Hey Secret, I went to grab the paper and forgot to click post and noticed your string, so lemme' run back to clear the other one and stay right here. maya
Bongiorno famiglia - tutto bene nella casa di Danny.
Arrivederci!
D-man, hope you're cheering for my Yankees! I'm reading stats + practicing probability w/Ro. Battles for pennants like this one (the 40th for NYY!!) bring back days of you as an October slugger leading cast and fans through a victorious series 8x/week. That was real fun for all of us, hopping on trains or planes or cabs to catch your energy from from mezzanines, front rows and front-center seats, you name it the family gladly did that. Your craft simply impacts us at levels that progress toward lots of food for thought. I think we as a family are certain that most people crossing paths with you one way or another rarely will forget the lines you said or the characters you became. If people get to know you a little better (hee-hee, like we here, if only by web, or at OFF/ON BROADWAY, entering the all mighty subway as you walked out to work, TVland, LE BIG SCREEN, a picture from a disposable camera from Walgreens at the last minute) they'll have a cool time combining aspects of you and aspects of your character and appreciate how intricate your efforts are and how precise your craft must be. Congratulations for your talent and your victories! Hm, that means you hit a grand-slam this year again, in October again! Whassupwitdat! LOL You won before my Yankees!? Take care D.
Divine Power Cocoa Lounger
Posts: 21
(10/19/04 2:21 pm)
Maya
MayasHeartBeat---I just read your response to me. You are SOOOO SWEEEET. Thank you!!!! I am embracing hypergraphia. Ha Ha Ha It touches my heart that you enjoyed my post on HONOR. I smile every time you mention it. I was so nervous to write it, even though I know I am invisible to the reader. God had you in mind when I wrote it.
Firstsecret---Thanks for the information on Brother to Brother. I looked at the website you posted--unfortunately I live in Georgia and they do not have any information available as of yet---it showed a January date. I am sure I will be able to hear all about it on this board before I see it myself. Hopefully I will be able to find where it is playing. I still trying to learn my way around Atlanta--and continuing to get lost.
To all loungers---At some point during this week-- take the time to look in the mirror at yourself--really look at yourself---and smile. Take notice of how it makes you feel.
Divine Power Cocoa Lounger
Posts: 22
(10/19/04 3:03 pm)
A Thought to Consider
The Message of Sarayana
"Our thoughts are brush strokes of many colors upon the canvas of our mind. Sometimes they are bright and our eyes and speech reflect their light. Sometimes they are dark and our world becomes a portrait of sadness. Happiness and sorrow are given birth by them. And beauty is created or suppressed. Our thoughts are our most important possessions. As we think, so we become. The colors of our thoughts become the colors of our life. One of the greatest lessons to be learned is that each of us is our own artist. Despite the pitfalls and detours of the journey, it is we, ourselves, who will determine the degree of our own darkness and light. Understanding this, let us use our brush with care, trying always to choose the brighter tints of hope and faith."
Umm..Umm..Good!!!!
My added thought---Even though it is hard in certain situations to always choose to use bright over dark colors (thoughts), we can, after the dark color (thoughts) dries, apply a fresh new coat of light colored paint to the canvas, and recreate a new portrait. We can still leave a trace of the dark hue on the canvas, incorporating it with new colors, as a reminder of what once existed in the shadow of bright colored beauty. Divine Power
--You are everything, in this moment, you were created to be.
Edited by: Divine Power at: 10/21/04 3:47 pm
Re: DANIEL SUNJATA thread #4
Hi Daniel,
We met briefly in Tallahassee and spent some time together in '92. I just wanted to congratulate you on your success. I remember talking to you about your role in Hamlet at FAMU. I remember that you were very passionate about acting and I am so glad that you are following your heart and doing well. I have been reading a few of your posts and it's very refreshing to see that you remain a very socially and spiritually conscious, compassionate, and humble man. Your writings touch the heart. They reflect an inner beauty that far outshines the external. You always had a way with words. Stay true and continued success,
Val K.
Edited by: kingval72 at: 10/21/04 8:25 pm
Article Rescue Me
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) TV NEWS:
Everybody with me? Please repeat after me.
I (insert your name here) do solemnly swear on my script of the final episode of "90210" (insert something of equal importance to you here) to watch the series premiere of "Rescue Me" this Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on FX.
You have to trust me on this one. I was right about "The O.C." I was right about "Arrested Development." I was right about "Boomtown." Have I ever steered you wrong before? (Okay, I did like that WB show "The Help," but we all have our moments of weaknesses and I predisposed to support Tori Spelling's career.)
"Rescue Me" is the best new series since "Arrested Development." Denis Leary stars as firefighter Tommy Gavin, a man plagued by personal demons and overwhelming grief. He spends his days saving lives, raising his children and talking to his cousin Jimmy (James McCaffrey) who died on September 11.
This unique series deftly and delicately balances the humor and drama that is life. Leary is positively brilliant. It is the rare actor who can so effortlessly shift between jokes and real tears. His performance is raw and palpable. You won't know whether you want to give Tommy a hug or a kick in the behind.
Leary has surrounded himself with an equally stellar cast. These are men who hide their damaged souls and fragile psyches behind crass jokes and outbursts of anger. Jack McGee is one of the series' many standouts as Chief Jerry Reilly.
