Blog

Aloha A’ina: COVID-19 Reality Scenarios

  I recognized one of the projects I helped advised on in this film linked below. Dustin Barca in that story, underscores one of the primary issues which I believe is foundational in what may be, a slowly increasing morbidity rate and number, for flu type infectious disease. That of food security. With the systemic usage of antibiotics in the livestock industry, coupled with pesticide-glyphosate enhanced agriculture production, we have systemized a health challenge. The following explanation is simplified, but what has occurred, is that the presence of antibiotics in food has caused an increase in resistance to those anti-life

Bali: Outward Bound: Dispatch One

It was strange leaving California in the midst of a heat wave and unique Ocean and shooting conditions, which had kept me happily in the water for weeks sans wetsuit. Hard to walk away from that, But in the wee hours of a Tuesday morning, Donna and I departed LAX for Bali where we would once more touch base with friends who comprise the melange of talented artists, business people and change agents who base their lives around Bali. This is the first in a series of dispatches I will post on these few weeks we get to spend in

Of Mice and WOmen: Bali

To be clear, I am here on Bali at the invitation of my wife Donna, and working under the auspices of her Company, Betty Belts-Betty B doing art and project development. One of the more well traveled people I know, where in the course of her life, she has been to so many far flung parts of the world, that one would never suspect she could learn more than she had prior to our meeting. But in fact, she has, and continues to do so. This charms me completely. On the heels of a divorce over a decade ago from

Running and Gunning

Whew, just off a  series of e mails with Lorenzo De Stefano, who is Director of the film Hearing is Believing which I am the Director of Cinematography on. The crew will be down at the Blue Whale in LA filming a performance by Rachel and the remarkable Taylor Eigsti for the project Thursday night. I on the other hand, will be on Bali working on some development projects for my wife’s company, and meeting up with a couple film makers there to possibly create something rather exotic. Life is hectic in a good way. This week saw a fantastic

Being Present

In my own creative process, little choice exists for me in my work.  In order to succeed, I must be present, in the right frame of mind, at a propitious moment. This requires that I listen, or “be present” in order to perceive that something important will occur ahead, in the time frame we call the Road of Life. I am there before my body is. That is how what I do works. I know where to be when not many others seem to see or care about that. But anyone could do it. So why don’t they? Why don’t

American Christmas

We have a problem residing in our country this Christmas. “Which one?” you might jump to respond. The problem of which I write is one of recall, memory. Memory is a fundamental component in establishing progress for a vast array of reasons. But where our communities are concerned, it is even more pertinent. I believe that we as a Country have forgotten what it means to be American. I really do. We had grown fat and insular the past several decades.  The affect was pinged out and the world responded to this, as an opportunity to parasitize this Country, to

Surfing Is

The motivation for this piece began with the publication of the following story in the WSJ, to which I contributed an image of my girlfriend Donna Von Hoesslin. Read the comment section, post story, and you will see a diversity of opinions (including mine) that are quite revelatory about each person’s point of view regarding surfing. Those statements reveal everything about those people’s depth of involvement with the ocean. The commentary engaged me. I have always been a surfer. At four years of age I knew that goal was what my life would be about. To know the ocean, (and

Evil : This is Personal

It is a choice whether to follow truth or falsehood. I never bought into the Film “An Inconvenient Truth. “ Lets get that straight between us. I could make a long list of reasons for this as a businessman,  film maker, Journalist, ex manufacturer, Science fan, Environmentalist, and someone who participated in the formation of some of the rules written by CARB. But my principal reason, was that I choose what I will embrace based upon the character of the person communicating it, and the tone of their message. In my work in business and retail for 20 years, I

Elephant Hunting

The last time I passed through customs, I was on my way home from Bali. No matter how wonderful the travel destination and experience, I always relish the return to American soil. There is something very  comforting in speaking with a Customs Officer who I know is not going to charge me a tout (bribe paid as a form of tax, on something that should be free anyway) and who appreciates the price paid for the soil on which he stands, and protects. As I said my hellos and thank yous to the same guy whose line I had been

Fear Anger Hope

Fear, anger, hope. These three things are very inter-related and part of the process of progress. I find myself falling into fear, that entities which we have entrusted, like Government, Industry, and aspects of modern culture, such as certain Environmental PACS, have totally failed the Earth, as evidenced in the recent potential Global killer, that is the Platform Horizon Wellhead Blowout. The fear generated by this realization leads to an intense burning anger. That anger causes a hell of a lot of introspection of myself, what I stand for, and a VERY close look at the things I am able

Categories

Aloha A’ina: COVID-19 Reality Scenarios

  I recognized one of the projects I helped advised on in this film linked below. Dustin Barca in that story, underscores one of the primary issues which I believe is foundational in what may be, a slowly increasing morbidity

Bali: Outward Bound: Dispatch One

It was strange leaving California in the midst of a heat wave and unique Ocean and shooting conditions, which had kept me happily in the water for weeks sans wetsuit. Hard to walk away from that, But in the wee

Of Mice and WOmen: Bali

To be clear, I am here on Bali at the invitation of my wife Donna, and working under the auspices of her Company, Betty Belts-Betty B doing art and project development. One of the more well traveled people I know,

Running and Gunning

Whew, just off a  series of e mails with Lorenzo De Stefano, who is Director of the film Hearing is Believing which I am the Director of Cinematography on. The crew will be down at the Blue Whale in LA

Being Present

In my own creative process, little choice exists for me in my work.  In order to succeed, I must be present, in the right frame of mind, at a propitious moment. This requires that I listen, or “be present” in

American Christmas

We have a problem residing in our country this Christmas. “Which one?” you might jump to respond. The problem of which I write is one of recall, memory. Memory is a fundamental component in establishing progress for a vast array

Surfing Is

The motivation for this piece began with the publication of the following story in the WSJ, to which I contributed an image of my girlfriend Donna Von Hoesslin. Read the comment section, post story, and you will see a diversity

Evil : This is Personal

It is a choice whether to follow truth or falsehood. I never bought into the Film “An Inconvenient Truth. “ Lets get that straight between us. I could make a long list of reasons for this as a businessman,  film

Elephant Hunting

The last time I passed through customs, I was on my way home from Bali. No matter how wonderful the travel destination and experience, I always relish the return to American soil. There is something very  comforting in speaking with

Fear Anger Hope

Fear, anger, hope. These three things are very inter-related and part of the process of progress. I find myself falling into fear, that entities which we have entrusted, like Government, Industry, and aspects of modern culture, such as certain Environmental