I want to preface this blog hailing Larry David as a genius. I love him. I love him. I love him. I admit I was a bit worried with the plantation genre and the stereotypical ending in Season Six, but he managed to dodge that lingering bullet almost effortlessly in Season 7. Vivica A. Fox’s character Loretta Black  and Larry break up in the first episode of the season and it had nothing to do with race. Larry was planning on dumping her because she got cancer. He is so unsympathetic and relatable you just have to love him.

So Larry’s project in Season 7 is winning his wife’s affection by letting her play the role of his actual wife in a Seinfeld reunion season. And everyone is on board. We get to see Julia play Elaine, Seinfeld play himself, Larry’s mirror image George Costanza, Jason Alexander ironically as Larry’s complete opposite….and there is….. Michael Richards….. as Kramer. Ehhhhhhhlllllllllllll.

the pink elephant in the room-racist richards

We know he had to be on the show to fulfill the myth of the reunion season, but there is just this bad taste in mouth when I see him on screen. I’m sure most of you remember his infamous racial fuck-up. It was a fuck-up so bad it wasn’t even excusable. Here’s a link to his comedy routine.

Okay I just watched it again I am pissed!!!! Arrggggh! When will it stop? Here are just a few unsettling savory bits:

“Fifty years ago we’d have you hanging upside down from a tree!”

“They’re going to arrest me for calling a black man a nigger?”

“Throw his ass out! He’s a nigger, He’s a nigger, He’s a nigger!”

oh LAWD

After a while the black man he was talking to called him a cracker, which I discuss in my earlier blog, is embedded with a notion of racial superiority on the part of the white person who is being called said name.

I’m not really sure what pissed Michael Richards off so much. But I am gonna assume it was some loud mouth Negroes, yeah I said it, talking too much during a performance which is why he told them to shut up. And yes, really my brothers and sisters, you know who you are, you need to stop talking through movies, it’s annoying. I wanted to cut a bitch the last time I was in the theater.

But there is no reason to say what Richards said. I mean come on. A good shut the fuck up would have sufficed. He didn’t need to offend everyone in the place. And he forgets, black folk actually paid to see him perform. I mean can you imagine, taking your lovely black boyfriend or girlfriend on a date to a comedy show, and thinking wow, we get to see the guy who played Kramer, I’m so excited, and while you’re sipping on your Long Island Iced Tea you get taken back to 1865 with some white dude talkin bout hanging niggers from trees. NIET KIEL DAWG.

Hence, the icky taste in my mouth. But in the last episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry addresses the issue of harboring a known racist on the show. He does this in three ways.

1. Michael Richards looks like crap compared to everyone else in the show. Even though everyone has aged, they still look the same. Maybe they have led healthy lives, maybe it’s the make-up job, but clearly they skipped over Richards. Additionally, the hair that made Kramer so noticeable is almost all but gone. Larry wants him to look that way. By presenting Richards as visually unattractive, his appearance clearly faltering since his racist comedy routine, Larry is reflecting on the accepted myth that sin is written on the body. (A topic heavily discussed in Oscar Wilde’s Picture of Dorian Gray and The Libertine)

if you hadn't been fucking all those whores, maybe God would have spared you leprosy

2. To reify this idea, Larry also gives Richards a life threatening illness, Groat’s disease(a fictional illness) that may cause his death. He is literally paying for the sins externally and internally that he committed when he pledged his allegiance to supremacy on that unforgettable day.

3. He cleverly has a scene with Leon and Richards, in which Richards has a valid reason to be pissed at Leon (he lied about his identity and duped him into giving him $200,000) and while he is screaming a crowd of people are watching Richards yell at this black man and we laugh because ironically he an actual reason to be pissed. It is really funny and makes it a bit more acceptable for Richards to be part of this season.

However, I recently read a blog, by the African American Environmentalist Association-Hollywood, and while I agree Larry made a smart move in the last episode, it really doesn’t redeem or reform Richards as a person. It only redeems Richards within the fictional world of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” that Larry himself has created. And then we have to think, well if Richards’ previous act of racism had to be addressed to us, how will it be addressed to the fictional audience that would be watching the Seinfeld reunion season?

Of course, it is not up to Larry David to rectify Richards fuck-up. He shouldn’t have to alter his whole season cuz Richards can’t keep his mouth shut. I think David makes amends to his avid black fans by at least addressing the issue, and I thank him for it. But Richards has a long way to go. A fictional confrontation on the issue will not redeem his racist soul. And most black folk are forgiving, but sorry Richards, you don’t get my vote.

Thoughts?

I am part Irish, part Mexican, part Indian (american variety), part Nation of Texas. I do not show my Mexican or Indian heritage but one of my brothers most definitely does. Of the four, three have been soundly rejected by the rest of the people at one time or another. And the fourth? The Nation of Texas was what breed, again? That’s right, mainly a mix of two of the others with Europeans.

Let me be crystal clear here. I despise “politically correct” anything. If you have to add a qualifier to “correct” that means whatever that “correct” is attached to is incorrect, hence, a lie. I adamantly refuse to use PC terminology because PC terminology is a lie. It is a lie of commission. While much is a lie of omission, the omission is intentional, thus making it commission.

And this is exactly what the PC “native American” bovine byproduct is. It is a lie of commission by omission. Any man, woman, or child born of American parents is, by default, a native American. No ifs, ands or buts about it. You are a native American. And, by definition, so am I.

But I also have Indian blood coursing through my veins. That does not make me better than anyone without. That doesn’t make me any more a native of this place than anyone without. That just means I have blood running through my veins that can be traced back to people here before the European settlers arrived. So freaking what?

Every single person in this land born of citizens of this land are native to this land. And if you want to make a spectacle of my native-ness being much greater than yours, shove it out your blowhole!

day two of REDLINE. its was hella windy this morning… shiets were flying every where. special thanks to Tree-san for the carne-asada-san!! Buddy Club had a BBQ next to their booth, next to the woman’s restroom.

