police shooting. nonexistent justice. mass shooting. thoughts and prayers. endless imperial wars.glib patriotism. systematic racism. shameful denial. mass incarceration. modern slavery. low wages. national oppression. unfettered capitalism. orthodox corruption. ineffective government. broken system. stolen land. dishonourable history. police shooting. nonexistent justice. mass shooting. thoughts and prayers. endless imperial wars. glib patriotism. systematic racism. shameful denial. mass incarceration. modern slavery. low wages. national oppression. unfettered capitalism. orthodox corruption. ineffective government. broken system. stolen land. dishonourable history. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. police shooting. nonexistent justice. mass shooting. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. thoughts and prayers. endless imperial wars. glib patriotism. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. systematic racism. shameful denial. mass incarceration. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa.modern slavery. low wages. national oppression. unfettered usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. capitalism. orthodox corruption. ineffective government. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. broken system. stolen land. dishonourable history. police shooting. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. nonexistent justice. mass shooting. thoughts and prayers. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. endless imperial wars. glib patriotism. systematic racism. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. usa. shameful denial. mass incarceration. modern slavery. low wages. national oppression. unfettered capitalism. orthodox corruption. ineffective government. broken system. stolen land. dishonourable history. police shooting. nonexistent justice. mass shooting. thoughts and prayers. endless imperial wars.glib patriotism. systematic racism. shameful denial. mass incarceration. modern slavery. low wages. national oppression. unfettered capitalism. orthodox corruption. ineffective government. broken system. stolen land. dishonourable history. police shooting. nonexistent justice. mass shooting. thoughts and prayers. endless imperial wars. glib patriotism. systematic racism. shameful denial. mass incarceration. modern slavery. low wages. national oppression. unfettered capitalism. orthodox corruption. ineffective government. broken system. stolen land. dishonourable history.
Showing posts with label Guns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guns. Show all posts
April 16, 2021
106/365
July 9, 2016
Ten on Ten
Ten piece of advice for my daughter on her tenth birthday:
1. Leave every space you are in better than you found it.
Whether you are in your own room, a restaurant, a park trail, the beach, a classroom, a sidewalk, a park or a car always pick up after yourself and leave no trace of yourself behind. If you can make it better by picking up other peoples’ trash or pushing in a chair or setting down some flowers, then do it. Sweep if it needs sweeping, wash if it needs washing, tidy when tidiness is needed. Arrange things to make the next person enjoy the space more than you did.
2. Every person has a story and has suffered in ways you need to understand.
Do not judge people or gossip in hurtful ways. You do not know the pain that people may have faced. Put yourself in their shoes and give them the benefit of the doubt. Even when they are mean or cruel, try and understand their anger. Listen when you can and ask questions before you react. Many people in life will act from pain and suffering and they may warrant your wrath, but give them your grace instead. The ugliest people need love too, and sometimes you might be the only one that can give it to them.
3. Do not act violently or in anger.
You will see suffering and injustice that will make you want to hate. You will see ignorance and racism and violence, that is so intense that you will think the only answer is equal amounts of anger and violence, but know this- love and peace will be the only way out of this trap. Even in the face of unspeakable atrocities, your love is the only way forward.
4. There is no right. There are only different ways of seeing things.
Anybody who tells you they know the right way to be, to think, to pray, to believe is not to be trusted. There is no “right” way to exist in the world. Only blinded, close-minded people think the world is so simple as to have a right way to experience it. Take it all in. Listen, trust, believe, explore. Try to balance opposing ways of thinking. Try to make sense of two opposing truths at once.
5. Art, music or a book will always make things better.
You are not the first person in the world. There have been countless others on this journey. They have sung and written and painted and sculpted their love and pain onto vinyl and stone and paper and canvas. Their pain and joy is your pain and joy, learn from it, be swallowed by it. Seek it. Devour it. Love and be loved by it. There is no question that cannot be answered by the exploration and/or creation of art. Music. Books. Dance. It will always be there for you. Create it. Turn yourself inside out and tell your story. It has value and is beautiful and necessary.
6. You are nature.
Never think that you are something different or separate from the ocean and the stars and the moon and the universe and every leaf and bug and animal on the planet. You are the planet. Love yourself and love all life. There is no need to kill. Respect the powerful form of nature that runs through you. Spend time in the forest and the desert and the ocean. Admire and protect every piece of life, from the tiny plankton to the giant whale. Learn about biology and chemistry and zoology, and be sure to spend time in nature. Take hikes, dive, ski, swim in rivers. Marvel at the clouds and the small breezes. Pay attention to shadows and leaves and trees everywhere you look.
