Hello People of the World;
Welp, here we are now that autumn has officially
begun. I hope the cooler temperatures have not beguiled you to the point that
once the temperature reaches the high 70’s you are “broiling”. Man. What
babies. I heard someone complain, “it’s like a hundred degrees outside right
now!” (it was only mid-70’s) followed by “Not that I’m complaining.” But that
is EXACTLY what you were doing! Sheesh!
Anyways. So, I went home to the reservation earlier
this month and it was great to be back after over six years away. I am writing
up a reflection of my time there and will post that to my other web log later,
so keep an eye out for that. What surprised me most is the passage of so much
time. I keep reminding those self-centered people that “growing up” also
happens to children. Not that it affects just you. I was really reminded of
that back home.
This post is so very late. Last day of the month! I
just thought of taking as late as possible to see if anyone would mention it.
No one did.
Let’s get this edition started, shall we?
1:[ F*CK the
ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE, Can I Say that just once more?
Look, I know that they are just folks asking for
support for ALS. But at some point it becomes less about helping them and more
about satisfying your ego, being seeing doing stupid shit on the off chance it
might go viral. I mean the cause could be anything. It could be about literally
AYTHING and someone will do something stupid because it isn’t about the cause.
It is about you satisfying your egotistical need to look like a f*cking angel.
Not only that, but these suckers are getting the rules ABSOLUTELY WRONG!
Apparently, the rules are, you either donate to ALS
research OR you dump a bucket of ice
water on your head. It is a choice people are supposed make. If you do not
donate, you dump water on your head as a punishment. So, all those sacred
angels dumping water on themselves and challenging others to join the herd are
NOT even donating money to ALS
research but would rather post a video of themselves dumping ice water on their
head in the hopes of fleeting internet fame.
Well, that is what the implication is. If they are
still donating money in spite of dumping water on their head, that means they
are really in it for egotistical reasons. Idiots. Worse, they are following
this herd mentality, which can be more dangerous. (Think for your selves,
people.) Nope, you simply just cannot make out a check and mail it in. Nope,
now you got to have a crowd cheering you on about dumping a bucket of fucking ice
water on your head. “You’re so brave, heroic, and selfless!”
But, it’s ALL about you, or you wouldn’t have made
a video of it and posted it. Come on….
2:[ My Truthfulness Stuffs:
My Useless Self: Ego &
My Old Age
I am getting old. I know I am because I have
noticed I have been losing my hair lately. My family, especially my dad, is
known for having think, dark hair. Bonnie used to (and still does) mention it
everything I have a haircut. Even the “Stylists” that cut my hair still do. But
of late, I find hairs all over in the sink and show and in the comb after I use
it. So much so that I think a bug or something has gotten in my shirt and when
I reach to scratch, find a loose hair there.
I actually do not mind this. It is natural for it
to happen. My dad had one vanity. His hair. Once a week I would find him in the
bathroom plucking the gray hairs. I find it very interesting that he was like
that. He was a man that you would not seem to think had a vanity. But then, I
never knew my father before he became my father. We never know our parents
truly. They have secret aspirations and life’s goals before they became our parents. They had completely different
personalities before they became parents. Studies have proved that many
parents’ priorities change after having children. Especially for women, which
explains why we are always surprised when we find out what our mother’s wanted
to do before they got married. My mom said she knew she would be married with
kids.
Again, looking at the loose strands that have
fallen from this nest I call a haircut, I cannot help but be reminded that I am
indeed aging. That is okay. I truly feel that I am the same person I always
have been. I look at every gray hair as something earned. That I am losing hair
is really no big deal. I do not think that I will ever be bald. I am not
genetically predisposed that way. But seeing that loose hair does cause me to
reflect on the passage of time once more. More so now, as the days go on and I
find another strand in the sink.
Here is another thing that I have noticed; that
women seem creeped out or scared of me lately. Can someone explain this to me?
