Blogger in Paradise, part 1

Greetings from Hawaii-- where time means nothing and I've forgotten what day of the week it is.

I arrived in Honolulu last Friday (June 26) and met up with Alex and her friends Stephanie (who lives in Tucson) and Rachel (who lives in Honolulu). Rachel was gracious enough to let us stay in her tiny Honolulu apartment for a few days while we explored Waikiki (above) and Waimanalo Beaches (below).
Here is Alex strolling out to the Pacific Ocean with a boogie board. At right, we're waiting for the bus to take us to the beach.Waikiki was nice, but strewn with tourists snapping photos and watching the locals surf and boogie board. Waimanolo was much prettier and less crowded-- far more locals than tourists.

On Sunday, we flew into Hilo Airport on the Big Island, where I rented a house for 10 days. The house looked gorgeous on the Internet. It is very pretty and well-appointed in real life but also very close to the lava flow-- which is probably why it was so cheap to rent and also probably why there is a for sale sign in the front yard. The location was not what I had expected; I really wanted a view of the water from the porch. The only view of the ocean is from the second story meditation room-- and only if you're standing up. (This seems like a real architectural mistake. It's a great meditation room, but while you're seated, all you see is the wall.) The house is very comfortable and the location-- at the edge of the lava--is very quiet. It was a bit disconcerting when we first drove to Kalapana and found the road blocked with lava and an "enter at your own risk" sign. I haven't walked out to the lava flow yet, but my vacation mates have.

Our first day here-- after we found the house-- we went to the drumming circle on Kehena Beach, a black sand clothing-optional beach. (I was really surprised to see so many clothes on the clothing optional beach but whatever.) The drum circle was the quintessential old hippie meets young hippie experience. There were probably 20 or more drummers and other percussionists plus some random other musicians-- one guy on a flute, one on the ukulele, and one on trumpet. Alex and I and a few other women danced around some while they played and others watched the drumming, the dancing, and the ocean waves.

The drumming started to wind down as the sun began to set, so we decided to try to find the Hare Krishna Farm for the regular Sunday night feast, gathering and inspirational message. Again, we drove and drove, but finally stumbled upon the right one-lane country road to take us there. I wish I had had my camera for these two events, but I didn't think pictures would be appropriate.

The kirtan was awesome! I had always wanted to go to one of those in Tucson but have never made it. The Krishna band -- led by the main guru singing and playing guitar-- really rocked. In addition to the guitar player, there was an Indian woman on electric keyboard, an electric guitarist, a ukulele player, and a conga player. The guru led the all-ages crowd in several call and response chants. Everyone danced, swayed, hopped and/or meditated to the music which filled the room. There were a couple of short prayers-- with everyone kneeling with our heads touching the floor-- and a short Krishna lesson about karma, past lives, and the unity of all living things. (It went right along with the Buddhist Tantra book that I had just finished.) Afterwards, we had a giant vegan feast-- lentils, rice, greens, homemade pizza, chocolate cake, and water. I was stuffed. Alex introduced Stephanie and me to Guru Greg (who has a Krishna name which I have forgotten and probably couldn't spell anyway). He and King Coconut-- one of the main men in the drumming circle-- both remembered her from when she lived here six years ago.

On Monday, we went to the warm pond to swim in the morning. It was a luxurious thermal pond right off the ocean. After swimming, we went to Big Ed's Farm, where Alex lived for six months, six years ago. That was an eye-opener. Since she ran out of batteries not long after arrival, I had not seen many pictures of the place. If you look up "rustic" in Wikipedia, there will be a picture of The Farm. It is basically acreage of weeds, trees, lean-tos, and abandoned vehicles. People find The Farm through Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOFing). The idea behind WWOOFing is that people volunteer to work on organic farms in exchange for room and board-- no pay. There doesn't seem to be much work going on on Ed's Farm. Mostly college students hang around and live on meager rations until they're tired of eating rice, beans, and mangoes, taking showers with a hose, washing their clothes by hand, and swatting flies by day and mosquitoes by night. A rustic lifestyle in paradise is an experience that they will talk about for the rest of their lives, though. (Above, Alex and Stephanie pose in The Farm's open-air kitchen.)

