It's my Brother's Birthday!!!!!

For your Holiday Message I'm going to allow one of my favorite astrologer/philosopher/shaman and capturer of Divine Ideas.....Rob Brezsney.....to speak my peace/piece.

I have sent many of you his Freewill Astrology messages thru the years. Rob is quite a unique individual and I consider him a special gift to my radical and unorthodox freedom loving Life.

In the photo of Rob at the column's head I hope that you can make out, that in his left hand extended towards the motorists, he's giving money away. Quite the opposite of today's usual scene at freeway exits, and stop lights. Rob's image moves us to think.

We're so used to the sight of a man or woman obviously going thru hardest of times, with a sign asking for assistance, that if we pulled up beside him, we might not even notice that his sign reads, "Love to Help. Need to Give. Please Take Some Money". He's 'flipped the switch on us'. Rob is well dressed, groomed, and giving it away.

Yep.....definately something my brother, Jesus, the Christ would do.......

So here's one Holiday Greeting from Rob and I, to encourage the fullest expression of Being the Divine, that you Are. May Grace and Joy be your reward, and continually inspire the Blessed seeking, freedom loving, resistence to no-longer-relevant dogma that limits, ....So that pursuit of Love that expands You....... may be your way of Being in the world~

Kentke

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS

Fundamentalist Christians send me hate mail. Religious zealots in ten cities have banned one of my books. Along with meditation, yoga, and sex for fun, the Vatican has declared astrology, one of my occupations, to be dangerous to your spiritual health.

All of these haters would be shocked if they learned that Jesus Christ is one of the Main High Dudes in my pantheon of gods. They seem to believe that people like me -- goddess-worshiping tantric sufi Qabalist Buddhist pagans who hang around with zen trickster witches and espouse a socialist libertarian political philosophy -- couldn't possibly have an intimate relationship with the cosmic hero they claim to own. They must think they have commandeered the trademark of one of the sweetest avatars in history!

But I do have an intimate relationship with Jesus. How could I not? He was a champion of women's rights, a threat to the established political order, and a radical spiritual activist who worked outside religious institutions. The dude owned nothing and was a passionate advocate for the poor and underprivileged. He was uncompromisingly opposed to violence and war. Besides that, he was a master of love and he devoted his life to serving the Divine Intelligence. I want to be like him when I grow up!

"It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle," he said, "than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." That's a pretty clear statement of his position towards rightwing accumulators of property and wealth.

"Love your enemies," he said, "do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." How any militarist promoting global arms sales and pre-emptive war could claim an affinity with Jesus is incomprehensible.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Rob's book- PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA:How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings is available for sale at http://tinyurl.com/qaj62To read news and features from the book, go here:http://tinyurl.com/lhwx2

I highly recommend you purchase and read the book. Great reading as you enter 2008. It would be excellent food for thought for the rest of your Life~

Truly do love & appreciate you~

Kentke

"There's no place like home. There's no place like home."

Close your eyes, and tap your heels three times, and think to yourself,

"There's no place like home".

I'm back from my week out of town, and my Life has been pretty busy since I returned. I barely had a chance to sleep in my own bed 4 nights, when I was again, thrown into new circumstances, in a different neighborhood. Taking the opportunity to give myself an indulgence I miss, I agreed to puppysit two very sweet dogs and an unusually affectionate cat for 5 days. The caretaking meant I had all the spacious amenities of living in a beautiful classic West Adams home.

The West Adams area of Los Angeles is home to one of the largest collections of historic homes west of the Mississippi River. The West Adams area was developed between 1880 and 1925, and contains many diverse architectural styles of the era. Architectural styles seen in West Adams include the Queen Anne, Shingle, Gothic Revival, Transitional Arts and Crafts, American Craftsman/Ultimate Bungalow, Craftsman Bungalow, Colonial Revival, Renaissance Revival, Mediterranean Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Mission Revival, Egyptian Revival, Beaux-Arts and Neoclassical styles. West Adams boasts the only Greene and Greene house in Los Angeles.

Its historic homes are frequently used as locations for movies and TV shows including CSI, The Shield, Monk, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Of Mice and Men. Driving down Arlington Blvd., I'd often see them filming my old HBO favorite Six Feet Under which was shot at the beautiful mansion one block north of Adams on the west side of the street.

The community's rich history illustrates the demographic changes of major U. S. cities, that is still going on today. Areas that started out as all white communities, later became the homes of prosperous African-Americans. Time, changes in industry and business, and the lack of economic and social planning eventuate these neighborhoods descent into disarray. Urban renewal and gentrification projects sweep thru, reintroducing the same properties as upscale enclaves where the wealthy or whoever can afford them, once again become the residents.

