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Category Archives: Freedom of Expression

REDEMPTION SONGS MEDICINE @ THE 3,119,362 MILESTONE

Redemption is the art of redeeming or buying back.

When I think of redemption, on a pop cultural level, I think of Bob Marley‘s classic waiata (song) Redemption Songs. I do not share Bob’s religious views, yet his song I love. “Emancipate yourself from mental [ideological]  slavery” was this masterful poet/ songwriter’s heartening and universal message.

Whatever we lust unhealthily after, we are a slave mentally of it. Be it money (economic status), fame (a desire for recognition), sex (an illusion of love in a touch), these things can make us slaves if we are not in balance. That’s been my life experience to date.

Being more honest is also what I seek to be, at this point in my life. Part of my redemption involves people who care asking questions. Here’s some of those I got back to from friends when hitting Aotearoa New Zealand’s magnificent alluvial and minerals rich soil.

What is a blog?

Do you blog for attention? Read the rest of this entry »

 

SOME HOLLYWOOD LOCALS FEAR THAT MARK ZUCKERBERG IS INFORMATION COLLECTING FOR OTHERS

The best way to be is free. Don’t care. Write creative lives–(Horiwood on Facebook fears as a agency of world governments’ fears to ‘not know everything.)

Artwork today from the Hollywood hood as people question the user experience of Facebook communities and what is occurring within information going into this think tank of words [IP] networking [connect the dots linking mapping] and messages appearing at the sides of users Facebook pages.

And because this artist is drawing of all Hollywood’s attention to this fact (maybe true, maybe not) in this graffiti? post it art–let’s not even discuss what is occurring within the mobile telephony information sharing game either.

Mark and his buds could be totally innocent. This is just an artist’s impression and free expression. But you know, Wikileaks culture these days and all, it’s not hard to look innocent when leaking information. It’s all too easy. Just use a third party, right? In New Zealand, our peoples words, thoughts IP are viewed as cultural taonga that cannot be shared, sold etc by anyone. It’s written in law that our taonga remains with these people. I hope Facebook knows that? And were informed of this.

This artwork is a reminder that we must live our lives like their is no privacy. I’m fine with that. Are you?

This pic worth sharing today as inspiration to write exciting lives online and within states ‘wireless’ freedom. We’re so blessed here in the USA! China too with internet 3 x faster than what we have here in America.

The solution perhaps… is to spend more time on a blog, than Facebook, for this artist plastering this stuff all over telephone boxes. It’s totally spy culture paranoia. A common trend people are feeling more and more.

The trend rests on the premise, that no one wants to miss out on an invite to others fun. Governments are the worst for this. Invites are always more polite and better!  :)

I like to think that Mark did this poster himself, for a laugh. Now that is the best possible light to see it in.

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 4.5.11~

 

A MAORI LASSIE SINGING – ONE PHOTO – VIA BEVERLY HILLS TODAY – 4.4.11

 

Maori girls have been singing our songs of freedom for centuries in Aotearoa, New Zealand – long before Christopher Colombus put one Spanish slippered foot on American soil. Here’s one such Maori girl in action on the far left, continuing the spirit of these fine traditions and songs of freedom. :)

~Thank you H. Mauri ‘Ola. Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 4.4.11~

 

SCANNING DIVERSE NATION’S IP AND WORDS FROM BOOKS – GOOGLE’S DIGITAL LIBRARY HITS A HICCUP

This one for Google, my most used information sharing website company.

No matter where new ideas, new stories stem from writers in the world, we must never remove the incentive to block their payment and IP conveyed in their typed words in digital or print formats.–Freedom of expression 2010′s.

New ideas and new insights from writers help better preserve the planet, as well as sharing insights into better human rights, we may not have yet considered. Writers should always be paid for good ideas conveyed in their thoughts and typed words.

A federal judge in New York has allegedly derailed Google’s bold plan to build the world’s largest digital library and bookstore. With 15 million books [already] scanned, Google had gotten closer to the elusive goal than anyone else.

We wanted to “make the cultural and scientific heritage of humanity available, free of charge, to all. People feel energized,” said Robert Darnton, the director of the Harvard University Library, who recently praised Google’s Scan Every Single Book In The World Project and make it available free online, in an opinion article in The New York Times.

“This is an opportunity for those of us who care about creating a noncommercial public digital library to get on with it,” writes Michael Heft today.

__

The strange thing about scanning every nation’s books, is that the writers of these books don’t get paid in the process. It turns writers into slaves. It’s intelligent not to turn writer’s into slaves, because of the concept of ‘laborers are worthy of their fair hire.’ On a scientific level, yes it must be a disappointment. But all of the mouth pieces in this story, aren’t working for free. They get paid wages to say these things. If their wages were lost, like writer’s and independent voices royalty payments are lost in the ‘scientific’ collection of words, they wouldn’t be chirping this same tune.

