stop posting that crap on your wall!

a hundred and fifty years ago in my country we had an addiction to slavery, specifically to African slaves, about ten years and a war from abolition.

Some slaves were house slaves, treated to a kinder life of indoor tasks (but slaves none-the-less). Some slaves were field slaves, worked hard, in the weather regardless. Needless to say, there was some resentment, and differing feelings for the white slave master.

We have a two party system. Two parties dominate our the running of our government, but all the individuals involved are politicians, some with and some without experience - and ulterior motives - and nobody gets into office without a lot of work (mostly dodging questions and shaking hands) and a lot of money. When one party is in office, the supporters of the opposition party are (rightly) unhappy with the policies and actions of the dominant party, protests and inflammatory speech ensue. One of the parties in the US is seen as a party of liberal elitists who are selling our freedoms for government control and a socialist agenda (with wall-street cronies to back them, and control of our systems of media and higher education), and the other a party - conservative hypocrites who push a corporate agenda that cares more about profits than about the damage it does to the planet and the inhabitants thereof (with plenty of big corporate sponsorship). The same party that was actively pro-slavery in the 1860's was actively pro civil-rights and for integration in the 1960s, so things are fluid. Both parties are actively influenced more by well paid and funded lobbyists than to their mostly inactive and uninformed constituencies, of which predictable demographics vote, and others stay uninvolved while the youth act as an on/off, hard to call wild-card. Cities often vote opposite the surrounding countryside, with the individual states being a winner take all contest.

Our president changes every four years, but the same man can be elected twice - a maximum of eight years.

Currently, we have our first African American president, Barack Obama, he ran for the pro-slavery/pro-civil-rights party, their symbol is a donkey. The other party's symbol is an elephant.

Before him we had a president from the other party. He invaded two countries, perhaps one for each plane of the September Eleventh terrorist attack on New York. Some people say a lot of different things about that attack; some say we attacked ourselves to start an oil war. Either way, a lot of people have died. Soldiers from my country are killing people on the other side of the world for a worn out reason that wasn't very solid to begin with. Meanwhile, the nation was inundated with pro-America, patriotic propaganda. It really started showing the outwardly nationalistic signs of what I imagine fascism looks like.

At the end of his eight year presidency (doubts and contestation occurred in both elections that he won; first against the former Vice President of the preceeding administration when he lost the popular vote, but won the winner take all contest of states and was installed by the supreme court; then against a member of the same college fraternity, who came close enough to cause the election to remain contested, but did not contest) the country voted in a landslide to elect Barack Obama.

There were many protests during the wars by the out of party power-base, by which nothing was really accomplished. There were many insults thrown at the President, his cabinet, and anyone associated with the administration. Even the representative bodies were seen as being under the control of the President, granting him unconstitutional, and unprecedented powers (though their lawyers were constantly arguing to the contrary; the presiding Vice President went so far as to call the Constitution, "Just a peice of paper."). These powers were not reversed by Barack Obama, though he alluded as much during his lengthy, but spotless campaign (most campaigns are mauled by the constant media coverage, sooner or later, every makes a big enough mistake to be seized upon by reporters and the pundits and the twenty-four hour news cycle.

But this is how it all relates, our modern poor, the working and impoverished may be free-men in the sense that they do not have bonds, or guards. It is however, in this country, far too easy to find oneself stuck in a world of repetitive action from which escape is nigh impossible. It is the life of a modern slave. 16+ hours of work, 5-7 days a week for an hourly pittance, as the labor is typically unskilled.

These laborers, other poor and many others who have no one to fight for their interests, sometimes wind up caught up in party politics. Some, find the limited socialism, programs and tax breaks for the poor appealing and join our Democratic party. Others find the liberal elitism and government intrusion unappealing and take more of an every-man-for-himself approach, siding with the Republicans.

Neither party really does all that much for the working poor, in many ways, as unfortunate as it is to say, I'm not sure what can be done for them without help from those in this country who have more money than they need. The trouble is, they are under no obligation to help and any talk of the imposition of such an obligation brings the fire of anti-socialism to the surface. During this day and age, cold-war sentimentality lingers rendering any idea associated with communists unappealing. Some of the most fervent opposition comes from working poor. Poorly educated, misinformed by low quality journalism( with a penchant for sensationalism over quality), these loudest mouths are actually supporting policies that work against them.

