this is… The Neighborhood
the Story within the Story
Our Day of Peace 2016
On August 6, celebrate PEACE all over the World (wide web). The Neighborhood @ thepublicblogger presents the 2nd Annual ‘Our Day of Peace’ On social media, in your blog – depict peace with a story, a picture, a song or let the peace sign stand alone.
Peace is the Moment – video
music by Jacoo of Tromso Norway
The Five Reasons Why: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper
One of the main task of theology
is to find words that do not divide but unite,
that do not create conflict but unity
that do not hurt but heal
– Henri Nouwen
Have you ever walked along the moonlit sand, under a star-filled sky and wondered, “What is the meaning of my life?” Have you ever given a moment your all, ran your fastest race, but still came in last? Have you ever thrown a penny in a well, blew out all the birthday candles on your cake, yet your wish failed to be filled? Have you ever fallen down and been unable to get back up? Have you ever thrown your hands up high and shouted toward the heavens, “I give up!” Have you ever faced humiliation or felt the world staring you down? If pain has ever pierced your heart, and made you feel alone. If emptiness has ever drowned you and sorrow has overwhelmed? Have you ever wondered how you made it through? While your inner strength and fortitude played a vital role, it was because you have a brother, a mother or a friend, who carried your burden, without complaint or expecting anything in return.
Unity by kalessaradan
The Five Reasons Why:
We Are Our Brother’s Keeper
by Kendall F. Person
5. Karma
From 2005 – 2009, a sitcom by the precarious title of My Name is Earl aired in original episodes. Earl was a bad guy, plain and simple. But with the exception of a few flashbacks, we never saw that side of him. When the series opened, he is hit by a car right after winning a $100,000 on a lottery ticket. His immediate change in fortune, did not simply force him to turn his life around, but he realized that for all the wrong he did, unless he made amends, karma was now out to get him. There exist a multitude of beliefs and thousands of religions. Each with their own interpretations and definitions of what is righteous and what is condemning. And while it is the differences that lead to fiery debates and full-scale war, all contain an element of karma, which plays a crucial role – what goes around comes around. So before we turn our backs on our brothers, watch an episode of Earl. Although it may be fiction, those who believe in its existence will tell you….karma is a bitch.
4. Wisdom
The only way to keep what we have is to give it away, is a quote said in unison at the beginning of every narcotics anonymous meeting. For those who have undergone traumatic experiences or have battled with addiction and have managed to overcome, part of the ongoing recovery process is the sharing of your experiences – both challenges and successes – with those less fortunate, still caught in the throes of a losing battle. There is wisdom in sharing, for as we teach, we also learn. And while many of us go through the phase – we think we know everything – it is not a place to dwell, for everyday there is something new to learn.
3. Community
In 1993, in the midwestern part of the USA, the rains would start falling and it appeared they would never stop. Unable to withstand the torrents, one by one, the levees would fail. The Missouri and the Mississippi Rivers would crest at record levels, roaring downstream with a force so destructive, entire towns would be wiped out, and the rains still would not stop. But watching the catastrophe unfold from the safety of the west coast, what I remember most was seeing the citizens of St. Louis ban together to fortify the trenches, working in unison at a feverish pace, stacking thousands of sandbags against the weakening levee, bracing for the river to crest. St. Louis was spared the disaster that had befallen others upstream, by watching over one another and working together, they had saved their fair city.
2.Loneliness
On December 13, 2003 a tyrant by the name of Saddam Hussein was captured in a hole. It was dark, empty and he was all alone. After years of feeding his own selfish ego, caring not for the welfare of his people, of which he was “elected” to serve . After failed invasions and the mass killing of the Kurds. After the plundering of his nation’s riches and isolating his country on the world stage, when his reign finally ended, he had distilled so little goodwill, that the only safe haven to be had, was a hole in the ground. Lending a helping hand to a person in need, creates an emotional investment, that may pay its dividends, simply in the comfort of knowing, someone cares about us and that we are not alone.
