Más derechos, menos derecha

A final note

2010-01-03T10:33:00.003-05:00

To anyone out there who might read this blog and want to continue following me:

I have decided to publish a new blog. If you are interested in checking it out, please email me at palabramante@gmail.com and I will send you the new URL.

Thanks for reading and for your interest. Keeping a blog is one of my favourite things, and I hope to continue to utilize this format to practice writing and crystallize my thoughts on virtual paper in order to help make sense of my life.

Thanks again. Happy 2010.

English only? Creo que la reality don't reflect it

2009-12-05T19:38:00.001-05:00

Very interesting... Look how "English-y" our country apparently is (not).

Las Vulpess "Me gusta ser una zorra"

2009-11-17T12:54:00.002-05:00

adaptation of Iggy and the Stooges' "I wanna be your dog". AWESOME.

Christians are commies

2009-11-12T08:34:00.001-05:00

This shit is rad. (from the New Internationl Version):

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his[b]faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Love
9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.

17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[d]says the Lord. 20On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."[e] 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Palestinian Youth Murdered by Israeli Army

2009-10-06T11:52:00.001-04:00

http://www.bilin-ffj.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=199&Itemid=1

On Wednesday, 30 September 2009, the Israeli army murdered a Palestinian youth outside his school, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam high school in Yabad village, west of Jenin. This school had been closed from 2001-2006.

Around 11:35am, a military jeep with the license plate number 655474 left the main road to turn into the access road to the school where a group of male students gathered close to the main entrance of the school. The jeep was driving at a fast speed and targeted Foad Mahmoud Naiyf Turkuman (age 17) who was crouching down close to a small concrete wall. According to eye witnesses (one of his teachers and three of his friends), the jeep hit Foad directly and pushed him against the wall. Due to the impact, Foad was thrown 2.5 meters and fell to the ground in front of the vehicle. The driver of the jeep then drove his vehicle forward running two wheels over Foad's chest and torso of the already injured youth a second time. He then stopped the engine and called for reinforcement, claiming mechanical failure. The driver of the jeep closed the gate of the school and did not allow any of the teachers’ cars to go out and take the injured student from the ground, or help him.

A second jeep with the license plate number 611041 arrived. The newly arrived soldiers threw tear gas at three friends of Foad's standing nearby as well as into the school court yard to prevent anyone from coming to the scene. About 24 students were injured by the tear gas. Eventually, the second jeep towed the first one away to underline the claimed mechanical failure. While the media portrayed the event as an accident, the Palestinians clearly see it as a deliberate murder. Some witnesses documented the event with their mobile phone cameras.

When Foad's brother, Mahdi Mahmoud Naiyf Turkuman ran to the scene to help his brother, the soldiers blocked his way. He injured his wrist when he slammed his hand against the jeep in an attempt to get through. As teachers and students tried to come to Foad's rescue, saying that they will call an ambulance to take him to the hospital, the soldiers allegedly asked what was the problem and if anyone was injured!

Foad, who was seriously injured, was left unattended for 30 minutes because the army prohibited anyone from approaching. Finally, the teachers and a relative were allowed to rescue him and take him to Jenin hospital in a relative's private car. He died from his injuries at the hospital an hour later. His brother Mahdi had to be sedated by injection since he witnessed the murder of his own brother and was in shock.

Eye witnesses mentioned that the soldiers obviously assumed that the boys were about to throw stones. Since the Israeli army is not supposed to use their guns on stone throwers, they seemed to have opted to use their jeep as a weapon instead.

Most of the students were in their classes, but a few were finishing up and going to their homes.

Foad's family, who are refugees from Haifa since 1948, decided to file suit for murder against the Israeli army.

Background
The village of Yabad is surrounded by five illegal settlements, Mevo Dotan, Hermesh, Rehan, Shaqed, and Hinnanit. The Separation Wall is located west of Yabad village. Since 2003, the new road 585, located south of Yabad, is used primarily for military vehicles. Before that, the military used the old road. There is a checkpoint with 3 towers close to the school.
The Separation Wall, the Israeli-only road and the illegal settlements claimed 2,000 donums of land belonging to Yabad farmers. Since 2001, a total of 40% of Palestinian land has been lost throughout the West Bank.
One of the reasons why the military jeeps are coming to the area of the school is that the Israeli army is checking the water level for Yabad village once a month. Water is a serious issue here as everywhere else in the West Bank. Only 9% of the total available water resources are accessible to Palestinians, 91% are appropriated for Israeli use.

جريمة قتل طفل فلسطيني بيد الجيش الإسرائيلي

يوم الأربعاء 30/9/2009م قام الجيش الإسرائيلي بجريمة قتل طفل فلسطيني على مدخل مدرسته مدرسة الشهيد عز الدين القسام الثانوية في بلدة يعبد الواقعة جنوب غرب مدينة جنين. هذه المدرسة التي أغلقها الجيش الإسرائيلي منذ عام 2001 وحتى عام 2005م.

ففي حوالي الساعة 11:35 صباحا قامت مركبة عسكرية إسرائيلية تحمل لوحة تسجيل رقم צ 655474 بترك الشارع الرئيسي والدخول إلى المدخل الخص بالمدرسة حيث كان هناك بضعة طلاب يخرجون من باب المدرسة متجهين إلى منازلهم. وقد كانت المركبة تسير بسرعة عالية جدا وقامت بصدم الطالب فؤاد محمود نايف تركمان (17 عاما) بصورة متعمدة مما أدى إلى قذفه لمسافة 2.5م امام المركبة العسكرية وارتطامه بجدار اسمنتي على جانب المدخل(بشهادة ثلاثة شهود عيان من زملائه) ، ثم قام سائق المركبة بقيادتها باتجاه الطالب الجريح حيث صعدت العجلات اليمنى الأمامية والخلفية على صدره وبطنه، وواصل السير لمسافة 10 امتار حتى الباب الرئيسي للمدرسة حيث قام بإطفاء المركبة هناك مغلقا باب المدرسة أمام خروج أي سيارة منها. وقد ادعى سائق المركبة العسكرية ان مركبته معطلة وطلب هاتفيا المساعدة من مركبات عسكرية أخرى. وعندما وصل مدير ومعلمو المدرسة لمساعدة الجريح أغلق الجنود الطريق امامهم ومنعوهم من تقديم يد العون للجريح او خروج اية سيارة من المدرسة لنقل الجريح. في هذه الأثناء جاءت مركبة عسكرية ثانية تحمل لوحة تسجيل رقم צ 611041 وما ان وصلت حتى بدا الجنود بإطلاق قنابل الغاز المسيل للدموع باتجاه المدرسة حيث الطلبة في غرفهم الطفية مما ادى إلى وقوع حوالي 24 حالة اختناق وإغماء من القنابل المسيلة للدموع. وقامت المركبة العسكرية بجر المركبة التي ادعوا انها معطلة وأوقفوها على الشارع الرئيسي مقابل المدرسة مباشرة وقد تم تصويرها من خلال الهواتف النقالة لبعض الطلبة.

وعندما هرع شقيق الشهيد فؤاد المدعو مهدي محمود نايف تركمان لمساعدة شقيقه أغلق الجنود الطريق أمامه وقد أصيب بجرح في ساعده الأيمن ونزف دما بغزارة. وعندما تحدث مدير المدرسة والمعلمون مع الجنود للسماح لهم بالخروج ومساعدة الجريح وطلب سيارة إسعاف تساءل الجنود باستهجان ماذا حدث؟ هل هناك من أحد مصاب؟

وقد بقي الشهيد فؤاد ملقى على الارض ما يقارب 25-30 دقيقة حتى اسطاع المعلمون الوصول إليه في اللحظة التي وصلت فيها سيارة خاصة لأحد سكان البلدة كانت تسير على الشارع الرئيسي فقاموا بنقل الجريح بواسطتها على مستشفى جنين حيث فارق الشهيد الحياة هناك. اما اخوه مهدي فقد أصيب بصدمة ونوبة هستيرية حادة.

وحسب الادعاء الإسرائيلي فقد قال الجنود ان الطلبة كانوا على اهبة الإستعداد لإلقاء الحجارة على المركبة العسكرية، وقد استخدم الجنود مركبتهم كسلاح ضد الطالب. وللحقيقة فإن أبواب مبنى المدرسة كانت مغلقة والطلبة في غرفهم الصفية يتلقون العلم ولم يكن على مدخل المدرسة سوى 7-8 طلاب كانوا قد انهوا دوامهم المدرسي وهم في طريقهم إلى منازلهم.

وللعلم فإن عائلة الشهيد فؤاد كانت قد هجرت من مدينة حيفا عام 1948 وقد قررت العائلة مقاضاة الجنود الإسرائيليين أمام المحاكم.

2009-09-20T16:05:00.001-04:00

El cuerpo no es más que un medio de volverse temporalmente visible. Todo nacimiento es una aparición. (Amado Nervo)

2009-09-15T12:04:00.000-04:00

The glory of God is man fully alive. -Saint Irenaeus

الحروف العربية عالم سمسم

2009-09-04T21:26:00.001-04:00

The ABCs of Arabic!!!

HOT CLAM BAKES 12:30 PM TODAY at the Main Library

2009-08-27T09:55:00.001-04:00

Yay! The Library is reopening! I have a meeting, so I can't go to the "re-opening event," but I'll be sure to stop by soon to make sure my poor library is still there.

Here is the info if anybody in town wants to go celebrate the library:

(from an email sent by the LFPL):

The Main Library Reopens Tomorrow!

Please join us as we reopen

The Main Library
301 York Street
Thursday, August 27, 2009
12:30 pm

After flooding closed the Main Library just three weeks ago, we are very excited to be able to reopen the first floor and welcome back our friends and patrons. Louisville loves its libraries and the outpouring of support we have received from the community has been tremendous. That is why everyone has worked so hard to get the Main Library open ahead of schedule.

We still have a long way to go toward full recovery, but this is a tremendous first step.

We look forward to seeing you Thursday!

Sincerely,

Craig Buthod, Library Director

This is why people become cops

2009-08-18T10:40:00.000-04:00

Arrested Development's Beckett Aesthetic

2009-08-11T07:37:00.001-04:00

Martin Short's appearance in this episode is rather Beckett-esque...

Limpets are sequential hermaphrodites!

2009-08-10T14:04:00.000-04:00

There has to be something here to use in queer theory.

Green Porno: Why I Want My Vagina

2009-08-10T13:54:00.001-04:00

Thanks, Rene, for reminding me about this. Isabella Rossellini is amazing...and hilarious.

To all women who might possibly reproduce someday, if they haven't already:

2009-08-10T12:49:00.003-04:00

A position paper recently released by the United States Breastfeeding Committee has some good reminders about the importance of breastfeeding in helping keep health care costs down. Below are some highlights, and the entire position paper can be found at their website under the link "Health Care Reform Begins with Breastfeeding."