7. Be kind even when it feels like unearned.
Smile at strangers. Especially when they have their heads down and scowling. Hold doors for people and let others go first. Pay for people when they are short. Compliment your friends and send handwritten thank you cards. When someone makes you feel bad, forgive them. When they insult you, know that they are dealing with their own insecurities. Go out of your way to make people feel better. Put other people’s needs before your own.
8. Being alone is not the same as being lonely.
Love that voice in your head. It will be with you till the end. Trust your gut. Love yourself. Long and hard. There is no one in the world who will be there for your more often and with more consistency than yourself. Take quiet walks. Watch movies alone. Lose yourself in a book. Eat alone at restaurants. Talk to yourself and ask questions. Never lie to yourself. Trust yourself. Be kind to yourself. You are doing your best. You are enough.
9. Stay away from guns and people who love guns.
Nothing was ever made better by a gun. They are weapons of destruction, anger, violence and pain. You can live your whole life and never even see a gun, I have done it. When people have guns, go somewhere else. If you meet people who glorify or love guns, leave them and find people who love peace and nature. People might say that they are good for hunting or shooting or protection. They are good for nothing. If you are in a place with a gun, move to another place without a gun. Your life will be much lighter and more beautiful if you avoid guns and people who love guns.
10. There is no such thing as race or countries or religions.
You are no better than anyone else for any reason. We are all human beings, regardless of what we believe, where we were born or the color of our skin. Love all people with the same enthusiasm as if they look and think just like you. Don’t believe in dogma or flags or passports. You are a child of the world, a wonder-star in the universe, never limit yourself to something as petty as a nation or a race. Love people. The more oppressed and poor that they are, the more they need your love. Take people in. Love them. Fight with them. March. Protest and stand up for the voiceless. If someone says that they are oppressed, do not question their oppression. People are scared of poverty and so they make excuses to hurt and oppress the poor, but you do not need to be scared. You simply need to listen and love.
1. Leave every space you are in better than you found it.
Whether you are in your own room, a restaurant, a park trail, the beach, a classroom, a sidewalk, a park or a car always pick up after yourself and leave no trace of yourself behind. If you can make it better by picking up other peoples’ trash or pushing in a chair or setting down some flowers, then do it. Sweep if it needs sweeping, wash if it needs washing, tidy when tidiness is needed. Arrange things to make the next person enjoy the space more than you did.
2. Every person has a story and has suffered in ways you need to understand.
Do not judge people or gossip in hurtful ways. You do not know the pain that people may have faced. Put yourself in their shoes and give them the benefit of the doubt. Even when they are mean or cruel, try and understand their anger. Listen when you can and ask questions before you react. Many people in life will act from pain and suffering and they may warrant your wrath, but give them your grace instead. The ugliest people need love too, and sometimes you might be the only one that can give it to them.
3. Do not act violently or in anger.
You will see suffering and injustice that will make you want to hate. You will see ignorance and racism and violence, that is so intense that you will think the only answer is equal amounts of anger and violence, but know this- love and peace will be the only way out of this trap. Even in the face of unspeakable atrocities, your love is the only way forward.
4. There is no right. There are only different ways of seeing things.
Anybody who tells you they know the right way to be, to think, to pray, to believe is not to be trusted. There is no “right” way to exist in the world. Only blinded, close-minded people think the world is so simple as to have a right way to experience it. Take it all in. Listen, trust, believe, explore. Try to balance opposing ways of thinking. Try to make sense of two opposing truths at once.
5. Art, music or a book will always make things better.
You are not the first person in the world. There have been countless others on this journey. They have sung and written and painted and sculpted their love and pain onto vinyl and stone and paper and canvas. Their pain and joy is your pain and joy, learn from it, be swallowed by it. Seek it. Devour it. Love and be loved by it. There is no question that cannot be answered by the exploration and/or creation of art. Music. Books. Dance. It will always be there for you. Create it. Turn yourself inside out and tell your story. It has value and is beautiful and necessary.
6. You are nature.
Never think that you are something different or separate from the ocean and the stars and the moon and the universe and every leaf and bug and animal on the planet. You are the planet. Love yourself and love all life. There is no need to kill. Respect the powerful form of nature that runs through you. Spend time in the forest and the desert and the ocean. Admire and protect every piece of life, from the tiny plankton to the giant whale. Learn about biology and chemistry and zoology, and be sure to spend time in nature. Take hikes, dive, ski, swim in rivers. Marvel at the clouds and the small breezes. Pay attention to shadows and leaves and trees everywhere you look.