What this means is that the public won’t get to view all books from all authors. From 15 million books already scanned, google is able to track digitally the highest trending key words, most people like the best. That’s a good experiment to date.

I am from a nation where our Indigenous writers thoughts are viewed as taonga that cannot be stolen without payment. IP is about having your own. Sharing it when you want to. Buying it fairly when needed – but most of all, not stifling new thought from writers by strangling the incentive for them to write new work and be rewarded for it.

Keeping in line with this principle, as I never paid the New York Times for use of writer Miguel Helft’s journalistic skills above, I trust that adding to Miguel’s thoughts in this post, and with a link to his story, offers some kind of sharing support back to this writer in payment of his words, time and thoughts. The photographers too.

Miguel notes, ‘The idea of scanning every book ever published captivated Larry Page, co-founder of Google, even before he started the company. In 2002, he set out to refute skeptics, who said the idea was unworkable. He set up a makeshift scanning device at Google to see how many books could be scanned in an hour.” 8 years later, 15 million books had been scanned.  Read the rest of this entry »

 

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD HAS CHINA-AUSSIE WRITER YANG HENGJUN ON THEIR MINDS

Chinese authorities have agreed (hopefully) to allow Australian diplomats to visit the Australian Chinese writer Yang Hengjun, despite China’s government, denying any knowledge of his case, according to close observers.

Writes John Garnaut in a story of Australia showing concerns for Australian citizens’ liberties when visiting China or being China based, “new details have emerged  of Yang’s  attempts to make contact with family and friends after his disappearance, thought to be at the hands of China’s security police, on Sunday.

It’s well known that Yang was fast enough to make one phone call, at 4.57pm, to a colleague warning that he was being followed, just before he disappeared in Guangzhou on Sunday afternoon.

But he also managed one more call to a relative after his disappearance, at midday on Monday.

”Relax, I’m chatting with old friends,” is all he said before  hanging up the phone.

That cryptic information may have been confusing to some but it made perfect sense to Dr Yang’s closest Chinese friends, who spend much of their lives negotiating boundaries with the Chinese security apparatus.”

To read an interesting story about writers freedoms, go here. Let’s hope this man is all good.

The writer concludes, “Lawyers and officials expect the Chinese government will have no choice but to follow the terms of the Australia-China consular agreement that allow access to him within three days. And that time would appear to expire tonight.”

There you have it! :)

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 3.29.11~

 

LADY GAGA TURNED 25 YESTERDAY

Stefani Germanotta aka Lady Gaga turned 25 yesterday. I forgot to do a post on that. Happy B’Day Lady Gaga.

The pop star celebrated her birthday by releasing the country version of her song, Born This Way. :)

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 3

 

THE TOP 10% OF THE USA, WANT MORE BLOOD – THE ART OF MILITARY RECRUITING VIA HISTORY RESEARCH AND COUNTING

When men and women give their lives for noble and just causes that are fair for the majority of people on earth, this is wisdom.

When men and women give their lives for an elite who revel like pigs in their own injustice, this is not wisdom or humane but stupidity. If one plays the numbers game.–Horiwood.Com

If a man or women holds three weapons at once in a photograph, as opposed to three cheques that have the power to fund three water bores in villages of people in the world who don’t yet have daily access to safe drinking water, is the person holding the weapons or the cheques prolonging life of good people–more the hero or not?

__

Here’s a story about ‘blood is thicker than water.’

We live in an era where people matter, if they’re dead. Count Von Dracula can count. It’s like a corpse economy as a currency of history’s ghosts. Like double indemnity, cashing in the blood of war’s martyrs to recruit for a new sense of renewed power refueling identity in the blood of democracy.

It’s like a muster. Unless we drink the blood of new people’s live on war’s battlefields we feel like we are losing our place in the world. Or, we have lost our way.  Read the rest of this entry »

 

RANDAL KLEISER ON SET OF “HONEY I BLEW UP THE KIDS” @ DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA – ECONOMY SNAP SHOT, DAVID KOCIENIEWSKI -3.26.11

Visual – On Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood CA 90069, you can step inside the Directors Guild of America HQ and see some of this nation’s finest directors, photographed on set of their biggest box office films. I always feel extremely calm, when I’m in this building. Lately, I’ve been going there a lot.

Today Words of Journalism to share are – “The current maldistribution of wealth is scandalous. In 2009, the richest 5 percent claimed 63.5 percent of the nation’s wealth.

This inequality, in which an enormous segment of the population struggles while the fortunate few ride the gravy train, is a world-class recipe for social unrest. Downward mobility is an ever-shortening fuse leading to profound consequences.

A stark example of the fundamental unfairness that is now so widespread was in The New York Times on Friday under the headline: “G.E.’s Strategies Let It Avoid Taxes Altogether.” Despite profits of $14.2 billion — $5.1 billion from its operations in the United States — General Electric did not have to pay any U.S. taxes last year.

