As life moves ever forward, I’m passing milestones in my life more quickly than I can process, but the view in my rear-view seems more blurry all the time. If anything, I’m bleeding acquaintances at this point, because the friends I was going to lose are long gone. But it’s still difficult to look back at photos and memories of 5, 10, 15 years and remember some moments so well, but it’s like a phone conversation with a dial tone on the other end. Memories are fond when they are shareable, and I find myself sometimes at the unfortunate crossroad between burning the old albums while uncapping a pen to write a next chapter in bold strokes, or sitting at the intersection with my cell phone and the long list of irrelevant numbers that continue to clutter my address book.
Old habits die hard, enit? And the internet is not a bridge between those who once were, but have long since grown apart. This is not a plea for pity... I’m in a Mountain Dew-enhanced state (thanks A), and just remembering a bit while staying up to study. It will pass, of course, and while I’ve been so lucky to continue some amazing friendships over the years, the lesson in all of this is for me not to lay my head upon my computer as some kind of substitute, even if it is a portal to an outside world, it is only a tool - and only a means to an end. Summer lays out refreshingly before me now, the finish line so present that I can dream of it in fits of comfortable sleep, and I almost taste the sunlight (and gatorade) waiting for me on the other side.
To gather my strength, push aside the doubts, and spend the last of the reserves I’ve built up for these particular moments... that is what lies immediately ahead. And then, perhaps a book of fiction would be nice. Outside, en el al aire libre...
May 9, 2006
Time.
May 6, 2006
MF Husain: "Here nudity is not nakedness"
I don’t know most of Husain’s work, but some of it has been quite striking, and I really like many of the themes that he explores, though I am, of course, not schooled in any way regarding visual art. But his bold figures and colors speak to me, and I know I’ve seen some pieces that I’ve really liked. Of course, folks in India were up in arms a number of times, especially when he portrayed a number of female Hindu deities in the nude. That he’s still painting and creating controversy at this age is a testament to his tenacity and commitment as an artist. Or maybe he’s a fire sign and likes the attention.
Husain’s work often stares into the cold eyes of militant nationalism and militant religious fundamentalism. It’s funny, I guess one could say that if he were trying to make a statement beyond that of an artist sharing a piece of the fragmented world he perceives, Husain masterfully shows that in the end, the different strands of radicalism are all linked in a single matrix that isn’t as variegated as proponents of singular ideologies pretend. Fervent dogmatism is like a bag of M & M’s - they may look different, but underneath the rainbow of candy shells, they’re all the same flavor of crazy.
From my quick read of the current situation, the confluence of radical Hinduism, radical Islam, and self-proclaimed “secular“ nationalist fervor in india as all camps issue death threats, bans, and incendiary statements against the artist, is both striking and ironic. After all, his portrayal of ‘Mother India’ as a nude woman seems to have united some disparate camps in the nation in at least one cause - the call for his head. Even as communal violence tears yet again at Gujarat - now in Baroda - Husain has managed to get Hindus and Muslims, albeit the farthest outliers of the faith, unified, and it is supposedly in defense of the nation state. Or maybe it is in opposition to a perceived pervasive perversity that represents all that is terrible about ”Western influence.“
It’s interesting that if the outcry is indeed about Western influence and bastardization of things Indian and sacred, India’s radical sectarians are in effect embracing the semblance of Indian autonomy and isolationism (self-reliance?) that the majority political parties have long foregone.
The bitterness concerning any vestiges of socialism (or disengagement from the corrupting forces of coca-colonization and globalization (the West)) that are linked to Nehru’s ”socialist“ policy of nation-building from within is still very palpable in the with many middle-class Indians (who don’t hail from old-school Kerala or Bengal, I guess). The perception is that India should get her due, I guess, because we have the best and the brightest (and have invented so much over the thousands of years), and therefore, the neo-nationalists want India to be at the Security Council table, at the commercial development table, at every table of perceived importance (of course, I’m sure the non-aligned movement table would be the one closest to the latrine at this point, and therefore not desirable to India). Anyway, so they prefer that the nation state be in bed with whomever is necessary to get to those tables - from pimping ”democratic values” to wheel and deal with the United States on nuclear energy, to making new overtures to Israel about a shared plight as unique, ancient states besieged by Others (read: Islamic states, though India has a far more diverse neighborhood).
Anyway, I don’t think the religious zealots are happy about the opening of the nation to the West at all, because it means outside influence, and the potential weakening of their grasp on the masses to follow them, elect their representatives, and wage war upon their neighbors rather than the true oppressors within the country. Maybe this is a liberal reading that’s way out there, but I feel like they are using Husain as the poster-“child“ of a modernity that they want nothing to do with, and that they will successfully convince their flocks to decry as well, appealing to the base moralities to rally the troops much like what the radical Christians were given credit for during the last election around the issue of ”gay marriage” (was it really only 16 months ago?).