Oh, and have I mentioned that the series is positively hysterical? There's a joke about sex and September 11 that Daniel Sunjata delivers with a commanding deadpan authority. I was laughing so hard I had to pause the DVD.
After you've watched "Rescue Me," let me know what you think. If you don't agree with me, we'll talk it out. Because that's how we do things in the TV Gal column.
What Dreams May Come
Karma is the eternal assertion of human freedom….Our thoughts, our words, and deeds are the threads of the net which we throw around ourselves. Swami Vivekananda
The earth turned to bring us closer,
it turned on itself and in us,
until it finally brought us together in this dream 21 Grams/Excerpt of "The Earth Turned to Bring Us Closer" by Eugenio Montejo
Chris Nielsen : Where is God in all of this? Albert : Oh, He's up there. Somewhere... shouting down that He loves us. Wondering why we can't hear Him. What Dreams May Come
I'm taking my freedom
pulling it off the shelf
puttin' it on my chain
wearing it 'round my neck
I'm taking my freedom
puttin' it in my car
wherever i choose to go
It will take me far
[Chorus]
I'm living my life like it's golden
living my life like it's golden
living my life like it's golden
living my life like it's golden
living my life like it's golden
(golden)
living my life like it's golden
living my life like it's golden
living my life like it's golden
living my life like it's golden
(golden)
I'm taking my own freedom
puttin' it in my song
singing loud and strong
proving all day long
I'm takin' my freedom
puttin' it in my stroll
I'll be hop-steppin' y'all
lettin' the joy unfold
[Repeat Chorus]
I'm holdin' on to my freedom
'Can take it from me
I was born in-to it, it comes naturally
I'm strumming my own freedom
playing the god in me
representing his glory
hope he's proud of me...
[Repeat Chorus]
hope he's proud of me...
living my life like it's
golden, golden, golden,
golden, golden, golden,
living my life like it's
golden, golden, golden,
golden, golden, golden,
living my life like it's
golden, golden, golden.....
My grandmother, Morning Star…-she was a Kikapu Indian-…she used to say…that we’re all born with a box of matches inside. We can’t light them by ourselves. Just like in this experiment…we need oxygen and the help of a candle. Except that in our case…the oxygen has to come, from example…from a lover’s breath. The candle can be anything: a melody…a word…a caress…a sound. Anything that pulls the trigger…and sets off one of the matches. Every person has to discover…what will pull his trigger to enable him to live. Because it is the explosive flare of a match…that feeds our souls. Like Water for Chocolate
"Nothing is by chance. There is a perfect pattern and plan running through the whole life, and you're part of that wholeness and therefore part of that perfect pattern & plan. When you see strange things happening in your life and wonder why they should happen to you, take time to see how it all fits in, and you will see a reason for everything. The reason may not be always what you expected, but nevertheless be willing to accept them and to learn by them, and do not fight against them. Life should be effortless. A flower does not struggle to unfold in the rays of the sun, so why should you struggle to unfold in the rays of My limitless love? If you do, it's your own doing, and it is not part of My perfect pattern and plan. Simplicity is My hallmark, so keep life simple. Keep in constant contact with me and watch yourself unfold in My love." Eileen Caddy
I think the important thing is…you have to understand that every time you have a breakdown it’s really just to get to a new paradigm. Susan Sarandon
Look to This Day
For it is life, the very life of life in its brief course
lie all the varieties and realities of your existence:
the bliss of growth; the glory of action; the splendor of beauty;
For yesterday is already a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision
But today, well lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,
and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look, well, therefore, to this day! From the Sanskrit
It has often occurred to me that a seeker after truth has to be silent. Gandhi
P.S. For those who have e-mailed me at AOL I'm still having technical difficulties with acessing my mail and sending it.
Re: What Dreams May Come
I recently completed my first written play, what I hope to develop into a musical. I don't mean to steer away from talking about Daniel Sunjata but I figured with his work in the theatre, you guys may be a good source to ask.
The issue I have is that I have absolutely no experience in plays. I never took a class, been to a few musicals, have quite a few collections of books and online resources that I have read to assist me, yet I do believe a have a great play. The problem is that on PBS there was a program about Broadway musicals from the early days to the present and after viewing this film I got cold feet. The way each director and producer talked about the theatre, I am wondering if I am out of bounds here.
To me, it's sort of like coming to an environment and dealing with people from old money (inheritance) versus new money (like winning the lottery).
Do you guys, who I assume have some experience in the theatre would have any advice for me. Is the theatre world vicious towards newcomers like me? Please be honest, blunt.
Edited by: Chen at: 10/29/04 11:09 am
Divine Power: I have to extend a heartfelt “Thank You” for your posting of “What Kind of Person Are You?” I’ve shared that with several individuals that liked it immensely, but one friend stated it had a profound impact for her and it was just what she was in need of that particular morning she received it. So, I told her I would pass on her “Thank You” to you. From your additional postings it appears we’re extracting from the same well of inspirational thoughts.
