December 2003

December 30, 2003

Don A Beret
Patricia Fields, NYC

Che Guevara
I have been wearing a beret in the winter months since the eighties. Back then, I remember sticking buttons and pins on mine. I always wanted a red one like the Guardian Angels, but never got around to purchasing one. The Guardian Angels looked cool in the eighties. They marched around the streets and subways, of NYC, like warriors, stylin and profil'in. The Black Panthers were another sharp looking, beret wearing troupe. Leather jackets and berets, who can resist? A beret represents an edge, militant sophistication. You can just whip it on, adjust it, and the look is yours for the taking. I thought the British army looked impressive in there berets. Not very functional in the war zone, but damned spiffy. Oh well, you can't have everything, right?
Posted by Liz at 12:30 AM Feedback (8)
December 28, 2003

So Sick of Compliance
Jeanna and I travel to NYC on Tuesday. I'm planning the excursion now, which basically consists of getting there as cheaply as possible (I'm unemployed remember), and having a plan other than eating in fancy restaurants and renting DVD's. This time out, I wanna rock. I want to check out some crammed bars, knock back drinks, and jam. In other words... have some fun. Tonight I found the following places to check out. If anyone knows of some place I've missed, let me know.
Bitter End
A list of rock clubs
Bowery BallroomCBGB
One thing I have never done, and certainly would need to be tipsy to do....Karaoke
Posted by Liz at 11:06 PM Feedback (7)

Nobody knows the trouble I seen
You would not believe the trouble I had tying to score some primo Advocaat this yuletide!Advocaat is a Dutch liqueur, a rich and creamy blend of unpasteurised egg yolks, sugar, aromatic spirits, and grape brandy with a hint of vanilla. It has a distinctive smooth yellow consistency with strength akin to fortified wine. It’s the eggs you see…
Advocaat is one of the staples of a family Christmas in my tribe and I cannot remember a Christmas without it. The best Advocaat you have to eat with a spoon as it’s so thick but almost impossible to get outside of a Dutch market. The bottled variety is of a thinner consistency and is the basis of the age-old favourite family drink – the Snowball. The Snowball is Advocaat, limejuice and lemonade with a Cherry on a stick and can be made up strong or weak depending on who gets it!
Well nearly no one got it this year. Now I understand the dangers of Salmonella and did read somewhere that every egg in the western world is hatched with it but that is no reason for me to be vilified for asking for a bottle of Advocaat! Fear of infection has kept it off the shelves in these over protected times.
From the looks I got you would think I was spoon-feeding pure heroin to newborn babes or selling aids infected needles to teenagers as ear piercing kits. A chorus of disapproval and shock greeted me wherever I went. I think it would be easier to buy a human kidney that Advocaat this year. ‘No call for it’ say some’ Dangerous!!’ say others ‘ Fuck off or I’ll call a cop’ (Ok – that last one was a bit of an exaggeration) I have expected the shifty looking individual who shambled up to me when I was coming out of the scene of my latest rejection to whisper to me ‘You want good stuff? Me know when to get plenty goood Advocaat, very yellow, very cheap we make deal yes?’ only he was trying to sell me pirate cigarettes. Cancer, it seems, is more acceptable than the horrors of a very faint possibility of a jippy tum for a couple of days. (US translation; jippy tum = upset stomach)
I did track down a bottle, thick with the dust of ages, at the back of a very high shelf in a backstreet convenience shop but to be on the safe side I also bought a porn mag to wrap it in - just in case I met anyone I know taking it home.
Snowball anyone?
Posted by Tony at 08:26 AM Feedback (7)
December 27, 2003

Don't Believe The Hype
Last night Anne, Len, Callum (Len's son) and myself, proceed into Philly while holding an impassioned discussion about the Middle East and a range of news media. We decide to investigate the best damned pizza we could find.


Humming the theme to Rocky, Anne cruises us into South Philly, home of the Italian Stallion himself. We decide on Marra’s Pizza, peruse the menu and place our order. Dinner was yum and we all agree pizza is a staple in our collective diets. After dinner we drive to South Street. It’s freezing in Philly, so walking around with a 7yr old isn’t an option. What a blunder that was. The next thing I know, Philly’s finest, the most brutal police department in the country during the Rizzo administration, is tapping on the driver’s side window.
“What the fuck does this asshole want?” I’m thinking to myself.
We have two foreigners in that back seat, Anne lowers the window. The cop informs her that her inspection is two months overdue. He asks for her paperwork, which she promptly produces. Of course the cop had to take a tone with her and off he goes to run a check. Ten minutes or so this bastard comes back and hands her two citations that amount to $104. Anne couldn’t resist and in her sweet-tempered, tranquil voice, she says,
“Down the street officer, about a block back there, I think I saw a drug deal you might want to check out.”
“Aw save that noise, your in violation, he says furiously. Why don’t you go back there and check out the drug deal yourself?” The pig adds.
Real competent huh? He got what she was subtly trying to say and he didn’t appreciate it. Tough shit! South Street was crawling with inhabitants, but I’m glad they had occasion to bore ass somebody about a goddamned sticker. We stopped home, but went out again (in the same car) and had coffees at a local place. Anne and I shopped for DVD’s. At the coffee shop Anne let Callum, have fun torching marshmallows. The kid was getting quite a bon fire going. You know, on second thought, maybe that cop needed to haul her bad ass in?
Posted by Liz at 02:25 AM Feedback (5)
December 25, 2003

Merry Christmas 2003
Sis-in-law Gail & JessicaLeaLen, Callum being shy & Anne
We had a great Christmas Eve. Everyone came over. Anne gave me a bunch of Paul Frank. Socks, scarf, change purse. Len brought me a bag from London. I recieved several other great presents too. Things I never expected to get. We exchanged gifts and had apple martini's, which everyone said I make rather strong, but good.
Joao leaves for Rio today. He has been dealing with a lot and needs a vacation. He has promised to keep me posted, even though he will be offline for a month. (I'll believe that when I see it. hehe)
Later today its over to my brothers for brunch. Gail is a great cook. Tonight, I head to Anne's for a family dinner there!
I must say, the best part about this holiday has been being around Jessica, Lea and Callum. Yes, the kids are the best part.
Peace to all!
Posted by Liz at 05:33 AM Feedback (8)

Brazil or BUST
You think you know, but you have no idea. I woke up at 3am with the rush of my head song, "Will I make it? Will I make it? Do I need to fake it?" There was no way, I could drive to West Palm Beach to meet Zavier from Bamboo Cane Company, get a check and international money order for Paulo and then go down past South Miami to Homestead, 2 hours away, to get cash from Will.
All of this considering I had no driver's license or considerable amount of cash or car. My friend Jeremy had let me stay at his apartment near Nova Southeastern University on Davie Road. I have been here for a week now and got along great with his roommate, Sean. But besides using his apartment, phone (free long distance!), laptop, and kitchen (Ramen Noodle sorcery), would borrowing his brand new $35,000 custom-made MACH 1 Red Mustang to make IT happen be abusive?
After all, this entire mess began when I borrowed my mother's AUDI and wrecked it. Not that I was wreckless or thinking I was Fast or Furious, but I did crash it and most people are unforgiving. I tell them a tree attacked me and I was an innocent, but they don't believe me. Neither does my broken ankle, which is complaining to me right now as I push it against the table, holding this R40 THINKPAD laptop against my lap..
What were we talking about? OH OK, So I steal his car and try to make IT happen. I drive down 595 at 6am with unexpected traffic, catch I-75, listen to "The Toxicity of our Cities" and pump myself up. By the time I make it down near to Will's (oh yeah, I forgot to write down his address), it is around 7am.
I hang out at a Chevron gas station waiting for a "reasonable" time to wake up my friend/boss/bambusero buddy. I meet the janitor outside and we talk about Latin American politics. A real knowledgeable guy. He thought, however, that Brazil has the largest Chinese population in Latin America. In actuality, we have the largest Japanese population by far! He thought it was Peru. Well, anyway, I know that has been keeping y'all up at night!
Finally, I call Nick at 8am. I think i wake him up but he denies it. "Oh yeah bro, I'll be there in 20 minutes". I hang out more and talk to the gas station attendant who is half-Brazilian, the janitor whose family is into aviation and we argue about whether Santos Dumont (Brazilian, lived in France) or the Wright brothers discovered aviation..
It is now 8:40am. I needed to be needing to be at VARIG at 10am with the money for my ticket. No good. I call up Nick again and he jokes "Oh bro I am on my way there, I was sleeping".
He shows up in his typical bad-ass big trucks with sod in the back. We drive over to his home where his large PACIFIC BEACH truck is waiting with his 2 Guatemalan workers. We kill sometime by looking at his custom-made choppers, black bamboo, and by talking to his workers. I just met Nick 2 weeks ago and I have a feeling we will be good friends..
"OK bro, let's go to Wills" I get in the landscaping truck with him and the Guatemalan worker. When I show up at Wills, it is 9am. I ring the door hesitantly. I had been calling him since 8am to no avail.
Will from Big Bamboo Trading Co"Oh no, it's you!" He looks like he is hungover and just woken up. We go into his room and he puts on some clothes. We walk over to the computer room, I load this laptop, and we review his website.
"OK, Let's go to the bank". I call VARIG just incase I am late. "Oh, we are closing at NOON". Great! So much time.
We start killing time by talking about the site and the "bamboo mafia" we are banding together...
Alls I know is that at 11:30am I am speeding up US1 in the MACH1 knowing I will be late to arrive at VARIG Airlines Office on Biscayne Blvd in downtown Miami.
11:59am, I push open the door, as she is closing it.. Come on, come on let me buy my ticket. Here is $500! No, that's not enough. We need you to pay $649.90. OK, Can i make a few calls?
Does she realize how desperate I am? That I have been homeless, hungry, and hung in the United States? That at least in Brazil, the 3rd world, I won't starve like I did in the 1st world. Does she know I am on a mission? Does it matter? Why can't she cut me some slack?
I walk out of VARIG dazed. I am wearing a nice blue dress shirt, khakis, carrying my backpack and laptop. I have $520 in my wallet and my heart aches with every step I take. Downtown Miami no longer seems interesting but a distraction. What the fuck am I gonna do now??
Posted by at 03:40 AM Feedback (1)
December 24, 2003

