The race is over and I survived!

Today I reached an unbelievable personal goal, completing a half-marathon after about two months of training. I started on this project as both a personal challenge, and as a way to inspire people through the American College of Endocrinology Power of Prevention program. Along the way, I have heard from so many of you who are following my progress, have been inspired yourselves, or who are just rooting me on to success. On this Thanksgiving Day, I have to tell you all how grateful I am for all of your support.  What started out as a project to inspire others has certainly changed my life, and a significant part of that comes from all of you.

Now, on to race day.

First, a brief note.  I did not run with my iPhone, so I did not take any pictures.  Sarah took some, and I will work to add them later in the day.

So, I guess the story begins with dinner last night. My good friend Britt has been following my progress in this training regimen, and was sorry to tell me that he would not be able to come out to the run and see me finish, due to the fact he is out of town today. But he did offer to help me carbo load the night before. So last night our two families went out and enjoyed a delicious Italian dinner. In fact, I had to stop loading because I was too full. (I had an awesome shrimp alfredo Sicilian style pizza. Pictures forthcoming as well. I promise you will be jealous).

I got home and had a good night’s sleep.  This morning when I woke up, my number one priority was my pre-race preparations. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go here to get up to speed, but suffice it to say, I was very nervous about making sure this was not a problem today.

Not joking, I resorted to jumping jacks in the living room, but it all came out fine in the end (did I really just type that?)

Sarah and I headed out to the run at about 6:45.  Race time was 8:00, but we wanted to get a decent parking spot and I also wanted to do a mile pre-run before the race to get loosened up.

People up north can complain about this next sentence, but it was cold this morning.  It was probably only 50 degrees when we got to the race site. I was not concerned about the race, because I know how much I heat up when I am running, but I was definitely freezing waiting for the race to start.

Sarah and our friend Melissa were running the 6k at the same time.  The starting line and starting time were the same, so we got “in the blocks” together and waited for the run to begin. After a pre-recorded National Anthem from Lee Ann Rhimes, the race was set to begin.

We had positioned ourselves towards the middle of the group.  We knew we were not fast enough to be in the front, but did not want to get stuck behind the walkers in the back, either. The gun sounded and we were off.  It took about a minute or so to cross the starting line. I’m glad this was a chip race, because I’m interested to see how off my chip time is from the race time. The first mile was the typical jockeying for position that you see at any race. I tried to keep my pace slow and steady, but it is definitely hard with the adrenaline of all the other runners around you.

Around mile one, the course split for the 1/2 marathoners and the 6k, so the crowds thinned considerably at that point. It was about this time that I realized I had forgotten to start the timer on my watch. This is a dual problem, because I had no way to track my time, and because it was not recording my heart rate (long time readers know that I have a history of overheating when not monitoring my heart rate closely). So I started the timer and hoped that at some point there would be a timer on the course that would allow me to get some idea of how I was doing.

The first course clock did not come until mile two.  The race time at that point was 19 minutes. That meant that even if I had been at the front of the pack, I was pacing at sub-ten minute miles. This was both exciting and troubling. Exciting, because I did not feel like I was moving at that pace and felt fairly good. Troubling because I was not sure I could maintain this pace for eleven more miles.

The next few miles were relatively uneventful. I was able to maintain that 9:30ish pace and was not feeling tired. One thing I did not do was take water at the water stations. I have learned from experience that I get bad cramping if I drink anything while running. I had tried to hydrate myself well before the race, and was banking on that being good enough.

The race was actually quite uneventful in general until about mile eight. Right about that time my feet began to really hurt, especially on the instep. I know that I am due for new shoes, but did not want to get them so close to race time. Many runners have told me that’s a recipe for disaster with blisters and real problems on race day. But what was a mild nuisance at mile eight had become a real pain by mile nine.

The mile nine refreshment center had something I can only refer to as runner’s goo. It came in a foil packet, and had the consistency of Vaseline.  But it tasted good, was packed with sugars and caffeine, and really gave me a bit of a boost when I really needed it.

By mile ten, I was in uncharted waters. Ten miles is the previous longest run I had ever done, and I still had a full 5k to go to finish. I resorted to counting miles, not in distance, but in songs. At my pace (I had slowed to about an even ten minute mile pace, by now) I knew it was about two and a half songs between miles. So I just focused on the music and plowed ahead.

At mile eleven, the pain in my feet moved to my calves. This was a new experience for me. Whenever I run, the only true obstacle is breathing. I never have physical pain in my legs that prohibits me from going forward. So this really caught me off-guard. I knew that I only had two miles to go, however, and was determined to power through it, no matter what.

At mile twelve, I could smell the finish line, and so could the rest of the group running at my pace. Everyone kicked it up a notch at that point. I did the same, despite what my legs were screaming to me (R-rated, can’t repeat here). That lasted maybe a quarter of a mile. That’s when I thought I was going to collapse. Despite the fact that I had made it more than twelve miles without stopping once, I had to stop and stretch out my legs, then walk for about 30 seconds. I regret this terribly, but really don’t think there was anything else I could do at that point.

Once I started back up again, I decided to keep the pace slower and just get to the finish line. Two songs later, I was crossing the thirteen mile marker. At this point I knew that I had a 1/10 mile sprint in me, so I kicked it in and raced to the finish line, passing up a couple of guys down the stretch!

Final time: 2:07:18! Official results here: http://www.1stplacesports.com/obdc09halfres.htm

I looked around for Sarah, who had finished the 6k about and hour and 20 minutes earlier, but could not see her anywhere. So I got some water and tried to work out my legs a little bit. About 7-8 minutes later Sarah spotted me in the crowd and came over. I had anticipated finishing between 2:15 and 2:30, so she had gone home and got the turkey and stuffing in the oven, then was going to come back and watch me finish and take some pictures. Since I beat my goal time by about eight minutes, she missed the finish.

She’s more upset about that than I am. I’m glad she came back at all, and I appreciated the support in any case.

So we met up with some friends and compared times, then headed over to get a banana… AND THEY WERE OUT! So I settled for some orange slices and a couple of Michelob Ultras. Sarah also grabbed an Ultra, that she was actually getting for me.

As we walked to the van, I saw a sign for a “Brazilian Honey Bakery”. Having no idea what in the world that is, we headed inside and asked the question “What in the world is a Brazilian Honey Bakery?” The proprietor proceeded to give me a sample of a cheese bread pastry, which was so good, I immediately ordered a dozen.

