Words and Photographs

a pretty ridiculous friday

2009-05-16T10:09:00.001-07:00

The day had started off well considering all the stress ive been under. I went to school on time, checked out a potential space to move into, and had a nice lunch at Famima. But as i drove to pick the children up for a fun day of swimming, something seriously changed. While i went to sign the 3yr old out of preschool i was robbed. My car door opened and my ipod, purse and wallet stolen.

At first i couldnt believe it. I stood there looking around expecting to still see the thief running away. A beautiful day ruined by some petty theft. (the only cash i had was a measly 7 dollars) In front of an elementary school someone had the nerve to steal from a beat up old saturn with a child's seat in the back...like...really? There are children everywhere. Its a small neighborhood. Broad daylight.

Disgusting. People disgust me and while i suffered no major loses (as my ipod was circa 2003 anyways and pretty broken at times) im hoping these people will understand that what they did was small and inconsequential to my life. Of course at first i was upset...but no serious items were taken and it just felt more personal as my ties to my things were purely emotional.

The first thing people seem to say in these situations is that "karma" will come back around to them. Or "things happen for a reason". While ive tried to accept these terms over the years i just feel as though these cliches are simply not the case. I did nothing in the past month to have deserved this to happen to me. So wheres my good karma? Why do good people get cancer? Why do people die in car crashes? i suppose its simply the unknown that causes this stuff to happen. I cant write it away that these people will chronically have "bad karma". But i will come to the conclusion that they will probably eventually go to prison at some point in their lives. None of this will be resulting from them stealing my purse.

Ive had to just realize that ive made more than enough money this week to replace everything ive lost...so those people can have my 7 bucks, dinners on me tonight losers. Its too bad they gave me the excuse to go buy a nice new ipod touch and my weekend can only get better from here since i have reason to celebrate tonight with bike rides, drinks, and the best friends that anyone could ever ask for.

its about time.

2009-05-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

Wow. So here i am, reading my last posts and realizing that it has been almost 10 months since i last wrote anything simply for fun. I went away to AEI. I lived on and off a bus for 3 months. I slept outdoors every night, i was lucky to get a shower, and i experienced true, untampered, and sober life. I broke my veganism (as it was very cold in the sierra nevadas and i lacked body heat) and learned that it was okay to live life in moderation. A "choosetarian" as one of my classmates had said. Im still vegetarian, i couldn't bring myself to bridge that one.

The whole experience was absolutely amazing. We began in the Sierra Nevadas amongst the giant redwoods and sequoias and worked our way down into Mexico. We worked and presented at the annual BIONEERS environmental festival in San Rafael and volunteered our time on organic farms. I spent a couple weeks in San Francisco during our break and did an amazing internship at rainforest action network where i learned all about the ways in which a non profit organization works. In mexico we spoke spanish, ate beans and rice...a lot, and backpacked through the Arroyo Grandes. I cant really fully describe how much i learned about myself and the natural world. I connected. Come late December upon my return I felt a little weird that it was almost christmas.

Many didnt understand my distance. I felt odd...i had been cut off from the world for a while. I was awkward. My structured days were now loose and open. I began riding again, and fell back into a good group of people that i had barely gotten to know before leaving.

Fully adjusted and motivated on life, i have been loving the norms of public community college. SMC is amazing, and im grateful to be living and working in west la again. Ive got great friends now, who really appreciate me, and i love when things work out.

Looking towards the near future...

-having my own space to live in? since ive been couch surfing now for 4 months.

-learning film photography

-finishing my general education and transferring to a Cal State.

-saving up the $$$

so happy to be back with my family.

ahgg

2008-08-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

Things have been quite hectic lately. Ive been reading a lot, working on my school stuff, and trying to get as much time as i can with my friends before i leave. I hadn't ridden my bike in days just because i hate riding in the south bay. People just dont know how to drive around bikers here, so i try to avoid it. Plus there are a lot of hills..and no one to ride with. Luckily Zac came up today and we rode to Sand Dune park. It was nice to sit somewhere with trees and grass.. I even make a piece of art. I definitely copied an idea of Andy Goldsworthy's..but i thought it was pretty cool.

This friday Pineapple Express comes out in theatres...and CRANK mob is on Saturday!! Sounds like a weekend of perfection to me. Thats all for now, i have things to read and work to do.

This Weekend..

2008-07-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

So i ended up sorting things out with my mother..and it turns out there is enough money for my first semester at AEI...whether or not i'll be able to continue with other semesters and graduate is an issue of how much I am willing to work for scholarships and grants...

i love my best friend and our tardness.

