Dear Piers...

Dear Piers,

I remember on a brisk summer night in Brooklyn, New York I was walking home all by myself after work and a few drinks. Wasn’t drunk by any means, but certainly felt a buzz. As I was walking up Cornelia street back home, I noticed two black men were trailing me. I sped up faster and I noticed their pace quickening, too. So I sped up even more hastily, and they, of course, followed suit. At that point, I knew I was in trouble.

You see, even in the darkest of situations, your intuition still goes off and rings an alarm in your mind telling you to get the hell out of where you are as fast as you can. It’s the fight or flight response - and, before, they even said anything to me - I was fighting and most certainly flighting. Then my fears quickly became realized as I heard one of them say to me, “Give me your money, miss, or I’ll shoot.”

He had the indecency to threaten my life, yet the manners to refer to me as “miss” ..? That’s something I’ll never understand or forget. Anyways, he had a gun in his pocket and held it out for a few fleeting seconds, though he didn’t hold it directly at me, I saw it. It was probably the scariest situation I’ve ever been in. 

So I quickly responded, “I don’t have any money on me I have to go back to my apartment and I’ll get it, I promise.” Which was, of course, a lie. I didn’t have any money on me nor did I have any in the apartment as I was completely broke during my year and a half long stay in New York - irrelevant, but worthy of noting as it shows the bout of trauma I was already facing, on top of this one. That said - no, I didn’t have any money for the drinks I had, they were purchased for me and I was pretty hot in the local restaurant scene in Williamsburg so the bartenders always hooked me up.

I digress...

And then he said, “Just give me your cell phone.”

I obliged, gave it to him, and the two men walked away and let me be while I sprinted home. The memory is a little fuzzy, as I try to block it out, but it was about 2 in the morning when all of that happened. About a few hours later, around 5 AM, I get a knock on my door and it was the NYPD - who, by the way, are some of the most beautiful angels!! I could not have been more grateful to them. They were so kind, supportive, knowledgeable, and sweet. And, of course, they did not arrive empty handed and had my cell phone on them!! How they retrieved it, found my apartment, and caught the guys who stole it from me is something that still remains a mystery to me, but it just goes to show their investigative prowess.

They requested that I come back to the police department to file a report and identify the guy who committed the deed, and I was definitely willing to do whatever they asked as they were so sweet. So - I went. I was there for hours waiting in an interrogation room. No, I was not interrogated, they just had nowhere else to put me. After a couple hours, they brought me to the line-up. It was exactly like you see in the movies!! I looked at all of the guys standing in front of the board that measured their height as I was standing behind one of those window-mirrors. You know, the ones where you can see through to the other side but those standing on the other side merely see a dark mirror. Well, I identified the right guy who stole my cell phone and that was that. I was summoned to court, and it was my choice whether I should put the guy in jail or not - I chose not to as I really didn’t want the karma of putting someone in the big house - which, now, I slightly regret, but hey.

The scariest parts of this entire ordeal were in those seconds that I was threatened with a gun and the moments after the fact in which I realized that I could have been mercilessly beat up or, worse, shot dead and even raped. 

And so this brings me to why I’m writing to you today. Was it my fault that any of this happened?? Not at all. I refuse to take the blame for this and I will most certainly not apologize for walking home. I refuse to apologize for my right to believe that walking home from the subway to my apartment is supposed to be a safe journey and I most certainly will not apologize for thinking that Brooklyn is a place free of depraved hearts for the most part - plenty of people walk home at night without getting threatened with a gun.

Just as none of this is my fault, it is not Kim Kardashian’s fault that armed men robbed her at gun point, bound and gagged her, and locked her in her bathroom while they stole millions of dollars worth of goods. Though my trauma pales in comparison, it is still trauma and the victim is never at fault.

To insinuate that it is Kim Kardashian’s fault for the nightmarish incident is like saying that women who get raped were wrong for going out to that party, they were wrong for dancing with their friends so as to become a target for a predator, and that they were wrong for dressing up or looking attractive. Just because Kim Kardashian is such a public figure and has chosen to propel her own empowering image through social media, which has inspired many like myself to be a smart and savvy business woman who stands up to prejudice and for people in the world, it does not make her a willing target for a crime such as this. And, yes, by saying that she needs to tone down her own self-promotion because it makes her a target for a gross crime is EXACTLY like saying it is a victim’s fault for getting raped, attacked, or even killed. Yes, advice to stay safe is always welcome and common sense measures are always worth taking to prevent such atrocious invasions of personal dignity, but like, you said, “It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, black or white, old or young” - they can happen to anyone. But what you’re saying to me, and to other women reading your views at least, in the rest of your open letter to Kim is that when a crime is committed against someone who is wealthy, beautiful, and has it all, it is still a crime, just less of one. You are saying that if it happens to someone who is less fortunate that it is a greater crime. You see, this is an argumentative fallacy as it falls under the realm of false equivalencies. But you’re right, it doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, black or white, old or young, these things could happen to anyone - but it doesn’t make it less of a crime when it happens to certain demographics and not to others, and good fortune most certainly doesn’t make it any more of a victim’s fault than if it were to happen to someone living below the poverty line. And, yes, by telling Kim to tone down her public image is insinuating that this is her fault.

Just as you are requesting Kim Kardashian to reevaluate her priorities in life, I request that you reevaluate yours and especially the messages you are sending to young girls.

Sincerely,

And with all due respect,

Eloise Banting

The Lesser of Two Evils: Why Is This a Toxic Game to Play??