But that is something to write about next time. Maybe….
Updates from my other Truthfulness Projects:
+ NAMELESS: The Authentic and Magical Ledger Art of EW3
A Treatise on
American Indian Art
“All you care
about is money. This city deserves a better class of artist. And I’m going to
give it to them.”
My Ledger Art Project still remains in transit. I
have not found a place that would present my sketches. Of course, I am not
selling them. I will be giving them away. Simple concept. I will use the new
printer to make copies and give those away for free to anyone that wants them.
High quality prints, I hope. The actual sketches will be given away as well. I
may look into a printing company to make very high-quality prints and to make
postcards and posters and maybe even tee shirts. Then, I can just give all that
stuff away during a showing at a gallery or arts space while I do live ledger drawings
on-site.
This seems like a very simple concept that will not
cost anyone any money, not the venues, not the patrons, not even the folks who
want a piece. I will absorb all the cost because I firmly believe that the
message outweighs any monetary gain. Why should I sell out my culture just
because I love to draw? I have so much pride (for the lack of a better word) in
my art that I just give it away. To quote the great man, ‘It’s not about money. It’s about sending a message…’.
+ The Five Six SEVEN Hypocrisies of Native America:
(Because Seven is a sacred
number):
+ Of Grown-ass Native men posting hypocritical
diatribes in support of their Native women and wives, when seeing the video of
Ray Rice knocking his wife the-fuck OUT in an elevator, cry “CONSPIRACY!”
Because it is apparently wrong to beat a woman unless, you know, you have a
shot at the NFL Play-offs, ’cause: Football and MANLY-MAN-SHIT. Wake up you
dupes….
+ This article from a Native news source about the
protests in Ferguson stated that we, as minorities, are all in this together.
So, just a question: Then why isn’t Idle No More in Ferguson, MO? Answer:
because that would be DOING SOMETHING!!
NEXT MONTH’S
TRUTHFULNESS:
Ego and
_____?
Let me know what I should
cover next in my series on Truthfulness.
3:[ More MOVIE TIME ADVENTURES:
+ HAMLET UPDATE: August was very busy and now we
are starting up our FALL SHOOT. I have a ton more info on the project,
including a HUGE mistake on my part that will require re-shoots. You can read
about it all here on the Official Redshade Productions page.
+ I am thinking of writing a new segment of the Old
WOS Review Page, the retro-review. I am thinking of tackling “Man of Steel” of
which I wrote a lengthy review already. But what I want to do is a sort of
defense of the film….
+ I audited my DVD collection: here’s what I found.
I have only six movies, SIX, that have a woman as the lead. And every one of
them fails the Bechtel Test. Yeah, out of the 133 feature films I own, only six
have a woman lead. I have nineteen where a woman is a part of an ensemble or a
co-lead, (i.e. “Tokyo Story” & “Silence of the Lambs”), the other one
hundred and thirteen movies, not including the 6 documentaries and 6 television
series, which all are about men.
With only ONE with a woman director, “The Hurt
Locker”, which is all about men.
4:[ Last month (August) I had
to make a short visit to Chinatown to purchase a silk-style jacket for my
HAMLET production. I have gone there several times when I was married, but for
the last school year, had to journey there on my own as part of my school
visits. On this particuar trip, I had no other business there but to find the
silk jacket I had in mind and get that. Once that was done I had free time to
roam around.
I typically do not go in for buying the touristy
trinkets. I prefer authentic items. But you usually cannot find these unless a
shop specializes in scrolls or metalwork. Which is rare. So I want a
bakery/café and had a green tea and sesame rolls. It has been something I enjoyed
since first stopping in there earlier with a Co-Mentor last school year. Now I
will try to make it a regular thing every time I go to Chinatown.
Like most cool things, the Hipsters have invaded.
Lots of neon color sunglasses frames and tee shirts spouting logos of 80s’
television shows and heavy denim pervaded the shopping mart I walked around in.
