I didn't end up following through

I didn't end up getting the gig with wiretap. Rather a lot has changed since then.

Last post was April 2009, that's over a year ago. That's crazy. So, I've since moved back home to the Bay, and I worked for a year (technically I suppose I volunteered with a stipend) for AmeriCorps at a non-profit organization in Oakland Chinatown. It's been great and has helped me feel like I'm a little bit more back on track to what I want to be doing.

That said, I recently passed a crossroads of taking another AmeriCorps position here, taking an affordable housing property manager (landlord) position, or making big bucks with no certainty in telecommunications. It felt great to have some options for the first time in a while, but I dismissed all of those to move back to the East Coast to take another AmeriCorps program and go back to school. This was a very difficult decision that involved multiple layers and people.

I'm excited.



So keeping with my old hopes of reviewing Salvador Dali's work - here's Temptation of St. Anthony. I'm just going to present the images and leave them up to interpretations.



This also has raised some concerns for me, more information here.

I'm sure many will argue that it's a trivial issue for middle school elections, and others such as the administrators noted, "it was intended to ensure racial diversity". I guess this is an example of how that doesn't work out so well. Regardless.

"Few forfeit future"

Microcosm of backward theories frozen in time
You'd think with global warming
We'd have melted away decades old racism
Coming together, working for a common cause.

Maybe I'm being too idealistic
Maybe I'm being too harsh
But either way Nettleton we're telling you
Change your ways cause the truth is shining through.

Like sunshine descending down from the heavens
Follow the path across the rainbow to the pot of gold
Join us as we melt away and pave a new road for equality.
And no screw age-old metaphors for diversity like rainbows
For inclusion, we need to really get through not just think happy thoughts.

It's one thing to simply state your intent for "equal opportunity"
But how do you intend to monitor change to avoid "adversely affecting minority representation?"
Those are strong promises from a school with a policy for the last 30 years.
Superintendent Taylor fill us in on your plan, own up to accountability.
This sounds like the typical spew from bureaucratic higher-ups
Are you so far disconnected from the community that this has never been a cause for concern?

Few forfeit future, few stand to forget
Few lay low and allow decisions to be made for them
We are changing the silent masses to an engaged society
Sick of being talked down to and adamantly enraged
Coming together and set to make change.

Prepare yourself.

Not much has changed... but it will soon

Life in America has come a long way since its foundation was built upon the banishment and exploitation of the indigenous people in order to set the groundwork for another people's persecution as escapees settled into their newly found homeland. Then America's settlers cast out all knowledge of the native people and forced them to adapt to their way of life. Now nearly two and a half centuries later since the birth of our nation we realize that we still have a long way to go.

Angry Asian Man [[http://www.angryasianman.com/2009/04/aaldef-speaks-out-for-lori-panachone.html]] together with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund [[http://www.aaldef.org/article.php?article_id=396]] both speak out about their dismay regarding Lori Panachone. A Laotian American high school student from Iowa wonders why she has to take an English language exam despite being born and growing up in the United States, never being enrolled in an ESL class, serving as a current member of the national honor society, as well as maintaining a 3.9 Grade Point Average. Why you might ask yourself? It is simply because at her home she speaks Lao.

I remember growing up one of my best friends who had a similar background who was Vietnamese American was forced into an ESL class where he felt confused and unable to relate to his supposed peers. He was another Asian American student who because he was able to speak another language and relate to his family's heritage and culture was ostracized and treated differently. After a few months he made his claim and was taken out of the class, but why did he even have to go through that?

We are a nation founded by immigrants, but the struggles that we have gone through together are often forgotten and have resulted in our nation’s divide. Countless stories from children of immigrants who even chastise immigrants and although they speak the same languages are always angry at others’ inability to assimilate show how important it is to learn from everyone and that it is our differences that make us who we are. Despite the nation’s recent election of Barack Obama and his commitment to hope and change, like he said himself “We have to acknowledge the progress we made, but understand that we still have a long way to go. That things are better, but still not good enough.” We are making progress but we still have a long way to go.


This is my sample blog entry for www.wiretapmag.org I'm going to try to become a blogger there... here's to hoping.