So we’re at a point in the presidential race in which claims that it is SO historical because it is one in which we must decide between the lesser of two evils are running rampant. We must decide who is the worthier candidate solely based on which one possesses a lesser degree of immorality, fraud, and overall malevolence. Well, I think this is a really toxic way of looking at things. It insinuates that both Trump and Clinton are evil, and we must choose the candidate that is less likely to drop bombs on Syria - but still likely to. The candidate who is less likely to impede on women’s rights - but still likely to. The candidate who is less likely to dismantle and overthrow systematic healthcare, but still likely to.

No, no, and no.

I refuse to promote the argument that both are evil and we must choose the lesser villain. Yes, I formerly viewed both candidates as largely wicked,  but my disdain for Trump, no pun intended, TRUMPS everything. I refuse to view Hillary as the more mediocre candidate when she is our only hope at beating this dictator, this master-mind of manipulation, gender degradation, and corrupt business. This grossly infected specimen of a human being that is more sensitive to the words in a 140-character tweet than to the lives of the college-students he cheated at Trump University. She is not the lesser of two evils, because, simply put: Trump is the greatest evil of all and Hillary is a saint in comparison.

So - it’s down to you, dear voter - are you gonna remain independent or a non-voter, simultaneously removing your voice from a political debate that needs it, or are you gonna step up to the plate and say what needs to be said: We CANNOT give this election to Trump. We CANNOT endorse the notion that Hillary is the lesser of two evils if we are to see Trump’s political demise. And we CANNOT give a racist, xenophobic imbecile anymore of a platform to display his theatre, antics, and misogyny than we already have.

I will give my voice to this election. I’m not going to give a CELEBRITY a role he does not deserve or one he is not capable of fulfilling. And I most certainly will not endorse the notion that Hillary is comparable to an exponentially greater evil. Because I’m with what is right and I’m with what makes America GREAT already. So I’M WITH HER and will forever be. #Hillary2016

Native Americans: Why Do They Have The Highest Suicide Rates?

A recent study released in April 2016 has found that suicide rates have reached their highest levels in the United States in nearly 30 years, with sharp increases in nearly every age group besides those over the age of 75. While the statistics are striking and often times disturbing, what resonates with me the most is that Native Americans had the steepest rise of all ethnicities in the US, with an 89% increase in women and a 38% increase in men. Further, the study indicates that without the appropriate intervention and treatment, these numbers will continue to rise at a rate that we have never seen before. So - I think - a key to preventing any further catastrophic levels of suicide in the Native American community is through awareness and through acknowledging the plight and world of the Native American. We must understand that many reservations are plagued with poverty, unemployment, domestic violence, sexual assault, alcoholism, and drug addiction. These circumstances are absolutely dire and without the necessary aid, they will only get worse, especially for children. About 25% of Native American children live in poverty, contrasting greatly with the 13% in the United States. Additionally, they are 17% less likely to graduate compared to the national average, and their risk for substance abuse is also much higher. They are also twice as likely to die before the age of 24 and have a 2.3% higher risk of exposure to trauma. So, clearly, Native American youth are the most vulnerable to suicide and in need of the most preventative aid. We must find ways to help and relieve the Native American community of this statistic because when any ethnicity thrives in the United States, we all thrive. Conversely, when one of us suffers, we all suffer. Let's educate ourselves and stay in touch with what our fellow Native American brothers and sisters are going through.

Twin Flames: Have You Found Yours Yet??

Twin Flames

Look, I get it. People are skeptical of the notion that soulmates exist. And I understand why. How are we supposed to believe that we were predestined to meet the other half of our soul after generations of reincarnation and millenniums of paying karmic debts? Though I definitely understand the skepticism, I really don’t think I belong in the category of non-believers and doubters of such a cosmic union. Yes, it is a bit silly to believe that God or the Universe or whatever transcendent, all-knowing figure you believe in decided since lifetimes before we were born that we were meant to be with a specific person. Yes, it is easy to say that it’s not real, and, yes, it is easy to perceive the idea of soulmates as something only a frivolous mind would ponder. But, through all the doubt and the nay-say, I still believe in it. I also believe in Twin Flames.

So, what exactly is a soulmate and a twin flame??

A soulmate and a twin flame are, in fact, very similar entities. One can have several soul mates, but only one twin flame. So let me elaborate...

A soulmate stems from your soul family. It stems from an energy that brings people into your life who are meant to be there to heal your karmic wounds and load off your karmic baggage. A soulmate is not necessarily a romantic partner, and you can have several soulmates at one time!! Think of them as kindred spirits -- a sister, brother, mother, or even best friend fall into the category of potential soulmates. The media has really given the idea of the soulmate a bad name, and it’s really time we change it. Though a soulmate connection can be romantic, it is not limited to this type of bond.

Okay, now for twin flames. Twin flames are what we know as the general idea of ‘soulmates.’ Since ancient Greece, Twin Flames were said to have been created from one soul that has been split in half upon creation. One half is masculine and the other half feminine, destined to me during a particular lifetime. Though one half may remain in an ulterior realm with God, the other half may be dwelling on Earth -- they aren’t necessarily in the same place at the same time!! Sometimes it takes lifetimes to meet your twin flame and that’s perfectly okay!! A twin flame represents one half of your own, unique soul!! A twin flame is the quintessential soulmate!! Though you may have several soulmates, you can only have one twin flame, and that is real, true love.