Chen: Congratulations on completing your first play, that’s the first and most important step. I saw some of that same PBS special on Broadway Musicals and I was engrossed with it from a historical standpoint. Money and connections seem to be integral parts of the recipe. I am not a person of the theater (industry wise). I’m a patron of the theater. So, know that the information I’m extending comes from that perspective. I don’t think you have to get cold feet because there appears to be a process in getting to Broadway, you might be forgetting. Most Broadway productions start out in regional theaters/off-Broadway, etc. and if a strong enough buzz is circulated, the right investors are cultivated and the Gods are smiling upon them then a new production can experience the heat of the “Great White Way.”
I posted these two recent articles that appear on Playbill Online which give a sense of the birthing process for a theatrical production. All parties involved are well established in their chosen field as: playwrights, actors, and money moguls. Even with that the waters don’t run smoothly. I think you need to search out sources such as; organizations that are receptive towards new talents (I’ve posted several companies looking for new material from playwrights and a grant possibility), I would also think one might need an agent or some sort of representative, Competitions and organizations like the Roundabout theater that nurture playwrights/actors, etc, (even though your writing abilities are up to snuff; I would think the major question would be if your play is commercial enough for those who would be your financial backers. This is a business and the final line is the bottom line).
Freenote is on the directorial fast track and Daniel has extensive theater experience as an actor so I think these two guys could give you more constructive industry insight. I know there are some additional writers on the board and actors who might have insight from personal experience or through professional acquaintances. I hope this helps and GOOD LUCK!
P.S.: For all new members this is the Daniel Sunjata board where we exchange information, comments, and discussions about and with Daniel. We also discuss the arts, share poetry and inspirational quotes; along with hashing out world issues civilly. Welcome.
P. Diddy May Throw Life Preserver to Troubled Gem of the Ocean
By Robert Simonson
29 Oct 2004
Will rap star and Raisin in the Sun actor Sean "P. Diddy" Combs pull August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean out of troubled financial waters?
Sources say producers of the drama—which is struggling with a severe shortfall in its $2 million budget—have reached out to the music mogul, an account first reported by the New York Post.
Combs is close with director Kenny Leon and star Phylicia Rashad, with whom he worked on last season's box office hit A Raisin in the Sun.
At last report, a show spokesperson said Gem will stick to its first preview of Nov. 4 and opening date of Nov. 11. However, observers now think that that goal is unrealistic and expect the play to postpone its start by at least one or two weeks.
The trouble began last week, when a major investor pulled out of the venture, taking an unspecified chunk of the $2 million capitalization with them. The unexpected cash shortfall has sent lead producer Benjamin Mordecai in search of new investors. Meanwhile, the load-in of the production's set into Broadway's Walter Kerr Theatre has been delayed, and a new marquee remains unhung.
The production has been somewhat bedeviled in the past couple months. While in Boston, the play was furnished with a new director and a new star.
The producers announced Sept. 17 that Anthony Chisholm would take over for Delroy Lindo in the role of Solly Two Kings. Lindo left the production due to "creative differences," a statement read. Chisholm is under the direction of Kenny Leon, who replaced Marion McClinton when the latter was hospitalized on Aug. 31.
The staging stars last season's Tony Award-winner, Phylicia Rashad (A Raisin in the Sun), as Aunt Ester, Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Caesar and LisaGay Hamilton as Black Mary. The cast also features John Earl Jelks as Citizen Barlow and Raynor Scheine as Rutherford Selig
Sam Shepard's New Play God of Hell Debuts Off-Broadway Oct. 29
By Robert Simonson
29 Oct 2004
Frank Wood, Randy Quaid, J. Smith-Cameron and Tim Roth will enact God of Hell, a new political drama by Sam Shepard which will have its world premiere at the former Westbeth Theatre Center in Greenwich Village on Oct. 29.
Frank Wood recently entered the cast. He replaces Jamey Sheridan, who was forced to withdraw from the production "because of his shooting schedule for the television series 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent.'"
The change came just three days before the first preview.
New School University is producing the work, which was written over the summer, and tracks the lives of a put-upon Midwestern couple. Quaid and Smith-Cameron play the cattle-raising husband and wife, and Roth is a government official.
Shepard called the play "a takeoff on Republican fascism," and added, "I kind of wanted to get it done in New York before the election. I'm not sure it matters, but I figured I'd get it out there."
Shepard's motivation mirrors that of other name playwrights who have rushed new political plays into production this year in order to have an impact on the upcoming presidential election. A.R. Gurney's Mrs. Farnsworth was fast-tracked into production at the Flea Theatre this past summer, with two stars in the lead roles—Sigourney Weaver and John Lithgow. It has been revived twice since then. Also, Tony Kushner has put together several star-laden readings of his latest work-in-progress, Only We Who Guard the Secret Shall Be Unhappy, which features Laura Bush as a character.
Shepard told the New York Times he had wanted British director Matthew Warchus to stage the piece, but he was unavailable. Instead, Lou Jacob will pilot the work. Shepard mentioned the actors will be doing the project for very little money and New School students will perform administrative duties and act as understudies.
Arts and Culture
Posted: October 26, 2004
Deadline: December 15, 2004
Applications Invited for Sundance Theatre Lab
A program of the Sundance Institute, the Sundance Theatre Laboratory is a three-week long workshop that offers playwrights, directors, choreographers, composers, solo performers, and ensembles the time, space, and support to develop new plays and musicals or to explore new approaches to existing scripts.