The artist issued an apology after the hullabaloo broke out, but as Amitava Kumar writes, “the government has issued a ’red alert.’“
Husain published a reply of sorts today, which you can read here. Though I don’t know what it will do to quell the call for blood (and his head) I particularly liked his reference to the history of the nude form in Indian classical art, and the effort of a group of modern Indian artists to reclaim another - lost - heritage of spirituality and communion with the infinite, while implying to cut out the middlemen who are so vocally against his work. Of course, his words are better than mine:
”We Indians are proud to create a civilisation of art and culture, enshrined in the sanctity of the Ajanta and Ellora caves and temples for the last 5,000 years. Here the goddesses are pure and uncovered. Here the nudity is not nakedness, it’s a form of innocence and maturity. Take the monumental form of Mahaveera and the carvings of Khajuraho. They evoke spirituality.
We, the Indian painters of significance, are the direct descendants of that golden era of great vision which transcends mundane reality into eternity....
“For the last 50 years, an enlightened body of Indian painters has been engaged in reconnecting the reality of the ancient cultural heritage to our time. As in every human endeavour, Faith is at the core of it all. With great care and reverence for all faiths, the Indian sub-continent has evolved a unique secular culture.
I am a humble contributor towards the creation of a great Indian composite culture. I would like to pinpoint certain factors of my 70-year-long journey as a painter....
29 works on the Mahabharat exhibited along with Picasso in Brazil in 1971. Painted Teorema, nine panels depicting various faiths including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Jainism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism. These panels were exhibited at the UN in New York.”
KCRW: Free Song a Day podcast
Anyway, KCRW has a whole range of podcasts, some of which I’d been listening to before I got turned onto this new one when I was prompted to visit their website by an ad on The World: Global Hits. First of all, they have just launched a free online streaming version of the radio station, which is really cool. Checked that out, and will use it next time I’m tired of my music.
But then I checked out another feature through their podcasts, and discovered KCRW’s Today’s Top Tune, which is a podcast you can subscribe to that basically gives away one song a weekday to subscribers, available for 24 hours, from their Morning Becomes Eclectic radio show. What a wonderful and legal way to get folks to listen to and enjoy new music! I’m all for it, and I strongly recommend it, even though I’ve only gotten two songs so far, but hey, I’m excited!
To make this work: if you have iTunes, just click here and it should take you into iTunes where you can find the Today’s Top Tune podcast subscribe link (you can check out the available songs before subscribing). If you don’t have iTunes, go here and do your thang.
This is far superior to the other “music-oriented” links I’ve seen. These are actually songs without commentary or additional b.s. Give it a whirl!
May 5, 2006
Top Five Reasons Why I Hate the Bluebook
5) It’s not even really a book, but more a spiral-bound manual that sits awkwardly on a shelf because it is spineless and prone to slumping (kind of like law students, sometimes). When shelved horizontally, it is hard to distinguish from the instruction manual that came with your facsimile machine in the mid-80s.
4) The Bluebook is most closely associated with Law Reviews and Journals, a fundamental central column of the traditional (read: white and privileged) law school path. While I have respect for writers, the straight line drawn from having Law Review on your resume and a so-called prestigious job upon graduation is problematic (more below).
3) The Bluebook is the formal codification of rules maintained, updated, deliberated, and propagated by privileged law students at four of the “elite” law schools (Harvard, Yale, UPenn, and Columbia Law Review staff). I have a visceral revulsion towards these schools, the privilege and entitlement inherent in the old guard and the old ways of doing things. Why? Because people of color weren’t allowed into these institutions, they represent an old order hat doesn’t acknowledge my equal standing, looks down upon my public school upbringing, and feels entitled to leadership. I, and the many practitioners who are tired of standards driven by elite students, will take AWLD any day, even through it’s not likely to become the standard for quite some time, if at all. Then again, when I look at the detailed description of the AWLD manual, it’s also not really very different, save in the way that court document citations differ from academic articles. Oh well. Forget the endorsement herein included.
2) I’m a bit of a grammar nut in civilian writing (though you may not be able to glean that from these pages), but I have had the hardest time with the counter-intuitive rules of the Bluebook, and I find myself caring less and less about the placement of commas, the minutiae of where one must underline and what order and in which short configuration one must cite to case law and other references, not to mention signal hell (e.g., like, see, but, see also, as if, whateva!). Frankly, the Blue Book has gotten me to pay more attention to the citation sentence than the actual textual sentence. Oh yeah, and perhaps my biggest pet peeve is that an ellipse in legal writing has to have a space between the periods, or in other words: “ . . . ” instead of “...” Let writers write, damn it!
1) It is embraced by the cream of the nerd crowd as the standard by which to distinguish different legal writing, regardless of the actual content of the work. Whether I underline/italicize the right way is not going to increase access to justice. It will be the structure of my argument, and the content of my discussion. At least, that’s what I have to hope, because if I believe our writing department, it’s not just suspicion of sloppiness that will raise eyebrows, but even the errant ellipse or e.g. will get my case thrown off a court’s docket. If that’s the truth, then forget the fair adjudication of issues of critical concern. I’m throwing in the towel and finding myself a small bar to run on a beach somewhere.