So, have you met your twin flame yet?? If so, I’d love to hear about your connection!! Also, tell me a little bit about your soulmates and how they lift you up to all that you can be!! Don’t be shy and I hope that this little blurb was helpful in clarifying the difference between a soulmate and a twin flame!! Thanks for reading Xxx

P.S. I personally think I know who my twin flame is, but that’s a secret I’m not sharing til we’re married.. Shh!! :-)

Day 1: Wanna Join Me On My Britney Journey??

Anyone who knows me knows that I love and adore the performing arts. It is such a great outlet to play someone or be a different character and really tell a story. I've been so busy with work that I haven't been able to focus on my acting career - which is fine as I really LOVE my job!! That said, I need to bring the auditions to me and since I've accrued somewhat of an underground following, I'm going to use this platform to showcase my talents. My latest endeavor? The character of Britney Spears. I really wanna write a script in the same vein of Steve Jobs with three sequences before a big show or moment in her life. This isn't an exposee and I refuse to portray Britney in a way that she would be unhappy with. So I'm really gonna do my research and figure out what makes her tick, the language she utilizes to communicate backstage, and what she does when there is an obstacle to a show or performance. Today marks Day 1 of my Britney journey for a period of 15 weeks. I really wanna get in shape like her and become the character of Britney Spears. So play along and enjoy the ride! Feedback is always welcome.

My Favorite Natalie Wood Performances: Which are Your Favorite??

"Splendour in the Grass" by William Wordsworth

Though Natalie Wood's legacy remains marred in mystery due to the tragic boating accident that took her life on November 28, 1981, her filmography and acting performances set a clear and picturesque view of who she was as a performer and actress. Few can set a bar so high and achieve every expectation cast before them. Even fewer can say that they've starred in a movie with the one and only James Dean, and approximately none other than Natalie can say that they've accomplished the latter while achieving 3 academy award nominations before the age of 25 - besides Jennifer Lawrence, who has only achieved 4 but, of course, never nabbed an impossible role with Jimmy.

Yes, Natalie's reputation is one to be reckoned with, and her iconic stature is only cemented by the true resonance of each and every one of her roles. Whether she's playing a star crossed lover in "West Side Story" or a marginally pseudo swinger in "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice", she nails each position with a sly wit and nuanced realism that only someone with her distinct experience could pull off.  She definitely had a smooth presence, an often bubbly presence, in her work, thus remaining an engaging figure on and off the screen.

Natalie Wood was born Natalia Zacharenko in San Francisco, California on July 20, 1938 to Russian immigrant parents, both of whom were adamant Russian Orthodox Christians. Despite their conservatism, Natalie's mother was very encouraging of her acting pursuits, and often frequented the movies with her daughter to familiarize Natalie with the craft. With no professional training, just experience going to the movies and watching on-screen stars, Natalie skyrocketed to success in her first major role in "Tomorrow is Forever"at the age of 7. The sky was the limit thereafter, repeatedly nabbing roles in family movies like "Miracle on 34th Street"and "The Star", in which she plays Bette Davis' daughter.

Natalie was once quoted as saying "Today's films are so technological that an actor becomes starved for roles that deal with human relationships." This type of cautionary, minuscule angst is probably why almost all, if not all, of Natalie's performances are so layered -- she didn't want to play one-dimensional figures and your hard pressed to find one in her filmography. So, after hours of study, I have finally compiled a list of her best performances. I didn't rank them, I merely placed them in the order of their respective movie's release date. So, here they are...

"Tomorrow is Forever" (1946)

Natalie's Role: Margaret Ludwig

This film saw Natalie's first credited role as Margaret Ludwig. She plays a young girl who is the adopted daughter of Erik (Orson Welles), formerly known as John in his life before World War I, in which he is enlisted for battle. He was believed dead by his wife Elizabeth (Claudette Cobert), but returns 20 years later under his ulterior identity. He then meets Elizabeth upon his return, discovering that he has a son. The film grapples with the mental toll over whether Erik should reveal his true identity, or keep his identity post-war a secret.

And back to Natalie.

Natalie was only 7 years old when she received the role as a war orphan, and, boy, did this require some range. About an hour into the film in a particularly haunting scene, she displays the psyche of a child who has suffered severe post traumatic stress after the murder of her parents by nazis. Additionally, she was able to flee Nazi-occupied Austria by pretending to be the daughter of John, or Erik as he is dubbed at this point and the latter half of the film. Anyway, in this specific scene, Elizabeth is reminded of the gun warfare in the Austrian home from which she was adopted after a toy snapper goes off. These types of scenes can be incredibly tricky, and, in the wrong hands, can come across as a little manipulative and phony. But, in this circumstance, Natalie pulls it off with an emotional knowledge not understood by most little girls. It is very striking to witness and, for me, is one of the most powerful beats of the film. Yes, there is screaming. Yes, there is crying. But Natalie's ability to smoothly access these feelings of intensity is incredible and a major feat for a young 7 year old girl. At one point Erik reminds her that she mustn't forget about her real father and what happened in Austria, to which she responds with a breath so nuanced and in tune with the gravity of the exchange declaring, "I never do forget."