- NOT breastfeeding increases health risks to baby and mother (Breastfed babies have fewer infections, lower SIDS rates, and grow up to have lower incidence of obesity, diabetes, and asthma. Moms who breastfeed at least 1 year have lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease compared to women who never breastfed.)

- Nationally, we lose $475 per non-breastfed infant due to extra health costs during the first year of life. "These costs are bourne by Medicaid, insurance companies, hospitals and parents."

So, sorry, Sparks: tits are NOT only a source of fun and games at home! They are also there to feed our little Joe so that he'll grow (and be healthy and less costly)!

Textspeak is not universally (sic)-worthy, apparently

2009-08-09T11:23:00.003-04:00

"Okay. So. Like, right now, for example, the Haiti-ans want to come to America...but some people are all 'What about the strain on OUR resources?'"

...Sorry 'bout that. I just realized as I began to write that I frequently want to begin a blog post with "So." SO. PERIOD. And I'm sure it's because of the mammoth influence of Clueless on my speech (see above quote). So I will try not to say "So-period" all the time. However colon I do want to share an interesting grammatical tidbit with you, which also has interesting cultural implications. In my searching on the internets, I came across this article from the Miami New Times Blogs. Aside from the controversy over whether or not there is discrimination based on sexual orientation going on in the case, there is the more troubling issue of the text message transcriptions in the article.

I realize that text message quotes are only going to become a bigger part of our (news) lives as politicians, celebrities, and other public figures are caught in red-handed guilt for whatever peccadillo because of ridiculous, incriminating text messages. They are the new secret Nixon tapes of the investigative justice process. So I suppose I should just make peace with the fact that famous, wealthy, successful people use "u" to mean "you" and "ur" to mean "you are" or "your" (further inflaming people's confusion with the distinction between the two). Personally, I think all this sounds positively cro-magnon, but you can't stop the onward march of progress, right?

That being said, what is most interesting to me about this blog going over incriminating text messages in a domestic abuse case involving a high-profile gay couple in Miami is the newsblog's decision to place (sic) in the following quote:

On March 20, Peña sent a third text message containing the threat, "If and when I'm evicted u will be expose (sic) for all to c and know ur true character. Who u truly are. Ponder that. Is it worth it?"

I get that "expose" is (sic) because it is an infinitive rather than a participle, as it should be. But what I don't understand is why "to c" and "ur" and "u" are not also considered (sic)? Does (sic) only refer to grammatical mistakes/variations and not spelling mistakes? I didn't think so (and Wikipedia agrees with me). I actually find the uneven application of (sic) by the writer to be more disturbing than the slow slide into cro-magnon oblivion of our written language. It points to an even larger and more serious lack of education and critical thinking/editing ability.

So as my dad used to say, "Put your head between your knees and kiss your ass goodbye." These are the intellectual endtimes.

The eyebrows make him feel dressier

2009-08-08T20:56:00.002-04:00

Another excellent episode of Arrested Development. This is the one where the apartment wars between Lucille and Lucille II commence.

the poor ol' library

2009-08-08T14:46:00.005-04:00

As you all probably heard, our fair city of Louisville was hit hard by a rain storm-cum-flood on Tuesday, August 4. The damage sustained by the city was concentrated centrally, mostly between Broadway and Iroquois Park. Many people lost their cars underwater and a lot of houses had flooded basements. The University of Louisville Belknap campus was hard hit, being right in the center of the flood area. Damage was done to 13 buildings, including the caving of part of one building's roof; the Education School had to be completely shut down and its reopening time is unclear pending massive renovations. Also, the Music School took a lot of damage as well as the Houchens administrative building. As a student and teacher at the university, I'm concerned about how the university will handle the beginning of the school year, given the deficits it's operating under. Those concerns aside, however, UofL has had an organized response to the disaster and already a lot of work restoring the damage has been accomplished. Fortunately, there are a lot of smart, caring people at work, and volunteers are helping the diligent Physical Plant staff.

The real tragedy of the flood, however, has been the Louisville Free Public Library, a beacon of civic activity and benefits in our city. The LFPL suffered millions of dollars of damage to books, facilities and equipment, including the destruction of brand new electronic equipment for the recently-built Newburg branch that was supposed to open this month. Also, the main server (you know, the one that contains the library's ENTIRE EFFING CATALOG) is currently underwater. So. There is no internet at any library, no library website, the catalog is inaccessible (and possibly lost forever); I went to the St Matthews Eline branch earlier today and it was a ghost town. Usually it is one of the busiest branches, and it was midday on a Saturday. One can still check books out and return them, but without internet, there is almost no library traffic. It's really sad, and kind of scary. (Also, on a selfish note, Thomas and I have no idea when things are due because we always just look at our accounts online, and since there is no library website for the foreseeable future--or at least for the rest of the week--we are up the creek without a paddle, so to say. So we are gonna have some overdue books for sure.)

So, in short, the situation is pretty dire for the library. if you have a few dollars to spare, the library is taking donations:
The Library Foundation
301 York Street
Louisville, KY 40203
Attn: Flood Relief

More info about the flood can be found here:
Louisville Metro Government website
Library Journal.com
Business First Magazine

I'm gonna send them something myself. It's just so sad. Just to drive home the point, here are some pictures:

winnow is OLD

2009-08-04T10:20:00.003-04:00

Wow! I believe this is the oldest word yet to arrive in my inbox as part of the OED word-of-the-day email subscription service. Absolutely incredible!

winnow, v. (from the SECOND EDITION 1989)
1. trans. To expose (grain or other substances) to the wind or to a current of air so that the lighter particles (as chaff or other refuse matter) are separated or blown away; to clear of refuse material by this method.
EARLIEST WRITTEN USAGE: a900 O.E. Martyrol.
!
Totally rad.
Interestingly, it derives from Old English AND Latin.
If I did this correctly, you should be able to follow this link to look at the etymology for yourself.

I Want That

2009-08-03T11:29:00.002-04:00

From the National Gardening Association:

Obedient plant (Physostegia) is a widely adapted perennial flower that is so-named, not for its compact and controllable growth habit, but for the way the flowers can be bent into a desired direction and they will stay that way. In fact, most obedient plants are rampant spreaders. They can quickly become weedy, especially if grown under ideal conditions (full sun, moist soil).

Now there’s a 2010 Fleuroselect, gold medal-winning obedient plant that flowers quickly and can be grown as an annual in a container. The Fleuroselect awards are given to unique flower varieties that have impressed judges in trials in 40 different gardens throughout Europe, America, and Asia. ‘Crystal Peak White’ flowers in the first year and only grows 15 inches tall and 10 inches wide. The plants are self-cleaning, meaning they drop their spent flowers and don’t needing deadheading. Plus, unlike other perennial obedient plants, this variety flowers all summer. It’s perfect for containers or annual flowering beds. Since it’s in the Physostegia family, it’s hardy in USDA zones 2-9.
Photo from the website American Beauties Native Plants

Learnin' 'bout chile peppers

2009-07-31T15:34:00.005-04:00

I have recently had the opportunity to learn more about peppers, since people have been giving me peppers from their gardens and I've been getting peppers from the CSA. After a look at a nice, organized website that gave me a good idea of what I'm working with, now I know what recipes to research. I apparently have some habanero peppers, some Anaheims, and some "goat" anaheims.

The website is called Chester's Chiles, and whoever made the site is clearly obsessed with peppers...which I happen to respect. There are worse things to be obsessed with. You can try to identify your own chiles at their site. It's a very helpful website for the nacent gardener/chile aficionado.

Vegan Zucchini Bread!

2009-07-29T19:58:00.004-04:00

I just made some vegan zucchini bread for the first time this week. I'm pretty pleased with how it came out. I based my recipe on one that I found on a blog (Rain Rain Go Away). I modified the sugar content and a few of the ingredients. Also, my recipe was mostly zucchini with just one yellow squash, whereas Rain Rain's recipe had all kinda squash up in there. The result of my efforts was a spicy, moist, cake-y bread with lots of flavor! Here's the recipe, in case y'all are interested:

Dry ingredients:

* 3 c. all-purpose flour
* 2 tsp. cinnamon
* 2 tsp. baking soda
* 1 tsp. baking powder
* 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
* 1/2 tsp. salt

Wet Ingredients:

* 2 c. coarsely grated summer squash
* 1/2 c. canola oil
* 1 1/2 c. honey* or maple syrup
* zest of 1 lime

Mix all dry ingredients together. Set aside. Mix all wet ingredients together. Add dry ingredients. Spoon into bread tin or muffin cups and bake at 375ºF according to which baking tin you used (see below), or until bread turns a deep, delicious, autumnal golden brown.

MUFFINS: ~ 15 minutes
MINI LOAVES: ~ 20 minutes
REGULAR LOAVES: ~ 35 minutes
MINI MUFFINS: ~ 12 minutes

I believe this bread would taste fantastic with raisins in it. You could alter this into carrot cake by reducing the amount of squash and substituting it for grated carrots (add a little extra grated carrot for good measure).

* I realize that honey is not vegan, but it's just so damn delicious. I usually get local honey from Shepherdsville or Shelbyville.

Arrested Development is my friend

2009-07-23T14:52:00.002-04:00

This is a fantastically funny episode.

Never-nudes!

Thomas loves me...

2009-07-22T19:43:00.002-04:00

my wife is like a
pot of water on
slow boil
bubbles dancing
in her eyes
heat shimmering
from her fingertips

Checking it off the list

2009-07-22T18:04:00.004-04:00

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

I have been really inefficient this month. I haven't gotten hardly anything done that I intended to do; but I am finally coming out of my vacational lethargy to check some things of the long-awaited "to do" list. For example, I'm going through a big stack of stuffs that I've been reshuffling for over two years, meaning to "get to it" in that long time. So I'm dealing with the pile; I'm recycling things, sending letters, filing and sifting. It's satisfying. In my checking off of the list, I came across a folder full of half-written letters to my best friend, Elizabeth. Among the things I've been meaning to send to her is a little bookmark from Oprah magazine (that she probably already has, but I still want to give it to her). The quote on it is such a lovely thought, I wanted to share it here:

"I...always imagined Paradise to be a sort of library." - Jorge Luis Borges

Is there any felicity in the world superior to a library? I believe not. (And Elizabeth: there's a preview of all the stuff now on its way!)

"Whites-only" pool in 2009? FUCK THAT.

2009-07-11T10:00:00.002-04:00

I received this email (see below) from the Color of Change.org website. Please take action and contact the Justice Dept. so that legal action can be taken against the swim club. This is a blatant violation of civil rights. Watch the original news story here.
TEXT OF EMAIL:
Two weeks ago outside Philadelphia, 65 children from a summer camp tried to go swimming at a club that their camp had a contract to use. Apparently, the people at the club didn't know that the group of kids was predominantly Black.

