A New Earth by Echart Tolle

review by Robert Winston Cox

“Your first awakening, the first glimpse of consciousness without thought happens by grace, without any doing on your part. If you find this book incomprehensible or meaningless, it has not happened to you.”

Eckhart Tolle’s new book, A New Earth, has a simple message: your inner purpose is to awaken. It is as simple as that.

The opening sentence describes a sunrise 114 million years ago. The first flower ever to appear on the planet opens up to receive the rays of the sun. Tolle asked his readers, “Is humanity ready for a transformation of consciousness, an inner flowering so radical and profound that compared to it the flowering of plants, no matter how beautiful, is only a pale reflection?”

Many of my Christian brothers and sisters have found Mr. Tolle’s book concerning, yet Jesus is quoted more often than any other source in the book. One of the many times Jesus is quoted is from John 14:6 in which Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” This verse provides an insight not just to Christians but to all human Beings.

If you are fascinated by 2012, you will be interested to know that “the most rigid structures, the most impervious to change, will collapse first.” An example: Soviet Communism. Is Mr. Tolle correct when he says, “Humanity is now faced with a stark choice: Evolve or die.”

You will learn that an important step in your evolution is understanding your ego.

Are you able to recognize your ego? Here are some keys: “Whenever you feel superior or inferior to anyone, that’s the ego in you. The absurd over-valuation of fame is just one of the many manifestations of egoic madness in our world.”

“Ego is no more than this: identification with form, which primarily means thought forms. This results in a total unawareness of my connectedness with the Source, God. This forgetfulness is original sin, suffering and delusion. If there is awareness in you, you no longer need to believe in every thought you think.”

Tolle provides a guide to observing and understanding how the ego works. Ask yourself: Have you observed normal people telling certain kinds of lies from time to time in order to appear more important, more special, and to enhance their image in the mind of others?

Taken to the extreme, the mental illness called paranoid schizophrenia is, in Tolle’s explanation, an exaggerated form of the ego. A fictitious story the mind has created to make sense of the underlying feeling of fear.

A paragraph in the book that will provide a perspective on some members of our current society:

“The more unconscious individuals, groups, or nations are, the more likely it is that egoic pathology will assume the form of physical violence. With very unconscious people, arguments can easily lead to physical violence. Will it come as a surprise to you that those people who work without ego are extraordinarily successful at what they do? Anybody who is one with what he or she does is building the new earth.”

Next, Tolle explains the pain-body. The definition of the pain-body:

“The pain-body is a semi-autonomous energy-form that lives within most human beings, an entity made up of emotion. It has its own primitive intelligence, not unlike a cunning animal, and its intelligence is directed primarily at survival. It needs energy to survive. It thrives on negative thinking as well as drama in relationships. The pain-body is an addiction to unhappiness.”

Here is something to think about the next time you consume alcohol. “Excessive consumption of alcohol will often activate the pain-body, particularly in men. When a person becomes drunk, he goes through a complete personality change as the pain-body takes him over.”

Should you decide to read ‘A New Earth’ you will also learn of television’s hidden agenda. “Television controls you by putting you to sleep, that is to say, making you unconscious.” You will learn to use your mute button during commercials and be certain you don’t go to sleep immediately after switching off the set or, even worse, fall asleep with the set still on.

‘A New Earth’ is a seminal book. Learning the modalities of awakening provides us all with a new way of looking at everything we do. Learning to perform all activities with acceptance, enjoyment or enthusiasm is liberating. It is about understanding the importance of being absolutely present in whatever you do.

Read ‘A New Earth’ and decide for yourself. A new species is arising on the planet. It is arising now, and you are it!

Don’t be afraid to pass. Pass the mustard. Pass the soccer ball. Toss me a beer and pass the two-footer, but for the sake of humanity, do not pass on pacifism. If we let this one slip through our fingers, we may wind up losing those freedoms in a land mine explosion.

The anti-pacifist wants us to drop the ball on the issue of war, because the military industrial machine will not make billions if we all decide to shoot hugs instead of guns. However, pacifism is not an issue; it is a way of life, which is way more important than bond issue 420. For the first time in our generational reign, the responsibility of non-violent activism falls upon us.