The laboratory, which is held in July in Sundance, Utah, provides professional actors, rehearsal space, stage management, and round-trip air transportation, accommodations, and food for the collaborative team working on each project. Up to eight projects will be selected each year.
Playwrights, directors, composers, and choreographers are eligible to apply, and playwright/director teams are encouraged. Participants must be available for the entire length of the Lab.
The 2005 Sundance Theatre Lab Application is available at the Sundance Institute Web site. institute.sundance.org (click on the Apply to the 2005 Sundance Theatre Lab)
Job Details
Title Attention Playwrights
Category Other
Description The Gallery Players seeks previously un-produced scripts from 10-60 minutes for the 8th Annual Black Box New Play Festival 2005. Selected plays receive performances in June 2005 at The Gallery Players. Seeking scripts for the following 4 themed programs:
Brooklyn Plays/Brooklyn Playwrights (June 2–5) Playwrights may be either current residents of Brooklyn or the borough is a central part of the work.
Gay Gallery (June 9 – 12) Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender themes and issues.
Plays en Espanol (June 16 – 19) Plays may be either in Spanish or English with Latin theme/characters. The Sandbox – Plays For Children and Families (June 23 – 26)
For more information, guidelines and downloadable application form please visit www.galleryplayers.com or send request for application to The Gallery Players, attn: Black Box, 199 14th St. Brooklyn, NY 11215. No e-mail submissions accepted. Deadline: February 1, 2005. No pay / fee.
Job Start Date 11/15/2004
Job End Date 2/1/2005
Union Information
Salary N/A
Company Gallery Players
Address 199 14th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11215
US
Contact Heather Curran
Respond Method(s) By Mail
Job Details
Title Seeking New Playwrights
Category Academic
Description Unartistically Frustrated, a New York City based established theatre company currently seeking not-for-profit status, is now accepting non-solicited script submissions for 2004-2005 productions. We are a company looking to produce new works, and collaborate with new writers. Theatrical scripts (including musicals) only, no screenplays at this time. Send copy of script, resume and contact information to Unartistically Frustrated, 242 East 75th Street, #1C, New York, New York 10021, Attn: Caroline Murray. Scripts will not be returned.
Job Start Date 11/1/2004
Job End Date 11/1/2005
Union Information
Salary N/A
Company Unartistically Frustrated
Address 242 East 75th Street, #1C
New York, NY 10021
US
Contact Caroline Murray
Respond Method(s) By Mail
Job Details
Title Play Submissions
Category Other
Description The Unbound Theatre is accepting submissions of new theatrical works of all types, including Musicals and One-Act plays, for upcoming seasons.
The Unbound Theatre, approaching its 3rd Season, is an artist driven ensemble championing the value of live theatre as a vital part of the human experience.
Productions include, "Pissing in the Wind" (NYC Fringe), "Under Milk Wood" (dir. Moni Yakim), the recently acclaimed US-Premiere of "Night Sings its Songs" (dir. Sarah Cameron Sunde) at the Culture Project, and the upcoming "The Workroom" (dir. Moni Yakim).
All submissions, along with the Playwright's bio, can be mailed to:
The Unbound Theatre
c/o Jody Hegarty
286 Vanderbilt Ave., #B
Brooklyn, NY 11205
Scripts will not be returned unless addressed and stamped envelope is enclosed.
Job Start Date
Job End Date
Union Information
Salary
Company The Unbound Theatre
Address Jody Hegarty
Vanderbilt Ave., #B
Brooklyn, NY 11205
US
Contact Jody Hegarty
Respond Method(s) By Mail
Job Details
Title New Plays Wanted
Category Other
Description NativeAliens Theatre Collective, a not-for-profit NYC theater company seeks new full-length or longer one-act plays for our upcoming Playwright’s Workshop. Scripts of any genre accepted. Scripts with characters in their 20s-30s encouraged.
We are an intimate theater company looking to support the voices of new writers. The goal of the Playwright’s Workshop is to foster the creative growth of a script over a few months period. Scripts need not be in final draft form to submit.
Selected play(s) will receive a workshop production as well as an opportunity to work closely with the director and/or literary manager and cast to revise work prior to production through meetings and a reading.
Playwright(s) notified in April 2005 for a late summer workshop production.
Please submit all scripts plus a $10 reading fee per script to:
NativeAliens Theatre Collective
Attention: Literary Manag
er
531 West 49th Street Suite 3E
New York, NY 10019
Please make checks payable to Native Aliens Theatre Collective. Email nativealiens@yahoo.com with questions. No emailed scripts please.
Job Start Date 10/15/2004
Job End Date 2/1/2005
Union Information
Salary N/A
Company Native Aliens Theatre Collective
Address 531 West 49th Street
Suite 3E
New York, NY 10019
US
Contact Jennie Contuzzi
Respond Method(s) By Mail
MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME, GO, AND LAST FOREVER
CHEN, you lived, learned, leaped, laid life on the leaf & we're dying to read, hear, see, absorb your lesson and NEVER FORGET IT. SOOOO, see it, smell it, call it: the universe is YOUR MIND'S STAGE. U R DA REAL TV!
www.arenastage.com/home2.shtml
start somewhere but live up to that!! YOU CAN!
GOD ALREADY BLESSED YOUR WORDS: SAY THANKS AND WE'LL JOIN THAT THANKS!