When the campers entered the pool, White parents allegedly took their kids out of the water, and the swimming club's staff asked the campers to leave. The next day, the club told the summer camp that their membership would be canceled and that their payment would be refunded. When asked why, the club's manager said that a lot of kids "would change the complexion ... and the atmosphere of the club."1

A "Whites only" pool in 2009 should not be tolerated. The club's actions appear to be a violation of section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act.2 Whether or not any laws were violated, a "Whites only" pool should be something every American condemns.

Please join us in doing exactly that, and please email your friends and family and invite them to do the same. Your signature will also be used to call on the Department of Justice to evaluate suing the facility under federal law. It takes just a moment to do both, here:

http://www.colorofchange.org/swim/?id=1927-513854

Obama is President but that doesn't mean that suddenly all is fine when it comes to race in America. This is a vivid reminder of what we know still lies beneath the surface.

We all know stories like this one -- similar incidents play out quietly every day in different communities across the country. The difference in this case is that folks got caught and there was a contract in place that makes for a potentially illegal act.

Standing up now isn't just about making things right for these kids in Philadelphia or bringing consequences to this swim club (called the Valley Swim Club). It's about creating a climate of accountability everywhere. If we can publicly shame the Valley Swim Club and hold them accountable for this incident, it will make others think twice before engaging in what appears to be blatant discrimination.

Please join us in condemning the Valley Swim Club's behavior and calling on the Justice Department to investigate whether they violated civil rights laws. And please ask your friends and family to do the same.

http://www.colorofchange.org/swim/?id=1927-513854

Thanks and Peace,

-- James, Gabriel, William, Dani and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
July 10th, 2009

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU -- your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don't share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:

https://secure.colorofchange.org/contribute/?id=1927-513854

References:

1. "'Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion,'" NBC Philadelphia, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/90Zyr

2. "Section 1981 Summary," Employment Law Information Network
http://www.elinfonet.com/1981sum.php

More Resources:

"60 Black Kids Booted from Philly Pool For Being Black -- Speak Out," Jill Tubman at Jack and Jill Politics, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/GkJTs

VIDEO: "Please Don't Change the Complexion of our Pool," This Week in Blackness, 07-08-09
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saTCMJVYljU

"Swim Club Accused of Discrimination," FOX 29 Philadelphia, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/7EKGy

"Valley Swim Club: Day Two," Adam B at Daily Kos, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/qbpSA

100 soldiers versus a few unarmed villagers

2009-07-08T11:51:00.002-04:00

I received this email today:

Israeli Occupation Force Invades Bilin Village and Kidnap Two Youth

Sunday 5\7\2009

At approximately 4:15 on the morning of 5.7.09 more than 100 Israeli Soldiers invaded Belin Village. Many of them were masked and all carried automatic weapons. They attacked several houses and arrested Oda Rebhe Abu Rahma, 20, and Mahmoud Issa Yassein, 17. Upon request the soldiers would not tell their families where they were taking them or the name of an officer in command. Palestinian and international presence questioned the soldiers and dearrested several people who were documenting the kidnappings. This is the third week of night raids in Bilin village. Israeli soldier have conducted night raids almost every night and have arrested seven village youth during this period.

For more information, Please call

Abdullah Abu Rahamah, the coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall in Bilin.

0547258210 or 0599107069

e-mail – lumalayan@yahoo.com

pordiosero

2009-06-28T13:33:00.002-04:00

En todos los idiomas hay numerosas maneras de llamar a los que piden limosna. En español son mendigos, limosneros o pordioseros.

Examinamos aquí la palabra pordiosero, con la que se designa a aquellos que piden 'por Dios'. Si a la expresión por Dios le añadimos el sufijo -ero, tenemos formado el vocablo pordiosero, 'aquel que pide limosna en nombre de Dios'.

Saturday Night Pillager

2009-05-19T09:18:00.001-04:00

"True men myght lyue, without vexacyon Pollers, promoters, had no domynacyon." (H. Bradshaw, 1513)

Brit. /pl/, U.S. /polr/ Forms: 15 (18 Eng. regional (north.)) powler, 15-16 (18 Eng. regional (north.)) poler, 15- poller. [< POLL v. + -ER suffix1.]

1. A plunderer, a pillager; a robber. Cf. PILLER n. 1a. Obs.

Also, someone who votes, apparently! Obs. form of POLLSTER as well.

A VOTING PILLAGER:

photo from NNDB

haha!

Phrygian truth stands alone

2009-05-07T10:37:00.002-04:00

That's... a good one:

"La verdad triunfa por sí misma, la mentira necesita siempre complicidad." (Epicteto de Frigia)

"Truth triumphs by itself; lies always require complicity." (Phrygian saying)

Kaka de Luxe es bien caro comprar en eBay

2009-04-29T20:56:00.002-04:00

Why does this cost forty euros? I want it "real bad!", to use a Napoleon Dynamite-ism. I'd even buy it if it cost forty DOLLARS, but 40 euros is a lot of goddamn money for a 7-track album. Sigh.

iggy pop + peanut butter = cincinnati

2009-04-28T11:59:00.000-04:00

cada vez que el sol cruza el cielo

2009-04-27T19:44:00.002-04:00

Paul Coelho happens to be quite quotable. Here's an especially good one which Proverbia.net sent to me today:

Cuando todos los días resultan iguales es porque el hombre ha dejado de percibir las cosas buenas que surgen en su vida cada vez que el sol cruza el cielo.
- Paulo Coelho

"Every day comes to seem the same when a person has stopped recognizing the good things which come up in her life every time the sun crosses the sky."

fragile, mortal, beautiful

2009-04-23T10:28:00.000-04:00

I wanna read me this book. Sounds like my kind of thing.

Another example of why English is confusing

2009-04-21T10:56:00.001-04:00

"A cat has claws at the end of its paws. A comma is a pause at the end of a clause."

Palestinian man killed in Bil'in by Israeli Forces

2009-04-17T19:25:00.001-04:00

from http://www.imemc.org

One killed, dozens injured at the Bil'in weekly protest

A Palestinian man was killed and dozens more injured on Friday during the weekly nonviolent protest in Bil'in village, near the central west Bank city of Ramallah.

Local sources told IMEMC that Bassem Ibrahim Abu Rahmah, 30, died when soldiers shot him in the chest with a tear gas bomb.

The residents of Bil'in village marched towards the wall today after Friday prayers. The protest was joined by Israeli and international activists.

Protesters' held banners condemning Israel's ongoing policies and violence against civilians and demanding the release of the Palestinian political prisoners held by the Israeli army. The protest began in the center of the village then headed towards the Apartheid Wall which is being built on Bil'in land.

An Israeli army unit stationed behind the wall prevented the crowd from going through the gate and fired tear gas canisters and rubber-coated steel bullets to break up the crowd. In addition to the fatal wounding of Bassem, an international supporter was hit in the head and sustained moderate wounds from Israeli fire. Dozens were treated for gas inhalation.

Abdullah Abu Rahmah, from the local committee against the Wall and Settlements told IMEMC that the soldiers shot Bassem with a new type of gas bomb as he was imploring the soldiers to stop shooting as the protest a peaceful one and there were children present.

Abdullah Abu Rahmah added that Bassem will be buried on Saturday after the midday prayers.

B.S.

2009-04-17T04:56:00.000-04:00

marriedtothesea.com

Donkey Xote

2009-04-17T04:49:00.000-04:00

This is hilarious! I need to find it and watch it, post-haste.

Israeli Forces Arrested and Beat 2 Youths yesterday in Bil'in

2009-04-11T08:29:00.002-04:00

from Friends of Freedom and Justice Bil'in:

Four injured and Dozens Suffered Teargas Inhalation during International Children’s Day Demonstration in Bil’in

Following Friday prayers in Bil’in today, residents held a protest against the wall and settlement building. A group of children from the village were at the front of the protest holding Palestinian flags and banners remarking International Children’s Day. Some banners said “It’s our right to live safely”, “The wall kills our hopes and dreams”, “Settlements and the wall leave us with no future”. There were also pictures of children with the caption “wanted by the Israeli occupation, for resisting the wall”.

The protest began in the center of the village and was joined by international and Israeli activists. The demonstration headed towards the Apartheid Wall, which is built on Bil'in's land. An Israeli army unit had been stationed behind the wall since early morning and prevented the crowd from going through the gate. The army fired tear gas canisters to disturb the crowd, causing dozens to suffer gas inhalation, and they injured four young’s, one of them journalist his name Mohammed Muhesen working in AP ,and Kubi from Israel, Abdullah Aburahma, and Adeeb Aburahma.

On the other hand, the Israeli army, which is at the wall,they arrested two children from Bil’in Wajdy Ali Shehada Abu Rahma (16 years) and Hamouda Emad Hahmouda Yassin (16 years), they have beat them and then leave them near the village of Qatana after midnight, where they have access to the city Ramallah, and then arrived in the village on foot early in the morning, and this is came within the suffering of the Palestinian children by the Israelian solder , which coincides with the Children's Day, for this the Popular Committee for wall resistance in the village they intervention of human rights organizations in general and children's rights in particular, to stop the violence from the solder that they injured or arrest, or beat them and intimidate them and leave them in areas far from their homes after midnight.

the best word i've heard lately

2009-04-09T14:57:00.000-04:00

fike, n.2
(from the OED SECOND EDITION 1989)

Sc.
(fak) Also 7-9 fyke. [f. FIKE v.1]

1. Something that causes one to fidget; esp. the itch. Also, the fikes = the fidgets. Obs.
In first quot. possibly a different word; ? the piles. Cf. FICUS.

a1605 MONTGOMERIE Flyting 313 The frencie, the fluxes, the fyke and the felt. 1736 RAMSAY Sc. Prov. (1750) xliii. 87 Ye have gotten the fikes in your arse or a waft clew. a1758 RAMSAY Address of Thanks xxii, A Briton..as his fancy takes the fykes, May preach or print his notions. 17.. LADY DALRYMPLE in Lives of Lindsays (1849) II. 322 Your mother's cold was another of my fykes.
b. A restless movement.

1790 MACAULAY To Cheerfulness Poems 129 No ane gies e'er a fidge or fyke Or yet a moan.
2. Anxiety about what is trifling, fuss, trouble.

1719 HAMILTON 2nd Epist. to Ramsay i, O sic a fike and sic a fistle I had about it! 1790 BURNS Tam o'Shanter 193 As bees bizz out wi' angry fyke. 1808 E. HAMILTON Cottagers of Glenburnie 169, I dinna fash wi' sae mony fykes. 1827 SCOTT Surg. Dau. ii, Have I been taking a' this fyke about a Jew.
3. Dalliance, flirtation.

1808-80 JAMIESON, He held a great fike wi' her. 1810 J. COCK Simple Strains 144 (Jam.) They had a fyk thegither.

