Sinead O'Connor: No One Compares To Her

Photo Credit: Bryan Ledgard https://www.flickr.com/photos/ledgard/14828633401/  (License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en)

Sinead O'Connor was truly a badass. She was only 25 years old when she tore up a picture of Pope John Paull II on live television. She was the musical guest on SNL on October 3, 1992 and I was watching the show live. I was 28 years old and didn't understand what "Fight the Real Enemy" or tearing up the picture meant at the time. 

It was nearly a decade later that the Spotlight team from The Boston Globe published their earth-shattering investigative report that uncovered years of child abuse and child rape by perverted pedophile priests. Catholic priests. Then, we all understood what Sinead was trying to tell us. 

The abuse had been hidden, covered up, ignored, and condoned for many years by the powerful Catholic church, including Pope John Paul II - the one whose picture was shredded on live TV. She knew back then of the abuse and she sacrificed herself and her career to try to educate us and give voice to the helpless victims. She was a badass. 

After Sinead's SNL performance, the backlash and personal attacks were fast and severe. She was condemned by Madonna and Phil Hartman. Lorne Michaels banned her from ever coming on SNL again. The National Coalition of Organizations concocted a publicity stunt by renting a bulldozer to crush all her records in Times Square. And Joe Pesci  appeared on SNL a week later with a taped up photo of Pope John Paul II and he got whoops and loud applause from the audience when he said he would have smacked Sinead O'Connor if he had been there when she tore up the picture. I don't ever recall any of these people apologizing to her once the truth was revealed. I don't recall any of them condemning the Catholic Church abuse either. 

For anyone who has been paying attention to Sinead's life, we know she died with dignity and poise. Her actions throughout her life showed us who she was: She shaved her head at the age of 20 to defy music executives who told her to be more feminine. She refused 4 grammy nominations and an MTV video award because she wanted to use her music to do good, not earn her material milestones. She openly talked about her childhood abuse and her mental illness, hoping it would help herself and others. She tore up Pope John Paul II's picture to protest years of sexual abuse and to give voice to the helpless child victims.  

Sinead O'Connor died on July 26, 2023 at the age of 56. 

She was truly a badass. 

Peace Be With Her.

 

Sources: 

https://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/niallodowd/sinead-oconnor-pope-picture

https://www.irishcentral.com/news/irishvoice/boston-globes-journalist-spotlight-crimes-catholic-church

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/sinead-oconnor-pope-saturday-night-live/

https://nypost.com/2023/07/31/joe-pesci-said-he-would-smack-sinead-oconnor-for-pope-snl-stunt/

https://ew.com/music/sinead-oconnor-pope-photo-snl/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8577740.stm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_abuse_scandal_in_the_Roman_Catholic_Archdiocese_of_Boston

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin%C3%A9ad_O%27Connor

Qi Gong (Pronounced Chi Gong)

 I saw an ad for a 5-day free trial for something called Qi Gong. It said it would "clear stress instantly" it "mirrors the movements of nature" and it is a "calm, gentle, flowing" energy work. I was lured in, I signed up, and I'm 100% hooked. 

I completed the 5-day trial via Zoom classes, along with hundreds of other people. The instructor's name was Lee and he has been practicing and teaching Qi Gong for years. The movements were easy and calm and gentle, just like he promised. 

After each class, I felt stronger. I also felt happy, creative, grounded, relaxed, and hopeful for an amazing future. It gave me clarity and it made me want to be more active, more successful, more happy, and more calm. It energized me. 

I have been practicing Qi Gong for about 6 weeks now, and I cannot live without it. I signed up for a monthly membership, so there are live classes 3 times a week and many video taped classes on the website that I can use anytime. Before each live class, Lee is kind enough to allow 30 minutes of questions that he answers in the most thoughtful, kind, gentle, non-judgemental way. He is simply the best and I wish I had found him years ago.

I do Qi Gong every day now. Sometimes for only 7 minutes, if I'm in a hurry, and sometimes for 30 minutes or an hour. It helps me release the stress and tension, makes me more confident, more happy, more of everything I want to be. I can feel the energy physically flowing through my whole body every time. Breath is energy and the simple act of being mindful of your breath brings instant calmness.

Here is the link to the site and instructor I use. But, there are many videos online that are free, so everyone can benefit. https://www.holdenqigong.com/ 

He also has a YouTube channel where you can learn and practice for FREE: https://www.youtube.com/@HoldenQiGong

P.S. I have no vested interest in anyone joining Holden Qi Gong and I am getting no benefits (monetary or otherwise) from talking about him or the Qi Gong. I just want everyone to feel better and experience the benefits.