Big UP to STAR for the listings -- GOD's got UR commission for all the J-O-B-S U got the aspiring peeps.
GAR-SEE-AH!
mhb
p.s. LA BROOheeTAh in da CreeeeepeeHouse ... ENJOY the extra HOUR ... nIIIICE shutEYE 2morrow ...
zzzzzzz, ZZZZZ
Divine Power Cocoa Lounger
Posts: 23
(11/2/04 2:30 am)
Becoming a better person
Here is a quote I absolutely LOVE. Before I moved to Georgia, I use to have this taped on my bathroom mirror ( it didn't quite go with my decor but it did fit into the core of my existence) so that I could see it everyday---as a reminder of the type of person I wanted to be every single day although some days were better than others. Ha Ha Ha
"As I live each day
may I do my part
to make one difference
to touch one heart...
And through each day,
may it be my goal...
to encourage one mind
and to inspire
one soul." ---I do not remember the author.
Star---The above quote is just for you!! I am just reading your previous message because I have been in Virginia for a week. Sorry for not responding sooner. You are welcome for my post on, "What kind of person are you," and tell your friend (as well as you ) I am extremely happy that you/she were able to benefit from it. I was hoping somebody would. Believe me, I put much thought into the things I post on this board in hopes that someone will be enlightened by the consciousness of my mind at the time. You and your friend represent the current quote in allowing me to know that I am continuing to be used as a tool for THE DIVINE who is much greater than myself. I really need to THANK YOU for sharing my prior post with your friends and informing me of their pleasure with it. That gives me great joy.
I am SOOOOOO glad you are back. I have been waiting to read your postings. You know what, I think you are like the Multi-grain bread type of person. (exclusively from the postings on the board--a wealth of information)
Honestly, I think we are dipping into the same inspirational pool. That's a good thing.
To all the other members---I hope one of you may benefit from the quote---or at least just think about it.
----Prosperity to all.
Re: VOTE!!!
People go out there and VOTE!!!
Don’t forget
secret
Divine Power Cocoa Lounger
Posts: 24
(11/2/04 5:58 pm)
ChenCONGRATULATIONS!!!!!for completing your play. I have no information as to the in/outs of the business but I wanted to extend my congrats to you.
Daniel Sunjata Cocoa Lounger
Posts: 59
(11/3/04 3:10 am)
Click....
It's as if we've just stepped on a land mine...all that remains is for us to look with pleading eyes for help that cannot come...and then to try to remove our foot without setting it off...all BUT hopeless, for i refuse to give up hope. I know not the political leanings of those of you who post here, as the family has grown and transformed since last i wrote, but i for one am praying and mourning tonight; not only for america, but for the entire world.
Today as i walked out of the public school in brooklyn where i cast my vote, i was slowly overcome by a rainbow of different emotions that ultimately brought me to quiet, yet flowing tears. In the community where i live the demographic is predominately african american/west indian. Many of those who came and went were traveling on canes, in wheelchairs, and/or with the help of care givers or family members; the faces were old, the bodies weary. Etched by the lines in the furrowed brows of those dignified countenances, was the written history of the only people brought to this country in chains; a history of pain, hope, sacrifice, and struggle. The realization that these very individuals were of the generation that made my act of voting possible, filled me with a sense of humility and gratitude. But underneath the warmth of that vibration, there was a deep sense of sadness and a background atmosphere of dread. Something in me knew what would be the outcome of tonights events, and my euphoria in having excersized my hard won privilege to vote gave way instead to a smoldering anger as its PURELY SYMBOLICAL nature became an undenyable fact in my conciousness; as if the demolition of democracy in Florida during the 2000 election hadn't been enough to fully drive home that point.
I will not say that their lives were given in vain, for that is not so. But i will say that the struggle must go on if we are to realize the vision of our ancestors; the vision of what is possible for america and for the race of humanity. SO...we must never submit, never surrender, never give up the fight. People must come before profit and substance must superceed shadow if there is to be a future without great travail, and it is up to us as individuals and as communities to decide how in our own ways and in our own circles of influence we can create a better, more just, and more humane world. George Bush (and all that he represents) IS NOT the answer, and George Bush IS NOT my president. He never was.
Most Deeply and Sincerely,
I-n-i Create,
Sunjata
ps: sorry, too upset to care about my spelling tonight. May God Bless the world and have Mercy on america. Love to you all.
pps: To all the new post-ers like Divine Power, i say welcome. U R HOME Edited by: Daniel Sunjata at: 11/3/04 11:08 am
Daniel Sunjata Cocoa Lounger
Posts: 60
(11/3/04 3:16 am)
An Oath.
we believe,
that as a people living in the united states,
it is our responsibility to resist the injustices done by our government
in our name
NOT IN OUR NAME
will you wage endless wars,
there can be no more death,
no more transfusions of blood for oil,
NOT IN OUR NAME
will you invade countries,
bomb civilians,
kill more children,
not by our hands
will we supply weapons and funding
for the annihilation of families on foreign soil
not by our hearts
will we allow whole peoples to be deemed evil
not by our will
and
NOT IN OUR NAME
we pledge alliance with those who have undercome attack
for voicing opposition to the war
we pledge to make common cause with the people of the world
to bring about justice, freedom and peace
another world is possible
and
we pledge to make it real
(saul williams)
Daniel Sunjata Cocoa Lounger
Posts: 61
(11/3/04 3:22 am)
From Zach; a friend of mine (and yours).