Many were simply in line at the restaurants because eating Chinese food in
Chinatown “Is soooo cool.”
Another thing I overheard? “In China, it’s like,
really bad…” No shit. But with anything cultural, there seems to be this
appropriation of it in the sense of making one “Cool” because they know about
it. Sooner or later, they will forget about it. I don’t know. I just know that
I enjoy my green lemon tea and sesame rolls and these trend-chasing jackasses
are literally crowding the market….
5:[ Ah yes, settle in Dear
Readers for more of:
Adventures in
the Coffee Shop and/or on the CTA!
+ So, I stopped in at my regular place about maybe
90 minutes to close, because I find that, that is when the least amount of
people are there. I am an introvert and sometimes crowded, busy places throw me
into a lull. I’ll close down socially until I can break away. Anyways. There
were about three people in there and the two closing baristas who were
complaining, COMPLAINING that it was “Too slow….”
One of them was new to the store, as I had never
seen him in there before this day. (But have since) and the other barista was
explaining to him how they mete out tasks to fill the day. The new guy kept
asking if they should do the sorting in back and the other kept saying that
they should save it for last just to give them something to do. They kept
making jokes that it would suddenly become super crowded and busy once they went
off to their tasks. I mean, they were simply doing nothing but complaining
about having nothing to do. Every time the new guys said, “Maybe we should do
this.” The other guy would say, “Nah, let’s do that later. We usually don’t do
it that way. Beside, you know once we get busy a crowd will show up” ha, ha,
ha.
All I kept thinking about was that line from
“Tremors”: “We plan ahead, so we don’t have to do anything, right now.”
+ Also, they were talking about comedians they
enjoy. Sorry, I could not help overhearing their conversation because they were
nearly shouting everything they said making it impossible to NOT hear them. Is
this Barista Law our something? Can my Barista friends clarify this? Are you
required to talk about everything that you like and enjoy so loudly that we
cannot help but be impressed at how cool you are despite your working in a
coffee shop?
Anyways, one was white and one was
African-American, and yet, despite their tastes in white comedians being
identical, (Louis CK is apparently the BOMB.) there was a schism in their
tastes in black comedians. Of course, they both love, Love, LOVE Dave Chapelle,
in spite of the white guy screaming “Rick James, bitch!” over and over and not
knowing that Chapelle is still currently performing, the white guy did not care
for Hannibal Burris, because Hannibal Burris isn’t the mark of “White Inclusion
Knowingness” like Dave Chapelle is. But the Black guy stood his ground with his
tastes and it was sort of cool to hear them debate the merits of their own tastes.
But still, broaden your scope folks.
+ On the train downtown to another empty HAMLET
meeting, I sat across from a pair of young ladies who got on at the Loyola stop
(not that, that has anything to do with their personalities. Or, maybe it does.
Who knows?) and overhear them contemplating all the Machiavellian Maneuvers
they will have to make for positions on the Flag Football Team. If they talk
about “So-and-so”, to “Who’s-he-what’s-it?” then maybe she will quit the team,
or better yet, “Who’s-he-what’s-it” will throw her off. Really? All over a
fucking intramural flag football team? Just so you can be the only girl?
Please, ladies, tell me, and reassure me that this behavior is not indicative
of all women. I am pretty sure it isn’t.
But this is what people are wasting the strategic
teachings of “The Art of War”, “The Three Kingdoms”, Miyamoto Musashi, and
Machiavelli on, on “business”, keeping your shitty job, and sports teams? Come
on….
6:[ I am so happy the new
Jewel-Osco opened in our neighborhood. I know. Evil corporations. But having a
grocery store in a poor neighborhood trumps my socio-political tendencies.