レッドラインの二日目です。風がスッゲー強かった…色んなモノが宙を舞ってたよ。ツリーがカーニーアサーダ作ってくれた。アリガトッ！！:) バディークラブのブースが横でＢＢＱやってたよ。その隣が女子トイレ。

i went home early today since i wasnt feeling good. i took a nap when i got back home and got better but mang now i caught a cold… lol

あんま体調がよくなかったから早めに家帰ったッス。家帰ってちょっと寝たらよくはなってたんだけどさ、なんか風邪ひいちゃったよ…笑

African-American men in their early 30s have been found to be twice as likely to have prison records than bachelor degrees. It has also been found that only three out of 100 Black students who enter kindergarten will graduate from college. These were some of the many startling facts presented at the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh State of Black Pittsburgh.  Sadly, these facts can be articulated in any of the urban cities. In prison, on probation, on drugs, in gangs, suspended, expelled or dropped out of school is the terrible circumstance of black males.
In 1995, a million black men gather in Washington, D.C., to proclaim a new path to manhood, centered on personal responsibility for their families and each other.  Fourteen years later, situation remains virtually unchanged.  To be sure, the Million Man March (MMM) focused attention on the plight of the black male, and inspired many black men to return to their communities to assume the awesome task of community uplift.  The current state of the black male demands that we once again take up this issue.  This will have to be the work of the Talented Tenth. To paraphrase W.E.B. DuBois, the black male, like other males, will be saved by its exceptional men (and women).
Thus, this is a call, that this Kwanzaa we commit ourselves to the courageous task of uplifting the black male.  The Kwanzaa principle Kujichagulia, Self-determination, demands nothing less of us.  This is a call to organize on-line those who are will to take up the battle for the future of African American people.  This very well may be the historical mission of the current generation of African Americans.  The eminent scholar and activist Frantz Fanon reminds us that, “Each generation must out of relative obscurity discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.”  Let me hear from you.

Today was wholly unremarkable, except that it was a shitty day at work and I learned a new term. Cultural Humility. It’s apparently the next step in the lingo of a capitalist version of anti-racism. You know what I mean. It was the Cultural “sensitivity”, then it was Cultural “competency,” and here is the new solution to the same problem of good intentions and very little positive output. . . Cultural Humility. . .

So I’m interested in what impact this linguistic twist might have on the state of our communities.

Cultural sensitivity was doomed from the start. Don’t get me wrong, it was a good start. The goals that were defined seemed appropriate-

“Cultural sensitivity means being aware that cultural differences and similarities exist and have an effect on values, learning, and behavior.”

Stafford, Bowman, Eking, Hanna, & Lopoes-DeFede (1997)

When you consider that it’s framed within the field of medicine it seems like a noble pursuit. People aren’t getting the treatment they deserve because there are cultural differences that grant privileges to one group over another.  An easy example would be language barriers – If a community can’t understand your resources or your staff- they aren’t going to be able to access those services.

What the authors of Cultural Sensitivity didn’t take into account was that people didn’t hear “Cultural  Sensitivity” as defined above. They heard “Cultural” “Sensitivity.” This would be the combination of cultural and sensitive which is either characterized by being touchy about culture, being a wussy when people make jokes, being delicate in regards to anything having to deal with those uncomfortable topics, or some other combination full of heavy meaning assigned by mainstream oppressive society. How are you going to really get anyone to invest seriously in understanding their experience of privilege and power in the world, if they’re going to become a “sensitive” person. In our capitalist society of eat or be eaten, why would you want to be any more vulnerable?

Cultural Competency: The next attempt to wrap our heads around the complexities of culture, racism, and xenophobia. Suddenly there was an easy to use instruction manual! Sure, you’re incompetent now, but with a little bit of studying you’ll be on the path of being cool cross-culturally!

I think that this was doomed because there simply is no way to become “competent” in someone’s culture. If you think you’re competent, just stop and ask yourself how many assumptions you’re making and what (if any) critical thought you’ve put into this characterization, and why you’re making this characterization in the first place (If it’s for their benefit, consider yourself incompetent and start listening more!)

So here we are, with Cultural Humility.

“Cultural humility has been described by Melanie Tervalon and Jann Murray-Garcia as a lifelong process of self-reflection and self-critique. Cultural humility does not require mastery of lists of “different” or peculiar beliefs and behaviors supposedly pertaining to certain groups of patients. Rather, the provider is encouraged to develop a respectful partnership with each patient through patient-focused interviewing, exploring similarities and differences between his own and each patient’s priorities, goals, and capacities. In this model, the most serious barrier to culturally appropriate care is not a lack of knowledge of the details of any given cultural orientation, but the providers’ failure to develop self-awareness and a respectful attitude toward diverse points of view.”

I think that this is really well written, but I think it’s only the beginning of the discussion. we need to explicitly say that “failure to develop self-awareness and a respectful attitude toward diverse points of view”  is not an option as a responsible member of our global community.  The conversation fails to honestly engage with the power dynamics at play in these situations and the direct impact it has on the patients life.

If you are a white doctor and you don’t have an understanding of the way that whiteness affords you many privileges already and that compounded with the inherent power you have as a medical professional- you won’t know how to treat the patient. (pun intended)

If you don’t understand the way that your privilege has allowed you to navigate the world easier than someone of a different “culture” [read: class, race, physical ability, gender, age, sexuality, body size] then you are actively participating in a destructive system that kills members of our communities.

And it’s not a slow death, it’s a death of deterioration caused by chronic societal abuse. It’s the slow internalization of prejudice, the lonely disempowerment of “otherness,” and it leads to health inequalities that result in far too many early deaths.

I know it’s a bit extreme to describe it as such, but how else are you going to get the profiteers to help destroy the system that supports them?

Cultural Humility, I appreciate the progress you will make during your reign in our business lexicon. . . but I’m sticking to Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression, because there is a system that needs to be dismantled. And THAT is the future that I dream of.