How do you tell a house slave he's still a slave?

When the presidency flips over, the dynamic shifts, the house slaves become field slaves, and the field slaves become house slaves. The old house slaves grow ever more indignant, and they have their media channels to funnel, fuel and misinform them right into a frenzy. Meanwhile, the new house slaves look out the window at the seething fury of the other yet they can't but bask in the comfort, just for a short time, one never knows how long his stay in the house will last.

But this time, the people who are unhappy are people who have a history of supporting violence. Two wars, stay the course, the country needs to fight to be free, and now how long will it be until they fight for their freedoms again. What's sad, is that they aren't fighting for freedom, they're fighting for the other agenda that doesn't care about them, and doesn't do anything for them - and against the one that is trying to help.

Too bad the help doesn't come in an acceptable method, I just hope it doesn't take violence to solve it.

Lost in Translation

Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammad sittin' on a subway train
peace and blessings be upon them – that's what you're supposed to say
one looks at the other, says, it's on the father when to take it all away
but do you ever wonder if they ever do the right things in our names?

Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammad sittin' on a war-torn hill
looking around, wondering what this fightin' 's all about
one looks at the other, says, it's on the father – a silent prayer shudders down the line
but do you ever wonder if we did the right things with all this time?

Back and forth so quickly, 'round and 'round so slow
do you really want what no man can know?
The sun comes up, the sun goes down, the garden grows
do you wonder if there's more than just the repetition of the show?

The little man looks up at the juggernaut, says, how can you live in the belly of this machine?
He looks down on him, says, how can you sleep where the city screams?
But maybe some day we can find a place where I am you and you are me,
some place where we can disagree, like the pendulum swings

Back and forth so quickly, 'round and 'round so slow
do you really want what no man can know?
The sun goes up, the sun goes down, the garden grows,
do you wonder if there's more than just the repetition of the show?

When the shouts of victory shroud the tyranny of sex and lies and liberty,
That nothin' means nothin' is the saddest thing that the hero ever said to the sea
I want to be somebody, but I don't want a black heart pumping cold, hard greed
If you can find love you're bound to get it right or so it seems to me

Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammad stand against a subway wall
waiting for the train to come around and take them home
one looks at the other, says, I don't understand this western metaphor
but do you think they'll remember to read between the lines of what they wrote, before...

Back and forth so quickly, 'round and 'round so slow
do you really want what no man can know?
The sun goes up, the sun goes down, the garden grows
do you wonder if there's more than just the repetition of the show?

(S.R.Osborne, 5/26/10)

a letter to my cable company about the environment and the future

Peace

To whom it may concern at Charter Communications:

I am a current customer (begrudgingly, but you're debatably the best option available to me in my area) contacting you not to complain or suggest, just to find out more about your practices in regards to the environment. I am curious what kind of material the cable you've spent the better part of two decades laying across the country as your cable infrastructure is made of, what kind of chemicals and pollution could be released in its creation, in its lifetime above and underground, as well as disposal? What kind of environmental cost has been paid for laying this infrastructure, and what kind will be paid in the future? In regards to your fleet vehicles and subcontractors, is anything being done to reduce, regulate or otherwise control their emissions or gas mileage?

Charter offers many services, and though the company may be going through some tough financial times, I am very curious about your practices and policies towards the environment and building a more sustainable future for your future customers.

I have had a difficult time finding an address to send this email to, if this is not the proper place to be sending such a request I would request that you in-turn pass this letter on to the proper place, inform me of where to send my request or some combination there-of.

thank you for your time,
Sam Osborne

Wednesday feels more like Monday than Monday did.

this week has been a blur so far, and today - I've got to knuckle down. I didn't get to do everything I wanted over spring break, so now I'm paying the price and playing catch-up. I want to read "Zeitoun" but instead I've got to bury my head in sociology. I want to write about how I saw one morbidly obese woman tell another morbidly obese woman that "the elevator is broke." To which the second morbidly obese woman replied, "awww, no shit? Fuck," kicked her sandal and slumped her shoulders. I want to sit back and enjoy the amazingness of spring and recall my dreams - both of life, and of the night before.

Even after my day is done, my test is over and I'm riding my bike home (ps, rode the bike in to school for the first time - morning ride, finally warm enough to make in street clothes with minimal protection), I'll be heading home to play cards - when what I really want to be doing is reading and what I really should be doing is working on my Lit assignment.