My Favourite Paintings – No 1
Edward Hopper - Nighthawks
My My, those Yanks can paint. This is a painting I very much admire. Hopper said a restaurant on New York’s Greenwich Avenue inspired Nighthawks and for me it is a powerful depiction of the together-but-alone feeling you get in any big city where the anonymity of its citizens contrasts with the forced closeness of the city.
It is not just the ordinary loneliness of the figures but there is also a existential loneliness, those people are in separate worlds and it is a world not only locked out from the other figures but also the viewer – there is no way in to the diner, we are given no opportunity to get close and empathise with the figures so they remain in space and time locked into this late night hell. Even the couple who are together are not, the body language shows them miles apart from each other – she may be a prostitute but that is unlikely given the surrounding area so she is just as likely to be a office worker stopping off for a coffee and wanting to engage with another but is lacking in the skills, or courage, to do so.
The men are slumped down with hunched shoulders of a care-worn day yet they are sitting in a stark diner under harsh fluorescent lights rather than go home – what then lies at home that they seek to avoid? The title Nighthawks suggests we are looking at predators but confined in the brightly lit diner they are not free – the diner is acting as a cage for these predatory birds with only the man behind the counter with any true freedom as he is there for his job and is not drawn into the dark, melancholy world these creatures exist in.
I first came across this work when it was used as the basis for a set design in the last act of Jonathan Miller's Rigoletto at the English National Opera. The opera was reset as a New York gangster tale and the device of the actors inside the diner was used as a frame to concentrate the focus from a large stage to an intimate moment that was in reality a lie. I think this painting is an evocative and powerful masterwork and could go on about it for longer than you would be interested in reading! There are so many clues to the people, some contradictory as in reality we are as well and I urge you to take a closer look at this beautiful work.
You can find a large version of Nighhawks here - http://www.cc.jyu.fi/~hastrup/nighthawks.jpg
Posted by Tony at 06:39 AM Feedback (11)
December 23, 2003

Back to Brazil
Luciana Souza Returns to Her Roots for New AlbumJune 16, 2002 -- Luciana Souza's third and latest album, Brazilian Duos, is a sort of homecoming. Even though she grew up in Brazil surrounded by the native music, she purposely avoided it on her first two outings in order to establish herself as a jazz singer. That done, she feels she can safely take on anything without fear of being typecast.
"I look Brazilian. I sound very Brazilian. And it is my roots. So it would have been an easier path to just stay there doing that," she tells Lynn Neary for Weekend Edition Sunday.
If she had started out performing Brazilian music, she says, "I would have stayed there. I could not have done anything else in my life. Once they put you in a bin in a record store, that's pretty much where you are."
This morning a sweet-sounding lady from Varig called me. She told me her name was Miriam, which is very Brazilian, yet she spoke flawless English. We didn't speak our native language but English. "OK, Edson spoke to me and he told me you want a flight from Miami to Rio de Janeiro for Dec 25th. And the return will be January 24th from Sao Paulo to New York?" Yes, Yes, I was thinking. Finally, after so much hassle, trials, and tribulations--BACK TO BRAZIL!
When she told me the ticket was $562 with taxes $639, I almost fainted. Damn! I thought I was needing to be shelling out mad duckets to make it back to the land of Soccer, Samba and Carnaval...
I excitedly called Raphael, my "bamboo brother" as he puts it, and told him the good news.
"Great!" Then he told me he would be working from the 26th to 28th at a Telefonica event in Buzios. He offered to take me along. So I am going! Buzios is sort of like the "Hamptons" of Rio de Janeiro, so we might just come across our Brazilian P.Diddys and Jay-Zs...
Serendipity, Coincidence, Absurdity: These seem like good words to describe the past 2-3 weeks. I only got this good deal because I met a pilot who flys for VARIG. His wife and he had decided to check out the International Bamboo Festival in Miami in October. I chatted up a storm with them and discovered that they lived in my house in Portofino which my parents sold in 2001. Wierd. His wife worked with bamboo in Rio and a few days told me to call her husband. That's the hook-up!
Posted by at 03:36 PM Feedback (1)

Up All Night
When you are asleep at night, I'm up. Awake, goofing off with who ever IM's me to say,
"I'm drunk, or I'm bored, or what are you still doing up?"
So here I am, I decided to give you a visual of me in the wee hours of the AM.



Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock....... still not tired.
Posted by Liz at 01:07 AM Feedback (18)
December 22, 2003

Play It Again Sam
Today, I decided to depart from the house and partake of some retail therapy. Now I know where all the nonconformist hang until there third shift job starts, the USED record store.
OK, that remark wasn't nice, but I’ve been told I need brutal honesty on this blog. Didn’t the inhabitants of the used record store know I was on a rare shopping mission (this time of year anyway) and didn't need them blocking the isles? Dammit, I was fired from a place of employment, what’s there excuse for standing around here in the middle of the day? Anyway, I digress. The purchases were exhilarating. I found a book about RageAgainstTheMachine on CD to listen to in my car (Not working has really cut down the time I spend in the car). I got two RATM singles, and The Battle of Los Angeles. When I got home, I rocked the new jams and wrote a letter of support to Sherman Austin in prison. (My friends are sweating at this point). I would, immensely, be keen on going to California for a benefit concert when he is released from prison. There is an article about him in this months SPIN. I also finally picked up used copies of The Messenger, and Elizabeth on DVD.
Later, I was talking to a friend and thinking about how free I feel. I was thinking about what I could do for a living that would allow me to keep this feeling of empowerment and not enslavement. Then I remembered a few things about my yesteryears. The working class agenda my parents instilled in us. In actuality we were taught we had to stand up for the working class. My father was president of a Union and my family were staunch Democrats. Solidarity, is a word I recall learning at a very young age. I was a shop steward at 19 years of age, walking the picket line and protesting unfair wages, fighting for people’s jobs. Then came my exposure to Amnesity International in the 80’s. I thought I was going to hear Tracy “Fast Car” Chapman in concert, and it ended up exposing me to political prisoners and Apartheid. I cared about these things at a very young age. Buying some used CD's and jotting a letter down, won't change anything, I know this. Complacency is the enemy, but maybe, being set free from an unjust work situation, allows me to feel the cause blossoming inside me once more.
Posted by Liz at 08:37 PM Feedback (3)
December 21, 2003

The Little Girl was who Armenian
From a Year Spent in Germany as an Exchange Student
We think we are smarter than kids. “Is that a boy or a girl?” I ask littleMaria. I baby-sit her for Shamiran. She examines the paper. Then she looks at me. “A head!” she replies.
I stare back at her, focusing my attention on what I drew. Then I think it over a bit more. “You’re right, Maria! It is a head after all” I exclaim. She smiles sweetly, knowing her certainty without my acknowledgement.
I babysat Maria for Shamiran my piano teacher during several occasions.She is barely 3 years old and yet speaks Russian, Armenian, and German.Her mother is teaching her all of them simultaneously. I am envious ofLittle Maria. Learning German seems like jousting with gibberish.
Their home was a humble one and rented to them. There weren’t manyThings for us to do other than interact with our existing environment.
We flip through children’s books. She points to a duck. Shamiran quizzes herwhat the picture means in Russian and German. She quickly responds, lightningQuick, like a frog’s touching reaching out to a mosquito.
Then she asks what it means in Armenian. Regardless, I don’t understand.Correctly, she responds once more. Her mother’s face lights up with pride for her daughter. Indeed, she is quite proud of little Maria. Then she says some words to Maria in Armenian and little Maria starts giggly. I’d like to know what she said.
”Are you sure you can baby-sit?” asks Shamiran cautiously. “Of course, Of course,”I really need not tell her.
When I first arrived in Germany, I planned a year of classical guitar recitals. However,My first host family had a piano in their den. And guitar seemed better suited to the Corridors of Alhambra in Spain.
I don’t recall if I asked to take lessons or she offered them. I know she never charged me.Maybe because I was also a foreigner in a sometimes dark and sinister land. And she couldRelate to me while her husband spent months away from his family at a time, working forA floating orchestra.
She gave me free piano lessons once a week, and then feels embarrassed to ask me to baby-sit her daughter for a few hours.
She needs to study for a music exam, which is a hard thing to do when you have an energized little toddler running around the house and climbing overyou while your playing the piano.
I feel like I should pay Shamiran for babysitting Maria. It is the greatestjoy to play with a wooden train set with her, while her mother practicesChopin for hours. The music, the little giggling talented toddler. You aretransformed into another world.
Shamiran and Zurik are both talented musicians from Armenia. After the Soviet Union collapsed, they fled the country to live in Germany. Theylived near Tecklenburg, in a secluded farm along with 20 other ‘Russians’.IT is a huge, beautiful, German country house “FACHWERK” but even with 20 people it is crammed.
One day Zurick practiced his Cello outside. It was a lovely summer daywith a clear sky, not a common event in Germany. Natalia Stahl was passingby with her car and then stopped. She, one that grew up in a family thatbreathed music, could not drive further. She stopped in the middle of the road, and sat enchanted listening to the rest of the piece. She is a music teacher, musician herself, and a collector of ziphons and violins.Inside her house, are instruments dating to the beginning of the 1800and even further back. All she has known since she was young was music.While other kids were reading Asterix & Oblix comics, she was playingBach’s first Minuets.
She took them in. She protected them. Eventually she managed to let the German Government let them stay in the country. But only if they studiedmusic. So Shamiran is studying in Osnabrück at a Conservatorium, whileraising her little daughter, Maria, who was born in Germany. Her livelyhusband Zurick travels around the globe with a well-known German orchestra.
I am always delighted when I catch Zurick home. I walk in with Shamiran,wondering why she seems to be covering the view from the living room.Zurick is reading a newspaper and smoking a pipe. He immediately turns around-“John, John” he says. “Come here, sit down, let us drink a beer”. I go inand sit down while my teacher frowns. Drinking a German Pils is not the best way to start a lesson. As Zurick fetches a bottle out of the refrigerator,she says something to him in Armenisch. He responds. I didn’t understanda word of course, but I understood it anyway.
I sat down. He pours the beer in a glass. He picks up his pipe, lights itagain, and begins to tell his stories. He was on a cruise ship that wentfrom Sardinia Italy, through Saudi Arabia, around the Persian golf, toSingapore, Thailand .. all over the globe.
He proudly tells me how the cruise costs over 20,000 DM. He shows me un-believable pictures of the evening buffets. Huge ice sculptures and thenhuge food sculptures. He tells me of the huge bowls, no buckets he says ofcaviar. So much, so fast, he has never seen in his life.
As I am about to take my first sip, Shamiran maneuvers in darting for me. She grabs me by the arm. “John, ..” she says, a touch angered “We have a piano lesson.Remember?”
“OF course, of course..” I am sure she stood at the door the entire time, waiting for the moment when her husband would shut his mouth.
Posted by at 10:22 PM Feedback (4)