Timex Run, the most expensive sub-marathon road race in the Philippines thus far not only set the race registration fee higher, but also introduced a lot of new PRs.

PR = Piolo + Rio

One of the possible reasons that the race became a huge success despite the steep price was due to the celebrity factor—Piolo Pascual.  He is undoubtedly one of the most popular television and movie actor in the country and apparently tapping on his huge fan base was a great idea.  Of course we can’t say that the Rio dela Cruz factor didn’t have an added effect on the race’s success, I mean who can’t resist the charm of an afro?  Who knows better how to organize a running event but a runner himself?  (Peace Coach Rio!  I really admire your hair).

PR = Posh Race

Timex Run is definitely at a different caliber as it’s one of the few races in the Philippines that utilize timing chips.  It also has one of the better race singlets with Timex Ironman mark at the back which I really love.  Celebrities also dot the course of various events making this a very star-studded race.

The grand start gate of Timex Run

PR = Pretty Route

Timex Run’s main event, 21K, went to places no other races went before, literally, making this a discovery race for many who haven’t been to the unpopular running areas of Bonifacio Global City.  Even familiar routes were given an interesting twist keeping the event fresh to seasoned BGC runners.  But more than a pretty route, the distance was almost GPS-exact 21K so taking into consideration the topography of the route it’s more than valid for those distance-conscious runners.  Even the distance markers were freakishly accurate by Garmin standards for most of the time.

Sunrise at Rizal Drive

PR = Pace Required

For the nth time I was again a pacer, an optional one.  It was a pretty loose pace—just aiming to finish in a decent time so it was for the most part an easy duty.  Because of the relaxed attitude I was able to take some pictures in-race making this also a “picture race.”

Along 5th Avenue

The 21K leader

Entering Heritage Park

PR = Postmortem Report

Timex Run was easily one of the best races for 2009, period.  Despite the higher registration fee the cost was pretty much worth it because of a very good quality event, a lot of giveaways, excellent activity area, a finisher’s shirt and medal, all while still able to generate funds for charity.  Indeed Timex had proven that with the right pizzazz cost may not be a barrier to having a well attended event.  It was also another proof that celebrities really make good endorsers, especially here in the Philippines.  I just hope this isn’t the start of more expensive races, but instead the start of quality races.  Congratulations Runrio for consistently delivering excellent and successful events!

The nice but generic finisher’s medal

PR = (Personal Record)

I’ve seen a lot of PRs with this race and as for my Personal Record (PR) I also set a new one, a negative one as I set the longest 21K race so far surpassing the two hour 20 minute mark, but it was worth it as I bore witness to another 21K dream turn into reality.  Congratulations Carol!

PR = Pros + Rejects

Pros:

• Good quality race singlet
• Timing chips
• Punctual start
• Excellent route
• The longest water station yet seen in local races (that never ran out of water and even supplied 100 Plus)
• Practical placement of timing chip sensors
• Excellent finisher’s shirt
• Huge and heavy (although generic) finisher’s medal
• Finisher’s certificate
• Free breakfast
• Excellent goodie bag with products from sponsors
• Lively activity area
• Same day accurate race result (unseen for quite a while)
• Part of the proceeds went to charity
• Very Good race (4/5)

Rejects:

• High registration fee
• Lack of cones at some areas
• Lack of marshals after 8:30AM (three hours and 15 minutes 21K gun start)
• Medals could’ve been more customized to reflect which event it was given
• No fancy presentation of race results

Timex Run 21K Route

PR = Pacquiao Reloaded

As a bonus perk to everyone Timex was kind enough to provide everyone free viewing of Manny Pacquiao’s match versus Miguel Cotto live via satellite from Las Vegas, USA.  We were so lucky to have witnessed history being made by now seven-time world champion, Manny Pacquiao.  Thank you Timex and congratulations Manny!  He’s definitely the best boxer our generation has ever seen.

I would like to thank Doc Art who made it possible for me to join this race.  Thank you very much Doc and congratulations!

While the U.S. struggle with color preoccupation, even with President Barack Obama, China has its own surprising and terribly sensitive anxieties with this.  China seems, in many ways, to be sophisticated, at least in business and financial contexts, but its dearth of people of color has placed it and one of its new celebrity citizens on a precarious and painful state of awakening.

I wrote, or commented, about this last month; many people have been keenly interested in this.  It is strange that few of them have been journalists.  The slight attention paid to this has grown a bit with Obama’s arrival today.   National Public Radio’s All Things Considered had a story.  Only a day or so ago “The Wall Street Journal” ran a piece.  They were the two “blue-chip” mainstream outlets to file stories.  But there was also Hyphen Magazine that published a somewhat different perspective.

By succeeding in China’s version of “American Idol,” a 20-year-old brown woman, Lou Jing, born of a Shanghainese mom and an absent African-American dad, has stirred concerns that touch on ethnic nationalism, foreign policy, and very personal identity.   She has pressed her fellow Chinese to ask themselves what it is to be Chinese; to question how narrowly or how broadly they should define the idea or themselves.

Monday’s meeting with President Barack Obama bares very sensitive political and diplomatic questions may weigh heavily.

This begs fascinating questions about what color or “race” consciousness means when you step away from North American shores.  Away from this heavy and perilous emotional and historical baggage of the African holocaust (the Atlantic slave trade), the U.S. does not hold all the cards and did not write “the book” in assigning meaning to or interpreting this.  It makes you ask how is “race” assigned or color defined elsewhere where there isn’t that U.S. baggage.

This is fodder for a great, thorough feature story.



Social stratification. Class system. These are both archaic concepts, long overthrown in Europe and never seriously present in the United States. This is what we’ve been taught, this is clearly what happens in reality. The US prides itself in being a welcoming place for all people, no matter where they came from.

Yeah, right.