1. Empowerment
Becoming captain of our own ship and master of our own soul is paramount for growth. Growth exalts confidence. Confidence leads to self-empowerment and empowerment can lead to positive change. Once we are comfortable with ourselves, then even with our differences of opinion, status and color, we comprehend it is one nation that binds us together. And when our bond is understood, being our brother’s keeper, becomes more of a privilege and less of a burden.
Unity by kalessaradan
this is… The Neighborhood
SNAKE OIL: World’s Most Dangerous Drug
NOTE TO READERS, VISITORS, GUESTS AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARTISTS: SNAKE OIL represents the opinion of Kendall F. Person as thepublicblogger. It has no reflection on the ideas, opinions or political views of any artists, rather their work appears on a single post or they are an integral part of The Neighborhood Shows. Nor should it reflect on thepubiclogger.com as a whole, as our all-inclusive forum will never change. But there are hills in which we must be prepared to stand our ground.
Trying to convince someone, that they have been sold a vial of snake oil, is an exercise in futility – like putting the cart before the horse. Try as you may, it will go nowhere at all. The solution – although fraught with energy-zapping challenges, but with ends that justify the means – is to draw their attention away from what is being sold, and directly on the person selling the world’s most dangerous drug. And there is always an effect, when individuals or communities or countries either fall under the imagined spell of the rubbish inside the vial or allow it to go unchecked, until a collision course becomes imminent. The only unknown is the size and magnitude of the carnage.
Trump by Mark Draws
“The killer whose name I will not say, was born in Afghan, of Afghan parents, who immigrated to the United States.” – Donald Trump
Omar Mateen was many things. From a cold blooded murderer to a hate mongerer. But an Afghan he was not, rather a natural born American citizen. But the truth did not matter to Mr. Trump even as a Federal Investigation of our nation’s worse lone shooter massacre was underway. It did not matter to Mr. Trump, that Mateen’s own father had quickly made a statement, about probable cause of his son’s deadly eruption (pissed off after seeing two men kissing). The need to fully understand what happened, in order to prevent another tragedy like this one, did not matter to Mr. Trump. An entire nation had fallen into mourning – and the second statement the Presidential nominee made, was not of compassion and words of comfort, but a self congratulatory tweet – fitting the very definition of egomaniacal – that he was right about Muslims. If cake requires icing, as it turns out, there is so much more to the story, yet without stopping to pause or take inventory of the moment, he continues peddling his snake oil.
click image to enlarge
“The big decisions should be made by the people who won an election, whether the court agrees with them or not, as long as the justices don’t have to distort the law to do that.”
– U.S. Supreme Chief Justice John Roberts
Known as a conservative himself, Chief Justice Roberts could have been the rock star of the Republican Party, by overturning the Congressional passage of President Obama’s signature Affordable Healthcare Act. But he understands that country is bigger than any one person, so he thought through the repercussions, making his decision on what was best for his country. He has been my rock star ever since.
In contrast, at Mr. Trump’s conventions when things get out of order, he does not act with the poise and dignity of a leader of a nation whose beauty can be found in the diversity of its people. On the contrary, he revels in the power of the moment. Pitting American against American on an international stage. At a minimum – textbook divide and conquer. But do not allow arrogance to have you believe it only happens in other countries: as civil wars have been started over less.
He lies, he yells he insults with regularity, the same people he vies to lead. His uses a brash-billionaire-television-celebrity persona, to ramble-off “solutions” without offering a strategic plan. He has banned the Washington Post from insider coverage of his campaign – along with several other popular and respected media outlets. In Mr. Trump’s world, the hell with freedom of the press (see North Korea), yet he is running for President.