BAMBOO: GIFT OF THE GODS

Architect Oscar Hidalgo has dedicated his life to bamboo research, and teaching the world about the limitless possibilities of this remarkable plant. Born in a bamboo house in Chinchina, Colombia, bamboo construction was common in his state, where many residential and public buildings were constructed using this cheap and widely available material. Like most homes, in his house the bamboo was hidden beneath plaster, and indeed, it looked like it was made of brick.
After he left the university, Oscar was intrigued by the possibilities of using bamboo in construction, and embarked on a project to construct a country club kiosk 23 meters in diameter using this material. Five days before the opening ceremony, there was a hurricane which distorted the building extremely, moving the kingpost 90 cm off-center. After only two hours of working with a winch, however, the structure was successfully moved back into place without collapsing. He was sold on bamboo. Amazed at its structural integrity and aesthetic possibilities, he embarked on a program of research which has taken him to Asia, Costa Rica, Brazil, and elsewhere to study this plant and to create experimental structures.
He recently came to Brazil to help INBAMBU (Instituto do Bambu - Bamboo Institute of Brazil) help give a course on bamboo construction and the possibilities for bamboo architecture.
He has really dedicated his life to the search for the ULTIMATE BAMBOO and the accumulation of BAMBOO WISDOM. Perhaps on "der Bambuspapst" Dr. Walter Liese in Germany, who began in 1951, can surpass his Curriculum Vitae.
Bamboo Architecture and Construction with Oscar HidalgoNotes by CASSANDRA ADAMS
Architect Oscar Hidalgo has dedicated his life to bamboo research, and teaching the world about the limitless possibilities of this remarkable plant. Born in a bamboo house in Chinchina, Colombia, bamboo construction was common in his state, where many residential and public buildings were constructed using this cheap and widely available material. Like most homes, in his house the bamboo was hidden beneath plaster, and indeed, it looked like it was made of brick.
After he left the university, Oscar was intrigued by the possibilities of using bamboo in construction, and embarked on a project to construct a country club kiosk 23 meters in diameter using this material. Five days before the opening ceremony, there was a hurricane which distorted the building extremely, moving the kingpost 90 cm off-center. After only two hours of working with a winch, however, the structure was successfully moved back into place without collapsing. He was sold on bamboo. Amazed at its structural integrity and aesthetic possibilities, he embarked on a program of research which has taken him to Asia, Costa Rica, Brazil, and elsewhere to study this plant and to create experimental structures.
The Bamboo Plant
The largest of the grasses, there are over 1600 species of bamboo, 64 percent of which are native to Southeast Asia. Thirty-three percent grows in Latin America, and the rest in Africa and Oceania. In North America there are only three native species of bamboo as opposed to the 440 species native to Latin America.
Of the two types of bamboo, the "running" type occurs only in temperate climates or in the high mountains of the tropics. Running bamboo produces both a culm (the above-ground vertical shoot) and long horizontal underground shoots called rhizomes. Tropical bamboo is almost always a "clumping" type, which tends to produce larger-diameter and thicker-walled culms. But its rhizomes are very short, so the bamboo plant stays more contained in a "clump."
Bamboo reproduces almost exclusively from its rhizomes, and is extremely fast growing. Under ideal conditions, for instance, a culm of the Guadua angustifolia species with a diameter of 22- 24 cm (9-10 inches) will grow to its full height in 3-4 months. It can produce an incredible number of culms per hectare (2.2 acres): native to Colombia, Guadua ang. produces 7-10,000 culms per hectare, while some Guadua species from Brazil can produce 60,000 culms per hectare.
Bamboo flowers in three different ways. Some bamboos bloom and produce seeds annually. Sporadic flowering occurs when a few plants will bloom. The type of flowering peculiar to many bamboos is gregarious flowering, when most of the plants of a species flower at about the same time around the world. This blossoming occurs at 10-145 year cycles, depending on the species. Bamboo is particularly fragile at this time, as after the flowering occurs, all the existing culms die off, and the bamboo seed is only viable for six months. This can cause great problems for people or businesses dependent on a constant supply of culms.
Different species of bamboo have different wall thickness, with a couple species being entirely solid. Bamboo is a natural composite. The walls are composed of "vascular bundles" of which there are five types. The outside portion of the culm wall is dense, containing about 5% silica. It has an exterior waterproof film which occurs on the softer interior portion as well. Bamboo is particularly strong at the node, where there is an inner disc called the septum which connects the outside walls, strengthening the stalk and separating in into compartments. Bamboo is widest at ground level, but is quite consistent in diameter throughout its length.
Using Bamboo
Bamboo is useful for different things at different ages:
<30>6 years bamboo gradually loses strength up to 12 years old
Bamboo for construction is best cut right after new shoots have started to grow, as the plant will have given all its starch to the new culm. It is important to cut bamboo just above the node at the base.
The age of the culm is very important to know in order to select culms with the greatest strength for bamboo construction. One-year-old bamboo is an emerald color with the sheaths just beginning to fall off. Bamboo 2-3 years old has white spots on the culm, indicating the beginning of lichens. At 5-6 years these lichens can be clearly seen. Branches also tell the age of a bamboo plant. Every year each culm of bamboo loses its branches which are replaced with new branches. Old bamboo is attacked by insects from the interior of the plant, which can be difficult to detect.
Height can be determined in species over 5cm in diameter by multiplying the base circumference by 58.2. If culms are found to have a ratio of less than 58.2 the bamboo is of lesser quality. In Colombia, the best examples of Guadua angustifolia grow at elevations between 900-1,800m. In Ecuador, the same species has much lower strength characteristics.
For longer lasting structures it is important to treat bamboo against rot and insects. One method is to cure the bamboo by standing cut culms on a stone for a month amongst the living culms. The leaves are left on as they continue to remove starch from culm. When air curing bamboo it is best to keep it vertical, as it takes half the time to dry as horizontal storage. Once the bamboo is cured it is soaked in water for approximately four weeks. It is then soaked in the fumes of a .3 solution of caustic soda.
Perhaps the best way of treating bamboo is to force a solution of 3-10% of half borax and half boric acid through bamboo using an air compressor to create 20-30 lb of pressure. The bamboo is left on a slight incline with the base closest to the tank (though it is also possible to do it in the other direction) and the chemicals gradually move through the vascular system.
To protect bamboo from fire use plaster. For structural bamboo it is important not to penetrate the septum as it is the crucial part of the bamboo for strength. Small diameter holes can be put in the sides of bamboo, however. To avoid problems it is important that the bamboo is dry before used in construction.
History of Bamboo Construction
The ancient Chinese created "fire arrows," which were made of bamboo filled with gunpowder, to get more distance to their arrows. These arrows eventually evolved to become the rockets and firecrackers we are familiar with today. More recently, Thomas Edison used carbonized bamboo for the first successful light filaments. It has been used to make paper, cloth, and even Rayon.
Bamboo's tensile strength has been essential in the development of bridges. The Chinese invented suspension bridges using bamboo to cross rivers. Using only the exterior part of the bamboo, which is four times as strong as the interior, they created tension cables up to 120 meters long. Bamboo bridges were also constructed in India, and by the Incas in South America. In both cases, the structural cable was strung above the walking surface, which hung from it. And in Colombia, tension bridges were created using this amazingly strong material, with tensile strengths of up to 3,200 kg/cm2 for the species Guadua. Similar building techniques have also been used to create gabions to dam rivers and streams, where a long basket of bamboo is filled with stones with each end secured to the banks.
It has been crucial to the development of many inventions. Bamboo has been used to build boats and zeppelins. In aeronautical research, structural members of kites and early planes were constructed using the material as it is light and extremely strong. A plane made completely of bamboo was built in the Philippines, while the Chinese commonly used it in their planes during World War II. Plans for bamboo planes were even available in "Popular Mechanics" magazine.
Bamboo also has a long history of use in buildings, being common to the vernacular architecture of China, Southeast Asia and Central and South America. The Chinese could span up to ten meters with their corbelling technology, and bamboo has been used extensively all over Indonesia, especially in the Celebes Islands. In Hong Kong, all scaffolding for highways construction is built of bamboo, and tied with bamboo strips only 1 mm thick. Although they have a great history of building with bamboo, today the Japanese use it only for their traditional tea houses.
Structural Characteristics of Bamboo
Bamboo is unique in that it is strong in both tension and compression. While tensile strength remains the same throughout the age of the bamboo plant, compressive strength increases as it gets older. There is some controversy in determining proper testing protocols, as it is important to test bamboo which is at least three years old, and that the test should occur on a piece of bamboo with an entire internode and two intact nodes. Some testing research has not used these criteria, and thus the results are not as useful.
To utilize bamboo to its best capabilities, several conditions are important to consider. One consideration is that bamboo grown on slopes is stronger than bamboo grown in valleys, and that bamboos that grow in poor dry soils are usually more solid than those grown in rich soils. Bamboo will shrink diametrically, so Oscar does not recommend tied connections. Bamboo takes at least four months to dry, and should not be kiln dried, as the moisture inside leaves mostly through the ends.
There are certain limitations of the use of bamboo in construction. The starchy interior is attractive to insects. In addition, because bamboo has a slick waterproof coating, it cannot be painted. However, this coating allows bamboo to be used as water pipes.
As bamboo is extremely flexible from 6-12 months of age, it can be used to create a number of curving forms. In India, curving roofs called Chocals were developed, and bamboo domes have been built in New Guinea. A parisian architect named Friedman built some beautiful ringed buildings in India, but they were unfortunately destroyed by insects within a few years, as they were not treated. Indeed, the type of bamboo construction used can greatly affect the longevity of buildings. Architect Gernot Minke of Germany has developed a catenary arch using laminated strips of bamboo.
Bamboo Joints
In standard bamboo construction, joints are difficult to make. In bamboo geodesic structures, joints are formed by creating "flaps" at the end of a culm by incising the bamboo radially. The soft inside of each "flap" is cut away, allowing them to bend easily. These flaps are then bent over a cone with a threaded rod sticking out of the tip. An additional cone is place on the outside of the bent flap area and secured with a bolt. Besides increasing structural strength, this external cone protects against insect entry. This results in an end which can easily be attached to a central hub.
Bamboo Roofing
