Bab'Aziz

This week I hurried off to the cinema to see Bab’Aziz by director Nacer Khemir. As is typical with non western stories it takes many detours much like the shifting sands of where the film was shot. It left me wondering what the movie was about but in the end I decided that didn’t matter, for we don’t need to know everything. Perhaps it would be better to describe the film as a visual poem; certainly the music would support this notion.

While the movie is filmed in a desert, which turned out to be Tunisia and Iran the landscape was beautiful and if music can seduce you than this does. I don’t know whether it will stand up without the visuals but I am definitely going to find out.

The story revolves around a blind dervish named Bab’Aziz and his granddaughter, Ishtar. Together they wander the desert in search of a great reunion of dervishes that takes place just once every thirty years. They don’t know where the gathering will take place and apparently none of the other attendees do either, but all believe that their faith will be their guide, which proves to be correct. For they are very in tune with their inner voice.

To keep Ishtar entertained, Bab’Aziz relays the ancient tale of a prince who relinquished his realm in order to remain next to a small pool in the desert, staring into its depths while contemplating his soul. This story is told in fits and starts through the film and it began to remind me of the stories that Queen Scheherazade told her King in A Thousand and One Nights. While Khemir has created a story of longing and belonging it also speaks to death; when our time is up and how we chose to die. It is a beautiful and thoughtful movie; perhaps a love poem to his father to whom it was dedicated. I am going back to see it one more time before it is gone forever!

Art In Bloom

Every April the Musuem of Fine Arts in Boston invites Massachusetts garden clubs to display their artistic impression of various pictures or statues in the galleries. Each year I walk through and pick my favorites. This year I did not complete the tour but the winner was the Chinese gallery which are the photograph above and to the left.

Not a good photograph but a nice flower representation of Gauguin's "Where Do We Come From?"

Runner up in the Egyptian and Japanese galleries but unfortunately you cannot see the calligraphy on the stone behind the flower arrangement.


These two photographs are the rotunda and the stair case leading to the Huntington Ave. exit.

Go Green

What’s In This Stuff? By Patricia Thomas

This book should be in everyone’s home. It clearly lays out the problems of using many of today’s time saving devices for cleaning your house, cleaning your self, or making yourself look beautiful. It then shows you how to make nice smelling products that will not harm you or the environment. There are two wonderful appendixes at the back of the book that are easy to use. The first is an alphabetical list of chemicals that are in many of the products in your home: cleaning products, cosmetics, perfume, shampoo and toothpaste. The other appendix is a complete list of food additives.

You will find that the ideas will save you money and reduce your trash pile considerably. For example did you know that four items in your cupboard could virtually replace all your other cleaning products: Baking Soda, Vinegar, Borax and Bronner’s, castile liquid soap. Baking Soda and Vinegar are both disinfectants and grease cutters. Baking soda can be used on pans as it is a mild abrasive. Borax will take care of mold and mildew in your bathroom. Castile soap can be used for tons of stuff including washing and conditioning your hair.

Avoid soaps with chemical in them and only buy vegetable oil or glycerin soaps. Or of course use Bronner’s castile soap in peppermint which is wonderful for those folks who live in hot weather climates. You can use the liquid soap to wash and condition your hair. Toothpastes are very problematic and you need to look for one with no fluoride and SLS in it. I good product is Weleda’s salt toothpaste. For dental floss make sure you use a natural product (cotton or silk), unscented and unwaxed and for deodorants look for Neal’s Yard products or use a slight dusting of plain cornstarch.

And read this article in Thursday’s Tampa, FL Tribune
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/apr/17/ho-easy-to-make-cleansers-stand-up-to-bathroom-lau/

Live Free and Die

Last year I flew to Australia
That was so fun
Last month I drove across country
That wasn’t so much fun
I drive to school;
I drive to work;
And in the summer
I drive down the highway
The hood down,
The wind flying through my hair
going no where in particular
Living the American Dream.

And whose carbons did I borrow?
Well, it doesn’t matter,
I wasn’t planning on paying them back anyway.