Let’s face it. The United States of America is more bigoted and racist as a culture than perhaps any other nation since, well, the United States. Has it ever occurred to anybody that you never see reports of British neo-nazis, of white hate crimes towards any other race other than here? Has it ever occurred to you that of all the other First-World nations, the United States has the most colorful record of slavery, racism, prejudice, and segregation of any ethnically heterogeneous population. (I need to put heterogeneous in because without it, you get nations like Ireland, which are not fair comparisons to what I’m trying to put across here.)

Here, a bullet-list of all the various prejudices and social issues that the United States so proudly counts as part of its heritage:

• Catholics. Present in the American population since before 1776, this took until the election of JFK in 1960 to really work its way out of the collective American psyche.
• Blacks. Present since the widespread adoption of slavery in the colonies in 1680. Slavery, while formally abolished in 1863, did nothing to stem the racism towards blacks, formally and legally abolished in 1964, but still present in many areas of American life even today, whether you consciously aware of it or not.
• Women. Present in the American population since the beginning of ever, women were denied the right to vote and other social necessities until the passing of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Nowadays, women are, nominally, more or less equal, though there are lingering effects, such as women being paid 75% as much as men for doing the same exact job.
• Native Americans. Very strong prejudices against Native Americans existed in the United States ever since the white people realized that the land that they wanted had other people living on it. This, in turn, led to such things such as the Trail of Tears, reservations, etc. This particular social ill died out after America reached California and Manifest Destiny petered out. As it is, though, the Native American population is vastly reduced from what it used to be not 300 years ago, and they are still mostly out of sight on reservations, living their lives, unfortunately, in destitution and squalor.

And this is just a small list. I hear stories every day that prove racism is still alive and well.

Nowadays, it seems that America has latched on to anti-Islamism. You hear reports of terrorists in Afghanistan existing. Fair enough, these reports might be true. But then, take a look at the Google news search for “terrorist threat.” Sure, one or two of these reports might actually be about terrorists. The rest have headlines like, “Are American Muslims a Threat?” and “The emerging homegrown terrorist threat.” I mean, there is a point where fear crosses over into ludicrousness. We are way past that point. We proved we were way past that point when people started getting shot at because they had beards. When a little old lady got up and brazenly told John McCain, “Obama’s an Arab.” And while it may not be getting any worse, it sure isn’t getting any better. There is a stereotype now, that Islam is an inherently violent and white-people-hating religion. Which is simply not true. In fact, it startles me that on the one hand, people can say that anybody who accepts Jesus will be saved, and then turn right around and attack fellow acceptors of Jesus. It boggles the mind and startles the spirit, really.

But guess what? I’m guessing it’s going to take another century for that stereotype to exit the collective American psyche. Just like Jim Crow. Just like the stigma against Japanese people during WWII. Just like the prejudice against Catholics.

Not cool, America. Not cool.

My day started really early at 6am, YAWN, actually I woke up about 15 minutes before my alarm went off because I was excited about the events to come………=)

I quietly got out of bed in hopes of not waking my sleeping husband and headed to “empty” my daughter’s room, except for the dog who was sound asleep, and started to get ready.   

My Race Attire!

While getting ready I downed my pre-race breakfast, which was a Blueberry Cliff Bar, 1/2 a banana and a glass of water.

Pre-Race Breakfast

Here I am in the bathroom mirror just before I headed out to the race!  =)

Cheese!!!

Despite my best efforts I arrived at the race just 15 minutes before it started, so I quickly dropped off my fellow co-worker/friends race packets to them by the Registration Table and then rushed over to the port-a-potties.  Of course, everyone else had the same idea and the lines were long……I was a bit worried I wouldn’t get my chance to go before the horn sounded but I did with just minutes to spare!

F.Y.I………………I saw Caitlin from Healthy Tipping Point (http://www.healthytippingpoint.com/) while waiting in line and really wanted to go say hello, she told me too if I saw her, however I was afraid of losing my spot in line so I couldn’t and didn’t see her again!  =(

My friends husband was able to snap a picture of us just before the race started, don’t we look excited!?!?!

Catrina, Lindsay & Me

Than……WE WERE OFF & RUNNING!!!

Here is a play-by-play of the race:

• The race started at 7:30am, though we did not cross the Start Line until about 30 seconds after the it started as we had to wait for all the people in front of us to go.
• As we approached the first turn we heard some music coming from a truck parked on the corner.  I cannot remember what was playing but it was great “mood lifting” music and helped us get into our groove. 
• About a 1/2 mile into the race we the music disappeared and we headed into the residential area of Celebration, Florida and ran than past their beautiful Golf Course & Country Club (my Brother & Sister-In-Law just happened to get married, 10+ years ago).
• Soon we settled into a good pace, about 11 minutes per mile give or take, which made it easy for us to talk while running.  A nice change from my usual “alone” runs, I swear the time just seemed to fly by this way….I really need to find a running partner!  =)
• At the 22 minute mark we hit Mile 2 and our 1st water station.  All I could think was “wow, we are at 2 miles already” and I was not tired at all yet!?!  Me & Catrina walked while we drank our little cup of water and Lindsay kept on running……..as she always does, GO LINDSAY.
• Once we caught up to her a about a minute later we headed through yet another beautiful neighborhood with some of the most adorable houses ever, oh would I love to live in any of the ones we passed.
• We ran, chatted, checked out the scenery and before you know it we were at Mile 4 and the clock said 45 minutes!  It was at that point that I realized we were making really good time and should cross the finish line quite a few minutes before I had expected too.  =) 
• That is when the 2nd and last water station arrived and we once again walked while we drank our water but back on the road running and caught up to Lindsay even quicker this time as we didn’t want to lose time.
• At this point we started to head out-of-town and back to Celebration Health (a.k.a. the Start & Finish Line of the race).  The views weren’t as nice, but we were still able to “chat” and were urged on by those watching the race, which helped as my left knee had begun to hurt at this point.
• Then I started to hear some music again and realized we were close to the Finish Line!  =)  We all tried to step up our pace a bit and as we passed the Mile 6 marker, Lindsay took off and me & Catrina stayed together.  I have a hard time sprinting at the end and could see Catrina was with me on that one.
• We passed the FINISH LINE at 1:08:54!  =)

However, check out the below for my exact statics:

So per the Chip Time we came in at 1:07:54 and ran at a 10:55.6 mile pace, which is faster than I was expecting to do so I was VERY HAPPY!!!  =)

After crossing the Finish Line I saw my mom & daughter on the other side and quickly headed their direction………unfortunatelly they did not see my coming and missed me crossing the Finish Line, but it was great to have them there!