To Whom It May Concern:
Call me inspired by George Bush, but over the next seventy two hours, as Americans select a President who will lead our nation for four years, and who will dramatically impact the lives of generations of human beings all over this earth, I'm asking everyone to pray. Not, however, to a God outside ourselves, or a God who rewards one baseball player, one rapper, one President over another. But to a God that is all of us entwined and connected. A Mosaic God, where each living being is a colorful, illuminating, miraculous piece. A Genome God, if you will. A Relativity God. An Ocean God where any throw of a pebble or exhale of wind inspires waves and ripples and new, fleeting reflections of the heavens above.
After 9/11, President Bush asked us to pray for our country, for the strength to rise to this historic occasion, to face our "enemy" and transcend. I don't know whether this united prayer occurred. Perhaps it fizzled because the shape of the prayer was unclear -- it got muddied up in pushes for consumerism, bailouts for airlines, and myopic definitions of patriotism. I suspect when prayers are partisan they trip on their way to God and stumble into some other place. But the President's concept of a collective meditation helping us unite as a community and reach for a better future is a beautiful one. And we need that sort of prayer to happen now more than ever, to elevate us and our leaders, if we are to effectively tackle the challenges of this century: contagious violence, a deteriorating environment, an aging population, widening inequalities between nations, entrenched nationalism, oil dependence, expanding institutionalized abuse of women and children, multinational corporate control over politics and economies, and much much more.
A collective prayer may not be enough to empower our leaders to risk personal failure, to battle cynicism and think beyond the now, but as Bond wrote, "when words prevail not, violence prevails", and I believe all great actions, all great acts of courage, have their genesis as a surprise in the mind, a new thought, a eureeka, an inspiration, that seems to both come out of nowhere and have been there all the time waiting for you to think it, to shape it into a vision, to let it live. And our prayers might spark such a surprise.
And what is this prayer, this meditation, this elevation of hope? You decide. For me, it starts seemingly small and personal -- it's a request for how we should speak to our children. It's a song I'll sing to the baby boy still growing inside my remarkable wife, a song I hope resonates inside him for his entire life -- that he is loved, that he belongs, that he is important, just for being alive. There is nothing he needs to do to earn that and there is nothing he can do to lose it. No act of creation or violence expands this love and belonging. I hope he trusts that. I hope deep in his soul he trusts that it was his choice to come here, to live and learn and celebrate. I pray he trusts that being alive is an opportunity to embrace individuality while feeling the ecstasy of community, simultaneously, in concert -- an experience like no other. And if he truly embraces this, he will lead a confident life, with no need to grasp and lurch for people or things to provide him with a sense of purpose or security. He will have a strength that will allow him to be empathetic, brave, selfless, to need less and enjoy more -- to reach out to others, to imagine new worlds.
With this in mind, the shape of my prayer then grows, from a vision for my son-to-be into a vision for the future he will be part of, as will the children of my loved ones, and their loved ones, and their loved ones, and beyond -- a vision of a time when human beings choose their love for their planet over the temptations of immediate gratification, simplicity, fear, and greed. A time when we can be honest with ourselves about the collective needs our community, and demonstrate a faith in America's capability for change and thoughtful maturity.
It is a vision of a time when Americans don't fear our country's evolution, but embrace it. Be it in terms of our economy, our jobs, our food, our social programs, the things we own, the people we interact with, our daily pace. Our country's greatness has been based on our ability to transform, spurred by great successes and great traumas, swelling social movements and seemingly small heroic acts. America thrives on change and it is time for us to have faith again that jobs will come with invention and ingenuity. We no longer need to be tied to the oil trade and its folklore, to dirty coal and constant plastic, to fancy weapon systems, to cheap labor and fast-food. We can create an economy based on the manufacturing of recycled diesel or vegetable oils, on solar energy and electricity; we can fill our tanks with byproducts of soy and corn and hemp, with the mulch we purchase at the Organic Auto Store opening besides your new Whole Foods. We can be energy independent if we dig as deep into the minds of our farmers and scientists as we do today with our off-shore pipelines. We can look to the sun and feel connected to its power once again.
It is a future that defies the marketing and politics of greed, fear, and self-loathing, where the concept of "enough" -- owning enough, making enough, eating enough -- is embraced by all our citizens. And that we all agree that when this concept is put into practice -- with progressive tax law, patent and trademark reform, required community tithing and volunteership, and increased international aid -- the result is not anti-American, it does not defeat ambition, paralyze incentive, or limit our liberties, but rather it encourages more individuals, of all backgrounds, to believe that their unique contribution to the world will be rewarded, that the dream articulated by a cadre of privileged white men three hundred years ago does not still belong to such an exclusive group. This, in turn, will produce a myriad of new inventions, new companies, and new economies. And the goodwill and alternative leadership created by this culture of generosity will be the greatest weapon against terrorism, fascism, and disease.