Yesterday i ventured down to the OC for last nights Critical Mass in Costa Mesa which included riding to the premier of the Council of Doom's movie... As some of you may or may not know these boys have been picked up by RVCA and are now on their way towards getting some much needed notoriety by the biking community for their accomplishments in trick riding. The video was more impressive than i expected..and i had a great time.

Before it was shown there was a trick riding competition...these are some of the pictures i accumulated...

It was a great night with good vibes and great spirits. I love the biking community..and im certainly going to miss it when i leave for school on sept 1. Tonight is my good friends moving out partyyy and im beyond stoked. :D

2008-07-24T01:26:00.000-07:00

It started off as a fine day...i pulled myself out of that miserable feeling i was having. I read my book, i researched scholarships, and i did what i needed to do. One day at a time you know? So why is it that when i try my hardest i am let down the most? Why are people turning their backs on me?

I am alone. And unless i want to feel completely guilty for the rest of my life...im not going to aei. I dont need to be treated like that..This was supposed to be my future..but i dont want it if im going to be constantly reminded of what a burden i am.

I will leave soon. Its easy enough to find jobs.. It's obvious how unhappy i am here, and the system requires that i pay 80000 dollars to learn, so why? Why do i try hard to be a good person, a smart person, a caring compassionate person...when i just get shit on by those i love the most.

I must be weak. Perhaps i bring it all upon myself. Im running away..and im taking harrington with me. Theres nothing keeping me here.

So much to do...so little time.

2008-07-21T23:53:00.000-07:00

These past two weekends have been so very good to me at this point in my life. But now I'm snapping back into reality and realizing I've been doing a little too much of everything and not enough preparation for school. The month of July is coming to a close and I have some serious matters to take care of before departing to the great North West.

Of course being the awesome person I am, I completely forgot to bring my camera to this weekends CRANK MOB. It was amazing nonetheless...even with Zac busting a tube we were able to catch up with the group for a crazy gathering at a VONS. There were fireworks, music and a gas mask dry bong? My friend was amazed we weren't being handcuffed and escorted off the premises. No sir, we are a mob, fear us.

^^Zac and I lurkin on afroman.

Im at a loss of words right now with school tuitions, grant essays, and student loans completely saturating my mind. I need to read two books and write essays on each before sept 3. This is on top of the other mandatory thing I must do before embarking to AEI. So that is all for now. Ill leave you with a picture of some of my new found friends that i had over for a little gathering recently..

Why This?

2008-07-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

It comes up often in conversation...Why the environment? You can't save the world..It won't be in your life time anyways..so why even care? I suppose people do what I do because they have yet to lose hope in how things could be. We (humans) have come such a far way and yet haven't begun to switch into the next technological revolution. We are stuck in outdated forms of production although evidence clearly shows the detrimental affect of these processes. But of course people continue to choose monetary status over living, breathing and thinking organisms. We are a miracle planet that was able to evolve into beautiful ecosystems all depending on one another for survival...

I believe environmentalists know that our information is spreading. We continue to learn and teach others of what they can do to positively impact the earth. In this way i feel content knowing that im dedicating my life to the solution of a world that will need help. Enough of us exist so that when things DO begin to go badly on earth they'll know who to turn to. Hopefully by then it won't be too late..

I'm tired of the apathy i've experienced in my generation.. No one asks questions anymore. The "news" media tells us what we need to know and we take it for truth..even though corporations own more than 50% of all of it.. If you haven't checked out the documentary "The Weather Underground" please do so. It basically talks about a whole movement of people in the 70's who actually tried to change what our country was doing. The people involved were all smart, educated college kids who didn't believe war was the answer for Vietnam. You definitely won't ever hear about it in school but they worked along side the black panthers and other revolutionary groups of that time.

I'm helping with getting the word out for a movie called Battle in Seattle and i must say it was completely gripping. A perfect piece of yesteryear (1999) that won't ever make it into history books. It was a true demonstration of the peoples' right to assemble and freedom of thought and speech. Sadly, it is also a reminder of what a tight grip our government keeps us in. Your freedom is given to you in small increments so long as it doesn't cross someone with fiscal power.

Go see it in september. You wont be disappointed.

A life without animal products.

2008-07-08T10:17:00.001-07:00

Could you kill an animal with your bare hands?

Being vegan is a lifestyle I have done extensive research about. Most simply believe vegans do it all for the animals, but there are also a ton of health and environmental aspects as to why I choose to eat and live this way. This entry is simply to provide knowledge to those who don't quite understand the benefits of not eating or using products made with animal and want to learn more.

