CRC says...



LETTER FROM MR. SEBASTIAN TO MR. AARNE

Dear Doug,
I woke up this morning and was thinking about moments. I could see you
on the stage shaking each of the participants hands. I could see your
son, proud, watching his father. I could see my son and Christopher's
playing with a toy glow stick at the party after the ceremony. They
tumbled in the summer grass, laughing and giggling as people mingled and
talked about who should have won or lost. This morning I saw the glow
stick on the floor of our hotel room. It was a plastic tube now. I
looked out my window and saw you in the court yard writing. You were
wearing the hat you had on last night. I wondered what you were
writing. I thought, life is a silent movie, a series of moments strung
together. Thank you for the moments you've given me and all of us.
Thank you for reminding everyone how important they are. It's not one
movie you made. It never stops. Maybe silence never stops when you
take out the words and look for the moments. All best, Tom

CRC says...




Tennessee B-B-Q Grill

We finished shooting Mr. Aarne's "I AM" on Tuesday. We are now hard at work with the editing process. Mr. Aarne loves Chaplin's tramp. He loves that Chaplin went from silent to sound movies. With "I AM", we are going from sound to silent. I believe all films should work with the sound off. You should be able to follow the story through the shot progression. You should be able to hear the voices and sounds from the images. Just like great music makes you see images and dreams.


Artie the Hobo and CRC working on Mr. Aarne's "I AM".

Mr. Aarne & CRC working with the homeless boys.


Mr. Aarne & CRC leaving audblog after the 3rd day of shooting.

It was a very successful first day on all accounts. There's always chaos but Albuquerqeans and Los Angelenos manage to get it done. It's part of the process. As a mentor, I was thrilled with Doug Aarne's crew. Their enthusiasm, eagerness to learn, technical skill and respect for the process is making Mr. Aarne's dream come true. The man has a massive heart and Tom Sebastian and I are thrilled to be helping Mr. Aarne share his heart with the rest of humanity.


Deanna McDaniel and Jonas Hudson. Their smiles were infectious.


I really wanted to thank our soldiers. There's a similarity with a film crew. We weren't able to get a buglelist in time so my biker comrades Chickenbone and Mr. Slippery sang "Revelry" on a police car P.A. system. I thanked the ABQ police as well for protecting us during the creative process.


The 'I AM" crew thinking quickly so we could get the first shot. We had to make an impromptu bus stop sign. It worked great.


Mr. Doug Aarne as "Charlie" and Don the bus driver. Working people who understand what's really important in life.

CRC says...

Photos by Paulette DePascal

The 2005 Biker Bonanza was a blast. We will be joining forces with the Roswell July 4th motorcycle rally in 2006, so the Biker Bonanza will be even bigger and better in 2006 and every year after that. To the people of Albuquerque and Roswell, we at EarsXXI thank you for all of your enthusiasm and gracious hospitality. We are honored to be working with you to make New Mexico a vital leader in digital entertainment. The photos below are only a taste of the Bonanza taken by myself, BIC and ASC. You will also be able to download special shots from the very talented digital photographer John Maio at the Duke City Shootout web page.

PHOTOS BY CRC, BIC & ASC

CRC says...

You should have seen that old man. After the ceremony they asked him to pray, since he was the oldest there and a spiritual man. They fixed a "spirit plate," with a little pinch of everything they were having, and gave it to him. It was a long time before he said anything at all. All those assembled for the feast settled down to a few murmurs, then absolute silence. He was looking at the food, and there were tears in his eyes.

He appealed to the Creator and the Universe as a poor, humble, common man. He thanked everybody. He prayed for everybody. He remembered everybody. He thanked Grandmother Earth, and the Sky, and the Four Directions, and all the animals and plants and living things. He thanked the rain, and the Sun, and the wind. He thanked each of those plants and animals we were about to eat. He remembered everything. Everything.

The prayer grew long. People started looking up and glancing around. He prayed for the departed. He prayed for those in hospitals and jails. He prayed for the handicapped. He prayed for the homeless. He prayed for the hungry. He prayed for the leaders of the world.

He thanked the spirits, and the people who prepared the food, and all those people who helped bring the food to our table..."Thank you for everything. Tunkasila...Wo-pila...Mitakuye Oyasin."

Amen.

Everybody said "Aho" and started getting in the serving line. Elders first, then the kids. Someone would say later, "AAAAIIIEEE...Long one. I was hungry, man. I was waiting for him to WRAP IT UP!"

Next ceremony, they asked the same old man to pray.

From the book Keeping Heart on Pine Ridge: Family Ties, Warrior Culture, Commodity Foods, Rez Dogs and the Sacred by Vic Glover

THIS IS DEFINITELY MY KIND OF TOWN!

CRC says...



This quote below from the wise Shabaas helped to answer my question.

"There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present
moment. A man's whole life is a succession of moment after moment. If
one fully understands the present moment, there will be nothing else
to do and nothing else to pursue. Live being true to the single
purpose of the moment."
- From Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

I was stuck in traffic on my way to the Oakland Airport yesterday. I snapped some pictures. Notice anything?