29 June 2007

Op-Ed

I'm now writing some things for Clean and Articulate. You can see their link on the side of this blog. It is an awesome website run by an old high school classmate of mine along with some other pretty cool guys. The site constantly updates relevant news, and has various people writing opinion and editorials on various topics.

This first thing I wrote is just from on here. Sometimes it will be like that, and sometimes I will write something specifically for that site.

A "whites only" tree? What year is this????

Just saw this from Beachy's myspace.

I really can't even think of words to explain how fucked up it is that this type of shit is still going on in this nation today. I guess one happy note is that people are taking action against the people who did this stuff.

Last night I was pretty excited about this Nigerian moving up politically in Ireland, but this really put a damper on that excitement. This is happening in this nation. And it is happening now, not in the 1860s, or the 1950s, or any time in the past. Now!!

Keeping hope alive?

I'm up early today. Had some crazy dreams that woke me and I had to take my car in to the shop. My vision is constantly amazing me, as is what has been going on in this world. There is so much craziness, but I will only comment on a few of them.

Everyone in jail is innocent. At least that is what all the inmates say. But all this stuff with the Duke lacrosse players and the prosecutor, Mike Nifong, is ridiculous. I truly understand that money can buy you anything. And that if you have it, you can get what you want, even if what you want is to punish someone for doing their job. They did not go to jail. They were found innocent. Even this is mind boggling. Something happened that night. The fact that these guys called in a black stripper for their entertainment and then did something in the bathroom with her is really shady. The fact that there were fingernails found ripped off her hands, that they had some person's DNA under them is even more crazy. Something happened that night. Someone did something to that girl. Perhaps it was not the guys that were on trial. Perhaps they did not completely rape her. But people's nails do not just come off when you are shaking your junk for some guys. And when people hand dollars into your G-string, someone's DNA does not get under those nails that are falling off and flying into the bathroom. I don't know if we will ever know exactly what happened, but something happened.

On top of all this accusatory stuff with the actual case is the disbarment of the prosecutor. If I was a defense lawyer in North Carolina, I would have every case I had ever tried back in front of a judge accusing the prosecutor of wrongdoing. I understand that he is believed to have conducted himself poorly -- accusing the guys of raping the girl, and lying about evidence against the defendants. What other people do not seem to get is that, as the song goes, this type of shit happens everyday. I think it would I would be remiss not to bring up all the brown people and people of limited financial resources in prison who are accused of crimes they did not commit. Who are then convicted of said crimes. And are, many years later, found to be innocent of said crimes due to evidence that comes up. Many of the people are convicted because the prosecutors bring forth "evidence" and witnesses that show that the person is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. But if they are later proven to be innocent with DNA, or with other witnesses, wasn't all the evidence inaccurate? When are these prosecutors going to be disbarred? When are they going to be charged with bringing forth inaccurate evidence on these innocent people? Likely the answer is never. These people do not have money for these court cases. They are not what society sees as good looking, ivy-league gentlemen whose lives have been ruined just by being accused of a crime. They are not on TV crying about how they will be remembered on their tombstone as the guy accused of raping a woman. Instead they are the forgotten. They are the people that many in society are happy to see off the streets, even if they have not committed a crime. After all, they might commit one in the future.

Just a short segment on this next topic. Why has CNN turned into paparazzi of the famous. I turned to the channel the other day and instead of discussing actual news of the world, they were talking about this celebrity being let out of jail. Larry King even did an extensive interview with her. I do not get it. I guess there is nothing going on in the rest of the world. The Russians are not contemplating nuclear weaponry, one out of three children in Zambia are not dying of malaria, there was not just a Benz car bomb in the UK this morning, the Australians are not banning the aboriginal people from drinking alcohol and looking at porn. And what is with that? Did they not mess with the native Australians enough when they were taking children out of their homes and forcing them to live with white people so they could assimilate into a more European society? Now they are going to ban alcohol and porn in an effort to help the society ease its sex abuse. How about they treat them like people? Like people who were their long before Britain decided use the island as a place to send English prisoners? (Yeah, that was the original purpose of the island, later it was used as a port for ships on their way elsewhere.) How about the European men don't go into indigenous areas and rape the young aboriginal girls? That might help the society, but what do I know? These are just a few things in the news besides some blonde bimbo being let out of what they are calling jail. A sentence she served mainly because she is dumb and does not think the law applies to her.

