RECONSIDER.

LOST IN TRANSLATION.

Je me souviens.

After a week lost in translation in Montreal/Quebec City, I’ve learned quite a few things from my travels and encounters (okay, it wasn’t that impossible to get by with my limited/non-existent French and people were generally more willing to revert to English). I visited 4-5 years ago when I was considering McGill and Concordia for college, but was ultimately turned off by the blistering cold and fear of falling icicles.This time, surrounded by tourists instead of blankets of snow, both cities are just as charming as I remember, but with a completely different vibe.

My week was filled with: charming strolls along vieux Quebec streets, Mansard roof houses, flirtatious French-speaking men, antiques and old books, cocktails along the St. Laurent River, a new found love for Stella Artois, hoards of tourists, sidewalk cafes, roaming street musicians, buttery croissants, meat pies, caribou pâté and fine French fromages, mouthwatering Marché products, decent coffee, even more confusion over Eurotrashion, a mindblowing sense of direction, and a determination to master the French language.

Ici le temps s'arrête. C’est bon la vie!

THE COLLAGE.

Solitude is so sacred because it is the one time and one encompassing space that allows us to actually enjoy being alone and nourish our soul by reading a book, watching a movie, writing in a journal, painting, listening to music, blogging, hiking, cooking, etc. It is also sacred because, when used effectively, is a time for genuine self-discovery and introspection – a truly spiritual and transformative experience. While it certainly is a time devoted to dreams, ambitions, creativity and most of all, the self, it is no place for the ego. As Audrey Flack remarks, “If you build a stage set for the ego, it becomes a fortress. In a fortress, transformation is impossible. You have isolated yourself, and the intimacy that assists transformation is not there,”(8). It is in “the happier world” that we are able to “transform” our dreams and ambitions into a “vision of the future” in which we see ourselves as part of a larger reality and a citizen of the universe. Although we may be physically isolated as part of solitude, we are not “cut-off” from the influence from society. We essentially take one step backward, in order to take five steps forward. Solitude + solidarity = authenticity.

AFFIRMATION.

I believe in living. I believe in the spectrum

of Beta days and Gamma people.

I believe in sunshine

in windmills and waterfalls,

tricycles and rocking chairs.

And I believe that seeds grow into sprouts,

And sprouts grow into trees.

I believe in the magic of the hands.

And in the wisdom of the eyes.

I believe in rain and tears.

And in the blood of infinity.

I believe in life.

And I have seen the death parade

march through the torso of the earth,

sculpting mud bodies in its path.

I have seen the destruction of the daylight,

and seen the bloodthirsty maggots

prayed to and saluted.

I have seen the kind become the blind

and the blind become the bind

in one easy lesson.

I have walked on cut glass.

I have eaten crow and blunder bread

and breathed the stench of indifference.

I have been locked by the lawless.

Handcuffed by the haters.

Gagged by the greedy.

And, if I know anything at all,

it’s that a wall is just a wall

and nothing more at all.

It can be broken down.

I believe in living.

I believe in birth.

I believe in the sweat of love

and in the fire of truth.

And I believe that a lost ship,

steered by tired, seasick sailors,

can still be guided home

to port.

-Assata Shakur

ALL-TIME LOWS.

Proof that there's something very wrong going on when ...

• colorblind, post-racial, self-perceived liberalism shuts out necessary productive, pragmatic, and progressive discussion on race relations and justice.
• celebrities & the elite believe and get treated like they're above the law.
• bougie white boys can't get jobs, meaning the rest of us are really screwed.
• the World Cup becomes the Euro Cup.
• cops have a God complex on top of their already bulging ego.
• a convicted murderer gets charged with involuntary manslaughter and only gets 5 years in jail.

... this list doesn't even begin to scratch the surface.

Now, all of this is extremely disgusting and disappointing ... but in my classic cynicism, doesn't come as a complete surprise. It's just kind of a slap in the face that all of the above have materialized in the past day/week/month/year. That's not so easy on the nerves.

