If you spend more time on the internet than you do watching T.V.; if you get a major chunk of your media input from YouTube, you have no doubt heard of Internet sensation Antoine Dodson.
Dodson (up until recently) lived in the projects in Huntsville, Alabama called Lincoln Park. One night, while he was minding his own business hanging out on Facebook, he heard his sister scream. He ran to her room and saw her struggling with a bed intruder, a man who was trying to rape her. The rapist was scared away before he was able to carry out his sexual assault.
When news cameras arrived at Dodson’s doorstep, he was still angry, scared and worked up over the ordeal. He was very animated on camera and it was entertaining to watch. So entertaining that the Gregory Brothers, who are known for auto-tuning the news made a song of it and took it viral. At this point in time the Antoine Dodson Bed Intruder song has about 14.5 million views on YouTube. At one point, it was #3 on the iTunes popularity list.
Today I heard a little bit of the story that put a twist on things for me. Dodson’s sister has a 2-year old daughter. The daughter is aware of the trauma and tragedy and she is scared. She is scared for herself and she’s scared for her mom.
I am currently teaching a class about Victimology at Long Beach City College and we talked about sexual abuse just last Thursday. We watched a video by Marilyn Van Derbur called “Once Can Hurt a Lifetime” and we talked about all the ways sexual abuse impacts the survivor. Here’s what we came up with (click on image to enlarge):
Despite all these known consequences for sexual assault survivors, resources to help people are a very low priority on our list at voting time. The impact of lack of funding is evidenced by the closure of Sexual Assault Crisis Agency in Long Beach. For those who need support with overcoming the impact of sexual assault, a good place to start is RAINN (Rape Abuse and Incest National Network).
In class we also talked about some of the ways abusers wield power and control over others. Here’s our list (click on image to enlarge):
We discussed how gaining personal power was a positive step to avoid falling prey to victimizers. If you want help to strengthen your mind, visit icreatehabits.com for a free hypnosis MP3 titled Create The Life You Want. Or, visit Start a Master Mind Group.com to find out how to use group energy to strengthen and improve yourself as a person.
Paul Dateh and inka one are famous on YouTube for Hip Hop Violin. Their video has had 4,535,195 views to date. Michael Zampelli and I went down with cameras in hand and captured some of the action live. The Kogi catering truck, an L.A. favorite amongst the crowd at LAist was also on the scene. The line was consistently an hour long and it stayed there even after most of the crowd left.
Here’s the YouTube video that has over four and a half million views on YouTube:
Visit Michael Zampelli’s photo gallery from the Summer and Music Festival, including photos of Paul Dateh, inka one, the Greenmeme art installation, “Urban Lab: Chantilly Clad” and the Kogi catering truck.
Here’s the video of Hip Hop Violin – Paul Dateh and inka one Live in Long Beach:
Erin came to Los Angeles for a photo shoot and after a day in the studio, we headed to Funk Fest to get galvanized and feel the rhythms and beats. I tried to capture some of the highlights of the day so you could get a feel for the vibe of Funk Fest. This was only the second time this event has graced the streets of Long Beach but the attendance multiplied exponentially in just one year. I think it’s because being there simply makes you feel good.
**********************************
Want to know how to use courage, tenacity and a sense of humor to get what you want? Then Start a Master Mind group. Find out how at Start a Master Mind Group.com and get a free MP3 and 3 PDF’s that will get you off to a good start.
It’s hard to believe that it’s already here, but tomorrow, August 7, from 11 AM to 10 PM, the streets of Downtown Long Beach will be packed with the performers and fans of the most legit Funk Festival this side of the Mississippi. Some of the country’s most entertaining and well-respected funk performers will be tearing it up all day long in the midst of dozens of fine dining and drinking establishments, so check out the restaurant and parking map, get there early and plan to make a day of it. The show is FREE, so that leaves plenty of dough in your pockets to grab lunch, dinner and drinks throughout the event.
Check out the full schedule below: (links go to MySpace)
11:00 AM : World-class DJ’s, including Gazoooo, Clifton, Remitch, Ervin Arana, Able, Marvski, Glen Redd, Luman, Monalisa, Endo, Thomas PM, Cocoe and Renato, start to spin
For more information about free concerts in Long Beach put on by Summer and Music, visit summerandmusic.com. Check out the King Cotton video “Funky Party” from the Roots & Blues concert on July 3 to get you in the mood.
Residents and visitors of Long Beach will converge on Pine Avenue for another evening of live music this Saturday July 3 from 5-9 p.m. This week’s concert is titled Roots and Blues and features legendary blues artists James Harman and King Cotton as well as Long Beach’s own supergroup, The DIBS. (links go to MySpace)
The show is free and family-friendly, and it’s a great way to spend a Saturday evening. Free bike valet parking provided courtesy of Long Beach Cyclists.
Future Summer and Music Concerts include:
Swing Saturday July 10,
Battle of the Tribute Bands July 11 and
Church of Rock & Roll July 17.
It was a smooth-groovin’, fun-flowing day of live music on Saturday June 12 as the Summer and Music Festival kicked off it’s 2010, 13-concert series. The first show of the summer was called Future Legends and featured local, up-and-coming acts such as Deep Sea Diver, Jay Buchanan and So Many Wizards (see video).