Not only are people obsessed with celebrities, they are also not so bright. The iPhone is coming out today, or tomorrow, I'm not sure. People are camping out for them. There are even sites set up to help you ease the pain of camping out. Complete with lists of good places to eat and places to use the restroom. This is crazy. What is even more crazy than them camping out is that they are camping for what is, at least in this country, the most technologically advanced tool we have had at our disposal. Yet, these fools don't seem to want to use technology to their advantage, rather, they want to sit like idiots and wait for something. There is an easier way. Instead of risking the store being out of the gadget, while the crazies shove in line to get to the front they could go to one of the handy computers in the Apple store and order one off the computer. With expedited delivery, they could have it by Monday. And instead of camping out in the rain, you could sit at on your couch, or even get out of the house and have a life and get it in the mail soon. If they really want more than one iPhone, they could do the camping out deal, but they would only have to start when the stores start selling them. They could use a plan like my brother concocted and wait outside the door and as people walk out trying to learn how use theirs, fingers tapping the screen, gank them for theirs, they'll have no idea what happened. Or since people are being warned against theft of the phones after purchasing them, you could use the ultimate jack move and steal from the people stealing from the original buyers. And you could do it to a few people, get a few phones and even sell some for higher than market value. (This is all just a vision for him, he has more sense than to actually do this, and more sense than to sit in line like this freak in the rain. He will order the phone on the computer.) Or they could really just wait a bit, because I guarantee that Apple with come out with a better version of the iPhone in just a few months, that completely outshines this first version.


Last night Tavis Smiley moderated a forum with the Democratic presidential candidates at Howard University. I did not get to see it since I couldn't figure out when it was on and what channel. I kept looking at PBS, but must have missed it when I went to say happy b-day to my sister or something. I've read some comments from the discussion and am kind of excited about some of what they spoke about. They finally talked about issues that mean something to people. They did talk about the war in Iraq, but instead focused on what really matters right now (no offense to soldiers and families of soldiers). Darfur, AIDS among blacks (the #1 killer among black women aged 24-35!!!), racial disparities in the criminal justice system, poverty, and the right of Katrina victims to return to their homes in the Gulf. I still do not have a candidate I am full out supporting -- they all seem to be spouting only what people want to hear with no real solid plan of how to get it all accomplished. But more power to them for finally acting like they care about people.

Maybe there is hope for this nation.

21 June 2007

Under the Sea

Back in the summer before sixth grade I realized that I could not see. Went and got my first pair of glasses -- tortoise shell, took up 2/4 of my face, despite this, I still thought they looked cool. Time went on, and I got into high school. It was always kind of hard to run races, or wrestle people without being able to see them. The thought of contacts initially weirded me out. Especially after John Cho had one of his fall out during a wrestling match and he used his spit to put it back in his head.

I succumbed junior year. Contacts were the greatest thing ever. Except that I would always wear them past the time the doctor recommended and they would start to irritate my eyes.

I have tried to estimate the amount of money I have used on glasses, contacts, contact solution, glasses cleaner, eye doctor appointments, and shit in what seems like a million years. The number is astronomical. Seems more like the US budget deficit or something.

But that is over.

Do you all remember the Little Mermaid movie? There is a scene in there, not really sure what is happening, I just remember the music. Very peaceful, mermaid singing "Aaaa-aaa-aaaaa. Aaaa-aaa-aaa-aaaa-aaaaaa". That is my theme song when I have woken up the past three days. Why?

I can see. I can see. I can see!

I had a version of Lasik on Monday. I had to get the PRk one since my corneas are thin and my prescription was so bad. It has a little bit longer recovery time, but I can still see way better. And it will only get better as the days go on.

Many people who wear glasses and contacts worry about the cost of the surgery. Honestly, that should be the thing that convinces you to do it. The cost of the surgery is less than you have probably shelled out your entire life for eye correction stuff. And this time it is a one time payment that will have you able to see the leg hairs on your leg as you shave in the shower,

Wonderful. Only thing now is that I am still really sensitive to light, which is making typing this kind of hard.

I would love to write more about the surgery, more about this NC guy who they disbarred, more about a lot of current issues, but it is starting to hurt. Instead, i will make some pancakes.

I will write more when I am recovered a little bit more.

12 June 2007

Courting, Colours, Cafeterias, and Cotton

I have always had friends of different colors, origins, backgrounds, etc. I have dated guys who were punk rock, jocks, nerds, musicians, puritan-like, recreational users, avid bicycle riders, all different types of interests. My platonic friendships have been likewise. I enjoy being around people who are different. Females and males.

I don't really find it hard to believe that this is still such a big deal in our society, but I find it disappointing. Why is it that most people typically look a little longer at couples who are different colours. I know that people are very prudish and that most people in this country are very conservative and stuck in their ways. But, it is 2007. It is really the most corny thing to say, but, the world is getting flatter and browner. Pretty soon, it will be hard to find a pure white person. Even now, most that you see in this country trace some of their genetics to Native Americans, if not some other brown people of the world.

