Obama leisurely playing golf during time of Gaza conflict

So Obama’s balking at reviewing the heinous changes committed during Bush’s reign. In this NYTimes article, he stresses that such an act would be counterproductive and would weaken our intelligence agencies. My favorite part is this:

…at the C.I.A., you’ve got extraordinarily talented people who are working very hard to keep Americans safe. I don’t want them to suddenly feel like they’ve got spend their all their time looking over their shoulders.

Wait. Didn’t he get the memo that with the warrantless wiretapping program, it is those “extraordinarily talented people” that have been looking over OUR shoulders 24/7? Heaven forbid that they get some oversight & restraint. That’s rich man.

This isn’t the first time that our president-to-be has overlooked the grievances of the Bush legacy.
The closer Obama has gotten to the white house, the more backpedaling he and his campaign has been doing. He explains this by stating that “we need to look forward as opposed to looking backwards.”

Barack, I’m all for focusing on future and a new way of doing things, but haven’t you ever heard of the famous black proverb? “You can’t know where you are going until you know where you have been.”

The past 8 years have been a horrible, horrible time for human rights in America. If we simply turn the other cheek and let these regressions go unchecked, the very foundation of the United States of America- the Constitution-will be too eroded, too tattered for anything worthwhile and meaningful to stand on top of it. Now, the world sees that our nation’s leaders’ bloodlust for “terrorists” has even turned our own weapons against the very people they were supposed to protect.

And not only has this attack on human rights affected our own country. Good or bad, the whole world looks to us as an example. No longer does the US have the moral authority to condemn countries regimes that commit human rights abuses. Though in the past, our own countless intrusions in other countries have been forgiven (Vietnam), forgotten (Iran-Contra), or brushed under the table (Latin America), the unfounded Iraq war has been condemned by nearly everyone-even some of our staunch allies-as a sign of a power-hungry empire seeking blood for oil.

Obama’s politricking on the Gaza conflict, i.e. his unwavering support for Israel, is but another example of the type of change I am personally expecting to see. That is, not much at all.

Barack, you rallied apathetic youths, reunited black/latino coalitions and even got some racist whites tired of Bush to vote for you under the banner of Change We Can Believe In. Being the lesser of two evils is not enough Obama: Step your game up.

[via NYTimes.]

Token.

I feel calmer now.

The house meeting with Sally just ended. To my friends, and the people who care about me: It went well. An eviction notice was handed down.

the pillows – I Think I Can

Its a great two part song. Inspirational anthem in the beginning, and emotional ballad at the end give it a great one-two punch of anime-inspired j-rock by the pillows. If you want your heart strings tugged at like Weezer’s “My Name is Jonas
” then hit up some FLCL and listen for the tunes from a rock band that has found a place in many anime-lover’s hearts, alongside Yoko Kanno, Tsuneo Imahori and The Seatbelts.

Who knows why the J-genres: J-pop, J-rock & J-indies are so endearing and approachable. “I Think I Can” is not the only anime tune that appeals to me so . It kinda reminds me of Joe Hisaishi’s themes for the Studio Ghibuli films, such as Mononoke Hime (Main Theme), Laputa (空から降ってきた少女 [The Girl Who Fell from the Sky] ),.
Listening to the Totoro theme – 風の通り道 ) [Kaze no tourimichi], I am still brought to tears by its beauty.




Its no coincidence that this song is about the wind, whose fleeting nature is perhaps the epitome of the Japanese concept of あわれ (a-wa-re). The song is also connected with memories of my Aunt passing away as a child, and is a sad, yet inspiring and hopeful reminder of nature’s—and life’s—transience.