After The Farm, we went to Lava Tree National Park, which was very beautiful but paled in comparison to the farming adventure and swimming in the warm pond. We ended the day with a drink a a dive bar in downtown Pahoa.

Renewal and Evolution

Saturday, June 6 marked the one year anniversary of the Central Arts Gallery, a cooperative gallery in downtown Tucson. The new exhibit, Renewal, marks the culmination of a year of ups and downs. Although the gallery membership has changed several times during the year, a core group of artists--who are now friends-- has kept the gallery alive and fostered its evolution. I'm proud to say that I am a member of that core group and proud of what Central Arts Gallery has accomplished this year. It hasn't always been easy-- far from it-- but it has been rewarding.

I have three photographs in the Renewal show: "Watercourse Way, Playa Blanca, Colombia,""Still Live on the Beach, Playa Blanca, Colombia" (above), and "Abundance, Pinos Altos, New Mexico." I also have a few pieces on the Small Works Wall: "Bano en Paraiso, Playa Blanca, Colombia"(at right), "Wandering, San Carlos, Mexico," and "Flow with Me."

Renewal will be at Central Arts Gallery, 274 E. Congress, in Tucson from June 6 - July 25, 2009. (My apologies to Spanish speakers. I couldn't figure out how to do a tilde on blogger.)

Drug Wars: Follow the Money

Immigration, violence, drug policy, and world economics...It may seem odd to lump these four issues together, but I believe they are connected.

In order to regulate drug use, US law defines what is a drug and outlines legal vs. illegal drugs and over-the-counter vs. prescription drugs.

Legal drugs happen to be those that are manufactured in first world countries—like the US and Europe. These include alcohol, cigarettes, and prescription drugs. Except for a few US pot farmers and designer drugs like methamphetamines and crack which are manufactured locally, most illegal drugs are manufactured in third world countries. These include marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. Interesting observation, huh?

If you look at the issue of legal vs. illegal drugs, the designations have nothing to do with public health or death rates. Smoking cigarettes kills more people worldwide than anything else—period—yet cigarettes are legal, freely available, and pretty much uncontrolled. Efforts by public health advocates and the Food and Drug Administration under the Clinton Administration to classify tobacco as a drug were thwarted by the Republican Congress. Although all of the drugs listed above are addictive, the nicotine in cigarettes is one of the most highly addictive substances.

Since the legal vs. illegal designation is not related to health or addiction, what is it related to? My theory is that economics and geo-politics play a role. Pharmaceutical companies and illegal drug manufacturers are in direct competition for the hearts, minds, and wallets of the addicted.

A year ago or so, National Public Radio reported increase heroin use in small towns in America-- areas that had never seen this in the past. How did this big city vice get a toe-hold in the heartland? The answer is capitalism + addiction. Heroin had become a cheap alternative for rural folks who were addicted to Oxycontin, a prescription pain-killer. Capitalistic, illegal drug dealers were undercutting the pharmaceutical companies' prices. Both heroin and Oxycontin are analgesics. Oxycontin addicts-- particularly those who had lost there health insurance-- were turning to heroin to feed their habits and alleviate chronic pain. There are multiple other examples of legal and illegal drugs competing for market share. Medical marijuana competes with prescription drugs that also help cancer patients handle pain. Recreational marijuana competes with alcohol and some prescription drugs for users who just want to mellow out and competes with tobacco for users who enjoy the act of smoking.

From a public health standpoint, what would happen if marijuana—and perhaps other currently illegal drugs—were legalized and taxed in the US? Would the death rates from drug use increase? Probably not -- if we get cigarette smoking and obesity under control at the same time. Would marijuana use increase? Maybe but usage most likely would be as price-sensitive as cigarette usage is now. Would medicinal use of marijuana increase? Probably because it would be available to patients and other uses would be discovered. Would drug violence in the US and Mexico decrease? Hopefully-- if we can also control the flow of guns back and forth across the border.