I guess a main reason is that people are still super segregated when they are growing up. There are entire neighborhoods that are homogeneous. I lived in one that was completely white. I am pretty sure that within at least a square mile (on the Ladue side) there were only seven brown people living there. NOTE: There were five kids and two parents in my family.

There are people, some of whom I work with, who intentionally (some not really realizing what they are doing, though) move to areas further and further from the city. White flight. Granted, there are many who stick around, many who thrive on the diversity of the city and all it includes, I work with some of these, too. But these people represent the minority when it comes to our society. Most of the people who want to go back to the city are people going into real estate. And they are trying to build high-rise condos, or lofts that help the city in a few different ways. 1. They are draws to some who fled previously to come back to the city. 2. They tear down the old dilapidated homes and rental communities that the minorities once lived in. 3. They are too expensive for these former home owners/renters to move into. 4. Since the new residences are too expensive for the majority of the minorities who used to inhabit these areas of the city, they must move elsewhere. (Where? Doesn't really matter, as long as they are out of sight of the new residents.) 5. With these people out of sight and out of mind, even more wealthier people can move in to the area without having to set their eyes ever on people out of their economic status. Most of the time they will not see people our of their colour, unless they are people different from them physically, but on the same page mentally and economically. (No offense to these, I often fit into this category since I am not a threat to white people due to my ability to code switch.) They live amongst the good brown people -- the doctors, engineers, moneymakers -- not the bad brown people -- house workers, convenience store workers, janitors, the bus riders, the lower income makers.

I sound negative. Don't get me wrong, I would love to live in a loft. I like the way they look. I also like that there is money going into the city system because of architectural achievements like these. If only more of it could be going to the public schools of the city. There might be some sort of loophole keeping the funds from going there, I don't know.

All I know is that most people are not around people different from those who look and act like them. Minorities are the same way, too. Most people don't encounter different people until they reach college (and we all know the cost of that is rising, meaning more people are not having even that, sometimes, diverse experience). Though even at the university level, it is rare to see people around other people who are different from them.

I always remember back to junior high school in the cafeteria. My table got extra Ram Awards for being the most diverse table -- a biracial (black/white) girl, an Ethiopian-Iranian, a red headed Jew, a Filipino-German, a blonde headed white girl, a black girl with unrelaxed hair, a little bitty Jewish girl, and me (Nigerian). Even the teacher (I think Mr. Keller) realized how rare it was to see something like this.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a commercial (I believe for cotton) a few months ago where there was an interracial couple in the ad. There was a man of Asian decent and a woman who was African American. Pretty sad that it was so shocking, new, and different. But what can I really expect.

Maybe one day we will see all sorts of people hanging out on the corner and rich white people won't walk by thinking it must be a drug deal. Maybe one day we will see all sorts of mixed couples and not think that the man is trying to move himself up socially, or that the woman gave up on black men, or that the woman is trying to be "black". Maybe one day we will all accept people. Maybe one day we will all find it strange for a person to only be friends with people who look like them. Maybe one day it won't be a joke for someone to say, "But, my best friend is black."

Maybe one day.

11 June 2007

Let's Talk About Sex

"Let's talk about sex for now to the people at home or in the crowd
It keeps coming up anyhow
Don't decoy, avoid, or make void the topic
Cuz that ain't gonna stop it...
Let's tell it how it is, and how it could be
How it was, and of course how it should be
Those who think it's dirty have a choice
Pick up the needle, press pause, or turn the radio off..."
~ Salt n Pepa

Really, though. It is amazing how it is 2007 and people are afraid to talk about sex, afraid to change rules on sex, afraid to do things outside the box, so to speak.

Genarlow Wilson was in the news again today. When he was a senior (17) he received oral sex from a sophomore (15). They were at a hotel party. The boys were drinking, the girl admitted that she did not drink that night. Everyone, including the girl and the prosecution agreed that the girl had initiated the act. She had consented, but the Georgia age of consent was 16, so her admission meant nothing. Wilson was charged with aggravated child molestation. The jury convicted him. Many jurors were shocked to find out that the sentence would be 10 years. But it was too late for them to do anything about it.

There are outdated laws all across this country like the one that changed this man's -- at the time this boy's -- life. The law said that it was a misdemeanor for teenagers less than three years apart to have sex. And a felony for the same teenagers to have oral sex. What? Doesn't really make sense, huh?