7. Be kind even when it feels like unearned.
Smile at strangers. Especially when they have their heads down and scowling. Hold doors for people and let others go first. Pay for people when they are short. Compliment your friends and send handwritten thank you cards. When someone makes you feel bad, forgive them. When they insult you, know that they are dealing with their own insecurities. Go out of your way to make people feel better. Put other people’s needs before your own.
8. Being alone is not the same as being lonely.
Love that voice in your head. It will be with you till the end. Trust your gut. Love yourself. Long and hard. There is no one in the world who will be there for your more often and with more consistency than yourself. Take quiet walks. Watch movies alone. Lose yourself in a book. Eat alone at restaurants. Talk to yourself and ask questions. Never lie to yourself. Trust yourself. Be kind to yourself. You are doing your best. You are enough.
9. Stay away from guns and people who love guns.
Nothing was ever made better by a gun. They are weapons of destruction, anger, violence and pain. You can live your whole life and never even see a gun, I have done it. When people have guns, go somewhere else. If you meet people who glorify or love guns, leave them and find people who love peace and nature. People might say that they are good for hunting or shooting or protection. They are good for nothing. If you are in a place with a gun, move to another place without a gun. Your life will be much lighter and more beautiful if you avoid guns and people who love guns.
10. There is no such thing as race or countries or religions.
You are no better than anyone else for any reason. We are all human beings, regardless of what we believe, where we were born or the color of our skin. Love all people with the same enthusiasm as if they look and think just like you. Don’t believe in dogma or flags or passports. You are a child of the world, a wonder-star in the universe, never limit yourself to something as petty as a nation or a race. Love people. The more oppressed and poor that they are, the more they need your love. Take people in. Love them. Fight with them. March. Protest and stand up for the voiceless. If someone says that they are oppressed, do not question their oppression. People are scared of poverty and so they make excuses to hurt and oppress the poor, but you do not need to be scared. You simply need to listen and love.
July 8, 2016
Even Today
Not too long ago I was swimming in a river with my daughters and my mom and wife at a Zen retreat in the mountains off the coast of California. I was oblivious to the world and the violence it is in the constant state of perpetuating.
Even today…
I still can’t do it.
I have been writing everyday in this space since January, but the words on nights like this don’t help. They don’t make sense. I am so entangled with anger, sadness, despair, guilt, shame, so many emotions that when I sit to articulate them, I end up feeling more lost and confused.
I have been glued to the stories out of Dallas and the opinions and ideas coming out of the events of the last few days.
I feel I have no right to write about such things- I was canoeing on a lake in paradise today for god’s sake.
Tomorrow is my daughter’s tenth birthday and I feel I don’t have the words to untangle the violent, racist, gun-obsessed web that is the very country I have brought her to, so she can “set some roots.”
But what do my selfish worries have to do with the reality that so many people actually living in America have to face? I wanted to come “home” and get a better glimpse of this country, and within a few weeks- #orlando, #altonsterling, # after # after # and more death and hate and more god damn guns.
Maybe someday I could write a coherent, helpful post or essay about what all of this violence means to a nation, but once again, tonight, I can only look on in awe and shame and pity and anger and all human emotions at once.
Find someone out there, doesn’t matter who and love them, even for a few seconds.
Even today…
I still can’t do it.
I have been writing everyday in this space since January, but the words on nights like this don’t help. They don’t make sense. I am so entangled with anger, sadness, despair, guilt, shame, so many emotions that when I sit to articulate them, I end up feeling more lost and confused.
I have been glued to the stories out of Dallas and the opinions and ideas coming out of the events of the last few days.
I feel I have no right to write about such things- I was canoeing on a lake in paradise today for god’s sake.
Tomorrow is my daughter’s tenth birthday and I feel I don’t have the words to untangle the violent, racist, gun-obsessed web that is the very country I have brought her to, so she can “set some roots.”
But what do my selfish worries have to do with the reality that so many people actually living in America have to face? I wanted to come “home” and get a better glimpse of this country, and within a few weeks- #orlando, #altonsterling, # after # after # and more death and hate and more god damn guns.
Maybe someday I could write a coherent, helpful post or essay about what all of this violence means to a nation, but once again, tonight, I can only look on in awe and shame and pity and anger and all human emotions at once.
