25.10.04
(First off, before I slander wombats, thanks to EVERYONE from LA DECOM: That show KICKED ASS!!!! Special shout out to Alien Underground for hosting me and my crazy house music, and especially to all of you that rocked ass under that bridge downtown with me! Thanks to the organizers, Wolfie, Audra and everyone at the afterparty for a memorable two performances! Wombats, and then SD Decom details and future dates below..)**********************************
So it's not often that I find myself with time to relax and go mind-melting infront of a television. After about a couple of years without TV and about 4 years without cable, I found myself disgusted when Audra proudly pronounced shortly after moving into her loft that the tenants before her had spliced the neighbor's cable and we had 88 channels for free. But, not one to ever pass up the opportunity to cuddle the ones I love on a comfy couch, I figured, what's the harm in turning off my brain every so often with a sweet injection from the drug of the nation? It's not like it's HEROIN or anything...just some TV. (Apparently I'm out of heroin.)
I figured it might do me some good you know? Catch up on the world events, hear interesting documentaries on the spanish-american war, and hear interesting debates and political views. I would not use this newfound free cable television to look at shows where people eat bugs to survive and marry strangers for cash. Ah how our quality of life has improved through entertainment...
Regardless, I find myself watching animal planet every so often. I tend to fixate on animal shows, as I find animals interesting. Some taste better than others, but for the most part, they are fascinating little things that live and move and are so different than humans. And so something I will always be up for watching is animal shows, even though the shows and stories today are overdone and overly dramatic when they should be overinformative instead. (My other guilty pleasure is the show COPS, but that's just because one time I saw my grandmother on it...)
I started wondering who the hell buys into these stupid little shows that overdramatizes the story of the animals? Remember when nature shows used to be about just the facts? Even if the animal the show was about was swallowed by a lion, it still didn't matter because it was part of the life cycle and they'd end the show early. Now you have these lame-ass shows about "Animal Rescue" and what not. Who likes these shows? Who buys into them? The other week there was this stupid little show about a little baby wombat at an austrailian zoo called Rosy. Rosy had lost her mother, like Bambi, to hunters. She had a skin infection and we weren't sure little Rosy was going to make it. Audra soon lost interest and left to clean the bathroom for the thirtieth time since the fundraiser party. I stayed and watched, recalling the time I was 5 years old and my brother's best-friend's parents had to literally carry me sobbing, screaming and wailing out of the movie theater, forever damaged emotionally after seeing a deer get shot by hunters in shitty 2-D animation. (And to this day I have never seen the complete story of Bambi.)
I watched as Rosy got sicker and sicker, and was still watching when Rosy made a dramatic recovery. She had made it through the two weeks of serious infection, and was soon to be released back into the wild so she could live a happy wombat life doing whatever it is wombats do. It was a dramatic end, with the whole wombat department of the zoo or whatever sending Rosy off back into the wild, some of them crying, others smiling but all waving to her as she waddled her slow stupid wombat waddle into the thick of the forest, leaving her humans, captivity and civilization behind. Like something out of Lassie but worse. It was really lame and overdone, for the dramatic effects and for ratings, right down to the sappy-ass whiney music done by Jason Mraz or some assclown like that.
As soon as the show ended, I marched into the bathroom. Audra looked up from scrubbing the mirror and said, "Honey! What's the matter? What happened?" I grabbed the tissue and said emphatically, "Fuckin' wombat..." before stomping back out again. She said to me, "Honey, let's watch a movie instead," but as I wiped the tears streaming down my stupid face, I sobbed, "I can't, the next show is about saving a Tasmanian devil who's mother got hit by a car."
12.10.04
This is from Tobias to all that attended last week's fundraiser, and also to those that did not attend, but donated (thank you Chris Fritzen, etc.)I have been in a strange place. Something happened last weekend which I've had trouble comprehending. I've been in this static autopilot since then: gone about my business, contacted the monks, contacted the foundation, let everyone know that it was a success.
But still, I've been unable to calibrate. I've been scattered, and today I realized why that is. I've been in shock.
I was overwhelmed last weekend.
Absolutely leveled by what I saw, heard, and felt from the people around me. The generosity and caring that flowed forth from you was so intense, that I am only now, a week later, able to string words and thoughts together in such a way to reflect how I feel. The two little words "thank you," barely scratch the surface.
What I saw happen last weekend was something I did not expect. I knew people would come out and party. I had no idea there would be an outpouring of support from so many of you I have never met. I expected to know most everyone, but as the night grew, I realized I was in a room full of foreign faces, all smiling, dancing and celebrating with open hearts. Thank you for listening to our cause.
Thank you for trusting a message you have never heard. Thank you for giving such a gift to people you have never met. Thank you for believing that we can make a difference through our happiness. Thank you for proving that we can change things with our music.
We hit our mark, and raised $2,500 for the rebuilding of the monk's dam. The potential life of this dam, once it is built will help not only the five thousand people that live there now, but their children also. A generation of Cambodians will be touched by this project. This is because of you.
We're still working hard. If you're interested in helping to raise awareness and funds for the continuation of this endeavor, please visit www.HumanTranslation.org.
We still have people to help, and this was not the last party for change.
To everyone who made this event possible, on behalf of the Monks and the Slor Kram Commune: Orkoon, and Thank You.
Extra special thanks to the DJs, especially PORTER TINSLEY, who made it ALL happen using just her street-smarts, wit, and pure sexiness.
Uber-special thanks to: Sundara Varna, Jesse Wright, Wolfie, Sammybliss, The Saynt, Ryan Hammill, Subir, Peter, Bianca, Barbie, Bruce, Rodney, Sehra, Silly, Candy, Shena, and Jupiter and Hyjynx for closing out the night. And of course Audra for her generous vision and insight. Your collective kindness has touched many, many people.
With love, Tobias
Tobias Rose-Stockwell
Project Coordinator
Human Translation Project
.HumanTranslation.org
Tobias@HumanTranslation.org
+1 707-843-0200 (USA)
6.10.04
So the debate last night was awesome. Here's a recap in case you missed it:Moderater: So, Dick Cheney, how do you feel about gay marriage?
Dick Cheney: I feel, and my family feels, that the president has decided what is best for this country. My job is to support him in doing his job, and I believe I have done that for the past four years and will continue to do that in the next four years. I'd also like to add that I am a grumpy old man with a monotone voice.
Moderator: Senator Edwards, you have thirty seconds to respond.
Edwards: Well, let me first be the one to say that I respect the vice president's choice to go along with a hate mongering warlord such as George W. Bush, especially when the president is the first president ever to lobby for such hate in our constitution and when Dick Cheney's own daughter is a mullet-sportin', rug munchin', home-depot shoppin', ani-difranco listening card carrying-member of Softball-R-Us.
Moderator: Mr. Cheney, rebuttle?
Cheney: Let me just recognize the senator's kind words and thank him outing my extremely gay daughter to the rest of the country. I have nothing further to say.
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Earlier Rumors