Even more chilling are the moments at the end of the scene through an apology for her reactionary behavior to the snapper, coolly stating with a smile, 

"I'm very sorry I made a disturbance. I apologize"

"Miracle on 34th Street" (1947)

Natalie's Role: Susan Walker

Alright, so. Long story short this movie is about Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) who plays Santa Claus at the annual Macy's Day Thanksgiving Parade after the original 'Santa' is deemed too intoxicated to work. Kringle's true identity is up for debate throughout the feature, and is discovered, in the end, that he actually-could-quite-possibly-be the real Santa. Natalie Wood plays a young second-grader, Susan. In this particular film, it is not necessarily the believability of her performance that strikes me, it is in her ability to make us believe. To believe in things real and not-so-real, really giving a new definition to reality and the notions of the plausibility of mythical-like entities.  So, is Santa real?? It's not even a question when it comes to Natalie's performance - one that makes us believe that all things are possible.

Watch how she makes us believe here:

"Rebel Without a Cause" (1955)

Natalie's Role: Judy

Alright anyone who's anyone has heard of or at least seen "Rebel Without a Cause". The film is about a young delinquent Jim Stark (James Dean) and his relationships with fellow troublemakers Plato (Sal Mineo) and Judy (Natalie Wood). Wood's portrayal of Judy is sassy, refined, and totally unique. In a weird way, we all, for a moment, want to be the object of Stark's affections and Natalie Wood gracefully gives us that opportunity. It is certainly one of her finer roles, and one that she was lucky enough to nab before the tragic death of Dean.

"Splendor in the Grass" (1961)

Natalie's Role: Wilma Dean "Deanie" Loomis

There are few cinematic moments that can top the "I'm not spoiled!" scene in "Splendor in the Grass". It is really some of Natalie's finest acting in which she plays Wilma Dean "Deanie" Loomis. I'd love to get into the nitty gritty details of the film, but that can be pretty boring. But, basically, it's about Deanie's relationship with Bud Stamper (Warren Beatty) and the dynamics between his willingness to have sex and her, well, defiance of it. Themes of sexual repression swallow the film whole, and it's like watching the most magnificent, beautiful trainwreck. 

Watch the "I'm not spoiled!" scene here: 

Abbas Kiarostami (1940 - 2016)

I don’t know how many of you are aware, but Japan is historically known for its incredible performing arts scene. From cinema to acting, Japan excels in the realm of the performing arts and its relative arenas. Its prevalent themes of inferiority v. superiority, man v. man, and man v. nature, for example, are incredibly fascinating to watch, especially on the big screen. What’s more fascinating is when a filmmaker from a completely different world attempts to grapple with these ideas and the tenants of Japanese cinema in his or her own work. Not only is this a challenge, it is an undertaking only a master would combat. That’s why when you get an Iranian filmmaker in the form of Abbas Kiarostami, who has performed the task of creating a work of Japanese cinema in Like Someone in Love, you know the news of his death is gonna hit the cinematic community hard.

Abbas Kiarostami was an Iranian filmmaker who was adamant in his refusal to leave Iran when many intellectuals were fleeing due to violence and war. His argument was that he needed to stay as an artistic voice that was hard to find in such stages of turmoil in his country. And, thank God he did, because we wouldn’t have such beautiful pieces of work from him. Additionally, that’s why his work Like Someone in Love remains so fascinating. It is an Iranian piece of work set in Japan, and spoken in Japanese, from, of course, an Iranian filmmaker. Not only did Kiarostami have the task of making this film in Japanese, he had the task of making this film in cinematic Japanese -- two very different things.

Let’s hope the world remembers Abbas Kiarostami for who he was, a genius with a talent so rare and effervescent, that he could transcend the barrier of language with his knowledge of the universal language of cinema. He was able to create a Japanese work as an Iranian - and that takes a deep understanding of what unites us all in cinema. A truly deep understanding.

"Dead in the Water" by Eloise Banting

Natalie Wood

I called for help, 

But nobody heard,

I called for freedom,

There was no word.

Forgiveness I sought - 

For what I didn’t commit.

It was, I thought - 

A crime of such wit.

For if it were,

I’d have earned this punishment!

For if it were,

I’d have earned this abasement!

But she committed no crime,

And she committed no murder.

For such undeserving time,

And nobody heard her!!

For she cried all night,

So loud and clear -

She couldn’t win the fight -

And nobody was near!

She was pushed down a hole,

So deep and wide,

She fell down so hard,

And was buried alive!

No coffin for her,

No ceremonial death.

Like a Vestal Virgin,

And everyone left.

So dumb, so foolish!

Everyone thought of her -

She is not dumb nor foolish,

Simply dead in the water.

Summer Reading: What Are You Reading This July??

 Talk about the laziest Sunday ever. I woke up at noon, sprawled into my cozy little reading corner in my room and opened up a few books (I have a very nasty habit of reading more than one book at a time...), ate some shrimp, and listened to some hyper chill music. Oh yea, I also watched the Poverty, Inc. documentary in bed -- quite an eye-opening piece about the evils of what we have come to know as the poverty industry. To be a bit more specific it’s basically about the detriments of so much foreign aid pouring into localized, third-world communities. Very interesting and I highly recommend!!

Anyway, I wanted this post to be about the books I’ve chosen to read on this lazy little Sunday and why I hope that people will join me in these works’ discussion and analysis!!

Maybe I’m starting a book club..?? Not so sure, but I love to evoke quality, collective discussion and talking about these books is the perfect way!! So, here they are... 