Find someone out there, doesn’t matter who and love them, even for a few seconds.
June 13, 2016
Never Needed A Gun
"paradise is a world where everything
is a sanctuary & nothing is a gun."
—Danez Smith, from "summer, somewhere"
An American “Muslim terrorist” who was a US citizen with Afghani roots, and had “pledged allegiance” to ISIS, commits the worst mass shooting in the history of the United States, killing 50 black and Latino homosexuals and injuring 50 more, during Ramadan, on the eve of Pride weekend. There are countless complex and broken systems at play here that need unraveling, but I know at least three words that are a good place to start- Acceptance. Education. Love.
All day long, I have been absorbed with twitter feeds and news stories. Watching every group, from every side politicize this tragedy, only to criticize opposing groups of politicizing things in a different direction. The Christian Right, The Muslims, The NRA, The Congressmen and women sending their “thoughts and prayers, as if they didn’t have a more powerful tool at their disposable. As if they were not elected by the people of these United States to legislate safety, justice, or freedom. As if their sole purpose was not to ensure that the citizens of our fine nation didn't have to live in fear of being murdered for simply being a human being.
“Thoughts and Prayers” spoken by people who are powerless is a sad enough statement, but when “Thoughts and Prayers” are the modus operandi of the very people chosen to create and enact laws, well…then it becomes criminal.
But this post was not meant to lay down words that assign blame. I was hoping to avoid the anger and the rage, for at least a few minutes of the day. The finger pointing and self-appreciating of being “right” in the face of such death and destruction feels hopeless.
The web that has been spun from which this monster has been hatched is too tangled for simple answers, but it is clear that we are dealing with a broken culture. And while their are many contributing factors to what has broken American culture to the point where we not only export wholesale violence to every corner of the land both with our military, but also with our cancerous capitalistic system, but now the violence that has made our dreams possible has turned inward. And it is destroying the very fabric of our land. From shootings in churches to Gay clubs. From Ferguson to Trump’s wall to rapes on college campuses, we are a nation suffering from fear and hatred and ignorance. We sit shell-shocked, immobile, numb and powerless.
But it doesn’t have to be this painful or difficult. We live in an age of unprecedented diversity in our nation. We live in the digital information age, where exposure to ideas and people is a swipe or click away. Why are so many of us ruled by fear and hatred? Why do so many people dwell in their insecurities and follow their hate? What the hell are we so afraid of?
This culture of xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny, and racism do not happen by accident. These fear-based views of humanity are taught in our churches and our mosques. They are the platforms of our political parties. They are garbled and twisted and spewed from our televisions and “news” networks. We have allowed ourselves to look away from ourselves. We've wrapped ourselves so tightly in a blanket of ignorance and hate for far so long, that we are terrified that we might freeze to death without it.
But what do I know? I have no answers. This is hard and difficult and it hurts. So may groups marginalized, raped, murdered and for what? Really for what? There are so many places in the word where people just get along. They live and let live. Places where people are not doomed by their own fear. Places where the diversity of our species is celebrated and rewarded. It doesn’t have to be so hard America. All you have to do is act from a place of love, understanding, and acceptance. Do you remember how to do that?
Here is a clue, in this place…this place of love and understanding you don’t need your gun. So -please check it at the door, or leave it at your hunting lodge, or better yet melt it down and recycle it into something more useful.
Love has never needed a gun and it never will.
is a sanctuary & nothing is a gun."
—Danez Smith, from "summer, somewhere"
An American “Muslim terrorist” who was a US citizen with Afghani roots, and had “pledged allegiance” to ISIS, commits the worst mass shooting in the history of the United States, killing 50 black and Latino homosexuals and injuring 50 more, during Ramadan, on the eve of Pride weekend. There are countless complex and broken systems at play here that need unraveling, but I know at least three words that are a good place to start- Acceptance. Education. Love.
All day long, I have been absorbed with twitter feeds and news stories. Watching every group, from every side politicize this tragedy, only to criticize opposing groups of politicizing things in a different direction. The Christian Right, The Muslims, The NRA, The Congressmen and women sending their “thoughts and prayers, as if they didn’t have a more powerful tool at their disposable. As if they were not elected by the people of these United States to legislate safety, justice, or freedom. As if their sole purpose was not to ensure that the citizens of our fine nation didn't have to live in fear of being murdered for simply being a human being.
“Thoughts and Prayers” spoken by people who are powerless is a sad enough statement, but when “Thoughts and Prayers” are the modus operandi of the very people chosen to create and enact laws, well…then it becomes criminal.