As you can tell, especially the lawyers and law students out there, this list is more about law journals/law reviews and the importance given to them in the hierarchy of law school activities than it is about the Bluebook itself (though I definitely have issues with it on its own). Maybe this is just bitterness because it’s that lovely finals time of the year again.
A New Vision for Audio: v1.n2
1) Living With War - Neil Young. A friend of mine turned me onto the free feed of this album at the following web site. I don’t know much about Neil Young except that he’s another iconoclast that’s done a lot of things, some more successful than others. And that Pearl Jam loves to cover him, act as his backing band, and just talk about him. This album is angry, melodic, chorus-driven (with an unclear number of people singing behind him). I like this disk. There’s something comforting about outsiders singing about the system and keeping it simple. Some tracks:
• Restless Consumer sounds like he either has the dude from Love Shack singing “Don’t need no more lies!” or he’s doing a spot on emulation.
• Let’s Impeach the President just says enough with its title, doesn’t it? Who’s the man who hired all the criminals?
• Roger and Out seems like it’s built on the same chord progression as Knocking on Heaven’s Door so it’s got an instant recognition factor, but it’s not particularly noteworthy on its own.
2) Perfect Symmetry/Parallels - Fates Warning. I’ll write more, but I’ve really gotten back into progressive metal, from the old(er) school. I’m much more of a Fates Warning guy than Queensryche or Dream Theater. Maybe that’s more info than the average reader needs, but I think that FW isn’t afraid of reducing a song to its basic elements to get an emotion across - which reminds me more of Rush, the Prog Rock kings of Canada. It’s nice to have a 20-minute opus every once in a while, but I can’t listen to those songs all the time, and I can’t really identify with them. So these quieter releases from FW, between the outstanding No Exit and the less memorable Inside Out are standout albums that I can even read to. Zonder’s drums, Alder’s vocals, and Matheos’ clean guitar are clear highlights in the albums. Maybe the gloom of it is very appealing at this juncture. Who knows.
3) “One” - Mary J. Blige. I’ll admit that I was skeptical when I heard that Mary was doing a cover of this song. I love her stuff, but I just thought that there was a delicate quality to the song that I associated so wholly to Bono’s interpretation. But I’ve also heard a great version with R.E.M. singing alongside Bono, and the Johnny Cash version of the song was okay, but didn’t feel like it actually reached the peak of the original. Mary’s version doesn’t elicit the same goosebumps, but she really finds something inside of the song and takes it somewhere different, and beautiful. I guess it helps that Bono is along for some of the ride, but this is Mary’s show.
4) Ghost Reveries - Opeth. I’ve had tracks from this album for a while, but I just listened to the whole thing in sequence this week, and it’sdefinitely as powerful an album as they’ve put together. I am intrigued by this group that can alternate such beautiful passages with such brutal vocals and aggressive metal. Their last album, Damnation, companion to the much heavier Deliverance, was almost wholly acoustic/melodic, which showed off their ability to do it consistently, but Ghost Reveries has a lot of similar, though more richly textured, passages. The soft/hard combination reminds me of the Smashing Pumpkins when they were good. It’s not easy to pull it off, and Opeth does it better than well, at an extreme level for which I can’t really think of a parallel. I think some of the screamcore/nu metal groups have been trying to do similar, like Killswitch Engage and Atreyu, but they seem whiny in comparison. This album is alternatively beautiful and brutal, but this time more than any of the previous disks, I’m really compelled to listen straight through. Opeth is the real thing.
5) Eddie’s Archive - Iron Maiden. I’ve gotten back into Maiden in a major way. Not really sure of why, but I think the prospect of another album this year, and finding this extremely detailed fansite definitely helped. I’ve been giving the Blaze albums a little more of a chance, though I haven’t really thought about X-Factor since I sold my first copy years ago. Ahhh, memories. I must say, some of the nuggets in the archive are outstanding - to have seen the band in their heyday would have been awesome - but whatever. It probably would have been a bunch of loony white men and me. Sorta like high school, I guess. But I’d have free license to hurt them without consequences here. Who am I kidding - a Maiden show is not violent. It’s just a bunch of folks singing along and screaming for Bruce when he asks for it. The last tour was outstanding because they focused on the first 4 albums, but their live shows don’t really vary, and after listening to Live After Death, what’s the point of going? They won’t re-capture the magic of 20 years ago, so just spin that disk again and fade on 5...4...3...2...1.