Citi Bike Dispute - Racist or Not?

While none of us have to look very far to find racism, we also have to be careful not to call every dispute between a white person and a black person racist. The latest headlines are about a white female who argued with a black male over a Citi Bike. 

He said he paid for it; she said she paid for it. 

They both argued, they both held onto the bike and refused to let go. She was 6 months pregnant, she yelled for help, she began to cry, then she let go of the bike and purchased another one. 

Now she's being called a racist Karen. What? Why? Because she's white and he's black? Now she's being threatened and placed on leave from her job. The media is knocking at her door, people are making threats, the media is interviewing her neighbors, etc, etc.

Turns out, her lawyer says she has the receipt for the bike. She says she did indeed pay for it. She also has the receipt for the 2nd bike she rented, because she couldn't use the 1st one. 

Not every disagreement in society is racist or hateful or devious or misogynist. It is simply a disagreement, a misunderstanding, a mistake.

Would this story be in the news if the teen was white? 

Probably not. 

Donna Summer

Donna Summer 1977, Source:Wikimedia Commons

 I watched a movie yesterday that had a Donna Summer song in it. It reminded me of how much I loved her when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s. 

I loved the "Queen of Disco" because she grew up in the Mission Hill section of Boston - about 20 minutes from me. She was from a working class family like mine. It made me feel like I knew her and I always thought I might run into her walking down the street. (I never did). 

She was cool and confident and beautiful. My favorite songs were Last Dance, Hot Stuff, and Bad Girls. Love to Love You Baby was cool and sexy - maybe too sexy for me at the time. 

One song that played on MTV all the time was called She Works Hard for the Money. It was about a real working woman Donna Summer met in the bathroom at a Grammy Awards party in Hollywood. Only rich, famous people attended the party and when Summer went into the bathroom, she saw a woman who was working as a washroom attendant sitting in the corner, sleeping. The woman said she was exhausted from working long hours, trying to make a living. And Summer thought this woman sure works hard for the money. She wrote that line down and made it into a song. The woman's name was Onetta Johnson and there is a line in the song attributed to her that goes "Onetta there in the corner stand, wondering where she is, and it's strange to her, some people seem to have everything." 

Donna Summer even had Onetta pose with her for a picture for the back of the album cover. If you pull up the album, "She Works Hard for the Money" you'll see a picture of Onetta Johnson and Donna Summer dressed as waitresses and smiling. 

The video on MTV for She Works Hard for the Money told the story of a single mother of two kids who scrubbed floors, waited tables, and worked in a factory to make ends meet. She'd walk home at the end of the day carrying her groceries, then she'd cook supper for her kids and go bed - dreaming about a better life, but never figuring out how to escape the rat race. 

It was a poignant video that told the story of the plight of working class people who can never get ahead.  And it was thanks to Onetta that the song even existed. That video still rings true today for the struggling working class. Sad and true. 

She died May 17, 2012 from lung cancer. She was only 63. 

She really was something. 

Donna Summer 1980, Source: Wikimedia Commons

His Name was Jordan Neely

Jordan Neely was only 30 years old. He was homeless, black, suffered from mental illness. And he was hungry. We know he was hungry because he told us he was. 

I can't believe no one on that subway had a piece of candy, a granola bar, a banana, or even a roll of Lifesavers to offer Jordan. He was hungry. Did anyone offer him food?

What they did offer was their muscle. Three men. Two white and one black. One of the men put him in a chokehold while the other two men held him down and kept him in that chokehold. They did this until he stopped moving and stopped living.

Now the media is describing Jordan as "disturbed", "homeless", "erratic", saying he "yelled" and "threw garbage at commuters".  And while I understand commuters were probably frightened by his behavior, all these descriptions point to a man who needed help. 

A civilized society would have done something - despite being afraid of Jordan's behavior - to help him.

Jordan Neely did not deserve to die such an untimely and undignified death. 

He just needed some help.  

Source:  aol news story

Another Mystery Balloon Sighting

Since last week, another mysterious balloon has been floating over the U.S. and nobody knows where it came from or what it wants. 

The U.S Military, the National Security Council, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Pacific Air Forces, the Pentagon, and three F22 fighter planes are watching it and tracking it and watching it some more. 

Reports say nothing "sensitive" is at risk and it seems to be slowly moving toward Mexico. 

I think it's either aliens from another planet or a balloon full of clickers from The Last of Us. 

I think I'd rather fight clickers than aliens. 