Update

Mmmm last few weeks I've been busy I suppose for the best. I've been doing a lot of introspection on changes and relationships. I'm sure more to follow later on that....

There were a few protests - hopefully I'll get around to getting the photos up here eventually.

I wanted to make a few notes about some performance pieces/spaces that I saw lately.

First I saw a donation based community theater type non-profit hella liberal/progressive punk-rock group of mostly middle to upper class affluent community "puppet" performance. I was mostly given that introduction to the work of Puppet Underground self-defined as: "[Puppet Underground is] a new puppeteer's collective in DC whose members are committed to working for social justice and long-term sustainable change." That's cool and all in theory, but let's get real here. The space was at a church which was interesting and there were a lot of info on different arts, events, protests, etc which was really cool and got me really excited about the performance. However, this was a pretty bad performance it tried very hard to be super creative, low budget to a point of just straight failure. The group had decent singing/opera/music however there were no puppets involved in my book - simply cut out shapes behind paper and moving behind them doesn't cut it. I suppose technically anything can be a puppet - and anything can be viewed as "working for social justice and long-term sustainable change..." But how can these essential aspects of their very mission statement be completely ignored in their performances....?

If we are going to do something towards a goal we must dedicate ourselves to discussing these matters at hand. I have no idea how the song Mack the knife is supposed to convey that at all.

In a better example - and granted with a lot more influence, money, history, etc. The Kennedy Center is amazing. I randomly was flipping through a free newspaper called the express that was left while I was riding on the metro. To my pleasant surprise there was a plethora of different events and performances listed. One of the larger ads was for the Kennedy Center's free performances. Yes, they have been offering free performances for the last 12 years in fact. Right in the heart of DC with a free shuttle service to a nearby metro station leaving 8am-midnight daily this is a very accessible, incredible thing that we need to see more of. They offer these free performances daily to a packed crowd of about 200 people nightly. Performances start out at 6pm and run for about an hour and then you can meet and greet with the performers afterwards - get them to sign CDs, etc. It's great! Aretha Franklin performed there last month - I REALLY wish I had known and it was better advertised. Oh well, it's mostly musical performances from throughout the world of every genre from roots, rock, reggae, to jazz, blues, soul, country, bluesgrass, funk, hip-hop, you name it. Not only that if you miss a performance or are located outside of the DC metro area every performance is recorded nightly and put up on their website and kept archived for your viewing pleasure. How cool is that?

Their motto is "Performing Arts for everyone." That's so dope.

Anyways, I'm pretty upset that Johannes Mehserle, the cop involved with Oscar Grant shooting, made bail... If this isn't a call to action - I wonder what it takes these days?

Here's some details on the whole thing.

There is an action scheduled to take place today - perhaps there will be more news to follow and hopefully positive news that doesn't break into angry, violent riots.

How does a bail set at 3 million dollars get reduced to $3ook for flight risk? The American justice system never ceases to amaze me. I am not asking for revenge - no eye for an eye but some sort of institutional change should come from this. Some notice, something more than police firing tear gas and projectiles into seas of protesters while 9 more are tackled and arrested for "failing to disperse".

Time shall tell.

Twitter Twitter, more updates KCBS local news reports that it was a mistake and that Mehserle did not actually make bail, nor was he released from jail. Even at the reduced rate of $300,000 it felt weird and unlikely that it could have been fundraised in such a short period of time...

Quick Palestine update:

On January 18th Israel announced its ceasefire yet again, we can only pray that this time it lasts for a more extended period of time. A look at the tolls since December show over 1300 dead and over 50,000 homeless. Here's something interesting - Israel reported that the reason why they ended their ceasefire was only to prevent distracting news stories from getting in the way of honoring president Obama's inauguration. Now - anytime for a ceasefire is greatly appreciated by me, however if that is the main driving force for the ceasefire - then it just makes you wonder how long it will last before they feel that it's been an appropriate time to honor the latest inauguration and presidency of Obama before it returns to the same. President Obama has yet to issue any statement or comment that he will be progressively changing the situation - however to his credit he's been in office barely a week and there must be a lot to do to work out the kinks of the transition.