West Adams was developed to provide elegant homes to Los Angeles’ entrepreneurial elites. Oils barons, vintners, railroad magnates, and real estate developers hired top architects of their day to create mansions in a variety of styles. Its wealthy residents of the 1920s included lawyers, doctors, oil baron Edward L. Doheny, Port of Los Angeles developer Randolph Huntington Minor, and a host of other prominent Los Angeles citizens.

During the 1930s depression era West Adams hit hard times. Homeowners were forced to either sell their homes, or to rent out rooms to boarders. Another change for West Adams occurred in the early 1940s as successful African-American entertainers moved into West Adams Heights and dubbed it “Sugar Hill.” But Whites opposed the integration of West Adams.

The development of the West Side and Hollywood, beginning in the 1920s, siphoned away much of West Adams' upper-class white population. Upper-class blacks began to move in around this time, although the district was off-limits to all but the very wealthiest African-Americans.

Just a slight diversion, as art inside and out, beckons~

One symbol of the area's emergence as a center of black wealth at this time is the 1948 headquarters of Golden State Life Mutual Insurance, a late-period Art Deco structure that housed what is still the nation's largest black-owned insurer. Founded by William Nickerson, Jr., Norman Oliver Houston and George Allen Beavers, Jr. with it's impressive current building designed by the great architect Paul R. Williams, Golden State Mutual Life Insurance sits at the intersection of Adams Blvd. and Western Ave. I grew up with the grandchildren of all three founders of Golden State, as well as the grandchildren of Paul Williams, so it's a great pleasure to bring the genius and creativity of my community to your attention.

The building has also been the home of Golden State's major collection of African-American art.

This work of art, depicting women in Ghana was one of the pieces offered for auction in Oct. 2007, when Golden State sold a major portion of it's extensive collection of works created by some of America's most noted African-American artists.

These murals are part of those painted by Charles Alston, and Hale Woodruff and were not in the sale. They grace the walls of the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company lobby. The first mural is titled "The Negro in California History: Exploration and Colonization." Biddy Mason is in it, along with James Beckworth.

The second mural is "The Negro in California History: Settlement and Development." More information and pictures are available at LAMurals.com.

Back to our stroll......

West Adams' transformation into an affluent black area was sped up by the Supreme Court's 1948 invalidation of segregationist covenants on property ownership. The area was a favorite among black celebrities in the 1940s and 1950s. Among the famous residents of West Adams Heights/Sugar Hill were actresses Louise Beavers, Hattie McDaniel (the first African-American to win a Oscar), Joe Louis, Little Richard, Ray Charles and Earl Grant (jazz organist).


Their efforts were rewarded in 1948 when the United States Supreme Court declared racial restrictions housing unconstitutional. Soon West Adams was the place for wealthy African-Americans who quickly became the dominant group. The first African-American to run for city council was Courtland G. Mitchell who lived in West Adams Heights/Sugar Hill at 2048 South Oxford Avenue.


Years laters the area was brought back into the limelight when Motown great Marvin Gaye bought a family home in the community. Fans loved to drive past and show their out of town guests where Marvin lived. It sadly was also the site of his death, when he was fatally shot in the home by his father on April 1, 1984, one day before his 45th birthday.


Unique Architecture, History, and Central Location Created Highly Valued Properties and Neighborhoods of Great Diversity


The late 1950s/early 1960s the Santa Monica Freeway cut through part of West Adams. The Freeway also divided West Adams Heights/ Sugar Hill. Some of the most significant homes were lost to the freeway project and the area began to decline through the 1970s.

But in the beginning of the 1980s, with a healthy economy and many African-Americans in well-paying professions, homeowners started investing in the old mansions, remodeling and restoring the historic homes. Other professionals were attracted to the architecture and lush old neighborhood and brought increased diversity. And today, as whites have begun to seek to move back into inner-city Los Angeles, communications experts, writers, academics, artists and Hollywood talent have discovered the convenience of West Adams - making it one of Los Angeles' most diverse communities.


Here are a few links for more information.


