faggot!

So a friend of mine asked my opinion about the latest Hollywood slander fest. You know, where the one actor from Grey's Anatomy (an African-American) called another, a recently "out" white guy, a faggot. I'm editing this post from my email with her.

I've been having a hard time following this. Mostly cuz while I enjoy gossip, read Gawker several times a day, etc etc, I can't get too riled up by Hollywood types misbehaving. When so many people are being killed in Iraq and Americans seem blindfolded to Bush's imminent attack on Iran (set off by a pretext that, no doubt, will put the Reichstag fire to shame) it's hard to get worked up about some actors who haven't learned their social graces. I also tried to watch Grey's anatomy once and didn't really get it, so I dunno, yawn. :)

I mean, did you read that thing about Celebrity Big Brother where one cast member made racist comments about the resident Bollywood star? You know I'm glad that had a happy ending, but really, did it need to be the lead on cnn.com? I'm sure I can go someplace and be called "faggot" and my African-American friend can go someplace and be called choice names much easier than winning a place on a televised reality show. There's a lot of things a lot better about the world in the last few years but, well you know, it ain't THAT much better!

stop meddling?

the white house is issuing ultimatums to iran to "stop meddling" in iraq. c'mon. is that the biggest display of hypocritical chutzpah ever? the bush regime invades a country, knocks down its government and virtually its entire society, runs the country with puppet strings, and then accuses somebody else of MEDDLING?

this must stop.

ANY DEMOCRAT WHO ABETS THE BUSH REGIME'S FURTHER DRIVE TO WAR WITH IRAN (listen up, Hillary) OR EQUIVOCATES ON THE NEED FOR WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ IS NO BETTER THAN BUSH.

proud to be american?

I created this image shortly after the invasion. I'm saddened to think that now, 4 years later, it's just as relevant, just as sad. And not proud at all.

palestine

This is an illustration from a Chinese children's book from 1970. A classic example of Chinese inspirational propaganda art. More to come.

the best of fidel

it's pretty obvious that fidel castro is about to leave the world stage. there's plenty to criticize about fidel, though the creepy rich exiles waiting in miami to reclaim their fincas and mansions at the expense of the Cuban people do not exactly have my sympathy. anyway, here is an excerpt that caught my eye from his "second declaration of havana" in the early 1960s.

"The duty of every revolutionary is to make the revolution. It is known that the revolution will triumph in America and throughout the world, but it is not for revolutionaries to sit in the doorways of their houses waiting for the corpse of imperialism to pass by. The role of Job doesn't suit a revolutionary. Each year that the liberation of America is speeded up will mean the lives of millions of children saved, millions of intelligences saved for culture, an in­finite quantity of pain spared the people. Even if the Yankee imperialists prepare a bloody drama for America, they will not succeed in crushing the peoples' struggles, they will only arouse universal hatred against themselves. And such a drama will also mark the death of their greedy and carnivorous system. "

okay, forty years later. still waiting. I guess we've all become Job.

Not For Black People Only

Tomorrow is the birthday of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., probably the most heroic man of the last century. All people who live in this country--and not just African Americans--live better lives because of him and his brave and selfless pursuit of justice, peace, and equality. I'm saddened when I hear my white friends act like it's only a holiday for black people. Dr. King gave his life so that all of us could be free of the shackles of racism and injustice. While his struggle is not complete he took us light years from the remnants of pre-civil war barbarism into the light of hope and possibility. It's our responsibility to carry forward his vision and make that dream of love and civility and peace a reality for this and future generations.

All praises to Dr. King; may his light shine forever.

Turiyasangitananda Transcends

Several friends have forwarded me sad news that Turiyasangitananda, Alice Coltrane, has passed at age 69. I count her as one of my great musical inspirations and this news makes me very sad. I feel so lucky to have seen her perform twice. Her albums are things of singular, passionate, eccentric beauty, compelling in their purposefulness and spiritual dedication.

As her spirit joins the ancestors and transcends to other planes I thank her for her presence in our lives and may her music live forever.

people of the world, unite and defeat u.s. imperialism and all its running dogs

yeah those are the immortal words of chairman Mao, who didn't apparently mean them so much (visualize the photo of him toasting president Nixon in Beijing while u.s. bombs rained on Hanoi). anyway, as u.s. special forces carry out continuing attacks on Somalia and as president Bush announces his escalation of the war/occupation of Iraq with a new campaign of urban repression and warfare these words need to be repeated.

sigh.

gerald ford, we beg your pardon

I've been remiss in mentioning the passing of James Brown and Saddam Hussein and not Gerald Ford. I was alive during Ford's presidency, and it seems very different what I remember from what is currently being eulogized.

I choose to remember him through african-american poet and singer Gil Scott-Heron's masterful work "Pardon Our Analysis (We Beg Your Pardon)" from his 1975 album Midnight Band: The First Minute of a New Day.

We beg your pardon because the pardon you gave this time was not yours to give
they call it due process and some people are... overdue
we beg your pardon america
somebody said brother man gonna break a window
gonna steal a hubcab gonna smoke a joint brother man gonna go to jail
the main who tried to steal america is not in jail
get caught with a nickel bag brother man
get caught with a nickel bag sister lady on your way to get your hair fixed
you'll do big ben and big ben is time but a man who tried a fix America will not do time
say they gonna slap his wrist
gonna retire him with $850,000 and America is shocked
America leads the world in shocks
unfortunately America does not lead the world in deciphering the cause of shocks
.....
what are the results of this pardon...
we now have oatmeal man
anytime you find someone in the middle
anytime you find someone who is tepid
anytime you find someone who is lukewarm
anytime you find someone who has been in congress for 25 years and nobody ever heard of him you have
oatmeal man
oatmeal man straddling uncomfortably 25 feet of barbed wire
...
We beg your pardon America, because the pardon you gave, this time, was not yours to give.

I've left out many of the best parts. It's brilliant. Check it out and remember the truth.

happy new year

I spent a quiet new year's eve with my boyfriend watching tv. I'm very grateful to be able to say those words. I've had exciting new years' eves, and sad ones, and lonely ones, and over-stimulated ones, and boring ones, and familial ones. I'm not sure I believe any of the popular sayings about new years and its oracular effect upon the year: I felt no omens last night. But I was happy, and while I'm focusing on the selfish, may the rest of the year pass this way.

My prayers for the new year for my self:
Finding a new job/career
Restoring my spiritual center
Maintaining good health
Deepening my relationship(s)
Listening to lots of great music
Getting rid of some stuff
Continuing to rebuild my stamp collection
Doing something creative
Being happy
Spending time with my loved ones
Spending time honoring my ancestors and spirit guides
Good health and happiness for my mom, my boyfriend, my friends, my cats

My prayers for the world:
peace peace peace
no new wars or invasions, not even in Darfur, despite many peoples' good intentions
may the democrats not turn out as evil as the republicans
justice
gay marriage in new york
hope for the palestinians
no terrorism in new york or anywhere
may God save us from Rudy Giuliani or McCain as president
may God protect Cuba, and even North Korea and Iran from the US