What would happen economically if marijuana were legalized for medical and recreational use and taxed, as alcohol and tobacco are now? First of all, tax revenues would increase. Drug dealers would lose a major income stream. Mexico, other 3rd world countries, and some areas of the US would gain a major cash crop. Legalization of marijuana won’t eliminate illegal immigration and drug-related violence in the US, but I predict it would have an impact. Mexicans are coming to the US for jobs because their economic system is broken. A big cash crop that has a ready market in the US and worldwide would be a boon to Mexico and many other poor countries and will make living in these countries economically viable.

OK, so, I know that marijuana legalization won’t eliminate the immigration "problem" completely in the US, but to what extent do we really want to eliminate it? Remember those aging Baby Boomers? As they-- we-- retire and eventually die, the US will need workers to replace them. We will have a labor shortage in the future without immigrants and their children.

Now that the dark days of the Bush Administration are over, I'm glad that people in the government are looking at drug policy. I'm also heartened by the efforts of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. The war on drugs has not worked-- just as Prohibition didn't work in the 1930s. Illegal drug use and drug-related violence have increased since Nixon declared the war. The drug war is a failed experiment and has been allowed to continue for too long.

Mujeres Exhibit Opens at Raices

The Fifth Annual Mujeres, Mujeres, Mujeres exhibit will open at Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery and Workshop tomorrow, May 2. This is always a great show with many eclectic works by women artists. I have been attending this exhibit for years, but this is the first time my artwork has been included.

Nude Blinds will be at Raices from May 2 through June 13. The opening is Saturday evening from 7-9 p.m. The work of more than 40 Southern Arizona women artists will be included in the show. Come down and see what the gurlz have to offer.

Saturday is also the First Saturday Central Tucson Gallery Association Art Walk. In addition to Raices, my work also will be showing at the Central Arts Gallery, where The Same Story exhibit continues through June. Follow the CTGA link here for a list of member galleries. Most-- in not all-- will be open Saturday night for the art walk.

Mom, President Obama, and Corporate America say, "Wash Your Hands"

A good capitalist can always find a way to make a buck-- even at the beginning of a worldwide pandemic. For the past week, the swine flu has been all the rage in the news-- new cases popping up in different countries and dozens of deaths in Mexico, where it may have originated. On the news, you see people trudging along the streets wearing masks.

Today, in my e-mail box I received a three-day coupon for anti-bacterial hand soap from Bath and Body Works. The headline -- in hot pink-- read: Mom says, "Wash Your Hands!" Of course, the ad is capitalizing on two events-- Mother's Day (next week) and the flu.

How clever of them to turn this problem (a potential worldwide pandemic) into a marketing opportunity. Although they're not using any scare-tactics about the flu specifically in their ad, the "wash your hands" mantra is being repeated continuously by the media and public officials. The only scare tactic in the ad, really, is the short-term lifespan on the coupon (three days)-- buy now!

I must admit, I did print out the coupon, and maybe, I'll wander past a mall sometime in the next three days and take advantage of the sale. I really like Bath and Body Works lotion-- smells great and has a really rich texture-- but I almost never buy it because it's soooooooo expensive.

I didn't go for the online shopping suggestion in the ad. Who buys hand lotion or hand soap online? I want to smell it and touch it-- duh. Also, I'm a cheapskate. I don't like to pay for shipping, and in order to get free shipping, you have to buy $65 worth. That's a heck of a lot of lotion and soap. Who would do this? Maybe, if you're a guy with several sisters, daughters, ex-wives, and/or girlfriends-- who all happen to be moms-- this would be a good deal. You could polish off your Mother's Day shopping with a few clicks and not have to leave your computer. No last minute trips to Fry's next Sunday to grab a bouquet and a Happy Mothers' Day balloon!

Normally that would be the end of this clever post, but I just looked at my e-mail again. Not to be outdone by Bath and Body Works, I just received an ad from Victoria's Secret for lotion (no anti-bacterial soap). At VS-- again a three-day coupon-- and for $50, you can get free shipping.

