If You Can't Beat 'Em

Doing the Maker Faire Dance

2009-06-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was Maker Faire, which is easily the coolest event I've ever been to, made even cooler by pulling friends from all over the country here for a visit. Being around people who actually DO things and love novelty and innovation as much as I do was like medicine for my soul. I feel like I have been shaken awake from a long sleep and I am ready to take on new projects and goals to make my world one I want to live in. In the spirit of this event (and damned Mercury no longer being in retrograde) I would like to do a little review of those impact-reducing resolutions I made six months ago and outline my ambitious long-term plan to help make the world I want to live in. Why wait until the new year to make a resolution?

My 6-month report card:

Complete power-down/heat-saving measures/light switch vigilance: It is now a reflexive habit for my partner and I to completely power-down when we are leaving the house/going to bed. Our electric bill plummeted from $125 to $25 within the first 2 months of doing this and no longer running the heater.
Farmer's Market: this has been a little slower becoming a habit, which is stupid on our part, because every time we do go, we end up saving at least $50 on weekly groceries and spend way less time at the grocery store.
Sushi: when I do eat sushi, which is a rarity now, I only order sustainable types.
Stuff I have not accomplished yet: The Diva Cup is quite an initial investment, which I will get around to at some point when I am working more regularly. As far as disposable razors, some day I will be confident enough to stop shaving, but I'm just not there yet.

My ambitious long-term plan, as inspired by the brilliant people at Maker Faire, is to get to the point where I am not buying any completely prefabricated products. It is my goal to be competent enough to make everything I need (barring, of course, things I absolutely cannot make, such as medical products). It will take years of learning and experimentation to get to a fully DIY lifestyle, but I am very excited for the journey. I also hope that I am able to inspire others to empower themselves with self-sufficient living while fully minimizing their carbon footprint.

I would like to do a shout-out to a few of the amazing makers I met (some I already knew) last weekend at the Faire. Please check out their awesomeness and support DIY culture.

Alex Peake at Tactical Corsets. Sexy, functional and empowering. I'll be saving my pennies for his products, for sure!
The talented Jill-of-all-trades Libby Bulloff. Please check out her breath-taking photography.
Bay area alt-artist Suzanne Forbes.
The good folks at Sparkfun. Open source development platforms and parts/plans for microcontrollers. They call themselves "electronic enablers." Enjoy!
When science is adorable: Solarbotics! They have plans and parts for solar powered bot-making. I need to get a soldering iron so I can make the cute bug-bots they had on display at the Faire.
The Crucible: a non-profit, Bay Area organization that supports the love and continuation of DIY industrial and fire arts through classes, public awareness, and space providence. I will be taking their Intro to Fire Performance class very soon and you should too! Or at least check out their extensive class listings for something more to your liking.

Here is the full list of makers present at the Faire. Please browse and support! If you'd like, share links to your favorite makers in the comments.

Yeah, it's Been a While

2009-04-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have an explanation. In late January, a family member's chronic health condition had a month and half long flare-up, the care of which took precedent over everything else for a while. Then I had a pretty nice, yet exhausting temp job for a few weeks. Finally, I was struck with the immense task of following up my last post, which was arguably the biggest news story since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. I mean, really, what can immediately follow the Obama election without seeming fairly inconsequential?

Oh, I know. How about North Korea launching a test missile in a grand display of fear-monguering and penis waggling. Yes, we get it Kim, you're a crazy motherfucker, but this is no way to go about earning anything resembling respect or legitimacy in the international community. Between North Korea wanting to blow everyone up, the unrest in Pakistan getting worse by the day, the economy, and the general doom, gloom, end of days crap that's going around, I think the world needs a little bit of levity. Seth Rogan, what have you got for us? An elaborate stunt to put date rape humor into the mainstream?

Really, Seth? Really? I quit. ::headdesk::

Thankfully, I can always look to the scientific front for news that doesn't make me want to jump off a building. The 2009 Medical Design Excellence Award winners were announced this week and they are really exciting. This year's winners include a body-suit that quickly cools the body temperature down to hybernation in the midst of a heart attack or stroke to buy time against brain damage and a bunch of other freaking awesome devices that you should just check out yourself. Also, scientists have determined that eating baby broccoli might prevent stomach cancer and other digestive ailments. Yay science! Now if they could just find a common food that defends against severe spring allergies, I'd be good to go.

To my dedicated readers, if I have any left, I just want to say thanks for your patience and your continued support.

I Never Thought It Would Happen ("My Favorite Things" Edition)

2009-01-20T14:27:00.000-08:00

-A liberal realist president
-A black president
-An articulate president
-A president with an intelligent sense of humor
-A strong, inviting First Lady
-The end of Bush's reign of terror
-A return to a focus on service and social equality
-The opening of honest conversations on race and racism
-The hope of peace
-The death knell of Neo-Conservatism
-A brighter outlook for my little brother, my nephew, and my future kids

These are a few of my favorite things!

I am so inspired today to make positive changes in my own life to live up to the standards our new president has set in the realm of dignity, honor, courage and tenacity. The success of his struggle and the outcome of his hard work and humility make me want to be a better person and work even harder to make my corner of the world better. We all need to acknowledge our responsibility to lift each other up and ensure that every person no matter their age, race, gender, nationality, or socioeconomic class has the same opportunities to life, health and education. And now, we might just have an administration who will back us up in those goals.

Good morning, friends. Open your eyes to a new, beautiful day for America and the possibilities therein.

Post-Rally Pondering

2009-01-14T23:36:00.000-08:00

Tonight's rally to bring justice to Oscar Grant and all others lost to police brutality was moving and gave me a lot to think about. Most important to note was the joy, hope and determination felt with the knowledge that the officer involved was apprehended in Nevada earlier in the day. I will continue to keep you posted as things develop, but for now, I leave you with my favorite images of the evening.

It's hard to convey the magnitude of people in attendance. Early estimates suggest close to 500 attendees around Frank Ogawa Square.

The place was crawling with media, but the faces of the community shone through.

A sea of signs, cameras and consternation

Even the youngest participated in the "Lay In," nearly 100 people laying face-down, emulating Oscar Grant, chanting "Please don't shoot," while the names of victims of police brutality were read off along with Oscar Grant.

An event organizer calling for donations to support Oscar Grant's family.

The rally marched from city hall to the courthouse to listen to a rousing speech by Keith Muhammad, a minister with the Nation of Islam.

Protesters push back to City Hall after making the rounds of the march.

A handful of assholes decided to directly defy calls from organizers and the Grant family by following the peaceful, positive rally with further violent action against local businesses. It is appalling that they continue to appropriate Oscar Grant's memory and the energy of this positive moment to fulfill their own misdirected need for destruction. Shame on them and shame on the local media for ALREADY equating these miscreants with the movement and giving them more coverage than the rally itself. For once, I'm really glad I am not with a mainstream media outlet where in I would be forced to cover that insanity. Fuck sensationalism and fuck needless violence.