A number of cultures have used bamboo for roofing materials. The Chinese used bamboo for roofs with the ends covered with round tiles. In the Philippines, roofs of interlocking split bamboo are created with the part receiving the water being the soft inner surface of the bamboo. Unfortunately, this technique encourages mold, fungus and splits from ultraviolet exposure, and roofs made in this fashion rarely last more than a year. These roofs can be made to last longer if the upper pieces, where the denser exterior of the bamboo is exposed, are laid close together, protecting the more vulnerable pieces underneath. These roofs are perhaps most appropriate as temporary roofing solutions.
It is imperative that bamboo roofs are treated to extend their longevity. A boric acid/ borax solution is used to preclude fungus and insect infestation. Roofs can also be treated with lime to protect them. Long lasting tiles made with bamboo utilize a bamboo strip reinforced fiber-cement laminate where the bamboo strips are weaved into a web for additional strength.
A variety of techniques have been developed to create roof support systems. These include a prefabricated triangular truss system comprising of units eight meters long. These trusses can be carried by only four people, and only deflect 2 1/2 centimeters along their entire length. These frames are then covered with bamboo boards, lath and plaster to create a waterproof roof. Additional systems include A-frame and space-frame roof structures.
An excellent system utilizes bamboo rafters with bamboo boards. This is plastered on both sides, and fired clay tiles are used to waterproof. Besides structures built of whole bamboo, truss systems have been developed using flat bamboo strips which are connected with bolts.
A roof for a kiosk made by "uneducated" Ecuadorian Indians is an umbrella-like system with a tension ring surrounding it at the level of the eaves. A different radial roof concept with numerous peaks and valleys is held up by tension cables which connect across the structure where the valleys end. Geodesic domes can easily be made with bamboo, as can emergency temporary housing for homeless in the case of earthquake, flood, etc. These roofs are simple bamboo framing with bamboo strips between the main structural members. The roofs described above can last up to 15 years with periodic maintenance.
Bamboo as Concrete Reinforcement
Many studies have been done to determine the feasibility of using bamboo to reinforce concrete. The problem is, however, that bamboo soaks up the water in the concrete, causing the bamboo to swell then shrink, the process of which can break the concrete. In addition, adhesion between the bamboo and the concrete is poor. Oscar has experimented with braided bamboo as reinforcement, but it takes an excessively long time to braid.
Feasible uses of bamboo with concrete include making stirrups with 9 month old bamboo. Also tanks can be made by applying cement plaster to bamboo baskets. These can be used for toilets, water storage or boats. Waffle slabs of concrete can be formed utilizing bamboo baskets to create the void spaces. Woven bamboo mesh at 6" on center can be used to reinforce a 5" concrete slab. All-in-all, Oscar does not recommend the use of bamboo with concrete in house construction, with the exception of it being used as reinforcing for slabs on grade.
Laminated Bamboo
Many of the problems associated with bamboo can be alleviated by creating laminates of bamboo strips. These are formed by simply dividing the length of the culm into individual strips which are then laminated together to create a number of products. In 1942 a study was commissioned by the US government regarding the use of bamboo laminates in ski poles.
Currently, bamboo laminate products include floor tiles with one type being particularly good for heavy floor traffic as only the end grain is exposed. The softer strips of bamboo from the interior of the culm can be safely used in the interior portion of very large glu-lam beams.
There is really no limit to the uses of laminated bamboo. It can be used for chairs and other furniture, plates and utensils. In fact it can be used just like laminated wood, with the advantage that bamboo laminates are much lighter in weight. To create the strips used for lamination, the interior soft part of the bamboo is removed with a plane, leaving the hard exterior for the lamination strip.
Architectural Design Considerations
There are many ways to design using bamboo. Commonly in Colombia, structural bamboo is used as studs in walls, covered with bamboo "boards" or lath, then plastered on both sides. The bamboo boards are created by smashing a culm with a hammer, then splitting it open and flattening it. Lath is made from bamboo strips, 2-3cm wide.
With proper joinery, bamboo can be used to create incredible spans, most dramatically evidenced in the work of Colombian architect Simon Velez. Spans of 3.5 meters (11 ft.) are easily possible in simple structures use 12cm (4-5 in) diameter bamboo.
In Latin America, Guadua angustifolia bicor is the most prized species for construction. Guadua de castilla and Onion Guadua (G. cebolla) are also a good construction species. To create special effects, bamboo can be bent or straightened by heating and clamping until cool. Square bamboo is a unique product used for decorative purposes that is created by training the culms into forms.
Bamboo Construction in Latin America Marizales, a coffee growing region in Colombia, used to have many bamboo buildings. As recently as the 1930s, all houses in Caldas State (of which Marizales is capital) were made of bamboo. Many public buildings and apartments were made of bamboo as well. Although now bamboo is limited to residential construction, there continue to be many beautiful bamboo houses in rural areas. The most common construction method is to use platform frames with reinforcing diagonals in the walls. Some houses built with this technique on steep hillsides have five-story understructures. Because of the difficulty of leveling the varying dimensions of bamboo, lumber is often used for beams and joists.
A typical wall section is created with bamboo studs where spacing is determined by the thickness of the bamboo boards applied to the studs. For example, when a 1 cm board is used, stud spacing is 40cm. The bamboo boards are attached, and two layers of plaster are applied. The first layer of plaster is 1:3 cement to sand mix and the second layer is a 4:5 cement to sand mix. The plaster is aesthetically essential as visible bamboo is not acceptable to Colombians.
Another wall system uses bamboo studs as described above with smaller pieces of bamboo attached with 1 1/2-2" nails. This is then plastered with a clay/straw mixture on the outside. This system is much heavier than the previous example. Bamboo was often used as scaffolding in Colombia, but is now largely replaced by rented metal systems. In Ecuador the bamboo is smaller and the bamboo boards are applied vertically.
A prefabricated bamboo house system utilizes wall panels built on the floor, resulting in better construction. This system allows for homeowners to build their own houses through sweat equity. An additional feature is to locate the kitchen and bathroom directly over water tanks, which allows water to be easily hand-pumped to where it is needed. Oscar established a prefab house building program in Costa Rica, the Costa Rican "roof-floor" program was one in which the government provided a floor, roof and sink. Oscar then built pre-fabricated bamboo panels for these dwellings.
Practitioners
Besides Oscar, there are a number of other important bamboo architects in South America. These include recently deceased architect Carlos Vergara from Cali, who made houses entirely of bamboo. He created a multi-column system where the loads are carried by the septum of the bamboo. He also used bolts through concrete nodes to create joints. He was able to achieve spans up to 24 meters with his techniques. Jorge Arcila of Marizales did a series of "stacked houses" and is currently writing a history of bamboo in America.
Simon Velez, an architect who mostly practices in Colombia, has built a number of extraordinary bamboo structures. These projects have ranged from a horse stable, residences, a observation tower and a country club. His structures feature massive cantilevers and he was the first to use multi-culm beams. He uses a unique bolt and concrete system in the internodes to create extremely strong joints, which has allowed him to create cantilevers as large as 7 meters (37 feet).
American efforts include those of Doug La Barre, who is setting up a manufacturing facility for creating laminated lumber from imported Guadua. The Trus-Joist corporation is also doing work to create nontoxic adhesives for laminated bamboo.
Issues in Bamboo Construction
As bamboo architecture has reemerged in Colombia, many new architects are making avoidable mistakes. It is important that the ends of joints not be cut too short and that all connections use the concrete-filled internode/bolt system. Additionally, columns must be raised above grade or floor level. Multi-culm beams should be made of culms of the same diameter, and bolted vertically at least every meter on center. In temperate climates it is better to use the smaller, stronger bamboos, and if the structure is protected it will last longer. The strongest of the temperate bamboos are Phyll. bambusoides and Phyll. mequinods.
Neither Oscar or Simon Velez use engineers in their building, having developed an intuition about the capabilities of bamboo. Oscar knows, however, that many architects do not have the years of experience he has, and so wants to establish the norms for the mechanical characteristics of bamboo. Much work in this regard has been done by Jules Jannson, and research and testing continues in his native Netherlands.
Another major problem is that in many places bamboo is disappearing, just like our world forest resources. In Brazil there were 85,000 sq km of bamboo in 1976, while in 1983 there were only 32,000 sq km. It is feared that within a decade all bamboo in Brazil will be gone. Guadua is among the threatened species because it only grows at tropical latitudes. But this dire situation is common all over the world.
The biggest problem affecting the adoption of bamboo architecture in those areas which have a vernacular history of building with this material, is the perception that it is considered "poor people's" housing. In India, the highest castes use stone to build, the middle castes, wood, and only the lowest castes use bamboo. Thanks to Simone Velez, however, bamboo is becoming a building material of choice for the wealthy. Oscar believes that if those needing shelter see rich people using bamboo, so will they.
Cassandra Adams is an architect and professor of architecture at UC Berkeley specializing in construction methods and materials with a focus on environmental issues and traditional Japanese construction.
Also about Oscar HidalgoFrom DESIGNER/Builder, September 1997
...the most exciting technology Hidalgo has developed is to deform the bamboo plant as it grows to create incredibly strong pre-stressed arches. A form of wood and plywood with a predetermined arc is placed over a bamboo shoot. As the bamboo grows, it assumes the shape of the arc, permanently.
"You can make any type of construction member when you deform the bamboo," Hidalgo says. "To make one curved laminated beam could cost $25,000. But to grow the equivalent in bamboo would cost only $100."
A cross and longitudinal section of a bamboo plant reveals its amazing properties and the strength and resilience the mature plant gains from its vertical fibers and horizontally reinforced chambers. A bamboo plant is fully formed as it starts up from the ground, its future chambers compressed against one another like an accordion. As the plant matures, the shoot expands and these chambers spread out, beginning from the lowest internode. And if the shoot is deformed on the way up, it assumes its new shape permanently.
"The most expensive thing is the form," Hidalgo says. "But once you have a form you can grow many of the same arches for a very low price. You tell me what kind of a structure you want and I will deform the arcs for you."
Excerpted with permission from DESIGNER/builder magazine, copyright 1998. DESIGNER/builder is published monthly at 2405 Maclovia Lane, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87505; (505) 471-4549. Annual subscription: $28.
http://www.networkearth.org/naturalbuilding/bamboo.html
Posted by at 07:40 PM Feedback (8)