As The Times’s David Kocieniewski reported, “Its extraordinary success is based on an aggressive strategy that mixes fierce lobbying for tax breaks and innovative accounting that enables it to concentrate its profits offshore.”–Bob Herbert is not finished talking about why 10% of America are killing 90% of America, willingly.

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 3.26.11~

 

ART – STRENGTH OF THE RE’EM

“God brought them out of Egypt; he has as it were the strength of the re’em”Moses

[Pic via HedWeb]

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood

 

POP WATCH AND US – 3.5.11 @ 5.15pm

Alec Baldwin is the latest actor to join Adam Shankman‘s Rock of Ages movie cast. Baldwin joins Tom Cruise and Julianne Hough in the casting line up. On a weekend, where the Middle East is on our minds, here’s ten things we’re looking at online via Horiwood.Com.

Peace!

1.

2. Who are we fooling? Brooke Fraser‘s song

3. NAACP Winners List 2011

4. Libya – A region in revolt – one picture

5. Only a star nose – Hollywood, a different view

6. Rewind – Lost Trust in the USA & Wikileaks scandals

7.  Indigenous Glee Club – the Maori way

8. Brooklyn Decker talks diet tips

9.  Kendra Wilkinson

10.

Alec Baldwin will play the role of Dennis Dupree in Shankman’s film–  an ex-rocker hanging onto his glory days while he runs the Rock of Ages nightclub. That’s funny!

In Islamabad, thousands honor Shabbaz Bhatti, yesterday, as depicted in this photo via The New York Times. Bhatti was the Pakistani murdered for being a Christian. I think of words of scholars (theologians) in this moment who believe that ‘Democracy always follows Christianity’ in world cultures and societies, in the main. Many people would disagree with that thought. Yet, Bhatti’s matyrdom is an indication of a man who did not have freedom of speech or freedom of expression.

Below – a pic of a shooting jet, flying across California skies in memory of Shabbaz Bhatti, perhaps, and all of the people lost too in earthquakes, Middle East revolutions in the world at this time. The photograph was taken in Hollywood, five minutes ago. There is a face depicted in the clouds. Luis, a friend whose also an artist and painter tells me, he thinks the face is of a man wearing a suit and looking down. My computer is too crap, to get a big enough clearer picture, of whose face it is. It could be a young faced Abe Lincoln, or it could be someone else. Peace!

“You were our precious gift of joy… a spark in the darkness… you warmed our hearts”–verbage via the New Zealand Herald for earthquake victims in Christchurch.

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 3.5.11~

 

POETRY – KHALIL GIBRAN on GIVING

Then said a rich man, "Speak to us of Giving." 

And he answered: 

You give but little when you give of your possessions. 

It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. 

For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for 
fear you may need them tomorrow? 

And tomorrow, what shall tomorrow bring to the overprudent dog 
burying bones in the trackless sand as he follows the pilgrims to
the holy city? And what is fear of need but need itself? 

Is not dread of thirst when your well is full, thirst that is 
unquenchable? 

There are those who give little of the much which they have - 
and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes 
their gifts unwholesome. 

And there are those who have little and give it all. 

These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their 
coffer is never empty. 

There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward. 

And there are those who give with pain, and that pain is their 
baptism. 

And there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do 
they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue; 

They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance 
into space. 

Though the hands of such as these God speaks, and from behind 
their eyes He smiles upon the earth. 

It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, 
through understanding; 

And to the open-handed the search for one who shall receive 
is joy greater than giving 

And is there aught you would withhold? 

All you have shall some day be given; 

Therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours 
and not your inheritors'. 

You often say, "I would give, but only to the deserving." 

The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture. 

They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish. 

Surely he who is worthy to receive his days and his nights is 
worthy of all else from you. 

And he who has deserved to drink from the ocean of life deserves 
to fill his cup from your little stream. 

And what desert greater shall there be than that which lies 
in the courage and the confidence, nay the charity, of receiving? 

And who are you that men should rend their bosom and unveil their 
pride, that you may see their worth naked and their pride 
unabashed? 

See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver, and an 
instrument of giving. 

For in truth it is life that gives unto life - while you, 
who deem yourself a giver, 
are but a witness. 

And you receivers - and you are all receivers - assume no weight 
of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon 
him who gives. 

Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts 
as on wings; 

For to be overmindful of your debt, is to doubt his 
generosity who has the free-hearted earth for mother, 
and God for father. 
.

Khalil Gibran is always so deep. He’s like a mirror of what we should be like, more. Love his life’s work.

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 3.5.11 via Poem Hunter~

 

SHAKIRA ACCEPTS AWARD AT HARVARD, SPEAKS OF LATINO JUSTICE IN THE USA

Shakira, the Lebanese-Colombian, Grammy Award winning singer says after accepting an award at Harvard, that Latino immigrants in the U.S. facing various anti-immigrant bills will have “justice” as public awareness about their plight grows.