1. White Trash by Nancy Isenberg

This book is about the history of white poverty in America. Initially, I was hesitant to even open this book as I thought it was some type of white propaganda-y piece concocted in the name of caucasian pride. Well, after reading the first few chapters, it is anything but!! Rather than praising or glorifying whiteness, it reiterates the angst within the poor white community in the United States. With incredible research and references, the book is not only insightful, it is informative, brilliant, and well-written. It exquisitely dissects the hierarchy of class within America, explaining everything from a modern and historical context. It dispels every myth about poverty in the United States and White Trash is definitely worth your time, money, and attention!

2.Your Beauty Mark by Dita Von Teese

Now, you wanna know how to become a sex-symbol?? This book has it all, from what to wear on sexy nights out to what perfume scent you should rock on your nights in. It includes exercise, wellness, and diet tips as well as advice on the perfect placement of a beauty mark you’d pencil-in with eyeliner. Referencing starlets from Hollywood’s Golden Age and citing her own influences and creative inspirations, Dita Von Teese wins in this glorious machination of glamour, poise, and erotica.

3. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich

Now this book hit shelves circa 2001, and it’s quite old, but it still holds relevance today in the quest to end poverty. It details the journalistic endeavor of Barbara Ehrenreich when she poses as a woman living in poverty in the United States. Yes, she goes undercover as a lady living just slightly below the poverty line and recants experiences of survivorship, feelings of worthlessness, and overall despondency. As someone who has had a year-long encounter with poverty, I definitely view this work as a breath of fresh air. She definitely feels the sting of being poor, and recognizes that it is almost an impossibility to lift one’s self out of such a circumstance of destitution once you’ve fallen in. Definitely recommend!!

Poverty: Wanna Know What It's Like?

The first time I ever experienced any semblance of poverty was during my brief residency in New York from 2014-2015. I had never known what it was like to ‘not have money’, and, coming from Northern Virginia, I was consistently surrounded by wealth.  Well, upon arrival in New York, everything started spiraling downward. I noticed the funds in my bank account were depleting, and became desperate for any sort of employment. However, to get to work, or even get to job interviews, required money that I simply didn’t have. I started seeking work that didn’t require any type of transit, but those are few and far between. And, without money, I was unable to afford the basic essentials for life, including food, clothing, and even tampons. It becomes difficult to involve yourself in mainstream society without these necessities, as I quickly learned.

Well, fortunately, for me, after giving it a year in New York, my family came to the rescue and lifted me out of my incredible destitution. For many, however, that type of safety net is non-existent. They have no family or funding to fall back on. Additionally, the psychological toll of having no money is disastrous. I remember having zero willpower or strength to string a simple sentence together whenever I attempted to put a pen to paper or type up any sort of think piece. I became immobile -- mentally, emotionally, physically, psychologically, and intellectually. I was so focused on survival that I felt devoting my attentions to any endeavor that I so enjoyed was a waste of my time and, not only that, an impossibility. You see, when you have $15 a week to live on in New York City throughout the majority of the year, it becomes sort of impossible to do anything. To top it off, I went to New York to act, on of my truest passions, and I was beyond devastated that I couldn't pursue this because of my limited means. I felt worthless, confused, idle, and desperate. I became suicidal. I had never experienced such an intense level of depression - I felt as though the world was indifferent to me, so I became indifferent to it. Why weren't people who I felt that I contributed so much time and effort to helping me?? Why wasn't the world hearing my cries? My desperate cries for help?? I became virtually un-hirable, un-socialable, and un-livable. Life was not beautiful for me anymore.

But, through all of this, I couldn't help but notice that it was not just me living this way, I was surrounded by so many living this existence. I guess once you start to live a certain way, you notice who else is living that way too, and much, much more. I had never been so in tune to other's suffering in my entire life. I wondered to myself, why weren't the gentrifiers doing anything to help those around them?? Well, it's because the majority of them weren't living in poverty themselves and, like I said, people see what they are. They didn't see poverty because they couldn't. They weren't living a life in the worry that they didn't have enough money for the Subway, that they wouldn't have enough food to eat that night, day, even week. They didn't know what it was like to not be able to afford something as simple as tampons. And now I can't continue this piece because I'm in tears. True tears. Hope this was the tiniest bit educational.

Inner Beauty: What Are Your Standards?

When I was in New York, I was constantly judged by my looks. Some would say I wasn’t as attractive as they thought I would be, some would make snide comments regarding my appearance while I would stroll around in sweats in the uptown Williamsburg, and some of my ‘peers’ took to social media making claims, without saying my name but markedly directing their frustrations towards me, about seeing my rough outer appearance and their disdain over my own disregard for how I looked. But through it all? I never really cared.

I was always taught to never judge a book by its cover. Naively, I thought everyone shared that same awareness. I do not judge people by how they look, what they wear, their outer beauty, their aesthetic misfortune, for that matter, their artistic proclivities, the superficial, and by standards that don’t really matter. Since I carry this decency with me everywhere I go, I thought others innately did as well.

Well, boy, was I wrong. And I’ve always had some sort of fashion sense. I love fashion and just because I didn’t take pride in the way I looked on an off-day doesn’t make me completely aesthetically inept. Could I have made more of an effort? Sure. But I didn’t expect the backlash that I experienced from critics and various social media peers alike.

So I’m going to reiterate a sentiment that we learned in kindergarten but, clearly, sometimes forget: it doesn’t matter what people look like. The type of clothes someone wears, one’s sexual orientation, one's gender are also of little importance when it comes to judging a friend. How would you judge a friend? Surely, by standards worth judging someone on, like their character, where they stand when it comes to gender equality, and their own progressive initiatives, for example.

