Jive Political

I've been a really apathetic little monkey lately and it isn't something I'm proud of.

It's so easy in the course of our lives to become wrapped up in our own small sphere of reality that we forget what part we play in the larger picture. This is one reason I really admire Angelina Jolie. She's used her fame to bring attention to projects she's passionate about. She's trying to expose mainstream America to the reality of how blessed we are and how much good we can do in the world - in spite of the current administration.

Another person whose dedication, knowledge and passion about world issues and politics that I admire, is my uncle, Tom Carney.

Tommy came to live with us before I was even born. He was my mother's baby brother who went with her and my Dad on dates to the drive in. In the early part of their marriage, my grandfather passed away from a malignant brain tumor and my grandmother from what was later deemed Alzheimer's. So, even though he is my uncle, I have thought of him as my brother for as long as I can remember.

There was a time when we both lived in Buffalo and every Monday night was "Movie Night". he exposed me to a lot of films I may never have seen otherwise. One documentary I remember particularly well was "Hearts of Darkness - A Filmmaker's Apocalypse".

My memories of Tommy are all tied up in music (he's seen some amazing shows), film (he was a bartender and watched old black and white films from 5-7am after work) as well as books (he never failed to have his nose in a book or three and was incapable of hearing anything while reading). Incidentally, there are a few choice other stories, such as when a boy from the neighborhood rode his bike over my sister's legs while she sat drawing on the street. Tom decided the best way for him to ponder hurting her would be to dangle from the lamp post across the street from our house. So, he hung him up and walked away.

Since those days, Tom has been living in Portland, Oregon and becoming increasingly progressive - both politically and environmentally. Unbelievably, he's also become an even better, kinder, more compassionate person than he previously was.

That said, if you're looking for a place to inform yourself about some of the known and not so known hot zones of human rights and millitarization, visit Tom's new blog, Mad as Hell.