But there are more crazy laws. In North Carolina a law says that "While having sex, you must stay in the missionary position and have the shades pulled." Another law says that "Oral sex is a crime against nature" punishable as a felony with up to 10-12 months in prison.

The state legislature in Georgia changed the law to a misdemeanor instead of a felony, but that did not help Genarlow Wilson since the law was not retroactive. His life was ruined. He was a good student (3.2 GPA), never in trouble with the law, football star with a lot of college prospects. As of right now, there is still the possibility that he may not be let out of prison, since some higher ups in Georgia are still trying to appeal the judges decision to release him. Wilson is going to likely be put on the sex offender registry. Which would mean he couldn't even return to his family since he has an eight year old sister, and would be forbidden contact with his own sister.

Now, I guess we just sit and wait for the decision to be made in this state. And we all continue to violate outdated laws in our states simply by lifting our legs while having sex, or having the girl be on top. Crazy. This is our nation. These our our states' rules.

They still exist.

Beautiful People

Thursday I took a leap and decided to go out and meet an old friend. It's amazing how Myspace can be so helpful in that way. As I drove up Euclid, and turned to find a parking spot, I saw Daphanie and Yoichi walking out of the corner of my eye. Immediately I became even more excited. It was really a weird feeling. Almost peace and nervousness at the same time. I hadn't seen Daphanie in person for 10 years. She lives in Japan, I live in StL. Yet we have communicated so much in the past few months that I really did not feel like much time had past at all. But for some reason, I was still a little nervous about showing up that night. Fortunately, there was no reason to be.

I went in the place, and could not find the two for the life of me. The owner asked who I was looking for and I said just some friends I haven't seen in a long time. But I kept going through the different parts, only to see nothing. Though, I did see someone who looked like someone I went to high school with. Not sure at first if it was him. Turned out it was. Talked with him and his creepy-gaze friend for a bit later that night. (Oh, KBO -- it was the guy from The Pageant... the rapper with the big ear and shit. He's not rapping any more, though. Just producing and doing real estate.) Again, good times talking with old friends.

Finally as I am on the phone telling Leo how I know I saw them walking this way, I see Yoichi sitting down next to a woman who can be no other than Daphanie. Weird how I recognized him first sitting there. Both looked great. But, I promise that they were not there originally.

Went over and the night began. It seriously was so easy and so natural. We caught up a little bit. Drank a lot more. Turns out she used to work at the restaurant/club when she was in school. The people there were really amazing. I was tempted to ask Barack if I could have an application and begin working there at least for the summer.

Everyone was beautiful, inside and out. And it was all so comfortable. Talking with the DJ, with the bartenders, with the owner (who I should have told who I was looking for when I was walking around lost, since he knows Daphanie really well), Daphanie's really funny friend who I can't remember her name right now. She was really cool, though, and sat with us most of the night.

One of the most wonderful, inspiring things was hearing more of Daphanie's story. Both from her and from the owner of the place. She was really changed by working at the club. Helped her to see what the world had to offer. I think that is shit that I kind of took for granted growing up with people from different countries. But something that I really treasure today. And what I really enjoyed about that night. It was International Night at the club, and you could tell. There were Russians, Ethiopians, Croatians, Italians, Japanese... it was everything I love -- people from all over having a wonderful time, listening to Robell's wonderful mixing of music from all over the globe.

Her story was great. Her husband is great, too. It really amazed me how good she is with the language. I know in some emails she has said that she doesn't speak English a whole lot any more, but it is really different to hear someone in person speaking a second language so fluently. It was enthralling. And she has not been speaking it for a super-long time. Being engrossed in the culture and being married to a native speaker really helped her become fluent in her Japanese. Her husband speaks English, but I talk really fast, and he couldn't always understand what I was saying, even when I tried to slow down. But Daphanie was there to translate. Daphanie as a translator! Daphanie, who used to run around with me at Sara's stinky place with water balloons in our bras, who used to try (along with the others) to not touch too much at Sara's, who used to sit and try to listen to Glynis's crazy stories of her family shitting on walls in a hotel, and then smoke a fat blunt in the back of her house that Glynis wouldn't get in on. Daphanie is all grown up, beautiful, and bilingual.

The night continued to get better. Drinks can really do that. Especially when the bartender makes them right. We closed down the place, decided that we couldn't end the night there, and drove over the bridge to the East Side. Went into one of the strip clubs and sat and chilled. The nudity was no big deal. The most disturbing thing was the drink I ordered. The alcoholic one was fine, but the water tasted like shit. I think the bartender might have thought I ordered water with vodka or something. The shit made me want to throw up, though.

