A Cherished One Moves On

On Wednesday Morning, October 1st, 2008, my Nephew, friend, confidant and watcher of my back moved on from this life. June 15, 1978 - October 1, 2008

Dustin Huard was (is) an amazing young man. From the time he was born, until the day before he moved on to another cosmic dimension, Dustin presented me daily with the gift of his presence and his love. When he was 4 I spent the summer living with his mom, my sister Liz, while I worked my first summer job, after my freshman year of college. This is where our  journey really began.

It was during this time that I introduced him to the outdoors. He paid me back by getting me to the top of Mount Whitney (the highest point  in the continenntal US). Dustin Loved to hike and explore the outdoors. After moving to Sedona, his love of the trek grew. He knew the trails and special places amoungst the red rocks, probably, better than anyone. Dusty (d-lite, d-dog, Dusty-d) had a deep connnection to nature. He also had a deep connection to his inner world. He meditated everyday, created guided meditations and loved to explore these realms too.

That’s what he truly was: an explorer, a seeker…

Dusty was… well Dusty. He was deep. He was also a lot of fun. He was goofy and quirky. He didn’t just wallk to the beat of his own drummer, he re-created this drummer moment by moment. At his cousin (my nephew) Dylan’s wedding reception, he got the party started. The classic moment… the band (DJ, whatever) starts playing the music and everyone just sits on their hands… We’ve all been there. Dusty would have none of it, so he got up solo and free danced around the whole room, followed by my niece Arianna, then by the whole lot of us. This is what he did. He inspired by action.

Here is a little about Dusty from his MySpace page:

I’m interested in nature, and dreams. I’m interested in discovering the elements of self within the alchemy of life. I’m interested in space portals, and time warps. I’m interested in dimensional overtones, and metaphysics. I’m interested in motion, and balance. I’m interested in pure harmony. I’m interested in channels of love (not television channels). I’m interested in mass production of creativity. I’m interested in my interests when what I find interesting is something that’s interesting. Hmmm.. That’s interesting… It’s funny when people do things.

When you met Dusty, you were touched. He looked in your eyes and gave you love. Simply put, you were never the same. It is impossible to feel that depth of connection and not be forever changed. That was my boy. I have never met a more authentic being. What you saw was what you got. Dustin was free with his love. Dusty lived his truth, he was generous, he was wise beyond his years and above all, like I said he was authentic. In retrospect I am truly amazed by the sheer depth of his love!

I have an amazing family… truly amazing! But it was Dustin who always had my back. If I needed help with anything, he never hesitated. If I had to move, or do heavy lifting Dusty never hesited to volunteer his help. When my server crashed leaving 80 websites offline, it was Dusty who sat with me until they were all rebuilt and back online. If you asked, he showed up. He always showed up.

Dusty loved music, working sometimes as a DJ spinning records, but mostly spinning records for himself… for the joy. Dusty created his own mixes and recorded a few CD’s. I have only one sample, so here it is:

8 years ago, I got Dustin his first job in the film industry. And he took it from there, working on features like Training Day, commercials (he has been been working with Errol Morris for the last 5 years) and music videos. Dusty directed his own shorts and just a few weeks ago, shot and was editing a pro celebrity volleyball tournament for charity.

An amazing young man!

When Dusty first came to LA he lived with me. What is cool is that I am blessed with an extraordinary family. We have our issues but we love each other. With Dusty in LA we got to hang out a lot (in hindsight, however, it really wasn’t enough and I guess it never is). Before he left us, Dusty had a chance to reconnect with his cousin Dr. Dylan (a chiropractor and my other nephew). That is so cool.

This year had been a difficult one for my nephew, Dusty. He was robbed with a gun in his face in Las Vegas (they caught the guys and Dustin testified against them. They are all (4 guys) in prison.) Face down on the ground, Dusty asked the gunman for his walllet and credit cards back, explaining what a pain in the ass it is to cancel and get new ones… They guy actually gave them back, taking only Dusty’s cash and jewelry… f-ing ballsy, if you ask me… Remember, his own drummer.

This weighed very heavy on his heart and gave him much fear.

Then about a month ago, Dustin was in an auto accident, while on a run at work (driving his bosses car). Waiting to turn right, a car ran a red light, struck another car then finally Dustin’s car. He was taken to  the hospital, not seriously injured it seemed. He had pain in his knee, back and neck. The initial exam didn’t reveal much…

Then the case got handed over to the state (workman’s comp)…. This is where it starts to suck.

The pain grew worse. Dustin saw a different doctor who concluded that Dustin may need surgery on his knee, and requested an MRI. Workman’s Comp, denied him, instead they gave him crutches and pain meds…

For the last week or 2 Dusty had been trying to get this resolved, getting the run around from the insurance companies. During this time, always the one to watch my back, Dusty watched my house and took care of my cats and garden 3 different times while I was out of town… hobbling around my house on crutches and in pain.

