Sunday, March 25, 2007

racial discourse?
I've wavered back and forth depending on my mood on discussions about race - open discussions about race and society to be precise. In college I remember talking about the Black Panthers and another student passionately disagreeing with me that they were undermined by the government. That's fine. I also was in a Pop Culture class when we watched "The Show" and some dudes asked why image was such a big deal and proved their case by pointing out that the rappers were on stage wearing parkas in a steaming hot auditorium. Not that they were wrong, but why do rappers get the the, mind the pun, bad rap for image? Don't all performers have an image? Rockers can dress like the regular schmoe to appeal to that image - because, well, we're all victims and perpetrators of image issues.

Anyway, it's almost been a decade since then, and I shy away from those kind of conversations more now than in the past.. though not changing my feelings much about the issues.

Maybe I'm guilty for ignorance - or apathy - but most racial discourse is irresponsibly facilitated and most often more racist than normal discourse. our society still treats racism like it is an individual disease, but it's not. We'll get careers ended with the use of the "n" word. But we can talk down on "ghetto" people? Semantics don't change the message. But racist attitudes are one illness. Racism goes beyond an individual's need to bias their beliefs in terms of ethnicity, culture, or look. Racism is about acceptance and tolerance - the acceptance and tolerance of societal-level subversive hatred and biases. It lives today as it has and probably always will.

Why should I subject myself to discussions about cultural issues - say teaching Mandarin in a high school or English immersion programs - when all the complaints against the Mandarin and FOR English immersion are thinly veiled and sometimes blatantly racist comments.

"Me love language for long time" is one of the comments.

That's a holler to Full Metal Jacket. A movie that had NO CHINESE or MANDARIN speaking roles. Oh, what about the hooker? Oh, they were in Vietnam? What's the difference?

Well, there's a whole fucking big difference. But, I can see how it's confusing being that Vietnam and China are two different countries.

This is where most people will tell me I'm being too sensitive and nitpicky - and avoiding the argument. There wasn't an argument in that statement. An argument that can fly is, "why teach mandarin in school? for business purposes? what is it offering our children?"

Solid argument.

But, then again, I didn't know we were entering global markets with Latin Speaking sleeves to flash.

Ching chong ching. Fang fong fang. Me likey likey. Look. If you want to make fun of a language, at least know what you're making fun of. I don't know one single Chinese person who speaks a Chinese language that talks ching chong ching. I do know a lot of U.S. born suburban white people who can't write a 5 sentence paragraph to save their lives. Want proof? Read on the internet.

In the end, this isn't a white thing versus a non-white thing. Idiocy is wonderfully cross-cultural because that is what most people are when engaged in racial discourse.

Why die through that?

Ulam cooked @ 1:24 AM

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Friday, March 16, 2007

Bacio Cafe: New Spot in Downtown San Mateo
BEFORE YOU HIT UP THE REGULAR OLD SPOTS.. check out the new cafe in Downtown San Mateo!

Bacio Cafe is now open for your caffeine pleasure!

There's actually room to sit and chill without being lined up against a wall or everyone else. The coffee's good. The owner's cool. There's a real comfortable couch. Scenery of the walking-by kind.

It's right in front of the Box Office at the Century Theatres on 3rd and B Street (the other side of the courtyard from Tres Amigos).

Here's the address:
220 Main St.
San Mateo, CA 94402

Just part either on 3rd Ave or B Street.

The Coffee's good. And go get lunch.
They serve Paninis!

Ulam cooked @ 12:05 AM

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Thursday, March 01, 2007

A Love Poem for Brisk Mornings
A Love Poem for Brisk Mornings

She came into my life
When I was young –
Shoot, if I would’a knew the girl next door
Would been –
You know
How the song go.

SO I paid her no mind,
Not until
College days
When she became so real.

But we didn’t have a relationship,
Nothing committed –
It was the college life, yo.
Occationally I would hit it.

I saw her mostly in the mornings
More so the late nights,
I’d call her, she’d come,
She kept me warm. She made me feel right.

I still had a problem,
Couldn’t give into her with my all,
Until graduation came
And I began to start the calls.

I’ll admit, to this point,
I was just using her for what she gave me,
I was too selfish a man
To give in to her daily.

But when the grind started hitting
The money began to flow,
I started realizing
That I could be giving her more.

The mornings I came over,
And even lunchtimes it felt right,
I knew it was getting bad,
With all the afternoon delights.

But we had a fight.

I started to feel differently,
But she didn't change.
I started questioning what she did for me,
Like it wasn’t the same.

We had the talk,
She didn’t say much,
I said I needed something she couldn’t give me,
And at that point
We lost touch…

… for the most part.

I couldn’t avoid her,
We’d end up partying at the same spots,
And whenever I’d see her,
I’d still think she was hot.

So I called her sometimes,
And she wouldn’t resist,
But I knew it couldn’t be regular,
Those intimate trysts.

Then Grad school started,
I needed support,
I didn’t just want the benefits,
So I knew I had to court.

She gave me a second chance
To experience the real thing,
And I knew as it started
That this time wouldn’t be a fling.

We started doing the mornings,
the lunches, and night,
When I would bring her to family parties,
I knew it was right.

So now, here we are,
She is the soul of love’s essence,
Physically manifested.

When I see her at the café,
Catching all the boys’ attention,
I have no apprehension.

Because she’s killing me softly.

Shh.

She’s Coffee.

Ulam cooked @ 4:11 PM

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