Every time. So, the other day I went in to get some sweetened “Trade Winds” tea
and chicken strips. The deli counter lady always remarks that she sees me
buying the same thing every time every time. I resist telling her it’s a single
guy habit. I don’t know. I have a tiny crush on her. But, on this day, before I
get out of the store, the sky opens and begins pouring water in huge droplets
in a phenomenon I later learned is called “raining” for those of you who are
constantly surprised that this actually happens.
Another reason I am happy that it opened is that
they have a coffee shop and seating area. So I was able to have a seat and eat
my chicken strips and sip a small bottle of tea I bought from the Starbucks
there. I know, Evil Corporation, but having a place to set down and wait out a
storm sometimes trumps my socio-political tendencies. I think that goes for
most people….
7:[ And now Wisdom of the
Sages presents:
“An Ever-growing List of Things That MUST Stop!”
+ Posting “Rights” on Facebook: I noticed a lot of
people posting some form of copyrights “protection” text as their Facebook
status. Like Facebook is holding a gun to your head forcing you to post your
stupid art and pictures on your wall. People, the solution is simple: stop
using Facebook!
But no, we will forever post useless text trying to
protect ourselves against something we chose once we signed on to Facebook and agreed
to their User Agreement which states that Facebook can change the User
Agreement anytime. You agreed to that when you clicked “Agree”. This is why I
do not post anything too personal on my FB page.
Like posting declarative legalese does anything for
you. In any court the first thing they will ask you is if you agreed to the
User Agreement. If you say “Yeah, but that was before they started selling my
data and using my images in their ads.” But you agreed that Facebook could
change the User Agreement. You understand that, right? I mean, if it concerns
you so much, this fictional judge will tell you, the solution is simple: then,
stop using Facebook.
Man. It is amazing at what lengths we go to, to
KEEP USING FACEBOOK!
+ And now, there have been similar complaints about
the Apple Cloud. It’s the same thing folks: User Agreements. And again, the
solution is simple: don’t subscribe to The Cloud.
Besides, the Cloud is NOT YOURS! It’s Google’s or
Apple’s or whoever’s and they can shove whatever promotional material into your
space on the Cloud because you agreed that they could. This includes whole
albums. Sorry. Any judge will tell you.
It is amazing what lengths we go to, to keep
egotistically posturing as Techies.
You know what is truly fucked up about the Facebook
and Apple User Agreement nonsense? That the police have been militarized and
can legally stop and search you, your car, your homes without a warrant and we
get not a peep about it from these Nuevo Civil Rights Lawyers and their fucking
iPhones and Galaxy’s. But put a free U2 album in a virtual space they DON’T
EVEN OWN and they are ready to march to the Supreme Court to get justice. But
if they can get more gigs for higher speed streaming on their device instead,
they’ll forget about that shit right away. Priorities.
+ Travelling home from Wyoming: You ever want to
see Grown Ass People becoming Whiny Ass Crybabies? Delay the flight a few
hours. Suddenly everyone becomes the MOST IMPORTANT PERSON EVER! What irked me the most was the two grown people acting like spoiled brats sitting next to me. I was surprised that people their age were making comments, snide remarks at the attendants, and just being assholes. I mean, you are grown ups. Act like it. People forget that the mechanical failure also happened to the airline too, not just you. I'd rather delay the flight and get home on a safe plane rather than get butthurt that the entirety of the airline is not catering to me. Make your own airline then. The airline only owed me a safe flight home and they delived, no matter how late it was. That childish privilege needs to stop.
+ No, keep changing your Facebook profile picture,
because, that totally helps find the missing women or the cure or solves the
crisis you stand by. It really does. I mean, come on, it beats actually doing
something. You know? You know what should “disappear” along side your Facebook
photo? You, while you go out to look for those missing people….
8:[ I had Jury Duty recently
which took me by surprise because the last time I was called was in October of
last year and they stated that I would not be called for another year at least.
You can read about my experiences in WoS as I wrote about them last time and
this this the experience was pretty mush the same. I even got the exact same
judge as last time!