“Justice will come. I’m sure,” Shakira told The Associated Press after the award ceremony. “Wherever there is … a kid, who could be the son or the daughter of a Latino immigrant, who cannot attend a school in the United States of America, that kid should be a concern to all of us and our responsibility.”

Shakira received The Harvard Foundation Artist of The Year Award for her achievements combining artistic and humanitarian efforts. Nice one! Go Shaki in the USA!

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 2.26.11~

 

BABY NEWS – FACEBOOK’S DOMINANCE CONTINUES TO BE MISTAKEN FOR DEMOCRACY IN EGYPT

I wee chat about empowering others, into pathways of democracy:

Is being on a website all people need to have to feel like they have ‘a viable sense of democracy?’ In some nations, that answer is a resounding “yes.” In particular Facebook’s dominance in Egypt, is revolutionizing the culture so much as a social website that people are really making Facebook a part of their family’s future. Literally.

The Associated Press reports today, “A new Egyptian father has named his daughter Facebook in honour of the role social media played in his country’s recent revolution.

Jamal Ibrahim told Al-Ahram newspaper his newborn’s unusual name showed how happy he was with Facebook’s part in organising protests across Egypt.

Thousands of protesters in January packed Tahrir Square and other cities in Egypt for 18 days calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule.

Family, friends and neighbours have reportedly gathered around the newborn to show their continued support for the revolution they say started on the social networking site.

The newborn’s family is not alone in expressing their gratitude to Facebook.

The number of Facebook users in Egypt has grown to five million over the past month — more than any other country in the Middle East.

Some 32,000 groups and 14,000 pages were created after the January 25 revolution.

Graffiti sprayed across Cairo said “thank you Facebook” in the days after President Mubarak eventually bowed to public pressure and resigned.

The military government is also using Facebook to try and reach out to young Egyptian people.

But one internet blogger thinks the family may have gone too far in naming their daughter after the website.

“The internet as a whole should win the Nobel Peace Prize this year for all it’s done for democracy in the Middle East/North African region, but let’s not let this naming kids get out of hand,” the blogger said.

“I’d hate for little Facebook to have to share a classroom with a little AOL, or worse a little Yahoo!”

Although the story is very cute, you can’t help but sense that the billionaire’s of the world (Hosni Mubarak being a big one) are putting the new millionaire’s club to work (Mark Zuckerberg and friends) to act as ’magicians of online American corporate IT magic.’ These lads (mainly) are all having a little bit too much fun in Egypt, right now. Obviously. They’re very strong. Too funny!

Egypt is the model nation, all other nation’s in the Mid-East who may or may not, have a revolution too, are being shaped by invisible guiding forces to follow – like Facebook being an agent of influence, for example.

From a Humanitarian point of view, I can’t help thinking that it’s a shame Egypt can’t do their own version of Facebook like “Phoenix Book” or “Cleopatra’s Peoples Pages” or something. A new version of a social website that is more friendly to the Arabic language.

Surely, in a nation that’s natural gas and gold rich, Egypt could develop that social news website, that we in the US, are happy to access and share, equally by cross-pollinating websites as it’s possible for them to dove tail each other. Instead of Post Hosni Mubarak years, giving one’s entire cultural IP in the form of pictures, shared video links and most importantly a nation’s written words to Facebook – for free. Just a thought.

We are not mercernary in America. Why should a Hosni Mubarak hold the future of Egypt’s daily culture created and shared online, as a sacrifice to American IT companies. That does not sit well with me. So an Egyptian-owned Cleopatra’s People Pages social media website (that could be 50% US owned if an idea of democracy is preferred) would seem smart. When we joke about Egypt in the US because of Facebook, that’s not all that cool, when Egypt is 1/4 the size of the US. It’s like laughing at 1/4 of America for example, and that doesn’t sit very well with me. Watch this video to see what I mean via Funny or Die. Click on top Pic to view.

I just think there’s enough Arabic speaking, Mid-East and Egyptian-friendly people in the world, to get together, combine talents and preserves Egypt’s culture and heritage arts on an Egyptian owned social media site. That would be kinda smart.

Word for the day – What mercenary could mean – “A mercenary is a person who takes part in an armed conflict, who is not a national or a party to the conflict, and is “motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar ranks and functions in the armed forces of that Party” (Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Convention of August 1949). A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he gets monetary reward from his service.”

If you’re Egyptian and you’ve temporarily forgotten how strong and beautiful your culture is, under duress, here’s a song just for you in Arabic as a reminder. You should have your own Facebook, so that cultural ignoramuses like me, can access it and see your stars. They’re pretty cool. :)

[Music - via Samo ZaenTwilit Dove at Side of Branch blog post, Hollywood]

[Pictures and Horiwood.Com - Hollywood archives]

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 2.20.11~

 

BORN TO RISE – A POEM for RODNEY HIDE FROM HOLLYWOOD 2.18.11

Te Mata Tini o te Ra, Video footage off the coast of Gisborne, Te Tai Rawhiti a Aotearoa/ New Zealand can be viewed here.