But this post was not meant to lay down words that assign blame. I was hoping to avoid the anger and the rage, for at least a few minutes of the day. The finger pointing and self-appreciating of being “right” in the face of such death and destruction feels hopeless.
The web that has been spun from which this monster has been hatched is too tangled for simple answers, but it is clear that we are dealing with a broken culture. And while their are many contributing factors to what has broken American culture to the point where we not only export wholesale violence to every corner of the land both with our military, but also with our cancerous capitalistic system, but now the violence that has made our dreams possible has turned inward. And it is destroying the very fabric of our land. From shootings in churches to Gay clubs. From Ferguson to Trump’s wall to rapes on college campuses, we are a nation suffering from fear and hatred and ignorance. We sit shell-shocked, immobile, numb and powerless.
But it doesn’t have to be this painful or difficult. We live in an age of unprecedented diversity in our nation. We live in the digital information age, where exposure to ideas and people is a swipe or click away. Why are so many of us ruled by fear and hatred? Why do so many people dwell in their insecurities and follow their hate? What the hell are we so afraid of?
This culture of xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny, and racism do not happen by accident. These fear-based views of humanity are taught in our churches and our mosques. They are the platforms of our political parties. They are garbled and twisted and spewed from our televisions and “news” networks. We have allowed ourselves to look away from ourselves. We've wrapped ourselves so tightly in a blanket of ignorance and hate for far so long, that we are terrified that we might freeze to death without it.
But what do I know? I have no answers. This is hard and difficult and it hurts. So may groups marginalized, raped, murdered and for what? Really for what? There are so many places in the word where people just get along. They live and let live. Places where people are not doomed by their own fear. Places where the diversity of our species is celebrated and rewarded. It doesn’t have to be so hard America. All you have to do is act from a place of love, understanding, and acceptance. Do you remember how to do that?
Here is a clue, in this place…this place of love and understanding you don’t need your gun. So -please check it at the door, or leave it at your hunting lodge, or better yet melt it down and recycle it into something more useful.
Love has never needed a gun and it never will.
June 12, 2016
Skating Into Summer
We had an early Sunday morning skating lesson for Kaia today. We were both at the park by 8:30 while Mairin and Skye went grocery shopping. The sun was not yet too hot and the place was nearly empty. My wrist is still not feeling so good, but I had brought my stuff, just in case the conditions were good and this morning they were perfect.
I strapped on the pads, swore to take it easy and tested out my new bushings. My trucks are still a bit loose, so I feel a bit wobbly going down the longer ramps, but I couldn’t seem to get them right today, so I was extra careful.
I was able to skate in a part of the park that is usually too crowded to skate and it was awesome. Nice and slow, down some tame slopes and up others that were a bit more steep. I was able to start at one end of the park and hit three or four slopes as I weaved my way through the park. Nothing too steep or too fast, just gentle cruising. Knees bent. Leaning forward and careful not to lose focus and crash. Just made me realize how much I love learning new things. I want to try and plan one night a week next year to go to the park around 9pm and skate under the lights. Feeling blessed that we have this park minutes from my house.
Despite the early start, the sun in Singapore gets hot fast and by nine it was a scorcher; I was a sweaty mess. It was a this point that a kid who was about ten years old, with a shaved head, a puff of bleached blond hair, on a scooter comes up to me and asks, “Are you Mr. Raisdana?” To which I answered in the affirmative. “Cool. I am a fifth grader at UWCSEA and I will be in six grade next year.”
He seemed stoked, but was keeping it cool- not showing that he was overtly excited to see his head of grade skating at the park on a Sunday morning, but we both knew something important had just happened. I got his name and I now I know at least one kid coming into grade six who I won’t have to work too hard to gain respect from.
The rest of the day was pretty chill. Mairin was at a ladies brunch, so the girls and I swam a bit, went out for ice cream, played lego, read some books, I sang and played guitar for a while, and we enjoyed a Sunday with little ambition or expectations.
All my grades are done and in the computer. I am thinking of watching the Will Smith Ali movie before bed.
…
Another shooting. This time in Orlando at a gay bar. It already screams major tragedy and totally horrific. Regardless of who the monster was that carried out this rampage, it is yet another stain on our collective human consciousness. I feel like I need to poke and prod at the scabs to make sure I never become numb to the violence we perpetuate in our society.
