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Portrait with Film Grain ©MMX Eric Hatheway

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Red Dirt Country, as well as Red Dirt music, takes its name from the color of the soil found in North Central Oklahoma. The soil has a high clay content and stains clothing, shoes and even the tires on a truck. This land is the original land which was opened for the Oklahoma Land Run in 1889 and was the first land run into the Unassigned Lands and included all or part of the modern day Canadian, Cleveland, Kingfisher, Logan, Oklahoma, and Payne counties in the state of Oklahoma.

These images were taken in Logan County, Oklahoma on a recent bright December day.This dilapidated structure is a church called the Mount Carmel Church located near Mulhall, Oklahoma. The church belongs to the Carmelite Order, a Roman Catholic institution, and dates from the thirteenth century. The Carmelite Order takes its name from the monks and hermits who had long dwelled on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land.

Three Carmelite priests, originally from Valencia, Spain, but then staffing a mission at Torreon, Mexico, were forced to flee Mexico during the persecution of Catholics during the Carranza government. In the summer of 1914, Fathers Luis Benages, Bernard Brotons, and Cyril Corbato, arrived in Oklahoma. Bishop Theophile Meerschaert gave them permission to establish themselves in the state if they would undertake the care of the Mexican Catholics. This is one of the Carmelite churches built in Oklahoma. It stands alone in Red Dirt Country as a lasting reminder of the people who settled in Oklahoma to escape the persecution of Catholics in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. Thanks for visiting and please come back often!

Red Dirt Church No. 1 ©2009 Eric Hatheway  All Rights Reserved

Red Dirt Church No. 2 ©2009 Eric Hatheway  All Rights Reserved

Red Dirt Church No. 3 ©2009 Eric Hatheway  All Rights Reserved

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Many women over the years have been called the "Queen of the Blues." Bessie Smith (1894-1937), Dinah Washington (1924-1963), Memphis Minnie (1897-1973), Mary Ann Fisher (1923-2004) and Koko Taylor (1928-2009) were all know as the "Queen of the Blues" at various times. However, there is one name that belongs on this list and her absence from this list is conspicuous to say the least. This woman, born Willie Mae Thornton (1926-1984) and affectionately called "Big Mama" Thornton was an American rhythm and blues singer and songwriter.

Big Mama has the unique privilege of belting out a hit song called "Hound Dog" in 1952. This hit song from Big Mama Thornton charted at #1 on the Billboard R&B charts three years before Elvis Presley recorded his version of "Hound Dog" (which was actually based on a previous version performed by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys). And, the B-side of this record, "They Call Me Big Mama", sold nearly 2 million copies in 1952. If that wasn't enough, Big Mama penned a song called "Ball 'n' Chain" which she performed as another hit song for her. A few years later, Janis Joplin released her version of "Ball 'n' Chain" which became a big hit for her in the 1960s.

Big Mama Thornton, besides being an accomplished songwriter and performer, was also a self-taught drummer and virtuoso harmonica player. She often played these instruments on stage when at a performance. Weighing in at 350 pounds, Big Mama had a big voice to match and often dressed in mens clothing which was a reflection of her existence in the rough and violent men's world of the 1950s. She lived hard and played even harder. Often living in poverty throughout her career, she dropped most of her weight by the 1970s and weighed a mere 95 pounds when she appeared at her last performance in 1984. If you want to hear some blues (the real thing) sung by a real big voice coming from a real big soul, then you owe it to yourself to check out Big Mama Thornton and her wonderful music. And, she certainly deserves to be called Queen of the Blues. Yes she does.

These days, you just might be reconsidering your citizenship preferences. When the American expatriates of the 20th century hung out in the cafes of Paris, expatriation was easy. All you had to do was move to another country and take up residence. Renouncing your citizenship was apparently not a requirement of this process. You could expatriate for proud religious or political beliefs. Or, you could expatriate for the purpose of evading taxes in your home country. Unfortunately, this is pretty much what expatriation has become – a tax dodge.