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

~The words of poet Laureate, Toni Morrison, from a Kiwi brother for Rodney Hide and friends, posted in the literary traditions of Patricia Grace, Witi Ihimaera and Hone Tuwhare from Amerika today. Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 2.18.11~

 

TRUE FACT – WHAT AMERICA SEES WHEN YOU TYPE IN “MAORI” ON GOOGLE

Artwork as sourced via an Aussie website. Lol!

When you type the word “Maori” in America, here’s what you see. The same thing you’ll see via Google.Co.NZ. :)


We’re meant to believe that a) a new Mayor of Auckland City decides Maori’s leadership potential in the biggest city of Aotearoa New Zealand. A two hundred year-old reoccurring joke of New Zealand humor, that perhaps needs a contemporary retelling reflecting human rights awareness of a modern age, because Maori have been in Auckland for centuries and centuries. That show might be worth a watch then.

b) that Maori get sick more than nonMaori in New Zealand. A sad true fact of Maori living conditions in light of colonization and POSTcolonization cultural life.

c) That Maori are news ban worthy. Okay, that last one’s very Hollywood.

I don’t understand why Maori people have to spend hard earned money with good lawyers, to even be validated. Do you? We just are New Zealand.

So this is sort of good comedy writing to me, when I read a headline like this, from Hollywood – a city with the best comedy writers living here in the world.

What I mean is, when Hollywood’s biggest stars want ‘the best publicity’ they drop a bit of money on good L.A lawyers, and the publicity they get back in return via courtroom theater, is so amazing it makes the exercise worthwhile. I hope in good faith, that this is one of those same shows when I read ‘Maori News’ via Google in the USA today.

Let’s go New Zealand! You rock!

Let’s see what the new Mayor of Auckland is made of then. :)

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 2.15.11~

 

TEN THINGS IN CELEBRATION OF UNIQUE PEOPLE WHO LIVE WAITANGI DAY 365 DAYS A YEAR

Photo caption: Dame Whina Cooper – a grandmother, who once cloaked herself in truth and became Waitangi Day’s meaning as a leader, and who took action so the Spirit of The Treaty of Waitangi would be visible and have hands and feet and voice, when some of US were growing up. Our future to express ourselves and be ourselves depended on this woman, to do this for us. This Waitangi Day I celebrate Dame Whina Cooper and my grandparents and their generation of her ilk, feisty spirit, strong heart and fearlessness to be uniquely themselves.

1. I am thankful that my Pakeha dad overcame government policy of the day fourty-six years ago, and saw through its slanted blind-sightedness to see the beauty of my Maori mom, to court her, marry her and honor the spirit of The Treaty of Waitangi, in a real and living way based on true love.

2. I am thankful that “Kia Ora” means hello in New Zealand – and everyone knows it and can say it. Kia ora also means “thank you” and “life be to you.” The Maori language is so beautiful and is upheld and protected by law under The Treaty of Waitangi.

3. I am thankful that early Pakeha descendants of New Zealand learned the Maori language fluently, like Scotsman Robert Graham, Auckland City’s first magistrate. He set an example of Treaty-honoring living in his thought processes, life and actions for all Kiwis to emulate his example. He also was the first New Zealander to promote New Zealand to the world as a high-quality tourism destination too. Not only did he believed that New Zealand’s thermal properties were healing, or New Zealand landscapes spiritual and stunning to be in, but he also believed that Maori people and Maori culture are unique wonders of the world to be in Maori’s presence.

4. Because of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealanders are some of the best kaitiaki (or guardians) of environmental protection and our role as people of the earth, through what has been learned and articulated by Maori scholars, thinkers and leaders in light of Maori peoples key role as kaitiaki of landscape, place, people.

5. Because of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, New Zealanders honoring the concept of ‘Tino Rangatiratanga’ or sovereignty in one’s unique humanness towards Indigenous Maori New Zealanders; all New Zealanders have been deepened to become aware of human rights in the world – and where people’s intrinsic uniqueness is being violated by multi-national corporations, corrupt governments, or, dictators in the world. As a nation, New Zealand excels at being aware of where human rights are being breached globally. We have ‘tino rangatiratanga’ to thank for this awareness perhaps in New Zealand culture.

Read the rest of this entry »

 

MENDEL STARTS HIS BLOG -2.4.11

My new Orthodox Jewish friend, Mendel has already started his blog. Today over coffee we talked iPhone 4′s, the stock market situation, and Mendel beginning a course on studying astrology via the mathematical meter of the Jewish calendar year.