All of us headed over to the post-race festivities and Lindsay got me a small carton of Chocolate Milk that she reminded me was great for “refueling” after a long race, so I quickly drank it up.

Lindsay, her husband & Catrina departed for home and then me, my mom & my daughter headed into town to visit the local Farmer’s Market that is there every Sunday and is really nice.

Celebration's Farmers Market

Then we grabbed a some brunch at a local dinner in town.  I had a breakfast burrito that had scrambled eggs and cheese inside a torita with pico, tomatoes and sour cream on the side (sorry no picture).

My mom headed home after brunch and my daughter & I went to the park for a bit and hit the swings, that is until I started feeling a little light headed and decided we should head home.

Once at home I took a nice long shower and then pretty much rested on the couch with my hubby for the rest of the day watching Mad Max & Mad Max II.  My knee did start to hurt more as the night went on so I tried to stay off it as much as possible. 

Around 4pm we had a late lunch/early dinner of homemade hamburger, fries & bean salad.

Late Lunch/Early Dinner

What an amazing day I had…….running better then expected in my 1st 10K, getting lots of quality time with my family & being able to relax for longer than an hour  or so for a change!!!  =)

________________________________________________________________________________

TIP OF THE DAY

Here are some reasons why chocolate milk is a great beverage for kids and adults, too. Chocolate milk is a sneaky beverage. How sneaky?

Let us count the ways:

1) Provides calcium, potassium, phosphorus, protein, vitamins A, D and B12, riboflavin and niacin.

2) The 2005 Dietary Guidelines encourages the consumption of three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy foods each day for those 9 and older. Chocolate milk is an appealing beverage choice for children because of its great taste. (Adults, you’ll love the taste – and nutritional benefits – too!)

3) Research proves that children who drink flavored milk can increase milk and nutrient intake without increasing added sugar or total fat intake.

4) Intake of sugar may contribute to dental decay, but it is unlikely that flavored milk causes this condition. Flavored milk components including calcium, phosphorus and cocoa actually may prevent decay.

5) Flavored milk is a nutrient-rich product for schools and wellness policies and is the most popular milk choice among school children. Since most of the flavored milk consumed in schools is low-fat or fat-free, its presence may be helping children transition to consuming lower fat milk.

To become more like something, you must spend time studying, learning, meditating, doing everything to be that something. If you aim to be like someone, you spend time with that person, fellowship with that person, study that person, learn everything you can about that person. As a Christian, I am claiming to be a “little Christ”. I do aim to be like Him. I want people to see Him when they look at me. I do want and wish and hope that as I grow older, I become more like Him, not less like Him. Yet, how do I spend my time? Do I spend quality time with Him? Do I study Him? Do I try to learn EVERYTHING I can about Him? Do I meditate on Him and who He is? Do I try to model my every behavior after Him. No. Sadly, I don’t. It is so easy to say “I want to be like Christ, but not so easy to put in the time and effort. How I do want to be like Him. When will I do my part to get there? No, I will never reach my goal, to be exactly like Him. But it is the goal I should set before me. I should aim for it. I should do my best to get there. I should run this race, letting go and taking off everything that hinders me. Everything that makes it too heavy for me to run the race. Too often, I set before me “temporary goals” that replace my ultimate goal, or interfere with me getting there. As this blog states, I am a single woman in my 20’s. There are so many tempting goals before me as my “ultimate goal” that become tempting. Being attractive, being successful, being wanted, being in a relationship, being …(fill in the blank). None of these things are bad. All of these things can be good. However, when they become my goal instead of being like Christ, that is the problem. That is when it becomes the “sin that so easily entangles me”. That is when I need to shed me of myself and refocus on the ultimate goal so that I might receive the prize. How often I lose my focus. If only I never took my eyes off the finish line.

By Noel Bagwell
November 16, 2009

Bernhard Goetz

I was re-reading the People v. Goetz case in my Criminal Law casebook, today, in preparation for class tomorrow. 68 N.Y.2d 96, 506 N.Y.S.2d 18, 497 N.E.2d 41 (1986). There is a note in the “Notes and Questions” section, following the case, subtitled”Race and the ‘reasonable person.’” It says, “The Goetz incident provoked considerable discussion regarding the racial overtones of the case, the question of whether a reasonable person ever takes race into consideration in deciding whether to use force in an ambiguous situation, and even whether ‘reasonable racist’ is an oxymoron. Consider the following three perspectives:”

The first perspective is that of Richard Cohen, who wrote an article, reprinted in the casebook, entitled, “Closing the Door on Crime” for the Washington Post Magazine, Sept. 7, 1986. The article ends with the following two paragraphs:

“Of course, all policies based on generalities have their injustices. A storekeeper might not know that the youths he has refused to admit are theology students – rich ones at that. But then insurance companies had no way of knowing I was not a typical teen-age driver. I paid through the nose anyway.

A nation with our history is entitled to be sensitive to race and racism – and we are all wary of behavior that would bring a charge of racism. But the mere recognition of race as a factor – especially if those of the same race recognized the same factor – is not in itself racism. * * * Let he who would open the door throw the first stone.”

I thought that last line was a very appropriate witticism. Cohen makes the insightful point that merely acknowledging that race is a factor that is due some consideration does not make a point of view “racist.”

