hey...a couple of days ago i posted the following: "i want a weekly obligation to ppl i respect." i was shocked by the response i got. there's one meeting tomorrow at 1.30 with me and three other people you might vibe with. it's going to take place on skype. if you're interested, i can invite you. we're all supposed to bring something we've produced to the meeting. it can be written word, music, etc. there are other ones too if you're interested. hit me up.  and let's ride bikes! glad you smiled today. peace and good wishes, hl

Lou, you're an amazing individual and i need to see more of you. I would love to hang out next week, i can let you know tomorrow when i'm free.
I hope your thanksgiving was amazing.

seeding (2)

Sow and germinate a musical idea, with harmonious souls... bring a recording device.
@ Seeding (1), we took turns introducing ideas and developing/jamming on them. Some ideas came from pre-recorded motifs, played back from our deVICEs, some where spontaneous.

The main interest in life and work is to become someone else that you were not in the beginning.
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Can it go the other way if you dis-cover you are someone now who you never realized you were (in the beginning or later) ?
20 hours ago via mobile · Like

yes! that would be un-cover...great point. :)
20 hours ago · Like

Maybe the point for some people is to become who they really are, which may have remained hidden or repressed for particular reasons. Then the task might be first to unmask constraints and conditions that repress out true nature.
20 hours ago via mobile · Like

i have never looked at it that way, but i fully agree!

you will see, taste, and understand the bitch in the charm....

Dear Hippie Lou,
I dig the your name.......some friends call me Charm.......well what can I say,,,,they call me Charm because I ani't no bitching board......
Hey, you got some recommendations, hitting on a great place in the Dupont Circle Area for munchies and conversation.  Well, got to say something about the food I eat and the way I eat..........I am a bitching board about it.  I don't say much....it is really all about, what I don't say............One day, in the near future, I'll cook dinner for the whole gang and you will see, taste, and understand the bitch in the charm....
Hey, I really dig you and I don't even have a clue on just how much bitching spices are in you!......
xoxoxoo, loveNpeace,
Charm

HDL,

Tonight I had a strange feeling that I should Google your father;
which is how I learned of his passing.  You may have already see my
text; however, I am writing here additionally.

Now, David, you can finally free (yourself) from the unyielding
shackles that torment your mind.

My heartfelt concern and prayers go out to you.  It must be extremely
difficult to digest that your Dad's mind-encompassing presence is
simply - at rest.

Your friend

you can't hate them anymore.

He's a angel with your mom
They are both angels
I know as wicked as they were God
has forgave them for things & gave
him a space next to your mom in heaven.
Let the hate for the both of them go
away you can't hate them anymore.

all hail the conqueror worm.

click here for harry's heartfelt recitation of edgar allan poe's conqueror worm.

****

harry shaw loves reading poems to school children in washington heights.  he told me on several occasions that the kids especially like edgar allan poe.  so i told harry about a guy i met in a bar on first avenue a few years back.  said guy said he felt like a guest in a world until he stumbled across the conqueror worm.  he finally found someone going through what he was going through, and didn't feel alone in the world anymore.  said guy was so enamored he stole the book from the school library.  you didn't hear me say that.  i told harry the story of said guy and harry was enamored too; an edgar allan poe poem had changed a young man's life.  so harry proceeded to i) memorize the poem and ii) recite it to me every time we ran into each other in the streets of the e. village.  one day i went to harry's apartment and asked him if i could record him for posterity.  he said yes.  i love harry.  he puts poetry in the air, around kids.  and i'm sure many of them will never forget him.

henry de forest webster

Henry de Forest Webster, a retired neuroscientist who worked for much of his career at the National Institutes of Health, died at home on November 16, 2012. He was a member of the Friendship Heights Rotary Club for many years. His wife of over 60 years, Marion Havas Webster, died earlier this year. Their children are Christopher White Webster, Henry de Forest Webster II, Sally Ann Webster, David Leslie Webster, and Steven George Webster. They also have six grandchildren and many friends. A Memorial Service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 8 at the Friendship Heights Village Community Center, 4433 South Park Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815.

newton meyers, part i

"what you don't want is generalized comments.  what you do want is a teacher that works with you on all your specific problems, one after the other.  the teacher opens the door, but you must enter alone.  then the teacher opens another door, and again, you enter alone.  imagine a long hallway of open doors with a satisfied student at the end of it, all smiles and master of the subject.  see the teacher, exhausted but happy."

don't you wish there were more teachers who thought of themselves and their students in this way?  newton meyers is a subconscious artist, a real teacher, and a funny guy to boot.  And he'd like nothing better than to help you become the artist you want to be.  

part one of our conversation is here; listen and enjoy!

