two of those things you're not supposed to discuss in polite company.

Here we go again with the politics and religion.

I have not watched any news or television coverage of either convention. Past experience has made me this way after a round of cussing out the tv and throwing things at it. The level of condescension to the Obama family galls me just as much as the people who find it disgusting that Sarah Palin has five kids. Who really cares? Do we need to talk about baby mamas and white trash right now? What does that solve, or does it just make everyone feel good about themselves?

It's been a lot more interesting this election cycle, but just as frustrating too. I don't see much changing for the better in this country. I get wary of people who think that way, who think that they are or that someone else is the answer.

I get so tired of both sides invoking God as if he's that cosmic buddy who happens to agree with their side rather than have his own absolute perspective that transcends the bounds of conservative and liberal.

I don't think God told anyone to invade Iraq, or that he loves us people in the United States more than the rest of the world. I don't picture him as an old white guy sitting up in the clouds zapping evildoers with lightning bolts like Zeus. To be honest, I see more real faith and belief in God in the people that I've met who didn't grow up here, where what you believe in actually has consequences and can cost you your social standing, employment, or life.

I also don't think that in the words of Donald Miller, that Jesus "... gave his own life against the forces of injustice." Sure, He was executed in an unjust manner under the auspices of a corrupt government and religious establishment, but that's oversimplifying everything.

If I remember right, and this is what I heard every week going to Mass as a kid and preached Sunday morning currently, it was our collective sins right? Injustice is one of those, and it's a horrible thing, but it's surely not the only one that humanity is guilty of...

I used to go out to parties and stand around...

So yeah...

I had a nice Labor Day weekend...

Played basketball and music with good people.

Went to a really nice wedding and reception. Homemade soul food courtesy of ladies from the church. Beautiful to see two families come together. Good to know they'll pretty much be neighbors. Met some really awesome people that I'll hopefully run into again at some point.

Drove up to the islands to hang out with the family. Spent a lot of time with my sister, which was good.

Came back to chill with the roommate and the Ethiopians for Chinese food and hanging out on the front porch. My Ethiopian nickname is Beyti now, evidently.

Went to a party also. People were nice but I just end up feeling all weird and antisocial among large groups of people. Sometimes it's no big deal and I have a great time, but other times, everyone might be nice but they're just so into their own thing that I just don't even know how to relate, and I'm always the sober one because I like having a clear head and because I have to wake up early the next day and, well, work.

Sure, I could be just as interesting, but I don't like always trying to explain how I'm a college radio DJ, or that I paint, or that I play guitar, or whatever. I'd rather talk shop than try to impress anyone, is what it comes down to.

Anyhow, I was able to make a graceful exit due to my early morning gig.

And here's the playlist:

morcheeba - the sea
abdoulaye diabate - bara
spanish harlem orchestra - intro
marvin gaye - got to give it up
alvin youngblood hart - two wings
jeff buckley - dream brother
mustafa sendal - kalmadi
susheela rahman - chordiya
dead can dance - cantara
the greenhornes & holly golightly - there is an end
bahta gabre heywet - tessassatege geko
andy palacio & garifuna - watina
mavis staples - on my way / this little light of mine
mission of burma - trem two
soundgarden - overfloater
ollabelle - soul of a man
immigrant suns - surf albania
afro novalima - malato
les nubians - embrasse moi
alemayehu eshete - teredtchewaledhu
funkadelic - i'll stay
sonantes - toque de coito
oumou sangare - djorolen

planned obsolescence

My roommate and I went to Best Buy last night in pursuit of blank CDs. Both of our little stereos are on their way out and I decided to take a look and see if I could find a cheap, basic boombox for the apartment. Hers doesn't shut all the time, and mine won't play blank CDs anymore.

Evidently this is harder than I thought it would be.

See, I still make mixtapes on a regular basis for friends or for personal enjoyment in my car since I have neither a CD player or an MP3 player and am too cheap to bother upgrading at this point.

I couldn't find a single one that had a tape player, but they all had docks for your ipod or whatever. It's another one of those times when I start feeling like I haven't really adapted like I should be.

Guess I'll have to start hitting up garage sales or something...

coming forth to carry me home...

I forgot to set my alarm this morning and woke up at 3:30am instead of 4.

Sidestepper - Mas Papaya
Stone Temple Pilots - dancing days (I know this is sacrilege, but I think it's better than the original)
Amadou & Mariam - je pense a toi
Mogwai - summer
John Frusciante - water
Devo - gut feeling
Jawbox - ballast
The Chambers Brothers - all strung out
Eddie Harris - live right now
Primal Scream - burning wheel
U2 - the last night on earth
Sleater-Kinney - 02
Elastica - hold me now
BRMC - in like the rose
the Chills - pink frost
Massive Attack - dissolved girl
Flunk - see through you
Slowdive - some velvet morning
Pigeonhed - full sentence
Bad Brains - leaving Babylon
the Black Seeds - enough is enough
Joe Strummer - get down Moses
the Posies - daily mutilation
High Back Chairs - afterlife
Dizzy Gillespie - swing low sweet Cadillac (Gerardo Frisina remix)

I'm trying to branch out more and more, but my stash of library cds hasn't come in yet...

the world is just around the corner...

So I ended up checking out the graffiti festival down by the West Side Market. We were supposed to meet up with a friend but we ended up missing each other by an hour or so because we ended up walking around drinking half gallons of ghetto tea and enjoying the gorgeous day.





The artwork and breakdancing were cool and all, but the best thing was that we ended up hanging out with these awesome little kids from Burundi at this church where a good friend of mine teaches ESL classes. Most of them speak very little English, but we were able communicate with a combination of basic words and gestures and the universal language that is sports. The girls taught us hopscotch games and the boys played catch with us, when they weren't playing with my camera or running down to the Wendy's at the corner and getting free food by being super cute.





We stayed there for most of the afternoon and early evening playing games with them and then having dinner with the families and watching the kids dance and sing. I felt like I was in another country hanging out in this basement where everyone is speaking Swahili and we've been completely adopted.

I've been gone so much that I haven't dug out the paints in a long time, but I finally did so last night. Played around with mixing acrylics with glittery puffy paint to get some dimension. Need to organize my ephemera so I can find my stuff when I need it. I'm one of those people who doesn't find time to do such things, and when it does, entropy inevitably sets in and disorder begins.

Speaking of art, I'm planning on checking out the annual "aerosol art" fest down by the West Side Market, for spray paint, breakdancing, and other such things that I admire aeshetically and also in the sense that I do not know how to do such things...

????????????????????

So I'm walking back from the bus stop and cut down a side street under the bridge. On all of the pillar underneath the I-90 bridge, someone had tagged MS-13 in blue spray paint.

Now, those of you who know me know that I'm more curious than paranoid by nature, but I really do wonder what the deal is. If it's kids being goofy, or the real thing. And, I guess, if it should bother me.