Be sure to check this first one, for 2 pages of photos of homes in the area to allow you a physical impression of the community.
http://www.westadamsheritage.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=176


This link provides biographical sketches of the people that have lived in West Adams
http://westadamsheritage.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=9&Itemid=56


The West Adams Heights/Sugar Hill Neighborhood Association
http://www.westadamsheightssugarhill.com/index.html


This last link is the homepage of the WAHA- West Adams Heritage Association
http://westadamsheritage.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

These are some additional photos of the Orchard House Neighborhood which is further east on Adams Blvd. Captured here you'll see the architectural variety of that area, and the previously mentioned Doheny Mansion, of early oil baron Edward Doheny. http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~umin/09neighborhood.html

With the influx of new, younger, politically (as in civic government) astute homeowners, this association has a preservation focus that calls them to be environmental watchdogs for the area. As they pursue the aesthetic integrity and ecological protection of their neighborhood, everyone residing in the surrounding community is benefited by their knowledge, understanding and vigilance. They in turn are enjoying the caring and neighborly ambience African-American well tended neighborhoods are known for. The wisdom and experiences served up from the rich lives of West Adams' African-American older residents make potlucks , block parties and holiday gatherings great times for all.

Sounds like a good mix to me.......Many wonderful and necessary elements coming together......with lots of positive creative potential.

Happy Holidays to all~

Kentke

Got 20 minutes............? Check out "The Story of Stuff"

This short presentation is well worth your time, your attention, and your intellect's creative response.


http://www.storyofstuff.com/index.html

We're all in this 'stuff' together.......

Where are My Comments?!!? Rescued by the ERA

"Have you got 1,600 earthworms per square metre?"

Okay I'm here checking the blog, looking to see if anybody wrote.
Nothing yet......looking at my watch....I'll check my email.........whistling........Do a bit of surfing......Umph. Back to the blog to check....

Still nothing.

(now singing) Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, .....guess I'll eat some worms....looking at my watch again.........long thin slimy ones.....short fat juicy ones.....still nothing......Guess I'll eat some worms..... Surf some more.......Down goes the first one .....here goes the second one. Oh how they wiggle and the squirm .........Nope. No one is talking to me...... soooo I guess I'll eat some.........

What am I saying????!?!?!
I love Earthworms!
I am the founder and president of the ERA--- That's right! Me!!!!! The ERA----
the Earthworm Recovery Agency!

What? What is our Charter? What do we do?
We go out after a rainstorm...or rather I do....and help all the earthworms that have been dislodged from the earth by the deluge of falling rain water....I am very proud to say that we SAVE all the ones that have washed up on the pavement.

Well......actually we go out and RECOVER them, and gently replace them on the soil, so they can wiggle back into their habitat before the sun rises, heats up things to the point that the Sun's rays dry them and kills them. I know you've seen dried up Earthworms on the pavement as you walk after a rain.

We also do this after careless people have watered, their lawns to the point that the lawn is soaked, and water is running down the street. Besides being an incredible waste of water, this also threatens the worms habitats, dislodging them and they are again washed out onto pavements where sunshine dries and kills them. Earthworms require moisture for their survival, but direct sunlight on an Earthworm is like Kryptonite to Superman, garlic to the Wolfman (a werewolf), or sunlight to Dracula.

You see there's a big need for my organization.....the ERA.......


Wow! Now how's that for a comment!

So much for my attempt at light hearted truthful humor~

However if you are a gardener or simply wondering about my fascination with the lowly, but lofty Earthworm (my sentiments), here's a link that I just discovered that looks good for more information. http://www.wormdigest.org/content/view/243/2/ Below you'll find excerpts from an article I also ran across working quickly here (remember I am on the road with an agenda other than posting on my blog everyday) on the use of Earthworms in farms in New Zealand.

You know if it's good for a bountiful healthy farm, it's also going to be good for your garden and lawn. New Zealand is where healthy beef and lamb is still raised and shipped all over the world, because the animals are grass fed and allowed to graze. This natural system of animal husbandry is quite contrary to the American way, which corrals and pens animals closely, feeding them grains filled with antibiotics and other chemicals that ultimately weigh in to 'fatten the profit' of the animal. American livestock ranching and industry pays little regard for an animal's 'quality of life', or for the natural needs of it's biological system. So if you are including meat in your diet, I highly recommend that you spend the extra money for meat that is from grass fed animals that were allowed to graze. Besides being of much greater nutritional value, the taste is even different. The fat content is lower, and the meat will contain healthy nutrients necessary to a wholesome human diet that you will not get from animals raised the American way.