UA Community
I’m conducting an experiment . Not a mad scientist brand of experiment, this is an experiment in relation to my life in general. One aspect of free falling experimentation has been this blog. At first, Anne and I, conceived of highlighting beauty products, then it included all the cool people we know. Those things are still here, but it’s evolved into more. The war happened, Anne started working full time, I’m not working at all now. Things change, just like life. I was feeling this whole city thing when it comes to the blog and thought why not add other voices, other perspectives. A city has diversity, its multicultural. My friend Julie sent me a beautiful Holiday card. It said, be the change you wish too see in the world….peace. I have an unrelenting need to connect with others and hear there point of view, hence UA’s new contributors, Joao (John) AKA Bamboo Guy. Joao is doing amazing things with his nonprofit organization. Tony hales from England, and heaven knows, I love the Brits. My sentiment is when you post in the comments, you are a contributor. The more we all dialogue, the more understanding and harmony we can share. I’m not the “boss” (Yuk, I hate that word), I’m the facilitator at UA. Thankyou to anyway who has contributed in the past, and anyone who will contribute in the future.
“I put my hand in yours and together we can do what we could never do alone.”
Posted by Liz at 04:42 PM Feedback (2)

A very English Christmas
This being the season I thought I would start my residence at urbanaddiction with a look at an English Christmas. Living, as I do, in merry England. A bit of background followed by a look at some of the more idiosyncratic aspects of the brit xmas
I suppose some background would be in order. There are some major differences between the US and UK Christmas tradition. The US tradition is derived from the European Saint Nicolas/Santa Claus (I know you think the UK is part of Europe – but we don’t! We still talk about Europe in the third person even given our ties…brits eh?) Whilst in England he evolved from Father Christmas, a being closer to the spirit of the woods (the green man) to whom presents were given to ensure a new spring, as an aside he was dressed in a green hooded cloak and was still depicted as such when the Victorians resurrected Christmas and started sending cards. The (western) worldwide popularity of Christmas along with the mainland European influence of Queen Victoria’s consort, the German Prince Albert, blurred the differences over the years with influences taken from all over giving us the melange we have now. The introduction of red may have come from the bishops vestments of the St Nick tradition – or perhaps just as Coca Cola say it did, from them. So the UK has Father Christmas/Santa dressed in a red hooded cloak as opposed to the European/US bobble hat but otherwise looks the same.
The other major difference is our holiday is one day longer. The day after Christmas is called Boxing day, a public holiday The origins are obscure but most likely to be named because it is the day when, by tradition, the master gave a gift to the servants – a Christmas box. Originally this would be extra food perhaps for the harsh winter but evolved to gifts and the modern idea practice (unfortunately dying out) of a paid Christmas bonus.
With no Thanksgiving the holiday preparation ramps up from late November, as early as the shops think they can get away with it. The tabloids come out with Christmas diets and guides to office parties (how to avoid the letch\get the girl) with the big prize being the first paper to run the xmas TV schedule. This is a new development. Not so long ago the listings were seen as the property rights of the TV stations so the two biggest both had their own listings publications. The law was changed some years back and now there are what seems like hundreds of listing magazines all vying for space on the shelves.
As in any country, there are widely varying cultures but when we think of an English Christmas there are some things that are synonymous – although often more honoured in the breech!
Midnight Mass – We are a protestant country by default (the church of England – how many religions get started because a king wanted a shag but she was holding out till the wedding night so he had to get rid of his first wife?) but only about 10% of the population attend regularly. The exception being Christmas. The mass held at midnight Christmas Eve is ALWAYS packed to the rafters. But its not a sudden awakening of the spiritual – you are more likely to see semi-drunk revellers pre-atoning for the debauchery to follow or people attending as the would a play, as part of the tradition, a sort of contemporary medieval mystery play where the funny man rambles about a home birth and animal husbandry using Angels before you go home and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas – something about a old man who gave presents to kids so each year so in honour we now increase our alcohol tolerance and recite the mantra ‘Christmas is the time for kids!’
The Queens Speech – 3pm Christmas day her maj comes on TV and gives her address to the nation and commonwealth ( this is the bits of the planet we used to control but now are partners with now we are enlightened, mainly due to the fact we no longer have the ability to hold on to them any more!) It is said some used to stand up at home for the Queens speech but I never saw it. People talk about it but why they watch can run from tradition to duty to a chance to laugh at the toffs.
Brussels Sprouts – I really do not know if you suffer the horror of sprouts but they appear on every Christmas menu. If you don’t know they are imagine a cabbage the size of a chicken nugget that, when boiled, smells of urine…. Well that’s a sprout. It’s not all bad, mix them with chestnuts and they become more palatable but its not the usually way we cook vegetables. Usually we boil them for hours and throw away all the vitamins and goodness with the water.
Crackers – Started out a bon-bons, a French import during the Victorian age. bon-bons were sweets wrapped in tissue that you pulled apart after the Christmas meal. The fine industrious Victorians took the idea and they became what we have now – a tube closed at both ends containing a paper hat, motto or joke, a little gift and a ‘snap’ which is two pieces of thin card bound together very tightly with abrasive ends that make a cracking sound when pulled apart. You may know them as party favours but they are de-rigor to the Christmas table, along with our next item…
Christmas Pudding – A (very) rich fruit pudding, usually round, heavy with dried fruit and nuts soaked in your favourite spirit garnished with a sprig of holly and set ablaze moments before serving. Oh the horror stories involving incendiary puds and over-enthusiastic use of the good Brandy…There cannot be a home in England who cannot boast of a singed eyebrow or burnt pallet caused by this particular delicacy!
I could go on mulled wine, the cultural nightmare that is Pantomime etc– but this is far too long already so let me just send you my compliments for the season. I am sure the next Richard Curtis film will explain more about us bizarre brits!
Posted by Tony at 07:29 AM Feedback (7)
December 20, 2003

Hair There and Everywhere
Last night I was in Jeanna’s salon getting a color refresher, and I took note of all the guys getting marine style buzz cuts. I’m regretful to break the news gentlemen, but I think the super concise clipper cuts are out. As I peruse the magazines, I’m seeing hair over the ears again. Not very long, but not buzzed around the ears either. More like a restrained hippy look. It will still take a man to the office without looking like he slept all night on a park bench. Joao told me he was in such need of a haircut, that he was sporting an afro. I’m all for that look. Just get it trimmed and you’re good to go. I’m also seeing more dreads on men these days. I love dreads. I always have. I wont even mention all the men I see getting color. No more reason for a 30 something to be gray. I think along with the peasant blouses, men want in on the hippy chic look.
Posted by Liz at 08:48 PM Feedback (0)

Laying Plans

Sun-tzu said:
Warfare is a great matter to a nation; it is the ground of death and of life;
it is the way of survival and of destruction, and must be examined. ?
Therefore, go through it by means of five factors;
compare them by means of calculation, and determine their statuses:
One, Way, two, Heaven, three, Ground, four, General, five, Law. ?
The Way is what causes the people to have the same thinking as their superiors;
SUN-TZU: THE PRINCIPLES OF WARFARE"THE ART OF WAR"
Chapter One: Calculations
Sun-tzu said:
Warfare is a great matter to a nation; it is the ground of death and of life;
it is the way of survival and of destruction, and must be examined. ?
Therefore, go through it by means of five factors;
compare them by means of calculation, and determine their statuses:
One, Way, two, Heaven, three, Ground, four, General, five, Law. ?
The Way is what causes the people to have the same thinking as their superiors;
they may be given death, or they may be given life, but there is no fear of danger and betrayal. ?
Heaven is dark and light, cold and hot, and the seasonal constraints.
Ground is high and low, far and near, obstructed and easy, wide and narrow, and dangerous and safe. ?
General is wisdom, credibility, benevolence, courage, and discipline. ?
Law is organization, the chain of command, logistics, and the control of expenses. ?
All these five no general has not heard;
one who knows them is victorious, one who does not know them is not victorious. ?
Therefore, compare them by means of calculation, and determine their statuses. ?
Ask:
Which ruler has the Way,
which general has the ability,
which has gained Heaven and Ground,
which carried out Law and commands,
which army is strong,
which officers and soldiers are trained,
which reward and punish clearly,
by means of these, I know victory and defeat! ?
A general who listens to my calculations, and uses them, will surely be victorious, keep him;
a general who does not listen to my calculations, and does not use them, will surely be defeated, remove him. ?
Calculate advantages by means of what was heard, then create force in order to assist outside missions. ?
Force is the control of the balance of power, in accordance with advantages. ?
Warfare is the Way of deception. ?
Therefore, if able, appear unable,
if active, appear not active,
if near, appear far,
if far, appear near. ?
If they have advantage, entice them;
if they are confused, take them,
if they are substantial, prepare for them,
if they are strong, avoid them,
if they are angry, disturb them,
if they are humble, make them haughty,
if they are relaxed, toil them,
if they are united, separate them. ?
Attack where they are not prepared, go out to where they do not expect. ?
This specialized warfare leads to victory, and may not be transmitted beforehand. ?
Before doing battle, in the temple one calculates and will win, because many calculations were made;
before doing battle, in the temple one calculates and will not win, because few calculations were made; ?
many calculations, victory, few calculations, no victory, then how much less so when no calculations?
By means of these, I can observe them, beholding victory or defeat! ?
Posted by at 06:49 AM Feedback (3)
December 19, 2003