UPDATE:
The Dirtchamber Sessions, Pt. 1 - The Prodigy. If you're a beat-head, a hip-hop head, a breakbeat-head, whatever, you have to check this out. I haven't seen it on disk, but got it from iTunes about a year ago, and it's infectious. The Prodigy have never been consistent, but Liam Howlett really knows his shit when it comes to music, and it's amazing that he can squeeze in Jane's Addition with the Ultramagnetic MC's and it still sounds tight. I've been spinning this a lot lately. Click here to get to the page on iTunes.
Jupiter No Longer a Cyclops
Witness the birth of Red Spot Jr. on Jupiter (left of picture).
NY Times
May 5, 2006
Jupiter's Great Red Spot Has Companion
By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD
For the past few months, astronomers have tracked an emerging second red spot on Jupiter, at left, a growing rival about one-half the diameter of the planet's trademark Great Red Spot. The Hubble Space Telescope has now snapped the first detailed pictures of what some observers are calling Red Spot Jr.
Astronomers at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore said this was the first time scientists had witnessed the birth of one of these huge oval spots, presumably a convective phenomenon like a powerful thunderstorm. The Great Red Spot was already present when observers first looked with telescopes at the planet some 400 years ago.
Though Red Spot Jr. is half the size, the astronomers said it appeared in near-infrared images to be as bright in Jupiter's cloudy atmosphere as its large companion. They suggested that the new storm might rise higher above the main cloud deck than the older spot.
The pictures made public yesterday by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration do not represent the planet's true colors. Their contrast has been enhanced. But the red spots, new and old, really are red.
May 2, 2006
Say Thank You to Stephen Colbert
First check out Stephen Colbert's gutsy comments about President Bush and his minions at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Note that he was about 10 feet away from the President when giving his speech.
Part 1
Part 2
(Part 3 is just a spoof reel that isn't as funny).
Then thank him for being the member of the media with the most "guts" for saying what needed to be said.
May 1, 2006
May 1 and the Long Path Ahead
Absolutely no time to post, but I'm so annoyed at what has become a tired retread of the same neo-protectionist sentiment of privileged South Asians and others (NPR has been playing a bunch of interviews/speeches by Latinos on the others side of the debate who keep talking about how "uncivilized" protesters are). I'm just so tired of this conversation and feel like it's not worth the time to try to convince people I don't know - so I'm not going to try anymore.
I am very proud that things continue to move forward, and I'm stunned at the level of support that actions are getting. I think that the messaging around the different strategies about the May 1 Boycott/Day Without Immigrants has been good too - as long as we're not working at cross-purposes, it's all good to have different people doing different things.
One of the strands of the "why should desis get involved in a Latino issue" has focused on "what have Latinos done for us?" Without confronting that question head on, all that I can think of is the upcoming reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act in which Section 203 provides for the provision of ballot and other information in specific languages based on recent Census data, as well as language access provisions in places like NYC, DC, and other parts of the country. Latinos have lead the language access movement, and rightly so, given the sheer numbers of the community. But they haven't forgotten about other languages, and I've worked alongside a good number of Latino community advocates who speak eloquently about the need for languages other than English and Spanish, citing the staggering language gap between some recent immigrant communities like the Fukienese, Vietnamese speakers, and Bengali, Urdu, and Punjabi speakers in parts of the Northeast, the South, the West coast, and even places like Michigan.
I don't think that folks with English-language privilege appreciate the significant hurdles that non-English speakers, whatever their immigration status, have to overcome in the United States - and while I'm not going to engage the whole stupid English as the only language "debate" (how insecure can a place be!), I definitely feel that Latino advocates "get it" in a way that other allies do not. And I definitely think that this is a critical issue that crosses status issues, and which has shown me, at least, that the possibility of multi-ethnic/multiracial coalitions that address common axes of oppression are possible and have happened before.
I remember seeing signs from the Chicano liberation movement in the 70s that clearly identified the link between the American oppression at home of communities of color and the American oppression of the Vietnamese people trying to find their own path towards self-determination. It's a shame that people still haven't learned to step outside of their own extremely narrow personal stories to imagine a world that isn't so cynical, nor so bound by the rules made to keep us fighting one another.
I am proud of the calls for solidarity that I hear, and I'm definitely looking forward to a real conversation with people who don't just flush opinions because they don't gel with their own thinking. I want real dialogue - not sound bites. I don't need to hear regurgitation of quips from CNN, FOX, or other media outlets. Sad, tired, and stupid iterations of "my tax dollars are paying for them!" drive me crazy.
Your tax dollars pay more for bombs and weapons of mass destruction, not to mention the thick bankrolls of many companies that have been getting fat on the privatization of Federal services and functions (can anyone say prison-industrial complex?).
It drives me crazy that people even bring up taxes - I have to find the links for it, but many undocumented immigrants *do* pay some Federal taxes, and even more pay into FICA. The dollar total of undocumented contribution to Social Security is in the hundreds of millions annually - they are helping to pay the retirement costs of the baby-boomers who are retiring. Pull that money and see where we are. Their sales taxes and tolls pay for the roads and many of the other services provided by the state that people keep complaining about. And their payment of the significant state and local taxes on fuel (as evidenced by the fuel price differential on this map). Federal income taxes contribute to many things, but this war is one of the big ticket items. Regardless, the argument that "they don't pay taxes" drives me up the wall.