And that all goes back to what the animal ingests from the grass it eats. That's right.....Nature's goodness in that slim green blade. Which again, is made nutritious by the soil, and the elements and minerals that it contains.....and oh my goodness....we're right back to how the soil gets good and can be made even richer ~~~~
----has ANYBODY written me a comment yet?!?!?!?

all by the work of my friend the humble
Earthworm

I will write again, on these creatures, which became my 'pets' after the loss of my Beloved Shetland Sheepdog Anubis, who was born on December 14, 1991 and passed July 13, 2004.

Now surely, my musings here should prompt some comments......maybe on the tracks that my 'train of thoughts' run?........... maybe even my sense of sanity~

EARTHWORMS

The understated livestock


Earthworms have been the measure of the value of land for the last thousand years. In the Sahara, the price of land is often determined by the amount of worm casts on the soil surface. Here in New Zealand, farmers still talk of getting good livestock under the ground before they can get good livestock above the ground.

We all know earthworms are important. They rapidly recycle dung, urine, run-off and dead vegetation, purifying the soil and assisting in the manufacture of humus – the end product that feeds the plant. They also provide aeration in the soil, help store moisture, and supply vermacasts. Hatuma clients have also proven that in large numbers earthworms assist in smoothing the soil after being stressed – on a survey farm in the Manawatu during 2003 on Marton silt loam soil, after heavy rain, very bad pugging, and a severe drought, it only took a matter of weeks after the first rain before the soil had smoothed itself out. The speed in which the farm recovered was amazing; a feat thought impossible by many authorities considering that soil type is synonymous with becoming dense and heavy once soil degradation has occurred, often taking years to fully recuperate.

This incredible resilience was largely due to the farm’s hefty population of earthworms at the time (1,125 per sq/m) moving masses amounts of dirt – a phenomenon that could only come from a combination of excellent soil management and approximately thirty years of conditioning the soil with dicalcic and lime (remarkably, scientists have traditionally recommended this soil type does not require lime). With all these benefits in mind, it is easy to see why the earthworm’s role in productive farming is crucial. But in this modern era of intensification, their function of being a simple indicator of true soil fertility is being ignored.

By creating an environment where the earthworms can thrive in abundance, farmers are giving their farming operation a huge advantage; a massive workforce running twenty-four hours a day. They are also an excellent indicator of soil health, so when they are found in abundance, like the average number above, farmers can have confidence that the rest of the soil is fertile with life. There is no limit of earthworms you can have in your soil where it starts to becomes wasteful – the higher the number the better! Take a closer look at the clod of soil at the top of today's blog.

Bless our Earth~~~Enjoy Gardening~~~Bless Yourself
Kentke

Having trouble leaving your Comments?

Some friends have said that they had run into problems trying to leave a comment. I'm going to post what Blogger has written up on the process first. I'll attempt it myself, and if I can see where their instructions are faulty or confusing, I'll try to find out what should be done to enable you to leave your thoughts. Also I could use your help in this...those of you that are computer/blog/myspace literate. At the very least, someone can go ask a youngster.......

It's lonely out here in cyberspace.......(yes, I am whining) I created this blog to enable like-minded and like interested Souls a place to meet, exchange, differ and agree. Lovingly of course, and all in the process of advancing our understanding.

This space is dedicated to confirming the Truth that you Already Knew ~ thus the name KNEWZ ~ Truth that is rarely acknowledged, spoken or supported, leaving you to feel like you're the only one that KNOWZ it !?!?!

May you find kindred Spirits here, affirming and confirming one another's Highest Consciousness. May our cyber embrace of each other's clarity, often expressed by way of the COMMENTS ~~~~ solidify the commitment to Live, Act and simply Be our Highest Selves.

How do I leave comments on a blog?

Since Kentke has "Comments" enabled on her blog, then you can usually find a "comments" link at the end of each post, like this:

If you click this link, you will go to the comment posting page. (Note: in some templates, this link may take you to the post page first. From there you should be able to find the "Post a Comment" link which will take you here.) The comment posting page looks like this:

In the upper left corner, there is an option to show or hide the original blog post that the comments relate to. The rest of the left-hand column contains any comments that have already been made. The profile photos of the comment authors may also display, depending on the blog's settings.

On the right hand side of the page is the space for you to enter your comment. Beneath that are the identity options. (Some of these may not be available, depending on the blog's settings.)

The options are these:

• Blogger username: Your display name will appear, along with a link to your profile and your photo (if you have one).
• Other: You can enter your name and a link to your website, without having to have a Blogger account.
• Anonymous: No identifying information is displayed. The comment is credited to "Anonymous" without a link.