An Update on the Quest for Justice

2009-01-10T20:39:00.001-08:00

Well, I said I'd update with news and images if situations presented themselves, but things have been oddly quiet since the mayhem of the other night, on account of the city's response being swift and appropriate. The people were heard; the violence has ceased; the authorities have made the first step in doing the right thing. If that's not news, I don't know what is. The BART authorities have publicly apologized and the Oakland PD have now opened up the shooting as an external, criminal investigation, instead of permitting the BART authorities the opacity they are so used to enjoying. I'd make a wager that the officer involved will not walk away without an involuntary manslaughter-criminal negligence charge, as it should be. The authorities are also seriously considering developing a community oversight committee which would be lead by members of the public to be a much-needed check on the historically trigger-happy group of bullies that are the BART police.

All of this positive response begs the question, would it have happened without the violence? Would the movement have been taken seriously if they had merely stood at the BART stations handing out fliers, blocking the entrances and singing Kum-bi-ya? Sadly, I doubt it. The violence against private citizens and the damage to local businesses has been roundly decried by both the community and the original rally organizers. I wonder, though, if the city's unexpectedly swift, appropriate response is evident of a real change of heart, or rather a knee jerk move to shut everyone up and prevent a second wave of chaos, a move that just so happened to be the right thing.

As unfortunate as the violence truly was, I think that it ended up being necessary for justice to be served and accountability to be shown on the part of the BART authorities. Without the fear of further political and social unrest, I believe the movement would have gone the way of the Berkeley tree sitters: irritating, but ultimately unheard. The peaceful protests, nonviolent dissent, and sit-ins of the civil rights movement don't do jack squat in our society anymore, and that's a real shame. That speaks to the deep lack of respect our government has for its people. Our traditional lack of long-term memory as a culture has convinced our overlords that if they ignore us, our passion will fizzle out and we will go away. Our apathy has proven to them that they don't need to listen to us unless we're really going to mess things up. They can ignorance a nuisance; they can't ignore a riot, which means it takes nothing short of a riot to be taken seriously these days. What a sad, sad state of affairs.

We hope for peace in Gaza, at the same time we responded to violence on our country with magnitudes more intense violence on Afghanistan and Iraq. Our mouths say, "Live and let live," while we support widescale displacement of peoples in Gaza. We try to teach our kids that violence and fighting don't solve anything, but the overwhelming message sent by the authorities' response to calls for peace and transparency are deaf ears and blind eyes. Would we hear the plight of the Palestinians without Hamas' mortars? Would there be a criminal investigation into the shooting of Oscar Grant without Wednesday night's riot?

I think you know the answer.

Calm Like a Bomb

2009-01-08T17:48:00.000-08:00

Today was a peaceful breath, the calm before what is expected to be part two of last night's dangerous riot. Last night a peaceful protest turned into an ugly, dangerous riot that has caused upwards of $500,000 of damage to private property in the neighborhood where I live. The people of this city are furious at the shooting death of a 22 year old father of two by a police officer with the Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART). The officer, who claims to have been reaching for his taser, but instead grabbed his gun, shot and killed the young man when he was already laying face down on the ground, apprehended. The protest was to bring the public transportation system to a halt to force awareness and bring about justice for the victim. What followed was a terrifying scene reminiscent of a war zone. Cars on fire, looting, SWAT teams, riot police, tear gas, explosions, at least 12 helicopters circling with search lamps for 5 hours. It's the most bizarre thing I've ever seen, a sea of people roaming in the streets, breaking into cars and store fronts, halting traffic; fearless brutes lurching and devouring cars like so many insects stripping a carcass and moving on.

Who is to blame for this scene? The angry, seething masses grasping to be heard? The police officer who pulled his gun when he meant to pull his taser? The economy? The history of police brutality in this area? This city is a powder keg. Racial tensions, economic strife, a culture of turf violence; it is hardly surprising that the response to white cop on black youth violence would quickly turn to into this.

As much as I wish I would have gotten some photos of last night's insanity, when the burning cars began to explode down the block from my apartment, I decided to stay inside. I'm glad I did. Talking to a San Francisco Chronicle photog this afternoon, I was informed that the handful of media journalists who were on hand during the riot did not fare well. Most of them received damage to their equipment and one journalist ended up being beaten for taking video coverage. Yep, glad I kept me and my uninsured equipment at home.

This afternoon I roamed around my neighborhood taking pictures of the aftermath and talking to people waiting around for something to happen outside of the BART offices, 3 blocks from my home. In my neighborhood, there were 200 police officers stationed just waiting for something to happen. Here is a very detailed timeline of what has been going on in the past 24 hours, courtesy of the Oakland Tribune. They have been updating very regularly, so keep checking back there.

I was really impressed by the rapid clean up in the wee hours of the morning. By the time I got out and about mid-morning, much of the devastation had been swept up and hidden away, but whispers of the conflict can still be seen everywhere. (Sadly no skeletons of burnt out cars. They scuttled those away right quick.) Below are a few shots from the day.

Busted window at a shop two blocks from my apartment.

Somebody should have invested in safety glass.

Completely shattered shop window a block away from my apartment.

What appears to be the handiwork of a bullet in the window of a cafe I frequent.

A sample of the police presence downtown today.

A cop preparing his riot gear for a conflict that never materialized this afternoon.

Another cadre of officers waiting in the park near my house.

A small group of protesters hassling the cops outside of the BART offices.

One of the protesters being handcuffed after throwing a cigarette at a cop.

I have the feeling that this is nowhere near over. I will faithfully communicate information and images to you as I gather them. I still hear helicopters and sirens as a pregnant pause descends on the city.

Is it safe to come out?

2008-12-26T16:08:00.000-08:00

A new day has dawned; the holidays are over!!! The new year is within eye-shot! Like I mentioned in an earlier post, the Christmas spirit eluded me this year. I gave an honest try, baking somewhere around 300 cookies last week, but my steam sputtered out early to until I didn't even have the energy to go to Midnight Mass at the cathedral 5 blocks from my house. Sorry, God, but between not being able to afford Christmas presents, getting a heating bill for twice my average amount due to the recent cold snap, and being too broke to get home for Christmas, I'm inclined to convert to Judaism just to avoid ever having to deal with this crappy holiday again. Blah.

So let's just pretend the last month didn't happen, shall we? Yes. Looking ahead with slightly more optimism, we can convince ourselves that an arbitrary change from 8 to 9 does actually reset the clock to a brighter tomorrow. If nothing else, it's one number closer 2012, to which I say, "Bring it on."

