Capitalism: A Love Story

The new Michael Moore film Capitalism: A Love Story. playing in two LA area theaters the Landmark & Arclight in Hollywood, is just what we need at this time when none of us really know where we are headed as workers, a nation and globe.

Moore outlines how evil capitalism is by having thinkers explain its faults, morality (of lack of), and its unsustainability, while also featuring people getting kicked out of the home, people squatting in their home, the "bottom feeders" that are making money off the sad state of foreclosures and the successful strike by door and window factory workers in Chicago. He takes us down the path of 'derivatives' which Wall St. invented to make themselves even richer, yet no one can really explain what they are. The saddest evils of capitalistic greed involved major corps taking out life insurance policies on their workers and how one judge and private youth prison herded youth into prison for profits.

You don't have to tell me how crazy and immoral people can get in the pursuit of money, but Moore's film is necessary today as much as his other films which poke at our issues just before they reach even Joe the Plumber and his ilk. I highly recommend you go see this film. You may know some if not all of the issues and questions raised but nonetheless we need to have these conversations with all of us and this film is perfect for launching into these topics.

Vasquez Rocks

I finally made it out to Vasquez Rocks. It was a last minute trip, just like I always imagined how I would find myself up there.
I have seen those rocks in Star Trek and other movies and always wanted to go there and climb, run, sit and see them for myself.
It was a 25 min ride from work. The place was not as impressive as I imagined but it offered other little treats I didn't expect. Not many people were there when I went so it was perfect for feeling alone on a distant planet with out a worry or concern.

Next stop Joshua Tree, another place I still haven't been to.

One Month

Today is one month since the passing of my mother.

Life and work have been very busy for me. Teaching at both CSUN and GCC overlapped for week and so prepping for a new semester and giving a final have kept my head on. Now I am back in my CSUN groove and so things are beginning to rise up that I must have kept buried deep inside or just kept pushing to the side for later.

Overall it is all good. I know I will be stronger in the end.

Today at 10:30 am if you can take a moment and think about those you may have lost or think about my mom if you knew her. That is the time she left one month ago today.