Ride the Maverick, Jesus. Ride the Maverick!

Alas, O is hot as all get out. I mean Jeeesus Jeeesus. That is some hot ass shit. I would love to climb that tree and take it own out into the solar system. Geesus I swear my my my my.

Lord, today I was stuck under a tent with a bunch of black folks getting soaked to the bone. It was a great time, but what a day!

Word of the Day

Is melange. It has been one of those words that has simply popped into my mind frequently over the last couple of weeks, I don't know why, although I made some tea today that was a melange. Anyway, there's a word for you.

I ran across this article about newspaper coverage of the Civil Rights movement. Pretty interesting, and stuff that I can use in my current project.

Turkey got denied Entry into the E.U. today. I have had my own musings about Turkey's bid for entry into the E.U. There are some interesting things at play here in terms of ethnicity, race, and politics. Turks exist on that periphery somewhere just outside of "Whiteness." As Western Society rose to the fore, and especially with the rise of British and U.S. imperialism, the game became how white can I prove that I am. Alas, Ian Haney Lopez's incredible book,White By Law talks in detail and with much clarity about the numerous court cases that were brought before U.S. courts, particularly the Supreme Court with people from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, India, China, Japan, and elsewhere trying to prove that the individuals concerned were White(because, alas, up until 1957, in order to become a citizen of the United States one either had to be born here, white or negro, or prove that one was white). Turkey's acceptance into the E.U., would have been a move towards Turkey's acceptance A: as an official part of the continent of Europe(always a matter of fierce debate--with the colored folks most adamantly pushing towards inclusion) and B: Turks would eventually be accepted as white, as indeed others have been brought in from the periphery into this inclusion (Greeks, Albanians, Slavs,people from the eastern two-thirds of Russia-- who still aren't regarded as white, however with them being in Russia, they are included as citizens of Europe). So now Turkey is left, yet again as that nearest and dearest, but still part of Asia. It's interesting the conflicts and adversity that arise out of this division. You have, for instance, Aristotle Onassis passing for Greek so that he could more smoothly flow through the "in crowd" in Europe (while, somewhat concurrently, Maria Callas, herself Greek, was passing for Italian)and you also have interesting commentaries such as the incredible film Steam(or Turkish Bath), which I have reviewed, that reflects upon a relationship between an Italian businessman and a young turk. Ethinicity is incredibly interesting and I find this courtship of Turkey and the E.U. absolutely fascinating. Perhaps elsewhere I will address the REALPOLITIK of this situation, as to which countries fell where in terms of support or opposition to Turkey's admittance into the E.U.

I find it utterly dumbfounded that the U.S. media and political groups around the country (although I say use what you will, have at it)are using the "women need to be protected" model as their new jumping ground for ending the war. I hope it is effective, but it stirs some odd and perhaps negative feelings towards it in me. One thing that I have always commended the Israeli army for is its inclusion of women equally in its armed forces(even though the Israeli military power structure, such the same as the US's, is evil). However, I think it will only be to the detriment of the United States to try and prop women back up on the (enslaving) pedestal that women have suffered under for so long. I feel a great deal of love, admiration, and respect for the beautiful and brave women in Vietnam who, as Jane Fonda states, were such good fighters when the time came, and of the women of Iraq who are fighting in their own ways to live each day with the presence of unending violence and U.S. imperialism.

I think that open relationships require a level of honesty that few are able to obtain. I believe that there should never be any possession in any relationship and that people should be free to move about as they please, however I believe that the utmost honesty is required for the integrity of such a relationship to remain intact.

The state of Virginia has decided that it wants to send those Blacks who were denied an education AFTER the end of segregated schooling, during the five years that they closed public schools, a chance to finish their educations and go to college. But they don't want to extend this to their descendants-- SO AS NOT TO BE SEEN AS AN ATTEMPT AT REPARATIONS. White men need to be castrated. Thats all there is to it. Power needs to be wrangled out of their hands and really their penises should be severed from their bodies, then we would have no more problems- at least from them. It puts me in the mind of Nikki Giovanni's poem in which she states something to the effect " Oppression by bell-bottoms would be ideal,and yea let's take it on down, Oppression by Diana Ross leaving the supremes would be most ideal since I wouldn't have nothing to deal with til the Mafia took over Motown, but Im hear to say that I am oppressed by crackers, and that's all I have to deal with." Alas, this power structure will be brought down and we will live in full recognition of our freedom, dignity, and integrity.

Why is the NAACP choosing a business leader to head its organization? Why isn't Merlie Evers-Williams the head? The NAACP needs to do two things pertinently. One: Stop acting like a business-- you are a civil rights organization and need to act accordingly and that would require Two: Getting rid of phallocentrism! That also means stop trying to pander to white business leaders and/or political leaders and also start doing some FUNDAMENTAL grassroots organization. The NAACP, if it had done like it should--could have been doing the work of the SCLC and the NAACP all along....It has to stop being the big lobbyist and become a champion for human rights....

I liked what I wrote

I very much have to disagree with your pronouncement of Radical Feminism. bell hooks describes herself as a radical feiminst. And true that there are some that are labeled as radical feminists by those outside of feminism--for whatever that is worth-- but I think that true, fundamental radical feminism and radical feminists, like dear sister bell are those who aren't satisfied with gaining a foothold in the current power structure, but who wish to see fundamental, radical, structural change in society..... Radical Feminist include myself;-), Angela Davis, bell hooks, Jane Fonda, Alice Walker, oh I very much believe Gloria Steinem, Germaine Greer, god so many to name. But alas, radical feminism believes in true, structural change to bring about a better and more just society.