****

to find out more about and/or enroll in newton's class, click here.  you'll find his class "acrylic and watercolor painting mastery" on page 3.

photos of me and pratt student john battaglia (taken by john's classmate tara greenwald) in newton's atelier aka sloppy studio (newton's words, not mine) are pictured here and here.

the cover of the pratt institute fall 2012 course catalogue (which is a cropped photo of newton's painting/poem) can be found here.

newton's mural "life is a delicate fabric stretched between two eternities" can be found here; an article featuring it is here.

for more information on newton, his paintings, and to contact his agent click here.

"i want a weekly obligation to a group of ppl i respect."

if you are a creator (artist, designer, scientist, musician, writer, scientist, engineer, etc.) and this strikes a nerve, a chord, a frequency, or all three, hit me up pls.

hallinator, part i.

part one of my conversation with the incandescent hallie mcpherson; listen here and enjoy!

****

"it takes a child to raise a village."  huh?  but the more i thought about it, the more sense it made to me.  hallie admits that she has two functional skills - changing a light bulb and knocking down her smoke alarm with a hammer.  i'm impressed!  words like pabulum fly around; david foster wallace, richard feynman, and aelius galenus drop in, not in that order.  hallie hates vegans...jk.

she was a buzz saw, i was a piece of virgin timber.

The moneys that the courts awarded me could het me another house and buy my daughter a car that she wants.  I really wish that you could start sending that to me.  ThNk you and kind regards!!!!

****

Once again the moneys that the courts awarded me could buy me and my daughter a town house and I can buy my daughter a new car that she wants.  Hope that you are happy in your new life!

we forgot that.

Leaves are holding on, quietly, patiently.  More and more and more and more coming down on to you.  What we see is what we have done to you.  You were here before us.  We are pushing you away or you are leaving us.  We are part of them, not above. We forgot that.

In my creativity I work toward expressing complete freedom.

part iii (of iii) of my conversation with annalisa derr...listen here and enjoy.

lest the focus remain on annalisa, the final segment of our conversation has hippie lou waxing eloquent on the benefits of having a) no mailing address and b) a not so great credit rating.  then on to fine points of distinction between tramps, bums, and hobos.  where's this crazy train stopping next?

be sure to stay tuned to Awakening to The New Me, where annalisa recounts her exciting adventures and openly discusses how her experiences are affecting her and vice versa.

"My passion is to create art with heart at the center; art that turns the mirror toward the viewer and reflects to them their own humanity. Allowing the viewer to have a visceral reaction to art gives them the opportunity to break free from passivity and move into action in their own life, even if just for a moment. In my creativity I work toward expressing complete freedom."

if you missed them, part i and part ii.

Watered-down Or Phony Drugs Difficult To Trace.

There's little chance that patients will ever know whether they were given counterfeit or diluted medicines sold by unscrupulous distributors in South Florida, experts said Monday.

"Once the product gets in the supply chain, it's very difficult to track it," said David Webster, a health-care consultant for Webster Consulting Group in Bethlehem, Pa. "It's like trying to track the spread of SARS from one person to another."

Investigators say the drugs distributed by the 19 wholesalers indicted Monday included some used to treat cancer, HIV, AIDS and kidney failure, such as Epogen, Procrit, Neupogen and Gammagard.

State agents seized thousands of doses of phony drugs, but thousands more made it to health providers throughout Florida and the nation, experts said. And there's virtually no way for doctors and pharmacists to know whether the drugs they are administering are tainted.

Drugs often pass through a complex network of manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers before reaching a hospital or pharmacy.

And because sales records are often incomplete, it is virtually impossible for investigators to follow the trail.

Because the U.S. pharmaceutical industry is considered the safest in the world, hospitals and pharmacists have become complacent about the possibility that drugs could be harmful, experts said.