When it boils down to it - I don't buy that people are so pissed off because of the "breaking the law" issue. I think there's more behind it for a large number of people - I have a hard time believing that the masses are as gung-ho about law enforcement as they play themselves out to be. More on that later.
Apr 29, 2006
Apr 28, 2006
Listen Up: Weekly Music Update. v1:n1
So for this friday’s post...
1) “Crazy” - Gnarls Barkley. I’m so behind the times on this track, but it’s been haunting me. It shot to number one in the UK as a download only track, and is the first single of a new collaboration between Danger Mouse (of the grey album, danger doom, and gorillaz production fame) and Cee-Lo of Goodie Mob. It may not be the best thing ever, but there’s something about the combination of beats and vocals here that really speaks to me. Shout to Ani for intro’ing me to it.
2) “We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions” - Bruce Springsteen. This new album, with the joyful Seeger Sessions band of 13 or 14 players, just makes you feel good. It is a masterful blend of nuanced approaches to American standards that blur the lines between some of America’s proudest musical eras, and actually pays homage to the American spirit by remembering and pointing directly to not only the traditional folk songs that have so often been touted as “true” American roots, but also the spirituals, hymnals, and other songs that were at the backbone of the civil rights movement. Springsteen writes, through the release of this record, a revisionist history of what Americana means, and how the rich history of American music is linked across time, communities, and geography. This record could be viewed as his tribute to New Orleans, even, with a prominent brass section that swings into some of the songs and plays it cool behind others while gospel vocals intermingle with a fiddle, a banjo, and the rest of the sessions band. It is truly a revelation that goes beyond the surface of fun-sounding “retro-folk-revivalism.” Springsteen can do anything at this point - and he’s chosen a very interesting path - challenging his fans, remaining true to the mission of keeping the music front and center, but making creative choices that speak volumes about who’s calling the shots and what’s important to him.
This man is a national treasure. I have been a big fan of his “quieter” solo album trilogy, starting with Nebraska, into the stark Ghost of Tom Joad, and last year’s brilliant Devils and Dust, because of the way that he’s taken us into different parts of this American experience, and how he connects the dots without hitting you over the head. A number of his songs deal with migrant workers, with the intermingling of lives that should be viewed within a common context, but so rarely are (like the fishermen of Galvaston Bay, Texas, who include working class white folk and Vietnamese refugees).
He may not be rubbing elbows with the world’s leaders like Bono, but Springsteen is real. It’s just a shame that more folks don’t see how he, as a popular artist, has been able to visit issues and themes that very few others attempt without feeling worried about alienating his base. Who else of his level of mainstream popularity (and support from policemen the nation over) would write and release a song called American Skin (41 Shots) in which he repeats “41 shots” over and over and sings words of warning from Amadou Diallo’s mother to her lost son. “You can get killed just for living, in your American skin.” Chilling.
Apr 27, 2006
Rize and Sucker Free City.
I have had the chance to check out a few documentaries and indy films that I missed along the way. I wrote about Dark Days - which artfully tracked a subterranean community in NYC. I recently watched Rize, and Sucker Free City.
There’s something about docs that take place in L.A. The last one I saw was OT: Our Town, which tracked a teacher’s effort to bring theater to her inner city high school class in Compton. That was a good film, for what you’d expect - these youth take a piece of celebrated American literature, which talks more to a sometimes imagined nostalgia of small town white America, and make it their own through the support of a Teach-for-America teacher. It is definitely impressive to see these young people integrate their expression about their town through this piece of literature and through performance. While I definitely enjoyed and went through the highs and lows with the students, I felt like I’d been through it before. Unfortunately, there was also something a little Stand and Deliver-ish about the whole thing - and it feels like we’ve seen this in so many films. The outsider with the plan comes in and teaches everyone math, or chess, or ballroom dancing, or theater, and it’s a story about triumph in inner city hell. It’s a useful and valued archetype, I guess. Still, taking what is considered an American classic and showing that it’s relevant for our new towns, our new ‘hoods, our hidden worlds that exist within our known cities... I guess that has its own merits.