Keep it real

2009-04-09T08:15:00.003-04:00

"Sólo si me siento valioso por ser como soy, puedo aceptarme, puedo ser auténtico, puedo ser verdadero." - Jorge Bucay

Translation: "Only if value myself for being as I am, can I accept myself, can I be authentic, can I be real."

These sentiments seem especially salient to me of late. One has to accept oneself as being worthy, taking into account deficits, proficiencies, and geniuses, so that one can be an effective human being leading a meaningful life. If one follows the maxim, "To thine own self be true," the result, says Bucay, is good. The result is acceptance, authenticity, and a firm rooting in reality, where one can subsequently effect changes. The opposite implication, then, is that refusal to accept one's worth--i.e., lack of self-esteem, or self-esteem based on fantasy and not reality--can only lead to falsehood, fakery, and impotence in the world.

Tangible worthiness

2009-04-06T06:21:00.002-04:00

You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of other people. And it's okay to be proud of yourself, as long as you're proud of actual accomplishments and not dreams!

You have a lot to offer, Clare. Everyone really does appreciate who you are and what you have to contribute. Yet you have been unable to give yourself credit for all that you've accomplished. It would be worthwhile for you to take some time contemplating why this is so. You have a strong need to be loved, but you must first love yourself. Yes, we know it's a cliche to say; nevertheless you know it is true. Your family and friends will support you, but first you must support yourself.

Miedo

2009-04-05T06:00:00.001-04:00

El miedo es natural en el prudente, y el saberlo vencer es ser valiente.
- Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga

My dad's famous (part 2)

2009-04-05T05:56:00.001-04:00

Green Tree Gazette article

My SUV doesn't run on corn

2009-03-26T16:44:00.001-04:00

Everywhere between LA and NYC really IS fly-over country, ain't it?

There are more things, Horatio...

2009-03-23T10:02:00.002-04:00

Understanding human experience must occur only with the utilization of both sides of our brains. All emotion and gestalt perception can't see the trees; and all abstract, sequential reasoning can't see the forest! When we try to make sense of ourselves and the world in which we live, we have to think intuitively and rationally. They are two sides of the same coin of knowledge, understanding, sense-making, truth-finding.

And so, to those who think that reason is the only way to truth, I mention this quote:

El hombre que pretende obrar guiado sólo por la razón esta condenado a obrar muy raramente. -Gustavo Le Bon
(translation: "The man who functions solely by reason is condemned to function very rarely.")

I'm especially good at expectorating

2009-03-22T11:10:00.002-04:00

I have a cold. Therefore, I am coughing ALL THE EFFING TIME. It's getting super-old, as I'm now in Day 7 of Cough-a-rama. I don't deal well with being ill, as I'm impatient and frustrated whenever my health forces me to slow down even a little. Argh. I just get angry and resentful when my body gets sick. Stupid corporeal self.

My sole comfort is the mental amusement I experience every time I cough in a phlegmy way; whenever this happens, the line from the song "Gaston" from Disney's Beauty and the Beast, "In a spitting match nobody spits like Gaston...'I'm especially good at ex-pec-torating *ptooey*!'" comes into my head. Haha.

Classic.

For your consideration:

Hospitals steal from those they should serve

2009-03-20T06:47:00.003-04:00

When I read this, my first thought is not that UofL should offer more money to its surgeons.

My first thought is, rather, that the way to avoid such incongruity of care between rich (those served by Sub-urban, as my boss used to say) and poor (those who must go to University Hospital to receive emergency care--I include myself in their numbers) sectors of the population is to stop incentivizing it. As it is now, there is no incentive for doctors to remain part of a university system--even one as well-respected as UofL's--when Norton can open its little robe and display it's goods, including shorter work hours for more pay, more expensive surgeries, and more technology.

The way to stop the drain on doctors from the public to the private sector is to make all medical jobs government jobs. Then you have a system, like public education (at least in terms of pay scale), where pay is uniform and based on years of experience and educational level, NOT on how much money an individual doctor can bring to a hospital.

In short: hospitals are the Boss Tweeds of the medical system, and it is immoral, it does a disservice to Louisvillians in particular, and a capitalist medical system violates human rights in general. So let's stop this shit now: Single-Payer Health Insurance NOW. Check it out, dude.

National DO NOT CALL Registry

2009-03-19T09:53:00.003-04:00

REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Went Public in January.

REMINDER.... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sale calls. .... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS!!!!!!!

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 1-888-382-1222.

It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS. It takes about 20 seconds to complete the registry.

ALSO: Same goes for your home phone. Call the same number above from your home phone and register it to stop receiving telemarketing calls! Woo hoo. It's great.

A caveat, however: this registry doesn't completely block out telemarketers, because if you have an account with a bank or a credit card company, that company is still allowed to call and harangue you with "great offers" from Bangalore. Nevertheless, it is worth it to register, because when those companies you actually have accounts with sell your info to other companies, THOSE companies can't call you. Hahahaha.

Barbie says "English is HARD!"

2009-03-19T09:03:00.003-04:00

Here are some examples of why English is so difficult, despite the fact that it has a relatively simple morphology.

"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." (homonyms are effing impossible for non-native speakers)
"She had a boyfriend with a wooden leg, but broke it off." (multiple meanings of verb phrases; nongendered pronoun 'it' makes for unclear antecedent)
"A lot of money is tainted. 'Taint yours and 'taint mine." (contractions make English difficult to understand)
"A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat." (again, multiple meanings/homonyms: hard, beat)

CARDOMINATION

2009-03-19T07:28:00.004-04:00

I just embedded this widget in my blog on the sidebar, because as you know (or ought to), UofL is seeded #1 in this year's NCAA Big East tournament. Bwahahahahahaha.

We play next on Friday at 7 pm. WATCH IT. We will dominate. (I love to use that verb intransitively. It sounds so ominous.)

Ooh, SNAP, Shakespeare!

2009-03-19T07:19:00.002-04:00

And who, you no doubt asked yourself this morning upon rising, could have coined the term "indigested"? It's a lovely adjective, derived from the participle of the verb, eh?

Well, ask yourself no longer; the answer is here: SHAKE-SPEARE, of course! And, furthermore, he used it as part of an insult, ha ha! Unsurprising.

The OED gives this earliest written usage:

1593 SHAKES. 2 Hen. VI, V. i. 157 Hence heape of wrath, foule indigested lumpe, As crooked in thy manners, as thy shape.

I'm totally gonna call somebody a "foul indigested lump" the next time I get cut off in traffic. Fer reals.

Free showing of FLOW with producer!!!

2009-03-10T07:54:00.001-04:00

Just got an email about this. If you live in Louisville, YOU HAVE TO COME.

The documentary series will kick off on Tuesday, March 24th, the Tuesday following Spring Break.

FLOW: For the Love of Water will be showing at the Gheens Science Hall & Rauch Planetarium at 7:30 p.m. This documentary focuses on the world water crisis, and the co-producer, Gill Holland, will be holding a question and answer session before the film begins. Parking will be available beginning at 7 p.m. in the blue lot off of 3rd & Brandeis. Before the film begins, booths will be set up with information from local companies on sustainability issues. Admission will be free!

Tears, delicious tears of the innocent

2009-03-07T07:59:00.001-05:00

Not to be all partisan, but this is just AWESOME.

superpoop.com

Hemingway sux

2009-03-07T07:42:00.001-05:00

HA! That's a good one. Ironically, it's a spoof on the only thing I ever read of his that I was actually moved by.

toothpastefordinner.com

more than the Madonna or Madonna

2009-03-07T07:29:00.002-05:00

An interesting meditation, Horoscope:

A partner for life or a brief encounter. Which will it be? This is the question of the day. Why not choose both? Can't you imagine being your partner's lover and a homemaker simultaneously? Don't let yourself be influenced by old models that force you to choose between these two ideas of womanhood. Don't forget that in our modern world, your choices aren't as limited as you might think they are!

Except your womb

2009-03-04T12:21:00.003-05:00

Here is my translation attempt for "Menos tu vientre" by Miguel Hernández. It sounds better in Spanish, but at least the English-speakers among us can get the idea.

Except your womb
all is confused
Except your womb
all is future
fleeting, past
arid, murky.

Except your womb
all is hidden
except your womb
all insecure,
all at the end.
worldless dust.

Except your womb
all is dark,
except your womb
clear and deep.

trans. Clare Gervasi Kalb, 4 March 2009

Menos tu vientre

2009-03-04T12:03:00.001-05:00

Miguel Hernández (1910 - 194something) is the awesomest. Check this shit out:

"Menos tu vientre"

Menos tu vientre
todo es confuso.
Menos tu vientre
todo es futuro
fugaz, pasado
baldío, turbio.

Menos tu vientre
todo es oculto,
menos tu vientre
todo inseguro,
todo postrero.
polvo sin mundo.

Menos tu vientre
todo es oscuro,
menos tu vientre
claro y profundo.

I'll try to translate it later when I have time. Hopefully some of you can get the drift. God, that is intense.

device

2009-03-02T09:21:00.003-05:00

An interesting word with a checkered past. The etymology alone is pretty fascinating. Because of my translation class, I have been thinking a lot (more) lately about connotative meaning of words. I have always been fascinated by connotations, because it's the locus of what is meant by "reading between the lines." Studying connotative meaning is an attempt to make explicit what is inherently implicit; manifesting the non-literal. These are the meanings I find interesting, and they are the meanings that help one become fluent in a language. Connotative meaning is the heart and soul of the creative use of words, and for this reason more than any other it is near to my heart.

What is the first association that comes to mind when you hear 'device'? What's the second association? My associations go like this:

1. intrauterine *
2. explosive *
3. MacGyver
4. airplane
5. mneumonic *

Here is the OED's etymology of the word device:

(dvas) Forms: 3-5 deuis, 4 Sc. deuiss, 4-5 deuys, Sc. dewis(e, -ys(s, -ice, -yce, 4-6 deuyse, diuis(e, dyuys(e, 4-7 deuise, devise, 5-6 deuyce, 6 Sc. devyiss, 6-7 divice, 5- device. [Here two original OF. and ME. words devis and devise have run together. The actual form device represents phonetically ME. devs, devs, a. OF. devis masc., division, partition, separation, difference, disposition, wish, desire, will (Godefroy); speech, talke, discourse, a conference, or communication; deuising, conferring, or talking together; also, a deuice, inuention; disposition or appointment of (Cotgr.); in mod.F. action of discoursing, conversation, talk, specification (of work to be done). But the form devise (when not a mere variant spelling of device: see below) represents OF. devise fem. division, separation, difference, heraldic device, will, testament, plan, design, wish, desire, liking, opinion, conversation, conference, manner, quality, kind (Godefroy); a deuice, posie, embleme, conceit, coat or cognizance borne; an inuention; a diuision; bound, meere, or marke diuiding land (Cotgr.); in mod.F. action of dividing, that which divides or distinguishes, the motto of a shield, seal, etc., an adage. The two French words correspond to Pr. devis, devisa, It. diviso, divisa, Romanic derivs. of dvs- ppl. stem of dvdre to divide: see DEVISE v.
The older word in ME. appears to have been devis, devys, but devise also appears from Caxton onward, and prob. earlier, at least in the phrase, to devise = F. à devise (sense 12). It is however very difficult to distinguish the two words, since devise, devyse occurs not only as the proper spelling of the repr. of OF. devise, but also, in northern and late ME., and in the 16th c., as a frequent spelling of ME. devis, mod. device. In rimes it is generally possible to separate devise = devis, device, from devise proper, but in other positions it is often impossible; nor does the sense give much help, because in OF. devis and devise partly coincided in meaning, while the English distinctions do not always agree with the French. In later times device gradually became the accepted form in all senses, except in that of testamentary bequest, which still remains DEVISE, q.v. There is also some reason to think that in the 17th c. devises (-azz) was, in the south of England, used in the plural, when device (-as) was written or at least pronounced in the singular: cf. house sing., houses (-zz) pl. The sense-development had to a great extent taken place before the words were adopted in English, so that here the historical and logical orders do not agree.]

