silver lining of cats

(One note: this was originally published in my beachwalks blog a few minutes ago.)

Back in late November, I had sent an email to my niece down in Mexico.
She is Tony's one-and-only daughter, Hope.
She responded with such happiness that her dad was finally in the transitional center!
She also had the following message:
"I also wanted to ask for your help….We are still in Mexico and we have a taxi here that is one of our main sources of income. It got hit by a drunk driver a week and a half ago and it took on some heavy damage. But no engine damage. It’s going to cost us 18,000 pesos, roughly 900 dollars to fix but we’ve gotten 15,000 together so far, and with Thanksgiving coming up I doubt we’ll be doing anything with this still going on and here money is a hard thing to come by. So I wanted to ask you if you can and if you would like to help us, with anything you can, it would be greatly appreciated. I know I don’t ever ask for anything, and this is hard for me, but I thought I’d try. Love you lots."

As much as I wanted to help her financially, I knew I did not have the funds.
She thanked me for even considering helping.
Time passed on, as it does.
I sent her some photos of Tony from our visits and she again responded.
She also let me know that they had not yet been able to get the taxi repaired. Could I perchance speak to her Dad and to Smitty about the money they still needed?
I assured her I would.
I spoke with them last Sunday, when Tony was on a nine-hour pass at my house. Smitty had dropped in to get the saw he had loaned me for the yard work.
I was shocked by their response to her request.
Tony told me he was not allowed to have that much money. I reminded him that the CTC would allow him to send $250 to anyone, once per month. That sum is exactly the amount she needs. No, he told me, he would not help her.
I am so disappointed in his response. He's been working for three months and keeps talking about how much money he's making... but he is not willing to spend any of it.
Sigh.
Smitty followed suit, not surprisingly.
I suppose he figured that if Tony was unwilling to help, then why should he?
Sigh.

When I wrote to her the next day, I had made a decision.
"Dear Hope,
I spoke to your Dad and Uncle Smitty yesterday about your situation. Sadly, they are not willing to send any money. However, they very much enjoyed your photos! I also let your Dad read the emails you've sent and he sends his love.
I have been taking care of a friend's cats and will be able to send the money he is paying me. Right now, I have $85 for you, but I expect him to pay me another $85 either later today or tomorrow. I will check with Western Union to see what the fee is for sending money.
Best wishes to y'all!
with my love"

I had wondered what to do with those cat-sitting funds.
i thank You, God, for the inspiration.
The upcoming International Women's Day was good timing, too.
How could I recycle the repaid Kiva-loan funds to a woman I didn't know and not send these cat-generated monies to my niece?
Exactly.

The funds have been sent to her, via Western Union, just a few minutes ago.
She will be able to have them in hand tomorrow.
I'm actually relieved to have been able to help her.
Again, i thank You, God.
I don't always understand why events unfold as they do...
but I am learning to trust that there is a silver lining.

from one woman to another

I've been waiting for this day!
Happy International
Women's Day, y'all!
To celebrate,
I clicked the link
over at Kiva.org.
Today, thanks to the generosity
of several corporate donors,
my funding will go twice as far!

There were so many women
awaiting loans to be funded!
How to choose which to help?
By location?
By type of work being done?
By amount of money needed for their dream?
I selected "by amount still needed"
and found this woman, whose dream needed
exactly the amount I could supply.

Tupu of Samoa will now have
her dream become reality, thanks to
the 28 people who believed in it.
Now, thanks to Tupu of Samoa,
those around her will also benefit
from her acquisition of the taro roots and
banana tubes for her farm.

I know Mama and Grandmama would approve.
i thank You, God, for the search that led me to this woman.

allegiance in LA!

Here's the latest news on the "Allegiance" musical!
It's certainly come a long way since this project began in 2014!

"Hello Friends,

Things are really getting exciting here in Los Angeles. As you may have heard, I’m reprising the role I played on Broadway in the Los Angeles premiere of Allegiance at the Aratani Theater in the heart of Little Tokyo. This production from East West Players and the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center brings a new artistic vision to the musical that was inspired by my own experiences in the internment camps as a child.

Performances of Allegiance start tonight and, with our current political climate, this show could not be more relevant. It is a powerful reminder of what dangers come when fear and prejudice override human compassion.

On a lighter note, this production brings Allegiance back to where it all began for me more than 75 years ago! Take a look at all of the buzz! You'll recognize some familiar faces on the ABC News clip and the LA Weekly cover story below. Give 'em a quick watch or read... and hopefully, I'll see YOU in Los Angeles.

Sincerely,

George Takei"

chicken dressing bobby bumps!

I am happy to report that the project to restore the Bobby Bumps video library is continuing to move along very nicely!
First, I was treated to the first video of the boy and his faithful companion - just in time for the Year of The Dog, too!
Then, last month, I was given another episode to view of this bumptious Bobby Bumps, in the times (early 1900's) that he was 'living'.
Now, I have a third - and in as many months!
Well done, Tommy Jose Stathos!

"February 2018 Update

Dear Backers,

Despite continued slow movement through my and some collaborators' workflow pipelines, I'm pleased to share some exciting new visuals in this month's update.

As with most of these restoration projects, some films occasionally have title cards that are very brief, damaged, and cannot be presented as-is. One such film in this project is Chicken Dressing, a later subject released in 1923 by Educational Pictures. It combines live action and animation. There are only two known prints, one of them being mine which was scanned for this project. Both the main and end titles on my print were heavily damaged and brief.