Our Town was an above average film, but Rize, on the other hand, is a great film. It looks at young people in Los Angeles who have created an art form - the schools of dance called clowning and krumping. Rize takes a look at the beginning of this dance movement, which arose from innovation and necessity in the inner city. I just loved the music and the feeling of the film, and rather than try to capture it here, just a few notes before you check it out yourself. First, the film didn’t over-romanticize anything. It just felt like it was showing you a small piece of the unique culture that has developed in this part of the country, how it was seen as a survival tool and a family for youth and others who took to it, and hinted at what was to come (krumping has gained national prominence through mainstream exposure in hip-hop videos, etc). But more than the pop culture element, the filmmaker definitely gives you a sense of how the form is connected in some way to the community itself. It’s hard to explain, but I definitely recommend the film. You even get a brief moment with an Asian American krump family called Filipino Rice Tracks. But regardless, I felt pretty satisfied at the end of the film - like I’d actually learned something, been taken on a ride for an hour and a half, and I had a different respect for a form that I’d seen, but not really understood for anything more than something like popping or b-boying.***
While The Inside Man is the film that folks have been talking about recently, Sucker Free City is a Spike Lee Joint that came out last year for Showtime. It takes a look at 3 young men in San Francisco - a.k.a. the Sucker Free (though this a.k.a. should apparently be “Sucka Free“). The most compelling story is of the black man that’s part of a local gang in the HP (Hunter’s Point) which titles over the opening of the film explain is the site of some of the worst environmental hazards in residential neighborhoods in the United States, is the residence of a predominantly black population, and has a much higher rate of cancer than the rest of S.F. His story intermingles with the white kid from another, impoverished district in S.F. (the Mission) that is gentrifying really quickly, when said white kid has to move into the HP. Their interaction crosses with the Chinese dude... aww forget it. Just see the film yourself if you’re still interested.As an outsider to the Bay area, I took this film as an opportunity to learn something about the cultures/subcultures in the area, like I’ve used some of the films on LA (with a healthy dose of skepticism, of course). But this film felt like such a particular slice, and though I was initially excited that there was an Asian element to the film, it felt pretty shallow. The character wasn’t very compelling - not at all like the African American character. I liked some elements of it, but it seemed like the writing could have been tighter (Asian American screenwriter, so that’s interesting), and it just didn’t feel like I was getting into anything more than three stories of individuals - my entry into their worlds felt like less than a window, and their interactions also didn’t really hold water. Ultimately, it felt like Spike Lee and Alex Tse were in over their heads, trying to make a point about gangs and communities, but not really getting anywhere because one person seems like he’s alone, one person seems like he’s the peon/bag boy for a larger crime syndicate, and the last one, who’s actually part of what could be called a gang, is in the middle of so many different stories that it’s hard to really understand the character’s arch in the film. So as a broad brushstroke about some of the things that different people face/see in the S.F... I guess it could be passable. As an allegory, or even a representation of anything, I don’t know if it does justice to real stories.
And to top it off, this review from a reader at the Internet Movie DataBase reminded me of some of the issues I had. Especially the fact that the only Latino in the film is supposed to be Puerto Rican - that seems so New York that it stuck out immediately. Not to mention that he didn’t actually seem to have any back-up or group, though he and the white kid talked as if there was something there. So that was questionable. Nevertheless, an interesting film to check out, if you don’t have to pay extra for it.
This has been a ”not quite a review“ squareroots desi production.
Apr 26, 2006
Desi podcasting... and the future of our history.
I may be behind the times, but I didn't know about podbazaar. I'm going to enjoy sifting through this when I have more time.
Hmmm... podcasts are a whole other possibility. Especially if it was more of an open-source experiment that allowed for decentralized control of content - maybe if it's in the desi context, something that allows folks from diasporic communities in North America and elsewhere to contribute audio and video content to a clearinghouse site to explore and document some of the local flavor of their homes. At the end of some time, that content could actually be a participatory oral, audio, and visual snapshot of this particular moment in our collective history. Exciting! And if we can get some of the old-timers to talk about their experiences, wouldn't it be a wonderful archive of the hardships and triumphs of the great century of travelers, students, workers, migrants, and sojourners abroad that have carried their hopes and burdens with them across every ocean, and into virtually every civilised place on the planet?
If not anything else, at least it would be an interesting time capsule to open and check out in 20...30...50 years. If it's backed up somewhere, that is.
On that note, do people even make time capsules anymore? I started making one of the music that I was listening to each season, after hearing Cameron Crowe talk about how he did that (and how that helped him in the writing of Almost Famous)...
Apr 25, 2006
In Memoriam.
R.I.P. Jane Jacobs. I'm saddened by this news. She was a wonderful writer and activist, and though I don't know precisely what the New York she loved and fought for looked and felt like, I know that I have her to thank for neighborhood planning that actually takes community perspectives, street life, and public space into account.
More to come when I find time.
Apr 24, 2006
Fave Podcast of the Moment
A few recent faves:
Maria Volonte
Tango is the musical expression of Argentina's immigrant history. It mixes Cuban habanera and African rhythms with polkas and waltzes. But tango isn't just about dancing. The lyrics themselves are an essential part of tango. For today's Global Hit, Sarah Elzas produced this profile of one tango singer who combines elements of jazz, pop, and bossa nova in her music.
Ani
Malaysian born singer, Ani, who makes her home in Los Angeles sings about what it means to be a Muslim today. Read More......
Apr 23, 2006
Rejuvenated.