I pray we have the faith to confront aging and mortality. To acknowledge that we have created bloated and unsustainable social programs such as Medicare and Social Security because we, as a culture, are afraid of the old and sick. Just as we isolate the poor and the hungry we are too frightened to see every day, we push away the images of our own future -- of wrinkled skin and deteriorating senses. And in our guilt we compensate by refusing to let these important and historic social programs evolve, by demanding that these social contracts are set in stone while the ones we made to our environment and schools are flexible. We must have the courage to make these programs need-based, with sliding scale costs for doctors and medicine and long-term care, higher retirement ages, decreased property taxes, and new programs engaging in international competition to reduce prices and expand services. We must also design affordable, vibrant, long-term facilities in the centers of our towns and cities, where our children volunteer, and where we relish the oral histories of our neighbors and family members like a pasttime similar to Sunday football and trips to the mall. Similarly, we must create free daycare centers in these facilities, run by our parents and grandparents, because their spirits and health always improve when interacting with future generations.
Connected to our reforming the relationship between the government and the greying, we must also finally admit as a nation that we don't treat all lives and potential lives equally, that the leaders we elect are always making choices that reveal a bias for one type of life over another. American lives over Iraqi lives; A health care system where the rich can receive life-saving transplants and corrective surgeries the poor cannot; Cop killers receiving the death penalty, while men who murder their wives most often do not; A government that murdered Ethel and Julius Rosenberg to prove a point and leaders who continue to this day to assert their moral certitude, their strength and machismo, their Godliness by executing prisoners who couldn't afford the type of legal help these same leaders take for granted. It's time we admit that from a political and macro point of view, lives are relative and that, even if life begins at conception, it is completely appropriate, moral, and American for any woman to choose their life over a not-yet-viable fetus, and for our country to fund widespread embryonic stemcell research.
With this in mind, I pray for a time when religion no longer trumps faith and compassion. Today, acts of violence or prejudice -- be they war, genocide, genital mutilation, bigotry -- are frequently performed because of obsessive misreadings of ancient texts and their tacit validation by institutionalized religions. The NRA claims guns don't create violence, people create violence. That's true. But it's the bullet that rips the flesh off the faces of our children in ways no fingernail or knife could ever achieve. Today, more often than not, religion is a gun. Zealots are hiding in caves, building walls, forcing children to kill, exploding themselves, and running for office, all believing they have the right to use their religion to enforce their ways of life over others. It's time we took a 100 year pause on ALL religion. Everywhere. I'm not suggesting limiting freedom of expression. Hold on to your spirituality, your faith, your compassion -- create forums for public dialogue, the exchange of ideas, the collective contemplation of our purpose on this planet, but let's send religion to its room, give it a time out, shed the dogma, the robes and commandments, the political litmus tests, the tax free status, and the rabid lobbying. Let's focus on faith's real purpose -- to imagine a world larger than ourselves, full of mystery and majesty, requiring the greatest humility, respect, and curiosity.
Finally, we must have the courage to address the corners of this country, which are not corners at all, but vast swaths, where poverty, hunger, and an absence of education and health care are producing populations that our leaders are failing to understand. These populations are not defeated, spiritless, hopeless, living in a swamp of disaffection, drowning in their own depression and anger. Instead they are creating their own languages, their own definitions of success and strength, sometimes laced with the materialism and violence of our "mainstream" culture, sometimes completely unique in their layers and challenges. It's imperative that the leaders of this country live and work in these communities for a portion of their term, that Presidents and Senators establish offices and organizations within these communities, where summits are held, economic reports released, parties and celebrations. Any President who spends more time working in the White House than in rural West Virginia, Odessa Texas, the reservations of Arizona and the projects in the South Bronx should not be allowed to run for re-election. The physically fractured, but spiritually linked, communities of this country need to rediscover each other and that will never happen as long as the so-called elite hide in their tall buildings and universities, the powerful bunker up in their board rooms, and our political leaders gather in resorts and air craft carriers. We have the resources to attempt this rediscovery, they do not. It's up to us. And, truth be told, it doesn't matter the label we wear -- liberal, conservative, Democrat, Republican -- we won't have time to squabble over definitions of marriage and when "life" begins when our next Civil War starts, and the terrorism conceived in the caves of Afghanistan becomes the least of our concern.
This is not a prayer for Kerry or for Bush. This is a prayer for us, for our children, for thinkers, and workers, and voters. That we make the right steps NOW to ensure the leaps we'll need to make in our future. That whomever wins on Tuesday, our new President is suddenly swept up with an overwhelming and irreversible feeling that they have been given a gift, a gigantic platform and megaphone, unimaginable resources and access, all to create avenues for friendship and peace, to lift us to a place where everyone on the planet feels linked to each other, by our genetic code, the dirt beneath our feet, the moon in the sky, by our endless and equal searching for love, purpose, and companionship, and by the Mosaic God, the Relativity God, the Ocean God we all create together every day.
The answer to it all...
Hello Daniel,
I can hear the heaviness in you over the state of the world's affairs. Believe it or not, there exists an answer to it all that is so profound and yet so simple... I hesitate to express my political views with everyone on the board but I will say that I can totally empathize with the way you feel about the injustice in the world today. If you have some time, I would love to email you two very simple words that is the sure panacea for all that ails the world today. This is Valerie King from Tallahassee. Let me know if you want to talk. Take care and know that with every injustice mankind suffers at the hand of another, it does not go unnoticed by the One who has the power to correct it all. After all, in His image we are created.
