankar Wright (sitarist) with her husband, Joe Wright; 3 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren.  You can read a lovely obituary and tribute here.

When I did a news search on him, these were the first 3 healines to appear:

USA Today: Indian sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar dies

CNN: Sitar legend Ravi Shankar, father of Norah Jones, dies at 92

WashingtonPost:  Ravi Shankar, Grammy-winning Indian sitar virtuoso, dies at 92

Ravi and his daughter, Anoushka:

George Harrison and Ravi during a sitar lesson:

 

I will always consider you in high regard, sir. Thank you for your contributions and your beauty. You will always have a special place in my life & my heart and the lives & hearts of many I know and don't know.

Namaste guru.

21 Helmets Show

No time to blog lately, but I found Drake Thor's project to be inspiring.  

May it inspire helmet artists everywhere!!!

(photo from: Hell for Leather Magazine) 

Frost Princess

This is a beautiful project by lovely artists in my community:

Model - Devin Willow 

Body paint & Styling - Mirabai Wagner

Photography & Video - Kurt Lawson

The video below is a behind-the-scenes look 

at the making of the Frost Princess Series:

Update Jan7, 2012:
I had to remove the video because I could not get it not to auto-play.  You can view the video here:  http://vimeo.com/52051023

I am looking forward to seeing the series in it's entirety.

We have so many wonderful, creative, loving individuals in the Austin artists community.  I feel honored to know just a portion of them.  Please research and hire local artists in your area or feel free to support the ones in mine.  

Sigh No More

Love; it will not betray you

Dismay or enslave you

It will set you free

Be more like the man 

You were made to be

There is a design

An alignment, a cry

Of my heart to see

The beauty of love

As it was made to be

May love set us all free!!!


If you have difficulty viewing on my site, click here to watch on YouTube. 

Mumford & Sons

Fire Family at Rusty's Bar

 Another wonderful evening of friends, family, fire and faeries.

You can click here to be redirected to my other blog to view more photos from the evening.  

What Do You Do on Friday Evenings?

This is what we do in Austin. 

Meet Sage and Echo.

What Task Seems Impossible to You?

Witness Isao Machii, a Japanese Katana Kenjutsu master, as he slices a piece off a pellet that is fired at him while his sword is still sheathed.

Does that task seem more possible now?

Leslie Cochran's Memorial

Sweet, stubborn, passionate, loved, loving and a willing Austin icon...

You will be missed.

You will be remembered.

You are loved.

Welcome 2012 SXSW Music Festival Visitors

SXSW visitors will, not only, appreciate the music in Austin; but our visual artists as well.    The creativity, diversity, beauty and special nature of Austin fire flow artists (also known as fire dancers) is inspiring.  I've tried to include photos in this post that I haven't shared until this week.  You will find that, although, many performers are completely booked during the festival, some still have availability. 

I look forward to having a public showing of a series of our local fire artists.  Feel free to let me know which ones you like best. 

Firepower

From Within a Cimerian Shade

Effulgence from deep within a

Cimerian shade of my own creation

Peering out, looking in, imploding... 

Exploding alignment! Components

Forming beauty greater than before

In the darkness of these moments

Synaptic symphonies replace silence

Songs of peace, comfort and light

Colorfully fill the reality of my now

My BEing alight; bursting forward

Illuminated bubbles appear before me

Filled with past, present and future

Undulating iridescent capsules

Of factuality brighten my now

Bringing a promise of a new way

I choose to listen.

Tiptoeing at Sunset

Tiptoeing at sunset, cataloguing

Life's odd placements and pitfalls

Attempting recall with each step

Fumbling through darkness fallen

Searching for unimpeded paths

Stepping lightly, retracting quickly

Each step met with jagged surprises
Nothing in place, nothing the same

Knowing it never shall be again

Pyrography for Connosieurs

Meet Walker Babington.  He prefers blow torches, flame throwers, metal grinders, ice picks, old silverware and crayons to more conventional media.  His canvases?  Wood, doors, metal pieces-parts and anything else that gets in his way.  As he puts it, "Anything that will rust, I'll rust; anything that burns, I'll burn.

Walker Babington: Pyrographer from alison harbaugh on Vimeo.

In the section about Walker on his FB page, it states, "If I could make the world as pure and strange as what I see, I'd put you in the mirror I put in front of me".

Portrait of Walker by Erin Fitzpatrick.

The New Anthem... Monsanto Go Away!!!

Monsanto (Go Away!)

Words and Music by Human

The song begins 55 seconds in.

You say you want to help our community
Help the farmers sell more food
But all you sell to us is lies
You're only looking out for you

You say its all about the children
And yet you feed them pesticides
We know its all about your profits
Because of you too many die

Chorus: Monsanto Go Away Go Away Go Away
You are NOT welcome on our land
Monsanto Go Away Go Away Go Away
You are trespassing on our land

You say you're all about democracy
But then you interfere in our political process
You may have fooled some politicians
You may have given them some money

But this is not Washington DC
You cannot bully this community
We are much stronger than you think that we are
We are everywhere and we know who you are

Chorus: Monsanto.....

So if you know what is best for you
You will take your lies and go back home
You cannot tell your lies to change our minds
We don't want your frickin' poison seeds here in AUSTIN
For many many years we grow our food the natural way
Earth she gives us all we need to sustain
We will not grow your chemi-crops, you take your herbicides and go
You will not poison our homeland we say its time for you to go.

Listening at the Gate

Stifled...  Within and without

Opening my mouth to roar

Jumbled silence bursts out

So much to say, so much I feel

Inside, I push, I shove, I shout

Outside, I just kneel

Cogitations form communications

Breathed through space and time 

Demanding no vocal vibrations 

I sit stone-still and silently await

Your screaming soul whispering secrets

At this dimension's gate

Is It Time You Climb?