Now the question is: do you want to buy $65 of lotion + antibacterial soap OR $50 of lotion + stylish clothes and fancy lingerie for Mom? And if you procrastinate, you can always go to Fry's next Sunday. They'll have plenty of flowers on hand.

Carbon Neutral: Waste Not, Want Not

Tomorrow-- April 22-- is Earth Day. It's one day a year when some of us think about the Earth, what humankind is doing to it, and how to ameliorate the impact of civilization on our environment. We used to manufacture goods in the US, but we have become a country of debit-ridden consumers. Waste and hyper-consumerism have been taking a toll on our environment for decades. Now, our current economic crisis has brought to light the folly of our wasteful, short-term, profit-oriented, consumer-driven lifestyle. Maybe this crisis is a good thing? As a country, maybe we needed a womp upside the head to wake us up?

To celebrate Earth Day and demonstrate art can be created from items that most people would discard as junk, Dinnerware Artspace is hosting the Carbon Neutral exhibit.

I have submitted a few pieces for this show:
- Lighting the Way (above) is a sculpture made from discarded solar tubes (from my home remodel in 2007), shapely Trader Joe's soup cans, and LED light rope.

- Re-cycle is a mobile made from bicycle parts and other seemingly useless metal do-dads.

- Tiles of Tiles (below) is a three part tile piece made from discarded porcelain, terracotta, and natural stone floor tiles. It can be used as a trivet or a table top, or it can be mortared into a wall or floor.

- Last but not least is a quilt that I made from old blue jeans. With a blue jean top and a flannel remnant backing, this is by far the warmest quilt I've ever made.

The opening artists' reception for Carbon Neutral is Wednesday, 5-8 p.m., and the show runs through Saturday, April 25. I guarantee the show will open your eyes to new uses of items you may be discarding.

Downtown: The Same Story But Not the Same OLD Story

Downtown will be hopping tomorrow night, with many galleries will be open for the Central Tucson Gallery Association's First Saturday event.

Here are a few gallery highlights for Saturday evening, April 4.

The Same Story opens at the Central Arts Gallery, on Congress St., tomorrow with an artists' reception from 6-9 p.m. I have three threesomes (photos, not performance art pieces-- tee hee) in this show: Wild Thing, I Think You Move Me is dance in motion; Caution: Drummers warns of the perils of dating drummers; and Downtown is a funky tribute to downtown Tucson.

I peeked at the show before it was hung, and there is a wide range of art, as usual. A few artists have chosen this theme to make political statements. Carlos Encinas' Dollar Store Art display presents a sarcastic view of the cheap-is-good mentality. Patrick McCardle's portrait of President Obama being threatened by a snarling bulldog is thought-provoking when you consider the pervasive in-fighting in Washington, DC. The Central Arts Gallery show will also feature an art raffle.

Pollos de Pueblo continues at Dinnerware Artspace on Congress St.. If you were too cheap to pay $5 to see the chickens last Saturday, you can check out this fun show for free on April 4, the closing day. This is a fun show with many eclectic interpretations of the theme.

Fuerte continues at Raices Taller 222, on 6th Street. This show commemorates Cesar Chavez's birthday, which was March 31. The Raices event starts at 5 p.m. with a "Pay the Rent" potluck.

Many of Tucson's galleries are struggling to keep their doors open these days. Please help Tucson's artists keep our art scene alive by buying art, attending events that request a modest entry fee, or simply throwing a few bucks in a donation jar. Every little bit helps.

This is only a small sample of exhibits that will be open. I hope you will take a stroll downtown-- along Congress and 6th Streets-- to enjoy our lovely spring weather and Tucson's vibrant art scene.

Close Up the Honky Tonks-- Not

I began dancing in honky tonks at a very young age. My parents were both dancers. In fact, they met on a blind date at a big band swing dance in the 1940s at the Cedar Point ballroom and danced together for 40+ years until my father moved on-- to that big ballroom in the sky.