As with rising population, there has been a vast increase in meat consumption. So much to the point that MOST factory farms keep their livestock in terrible conditions, in order to save money. I would like to make it clear that i am NOT against eating animals..in the most natural of ways. Yes, we were blessed with a mind..that can hunt just like any other animal. I understand survival of the fittest, but we as humans have completely turned this into a process not of providing food to people but of economic gain.

Meat: Is it surprising that those in charge wouldn't think twice to spray their unhealthy "product" with a type of antibiotic in order to have a higher output? These antibiotics seep through their tough skin and disperse throughout their muscles. Is it irrational to think that these "seemingly harmless" chemicals are probably not good for us to consume? Do the people in charge of these million dollar operations really care about the health of people eating at low cost? These are all questions you must ask yourself when you go somewhere and buy a cheeseburger. You have no idea what was administered to that animal while it was being raised. It is completely logical for me to assume that an animal that was sick while alive would most likely produce a sickly meat filled with antibiotics and growth hormones...as cancer rates climb the charts..i can only assume the causes.

Dairy: Hormones, enslavement, and again...unhealthy conditions for the animals. The conditions in which these animals are raised does in fact affect their ending "product". We are constantly bombarded with GOT MILK commercials with celebrities endorsing how great it is for your body but in reality it is quite the opposite. We are the only mammals that continue to drink milk well into our adulthood, and we've always just assumed it's good for us. Cancers, allergies, stomach ailments, etc have all been found to be caused by milk. If you really stop to think about it, it is a liquid very much like human breast milk that a small cow discontinues to drink when it has gotten its fill of nutrients from it. We should follow suit and not consume a product that isn't even meant for our species. If you don't believe me check out www.notmilk.com to see all the different things milk does to your body. The actual calcium it gives is hardly worth all the production the milk industry has created. Again, this animals natural ability to provide milk for its young has been turned into a commodity coming to a shelf near you. These people (millionaires) DON'T care about your health. So please don't kid yourself.

Options?

The substitutes are endless. For meat there are tons of different textures of soy, tempeh, tofu, rice, grain, and wheat "meats". These things are not only extremely healthy but can be seasoned any way you desire. They last longer in the refrigerator and are much easier for your body to digest. For milk? Soy, rice, hemp, almond? All things that can be turned into a "milk" like substance. Great for cereal, tea's, and baking.

Environmentally: Since everyone has recently gotten completely hyped up on this "green" revolution you must stop to consider your eating habits. Billions of gallons of water alone are given to these animals to keep them alive in such numbers. In a system where water will one day not exist..it is very important for us to cut back our consumption of animal products. Not only that but land and grazing room will become a problem as population continues to rise exponentially.

Biblical references: "Then God said," I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it, they will be yours for food" Yes, Adam and Eve were in fact vegans. There are also a multitude of other vegan references through out the bible so if youre one of those who believe "god gave us animals to eat"...wrong. God made animals so that they may feed on one another as the natural order allows.

All in all...we have minds. Complex, problem solving, creative minds, that have so far created all different types of substitutes for animal products. We have come so far and yet our mindsets are holding us back from a new progression. All i can say, if this entry has not spoken to you in any way..is to continue to ask questions. Research! Find out what you put in your body and where it comes from. Opt for a veggie meal over a meat item a couple times a week. You'll be amazed how much better you begin to feel with less meat and dairy in your life. You make a positive impact on the earth and support an animals right to live just as we do. Even eating an animal-less meal a couple times a week lowers demand. Every single person makes a difference. Just because we have the ability to trap and control these animals destiny is even more the reason why we shouldn't. Animals are living beings with personality and thought processes. Any pet owner realizes that their animal recognizes them, can feel happiness as well as pain and abuse. They are not to be manipulated in such ways to make the highest profit. Being vegan is a complete boycott to these corporations because I understand that these people could care less about their customer, the average working people of america.

Watch this if you're still not convinced.

oh what a july 4th weekend...