Reality Check Again!
Loss cannot pass me by
Loss won't erase my thoughts
Loss isn't my defeat
Loss pushes me to win
Loss doesn't dim my star
Loss is to my ideals: a jumpstart
Lies will not sway my mind
Lies make me search for more
Lies might pierce my skin but never my soul
Lies made to steer my steps
Lies dressed to kill, ready to go wrong
Heart & Mind Filled With God's Love and Light
Help understand our wrongs to validate our rights
Re: Click
Today, I hope we can begin the healing.
John Kerry
But i will say that the struggle must go on if we are to realize the vision of our ancestors; the vision of what is possible for America and for the race of humanity. SO...we must never submit, never surrender, never give up the fight. People must come before profit and substance must supercede shadow if there is to be a future without great travail, and it is up to us as individuals and as communities to decide how in our own ways and in our own circles of influence we can create a better, more just, and more humane world.
Daniel Sunjata
Daniel: Thank you for sharing yours and Zach’s heartfelt expressions. Both thoughts included keen perspectives and scope. It’s ironic that you sensed a foreboding of the 2004 election outcome because if you remember several months back I stated there was something gnawing at me (when we discussed the fiasco of the last elections). What was gnawing at me was the knowledge of thievery that surrounded the 2000 election. Those who were capable of such seedy manipulation could easily repeat it or seek other methods to secure a dubious victory. With that strong possibility I started pondering other things and the nagging question I’m left with is where do we go from here?
I don’t ask that question in a fatalistic tone, but with earnest inquiry. We all know that one person can surely make a difference, but in this insistence of evolutionary change the masses must be front and center. When we have a multitude of individuals with varying ideologies (which each individual is entitled to have) there comes a point where not every position is beneficial for the rush of forward momentum needed to formulate the utopia we seek. Each individual has to honestly look at their convictions to conclude whether or not it meets the ultimate objective of successfully orbiting us in that direction. So, this is the quagmire we find ourselves in now. With all our hope and perseverance how do we effectively forge ahead when everyone isn’t on the same page?
This is not a prayer for Kerry or for Bush. This is a prayer for us, for our children, for thinkers, and workers, and voters. That we make the right steps NOW to ensure the leaps we'll need to make in our future. That whomever wins on Tuesday, our new President is suddenly swept up with an overwhelming and irreversible feeling that they have been given a gift, a gigantic platform and megaphone, unimaginable resources and access, all to create avenues for friendship and peace, to lift us to a place where everyone on the planet feels linked to each other, by our genetic code, the dirt beneath our feet, the moon in the sky, by our endless and equal searching for love, purpose, and companionship, and by the Mosaic God, the Relativity God, the Ocean God we all create together every day.
Zach
Maya: Thank you for the reminder.
Divine Power: Thanks again.
Blessings to all!
HARVEST FOR THE WORLD
THE ISLEY BROTHERS
Music and lyrics by E. Isley,M. Isley,C. Jasper,R. Isley,O. Isley,R. Isley
(Prelude)
Gather everyman, gather everywoman
Celebrate your lives, give thanks for your children
When will there be a harvest for all the people
When will there be a harvest for all the world
Harvest For The World
All babies together, everyone a seed
Half of us are satisfied, half of us in need
Love's bountiful in us, tarnished by our greed
When will there be a harvest for the world
A nation planted, so concerned with gain
As the seasons come and go, greater grows the pain
And far too many feelin' the strain
When will there be a harvest for the world
Gather everyman, gather everywoman
Celebrate your lives, give thanks for your children
Gather everyone, gather all together
Overlooking none, hopin' life gets better for the world
Dress me up for battle, when all I want is peace
Those of us who pay the price, come home with the least
Nation after nation, turning into beast
When will there be a harvest for the world
Yeah, yeah
When will there be
I wanna know now now
When will there be (harvest for the world)
A harvest (harvest for the world)
When will there be (harvest for the world)
A harvest (harvest for the world)
Divine Power Cocoa Lounger
Posts: 25
(11/4/04 1:06 am)
Sadness in the result
The man I voted for is not in office and I carried a heavy weight in my stomach all day. In class tonight, we did not mention the election---I believe we all had the same feeling---
To make matters worse, one of my friends voted for Bush because of ketchup (out sourcing) and because of homosexuals marrying (spiritual). That is what she based her decision on. She does not even understand and refuses to see what Bush has done (war) and will do in the future. She does not have money-- she's deeply in debt--but does not acknowledge how Bush is for those who have and not for her--who has not.
Daniel---Thank you for your recent post's and thank you for the welcome. I feel home.
Edited by: Divine Power at: 11/22/04 1:58 am
Congratulations on completing your first play, that’s the first and most important step. I saw some of that same PBS special on Broadway Musicals and I was engrossed with it from a historical standpoint. Money and connections seem to be integral parts of the recipe. I am not a person of the theater (industry wise). I’m a patron of the theater. So, know that the information I’m extending comes from that perspective. I don’t think you have to get cold feet because there appears to be a process in getting to Broadway, you might be forgetting. Most Broadway productions start out in regional theaters/off-Broadway, etc. and if a strong enough buzz is circulated, the right investors are cultivated and the Gods are smiling upon them then a new production can experience the heat of the “Great White Way.”
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