banksy, women of different faiths, and the ventures

So, what do all of those have in common?

They were movies I watched for free, online!

"Banksy And The Rise Of Outlaw Art" was an offering from AARP in their MFG (Movies For Grownups) series.

The film began with probably one of the graphic artist's most famous pranks: the 2018 shredding of his "Girl With Red Balloon" painting after its auction at Sotheby's.

The frame had been rigged, you see, and as soon as the sale was official, the painting began feeding out the bottom, reduced to thin paper ribbons.

Remarkable... though I doubt the buyer would agree.

And just who was Banksy anyway?

All that can be said for sure is he was a Caucasian guy who grew up in Bristol, England; he was careful to wear a mask to hide his identity, as he knew full well when he began his work in the 90's that he could be arrested for defacing property.

The movie included an analysis of "Style Wars", a documentary about graffiti, hiphop, and rap, and break dancing, leading to that art, music, and moves being linked together as though related, even though they were quite separate and not practiced by the same artists.

One quote resonated: "As if the oppressor was never a child, as if heroin was never a flower."

Beauty and innocence abound; it's all about perspective.

That was back on the 16th of the month.

Tonight, on the eve of the catheter ablation to hopefully slow my racing heart, I took on another MFG from AARP, this time about a musical duo that became a foursome.

Bob Bogle and Don Wilson were "The Ventures: Stars On Guitars", two guys who helped promote the use of that instrument by budding musicians, even helping to design affordable versions and putting out records to help teach its use.

Their true skill was being able to play any type of music by just rearranging some chords.

For instance, in 1964 they took the country sound of Chet Atkins' version of "Walk, Don't Run" (which was originally a jazz song) into a surfer's tune for riding waves... and landed in the Top Ten!

However, as skilled as they were, their true calling was to encourage others, leading to them becoming known as "The Band That Launched A Thousand Bands" and making them one of the most prolific instrumental bands of all time.

Honestly, when I read the movie's title, I had wondered who they were.

However, as more of their music was featured I realized I was familiar with their sound, just not with their name, as they were a musician's band, not a dancer's band.

That certainly explains why I didn't recognize their name!

Good movie, as was "Stranger/Sister" two days ago, which was presented as an interfaith event during Women's History Month.

Presented by Mickve Israel, Masjid Jihad, and Asbury Memorial Church, the documentary was about a group called Salaam Shalom, formed of equal numbers of Muslim and Jewish women in search of a rapport and better understanding of their similarities as opposed to focus on their differences.

What I liked most was the refusal of the women to get dragged into political discourse; this 12-year-old group is all about helping each other in living their best lives, not debates about Palestine and Israel..

Good for them!

Best quote: "Pray as if everything depends on God, act as if everything depends on you."

Amen to that!