Let me tell you that while the poignant story of her discovery was amazing, the woman is a POWERHOUSE. Don’t be fooled for a moment that she is not a talent to be reckoned with as she approaches fifty and was only discovered within the last few years. Her voice is unstoppable and there is absolutely nothing that could be done in a studio that could make her voice do the things that they do on her latest album. Take a careful listen to “Return” on her latest album called “Someone to Watch Over Me”. I also find that the song choice in this third full album of hers is quite deliberate and appropriate. She continues to move people, and I think that’s what makes the difference between her and the fly-by-night dance troop that actually won the reality TV show she first appeared on.
I just found out today that after years of struggling, at 39, Curtis died of cancer. We had literally been online friends since at least 2003, and we had run into each other at various events around the country over the years. In fact, it was (and will be) odd to be any major event that bears attend and not see Curtis with his joyous life force. Embedded in this post is a picture of us in 2010 in Phoenix for Phurfest on Luau night. Despite having gone to Hawaii twice myself, this was the most authentic and magical Hawaiian traditional event I had ever attended.
Curtis was a genuinely fun guy and outrageously funny Sister of Perpetual Indulgence. I was very honored that he spent so much time with me when we saw each other.
I’d like to send a personal “FUCK YOU” to the tobacco industry ( RJR and Phillip Morris aka “Altria”, et al.) for taking away another young life way before his time. FUCK YOU for addicting the children of the world to your poison. FUCK YOU for lobbying governments to get your insidious product mass distributed and into venues where young victims start becoming your new (short) lifelong customers.
We had dinner at Buffalo Bills in downtown Hayward and were sitting outside for the second perceivable earthquake of the day (the first one happened when I was at work on the 14th floor of a 30 floor building in downtown San Francisco). Jonathan and I were neighbors in NYC and he has been my close friend almost eight years. He lives two blocks from where I used to live in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
As Facebook is not my life, content that I post there is only ancillary to what I post here at my own domain. I recently changed my theological and political views from Agnostic and Liberal thusly:
Devout Agnostic – Not interested in pursuing and not interested in debating useless unscientific contradictory ideas, whether they were reduced to writing at some point or not. Philosophy and scientific mental health are far more interesting to me.
Progressive Lefty - Not as liberal as some people consider me to be, but certainly not politically paternalistic. I am a loyal Democrat (as in non-backstabbing swing Democrat). Some of my best friends are Republican-identified.
As an Italian-American who has lived in Italy and knows how corrupt and political everything there is, I am embarrassed by how long it took to free Amanda Knox, who was convicted so Draconiously on almost no evidence and completely concocted xenophobia. I hope she is forever rewarded for her endurance of being used as a ploy by the Machiavellian prosecutor who sought to use her as a scapegoat for a horrific murder she had no reason nor no ability to commit.
Lest we forget that her boyfriend at the time of the killing, an Italian national, was also targeted, for being with what the media there considered a party girl harlot. He too was freed today.
This is not like the OJ Simpson trial where someone was acquitted finally after there was no explanation on how the victim died. There has already been a drifter drug dealer who had both the motive and the gender to rape and mutilate the poor roommate of Amanda. In this case he was tried and convicted with sound evidence long ago. Why the Italian tribunals had to create a conspiracy out of thin air for two other college students to have been involved is the fodder of garbage tabloids. Finally in the appeal some science was used and it was because of the diligence of those who had some common sense that Amanda and her boyfriend were exonerated. It remains to be seen if the propaganda in the Italian press will admit their mistake and correct the embarrassing excuse they have for a legal system.
Relatives and friends of my recently passed uncle have discovered that he had no insurance. My Uncle was in the military and lived overseas for this country. He contributed and worked his whole life, but died without much of anything, and his lack of health insurance probably did not help, as his CPAP machine for apnea, not to mention his gastro-intestinal problems, could not have helped the fact that he died at the age of sixty (so not even old enough to receive social security or Medicare) last week. I’m pretty furious to find out that he was another American citizen who fell through the cracks and was not able to receive optimal medical care because he could not afford it!
His VA Benefits will only cover $600 of the $2,400 funeral in Sedona, so we are taking up a collection, as his estate will definitely not be able to afford it. I can’t stand to think that this man would not be able to be buried with dignity and would rather forego taking a trip to his memorial next weekend to be able to contribute more to his funeral expenses.