  Source:  NBC news

PAX East '23

My amazing son is in town from LA and was kind enough to let me tag along with him to this year's PAX East Video Game Exhibition in Boston. It is now turning into a bit of a family tradition for PAX to be a family event. He brought me along this year and last year and he is already planning for next year - complete with a luxury hotel and all the bells and whistles that go with it. 

There is so much to see and the Expo floor is an endless thunder of lights, electricity, games, novelties, and  food trucks. Seeing the camera operators and the amount of wires and equipment that go into setting everything up is impressive. Besides all the amazing new games and gear the creators are excited to share, the people who attend PAX is the most intriguing to me. Throngs of people from a wide array of backgrounds, lifestyles, and social settings - ranging from parents with children to retired adults - suddenly become one big entity with one common interest: gaming. And there is never any fighting, bullying, pushing, or taunting. Everyone accepts everyone. Come.As.You.Are and Be.Who.You.Are. Truly rare and truly beautiful. 💖

People working the booths are willing to share their games and show you how to play and offer you a deck of cards or a game controller so you can try it out and hopefully love their game enough to buy it. Their sales pitches are never pushy or aggressive, but friendly and hopeful and they are just happy that you stopped to chat. 

I saw a community building game called the Wandering Village where the object is to build a sustainable community of people while traveling on the back of a dinosaur who randomly stands up and walks around - making you scurry to sustain your village in the new environment you've been moved to. Fun and Funny and the kind of game that makes you think and plan and take care of people you're in charge of. Inspiring.

The Wandering Village

I saw a hand-crafted pop-up board game called The Shivers that was eerie and beautiful and full of mystery. It is a storytelling adventure game that is brand new to the gaming market.

The Shivers

I saw PAC Man Tournament live and happening in real time with computer screens that took up a whole wall and camera boom that (I'm pretty sure) was at least 100 feet long. 

PacMan Tournament

Players and audience

PacMan Players on Stage

Players and Moderator

Players on stage

Giant camera Boom

 

 

In addition to games for entertainment and excitement, I met a company called Geek Therapeutics whose innovative games are entertaining and therapeutic as they aim to help people help themselves through a variety of life's obstacles and experiences. This is the only game I bought at PAX and it is a deck of cards that asks questions that are thought provoking and guide you on a journey of introspection into who you are and how to de-stress in a stressful world. I'm looking forward to getting started with it. In addition to buying their game, they gave me a free pin and a free velvet drawstring pouch of hand-crafted dice. So cool.

Geek Therapy Card Deck

And ... LASTLY ... super exciting was The Last of Us display with Ellie playing guitar and a Clicker sneaking up behind her. Our family has been fans of TLOU since the game first came out years ago. We remember when it was announced back in 2011 and anxiously waited for its release in 2013. We've been playing it ever since and - Holy Shit: Dream Come True - the series that just came out on HBO is a family favorite so it was super exciting to see them represented at PAX this year. 

The Last of Us - Watch out Ellie!

The Last of Us - Ellie! BEHIND YOU!

See you next year PAX!

His Name Was Tyre Nichols

Again we find ourselves horrified as we watch fuzzy, blurry, hard-to-follow video of angry men wearing badges, carrying guns, beating a black man to death. It happened in the middle of the street. And the police were so comfortable in their actions that they didn't care that they were being videotaped with their own body cams. They were in their element. They were casual. They were focused. They were like animals. And they were in it together.

After they punched, kicked, tazed, pepper sprayed and taunted Tyre, they dragged him to the police car and propped him up. Then they stood around laughing, joking, ignoring the dying man. It was five officers who beat him, but there were many more just milling around ... all of them ignoring the now silent, injured, dying Tyre Nichols. All of them were accessories to this crime for not intervening, for not helping, for not once saying "Stop" to their fellow officers. Each time Tyre slumped over, officers roughly pushed him back up to a sitting position and talked to him like he was worthless and not deserving of any kindness or consideration. He was nothing to them. 

And were those EMTs or paramedics who came and looked at Tyre, but did nothing to help him? They did nothing. They just stood and added to the crowd of uniformed men standing around. Milling around. They reminded me of the paramedics who came to Eric Garner's aid after he was left barely conscious and barely breathing on a New York city sidewalk after his encounter with police. Those paramedics/EMTs/whatever title they claim also did nothing for Eric and I always wondered why they weren't charged with dereliction of duty or negligence or malpractice or something? Anything.

What was uncommon about this story is that all the officers were black. What was also uncommon is that the officers were immediately fired, arrested, and charged with murder. Why were they charged so quickly? Was it because the officers are black? I say yes. That is exactly why.

