Saturday, April 30, 2005

Tonight's passover was great... I am soo totally jewish.....I have a penchant for things jewish--men,bagels, lox, barbra, klezmer, and kabbala.....

My politics---not a republican

I am:
-14%
Republican.
"The Marxists are too reactionary for you. With people like you around, America collectively thanks God for John Ashcroft."

Are You A Republican?

Friday, April 29, 2005

My Cousin Betty Wrote an Article about me

My Cousin Betty, the pulitzer prize nominated journalist wrote an article about me\-)

Detroit News

The Links

The Links really work now.
Last night was really charged and full of excitment and energy. Charles added sooo much to the flavor. Alas, I will not speak here about last night with Charles, at least not now, for fear of implicating myself. It was definitely a moment of exploration and discovery. Beautiful.

Thursday, April 28, 2005

About Lafayette

These roads are much too narrow and the buses are always threatening to crash into something.

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Letter Written to the Journal and Courier Concerning an article in the Purdue Exponent

This letter is written in response to an article that appeared in the Purdue Exponent. Since they are no longer taking submissions, I sent it here. Although, I rarely read that newspaper as I realize how uncouth it is, I did happen to pick up the Wednesday edition of the paper and proceeded to read Adam Hines' report of how "angry" "black" students held a forum at Purdue to protest certain issues. Although, I am quite sure this individual is quite in the dark concerning the racism that is reflected in the way in which he chose to report this event, I will state that YES we are angry and you will learn to RESPECT our anger.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Oh MY God!!!

Oh My God! I did it myself! The Goddamned Links work!!!
I really enjoyed class with Venetria--she is wonderful and I am glad her presence is available to us here at Purdue. God. This last class was wonderful too--and I very much decided with our discussion over Troy Maxson's infidelity that it was much better to concede the point than have a bunch of black women mad at me LOL. It has been a great experience. Thank You, Venetria.;-)

Monday, April 25, 2005

Now as to the forum yesterday.... I almost didnt like that white woman that moderated---whatever her name was--the former mayor. Firstly, they had Mildred sitting in the middle-- and then she skipped the hell over her to let the other white man on the panel speak before mildred did--OK. I was ready to go crazy. Anyway, I also observed that the dialogue was held mostly between the two white men on the panel--sitting on either side of Mildred--and they never directly addressed her. However, she did manage to make herself heard--and took over the conversation when she wanted to/needed to. I don't think that was a very progressive panel yesterday. I did make nice with the mayor lady (or rather she made nice with me) afterwards....but alas--- to have that kind of situation---and to skip over the BLack woman to let two white men speak oh no lord. That is something else. I know Mildred was probably thinking somewhere in the back of her mind that she should have stayed in Chicago.......
Germaine Greer! That name makes me almost as excited as that of Angela Davis! ;-) I would follow her everywhere she went.....
I just met this gorgeous-ass Black man in the library. Good lord. My mouth will not stop watering. I need a piece of chocolate......
I want to write more about Mildred and the forum yesterday. I observed some interesting things....that will come later...
I just ran into Rita in the hallway.... what a beautiful spirit. It is amazing--such a tall, beautiful flower growing in the middle of the desert. I hope she finds a job--in Chicago. I will definitely have to chat with her before the semester lets out....
Oh my god, no wonder people have been writing about Pope Benedict XVI so much lately-- this is a c onservative agenda that is threatening to take over the world.... I love waking up in the morning listening to NPR.....it clears my mind for what I hear. I wonder what Alice Walker and Angela Davis are thinking, doing in the midst of where the world is right now..... The progressive movement...... and the religious telecast yesterday--that thankfully I only heard about second-hand and did not see---and the call to worship bullshit yesterday(that Robert attended; I will corrupt him yet) It is definitely something to keep mindful of....

Sunday, April 24, 2005

I just got back from the social security forum. It was quite good. I am so very glad I reconnected with Mildred and Beryl-- I need people like them in my life for sure. I am defintiely going to contact Mildred about working there in Chicago over the summer. Lord-progressive Black women who are from my part of town-- I couldn't ask for much more.And to think that Gary is in Indiana.......oh Beryl....
While I am on music... I will just ramble for a moment... I am in love with elipses I see. On "Wild is the Wind," I prefer Nina's version to Barbra's--Nina's is rich and deep and erotic-- with Barbra's- you can tell that she's sort of tired and annoyed with saying "wild is the wind"--and really doesn't give a shit about the song--sentiment: "please, this song is such bullshit, where is my $50,000?"

Love me love me love me
Say you do
Let me fly away
With you
For my love is like
The wind
And wild is the wind

Give me more
Than one caress
Satisfy this
Hungriness
Let the wind
Blow through your heart
For wild is the wind

You...
Touch me...
I hear the sound
Of mandolins
You...
Kiss me...
With your kiss
My life begins
You’re spring to me
All things
To me

Don’t you know you’re
Life itself
Like a leaf clings
To a tree
Oh my darling,
Cling to me
For we’re creatures
Of the wind
And wild is the wind
So wild is the wind

Wild is the wind
Wild is the wind


I also love Nina's Pirate Jenny


You people can watch while I'm scrubbing these floors
And I'm scrubbin' the floors while you're gawking
Maybe once ya tip me and it makes ya feel swell
In this crummy Southern town
In this crummy old hotel
But you'll never guess to who you're talkin'.
No. You couldn't ever guess to who you're talkin'.