I think Cohen might agree that a point of view is racist only when race is the only factor considered by a person who restricts a person’s access to a store or other business or commits some other act of discrimination. This is frequently alleged, but not always the case when racial tensions are thrown into stark relief by some unfortunate episode.

What do you think? When is the consideration of the “race factor” a “racist” act? When it is one factor among several; when it is the only factor; or when it is a prevailing factor that, when weighed against the others outweighs them all, combined? Is the term “reasonable racist” an oxymoron?

Yesterday we looked at one of my favorite passages of Scripture in the Bible: Hebrews 12.1-3. This passage is built off a lesson that the writer of Hebrews has been espousing from the beginning of his letter: we are to “risk all” for Jesus by living the life of faith for Him. He has reminded his readers that we are to be forward looking, focused on our future hope–Jesus–even as we learn from those who have lived the life of faith in the past (chapter 11). The writer knows that humans have a tendency to keep looking back (and often wanting to “go back”), but he knows that we need to follow Christ into the future–a lifestyle we can only live by faith.

You see, God wants our future to be greater than our past. He is more interested in how we finish that how we began. As a result, we need to constantly remind ourselves to “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” (William Carey)

In this passage, then, there are five things to note as we look to the future and contemplate the race that is before us. First, there is our encouragement (v. 1a). The writer starts the chapter by mentioned the great cloud of witnesses who surround us. By doing so, he referred back to what he’s already written in chapter 11, where he mentions in details nine heroes of faith (he mentions six others simply in passing). These are ones, he says, who bear witness to us that with God we can do whatever He sets before us. Commentators suggest that he is picturing them as a crowd filling a great stadium, cheering us on. We are to find strength from these who have gone before us.

Second, though, he mentions our hindrances (v. 1b). We are to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us, just like an athlete throws off the warmup suit and the ankle weights before he or she runs. Hindrances might include things like a lack of preparation; distractions from the weather, circumstances or other people, whether in the race or in the stands; pain and discomfort; and certainly, apathy and indifference. Sins that might entangle us would no doubt include a smug sense of pride and self-sufficiency; a lack of love for others; and of course, unbelief (faith is mentioned 21 times in the book). We are to discard all of these things before they “trip us up” (and they WILL, if we don’t deal with them).

Third, he speaks of our determination (v. 1c). Here he gets to the crux of the matter, as he admonishes us to run the race before us with perseverance. This perseverance speaks of endurance, bearing up under the strain of the race (a word from which we literally get the English word “agony”). We are not to quit; we can’t give up. It is a race marked out with us specifically in mind. While I don’t know exactly what God has in store for your race, I do know that it will share certain characteristics. It will be:

• People-centered
• Eternally-minded
• Continually-adjusted
• Character-inclined
• Kingdom-focused

For how we run the race affects not only us, but others all around us.

Fourth, our focus is to be on Jesus (v. 2). This is the ultimate difference-maker in the way we run our race. He is seen here not as our coach, but as the goal! The writer says that literally we are to “fasten, glue” our eyes to Him. We are not to be distracted by anything or anyone else: not a new pastor, not a former pastor, not our finances, not our facilities, not a program, not a policy, not even “seekers” that we hope to reach with the love of Christ. Our focus is to be single-minded: it is to be J-E-S-U-S. Period. This is the number one key to success.

Finally, he speaks to our motivation (v. 3). Here again he reminds us of Jesus and what He endured on our behalf. This remembrance is to cause us to finish well, rather than give in to exhaustion and fatigue, or be overwhelmed by discouragement. Our plight is no worse than His was (probably not nearly as bad, in fact) and thus, we should–we must–not grow weary and lose heart. We strive to run into the arms of Jesus, and hear the words all of His followers long to hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Don’t ever forget! This race is a marathon, not a sprint. As such, the verdict is not in until the race is completed. So run your race with faith and endurance, believing the best is yet to be, as you follow our Lord into the future.

SO, i have not written anything in a while, there are a lot of things which happened during this time..

• Some good training
• 10 days of no running – out sick
• Missing my first race [i wanted to run] – out sick
• Running my First Race – Vibha Dream mile 5k [Check the next post for the race report].
• Inspiring experiences during my first race

I will try to catch up in the next 2-3 posts, and i am thinking of dedicating this post to how my immune system is super weak compared to my 19 month old son .

This is not the first time i have fallen sick – common cold, cough, fever yad-a-yad-a-yad-a, but it just so happens every time the little dude catches a little runny nose/cough from the day care, I manage to get his simple runny nose, just 10-20X stronger, which knocks me out for 2-3 days, this time it decided to hang around for a while – a week. I was worried, had to make sure it was not flu/h1n1 etc…the doctor dude decides to put me on these super stronggg anti-biotics. They suck! Aren’t they supposed to make you feel better, well i guess they did eventually…but the initial 2-4 days of the medicine, i did not taste anything, super weak..and all the bad stuff..everyone goes through something like this every now and then…and, so did I.

During these 10 days, i missed some training, being a new runner it was a little difficult to get started back on, but what i remembered the most of me falling sick this time was, i had planned to run my first 10 mi Run For Water race, and missed it.

May be i was not ready for a race yet, may be i was..i guess we will not find out….

The story of Michael Oher’s intellectual development is also the story of his body type. Michael Oher is rare. Huge. A freak of nature. He’s also an anomaly of nurture and it has taken a village to raise him. The Blind Side by Michael Lewis chronicles Oher’s turbulent childhood, his unlikely ascent into professional football and the importance and evolution, largely monetary, of the left tackle position in the NFL. The position Oher would come to play in college for Old Miss and, currently, the Baltimore Ravens.

Using a mixture of stark language and deftly placed insight, Michael Lewis describes the evolution of the left tackle with the language and rationale of free market capitalism.  In the early nineties, the N.F.L.’s  free agency system meant that teams could “buy the players they needed,” but as would soon become obvious, not all positions were created equal. “The price of protecting quarterbacks was driven by the same forces that drove the price of other kinds of insurance,” Lewis writes. “It rose with the value of the asset insured, with the risk posed to that asset.”