Pacifism has been a successful tool against oppression for centuries. The single activist can have as profound effect as an army inducing peace. The images of a monk, engulfed in flames, resonates my memory with the dedication of one man’s desire for his people to be left in peace. Maybe the time has come for someone to douse themselves in gasoline and fire it up while enjoying the view of the white man’s mansion of overindulgence. Imagine the look on our leader’s faces as they all look out the window of the oval office…hell, they would likely shrug and give those confused grins that Americans have come to know and abhor.

The pacifist movement must begin with one charismatic enthusiast, although the multitudes are certainly vital. The most successful, non-violent protests have begun with an individual, un-faded by the source of tyranny, threatening to take what’s not theirs, particularly the freedom of the oppressed. Common examples of pacifism are well-documented in the works of a man called Jesus. His pacifism flourished amidst arguably the mightiest military empire the world had ever known. Did he pick up bows and arrows? No, he passed out bread and love. Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s. Jesus knew how to throw down without throwing down like those meat head assholes that get too drunk and invade the cool bars with that “I want to fight somebody attitude.” Remember this: If ever confronted with a drunken idiot at a bar intending on whooping your ass, just smile. Tell him that you got nothing but love for him, and tell him that God especially loves them. It will totally diffuse the situation.

The greatest pacifist of our time, the late and great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., did more for America than George Washington, Abe Lincoln and Superman. His daily life was smothered with hatred so fierce it would have driven any normal man to grab a gun. However, Dr. King was not a normal man. His level of ethical and moral intellect is matched by only the Gods. His message was pacifism and non-violent protest in the ugly face of brutal oppression. A story out of Birmingham from the early sixties goes something like this: As the crowd of protesters approached, they carried no weapons, armed only with the tools of song and peace. The police had their dogs and batons while the firemen had to pull back that lever and let a torrent of hate wash away peaceful human beings like garbage floating away in the street. As the order came to “release the hounds” and turn on the hoses, nobody reacted. No dogs attacked that morning; no heads were bashed in and no grown men were arrested for executing their first amendment rights. The pacifism somehow spread to the police and firemen. Call it karma or psychological transformation of the peace hormone. Whatever it was, it simply comes down to the innate goodness that is in every single person. On that day those cops were stoned on love.

It’s a shame that our two greatest pacifists met their ends prematurely. Or is it? Jesus’ message is heard worldwide by millions of people. Dr. King’s dream is being lived out daily, although we still have a long, arduous journey to end racism. However, we’re about to take a huge step towards that goal in early November.

Pacifism is not easy and it takes extraordinary people to accomplish such a task. But we are the masses, and damnit, we run this country, not the generals, the politicians and not the oil executives. Let us all begin this journey of peace together, and let us not sit around and wait for a miracle to happen. We have the control.

The sweltering Oklahoma heat is already at 90+ degrees, meaning you are perspiring minutes after you get out of the shower and full out drenched in bodily fluids the second you walk outside, complete with frizz hair and an oilified face.

But…how HOT are you? I’m not talking Fahrenheit or Celsius either. Do you know what’s hot this season and what’s not? Do you even care? If you don’t, you should and I’ll tell you why. As seemingly superficial as some people think fashion and personal style is or can be; I have a different philosophy. I believe in lifestyle dressing within a budget that your busy life will allow, especially with fuel prices and college tuition going through the roof. If you are a stay-at-home mom (the hardest, lowest paying and least appreciated career of all…you teachers come in second), a soccer mom, executive, entrepreneur or artist, it can be done. You can look “put together” all of the time with just a small investment of time and energy.

Time + Energy = Results!

What kind of first impression do you want to make? How do you want the world to portray you? Do you want to feel different on the inside? I am not saying style is paramount to spirituality, religion or overall well-being. Perhaps that is just an illusion thereof. Most people know that happiness and fulfillment are inside tasks. Filling yourself up with material things, most of the time, creates shame and guilt, like impulse buying. If you are unsure about something, don’t buy it. Put it on hold. If you are still thinking about that same item the next day or for many days ahead, then purchase it. Feeling good is also an outside task. How you define your style CAN change the way you feel on the inside. Fashion make-overs ARE life -changing. Skeptical? I have many testimonials to prove it. Try it. If you are unhappy with the results, you can always go back to baggy tee’s, jeans that are outdated and either too big or too short and Nike’s. Or, better yet, continue wearing the all black that you insist is slimming.

