It's an Anniversary

The Mercedez Benz Super Dome

 There are some anniversaries we sometimes don't want to remember. 16 years ago today Katrina changed my life in a very big and traumatic way. I thought I was over the PTS, but I guess it never goes away. About 6 years ago, I can't really be sure, but I was watching the news and there was some flooding somewhere and it brought me back to that day. Every time it rains now I think about flooding. Although I know where I am now the water would never get that high it is still something I can't shake. 

I dread when I am working and it starts raining. I just take it easy and am always grateful when I make it home safely.

I have been trying  not to watch the news and I actually didn't know there was a hurricane heading toward NOLA. It was pretty much the same way when Katrina happened. Once I did find out about the hurricane I had decided to stay. Since some of my neighbors were staying I didn't feel like I would be alone.

About two or three weeks ago, I went to the Twin Oaks library for the first time. I would have liked to have gone to the Central branch, but it is not open on Sundays. Saturdays I stay home and do stuff around the house.

I picked up several DVDs that happened to all be documentaries with the subject of black moments in Films and movies and history. One DVD Horror Noire was about Blacks in the horror genre. BaadAssss Cinema was a look into the films known as Blaxploitation. Dark Girls, it didn't say it was a documentary on the case, but it was interesting just the same. I didn't think a lot of what is covered was still as big of an issue as it showed. Just goes to show I've been out of touch. Dark Girls focuses on racism within the Black race. It's a myth, but yes, black people can be racists.

Through the lens darkly is a documentary about black photographers. All of the documentaries have been very interesting and educational. Through the lens darkly was not what I was expecting. There were images on the case that I didn't hear them talk about. It was inspiring. I hope I can start photographing people where I feel safe.

The documentary on The Black Panthers was one I was definitely interested in seeing. I was a kid when I heard about the Black Panthers, but there was one event that has always stayed with me and that was Black Sunday. I was about 7 or 8 years old and because of the neighborhood I lived in, black families were urged to put black ribbons on their doors.

The Black Panther chapter in New Orleans was housed in the Desire project in Eastern New Orleans.

The purpose of me going to the library was to see if I could find some films or movies I had missed out on, but I was also looking for a DVD I had seen of an Alvin Ailey production. I didn't know the name and it had to come in from another branch. There were two DVDs and so I said why not?

The DVD I had never seen is about the preparations of the dancers as they prepare for a show in St. Petersburg, Russia. There was a special feature that you can watch the actual show which was really entertaining. Still, the actual DVD that I wanted to see is my favorite. It includes Alvin Ailey's favorite, but I have my own. Alvin Ailey made it possible for many blacks to live out their dreams of becoming dancers.

Thanks for stopping by and do come back again. Keep an open mind.

Across the Board

 Across the Board

It's been a very long time or so it seems since I've made any posts. This posts will go across all three blogs so it's going to be a long one. At least that's the way it appears inside of my head. Being an artist, I like to visualize things before I proceed, but in the course of doing something or making a decision, things can change and they do often. 

Is it just me or do you feel as if this year is passing by quickly? It's August already, can you believe it?

This was not the plan - There are things that I would like to do, but I don't committ to anything. I will write thing down and make a list and just go with the flow most of the time. As I've written before it's best because things change in an instant. I especially don't like promising things to other people because sometimes people don't understand why you have to cancel.

Because of the effects of Katrina, within the last 8 years I've been having issues when it rains. I thought I was over it, but it seemed to resurface. Sometimes I'll watch the news and see flooding and it will take me back to that week. If it happens to rain while I am at work I will be concerned that there might be flooding. Although I know it won't be like it was during Katrina it's just the idea of driving in the rain and any type of flooding.

This doesn't happen all the time. Sometimes I have no problem driving in the rain. It's like everything else. Some years the thought of my parents on certain days passes by and other times they are on my mind and I just don't feel like doing anything.

I'm at a point now where I am trying to figure out what I want to do. I've been working now for a little over 6 months. I'm thinking about retiring so that I can collect social security. There are things that absolutely need to be done around the house. I am still trying to throw stuff out because I just want to take my time, but I am becoming more and more realistic. There are magazines that I really don't need to hold on to. No one is going to come over that I need to keep them. I have been photographing different things of importance and then it gets donated.

I'm going to keep one or two issues of every magazine. There are some that I have because of the covers. That will be a bit of a challenge,, but I'll make the right choice.

I still am thinking about going to Paris. I don't know when that will happen as this variant of covid is changing the trajectory of things. It looks as if we are back to square one or headed in that direction. It bothers me now because even though people have been vaccinated they could possibly still catch the variant or pass it on to someone else. The vaccine is supposed to make it not as severe. Just have to live each day one at a time and be as cautious as possible. Not much will change for me. I try to stay in my cubicle at work and keep my mask on when I am near other people. Everyone usually has their mask on when they come to my cubicle. I don't get that many visitors as we use the computers to communicate.

I was thinking of trying to visit my family and some friends, but that is definitely going to be on hold. The unpredictabiliity of what each day will bring is the new absurdity as a friend recently said.

I just don't understand why people won't get the shot. I was thinking about how many drugs people have in their cabinets that are not approved by the FDA. So what makes them use those drugs, but they won't get the shot? Conspiracy theories? They don't have any proof. You have to act now because you don't want to get sick because by that time it could be too late.

Taking chances sounds like a good thing, but if you've known people who were sick you definitely don't want to go through what they have gone through.

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls I finally got to see this movie which is a cult classic. It was written by movie critic Roger Ebert and Russ Meyer who also directed it. Now I want to see Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill! There are many movies from the 70's I was to young to see or they didn't interest me. I've been playing catch up. This movie has nothing to do with Valley of the Dolls based on the book by Jacqueline Susann. It's a comedic raunch fest of the entertainment industry in Hollywood. There still appears to be a lot that was cut from this Criterion version. It had an X rating, but so did Midnight Cowboy when it was released and I didn't see anything to really warrant that now. I will watch the special features next time I watch the movie. It is very interesting. The movie stars Dolly Read, Cynthia Meyers, Marcia McBroom, Michael Blodgett, David Gurian, Harrison Page and John Lazar. If you are looking for a fun movie to watch then this is it. It'll definitely be a conversation starter if you were to throw a themed party.

Mary J Blige - I can say that I am a fan of the singer turned actress, but There are some things I've heard and seen that I liked. I was not really into female hip hop artists. I watched the documentary that is on Amazon. It's celebrating the 25th anniversary of the album My Life and how it changed Mary's life and that of the people who were her fans.

There are many songs that I've heard that reflect my life or things I am going through at that moment. It just depends on who you listen to. In the late 80's it was Simpliy Red's Holding on and in the 2002 it was Alice Dejay's Alone. Sometimes it's only the title of the song, or one line that really resonates with me.

In the documentary you get a look inside of an entertainer that was thrust into an industry that they were not sure they could be a part of it.

The entertainment industry can be very scary and it is not for everyone. You can lose control and who you are at times if you don't have a plan.

About a month ago I saw a movie with Mary J. Blige that was filmed in New Orleans called Body Cam. She plays a cop that is dealing with some paranormal stuff on various calls. It's not the best and I'm sure it looked good on paper, but it just wasn't the best for me.

If you are a fan of Mary J. Blige you will definitely love the documentary. If you like her music or you may be interested in getting into the music industry then I do recommend that you watch it.

 

Thanks for stopping by and do come back to see how things play out. Keep an open mind.

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