And with that, we packed into the van, and headed for home. I received all of your well wishes on email, Facebook, and Twitter. You really have no idea how much that means to me. I am thankful today for all of you who have supported me through this training, and I look forward to sharing with you my next plan…

Until then, you know the drill…

Vital Statistics:

Workout: 13.1 Miles

Time: 2:07:18

Pace: 9:43

Playlist:

Neither Can I – Slash’s Snakepit

Estranged – Guns N Roses

Believe – Disturbed

Always On The Run – Lenny Kravitz

Sure Shot – The Beastie Boys

The Battle of Evermore – Led Zeppelin

I.R.S. – Guns N Roses

Brain Stew – Green Day

Miss Independent – Ne-Yo

Rusty Cage – Johnny Cash

The Way You Make Me Feel – Michael Jackson

Best I Can – Queensryche

All Along The Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix

Get It Together – The Beastie Boys

Strength Beyond Strength – Pantera

Hella Good – No Doubt

Hanger 18 – Megadeth

Used To Love Her – Guns N Roses

One – Creed

Razor – Foo Fighters

After The World – Disciple

Hollaback Girl – Gwen Stefani

Elvis Is Dead – Living Colour

Jane Says – Jane’s Addiction

Territorial Pissings – Nirvana

Madagascar – Guns N Roses

No Rain – Blind Melon

Monkey Wrench – Foo Fighters

It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over – Lenny Kravitz

There Is No God – Extreme

I have to admitt, i immediately went hard while looking at this glitterious Soho crash pad, who said that Porn was necessary to get aroused ?Obviously, I only need a 6000 SF duplex Penthouse condo loft. It has been newly redesigned and renovated with no expense spared to create the most luxurious and important property in Soho and in all of downtown Manhattan.But the price just pissed me off : 14,995,000 $ ! Jesus Heaven Christ, for that amount you can have a mad crazy place in Central Park + another mad crazy home in the Hamptons or Miami…

]]> http://33crosbystreet.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/celebrity-stalker-2/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:57:01 +0000 Eyquem http://33crosbystreet.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/celebrity-stalker-2/

Second night of tracking.Nice to be back in the studio.Lenny

Oui, quatre extraits, trois que je connais bien, même très bien, le premier pas du tout, que je découvre en même temps que vous… c’est un jeu de devinettes aujourd’hui… j’ai quelque chose depuis hier, et c’est en commun avec tous les chanteurs et chanteuses que vous allez voir ci-dessous… qu’est ce donc ?

La Fealdad de Preciosa (PRECIOUS)

  Preciosa no sigue los lineamientos de una típica película comercial, no están presente grandes despliegues de efectos especiales ni musicales. El filme dirigido por  Lee Daniels (Productor de Monster´s Ball) es un drama en el sentido estricto de la palabra donde se realza la actuación, la actitud de los personajes y el diálogo.  En mi opinión no solo revela la tragedia por la cual atraviesa la protagonista sino que también de alguna manera muestra lo peor del comportamiento humano, de la miseria humana si se le pudiera calificar de algún modo. Claricee Jones, a quien llamaban “preciosa” era el nombre de una chica americana en los ochenta nacida en la pobreza de Harlem, pero no solamente era pobre, era negra, analfabeta, obesa y fea. La fealdad exterior de Preciosa no era fácil de ocultar pues le brotaba de sus entrañas a causa de haber vivido en carne propia los peores maltratos y abusos de la gente que se suponía  le debía proteger.

La película tiene un fuerte componente emocional derivado de complicadas relaciones humanas que muchas veces no tienen sentido alguno. No por el sinsentido de los motivos de los personajes para adentrarse en tortuosas relaciones, sino que por más que uno se esfuerce, no logra entender por qué un ser humano, o dos, o tres se degradan a tal nivel para terminar convirtiéndose en lo peor que una persona pueda ser. Sin querer delatar la trama de la película, ¡pues bien vale la pena irla a ver al cine! El drama es tal, que cuando uno piensa que no hay nada más miserable que le pueda pasar a la muchacha, que nada puede ser peor, el drama no para allí, sino que como cuando el destino se empecina con alguien, la peor de las tragedias es apenas el comienzo de maldiciones mayores. Pero a pesar del abuso sufrido por sus padres, la muchacha al menos no es bruta y deberá utilizar lo poco que la vida le ofrece para echar adelante en la vida.

Lee Daniels ha llevado a la pantalla una historia que presenta el drama de la violencia familiar, y el abuso desde el punto de vista de la mujer. Ha dirigido magistralmente a los actores, reuniendo a grandes estrellas de la farándula, pero habiéndolas bajado de su pedestal y glamour, de su divismo y de kilos de maquillajes para así dar vida a personajes auténticos, menos que simples y más comunes de lo que se quisiera de ellos. Así Mariah Carey es una trabajadora social quien supervisa el caso de la familia de Preciosa quienes deben subsistir gracias a los cheque de beneficencia pública. Sherri Shepherd, la conocida presentadora de televisión hará de recepcionista en la escuela especial a la que asiste Preciosa, y Mo´Nique hará de la abusiva la madre de Preciosa. En especial  resalta la actuación de la protagonista Gabourey Sibide en el rol de Claricee Jones quien actúa en cine por vez primera. Hasta Lenny Kravitz ha  tenido que dejar sus poses de músico famoso para encuadrar en la trama del filme como el enfermero de Jones.

Basado en el libro “Push” de Sapphire, con adaptación de Geofrey Fletcher y producida por Oprah Winfrey y Tyler Perry, ha sido recibida con veneplácito en lon en los festivales de cine en Toronto y Cannes y es una obra cinematográfica con potencial a ser nominada al premio Oscar de la academia, al menos asi lo veo yo.

Imágenes de Preciosa (Precious)

Preciosa

Poster de la Película

Afiche de Preciosa

Ze is in verwachting van het tweede kind van haar eigen vader, heeft geen vrienden op school, wordt als een slaaf rondgecommandeerd door haar moeder en daarbovenop wordt ze ook nog eens gepest met haar overgewicht. Het leven van Precious is kortom de hel op aarde. Dat de bijna twee uur durende film Precious: Based on the Novel by Sappphire geen vrolijke zit is, mag dan ook geen verassing heten.