To prove this concept, I am offering a complimentary fashion consultation, complete with one-on-one dressing room set up (by appt). This service is offered after hours, which saves you time and energy that you shouldn’t have to part with. For people braving the fast-paced lifestyle, curbside, home pick-up and deliveries are available as well.

Every body type can wear any style or design. You just have to know how to dress for your body type, what separates to put together and in what ways to pull it in and pop color. The most important catch is the “BIG A.” ACCESSORIES! … The ultimate key to affordability while staying with the up-to-the-minute seasonal trends.

What’s HOT and what’s NOT: Your T-Town Summer Style Guide

COLOR, COLOR, COLOR! Please…push the black to the back! If you insist on wearing it, be sure to pop it with a pattern, metallic or bright hue of some sort. Yes, we all need the perfect lil’ black dress, but save it for a black tie event or a funeral: or better yet, when you’re dead.

Let’s talk trends of the season, starting from the bottom and working our way up.

Shoes:
Try a platform with a raffia or wooden heel in metallic or snakeskin. Square-heeled but more refined and streamlined heels (much more comfortable than the stiletto) with a rounded but slightly squared off toe and buckle, accents in pucci prints or bright colors are also a must. Think Gladiation, with gold and silver flats adorned with crystals and jewels. Want comfort? Kelley green flats with gold buckles and chains make the hit list. If you want the newest trend yet to hit T Town, it’s the platform with heel cut outs…coming soon.

Separates/Denim:
Hi-waisted denim and trousers belted or not, are at the top of the list. Fold them down with a wide woven belt underneath (for us short-waisted girls). This new trend should be paired with a tight-fitted, tucked in tank layered or worn out and belted. The other option is the new shrunken blouse, very Audrey, complete with tie neck, lots of buttons and smocked at the waist. In patterns or in sheer silks, muted pinks and grays or bright mod prints. Good in the leg dept.? Short shorts, wide-leg capris and rolled embellished shorts in denim colors or light weight cotton complete the list.

Dresses:
Probably the most in thing this season! Short, banded, in patterns of plaid or polka dot increase the list. The comeback trend is long dresses…patterned or plain (not black). Complete with necklace-like halter. Try in plum, orange or fuchsia.

Headwear/Handbags:
Time to do away with the blacks and browns where purses are concerned. POP THE COLOR, obviously I have mentioned this enough (trying to drill it in). Metallics and patterns are the way to go. Headwear is here to stay, and transitioning into fall as well as fingerless gloves and other trends we will talk about when the season is ripe.

So if you are stuck in your little fashion box or are somewhat style-deficient, then wake-up and re-create yourself! It doesn’t take much either. Help is out there…and complimentary at that. You have nothing to lose and only self-confidence to gain!

_______________________________________

Kim Abdo
Isabellas
Fashion Stylist, fashion guru@peoplepc.com
918.406.1911(by appt.)
918-744-9100 – Isabellas@peoplepc.com
35th St. off Peoria
www.Isabellastulsaworld.com

There was a distinct excitement in the air in Tulsa on Saturday June 28th. Tulsa was buzzing about the act playing at Cains Ballroom that night. Some people had heard of Girl Talk, many others had not. At around 6pm I got a text from Hunter at Cains, “The scenesters are in full effect!” They were already lining up in front of Cains to get the choice spot in the front row with full access to Girl Talk and his handy laptop.

Girl Talk is a one man band consisting of a “laptop producer” named Gregg Gillis, who hails from Pittsburg PA. His music consists of an amalgamation of pop samples, woven together such that the end result is a new form of music, standing on its own, independent of any one of its parts. More specifically he uses software to “mash up” songs from widely variant musicians to create a new sound, ie: Notorious B.I.G with Elton John or Cranberries with M.I.A. It is unlike anything you have ever heard before and it works people into a FRENZY.