Magic Vial – Snake by Izile
He is a snake oil salesman. It is snake oil in that vial. And rather we look at Germany or Rwanda or Sudan or North Korea or Salem USA, it has been proven time and again, to be the world’s most dangerous drug. It is up to all of us to speak up, because God help our nation if the demagogue becomes President.
thepublicblogger
#8 Ned Hickson Proves 49 is The Sexiest NUMBER of Them All
Why do we teach or try to impress upon the young artist entering The Neighborhood for the first time, that “perfecting our craft is not enough, we must learn to master it?” The explanation is quite simple, comprehending what it means, is a challenge that few dare enter. Mastering our talent, rather God-given, acquired through dedicated work or both, allows us the freedom to try new things, to break what we believe are still the rules, and at last to use our imagination to evolve our art into something new. And art is music and writing and painting and dancing and composing and filming, among so many other things, so by mastering ours, we become more learned in the other genres of art, as the same relative dynamic applies.
NED HICKSON SWEEPS ALL FOUR SCORECARDS,
MAKES ROUTE OF ENTIRE FIELD OFFICIAL
click to enlarge
“Holy shniekies! If someone would have told me my first title in The Neighborhood would be for being sexy, I would have figured I was having an aneurism.” – #8 Ned Hickson
We are so accustomed to his polished style in delivering humor in everyday talk, we may not have taken his words to heart, during the Celebration held in his honor. Sexy was difficult for everyone. But for the entertainers in the show, many of which carry the bravado as a public persona, were simply wiped out by the weekly challenges of sexy (but in name only, more on that later). 
Diamond-covered Kryptonite is how the word sexy evolved on stage. Everyone wanted it, but thrusted upon them. The true mission of the NUMBERS show, became clear in THE FINALS, as it was never about sexy, but about being able to define ourselves as men, as entertainers, as artists and thinkers, whatever the word or situation we find ourselves in. But sexy – the word – could not be overcome, most evident during Poetry Night – the blockbuster round of the entire show. A gift of diamonds to the rappers, but received as kryptonite, destroying their confidence, as two including the headliner, did not take the stage, even as their fans looked on.
But Ned Hickson has mastered the art of humor – his craft – giving him the edge needed – as he was also uncomfortable throughout the 6 week engagement – but he rose to the occasion as he understood he was in a show and as a Performer, his job was to entertain them and deal with the uncomfortable of sexy, upon exiting the stage. 33 of the 35 balloted numbers allowed a word to defeat them in an arena, they believe seeks them. Lesson learned.
Runner up Thomas Lemke’s all-guts-no-glory performance of just he and the camera, was magnificent, but he was either humiliated or humbled in the public vote, as he too was overwhelmed by sexy, virtually telling no one, of his amazing performance. But no shame to the young Ace, for in the end, he was the only other Man whose nerve did not crack on center stage.
A fitting finale: veteran performer Ned Hickson’s swallowing of his young opponent, would serve as a teachable moment: the grasshopper was being schooled. Bravo.
A shout out to Lead Jude Kelly Lewis and her Panel, and to the Chairs Kendrick Merk Nichelson and Fran Daddy & his Inner Council for their controlled professionalism, artistic opinions, and elevating the show with respect and dedication.
A shout out to all of The Neighborhood Artists who came home for the Celebration. It was breathtaking and perhaps for the first time, it gave the public a pitch-perfect view of the depth of our collaborative of artists. 
But the night belonged to Ned Hickson, and the quiet victory seemed appropriate, as his dynamic win, eclipses defeat of old.
Who is The Sexiest Number? Now we all know… it is #8 Ned Hickson.
written & edited by performance writer Kendall F. Person
Who is The Sexiest Number was created & produced by Kendall F. Person, for The Neighborhood Shows at thepublicblogger.com and thepublicblogger Facebook Page
Short Film of the Month: SMILE by Karim Rejeb
Sometimes the imagination is all we need to produce a smile.
From December Producciones, here is Director Karim Rejeb with SMILE “Perfect Holiday”
Trending
Support The Neighborhood
You are appreciated. (big smile)
ABOUT ME
Kendall F. Person Answers Questions on Quora
this is... The Neighborhood 
You must be logged in to post a comment.