We stayed in the club until they closed. Daphanie and I danced. We talked more about life, Yoichi, drinking. Some of the people from the club joined us -- Brian, Robell and the bouncer who I cannot remember his name, and couldn't figure out which country he was from either. Our waitress came over at one point. Real cute girl. As she asks our orders, Yoichi asked if she was Japanese. She really did not look too Japanese to me, but I guess he can tell that shit better than me. The girl was shocked and said no one had ever identified her by sight as Japanese, the three then said some words in Japanese, until the girl realized that Daphanie and Yoichi were much more fluent than her, then she went back to serving.

Daphanie and Robell convinced me to go up to a girl and touch my first implanted boobs. Robell found a girl with some really realistic ones, that felt really nice. Almost made me think twice about getting the shit. They didn't sit all high, they didn't look like melons, the were malleable. Nice.

The night ended soon after that when the club closed down. We tried to get some food from the stand outside, but the people were really adamant about getting us up and out so the girls could leave the place. The sun rise was beautiful, but deceiving since I could have sworn the place I was seeing the colours was really North. Argued with Brian over that for a little bit, too. Even got him to start believing it and trying to convince me it was North and that it was some sort of illusion that made it look like the sun was rising there.

We said our good byes in the lot. Daphanie, Yoichi, and Robell were about to go to another club, I was about to head home for the night. It was honestly the best time I'd had in a while. I really needed it after all the shit I'd been dealing with in the last week or so.

It was great hanging out with beautiful people. People that were comfortable, funny, intriguing, amazing, helpful, inspiring. It was even greater seeing Daphanie again. Greater, still, that we meshed so well, just like old times. I know there is a ton of family and other friend shit until Wednesday, but we hopefully will meet again before her million-hour flight back to Japan. If not, more of a reason for me to fly out there and see the Land of the Rising Sun.

Another highlight of the night was being awakened around 7 to Leo laughing telling me of his dream. Some type of Montel Williams setup with a girl about to go off on a guy saying "Ok, Big Daddy with the titties. You just let them keep jigglin' and jigglin'. They move around more than mine without a bra." Comedy, early in the morning, while I'm still kind of drunk. Woke up, surprisingly, with no big hangover, at least in the head. Just some undigested vodka in the tummy. But ready to do it all again.

04 June 2007

Crazy People Everywhere

I'm sitting here right now super tired, but unable to go back to sleep. Damn being semi-stuck on a school schedule. So instead of sleeping, I'm here reminiscing on the craziness that was this school year/thinking of how much I want to be napping and already daydreaming of a nice cocktail.

Really the main thing that keeps coming into my head is, as kbo would say, how much "you can't reason with crazy." So true. When a mofo is completely off their rocker you really can't justify anything to them. You cannot even convince them of anything contrary to the concocted thoughts that are in their head.

Some examples in my life and in society in general, past and present:

The biggest ones coming to my head from my direct life deal with in the recent past. I have always been a person who loves stories, but when they come to real life, it is crazy. It is absolutely insane to think that a person is so in love with make believe that they create their own stories of their life. I know that sometimes a person's life can seem mundane, but can it really be so bad that you have to develop stories for even the most ordinary details? And that you have to pick up random people you don't know and give them rides and offer your friends up to give them rides, also? I cannot possibly go into enough detail on this person. It really frustrates me, yet also enthralls me to think about all the stories and all the drama.

Another close to home issue deals with young females. I can't understand how they can be so preoccupied with the penis that they can't notice that the body and the brain attached to it are shit and completely worthless. Even more questionable is the fact that they will get into physical fights over it all. After a track meet this year, the bus pulls up to school and as I am talking to the bus driver to figure out when we will leave for the next meet, I hear some loud screaming. Figured the kids were just fucking around with each other, talking in their super-loud outside voices like they do even in school. I turn the corner to tell them to calm down and go home only to realize that they are brawling. And with chicks they were arguing with at the track meet. The chicks followed the bus back to the school so they could fight over these two worthless dudes. Get out of here. Quit gossiping on Bebo, quit ruining friendships over guys with so many issues it is unbelievable.

The other night I was watching National Geographic Channel and came across this guy who decided to live with wolves. Yes, live with wolves. Allow them to bite him, bite them back, lick them, fight with them, play with them, eat raw deer and other animals with them, allow the wolves to eat out of his mouth. Cannot possibly reason with this guy that what he is doing is way off.

G-Dubb. There is not enough time in the world for me to go into detail about all the craziness he has done, along with his lackeys. And for all you Clinton-lovers... he did some fucked up shit, too.

Life on this planet is full of the crazies.

And I will write about them as this blog continues...

Until then.