The person charged with protecting that million-dollar golden boy needed strength, speed, agility and bodily bulk— a massive butt and legs as well as long arms—to give the quarterback a few extra seconds in the pocket was unlike the other offensive lineman. It’s rare for someone to have all these specific physical traits, and for the players who had them, the price was high. Very high.

Oher’s athletic potential catches the attention of  important folks at Briarcrest, a predominantly white, Christian private school in a very different part of Memphis from the one in which Memphis grew up. Initially, it’s the high school’s football coach, Hugh Freeze, who has big ambitions. But Oher also lands on the radar of Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, a wealthy white couple with children at Briarcrest who eventually become Oher’s adoptive parents. Reviewers aren’t colorblind, so there’s a tendency (as I did) to focus on the race of the wealthy Republican family taking in a poor black kid with the sad life story he’s not keen on sharing. Yet the book is peppered with the idea of a Christian imperative to help those who cannot help themselves; that is, socially conscious practice proctored by religious belief that is sometimes at odds with Republican talking points.

For example, Briarcrest principal Steve Simpson, having admonished himself for initially giving Oher “false hope” that the poor, nominally sheltered Oher could attend his school, conditionally admits Oher in order to “clear his conscience.” According to Simpson, “a lot of kids with his background wouldn’t come within two hundred miles of this place.” It’s a line that makes me shudder. Simpson, I say to myself, a lot of kids with Oher’s background wouldn’t have the resources to come within two hundred miles of your school.

Sean Tuohy, a self-made man who is less motivated by religion the other people in the book, feels a certain kinship to the black students at Briarcrest. He knows what it is like to be the odd man out; in fact, Tuohy often relishes it. His affinity to Oher is akin to both his impulse to conquer and the intimate understanding of what it means to go without basic resources. Sean’s wife, Leigh Anne, is an impossibly willful woman and a far cry from the docile stereotype of the good Christian woman. She is a straight talker and also Oher’s emotional guide. (In another shudder moment she puts on a station that “plays black music” in an effort to get Oher to relax and open up to her.)

With the help of a private tutor — and teachers and coaches who figured out that Michael learns through observation — his GPA would rise from a 0.9 to a 1.54 in a school year. That wouldn’t amount D’s. The jump in Oher’s ability to process information is emblematic of a blog post written by Malcolm Gladwell called “Race and IQ ” which was a companion piece to an article he wrote in the NewYorker on the same subject. “There are studies showing that if a child of a very poor family, [is] adopted at birth into a wealthy family, [that child] will have a much higher IQ than his or her siblings, or his or her parents, who remain in poverty.” Oher’s eventual  academic achievement and intellectual growth — his I.Q. jumps from mild mental retardation to the normal range after a few years with the Tuohys — underline Gladwell’s point.

So here are some questions. When the motives appear (mostly) pure* but the approach is slightly prejudiced,  does it tarnish the outcome? And what of the value of his body? Had Freeze and Sean Tuohy not seen Oher’s athletic potential would they have taken such an interest in him? Is the miracle of this story that the universe thrusted Oher into the community of people who had a very particular use for his intimidating presence?

*Oher eventually settles on Ole Miss, a college that might not have had a serious chance at landing Oher were it not for the fact that it was the Tuohys’ alma mater. If one wanted to read it cynically, their adoption of Oher could be framed as a way for a prominent university booster to mold and deliver a blue chip recruit to his team.

I’ve just learned something about the stunning visions of a prophet called Siener van Rensburg. For those who haven’t heard the name before, here is a brief introduction. Nicolaas Pieter Johannes Janse van Rensburg was an Afrikaner who lived between 1862 and 1926 in the Transvaal Republic (which later became a part of South Africa). The Boer people (Afrikaans-speaking Boere or Afrikaners or Boerevolk) of South Africa consider him a prophet who was sent by God to help them with his remarkably accurate visions. His nickname became Siener, which is Afrikaans for “seer” or “soothsayer”. The Afrikaners respectfully refer to him as “Oom Niklaas” (Uncle Nicolaas) or “Siener” van Rensburg.

Siener van Rensburg was born on August 30, 1862 in Potchefstroom to a farming family. He was a deeply religious person who was taught by his mother to read the Bible. He couldn’t write, but his visions were recorded by others like the reverend Dr. Rossouw and van Rensburg’s own daughter Anna Badenhorst. His visions not only concerned the welfare of his people, the Boerevolk, during his time but he was also able to accurately predict several future world events with stunning accuracy.

Skeptics have their doubts but one just needs to consider the accuracy with which this seer predicted events that were going to unfold in the future. Even the predictions of Nostradamus sound vague when compared to those of Siener van Rensburg. Alarmingly, this Afrikaner prophet’s predictions seem to include certain shocking things that the citizens of the world shall have to live through in the coming years. Watch and more importantly, listen carefully to this three part television documentary about Siener van Rensburg and draw your own conclusions.

Image: www.rapport.co.za

Uhuru – crazy urban legend, stunningly accurate prediction or self-fulfilling prophecy?

One spine-chilling event that Siener van Rensburg is believed to have predicted is a deliberate future campaign of genocide and ethnic cleansing in South Africa. The history of South Africa is an unpleasant one, and despite the democratic transition that the country went through in 1994, not everything seems to be fine in the Rainbow Nation.

“Operation Uhuru”, also known by names such as “Operation Vula”, “Night of the Long Knives”, “Operation White Clean-up,” “Operation Iron Eagle”, “Red October Campaign” and “Operation Our Rainy Day”, whether it is imaginary or for real, refers to a diabolical plan to completely exterminate the White citizens of South Africa by a systematic and planned campaign of ethnic cleasing upon the death of a Black leader.

Critics and skeptics (and the South African rulers) dismiss this as a crazy urban legend propagated by right-wingers in South Africa who want to overthrow the government. They believe people with vested interests are deliberately twisting one of Siener van Rensburg’s prophecies to achieve their own political goals.