Dat de film gebaseerd op het boek Push: A Novel echter zo ver gaat in het tonen van de smerigheid en pijnlijke gebeurtenissen uit het leven van de zwaarlijvige tienermoeder is dat wel. In het leven van Precious is namelijk zo weinig plaats voor optimisme dat je het eerste uur regelmatig de neiging hebt de bioscoop zo snel mogelijk te verlaten. Iedere vorm van opsmuk wordt gemeden en de harde realiteit wordt in al haar facetten benadrukt. De straten waar het hoofdpersoon doorheen wandelt, het huis waar ze woont, het eten dat ze eet en de feeks van een moeder die haar iedere dag thuis opwacht na school, alles is even smerig en deprimerend.

Het is dan ook bijna niet te geloven dat Precious: Based on the Novel by Sappphire een film van Amerikaanse makelij is. Veel meer doet het tonen van de harde realiteit, de troosteloosheid en afzichtelijke omgeving denken aan bijvoorbeeld het England dat we kennen uit de Mike Leigh films. Nog groter is de verbazing, als blijkt dat de executive producer van de film niemand minder dan Oprah Winfrey is. Gelukkig is overduidelijk te zien dat deze koningin van de sentimentele tv haar naam pas aan de film heeft verbonden nadat deze al af was, want Precious: Based on the Novel by Sappphire weet lange tijd juist ieder vorm van sentiment vakkundig te omzeilen.

De ommekeer komt (eindelijk zou je bijna zeggen) na een klein uur, als Precious door omstandigheden wat meer tijd doorbrengt op de alternatieve school waar ze geplaatst is, en daar onder de hoede van de lerares Ms Rain (Paula Patton) komt. Zij is een rustpunt in het leven van Precious en zorgt ervoor dat ze zowaar wat geloof in eigen kunnen krijgt. De film komt in rustiger vaarwater en er breekt zowaar een gedeelte in de film aan waarin er wel plaats is voor hoop en dromen. Overigens zonder dat de dreiging van het noodlot en de ellende ver weg zijn.

Het is ook het sein om de tranen wat rijkelijker te laten vloeien. Storend is dit echter allerminst omdat het nergens nep of goedkoop wordt. Bovendien is er nog het grootste pluspunt van de film: Gabourey ‘Gabby’ Sidibe. Zij is het namelijk die met glans de rol vertolkt van Precious, de puber wiens leven je niemand toewenst. Zonder groots op uitbundig te acteren weet zij steevast haar emoties over te brengen en het is dan ook geen toeval dat zij  nu al veelvuldig wordt getipts als mogelijke/waarschijnlijke Oscarwinnares.

Het enige puntje van kritiek dat mogelijk op Precious: Based on the Novel by Sappphire van toepassing is, is de grote hoeveelheid leed en ellende die je voorgeschoteld krijgt. De mokerslagen volgen elkaar zo snel op en de balans slaat zo fors uit in de richting van de minder leuke zaken des levens, dat je na een tijdje bijna immuun raakt voor zoveel ellende. Voor de mensen die hier echter geen last van hebben, blijft er een indrukwekkend en beklijvend drama over met een glansrol van hoofdrolspeelster Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe.

I finally came around and saw “Precious” today. The film is Directed by Lee Daniels and stars: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, and Lenny Kravitz. I’m very overawe by the realism of this film. I easily gain great admiration for a cinematic piece when the story comes to life suitably and is helped shaped by the acting. Another recent film that has managed to this is Sam Mendes’s “Revolutionary Road”. In Precious, the entire cast is just superb and they dominate their scenes. Because of this, its as if you are actually witnessing the events in present of you. The rawness, the tone, and the camera work plays an important part of the feature as well. If this film were shot any other way, the realm of the story would be lost. My only dislikes for “Precious” are the continuing notation of the plot, the spoon feeding of each character to the other for sake of the audiences watching, and the cluttered dialogue in each scene – less dialogue is more effective, I would think. Precious is definitely a must see. When watching you might say to yourself – I do that, I know about that, I’ve experienced that, and I’m not going to live like that no anymore. When a film is able to raise questions and have you think, its a good project.

Audioslave – Show Me How To Live

On my rock sh*t today.  If you want to listen to a really good album, definitely listen to Audioslave’s self-titled debut album from 2002.  Back in high school, my buddy Los  put me on to Rage Against the Machine.  Then after Zach de la Rocha left the group, I kept listening to the rest of the band when they formed Audioslave.

When I go to the gym (about once every 3 months) I really can’t listen to hip hop.  Just doesn’t get me pumped up enough.  I usually keep this album, Rage’s Evil Empire, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Greatest Hits (with Dani California added in) and a little Lenny Kravitz in the I-pod Nano and I’m good to go.  Maybe I should visit the gym this week seeing that they automatically debit my bank account monthly whether I go or not.  Ehhh…we’ll see.  No promises.

Check after the jump for a couple more videos.

Audioslave – Cochise

Audioslave – Gasoline (Live at Late Show with David Letterman)

There must be something horribly wrong with me because Johnny Depp has always left me cold.  Sure, if he snuck into my bedroom begging for some lovin’, I wouldn’t tell him to take a hike.  But here he is, People’s Sexiest Man Alive again and I’m like, “whatev.”

I never agree with People’s choices around beauty and sexiness.  Boring Pierce Brosnan?  Frat Boy Affleck?  Two-time Sexiest winner Brad Pitt’s another hunk about whom I’ve always been lukewarm.  I was down with former Sexiest Men Denzel and Clooney, and still consider JFK, Jr. one of the sexiest men to have ever walked the planet.  But the rest of People’s choices…yawn.

So what better thing to do on a cold Sunday afternoon than sit around deciding who the sexiest men in the world are.  Here’s my list. 

Edward Norton – He’s scrawny and has a receding chin, but Edward deserves the clichéd “best actor of his generation” title.  Ol’ Ed must have something in the sexiness department considering he scored babes Rosario Dawson in 25^th Hour and Salma Hayek in real life.  Anyone who can make a neo-Nazi hot definitely deserves to be on some list.

Barack Obama – Nobel Prize winner.  Devoted family man.  Coolest American president who ever lived.  Obama is the epitome of sexiness.  Now, if he can just pass health care.