Then one night there's a scream in the night
And you'll wonder who could that have been
And you see me kinda grinnin' while I'm scrubbin'
And you say, "What's she got to grin?"
I'll tell you.

There's a ship
The Black Freighter
with a skull on its masthead
will be coming in

You gentlemen can say, "Hey gal, finish them floors!
Get upstairs! What's wrong with you! Earn your keep here!
You toss me your tips
and look out to the ships
But I'm counting your heads
as I'm making the beds
Cuz there's nobody gonna sleep here, honey
Nobody
Nobody!

Then one night there's a scream in the night
And you say, "Who's that kicking up a row?"
And ya see me kinda starin' out the winda
And you say, "What's she got to stare at now?"
I'll tell ya.

There's a ship
The Black Freighter
turns around in the harbor
shootin' guns from her bow

Now
You gentlemen can wipe off that smile off your face
Cause every building in town is a flat one
This whole frickin' place will be down to the ground
Only this cheap hotel standing up safe and sound
And you yell, "Why do they spare that one?"
Yes.
That's what you say.
"Why do they spare that one?"

All the night through, through the noise and to-do
You wonder who is that person that lives up there?
And you see me stepping out in the morning
Looking nice with a ribbon in my hair

And the ship
The Black Freighter
runs a flag up its masthead
and a cheer rings the air

By noontime the dock
is a-swarmin' with men
comin' out from the ghostly freighter
They move in the shadows
where no one can see
And they're chainin' up people
and they're bringin' em to me
askin' me,
"Kill them NOW, or LATER?"
Askin' ME!
"Kill them now, or later?"

Noon by the clock
and so still by the dock
You can hear a foghorn miles away
And in that quiet of death
I'll say, "Right now.
Right now!"

Then they'll pile up the bodies
And I'll say,
"That'll learn ya!"

And the ship
The Black Freighter
disappears out to sea
And
on
it
is
me
While I am on music...I love Nina Simone...as I have stated. " The look of love is in your eyes, a look no smile can disguise...."
Barbra Streisand has made me absolutely crazy about "When Sunny Gets Blue." The first few bars of that piano at the opening of the song, right before she begins her song just send chills down my spine and send me over into another atmosphere......mmmmmmmm.....
Ok...perhaps tapes are becoming obselete and I need to switch wholly to CDs.....

Beginning of a Story

On the North end of Chelsea, out on the softer, more genteel side of the district-where the buildings had stone faces with sharp edges to them, there was a complex-- one Rivard Skyrise- which housed young, fairly affluent college students that can best be described as liberated and possessed with the fever of such freedom that oftentimes priests who lived nearby would comment that there abandon reflected the possession of the devil. The most notorious testament to this was the nightly shuttle bus that transported the young kids from the safety behind the gates of Rivard to the bustling night metropolis with its glaring red lights and blue haze mixed with the totalilty of black. On this bus, on the journey up the black asphalt streets to the nightclubs and loud music,it was renowned to be a journey of extasy and loose ends flowing freely, of wild and deep explorations into the carnal. It was a place where a girl wearing a blue and black polka-dot blouse could fornicate using a long string of black pearls that extended down to the floor. The bus was a place of sexual freedom and exploration, by kids who were not dumb, but who held certain political beliefs--who were young radicals and activists..that smoked pot and lifted things from expensive stores...and constantly smashed the statues of hero soldiers on campus in protest.....

The Best Feminist Statement I Have Heard

So. What is your feminism about?

Updated: Ok, here is my answer, pulled up from comments by popular demand:


In many ways, I suspect my feminism is fairly bourgeois. I don't want a revolution that doesn't allow me to dance, flirt, and buy shoes. On the other hand, my feminism is fairly absolute in that I will not allow myself (or others) to demonize "radical feminists" or to ignore poor women or women of color, and I object very strongly when I see women fighting with each other over crumbs. I'm sure I do it too, sometimes, but I try very hard not to. My feminism is material in the sense that I believe that the body is irreducible (more and more so, as I age, and more since becoming a mother). I do not believe that there are no differences between men and women; but I believe that what differences there are have been vastly exaggerated by social conditioning, and I reject essentialism. My feminism likes men, and is sympathetic to the ways that they, too, suffer from narrow definitions of gender. My feminism insists on being heard, and will not give up a fight, and will not back down. On the other hand, my feminism deplores unfairness, meanness, and insensitivity. I believe in principles, including the principle that people matter. I believe in forgiveness and second chances, and in teaching, and in learning; and I also believe in having high expectations and firm boundaries. My feminism is polemical but embraces ambiguities. My feminism is aggressive and protective.



# posted by bitchphd : 5:42 PM
Danny Weiss has a good band-- I love jazz and I love hearing it live(in my limited experience). One of these days I am going to chicago and going back to the Green Dolphin. God, tonight when they played "When Sunny Gets Blue," I was transported into a galaxy of pure extasy. I love that song---and the cymbals and the trill that man made....ahh me, how beautiful.