"And true, sometimes it seems that anger alone keeps me alive; it burns with a bright and undiminished flame. Yet anger, like guilt, is an incomplete form of human knowledge. More useful than hatred, but still limited. Anger is useful to help clarify our differences, but in the long run, strength that is bred by anger alone is a blind force which cannot create the future. It can only demolish the past. Such strength does not focus on what lies ahead, but upon what lies behind, upon what created it – hatred. And hatred is a deathwish for the hated, not a lifewish for anything else." - Audre Lorde

ACCEPT THE NEW.

SO AMPED!

WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE?

Where Have All the Flowers Gone - Pete Seeger

Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Girls have picked them every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young girls gone?
Taken husbands every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young men gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Covered with flowers every one
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn?

OH, MAKER.

THE ARCHANDROID | JANELLE MONÁE

I've always had an appreciation for art, but especially for art formed by the people, for the people.
Now, I talk about the lovely Janelle Monáe a lot, not just because she's extremely talented, but because she is at the front lines of a Renaissance in 21st century music. Her latest album The ArchAndroid is a mindblowing, danceable, thought-provoking fusion of hip-hop, R&B, soul, rap, funk, rock, and the sweet sounds of the future.

In a recent interview with BET's 106 & Park, she described the overarching meaning behind The ArchAndroid. She says,

The ArchAndroid. I speak about androids because I feel that the android represents The Other, and I feel that sometimes, like I'm The Other. At one point in all of our lives I think we've all felt that, whether we're part of a minority or the majority. So The ArchAndroid is very similar to the archangel or Neo from The Matrix - the mediator between the haves and the have-nots, the oppressed and the oppressor, and so that's where the name comes from.

Watch the rest of the interview here and another one here.

Hallelujah.

RELEVANT READINGS.

Just perusing the interwebz and collecting interesting goodies as per usual.
An assortment of news, politics, social commentary, fashion, art, and culture.
Enjoy! (Actually, I'm just bookmarking these for myself.)

Week of May 17, 2010

• Rand Paul and Civil Rights | Alas, a blog

• stinkfish* in Oaxaca | Wooster Collective

• Can We All Get Along? Black-Asian Tension Won't Go Away | change.org

• [¡Ask a Mexican!] Special Arizona Buycott Edition | Gustavo Arellano

GENERATION HOPE(LESS)?

Droppin' some Shepard Fairey wisdom for your rainy Wednesday ...

Obama Check

Check out this critique of Obama. I agree with the writer on 90%. However, I think he fails to recognize the climate Obama must operate in. I disagree with the Afghan war escalation, but it does not surprise me. In general, the tenor of “normal” or moderate political conversation on issues has shifted so far to the right that Obama is being called a Socialist! Good ideas need to have a receptive audience to take hold and right now they don’t. Obama’s faults are in many ways reflective of a retarded audience. Maybe more people should serve in Iraq etc… to gain the writer’s perspective on war. That was not necessary for me… I’ve been a believer in the MLK approach for years. I think the realistic goal is to change the attitudes of the people, causing the leaders to fall in line. The leaders are credited too much with being the cause when they tend more to be the effect. Bush was atrocious and was still re-elected in 2004. I’m disappointed in Obama, but even more so in Americans. I’m working on a healthcare graphic right now, not waiting for Obama or congress to fix things without pressure. 

-Shepard (via OBEY GIANT)

 Word.

(I started writing this back in December .... Why has it taken me so long to formulate my thoughts?)

Although I was born and raised in one of the most liberal cities in the US (i.e. The People's Republic of Cambridge), I've never really even tried to align myself with any particular political party or school of thought. Frankly, I hate politics, despise theory, and tend to skirt around "friendly" debates, especially with the premise of mainstream American dirty politics.

RAINY DAY SHUFFLE.

it's that time again.
i present to you the rainy day shuffle #2.
a baker's dozen of random tunes.