Check it out more info here

No justice, no peace...

One more thing - public libraries ROCK. There is so much community attached to them and access to knowledge. I have never really taken advantage of libraries as much as I probably should - it's a real shame but living literally across the street has forced me to. Free internet access - study materials - chess club - book club - you name it.

Anyways, I randomly picked up a weird book that sounded interesting called - Kiss, Bow, Or Shake Hands: Latin America written by Terri Morrison and Wayne A. Conaway. A lot of the stuff they mention is kinda weird but pretty practical for Americans with no knowledge of Latin America and even for people familiar with one country and oblivious to the next. It's a pretty good intro to several countries - I only briefly flipped through Argentina...

But anyways there were some really dope quotes in there that I found inspiring:

1)"Es ist nichts schrecklicher als eine tätige Unwissenheit" - Goethe for "There is nothing more terrible than ignorance in action" AIN'T DAT THE TRUTH!?!?!?

2) "Audi Alteram Partem" - Hear the other side

3) "Quién a uno castiga, a ciento hostiga" Spanish proverb - He who chastens one, harasses a hundred.

I got kicked off the library computer at this time... I'll finish this later.

EDIT::

Totally random - It's really hard to transcribe Cuban interviews about inner city baseball leagues and then translate it to English - the whole process humbles me and reminds me to show the utmost respect for anyone attempting to learn a new dialect or language. Or dealing with translations in general and how much is simply lost in translation... When one word in one language can mean multiple words in another.

Back to the Bay

I'm confused by this Firstoff, this is pretty nearby where I spend hella time and it sounds like it was just some innocent guy going home - perhaps from some "some punk that I roughed up way back" who knows...? While we do have a black president - there's still war in the streets and in the Middle East... lots of work still left to do. I don't know whether I should be sad that there are already 3 homicides this year in Oakland alone barely a month in - or happy because that's down from 8 around this time last year? I guess it's bittersweet - whenever there is death is bound to be painful and sorrowful but we have to find a way to keep the hope and faith that tomorrow brings brighter days.

The War of the Worlds

Mmm - so I think it's safe to say I'm an insomniac/vampire/what have you.

Just caught word of this protest tomorrow and Tuesday in SF for the recent Gaza Strip bombings and before I knock out I was feeling like writing something beyond meaningless chatter with friends. What started as a quick rant/poem turned into a hefty - silent no more thoughts laid out for all to read.

And next a few thoughts on responses to what I've been reading/hearing about it lately:

1) First article covered by ABC 7 News

"Arab world condemns Israeli attack on Gaza" that's the headline well duh they're not gonna be happy about it. This is sadly one of the few major networks covering the event - luckily the report on TV I saw was actually pretty good insofar that it was sympathetic to Palestine and showed the effects of the recent bombings and talked about how it was a University that was bombed. We cannot stand idly by - BAMN.

"It's a Zionist holocaust, but it won't dissuade us from going on with our struggle to achieve our goals," said Ali Barakah, 42, one of the protesters.

Now here's something that bothers me - how often Zionism is confused.

I strongly stand by in solidarity with him in his continued struggle to achieve his goals. But hope he realizes that although it is a brutal holocaust - it is not sanctioned by Zionism. While many Israelis, politicians, news anchors, and people worldwide might believe you to believe. A simple look at how/why Zionism was created would show you that the way this is being handled is in fact Anti-Zionist and against the wishes of Zionism.

With the desire to fill these five goals: a few simple/quick main points on the Z-word.

1) The unity of the Jewish People and the centrality of Israel in Jewish life;

The important thing to note here is this:

"Israel is indispensable to Jewish existence; without Israel, world Jewry would turn cold and hollow."

Perhaps this is my ignorance, my failure to return to the homeland, or any number of other reasons - but regardless I stand by the belief that Jews like anyone else require a homeland that is theirs to live in and love. However, I am unclear at this point that it needs to be in Israel or that "without Israel, world Jewry would turn cold and hollow."

2) The ingathering of the Jewish People in its historic homeland, Eretz Israel, through Aliyah from all countries;

The important thing to note here is this:

"the new immigrant will find his historical identity and self realization -for himself and for his family, and the opportunity to contribute as a Jew and as a Zionist to one of the most dynamic national and social enterprises of the century."

