The Killer Bee Club: RICH HARRIS

Introducing The Poetry Man...

Hey, my name is Rich, and I understand that you will now have the opportunity to view one of my poems on Youtube so please, make yourself nice and comfy and I hope you enjoy it. I've been writing little poems and odes for many years. I also love to write short stories. Basically, because I have a puerile mind... a lot of the things I write can be a very light hearted, and if they make you giggle and smile, then I'm happy with that. 

I live in London (in Soho), and I work full time for London Underground which is quite cool. In my free time I love skating, drinking beer, eating cake and sleeping. Not necessarily in that order. I'd also quite like a boyfriend because life can be a little lonely. But it does mean I have more beer and cake to myself, so not all bad I guess.

My true passion does lie in writing, however silly my poems and stories may be. If I can spend more time writing and producing them, I'm certain the world would be a better place. Please check out my YouTube channel, if you like it please subscribe and tell your buddies as I will be adding a new poem every week. I'd also love to hear your comments and thoughts! 

Now, stop reading this and click PLAY!

To visit (and subscribe to!) Rich's YouTube Channel click HERE

Musical Treat Of The Week

On Easter Stacey told me to check out a singer named Janiva Magness...and man oh man am I glad I did!
Can't. Get. Enough. Enjoy!

Hometown Pride

Attention Beezers!

Film producer Jack Turner and other local filmmakers are capturing the best of Milwaukee on film. They need your help. Show them the Milwaukee you love through a video, photo or written work.

Come on Milwaukee, it's time to shine on!

For more info, visit  http://www.dearmke.com/

Here's a  GORGEOUS preview....

PANTHIEST

Originally published February 12th, 2012

I recently received a message on Facebook from a lovely girl that I went to middle school with. I hadn't thought of her in years, but who could ever forget a girl named Wakana? As I recall, she was one of the brightest girls in my class. The 4.0 type. Anyway, she wasn't looking to rekindle a friendship that never quite existed, but she had obviously checked out my profile page. You know that little niche where you can find a persons religious views? Mine states that I am a Pantheist, and she was curious to know what that meant. I was happy to explain...

I've always been uncomfortable with "my way or the highway". With absolutes, with black and white. I'm a designer, and an artist. I have a deep understanding of grey! I have been baptized no less than 3 times, in 3 orders of Christian faith-  yet I no longer consider myself a Christian. My spiritual journey so far has been largely personal, mostly introspective, and in the last 5 years very important to me. Along this journey I came to an understanding for myself  that there's more than one way to get there. More than one path.

When I was growing up Mother told me to never speak of religion or politics in an "uncertain" crowd unless I was prepared to debate. As an adult I ask "Why is this? The answer is simple. Its because both are so closely attached to the ego. Make no mistake, the ego's position is ALWAYS to be right. We're instructed from the very beginning to be the most intelligent, the most studied and to always have the right answer. After all if you aren't right, then you're wrong! If only we could dissolve our egos.

I'm so sick of hearing people drone on about how religion is the root of all evil, and how it was the basis for almost every war the world has seen. While that may be true, Holy wars are not started by Gods or religions. They are started by men. By our fathers, our grandfathers, our brothers, our friends. God, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad- don't drag them into it. They aren't the problem. WE are. Of course admitting that requires the taking on of personal responsibility. Its so much easier to blame a God that doesn't really exist, cultures we don't understand, or organized religion for the woes of the world than to take that responsibility for this royal mess we've created.

Two of my favorite people on this planet are Atheists, and they are raising their children as Atheists. There is much love between us and they respect my position to "believe", and I respect theirs to not. Unfortunately I have found most Atheists to be just as judgmental and smug in their non belief as the conservatives of any organized religion. Believers are simpletons, sheep. My spirituality is frivolous and negated by the intelligence of science.We "drank the kool-aid", subscribing to ideologies of religions created to control the masses and give them moral compasses.

Sorry Sam Harris, but that kind of generalization has nothing to do with me. Or my journey.

One of the most asinine things I've heard anyone say on the matter is "Science has proven there is no God." Don't be ridiculous. Science is amazing, but it cannot prove there is no God. Regardless of your religious (or non-religious) views, have you ever asked yourself why Science is so bent on disproving God? Stephen Hawking is a brilliant mind, perhaps one of the greatest the world has ever known. He has famously been quoted saying that "There is no heaven, its a fairy story." Perhaps he's right and the story we've been sold is just a fairytale. Can he prove there's no God? No spiritual realm beyond what we can see, hear and touch? Um, no.