Earliest written usage (for any meaning of the word) was in 1290! Interestingly, the sense in which I principally think of it ("intrauterine device," wherein 'device' is being used in this sense: "a mechanical contrivance (usually of a simple character) for some particular purpose") didn't come about until 1325, and it wasn't specifically applied to the modern IUD (meaning full uterine protection, as opposed to pessaries and the like, which have been around for thousands of years) until it was invented in 1909, but not marketed to the public until mid-century.

In the sense of "explosive device", the word wasn't used until 1931 with the development of nuclear technology. Curious, isn't it, that my first two associations are 20th century ones, even though the word's been around since the 13th century?

Proverb of the day

2009-02-27T04:57:00.004-05:00

I signed up for this thing online to receive a Spanish proverb a day. It's a nice little bite of Spanish practice in the morning which is a nice way to set the right frame of mind for the day. Sometimes they're sayings; sometimes they're famous quotes; sometimes sincere; sometimes sarcastic. I really liked the one for today, so I thought I'd share it:

Comienza a manifestarse la madurez cuando sentimos que nuestra preocupación es mayor por los demás que por nosotros mismos.
- Albert Einstein

(Translation: "Maturity begins to manifest itself when we feel a greater worry for others than for ourselves.")

If you want to sign up for a proverbio del día, please follow the link to Proverbia.net. You can sign up for free; it's pretty awesome.

so good to be remembered

2009-02-22T19:43:00.002-05:00

Celestial Seasonings usually has good quotes, and this one knocks it out of the park!

"The dreams of childhood...its airy fables, its graceful, beautiful, humane, impossible adornments of the world beyond; so good, to be believed in once, so good to be remembered when outgrown." - Charles Dickens

So true, and this quote has special echoes for me as Thomas and I read Proust. As I watch my niece get older, too, I realize how important children are, and how special a state of mind is childhood.

Regarding poultry in the suburbs. bwahaha

2009-02-19T21:27:00.004-05:00

(8) All crowing and non-crowing poultry must be kept on tracts or lots of at least .5 acres or more, unless a tract or lot is on less than .5 acres and only houses five or less non-crowing poultry, and no more than one crowing poultry in accordance with the remainder of this subsection. All crowing and non-crowing poultry shall be kept in a fence or structure of sufficient height and construction to prevent the animal(s) from leaving the owner's property. The fence or structure must be in good repair. All gates or doors to the fence or structure shall fit properly and shall be locked or secured by a latch. Poultry associated with an agricultural use shall not be subject to the restraint requirement as set forth herein.

From the Louisville government ordinance website on Animal Services

In other words, I'm allowed to have 5 hens and a rooster... and my neighbors can just deal with it. Ha ha ha ha.

Bil'in: 4 years of nonviolent resistance

2009-02-17T21:07:00.003-05:00

Mass demonstration in the 4th anniversary of the popular struggle in Bilin against the apartheid wall This Friday, Feb 20.

The village of Bilin has long ago become a worldwide symbol of popular struggle against occupation, land theft and racial segregation. Next Friday Feb 20th it will continue four years of continuous popular struggle.

For four years the people of Bilin have been courageously resisting the expansion of settlements on their lands. They refuse to surrender in spite of violent repression of the israeli occupation army (iof) which resulted in hundreds of injuries and arrests. For four years we have been together in Bilin. Together we say no to Apartheid, No to occupation and no to the wall.

This Friday we will demonstrate in Bilin against the wall and implementing the decision of the Israeli supreme court.

Palestinian flag will be carried only.

See you in Bilin next friday

For more information, review:
Abdullah Abu Rahma - Coordinator of the People's Committee Against the Wall and settlement \ Bili'n
0547258210 or 0599107069
e-mail - lumalayan@yahoo.com
http://www.bilin-village.org/

Bil'in habibti

El pueblo unido nunca vencido

2009-02-16T11:53:00.001-05:00

Take that, long arm of the state.

a very interesting website about translation

2009-02-12T20:58:00.000-05:00

http://www.traduccionydoblaje.blogspot.com/

Louisville's Lending Practices: How Fair Are They?

2009-02-12T09:21:00.005-05:00

Interesting also to note from the NCRC report are some findings about Louisville specifically:

- In "Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN [along with 7 other metro areas,]...Low-to-Middle Income (LMI) Hispanics received a smaller share of high-cost loans, compared to LMI whites." That means Louisville's lending practices aren't discriminatory toward Hispanics, anyway. (In these terms, we are 159th out of 165 metro areas surveyed. Not too shabby!)

- Also, with regard to Middle-to-Upper Income Hispanics versus Whites, we are 170th out of 200 for discriminatory lending, meaning we're in the bottom 30 for discriminating against Hispanics in our lending practices. Go, us! I guess Louisville doesn't discriminate against Hispanics so much. I'm surprised, quite frankly.

- In the study, Louisville was found to be 91st out of 217 metro areas surveyed in cost-disparity with regard to Middle-to-Upper Income Blacks versus Whites. That means we're in the top 50% of discriminatory lenders, so that's not good. However, at least we're not, like, in the top 50.

- Louisville's overall ranking was 105 out of 189 in overall discriminatory mortgage lending. That means we're closer to the "not discriminatory" pole than the "we're discriminatory" pole. So, that's encouraging, I suppose, but clearly, we have a long ways to go.

from the site Encyclopedia Britannica

The Racial Dimension of the Housing Crisis

2009-02-12T08:37:00.005-05:00

Whoever says that we are living in a "post-racial" society is completely kidding themselves. Racism exists; it is alive and thriving, and it is our responsibility as lovers of justice to do everything in our power to STOP IT, both in its institutionalized form (seen below) and its informal permutations.

I received info about this from the Anne Braden Institute. It's rather shocking. Here's the summary info:

"Income is no Shield Against Racial Differences in Lending" (banking)

In 2007, NCRC (the National Community Reinvestment Coalition) produced its first "Income is No Shield Against Racial Differences in Lending" report. Similar results to those presented in this [2008] report were observed, including that Low-to-Middle-Income (LMI) African-Americans were twice or more likely to receive high-cost loans as LMI whites in 35.9 percent of the metro areas analyzed. Furthermore, Middle-to-Upper-Income (MUI) African-Americans were twice or more likely than MUI whites to receive high-cost loans in 74.2 percent of the metro areas during 2005.

"Income is no Shield Against Racial Differences in Lending" (mortgages)

Against the backdrop of the risky, high-cost lending practices [which have sparked our international economic crisis], NCRC has observed striking racial disparities.
...
MUI African-Americans were twice or more likely as MUI whites to receive high-cost loans in 71.4 percent of the metro areas examined in this report, while LMI African-Americans were twice or more likely as LMI whites to receive high-cost loans in just 47.3 percent of the metro areas during 2006.

The study also concludes that the following cities show "significant" racial disparities in mortgage loans:

1. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI
2. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN
3. Huntsville, AL
4. Ann Arbor, MI
5. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
6. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
7. Greenville, NC
8. Philadelphia, PA
9. Essex County, MA
10. Durham, NC
11. Raleigh-Cary, NC
12. Dayton, OH
13. Birmingham-Hoover, AL
14. Fort Wayne, IN
15. Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH
16. Roanoke, VA
17. Rochester, NY
18. Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
19. Lubbock, TX
20. Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI

Here is the full report f you're interested.

Other disturbing info:
According to a 2001 Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances:
- the median value of financial assets was $38,500 for whites and $7,200 for minorities in that year
- whites had more than five times the dollar amount of financial assets than their minority counterparts.
- the median home value for whites was $130,000 and $92,000 for minorities in 2001.

The Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances reports that by 2004:
- the median net worth of minorities was only 17.6 percent of that for all other families
- the median net worth for African-Americans was virtually the same ($20,400) as it was in 2001 ($20,300).

NCRC says: "This data supports the fact that steering high-cost loans to underserved borrowers who are qualified for market rate loans not only results in equity stripping, but also contributes to inequalities in wealth."

That's total jive

2009-02-11T10:36:00.002-05:00

I started subscribing to the OED's "Word of the Day" email service. I figured that while I'm getting a Spanish word of the day, I might as well also be getting an English one. Daily medidations for each part of my brain. Good times. Well, the word of today from the OED is one of my favourites! Interesting to me is that its earliest written use (in the sense of "worthless talk") wasn't until 1932! You KNOW that word was in use in that sense before that. Hard to prove though, seeing as how there wasn't any vernacular radio programming, nor the existence of television (let alone the widespread use of slang on it), or many other ways to record voice. Recordings that do exist are usually song, not speech. Sigh. But, here: enjoy!

jive, n.
(from the OED SECOND EDITION 1989)

slang (orig. U.S.).
(dav) [Origin unknown.]

1. Talk or conversation; spec. talk that is misleading, untrue, empty, or pretentious; hence, anything false, worthless, or unpleasant; vaguely, stuff; = JAZZ n. 3a.

1928 R. FISHER Walls of Jericho 301 Jive, pursuit in love or any device thereof. Usually flattery with intent to win. 1929 T. GORDON Born to Be 236 Jive, a misleading remark. 1932 MUSE & ARLEN Way down South 50 Thus the enamoured customer completed his meal, without ever having taken his eyes off that tantalizing brown, with her suave Birmingham jive. 1935 Swing Music Autumn 55/2 Maybe you think that that is all jive. You are wrong if you do. It is the way I felt about these new records. 1946 MEZZROW & WOLFE Really Blues iii. 37, I used to hear a lot of medical jive. Ibid. 375 Jive n., confusing doubletalk, pretentious conversation, anything false or phony. Jive that makes it drip, clouds that produce rain. 1954 L. ARMSTRONG Satchmo x. 150 There was lots of just plain common shooting and cutting. But..that jive didn't faze me at all. Ibid. xii. 193, I bought a lot of cheap jive at the five and ten cents store to give to the kids. 1956 M. STEARNS Story of Jazz (1957) v. 50 The attitude of several modern jazzmen, born and bred in the South, is striking: This hoodoo jive is nowhere, they say, but man, watch out! 1960 in P. Oliver Blues fell this Morning vii. 197 I'm evil and mean and funny, so don't come back with that line of jive. 1972 M. J. BOSSE Incident at Naha iii. 152 Maybe some of his Christian sentiments sound corny today, but..he had cut through a lot of the jive of his own time, and he had, like, the balls to fight injustice. 1973 Black World Oct. 36/2 Everything that we do must be aimed toward the total liberation, unification and empowerment of Afrika... Anything short of that is jive.
2. Jazz, esp. a type of fast, lively jazz; swing.