Our feeling is that on Tuesday night Dustin took  the wrong mix of medications, went to sleep and never woke up. I take solice in the fact that he went gently into that good night…

Dusty, D-Dog, D-lite, Dusty-D… I miss you and I love you! Every day that have known you (since you were merely months old) has been a gift to me and I am richer for it.
Wonderful travels to you -

Love you - Uncle Lennie

Posted in Personal | 19 Comments »

Let me get this straight…

The following is from an email I received. Franky, I hope it pisses some of you off. One word “WAKE THE F*#K UP!” (okey, a couple of words…)

OK, I’m a little confused. Let me see if I have this  straight…..

If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you’re ‘exotic, different.’ If you grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, you are a quintessential American story. If your name is Barack you’re a radical, unpatriotic Muslim. Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, and you’re a maverick.

You graduate from Harvard Law School and you are unstable. But you attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, and you’re well grounded.

If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the State Senate’s Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran’s Affairs committees, YET you don’t have any real leadership experience.

BUT if your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you’re qualified to become the country’s second highest ranking executive.

If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years and are raising 2 daughters, all within Protestant churches, you’re not a real Christian.

But if you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you’re a Christian.

If you teach responsible, age-appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

But if, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state’s school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you’re very responsible.

If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family’s values don’t represent America’s.

But if your husband is nicknamed ‘First Dude’, with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn’t register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, I get it, it’s much clearer now.

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Paris Answers the Old White Haired Dude…

…(John McCain)

During the Vietnam War, Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain survived air-combat missions, a bayonet wound, countless injuries, torture but, perhaps most harrowing of all, an extended stay as a prisoner of war at the Hanoi Hilton.

The Hanoi Hilton’s one thing, but can he survive Paris Hilton?

When McCain offered up his commercial calling Barack Obama, “The biggest celebrity in the world” and juxtaposing his image with Brittney Spears and Paris Hilton maybe he didn’t see it as a slight, but Paris did! I don’t know if good OLD Johnny Mac realized the can of Whup-ass he was getting ready to open.

First he fired up Paris’ mom, Kathy Hilton, who wrote this in the Huffington Post:

I’ve been asked again and again for my response to the now infamous McCain celebrity ad. I actually have three responses. It is a complete waste of the money John McCain’s contributors have donated to his campaign. It is a complete waste of the country’s time and attention at the very moment when millions of people are losing their homes and their jobs. And it is a completely frivolous way to choose the next President of the United States.

And there’s Paris herself with her very own answer back (or is it a campaign ad?) - Saying of McCain, “He’s the Oldest Man in the World…”

See the McCain campaign original add.

Posted in Film Making, Personal, Politics, Social Networking | 1 Comment »

Who the Hell is Matt?

So sometimes I’m a late comer to the party… But then again, late or not if the party ROCKS than my motto is better late than never.

So what am I talking about? Witnessing something that has been witnessed by millions of people (8,534,749 before me to be exact). Matt Harding is a Filmmaker and world traveler who fusing both skills (hobbies, whatever) created an amazingly brillliant short film.

So what’s it about? Matt dancing a wacky jig in all corners of the globe. So what’s so cool about this. Easy… How the simple act of dancing a silly dance with strangers at different places in the world. A simple act that unites these strangers. A simple act that shows how damn easy it is to find common ground, be a uniter.

Whether it’s Matt Dancing or Laker Guard Jordan Farmar teaching basketball to Jewish and Palestinian kids in Israel and the West Bank (together not separate - Jordan Farmar to go on peace mission to Middle East) bringing the world closer should be the simple mission!

Matt’s movies are so compelling that the folks at Yahoo! invited him over for a filming session (View here - And Now We Dance)

So where was I? Oh yeay… over 8 milllion folks have seen this video - hopefully 8 million more will be watching soon. It will touch your heart and hopefully move you to some “simple” action. Enjoy!

14 months in the making, 42 countries, and a cast of thousands. (Please notice the High Quality embed…)

Posted in Movies, Personal | 1 Comment »

Starbucks Dead Pool

I just stopped by the Huffington Post and discovered that Starbuck’s has annouced the 600 stores it is shuttering. Admittedly, I was very nervous glancing through the list.

Sadly, I found 1 single Starbucks that used to be my regular spot: The corner of Lincoln and Montana Ave in Santa Monica… Years ago, I would meet my friend John Philbin there regularly for coffee. Alas, it will be no more…

Starbucks Corp. has named all 600 company-owned stores it plans to close in a bid to boost its business and weed out unprofitable locations.