I have never felt the sting of being so judged by how I looked until I lived in New York. What an experience that was for me. I know now that I will never afford that type of judgement on someone else. Their truth lies on the inside, not on the clothes they wear or their harmless external interests. 

My Personal Giving Mission Statement

Giving back to a community in need, volunteering my time to various social or humanitarian causes, and using my platform, however minimal, to raise awareness for a particular issue or charity are more rewarding for me than any other personally or politically self-revolved endeavor. I pledge to give my time, talent, and voice to charitable organizations that remain within the scope of what I aim to provide at any given time. The charities I endorse will be compatible with these provisions, and I will volunteer my platform on social media and in reality to such causes accordingly.

Treat the Text Like Poetry: How Would You Work a Monologue??

Okay, so I just wanted to share a little slice of work with you. Whenever I approach a monologue or piece of text that I plan to perform, I divide the work into artistic beats. This really allows me to create an honest delivery and a literary aura of contextual realism. So - what I normally do is the following: divide the monologue into beats that I type up, print out the piece of paper, and handwrite the various objectives, relative personal experiences, and other artistic mechanisms to create an honest portrayal of the work. The following is Portia's famous monologue in THE MERCHANT OF VENICE and I love it. All I did so far was divide the piece into beats - I would normally incorporate the necessary work for it, but, as I'm not getting paid, I don't wanna give away all of my secrets, now do I??!

I pray you, tarry: 

pause a day or two

Before you hazard; 

for, in choosing wrong,

I lose your company: therefore forbear awhile.

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There's something tells me, 

but it is not love,

I would not lose you; and you know yourself,

Hate counsels not in such a quality.

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But lest you should not understand me well,--

And yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought,--

I would detain you here some month or two

Before you venture for me. 

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I could teach you

How to choose right, 

but I am then forsworn;

So will I never be: 

so may you miss me; 

But if you do, you'll make me wish a sin,

That I had been forsworn. 

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Beshrew your eyes,

They have o'erlook'd me and divided me;

One half of me is yours, 

the other half yours,

Mine own, I would say; 

but if mine, then yours, 

And so all yours. 

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O, these naughty times

Put bars between the owners and their rights!

And so, though yours, not yours. 

Prove it so,

Let fortune go to hell for it, 

not I.

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I speak too long; 

but 'tis to peize the time,

To eke it and to draw it out in length,

To stay you from election. 

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"Creep"

Miss Creole Prior

Day 1

I hate small spaces, which is odd. My people love small spaces. But the feeling of being so trapped by a mass of conglomerated molecules sucking you in, as only gravity can, will fully consume you, devour you whole and betray each breath you wanna breathe by taking ‘em all away. This misfortune has plagued me my entire life despite finding myself in narrow walkways, oak cupboards, the dreaded vet crate, etc. The list goes on. But tonight, the world is my oyster - no closed space for me, in any shape or form! So I leap through the cat door in my old Brooklyn home to enjoy the wonders of the city! And, speaking of oysters, hoping to find a few behind Extra Fancy on Driggs, I begin my night. The manager always gives me leftovers as long as I stay quiet about Mr. GoldBanks and his new mistress. They’re their together every friday and considering he’s still married with children, any word that got out about them  would be one of the greatest scandals since Shadow had her thirteen kittens without knowing the babies-daddy... But that’s another story.

So I had to go to my usual spot at Fancy’s, in the back - sometimes he’ll have food laid out for me, but... not tonight. I peeped through the window and he was still there. He must have had a rough day and I didn’t really wanna bother him. So I crept over to the other window to see my favorite illicit couple, the mistress was always so nice to me. They saw me through the window and smiled, and the mistress insisted that I sit with them for dinner. I couldn’t resist her bidding, so I decided to enjoy the night with them and try and understand their silly little language, full of elongated verbs, nouns, and drunkenly slurred speech. She seemed really sad. So I sat on her lap to make her feel a little bit better purring to push the pain away.

“I can’t do this anymore,” she said.

“Why not?” He asked.

“You’re married with children, and... I’m pregnant.”

Day 2

After the long night of tears and eruptive discussion, I took back home and slept in my wonderful temper pedic for kitties mat! How I love that mat so!! In case you didn’t catch it, my name is Creep, its short for Creole Prior, so I just go by Creep. At any rate, today’s the day I do nothing but wander in and out of the cat flap and do pretty much whatever I want. I’m supposed to meet Shadow for a stroll in the park, but she has a hair appointment and can only go after dark, which I don’t mind. I have built in night vision, so I can see clear as a day.

Well, it’s time for our walk and it keeps getting darker and darker and we hear shots. We notice a young girl, likely heading to her apartment, wallet in hand, and we approach her to speed up her case. The opposite happened and she just wanted to play. No - we were telling her the best thing we could do is walk faster so we started running. She didn’t really get the hint. 

A man came up to her from behind and said “Hand me your wallet miss or I’ll shoot.”

She stood frozen.

And said, “My money’s in my apartment, can I go back and get it?”

He said “No, give me your cell phone.”

The young girl obliged and persuasively begged to go back to her apartment for the money and he permitted.

She got the wallet back in hand but they still had her cell phone!! 

Well, knowing how the NYPD works she probably got it back in no time

(Which she did because it happened to this writer, with those two cats. I believe they were trying to tell me something...)