PS: I don’t plan on starving, or burning in hell

So one of the greatest tricks of elementary school education that I uncovered as a collegehigh school student was that all the holidays and celebrations that are inherently “American” are hella fucked up. Columbus Day (Kill the Savages and Take Their Land), Thanksgiving (KTSATTL II: Whitey Strikes Back), Black History “Month” (Here’s your twenty-eight days) etc., etc. But don’t shoot me! Its really about the celebration (OF PATRIOTISM!111) with friends and family right? And BBQ. Yeaaaah…

Fuck Yeah!

Perhaps as a reward for America’s thankless effort in the War Against Terror, some patriotic archaeologists have found the home of our 1st founding father himself, George Washington, in . While growing up, I envisioned Washington, Adams and the crew as crazy rugged, statuesque, super-people (Culture II Anyone?). Reading about them in history books and stuff, you get a lot of “pulled up by the bootstraps” epic hero shit.

But apparently these “humble beginnings” were as real as Washington’s fabled wooden teeth (i.e. as fake as a wooden nickel):

Dr. Levy and other members of the excavation team said the foundations, stone-lined cellars and other remains suggested that this was far from being the rustic cottage of common perception, but instead one befitting a family of the local gentry. It was a much larger one-and-a-half-story residence, with perhaps eight rooms and an adjacent structure for the kitchen.

Did you ever doubt it?

Call & Response

The Coup – Piss On Your Grave
(from Steal This Album)

Boots & Pam the Funkstress’ humble tribute to the #1 whitey. This song helped me understand what “privalege” is, both the white kind and my own.

your hands is soft as a peach/
cuz you ain’t never did work/
been rich ever since/
your daddy’s dick went squirt/
have you ever hurt from your back?
ducked from rat-a-tat-tats?
seen your mama on crack?
lived in a pontiac?
drank baby similac/
so you could have protein?
(just for enough energy
to hustle up some mo’ green?)

I ain’t no white person, but I’m a college student who don’t gotta worry bout the bills. Uncle Sam takes care of those thanks to my Vietnam Veteran Dad. Is it hypocritical to hate the military/industrial complex, but take and be thankful for their money? Oh opposing truths!

People say I have really soft hands. I wish I had the bankroll to match. Ah well.

PS: Gotta love the mini-skit halfway through—I too, love DC.

I found out awhile back that there is a new law in L.A. targeted towards Taco trucks that make it a misdemeanor to sell tacos for longer than an hour.

This is a M***af****n’ outrage.

There’s a whole community at Save Our Taco Trucks!
centered around supporting and encouraging this Los Angeles tradition that is embraced by native, foodie and hipster alike. Admittedly, I’m not from L.A. and don’t know much about Gloria Molina
, but I dunno why someone who fought against the Prison-Industrial Complex
would single out Taco Trucks. Progressives normally like good greasy food (cept the vegans of course!).

The debate can be found here
and here, while other L.A. taco news can be found @ La Taco. Sign the petition
, spread the word, and support your local street vendor!

If you’ve never had Tacos cooked fresh after a late night of dancing/drinking/fun, then you are missing out on quite a treat. Obviously, L.A. isn’t the only place that has these, but I don’t think they’re done better anywhere else. They’ve already started cracking down on trucks, but if it gets any more serious, Imma hafta go all Jean Grae and have a “Taco Day“.

On this track, Tsidi Ibrahim is at her most paranoid, and her rapid-fire, psycho babble flow does well when she tells the story of young Rebecca Gates Scott’s very, very bad & bloody day.

But all the while they’re plotting behind my back/
All My friends—even the teachers/
…
Even my best friend/
I hate them all! They’re all plotting against me/
Trying to convince me that nothing’s wrong/
But the whole world’s against me/
I know it

It only gets worse while Mr. Len’s gloomy organs and deep double bass add another layer of hopelessness to Becky’s tortured whirlwind of revenge against her abusers. Taking the role of the unspoken female, Grae voices the anger and rage felt by women who are abused by their families. The news segment skits interlaced between Scott’s bars parody sensationalist “Breaking News” stories and highlights a society that wants to beat the ADHD out their children.