David Letterman – Yep.  Dave.  In high school, I had a major crush on him.  He doesn’t offer much in the looks department but the dry, quirky, somewhat mean-spirited wit adds more to his appeal than a pretty face ever could.  Plus, you can see in the way he flirts with female guests and fawns over Julia Roberts’ mouth that there’s a love monster within the geek’s body.  This latest scandal only proves my point.

Javier Bardem – I saw him a couple times in Madrid and he came off as one of those “serious” actors who think smelling bad is a sign of artistic depth.  Seems he doesn’t bathe.  Still, Javier’s intensity is the stuff of dirty dreams.  His fights with Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona made you believe co-dependent, mind-fucking romances are the way to go.  Even with that weird Coen brothers haircut in No Country for Old Men, Javier’s the bee’s knees.

This Guy Who Rides My Bus – I really need to get over my attraction to tattooed, messily gorgeous meatheads who chain smoke and work in sandwich shops.  The one who rides my bus every morning was recently reading a Dummies guide on raising ferrets.  Upgrade, Laura, upgrade.    

Ewan McGregor – He wears makeup and skirts, sings in musicals and shows his butt all the time in films.  Ewan is the cute, wacky class clown who just happens to be easy on the peepers.  While his sexier peers have fallen off the cultural radar (Jude Law anyone?) Ewan keeps showing up and giving his all in decent flicks.  He ought to instruct his friend Jude on the finer points of career longevity and how not to shag nannies. 

Djimon Hounsou – Remember how great Janet Jackson looked in her black-and-white music video, “Love Will Never Do Without You?”  I don’t because I was too busy staring at Djimon Hounsou.  He’s one of those lucky bastards who gets to look incredible and have talent.  Only a god like Djimon could distract anyone from the sexy powder keg also known as Leo DiCaprio, but he did it in Blood Diamond.  Then he had to ruin it and marry that Kimora Simmons witch.  What a loss…

Lenny Kravitz – When I lived in New York, a friend of a friend was subletting an apartment in Soho.  Lenny Kravitz supposedly lived across the street.  For a time, five of my girlfriends and I were seriously considering taking on several jobs and living in the cramped place together just to see Lenny walk by the window in his Calvins.  Though he hasn’t made an interesting album in a decade and his lyrics are kinda dumb (“my mama said that your life is a gift/my mama said there’s much weight you will lift”), not much more comes to mind when looking at that face than sex. 

Don Draper – A handsome as hell, emotionally remote, psychologically tortured cad who can’t keep it in his pants?  What a dreamboat!  I refuse to read articles about or watch interviews of Jon Hamm, the actor who plays him, because I have a feeling he’s actually a likeable and even shy person.  I prefer scumbags like Draper.

Freddie Ljungberg – He’s a Swedish football player.  He did ads for Calvin Klein underwear.  If there’s any confusion as to why he’s the sexiest man alive, please refer to the southern portion of the aforementioned ad.

I was there –  but sadly have yet obtained such a press pass to get backstage.  Rolling Stone, however, put together a pretty complete album of backstage shots from the 25th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame concerts a few weeks back.

View the slide show here – my personal favorites are a solo of Yoko Ono, and one of Sting, Annie Lennox and Lenny Kravitz.  Wonder what a threesome would entail with those three?

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)
★★★★ / ★★★★

I find it an uncommon experience to watch a movie that really gets involved with my emotions, but it’s rare that I watch a movie that has the ability to completely transport me in its reality. Directed by Lee Daniels, “Precious” tells the story of an pregnant, obese, illiterate African-American teenager (Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe) who has grown accustomed to the physical and emotional abuse inflicted by her mother (Mo’Nique) and how she eventually found strength inside of her to stand up and take her life in a positive direction. A few people who genuinely took interest in Precious were Paula Patton as the school teacher, Mariah Carey as one of the people who works for the welfare system, and Lenny Kravitz as a male nurse who took care of her after she had her second baby.

I have to admit that I choose to ignore or even actively stay away from people like Precious, partly due to fear since she came from a terrible neighborhood and partly due to how she presented herself: very quiet yet volatile and someone that seemed like she had no interest in taking care of herself. That stereotype that I often rely on doesn’t come consciously to me anymore and it was nice, through watching this film, to be reminded that despite physical appearances, everyone has a surprising (and even touching) story to tell, a story that transcends all the stigma and the pain that a person shows and hides. Even though the subject matter of this film was depressing, it found enough moments to insert not just amusing lines and moments but actual hopes and dreams of the lead character’s. Such scenes illustrated that although Precious didn’t like herself (when she looks in the mirror, she sees a completely different person–Caucasian, skinny, happy), she wanted to break out from her violent living environment and ultimately be loved for who she is and what she has to offer.

I thought the scenes of physical abuse from her father were done in a sensitive and insightful way. Instead of actually showing us the act, I admired how the picture chose to dissociate itself from the scene as when Precious would dissociate herself from the experience and think shiny, happy thoughts. From what I learned in Psychology, rape victims, especially those people who were raped ever since they were children, dissociate their minds from their bodies as a defense mechanism. So I thought the film’s craft was spot-on. Mo’Nique’s character was beyond cruel but just when I thought she was a complete monster, the movie shows us that she does indeed have a heart. It’s just that she became angry and bitter over the years because of how she interpreted certain events and how she saw certain realities. Again, I saw this through a psychological lens so her reaction made sense to me even though I do not agree with the way transfered all her frustration and anger (that should have been directed to her husband and herself) to her only daughter. Mo’Nique has been getting a lot of strong Oscar buzz for Best Actress and I believe she should be nominated because out of the many movies I’ve seen in 2009, her performance stands out by a mile.

The reason why I consider “Precious” one of the strongest movies of 2009 is because, despite its gloomy premise, it’s ultimately a very inspiring story about a seemingly hopeless girl from Harlem who chose to break the chains of abuse and find an alternative path so that she could grow as a person and maybe even reach her potential. This is a great film to show to kids from the poorer neighborhoods because it might give them enough courage to speak out and discover a role model that they might not have in their respective homes. It’s been a while since I saw people actually crying in the movies and people talking about it right when we were walking out of the theaters. Even though I saw this film alone (For some reason, I almost always watch the best films of the year by myself), I felt connected with the world and wanting to embrace everyone in it.