Now, I normally boycott New Year's resolutions on account of my irritation with putting any special significance for life changing decisions on any particular, arbitrary day. However, this year I have decided to partake in this cultural phenomenon. I resolve to seriously reduce my environmental impact, questioning every decision in terms of what's best for the environment. I've always been militant about recycling and only eating organic/free range (my mom totally did it before it was cool), but there are so many more ways I can do better. This line of thinking was sparked by my future mom-in-law giving me one of those super hip metal water bottles, easily my favorite present this year. I was so excited, because oh my god, I have an easy alternative to plastic water bottles now, yay! Even though I always recycle them, this is even better! Now, what else can I do? Well here's a list of things I vow to attempt:

Completely turn off and unplug everything in my apartment for at least 2 hours every day
Insulate my windows to cut down on heating use (and cost, double win!)
Get off my ass and go to the farmer's market every Saturday for local produce
Invest in a Diva Cup to minimize my monthly gift's impact
Utilize candle light
Watch less TV
Turn off my computer at night
Patronize enivronmentally conscious stores
Sacrifice my individually wrapped string cheese sticks
Cut down, if not completely eliminate, my sushi consumption
And finally, the hardest one of all, ween myself off smooth, hairless gams

Alright, here's hoping for a better, greener and more gainfully employed year for all.

Good riddance 2008, you lousy bastard. 2009, I welcome you with green, open arms!

Impromtu Video Game Review

2008-12-16T23:21:00.000-08:00

Have you guys played Little Big Planet yet? It's one of the most challenging games I've played in a while, but also the most rewarding I've played possibly ever. You're a cute little sack poppet running around solving puzzles and trying not to explode in weird little worlds with gorgeous graphics and innovative physics concepts. Even the credits portion is pleasing to the eye. It's beautiful, stimulating, sciency and non-violent all at the same time! Squee!

With all of this weird, chilly weather hitting the bay area, you better believe I'm spending my days curled up on the couch with hot chocolate playing levels of Little Big Planet in between job applications. It's supposed to get down to 33 degrees tonight and it might even snow, which makes kind of happy because it's more like home, but it also makes me really sad for the homeless tonight. The wind coming off the water is bitter cold. Maybe I'll find a soup kitchen that needs a volunteer, because in these sad economic times, we all need to come together and do what we can for each other. Stay warm out there.

Yay Rain!

2008-12-15T23:22:00.000-08:00

I think the rainy season finally hit the Bay Area and it's beautiful! It's not snow, but I'll take it. The clouds, I should have taken pictures earlier. Ah well, I am a sad waste of a photojournalism degree. Next time maybe I won't suck and I'll remember to take pictures. Speaking of a sad waste, I'm still unemployed. Oh boy! I graduated a year ago, I've put in hundreds of job applications and STILL haven't gotten an interview call yet. Ha! I feel like such a winner! (A winner is me?) Boo. I'm so broke in fact that I've had to stop spending as much time as I'd like on Etsy and Boing Boing, because they keep showing me the perfect gifts I can't afford to get my loved ones. Thanks guys.

I know I'm in good company though. While yet another Wall Street scandal has hit the presses, the Detroit papers have decided to stop home delivery, California's Republicans are calling for mass layoffs, and even the Gawker affiliates are having to cut back staff and hours, it's not feeling much like Christmas. I've canceled all of the holiday movies from my Netflix queue and I'm inclined to just take down all what little decor I've put up and call it a year. As a state and a country, we are fucked and we're going to continue feeling the drippy, stretched-out, sore orifice of said fucking for quite some time, probably still long after Obama takes office. While I'm looking forward to January 20th as much as any raging liberal, it's going to be long time before Obama will be able to implement his proposed changes in a way that you and I can actually feel.

Sorry for the downer post. Maybe it's the weather; maybe it's the bourbon-spiked eggnog, but I'm cranky and contemplative tonight, so this is it, my triumphant return to news analysis. But just because you all know that I hate to end on a sour note, I give to you the most pleasing intensely NSFW photo gallery I've seen in a long time. Maybe the best things in life really are free.

Sorry Guiz

2008-12-06T18:18:00.000-08:00

So, I realize I completely disappeared for a while and I apologize for that. I really couldn't handle the weight of the world for a long time, but I'm back now. I'm STILL unemployed, so I really just don't know what to do next or where I will find myself, but I do know that I need to come back here and write and analyze the news or I'll go crazy again.

Be on the look out. I'm back bishezzzzz!

LSAT of DOOM!!!

2008-10-01T21:51:00.000-07:00

It is 10pm on a Wednesday night and I am officially a basketcase. This week has been me drilling for the LSAT I am [finally] taking on Saturday. All the worrying about the test and those damn logic puzzles have completely consumed my brain, and even though I am starved for social contact, I doubt I would be any fun to be around at all right now. I literally can focus on nothing else right now, because I am so paranoid about the exam. Not Sarah Palin, not the starving children of Africa, not Russia; only whether or not I have practiced the right types of puzzles and if I know as much as I think I do. Thankfully, I have a friend taking it the same day as me who has a brain much better suited for the logic puzzles than I and has been giving me help when I start freaking out too hard. Maybe I should just say fuck it with the studying tomorrow and go to the beach. I haven't left the apartment since Sunday ::bangs head on desk repeatedly::

The Sky is Falling! The Sky is Falling!

2008-09-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

Who else is burnt out on the news this week? Raise your hands! Between the terrifying state of the economy, Palin-Watch 2008, and threats of a "New Cold War" with Russia, I am actively avoiding the news. I feel like I have the basic gist of anything that could possibly be said: The economy is in the shitter, it's not going to get better for a long time, any past headway gained against terrorism in the Middle East has been completely invalidated, Google is taking over the world, McCain-Palin are incompetent and the apocalypse is nye. Did I pretty much cover it? So yeah, no more news for me for a while. Not even the Daily Show.

This morning, my partner and I were trying to remember who has been bought out by what and who is still standing and between the two of us we could not sort it out. What a mess! The one comment I will make, however, is that I truly hope the $700 billion bail-out does not get approved, because all of those greedy, incompetent boobs made their beds. Let those pigs go lie in them so the fall of capitalism may usher in the revolution! The oligarchical demise is so close I can taste the blood of the guilty and it is yummy, like cotton candy and dreams.

Last week, we got a cat, and today he ate my purse. (If that's not an approriate metaphor for the economy, I don't know what is.) Besides the purse eating, air mattress puncturing, and fish tormenting, he is pretty damn adorable. To distract you from the end of the world I give you:

(I don't actually have any pix of him yet, but that's a pretty accurate representation of The Honorable Sir Worchester Noodle)

Emerging from the Cave of Doom and Gloom: Contemplating a Significant Day

2008-09-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

Today is September 11; a sad day of remembrance for many people, but my reason is a little different. It's been a month to the day since my dad died and every day the emotions and realizations are different and raw. The first week I was certainly numb, which was helpful in being a rock for my family, overseeing all of the preparations so no one else had to. The second week, when I returned from Indiana, I was angry, resentful and lost, doing very little beyond watching TV and sleeping. Last week, I started making decisions again, missing my friends and my life. This week, I've made leaps in rejoining the human race, both joining the SCA and becoming the likely candidate for the East Bay representative to the SF IU Alumni Association. Yesterday, I was inexplicably, explosively sad, yet ended up shaking hands with Michael McRobbie, the president of IU and of whom I am a total fangirl (I also met his wife, who is an exquisite lady). Today, I am quietly thoughtful and gearing up to hang out with new SCA folks tonight. Some days I feel really pathetic, but stepping back like this, I think I'm doing remarkably well. Each day is a process and I've just got to embrace the flow, recognizing that some days will be much harder than others.