…
I have a post or two brewing that are more developed than these daily updates. I hope to get to them this week. In other news, it has been a long time since I ran. I am milking the need to rest after a race excuse for as long as I can, but I need to get back out there this week.
This will be an interesting week, seeing that it is the last official full week of school before summer. There is still a lot that needs to be done, like moving my classroom for next year, but most of the things from here on out will be about change and I am pretty excited about the possibilities.
The couch, dark chocolate with sea salt, and a Sunday night movie are calling. Be kind to each other people, it’s a cruel world out there.
I strapped on the pads, swore to take it easy and tested out my new bushings. My trucks are still a bit loose, so I feel a bit wobbly going down the longer ramps, but I couldn’t seem to get them right today, so I was extra careful.
I was able to skate in a part of the park that is usually too crowded to skate and it was awesome. Nice and slow, down some tame slopes and up others that were a bit more steep. I was able to start at one end of the park and hit three or four slopes as I weaved my way through the park. Nothing too steep or too fast, just gentle cruising. Knees bent. Leaning forward and careful not to lose focus and crash. Just made me realize how much I love learning new things. I want to try and plan one night a week next year to go to the park around 9pm and skate under the lights. Feeling blessed that we have this park minutes from my house.
Despite the early start, the sun in Singapore gets hot fast and by nine it was a scorcher; I was a sweaty mess. It was a this point that a kid who was about ten years old, with a shaved head, a puff of bleached blond hair, on a scooter comes up to me and asks, “Are you Mr. Raisdana?” To which I answered in the affirmative. “Cool. I am a fifth grader at UWCSEA and I will be in six grade next year.”
He seemed stoked, but was keeping it cool- not showing that he was overtly excited to see his head of grade skating at the park on a Sunday morning, but we both knew something important had just happened. I got his name and I now I know at least one kid coming into grade six who I won’t have to work too hard to gain respect from.
The rest of the day was pretty chill. Mairin was at a ladies brunch, so the girls and I swam a bit, went out for ice cream, played lego, read some books, I sang and played guitar for a while, and we enjoyed a Sunday with little ambition or expectations.
All my grades are done and in the computer. I am thinking of watching the Will Smith Ali movie before bed.
…
Another shooting. This time in Orlando at a gay bar. It already screams major tragedy and totally horrific. Regardless of who the monster was that carried out this rampage, it is yet another stain on our collective human consciousness. I feel like I need to poke and prod at the scabs to make sure I never become numb to the violence we perpetuate in our society.
…
I have a post or two brewing that are more developed than these daily updates. I hope to get to them this week. In other news, it has been a long time since I ran. I am milking the need to rest after a race excuse for as long as I can, but I need to get back out there this week.
This will be an interesting week, seeing that it is the last official full week of school before summer. There is still a lot that needs to be done, like moving my classroom for next year, but most of the things from here on out will be about change and I am pretty excited about the possibilities.
The couch, dark chocolate with sea salt, and a Sunday night movie are calling. Be kind to each other people, it’s a cruel world out there.
January 6, 2016
Master Of His Own Destiny
Woke up this morning, first thing, to a comment from a cousin of a Facebook friend that made me reconsider my open public Facebook policy, in it’s sheer ignorance and biased view. It was so fundamentally false- the argument was so misguided, illogical, and simplistic that my first reaction was to ignore it and chalk it up to bi-partisan mudslinging.
The ideas of a stranger had somehow leaked into my feed, but that didn’t mean I had to engage. It was 5:50 in the morning, why did I need to explain to a stranger that Donald Trump’s ad about banning Muslims from the USA was not okay, especially when he was saying things like, “And there is a law on the books that states that anyone that is a member of any organization that is contrary to the beliefs of the USA - freedom - can be banned from entering this country.”
But then I thought about it all morning. I didn’t want to be thinking about retorts and rebuttals, but my brain had caught fire and I couldn’t seem to find a way to put it out.
Because if I had a student who thought so simplistically, a student who argued so illogically, a student who felt so callously, a student who lived with such little understanding of the world and such lack of empathy, I would do everything I could to teach that student. For better to for worse this is the curse of the educator, we want to teach everyone we come across- even the random cousin of a Facebook friend we will never meet.
Our first reaction might be to label people who disagree with us as right-wing fanatics, or ignorant (fill in the blank), but if we get into the habit of doing that, then how are we different from the people who see liberals as some false stereo-type. At the end of the day we need to see people, who’s views are different to our way of thinking, as people who we need to engage with.