Does anyone else find this mirroring image of America as a land of immigrants odd? Interesting.

3) The strengthening of the State of Israel which is based on the prophetic vision of justice and peace:

The important things to note here are this:

"The term 'Zionism' was coined at the beginning of the century by people who aspired not only to return to Zion, but to a vision whose source is in the words of the prophets: 'Zion shall be redeemed through justice, and those who return unto her in righteousness.'

[and]

Zionism is striving for the realization of the prophetic ideas of justice and equality among all men."

Yes, by this mission I love my Jewish people and their desire to find a homeland. One that "shall be redeemed through justice, and those who return unto her in righteousness." However, that is simply not the case, like so often in history - while things sound great when spoken, talk is cheap and actions speak much louder than words. The order in which Israel has established itself as a global powerhouse and gathered all its friends to out Palestine is frightfully horrific. It's similar to stories of school ground bullies rallying together their clique, posse if you will, to take a younger student's lunch money. And what is ironic is that this same younger kid was once taller, stronger and had the means to crush this particular student back before the bully had all its friends and yet it didn't - it nourished and supported them. Just like, low and behold the story of the pilgrims and the native americans....

UNFULFILLED IDEALS - where are these "prophetic ideas of justice and equality among all men." Please tell me how the realization is going, and when you realize it, I hope there is still something left for you to be able to do something about it.

4) The preservation of the identity of the Jewish People through the fostering of Jewish and Hebrew education and of Jewish spiritual and cultural values;

The important thing to note here is this:

"Among the idea and movements that have appeared on the Jewish horizon in recent generations, there is none but Zionism and the Zionist Movement that are capable of fulfilling this function. The establishment of a Jewish State was a major aim of the Zionist Movement, but the ultimate goal was always the preservation of the identity of the Jewish people, and the regeneration of Jewish vitality and creativity. Today more than ever before, it is clear that every available force must be enlisted to fight the tendency towards cultural obliteration, and the Zionist Movement -as the most representative group of the Jewish people -must assume the leadership of this struggle through an elaborate and extensive system of high quality Jewish education."

It is felt that they have fought so hard and barely gained the rights to this freedom. So, now they must fight with everything they have to hold onto these privileges. Some call them certain unalienable rights - Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Regardless of how you refer to them, that is all fine and well - but what do you do when your "cultural obliteration" (see above) relies on your tunnel vision to culturally obliterate your neighbors and those from whom you took/re-claimed your land.

5) The protection of Jewish rights everywhere.

The important thing to note here is this:

"In recent years, we have also witnessed the revival of anti-Semitism, often cloaked in the terminology of anti-Zionism, on the European continent, in Great Britain and in the United States. Its manifestations vary from the bombing of synagogues in Paris and Vienna, to the throwing of hand granades on school children in Brussels, and painting of swastikas on Jewish institutions in Brooklyn."

It's amazing to me how such an oppressed people could fall victim to the cycle of violence. I understand its principle of the struggle to maintain its independence, but at what cost? It's painfully hillarious how similar Israel and the United States history appears to mimic itself. As both a proud American and a Jew I stand with jaw dropped. How often I have grown up hearing such love for this beautiful country, while such disdain for the way it was established. With blatant disregard for the indigenous people of this land - it was taken ruefully with practically nothing given in return. In both situations the incoming people claimed to be escaping persecution, horrendous pasts, and horrible fates; but in the end when they rose to power instead of showing compassion they practically murdered and slaughtered those who they displaced from their own homes. They both did so while maintaining the strongest nations of the world support in the eyes of justice and peace. However, at what costs? And how can justice and peace be maintained when people are displaced and killed? The same bombings and problems that led them to this country - they are turning around and continuing the flow of violence by passing on their anger to their neighbors.