In regards to that other reason today is significant, I can't believe it's already been 7 years. The way the politicians and pundits keep talking about and summoning fear over it, you'd think it happened last week. Though what happened was tragic and I don't mean to be callous, we as a country need to move on. Every mourning period must evolve for it to be a healing process, but we keep getting sucked back into the yearly loop of desperation and fear. For the people who lost loved ones in World Trade Center attacks, I'm obviously not talking to you, but the rest of us need to let the true mourners have their sadness and we need to move on in regards to foreign policy and homeland security goals. It's tremendous that we have not had another attack since then, but this culture of fear and anxiety is an unhealthy atmosphere to raise a society and it has clouded our judgment on issues like the economy and funding for education. There are other ways to prove our strength as a country that have nothing to do with our military. I hope as this election cycle draws closer to the big dance, the country's eyes can be opened to the possibility of a new day without fear. Be well, America.

My Life is a Dark Comedy [edited]

2008-08-11T06:25:00.000-07:00

I decided to delete the original post on the matter, because it was too raw. This was the day my dad died and everything changed. Here is the obituary I wrote. Dad, I hope you have found some sort of peace, because here, you have left everything a mess.

Depression is [not] a Funny Thing

2008-08-10T23:30:00.000-07:00

To all of you on whose del.icio.us accounts and RSS feeds I have resided, silent, for the past three months and those who have been subjected to accidentally reading "George Bush Hates Black People" multiple times (Gi), I humbly apologize. I have a handful of dedicated readers and fans who I have let down and frankly there's no damn excuse for my shoddy performance. My bad, kids; it won't happen anymore.

To be perfectly honest, I have been miserably immersed in one of the most serious cases of depression I've experienced since perhaps high school, and though I do not see a light at the end of a tunnel or have any hope that I will someday "get better" and be magically cured of my chronic ailment, I do recognize the profound need for social interaction, no matter how acutely unappealing. Somewhere in my addled brain I love my friends and am thankful for the good things that do exist in my world.

Not being able to find a job in the past 8 months has truly shaken me. I look at my resume and it's perfect. It's sharp; it says things like "2 years at a major publishing house" and "nearly 4 years at a critically acclaimed newspaper." On it is my dual degree and my excellent GPA.
After the "sure thing" at the group home fell through dramatically and painfully, I've applied for every job listing I see that's even remotely related to my experience, but not a single place has replied. My temp agencies have even stopped returning my calls. I feel like a joke. Incomplete. A waste of life.

Now my family is falling apart back in Indiana. Between the floods destroying my hometown and washing away a beloved family pet a month ago, my dad's mental state deteriorating and my grandmother dying a slow, agonizing death of esophageal cancer, things are rough and I am having a really difficult time even getting out of bed. I feel like I've abandoned my family when they need me most and for what? The colossal failure that has been my post-college experience? Despite the love I have for my partner and my friends, was coming out here a mistake? What is wrong with me that I just can't seem to make the right decisions? Just some heavy questions I'm dealing with.

So, I cleared out my meager savings at the urging of my partner, and Wednesday I will be heading home to Indiana for a week to say hello to my family and goodbye to my grandmother. Maybe then I'll be able to put some things to peace and regain some semblance of confidence. I don't know, but I hope something better will be waiting for me when I return.

George Bush Hates Black People

2008-05-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

Sure, Kanye West's post-Katrina rant sounded more like the ramblings of a crazy conspiracy theorist than a qualified expert on urban race relations, but the longer I work with inner city youth in West Oakland, the more I see how right Mr. West indeed was. While there are parts of the country where race divides aren't as apparent, where the substantial majority of the poor and rich alike are white (like where I hail from in Indiana), here in Oakland, the race-class divide is disturbingly apparent. The social service I work for currently gives aid to about 150 different homeless and at-risk youth a month, aged between 14-24. And despite an almost equal percentage of black and white citizens in the Oakland area, all but one of our regular clients at the shelter are black or Hispanic kids. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to notice the gross imbalance of those statistics. At the moment, we have a government that refuses to acknowledge the institutionalized racism within the education and incarceration systems, which exhibits itself in the social blights of drug abuse, teen pregnancy, and urban violence.

We are losing entire generations of bright, young black men to the machine of anger and violence, perpetuated by a system that shows them on a daily basis that there is no way out of the cycle for them. Incarceration policies unfairly target the poor, which are, in many cases, young black men. The Bush Administrations policy of accelerated defunding of public schools also unfairly targets poor, urban districts, which have a greater chance of being primarily black or Hispanic children. Where rich, whiter schools have a greater chance of picking up the slack with their tax base when the government defunds their districts, these poorer schools are left to keep it together with the scraps left behind. They can no longer fund the extracurricular arts, sports, and music programs that inspire kids to greater things than the street life. They cannot afford even the most basically qualified teachers, because the cost of living is too high to keep them, and even when the qualified teachers stay on account of charity, their creativity is stifled by the curriculum constraints developed for kids whose experiential frames are vastly different from those accustomed to street life and the gangsta lifestyle.

On top of that, the Bush policy of abstinence only sex ed is doing our impoverished kids a serious disservice, promoting the silence and ignorance around the subject of sexuality and sexual freedom that are already rampant in urban culture. Here's a newsflash: Oakland kids are growing up in a milieu where 13 year old girls are frequently lured into the world of prostitution. And you're telling them to keep it in their pants until marriage?! Come on. These kids deserve to know the truth and be armed with the tools to protect themselves from predators, disease, and peer abuse.

It doesn't matter who gets the Democratic nomination within the next few weeks. Neither one of them will be the magic bullet to fix this issue. It's going to take a lot of hard work, love, and grace from the people who have the choice to look the other way. They are just children, but they are shooting each other in the streets, prostituting each other to pedophiles, and spending their entire lives in jail on account of the three-strikes rule, all because the Bush Administration has aggressively looked the other direction. I'm tired of seeing bright kids come into my office, talking nonchalantly of shooting each other and snorting heroin, because they truly believe they have nothing to live for or to contribute to society.