The Taxi Driver who took Photographs
The Taxi Driver who took Photographsu
He picked me after lunch. I already took a Taxi earlier that day and met an interesting character—you know, that typical taxi driver, very talkative and full of stories.
But Louis was different.
He didn’t ask me what my destination was but rather what my age was.
“How old are you?” he asked me, piercing me with his eyes.
I hesitated to respond and quickly looked around the taxi. I noticed a small bottle of Gatorade with a small amount of liquid in it. Was he drinking? Was he drunk? His speech seemed slur.
“I am 24” I shyly responded.
“Ahhhh” he stretched out vocally.
What a weirdo! He is half an hour late in picking me up, starts driving in the wrong direction, and is he hitting on me? Nothing against homosexuals, in fact I hope I met the Fab Five someday (I need a makeover badly, free clothes wouldn’t hurt). But I have had enough adventure so far, or so I thought.
“YOU WERE BORN IN THE YEAR OF THE GOAT!” he exclaims, still staring at me and not looking at the road.
“Oh really, I did not know that”
I thought to myself. Ok, that makes sense. I am an Aires and aren’t we goats? I guess I am stubborn, or as I put it persistent.
“Do you want to look at some pictures” he asks me, still looking at me and not the road/cars ahead.
“Sure, why not?”
He expertly reaches over the front seat and brings out a leather satchel. I could tell he had done this many times before. He takes out some Walmart 75 cent folders and shows me a photo.
“See this? This is Mick Jagger. I took it in 1969”
Wow. I didn’t expect that. Maybe he was going to show me photographs of nude goats.
“That’s really nice” I say
“Oh yeahhhh, you like that?” he rasped, telling his old age.
Here we go!
He shows me several photographs in succession. Most of them Black and White and many of them guessing if I had not seen them before in LIFE magazine or in a museum. They were all dramatic portraits of people from all walks of life. People caught in time starting at me in a taxi.
“See this one, this is my father.”
I saw a black and white photograph of a jewish-looking man. He was inside a locksmith shop and the photograph was beautiful to look at.
“He died from a heart attack while trying to recover my camera. It was stolen and he chased after the criminal. On the way, he suffered a massive heart attack and died”
He quickly changed to the next picture, as if it were routine to him by now
“This is my mother, she died in my arms. In the same room, were I delivered my daughter”
Suddenly, he caught my complete attention. By now, I had told him where to take me. But suddenly it didn’t seem important. All I wanted to do was to get to know this man and to understand why we met now and what significance of it.
I forgot my destination and I forgot the dramatic events that had previously unfolded that day. I spent the next 3 hours driving North on the Turnpike to West Palm Beach, mesmerized with his stories and photographs. I shared some of mine with him and he was equally as interested.
He gave me his card and on the back it said Mangoman. I asked him why he called himself that.
“I am starving! I need to eat fruit. I am a fruit-eater, 80% of my diet was fruit.”
I noticed he ate 3 apples during the ride, while continually staring at me, and somehow navigating heavy traffic on I-95.
Yes, he was a starving artist. A tormented artist. But so were many other people I knew but none of them drove taxis. Then again, none of them were really pursuing their “careers” or developing their “talents”. Who was I to judge anyway?
Didn’t I chicken out myself a long time ago? Didn’t I sell out, like everyone else?
Maybe driving a taxi and talking about what you love to do or did wasn’t such a bad idea…
Coincidentally, I had my Chinese stamp in my rucksack. I took it out and noticed there was a Goat on top of it. I hadn’t noticed that before. I stamped the Mandarin equivalent for Joao on a small square piece of paper and wrote my email address and phone number for him. Maybe we would meet again and I could help him. At the time, I didn’t even know how.
I did recall meetng Alejandra von Hartz who had a art gallery in the Fashion District in Miami. Maybe she would be interested? But this guy was INTENSE. I could feel his desperation hitting me with his words. Sure, I was intense, too and agitated. But he was this tremendous life force, I could sense it. What a talent!
The ride cost me $191 that day but the friendship born was priceless.
Written by Joao Paulo Freire PaglioneDraft version/incompleteAny comments appreciated
Posted by at 06:09 PM Feedback (5)

Paulo Bustamante - A BAMBUZERIA
Just spoke to Paulo this morning, looks like we will meet in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on December 26th, after my "Plane Christmas". He is an amazing bamboo craftsman and hopefully we will be sharing the pleasure of his artform in West Palm Beach next year. He treats all his bamboo work with TANINO, a natural resin obtained from a tree, in order to prevent powder post beetle infestation.Visit him here http://www.feitofibra.com.br/abambuzeria/
(in Portuguese)
BAMBU: Um tesouro pouco explorado!
Há milênios o bambu é conhecido e utilizado no oriente para as mais diversas funções do cotidiano: estruturas de casas, paredes, telhas, portas e janelas, mobiliário, utensílios de cozinha, objetos de decoração, cercas, pontes, irrigação, drenos, embarcações, contenção de encostas. Chegam a ser mais de 2.000 itens em bambu.
Sítios arqueológicos no Equador mostram que o bambu é utilizado há cerca de cinco mil anos na América do Sul, primeiramente pelos indígenas. Em países como o Equador, Colômbia e Costa Rica, onde a pesquisa e utilização do bambu já estão bastante avançadas, existem até programas de habitações populares em bambu. Além disso, existem construções monumentais, com telhados ousadíssimos que chegam a ter 8 metros em balanço (sem pilares nas pontas), e pontes com 40 metros de vão livre. Construções centenárias feitas inteiramente de bambu comprovam a sua durabilidade. Mas para atingir essa qualidade é necessário o manuseio e o tratamento adequado das varas.
Em 1998 após os primeiros contatos com o bambu, e algumas experiências com tratamentos químicos, optamos por pesquisar alternativas saudáveis de tratamento. Logicamente a manutenção adequada do bambual, a colheita na época certa e a extração da maneira correta e na lua mais indicada são princípios básicos para que qualquer outro tratamento tenha o máximo de efetividade. Assim fomos testando várias alternativas - fogo direto, cozimento, fritura, defumação...
Hoje estamos utilizando um tratamento à base de tanino da casca da acácia negra, que é um tratamento natural, aliado à colheita no tempo de seca, na lua minguante no período de 3:00 às 5:30hs - momento em que o bambu não está fazendo fotossíntese, estando portanto mais enchuto. Continuamos, no entanto, pesquisando outras formas de tratamento natural.
Além desta pesquisa sobre tratamentos estamos desenvolvendo uma proposta brasileira de design para o bambu, assim, desenvolvemos uma linha exclusiva de luminárias e outras peças de decoração utilizando este fantástico material como base. Sendo a qualidade nosso conceito básico, todos os outros materiais utilizados nas peças são do mais alto padrão. Somado a esta qualidade, temos a opção de utilizar o máximo de materiais ecologicamente corretos e um desenho que permite aliar o resgate de atividades artesanais às exigências do mercado atual.
Implementamos também projetos personalizados para arquitetos, paisagistas e decoradores, e de ornamentação de jardins, chácaras, hotéis e pousadas, com quiosques, cercas, luminárias, balizadores, etc.
Como acreditamos que a informação existe para circular, ministramos cursos em comunidades rurais que tenham abundância de bambu, e aproveitamos qualquer oportunidade para divulgar a excelência deste material.
Posted by at 08:49 AM Feedback (11)
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December 18, 2003

Bamboo Facts
(From the World Bamboo Congress website in India, which we hope to attend next year!)
It is like a woody grass
It has some 1250 species in 75 genera with varying sizes
India has the largest bamboo forests, next only to China
According to the Forest Survey of India report, 8.96 million ha (about 12.8% of total forest area) is under bamboo cultivation
It surges skyward as fast as 1.2 meters in a 24 hour period
Some species are suitable for soil stabilization, wind break, urban wastewater treatment and reduction of nitrates contamination
Potential to put a brake on the fire (create a fire line) in the traditional forests
BAMBOO FACTS Bamboo as a tree It is like a woody grass It has some 1250 species in 75 genera with varying sizes India has the largest bamboo forests, next only to China According to the Forest Survey of India report, 8.96 million ha (about 12.8% of total forest area) is under bamboo cultivation It surges skyward as fast as 1.2 meters in a 24 hour period Some species are suitable for soil stabilization, wind break, urban wastewater treatment and reduction of nitrates contamination Potential to put a brake on the fire (create a fire line) in the traditional forests
Bamboo and its applications Edible shoots Building and Construction Material Small Scale and Cottage Industries Handicrafts New generation products as wood substitutes Industrial Products like activated carbon Transportation Industry - truck bodies, railway carriages Boards and Furniture Medicinal Uses Paper and Pulp Industry Long-time source of biomass for industry
Bamboo Economy Commercial consumption of bamboo world over is to the tune of US $ 10 Billion which is expected to reach US $ 20 Billion by 2015 Domestic bamboo economy as of now is Rs. 2043 crore while the market potential is estimated at Rs. 4463 crores Potential growth areas are shoots, boards, paper and pulp, furniture, building and construction, road construction, etc Current demand of bamboo is estimated at 26.69 million tons as against the supply of 13.47 million tons Expansion of handicraft, cottage and tiny sector will create 3 million new jobs 3 million bamboo plants are produced and sold in Europe for ornamental purposes
Technology Constraints Lack of application of known scientific methods in plantation Post harvest treatment Product Development Up gradation of skill formation
Posted by at 06:14 PM Feedback (9)

