"Homeless in Paradise Communicating with the Bohemian Venice Beach CA, Subculture & the film Voices in the Sand"





Photos by Jane A. Lackner, William O'Connell, and Jennifer Crean©
"We always lead and never follow because the biggest critics of our work are usually the most envious of us--The harder we work, the harder it is to surrender--count on it."
IMPORTANT ADVISEMENT: Any unauthorized use of Professor O'Connell's Intellectual Property INCLUDING AND NOT LIMITED TO photos, reproduction video of Voices in the Sand, Homeless in Paradise Communicating with the Bohemian Venice Beach, CA Subculture, or any other material associated with this work WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OR APPROVAL by William O'Connell, is subject to prosecution by copyright laws.
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Bo in downtown Los Angeles May 5, 2010 with Tony Gin--one of my very best friends!
(Photo: Jane Lackner)
Bo O'Connell--wearing the flag bandana Pruitt gave him--operating in the backyard of the Gang: The Suicidals on their turf during a night operation with the homeless.
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(Photo: William O'Connell)
A view from our apartment balcony in beautiful Venice Beach, CA on July 4th Weekend.

(Photo: Jane Lackner)
Professor William "Bo" O'Connell
(Photo: Jane Lackner)
Bo with famous Crazy Mary and helpless, hopeless, homeless Yvonne
The unforgettable story of Crazy Mary as she finds a piece of real estate 100 yards from the ocean.
Venice Beach, CA


Author Bo O'Connell (seated left) with Vietnam Veteran Pruitt next to him, as former Suffolk Community College student and Speech and Debate Champion Corey Morgan does his MASTERPIECE rendition of a Vietnam Veteran whose face was distorted in the war. Pruitt lost his arm and his fallen comrades in the war, a war many have forgotten.
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(Photo: By Jane Lackner)
Should anyone live like this? Should we Care?
I could not imagine this being my Grandmother.
(Photo: Bo)
The amazing spiritual "Chief" of Venice Beach, Chief Keetoowah"Love First, Peace Will Follow" The Venice Paparazzi Interviews my friend, The Chief.
See the Chief:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQciuqyb208
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9isBU26jL8
You want a dose of Reality TV? Sick of watching the same old celebrities? Why not make homeless celebrities? In America, Yeah, Right! Famous Crazy Mary, the "Star" of my book is no easy InterviewClick Below: (1:30 in the Video you will get a flavor for Mary--3 years to build this relationship--I never quit!).(***Caution: Not suitable for children***)
See Crazy
Mary:www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6XYQpXIwEE

(Photo: Jane)
Arrested nearly 200 times, and on the show COPS more than once, Crazy Mary in Bo's soiled and urine stained Clothes...Bo still loves ya Mary! Jane and I talked LAPD out of arresting her this night only to be arrested anyway. Read about her tragedy and how she became homeless--it cannot be measured, but for Mary, it is not about homelessness--as her story is a heartbreak!
Just before her arrest June 16, 2008. See Mary and Pray:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NixEP2Wcgqk
Why does this country judge gay people so much? Brittany is a
lovely person, just more of a Nomad than most.
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(Photo: William O'Connell)
The back cover of my book Homeless in Paradise Communicating with the Bohemian Venice Beach CA Subculture
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(Photo: William O'Connell)

(Photo: Jane)
Diane--all about Love, Peace and logic. (Click Here to see why we should care) See Abraham, Diane and other homeless questioning LAPD's arrest of the homeless:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YfoGz0JowM

(Photo: Jane Lackner)
Jason, surrounded by nothing but voices.

(Photo Jane)
Bo, August 23, 2008) Bo in Venice Meeting Homeless People

William "Bo" O'Connell
MISSION STATEMENT:
"To inspire those around us, to invite a level of intellectual consciousness and awareness that ethically promotes the good of all people from all walks of life so that we make our world a better place for children from all over the planet ."
"I am doing my part, how about you?"
BUSINESS WORLD EXPERIENCE:
William O’Connell or (Bo) is an entrepreneur, former TV Journalist for LI News, and served as a news specialist for the Fortune 200 McGraw-Hill Companies for fourteen years. He is currently a tenured Assistant Professor of Communication.
O'Connell is a former National Speech Judge and has also served as a Public Speaking National Consultant for Curran and Connors Advertising Company.
CLASSES HE TEACHES:
MEMBERSHIPS:
National Coalition for the Homeless
On the Board of Directors for the Native American Alliance
Pitch For a Cure
EDUCATION:
A 1981, graduate of Leto Comprehensive High School in Tampa, Florida, O'Connell received his BA in American Studies/Journalism from the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury where as a scholar, he was awarded the Award for Academic Excellence, and he received an MA in Communication Arts from New York Institute of Technology.
SERVICE TO COMMUNITY:
O'Connell has a tireless, endless community service track record: This year he participated in the “Toys for Cancer Kids” toy drive for the holiday season for children with cancer.
He has raised tens of thousands of dollars to Feed the Hungry in the Long Island Cares campaign as well as the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Drive which feeds more than 100 local families each year at the college.
O'Connell has also been involved in countless Blood Drives, helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for his son Colin's blood drives in 2000, and with the help of the local community which is one of the largest drives in NY state history.
National News Media covered the eventto save his son Colin from AML Leukemia. CBS News, WB-11, CBS Radio, WBAB Radio, LI News, Positive Listening Radio, and News 55. His endless contributions to the community are unwavering.
He began the “Dollar for Colin Drive” to raise money for childhood cancer research this year with the help of students and the SCCC Honors program and to date has raised more than $3,600 through his book. This drive will enable dying children to have a fighting chance. He is also involved with his childhood friend and former bullpen catcher for the 1986 World Champion NY Mets, Robbie Dromerhauser in the fight to end juvenile diabetes.
In the classroom his small group communication class held a very successful clothing drive for Long Island’s PRONTO homeless shelter in Brentwood, NY to clothe the homeless. The group collected more than 20 bags of clothes.

LISTEN TO BO'S RADIO INTERVIEW: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=435250787
...Patty Hamill started her music career at WPIX Radio in New York City. She went on to work at RCA Records and where she worked with artists such as Byran Adams, The Eurythmics, Hall and Oates and many more. She has been fortunate enough to work with several of her favorite bands including Chicago, Kenny Loggins and Tower of Power.
Her radio career took off in the early 80's, working at stations in New York, New Jersey and producing the morning show for the the top radio personality in Cincinnati.
Today she can be heard on three different shows, a poker themed show - Aces Up Radio co-hosted by award winning sports announcer Patrick Kinas, an advice/motivational show called Positive Listening which she also co-hosts with Shawn Paris, and her latest venture, Sensually Speaking with co-host Shawn Paris. People she'd most like to meet: Frank Langella and Wayne Dyer.

IN THE NEWS
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