Hello Consistent Month-Long Gaps

2008-05-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

I have been without the interwebs for a month. A MONTH! We moved to a beautiful new place, right in the heart of downtown Oakland and it took weeks for Comcast to come hand us a box and a CD. What?! You went with Comcast?! (you might say) Yes, well. AT&T's system was down (the same system you want us to pay for, you can't even keep running? no thanks) the day we were looking to get hooked up and that made us a little nervous, so we went with the more expensive and fascist Comcast. For now, I cringe at the reality of sending money to one of the less net neutral providers out there, but I truly believe that universal Wi-Fi will be a reality within the next decade. Yes I do.

But for now, I am back up and running and you can expect much more of me. Maybe I'll even blog some more when I get off of work tonight; I have a month's worth of things to say.

Ode to the Neighborhood Skunk

2008-03-07T22:51:00.000-08:00

I suppose I am not old enough to know any great truths

In the city there are tight expanses
Of light and buzzing and -scapes
But I get back to the page and I'm lost

Look, I wasn't ready to say goodbye, okay?
I just can't finish this

Commence and cry and fuck me
There remain questions too trite to voice
And protests that whither
Under the weight of resolve

Gagged and bound, we stumble
Ever-onward
Toward some vague hope of silence

Um, coolest bed ever

2008-02-21T17:35:00.001-08:00

I don't think I've ever salivated over a bed before, but this hits both my tech fetish and my aesthetic button. I don't just want to have sex on that bed, I want to have sex with that bed.

The site is not in English, but the commercial is, so just scroll down and find the video. It's something else.

Teh Question, Redux

2008-02-17T23:33:00.000-08:00

To clarify, the question is not how do you know that you want something but the process by which you reach the realization that you desire. Carry on.

I'm having an Amy Winehouse sort of day

2008-02-17T20:31:00.000-08:00

No, no, not THAT kind of Amy Winehouse day, just a day where her sultry voice and Cuban-inspired beats are just what this lonely, unemployed sex goddess needs. I am pretty handy, though, as I fixed my beloved yet fritzy iPod all on my own earlier. Eat that, Steve (Jobs). It's working again which was awesome for public trasiting around the East Bay today, so I got to bop to Ms. Amy on the BART platforms and over-priced ACT buses alike. Yay!

And to clarify, an Amy Winehouse sort of day means I feel heartbroken for a moment, then remember I'm not; I want to be in love, then remember that I am; I want to get fucked up, then remember I want to be a mom and don't want to hurt myself anymore for fear of jeopardizing that beautiful future, etc. It's a lot of conflicting desires. My partner posed an interesting question that's been echoing in my brain for about 5 days now. He asked me what process I go through in deciding what I want. Not the actual getting of what I want, but the deciding part. I honestly couldn't tell him. I don't know, and I've been racking my brain, analyzing my behavior til my eyes cross trying to figure out why I want what I want when I want it, and I'm stuck. So, I pose the question to you, readers, beyond biological urges like sex and food, how do you decide what you want and when posed with conflicting ideals, how does one trump the other?

Hail!

2008-02-07T11:44:00.001-08:00

Mitt's out!!! Only one more religious crazy person to go before we have a sane (ish) November election.

Also, there are apparently about 5 different strains of flu tearing apart the Bay Area and I am now on bout #2, because my immune system is not used to the local pathogens. oh boy. I have so high a fever, it feels like all my bones are breaking. Sorry to bitch, but ugh.

Super Fat Tuesday Edition

2008-02-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

Ooooooooh, the primaries AND Mardi Gras, what's a girl to do? I missed the deadline for registering to vote in my new home state's primaries so now I just get to sit back and bite my nails as the rest of the country narrows down the contenders for lesser of evils, etc. I hope McCain gets the Republican seed, honestly, because then the November election will actually be interesting and won't be everyone just schlopping off to the polls trying not to vomit on account of Huckabee or Romney. Just say no to religious zealots, Red States, I beg you. The Democrats? I'm leaning towards Obama, mostly for his sense of humour, as I'm fairly certain Hillary has no funny bones. Not a single one. She's full of snark, sure, but actually organic funniness is thin on the ground with her. And that's really what's important to me. Can you, Mister or Madame ruler of the free world, make fun of thyself? I believe it is a major telling point for humility and earnestness. If you can't poke fun at yourself and the system, you are way too serious for the job.

As for Mardi Gras, I have no plans, as of yet, but if someone wants to throw beads at me you just have to find me.

And now for my list of distressing online discoveries during my last week of absence:

For the Brown-Eyed Girl (or boy) in your Life- This Valentine's Day, guarantee that you will never get laid again by laying down $50 for an ever-so-thoughtful asshole bleaching kit for your honey. Apparently, ladies and gents of post-industrialized countries have run out of things to worry about and now require their lovers to have more "youthful" anuses. I know I hate it when my lover's brown-eye is all puffy and tired-looking. Total turn off. (what?) Also, I apologize for totally destroying any good feelings you had about Van Morrison, but Daily Candy went there first.
Warning: May cause permanent destruction of key childhood memories (link NSFW)- Okay, so it's been the query of the ages as to why there was only the one female smurf, giving rise to many a snarky gang bang reference. Well some sick fucks finally went there, with a live action, 7-ish minute, homemade porno of what life in the little blue village must have been like for young, lithe Smurfette. It's one of the most hilarious in a train-wreck-can't-look-away sort of way experiences I've had in a while, but I warn you that you may feel compelled to bathe your brain in butt bleach after the fact. There is absolutely nothing sexy about this AT ALL, but I am so glad someone finally did what we were all thinking.
Depressed Soldiers Make More Effective Killing Machines- The military has noticed that the more depressed a soldier is, the less regard he/she has for his/her own life and is thus more likely to run full on into more dangerous situations. Due to this discovery, there is talk that the military might start feeding our soldiers the opposite of Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors like Prozac, because less serotonin=more depression=less fear of dangerous situations. Right, because that's exactly what we need, soldiers coming back even more fucked up and depressed. I'll just let the article speak for itself (my government gives me the willies).
Bridezilla Has Reached New Lows- According to a poll done by some uppity bridal planning mag, upwards of 50% of brides seriously consider making their bridal party participants sign contracts that forbid them to gain weight, get pregnant, change their hair, etc. before the wedding and to behave appropriately during the reception. To these brides I have three things to say:

Calm the fuck down. You are missing the point. This day is celebration of your partnership which should be a relaxing, fun, exciting endeavor where everyone is as happy and comfortable as possible. This is NOT an excuse to be a bitch to the people who are doing you a favor by making your wedding possible. There are other people involved, not just you. You don't deserve love if it's going to make you that fucking bitchy.
If your friends are that obnoxious that you have to make them sign a contract not to be embarrassing boors at your reception, maybe you should be a little more discerning about who you are close to, i.e. GET FRIENDS WHO DON'T SUCK.
This is the sort of story that makes men run in the opposite direction of marriage. Quit fucking it up for the rest of us perfectly sane women who hope to be brides someday.