I had the good fortune of catching with a dear old friend last night who happened to be in town for about 24 hours. A kindred spirit, really, his vision to integrate creative energy with community building and empowerment have always inspired me, and I'm really glad that he's thinking about plunging into a really important project in the near future.
Seeing him (and walking through the city in the rain) was what I needed to remember a past life, and to remember the power of bonds that don't grow weak over distance or time. And finally, I'm excited about creating and maintaining a dynamic exchange with a trusted comrade, as well as a more private laboratory for my nascent steps in a creative space. I really enjoy trying to make connections across my many interests, and the arts and creative work feel like the only way to make those leaps without having to explain everything.
More than anything, it will be nice to just talk freely and openly about the potential of creative work that can transform the lives of individuals and even communities in ways that research, legal advocacy, and services never can. Especially when folks are able to reach out and touch the stories, and the lines between performer and audience are blurred to the point where it’s not clear who is who. And it’s really exciting when members of those communities themselves take theater, performance, writing, video, or another form of art as a form of expressing their own stories.
Creative work springs from and affects the heart, and it is so exciting that there are folks out there finding new ways to nurture work (both their own and that of non-professionals) that is honest, rooted in communities, and not voyeuristic. I’m really proud to know some of them, and honestly, they usually don’t have a lot of money, but time with them reminds me of what’s important and sustains my own energy to strive for what I want to do in this life.
Perhaps even just regular conversations will keep my head above the thudding cascade of legal fictions that currently surround me. And with that, back to my work.
Apr 17, 2006
Onward Towards Spring.
Finally got my computer back from friends who'd borrowed it for a week in DC. Using a PC just felt dirty during that time. Haven't been posting much, and won't be online as much for a month with finals around the corner. But at least the City is beautiful in the spring. And a promising summer awaits. I can't wait to actually read for fun again.
The A10 rallies were amazing. I heard estimates of more than 125,000 in NYC, and even though it's not close to Dallas and California, the diversity in the crowd seemed phenomenal. At the end of the day, it looked more like the America I feel comfortable in than the one that some folks like to pretend we still have, circa 1950. Mr. and Mrs. Cleaver, I'd like you to meet your new neighbors, the Lees, the Herreras, the Khans, and the McNairs.
Apr 10, 2006
A10 Mobilization and Taking a Stand.
I've been reading some of the reactions and thoughts from desi and other Asian lists about the rallies and protests tomorrow. The papers are also covering this mobilization after the beautiful people came out in full force in L.A. I'm excited, but I'm also thinking that we have a lot of questions and uncertainty about where desis should or do stand on immigration. In the sea of brown faces, why, people wonder, are there so few desis? We all know that there are a lot of undocumented folks in our communities too.
First, remember that this legislation is about more than just undocumented immigrants and legalization. It's quite broad, and could have profound effects on more sectors of our community than even the horrible roll-backs that came under Clinton's watch in 1996.
Second, and I see this mistake made over and over by the mainstream press and the anti-free speech (unless it's pro-Administration) people: the vast, overwhelming majority of people who march and protest are not undocumented. It is not safe for someone who is undocumented to attend a rally or a protest, because if anything happens with the police because of some bonehead, disgruntled white dude who cares more about blowing up a Starbucks than marching peacefully, someone who is undocumented is at serious risk of deportation if they are caught in the aftermath.
So responsible organizers don't push undocumented members to go out to protests. That's what we, who have status privilege, should be doing. Many desis are lucky to have approved immigration status in this country, through the professional visas that were granted in the 60s and 70s, or derivatives for families thereafter. However, though some of us recognize that privilege, and don't take it as an entitlement (and remember that what the government giveth, the government surely can taketh back), there are many who actually believe that their status is through merit distinct from anything possessed by folks who aren't so lucky. Well, I'm not going to convince anyone otherwise, but we're just lucky. Nothing much more, especially if its our parents who actually did the migrating.
But when we finally realize that, and we remember that while growing up in suburban America, our faces represented perpetual foreignness to mainstream America, no matter where we were born or what papers we had stowed away in deposit boxes and safes. And so what do I think?
I think that now we have a chance to take that perceived foreignness that was stamped upon us just for looking different, for having different names, for not fitting into Smallsville and disappearing into the majority and do something with it. We can use that privilege and that perceived foreignness, gifted to us by the hard work of our parents and our forebears and we can stand in - not for their voices or their unique stories - not as saviors or martyrs or saints. But as brothers and sisters of those who are not as lucky as we.
We can take this to the streets and we can make a stand with all the other folks who understand, in one way or another, in our myriad paths and speaking in our many tongues. We can stand in to represent with our bodies and the chorus of our voices those who can't be in the streets and at the podium, speaking about their lives, and making the poignant case for recognizing human rights through a humane immigration policy in this country.