"Precious" Movie Poster

All the stars were lined up against this one as far as your humble (or so I always say) reviewer was concerned. It’s the latest “indie sensation, ” a Sundance smash with all kinds of “buzz.”  It’s based on a novel written by a pseudonymous one-named author and purportedly features a powerhouse performance by an equally pseudonymous one-named painfully unfunny “iconic” comedienne. It features supporting performances from not one, but  two music industry heavyweights (and if there’s one thing I can’t abide the very existence of, my friends, it’s rock stars).    And to top it all off, it’s executive-produced by two of the most loathsome media moguls this side of Rupert Murdoch, namely Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry.

In short, I walked in expecting a tear-jerker with a tiresome “empowerment” theme heavy-handedly tacked on at the end given the “philosophical” predilections of the mega- powers that be behind this film. And then there’s the already- thoroughly-recounted backstory of the title character herself : Claireece “Precious” Jones is sixteen, morbidly obese,  functionally illiterate, pregnant for the second time by her father (her first child has Down’s Syndrome), and endures a nightmare existence in a Harlem shithole apartment with her physically, emotionally, and (at least hinted at) sexually abusive welfare cheat of a mom , who sounds for all intents and purposes like a ghetto version of Cinderella’s wicked stepmother on steroids, forcing her daughter to wait on her hand and foot in “exchange” for a constant stream of uber-degradation. All in all, it sounds like a laundry list of every single rotten-ass thing in the world dumped into one (admittedly very large) flesh-and-blood vessel.

Oh, how wrong I can be. I say that because “Precious” (or to refer to it accurately by its painfully verbose official title, “Precious : Based On The Novel ‘Push’ By Sapphire”) is quite probably the best goddamn movie you’ll see all year.

Gabourey Sidibe as Precious

First, let’s get the single-most distressing particular out of the way. Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry both signed on as absentee “executive producers” after the film was in the can and after it wowed audiences at Sundance to such an extent that they knew they’d have a hit on their hands if they could attach their names to it in order to help secure it widespread distribution, which they were quickly able to do through the auspices of Lionsgate. Their actual influence on the on-screen product itself, then, is completely nonexistent, apart from apparently (and quite wisely) nudging Daniels to change the name from “Push” in order to avoid confusion with the sci-fi flick of the same name that came out earlier this year (and speaking of titles, might I just say that Daniels’ decision to run the opening credits in the ummm — literally-challenged style in which his protagonist would transribe them herself is a brilliant tone-setter).  Anyway, you can breathe a sigh of relief now if, like me, you’re not a huge fan of Oprah’s new-age self-help sermonizing or Perry’s put-your-trust-in-God-style “solutions” for all of life’s problems. There’s no trace of either to be found here.

The main creative powers behind this unflinchingly honest slice of genuinely harrowing urban realism are director Lee Daniels (a former producer himself —  and no stranger to controversial material given that he was responsible for both “Monster’s Ball” and “The Woodsman” — who got into directing with the little-seen “The Shadowboxer” a few years back, making this his sophomore effort behind the camera), and screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher, who have adapted the novel by Sapphire (a former Harlem-area teacher turned novelist and poet) with a refreshing directness that’s as admirable as it is unpretentious. Really, though, this is an actor’s film, and there isn’t one performance in here that’s anything less than spectacularly authentic. Daniels cast a wide net, from the aforementioned superstars of the music industry (namely Mariah Carey as the terrifically understated been-there-seen-all-that social worker, Ms. Weiss, and Lenny Kravitz as the sorta-hip-but-not-disarmingly-or-for-that-matter-distractingly-so Nurse John, who attends to Precious during her hospital stay after delivering her baby) to supporting-role veterans (the luminous Paula Patton as tough-but-kindly remedial school teacher Blu Rain — yes, really) to comedy stalwarts (Mo’Nique as the thoroughly wretched Mary, the previously-mentioned matriarch outta hell) to complete unknowns (right-off-the-streets newcomer Gabourey Sidibe as the titular protagonist herself, who skipped college for the day (she’s 26) to try out for the part on a whim and beat out 400 other contenders for the role,  finding herself cast literally less than an hour after her audition) and gave them all the trust and freedom to develop their characters  in whatever way felt right to them. The results are uniformly astounding without exception, and it’s no stretch at all to say that this is the best-acted film in recent memory.

Not to sound too gut-wrenchingly pretentious, but Sidibe as Precious is a straight-up revelation.  Painfully isolated within herself, her every movement an unconsciously-crafted defense mechanism designed to protect her very survival, she’s reflexively stoic and preternaturally cautious, yet still brightly inquisitive and not without some glimmer of realization that a better life is, somehow, possible even if she has no idea of how to get there. As apparently contradictory as this no doubt sounds, Sidibe is able to convey it all through her movements, demeanor, and overall affect to such a degree that you’d think she wasn’t even acting at all, so thoroughly complete is her realization of this multi-faceted character. Combined with Daniels’ (generally, although at times he does slide into different cinematic styles and visual themes, particularly during Precious’ numerous retreats into fantasy life, which she tends to project herself into when seriously awful shit — like her father raping her — is happening) naturalistic filming style, the overall effect is downright documentarian in its realism. She speaks very little on the whole (moreso as she opens up as the story progresses) but communicates volumes with every movement, gesture, even glance.  Hand her the Oscar now and get it over with.

And speaking of Oscars, the other ultra-noteworthy performance here is, of course, from Mo’Nique, who is at least as good as everyone has been saying, conveying with blunt honesty a sordid and soul-destroying inner rage that knows no outlet but formless and senseless violent physical and emotional outbursts directed at the easiest and most available target —  that being, of course, her daughter. She feels no sympathy for the incestuous abuse Precious has suffered, but rather blames her for “stealing her man, ” and is even — get this — jealous of the fact that this so-called “man” has fathered more children with their daughter than he did with her. She doesn’t want Precious to go to school and pull herself up out of her situation, she wants her to “go down to the welfare” and bring the check she’ll get there home to her. She has no grandmotherly love for Precious’ oldest, Down Syndrome-afflicted child and calls the baby a freak and an animal — yet a freak and an animal that she’s more than willing to coddle and pamper when her case worker from the welfare office is over on a home visit (then cruelly, and yes literally, toss aside the minute said case worker is out the door). And while all this does, indeed, make her a monster, she delivers an astonishingly raw, no-holds-barred,  bravura soliloquy towards the end at a meeting with Ms. Weiss (and Carey simply shines in this role, it must be said — she’s downright unrecognizable in her unglamorous earthiness, speaks as plainly as she looks, and is quite clearly both overwhelmed and used to being so — she can be officially forgiven for “Glitter” at this point, I would think. Oh, and watch for her absolutely golden nonchalance when Precious hits her with a question that Carey herself has endured countless times) that lays bare her own pain, confusion, and abject misery in a way that goes some way toward explaining why she is the way she is while in no way making her any more sympathetic. Quite the contrary, in fact — understanding her (partially, at least) only makes her cruelty all the more hideous. Never less than directly, forcefully, and consequentially immediate, Mo’Nique gives a performance for the ages.  Again, the Academy can just hand the little bald statuette over right now and be done with it.

