This Thanksgiving I've been meditating on the idea that we really need to be thankful everyday for what we have, and at the same time we need to avoid becoming complacent about things that could be better both in this country and elsewhere. So here are my lists:
A few things I'm thankful for:
1) Friends that cook me breakfast and call me back!
2) My family. My mom. My job. My coworkers.
3) My health, and my friends' and family's health.
4) All good, ethical, kind, generous, thoughtful people in the world.
5) People bent on making things better, or at least trying.
A few things I'm pissed about:
1) The f'd-up health care system.
2) The f'd-up government, and super f'd up war.
3) Hateful, racist, sexist, classist, imperialist, ignorant attitudes.
4) Poverty, suffering, alienation, loneliness.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Protests in San Diego
Last week when most San Diego residents where doing their commutes to and fro on the sprawling San Diego freeway system there was a group of protesters silently amassing at the border near Mexicali and Calexico. The objective was to create a 'no borders camp'... unfortunately things turned ugly, and many of the protesters were beaten and pepper-sprayed. Here is a link to noborderscamp.org and sandiego.indymedia.org to learn more.
The incident just shows how it is going to become increasingly difficult for San Diego residents to ignore the reality of the border... though there was virtually no press for this protest which involved several hundred people! I got the impression the press was intentionally left out of the loop precisely because–they are the press, and the organizers felt their interests at the border would just be reduced to sound bites by the media. They probably would have! Frightening, no?
The incident just shows how it is going to become increasingly difficult for San Diego residents to ignore the reality of the border... though there was virtually no press for this protest which involved several hundred people! I got the impression the press was intentionally left out of the loop precisely because–they are the press, and the organizers felt their interests at the border would just be reduced to sound bites by the media. They probably would have! Frightening, no?
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Aural Pleasure in SD
I've had a week of aural pleasure starting with poetry at the Whistle Stop in a show organized by a local writer named Ryan Griffith. (His writing "Oblivion" was recently published in CityBeat's short story competition.) 'Poetry at a bar?' you may be wondering. Well, I was a little skeptical at first too, but Ryan made it work. He chose two great poets who kept the audience moved and entertained. The first poet was Erene Rallis. Erene read from her book called "Inner Ecos", and this modest woman probably in her late 60's, rocked the house! Her writing was incredibly powerful, and left me awestruck! Then Rob Williams changed the pace a bit and read a short prose piece accompanied by a slide show. Rob was hilarious. The bar was completely quiet except for the murmuring sounds of smokers on the patio. I was impressed with the whole event which was probably a little under an hour long. Short and sweet. There are more readings coming-up, so if you are interested in chilling with thinking-literate-poetic people you know where to go.
Then, last night I went to see Carl Hancock Rux at SUSHI. Carl has the most amazing voice. He read several poems, often singing the lines acappella, and then read from his book. I have not had an experience like that in my six years in San Diego. I left the performance space feeling somehow psychically renewed. Then I was lucky enough to accompany Carl and his friend, Lynn Schuette the director of Sushi, and Adrian Arancibia of The Taco Shop poets, to a late dinner. We chatted and laughed for hours after the reading. As we were leaving, two women stopped Carl and told him he had a great voice and that he should be on the radio. I don't know if he told them that he had in fact been on the radio earlier that day or not. If only they knew! Here is a link to Carl on the radio if you want to hear his mystical voice. NPR podcast.
Then, last night I went to see Carl Hancock Rux at SUSHI. Carl has the most amazing voice. He read several poems, often singing the lines acappella, and then read from his book. I have not had an experience like that in my six years in San Diego. I left the performance space feeling somehow psychically renewed. Then I was lucky enough to accompany Carl and his friend, Lynn Schuette the director of Sushi, and Adrian Arancibia of The Taco Shop poets, to a late dinner. We chatted and laughed for hours after the reading. As we were leaving, two women stopped Carl and told him he had a great voice and that he should be on the radio. I don't know if he told them that he had in fact been on the radio earlier that day or not. If only they knew! Here is a link to Carl on the radio if you want to hear his mystical voice. NPR podcast.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Word On The Street
After spending the weekend hanging out with some of San Diego's most amazing people I am more convinced than ever that something exciting is happening in our fair city. People are beginning to realize how much potential San Diego has...
It seems San Diego has long suffered from an identity crisis. It's not Los Angeles. It's not Seattle. It's not San Francisco. It's not Portland. It's not Austin. It's not Boulder. It's not New York City. So what is it?
San Diego is San Diego: A multicultural city with diverse political ideologies; A city facing some serious socioeconomic issues; A city on the front line of the immigration debate; A beautiful city, where people love to be outside, challenged with environmental issues from the ocean to the desert... These are the things that make this city so interesting a place to be right now.
San Diego needs therapy to help it see itself for what it is: a nexus.
I spent time this weekend with the head of an environmental non-profit organization, a molecular biologist, a violinist, a couple who built their own home and is highly engaged in their community, a guy visiting from Guadalajara, a number of smart and super-modelish women and men, an African American poet, a lawyer, a small business owner, I could go on and on... The point is that there are really interesting people here, doing very interesting progressive things, but you have to be out in the community to meet them.
San Diegans need a paradigm shift in their thinking about San Diego. I vote for a little more self-love. Let's embrace our challenges as our strengths in order to form our identity , like Austin embraces Texas, like Seattle embraces Starbucks, like Los Angeles embraces traffic... You get the idea.
Let's say no to self-hate, frankly I'm way over it. Dissing San Diego is LAME. Being engaged in San Diego community is COOL. So, if you need a fun way to start being engaged in San Diego, you can go check out two COOL new local San Diego bands that I just discovered: The Red Feathers, and Vision of a Dying World...baby steps.
It seems San Diego has long suffered from an identity crisis. It's not Los Angeles. It's not Seattle. It's not San Francisco. It's not Portland. It's not Austin. It's not Boulder. It's not New York City. So what is it?
San Diego is San Diego: A multicultural city with diverse political ideologies; A city facing some serious socioeconomic issues; A city on the front line of the immigration debate; A beautiful city, where people love to be outside, challenged with environmental issues from the ocean to the desert... These are the things that make this city so interesting a place to be right now.
San Diego needs therapy to help it see itself for what it is: a nexus.
I spent time this weekend with the head of an environmental non-profit organization, a molecular biologist, a violinist, a couple who built their own home and is highly engaged in their community, a guy visiting from Guadalajara, a number of smart and super-modelish women and men, an African American poet, a lawyer, a small business owner, I could go on and on... The point is that there are really interesting people here, doing very interesting progressive things, but you have to be out in the community to meet them.
San Diegans need a paradigm shift in their thinking about San Diego. I vote for a little more self-love. Let's embrace our challenges as our strengths in order to form our identity , like Austin embraces Texas, like Seattle embraces Starbucks, like Los Angeles embraces traffic... You get the idea.
Let's say no to self-hate, frankly I'm way over it. Dissing San Diego is LAME. Being engaged in San Diego community is COOL. So, if you need a fun way to start being engaged in San Diego, you can go check out two COOL new local San Diego bands that I just discovered: The Red Feathers, and Vision of a Dying World...baby steps.
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