When people attend a Girl Talk show, they don’t just stand in the audience and listen to his music. They get dressed up in full hip/funky/retro/80’s/club costume regal and actively participate in the concert. Last year when Girl Talk came to Tulsa, as is the custom, the audience stormed the stage, crowding in on Gregg and his laptop pulsing with every intonation of his on the fly mix.

This year people were ready, and were lining up out the door before 6:00pm. At about 9:00pm we started to catch word that it was looking like it was going to be close to a sellout, the anticipation mounted.

As we arrived at Cains, people were already whipped into a frenzy by the music of Techtonic. The place was practically at capacity and the area just in front of the stage was PACKED with people waiting to rush. As we sat in the back and observed the scene, a small Asian girl walked in front of us and mid stride busted out a few windmills with perfect form, popped right back up and continued walking through the crowd. Spandex, cut-off jean jackets, headbands, face paint, gold chains and bandannas abounded. Wafts of Bubba K greeted the olfactory. People were ready for Girl Talk, a muted undercurrent of excitement was ready to burst.
At about 11:00pm, I got word that he had arrived from the airport. This was a relief, because for the past 8 hours he had been stuck in Dallas due to weather. As I headed back stage thanks to a Video Pass from Hunter I entered the antique dungeon-esque backstage artist hangout were I found Gregg wrapping his laptop in Seran Wrap. His shows get so wild he must protect his technology from the impending chaos and beer splashes of his eager fans.

As he was giving instructions to the sound crew about the audio setup I cleared out to go and video the fans packed into Cains waiting to see their beloved Laptop artist. People were going nuts, packed in, sweating, screaming, hands in the air, ready for a show.

After Gregg got everything setup, he went back to his backstage area for a little pre-show routine. After he finished stuffing his sweatpant pockets with confetti, he emptied a beer can of its contents and filled it up with Jack Daniels, “I usually don’t take my shows this seriously, but I was stuck in Dallas for 8 hours and I have not had a drink all night.” In the background we could hear his warm-up music BLASTING: “GIRL TALK . . . GIRL TALK . . . GIRL TALK”

Readied, he bolts out of the room and onto the stage where balloons are flying, bubbles are floating and people are already climbing onto the stage to great their musical hero. Chaos, pushing and shoving ensue. The crowd is SO fired up about the performance the cords get pulled out multiple times from his setup. Each time Gregg Celebrates by saying “THIS IS A REAL SHOW - I USED TO PERFORM IN BASEMENTS TO ZERO PEOPLE”

By the end of the show, Gregg ends up pant-less and shirt-less, wearing nothing but boxer briefs and dripping sweat from his Jesus beard and long ass hair. In a triumphant moment he climbs onto the table and leads the 1400 people in Cains to a side-to-side arm sway as Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” swoons, laced with the thumping of some ghetto hip hop.

I have seen Girl Talk three times. This latest performance at Cains was indeed an EPIC and historical performance that will grow more legendary with time and the ascending star of Gregg Gillis. However, every time Girl Talk performs, there is an indescribable sense of well being and light bliss in the air. After much contemplation I have tried to understand why unlike any other musical performance Girl Talk produces such epic “Good Vibes.”

When people experience in mass so many auditory triggers of pleasant memories via the abundance of sampled pop music something happens in the collective consciousness of the group. In the case of Girl Talk, for that short hour that he performs his pop orchestra, people are riding a waive of positive emotion, which in turn feeds the collective to higher levels of positive vibrations. Keep your heart three stacks, keep your heart . . .

Or it should be landing. I am not talking about aliens from outer space. And…I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT ALIENS FROM OUTER SPACE! I am talking about a house that is eco-friendly, economical and self-sufficient, a.k.a. Earthships. Although New Mexico is famous for its alien sightings, it is also the leader in eco-friendly Earthships. In Taos, New Mexico, specifically, there are housing developments that are entirely comprised of Earthships.