Others believe the bloodshed and the resulting struggle will certainly take place as predicted by Seiner van Rensburg. They point out that racial tensions are running high in South Africa and all it would take is the death of a popular leader (like the old and ailing Nelson Mandela, for instance) to re-ignite the old hatred. Some claim that Uhuru is being planned on a grand scale and that certain elements would unleash a reign of genocidal terror at the appropriate time, with the authorities either turning a blind eye or playing an active role in the ethnic cleansing.

They point out that the crime rate in South Africa is extremely high with Afrikaners being subjected to horrific violence in farm attacks and that the South African regime supported the dictator Robert Mugabe whose thugs let loose a similar reign of terror (on a smaller scale compared to “Uhuru”) in neighbouring Zimbabwe. They also state that the regime is actively disarming citizens by making it much more difficult to own legal firearms while illegal weapons (including assault rifles) are freely used by gangsters and criminals to commit violent crimes.

There is also the very real danger of Uhuru turning out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Even if it’s just a rumour, most people in South Africa seem to be aware of this. Even if only a few criminal elements actually plan to carry it out when the leader dies, many Afrikaners are prepared to defend themselves from being slaughtered en masse as their prophet Seiner van Rensburg advised them to do. In such a charged environment, all it would take is a tiny little spark to cause a massive explosion of violence and bloodshed. The peoples of the world would not even be aware that a genocide is taking place. Even if they were, the world might choose not to interfere in a “civil war” as all the lowly semi-civilised Third World countries (including the two veto-wielding big bullies in the UNSC) would back the South African regime.

This would most likely turn out to be true. Unlike the First World peoples who at least protest against their criminal regimes which murder people en masse, the uncouth hordes that (over)populate most semi-civilised Third World countries would blindly support any filthy regime that butchers their own fellow citizens. The hordes of every other uncouth country would only be too eager to lick the filthy boots of their respective rogue regimes, as voracious boot-licking is an art perfected by the Third World hordes. With the globalist crooks determined to bridge the ethical and civilisational gap between the First and Third Worlds by forcefully pulling down the First World to the lowly standards set by the semi-civilised Third World, it’s highly unlikely that anyone would even acknowledge a genocide that takes place in the lowly Third World. Thus, the third possibility of Uhuru turning out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy is the scariest.     

However, according to Siener van Rensburg’s prophecies, the trouble in South Africa would almost coincide with catastrophic events happening around the world (including World War III  8-O  ), and the Boerevolk would succeed in their “final and fiercest struggle”. According to Oom Niklaas, “This would come to pass when the ice begins to melt.” 

Siener van Rensburg prophecies are something I’d love to learn more about. If anyone knows a site that contains all his prophecies (including the uninterpretable ones), please let me know.   

(P.S.: I apologise for temporarily abandoning the post called A tale of two teens. Having reduced the frequency with which I post, it shall have to wait for a much longer time.     )

The Spokesman-Review featured an  Associated Press story by Megan K. Scott about Disney’s upcoming animated film The Princess and the Frog. It features the first black “Disney princess.”

What I found most interesting about the story is the divide it shows between young black girls and their moms in regard to the film.

“. . . for many little black girls growing up with Malia and Sasha Obama in the White House, the historic nature of Tiana’s debut in Disney’s mostly white princess lineup doesn’t quite seem to register,” Scott writes. She goes on:

But some of their moms are making sure their daughters understand the significance of the princess with her brown doe eyes, fuller lips and elegant tiara.

Erica Branch-Ridley, of West Orange, N.J., said her 7- and 11-year-old daughters were excited about a new princess, but the younger one didn’t really understand the importance.

“She sees Obama, the first girls, she’s like, ‘That’s nice,’ ” said Branch-Ridley, broadband supervising producer for the TV program “The Electric Company.”

It seems to me that if these little girls are paying little regard to race, that’s a good thing. Isn’t that exactly what we want in a colorblind society? The article does paraphrase child educational psychologist Charlotte Reznick as saying, “Younger girls don’t see color distinctions as much as older girls,” so maybe this isn’t so much a generational growth of colorblindness as it is a youthful colorblindness that these girls will outgrow.

Still, I have a feeling that little girls will flock to this movie to see a story about another little girl–not a story about a black little girl.

Since I am on this kick of running at least one 5K per month for every month of the year, I went ahead and registered for races for the last two months of 2009.  This Sunday (Nov. 22nd), I am running the Hendrick Marrow Program 5K (www.marrow.org). The exciting thing about this race is that part of it takes place on a race track. The race goes down the zMAX Dragway, loops the perimeter of The Dirt Track, crosses the pedestrian bridge and will make a lap around the famous Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, NC. Since I am all about “running for a cause”, this is yet another perfect race for me to participate in. The proceeds support the Hendrick Marrow Program to benefit the Be The Match Registry which helps patients in need of marrow transplants. Runners start your engines!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dawn-teo/video-scuffle-ensues-when_b_358152.html

PHOENIX, AZ — A scuffle ensued Saturday when members of the National Socialist Movement (Neo-Nazis) found themselves shut out of an anti-immigration Tea Party protest at the Phoenix capitol.

American Citizens United, who organized the Phoenix Tea Party rally, told the Neo-Nazi group that racist messages were not welcome at the demonstration.

Me:  As I understand this it is perfectly okay to put a black president in white face and say it’s about the movie Batman, but it’s not okay to fly the Nazi flag.  I don’t want to get intellectual here, but it’s hard to see how you white face a black man and say it’s got nothing to do with race.

The reality is that you can be kinda racist and that’s okay (teabaggers) and it’s not okay to say you’re a Nazi and openly fly your swastika flag bullshit.

Lord knows I take my swipes at Obama, but it’s got nothing to do with skin color and everything to do with policy.  We should openly acknowledge that there is a lot of racial shit going on revolving around Obama and a lot of people pretending like it’s not racial.

Let’s call a spade a spade or not.