I can remember being 3 or 4 years old and going to the bar with my father and my brother who was a babe in arms. He and some of his friends were laid off-- during a past recession. My mother had gone back to work to help support the family, and Dad was our caretaker. On occasion, in the afternoon, Dad would pack us into the Chevy and go downtown for a beer-- well, probably more than one. Dad laid Jim-- wrapped up in his baby blanket-- on the bar, and I socialized with the bar flies. The geezers at the bar would give me money for the juke box. I would punch in the numbers and dance around the bar. (This begs several questions. 1) Is this how I learned my letters and numbers? Play C17, Pammie! 2) What was my favorite song? Elvis? Johnny Cash? Karl Perkins? There was a lot of great music back in the mid-1950s. 3) Did God make honky tonk angels? Or not? 4) Was I born to be a honky tonk woman?)

My parents used to have dance parties in the late 1950s and early 1960s in our basement-- a cool place in more ways than one-- or at my Aunt Nan's place "at The Lake." (Lake Erie, that is). When the parties were at our house, my cousins and I would sneak down the cellar steps to watch our parents dance, drink, and smoke cigarettes. Since the Powers/Fox descendants are English/Irish (respectively), there was always a bar set up at the dance parties. The favorite of the Powers clan was bourbon (most likely from Kentucky-- like Jim Beam or Heaven Hill) + whatever mixer they had (probably Pepsi). "The cousins" were supposed to be sleeping, but hello, who could sleep with all of that loud music? Since I was the oldest cousin, I most likely led the other six astray. (I gotta find those pictures of my parents, aunts, and uncles swing dancing.)

After my Dad passed, Mom said her dancing days were over, but I hope my she still dances around the living room when she plays He'll Have to Go or her Patsy Cline 8 track tapes.

Anyone who knows me or has read this blog knows that I dance at least twice a week-- usually more. You name it, I dance it-- east coast swing, west coast swing, blues dancing, multiple varieties of two-step, waltz, salsa, merengue, bachata, villanato, cha-cha, free style-- even the polka (which I was born to dance, since I am half German and grew up in Northern Ohio).

In recent years, I have really gotten into going to The Maverick-- one of the best honky tonks in Tucson, as far as I'm concerned. Growing up, I was not into country music-- at all. Although I remember my father playing Johnny Cash on the record player in the late 1950s, country, bluegrass, and, of course, polka, were were totally un-cool in the 1960s. For me, music was the Rolling Stones, The Doors, and Chicago blues (especially Paul Butterfield) back then. In the 1970s, I remember listening to Merle Haggard some. (Us hippies got a kick out of I'm Proud to Be an Okie from Muskogee. And I'll let you imagine what we did while singing along!)

I really developed a taste for country and western music when I worked in Benson in the early 1980s and could get only the Benson radio station (KAVV-- The Cave) or the Wilcox station on the radio in my office. Listening to The Cave every day, I began to appreciate country music-- for the danceable beat and the creative lyrics. Now, of course, I get my country fix at The Maverick, the Cactus Moon (now that Robert Moreno is there), and on KXCI-- particularly Rose Lady's show.

Where is this blog post going? Does anyone know? Are you still with me?

Recently, I purchased a wonderful CD-- Dwight Sings Buck-- Dwight Yoakum, that is. This is a great CD of classic country songs. I love his rendition of Close Up the Honky Tonks. Unfortunately, Dwight-- or most likely his record label-- doesn't want to share, so I can't embed it. I really like his version, but I take issue with the way the honky tonk woman is portrayed in this video. Hello, she should be wearing jeans.

In some ways, this song reminds me of my dancing girlfriends and myself, but I believe that any one of us would turn in the honky tonk dancin' for a steady dance partner.

Pollos de Pueblo

Saturday, March 28, Dinnerware Artspace will host Pollos de Pueblo-- an eclectic art event loosely based on chickens-- chickens themselves, chicken dinners, chicken legs, chicken feathers, chicken feet, chicken dance-- you name it-- maybe even chicks in feather boas. Who knows?

Initially, I wasn't going to enter this show. As George Constanza would say, "Chickens? I got nothin'." But when I heard that the topic would be "broadly interpreted", I decided to submit my recent photograph entitled "Eggheads" (above). These are cascarones.

