Hello world (again)...

So quite a bit of time has gone by since my last posting. Shouldn't be a shocker given my own admission to fleeing from this kind of endeavor fairly quick. (Disconnect between my ambitions versus my dedication I suppose.)

I recently re-visited the idea of blogging. Not for the increasingly superficial norms of what this medium has become, but for a much more personal purpose. I realize for me writing has always represented a form of therapy and allows for me to better articulate my thoughts and feelings. Present me with a keyboard and word processing program, prior to that a pen and a pad (which I still use too) and I become the fullest of myself that I know how to be.

All that considered, things in my life have been pretty tumultuous these few months since I last wrote, and I was in need of an outlet. I remembered this lonely blog I had and decided to log in recently out of boredom. A light bulb clicked, because I was able to see just how much I truly did enjoy blabbing my opinions out into the interwebs. I also got a refresher of how good it can be to express myself via writing. So here I am...Back at it.  Perfect timing I suppose with all that has transpired across the globe during the interim of my hiatus. (Not that enough people have read this yet for it to be deemed a hiatus per say but as I digress...)

It is a pleasure to be able to do this so while I still can (re: SOPA & NDAA) I want to share a bit of me with you all. Not a lot of frills, but complete honesty all the same which is most important in my book.Well enough rambling, I have posts to conjure up.

God's speed!

Insight: Lupe Fiasco's "American Terrorist"

As I have been observing and digesting the many debates following the fallout of the Osama news I turned my attention back toward my finals week assignments. I usually listen to some sort of music during this endeavor, over the last few years the preference has been music by rapper Lupe Fiasco. I am a  firm believer that music is a great inspirator for intellectual thought. This is especially true when trying to write academic material which can be a very time-consuming and laborious process.

For me I have to listen to music that matches with what I am doing at the given moment, in this case something with lyrical depth, substantive content and quite frankly is very intelligent. Or else I risk not gaining the proper inspiration or focus necessary for the task at hand. That is why I appreciate Lupe and others in his particular lane of music (genre nonwithstanding). The messages in the music speak to greater life themes than the superficial regurgitations that we all get caught up in (Soulja Boy's "Crank That" or Los del Rio's "Macarena" ring a bell?).

In connection to this particular recent event I began listening to Lupe's first release "Lupe Fiasco's: Food & Liquor". One of my favorite records is almost a direct narrative of what I came across in the discourse of the day and felt it necessary to share. The song also serves as a further assertion of my own personal viewpoint as articulated via clever metaphor, entendre and historical references. Check it out below:

Obama got Osama--Really?

So millions of Americans and citizens of the world recieved the very random, sudden and shocking news last night: Osama Bin Laden and a number of his key associates and family members were killed in a targeted US-Led attack. Personally it was such a throw from left field I didn't believe the news. Coming fresh from study and paper writing mode  it was definitely a complete 180-degree change in where my perspective was and I'm sure others can concur. I have mixed feelings about the whole she-bang though.

On one hand I can understand the relief that many may feel about the news of his demise. However I have slight reservation to celebrate the death of any human being, even one associated with such horrendous acts like 9/11. I also do not believe this will be an entire gamechanger to the military operations still going on in Afghanistan, Iraq and now Libya; only a possible addition of fuel for a large bonfire to come. In the end I have a more vast outlook on how all of these displays of celebration are recieved globally and how we would react if the shoe were on the other foot so to speak. We have so far to go in this country not only in our foreign policy which imparts a monolithic, imperialist viewpoint that is very archaic and insensitive along social and ethical lines; along with the heap of domestic problems, i.e. our refusal to effectively and openly deal with our racial wounds (Birth Certificate fiasco anyone?), doesn't leave me shouting for joy. Hooray?...I think not.

Art Spotlight: Saber “The American Graffiti Artist” Exhibition

As I was perusing the web during a small break in my completion of assignments for finals week I took a swing around to one of my favorite on-line haunts: Stupid Dope. Now while the name may implicate a varied opinion on what the site's content may be I assure you it is definitely one of the few of note. It is an "art farts dream" especially for one such as myself who loves to explore new and emerging forms of art from across the globe. This particular post stuck out to me since it deals primarily with a culture that has long been misunderstood and overlooked as an artform. Grafitti can be a nuisance and quite unslighty, true enough. However there are many talented artists who use this medium as a way to express their viewpoints of the world in a unique way unlike any other painting medium. I understand the annoyance city officials and others may find when done in a negative way, however when given a positive an open environment to express their talents moments of magic can occur. Their chosen canvas may differ tremendously from other art forms but it doesn't make it any less beautiful. At least this reigns true in the eyes of those who love the art like me. Definitely a post of note and you check it out here: Saber Exhibit

Beauty in Beatification

So I was randomly up around 3am this morning and happened to catch a live broadcast on MSNBC of the large Catholic Mass ceremony taking place at the Vatican. It was different than the many that are held there in that it was also a celebration of the Beatification process of making previous pontiff Pope John Paul II a Saint. It was an extremely large ceremony as people strectched far into the streets of Rome long away from the actual center of Vatican City. Even in spite of my slightly lethargic and sleep deprived state it was quite a sight to behold. There were visitors from all over the world, all of whom wanted to take part in the ceremony out of their love and admiration for the late religious leader. It was very cinematic, people held up banners, chanted phrases of their support, waved their flags of origin all against the backdrop of the tight corridors of Roman architecture. While I am not personally a Catholic ( I am Protestant) the process of a public mass in Vatican City has always been an object of interest for the sheer grandiose of it all. This event certainly was no exception and was at the least a re-affirmation of why I believe in Christianity in the first place. Very inspiring event indeed.