Let me first hit you with some digits. You can build a 7,000 square foot Earthship for $90.00 per square foot. That’s a 5 bedroom home for $630,000. A very luxurious, full of frills and chills home for a big family. Maybe you do not need 7,000 square feet; you only need 2,800 square feet. You can do that, too. Earthships cost between $20.00 to $90.00 per square foot and range in size from 600 to 10,000 square feet.

Another plus: Earthships are completely off the grid. You have no utilities, making your biggest expense meat and dairy products.

The Setup

All exterior walls, except the south facing wall, are constructed with dirt-filled tires. Then, you “berm” up the north, east and west walls, essentially piling dirt that you excavate out of the hole (transplanting dirt from floor to outside and build up on outer walls). The south wall is floor to ceiling windows. They are at an angle that is determined by the latitude line you are building on, in order to maximize sunlight for heat and growth of the internal garden that runs the length of this wall. This front wall acts as the main hallway for the home, and all rooms are built off of this. If you’re really into the self-sustainable lifestyle, then you would also have your bathroom on this front wall with a self-composting solar toilet and a kitchen with a solar oven. These features cut down on heating and cooling costs, as well as help produce and maintain fresh fruits and vegetables. The garden also preserves fresh air inside. (I won’t go into how – we all took science in school.) Internal load-bearing walls are also constructed out of the dirt filled tire. Some split-level Earthships even have a central internal courtyard large enough for a tree. If the thought of having an internal garden or a real tree in your house frightens you because of the idea of bugs in your house, then you can simply screen in these areas.

There are more design features that help cut your cost of living, such as solar panels and fresh water reservoirs. You can incorporate any of these features into your next home or your current home to save money…or, to make money. Imagine building a 2,800 square foot home for only $154,00 and then selling it for $279,000, which is about what you would pay for a new home built traditionally in today’s market. You just doubled your money. Perhaps if you like to wear $245.00 Seven Jeans, $90.00 Hugo Boss T-Shirts, $290.00 Kenneth Cole shoes and drive a $65,000 gas guzzling SUV, then think of how much easier it would be to afford those things if you lived in a home that cost you comparatively nothing.

An alternative to dirt-filled tires would be the use of cinder blocks. It’s an easier and less time consuming option. If you are going the cinder block route, then your foundation and pad are tied into the walls with re-bar, then you fill the cinder blocks with concrete as you build up the walls. This gives the walls more thermal mass for containing heat and cool air inside. It will also add to the structural integrity of the home. Some people have incorporated piping into the floor and walls, which helps with heating by cycling sun-warmed water through these pipes during the winter. Skylights are another feature that helps with lighting, heating and venting.

Earthships are almost indestructible. You don’t have to worry about tornadoes, and the power outage we had last year would not have affected you in an Earthship.

Earthships and 2008

So why have you never heard of Earthships? Well, the biggest drawback to Earthships is zoning and ordinances set in place by the city and state. The earth-filled tire option may be impossible due to this, so the cinder blocks are the best bet until zoning laws become a little more earth-friendly. Although, consumerism may keep that from ever happening, some of us still hope.

There are now designs for Earthship apartment complexes. Picture South Tulsa built entirely of Earthships rather than the Cookie-Cutter-Shake-and-Bake houses that keep vigorously sprouting. Of course there are some down sides to Earthships. If more Earthships were being built, then more cities would struggle financially since people wouldn’t be spending as much on assorted utilities. But this would cut down on the assorted pollutions created by these utilities, and that’s the point of an Earthship – to cut expenses and increase the longevity of you and yours and the natural resources of the world.

I have simply scratched the surface with this information, but if you are interested, contact Solar Survival Architecture in Taos, New Mexico for more insight into smart living.

By Nathan Caleb Camerer

Not for hipsters alone
- Alyse Cox

I am not a hipster. I am an average, twenty-something college student with occasional fits of ‘cool’ moments. I do not have a degree in music theory. All I know is what makes me want to let loose and get down – and right now what makes me boogie is the Parisian electro house duo JUSTICE.

Most people don’t understand the subtleties of electronic music. When I tell my sorority sisters that I am going to see a DJ, I get the same scoffs. A response along the lines of, “Ha. like a rave?” “Are you going to take X and wave glow sticks all night?” . . . Uhh, no. Not exactly.