1928 (title of gramophone record by Cow Cow Davenport) State Street Jive. 1937 New Yorker 17 Apr. 31/3 The music of hot bands..is referred to as swing or jive, of which, in turn, there are several kinds. 1939 San Francisco News Let. 1 Sept. 12/2 Fats Waller..is the King of Jive and gets off some fine stuff. 1946 N. & Q. 13 July 20/1 Mr. Mitchell Parish, the American song-writer,..told me that he uses jive to describe syncopated music played noisily, and (usually) fast, with great emphasis on rhythm. 1959 F. NEWTON Jazz Scene i. 12 In Sophiatown and the rest of the South African ghettoes the jive bands play what is patently jazz. 1960 Down Beat 9 June 15 Regarding the word jive, Wilson said, it is nothing more than an obsolete slang term for jazz.
b. Lively and uninhibited dancing to dance-music or jazz; spec. jitterbugging.

1943 Dancing Times Dec. 117/1 The rhythm of the Jive is not an entirely new one. 1957 C. MACINNES City of Spades I. iv. 24 I'll teach you..bop steps, and jive, and all. 1958 Listener 20 Nov. 848/1 Jive and tribal dancing. 1969 H. HORWOOD Newfoundland x. 69 The jive..is still the universal dance of..outport youngsters.
3. A variety of American English associated with the Harlem area of New York; slang used by American Blacks, or by jazz musicians and their followers. Also attrib., as jive talk.

1938 C. CALLOWAY Hi De Ho 16 Jive. 1. Harlemese speech or lingo. 2. To kid along, to blarney, to give a girl a line. 1943 Time 26 July 56/2 A jive-talk glossary that is strictly Dracula has been put out by Parents' Institute. 1944 D. BURLEY (title) Original handbook of Harlem jive. 1944 E. CONRAD in Ibid. 5 Jive is one more contribution of Negro America to the United States. Ibid. 6 Jive talk may have been originally a kind of Pig Latin that the slaves talked with each other, a codewhen they were in the presence of whites. 1960 Time & Tide 24 Dec. 1599/2 Jive-talk is nothing new. It goes back at least to the thirties when for the first time a brand of jazz, swing, grew to be a cult. Jive was originally the patois of Harlem, not jazz musicians' slang; but with time the distinction was lost. 1965 Economist 4 Sept. 888/2 Some common American jive~words (nappy, funky) are left out [of the Penguin English Dictionary]. 1971 Black World June 92/2 All the rest of that jive talk about white liberals and Rhett Butler is part of another conversation, Sam. 1971 Melody Maker 13 Nov. 31/1 That is if you forget the usual jive phrases that whittle their way into his conversation. 1973 Times Lit. Suppl. 1 June 604/4 A narrative tone which frequently coincides with the fast, obscene jive-talk of his characters.
4. Marijuana, or a cigarette containing it.

1938 Call-Bulletin (San Francisco) 19 Mar., The cigarettes are variously called sticks, reefers, tea gyves, Mary Anns and goofy butts. 1952 N.Y. Times 29 Apr. 25 So Diane smoked jive, pod, and tea. 1955 U.S. Senate Hearings (1956) VIII. 4168 Sticks, reefers, jive sticks. 1963 D. RUTHERFORD Creeping Flesh ii. 124 Jive originally meant marijuana. 1972 Lancet 16 Sept. 565/1 She was convinced that only in the institution could she make it without jive, for she invariably used heroin whenever she was sent home.

Obsessed, of late, with these

2009-02-09T10:44:00.002-05:00

Thanks, Luke and Kelly, for your "Best of 2008" mix. These are some of my current favourites (although there are 3 discs to choose from, so there's a lot more future favourites on the way!

"Dance wiv me" by Dizzie Rascal (featuring Calvin Harris) (a rather interesting music video, mostly because it's a lot tamer than most American hip-hop videos)

and

"Blind" by Hercules & Love Affair

Go check em out, but be warned, the videos are not great. The music makes up for it, though.

25 cosas

2009-02-05T09:20:00.003-05:00

Yes. I am doing it. Because I like to talk about myself (who doesn't?). And because I like reading what people are writing when they do it for themselves. So here it goes:

- It's always necessary to explain to people how I came to be married to the person I'm married to. I have to translate, or people don't understand. And even then... Sigh. In a related note, My husband is the best man I know.

- I hate the health care system in the United States, as I think it's immoral to commodify a human right, which the right to health and medical care is.

- Jacqueline has affected my language more than anyone else I know, including Jane Austen, Lewis Carroll, and my parents.

- I am seriously in love with language and words, spoken or written. I always have been.

- I really like being a Louisvillian. I realize that many people feel differently and think that Louisville is a black hole/vortex from which one cannot excape, but that is not my experience. It is a good place to live.

- I have NO tolerance for pedants or poseurs.

- I think the job I would be best at is travel writer. Or homemaker. One of the two. I also fantasize about having a farm, or being a radio personality.

- My sister is my best friend and my other half, in many ways.

- I have severely conflicting feelings about universities and the academic life. Better to participate in the rat race, or reject it all together? Neither seems a very fruitful idea.

- It is great to know many people. I have a lot of friends, for which I am grateful. My general feeling about whether or not to love another person is, "Of course I will love you...unless you give me a compelling reason not to." Or, better said, "In each person, I find the fleeting suggestion of something beautiful and swear eternal friendship with that" (George Santayana). Some days I am better at this than others, since in my passion I sometimes hold grudges.

- I like to write sounds as if they were words. Onomatopoeia, and all that. Sigh. Ach. Grr argh.

- My interior life is of utmost importance to me. You cannot take away what I would more willingly part with... except my [interior] life.

- I've gotten into this rut where I talk too much about myself (hence the list) and don't listen enough to other people. I lament it.

- Thanks to Joe, I now rate movies on a scale of "stim-tasticness."

- I decided to like my cats.

- Cooking is one of my favourite things to do, along with laughing, reading aloud with my husband, making love, and travelling.

- Anthropology saved my life.

- I dream about Ireland.

- I have this problem where I can't stop buying books.

- I think I'm a commie.

- I like things that don't require electricity. (That being said, some of my favourite things def require electricity. The internet and hot tea, for example.) Some of my recent favourites in the off-the-grid column include: my wind up alarm clock, Proust, my antique bedroom furniture, open fires, and my clothesline. I can't wait to set up the outside one. Bring on the springtime.

- I am slow on the uptake. I need a lot of time to process internally. This includes everything from emotional confrontation to homework.

- I wish I had more time to read.

- I think my brain gelled last year.

- I live in a cuckoo clock.

Mr. Spencer Goes to Washington

2009-02-05T08:27:00.004-05:00

A sweet little 3 minute video from U of L's Student Government Association. It's a little snapshot of Rudy Spencer's experience at the inauguration. Rudy Spencer is an Honors student at UofL (why I am acquainted with him); he is also the student body president at UofL. It was nice that they made this video, because it was a personal way for me to understand what people experienced in DC that day. I watched it on CNN, but it's different when someone you know tells about being there.

True dat, horoscope

2009-02-05T08:06:00.000-05:00

Remember, Clare, that you can only remain queen of the forest as long as the other animals around you are in support of your personality and leadership abilities. Avoid mutiny by taking care of the people in your world, instead of simply trying to rule their lives. Gain respect from others with kind words and a sensitive attitude, instead of by enforcing harsh rules and regulations that restrict and aggravate.

from astrocenter.com

GAZA and the US media filter

2009-02-02T15:41:00.002-05:00

Can you please help spread the word about this?

A week ago Sunday CBS 60 Minutes aired an awesome story to millions of viewers exposing Israeli apartheid and mistreatment against Palestinians. This a rare narrative to find on American television.

CBS is now under attack by anti-Arab/anti-Muslim groups for showing the truth. We must praise CBS, the reporter and producer for their courage and encourage them to remain steadfast.

Please do the right thing, WATCH THE VIDEO (below) AND SEND A THANK YOU EMAIL TO CBS 60 MINUTES NOW.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH & SEND NOTE: http://tinyurl.com/dctzsk

It will take less than 30 seconds and 1-click.

Thank you. It means a lot.

Watch CBS Videos Online

Best-dressed at the Superbowl

2009-02-01T18:51:00.004-05:00

A BUNCH OF AWESOME
Doritos -- crystal ball
Unexpected and pulled off to perfect effect. The only problem with this ad is the "bump" at the end. They should not have gone to the "groin injury" place. Always a mistake.

Hulu -- mushy brain
"Because we're aliens. And that's how we roll." Alec Baldwin is fucking SMOOTH. Great commercial all around! Even the CG effects are allright.

Sprint Roadies
The only mark against this ad is that it is for Sprint, a lame company. This ad is hand and shoulders above their previous ads!!! It's unbelievable! Way to pull off a Hail Mary, Sprint.

PASSABLY AMUSING
Pepsi: Bob Dylan and Wyclef Jean
An interesting trip down nostalgia lane, without being exploitative, which is something Coca-Cola always falls into. It hit the right tone--except for maybe equating Wyclef with Bob Dylan, because while Wyclef is cool, he's not on par with Dylan.

Bud Light with Conan O'Brien
Pretty funny, mostly because Conan is always willing to take one for the team.

Diet Pepsi--"Men can take anything."
Kinda a bit much, but it's that little bump at the end that saves it.

Teleflora
It's funny 'cause it's true.

NOT OKAY WITH ME
GoDaddy.com -- WHY is that ok.
http://www.hulu.com/superbowl/55738/super-bowl-xliii-ads-godaddycom-shower

everything 3-D
Lame and gimmicky.

NBC's Monday night commercial with all the characters in the different shows lipsyncing.
STOOPID and contrived.