Nope, I didn't recognize her either --- Mariah Carey as Ms. Weiss in "Precious"

Precious’s story is no doubt terrifying in the truest sense of the word, but it’s not without hope. When she’s expelled from school for being pregnant (did I mention this movie is set in 1987?) she is cajoled by her former principal into enrolling (against her mother’s wishes, of course) at one of those newfangled-at-the-time charter schools with a typically appropriate cheeseball name, “Each One, Teach One.” There she finds something of a support network for the first time in her life with a group of equally-illiterate “throwaway youth” students and a genuinely concerned teacher (Patton’s Blu Rain) who make the attempt to get through to her and she slowly, cautiously, stumblingly reciprocates their trust. Just as she’s  starting to come out of her shell, though, and safely delivers her baby, her mother hits her with the tirade to end all tirades when she gets home from the hospital, and she finds herself without a home when she needs one the most. The resolve Ms. Rain shows in getting her into some type of emergency housing  well past the eleventh hour is downright heroic, and soon Precious is back to slowly getting on her feet after arguably her biggest setback yet.

The worst, however, is to come, as some months after getting her into her halfway-house living situation, and progressing from a second grade to an eighth grade reading level at school, dastardly mother Mary shows up and delivers some news that provides the single-biggest cinematic gut punch of this young millennium. Without giving away what it is,  I’ll just say that it both underscores and overshadows all that remains in the film, and when Precious finally confronts her mother in the previously-mentioned scene in Ms. Weiss’s office, she does, yes, leave with some small sense of accomplishment and, dare I say it, “empowerment,” but even when she lets out a cautiously knowing  smile that comes from somewhere deep within while walking away with her two children at the very end in the closest thing she may ever know to triumph, the future is still uncertain, at best, for this extraordinarily resilient young lady. She’s gone some way towards turning her life around, but the future is unwritten and the darkest cloud of all (again, I absolutely won’t give away the details) still looms over her head. We’re not left with a strong sense tat it’s something she’ll be able to ultimately cope with, but at least we know she won’t be facing it, or any other tribulations to come, completely alone, and she’s also got a bit, just a bit mind you, more inner strength to see it through than she had before. It won’t be enough, but it’s a step in the right direction, and even though, in a voice-over segment early on Precious states “Ms. Rain says the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step — whatever the fuck that means,” we do hope she has indeed caught on to the import of that statement by the time the film is finished.

Daniels and Fletcher are  to be congratulated here. In lesser hands this would threaten to be Lifetime movie-of-the-week material, so endless is the litany of degradations suffered the title character and so simple would it be to twist the ending into something artificially uplifting. And the structure of the story is such that just when one heart-breaking situation is beginning to be partially dealt with, another pops up. It would be easy to turn this, therefore, into a pathos-laden guiltapalooza, designed to exploit the sensibilities of a largely liberal  and quite likely largely white audience through cheap and overstated emotional manipulation (truth be told, notorious contrarian Armond White has leveled something like that very charge at the film, but given that he’s tried to make hay out of the fact that all the characters who help Precious are lighter-skinned while all the characters who hurt her are darker-skinned — never noticing, apparently, the fact  that the lead character herself is quite dark, rather torpedoing his entire argument about the film’s supposed hidden racial subtext — and that he thought crap like “Transformers 2″ and “Norbit” were good movies, it’s pretty safe to say his views are based on nothing more than a reflection of his own rather desperate need to be noticed in today’s crowded market of cinematic opinion at any cost), but they have too much respect for their characters, their material, and their audience to go that easy route. Yes, you should probably bring some extra Kleenex with you to the theater, since there are a few moments where there wasn’t a dry eye in the house, my own included. But it’s in no way schmaltzy or overstated, a la Spielberg’s “The Color Purple.” The tears you shed here will be honest ones, that flow naturally based on the honest, no-frills presentation of dark, painful, and all-too-real subject matter. And there are quite a few lighter moments, as well, with some genuinely surprising humor and levity thrown into the mix at unlikely times, much as often happens in life itself.

In short, the story of Precious in not one of wildly exaggerated highs and lows, but of a real girl, living a real life, in a real world too many of us ignore all to often. There are a hell of a lot of Preciouses out there. This is the first time their story has been told in anything like a way that does them justice, not by painting them as hapless victims or as noble martyrs on the altar of the undeserved economic excesses that the rest of us enjoy (and, frankly, probably don’t deserve — I don’t know about you but in terms of sheer human value I think one Claireece “Precious” Jones is worth a hundred, or a thousand, or hell, a million corporate CEOs or Wall Street robber barns — if that makes me a bleeding-heart liberal pinko commie, so fucking be it), but by showing them to be exactly what they are — people, just like all of us, with the same fears, hopes, aspirations, and potential as any of us, but with a hell of a lot harder road to walk toward getting where they want to go.