To the uninformed, casual listener, this assumption is very common. According to anyone unfamiliar with electronic music there is only ONE genre: TECHNO. Similarly, someone who has no clue about classic rock wouldn’t know the differ- ence between Led Zeppelin and The Who. For someone new to Hip-Hop, listening to Kanye West might sound exactly like Lil Wayne. Two very distinct sounds are easily confused when unexplored.

“JUSTICE performs their music using turntables and an assortment of other highly technical and extraordinarily computerized methods.”

Which brings us to JUSTICE. While they are definitively electronic and perform their music using turntables and an assortment of other highly technical and extraordinarily computerized methods, their musical appeal crosses all genres. Fans of Metal, Hip Hop, Jam and Country could all rock out and enjoy a JUSTICE concert.

Justice made their break with the 2003 debut of a remix of Simian’s “Never Be Alone.” I have been listening to JUSTICE for a few months, and I had never heard this famous remix un- til I was at the JUSTICE show in Dallas in early March. Besides their most popular and catchy single, “D.A.N.C.E.”, “Never Be Alone” was the hit of the night. The zealous crowds of danc- ing fans were belting out the lyrics as the duo would lower the music so it was an audience A Cappella version of the song. It was what I would imagine it would feel like to be at the hottest show of the year in the 80’s. I have a very enthusiastic affinity for the 80’s and the overindulgent lifestyle everyone lived.

The moment I was dancing to “ Never be Alone, ” listening to the crowd hit every note of the chorus, being absorbed by the overpowering rush of the pulsing white lights and feeling the shock waves of the wall of speakers behind JUSTICE, I knew it was the closest I will ever get to fulfilling my fantasy of living the uninhibited extravagance of the hay days of the 80’s.

The Hipsters of a JUSTICE concert

Do you remember when Kayne West first displayed his blazing short temper and outrageous arrogance at the 2006 MTV Europe Music awards?

He stormed the stage after not receiving the award for “Best Video.” Turns out, JUSTICE took home the coveted award that night. (They were not actually, physically there. Thank god.) Kanyeeee . . . . What are we going to do with you?

After JUSTICE melted our faces, the crowd started trickling into the after-party which continued just upstairs from where JUSTICE had been playing.

The progressiveness of JUSTICE attracted an equally progressive crowd to the Palladium Ballroom that night in Dallas. The venue was crawling with the true cool kids – fashion forward funky clothes and personal grooming styles you would see at loft parties and the dive bars in Soho. Consequently, I paid close attention to the social dynamic of this unique cultural subset as another way of showcasing all of the unique aspects of my experience with JUSTICE.

The after-party featured some of Dallas’ top DJ’s, one of which played vinyl records exclusively. This must be a huge “cool factor” in the electronic scene, because this was the hubbub going around the Dallas hipsters. Sure enough, he was playing fun music that made me want to dance, buuut . . . I distinctly remember still feeling the afterglow of the pulsing lights and overpowering groove of JUSTICE from earlier in the night.

As the party goers caught their second wind with the help of a few cocktails and other party favors, the dance floor started to get populated and pretty soon, I found myself on the outskirts of a circle witnessing what I assumed was an unofficial “dance battle.” I had seen these before, at high school dances where the participants were only attention-starved adolescents. This battle was different; these guys were actually in a dance crew, with an actual name, most notably The Funky Buttercups crew from Norman.

As I was standing there enjoying watching my own live version of You Got Served, I realized the battle, although casual, was serious. I watched a few guys who reminded me of those high school boys so eager for attention jump in and get schooled by the pros. Shortly after this, I saw my older brother hand over his camera and equipment to a girl and prepare to jump in. Immediately I cut through the dance floor and insist that he stay OUT of the circle. This was the first time I ever had to stop my brother from embarrassing himself and me, a favor he has done for me more times than I can count. It was fascinating to be in the middle of the hipsters of the electronic music scene – just a small benefit of the unique and fun people that JUSTICE attracts.