2008-07-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

Things are still busy, and every day I usually have some sort of commitment to uphold too..Kind of hectic..but in the best way. So far ive spent a total of two nights sleeping at home since i moved in last monday. I've been spending the night at katrinas house as much as possible to save gas money and time driving between Redondo and the west side. I am completely exhausted and now i believe i might be getting sick. :/

Anyhow..July 4th was quite the event. I took Katrina and her friend Jeffrey down to san diego with me to visit a good friend, Endi. His band was playing a house show in some abandoned ranch style home. It was a night full of (mostly) good vibes, drinks, and seemingly nice people. Of course, being the nice area it was, the cops were already called at 10pm. It was a bust but since Endi's band had already played we decided to continue on to Denny's for some much needed hashbrowns. mmm...

www.myspace.com/hficlsi

Saturday we awoke about 2 minutes from the border in some Express Hotel in deep southern california. We missed the continental breakfast but didnt hesitate to test out the remote pool before returning home.. The drive back seemed to take forever, especially with my co-pilots exhausted and falling asleep. I stopped by Redondo for a few minutes before coming back up to the west side to meet with Zac. He will be riding his bike and camping solo from San Francisco back down to Huntington Beach, where he's from. Im so proud to have a friend that wants to accomplish things like that, i miss him already. Anyways...

We spent yesterday riding to Griffith Park and the LA Zoo. Sadly, the zoo was a half hour from closing by the time we arrived. We then took the bus from there to downtown LA in search of a nearby Chipotle, in which we found. He continued on to Union Station and I began to ride down Olympic back towards the beach. My main intention had been to catch a bus half way being that I was exhausted from climbing the hills of hollywood. While riding, I realized most of the route would be flat, or down hill. So I hustled it all the way home.

After taking a much needed shower I was able to finally relax and watch some tv. My muscles are aching right now..but I still want to go ride my bike. Too bad I feel sickly..and I'm missing my internship today because I was too tired to get up this morning..boooo Justine..

As you are most likely tired of reading this I'll end on the note that I have been officially accepted into AEI and will be starting on the Southwest bus this coming September. I have always been confident that I would be, but it was so nice to get the email confirming all my wishes. :D Soo..I have a ton of camping supplies to get, it's only less than two months away until I will be far from LA and tucked into this natural bliss of a learning experience...

Yes please.

Last weekend of June..

2008-07-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been absolute madness. With way too much to do in too little time. I welcomed the challenge but had no concept of how much work it would entail. On friday night i went on a venice critical mass ride and met up with some new people as well as familiar ones. We rode around and stopped to play soccer. At some point i fell off my bike due to a groove in the cement and my inability to get my foot out of cages faster. From this fall i acquired whiplash in which i wasnt aware of until the next morning. haha this guy was my favorite..he didnt have a bike but he decided to come out anyways...

Saturday was a mellow day of packing and visiting a friend to see Wall E again. (saw it on imax at midnight on thursday) It was fun. Some bike riding, some good food..and later that night i ended up going on midnight ridazz, another ride ive been meaning to go on for a while. It was fun but with too many stops and no idea where to go. Cops frequently visited us and some got tickets.

The next day was full of more packing and then i went with Katrina to see Devendra Banhart at the Hollywood Bowl. Too many free new castles later..these are the pictures i accumulated.

Needless to say we had too much fun. We danced up and down aisles with all kinds of people. Gilberto Gil is also a new love of mine..It was the world festival apparently. So there were all different types of music. We then got back on the park and ride and it took us back to westwood. (good thing we werent driving) Then we went to swingers and ate delicious vegan foods. mmmmhmmmm

Yesterday was rough. I moved everything i owned out of my place and back down to my parents house. I hope i get into school in the fall...otherwise ill go crazy staying in the south bay. Here are some other pictures I took this past week. Im still getting used to taking photos manually rather than auto..I think Im getting better?

Nothing special. I love Santa Monica and I'm really going to miss living there..and Joey the fat neighborhood cat.

Times Flying...

2008-06-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

I got all my application things in by the 16th and now im just awaiting a response from AEI. I hope they respond soon and that i know whether im going this fall or not. Ive been packing a lot and getting ready to move from santa monica back in with my parents. Im pretty bummed about it. On the good side ill be closer to a couple of friends..bad side...im back in my parents house.
I really like helping Harold so far. They treat me like an adult and give me stuff to do. On my first day i got to watch the Battle in Seattle movie...and can i say it left me speechless? It was so good. Especially after watching a documentary with real film clips from the WTO Protests. Anyways..it comes out this september..and i would recommend you see it and learn what the "man" is capable of doing to those who stand up against them.
This last weekend after quarreling with a friend, i tried to take my mind off of things by riding me new bike and hanging with other people. Im really going to miss the westside but i know its whats best for me right now.. I took a couple pictures and my friend Michael was nice enough to teach me how to use my camera. haha

on a sunday afternoon venice was beyong crowded. People are amazed by the different graffiti, shops, and the colorful array of venice beach locals...i also went on a ride with Bobby in which a couple more pictures ensued.

i love my new bike. Its perfect for me.

thats all for now. this weekend should be a blast and ill be posting my adventures at this months LACM. So excited to see the warm summer night turn out.