MacGruber -- Pepsuber
MacGruber wasn't a funny skit even before it became a Pepsi commercial... and becoming a shill for Pepsi did NOT improve its entertainment value, to say the least. http://www.hulu.com/superbowl/55730/super-bowl-xliii-ads-pepsi-pepsuber

Bud Light -- meeting
http://www.hulu.com/superbowl/55736/super-bowl-xliii-ads-bud-light-meeting

Language & Gender in Film

2009-02-01T15:20:00.005-05:00

I'm taking a class on Language and Gender this semester, and for the final paper I've been approved to write on the general topic of stereotypical and non-stereotypical language use by gender in film. I'm thinking of seeing if this film might be interesting to include in my research. If anyone's seen it and can comment on it, please let me know. I was going to focus on the intersection of class and gender in the construction of female sexual identity and in-group out-group speech as it intersects with class (Mean Girls and Clueless being principal interests in that endeavor), but I may be more interested in the production of femininity and masculinity through the depiction of transgendered people in film. Hmm....

more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakfast_on_Pluto_(film)

Jacqueline: ask with your words, not your hands!

2009-01-31T12:52:00.001-05:00

It's like they reached into my brain and pulled this one out. They guy talking is me, and the guy who ate the pizza is Jacqueline.
Check it out:

marriedtothesea.com

I heart words... and they heart me (I think)

2009-01-26T07:23:00.005-05:00

I started ANOTHER blog. It's an issue. But here's why I did it: I spend so much time investigating words, for both personal reasons and because of school, that I was getting frustrated when I would want to refer back to a word I'd looked up, but I'd have written the word and its definition in whatever text I was reading, or in some cloistered notes somewhere, and I could never centralize my word investigations. Suddenly it occurred to me: that is what blogs are for, you kid. The internets can centralize yo' info. So, I started such a blog.

If you are interested in words, or merely want to check in on my homework or gauge gaps in my lexicon, please check out my new blog, La Werd Nerd, at: http://lawerdnerd.blogspot.com/

But be warned, it's just a list of words and definitions, so there aren't any bells or whistles. Just so's you know.

Picture courtesy of a blog courtesy of photobucket.

YIDDISH: Bien interesante

2009-01-25T13:03:00.003-05:00

"El ídish defiende su nombre" (se encontró en www.elcastellano.org)

Por Jaime Marín*, publicado en IWO

La adopción del vocablo yidis como nombre de la lengua de los judíos asquenazíes en el Diccionario Panhispánico de Dudas (DPD), provoca el rechazo de sus hablantes, que reivindican su denominación histórica: ídish. La decisión, ahora en revisión, contradice el principio de que "la norma surge del uso comúnmente aceptado". Más allá del equívoco, tomándolo desde un ángulo positivo el tema destaca el papel del DPD como "laboratorio" o "banco de pruebas" para compatibilizar norma y uso del español.

...

El equívoco quizá derive de haberse decidido en un ámbito con nula presencia del ídish en su historia, como es España, donde hasta su expulsión, en 1492, los judíos hablaban judeoespañol o ladino.

Inicialmente, la RAE sostuvo que la terminación "sh" no responde a las normas fonológicas del castellano. Sin embargo, no había revelado similar prurito en casos como el náhuatl (lengua de la comunidad náhua de México) o el afrikáans (de la República Sudafricana), voces que ingresaron directamente al DRAE tal como las pronuncian sus hablantes.

El DPD define norma como "el conjunto de preferencias lingüísticas vigentes en una comunidad de hablantes, adoptadas por consenso implícito entre sus miembros y convertidas en modelos de buen uso. (…) La norma surge del uso comúnmente aceptado y se impone a él, no por decisión o capricho de ninguna autoridad lingüística, sino porque asegura la existencia de un código compartido que preserva la eficacia de la lengua como instrumento de comunicación". (Diccionario Panhispánico de Dudas, "Norma Académica", Ed. Santillana 2005, p. XIII-XV)....

(*) El periodista Jaime Marín es director de la revista Idiomas y Comunicación. En 2008 recibió un Diploma Honorífico de la Academia Argentina de Letras.

TRANSLATION (more or less):

"Yiddish Defends Its Name"

by Jaime Marín*, published in the Institute for Jewish Research

The adoption of the term yidis in the Pan-Hispanic Dictionary of Problematic Words (DPD) to describe the language of Ashkenazi Jews was roundly rejected by Yiddish speakers, who reclaim the historical term: ídish. The decision, now under further review, contradicts the principle that "the standard follow the commonly accepted use." Despite this blunder, the renaming of the term emphasizes the role of the DPD as a "laboratory" or "testing ground" for bringing into harmony the uses and the rules of the Spanish language.

...

The confusion over the term perhaps derives from having been decided in an environment without any presence of yiddish in its history, as in Spain, where until their explusion in 1492, Jews there spoke judeo-Spanish or Ladino.

Initially, the Royal Spanish Academy [what the OED guys are in English, essentially] maintained that the ending "sh" doesn't reflect the phonological rules of Castillian [Spanish Spanish]. Nevertheless, a similar obsession with these rules had not been revealed in cases such as Nahuatl (one of the indigenous languages of Mexico) or Afrikaans (a language in South Africa), words which are admitted directly to the Royal Spanish Academy Dictionary [Castillian version of the OED] as they are pronounced by their native speakers.

The Pan-Hispanic Dictionary of Problematic Words defines a norm/standard as "the totality of current, valid linguistic preferences in a community of speakers, adopted by implicit consent of its members and converted into models of good use. ... The standard arises from the commonly accepted use and prevails in it, not by decision or caprice on the part of any linguistic authority, but because it assures the existence of a shared code that preserves the efficacy of the language as an instrument of communication" (from the DPD, "Academic Standards," Ed. Santillana 2005, p. XIII-XV)....

* The journalist Jaime Marín is the director of the magazine Languages and Communication. In 2008 he received an honorary degree from the Argentine Academy of Letters.

But first, I must just do this

2009-01-25T09:51:00.002-05:00

So, things in my life are pretty great right now; my interior life is stable, my home life is joyous, and my work life is interesting. Everything is imbued with metaphysical connection and I find meaning in simple things. I feel happy.

But enough about me. I must go do many hours of homework veddy soon, but first, I must just do this:

Allright. To return to the whole "Jared Hess, making the world safe for nerds, one movie at a time" blog I posted earlier, I must add an addendum. While I said in that post that I was glad that Napoleon Dynamite had raised the profile of nerds everywhere, I must now amend that in light of recent developments (see video below). Important Things with Dimitri Martin seems like a lame simulacrum of Jared Hess's unexpected success, right down to the 60s educational film parlor organ music. Sigh. There is SO too much of a good thing. Grr Argh.

Important Things with Demetri MartinWednesdays 10:30pm / 9:30c

Series Preview

Bil'in continues to resist nonviolently

2009-01-22T10:09:00.001-05:00

Three injured and dozens suffered teargas inhalation during the Bil'in Weekly Demonstration

The residents of Bil'in demonstrated against the Israeli's rejection of the international efforts for ceasefire.

Friday 16 January 2009

The residents of Bil'in today gathered after the Friday prayer in an act of solidarity with the people of Gaza. They were joined by international activists and the Israeli Anarchists Against the Wall, all opposing the war on Gaza. The protesters carried Palestinian, Venezuelan, and Bolivian flags, in a show of support for the two South American countries who, this week, cut diplomatic ties with Israel due to the war on Gaza.

The demonstration was symbolically silent, as the protesters wore the UN, EU, and the Arab League flags on their chests and carried shoes bearing Israeli and American flags in their mouths, to symbolize the power the two countries have to gag that rest of the world. Other demonstrators wearing the three flags covered their mouths with tape to show the world's silence presented by the UN, EU and the Arab League against the Israeli massacres in Gaza.

The values of human rights and respect that the international law protect are being violated by the Israeli and the American government, all these rights and decisions are denied by Israel.

The protest marched towards the wall which is built on Bil'in's land, the Israeli army was behind concrete blocks and fired tear gas canisters as soon as the crowed got closer. The army chased the protest back to the village using rubber coated steel bullets and tear gas. Dozens suffered tear gas inhalation and three were shot with live bullets: The three Abdullah Ahmad Yasen, Yasen Mohammed Yasen, and Mohammed Shukat Alkhatib.
In other hand, the Israeli army kidnapped Rashad Abed Dar-aldeik yesterday when he was near the wall and was taken to Ofer prison.

For more information: Abdullah Abu Rahma - Coordinator of the Popular Committee to resist the wall \ Bil'in 0599107069 or 0547258210 . e-mail-lumalayan @ yahoo.com

Paying sinner, sorry sot

2009-01-12T07:42:00.002-05:00

"Qui peccat ebrius, luat sobrius."

"El que peca cuando está ebrio, pague cuando está sobrio." Principio jurídico

"He who sins when he's drunk, pays when he's sober." (Juridical principal)

My Spanish (as in castellano) word of the day email has begun putting in "Latin of the day" and "Surname of the day" in the email along with the "castellano word of the day." I liked this one.

More info at castellano.org.

Movies 2008

2009-01-06T07:38:00.000-05:00

Synecdoche, New York (2008) Charlie Kaufman
Don't Bother to Knock (1952) Roy Ward Baker
American Experience: Tupperware! (2003) Laurie Kahn-Leavitt
The Mindscape of Alan Moore (2003) Dez Vylenz
LOST season 2 (2005) J.J. Abrams, Jack Bender, et al
28 Up (1985) Michael Apted
21 (1977) Michael Apted
Seven Plus Seven (1970) Michael Apted
Seven Up! (1964) Michael Apted
Gilmore Girls season 5 (2004-05) Amy Sherman-Palladino
Tsotsi (2005) Gavin Hood
Immortal (2005) Enki Bilal
Jesus of Montreal (1989) Denys Arcand

Books completed in 2008

2009-01-06T07:37:00.001-05:00

17. Swann's Way by Marcel Proust
16. Bentley College: Then & Now by Paul Soloman/Harmony House Publishing
15. Common Sense by Thomas Paine
14. Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
13. Lady Susan by Jane Austen
12. Persuasion by Jane Austen
11. La dama del alba por Alejandro Casona
10. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
9. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
8. Tradition and Modernity in the Mediterranean: The Wedding As Symbolic Struggle by Vassos Argyrou
7. Going Nucular by Geoffrey Nunberg
6. Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan
5. Cultural Anthropology: A Problem-Based Approach by Richard H. Robbins
4. A Precious Liquid: Drinking Water and Culture in the Valley of Mexico by Michael Ennis-McMillan
3. Down & Out in Paris & London by George Orwell
2. Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle
1. I Am America--And So Can You! by Stephen Colbert et al

White People Panic

2008-12-31T16:17:00.001-05:00

toothpastefordinner.com

Pisces / ἰχθύς

2008-12-29T21:07:00.003-05:00

So, my husband has always worn an ichthys around his neck on a cord--or at least for as long as I've known him. He said he always thought it was a more hopeful symbol of Christianity than the cross; he never understood why Christians were so obsessed with the most violent, humiliating part of Jesus' life. Recently, I was looking at the website of a Catholic "supply store" in Louisville, trying to find a St Joseph statue to give to a friend, and Thomas asked me to see if they had any ichthyses (¿?) for sale. That got me thinking about the symbology of the ichthys, as it is a pretty incredibly awesome symbol. And here are some things I found. In what should be a weird coincidence but isn't (as I've given up believing in coincidence long ago), my whole meander into the ichthys ends with a sheela-na-gig. Of course.