Because I believe we're all spiritual beings, I fear a world where faith is not accepted just as much as one where the ideology and belief systems of any one man's religion is the mandate for all. There will never be a shoe that fits all feet.

For the record I do not believe that God is a old white guy with a long white beard, floating through the heavens on a cloud casting profound judgements upon his wayward children way down here on earth. Is God a man? A woman? I seriously doubt either. A collective force, perhaps. I do believe in both creation and evolution. And I do believe there's a point and purpose to this magical and glorious life we've been given. Most religious leaders will insist that all you need to know is written within the pages of their doctrines.  If we knew it all, would there be a point to the journey?

Because of the separatism and persecution that man's religion has liberally showered upon the world, so many, including my LGBT brothers and sisters have turned their back on their spiritual selves. And why wouldn't they? Who needs all that judgement?! However if I ponder this for too long, it makes my heart heavy. Not because I fear for their immortal souls mind you. For the truth as I know it, is that God is not outside ourselves but indwelling...and has absolutely nothing to do with man's religion. Therefore our souls could never be "up for grabs". Its just that they're likely missing out on such a beautiful and extraordinary layer to their human experience. A layer that for me, just keeps getting deeper and richer the more I explore and embrace it.

I think my personal position is best explained in this lovely quote by the Persian poet Hafiz~

"I have learned so much from God that I can no longer call myself a Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim, a Buddhist, or a Jew. The Truth has shared so much of Itself with me that I can no longer call myself a man, a woman, an angel, or even pure soul. Love has befriended Hafiz so completely it has turned to ash and freed me of every concept and image my mind has ever known." -Hafiz

For something a little better articulated and bit more "textbook" about Pantheism.....
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pantheism/

Life is a DJ, you are the music. Let's dance.

Building Bridges

The Judds once wrote a song called "Love Can Build A Bridge".
If you gather enough workers, I believe it can...

Sweet Corn

Thank you for pollinating, Reverend Yolanda!

" There was a farmer who was the premier corn grower in his community. His corn was always sweeter and better than anyone else's, and it always won the blue ribbon at the county fair. At the end of the growing season, he would take his seed corn, the corn that would be sown the following season, and gave a large portion of it to all the farmers in the area. 'Why do you do that?' someone asked him. 'Don't you want to keep the best corn for yourself?' 'I do it for myself,' replied the farmer. 'My corn will be cross-pollinated by bees and wind from the other fields, and if they have inferior corn, mine will soon become inferior as well."

... the world is so interconnected that whatever we do for someone else we are also doing for ourselves. No action can be taken in isolation, because everything we do ripples out and has some kind of effect.

- M.J. Ryan, The Giving Heart

"Quote, Unquote" #22: Walk Like A Man

"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism, or in the darkness of destructive selfishness." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Chasing Rainbows

The Banana Dance.
That's all I knew about the brilliant Josephine Baker...

From the slums of St.Louis to the toast of Paris, this force of nature and trailblazing female pioneer would become a decorated war hero, and was at one time the wealthiest black woman in the world. Josephine refused to play segregated venues, and so believed in a place where people of all cultures could live together, that she adopted 12 orphaned children from around the world, and dubbed them "The Rainbow Tribe". We could use more people like you today, dear Josephine...

I caught a fascinating documentary on her extraordinary life on PBS the other night, part of their ongoing series celebrating Black History Month. I searched everywhere for an embeddable version to share here but couldn't find one...so here's another. Different, but just as good. Take yourself on a fascinating history lesson.

Musical Treat Of The Week

The Return of The Fabulous Ms. Martha Wash!

The diva who got her big break singing back up for the late, great Sylvester in the 70's, is back with her first full length solo disc in 20 years. And not a moment too soon. A departure from her dance floor roots as one half of The Weather Girls, and later the voice of Black Box, the new album "Something Good" is a cohesive song cycle reflecting personal transformation. It's not just good, it's an uplifting tour de force. Her daring cover of Areosmith's Dream On? Not to be missed. Available at amazon.com now. Here's a sneak peek...