As I walked into my room happily exhausted from a long exciting night of dancing, I was greeted by my roommate who indulged me with her feigned interest in electronic music. “How was it?” she asked. As I was getting my enthusiasm up to tell her all the exciting moments and how mind-blowing the show was, she stopped me — “How was Genesis?” (Genesis is the opening track on their first album). I replied with confusion, “Uhhmm…. Yeah it was good. They played it…..why?” She proceeded to pull up a You Tube video. “It’s on the new Chevy commercial….”

Right then and there, she turned my excitement into discouragement. Although the commercial is actually a Cadillac commercial (they are all the same anyway), it made me realize that everything progressive, unique and ‘edgy’ loses its luster when the mass media gets word. It won’t be long until we are hearing JUSTICE tracks on several mainstream commercials. Let’s just hope that as JUSTICE reaches higher levels of commercial success they are still able to retain their underground hipster ‘edge’ along with their following of professional break dancing crews and chilling ‘nuke in your face’ live performances.

AN OKLAHOMA FILM DIRECTOR talks about the advantages of filming in Oklahoma
- Sterlin Harjo

It’s hard to communicate the excitement I get from shooting films in Oklahoma… in that, I have nothing to compare it to. I’ve never shot a film anywhere else. I began filming music videos for my friend, Jeff Johnston’s band, when we were in college at OU. We usually shot the videos in his house during parties.

I was a sophomore when I attempted to shoot my first feature film called LAST TRAIN. LAST TRAIN was a story about a Greek American who tries to get to his Grandfather’s funeral in Chicago to put two drachma coins on his eyes. On his way, the Greek-American man meets a hooker with a heart of gold, who joins him on his journey. The two decide that they need more money so they take a job with a farmer to get some extra cash. The farmer turns out to be a nut and makes their lives hell.

It was a no budget film so, needless to say, they never made it out of Oklahoma. It was a weird script that I planned to shoot with the help of my friends on weekends over a period of six months. We shot most of it around Holdenville, my hometown. Food was the one thing I remember most about this experience, because the only thing we ate during that six-month period was deep-fried pizza pockets from the local gas station, real healthy.

Now looking back at the footage, there’s not a shot in hell we could’ve made that film come together. I really didn’t know what I was doing, but the best way to learn is to just do it… even if you fail. The night before, we asked the owner if we could shoot there. He gave us the go ahead, and assured us that the days were not that busy in the bar- it was crucial that it be quiet in the bar for us to record dialogue.

When we arrived, there were about fifteen people walking around the bar hammering things into the wall and making loud noises in general. It seems that the owner forgot to tell us there was a wedding scheduled at the bar later that night and a wedding crew needed to decorate. Ironically, the other owner of the bar was also an ordained minister and would be performing the wedding.

There was no keeping that crew quiet and the scene was ruined… a small price to pay for matrimony, I guess. Later, I thought that we should have just filmed the wedding, because I was sure it was a lot more interesting than the film we were trying to make.

Since then, I’ve made films in Oklahoma with better results. After a few short- films, I made another feature called, FOUR SHEETS TO THE WIND in Holdenville and here in Tulsa. The film reaped a few awards such as Outstanding Performance for Tamara Podemski at Sundance 2007, Best Director at AIFI Festival 2007 in San Francisco, Best Actor for Cody Lightning at AIFI Festival 2007 and Best Film at Imaginative Film Festival 2007 in Toronto. It was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.

"The great thing about filming Four Sheets to the Wind was that Tulsans were so helpful to us during the shoot."

The great thing about filming Four Sheets to the Wind was that Tulsans were so helpful to us during the shoot. We shot at Double Shot Coffee, 818, the old Eclipse and numerous other locations around town. I love Tulsa and Oklahoma, and I love shooting here. Of course I want more film productions to come to the State, but at the same time, I feel like it’s our little secret. I just finished shooting a new film called, Barking Water. It is a road movie that was shot from northern Oklahoma to the southeastern part of the state. We used the diverse landscape of the state as our backdrop to the film. The changing landscape of the flat plains to the green hills provided an Oklahoma aesthetic that cannot be manufactured on any Hollywood set… and there is less traffic.