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sympsmtf Caddy Shack - Subscribe
Something must be made clear immediately.

August Wilson= Playwright God.

I just saw his last play before he died..entitled Radio Golf.

You have done yourself a disservice by not seeing this show. I was at the closing show and I am upset that I have only gotten the chance to see it once. It is so poignant, it takes place in 1997 but really it is so prophetic and so relevant today, it is startling.

I urge you all to at least read the play yourselves but here is the character break down.

A black man is running for Mayor, a true politician, but one with good intentions. His wife is a strong black woman who head her husbands campaign (her character really is not that dynamic). The Uncle tom of the group, a golf enthusiast who is more than willing to sambo his way into the white mans hand to be his willing puppet. An elderly man who is deemed crazy,( but being black, in America and Dependant on "the system", I think is enough to drive anyone insane). And a witty handy man that is so fast people mistake him for slow.

The bureaucracy, the ingenuousness of the system, the reality of being a dependent constituent, right/wrong/politics, black conservatives (ew), political issues that face the black community...it touches it all and much more. It is brilliant because it is articulate and makes these subjects tangible. And I didn't even leave the show, upset, or ranting about racism in America, I was simply refreshed that someone got it right.


Quotes from the show::
" --America is like a slot machine,and everyone gets one coin, except the machine wont spin for you. It spits out your coin... seems like the machine is spinning for everyone else but you..something is wrong with the machine

-The question is how do we fix the machine, some people says break it down, some people build it up, some people don't know how to fix it

-- I say get a new machine"


"We need a black mayor, white folks have had the last 100 mayors in a row"





Symposium to follow
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Mood: spectacular
Weapon of Choice: Percocet

sympsmtf Fireworks 7.04 Jul 4th, 2007 4:12:55 pm - Subscribe
For those who are unaware I am not a fan of most holidays, save Halloween, My Birthday, Snowdays, The last day of classes, and days I decide I am taking off... July fourth, is one of the holidays that I refuse to celebrate. It has no absurd Hallmark base like say Mother or Fathers Day, or any semblance of religious relevance like christmas (as relevant as that can be).. July Fourth is Independence Day..for Americans.

This country declared its freedom, by signing the declaration of independance.. lets just reveiw the begginning for those of us who have been out of high school for a while, and dont have the declaration hanging in our dorm...

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

there is a little before and a little after...

I simply want to point out the contradiction of this country, with the whole montre of equality and God given rights etc., with the whole slavery incident, and the whole native american stealing of land and genocide issue. Not only was the declaration excusioary at its creation, but it still continues to be faulty today.

Which brings me to the dilemma of black patriotism. As an African American, and I use the 'American' part loosely, mostly as a technicality. How is a black person supposed to happily wave the red white and blue flag, for a country that was built on the backs of their people. A country who stole black people from their country, severed ties with our origins, our history. Not to mention, the physical and cultural rape of our people.. and the continued oppression that is not too hard to find today. I will not get into the institutional racism, poverty, economic disparity, the prison system etc... *sigh*

And I would be remiss if I did not bring up how absurd even mentioning independance and the spirit of democracy has been under the Bush administration. Gitmo ring any bells? Thats Guantanamo Bay Detention Center... where our government snatched "enemy combatants" (random human beings) off the streets of wherever, no charges, no trail, just imprisonment and torture etc. I don't know if you read the Military Commissions Act, but I did, and an the difference between and enemy combatant and a POW who has rights by decree of the Geneva Conventions, is that an enemy combatant has no ties with a recognizable power, is not wearing a uniform and is not engaged in battle. Hmmm. sounds like a civilian to me.. But please lets remeber that I am deluded. And we are still in Iraq..wonder when their independence day will be.


I do not celebrate the Fouth because the current state of affairs and the past state of affairs is shameful, at least in my opinion. We can land on the moon but we cant get everyone health care...

I do not hate America. I hate the reality of America and the fact that it is ignored. In fact I love the idea of America, and if it lived upto the whole, liberty and justice for all, I would wave my flag too. If the American dream was actually for everyone, and if the statue of Liberty's message "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-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door" were true..instead of building of wall and refusing to become more than monolingual. I too would sing america.

I don't celebrate because there is nothing to celebrate.
You can do what you want, enjoy the hot dogs, burger and try not to get your hand blown off by some fire works..because if I see it on the news I will laugh.

And yes, I am going to work today.

Happy Wednesday.

(and Happy Birthday Gabby).
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Mood: Patriotic?
Weapon of Choice: Musket circa 1776

sympsmtf Get ______ Jul 6th, 2007 6:08:30 pm - Subscribe
Some one..anyone! Mark this day in history for have I, come running to the side of the U.S. government. (sort of). Note that it is the side of the newly elected Dem Congress.

I just want to point out the fact that the Rep Led Congress had years to screw everything up for everyone outside the elephant party..now America expects the Dems to clean this mess up in what...7 months?

Get outta here!

America please... you all elected an greedy puppet criminal idiot to preside over this country's affairs TWICE! And now you want everything to be made right again over night?! Does the word bureaucracy ring a bell? Get over yourself.

And no do not blame me..I'm nineteen, I was only allowed to vote one year ago.

Get a grip


Symposium To Follow
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Mood: betwixed
Weapon of Choice: Lightsaber

sympsmtf Southern Trees... Jul 7th, 2007 5:05:20 pm - Subscribe
..breed strange fruit.
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Mood: off
Weapon of Choice: Ax

sympsmtf The Front Desk Jul 9th, 2007 3:57:53 pm - Subscribe
A brief explanation of "The Front Desk". I have a pretty interesting internship at Congressman Rangel's Office, where I sit at or near- The Front Desk. Usually the crazies provide for some sort of entertainment but today it was... noteworthy.

Suggestion 1: If you have a problem/ issue that you are passionate about, and you bring it to your local elected official- please proceed with courtesy. A pleasant yet assertive demeanor is the way to go.

-What not to do-
Storm up to the ..front desk.. call everyone out on the inability to comprehend your situation because of their race. Then claim that Martin Luther King Jr. was wrong...
[ not something heard too often..actually ever ]

The issue that the front desk fanatic was so distraught about was gentrification. Rightly so, but wrongly addressed.

The paradox of gentrification is as such the community needs to be rebuilt. And I am speaking about Harlem because that is where I am involved but I am sure it applies to other places.. I Digress. The Community must rebuild, not only for aesthetic value, but for safety reasons, health reasons, and for quality of life reasons. The problem is rebuilding into condos that the people currently living in the community cannot afford. What sense does this make?! Where are people supposed to go? Harlem may be on its way to becoming Williamsburg, but Manhattan does not need any more posh spots, there need to be someplace where the low income bracket can live comfortably and with dignity in the community.

What good are complaints with out solutions... my solution would be to give some kind of corporate incentive to revitalize already existing infrastructures while maintaining afford ability and giving preference to those already in the community so that they are not displace. How? I don't know... think corporate would want my soul? The government can't (in theory) impose due to the laissez- fair policy... We will pretend that the government and the economy are completely separated..as they should be. (HAHAHAHAHA!)*sigh

The problem is greed. And that is something i do not have the solution too. Unless you happen to know how to fasten Pandora's box.

Symposium To Follow
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Mood: Ha Ha!
Weapon of Choice: Laser beam- the deadly kind.