Sluffed off
This old institution
So inadaquate
And trite
Life leads us
To leave life
And live
Sometimes
How sweet
Our new found state
Not less
But more and
And and too
Life leads us
To show up
And live
Sometimes
Pedal Powered Humanitarianism
While issues, like global warming and the threat of decreasing natural resources paint the media headlines green, there seems to be less room for other pressing social issues. What happened to Guantanamo Bay? School of Americas? The war in Darfur??
Maybe there is only so much room in the hearts and minds of compassionate Americans? What if we could combine forces and create organizational ventures that are socially responsible and ecologically friendly?
White power hip-hop? Seriously?!
Recently, Turn It Down – a national campaign against white power music – was asked to contribute an article to a magazine overseas regarding the existence and potential of white power hip-hop here in the United States. Several European nations are seeing a sharp rise in racist and nationalist hip-hop, and our sister organizations wondered if America is seeing a similar cultural absurdity, particularly since America is essentially the birthplace and epicenter of hip-hop.
A large portion of membership and participation in the Turn It Down Campaign (also found on myspace) comes from bands and fans within the punk and metal genres, along with indie, alt.country, and other subgenres of rock. This… Read more
I’ve Had Enough With Anti-Immigration
I love a good joke. Speaking of which, ever hear the one about the white supremacist and the radio host who headed to Washington D.C. to lobby elected officials?
No? Well, that’s understandable because it’s no joke.
On September 10th and 11th radio show hosts working alongside the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) will be in our nation’s capitol to join in a collective attempt to convince elected officials that the road to solving the immigration crisis lies in a gutter filled with racism and bigotry. FAIR, incidentally, is calling this event “Hold Their Feet to the Fire.”
FAIR and other anti-immigrant organizations from the Beltway to the… Read more
Politics
Hip-hop Republicans are Down With GOP. No, Seriously.
Skimming campaign news items last week I came across a commentary on the theroot.com that made me giggle. It was called We Down With GOP and was about Hip-hop Republicans. Nerdy title aside, I launched into the article with as much objectivity as I could muster.
Lenny McAllister, the author started by telling a personal story that convincingly explained why Republicans are real people who have a right to their political opinions. McAllister tweaked my interest a bit when he said,
Sports
Olympic Coverage Marred by Media Bias
A few days ago an Associated Press article caught my attention. It told the inspiring story of Henry Cejudo and his road to Olympic Gold. It’s a powerful story – determined young man rises from poverty, fights the odds, and becomes the best. Unfortunately the writer ruined it by referring to Henry’s parents as Mexican aliens.
When is the media going to catch on that referring to human beings as aliens is degrading? There are literally dozens of other terms that would be more respectful, but the writer chose the one word that many now consider derogatory. How about just describing his parents as Mexican immigrants? When the focal… Read more
Listening to an Old Friend
Last night autumn
Blew into me
The scent of late roses,
Rotting flora,
Wet-asphalt first-rain,
And the dead flesh of summer sloth.
Like the candles that burn
The inside pulp
Of tradition and
Conger Haunted images
In full moon spectacle.
This morning I awoke
To the voice of an old friend
Laughing On the porch.
Her crisp laughter,
Carrying over into damp soil,
Whispering to blown leaves
And scattering like squirrels.
This morning I saw you
In the Anti-war protest
And felt I should stop
And join you.
I turned that corner
To avoid a funeral procession;
MLB baseball is a-changing
This week Major League Baseball approved the use of instant replay. Some may see this decision as a way of updating a sport that has defied the use of current technology for years. When the NFL began using instant replays in 1999 it was questioned by many. But today it seems to be widely accepted and praised. The same may be true for baseball, once the initial steps of implementing the system are through.
Old baseball players, analysts, and nostalgic “purists” may believe that the use of instant replay will be terrible for the sport. This may be true, but then again it may not. While baseball is one of the oldest American sports, it… Read more
Culture
Audio: August 2008 Blogcast
Welcome to the August 21, 2008 edition of the Imagine 2050 audio podcast. This week we take to the streets in Oakland, California for an engaging exploration of what it means to be American. I feel the need to give thanks to the participants this month as here they were minding their own business and I come up to them with some tough questions about identity. I mean if they had been at an event that was somewhat parallel with my questions then it might be so extraordinary. But I think you’ll agree, that while some of the responses bring up more questions, people really seem to get into the conversation.
So get listening!… Read more
Culture
Anti-Latino Bias Reaches American Professional Sports
However you’d like to refer to the game, be it soccer, football, or fútbol there’s only one thing you need to know. I love everything about it. I treasure those moments when new acquaintances question me about my love for soccer so that I can quote legendary English soccer coach Bill Shankly who said of the game “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I’m very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.” Sunderland A.F.C., Portland Timbers and the Chicago Fire these are names of the teams that I support, my friends say worship and they are right.… Read more