The owner of a blog also has the option to have comments open in popup windows. In this case, all the primary features will still be present, just arranged a little differently:

Okay....so now you know how~
I look forward to hearing from you........We all do.
Kentke

Happy Trails to You ...........

I mounted a magical Palomino, and was transported to my ideal of 'Heaven'.

If you caught the post I threw up briefly last week that described my current living environment, then you probably got the gist that I am seeking to relocate. This week I'm on the road in pursuit of 'new places and new faces' where I can see and feel the affinity of my Heart's desires reflected back to me.

Atonement
At-one-ment

Perhaps one might regard the past several months of my Life as an atonement, for past transgressions. For I have definitely broken the laws that have been imposed upon us about what is valuable, what should be held as priorities, how one's time ought to be utilized, and most importantly to me, what or who is The Arbiter of my Choices?......The 'Designer of my Moments' ~ as I put it.

In these months, I have been the recipient of wonderful revelations about my own Being and the world around me. Though for all outward appearance, it has seemed to be a time marked by isolation from activities, ideas and people I cherish, for my normal ways of Being were not just interrupted, but in some instances actually halted. I dreaded the effect seeing the building I live in might have on my sisters, or friends venturing to visit. I have been ashamed of the apparent lack and poverty I lived in.

It took this depth of immersing my Life deeply in an environment of just about Everything that I find existentially displeasing, for me to learn to close my physical senses to it. And in doing so, I began to live as the embodiment of a dialectic awareness. A unity of opposites. A Life characterized by filth, crude ignorance, lack and poverty that I lived in....juxtaposed against the rich fulfilled constantly expanding Life that Lives in me.

And therein is the reason for this play on words.

Atonement
At-one-ment

Just as Buddhist teachings utilize the symbol of the lotus......that gorgeous blossom that can only grow in the muddiest, often smelly, funky ponds full of green slimy algae.....just as that plant needs it's roots to be embedded in that environment for the beauty of it's flower to come forth, ----it has been in this most challenging of environments that I have been gifted with some of my most glorious and profound revelations. My anxiety over my survival soon paled in importance, becoming an annoying intrusion, before receding altogether to the back of my consciousness. Somehow, everything was 'working out' and all without my needing to solve it, fix it, or spend hours worrying. And so my surrendering to my 'This is My What Is' flowed~~~~ from pools of moments of absolute fulfillment~~~~ into an ocean, that has become an entire period of greater personal transformation.





I know that many watching me thought (and some even said) they expected me to end up in a situation like this. Especially with, my choosing to not 'suit up' and go earn my daily bread "which you know Kentke ...Everybody has to work!!!"

So to some, that I was in such a building was perfect Atonement for my ridiculous sinful way of thinking and choice to not conform.

Little did those folks know how the very same letters in Atonement....just with emphasis placed on my chosen syllables..... have led me to greater At-One-Ment.

Enough for now~


Now....let's see how old you really are.......
Can you join Dale, Roy and I in singing the end of the today's title?

Happy Trails to You ~~~
'til we meet again~

Kentke

Marvelous Manifestations ~ Marian's Music.....Microsoft Money & Mentoring

I woke-up to a heartwarming email message from my brother. Being a part of his 'extended family' has been one of my Life's richest gifts and joys. His email brought what I consider 'Great Knewz' because it spoke of opportunities and wonderful openings in the world for our younger generations.

His talented daughter Marian is being featured this week on the web in a newsletter exposing her talent to millions. And hopefully this great exposure will urge some new fans to show up at this weekend's Album Release party in Los Angeles.


The Urban Professionals COMMUNIQUE' is a weekly adnewsletter that caters to the lifestyle of Urban Professional People.


MUSICAL TALENT OF THE WEEK ~ Marian Marie

For a taste of Marian's sound click here:http://www.marianmarie.com/music.html

Her voice is as sweet as her face.

Sunday, December 9th, 2007
"Simply Me" Album Release Concert & Party
Doors open at 6:30pm
Show starts at 7:30pm.

The El Rey Theater
5515 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles CA 90036
Between Fairfax & LaBrea

323-936-6400

Price: Pre-Sale $15.00 / $20.00 at Door
Party directly following concert.



The second Great Knewz was that Microsoft's Bill Gates is making some very generous gestures to invite African-American youth to study and get more deeply involved in the field of Computer Engineering and Technology.

NEWS - Lack of black engineers hurts U.S., Bill Gates says.

