Manchild in the Wasteland

Manchild in the Wasteland
Saturday, December 5th, 8:00pm International House - Davis, CA

Manchild in the Wasteland is a one-man performance written and performed by Davis native and returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Barton Bryan. Come experience the roller coaster ride of Barton’s desire to join the Peace Corps, his struggle to adapt to the realities of living in West Africa and finally, coming to terms with being a part of the village.

While on the journey, Peace Corps' Head Trainer Buck Hess will open your eyes to all the fascinating and sometimes shocking details of being a West African Peace Corps Volunteer.

This engaging and enlightening production will be performed for one night only at the International House in Davis, 10 College Park, Davis, CA http://www.internationalhousedavis.org/

Tickets are $15 and $10 for students. Seating is limited. Reservations and tickets may be obtained by calling Mary Jo Bryan at 530-756-3191 or visit his website at http://www.letsgotoafrica.com/West_African_Caravans.html and link to Manchild in the Wasteland Play. If you have any questions, please feel free to email Barton at barton@letsgotoafrica.com.

Barton Bryan has spent the last 9 years focusing on two main passions: Africa and acting. After completing a BA in Vocal Performance, Barton joined the Peace Corps and spent two years in Mauritania, West Africa where he taught English and worked with his village on several development projects.

In 2005, Barton put his Africa pursuits on hold and moved to New York City to study acting at the Maggie Flanigan Studio. During that time he wrote Manchild in the Wasteland and performed it several times off-Broadway and in Austin, TX.

Barton eventually moved to Austin, TX with his wife Val. Since then they have travelled to Tanzania with a non-profit organization to help an orphanage, and in early 2009, Barton and Val started a Volun-Tourism business which offers travellers a chance to engage in local developmental projects while discovering Africa’s natural and cultural beauty.

“ There is no pain so great as the memory of joy in present grief."— Aeschylus

Amerikana (EP) - Jared Burton

It would be too easy to simply label Amerikana an anti-war album, or an anti-government album or an anti-anything album. Not only would it be too easy, it would be an incomplete description. It would be like referring to someone who is outspoken against the doings of ill-minded governments as anti-establishment rather than democratic. It would only inform a part of the album and would fall short in describing the artifact as a whole.

What we have here on this independently released EP is an engaging, responsible, politically charged and subversive journey by way of folk, rock and blues - that takes us back to the first half of the Dark ages of recent American history (aka the Bush years). It is a reflective journey, one that demands our attention. For in it is the potential for a new horizon of understanding and a stronger image of what ought to be, rather than what we sometimes apathetically despise. It is influential in that it works on our memory by keeping the conversation going. A conversation that began well before W. and will continue well after.

The last time I saw Jared was in San Francisco 2002 for one of the largest anti-war rallies since the 1960s. I gave up a centre floor seat at Paul McCartney to take an overnight bus to be part of saying no to violence and embracing peace. The general mood that day was not of anger and resentment, but rather hope and perseverance - two of the many qualities that underscore the 6 wonderfully arranged selections of Amerikana.

As a human being Jared is kind, thoughtful, intelligent and forgiving. As a musician he is prolific and brings forth an angst that he immediately remedies with, often indirect, pleas for change through hope and cooperation. As you listen to Amerikana, you will hear for yourself a timeless commentary on the human condition, rather than a rant against political systems or specific government figures. What begins in Uncomfortably Numb and ends in Amerikana is a continuation of a conversation that is as old as the first human who sought to create a world that attends to the least fortunate and not the most fortunate. Though the names and places may have changed, the same decisions are there. Jared has graciously accepted the role of messenger, to remind us of our worth, our hopes, our potential for authenticity and certainly our responsibility.

Unlike most of the music that dominates the pop charts and local radio stations, Amerikana delivers lyrical and melodic snapshots of American life that are not unattached to past, the present or the future nor are they reduced to any specific period. They pull you in and serve as a reminder that passive observation results in an anorexic existence void of any weight or substance. And Jared does this all the while playing and singing wonderful songs that you will want to play again and again.

Jared Burton’s music is nothing if not sincere, talented and thought provoking, but most of all enjoyable. Amerikana gives us an honest introduction to a side of Jared as the musician, although not the complete picture - which is why many of us hope that Amerikana is just the beginning of things to come.

