^Those were pretty much my sentiments exactly. I’ve come to the conclusion that taking apart every racially problematic thing a random celebrity does/says is not getting to the heart of the race issues in this country. It’s quite tempting to jump on every twitter trend regarding a quasi-famous person and their racial insensitivity (see: kerfluffle over ratio of lightskin/brownskin women in Wale videos), but there are bigger fish to fry. It’s easy to talk about the John Mayer’s penis’ preferences, though, and not so easy to talk about ways to eradicate institutionalized racism.
On a brighter note: Last night marks the first time my boyfriend got pulled over by the police here in Iowa, and given a ticket for running a yellow (not red at all, even the cop admitted this) light. This was after the cop slowed down and followed us for five blocks, acted like a jerk, then proceeded to ask us a host of none-of-his-damn-business questions (where are we from, when did we move here, when are we leaving, etc). So yeah, now I really feel like we’ve settled into the city.
Long before Apple’s iPad made its debut today, MadTV had its own idea of what an Apple pad should look like. This is both gross and hilarious. Props to Remaatwork for sharing.
You won’t find a report card on President Obama’s first year here. It’s kind of hard for me to summarize what has been a complicated year, full of ups and downs, so I won’t bother. The excitement I felt last year has waned, but I’ve yet to turn as cynical as some of the president’s once ardent supporters. As much as I try to stay informed, there’s still so much I can’t easily grasp. Like what’s left of Health Care Reform, and all the technical jargon regarding the economy.
- Angela and I both have family in Detroit. To say things are dire there would be an understatement. Check out The Ruins of Detroit for visuals.
-Post-racial America is still as much of a joke today as it was a year ago. Props to Tony Grands for sending me these links: Stuff Black People Don’t Like and Paul Shirley’s gem, If You Rebuild It, They Will Come. This stuff is disheartening but hardly surprising.
- I might never get use to the idea of a Black president. It’s surreal. I’m still in awe whenever I see Obama in front of the White House. I still cry whenever I see footage of the night he was elected.
- I will never understand, or agree with, the argument that the last eight years of Bush was better than the last year with Obama. Never.
- I’ve been disappointed, not at all surprised that the President did exactly what he said he was going to do in Afghanistan, and yet I’m confident things will get better because I still believe Obama can, and is determined to, help this country live up to its creed.
I saw on the Twitter that the smark folk at Post Bourgie will have an open thread on the State of the Union Address tonight. Be sure to check that out.
Also, peep this video a friend of PT shared on Facebook. I think it sums up the gist of this post quite well.
I have been reticent to blog about the earthquake. When so many people are adding their two cents, I think people who are directly effected have a stronger ability to move others than someone like myself, who is more removed, and has the luxury of being riled up and distracted by idiots like Pat Robertson, or this asinine article by David Brooks (since when is Brooks an expert on Haitian culture and the ripple effects of voodoo?). I’ve prayed and I’ve given what money I could.
That being said, Edwidge Danticat, a Haitian-American author (who I openly stan for) wrote about her family’s losses and their resiliency in this week’s New Yorker. Check it out, and while you’re there I also suggest you take a look at Jon Lee Anderson’s report from Port-au-Prince. The best part:
We’ve seen many tragic pictures from Haiti. What do the images fail to convey?
The incredible, palpable ebullience and will to survive—the uncomplaining fortitude of the Haitians. People’s lives here—quake or no quake—are very hard. They have borne this stoically and without whining. They look you directly in the eye with pride and spirit and curiosity and most often, friendliness, and they have a great capacity for laughter too—even now. The Haitians are an exceptional people.
Also, I happened to catch PBS’ special Égalité for All: Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian Revolution this weekend, and I highly recommend it. It examines the various events that precipitated Toussaint’s rise to leadership all the way to Dessalines’ final defeat of the French in 1804. Did you know that at one point during the fighting the British, Spanish and the French were all staging attacks against Haiti? I didn’t.
In the past week or so I’ve realized that many of my friends and family weren’t aware of the often detrimental roles that Western powers have played in Haiti’s development. I think that in addition to sending money and support, something small I will continue do to is share that history with others.
In 2015 Microsoft will launch a new website called PeopleWatch.com. At People Watch, you can do exactly that – watch people. People Watch, allows people to watch people from the comfort of their own home, for free. Want to know the last time Denzel Washington had a bowel movement? You can log on to to People Watch (dot) com. Curious about how long it takes Beyonce to brush her teeth in the morning? People Watch will have an app for that. Ever wonder how many times Rush Limbaugh uses the word nigger in 24 hours? You guessed it. Just log on to PeopleWatch.com.
How will People Watch work? When you’re sitting at work, bored, you can type in the name of the girl you’ve been too afraid to approach at the coffee shop. A series of data collected from infrared technology, cellphone microchips, and thousands of cameras placed throughout major metropolitan areas, will then be used to send dozens of photos and videos of your crush straight to your computer. Just in case your crush has a common name like Ashley Williams, Microsoft will also launch their sister site to People Watch - where you can type in specific physical features and all known recent locations - called MakeSureYouGotTheRightPerson.com, so you know, you can make sure you got the right person.