Anyway, as I was thinking all these thoughts my friend Bryan came in and saved the day, with one of the best rebuttals I have read in a while. It was clear, coherent, logical and dead-on. So I was saved from having to do my civic duty, which made me think how important it is that we work together to help educate the internet. No small feat, I know. But everytime someone spouts inaccurate information it is our collective civil duty to say something.
...
In school this happened during break before class. Two students came running into the classroom with their copies of Into The Wild and the following conversation took place:
“But why would he change his name?”
“Because that part of his life was dying?”
“But what does changing your name do?”
“His name symbolized everything he hated about the overly commercialized life he was forced to live by his parents and society. He needed to break free from that, so he needed a new name. See look it says it here on this page (pulls out book) ““no longer would he answer to Chris McCandless; he was now Alexander Supertramp, master of his own destiny” (He then waved the book around and sang, Master of his own Destiny a few times)
“Yeah, I get it. That must also be why he turned down the gift of the car from his parents. He didn't want what they were offering. He needed something else.”
...
Time hop reminded me that I began my experiment being vegan three years ago today. I feel pretty good. I love the line that Brighde once told me, “I am vegan 100% of the time, but I am successful 90% of the times."
Yes I cheat occasionally with the weirdest things- Krispie Kreme donuts and muffins at Starbucks, but for the most part I have been pretty good. The very thought of eggs, cheese or milk, makes me sick. Those damn baked goods, still haunt me.
...
I watched Obama’s speech on guns and cried at the end. I respect him more and more. He’s just a cool dude trying his damn best.
Sometimes I feel guilty for being too tired to properly spend time with my kids during the week. Are we just wasting their childhood and setting them up for the rat race?
There is a new salad bar at school that I am excited about trying tomorrow.
I have a girl in my class who is going through a hard time with a parent’s divorce and I complimented her on her writing today and she was so grateful that she was beaming. It made me very happy to be able to make her happy so easily.
...
Lessons Learned:
...
The ideas of a stranger had somehow leaked into my feed, but that didn’t mean I had to engage. It was 5:50 in the morning, why did I need to explain to a stranger that Donald Trump’s ad about banning Muslims from the USA was not okay, especially when he was saying things like, “And there is a law on the books that states that anyone that is a member of any organization that is contrary to the beliefs of the USA - freedom - can be banned from entering this country.”
But then I thought about it all morning. I didn’t want to be thinking about retorts and rebuttals, but my brain had caught fire and I couldn’t seem to find a way to put it out.
Because if I had a student who thought so simplistically, a student who argued so illogically, a student who felt so callously, a student who lived with such little understanding of the world and such lack of empathy, I would do everything I could to teach that student. For better to for worse this is the curse of the educator, we want to teach everyone we come across- even the random cousin of a Facebook friend we will never meet.
Our first reaction might be to label people who disagree with us as right-wing fanatics, or ignorant (fill in the blank), but if we get into the habit of doing that, then how are we different from the people who see liberals as some false stereo-type. At the end of the day we need to see people, who’s views are different to our way of thinking, as people who we need to engage with.
Anyway, as I was thinking all these thoughts my friend Bryan came in and saved the day, with one of the best rebuttals I have read in a while. It was clear, coherent, logical and dead-on. So I was saved from having to do my civic duty, which made me think how important it is that we work together to help educate the internet. No small feat, I know. But everytime someone spouts inaccurate information it is our collective civil duty to say something.
...
In school this happened during break before class. Two students came running into the classroom with their copies of Into The Wild and the following conversation took place:
“But why would he change his name?”
“Because that part of his life was dying?”
“But what does changing your name do?”
“His name symbolized everything he hated about the overly commercialized life he was forced to live by his parents and society. He needed to break free from that, so he needed a new name. See look it says it here on this page (pulls out book) ““no longer would he answer to Chris McCandless; he was now Alexander Supertramp, master of his own destiny” (He then waved the book around and sang, Master of his own Destiny a few times)
“Yeah, I get it. That must also be why he turned down the gift of the car from his parents. He didn't want what they were offering. He needed something else.”
...
Time hop reminded me that I began my experiment being vegan three years ago today. I feel pretty good. I love the line that Brighde once told me, “I am vegan 100% of the time, but I am successful 90% of the times."
Yes I cheat occasionally with the weirdest things- Krispie Kreme donuts and muffins at Starbucks, but for the most part I have been pretty good. The very thought of eggs, cheese or milk, makes me sick. Those damn baked goods, still haunt me.
...