Bamboo Construction
Building with bamboo looks back on an ancient tradition in the regions in which plant grows in abundance, such as South America, Africa and, in particular, in South-East-Asia. Bamboo is one of the oldest construction materials.
Bamboo material offers a surprisingly large number of applications and uses. Bamboo as a building material in the bamboo architecture is using for several constructions. In the following some of these constuction will be represent. Bamboo houses
Bamboo house as a skeletal building Bamboo houses are without exception skeletal buildings having raised floors with main posts which are anchored in the ground. Typical bamboo elements are canes, halved canes, laths, beading, bamboo boards and rope ties. This way of construction offers the following advantages: pre-fabrication, simple assembly, simple replacement of structural parts; the bamboo elements can be easily dismantled and reused. Posts, battens, rails, purlins and rafters from the longitudinal and transversal bamboo framework. Normal cane diameters are 5 - 10 cm. Walls, floors and roof are linings rather than stiffening elements of the non-rigid framework because braces and diagonal stays are absent in those planes. The structural safety of the skeletal structure is almost exclusivelyprovided by the posts anchored in the ground. The only vertical and horizontal forces acting on the structure are wind pressure, roof moisture, liveloads and deadweight. The framing is connected by articulated joints. All the framing bars can slightly move in relation to one another. Although each part is able to transfer all axial and transversal forces. Rigid connections or joints are very rarely used. Above all the structure must be able to withstand dynamic loads, for example wind gusts.
The building materials as well as the structure have a high elasticity and low mass. This is the reason, why this houses are secure from an earthquake
Posted by at 03:54 PM Feedback (9)

American Pie, Pizza That Is
My cousin's husband, Peter Reinhart, teaches at Johnson and Wales and just wrote another cookbook. If you love pizza, you will adore this! I cant believe the recipes he found and transformed. He traveled to Italy to research the book and his writing just grabs you and pulls you along for the trip. Peter and Sue are great people, who have dedicated there lives to helping people and sharing their joy. They inspire me. And yes, as lucky members of the family, we are sent samples of their recipes from time to time. The stuff doesn't last long in our house! Check out Amazon.com for more about this book and others that Peter has written.
Posted by Liz at 02:59 PM Feedback (2)
December 17, 2003

"Time is a Grand Maître, That Settles Things Well"
Remember the bureaucracy that had me in a tizzy on Monday? Well today the seas parted and a clear way was revealed. I called everyone to share my good fortune. It seems that my comrade, Mary, had a similar occasion herself, today. We laughed and took splendid delight in each others ultimate reward of a once nasty work experience. I dedicate todays post to anyone who has ever laughed last and laughed best.
I emailed Anne & Dennis to check on Maggie and Roxie, the dogs, Anne and I rescued last year. Later that day, I get a Christmas card in the mail from them and it included these pictures, God bless them.
Posted by Liz at 08:01 PM Feedback (5)
December 16, 2003

Losing My Religion
Yesterday, my stomach was in a knot due to buracracy. I felt one two'd and totally out of sorts. Good friends were around too talk me "off the ledge." Today, another friend called and wanted to meet for lunch. Coupon in hand, off to Denny's I went for lunch with Mary. We talked and sorted things out and suddenly I had hope again. I had forgotten that when I don't reliquish my power, to things I have no control over, I'm in a serene state of mind. Later, I worked at my laptop, chatted with friends, and got some much needed help with a project. (Thanks Nicole!) Yea, things are looking up. I had a good day today.
Posted by Liz at 12:08 AM Feedback (0)
December 15, 2003

Doing It For Myself
I considered the prospect of starting a non-profit organization. I read up on it a bit. Who would be on the board? I pondered my passion for helping workers and creating healthier work places. Then I read this.....
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I saw the Acura commercial on TV tonight. The car was driving through a remote high desert. Through the magic of computer graphics, it seemed to be creating the road as it moved, laying down paved blacktop where before there was only dirt. I thought of you immediately, Sagittarius. You're in a comparable situation, right? There's no path where you're going, so you'll have to make it for yourself as you proceed.
Posted by Liz at 03:59 AM Feedback (8)
December 14, 2003

Baking Cookies
Normally, on a Sunday, I spend part of the day IMing Dimi. We get caught up on the mutual projects we share, namely this blog, as well as personal updates. Today was a bit different. I spent two hours baking chocolate chip cookies and pizzelles. Mom mixed the batter and I loaded the , one after another. Dimi and I caught up to one another. I talked to Anne and Joao and Jeanna via telephone. I watched Saddam being shown for the rat bastard, he is. Satisfaction came when the cookie mission was accomplished.
Posted by Liz at 08:15 PM Feedback (4)

Procrastination Strikes Again!
You wont see a whole lot on this blog with a Christmas theme. I like Christmas, but really it's only one day out of the year. I don't like the commericalism around at all. I avoid the stores as much as possible. I tend to get my shopping done in one clean sweep. Now with that rant out of the way, I did come across a really cool Advent calander, via Ben's blog, which is also a really creative place. Check it out, it has lots of fun links too!
Posted by Liz at 01:53 AM Feedback (2)
December 13, 2003

A Girl's Night Out
I thought of calling this post, "Girls Gone Wild", but there was no flashing of breasts or gyrating going on. Instead, it was a casual get together of some of my closest friends, as a post-birthday celebration/ladies night out.
Drinks and apps at New Orleans Cafe was the plan for catching up on news and sipping drinks. Myself, Mary, Lisa, Nicole, and Jeanna caught up at 9pm. Happily, I told them my alternative plans for the evening,
"Hey, it was either this, or staying home to watch Michael Jackson's parents defend him."
Nicole, without hesitation, responds, "That’s on tonight? Now you tell me, Liz."
During the martinis and battered beer scrimp numerous topics were covered. Whitney Houston picking up Bobby Brown from a hearing and feeling the need to sing, "I'm Every Woman," giving a new significance to that classic. And how depressing is day time television with its trash talking, weight lose programs and low tech schools, for the unemployed? We covered the hairy chest men, or smoothies preference. (That debate ended with a collective consensus that smooth is nice, but willingness to work with the manly trait of chest hair, was decided upon.) On that note, Mary relating a gruesome story of a male stripper who turned up at a Bridal shower she was attending, in let’s say, less than peak physical condition and a thong. Ouch. Much chitchat continued back and forth. Inevitably, we get around to laughing about absurd former employers and the dysfunction they perpetuate in the workplace. Mary and I swap horror stories about what went before with employers, as our comrades’ listen, flabbergasted. These women all have thriving careers. I can’t help but listen attentively to there suggestions on the recent overhaul of my livelihood.
I really had an enjoyable evening. Good food, good drinks, and good friends. Thanks guys, for everything.
Posted by Liz at 05:08 AM Feedback (3)
December 11, 2003

Making Art
I'm thinking of making some poster size pics for friends as Christmas gifts, ALA Andy Warhol, only simplified. Andy didn't have access to photoshop, but I do. I want to do some portraits of friends that they can hang. I'm really into the colors and texture.
Me!
Dimi !
Me!
Warwick Castle, London
More Pictures........
Aaron!
Posted by Liz at 04:21 PM Feedback (6)
December 10, 2003

Stepford Wives Revisted

A ridiculous faux pas: the costumes in the climactic scene of ''The Stepford Wives.''
This week, the New York Times did a fashion layout and the theme was witty as well as nostalgic, The Stepford Husband as opposed to wife. The layout features clothes for men and woman by such favored designers as Hugo Boss and Valentino. For a twist on gender, the men are featured as boy toys. The preeminent thing about the layout is the accompanying article by the author of the original 1971 novel, The Stepford Wives. In the article, he tells of his absolute dissatisfaction with the film, especially the over clothed, frumpy actress' costumes. The following is an exert from said article......
"And now, Stepford Husbands.
There's a certain irony in this transgendered Stepford appearing in a fashion layout, because more than anything else, it was the costumes in the movie that set my teeth on edge.
At a lawn party on a summer afternoon, the men are in jackets and ties, the women in floor-length dresses. In Stepford? The event would be a softball game, the men dressed like slobs. The women, bringing the beer, would wear hot pants and low-cut blouses. Or maybe wet T-shirts.
And that final scene in the supermarket! The cart-pushing wives in picture hats and, again, floor-length dresses! William Goldman, who wrote the screenplay, explained the absurdity in his book ''Adventures in the Screen Trade'': one of the featured wives didn't have the figure for the proper Stepford gear -- and since she also happened to be the wife of the director, all the wives were costumed accordingly.
Now another ''Stepford'' is on the way, a remake starring Nicole Kidman. She has the figure; I just hope she's dressed right."
Posted by Liz at 07:48 PM Feedback (0)