A Great American Cover-Up: Sunshine's Hydrox Cookie

One topic of discovery in recent years is the disappearance of a childhood staple in my household and neighborhoods. A delectable treat that millions of Americans remember and so many did not appreciate enough throughout it’s almost 50 years of production. The iconic and entirely irreplaceable: Sunshine Hydrox cookie. Contrary to popular belief Oreos were not the first chocolate sandwich cookie created in the USA. That honor actually belongs to the Hydrox. Unfortunately, not unlike many other industries created in this country, Sunshine was bullied out of their rightful place in history. Oreo’s creator, Nabisco Biscuit Company, observed the success of its smaller predecessor and created its own version, essentially a knock-off, of the Hydrox original. Due to their dominance over advertising, marketing and production size poor Sunshine and their Hydrox didn’t stand a chance.

Due to this act of corporate bullying (it’s the American way after all) Nabisco proudly dubbed their version, the Oreo, “America’s First Sandwich Cookie”. However false this statement  was did not matter to the public abroad since many had not heard of Sunshine Biscuit Company much less knew about their Hydrox cookie. Of course as time went on Oreo not only became the “First” however it transcended into American pop culture, becoming an iconic brand permanently cementing a place within the American conscious and as a symbol of American culture. Meanwhile the Hydrox cookie got unfairly targeted and labeled as an “off-brand” or knock-off of the Oreo. Most consumers created a negative view of the cookie based of corporate lies and marketing schemes; again the American way. To this dismay of all those who actually consumed and knew of Hydrox’s superiority to Oreo, the smaller company just couldn’t stand up to the dominance of its competitor in the marketplace.

 As a result over a few decades this tasty treat stayed mostly under the radar. The cookies were usually only sold in certain retail outlets usually within an urban center or the like. I found them primarily in Thriftway shopping stores as a kid in Kansas City, Missouri. I remember their taste distinctly and never threw away my opinion that they were light-years ahead of any Oreo I had ever had. This belief still stands true with me today as an adult. No matter how hard they try, and the success that the Oreo brand has had it will never measure up to the Sunshine, latter Keebler, Hydrox cookie. Ever.  That is why as a loyal fan to the brand it was a great dismay to find that the brand was dissolved; only making a short return a few years ago to celebrate what would’ve been its 50 anniversary. It is a shame that it never had the opportunity to take its rightful place among the confectionary greats, maybe one day it’ll get the recognition it deserves. Until then, I’ll continue searching high and low for a box that I believe exists out there somewhere.

Donald Rump & His Colorful, Parade of Truths and Follies

(And before you ask, no that isn't a typo in the title.) Now as a person under the age of 30 it is expected of me to know relatively close to, if not completely, nothing on the subject of politics, social issues, or anything not attached to a colorful bumper sticker. Or of course the weekly line-up on MTV. However as ultimately over-reaching, and in my case slightly offensive, as these assumptions may be unfortunately I am apart of the over-microwaved generation. I clearly attest to my peers lack of attention span to way too many hours spent on Facebook instead of actually speaking to another person's face or face down in a real book.

This is unfortunate however it is only the generalization of who we are. I, among millions of other young adults, and teens for that matter, are attuned to more than the new items added to McDonald's dollar menu. From a personal stand point I stay connected and abreast of all things politically and socially inclined. Not only domestic issues but abroad as well. I am firm believer that you won't be young forever and that the ignorance you carry today will surely bite you later if you aren't careful.

With this in mind I have been paying close attention to the recent state of affairs in the form of a daily soap opera: American news media. While it is a whole different discussion entirely of the state of the public affairs and how our government currently functions more of political circus theatre rather than an agent to move forward the agendas of the American people; it is of great relevance to pay attention to certain facets of the story. One of the most recent additions to the cast is Donald Trump and his wonderful talking hairpiece.

He has rambled on and on about President Obama's lack of effort in proving he was indeed an American citizen (which thankfully has finally been resolved), but his style of governing, his policies, and nearly anything totally irrelevant and obsurd he can find. I'm sure he's possibly even critiqued his choice of hotel while travelling. Jokes aside, Donald's ranting and raving is an alarming trend that many people seem to like to pay attention to, if not worse even agree with. I definitely do not agree with all of the President's decisions and policies within the first half of his term. However to persist on things as asinine as a wild goose chase for this man's birth certificate is another.

I believe it is imperative that we as active citizen's in our democracy learn how to have a civil discourse of the differences in our ideals without the degrading of others in the process. It is a very dangerous and tight road Trump and his counterparts have been treading here recently and none of it proves well to the future of this nation. Sowing seeds of lies and dissention does nothing to add to our lives but more chaos and less systematic and sustainable positive change in our economy, media, or the political process as a whole.