And now here are a few things that make me want to grab the world and kiss it:

Dita von Teese is Pretty in Pink: The ever luscious Dita is looking a little less vamp and a little more fresh-faced suburban nymph in the recent spread she did for Blender. I always dig her usual, painted-lady pin-up look, but this with her dark hair unpinned and cascading down her shoulders and her flirtation with innocence is a really pleasant switch.
Massive Fail? WANT!- I'm probably the last person in cyberspace to have come across the FAIL Blog, but I don't care. It makes me very happy, so happy, in fact, that it is my new meme of the week.
Geek Love- If I celebrated V-Day, this is so what I would want. Oh, the epic geekdom!
I'm Fucking Matt Damon- Okay, not so. But Sarah Silverman is. Now, I rarely dig Matt Damon and I really don't like Sarah Silverman, but the clip from the other night's Jimmy Kimmel show made me laugh and deserves rehashing, because there is not enough joy in the world. And Matt Damon is cute.

Okay, that's all for today, kids. Now it's back to the job search. Woo-hoo.

It's my Day-After-Birthday!

2008-01-29T19:03:00.000-08:00

That is all...

There's Nothing Like the Stomach Flu...

2008-01-26T23:18:00.000-08:00

...to remind you of how awesome it is not to have the stomach flu. I've been unbelievably sick for the majority of the week, but I think I might be coming out of it now. All I know is I'm fucking starving; even Mandy Morbid's latest (REALLY NSFW) foray with food is appealing, and I usually can't stand food play. Still does NOT turn me on, but I really want chocolate pudding now. The Jell-O Company should hire her as a spokesperson, their new campaign: "If we're good enough for Mandy's tits, we're good enough for your kids' packed lunches." (Or, alternately, "if we're good enough for Mandy's box, we're good enough for a lunch box." So many possibilities with this one.)

I tell you what though, one thing I always appreciate with Mandy is that it's always obvious she is having a great time. She's a gorgeous gal who enjoys herself and is kind enough to share that joy with the world. God bless Mandy.

On kind of a sad note, the creators of lolsecretz have announced the end of their meme. To the creators, thanks for bringing that special, sardonic bit of joy into the world for the short time you did. It was awesome while it lasted. Or in lolspeak: fangs for teh laffs, lolsecretz. i misses yuo aweddy.

Yes I prefer apartments, but damn...

2008-01-23T18:06:00.000-08:00

I have three questions for my upstairs neighbors. wait, make it four.

1. why don't you ever sleep?
2. how can two, 120 lb chicks sound like tap dancing cave trolls wearing squeegee boots whenever you traverse your carpeted living room?
3. why do you play techno at deafeningly high volumes starting precisely at 9:12 a.m. every fucking morning?
4. why does my bathroom smell like bacon every time you shower?

The mind boggles, really.

Happy Blue Monday?

2008-01-21T16:37:00.000-08:00

Supposedly, today is the most depressing day of the year and California's weather certainly got the memo; it snapped from a week and a half of gorgeous sunniness to 48 degrees, windy and rainy over night. Boo. DO NOT WANT

I am coping by spending the vast majority of my day in my pj's watching "Dexter" and wrapped in an electric blanket. The news today, however, is no more depressing than usual, that is to say, how could the world possibly get worse barring nuclear holocaust or pandemic flu? Somewhat comforting, no? But that's another post entirely, I'm sure.

The real point of today's brief post is Martin Luther King Jr. We are all well aware that he was an amazing advocate for peace and unity in America (and probable philanderer, but, you know, every Superman has a kryptonite). What you don't hear about is what he vocalized in the last years of his life. While he had won victory after political victory for racial equality in America, he still had a dream of economic equality, a classless society, where the poor could have equal opportunities. For, what good could political desegregation measures do if the children of the poor (and most often black) did not have the money or access to enjoy their newly won rights? It's as if those rights would not exist at all. MLKJ became an increasingly outspoken advocate of socialism and the rise of the working man. Very dangerous stuff in Vietnam-era America, apparently, as these later speeches and sermons were denounced by the government and the media, his reputation shat upon by those who once supported him, and the transcripts spirited away from the history books. We, America, must rectify this injustice by continuing part two of his dream. We must continue to fight for a socialized society, one that offers true equality to the poor of all colors an creeds. The realization of this dream is not a terrible stretch. We have all the tools to accomplish it (money, numbers, ideological solidarity), we must merely believe in the dream and be willing to die for it. For to neglect his dream while raising him up as a saint makes us as guilty as his assassins.

As I generally like to end on a slightly up note, this is the funniest picture I've seen in ages:

That guy in the power tie, if you can't tell, is President Bush, and that little girl's face is priceless. Also, LolSecretz is back up and running after a two-week glitch. I am embarrassingly ecstatic about this state of affairs.

Where DID the last week go?

2008-01-17T21:01:00.000-08:00

Well, it's lost somewhere in between job hunting in Berkeley and fuck-all, I have no idea. Since I've been back, I've fallen into this weird crack in the time space continuum. I need a job for no other reason than to know what day it is. And to break the monotony of catching up on episodes of Dexter in between sending pleading cover letters and pseudo-desperate applications to potential employers while my roommates are at work and school. On the plus side, while most of the help-wanted ads kind of make me want to wander onto oncoming 880 traffic, there is some funny shit on there, like ads for fluffers (if you don't know, I'm not gonna tell you), editorial internships that require a minimum PhD, and this guy. I was definitely laughing hysterically by the end of today's search.

Also, since I just got back into town, may I politely suggest that someone get me this as a welcome home gift. Seriously I love it.

It's a Vajayjay couch!!

It was posted on Craigslist but has now been curiously flagged for removal. Who is the fucking killjoy?! Are fluffy pussies too risk-AY for Craig? Grrrrr.... I left the Midwest specifically to get away from this sort of closed-minded cock-blocking.

Came across this chick today. She does some really neat things with her camera, narcissism (in the most delicious way possible) and something resembling photoshop. Also, her blog is really sexy. Check her out.

A Reason to Vote....

2008-01-09T15:03:00.001-08:00

I know there is a fair amount of contention within the anarchist community on whether voting while living in a democratic system is a tool to monkeywrench from the inside or an abominable act of compliance. Can a moral act within a corrupt system still be considered moral or is its essential nature fundamentally immoral due its existence within an oppressive system? As my partner would say, it is a thing. I certainly believe in situational purity, that when the two options are equally evil, abstention is the most moral response. Such was the case for me in the Kerry-Bush election. (Some blame for the last four years of awful must be placed on the Democrats' shoulders for nominating an unpopular, stilted windbag in such a key election year. They seem to have learned their lesson, though, with the overwhelmingly qualified pool of candidates this year. Yummy.) However, when one option is so overwhelmingly evil and the other might actually facilitate some positive change, it is immoral to passively allow the overwhelming evil to overcome, which brings me to the point of this post.