Day 4

It is in a cat’s inherent nature to creep. They don’t aimlessly wander, unless there’s a specific circumstance in which they are obliged to. Their movements are controlled, motivated, creeps. A creep is a move with intent, with structure, with divinity. It transcends the blocked spaces we so often find ourselves surrounded by, fostering a stream of movement between these formations and rustic developments. There is such an art to it, an art that often goes unrecognized. The term creepy has long since held a negative connotation, but we, in the feline community, have viewed it as a golden term that touches God. To be creepy means to be pure, true, and flexible. And flexible in all its spheres, including within the social, cultural, and physical realms. To use the word creepy to describe a figure who is moderately insidious is a disgrace to its true, Universal name.

Well, tonight, Mistress invited me to a fashion show. They were allowed to bring pets, how could I pass that up?! So we got there and I sat in her lap purring at all of the bright lights and beautiful people. We were watching for what felt like hours and then the grand finale finally hit us, my favorite part. As we watched, all of the models were in perfect formation, besides Kaylee Klass, who tripped because she was too above the notion of creeping. Creeping the way that we do so we always land on our feet, to cut the appropriate corners to remain on our path.

And I always land on my feet.

Thank God the pregnant woman was the designer of the show because she found me with my owner and declared,

“I love the way you creep.”

Always landing on my feet.

Express Yourself: Why Is It So Difficult Sometimes??

The way I feel sometimes cannot be captured through an essay - through a linkage of words that surround a thought or sequence of daydreams. Yet I still find myself hanging onto a quotation I find online, in a romantic book, or favorite motion picture. (I would list all of them but that would take up pages of blog space and neuro-links in your mind). At any rate, sometimes I need a little help expressing myself, and I would love to do it all on my own - with my own language, with my own writing, and with my own thoughts. I often have a terribly difficult time unmasking my own mind to the world, so I cover up this sense of minuscule insecurity through someone else’s words in someone else’s article in someone else’s, as I said, linkage of words. For example, instead of sharing my own writing - like I am now - I’ll find an article that perfectly says what I want to say. But why can’t I do it myself?? I have no particular disability, besides fear, and I have a brain on me that many would be grateful to have - but why am I so fearful of using it and displaying my mind the way it should be displayed?

Why can’t I express myself without the validation of an article or silly little quote?

So, as I’m trying to keep this short and sweet like all of my posts, I would like to ask my readers what they do to allow themselves to become fearless writers and artists. Do you have any techniques or tricks that allow you to express yourself the way the Universe intended you to express yourself without relying on a quote that you didn’t even come up with?? I’d love to hear your thoughts. 

UN Requests $861 Million for Iraq

Due to plunging oil prices, Baghdad cannot afford to meet the rising humanitarian demands of the crisis in Iraq. The Baghdad government’s $1.56 billion plan can only be met by less than half, so the U.N. is stepping in requesting that $861 million be provided to Iraq’s growing, critical needs.

The United Nations predicts that a large number of Iraqi residents will flee Mosul this year when Iraqi forces reclaim the northern city from Islamic State, adding to Iraq’s continuously increasing number of refugees and internally displaced persons. Approximately 10 million civilians need immediate assistance, and a third of this population have been displaced due to the ongoing conflict with Islamic State. Children mark 50% of this number.

In 2015, the Iraqi government provided approximately $850 million of aid to alleviate the growing humanitarian crisis, but only 60% of this monetary provision was effective. The fact that Islamic State has seized oil sites doesn’t help either, earning up to $1 million a day selling oil on the black market. 

Over 45 People Killed Near Damascus as Peace Talks Commence

Approximately 45 people were killed and 110 wounded during a triple bomb blast near the Sayyida Zeinab shrine on Sunday near Damascus in Syria. This occurred just as the peace talks between the UN and main opposition group, the High Negotiations Committee, commenced. 

The High Negotiations Committee is backed by Saudi Arabia, and the group initially refused to attend the peace talks unless their humanitarian demands for Syria were met by the UN. 

The head of the Syrian government delegation said that the bombings cement the supposed link between opposition groups and terrorist groups. Despite the fact that Islamic State is not invited to the peace talks, there is a reason to remain cautious about announcing the presence of opposition groups in these talks as it may provoke further terrorist action.

The High Negotiations Committee’s threat to boycott the peace negotiations was later overturned by increasing pressure from international governments and most notably the United States. 

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said of the talks, "I urge all parties to put the people of Syria at the heart of their discussions, and above partisan interests.”

Gregory H. Stanton's "The 8 Stages of Genocide"

Today, we mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as appointed by the United Nations and its scribed tenets. On January 27, 1945, Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated, the largest extermination camp where over one million people were murdered. This day is a commemoration of  that liberation as well as the lives that were so undeservedly taken and devastated under the Nazi regime. This tragedy has affected generations and generations of people, and the patterns and political formulas by which this humanitarian catastrophe arose can be seen in other genocidal disasters. Look at Rwanda, for a recent example, it began with oppression, hatred, and the subordination of one group of people by another. There is a distinct sequence of events that occurs when any such tragedy materializes, and it is a series of developments that we must all remain aware of to prevent, and ultimately stop, a genocide from unfolding in our midst. In Gregory H. Stanton's "The 8 Stages of Genocide," genocide is defined, categorized, and identified with a subsequent outline of preventative measures against such atrocities. I am choosing to write about these stages today, not only to memorialize each and every victim of genocide, but to inform some of my readers of crucial knowledge that should be as natural to them as the Bill of Rights. So here it is...

According to Stanton, the eight stages of genocide include classification, symbolization, dehumanization, organization, polarization, preparation, extermination, and denial.