"I am in the depths of an abyss, and I have forgotten how to pray."
The line in the title is from a poem by Arthur Rimbaud. For me it decribes the ache of a person cut off from humanity and feelings I have known, loneliness and despair. Loneliness seems to be a trigger for a lot of things. I’m reading about the German cannibal and he mentions being lonely and cannibalism as being a way to keep someone with you. I believe him. Jeffrey Dahmer talked about the same feelings and motives. I think loneliness drives people to do many things that aren't acceptable in a healthy realm.
I recall the part loneliness played in my life. Staying in a bad relationship rather than risk being alone. Running around constantly, as to not slow down and have to feel the lonely feelings. I wanted my house filled with people all the time or at the very least my phone ringing off the hook. If I wasn’t surrounded by people, I felt like I was going bonkers.
Being the oldest child and the only girl set me up for a lonely mind-set. My brothers were off doing “boy stuff” and I was left to occupy myself. I pored over fashion magazines, I drew, I painted, I read, and I talked on the phone when possible. To get together with friends was the grandest pleasure anyone could present me. Fortunately, I was an out going kid, and I did have friends too call upon.
I feel for people that vanish into a sea of emptiness and isolation. I picture them as going under and gulping for air, trying to swim. The fantasies seem to offer a life preserver. That’s the problem with fantasy living, as I call it, sooner or later you loose the connection between what is real and what is just your mind’s eye. It seems that isolated remote people act upon the fantasy, as they convince themselves that reality, is in fact, what there dealing with. Naturally, unhealthy behavior attracts detrimental behavior, and like magic it all blows up in the faces of the misguided parties.
Consider the Michael Jackson case. Suddenly, as more details emerge, it becomes apparent that the children being dropped off at Neverland Ranch, to sleep with a 45 year old man, have parents with some issues of there own. It all seems to go back to the one lingering human condition, loneliness. Parents that have no acknowledgment in there own lives, searching for it through there children and completely unable to negotiate what’s real and what’s unhealthy fantasy. A man/boy who turns his home into a castle in the sky play land for kids? Not most peoples perception of veracity.
I have had to combat loneliness in my life. I was fortunate enough to find a fit pathway on which to delve into this issue and how it relates to my life. For myself, I discovered I had to become skilled at enjoying my own company. I was always perplexed with people who spoke of prized time alone. Now I understand what they meant. I love to write. Whether I’m good at it or not, doesn’t concern me that much. I love to paint, whether my work would ever be in a gallery, isn’t a goal. I just enjoy the autonomy of self expression as well as the reflective time that solitude allows me. By all means, I have plans with friends this Friday night, however just for tonight, I’ll be home relishing solitude.
Posted by Liz at 05:02 PM Feedback (2)
December 09, 2003

Today Is A Birthday
"While one finds company in himself and his pursuits, he cannot feel old, no matter what his years may be." Amos Bronson Alcott
I had a birthday today and I thought of looking up all the successful woman in the world who stayed single. I also thought about looking up celebrities who were my age, but what’s the point in that? I wonder if old boyfriends are sitting somewhere remembering what today is.
If they knew I was thinking that, they would say, “typical Liz.” I feel as though everyone looks at you too see how you’re handling the big crossover. Almost like a human measuring stick for their life. Reflection is funny. It can take you in many different directions, past, present, future. As I’m writing and listening to the Sugar Cubes sing,” birthday”, and I realize that I’m doing exactly what I love to do, and how much better I’m getting at that, in my old age.
Recently, I found myself unemployed from a job I had long since outgrown. I guess that’s the way life works sometimes; at least it has for me. If I can’t decide when to its time to go, the decision gets realized for me. I recall when an ex boyfriend, broke up with me, I was crushed. Were friends today because I’m grateful to him for doing what needed to be done when I was unable to do for myself, at that time. How can you stay bitter at life when you choose to take the tribulations as new and extraordinary opportunities? I’m going to search out a job that I actually want, in a place where I genuinely want to be everyday. It’s exhilarating to wake up now. What’s in store for me today? I can’t wait to see and I know more will be revealed.
Earlier, as I sat at my laptop pecking away, I was listening to an author, Gregg Easterbrook, on CNN. He has written a book called, The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse. He was discussing the importance of spirituality in ones life. He was talking about volunteering as a way to find genuine happiness. He stated two very basic clichés which is money can’t buy happiness and the importance of gratitude. I love the cover of the book with its proverbial glass half full/ half empty metaphor.
I think about the lessons my life have taught me. One valuable message has been the idea that no one owes me happiness. They can’t do that for me, I have to do that for myself. The concept that finding a significant other as some type of pot at the end of a rainbow is over for me. I want my rainbow to go on and on. I want to have many friends and lots of love along the way. Marianne Williamson talks about the danger of a special relationship, in her book, A Return to Love. She talks about how we limit ourselves by labeling relationships with; I love him/her differently, than I love so and so and therefore this is the person I need, to in order to find happiness. Marianne makes the point that love is love. It’s not different from person to person, and how waiting for the special love is a waste of time. Love is all around us if were open and giving of ourselves. Joy is found in the simplest places.
This year, I don’t care about a party or a fancy restaurant. My days are generally enjoyable and I don’t see the need to do much out of the ordinary. I’m sure I’ll take a few calls and do dinner with a friend or two, but I really have no special plans. This year I’m actually excited about the holidays. I’m healthy, I’m on an extended vacation, I even bought snow boots to be able to play with my nieces in the snow. I’m excited about being involved and participating in my life. I’m in a fabulous relationship these days… with myself and I like who I am. I’m looking forward to working again, and making money, but for now, I’m really enjoying the time off.
As I sit here typing and listening to CD’s, wrapped in a towel, with conditioner drying on my hair, I wonder, does all of this make me sound old? I surely don’t feel old. Hell, I feel like I’m just getting started!
Later:A card I received via email. I love it!
Posted by Liz at 12:33 AM Feedback (13)
December 08, 2003

Saddam and Osama Bin Missing
Troops Seize $1.9 Million in RaidBy CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA, AP
"On Sunday, U.S. troops in Samarra, 70 miles north of Baghdad, seized $1.9 million in cash and false identification papers in a raid targeting a man suspected of financing insurgents."
If these people can raise this type of money, maybe they can help the US with it's healthcare problem. How would we ever find these missing monsters, if they have access to these funds and false ID? I don't get it. Someone please explain it too me if you have more information.
*Update!!!So Dec. 13th, one monster is found. I remember 3 years ago on Sept.10th, I posted on a message board that Bin Laden had to be stopped. At that point he had be threatening the US, at his son's wedding. The next day, 3,000 lives were taken in the WTC bombing. Weird huh?
Posted by Liz at 01:14 PM Feedback (0)

Certain Skies Sharpened My Vision:
This is where I attended the WhyWar? screening. Beautiful isn't it?
Megan Mills

Kyle Khellaf Kyle Khellaf
Posted by Liz at 02:05 AM Feedback (0)
December 07, 2003

No More Lies
Rage Against The Machine
So did you hear, they love us in Iraq. *sarcasm*Were doing a fantastic job over there! Barbedwire check points, and business' being set up, it's a regular party. I'm sick of the lies. I don't believe a damned thing this administration tells me. I have no hope for the Democratic party anymore either. Tonight, I'm attending a film screening at Swarthmore College called, Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War. It's sponsored by WhyWar? and MoveOn.org. The film is being shown at area colleges. I'm really looking forward to seeing the film and hearing the discussion, I'm going as far left as possible to obtain the truth.
Posted by Liz at 02:34 PM Feedback (2)
December 06, 2003

Dream Frustrations
Last night I had the weirdest nightmare, that I returned to to my old job. My boss was as rude as ever, I was deperate to get out again. I went around and asked everyone if they thought I could still collect unemployment if I didn't show up. I couldnt get an answer, it was so frustrating. I think I've been so thrilled to be out of there, that it almost seems too good to be true, hence the dream.
Later, I dreamt that my parents and I were in a huge house. It's funny the way the same huge house shows up in many of dreams. My Mom was breaking the news to Scott Baio that he would be unable to father children. Scott was deeply upset, as we all were. I hugged Scott and told him we would stick by him and that we loved him. As we were all leaving the house, Scott began to show a great deal of interest in me.(Hahaha Shut up! It's my dream!) We talked about the places I've traveled, although I have never been too the places I told him, and Scott let me know he would call. I asked Scott if he weren't just showing an interest in me, because of this bad news. He assured me he was through with the blonde playmate types.
Posted by Liz at 12:11 PM Feedback (2)
December 05, 2003

Dinner With Jeanna
We agreed to meet as we usually do, once a week. I decided to stop by a photo booth in the mall and get a quick pic taken as tradition dictates around my birthday. I guess I just want a pic for posterity. So we meet at a Chinese joint too chow down on some good eats, and Jeanna (pronounced~Gina) presents me with what she calls a pre-birthday gift! (Now that's my idea of a friend) It's a great basket with a cute teddy bear attached and its filled with haircare products (what else would your stylist give you)? and *heart pounds* USED DVD's and CD's! Yes! I'm all like,
"This is awesome! This kicks butt!"
The basket contains The Exorcist, 8Mile and a CNN special. It also contains Rage Against The Machine, and Saturday Night Fever, as well as Weezer! Was this not the perfect gift for me or what? I use to think I didn't have any sisters, over the years, knowing great woman like Jeanna, I realize I was wrong. Thanks again, Jeanna. Your the best!!
Liz in a photo booth, alive and well.
Posted by Liz at 10:42 PM Feedback (5)
December 04, 2003

Happy Birthday Mom
View imageMy Mother, long before I was even thought of.
My Mom turns 70 today and she is still just as beautiful today. She is an Irish lass, as you can plainly see. She is my best friend and I would be so lost without her, I can't even think about it. I love you Mom, have a great day. *hugs*
Posted by Liz at 11:34 PM Feedback (9)

A New Do
I woke up today and decided I needed a change (besides all the others I've under gone recently). I've been wanting to do something saucey with my hair for a while, but hedged. Now I'm suddenly feeling brave. With my birthday coming up this Tuesday, I decided there was no time like the present. I dont have a photo yet, of the new do, but it is based on the fresh look of Catherine Zetta Jones. Thankyou ALLISON, I love my new coiffure.
Posted by Liz at 12:04 AM Feedback (1)
December 02, 2003

There's A Chill In the Air & It's Hot: Icelandic Designers

So I'm looking at the Bjork site as her DVD, Bjork: Verspertine Live at Royal Opera House, plays right next to me. I catch the name of her newest favorite designer (Alexander McQueen is also a fav) Aftur, and I google her up to check out the Icelandic goods. Very cool stuff indeed! Iceland is so beautiful. What a stark, colorful place. The creativity of the people is always a source of inspiration for me.
Posted by Liz at 02:32 PM Feedback (4)
December 01, 2003

Interview For Nov./Dec.
A great deal has been going on, for me, this month and December promises to be additionally hectic. In light of this, I have combined November and Decembers "Interviews", into one electrifying profile. This is Aaron. He is a BME disciple with dozens of piercing and tattoos and he is my comrade. Unexpected? Not after you read my conversation with him and open yourself up. It's not hard to do; Aaron is such a fantastic person. If you want to give Aaron or myself feedback, you are invited to do so here.
Aaron fullfills a dream. He hangs for an hour in suspension.