A recent study says that less than 10% of graduates of computer science programs in the U.S. are black -- a fact that will contribute to a shortage of technology professionals in the years ahead, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said. "The United States is not turning out from any group as many of the great engineers as there will be jobs for," said Gates, who added that blacks are particularly underrepresented in the tech industry because high school dropout rates in the black community exceed 50%.

"That is a stunning number ... the trends are very much working against somebody in that situation," said Gates, speaking Friday at a conference hosted by the National Society of Black Engineers at Microsoft's Redmond, Wash., headquarters.

"There will be a huge number of computer science jobs created over the next 10 years, and the number of people majoring in those subjects is falling short of that," said Gates. According to a study by the National Science Foundation, fewer than 6,000 of the 52,500 computer science graduates in the U.S. in 2004 were black. "The shallow pool of skills is due, in part, to the lack of minorities being drawn into technology," said NSBE executive director Carl Mack, in a statement.

Microsoft, named by the NSBE on Tuesday as the top employer for black engineers, said it's trying to change that by partnering with NSBE and hiring and promoting African-American programmers and engineers. The company also announced a software developer grant to the NSBE that gives its members a three-year membership in the Microsoft Developer Network Academic Alliance.

The memberships give NSBE faculty and students access to a range of Microsoft products and technologies, including Windows Vista, SQL Server, and Visual Studio. ****************************************************************************

"What do you want to be when you grow up? What career will you pursue?"

Do we really listen? Do we watch? Or does society dictate how we mold our own beloved young people, simply to try to ensure them a certain income bracket? How many hearts have we broken, spirits have we doused and dreams have we squashed, ignoring the In Born Gift of Genius that each Life possesses.

We don't do these things maliciously....we're just not sensitive ourselves, and we've been misprogrammed in regards to working with Nature, with Life, with Love.

Please, share the message of Bill Gates' comments and offers with someone. Encourage a young adult to check it out and take advantage of these opportunties. I'm sure you know someone that just loves computer games, Nintendo , XBox , or just hates to be pried away from the computer . Maybe there's a young lady that is always taking something a part, because her creativity wants to know how it works. Instead of getting upset and angry, lets learn to (quietly) pay attention, so as to deepen our understanding of these complex creatures we are given to nurture.


Still can't figure out how or what to do with them? Watch what animals in the wild do. TV/Cable is full of programs that show how the planets most successful parents 'do it'. The creatures of Earth still fortunate enough to live in their natural habitat are excellent teachers of how to support the young into becoming socially functioning mature members of the group.

Once we've got an understanding of the natural creative inquisitive urge that we are witnessing (in a person), we can then start the work to channel that urge. Let's use that attraction, that natural -already present- allure, as a lure to a stepping stone on a path that leads to creative and productive activites.

Working with the interests.....those in-born individual attractions....that one 'thing' that our youth already love, and do well. Then to see deeper than it's surface outplay, so as to identify it's functional significance or aspect in our everyday world. Then we can begin to enable the young person to see how this interest/talent/passion could develop into an expanded Life for them.

And never think that we only have one area of genius, ability, interest or gift. So sometimes the task is to prioritize, or relegate interests and talents to certain periods of time and growth in the continuuim of our Lives. A case in point is Marian's road to her present place in the spotlight. After graduating from UCLA, she worked for Conde Nast Publications, one of the world's major publishers of magazines such as Vogue, The New Yorker, Conde Nast Traveler and Wired. She used the experience gained in the publishing field to bring her closer to her passion, the love of music, when she joined the staff at Vibe Magazine, the publication launched by Quincy Jones. Intelligence, publishing business and music saavy, personality and beauty made marketing Vibe a magazine that covers the urban trends of music, fashion, cars and electronic gadgets, an easy sell for Marian. Working there for 10 years, she rose all the way to the executive ranks as the Northwest Regional Director of Sales, all the while continuing to gig, compose and 'do her thing' as a vocalist/composer/producer.

This as loving adults is our creative challenge. To identify the genius within our youth, and then work with Nature, that it may be manifested. For our part, it takes sensitivity, appreciation and open hearted willingness to discover.

This we do as parents, educators, neighbors, employers....and caring extended family members.

I got to witness and participate in this type of nurturing and parenting thru my extended family. And the proof of it's success hits the stage at the famous El Rey Theater on Wilshire Blvd., Saturday at 7:30 p.m.~

Kentke

Anger Management

Sometimes when you are angry with someone, it helps to sit down and think about the problem.

You ask~

Open to me so that I may open. Provide me your inspiration So that I might see mine.

~~~~~~Mevlana Jelalu'ddin Rumi~~~~~~