Anonymous Extraodinairies

The Killer Bee Club: NATALIE WARNE

Born in an underserved part of downtown Chicago, Natalie and her five siblings survived on her mother's humble teacher salary, moving from city to city to find work. No stranger to adversity, Natalie was determined to make something great out of her life. At 17 she saw the documentary Invisible Children: The Rough Cut; a film exposing Africa's longest running war. Compelled by this story, she applied to be a volunteer or "roadie" for Invisible Children, using her voice to help end this war. She quickly stood out among the other interns, and was quickly given responsibility to help lead Invisible Children's largest project to date; an event in 100 cities worldwide called "The Rescue." Through her determination, tens of thousands of people came out to the event, sleeping in the streets for up to six days in order to raise the profile of this war.

Her efforts paid off when Oprah Winfrey invited Invisible Children, and Natalie, onto her show to add her voice to the numbers. The event was then highlighted on Larry King Live, CNN, and countless other news outlets. Natalie has natural charisma, astounding leadership qualities, and is now working in Los Angeles as a film editor, to continue to share stories of injustices. This young lady is a Killer Bee if I've ever seen one. Another excellent TED Talk.

You've Got Mail

I love a good romance, and I love the animated shorts from Storycorps.
Rachel Salazar, you obviously weren't foolish at all.



The StoryCorps Video Channel

My Funny Valentine

Not unless they're on ice, baby.

What I'm about to reveal may perplex, even shock you. An admission so potentially astonishing, they could possibly revoke my Gay Card...but here it goes: 6-pack abs creep me out. Not just a little, but a lot. I will presume to be the minority here, as men and women the world over covet the prayerfully taut abdominal region for it's purported aphrodisiac qualities.

Please don't misunderstand. I have absolutely no qualms with muscles. They're quite nice when proportionate (and don't look like they were squeezed through the compression chamber of a spritz maker). Why just the other day I ran into Jon Hamm at the gym, squeezed his left bicep, and told him to keep up the good work. In my own quest for better health and fitness, I've been trying to eat better and workout regularly too- with mixed results. But there's something about the ripped chisel of a 6-pack that reminds me of the reptilian underbelly of an alligator; and who wants to cuddle up (or wrestle, even) with that?

The Curse of St. Valentine

I swear Cupid and I were separated at birth. The subject of love in all its forms continues to fascinate. After 4+ years of blogging you'd think I would have covered it all by now. Not nearly.

I had a mildly confrontational conversation with a dear friend recently, who accused me of busying myself with, well, being busy. Are you ready? To avoid being in a relationship. Seriously. I was like "Hello, are you new here?' I've spent the better part of the last 25 years in relationships, or chasing relationships. Right now I'm chasing dreams. Growing me.

Of course her position was that of most coupled folk. There's always an underlying sense of tragedy, pity even, for those left behind in the dust of their friend's "Just Married" tin can trail. She seemed deeply concerned that I'd let someone great slip through my fingers and miss out on the chance to be as happy as her! I have to admit in all fairness, she is pretty damn happy. Apparently I can't have sex and chew gum at the same time. At this age and stage I realize this truth about myself, and so I've been on a relationship hiatus, if you will.

While it's true that a healthy relationship shouldn't be work per se, anything truly worth growing deserves nurturing. I couldn't even figure out how to schedule a badly needed haircut last week. How could I possibly invest in a budding romance? So you see, I'm not avoiding- I'm respecting. Yet, I'm a lover of love and always will be. The day will arrive (and so will he) and I'll be back in the game. Just not until it's time to play.

Since it's Valentines Day this week, I'll permit myself a moment of fantasy... So what special quality will my future Dream Lover possess? The thing that sets him apart, and lures me out of romantic retirement, and back into love? It won't be a taut tummy, but a sharp sense of humor. Who needs a 6 pack? In the long run, someone who can make you laugh (and relishes in doing so) is worth more than an entire Prada steamer trunk of alligator abs. Isn't that right baby? Yes, as soon as there's a hole in my schedule large enough for a Maine elopement, I'm marrying Zach Galifianakis. You heard it here first.

Musical Treat Of The Week

"Quote, Unquote" #21: Gilda Gleans

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme. Some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity."

- Gilda Radner

The Rose

I've been looking for the origin/author of this story but have been unable to trace the source. It was shared frequently on Facebook this week, but it wasn't until Scott Luedtke shared it that I actually stopped to read. It's the kind of story I love to pollinate ...

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned round to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.

She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?"

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze.

"Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked.

She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids..."

"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

"I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months, we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium.

As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell  you what I know."

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day.

You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old.

If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose."
She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be .When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it!

These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. 

GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.

We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give.