If Mike Huckabee wins the Republican bid, as he very well may, any anarchist who does not do everything in his or her power to prevent his ascent will be guilty on account of apathy for the moral carnage guaranteed to follow. He is an evangelical preacher. The evangelicals hate women, GLBTQ anything, art, music, science, yoga, vegetarians, the environment, and everything that is good and wholesome and loving in the world. (Caveat: if people choose to believe in such things, I will fight furiously for their right to do so, even though they would not return the favor for me.) I just can't imagine an evangelical preacher being able to separate his socially dangerous beliefs from his oath to uphold the constitution, since separation of church and state has been interpreted in there and it seems like the concepts of secular government and evangelism are mutually exclusive. In fact, Huckabee has gained such round support on the basis of his intolerant, fundamentalist rhetoric. If you don't vote against him, the insane backwater folks who believe a woman's only place is silent in the home, GLBTQ individuals are morally infected and should be quarantined, expression should be quelled, and science is the devil's work will win, at a dear cost to liberty, beauty, and America's place in the world. If this ominous warning has not changed your mind about showing up at the polls, I hope this video and column by the fine folks at AlterNet might. Included are actual clips of what Mike Huckabee professes and why we should all be very afraid.

I LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!

2008-01-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

Where did the first week of the New Year get off to? Well there was a little shimmy down Southern Indiana way for a quiet New Year's Eve with two of my very dearest friends. We checked on streaming video of the pyramids in Egypt (midnight Indiana time=misty pre-dawn in Egypt), polished off a bottle of Asti and played a strange version of charades just the three of us until the wee hours. January first was Bloomington's monthly Axis of Evil Industrial/Goth Dance Party, heralding in the Year of the Rat, a night that involved so much hotness and such epic fun, it should have been illegal. Nom. Seriously, if you hail from the Bloomington area, keep your ears open. AoE happens every month at Jake's Nightclub and it's certainly my favorite thing about that town. Well, actually it has to be a tie between AoE and the Runcible Spoon. ::sigh, nostalgia:

After a few days more of post-graduation bumming around, I collected my belongings and winged it back West, just in time for the Bay Area rainstorm of the decade. I think everyone's electricity has been restored as of late last night. Yeesh. Though I did find it amusing that Oakland's power was only out for a couple of hours while Marin's was out for 4 days. I suppose that's what happens when the wealthy make their domain absolutely inaccessible. Heh.

With that, I am finally home again, but in a new part of town that's taking a little time adjusting to. The streets are all wonky and traffic is particularly awful. You better believe I'll be relying heavily on public transit. I claim it's because mass transit is better for the environment, but really, riding in cars around here is simply terrifying. And I like the wooooooooosh of the BART train.

So, that's my incredibly long-winded excuse for being MIA for a week. The holidays are behind us, the new year has more than begun, in a very wet and tumultuous manner. With floods, the Gulf of Tonkin...errr...Persian Gulf incident, and the New Hampshire double-debates (did anyone else get that sickening, end-is-near, pit in the stomach while watching that freak show?) 2008 has certainly made its presence known. War with Iran? The first non-rich white guy presidency? Will cataclysmic mud slides slough California off into the ocean? Stay tuned for more!

Sidenote: My favorite column of the New Year has been this little gem by Julie Burchill for The Guardian. She is brilliant in every respect. I don't normally make New Year's resolutions, but this year, I have resolved to take every word of that column to heart. I have already been putting it into practice and, quite frankly, it is delicious. All hail the return of the glamorous cunt!

How about a little Anarchy in the new year?

2007-12-31T12:03:00.000-08:00

I had a brief but thought-provoking conversation with a dear friend the other night. He mused about what would happen if the Bush administration and their ilk were to stay in office and NOT be impeached or left to crawl off in disgrace after the next elections like so many of us hope. Instead, what would happen if the criminals were allowed to stay a little longer and grow more superficially powerful, what if the corruption were allowed to spread, if it would bring about the collapse necessary for revolution? It is important to ponder whether it would be worth the chaos, the human rights violations and the war crimes sure to ensure, if it were to foment an environment that would ultimately lead to the fracturing and downfall of the system we find so economically oppressive and inherently evil. Does allowing the pigs to wallow in the glory of their own filth a little longer become absolved by the downfall of the greater evil of American Democracy?

From a utilitarian perspective, I would say, damn straight it's worth it. Let them bring their own destruction then the cessation movements and revolutionaries may rise in the wake of empires falling. Yet, there is the persistent deontological voice that says the revolution must be swift and nonviolent and that no end can justify the means of allowing it to continue for one more day without a fight. It is a conundrum that has split the camps of revolutionaries for ages. Can the revolution be achieved merely with the use of nonviolent subversive tactics, or must we speak in the language of the oppressors-that of violence? I call loudly for revolution by any means necessary, but I am not convinced that violence is indeed necessary, especially with the ubiquity of the internet and its ability to transcend borders and economic barriers. We are equal here and therefore, equally able to be heard. Speak loudly and often and perhaps the revolution can come without bloodshed, but in a fury of internet conspirators. It is important for us to realize, fellow bloggers, that this is not just a toy, but can be a tool. Use it accordingly.

On a lighter note, every revolution seems to come with a fashion. My vote for the armory of the revolution is Cryoflesh.com (the clothing/accessory directory is on the right). Sexy as hell, soft and utilitarian. My fellow cyberpunks swear by the stuff. Let's look good while subverting the system and doing a little good for our karma by supporting non-mainstream outfitters, shall we?

Also, all this talk of revolution makes me giggle, so here is my meme of the day.

Giving Credit

2007-12-28T21:11:00.000-08:00

Isn't my URL clever? Alas, I cannot take credit for it myself as it was inspired by this photo illustration:

designed by a good friend of mine and sent to me after we discussed our shared love of beets. I was so amused I thought to immortalize it in domain name infamy. Beat[beet]nik snaps for my friend who is one of those incredibly intelligent techno fiddlers referred to in my last post. Hail!

It is Friday, therefore I give you my one line responses to this week's big headlines:

-Prime Minister Bhutto of Pakistan Assassinated: This heartbreaking tragedy numbs the mind and causes one to wonder if peace is truly attainable in a world where years of painstaking diplomacy can be undone in a moment.

-Poorly Designed Tiger Cage at SF Zoo Leaves 1 Tiger, 1 Human Dead: There are 7 billion-ish people in the world, only 600-ish tigers, and now there is one fewer of each, because those people who took it upon themselves to provide for these endangered creatures failed to build the enclosure to code. This isn't just asinine; it should equate to manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and animal cruelty. Also, WTF, live ammunition?! Tranquilizers....tranquilizers...

-Science Shows Gen-Xers Dull in Bed: To my Gen X friends, you're educated and gorgeous; make a New Year's resolution to have better sex in the upcoming year, because it's good for you, body and soul.

Well kids, that's just depressing all around. Aside from those glorious little gems, war and insurgency don't take a break just because it's the holidays in America, even though the coddled American public is too outraged about Britney Spears' Nickelodeon star sister's pregnancy scandal to really care about the death count or the corruption anymore. Can't we just stop up our ears and ignore it all until we get a new administration? Some days the choice of the ostrich-head-in-sand technique truly sounds appealing.