The Artic shelf has gone,
Isn’t it a shame!
The Pacific Islands have gone,
Isn’t it a shame
Bangladesh has gone, and the Maldives
Isn’t that a shame!
New Orleans is under water,
The east and west coast are under water
Isn’t that a shame!

Today I drove home
My home was gone
It's under water
I guess I should have listened.

Cash Cow

Go visit Judi Rotenberg’s gallery at 130 Newbury St in Boston to see a very interesting exhibit by two artists: Mary Ellen Strom and choreographer Ann Carlson. Judy always puts on wonderful, avant garde shows so I would recommend getting on her mailing list at judirotenberg.com

It’s a little bit difficult to explain the show to you but basically the artists are sending us a message about the effects of consumerism. An example is the cow in the show titled Madame 710. As you can see in this photograph, Carlson is projected in the gallery with a cow whose udders are swollen with milk and who has a yellow tag clipped to its ear 710. Carlson is seen dancing around the cow wearing nothing but dollar bills. The cow is looking directly at you. This piece indirectly says some about industrial farming which I abhor and directly about the term “cash cow”; so, not such a great description about the show but please go if you can, the show is on until April 26th

Part of the show will be at the DeCordova Musuem in Lincoln, MA. in January.

Shell Wildlife Photographs of the Year Exhibit

While I was in London I visited the Natural History Musuem to see the Shell Wildlife Photographs of the Year. The very first photograph in the exhibit really caught my attention and I find that I am repeatedly thinking about the power of that photograph. While the colors (pink sky and blue snow) have the affect of pushing the owl forward it also has the impact of pushing your mental capacities toward the inner sanctum of the natural world. It makes me question what our place is in the universe and how well have we fit into it?

Another favorite photograph of mine, although not at the time but after I had returned home and found that I was thinking about the power that this photographed represented.

Than there was the photograph that literally danced off the wall. A complete joy to behold.




And the one that speaks a thousand words about humans impact on this earth and how vital it is for us all, everyone of us, to change dramatically the way we live on this earth.






Finishing up with the joy of life.
Click here to visit the exhibit
www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/wpy/onlineGallery.do

Harold the Duck

A couple of weeks ago I went to Codman Community Farm in Lincoln, MA (our local farm) to see the new born lambs and goats. I went right up to the lambs but then the mother sheep seemed to be rather anxious and I backed off. As I was doing this something grabbed hold of my leg. I looked down to the see the best fed and groomed duck I have ever seen attached to my trouser leg. I could not get rid of him. I tried pushing him away with bag, no luck. I tried running, no luck. Then I thought I would run up the steps because he would not be able to follow me. Ha! Ha! That’s why God gave ducks wings, he half flew still attached to my trouser leg. As I got nearly to the top of the stairs I yelled out to a young man with a small child that he might want to be careful because I was being attacked by a duck.

“Oh! He said, you’ve met Harold.” “Who the hell is Harold I replied” to which he said “the duck that was attached to your leg and now isn’t. See how his tail is wagging, he wants you to pat him.” Apparently, Harold belonged to a volunteer at the farm and lived in her home. He had his own room even and arrives each day at the farm in style; riding in the back seat of her car. I figured at some point I would have to make peace with this duck. Today, I went to the farm’s open house. Harold was the star of the show. I found out that he LOVES having his belly stroked. But he really does not believe he is a duck. When you stop he cranes neck and gives you a tiny kiss or peck untill you resume again. Here are some pictures of Harold and the other animals who actually live on the farm.

Tibet

"One World One Dream" is China's message for the Olympics. Let it be so for ALL!

Here are some photographs taken in Harvard Sq. the home of Harvard University on April 8th, 2008.

Benji Look A Like

For all you folks out there that called wanting to adopt Benji do not dispair. Sammy is looking for a home too and he has a very similar temperment to Benji and is just as beautiful!

He is a 1-2 yr. old springer/lab mix. who weighs about 40 lbs. He is a very smart dog; a good listener and loves to give kisses. He has some puppy left in him, and thus would love to be a part of an active household.

If you can give this dog a loving home please contact Ahimsa Haven Animal Rescue. www.ahimsahaven.org