Artist and animator friend Maira Vergara has recently finished restorations of these titles, and I'd like to share the main title. Isn't it gorgeous?

Chicken Dressing is a truly bizarre film, with filmmaking/animation techniques that are on par with Max Fleischer's Out of the Inkwell films of the period, if not even more complex—so I'm sure you'll really enjoy seeing it.

One of the films in this project that is rather complicated is Bobby Bumps' Last Smoke (1919). Our main print has various splices in it, and my heavily water-damaged back-up print (these are both practically unique 28mm prints struck around 1920) contains some of the missing frames—but it's taking some very careful re-animation (taking needed picture elements, cleaning them up, and pasting over good background frames) to try and rescue some of this missing footage...in order to make it presentable for the restoration. Here's a scan of one of the missing sections, by photographer friend Louie Despres, showing the extent of damage in the back-up print:

Last Smoke may very well be one of the wildest and risque Bobby Bumps cartoons ever produced that survives today, at least from the Bray years...so I want to get the restoration of it as close to perfect as possible. Like Chicken Dressing, I'm sure all of you will really enjoy seeing this one once it's ready.

Finally, I'm happy to report that research and design collaborator David Gerstein will soon have more time to dedicate to his contributions on this project, as he wraps up a couple current book projects of his own. Just this past weekend, he was able to tackle one of the most stunning aspects of his part in this project: the packaging for the Blu-ray! Between Josh Latta's art and David's design work, it really looks like Master Bumps is finally getting his due...

My hope is that this project will be in the midst of authoring and replication by the time our next monthly update is due. Fingers crossed, and as always, thanks kindly for your continued patience...

Sincerely,
TJS
"

Still looking for the video link?
Here it is!
No, he didn't point me towards it this time, I found it on my own.
(smile)
Oh, that Bobby boy! And his little dog, too!
(smile)

speed bump for my invention

Exactly one month ago, I had submitted the initial paperwork to Montgomery Patent & Design to go forward with the application for the Utility Patent for my invention.
Then, I had received a letter that shook me deeply.
The US Trade & Patent Office required that Bob Montgomery, the man behind For Sale By Inventor as well as Montgomerty IP Associates, separate himself from my patent application.
Oh, no! What did that mean???
Did I need to start this process anew and with a stranger at the helm?
Gratefully, that was not the case.
His assistant, Aaron Cramer, would be forming Cramer Patent & Design and I would simply be transferred to him and his firm.
As Mr. Cramer has been the one I've been working with for much of this process, then I should see no changes in progress of my application.
A new letterhead would be the most marked difference in operation.
What a relief!
And progress marches onward!
I do hope students will soon be able to have this educational tool at hand!

breaking up is hard to do

... but sometimes that option is the best for all concerned.
When talking about sodium content in food, breaking up seems extra difficult.
Most flora naturally contain sodium. It is one of the key nutrients that plants obtain from the soil and liquid around them.
That means almost every fruit and vegetable consumed will contain sodium.
Every grain - including oats, wheat, rice, barley, corn - also contains sodium.
With all of this sodium naturally present, why add more to food?
Well, as many would say, it enhances the taste.
For hundreds of years, humanity has used sodium chloride as a seasoning agent.
In fact, Roman soldiers were once paid with salt, as it was so highly prized.
Back then, not only was salt used for flavor, but also for preservation of foods.
After all, the refrigerator had not yet been invented.
(smile)

The American Heart Association has a new initiative, #BreakUpWithSalt.
I urge you to take the Pledge to Reduce Sodium.
That is a first step toward better health for you and everyone who dines at your table.
Then, take action by contacting owners of fast-food franchises, owners of food processors, owners of restaurants - just by clicking right here.
The AHA has done all the heavy lifting, essentially adding a megaphone for your voice to be heard.
Believe me, when we speak together, even those high up the ladder hear us.
Here's the latest message from AHA on the progress:

"About this time last year, more than 1,000 of you took back control of your food and sent letters to the CEO of McDonald’s, calling for the company to prioritize healthier options. Today, McDonald's took a first step in answering your call for change. The fast food restaurant has announced a commitment to offering healthier kids’ meal options for millions of families across the globe.
This is a big step in the right direction, and it’s because customers like you have shown your support for healthier foods. When you consider that 220 million happy meals are sold each year in the US, taking steps to make them healthier is good for kids.
We know there is more work to do with McDonalds and look forward to continuing to work with them and other restaurants."

Bravo!
Yes, the company only committed to making a change for children's meals...
and that result was in direct response to the expressed request of a small portion of the population.
Just over one thousand voices raised in protest caused that change.
Amazing.

I urge you to take action now, let your voice be heard. We all need to have sodium reduced in our foods, not only for the sake of the children, but also for our sake.
Contact the restaurant association to decrease salt content in the food offered.
Contact Congress to keep information about sodium content on nutrition labels.
Contact the CEO's of popular fast-food companies to decrease salt content.
Be the Voice Of The Future, for yourself and those you love.
That will be a lasting gift on this Valentine's Day... and is completely free.
(smile)

space cats in space!

Let me make this clear right now: Oskar and Klaus are not in space...
but their book is!!!
Get this: "The Mission To Cataria" has been orbiting the Earth on the International Space Station for about a month now! So says their fearless chronicler of their adventures, Mick Szydlowski. The photo - and the news - are directly from his facebook page. How cool is that?!
That means the book will soon be read aloud by an astronaut!!!
I am so excited for him and for them and for children everywhere!
Stay tuned...
(smile)