***
I'll be in the streets tomorrow. I hope many others will be too. Because this is our fight as much as it is anyone else's, and because though this country goes through waves of hateful xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment, it rights itself when it wakes up. And I have faith that we can make it wake up before it makes that mistake again this time.
[previous post]
Apr 7, 2006
South Asian Statement Regarding Immigration Reform
This is a great statement - signed on by most of the major South Asian organizations in the nation. This is an important step in getting folks on the same page about a critical issue for our community, and it gets the point across quickly. April 10th is coming. Time to take to the streets and let our voices be heard. We will not be the silent majority anymore. A humane immigration policy is the only opton.
***
STATEMENT FROM SOUTH ASIAN ORGANIZATIONS REGARDING IMMIGRATION REFORM (April 5, 2006)
SOUTH ASIAN ADVOCATES STRONGLY URGE CONGRESS TO PASS IMMIGRATION REFORM THAT RESPECTS CIVIL RIGHTS OF IMMIGRANTS
See below for full list of supporting organizations
As representatives of organizations that serve South Asians across the United States – from empowering women, workers and youth to protecting the civil rights and liberties of ethnic and religious minorities – we see firsthand the impact of the immigration system on our community. As Congress prepares to pass the broadest immigration reform law in decades, we urge lawmakers to adopt sensible and humane solutions to fix the broken immigration system in the United States.
The South Asian community is predominantly foreign-born, with individuals tracing their backgrounds to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the diaspora, including the Caribbean, Africa and Europe. Any immigration law passed by Congress will undoubtedly affect the entire community as well as future immigrants.
Our organizations have already witnessed the impact of anti-immigrant sentiment, xenophobia and ill-conceived policies implemented by federal, state and local law enforcement on the South Asian community. We assist low-wage workers who work in the domestic service, restaurant and retail industries and often face difficult conditions and exploitation in the workplace. We advocate on behalf of survivors of domestic violence who are in need of assistance from social workers, lawyers and counselors. We hear from South Asians who have been waiting for years to be reunited with their family members due to the enormous backlog of visa applications. And we provide services to South Asian youth, many of whom are undocumented and are denied avenues to citizenship and higher education.
Congress has an opportunity now to identify humane and sensible measures to address many of these situations. However, the House of Representatives disappointed immigrants in December of last year by passing a bill that would criminalize those with undocumented status and would make the provision of services to undocumented immigrants a violation of the law in some contexts.
Now, it is the Senate’s turn to pass a bill on immigration issues. Two bills are before the Senate right now – one that passed the Judiciary Committee, and another introduced by Majority Leader Senator Frist. Both contain harsh enforcement provisions which would take a significant toll on immigrant communities around the country.
While the Senate bill that passed the Judiciary Committee contains some positive provisions - including the legalization of over 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US and the expansion of educational and vocational opportunities for young people with undocumented status – its harsh stance towards enforcement of immigration law undercuts many of the highlights. These enforcement provisions would allow non-citizens to be indefinitely detained; would criminalize minor offenses such as the failure to file a change of address form; and would give local police the authority to enforce complex immigration laws locally, paving the way for mistakes, profiling, and distrust.
Legislation that does not balance the civil rights of immigrants will lead to separated families, isolation and fear, and distrust of law enforcement and government officials. We believe that our country’s immigration policies must reflect fundamental civil and human rights principles, which include:
- Establishing a path to permanent residency and citizenship for undocumented immigrants
- Opposing criminalization of undocumented status and expansion of grounds for indefinite detention.
- Reducing the visa backlog by eliminating visa caps and expediting the processing of applications
- Promoting citizenship and civic participation
ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING THIS STATEMENT INCLUDE:
Adhikaar (New York City)
Andolan (New York City)
Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (San Francisco)
Coney Island Avenue Project (New York City)
Desist (San Francisco)
Desis Rising Up and Moving (New York City)
Friends of South Asia (San Francisco)
Manavi (New Jersey)
Narika (San Francisco)
Raksha (Atlanta)
Sakhi for South Asian Women (New York City)
Sikh Coalition (New York City)
South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow (Washington DC area)
South Asian Progressive Action Collective (Chicago)
South Asian Sisters (San Francisco)
South Asian Network (Los Angeles)
South Asian Youth Action (New York City) Read More......
Apr 5, 2006
GANA: July Guju Mega-Meetup
Man, I would so go to this thing, if I didn't have a prior commitment that weekend. Not only would the food at the first Gujarati Diaspora global meetup be slamming, but I may even meet some other really cool Gujaratis from around the globe doing interesting and good work.
Or, I'd meet a couple thousand reasons to keep pretending I'm from the 42nd State of India... anywhere but Gujarat...
Hmmm... choices...
Apr 4, 2006
Add Your Thoughts: Are Women the Abusers?
My post about the questionable Indian men's "activism" in India/NRI communities has spurred a number of responses. It would be great to have some folks who are knowledgable about these issues, especially from the women's perspectives, add to the dialogue.
Read More......