When people expatriated for honest reasons, mostly in the early part of the 20th century, the list of expatriates became a roster of some of the most notable artists and authors in history. Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, T.S. Elliot, Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, Gregory Corso, and even Jim Morrison were all noteworthy expatriates. Those were the days...

How Do I Become An Expatriate?
In modern times, the process of expatriation has become remarkably complicated. It is amazingly difficult to quit being an American. First of all, the Internal Revenue Service has a say in the process now. They publish a list every quarter in the Federal Register that contains the names of current American expatriates. The IRS calls these people renunciants (as in renouncing your citizenship). The sole purpose for the IRS tracking these individual is for the recovery of tax revenue from the renunciants. The State Department is reluctant to let American citizens go stateless. Proper citizenship or legal asylum in another country is now required; however, this is a time consuming and very expensive process in most cases. And, you must declare or prove that you will not return to the United States. One other thing – you have to go somewhere outside of the United States to start your renunciation. It is not possible to renounce your American citizenship inside of its own borders.

Where Can I Go To Expatriate?
Once the decision to expatriate has been made, a location for your expatriation must be chosen. Below are several options to be considered when undergoing the expatriation process. After your critical decision to expatriate, the first most important decision to be made is the location of your safe harbor from your perceived oppression or ideology.

Canada And Mexico
First thoughts might be of staying closer to home in a place like Canada or Mexico. Since the Vietnam war, Canada has always been a favorite place of refuge for the expatriate. However, over the years, the Canadian attitude toward American expatriates has cooled considerably. Canada is no longer a haven for the renunciator and either is Mexico, although retirees have special considerations in Mexico. It can take up to two to five years to receive approved Canadian citizenship and in Mexico the hopeful expatriate must remain an American citizen for five years after taking up residence in Mexico. By the time you receive the requisite citizenship from your chosen sanctuary, the reason for your expatriation may have since gone away.

Paris, France
The early part of the 20th century saw Paris, and France in general become a desirable oasis for the intellectual expatriate. In a typical French manner, a potential expatriate must prove that he or she is more French than American and show a mastering of the French language and the French way of life. Each case is considered by French government on an individual basis in what must be a very interesting application and interview process.

So, you're more American than French and that eliminates France from your short list. Where to now? Undeveloped nations or an enemy country of the United States might be a choice; but, this is obviously very dangerous territory and who wants to live in Iran or Uzbekistan anyway? Again, long waiting periods in these types of countries are meant to discourage the impetuous expatriate but most cases are considered on an individual basis.

The Caribbean And Indian Reservations
Things get a little easier for the disgruntled citizen in the Caribbean. There, citizenships can be purchased outright in some countries although you will need to take a large wallet on your journey. For example, the island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis will sell you a citizenship for about $125,000 which is inclusive of a $25,000 application fee but does not include the mandatory purchase of their government bonds in the amount of $100,000. It only takes about three months to complete this brief process; however, be aware that the U.S. State Department has been successful in shutting down several Caribbean citizenship vendors since 2001, so potential host nations are dwindling in numbers.

American Indian reservations are another possibility for the potential expatriate. Native American tribes are considered sovereign nations by the United States government. But you must remember that the residents of American Indian reservations hold dual citizenship, vote in U.S. elections and abide by the results of the election. And, authentic proof on Native American lineage must be proven to the appropriate authorities. This option really doesn't provide the level of expatriation you're looking to obtain.

Creative Solutions For Expatriation
A very creative solution would be to stay afloat on the oceans of world as an expatriate. In other words, if you had the money, you could simply take a cruise for the rest of natural life. Since money would be a problem with that haven from oppression or opposing ideologies, you could buy a boat and register it under a foreign flag. For your new found freedom to be effective, you would have to keep your boat in international waters and outside the 230 mile zone that the United States has declared under its control.

And, finally, after exhausting all other possibilities, you could settle into an imaginary nation either created by yourself or somebody else. These types of nations can be found on the internet and citizenships to these places are readily available. But, think about it, if the previous places mentioned aren't suitable or possible for you, then it probably wouldn't be a good idea to place your hope on an imaginary nation. Good luck!

Dirque du Soleil

He's from the past, so he knows the future...