But here is something I did notice while waiting in
the juror waiting area, and this goes for any large space where there are a
large number of people waiting for something and the expectation is, but the
rule is not, silence: Your exact ringtone annoying everyone in the room. It is
funny to see. In the middle of everyone silently grumbling to themselves that
they got better shit to do, a chime-y ringtone suddenly fills the air and
everyone’s head suddenly turn in what ever direction is it is coming from and
JUST GLARE THE FUCK out of the poor scumbag who is trying desperately to dig it
out of his or her bag/pocket/jacket to answer as quick as possible so people
would stop murder-wishing them. It’s funny to see….
9:[ From the “This Just In” Department: U2 HAS A NEW
ALBUM! I have been a longtime fan of theirs, since Junior High at least. So
after a five-year break they freak the world the fuck out with a simultaneous
release into the Apple iPod Cloud. I have to say about the album itself, I LIKE
IT VERY MUCH. It is a strong release. I cannot really put it on a list and rate
it in comparison to past albums, because 1) everyone wants another “Achtung,
Baby!” or “The Joshua Tree”, 2) I enjoy all of their albums to one degree or
another, and 3) I am one of those fans whose favorite one is the most recent
version. This album has grown on me quicker than past one, I must say.
So far my favorite tunes are “The Miracle (of Joey
Ramone)”, “Every Breaking Wave”, of which I hated the live version they played
during their last tour, “Song for Someone”, to whom I dedicate… to someone,
“Cedarwood Road”, “Volcano”, and “Raised by Wolves” are three of the best
rockers I had heard come from them since “Vertigo”. The other songs are strong
but my preferences are these six.
Now, many hate U2. I never understood that, but I
am able to let it be. I don’t need to jump to their defense every time someone
bad-mouths them. Music has become this very compartmentalized thing that we too
often judge something by the very specified natures of our particular likes. We
like club music, or shitty rap, than we will hate U2, but to judge their music
by those specific standards it silly. You don’t have to like U2. Rolling Stone
Magazine has caught flack for giving the album a 5-star rating, but like Roger
Ebert with his movie ratings, they know full well that the ratings are in the
context of a rock album and not the overall “music is artistic soul” grandeur
that we love to tickle our balls with to boost our non-productive egos.
I like the album. In time, I will probably love it.
In ten years, I will enjoy what ever U2 puts out then, but I will reserve the
judgment until then. Look for a track-by-track review in my Best of 2014
Lists….
10:[ Last Item of the Month: I returned to the University of Wisconsin
Parkside this month to teach the upper-level course “No One Ever Sees Indians:
Native Americans in Media”. Boy, have it been a weird start to the semester. I
have not taught this course since fall of 2012 and so I feel a bit rusty. I
feel like I am a bit out of date with things. My first day the PowerPoint
failed and I had to do the entire lecture from memory. The next week, I had
stopped to get a Box o’ Joe for my students and I though I would be late. But I
made it there with five minutes to spare only to find that a fire alarm had
gone off and delayed my class by 30 minutes.
This week I had the awakening that many of the
students have never run into the Native American stereotypes in one particular
reading. But that is a good thing. It has been a challenge to work on this,
this semester. I am looking forward to their midterm and final projects.
That
will do it for this month.
Sorry this was sooo late. I had gotten very busy,
despite being able to knock out a chunk of writing here and there, I have had
little time to put the complete writing together. In between, the class at UWP,
reading and grading papers every week, my Media Mentor school visits starting
to pick up with the new school year starting, readying the fall film festival,
working on HAMLET, and the adventures of everyday living, actually getting time
to sit down and write this has been very troublesome.
Again, feel free to comment, correct, or contradict
anything you read here on Wisdom of the Sages. I am sure someone thinks I am
absolutely wrong about something. I cannot be this awesome, right?
Until Next Time, “I try to show the schemers how
pathetic their attempts to control everything really are.”
2014 Ernest M. Whiteman III