I just watched an interview with Tyre's mother. Her poise, her strength, her gentleness, and her ability to pray for the officers who murdered her son is stunning to me. I am embarrassed to say that I would not be capable of that level of grace if this was my son. Listening to her talk speaks volumes to the kind of son she raised. By showing us who she is, she let us know who Tyre was ... a gentle soul, just like her.    

Words of Wisdom from a 27-year-old

 

 "When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace."    Jimi Hendrix

 

 

 

Homeless in Winter

Now that New England is cold, cold, cold, it makes the stark reality of homelessness even more upsetting. Whether it is raining or snowing or windy, homeless people are out flying their signs, trying to survive, trying to help themselves, trying to get food.

I see them up close while I'm stopped at a red light, and I see no happiness on their faces. I see red, windburned cheeks and eyes that have seen a lot. And I notice that they don't make eye contact with anyone. Just glance around, but their eyes never connect with mine. 

Sometimes I give them money and sometimes I give them the lunch I packed for myself. And their gratefulness somehow humbles me. And makes me even more sad. 

I think about them when I am home and when I'm trying to sleep at night.  

Here is one way we can help: 

https://nationalhomeless.org/

Do Your Thing

 

Photo by Brett Jordan. http://x1brettstuff.blogspot.com/  

Tribute to Vincent Van Gogh

132 years ago, on this very day, Vincent Van Gogh died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 37 years old.

This amazing Dutch artist created thousands of works that were only recognized as masterpieces after his death.

His short life was troubled. He suffered from depression and loneliness and fear of rejection. His odd behaviors drove people away, making his life even more desperate and sad. He is described as “mad” and was prone to hallucinations and disconnections from reality. He once severed part of his left ear with a razor following a disagreement with a friend.

He spent the year before his death locked up in a “sanitorium” in France but continued to paint the world around him as seen through his cell window and the facility grounds. He was released from the “hospital” in May 1890 – just 2 months before his suicide in July of the same year.

Some of the artworks created during his year of confinement are some of his finest and best known pieces. 

 

“The Irises” was inspired by the flowers Vincent saw in the asylum garden.

The Irises Attribution: Rawpixel, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

 

"Starry Night” was the view outside his cell window. This is also the painting that inspired Don McLean to write a tribute song called “Vincent”     Song Link:  https://youtu.be/oxHnRfhDmrk

Starry Night Attribution: Vincent van Gogh, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

 

And “Wheat Field with Crows” (which is thought to be the very last painting Van Gogh created before his death) was inspired by a wall-enclosed field of wheat on the facility grounds.

Wheat Field with Crows Attribution:  Vincent van Gogh, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

 

There is a Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam that opened in 1973 and brags the largest collection of Van Gogh artworks in the world.

Vincent would have been so proud and perhaps less sad and lonely if only he had known how loved and cherished he and his works would someday be.

 

Sources:

Vincent Van Gogh Wikipedia

Van Gogh Museum Wikipedia

Vincent (Don McLean song) Wikipedia

Don't Judge People By Their Looks

Here's the story of a young man who probably gets judged daily for his race, his accent, his tattoo, his piercings, his backwards ball cap, and his age.

A teenager from San Diego, California found a shopping cart with an abandoned purse in the parking lot of a local supermarket. He searched the purse, looked inside the wallet (which had cash and credit cards in it) and found the address. 

He drove there but the owner of the purse was not home, so he left it with her family. 

When the woman got home she was surprised and wanted to see who returned it. She watched the video of him on her ring doorbell.

What she saw was a young Hispanic teenager with pierced ears and a neck tattoo, wearing a backwards baseball cap. She was impressed by his honesty and wanted to know who he was, so she posted his image on social media.

Sure enough, someone identified him. His name is Adrian Rodriquez. He is 17 years old and just graduated from high school.

The woman took it a step further and created a GoFundMe page so she could reward him for his good deed.

She raised $17,000, met him in person, and gave him the money. The local media was there. The young man was shocked - he expected nothing for what he did. He was humble and soft-spoken and said he always wants to do the right thing, even when no one is around. 

A good reminder to judge people by who they are, not by how they look. 

Here's a link to this story on YouTube:

 https://youtu.be/-duMzWZmRZg

 

 

Vibrators Are Illegal

It is still illegal to own a vibrator in the state of Alabama. State senator Tom Butler, who was born in 1944, made it illegal in 1998 with a law called the Anti-Obscenity Enforcement Act. Butler is a Republican (of course) who also helped make abortion a crime with no exemptions for rape or incest in 2019. 

Perhaps Senator Butler got this idea from Sharia law, which also bans sex toys.