At 17 Mendel has a fascinating life. Tres smart and clever with spirit too. His blog coming up soon. Watch this space.

I can’t help but think that the Orthodox schooling system, though stringent and a little too strict at times for a Facebook generation of American teens perhaps, produces some of the best intellectual minds in any education system in the US. Mendel is so smart he makes me feel like I’m onto my fourth beer at the Village Idiot local pub, when he talks financial sector news. Thanks Mendel for trying to get this Maori up to speed. Lol!

Mendel’s new blog – where he shares an Orthodox Jewish teen’s view of interactions with the world across random moments of living life in Hollywood is called Reflections. How apt.

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 2.5.11~

 

THE NATIONAL BLACK THEATER OF HARLEM NEEDS SOME HERITAGE ARTS AND CULTURAL SUPPORT

Barbara Ann Teer, center foreground, founder of National Black Theater, with the cast of one of her productions in 1970, looks so awesome in this photograph. Barbara sits in darkness. You can’t see her. Because she needs our help and support.

When I read the accompanying story in the New York Times “A Harlem Cultural Hub Is Threatened by Debt” that goes with Barbara Teer’s pic, it just tears my heart out, when I read that American cultural theater arts needs some support in The Big Apple.

Basically, it’s like this, ‘because Hollywood makes so few African-American films each year’ the real stories from this community are told in theater, like The National Black Theater productions very important work.

In African-American stories, we learn about life lived outside of slavery. We learn of American life lived in Liberty. If we don’t support African-American theater, perhaps we are not valuing the spirit of Liberty enough, as that’s what their theater is a witness of, not only in the US, but the world. I love it!

Do something if you want to. Thanks.

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 2.1.11~

 

SAMUEL HENDEL ON FREEDOM

The fact, in short, is that freedom, to be meaningful in an organized society must consist of an amalgam of hierarchy of freedoms and restraints.  ~Samuel Hendel, Political Scientist.

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 2.1.11~

 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY – FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY, REDEMPTION SONGS

I saw this sign today in Little Russia West Hollywood. It has a very cool message, well worth posting in Hollywood.

It reads – “From darkness into great light. From slavery into Freedom. From bondage to redemption.”

I was thinking that at face value, this message is a good one. Debt can be an enslaver. Or living a life behind facades that aren’t real or aren’t fun to live behind too can cost people life’s purpose. Or, just not being sure of the future can enslave the psyche with fear of the unknown. Or, being oppressed by rule you don’t want (as in Egypt’s case this week), means that we can also gain inspiration from this message via the Chabad community of Little Russia.

I know very little about Chabad people and their beliefs. In the last three weeks I have met a few members of this community. They are extremely over-conscience when discussing any issue in discussion. In the age of the sound bite, you need to be prepared to allow time for Chabad community members to share their wisdom. I like seeing their thought processes at work, before they conclude what they think in each moment on any major issue. They are raised to think. Deduce their own thoughts as unique individuals. Their thought processes are so fascinating. They are spiritual intellectuals. Like, fierce. Although a lot different to myself, I like their sincerity very much in Hollywood.

So far, I’m finding them to be nice people. It’s exciting really to meet people different to yourself. Where dialogue occurs, we learn new things, that are hopefully of benefit to our community. I am always thankful, they are open and share their culture with me, a guy from New Zealand living in Hollywood.

What a cool sign! If I hadn’t of gone down a side street a different way to the cafe than I normally go today, I would never have seen it.

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 2.1.11~

 

EGYPTIAN-AFRICAN RAMSES II TATTOOS, CALI-SCOTTISH COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAKAS AND MALIA’S MAORI KORU MOHAWK SPIRALS SKETCHED INTO YOUNG HOLLYWOOD’S HEADS TODAY BESIDE THE TORAH, WEST HOLLYWOOD – 1.26.11 @ 2.30pm

As I blog today in Hollywood as a Maori Kiwi farmer’s raised country kid son, there’s a lot going on to deal with. Nothing is as simple as those country days, in a Cosmopolitan City like Los Angeles.

I get texts on my phone asking for a meeting with a Romanian-American kid whose discovered paranormal activity in Laurel Canyon, beneath the house with a pyramid on top of it, currently on the market for 3.5 million, “why wouldn’t Tom Cruise buy it?’ is the gist of texting. Why I would even go, I don’t know?

I know that the founding Native American Indian tribes of California used to meet in the Laurel Canyon area each year, seasonally and theater would occur between the convergence of tribes there – where they would reenact a year’s worth of tribal stories for each other as tribes, in shared song and dance narratives.

Hollywood in a way, is an evolution, of this tradition, but technology (cinema, film, media, mobile telephony) is the preferred medium to convey this tradition in the world now from California. As I’ve already told this kid that, I don’t feel like going.