Some interesting tidbits about the ichthys:

- Greek: ἰχθύς; also transliterated and latinized as ichthus, icthus, or ikhthus, meaning "fish."
- It refers to a symbol consisting of two intersecting arcs resembling the profile of a fish.
- used by early Christians as a secret symbol
- this symbol has origins predating Christianity, relating to fertility, female genitalia, and fish. The word also meant "womb" and "dolphin" in some tongues, and representations of this appeared in the depiction of mermaids. In ancient Greek, "fish" and "womb" were denoted by the same word ("delphos").
- the constellation Pisces comprises a set of dim and scattered stars that trace the images of two widely separated fish joined by a knotted cord. One fish, swimming upward, faces east toward Aries, while the other fish swims westward toward Aquarius along the plane of the ecliptic. The directions of motion of the two fish form a cross, the symbol of the Christian religion -- the upright line of the cross representing spirit and the horizontal line signifying matter.

Image from the site of David Darling.
- Jesus as a "fisher of men," or an acronym of the Greek letters ΙΧΘΥΣ (Iota Chi Theta Upsilon Sigma) to the statement of Christian faith "Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς Θεοῦ Υἱὸς Σωτήρ" (Iēsous Christos Theou Huios Sōtēr: "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior")
- the ichthys may be an adaptation of the mystic/mathematical symbol known as the Vesica Piscis--"the Great Mother," a pointed oval sign. The length-height ratio of the vesica piscis, as expressed by the mystic and mathematician Pythagoras, is 153:265, a mystical number known as "the measure of the fish."

Image from the site Landscape Geometry.

Origins of the Ichthys:

- Ichthys was the offspring son of the ancient Sea goddess Atargatis, and was known in various mythic systems as Tirgata, Aphrodite, Pelagia or Delphine.
- central element in other myths, including the Goddess of Ephesus, who has a fish amulet covering her genital region; also the tale of the fish that swallowed the penis of Osiris, the symbol was also considered a symbol of the vulva of Isis.
- the fish is identified in certain cultures with reincarnation and the life force. For example, among one group in India, the fish was believed to house a deceased soul, and that as part of a fertility ritual specific fish is eaten in the belief that it will be reincarnated in a newborn child.
- its link to fertility, birth, feminine sexuality and the natural force of women was acknowledged also by the Celts, as well as pagan cultures throughout northern Europe.
- a "Cult of the Fish Mother" has been traced as far back as the hunting and fishing people of the Danube River Basin in the sixth millennium B.C.E.
- over fifty shrines have been found throughout the region which depict a fishlike deity, a female creature who "incorporates aspects of an egg, a fish and a woman which could have been a primeval creator or a mythical ancestress..." The "Great Goddess" was portrayed elsewhere with pendulous breasts, accentuated buttocks and a conspicuous vaginal orifice, the upright "vesica piscis" which Christians later adopted and rotated 90-degrees to serve as their symbol.

Image from the blog Kill Your Pet Puppy.

This info was borrowed from the site Global Oneness.

It is also interesting to add that the Pisces is the last symbol in the astrological calendar, concluding the "winter" cycles. It has been proposed likewise that the chronology of this calendar should be viewed as a sort of spiritual evolution or aging, each of the 12 signs representing different stages of life comprised of a 7 year period. That means that the house of Pisces corresponds to the period of life from age 77 - 84, and is the oldest and "most evolved" sign. It makes sense, given the strong wisdom and spirituality associated with this sign, that Jesus came also to be associated with it. So, contrary to Kris Kristofferson and all Western tradition, Jesus was a PISCES, in all probability. :-P

Psychotic linguistic associations

2008-12-09T16:32:00.004-05:00

saber > to know > saber > saber-toothed > saber > wise > to know > saber-toothed > long in the tooth > old > wise > hag

I wonder if saber-teeth are called "saber" because they are mature teeth? like, you only get them if you're old and wise and have lived a long time?

I wonder if that's related to the expression "long in the tooth"?

Hmm.

http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/special_expressions_with_body_parts09.html

Louisville in the the wintertime

2008-12-09T12:25:00.004-05:00

Argh. (AKA Current conditions on the ground right outside my house.)
Go, winter. Reeeeeal inspiring; thanks.

Louisville Weather Forecast, KY (40222)

Thanks, Jared Hess

2008-12-02T11:30:00.003-05:00

Ice Cream - Clearasil Commercial - For more amazing video clips, click here

I must admit, I find this commercial hilarious. It's just the right tone with its perfect combination of weirdness, nerd-worship, and ironic, hipstery self-consciousness. But this commercial (and others in the same vein--Starburst, Burger King and Old Spice come first to mind--although they aren't all in the same league of awesomeness, of course) could never have made it to release in a pre-Napoleon Dynamite world. So, thank you, Jared Hess, for making the world receptive to nerds and their chic quirkiness.

An example of how gender is culturally prescribed

2008-11-30T23:29:00.003-05:00

From Hannah Mermelstein, in an email about her recent experiences in Syria, new to her as she's just arrived from Palestine (which is a secret, because Syria is trying to "normalize" relations with Israel):

An addendum from Hannah herself:

Just to clarify, the reason I can't say I have been to Palestine is that Syria does not allow people with Israeli stamps in their passport to enter Syria, and since Israel occupies and controls the borders of the West Bank, there is no distinction in a passport stamp between going to Israel and going to the West Bank.

Sorry for the misrepresentation!

3. Gender. My hair is short. In Palestine, this often causes people to do a double take, or even sometimes to assume at first glance that I'm a man but to change their minds once I give a subtle cough (I do this sometimes when I know that men who are sitting next to me assume that I'm a man, because there is generally far less personal space between men in the Arab world than in the US and far more between men and women). Now, in Syria, I find that people don't even look twice. I am almost consistently perceived as a man – and usually a Syrian man. Incredibly, I've found that even when I speak people often do not change this assumption (if I speak more than a few words, of course, they'll hear my accent and figure out I'm not Syrian, but will still often think I'm a man). It's interesting in many ways, but in such a gendered society it can also be awkward, like when the driver of a shared taxi orders me to squeeze in the front with him and another guy in order to let women get into the body of the car. Or when a man giving me directions puts his arm around me to push me in the right direction, something he clearly would not have done if he thought I was a woman. So I have to decide on a pretty constant basis whether to try to keep passing as male or to make my gender clear…

gringoism: hilaridad. ¿quién sabía? yo, no.

2008-11-28T14:34:00.000-05:00

hilaridad

Con frecuencia oímos que tal o cual palabra «no se debe usar» o «no está admitida» porque es un ‘anglicismo’ o un ‘galicismo’, cuando lo cierto es que los diccionarios españoles están repletos de palabras provenientes del francés y de inglés, entre muchas otras lenguas. Es muy frecuente que acaben consagradas por el uso, recogidas a regañadientes en los diccionarios y finalmente se olvide su origen ‘impuro’.
Uno de esos vocablos es hilaridad: desaprobado hacia 1867 como “galicismo” por el filólogo venezolano Rafael María Baralt, primer americano incorporado a la Academia Española, quien recomendaba emplear ‘regocijo’ o ‘risa’ en lugar de hilaridad.
En la realidad, la palabra proviene del latín hilaritas, hilaritatis (alegría, buen humor), pero no permaneció en el romance castellano, sino que llegó a nuestra lengua en la primera mitad siglo XIX, derivada de los vocablos franceses hilare e hilarant (risible, hilarante). Esta historia acabó en 1884, cuando la palabra fue incorporada al Diccionario de la Academia y su origen ‘espurio’ quedó relegado al olvido, como suele ocurrir.

Movie list

2008-11-25T07:43:00.004-05:00

So, as you may observe, gentle reader, I have begun yet another widget/list on the side of my blog. I have been considering starting this list for a long time, but have talked myself out of it for an equally long time on the grounds that it's not a worthy list.

Well, I've changed my mind and now regret all those months of talking myself out of a fantastic list which will help intellectually orient myself in a specific place and time when I go back to review something in my blog archives--a practice I engage in periodically when I want to remember the "ambience" of a given point in the timeline of my life. That is the point of a diary, is it not?

So this list is of movies I've watched during the year. Just as I keep a list of the books I've finished, I'll keep a list of the films I finish. I may decide to also put TV series on as well, if I watch an entire season. That, to me, is a cogent piece of small screen artistry on par with a film in terms of plot and productional effort (if "productional" is a word).

The unfortunate thing is to start such a list with only 5 weeks left in the year. Perhaps I'll add in retrospect as my memory permits; for sure I'll have a complete list for 2009. Go, me.

Weirdest

2008-11-24T13:46:00.002-05:00

This is the weirdest thing I've seen yet today:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Center,_Kentucky

http://www.city-data.com/city/La-Center-Kentucky.html

La.

Center.

WEIRD. RANDOM.

Shall we riot? cha cha cha

2008-11-21T11:31:00.001-05:00

superpoop.com

GET OVER YOURSELF. STOP BITCHING -- START A REVOLUTION (preferably about something more meaningful than a scone).

In the immortal words of Lou Reed...

2008-11-21T11:15:00.001-05:00

Republican M.O. versus Democratic M.O. (AKA, the only time Republican politicians ever get excited):

superpoop.com

Chicken, how do I love thee?

2008-11-20T12:36:00.000-05:00

nataliedee.com

THAT'S... a good one

2008-11-20T12:33:00.001-05:00

nataliedee.com

So true

2008-11-20T11:51:00.001-05:00

toothpastefordinner.com

Hipsters and the immutability of human nature

2008-11-20T11:15:00.000-05:00

toothpastefordinner.com

Check this out

2008-11-20T09:04:00.001-05:00

Blancanieves y los 7 enanos

2008-11-19T13:45:00.002-05:00

Just because I couldn't remember como se llaman en español:

Doc, Feliz, Gruñón, Dormilón, Tímido, Tontín y Estornudo. ...
del sitio ProZ.

Hey, Motrin: you missed the mark

2008-11-17T21:10:00.002-05:00

This new wave feminist, why-suffer-for-my-child, having-a-baby-is-such-a-drag, excuse for attention view of motherhood is just plain insulting, not to mention outmoded. 21st century moms are WAY beyond this prima donna shit.

Mothers don't want to be associated with selfishness, so they are not going to respond positively to an ad like this. Yes, we understand the importance of taking care of ourselves, too; but "What about me?" is not the cry of a responsible, loving adult. Motrin, back to the drawing board. You just flunked "Communicating on Moms' level 101."

Courtesy of the website Cotton Babies and my cousin, Molly. Thanks, lady!!!