I love my life. =)

I really want to be be working on my "Urgent Evoke" account, like all day long. I'm freaking obsessed. It's not obsessed like with most online games, this is a game that keeps me in the real world. It's nuts - still takes a little too much of my day away from me to remain productive in other fields, but at least it's not a total waste of my time.

Unity, in the face of Division and Disarray

is breaking all the rules better than Jannah? (Paradise)
is making that deal better than Jannah? (Unity)
is the freedom of feigned gnorance better than Jannah? (Heaven)
is livin' in America better than Jannah? (The Greatest of Gardens)
Oh! Dunya, Oh! Fitna, recall for me your fitra
what about bacon? - NO bacon please, NO bacon.

Oh! Christianica, do you know what you've been missin'?
Escaped from persecution across the bluest ocean
to do some persecut'n
then sold your soul for a rock and a roll
to capture the flag for the feelin'
Oh! land of the brave who fought for all these freedoms.

Salam, Oh! Muslims of east and west
(you sufis, sunnis and you shi'as)
put down your guns and listen -
beware the empty fundamentalist
and guard against the shirk of ethno-centricity
you who witness, those called to a middle path,
those of at-tauheed-centricity.

Shalom to you Oh! bini Isra'el (and us all, bini adam all the same)
the horrors you've seen, seem to have killed your yahweh
but don't excuse the things you've done in his name.

And peace to you who refuse belief(s),
or see more gods than I see trees:
lets you and me, and all of we,
let's work together and strive to be,
a better tomorrow, let's plant these seeds
for as some say, this may be all we get,
so let's agree to save some of this inheritance
to make a future, an inheritable-tense
a legacy of hope for the generations to come
instead of begging for the end,
as if we could force tribulation's hand
and put lip to the horn,
and commence.

priming the pump

Monday morning, Michelangelos, ready... go!

I'm sitting here listening to Kid Cudi, putting off my Peace project. shit, fuck, shit. I really feel clueless right now. I'm supposed to give a presentation called, "Modern Problems, Ancient Roots," about the common ground between conflict, culture and economics - every time I start talking about it, it sounds worse. It's really important to me, close to my heart, and I can't handle it coming off like pooh. I'd rather it was a little vague then be a weak argument.

I've got to start really hitting my main points. Start overview, work into main points, expand main points, begin conclusion and then end with actions anyone can take to make a difference. Unfortunately, it's not that simple and I want to play my stupid card games. But it is that simple, I just can't fake it for this and the pieces aren't falling into place as easily as I was thinking they would.

I can't seem to find a tangible, founded argument in "Man and Nature," as good as it is it might just be for me. I can't go through the whole metaphysics and cosmology of it and all I really want is what I don't have: a solid way to reveal the process by which science separated itself from Christian God concepts.

I have to define the ancient roots too, which is the real troublesome point, since I basically plucked it out of thin air. It's not that I don't believe it, it's that its not a simple thing. I could spend 15 minutes on the "ancient roots," but it'd be hard to keep it fact based and not grounded in my own conjectures. FUCK.

a dreary post from an rainy, mid-semester day

I'm sitting in the atrium, enjoying the view when I look behind me to see a goth kid wearing foundation and eyeliner. I mean, I guess this is normal. I'm really not used to seeing dudes in make-up. Even in, what my mother refers to as, my dark(est of) phases I didn't wear make-up. I struggled to dye my hair - I remember being torn between what I called "the natural" (which was hippie style) and "the plastic" (which was along the lines of goth or punk). Most of the time, to which my mother will attest, I just looked bad. There is a foolishness in exploring the anti-culture, it's not necessarily bad and I'm not trying to judge it in a negative light, it's rather hypocritical and self-delusional; either pretend carefree or outright attack on normal.

Then I thought this fella looked like he was taking an exam or something. The special needs kids get to take their tests how and when it best suits them, and I thought, wow, this kid is a special needs kid. Does this change his appearance, or the impetus behind it? does his appearance change his status - can you fight the system if you already exist on its fringes - are you just showing your colors?

Is wearing make-up a sign of special needs, or do special needs have any influence on appearance? Do handicaps aid or hinder one's counter-cultural expression...?