Listen to this wording - this was established at the 27th Zionist Congress in 1968 held in Jerusalem. For more info: Source

2) Take 2, I am not alone It has always been interesting to me growing up in the Bay Area, a strong leftist often critical of the United States and Israel - Jewish American (among other things) how rare it has been to speak out against Israel. There are relatively few radicalized Jews I suppose as so often I am accused of being "an anti-semitic Jew" or "not really Jewish" or I have been graced with numerous other disparaging comments. It empowers me to hear Israelis speaking out against Israel's government's actions. In fact, it is beautiful to me to see almost half of my Jewish people marching with me in solidarity for ACTUAL Peace and Justice instead of supposed or fictionalized idealistic let's say we want peace and justice for all and may the bells of liberty ring - but not actually do anything and sit idly by while millions are slaughtered daily. This empowers me that somewhere, somehow my actions - my words - my fight - my struggle is being heard and others are slowly - however obstinate are joining the cause.

46% of Israelis opposed the Gaza strip bombing - that's close to half.

3) I am given hope by groups like this Other Voice, קול אחר a united grassroots campaign of people on both sides of Israel and the Gaza Strip who are coming together to end the cycle of violence. I am actually so moved that I am debating participating in a birthright trip and relocating and serving with this group to the best of my abilities. That is sexy - forget the models and physical concepts we have been forcefed to believe is desireable - this is an example of beauty in its rarest and purest form - people coming together from different places to further their peaceful existence. Check em out: right here.

4) This is one of the illest articles I have read in a while. This author is incredible - I have honestly never heard of her before today - however I plan on studying and reading her other works because this is a very powerful piece. Dorit Avramovits I give you props for preaching - telling it like it is clearer than rain. She relates this war to essentially a chauvinistic penis contest to determine who's is biggest. Which isn't very far from the truth. I don't want to take away from this article because it is brilliantly written.

"The War of the Worlds"

Sitting behind closed, locked doors
Our own personal closets beneath loads of whores
We search through the latest gossip, glimpsing spam mail
Loving every minute of it feeling - so drunk off its intoxicating ale.

But let’s change the topic if you will
Allow me to open my mind and begin to spill
My thoughts out as I bring you live on demand pay-per view
The latest, most exciting match ever – the war of the worlds.

Only mentioned in brief passing,
The dark, painful secret we’d like to ignore
Like to hide, like to push under the rug
And yet it keeps right on harassing.

An irritating itch – growing ever more devastating by the second
And with each new bombing that beckons
That the end is near – or so it reckons
And yet, it’s merely the beginning.

This apathetic world is taking a stand
No longer remaining silent and taking to the streets
Bringing force the demand of the common to those in command.
As the firing bombs boils, burns, and heats.

The colossal destruction for chauvinistic contests
Of unbeknownst erections for power – vulgarity at its best.
Ever distressing, ever detesting, ever stressing, ever depressing
And yet always blessing in the name of the holiest which cannot be questioned.

It’s the end of the world as we know and I feel fine?
Hell no, I refuse to accept this with 300 dead just yesterday
I can no longer sit idly by, it’s time to take action and multiply
Turn off the computers for a moment
Turn off the cell phones
Turn the light on and come out of the closets
Unlock the doors and abstain
It’s time to take to the streets and move forward for positive change.





I'm feeling empowered and more positive than I have for a while. Hope you all are having a good holidaze and prospero año de felicidad.

To those wishing to offer critique/criticism I await you with open arms and open eyes - yea.

1 love

Quick note

I was talking to a friend the other day about José Martí a brilliant writer/revolutionary/educator because for my birthday I only asked my family for books written by him. I was hoping for Spanish materials - because I knew the English materials would be mistranslated or lost or whatever. However, when asking for gifts it's not appropriate to be too specific. Anyways, I received a few of his Spanish texts as well as many of his texts translated into English. Anyways... one of the first books I started on just days around the election was on education wow that was a horrible link but one of the only ones I could find. He was completely brilliant coming up around the same time as José Rizal 1850s-1890s and in my mind inspired some of the greatest minds to come - Paulo Freire Che Fidel Castro and by extension Mao MLK etc.

He was one of the first revolutionary writers on education. And it's amazing how many of his lessons are timeless and still hold true to today. He talked about a lot of the same concepts that Obama touched upon in his campaign.

Some of the important ones to note are as follows:

"An educated country will always be free."

"Education should be so common among women that the one who has it is not noticed nor does she herself notice it."