Must. Resist. Perez. Hilton.

I promise that higher quality posts are on the horizon as my brain is, at the moment, a consistency somewhere between cottage cheese and oatmeal from writing cover letters in my quest for post-graduation employment. Anyone else agree that cover letters should be optional? Whats the problem with a resume and an interview? grrrrrrr..... My aforementioned friend believes that the entire "selling yourself" process is personally degrading to all parties involved. I tend to agree.

Errata

2007-12-26T23:45:00.000-08:00

Yeah, my sleep schedule is completely opposite that of my farm folk family. Praise Shiva for pirated internet, free anarchist porn, and the extended version of Lord of the Rings, as I have been spending my cold nights cuddling into bed, under flannel sheets, employing my ear buds and laptop to have some quality time with Aragorn, son of Arathorn. Mmmmmm, Viggo Mortensen.

Tonight, however, I am amused with this: my creepy link of the day. I love it when people with genius IQs have too much time on their hands.

Happy Christmas Eve Day, ya'll!

2007-12-24T11:04:00.000-08:00

That's right, I said, "Ya'll." It doesn't matter how long I end up calling the Left Coast my home, I will never stop using 'ya'll.' My friends and lovers out there tease me endlessly, but I maintain that it's one of the most useful words in American parlance and sounds infinitely less pompous than enunciating "Ewe Awl." Yes, I love the city. I prefer the hustle and the seething masses and the sounds of the cities (like the crackheads fighting by streetlamp outside a second story loft in the Tenderloin and the ubiquitous street cleaners running at all hours) to the maddening quiet of Southern Indiana farm country, but I can't see myself ever losing the MacGyver tenancity or the slight southern twang that one is bound to develop over an adolescence spent among farm folk. Ya'll also makes sense linguistically, as English is a Germanic language, and German has a common pronoun for 'you all'- 'ihr.' Thus, it is only natural and proper that English should have developed a similarly useful word, and therefore, I think all of you who laugh at my "ya'll" are simply etymologically confused.

This past week certainly has me thinking a lot about the differences between the city and the country, as I am back in Southern Indiana, visiting my folks for the holidays, pirating the neighbor's wi-fi, because my family doesn't have use for the interwebs and my neighbors have not seen fit to password protect their connection. Suckers. It's nice to be at such a slow pace for a moment, though, recuperating after a hellacious last semester of undergrad and spending time with my parents and the little brother, but I'm quietly thankful that I'm going back home to the city by bay so soon. It's silent here, cold and flat and cripplingly gorgeous, but I have to drive a half hour just to get a decent latte and I miss public transportation. Also, all the shops and restaurants closed at noon today for the holiday. (Not that the restaurants here have much that isn't covered in gravy or wrapped in bacon. What, you're a vegetarian? Isn't that an eating disorder?) WTF Bible belt?! More than two weeks here, I'd go a little crazy. I definitely understand how fundamentalism thrives in this environment, because one does feel completely cut off from the rest of existence. Globalization? What globalization?

The idea of tradition is deeply entrenched here though. I look at my parents' tree (a real tree that we trekked into the wilderness and hacked down the day after Thanksgiving) has three decades of history hanging from its branches. From the 85-year-old Polish glassware my parents inherited upon their marriage to the creepy snowman icicle my mom received at her office party last week, our tree tells the story of my family. Every ornament has a memory and though I come off as hard and unaffected in my professional life, the sentimentalist in me can't help but be humbled by the history enveloped by those simple glass knickknacks. Tradition is an odd meme. Every family has little habits they developed over the generations, and though we all understand that these habits are mere social constructs, the sentimentalist in all of us tends to fuss that the holiday simply CANNOT happen without the special Christmas morning cinnamon rolls, or gathering around to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" (please don't make me watch it again...), or the Old Country game of hiding a glass pickle in the tree for the children to find for a special present on Christmas Morning. (I assure you that my teenage brother and I still compete like 5-year-olds for the pickle present.)

What's the real reason for the season? Historically, it's not Christ. Easter was the big one LONG before Christmas was really embraced, especially by protestants (here's a really cool synopsis of the history of the Christian-ness, or lack thereof, of the holiday). It's not about finding a Wii (though it's always fun to give presents, can't we just do that all year, like hobbits?) It's about doing what families do to feel like a special bond does indeed exist in blood. We may disagree politically, religiously, and fundamentally, but for a week in December, families do their damnedest to love each other (or at least they should). The blood-bonds are forged in the fires of those seemingly innocuous traditions.

Along with that (moreso in my coastal city than in the Midwest, I've found) is the urge to expand the definition of family. The old adage that you can't pick your family is just not true. There is room in every tradition for new family members and that's what makes the holiday a holy day, not religion, not commercialism, but the ability to make anyone family, because we are all a part of the same human family. So you want to share in my pickle? You are more than welcome to come to my Southern Indiana home. And I intend to carry the Holy-day spirit for the next 365 days in the Bay Area. I encourage all of you to do the same by holding an open mind and an open heart for a new definition of family, including friends, pets, lovers, and strangers. With that I bid you Merry Christmas, Happy (belated) Solstice, an awesome end to Saturnalia, and a joyous yule!

Crawling Out of the Academic Abyss

2007-12-23T13:58:00.000-08:00

Hello Blogosphere, I have returned with a new blog and a new outlook on style, anarchism, and generally monkey-wrenching with paradigms. It's been far too long, but alas, I am apparently too scattered to multi-task academia, traditional journalism, and the upkeep of a blog worth reading. For those intrepid souls who have happened upon this humble blog (which will become less humble as the weeks progress, I assure you), I will tell you a bit about myself and what I hope this blog will become. I'm older than I look, younger than I act, and I have Bachelor Degrees in both journalism and anthropology with a minor in making traditionalists squirm. I thought I wanted to be a lawyer, but now I'm thinking, no. Which leaves me with an entire world of options outside of lawyering with which I can cause havoc and mayhem on the system, while simultaneously saving the planet. Oh yes, I have lofty ambitions.

I have, for the past year and half, had a weekly column in the newspaper of my alma mater, the archives of which you can find here. Now you know my name, which is quite fine by me. How you doin? Some people have said that I'm too left for their taste, others have said I'm a walking contradiction. That may be true, but I self identify as a perpetually amused news junkie with a dirty mind. It is my goal with this blog to collect the odd, sexy, wonderful, and infuriating things floating around the web and the world for your enjoyment and edification while yammering on like I used to get paid to do in my newspaper, because it's only been a few weeks, but I miss it already. Also, I am a whore for music and music photography, so there will be some posts involving my thoughts on the music industry here and there, I'm sure.

For now, I leave you with my favorite holiday gift idea. Etsy is a damn cool site. Enjoy.