Saturday’s concert took place on a closed-off section of First Street between Elm and Linden in Downtown Long Beach. The sound and lighting equipment were solar-powered with help from Sustainable Waves and there was a free bike valet on site (not to mention easy access to a bar, a coffee shop and Chinese food).
As the day progressed, the street filled in with an assortment of Long Beach characters. The people-watching opportunities alone made it well worth the trip. The crowd ranged from 2 months old to 85. Toddlers ran from their moms, teenaged girls danced in a circle and I, of course, wore pink and roller skated.
DJ Lithuanian Prince made sure there would be inspiration for roller skating and dancing, as he poured out a non-stop musical selection of hard-to-find, easy-to-jive-to vinyl picks. The day had a soul-filled family picnic feel to it. One of my favorite bands of the day was So Many Wizards. Here’s a video of one of their songs from this Saturday’s live performance.
If you missed the Summer and Music kick-off, have no fear; Rockabilly on Pine is coming this Saturday, January 19 from 5-9 p.m and this year’s itinerary features 13 eclectic music events, including some favorites from last year, such as Battle of the Tribute Bands and Funk Fest. Concerts will span the genres of folk, jazz, pop, rockabilly, funk and beyond, bringing together artists and art enthusiasts of all kinds. For details, visit www.summerandmusic.com.
Long Beach resident and vocalist Linda Saito will be performing in concert in Shoreline Village on June 19th from 6 to 9pm on the Boardwalk Stage Area. Admission is free.
Saito (also known as Linderella) be featured with West Coast Blues, a five piece band including Kurt Szul, and the great Michael Daigeau (trombone) who played with the Tonight Show Band.
Linda Saito began her professional singing career in 1973 in Honolulu and was quite successful during her 15 year run. Saito was in numerous movies and TV shows including many Hawaii 5-0 episodes, Diamond Head, Charlie’s Angels, Sanford and Son and Magnum, P.I. She has appeared on stage with the inimitable Miles Davis and Ernie Washington (pianist for Billie Holiday). When Saito married, she stopped singing for 20 years. In recent years she began to feel a call to return to her singing career.
“A friend and piano player, Taura Smith, said I should go to Long Beach City College where they have a fabulous music department and sing with Tom Dustman, the vocal teacher. I went there and started singing with a few groups strengthening my vocal chords. Then a sax player, Dave Stanton, heard me singing with a big band and asked me to sing with his small group, Karmology. I decided to go into the recording studio and record some songs with that group.”
On Saturday, I attended the Ragga Muffins Festival in Long Beach. Michael Zampelli took some photos for The District Weekly and I snagged a few for this blog.
My favorite musical act of the day was Big Youth (pictured above). This man exudes more verve and childlike enthusiasm than most people a fraction of his age. He’s got a groovin’ rap style and smooth moves to go with it. Go to Big Youth’s MySpace page if you want to get in the groove.
I also felt childlike and care-free wearing my Gal Vanized get-up and eating funnel cake. I decided that I was going to surrender myself to the IRIE vibes and absorb as much of the experience as possible.
The crowd was very diverse and fun. Everyone was relaxed and having a good time. It was like sitting in a big huge living room. No problems whatsoever. I wasn’t the only one there with pink hair, click on the photo below to see a larger version of the audience.
First there was a Flip Video camera, given to someone like me who loves gadgets, has an idea a minute and some time off for the holidays. Second there is the resulting video. In less than two minutes I will list seven things that Galvanize My Mind. (Maybe they’ll galvanize your mind too):
1. Strolling the streets of Bluff Park with my iPod
2. Going to the farmer’s market
3. Snuggling with my cat
4. Working out on the bluff with Your Next Victory
5. Visualizing my ideal 2010 and beyond
6. Reading good Tweets
7. Watching Hello Ross on YouTube
This and more captured in my “not quite 2 minute” video. If you can’t see the video here, watch it on You Tube.
You’ll see me doing push-ups at the beach with a pink wig on and you’ll meet Fenix, my persian tabby cat. One of my favorite clips is “Boys on Bikes.” I was out strolling the sidewalks of Bluff Park in Long Beach with my Flip Video in hand and a group of about 10 young men on skateboards and bicycles rode by, it was pretty exciting. Some of us screamed in joy. Including me. It’s on video.
This afternoon I strolled the long aisle of produce and food vendors that comprises Long Beach Farmer’s Market. I had my new Christmas present, the Flip Ultra HD Video camera, in tow. This is my first Flip production and I’m looking forward to more.
See the HD version of the video on YouTube, it gives you a sense of the quality of the Flip Video.
I’ve been wanting to shop at the Farmer’s Market more often but sometimes I forget. I’m grateful to the folks at everythinglongbeach.com who recently listed all the Long Beach Farmer’s Markets. I’m going to re-post the link here for any Long Beach residents who are interested. I find the Farmer’s Market not only health-conscious, but an enjoyable experience as I hope I’ve captured in this video.
By the way, the band in this video is TED Bluegrass Band. They play every Thursday night from 7-9 p.m. at Cafe Ambrosia, 1923 E. Broadway, Long Beach CA 90802. You can hear more of their music on MySpace.
Want to know how to use courage, tenacity and a sense of humor to get what you want? Then Start a Master Mind group. Find out how at 
I practiced with using audio clips in the video. I sampled 