Forreals tho. If Taco Trucks disappear, someone’s gonna end up like grandpa.

Its no “news” that Fox doesn’t like blogs but c’mon… This is ridiculous!

For the most part, blogging is an INDIVIDUAL effort. As such, it goes without saying that there will be some “bias”, or an individual’s point of view. Fox News on the other hand, is an organization, whose creed is “Fair & Balanced”.

Funny, ain’t it? Well not really.

I gotta admit though, its not like their rival, CNN is any better. EVERYONE (you, me, them, bush, world) knows that Fox is biased, and despite their slogan, they aren’t afraid to show their true colors. CNN on the other hand, is still trying to be the “neutral” party. Yeah right.

Suck it, news conglomerates. Hurry up and die (I wish), or at least get with the millenium and evolve (inevitable).

learning means so much

:nobodu asks questions and everybody has one”

take more risks!

Susie became everyone’s hero by questioning Davis’ narratives. Good for her.

Here’s one in the now… the present.
Maybe I’ll speak of the past later, and I’ll definately keep in touch with the future.

Come to think of it. The X-Men… so naive. The physical perhaps was emphasized too much (well, that shit is cool. cmon… wolverine is fuckin dope! Juggernaut? Crazy!). It is with Prof X and that Techno shit where reality lay.

Take into consideration Serial Experiments Lain, Ghost in the Shell, Bush’s recent privacy debacle (oh he’s gonna fall… the puppet will fall in place of the people holding the strings, that’s SOOOOO obvious… more on that later I suppose…), Google, Sattelites, the fall of The Empire… so many things…

oh yeah. Can’t forget the mind altering substances either.
.:.
people take it in at their own pace when at the computer. In real life, There is no mediator, there is no time to think?

@ ucsd, in the whole of society, you see people pass each other by without saying a word. You can pass by 100’s of personages, bodies, and not say one word. Then you go home to my space, to AIM, to whatever, and chat your head off.
If the internet becoming more “personable” than the “real” world?
This… human techonology… how does this define ppl different from the rest of existence.

Our brains have been evolving… ADD. Constantly multitasking, taking in different streams of information 24/7 during all times. The older generations say things have become too fast paced, data overload. Is this not our brains simply evolving?

The revolution will not be televised. Television is too passive. It does not reflect the mind the brain the human spirit. It is merely optical.

The revolution starts in the mind of the people.

Slowly, this mind is being transfered outboard. Outboard brains… computers. This is where the revolution is. Faster and faster… mimicing the speed at which our neurons connect and create connections, linkages, similarities. Combining concepts.

Tags… simple thoughts connecting things much more complicated.

Cellphones… external … when do the become one with us? When will our minds and bodies be connected with each other, without external devices? When will we stop using cell phones as cards? Those cards that programmers of yore used. When will the hard drives of our era come and integrate with us?

Soon… perhaps sadly.

What will we lose, what will we gain.

Today in the news, privacy has become a big issue for Americans, starters of this computerized evolution.

Is that the cost? Individuality? Which we Americans, perhaps we humans cherish so darly?

Yet…humans seek so desperately to stave away loneliness. We cling so desperately to eachother. We seek companionship. We seek peers. Were we once one?

Damn… so many ideas. rushing rushing rushing.. I try to comprehend them all… but is it up to future generations to catch every idea that whizzes past? Is my mind too slow to understand?

“…” <— I’ve always loved a good ellipses!

Who were you, Mark Garrison, to bump RATM?

yes i know my enemy
they’re the teachers who told me to fight me

compromise
conformitiy
assimilation
submission
ignorance
hypocrasy
brutality
the elite

all of which are american dreams

What are you doing about it? Its not just “good music”… its a message. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

No Solidarity.

I could never dream of our own students and faculty bonding together over a matter that affects us all… could you?

hell, its hard enough getting the students to care about anything deeply… it seems.

Well, except SunGod of course.