Change of Plans

2008-06-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the month I thought id be looking for a place up here to stay until the end of next fall. Now it seems as though next fall Ill be on a bus treking through the wilderness and learning all there is to know. I began calling monday morning to ask whether AEI was still taking applicants for the fall semester. I left a message with my number. I waited a day, then decided to email her. I figured what would it hurt...Today she calls. And they have decided to make an exception and take my application. Im so excited..I can't hardly stand it.

It was a good thing i got called out of work today. The kids were sick and the mother was going to take them to the doctor. Today I did productive things to make sure all my ducks are in a row come end of June. Moving back in with my parents..but I'm not bummed on it. Ill still be in Santa Monica a lot.

I start my internship with Mr Linde tomorrow. I'm anxious. To think all of this is leading up to what i want to do with my life..finally: purpose, motivation, and stride.

This also means i get more time with my Harrington before I leave for school. Today he was in a very curious mood and kept sitting in the oddest of places. I decided to take note of them. Im not obsessed with him... hahaha

i loooves him. :D
this one is pretty short..but im pretty busy right now.
ill write more later.

Schools Out for the Summer.

2008-06-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

So my meeting with Mr. Linde went amazingly well. He is truly a visionary and has offered to fill out a recommendation form for my application to AEI. This was on top of the fact that i will be interning part time with treemedia this summer to help bring out the movie Battle in Seattle. Its a movie about the 1990 WTO Protests in Seattle. There are some big actors in it and itll be really interesting to see, since im sure hardly anyone knows it even happened.

We also got to talking about AEI and how i should apply and go this fall. He just stopped me mid sentence and was like...how do you know they won't accept late applicants? So now that school is out im already starting my essays and giving myself until the end of next week to finish them and send them off so i can get an interview. I am very excited about this change in events and i think it really is for the best that i get started rather than wait until next spring.

Soo..im pretty stoked and excited for this to happen sooner.

Other things happened this weekend. I went to my friends birthday party and got down with my girls katrina and roxanne. Then saw wicked on sunday and that was pretty awesome too.

No pictures this weekend...but im going to start taking more and doing more since school is finally out for the summer. woooo!

06/07/2008

2008-06-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a pretty uneventful day. I woke up, hung out, picked up my paycheck, went to the bank, grocery shopped, and came home. I took some pictures of a tree outside my house because these purple trees have started to bloom all over santa monica..theyre my favorite. I also saw the type of car i want to one day own and run off veggie oil. :]

At around 5 i went to meet with a new client. He

was 2 yrs old and his name was Tommy. After only 20 min of crying he pulled himself together and we played all night. It was so interesting watching a kid so much more intelligent than the ones i usually care for.. They dont seem to have tv in this house and i think that really has something to do with it. The parents actually play with him and so..he is smart.

I am completely disappointed with parents these days because i see so many that aren't pushing their children to learn. It makes me so happy to see that there are couples out there who have the right idea on how to improve their child's mind. Of course i told th

em all of this when they got home. I showed them the pictures and they seemed really happy.

Today im going to meet with Harolde Linde, head of Treemedia, about a summer internship. He's going to be a key part of this next year. He is an alumni from the school i plan on going to this spring. A recommendation from him is as good as gold. Were meeting for tea to talk about the responsibilities of interning with him and also to hear some awesome stories about schooling at AEI.

Here to New Beginnings/LACM

2008-06-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

I've decided to begin writing one of these since the next couple years will be monumental in the molding of what I ultimately achieve in life. This is my easiest way to reach many of you without needing to constantly fill family and friends in with details. I want to be LIVING as much as possible. I want to be very busy and accomplish what i've begun. My current goals of the summer include:

Finish Applications to AEI (get references, work on scholarships)
Take a photo diary of what i do and learn how to use my camera to its' full capability
Build my own bike
Keep this blog updated
Meet many people

I recently went to Los Angeles Critical Mass and had an amazing time. Everyone there was extremely warm and friendly. I think thats what i find most endearing about the biking community. There is a level of understanding thats just automatically accomplished without needing to talk. There is a common desire to ride bikes rather than drive...and these are my kind of people. Those who LIVE their life, exercise and care about things outside themselves are who i want to be surrounded by. This was my first event with this camera. It's obvious i have a lot to learn, and im confident i will.