"If you talk to pharmacists, there's almost an air of invincibility about them," Webster said. "They take the safety of what they receive from distributors for granted."

By Greg Groeller
Orlando Sentinel
July 22, 2003

And then there are creation myths that involve weaving and/or spinning. One of these days, I'll get there.

Hi, so good to hear from you...i have been remiss...i noticed a maryland return
address on your letters but had no idea you were living there...am kicking myself for not
trying to visit.  i love your newsletter...in fact, i am very interested in creation from a
"scientific" perspective and stories like yours (re the fallen tree and the towel) give me
great insight into how creation happens.  i shared it with my five hundred and fifty or so
facebook friends.  i also love words, as you do, and think of myself as a weaver now
thanks to you!  idea for you - do an essay on "great" weavers throughout history.  penelope
of ithaca comes to mind.  :)

i still haven't had a chance to adequately express thanks for the letters...i can't tell you
how much they meant to me.  every time i reconnect with the little boy, it gives me fresh
energy and much inspiration.  so thoughtful of you, i will never forget.

i would very much like to come to california and see you.  i will try to make it so.

yours in weaver-hood, hippie lou aka david

****

Good morning, David.

Thanks for sharing my article.  I'm glad you enjoyed it.  And thanks for sharing an idea.  I've thought about doing something about famous weavers -- Charlotte (of Charlotte's Web) also comes to mind.  And then there are creation myths that involve weaving and/or spinning.  One of these days, I'll get there.

What do you mean by a scientific perspective on creation, creating?  … I do find the creative process fascinating.  I recently visited some open studios and it was so interesting to catch a glimpse at how these artisans work (and arrange their spaces).

No need to apologize for not visiting us in MD.  There's lots I would have liked to do during my brief tenure there that just didn't happen.

I'm so glad that you enjoyed getting those letters and that they are a way for you to reconnect with your younger self.

How did you fare with Hurricane Sandy?  I hope you stayed safe and warm.

Love,

sincere apologies for not getting back to you so quiggly, like stiggly

Dear Hippie Lou,
What shall we do?
We could make some stew
Or see things that moo
Or shop for a shoe
Or listen to babies coo
Or paint with glue
Or take a choo choo
Or check out an amazing view
Or drink some brew
Or watch a crew
Or visit a zoo
Or wait in a queue
Or see taming of the shrew
Or play a didgeridoo
Or we could chew
It’s up to you!
Let me know what you’d like to do!
Mentha Dew
(Dew is technically my sisters middle name, but I borrowed it for the rhyme)



yo sweet mentha dew
sincere apologies for not getting back to you
so quiggly, like stiggly

as for our inspiration and what we shall do
i have been slowly chewing on an idea or two
actually one, hopefully fun

at lula's, perhaps we can meet
east village representin, right on sixth street
an apothecary, not yet legendary

three strips of paper we'll each bring
and on each folded strip, a description of a thing
we can do together, like stormy weather

we'll drop them in one of lula's glass jars
pick a strip out like a man from mars
ready to rock it, put it in our pocket

if we both dig it, then that's what we'll do
if one of us doesn't, we'll draw number two
on and on, til the break of dawn

so hippie lou has to ask, might you be game?
don't hesitate to tell me if you think it's lame
and peace to you, sweet mentha dew

i don't like it for the following reasons...it's asymmetric and somewhat disrespectful.

if you'd like to have coffee, i usually get some every morning between 8 and 9.30 at la colombe, 270 lafayette.  that might not be convenient for you so if not i am open to suggestions.  peace & <3 with kind regards and looking forward to it, hippie lou

****

send me your number, and i will call you.

****

hey, i can send you my number, but with trepidation.  for two reasons...one is i don't use it much...i have my ringer off (silent, not vibrate) and i haven't set up my voice mail...so i don't often pick up calls unless i happen to be  looking at my phone at the exact moment something comes in.  the other reason is that every person i've ever sent it to on okc has used it to do a "screening" interview.  not my cup of tea; never liked them in the corporate world and don't like them in the okc world either.  anyone who uses the phone to screen ppl out for jobs and/or friendships is probably someone i'm not going to get very excited about.  but, never say never, and stranger things have happened.  peace with kind regards, hippie lou

****

Would like to talk on the phone. Can't imagine why you wouldnt set up your voicemail.  How do you stay in touch with the outside world?
How do you screen a cell number, guess I am naive.  Too many red flags here.  Prove me wrong.

****

hi, thanks very much for your note.  re not setting up voice mail, believe it or not, i am old enough to remember a world without cell phones, voice mail, and even answering machines.  people seemed to stay in touch just fine, as i recall.

re screening, perhaps i wasn't clear enough.  what i meant was people use the phone to "rule out" prospective employees and in the case okc, prospective friends.  i understand why people do it -- they often have a list of, for lack of a better word, deal-breakers, and they want to make sure that people they meet with are free and clear of those deal-breakers.

in the case of a job, an employer may want someone who can work nights and weekends, and so they accept resumes, pick out a set of people they are interested in, and call them.  "can you work nights and weekends?" they ask.  if the answer is no, it's thanks and goodbye.  for the employer, it saves them time...if someone came in for an interview, the employer probably wouldn't kick them out right away....they would chat and then say thanks but no thanks.

in the case of okc, some women follow a similar approach.  i don't like it for the following reasons...it's asymmetric and somewhat disrespectful...the implicit message is my time is more valuable than yours and i don't want to waste it by meeting you for coffee unless i'm sure that we're somewhat compatible (ie no deal-breakers).

and i've found that i don't relate well to women (and men) with checklists, because more often than not they involve having a day job and all the usual accoutrements of a "normal" life.  i) i don't have anything resembling a "normal" life and ii) one feels a bit like a piece of meat, as perhaps many women feel about guys who have a list of physical and/or age requirements.  my only prerequisites are i) being a decent human being and ii) having a heartbeat...within that framework i'm pretty flexible.

i know some women are concerned about safety but from my perspective, we are meeting in a public space around lots of people so how dangerous can it be? it's not that serious...peace with kind regards, hippie lou

How do you do that? blur the lines...
I'm intrigued by the hippie you...

heart impulse

for the latest -- part two of my conversation with annalisa -- listen here...enjoy.

a collection of annalisa's curated images based on her love of italy can be found at Mia Bella Italia.

****

annalisa derr is leaving for india this saturday.  i had the privilege of visiting with her a few weeks ago. she's fearless, and she's following her heart impulse.  i admire her, i want to be her!

"impulse...i think the word impulse is how i'm going to move forward and start living my life; from impulse, like heart-soul impulse. yeah."

****

annalisa exposits the following:

"i don't need to call myself an actor because i just am. down to my core being."

then true to form, in the course of our conversation, she just *is.* a knock comes on the door, and annalisa performs. how? how did her core being jump out of her bone marrow and manifest itself, right before my eyes?

and if you're one for salacious details, listen for the *one thing* that got magical experience (the artist fka Yanusz Gilewicz) both

a) out of his at-the-time-occupied homeland

AND

b) a girlfriend beyond compare.

****

did you know that annalisa -- to fund living her dream on stage in nyc -- sold her car, a beloved treasure?  if you can tell me the make and model AND color of the car before you listen to this thing i will award you a special prize.  which may be coffee with hippie lou.  which may not be so special. :)

****

if you missed it, part one of our conversation is here.

Hipppie Lou. Of course I would have coffee with you.

I loved your pictures hippie Lou! You took us on a little walk down your life. Nice. I am and English teacher. Thus, I love poetry. I also have been having a love affair with NYC for 30 years. Very Cool Lou.


Hipppie Lou. Of course I would have coffee with you. I am in NYC all the time. What area of New York do you live?
It is Sunday, and I think we are all just trying to recover from the tempest that descended upon us.
Nature brought us to our knees. Humanity is slowly lifting us up.
Fondly,


New York is very convenient. It appears as though you haven't put down roots anywhere Lou! It sounds like you are couch surfing! I usually am in NYC weekends....weekdays are spent teaching the youth of America!
I will let you know.

Peace.

Hope you did ok with Sandy, as she was quite the bitch. So, I'd love
To know what transpired between photo Stargate and now....

This is so sweet of you Lou... Thank you!! Love how u reposted this pic with new meaning!

HL, you're always welcome here. Food, shower, electric, Internet. Stay safe, be generous to those who have less.