Pollos de Pueblo will run from March 28 - April 4 at Dinnerware. For more details, check out the Dinnerware website or the story in Thursday's Caliente, which I can't link it because the Star won't let me! (Haven't they heard that the web is all about sharing?)

Rumor has it some live chickens from Dunbar Springs will make a guest appearance at the opening on March 28, from 6-9pm. This may be the first time in 100 years that real chickens have walked the streets of downtown Tucson. Don't miss it!

Any, while you're downtown, stop by the Central Arts Gallery (just east of Dinnerware) and catch the closing night of Spirit's Journey. (I'll be at both places.)

Lovers I've Never Met

Friday evening, February 27, is the third Ignite Tucson, and I'm going to give one of the presentations. My topic-- Lover's I've Never Met-- focuses on men whom I've met online but have never met in person. For the most part, I've never even seen pictures of them, but, based upon common interests, we have formed friendships in cyberspace.

During the past year, I have met dozens of men and women online and have dated several-- men, that is. What did I learn from my year of online dating? Here are some random thoughts on cyber love...

You Don't Have to Pay to Play. There are many ways to meet interesting people online (eg, blogging, listservs, social networking) without joining a dating site with a monthly fee. Investigate before you offer your credit card number.

Profiles. You really don't have to write much of a profile to get dates. In fact, a great picture or two and a few, well-chosen words is all you need. Depending upon what type of person you are seeking, you should carefully choose a screen name and a headline for your profile. I found that leaving everything else the same, I got different responses by playing around with these seemingly minor profile components.

Lies. Both men and women lie on their profiles. I read a research article in the New York Times about a study of social networking and online dating websites. It said that men lie about their height and age, while women lie about their weight. Being the naive and trusting person that I am, when I first started participating in online dating (again) a year ago, I was surprised how many younger men were corresponding with me. Eventually, I found out they weren't younger at all; they were just lying about their ages. One guy I dated even lied about his astrological sign. Now I study the photos and don't pay any attention to the listed age. A hint to the guys: if the woman has big '80s hair in her profile photo, it's most likely a photo from the '80s.

Chemistry. What is that little sparkle that you see in one person's eyes but not in another's? Chemistry goes beyond the physical and the intellectual, in my opinion, and into the primal realm. There is some hidden attraction that I feel for some men (or women) but not others. It is inexplicable but real. Unfortunately, online chemistry doesn't always translate to in-person chemistry.

Compatibility. Chemistry may get you into bed with someone, but for anything more than a few dates, a basic compatibility in lifestyles is necessary. Being an old hippie, I try to be accepting of others-- regardless of their social class, education, religion, race, sexual orientation, or ice cream flavor, BUT accepting them for who they are doesn't mean I want to have an intimate relationship with them.

Alternative Lifestyles. For years, social conservatives have been wringing their hands about gay marriage and trying to demonize gays and Lesbians and separate them from the mainstream as "different from us". Well, I'm here to tell the Bible-thumpers in Kansas that there are LOTS of other lifestyles that are "different" from yours! I was married for 18 years, so I figured I had some things to learn about dating when I emerged back on the scene, but I had no idea there were so many combinations of relationships out there.

Emotional Unavailability. This is a concept that I have experienced many times in my dating life but didn't have a label for until recently. During the past year, I've met (online and in person) a number of men who are available to just about anyone physically but emotionally available to no one. By the time one reaches my age, you know many people -- both men and women-- who have had unhappy relationships and/or marriages that have taken psychological tolls on them, leaving them very wary of involvement. It is my hope that these people continue to grow past their hurt.

Be Realistic and Be Yourself. Often people jump into relationships with the first person who pays attention to them, they latch onto that person, and they pretend they are someone else to gain acceptance. Not a good idea. One of the most important lessons I have learned is to be myself. I accept myself and my body, and I believe I project this self-confidence. I don't hide my true self, and I hope the people whom I meet are not hiding their true selves either.

The Four Agreements. This is a great book, and I think the basic agreements are helpful in developing any type of relationship: be true to your word; don't take anything personally; assume nothing; and always do your best.