I watched Obama’s speech on guns and cried at the end. I respect him more and more. He’s just a cool dude trying his damn best.
Sometimes I feel guilty for being too tired to properly spend time with my kids during the week. Are we just wasting their childhood and setting them up for the rat race?
There is a new salad bar at school that I am excited about trying tomorrow.
I have a girl in my class who is going through a hard time with a parent’s divorce and I complimented her on her writing today and she was so grateful that she was beaming. It made me very happy to be able to make her happy so easily.
...
Lessons Learned:
- Politics are messy and engaging with people is tough but necessary.
- Kids get excited if you are excited.
- Compliments are so easy to give and do so much good. I should give them more often to everyone in my life.
...
- What’s a political argument you rarely back away from?
- Describe an exchange you witness that made you happy.
- Tell us about a compliment that you gave that made someone’s day or one that you received.
September 30, 2013
Glorified G
I've never fired a gun. Never even held one. Never actually been near one when it was fired. In short,
I have lived nearly forty years and the closest I have ever gotten to a real gun is by watching people shoot them on TV. I don't get them. I don't get the point of guns. Seems pretty simple to me-- guns are designed to kill things. I don't want to kill things nor do I want to be killed, so I will stay away from guns. Everything else is posturing and compensation.
Glorified G is a schizophrenic of a song. The opening riff more at home on an R.E.M album that a grunge song, it never really quite finds itself. Which is exactly the point. The band at this point was doing everything to dismantle the grunge prison they had been thrown into.
Mike McCready on the song:
Over at the Sky I Scrape they have this to say:
I have lived nearly forty years and the closest I have ever gotten to a real gun is by watching people shoot them on TV. I don't get them. I don't get the point of guns. Seems pretty simple to me-- guns are designed to kill things. I don't want to kill things nor do I want to be killed, so I will stay away from guns. Everything else is posturing and compensation.
original image by Pedro Alonso
Glorified G is a schizophrenic of a song. The opening riff more at home on an R.E.M album that a grunge song, it never really quite finds itself. Which is exactly the point. The band at this point was doing everything to dismantle the grunge prison they had been thrown into.
Mike McCready on the song:
I wrote part of that one. I had this Gretsch Country Gentleman and I started jamming on this little thing in D; the riff just came out of that. Stone came up with his weird part. There are all these strange, disjointed parts that kind of turned into a song. Stone's doing something weird, Jeff's doing something weird and offbeat, but for some reason it works, I really don't know why.Stone:
Glorified G was one that went through a series of changes, and barely held together the whole time. We all knew there were melodies and riffs in it we liked. But even listening to the song right up to the mixing stage I was going, "Does this work at all?!" Here was Mike playing a very up, country guitar line while I'm playing this choppy down riff on the opposite end of the groove spectrum. Meanwhile, Jeff's got this totally other bass line going that's not really steady, and he's going off in a melodic direction, too. So there's not really anybody holding it down, and Dave's got to decide either to play it more the country way or play it the funky way. There was this precarious balance, and then suddenly the bridge comes in from out of the blue, which, if Eddie doesn't sing it just right, sounds sort of foreign. Finally, it never goes back to the chorus at the end, it turns into something else.I've been trying all night to think of what else to say about the song, other than that I remember being shocked by it the first few listens. It was so unlike anything they had done at that point, but I was drawn in rather quickly. Like so many songs on Vs, the repeated mantra simplicity of the lyrics allow so much room of exploration and interpretation.
Over at the Sky I Scrape they have this to say:
Musically Glorified G is a fun firecracker of a song. It sounds like a party with its good time classic rock vibe. There’s no cowbell here, but it would fit right in. This song makes me want to have a BBQ. There’s a casual ‘who gives a fuck’ feel to the music that makes the song oddly contagious, and Mike’s solos sound almost festive. It’s an odd backdrop, to say the least, for Eddie’s sneering indictment of gun culture and red state (even though we weren’t using that term when this song was written) America.I suggest you read the whole post here, there is some really insightful stuff there, which I suppose I could write, but not sure I could say it any better than this:
Certainly from Eddie’s perspective, a gun is a tool for murder, and that’s it. They’re not toys, and their owners are not sportsmen. These things are dangerous, yet we live in a society that celebrates them, that can’t have enough of them (Got a gun, ‘fact I got two), and that refuses to confront the harm they do: (never shot at a living thing). Eddie is railing against the inability of Americans to see a world outside their immediate horizons and interests, our inability to imagine that an action might have implications outside of how it affects myself.
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