"Knowing how to read is knowing how to walk. Knowing how to write is knowing how to ascend. Feet, arms, wings, all these are given to man by his first and most humble schoolbooks."

And while I can't find the exact quote he said that above all it was important to always be loyal and loving to one's country - he went so far to say that to not love one's country was the WORST thing you could do - the greatest sin. I reflected on that for a while - like Rizal a man who lived a majority of his life in exile Martí still felt such love for his country. I think that this election has brought many people together and has inspired so many to really LOVE their country for the first time in some cases.

And yet - with the passage of Prop 8 it shows us we still have a long way to go.

Martí spent much of his time living in the USA too.

He comments upon "the excessive covetousness in the United States took away the grace of youth and beauty of character. Moreover, in many of the universities there was more ostentation than knowledge. Those institutions that were the favorites of the rich consumed the students' money, through thousands of dollars spent for personal vanity, and diverted them from the pursuit of learning."

That's SO TRUE.

He stressed that Latin America had a lot to learn from the USA but shouldn't become that same America of the US.

He stressed that education needed to be removed from religion - as it was "the only one [type of education] that could insure liberty of conscience of both teachers and pupils:

One has no right to teach the Catholic religion, nor an anti-Catholic religion, in schools; either honor is not one of the religious virtues, or education will be sufficiently religious if it is honest. That, yes, implacably honest. It is not proper for a teacher to cliam as the only true religion, one which is held in doubt by the majority of the poeople, even if he shares it, or offend a religion to which, since the student follows it in free use of his judgement, he already has a right. Or is the Catholic Church so vapid and empty that it will crumble with the study of Nature and teh teaching of human virtues? or is it, perhaps, that it is against these virtues, that it fears them? Or has it come to so little that, although it be a divine doctrine, and therefore eternal, as its supporters affirm, this work of centuries cannot be sustained even by the prestige of tradition, or the influence exerted by solemnly lit churches on the imagination and the senses, the terror aroused in souls by the threat of damnation, its practice and reverence in all homes, or with the permission to teach its cult in schools to all boys and girls whose parents ask for it?"

Sound familiar? Not so far-fetched that he was coined with the title "Maestro" (Teacher) over 100 years past.



I'm in awe. Trying to keep my mind active post-graduation.



Thought that was cute ^_^

Dayum

Just found my blog after losing it for the past few months.

It's interesting to re-read my last post talking about prisons after just taking a group of youth from Willard Middle School in Berkeley to Alcatraz.

It was interesting to see youth so inspired and interested in their education and wanting to stay. It also made me hopeful because the bulk majority were all people of color - however it also saddened me that the favorite part of most of the youth was the breakdancers on pier 39 at the end. Granted I love hip-hop and bboy/bgirl culture, but these dancers weren't even that good. Not to hate, they were from all over the world - but they were street performers - focussed too much on commercializing the culture I grew up in love with. Oh well.

I'm hoping to write more in this now that I re-found it.

Here's a quick flow to keep my mind focussed - I've missed writing. A friend's blog recently encouraged me to continue writing.

"A spy"

That's what they call me
With a laugh
With a snicker
A red, Commie, Communist motherfucka
Spying for the Russians
Neglecting all thoughts and concerns of who I am
Slapping this label across my forehead with a laugh.

And yet they expect me to be satisfied.
They expect me to be happy
To smile with them
They look at me expectandly
Waiting, hoping, praying.
And I am doing the same
Waiting, hoping, praying
For the awkward silence to subside
I wish to avoid altercations
But I can no longer remain silent.

Falling pleas upon deaf ears I shout out to the vast voids of the earth
For all to hear - But seemingly heard by none.
Forced to work with co-workers who are overtly racist, sexist, and homophobic.
Elitist, privileged, judging eyes and ears surround me.
Why would you throw away your life?
Why has the world given you everything and yet you still choose to waste away?
What can I say?
Is it because I'm gay?
I'm straight?
I'm bi?
I wonder why as I sit in contemplation
Numbed by this overwhelming pressure.