But first, he incorporates the definition of genocide as specified by the International Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide declaring:

"In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: 

(a) Killing members of the group; 

(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; 

(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; 

(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; 

(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."

According to the Convention, the following acts are punishable:

"(a) Genocide; (b) Conspiracy to commit genocide; (c) Direct and public incitement to commit genocide; (d) Attempt to commit genocide; (e) Complicity in genocide." 

Additionally, there must be intent, which is proven by the perpetrators' consistent acts, statements, and patterns of behavior against their victims. Intent is not the same as one's motives, differentiated solely by the specific purpose pertinent to intent. Did the perpetrator commit an act of murder, for example, to achieve the over-arching objective of wiping out a specific ethnicity or race? If so, the perpetrator's specific purpose shows pure genocidal intent. A motive does not necessarily denote genocidal intent.

Now that I've informed everyone about the definition of genocide and genocidal specification as proposed by Stanton, I will get into the meat of my post, his eight stages:

Classification

This is the notion that all other cultures or groups of people require a specific type of classification. They are identified through various categories differentiating one group into an 'us' and another group into a 'them.' In the early stages of genocide and within its later periods, classification is clear among these particular groups of people, through its inherent characteristic of distinguishing one another by race, religion, or ethnic background. 

Prevention of Classification

Actively campaigning against racial or ethnic classifications is the best way to prevent the occurrence of this type of genocidal classification. Additionally, refraining from feeding into the stereotypes often associated with various groups of people and devaluing their stereotypical features is another means through which classification is avoided.

Symbolization

Symbolization directly correlates with classification, as genocidal entities use symbolization to signify those they classify. In the later stages of genocide, the oppressive group of people will likely force their 'subordinates' into wearing a distinct material of identification, or a symbol to distinguish themselves from their respective oppressors.

Prevention of Symbolization

This is prevented by sternly refuting the use of degrading verbiage against a group of people or by rejecting any type of symbolization or distinct figure that signifies any group of people, ethnicity, or race that we might classify.

Dehumanization

Dehumanization occurs when the oppressive genocidal entity ascribes inhuman, sometimes animalistic traits to their supposed inferiors to justify their poor and horrific treatment. In various pieces of propaganda, the suppressed party is usually described with such terms comparing them to vermin or other undesirable, subhuman characterizations.

Prevention of Dehumanization

In order to prevent dehumanization, evil propaganda must be banned, openly rejected, opposed, and outlawed. Failure to prevent dehumanization of any kind ultimately breeds impunity, and any such atrocious oppressor must be stopped immediately.

Organization

Whenever there is genocide, there is always organization behind it. There is planning, there is deliberation, and there is intent. Whether it is a political body or a terrorist group, they discuss and ultimately organize the genocide, deciding when, how, and even where their intended victims will be taken.

Prevention of Organization

Any type of organization that commits an act of genocide, or holds an intent to commit an act of genocide, should be banned and stopped immediately. Additionally, membership to any such organization should be deemed criminal. It is the responsibility of the UN and true democratic governments to ensure that these organizations are obliterated and denied any type of commencement.

Polarization

Polarization occurs when any type of negotiations within a government or political body to end the genocide becomes impossible. The moderate speakers of these governments are often killed first, leaving only the voices of the extremist parties to dominate, with little to no outside intervention.

Prevention of Polarization

Polarization can be prevented by providing the necessary aid to the moderate political voices within these genocidal governments and entities, while weakening the resources of their politically respective, radical extremist parties.

Preparation

Preparation for any genocide includes identification. Yes, the victims must identify themselves, often mandated by the genocidal government to quicken the extermination process. Whether by ID papers, by forced exclusion into a ghetto, or even by the forced placement into a concentration camp, the victimized party is identified by their ethnic or religious group to ultimately accelerate the 'ethnic cleansing' that is being prepared by the authoritarian body.

Prevention of Preparation

Whenever or wherever identification occurs during the preparation stage, a Genocide Watch should be mandated and the international community must place pressure on their diplomatic leaders to address the circumstance. Those who have been 'identified' must be given the appropriate relief and assistance when fleeing their persecutors.

Extermination

Extermination is the seventh stage of genocide, and it includes the mass deaths of the victimized population. These populations are considered 'inhuman' and are not provided adequate burial proceedings, dignity, and/or humanity during this stage.

Prevention of Extermination

Armed intervention is the only force that can stop and/or prevent the extermination stage. Areas of safety should be established and protected by an armed force, promoting the welfare and security of the victimized party.

Denial

Denial is the final stage of genocide. It is the stage in which the perpetrators refuse to speak the truth of the genocide, denying that they did anything beyond the scope of their duties or that they committed any wrongful acts. For example, some will often try to burn down the mass graves in which a number of bodies were discarded to disguise the indignity of the victimized party's deaths. There are many actions the perpetrators will take to refrain from taking accountability for their crimes against humanity, and they do so through denial.

Prevention of Denial

Education is the strongest preventative measure against the denial phase, in addition to public trials and lengthy court proceedings. Education reigns supreme because it is the most essential when ameliorating the damage done to the youth of the nation by the influence of its perpetrating party. The psychological effects of conforming to a genocidal regime are long lasting, and the younger generations must suffer the subsequent backlash. In a sense, they must rewire their brains against the evil propaganda and information they were fed under the authority of the oppressive entity, and must do so as soon as the phase of denial prevention begins. 

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