Life Is A Classroom....

And everyday I am getting schooled...since we spoke last Tuesday 5/6 (11 days ago) I have been schooled about a Chrysalis (a popular record label in the 70's and 80's) by my six year old who corrected me about the development path from catepillar to butterfly - egg, catepillar, cocoon, pupa/chrysalis, butterfly. Everyday though there is just something to learn about ourselves or life and it gets overwhelming if you find yourself awake for it all.

Ceelo Green is singing the theme for Kung Fu Panda. It is a lyrically updated version of "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas one of my favorite songs of the 70's next to "Rock The Boat" by the Hughes Corporation...like my friends know that I am a Raheem DeVaughn fan, some know I am on Ceelo Green's cheering squad as well. I have loved his voice since his Goodie Mobb days. I didn’t lift up the banner for him until after I got a taste of the Soul Machine, his sophomore solo release (I honestly DID NOT pick up on his first solo album, I tried to play it....but it was too far away artistically for me).

Soul Machine was in some ways a little busy for me, but I sooooooooo got it. All of that said, I will thrilled to be watching Nickelodeon or Disney with Ali and catch them running the music video with Ceelo prominently featured and singing with the pearliest white teeth I have ever seen "Everybody was kung fu fighting....." I immediately thought …who will care ? I called my friend Elsa in New York to share my excitement.

Well since last week Obama is now ahead in the Superdelegate race and for my money Hillary just looks sillier than ever. Hillary is also upset with News Reporters declaring Obama the winner and I got my May 19th Time Magazine in the mail with Obama's wide and beautiful smile...the title reads "And the Winner * is" and next to the asterisk below the striking and handsome photo it says "and we are really sure this time".

Since my work as a precinct captain, I had been an "Obama or bust" supporter. I had decided and discussed with friends that I would only vote Democratic if he was the nominee. A few months ago somewhere between the South Carolina Primary, the California Primary, the Texas Primary ; James Carville’s “Judas Iscariot” comment and Hillary’s smug comments after her Texas primary win (not delegate win) “the country is back”; I had allowed the Crazy a** Clintons to really repulse and disgust me.

I was going to vote for Ralph Nader or John McCain if Barack was not the nominee. I was however reading a Washington Post peace last week that said something like ‘George McCain would carry out a 3rd George Bush term’ and in reading it that way…I have loosened my grip on defection from the Democratic party if Barack is not the nominee. It also helps that the numbers, the people and the media are all in his favor. Like NBC said ‘unless Obama falls down or there is an act of God, this race is over’.

Facebook v. Myspace has recently become my debate. I feel like I work daily to find myself spiritually, personally and professionally. I have found myself in the last month or so “hanging out” at facebook. I have been “hanging out” there because it feels like I am in fact hanging out with friends, in particular long lost ones. I am posting “status” updates which as I began to read others posted by friends varied from the personal to the political to the public.

I have with everyday very recently felt a little lost. Yes, lost. It’s not just as simple as insecure or low on self esteem. I have honestly felt lost in finding my way to whoever it is I really am. My book group and I made it through 3 chapters of Eckart Tolle’s New Earth and as controversy spirals into people thinking Oprah’s building a new religion, I have simply found community at Facebook. I find myself anxious to see other status updates and continue explore the community.

I find myself dueling between the two because I was a member at Myspace first. Though your first can honestly be seen as a first draft, Myspace at its best is an extraordinary community artists, friends, tastemeakers, politicos and pundits alike. We can all get together. I somehow did not realize that the nuances that I so love on Facebook are on Myspace, as well. I have begun changing status and mood lately on Myspace, as well.

From my heart though, Facebook is winning. Myspace is more familiar, but something just feels so organized and clean at Facebook and I love "hanging out" there (for long periods).

On Thursday….I went to see a production of Romeo and Juliet set in Vera Cruz, Mexico in the 1540’s like the tale in fair Verona. While I found it enjoyable and reasonably well acted. I was stunned to understand that it was set in Mexico and the leads were Caucasian not Mexican. The cast was incredibly diverse and very entertaining, but I was just surprised that the leads were not Mexican. It just seemed a little supremacist to me.

On Friday the drama class that meets in my classroom finished their generous table read of my feature script. I needed it, but I am feeling the hard work, ahead. The storyline is considered cliché’ (a friend who came and listened expressed that concern) and with what has recently entered the romantic comedy marketplace, I am being beat up by the bat of cliché’…I am therefore nervous…I have worked on this script for quite a while.

Radio Show and quotables….”Life is a classroom”, the above title came from my rocking, rolling and rambling on air. While I wasn’t quoting anybody, I am sure that thought came from something, I read somewhere by someone.

Mother's Day was great and laid back. I did not make it to church. I took Ali to a screen test thing where they were encouraging me to get him involved in Television, Film and commercial work. We will continue to investigate. It has always been a prospect to help with the college fund I have started building recently.

I went to visit friends where Ali was given Thundercats Cartoon DVD's (there is a movie coming in 2 years...I can't wait). "Thunder ! Thunder! Thunder Cats ! Hooooooooooooooo !" Liono used to roar. We were also given a Speed Racer DVD with episodes of the original series. I then took Ali to the theater to see Speed Racer which was overwhelmingly colorful and bright. It was also too much for the eye. Ali sat reasonably still, but the car fight scenes were DIZZYING. It was however well acted and I am in love with the inspector who was a German actor I was not familiar with by the name of Benno Furmann.

I still want to talk about several areas so I will continue this blog later with more to come on...
Dreaming, Fareed Zakaria/Hub and Spoke/What I like about him, Encouraging Global thinking amongst 9th graders, International Tragedies, Ali grew up my 40’s, I am older than my, student’s parents, "they are all younger than I am with children older than Ali", The life of turtles…our turtle “tuck”, New sheets for Ali