A last nod to some of the criticism that’s been directed at this movie, this time from right-wing quarters — yes, it’s probably true that only an African American filmmaker could say some of the things this flick is saying and “get away with it.” It’s called cultural context, people. Precious dreams of having a light-skinned boyfriend and in one scene even fantasizes about being a blond white girl. This is not the same thing as saying she is ashamed of being black. It’s an acknowledgment that she wishes for a life, and an identity, completely different than the one she’s always known, and given her circumstances, who can blame her? Yes, her circumstances are, at their core, all about economics rather than race (and one hopes that, naturally bright as Precious is, she’ll eventually come to realize this — am I the only one who’d love to see a sequel where Precious really goes after those  most responsible for her victimization  and bombs a bank headquarters or a Wall Street investment firm? Okay, I guess I am.), but she’s a sixteen-year-old kid, and a poorly-educated one at that. It’s quite common for children in these types of circumstances to wish to have as dramatically different a life as possible, and that often extends to the most personal and central aspects of their very identity. But, yes, if a white filmmaker were to attempt to convey the exact same message, there would be an uncomfortable subtext of “lots of black people secretly wish they were white” attached to it. That’s just the way it goes, and that’s nothing to be exasperated about, so calm the fuck down my fellow white people. This bitching about how  “a white director would be called a racist if he made this movie” is nothing more than the cinematic equivalent of the tired and frankly stupid old argument around the use of  “the ‘N’ word” that essentially boils down to “if they can say it, why can’t we?” Frankly, those who engage in such useless “debates” do nothing more than sound like whining racists who still want to call black people n*****s and are upset that they can’t get away with it anymore. Shut up or grow up — or, better yet, both. Again, cultural context is all-important here, and we don’t all have the same life experiences.  If you can’t recognize that the message is not the same depending on who’s delivering it — and for what purpose — then you don’t have the intellectual maturity to recognize actual reality, and the fact that in  said actual reality the messenger to a great extent shapes and defines the message; the two are not inseperable.  Nor should they be.

“Precious” is not an easy film to watch by any means, whether you can directly relate to her story or not. It’s by turns heartbreaking, poignant, harrowing,  and even joyful. It’s not pessimistic, to be certain, yet it’s not forcedly optimistic, either. It’s just plain real. It asks all the right questions in just the right away and provides no easy answers.  From start to finish it’s true to itself, to its characters, and to their story. It’s vital and it’s  necessary. And it’s long overdue.

Something this powerfullly, unflinchingly honest only comes around once in a great while. This flick will rip your heart out and hand it back to you in pieces. Putting them together again is up to you. The hard work always is. Just ask Claireece “Precious” Jones — she knows all about that.

 For the past few weeks I have heard nothing but praise for the movie Precious. I thought I would have gotten to see it on November 6th, but my city was not one of the selected cities. So I waited patiently and today I got the opportunity to see it. Precious is an intense drama that frankly discusses issues that we generally only discuss in whispered tones. By now most people know the premise that precious is physically and sexually abused by her mother and her father. Words can not adequately express the pain inflicted on Precious. Precious was such a broken individual she spent time yearning for her fantasy life while at the same time living a heartbreakingly broken life. At one point the character wishes she were dead and at that moment I wanted to give her the bullets. The movie is full of outstanding performances that are so riveting that you feel uncomfortable at times watching the raw emotions. I heard Oprah doing a promotion for the movie and she said we all are Precious, but after seeing the movie I can say we are not. Precious went through personal horrors that most of us will never have to endure, but she managed to come out on the other side. This film does not tie up all loose ends with a big bow, but you leave the movie believing there is still hope for her, and sometimes hope is all you have.

תכנית משובחת במיוחד (לטעמינו לפחות) הייתה ביום שלישי האחרון.

פתחנו עם קאבר משובח ששמרנו לכם כבר הרבה זמן לשיר האדיר Ready for the floor של האלטרו-פופים הבריטיים Hot Chip. הזמרת הטרייה Lissy Trullie מפנקת את השיר המקורי בביוע פחות אלקטרוני ויותר רוקי, פתיחה אנרגטית לתכנית.

Lissy Trullie. שיחקה אותה

בהמשך, Field of joy בגרסא של לני קרביץ לשיר שהוא בכלל במקור של הרכב בשם New york ensemble מ-1971. מדובר בהרכב רוק שניגן בשנות השישים והשבעים והוציא תשעה אלבומים והשיר המקורי לקוח מתוך אלבום בשם Roll Over.

עוד בתכנית היה חידוש נמרח ומתוח ביותר ללהיט שברון הלב של סוף הניינטיז, Crush של Jeniffer Paige והקאבר של The Dismemberment Plan.

נסענו למקסיקו בפינה הבינלאומית בשביל לשמוע את Alejandra Guzman, מלכת הרוק הלטיני כך מסתבר, מבצעת בצורה לא רעה בכלל את House of the rising sun שבוצע מאות פעמים אבל הכי מזוהה עם The Animals מ-1964.

הזמר החביב של שנינו Richard Shindell, זמר הקאנטרי האמריקאי ביצע את Senor של דילן ומיד אחריו ביצוע פאנק הזוי לחלוטין ל-Men In Black של וויל סמית’ מ-97 בגרסא שאפשר להבין בה את המילים של להקת Forever the sickest kids (ורק שיהיו בריאים).

פינת הקשיש”ק הייתה רוויה בביצועים נדירים, שניים במספר ל-Dazed and confused של לד זפלין מ-1969. המקור הוא בכלל של המוזיקאי Jake Holmes מ-67′ בגרסא שמוקלטת בקושי ונשמעת כאילו היא מושמעת ממערה. ג’ימי פייג’, גיטריסט הזפלינים שמע את Holmes בהופעה ועיבד מחדש את השיר ללהקתו דאז, The Yardbirds ואחר כך גאמור גם לזפלין. השיר לעולם לא הוקלט על ידי ה-Yardbirds אך יצא בדיסק של הופעה חיה וזו הייתה הגרסא אותה השמענו. חתיכת היסטוריה באנדרקאבר.

The yardbirds. נכון השני משמאל מזכיר את שון פן?

כאן הגיע הקרב הגדול של התכנית. בפינה אחת בט מידלר, בפינה השנייה הרולינג סטונס. הנושא: Beast of burden האדיר של הסטונס מ-1978 והביצוע המחריד (לדעת שחר ורבים אחרים) שבט מידלר עשתה לו ב-1981. לפחות הקליפ שלה מגניב ואפילו משתתף בו מיק ג’אגר:

את התכנית סגרו חברי מוניקה סקס עם חידוש לשיר שומר אריות של יוסי אלפנט ז”ל מתוך האלבום חיות מחמד מ-2003 (שהוקלט תוך ארבעה ימים!!!).

נשתמע בשבוע הבא!

]]> http://dreambound.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/fly-away/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:25:26 +0000 dreambound http://dreambound.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/fly-away/

I wish that I could fly
Into the sky
So very high
Just like a dragonfly

I’d fly above the trees
Over the seas in all degrees
To anywhere I please

Oh I want to get away
I want to fly away
Yeah yeah yeah

Oh I want to get away
I want to fly away
Yeah yeah yeah

Let’s go and see the stars
The milky way or even mars
Where it could just be ours

Let’s fade into the sun
Let your spirit fly
Where we are one
Just for a little fun
Oh oh oh yeah !