So I continue my work as a spy
Working without sides
Without judgement
Without labels
Without stereotypes
Without coming out
Without hiding within
With everything hanging out
Not waiting to be noticed
But known that I am seen.

Ready for hire and waiting for my next assignment.












I'm out to martial arts practice, it feels so great to be able to say that again... =)

First post

So, lately I've been overwhelmed with Salvador Dali's incredible paintings and his Surrealist style. These paintings serve as only mere examples of his work for those who are not familiar to get a general idea.


However, I encourage anyone interested to go and check out more of his work to get better familiar with it. He is an amazing artist.






That said, he recently made a cartoon of his works with Disney, though designed in the 1940s, it wasn't until just recently that this work was finally released. To get a feel for it check out this video










Ok, Here are some quotes that explain who I am and a general idea of what I will be writing about:






"The love for justice that is in us is not only the best part of our being, but it is also the most true to our nature."




"The end of all education should surely be service to others."



-César Chávez



"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
-Emma Lazarus



"Hasta la victoria siempre."
-Ernesto Che Guevara



"Los jóvenes de una nación son los depositarios de la posteridad."
-Rubén Darío



1.- Me formaré buenos hábitos y seré el esclavo de esos hábitos.



2.- Saludaré este día con amor en mi corazón.



3.- Persistiré hasta alcanzar el éxito.



4.- Soy el milagro más grande de la naturaleza.



5.- Viviré este día como si fuese el último día de mi vida.



6.- Hoy seré el dueño de mis emociones.



7.- Me reiré del mundo.



8.- Hoy multiplicaré mi valor en un ciento por ciento.



9.- Procederé ahora mismo.



10.- Oraré pidiendo directivas y orientaciones.



" Si me siento deprimido cantaré.



Si me siento triste reiré.



Si me siento inferior vestiré ropas nuevas.



Si me siento inseguro levantaré la voz.



Si miedo me lanzaré adelante.



Si siento pobreza pensaré en la riqueza futura.



Si me siento incompetente recordaré éxitos del pasado.



Si me siento insignificante recordaré mis metas."



-Og Mandino (Words to live by)



"A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots."



"If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won before you have started."



"CHANCE has never yet satisfied the hope of a suffering people."



-Marcus Garvey



"Love everything you do and you will be happy."
-Adam, my roommate in Taiwan



"Do life, not work" - Vicky Lindsey (Project Cry No More)













Ok, and for the first post I will write a quick flow to start.


Movement through shadows


Bouncing off of walls
Who knows when we will stop
Calling me out, like thunder
Who knows, I wonder
That when the cops
Come by, I will fall.



So cold, waiting at night
Back pushed up against the wall
I hide in the shadows away from sight.
Waiting for the bus to come to take me away
I will gladly pay
Any price to be taken home.


And so I wait
Idly behind these dark gates
Black as night, blinding me
I cannot see
For there are no stars
I hear only the passing cars
As I stand here








Prison Bars


Sitting happily in their cubicles
Going back and forth day after day
Working all day long for almost no pay
Selling their souls, what's the price
40 grand, 50, 60, no 80 will suffice.
But to waste away while the world stirs.


You're trapped behind bars
But blinded to see
You're wasting away your life
How can it be?
Working 9-5, and sometimes more
And is overtime worth
Being trapped behind closed doors?
As if by a curse
We cover up our scars
Push forward, lying about the pain
Telling ourselves if we push forward we can maintain.
We can abstain from this strife
But secretly it tears us apart
It wears on us year after year
The same dismal job, we had from the start.
But our dreams to advance our career
Encourage us to persevere.


So, as if given 25 to life
We spend our days trapped no windows
Solitary confinement
Just waiting for five to come so we can go home
Just waiting for the weekend
Just waiting for vacation days
So we can eventually start all over again.


Prison Bars
When will we remove them.
We have the power to,
We always have
And yet we choose to live our lives
With prisons surrounding us.










Welcome to thoughts on everything, note that these poems aren't great works of art I've slaved over for hours merely quick, passing thoughts.



Live in the moment, before it passes, and it's gone. Present becomes past, past is soon forgotten, the future is either dwelled in, or not prepared for. The present occurs without warning. The past has a way of repeating itself.







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