The company announced 50 stores late last week, saying those stores would be closed by the end of July. Those include four stores in Alabama, seven in Minnesota and eight in California.

Now the gourmet coffee retailer is detailing all stores slated for closure. Including the eight other stores, California will now lose 88 stores with two each in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and 10 in San Diego.

If you want to read the full list check out the article here on the Huffington Post.

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I’m Voting Republican!

The following movie outlines all the reasons that I have decided to vote Republican. Humanity be damned…

Posted in Fun Stuff, Personal, Politics | 1 Comment »

Where Are We Headed?

Alright folks, time for me to step up. Seem that I’m not the only one a little pissed off about the price of gas, the rising price of food, travel, George Bush, the fact that no one in our government is held accountable for anything unless they get caught sleeping with (or soliciting sex from someone in a bathrooom…). Let’s see… we hold our elected officials accountable for who they sleep with?

WHO F-ING CARES?!

Screw whoever you want, just not our COUNTRY!

Lee Iacocca has written a new book talk about this very thing. How do I know this? Cause I got one of those emails… “I never forward email but…”

So here is is:

Remember Lee Iacocca, the VP at Ford credited with the birth of the Mustang, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from their death throes, and the owner of the famous quote “Lead, follow, or get out of the way”? He has a new book, and here are some excerpts.

Lee Iacocca writes:

‘Am I the only guy in this country who’s fed up with what’s happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We’ve got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we’ve got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can’t even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, ‘Stay the course’

Stay the course? You’ve got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned ‘Titanic’ I’ll give you a sound bite: ‘Throw all the bums out!’

You might think I’m getting senile, that I’ve gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.

The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we’re fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving ‘pom-poms’ instead of asking hard questions. That’s not the promise of the ‘America’ my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I’ve had enough. How about you?

I’ll go a step further. You can’t call yourself a patriot if you’re not outraged. This is a fight I’m ready and willing to have.

The Biggest ‘C’ is Crisis !

Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It’s easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else’s kids off to war when you’ve never seen a battlefield yourself. It’s another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A Hell of a Mess. So here’s where we stand. We’re immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We’re running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We’re losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you’ve got to ask: ‘Where have all the leaders gone?’ Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We’ve spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.

Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone’s hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn’t happen again. Now, that’s just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you’re going to do the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when ‘The Big Three’ referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn’t elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don’t you guys show some spine for a change?

Had Enough?

Hey, I’m not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I’m trying to light a fire. I’m speaking out because I have hope; I believe in America In my lifetime I’ve had the privilege of living through some of America’s greatest moments I’ve also experienced some of our worst crises: the ‘Great Depression’, ‘World War II’, the ‘Korean War’, the ‘Kennedy Assassination’, the ‘Vietnam War’, the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s this:

‘You don’t get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it’s building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That’s the challenge I’m raising in this book. It’s a call to ‘Action’ for people who, like me, believe in America . It’s not too late, but it’s getting pretty close. So let’s shake off the crap and go to work. Let’s tell ‘em all we’ve had ‘enough.’

Thanks Lee Iacocca.

I hope this resonates with you. Let’s do something here. No Vote No Voice!

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Kelsey’s Purpose

I usually don’t have topics like this in my blog but this story really touched me. . .

I just was introduced to a little girl named Kelsey Briggs. She was a bright and, OH MY GOD, beautiful little girl. In 2005 Kelsey died from abuse at the hands of her step father. As a human being I find this kind of action deplorable. As a man, I am ashamed. Men need to step up. We need to wake up. The good one’s (men, that is) need to do deeds that overshadow the horrible deeds done by some men. We need to educate, we need to take responsibility for the actions of all men.

It is no longer enough to sit passively by as long as we are not directly affected by acts like this. But the truth is, we are all affected by acts like this. When any child dies in a senseless manner, we are all diminished. We need to begin being proactive, dealing with potential issues before they arise. Not only reactive. As good as they are, laws named after dead children, don’t save THAT child (this is reactive). Kelsey was taken from her mother’s home twice after suffering abuse, including 2 broken legs. On both occasions she was returned to the abusers.

Currently the step father is spending 30 years in prison. Personally, I think he got off easy!

For more information on how you can help make a difference, please Visit: http://www.kelseyspurpose.org

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Amazing

So Simon Cowell has a show in Britain called Britians Got Talent. (Sound Familiar?) Found this video on Yahoo. It’s nice sometimes to see a “little guy” shine. This shows that we all have talents that we may not know how to show or understand. So I say just go for it!

Paul Potts is now in the semi-finals of the British show. The song you are about to hear is Nessun Dorma by Puccini.

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