I want to get away
I want to fly away

-Lenny Kravitz

Boy do I feel you….

Zoe Kravitz sits in the fifth of ten best dressed of week Nov 16.

With Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet as parents, was there any chance that Zoe Kravitz wouldn’t turn out this cool? Her look is a little bit rock’n roll, a little bit ’90s grunge, a little hippie chic, and a lot straight out of Lenny’s closet! Her style features many accessories, and vintage inspired clothes. She says her personal style is mixed  Carrie Bradshaw from sex and city with Jimi Hendrix .

Zoe Kravitz and her father Lenny Kravitz

i was fine. it was just a saturday night movie. sat between three i love, the rest strangers. i was fine. i ate my peanut m & m’s. got good and cranky at the twits behind me talking during the previews. made a mental note to see penelope cruz’s new movie.

movie started. no surprises…….. i knew. i was fine. mo’nique will certainly win the oscar. i think…….. how did she prepare? who was her coach? what did her trailer look like?…….. technical things………….. lenny kravitz didn’t seem to have a line on his face…………….. gabourey “gabby” sidibe has the whitest teeth…………… i think paula patton and i have a mutual friend.

i was fine. it was a hard movie, but i was fine. actually felt a little let down at the flatness i felt. thought the movie would have moved me more. hmmm?

sunday morning. tree decorated. laundry folded. errands to be run. i reach for my necklace beads. i start to cry.

i see her beautiful, precious face and those sad, sorrowful eyes. those eyes. eyes lidded so heavy with pain they don’t blink, widen, or tear.  i see her wearing her necklace beads, each day a different color strand, matching her massive sweaters and jackets; a small effort, but an attempt nonetheless. anything to help diminish the horror of her reality. a reality that i know exists for so many.

all around me i know there is the silent suffering an abused child.

i can’t stop crying.

i feel stupid. i am spoiled. i feel stupid and spoiled.

Precious: The Grace in Small Acts of Kindness…

“Grace is the absence of everything that indicates pain or difficulty, hesitation or incongruity.” William Hazlitt

God's Grace: Prevails... by Night86mare via Flickr

When someone walks in and shatters your life at 12, 21 or any age, it takes tremendous grace to turn away from taking the road to abject despair, to finding the courage to regroup and rebuild a life. It also takes a simple, small gesture of kindness, the grace of a hug, a smile, a tender glance, a comforting word, to steer one away from misery to the miraculous… The film Precious is a miracle of grace; the grace shared through small acts of kindness.

Precious is the newly released film about the compelling story of a young woman, Claireece “Precious” Jones, who overcomes a life of despicable terror at the hands of her parents and triumphs in the face of incredible obstacles. The movie is a riveting adaptation of the powerful novel, PUSH, by author/poet/activist Sapphire.

As protagonist, the 16 year old, African-American, Harlem raised teen, Precious, personifies both everything we abhor and fear we might become; a victim of incest, child abuse, depraved parents, pregnant with her father’s 2nd child, overweight, illiterate, HIV positive, homophobic, xenophobic, self-hating, and everything we champion her to become; courageous, accomplished and free from oppression.

“God appoints our graces to be nurses to other men’s weaknesses.” Henry Ward Beecher

Sundance Premiere via Zimbio/Google Images: Gabby Sidibe, Mariah Carey, Lee Daniels, Mo'Nique and Paula Patton

Watch CBS News Videos Online Katie Interview with Sapphire

According to the author Sapphire, in a recent interview with Katie Couric on CBS, Precious is a composite of many young women, (and perhaps older women), she met/knew during the years she taught/counseled young women who were survivors of horrific abuse. These women though damaged by abuse and deep in the recovery process, had such strong spirits of defiance and a will to survive that it helped give the author the impetus to create her classic novel ~ PUSH.

While the name Precious might seem ironic for a character that is treated as irrelevant and suffers horrific abuse, her name should be a constant reminder to all of us to treat each other with compassion and care. If we are galvanized to, at least, identify/report abuse and help another find hope and a chance at life, then, we have made a great difference in someone’s life.

Precious speaks for those silent and/or silenced by abuse and God’s grace and people’s grace guide her to push past her hurt and accomplish what she is destined to do and become. We can all be angels of light on this journey called life and every random act of kindness reverberates throughout the earth and touches many others in its stead. The grace in small things endures.

“Grace has been defined as the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul.” William Hazlitt

Refracted Mandala: We Stumble towards Light with varying degrees of Grace

For Precious, the grace and blessings in small things came through acts of selflessness and kindness shown to her by others; the teacher (Ms. Rain) who diligently helps her learn to read; the social worker (Mrs. Weiss) and nurse (Kravitz’s character) who encourage her to both seek help and find her own inner courage and goodness. Each person offered a glimpse of hope, a moment of grace to push Precious forward in her journey to redemption from oppression and dysfunction. It takes one person to step forward and extend a helping hand to another soul…

The generosity others showed Precious in the film reminded me of an incident many years ago, before ATMs, when I found myself stranded in a big city with no means to get back to my original destination. I walked into a bank, quite distraught, and a kind teller gave me just enough to get me home. She graciously accepted the check I gave her, drawn on another bank, but never cashed it. Her kindness has stayed with me.

“Grace is from our side a choice, from the divine side it is a seizing upon, an apprehending, a conquest by the Most High. Our ”accepting” and ”willing” are reactions rather than actions. The right of determination must always remain with God.” A. W. Tozer

Glass Mandala Lotus: The Grace in all Things... via Suki Quin

A spiritual teacher once said that when we pray or ask for grace, we must seek the highest good and ask for God’s grace and people’s grace. After all, it is at each others hands that we learn to love, experience life, see the face and grace of God.

Where has grace touched you? Who has shown you a small act of kindness, a much needed glance? Who have you helped today? Share your thoughts.

PHOTO CREDITS
God’s Grace by Night86mare ~ via Flickr
Precious Sundance Premiere ~ via Zimbio/Google Images
Refracted Mandala by F. Decomite – via Flickr/Google Images
Glass Mandala lotus by Suki Quin ~ via Google Images
Videos ~ via CBS News and YouTube

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank