A FLORENCE + THE MACHINE CHRISTMAS CAROL, 2010
Here as I blog in West Hollywood this Christmas I am thankful that we have freedom of expression and freedom of speech in America.
Finally, I have recovered from a dirty martini hang over from two nights ago at a Hollywood Hills Christmas party. I like olives, so always get it wrong when I see them in a festive glass. I only had two martinis, but they were good ones! The relief of not having a Bellevedere voddie headache today is awesome, yet the respite is short lived when today I look at the news and I see that people are being persecuted in Iran for being different.
People are not allowed to have a Christmas this year. Those who want to are detained, some are behind bars, some will be martyred for their Christian faith in 2010!!! That’s insanity. (more…)
HOLLYWOOD DIVERSITY DOES NOT GET HOTTER THAN THIS POST!
I don’t want to be one to brag, however this post about Shania Twain was pretty cool yesterday.
Let me break it down: A Maori, indigenous New Zealand blogger, does a post in Hollywood about a Native Canadian Indian country music singer, whose family’s ancestors once got slaughtered by cowboy hat wearers. They were big enough people to get over it. In the post she is performing in Chicago USA, wearing African-American girls hoop earrings while singing live and the post is dedicated to a Ngati Porou global citizen of the world living in Melbourne Australia.
That hot cross-cultural sh*t only goes down on this blog in the world. No where else. Perhaps it will become more of a normal trend in the future by many bloggers. Hope so!
~Posted by Horiwood.Com Hollywood California USA. 12.22.10~
TEN PEOPLE WHO TRENDED THE BEST ON TWITTER, 2010
[Pictured above Brasil's leader, Dilma-Rousseff]- Justin Bieber
- Dilma Rouseff
- Lady Gaga
- Julian Assange
- Mel Gibson
- Lil Kim
- Zilda Arns
- Kate Middleton
- Kim Hee Chul
- Joannie Rochette
This list, reflects the diversity of the Twitter community. Way cool.
[Kim Hee Chul Korean pop star and artist, courtesy of Korea Sparkling]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 12.15.10~
3 TERRORISTS GROUPS I’VE NEVER HEARD OF
Have you heard of these 3 terrorist groups? Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades of Palestine, the National Liberation Army (ELN) of Colombia and Harakat-ul Jihad al Islami of Bangladesh?
Me neither. Apparently, these groups are all bad peeps to keep an eye on. You learn new things everyday.
Whenever a terrorist group is announced, it’s important to realize that terrorists are extreme minority ideological groups of dissidents in the world, so we wouldn’t want to mistake all people who are Arabs, or from Colombia or from Bangladesh as being bad people, when they are just as good as you and me.
Apparently internationally there are 500 terrorist groups listed as being not safe to many nations. I thought in a global economy the biggest terrorist of us all, is the temptation to get in debt. Overdraft is always an unpleasant feeling as only a bank or lender wins big.
Their interest fees often induce terror for future generations to repay. Food for thought too perhaps in keeping nations secure and safe within a nations borders.
[A Bangladeshi woman is featured above]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 12.14.10~
HUMOR IN 3D – WHAT 3D GLASSES ARE REALLY FOR
E.M – has this funny pic about how 3D glasses should be used
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 12.8.10~
A SONG FOR HOLLYWOOD KIWIS – HE KAKANO, AN ORNAMENT OF GRACE
For educational purposes –here’s some waiata light (songlight) from Hollywood today–in Te Reo Rangatira, the Maori language.
Gorgeous poetic lyrics.
So uplifting – an ornament of grace for the spirit in a diverse world.
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 12.6.10~
AMERICA IS BECOMING MORE BILINGUAL – CENSUS RESULTS 2010
To fully appreciate America in the 2020′s global citizens of the world could benefit from speaking Spanish to fully engage in American cultural life and its development forward.
Robert Groves of Census.Gov and team share information that proves that America is becoming more bilingual this year. Electorate seats will also be rezoned. Some lost.
“For the first time, we are providing a series of demographic analysis estimates to more clearly demonstrate the uncertainty in these figures,” said Census director Groves.
The numbers show the nation’s population ranged from 305.7 million to 307.4 million based on lower rates of immigration, which independent think-tanks such as the Pew Hispanic Center have said dropped off sharply recently due to the souring U.S. economy.
Sharing from The Washington Post, Census Gov says, ‘Hispanics accounted for all the growth in the youth population in the last decade. In 2000, Hispanics made up 17 percent of the U.S. population under age 20. They now represent somewhere between 22 and 25 percent of that age group.
African American News: ‘There were roughly 40.9 million to 41.7 million blacks in the U.S., based on a tabulation that includes Hispanic blacks. That would put the share of blacks at roughly 13 percent of the U.S. population.’
Hispanics Are Keeping America Young: ‘Without Hispanics, the number of young people in the U.S. would have declined between 2000 and 2010. Based on the estimates, the non-Hispanic youth population declined somewhere between 1.25 million and 2.9 million.’
Driving Force: ‘Hispanics are the driving force behind this youth diversity,” said Kenneth Johnson, a sociology professor at the University of New Hampshire, who reviewed the numbers. 
MARIAH CAREY THANKS BARACK OBAMA FOR MAKING THE WORLD ACCEPTABLY MORE DIVERSE
Mariah Carey, the Vision of Love singer who started her working career as a hairdresser’s assistant that her first boss nicknamed “Echo” who then went on to marry and divorce Sony’s Tommy Mottola of Hall & Oates management fame–has an importance message as a first time new mother-to-be via Digital Spy. Says Carey, who is ‘expecting her first child with husband Nick Cannon, to media outlet British Pride:
“Having Obama in office and bringing a child into the world at this point is totally different than me feeling like an outcast when I was growing up and not feeling like it was okay to be ethnically diverse, and I can’t believe that we have arrived at this point within society.”
Mariah whose mother is an Irish-American who studied opera and whose father is African-American, explained that she felt like an “outcast” when she was younger. She believes that because of the Obamas the world lives in a new age of acceptance, understanding and grace. Well spoken.
Mariah performed in Florida at Disneyland, friday. Photograph courtesy of Splash.
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 12.4.10~
MAORI YOUNG PEOPLE SHINE AT MAWHERA MINERS COMMEMORATIVE CEREMONY, NEW ZEALAND
A celebrity is someone whose life is worthy of being celebrated–new culture’s kaupapa (or principle).
In the bonds of love we meet–New Zealand’s national anthem
Love is healing and recovering honestly and openly together, acknowledging life, loss, past present and future in community together. Grieving the ugly and celebrating the beauty of what each life gifts community is growing up in love too as a nation–watch this clip.
Greymouth Miners Remembrance Ceremony Footage is supplied by Te Karere Maori News reporting live from Mawhera, Te Wai Pounamu, Aoteroa New Zealand. This news footage denotes the magnitude felt by community across the board in this coast township.
I like the interview which shows variation in Maori dialectical variations of New Zealand’s indigenous peoples own unique diversity between Irena Smith and Kathleen of Mawhera. We call it Nga Mita o Te Reo (dialects). The interview shares the story of grief’s depths. My favorite part of the footage is the young people of Mawhera singing in Maori to lift the spirits of the grieving. Maori young people are so special. Such good kids, putting aside their own grief for friends and family to find the strength and grace to encourage others. They are descendants of people who have been doing this in Mawhera for many centuries.
As a Kiwi who lives in Hollywood I find all the words in English equally as important and moving as the words in Te Reo Rangatira (the language of Chiefs). Enjoy this very special view–a cultural treasure of New Zealand as new culture grows and develops alongside these Maori young people’s development that the nation of New Zealand speaks of in the copy below. Powerful stuff. Mawhera young people are Hollywood stars today on this blog, just because they are. Alright–we need to upgrade these kids with funding to get some swanky new cultural uniforms for performing on such global occasions I think and make them a little bit of a priority. A fine effort from these young leaders.
The following news coverage story is via English NTDTV: Memorial services were held in Greymouth, New Zealand, for the 29 miners who perished in an accident at the Pike River coal mine last month. A two-minute moment of silence was observed, and local school children sang songs of remembrance. (more…)
HUMOR – REDNECK WEDDING PHOTOS
Lol! Priceless.
This redneck wedding cake is too funny. Very Aussie or West Auckland too, actually.
[For a diverse view and more smiles, go here]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 11.30.10~
RIHANNA STUDIES, THE ART OF CELEBRITY AS SOCIOLOGY AND A GQ BRITANNIA MAGAZINE COVER, DECEMBER 2010
I saw that The University of Carolina is offering a Major in Lady Gaga and the Sociology of Fame. Pop music as a vehicle of leadership in nationhood’s direction is what kids want to study. Really a University should be offering science and advanced mathematics or physics papers in the US in an effort to close the gap on Education being an equipping tool towards being viable competitors in the future direction of a global economy.
If sociology is a lure to get kids into college to see what it’s all about, all good–perhaps they should be offering a 2 hour lecture in Rihanna Studies instead though. Kids would learn just as much, although Rihanna is not technically an American citizen. Although shaping American culture so much as an artist, rather humorously, her visa status is still that of an alien. She is the USA’s Alien Queen of the 2010′s.
In 2008, Rihanna was ranked in the top four on google New Zealand trends for the year. Her live performances in Auckland The Supercity were well appreciated from fans. A then relatively unknown American leader (to the-wider-world), Barack Obama, also made the top ten in this innovative and perceptive trend-spotting small nation. At this time, New Zealand’s current Prime Minister, was not yet ranked in the top ten (Sir Edmund Hillary was instead, at no. 7) yet Rihanna and Mr Obama were on New Zealand’s cultural radar of people they like.
As a comparison, Australia ranked Paris Hilton and Anna Nicole Smith in their top ten and Mr Obama was not yet on the radar in Australia’s mindsets at all that same year in a significant way. Rihanna however (was ranked no.9 in Australia that year as a trend) denoting that she is a key figure and entertainer to the South Pacific and Asia Pacific territories. She was the only person of color in Australia’s top ten that year to ‘cross-over’ as an accepted trend, whereas New Zealand had 3 people of color trend that same year. It is fair to say, that as a star, leader and a cultural-architect artist of a modern world–that Rihanna is always a forerunner of the world’s elite leaders. This is her destiny as a person. Let’s look at what she’s gifted the American people, so far.
What would GQ be, without its Rihanna magazine covers in the US or Britannia? You need at least one Rihanna moment as your cover girl each year to be a successful men’s magazine. This girl is both pretty, tough and resilient in making a comeback when beaten down. She can also make a fashion accessory super hot–that all stars emulate and fashion designers incorporate into their styles of design. She’s the edge of trendsetting when she feels like playing the diva role.
She also gave America a powerful image of someone who recovered from post traumatic stress disorder of something unexpected that can hit a life in America, requiring a major rebuilding effort. Her Chris Brown domestic violence saga of the past catapulted Rihanna into superstar status. Resilience was added to her star exotic brand in that tragic moment of callous American mistreatment by young Chris towards a foreigner living and working in Los Angeles. That media moment was bloody awful. Thankfully Chris Brown has moved on from the incident too now, maturing from it also.
There has never been anyone who lived in Hollywood Hills, quite like Rihanna who has contributed to American culture in difficult years, offering hope or distraction or attitude or just good fun. She’s quite unique. Via Barbados and the Commonwealth, along with Beyonce she is the All American Girl inspirer of the last decade. Next year, I wonder if actor/ singer/ fashion sequer and stylist, Kat Graham, a newbie who is currently sporting top hats of British gentry of the UK, will get to land on GQ too?
In the meantime, here’s the hardworking Riri, amusing Britain with those looks. In the last 11 months, she’s just not stopped working. Respec. In fact Rihanna’s music accomplishments are second to none in America–she’s pop royalty and the Commonwealth’s black queen of pop. In 2008 when Rihanna performed live for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, she wore earrings reflecting the shape of the late Princess Diana‘s engagement ring, the same ring now being worn by Kate Middleton. With her symbology that constitutes pop star monarchy’s iconography, that millions of people worldwide follow–as symbols of empire that they think define them, Rihanna is always smart. Equally subtle as confrontation, a rare mix. Rihanna is a little naughty, she’s the only music artist to give the Queen a diva snear at the end of her performance, before she curtsied–an expression the Queen would never allow herself to do in public, even if she wanted to. The moment from Rihanna is cute.
Hitfix reports that Riri (who this blog is sorta named after too), is the no.1 charting artist of the millennium. The music website writes: “Only Girl In the World jumps to No. 1 this week, giving Rihanna her second single from Loud to hit the top spot. Two weeks ago, What’s My Name featuring Drake was at No. 1. Loud debuts at No. 3 this week on the Billboard 200.
Riri makes history. It is the first time (more…)
A FRIEND LOVES AT ALL TIMES, THANK YOU WORLDWIDE FOR BEING SO DIVERSE AND LOVING
Namaste. Special thanks to all of you who read Horiwood.Com in Hollywood. May your holiday season be a good one and 2011 be prosperous and abundantly blessed for you all. Most of all, may your smiles increase and your spirits rise.
According to Quantcast, here’s what we all look like. Pretty diverse. I love you all. As a fellow global citizen, thanks for being my daily teachers who share yourselves on a New Zealand Maori Kiwi’s blog. You’ve taught me so much. As caring is sharing. Many thanks for your open hearts and your limitless abilities to share. Peace.
| United States | 11,875 | 53.82 | 123 | 53.81 | 102 |
| United Kingdom | 1,635 | 7.41 | 147 | 7.24 | 157 |
| Canada | 1,115 | 5.05 | 128 | 5.00 | 134 |
| Australia | 765 | 3.47 | 220 | 3.37 | 230 |
| New Zealand | 515 | 2.33 | 848 | 3.07 | 1,116 |
| Germany | 450 | 2.04 | 55 | 2.03 | 81 |
| France | 345 | 1.56 | 42 | 1.54 | 47 |
| India | 315 | 1.43 | 59 | 1.41 | 84 |
| Brazil | 310 | 1.40 | 32 | 1.36 | 39 |
| Philippines | 265 | 1.20 | 108 | 1.19 | 103 |
| Italy | 250 | 1.13 | 41 | 1.10 | 52 |
| Spain | 210 | 0.95 | 39 | 0.93 | 46 |
| Mexico | 190 | 0.86 | 34 | 0.82 | 32 |
| Indonesia | 185 | 0.84 | 52 | 0.82 | 68 |
| Malaysia | 180 | 0.82 | 89 | 0.87 | 97 |
| Netherlands | 170 | 0.77 | 52 | 0.74 | 57 |
[Photographs: Train Rider by Amy Helene Johansson and Jump by Leann Arthur] (more…)
PALM TREE WISDOM, COCOANUT GROVE, OSCARS HISTORY 1930′s FOR G20 ECONOMIES WORLD LEADERS
In Oscars Hollywood history, the Cocoanut Grove was the venue celebrating Americans much loved art form of Hollywood’s cinema’s best awards for excellence.
From this image we see a Palm Tree as a symbol of Peace. Whether a palm is found in California, throughout The South Pacific, in Israel or Iran provides a message for us all to ponder as a symbol.
A palm tree grows peacefully in earth’s soil, irrespective of how people draw up maps of territory. Its a very humble tree. It just grows. Its leaves offer shade in extreme heat conditions for people and camels alike. It always signifies that water is found nearby, water being a symbol of life that all growing things need to live. A palm tree’s fruit is eaten by people of Californian, people in Iran or Israel alike. A palm tree does not discriminate. It looks after people equally.
May leaders of the world (G20 Economies Summit leaders included) all have a movie date with Peace, in their hearts concerning the future direction of the world and showing mercy to others, not all that different from ourselves.
This is California’s story in the City of Angels. We are peace messengers in The City of Angels–just like a palm tree is. May the art of peace be the most glorified American art of all and bring forth its fruit in due season.
I think an emphasis on water systems watering people who don’t have it in the world with clean drinking water, would be an intelligent thing of G20 leaders to obsess on at this point in World History. With the existing wealth all G-20 Summit leaders nations have, let’s leak some water these nations way who are without.
That’s smart leadership. Instead of just “World Economy, War Economy,” as buzz words, let’s think “Water Economy” too for all people in the world. A war on lack for the least in the world is what’s needed. That’s true power, to think that way and shows respect for basic human rights in the world.
[Image - courtesy of Vanity Fair]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 11.28.10~
THE WASHINGTON POST – 11.28.10
Today is my sister, Saloni Ruth‘s 43rd (US) Birthday. She’s a gem in her community as well as being a fine sportswoman. On this day, the front page of The Washington Post here in America, looks like this.
Gizmos & Gadgets for Christmas feature for retailers. Although diversity has never once gone out of fashion, Vogue leads the charge on Diversity is a feature story. War Medics focus on Trauma Transit efforts. Crystal meth in America is pinpointed to be stemming from Mexican Cartels. Oregon was a sight of a suspected bomb plot. Meanwhile many can’t afford housing costs in Washington D.C, the nation’s capitol.
What an interesting front cover today from The Post. There’s a lot going on.
Happy Birthday Sharon. From as far back as I can remember Sharon filled our home with ukelele music. She became an adept songwriter and entertainer playing the guitar–performing in front of audiences at a young age. She is national tennis champ title holder along with her sister Cherry as well as a netball champion, a cup winning athlete and a touch rugby football, team player extraordinaire. In high school she was a decorated beauty queen. She had a special bond with her playful grandfather Graham Edward. Most of all, her spirit has ruled justly and she has lifted the burden of the oppressed where her heart led her. Really, she is like the archetypal “All American girl” but she is proudly Maori and Kiwi. Today she lives in a New Zealand city, where whales are known to swim in schools sometimes in her surrounding shores.
Sharon: I love you on your special day we have always celebrated with joy as your family. You were born on The Island of Vava’u, Tonga where whales swim and play, 43 years ago today in a principality ruled by a Monarchy. Of her Island where Sharon and two of her sisters were born in the beautiful South Pacific, it is written:
“The Vavaíu Island group in the Kingdom of Tonga is a spectacular tropical island paradise in the Pacific Ocean. It has a year-round climate suitable for swimming, snorkeling, diving and sailing. Some islands are ringed by white sand beaches while others have tropical forests, sea-level caves, and dramatic limestone cliffs with breathtaking vistas.
“Remote and truly unspoiled, the waters around Vava’u are crystal clear with visibility exceeding 100 feet. Most of the islands are uninhabited, a few have villages, a few have very small unique resorts with exceptional food. There is abundant sea life with over 100 species of colorful tropical fish, giant clams, manta rays, sea turtles, spinner dolphins, and July-October the Humpback whales!
Truly a paradise with the only Polynesian Monarchy this is a truly remarkable place to explore.”
This year Tonga is having their very first democratic elections. It is a hallmark defining moment of democracy and liberty for the Kingdom of Tonga. In memory of Uncle Sam Sasser, The American footballer who used to visit you in Tonga as a baby, here’s an image of The Washington Red Skins, getting whopped by the Minnesota Vikings. :)
Howard Frendrich writes: LANDOVER, Md. — After scrambling 10 yards on his creaky legs for a key first down, Brett Favre popped up with one of his shoulder pads flapping around and started leaping on teammates for hugs. Moments later, the Minnesota Vikings’ 17-13 victory Sunday over the Washington Redskins complete, Favre went over to new coach Leslie Frazier and handed him the football.” Bret Favre is 41 years old, a grandfather– and still playing football.
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 11.28.10.
SMILING MAORI YOUNG PEOPLE PERFORMING LIVE ARE SO VIBRANT
There’s just something about Maori young people singing and performing live in the poetic language of Te Reo Rangatira (the Language of Chiefs) with beautiful smiles that reminds you, these young leaders are from a very vibrant culture.
Love them! Can’t get enough of their visage and unbridled talents on display in Hollywood. Beautiful.
Oh and if you’re reading this post from Hollywood–no this really is not “lost footage from the director’s cut of Dances with Wolves–young people really perform like this every day in places like Waitangi or Roto-Vegas/ Rotorua or many other beautiful cities too. One of my favorite spots in seeing Maori perform is at the Tuhoe tribe’s Te Hui Ahurei o Tūhoe Festval. These young people are the best and they speak the language as their first language each day.
They’re also cinematic. Their first movie is in development. It’s humorously titled: Hambones at the Pork Bone Puha Hotel. Now this is THE movie for any A-List Hollywood actor to do a cameo in. It’s going to be both funny & fab!
They’re so authentic and beautiful in performance. The kids of Ngai Tuhoe also are amazing artists and their artworks (paintings) are so special. Deep. Meaningful. I purchased one, last time I was in attendance at this event.
If you must have your fix, of seeing Maori appear and perform live, finding out more about these two cities, is a good start when planning your global travel entertainment.
Culturally vibrant travel–is always adventurous and enriching to one’s worldview. You know it. Cheers!
Maori young people also add a lot to America’s diverse tourism industry, especially in Hawaii, President Obama‘s home state–all year round. Go here to check these Maori kids, who help America out. They’re such good selfless young people. Amazing!!! I love them.
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 11.27.10~
CHELSEA HANDLER’S STAR GETS HOTTER AND THE HORIWOOD TOP TEN 11-26-10
Everything about Los Angeles talk show host Chelsea Handler is hot these days.
Above, Chelsea managed to get Taylor Swift onto her show to confess she’s a fan. Handler is having Thanksgiving holidays with Jennifer Aniston in Los Cabos, Mexico (see pics below) and even her co-hosts/ writers of The Chelsea Lately Show are appearing in Hollywood comedies like Morning Glory and No Strings Attached. This is what can happen to girls who are half Catholic, half Jewish from New Jersey and who are funny and date their boss. Love it.
In fairness, I’m running this Chelsea Handler spotlight post today as Chelsea’s Boss’ Boss of E! Entertainment Television is Comcast and NBC/ Universal, who are broadcasting The Rugby World Cup in America next year. This makes them super hot for that pioneering sports spirit. By proxi, Chelsea Handler and her team too. Nice work from Chelsea all round in L.A! A funny girl.
Celebrities entertainment news you loved and voted in Hollywood today. Here’s our top ten.
1. One Tree Hill – U2 in New Zealand, a tribute of love, life, loss
4. Johnny Depp
5. L. Vonn
7. The 29 names of the trapped miners in New Zealand
8. Montana Native American Indians – global warming warning
9. Kris Fa’faoi
10. Prestige Dance Group–Championship winning performance
[Images of Chelsea Handler and Jennifer Aniston with a friend courtesy of Bauer Griffin Online]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 11.26.10~
ANNE HATHAWAY WILL CO-HOST NOBEL PEACE PRIZE AWARDS CONCERT
Peace is like observing a flower – no matter what color you are, you are still represented and wholly included in observing the labors of nature’s shared beauty, equally.
Anne Hathaway will join Denzel Washington as a co-host of this year’s Nobel peace prize concert in Norway.
This year’s concert will honour jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, winner of the 2010 prize.
Florence and The Machine are in a star line up of performers at this years event. China may not allow Liu Xiaobo’s family to attend the awards. The rules of the awards is that the recipient or their family must be present to receive it. It’s going to be an interesting awards ceremony this year then!
When not one Chinese musician or performer is on the star billing of entertainers, I wouldn’t send anyone from China either to attend. Just saying. We’re so obsessed with ourselves in The West. Why should we frame our sense of Peace against a nation of 1/6th of the World’s people, by accusing them of human rights breaches (subtext: we’re all so superior who are not a part of China’s political system), when we don’t even include or celebrate China’s culture in our Peace Awards show adequately, perhaps indicating our own lusts for identity–framed against “China as absent spectacle of Complex & Different Other, we actually know very little about.”
Just saying. At the moment the Nobel Concert doesn’t look like it’s about Liu Xiaobo or his family or China as a whole, at all. Where exactly is the peace of China being reflected in the organization of this concert or the celebrations of China’s peace? Nada nowhere! Let’s hope that changes, real quick so as not to insult the world’s intelligence. This article written and shared with no offense intended for Anne, Denzel or Florence and friends–but in terms of their representation at this event, their agents really should be having a word. The poor planning makes us Westerners look worse than what we are accusing the Chinese government of. Same thing. Exclusion on many levels.
[Image - living flower, Beverly Hills Library]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 11.19.10~
FLAKE ALERT – SARAH PALIN USES RELIGION AND RACE TO TARGET THE OBAMAS
In leaked excerpts from Sarah Palin‘s new book, on page 26 she writes:
“Certainly his [Barak Obama's] wife [Michelle Obama] expressed this view when she said during the 2008 campaign that she had never felt proud of her country until her husband started winning elections.
“In retrospect, I guess this shouldn’t surprise us, since both of them spent almost two decades in the pews of the Reverend Jeremiah Wright‘s church listening to his rants against America and white people.”
Um, does Sarah Palin give Native Alaska Indians and all Americans from Alaska a bad name or what? Let alone all Americans.
That’s so not cool. And this coming from a guy who praised her debut book for making Alaska sounding like such a cool place to visit. It’s a shame race and religion? are coloring an Obama smear campaign, and are a part of Palin’s armory now for the GOP’s causes.
The truth is, if you live in America, it’s such a diverse country. So rich and full of diverse cultures. Palin’s construct of anti-black doesn’t exist in reality. It’s archaic, so you can’t even take it seriously, unless you’ve never been outside GOP white states of America your whole life, of whom her book is written for to make a quick buck, while she claims she wants to be a future President of the US.
On the other hand, heroes are created against villains. So in a sick way, she’s acting as Michelle Obama’s star maker here too, while being a vampire and taking some blood for her troubles, to hawk a book. If black people don’t feature in her faith or flag or her family’s friends in good regard, than what nation does this women live in exactly. Not the one the rest of us do, that’s for sure.
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 11.19.10~
TWO PICS VIA ALEX MERAZ, NOVEMBER 2010
Pic One: Alex Meraz: “Check out my photo for PEOPLE MAGAZINES “Sexiest Man Alive issue” in stores now.”
Pic Two: “Never Back Down 2…anyone! finished filming with the hardest working cast I’ve had the pleasure of working along side.”
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 11.18.10~
KILLING ME SOFTLY WITH THE UKELELE ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN
Brills. :)
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 11.17.10~
TE AUTE AND HUKARERE COLLEGES for LIVING INDIGENOUS PEOPLES CULTURES SHINING IN THE WORLD
Who: Te Aute Boys High School and Hukarere Maori Girls High School of New Zealand.
What: Performing a Waiata Tira (Traditional Song). Their performing arts genre is called kapa haka.
Why: To perpetuate their unique Indigenous Peoples worldview and language in a modern world.
Their language: Smiles and Te Reo Rangatira (The Language of Chiefs).
Star Draw: Their people have been doing this for centuries in beautiful Middle Earth, Aoteaora New Zealand.
Claim to Fame: Horiwood’s Aunt, “Aunty Waratah of Helensville” was the long-serving matron of Turakina Maori Girls College, a sister school of the Hukarere Girls school, featured here. This song in Hollywood goes up for her and what she believes is possible for all girls and children of Indigenous Peoples cultures in the world if they stay true to themselves and just express that in the world.
This is my Aunt’s life message as reflected in these kids singing. Some of her life’s work on display.
Aspiration: My Aunt is proudly of the Ngapuhi and Ngati Whaatua Maori tribes of New Zealand. Yet, she serves all other Maori tribal leaders childrens’ life’s purpose into the world equally.
She is not tribalist, she’s bigger than that. She’s a global thinker. I love my Aunt a lot for her largeness of heart and purity of spirit. An example for all Maori and Polynesian and Kiwi politicians to emulate perhaps as a take (cultural challenge of leadership) from Hollywood today.
In its purest sense (dating back over a century from NZ), my Aunt’s actions prove she believes in true equality, just like her ancestors believed and taught her. So do I. Hence going to the trouble of creating and sharing this post from The Entertainment Capitol of The World.
Political Point: May we always have the foresight, heart and wisdom to include indigenous peoples at the forefront of everything we do. Their worldviews are diverse and amazing. They look after landscape, people, the human spirit and have a message of preservation always for future generations.
What’s best about these kids: If you talk to any of them, they are all very funny. They have the best sense of humor. Funny kids, naturally.
Personally I like their message a lot. Wisdom as gifts for the world is contained in these young peoples’ culture and thinking. We need it. LOUDER!
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 11.17.10~
“NATIVE AMERICAN” INDIAN STORE IN THE VALLEY – 11.17.10
The Valley always brings a smile. In right or wrong ways.
Here’s some images of “Native American Indian” Art, right on Ventura Blvd in The Valley, California. More specifically located at The Indian Art Center of California. A shop.
Worth sharing today as a commentary on society in general. There wasn’t a real Indian in sight. Go figure.
My always over-active brain asked the questions: Where are the real Native American Indians at, in Hollywood? And where is the Native American Indian line up of Senators in the American Senate? State Governors too?
Instead, let’s just share these pictures. Do I believe that any “Native American Indian” visual presence is better than none? Yes I do. The rest is up to US –of “the political issues” that these artworks raise awareness of, in modern society. Inclusion vs Exclusion? People in dialogue with landscape and natural resources preservation or not?
I think we need these peoples view in the world, across a lot of government policy-setting and decision-making arenas, don’t you?
By the way, I love The Valley. It can be a fun place. Known to be a little less uptight and snobby, than other parts of Los Angeles. There are a lot of nice people there too.
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 11.17.10~
ANGELINA JOLIE’S LOOKS AND CALIFORNIA COSMETIC SURGEONS CASHING IN
Two pictures: One – Angelina Jolie‘s billboard for her new Johnny Depp film, The Tourist -photographed 30 yards from home here in West Hollywood, California.
Two – A plastic surgeon’s advertisement LA Weekly today.
Conclusion – When you’re Angelina Jolie, America wants every part of you to mimic as a celebrity. They’ll lift it off you, with or without your consent. Unreal. Vultures with scalpels to make bank. Nasty greedy-gutted capitalist creatures. Jokes.
Seriously, this advertisement is plain scary. Firstly, convincing a young girl to get ahead by going under the scalpel to look like Jolie. And secondly, actually doing that as a surgeon. Promoting it even. I know Hitler is long since dead and this is not Nazi Germany, this is Hollywood, but what is this advertisement saying about society in general?
Sheepers creepers! Is this taking ‘art’ and pop culture a little bit too far? America’s natural diversity is at threat. We can’t have everyone looking like a young Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor or Jolie either. Respect for one’s parent’s genes is needed, I reckon! :)
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 11.14.10~
THE TOP TEN FASTEST RISING NAMES OF ENTERTAINMENT, OUTSIDE OF ASIA 2010?
If you haven’t heard these names good on ya! I don’t know how you found this blog. Anyway, according to Google Zeitgeist’s result’s that have been okay-ed for distribution, these are the top ten fastest rising names of the Entertainment world, outside of Asian nations. A youthful burst of (mainly) American faces. They are:
1. Justin Bieber. 2. Katy Perry. 3. Selena Gomez. 4. Kim Kardashian. 5. Eminem 6. Lady Gaga. 7. Miley Cyrus. 8. Taylor Lautner. 9. Megan Fox. 10. Robert Pattinson.
Other trending names: Shakira, Netflix. Youtube Videos. Ke$ha. Nicki Minaj. Grooveshark. Transformers 3.
All I can say is: There is no Bollywood stars here (a weakness Google needs to improve on to grow market share, still this year) and thank goodness for Robert Pattinson and Shakira, otherwise there would be nobody who wasn’t American in this list other than Bieber.
Come on Google! Be more sharing and reflective.
Zero grade for cross-cultural spirit from an American-owned IT company! You’d think the world was American looking at these results. What a false and deluded bubble that is, to present such a vision to the world. Let’s hope next year Google USA isn’t so insecure. I have a blog, I too know who trends each day.
It’s a pity the Wikileaks scandal didn’t involve the real Google Zeitgiest results. Just saying. This list conveys a vision of ‘cultural imperialism’ that is skewed America’s way. Ideological brainwashing on display, a tad here to be remotely feasible.
I even ask whether Google was censored this year? Unreal. With the exception of Eminem, Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha’s inclusion and Selena Gomez being bumped onto the list at no.3 to reflect the latest US census results proving more Hispanic-American than envisaged–this reads like last year’s list of entertainers. This list feels stale.
[Image via WTF]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Hollywood California USA. 12.16.10~
December 17, 2010 | Categories: America, Censorship, Culture, Diversity, Entertainment Celebrity News, Entertainment News, Freedom, Freedom of Speech, Hollywood Entertainment News, Robert Pattinson, Shakira, Trends, UK | Tags: America, Censorship, Colombia, Culture, Diversity, Entertainment Distribution, Entertainment News, Entitlement, Freedom, Freedom of Speech, Google, Hollywood Entertainment News, Information Sharing, Lebanon, Pop Culture Commentary, Robert Pattinson, Shakira, Transparency in a Digital Age, Trends, UK | 6 Comments »