I got up, put on my clothes intending to go out, and now I dont know if I want to.

Go to Hell

Now if your mind lies in the Devil's workshop
And evil duens your thrill
And trouble and mischief is all you live for
You know darn well
That you'll go to hell

So you're living high and mighty
Rich off the fat of the land
Just don't dispose of your natural soul
'cos you know darn well
That you'll go to hell

I say hell
Where your natural soul burns
Hell
Where you pay for your sins
Hell
Keep your children from wrongdoing
'cos you know darn well
That they'll go to hell.

I say hell
Man, woman were created
Hell
To live for eternity
Hell
With an apple they ate from the tree of hate
So you know darn well
That they went to hell

Now Satan was an angel in heaven
But he stirred up trouble and woe
So the LORD commanded that the Devil be branded
So you know darn well
He went to hell
Yeah, he went to hell
Yeah, he went to hell
He went to hell.

I played Nina Simone's Released album all through out the past election cycle, with special attention to the track, " Go to Hell," in an effort to damn George Bush, if indeed not this country, to hell. I played it again yesterday when they delivered the verdict which finally "closed" the Human Rights/Murder case of Cheney, Shwerner, and Goodman. It saddens me and pisses me off that white men get to use this to make themselves feel good, especially FORTY YEARS after the fucking fact. And indeed Trent Lott and the other senator from Mississippi need to loose their penises in lieu of their signatures on the most recent version of "I'm sorry we didn't do more to stop the crime of lynching." Where is Malcolm X's vision of taking the United States before the World Court and trying it for crimes against humanity? We need some movement people!!!!

I remember when I was in the sixth grade and I told my teacher I thought I was having hot flashes. She laughed at me.

I am in a creative mood...the spirit has possessed me. I just watched some television and I saw this ad for medicine to stop hot flashes. The list of side effects was at least two pages long... " If you take this medicine you might develop uterine cancer, you might go blind,etc etc," Don't but the medicine and go buy an air conditioner!

I always wanted to attend a coming-out ball ( a cotillion). My mother got to go to one and so did my sister. There have been some things that I have always been jealous of, but of course now I totally don't really care, but I definitely would have loved to have attended one. When I was little I used to be absolutely jealous of my sister and all of my cousins because they got to go to Catholic School and I had to go to school with my Aunt Johnnie. I am glad I did. I only liked the uniforms they wore (burgundy and white). Also, when my sister was little, my grandmother and my step-grandfather took her everywhere-- all over the Carribean, Florida, California. When I came along the only place I go to go was to their condo in Alpine Bay(somewhere in Florida). That place used to give me a headache, even though it was nice. When you opened the front door, the hallway into the main part was covered in mirrors and I would always walk into the mirrors. Leave me alone. But I did enjoy the jacuzzi. What petty children's stuff, but it was something I was thinking about this morning. I did get to go to Europe though. I want to go back too, soon.

Black Butter Fly by Deniece Williams

I have been in love with this song basically my whole life. I used to listen to it a lot in high school...in college I had it on napster. MUSIC MEANS SOMETHING!


Morning light, silken dream take flight
As the darkness give way to the dawn
You've survived, now your moment has arrived
Now your dream has finally been born

Black butterfly sail across the waters
Tell your sons and daughters what the struggle brings
Black butterfly set the skies on fire
Rise up even higher so the ageless winds of time can catch your wings

Ooh...ooh...

While you slept, the promise was unkept
But your faith was as sure as the stars
Now you're free and the world has come to see
Just how proud and beautiful you are

Black butterfly sail across the waters
Tell your sons and daughters what the struggle brings
Black butterfly set the skies on fire
Rise up even higher so the wind can catch your wings

Let the current lift your heard and send it soaring
Write your timeless message clear across the sky
So that all of us can read it and remember when we need it
That a dream conceived in truth can never die
Butterfly

'Cause now that you're free and the world has come to see
Just how proud and beautiful you are

Black butterfly sail across the waters
Tell your sons and your daughters what the struggle brings
Black butterfly set the skies, set them on fire
Rise up even higher so the ageless winds of time can catch your wings

Fly
Butterfly
Yeah, yeah, yes
Fly

A New Slogan

Castration is the Key!
Bush-Dick= Freedom!!!

I want to write in depth and very seriously about being Black in a White university and being a person of color/Black person pursuant of advanced degrees in a graduate program that is controlled and predominantly populated by whites, in a white academic setting. I doubt if I will write all that I want to here.....it will probably be an essay that I write-- outside of the blog, but I think it is crucial, critical, indeed pertinent to talk about this. As I have interacted with other Black graduate students, faculty members, and other Blacks-- here at Purdue and elsewhere and talked with them about their experiences, I feel that this is something that needs to be addressed, discussed, and there needs to be some movement and activity surrounding this. Just today, as I was on the trolley, I started talking to this Black girl in the humanities and she was telling me about the difficulties of being in her department. This needs attention, and the enviornment in which Blacks in higher levels of education have to exist need to be improved. There is no reason for anything to stay the same. Otherwise, I believe castration is definitely an alternative.

The politics of attracting a man are very interesting. I met Charles and we started hanging out and it progressed from there.....It is happening again....although who knows where it will go this time.

I am in love with

Ilmixor's

if I had a hammer I would smash patriarchy!