There’s always going to be paranormal activity in the Canyon, until Native American Indians are invited back to do what they always did on Hollywood Hills and Canyon landscapes, as people. It’s just what they do and should be allowed to do as a sign of genuine belief in the origins of freedom of expression of America’s founding fathers, mothers and their children. That’s where the concept of American family begins as a narrative in the USA, in a celebrated and ongoing healing process that should be honored and respected too for all of America with Native American Indians being a vital part of that.

I had suggested to the kid to meet with Indian tribes himself if he was so concerned about the increase of paranormal activity in Hollywod, to see if there was any interest in that and to meet with the Mayor of L.A too to get it going on. He had looked at me like I was a total spinner, (I have the same thought each day too at times, so that’s quite okay) but it’s certainly much better than entertaining ghosts in the canyon, I think. Far smarter.

Pyramid worship here of the rich and famous and Free Mason society types aside here, I think Indians have their place in Hollywood as people on this landscape that should be honored and respected as honoring the roots of a nation’s peace and human rights record and pathway forward. So that’s the end of the texting saga as I turn my phone off. Peace is the greatest gift of all in California. Least we get confused at to what robs America’s peace, we need to learn to turn our phones off sometimes to have it.

Beside me to the right, the blonde girl in the cowboy tartan red and black cowboy, all wool shirt (too hot for California actually), cut off denim shorts and black fishnet stockings talks the need of “boundary setting with her new boyfriend” to her ‘Personal Gay’ friend. He just nods at everything she says, like he’s a tamed poodle or something. What’s up with that brainless trend?

A Mexican Aztec fashion designer, with sharp cheekbones talks to investors in the cafe today about how far $100,000 investments could go, and where that would take them. He’s 50 with little Richard eyeliner Aztec eyes. A fierce statement in today’s Hollywood. He’s not big on ‘speaking the English,’ he’s like “You give me $100,000 and this is what you get for that.” Yet there’s no denying that he knows his stuff in the new wave of the fashion apparel business in California. He’s a modern merchant of Cali’s fashion world as perhaps best denoted by his leopard, tiger markings-fused silk printed gypsy-esque scarf worn over his Aztec Indian jewelry. The look in his eye, tells his investors, that he’s fearlessly forging ways forward in the current economy. Good for him! A discerning confident spirit.

He wears an old school biker leather jacket with the words L.O.S A.N.G.E.L.E.S in white leather down each black sleeve and plenty of jean jewelry chain accessories.

Beside and opposite me, Mandel an Orthodox brother studies up on the Torah on his laptop and my African-American brother, Jey Lawrence sits too. Jey’s dad researched in the Warren Beatty, Julie Christie and Goldie Hawn Hollywood-popular era of the 70′s, Jey’s family history. He mapped his families tribe back to the Southern Nile of Egypt, hence Jeys Egyptian key, eye, double spears, skin-shield tattoos. He is very Barack Obama-esque today (the contemporary inked version) and watches college football keeping up with the next generation of sporting talent. Of course being in Hollywood weird things happen all the time in good ways. My last Hollywood post was about the Key of Ramses II fused with the prophet Isaiah’s words. Then Jey sits right next to me, with a version of Ramses tattooed on his arm. His version does look like Obama’s face a bit, and we laugh about that, because it’s true.

In addition, Jey tells me that the Maori haka is a big trend in college football. Where football teams perform the haka (Maori war dance) before their football matches. What is even more awesome though is when the crowd of spectators respond and do it too. Jay says American footballers love Maori culture because it is an expression of warrior-hood and tribalness that defines community, that football represents here at community level. The Maori haka resonates with America’s belief of strong warrior communities.

I can’t argue with that. Maori culture and tino rangatiratanga (the spirit essence of the culture) is all about that. It does think of protecting everyone, and ensuring everyone remains strong warriors in community. The haka is a visual expression of this aesthetic in effect. The haka – when performed properly, is always spiritual. Jey loves it.

Jey has moved from personal fitness training to now doing hair. He says it’s way easier to manage. We talk the concept of ‘hair lockers.’ Where Jey points out the beautiful twenty-something blonde girls in the cafe and says most of these girls have weaves, or hair tracks on their scalps. I’m so dumb, I’m like “no way!”. He’s like, “yes, they all do. California is hair capitol of America.” When they get their hair done, their old hair they take off their heads and they save it. Hence all these girls have what is called a hair locker in their bedrooms at home.

I say, well, Hollywood American girls are sort of like Native American Indians, collecting hair in that scalping tradition way then. Jey says, “not a good example. But yes. You’re right. Half of Hollywood is like that.” We laugh. Servite Football team of California are Jey’s favorite college football team’s fans, he says do the Maori haka the fiercest. They’re also big on Scottish music too. Must check them out. Jey reminds me of my brother-in-laws Lou, once bro-in-law Matthew, Richard and Eddie who all play touch rugby football. Some internationally too. Jey most looks very similar to brotha Eddie who is half Maori of the Tainui Maori tribe and half Tongan of the South Pacific.