1. Breathe In Breathe Out (feat. Ludacris) // Kanye West
2. 83 // John Mayer
3. Hell No // Sondre Lerche & Regina Spektor
4. Changes // Army Of Me
5. Block Rockin' Beats // The Chemical Brothers
6. Right As Rain (nVMe Remix) // Mick Boogie & Adele
7. Vertigo (U2 Cover) // Lemar
8. Africa Bamba // Santana
9. Zo // Sarbel
10. Go To Sleep // The Avett Brothers
11.  Hoochie Koo (ft. Mos Def & Jim Jones) // The Black Keys
12. Worried Shoes // Karen O & The Kids
13. Check Your Time // Westbound Train

stay dry.

THE SWEETEST THING.

The Sweetest Thing - Lauryn Hill

 The sweetest thing I've ever known
Was like the kiss on the collarbone
Soft caress of happiness
The way you walk, your style of dress
I wish I didn't get so weak
Ooo, baby, just to hear you speak
Makes me argue just to see
How much you're in love with me
See, like a queen, a queen upon her throne.

Your kisses taste like amaretto
Intoxicating, oh, so intoxicating
How sad, how sad that all things come to an end
But then again, I'm, I'm not alone.

It was the sweet, sweet, sweetest thing I know.

damn lauryn, gets me every time.

MIXED.

MIXED

"...All too often, mixed-race people are already perceived as beautiful-because-exotic. All too often, multiracial kids are fawned over by well-meaning strangers for that special something - the texture of their hair, their skin tone, the shape of their eyes, that slight touch of flava. And we must be conscious of oversimplification. We must be mindful that moving forward means not returning to making snap judgments about people based on factors that are only skin-deep. We must recognize that 'exotic' can be a euphemism for 'different' ... Racial mixing and being multiracial alone will not solve our society's problems. That fact that these kids are mixed is not what will make them our ambassadors for a better world. What will do that is the fact that they represent what we all are - unique, questioning, afraid, hopeful, angry, joyous ... But more than this, these children, like all children, are honest and fearless in bringing themselves to the table, honest in showing without prejudice that many of us adults choose to hide, or have forgotten how to show."

-Kip Fulbeck

I AND LOVE AND YOU.

I saw the end of The Avett Brothers set at Newport Folk Festival this past summer, and I kind of wrote them off as just another folk/rock/country hillbilly group. But recently, they've been playing on my iTunes more and more, and the other day I picked up an older album of theirs. Now I can't stop listening! They're like a sweet fusion of Kings of Leon, The Decemberists, Langhorne Slim, Conor Oberst, and Holy Ghost Tent Revival - but not too overbearing. The perfect combination. If that's what you're in to. But I highly recommend you let your ears try them out.

Kick off your boots, pour some Jack, sit back & relax.

LISTEN NOW!

SO GOOD, you won't regret it.

INIFYE.

SUPPORT DISASTER RELIEF IN HAITI.

A NEW DECADE, A NEW PERSPECTIVE.

It's 2010, what up!

I can't believe a decade has gone by so quickly! I can't believe I was only 10 years old last decade! I can't believe all the hype and fear and superstition that surrounded the coming of Y2K! But I do believe that 2010 is gonna be a very good year indeed ...

My fam and I just got back from New York before the Times Square New Year's Eve craze. Last night we were invited to a Vegan Potluck party at my friend's house. Being non-vegan food lovers (meat! cheese! eggs!) we were kind of freaking out and worried that we wouldn't be able to make anything. We settled on cashew curry & coconut rice. If I do say so myself, It was pretty successful! The whole potluck was delicious! (Especially the desserts.) It was a pleasant & different (not to mention, healthy) way to ring in the new year, the new decade. Although I don't think I could ever go strictly vegan, I will resolve to be more vegan-conscious, I suppose. Open my mind to the diversity and variety of vegan foods. (How very Cambridge of me.)

As part of my resolutions (well, I suppose they're more like goals), I'm pushing myself to do more writing, especially to keep up this "blog". We'll see how this goes!

Cheers!

EMPIRE STATE OF MIND.

Take me out tonight
Oh, take me anywhere, I don't care ...

... Well, the pleasure - the privilege is mine
Oh, there is a light and it never goes out.