Sample and purchase Amerikana at: http://www.myspace.com/jaredburton

© bflo12, 2009

Hitting The Wall

Writing is no easy task! It requires work, and lots of it. Those of you out there who labor at this art know what I mean. We all have our own difficulties when it comes to putting something down, but we can all agree – sometimes it’s tough out there!
Today’s example is that I have hit the wall. Between my job as an editor and the work I do on the side, I feel spent for the day – nothing left to give. There’s plenty of time left in the day to produce something, but I feel fried! So, I’m going to get up, leave the computer, get some air and go listen to Joseph Arthur later this evening at an intimate venue in the city. The problem is that the stress of deadlines and the ongoing dialogue in my head are sure as hell going to follow me out tonight. They will take the place of that nagging younger sibling whose insistence on not leaving you alone with your girlfriend makes getting to first base impossible. First base for me tonight is simply, relaxation, but as any and every writer knows – even if you are not physically writing, you are still working!
The irony here is that I’m writing about my frustration about not being able to write anymore today!

As KV would say "So it goes!"

© bflo12, 2009

Recycling To-Go/Recyclage à Emporter

Recycling is easy when the right facilities are provided for you. But what if they are not? What do you do? Do you simply give in to your conditioning and use the regular trash bins? How do you feel after you have thrown away that plastic salad container, aluminium can or plastic bottle and/or the cardboard packaging? If you feel guilty and feel that you were left with no choice, I have the answer – try take-away recycling!

Sometime ago, while eating lunch in a Parisian café, I was alarmed by all the vast amounts of recyclable debris that is discarded. This scene made me more determined than ever to really embrace my 'take-away recycling' practice. Since then, I have always ensured that I have a fold-up canvas bag in my backpack.

This canvas sack is my eco-doggy bag. Wherever I go, if recycling facilities are not available, I simply take containers and packaging with me and put it in the proper receptacles later.

The Responsibility Is Ours

Mandatory recycling laws only do so much if they even exist where you live. The chances are that more often than not, you are throwing away recyclables during your average day and (hopefully) feeling guilty about it. Take-away recycling has become my way of solving this problem.

In my office and others in the US and EU, paper and cardboard recycling is compulsory, but plastics and other recyclable products frequently end up in the trash. Restaurants and bars do little or nothing to provide recycling facilities for customers, even though most of what is used to package salads, drinks and meals is non-biodegradable and recyclable. So until recycling is the law everywhere, for anything that can be reused, I’ll take my recycling to go.

Make Recycling the Norm, not the Exception

The idea to write about this occurred to me the other day when a colleague asked me why I always take my “garbage” home. I explained that when recycling facilities are not immediately available – at lunchtime, for example– I prefer to recycle this “garbage” later by using the alternative bins at my home.

I walked away and wondered if what I had said had made any impact. Others in my office and in my life have seen me carry out this practice on a number of occasions, but I have seen little or nothing to convince me I’ve made an impression.

The reward, for now, is that I am improving my efforts to help the environment by finding new and creative ways to live ‘green’. I have not given up hope that my examples will go noticed. Hopefully, as the green revolution continues to gain momentum, the thankless acts so many of us carry out on a daily basis will become the norm, rather than the exception.

As we know, every little bit counts. Sure, in the big picture, even if I achieve a zero carbon footprint, it won’t have a very noticeable impact. But as Abbey Hoffman once said, “change doesn’t come about through conformists.” By taking my “trash” home or to proper recycling facilities, I have turned the tide. I have challenged the notion that throwing away recyclables is ok.

So by carrying an extra bag in my backpack I am able to take home everything I use during a workday or a day out that can be recycled. Whether it’s a take-away lunch, a sit-down meal or a picnic in the park, nothing gets wrongfully put in the trash on my watch!

© bflo12, 2009

Clouds Over Paris

In all types of weather, at any time of day, Paris never ceases to deliver charm and awe.

Three Short Answers

Today, like most days, I had to explain to someone why I was a vegetarian who eats mostly organic foods, why I didn't sit in front of the TV and why I was taking my "garbage" home.

My answers to these questions vary, depending on my mood, but here are my answers today, as I am in a gentle mood.

1. I don't want to eat meat and I don't really have to. By combining certain foods like beans and rice or beans with potato, create a complex protein very similar to that found in meat. The one thing missing is the iron. For that I load up on green vegetables like spinach, brocoli or asparagus. If not, I take a mutli-vitamin to make up for my lack of iron. Not to mention that the means by which humans kill animals for food is...well...I find it unsettling.

2. The average American sits in front of the TV roughly 6 hours a day! To paraphrase Tim Leary, " that means that the average American sits like a vegetoid slug in front of a screen absorbing loads of information......" For me, that's not the answer for someone who desires an authentic existence. A DVD once in a while is a nice way to unwind, but I just find more intersting ways to occupy my time.

3. I take my "garbage" home because it is not yet the law to force businesses, restaurants and bars to recycle. Until it is, I will coninue to take my recycling to-go!