‘Don’t be a stranger,’ Jey says off to his next appointment. Dude is so Warren Beatty of Shampoo movie days in 1975 Oscar winning history, minus the attitude. We had a good conversation today, with his permission to share it with you. Yes, feel privileged.

On any given day you blog in a cafe in Los Angeles, such things go on all around you in the real Hollywood.

I love it.

Today Malia gets top billing (pictured above), with her Maori koru design aesthetic from Aotearoa-New Zealand etched into her Young Hollywood scalp. She’s all fierce, smart, beautiful like a skinnier version of Missy Elliott, the rapper; having biz meetings with a blonde guy from the U.K with a Cockney accent whose convincing Malia to sign with him as her photographer/ manager.

She is beautiful, confident, quietly resolute. As I ask to share her winning look back to the good people of Aotearoa-New Zealand where her I.D is inspired from, (and with you all) she smiles big, turns side on and says “Wurq it Mah-ree peoples of New Zeeeeeland.”

Like that. Let’s go America! :)

As a New Zealander, I am that American footballers and supporters do the Maori-Kiwi haka of New Zealand. Just get on a plane every now and again and head down to NZ to see it performed live every now and again, for reals from the source of culture, okay? :)

What a fun day. I feel like I hung out at Hollywood’s version of The White House – Hollywood coffee bar today. Thankfully Aotearoa, New Zealand is so in that picture too. Fun.

[Gosh, that was perhaps the longest blog post header written ever!]

Music today is laid back mellow, as I think about Hawaiian sun, South Pacific palm trees and beautiful Aotearoa beaches, while listening to the Zac Brown Band ‘s song Toes brought to US by 5 Gum, while thinking that I’ve already done our celebrity news today in this one post.

I can imagine my Maori-Samoan cousin Eileen Taogaga grooving to this at the Helensville pub today near the Kaipara, on a mom’s friday night off in the ‘big smoke’ of Helensville as good country Kiwi folk do in any tight knit rural community, with the best green grass in the world, far across the waters on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean of Malibu as I blog, from The City of Angels today.

~Cross cultural, living tukutuku weaving art on wood created at Melrose & Spaulding. Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 1.26.11. To everyone who contributed to this moment, thanks.~

 

SCOTTISH HUMOR, HOLLYWOOD TODAY – 1.25.11 @ 11.30am

For reals, dude in a beanie and a kilt getting coffee- Hollywood today.

Rock it out! That’s the free Scottish spirit in effect. Too groovy. I love the Scots. I love LA. I love American-Scottish peeps who are proud of their family history and who live in L.A. People who love life are fun.

[Used with permission].

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 1.25.11~

 

WHAT LADY GAGA WANTS TO DO TO YOUR CHURCHES – KINDA OUT THERE

Lady Gaga gets paid $67 million a year to generate this kind of culture in the world depicted by this model, then being screen-printed onto black cotton.

Is that a) a good thing, b) a bad thing, or, c) whatever – she’s just making bank in a capitalist nation.

As 2 in every 10 of you who read Horiwood are big (and early days even) Lady Gaga fans – before she even became mainstream known – what do you think about this Gaga-esque tee shirt – spotted on Melrose today in the Street Chic fashion District of L.A?

Is Lady Gaga a brat demonstrating the ‘American art form of freedom of expression’ (that can be fun) who shakes things up for the good? Or just a bug eyed peroxided ho – playing piano – selling crap merch, while saying she’s authentic?

I have to say that if you’ve ever seen the crappy merchandize Stefani Germanotta hawks at her concerts to fans, this tee shirt is much better quality than what she expects fans to buy from her after buying concert tickets. You wouldn’t even wipe your *ss with the tee shirts – Gaga has expected her fans to buy. They’re made somewhere else and then have her mug screen printed on them very badly. They’re just not made very well.

So perhaps Gaga should talk to this store on Melrose who at least have good tee shirt making manufacturing values.

And really this post is all about the cute hat. A touch of old Hollywood glamour.

From an artistic stand point, if I was to put my artsy hat on – I would say, I’d rather have this tee shirt than have cover up in Churches of some ‘men’ pretending to be priests, who are not priestly at all, molesting kids. Even up the *ss. I hope that wasn’t too frank. But it’s true. This tee shirt as ‘art’ raises those questions between right and wrong. As long as there are a minority of molesters in churches – still needing to be flushed out – a tee shirt like this has its place in the world with a hard hitting message.

Again though, this post is all about the cute hat.

If you like this tee shirt, than visit Melrose in California. This is one of the tame ones you’ll see in terms of fashion statements being made by L.A to the world on Melrose. In terms of sales, this tee shirt is so much like a tamed unicorn, that it hasn’t sold all week. Lol! Still selling hot are the military themed tee shirts. I kid you not.

~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 1.22.11~