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Pérez Prado was a Cuban bandleader and a composer who became known as the "King of the Mambo." Pérez Prado was born in Cuba in 1916 where he learned classical piano and began playing in the Havana night clubs and working as an arranger. He played with Cuba's best known band, Sonora Matancera, and worked in some casino orchestras in Havana for the better part of the 1940s. Prado developed a unique solo style five years before it became known as bebop music to the rest of us.

In 1948, Pérez Prado moved to Mexico to start his own band and start recording for the major record label RCA Victor. Prado began playing mambo music which soon became his specialty. Mambo music is a lively and upbeat form of Cuban danzón, a Cuban musical form and dance style. Like the music of his more experimental contemporary, Juan García Esquivel, the mambo music of Pérez Prado is instantly recognizable by his elaborate use of the saxophone, big riffs from the brass section and his trademark grunts and sounds during his songs.

While on vacation in Mexico in 1950, the arranger Sonny Burke heard one of Pérez Prado's mambos which was later re-recorded and released in the U.S. as "Mambo Jambo." Soon afterwards, Pérez Prado toured the U.S. seeing nothing but sell-out crowds which lead to him recording mainstream U.S. record releases for RCA Victor. Pérez Prado is probably most famous for his "Mambo No. 5" which, of course, was covered by Lou Bega in 1999 and Bob the Builder in 2001. The 1999 movie, Office Space, contained two of Prado's songs (Mambo No. 8 and The Peanut Vendor). Pérez Prado also appeared in several movies in the U.S., Mexico and Europe. In these movies, he always wore his trademark turtle-neck sweaters, vests and his impeccable goatee. Rock 'n' roll eventually took over the popularity of the Latin wave during the mid 1950s. Sadly, his contract with RCA Victor ended in the the 1960s and his mambo music only found its way to smaller labels and Latin music compilations in the following years. Add this album to your cocktail music collection – with 22 swinging songs you can't go wrong!

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Today is the King's birthday, man. Don't forget to pay your homage to the King at the EricHatheway.com Online Elvis Shrine. Thanks for visiting and please come back often! Thank you very much! Elvis Lives!

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Dirque du Soleil

He's from the past, so he knows the future...

dirque@erichatheway.com

Will it stand the test of time? That is the ultimate question posed when judging the qualities of something in the art world, the music world or pop culture in general. About 30 years after punk rock hit us up side the head and stomped on our toes, a nostalgic craze in involving punk memorabilia is happening in music circles. And recently, Christie's auction house held a sale on everything punk for what seems to be an untapped market for the famous auctioneers. The younger crowd can better afford the prices for these items that mean something to them rather than some pop culture souvenir that has no meaning in their lives.  Oi Oi Oi

Punk Observation ©1991 Eric Hatheway  All Rights Reserved

But, the prices for what was being offered for sale at auction were anything but punk. For instance, a handwritten show flyer for a famous punk concert staged by The Clash, the Sex Pistols and the Buzzcocks in 1976 had an expected value of $3,000 to $4,000. A poster for a Sex Pistols concert was believed to be capable of pulling in a price ranging from $2,000 to $3,000. Future prices for punk memorabilia is expected to rise as the punk stuff available for sale becomes more scarce. And, according to Christie's, it is not the investment potential that is driving the sales of punk memorabilia but rather the nostalgia surrounding the items.  Oi Oi Oi

A hug is a form of physical intimacy that usually involves closing or holding the arms around another person or group of persons. The hug is one of the most common human signs of love and affection. Unlike some other forms of physical intimacy, it is practiced publicly and privately without stigma in many countries, religions and cultures, within families, and also across age and gender lines. Hugs may also be exchanged as a sign of support and comfort. A hug can be a demonstration of affection and emotional warmth, sometimes arising out of joy or happiness at meeting someone. Hugs – everyone likes a good hug, especially when it is a surprise. Thanks for visiting and please come back often!

Surprise Hug No. 1 ©2009 Eric Hatheway  All Rights Reserved

Surprise Hug No. 2 ©2009 Eric Hatheway  All Rights Reserved

Models: Elizabeth Howard (L) & Loren Lee (R)

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