Today's youth pt. 2

Older, founding gang members even say there is a problem. Today's youth have no allegiance. They're too concerned with respect and money- and will kill you without a second thought. Why are these kids doing that. What has happened in the last 20 years?

Websiteeeeeee

www.persiahopkins.com

check it out

So, I'm an author

I am. I'll post my work later (links to it/how to buy) when that becomes available.

For now, I blog.

Mayra Andrade

Talk about a find. This girl is a Cape Verdean, Paris-raised girl heralded as a new Brazilian world-artist. Who sings in french (creole). Talk about worldly. She's young, beautiful, and has such a smooth voice you'd wonder if she could actually sing democracy away. Her album is called Navega and is not-available-in-the-united-states (which sucks sucks sucks it's not even on itunes or amazon). So for now, I suggest listening to the songs via this music blog: http://laondatropical.blogspot.com/ and listen to the title track here. And maybe petitioning iTunes to let european music into the U.S.

Today's youth

Can they be helped?

I work with kids almost all day. Ages 12 to 22. When arguably, the 20somthings aren't "kids" anymore, but you'd be surprised. The kids I work with are athletes, so they all have something to lose/something they're invested in. What about the kids that don't?

I was on a panel the other day talking to some inmates. They basically said that they are afraid of the next generation - who's fear and respect for their parents and other adults is disappearing FAST. That those kids will stab you in a second. Has our generation made them grow up too fast?

Well, the prospect of it all has made me throw my hands up in frustration. I don't know what to do. Who does?

My opinion may not be popular, but I am an American

Who the hell's gonna be president?

Our options: Hillary, Obama, McCain

McCain: a GOP Bill Clinton?
http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/008013.php
"McCain was still married and living with his wife in 1979 while, according to The New York Times' Nicholas Kristof, "aggressively courting a 25-year-old woman who was as beautiful as she was rich." McCain divorced his wife, who had raised their three children while he was imprisoned in Vietnam, then launched his political career with his new wife's family money. In 2000, McCain managed to deflect media questioning about his first marriage with a deft admission of responsibility for its failure."
And now this new woman in the New York Times article last night? I don't even need to comment.

Hillary: fulfilling the stereotype
She's acting like a hormonal woman. This pains me to realize it as much as it pains me to write it. It's working against her and as a woman, I'm really worried. Can a woman be president? There are other countries with female heads of state. Why can't ours have one too? Because she's attacking Obama on topics that have little relevance to our country's well being. It's the "smile and speak even though I'm angry and yelling at you." Crazy

Obama: I just like him
I am an Obaman, his policies and politics make a lot of sense. Finally someone verbalizing what a lot of us have been wondering for years: why isn't government about GOVERNMENT??? Where did all this politicing and old boys club come into play to the point where it is more important to elect someone who's funny than it is to elect someone who can do the job? Maybe the media's right- Americans are too entertained. We don't even realize that there is a rest of the world.


soo who's going to be president?


My opinion may not be popular, but I am an American

I am a crazy salsa person

Look at all the salsa congresses!

There's a list to the bottom left of this page

And what is a salsa congress you ask? Basically it is a 3-4 day festival of salsa/mambo workshops, lessons, discussion panels, and performances topped off each night by a social open dance lasting til 3-4 in the morning. It's a great way to learn salsa and a great way to dance with some of the world's greatest! Highly recommended!

We are Lemmings

Romney dropped out the race. I don't really care, but a lot of other people do.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/07/romney.campaign/index.html

He uses the term "suspends" which really just kinda means "keep my name in here long enough so I can be McCain's running partner." Tactical and cowardly just to get his ass in the White House.

But I really want to comment on something he said, noted in the link I've included in here.
In Re: to McCain... "But I agree with him on doing whatever it takes to be successful in Iraq, on finding and executing Osama bin Laden, and I agree with him on eliminating Al Qaeda and terror worldwide," he said."

ok.... pause and think...... pause and think........ ok just pause

What?!

DO WHATEVER IT TAKES to be SUCCESSFUL in Iraq?!
Ok Maybe I've been too influenced by media reports and reports from my friends who have been to Iraq... but uh, we're never going to be "successful" in Iraq. It's another Vietnam, we're not suppose to be successful over there. They don't want us to be. We don't want to be. Bush is an idiot.

Ok so put the dumb statement about Iraq aside. Now, find Osama bin Laden? World police here we come, find him? Do you realize how many of him are out there? Do you realize how incredibly effective he is at digging caves? He can be walking around the street market, he sees an American flag and he's digging a cave while holding a camcorder. Finding him? Should that really be a priority? In 20 years, Venice will be gone. Under water. In 30 years, polar bears will be extint- their habitat is melting away. In 50 years, the earth would have doubled in population and that is MORE LIFE THREATENING than "terror" because we will have no more resources, supply in demand will be an ancient term, and we will return to the primal beings we as animals were at the beginning of evolution. But oh, the most important thing now is finding Osama bin Laden. Finding one muthafucka in a cave. really?

Eliminating Al Queda and terror worldwide... what is terror? At my college, it's our mascot. Do any of us know what it really is? No. Does anyone know what this "terror" these republicans keep talking about is? No. Terror is a feeling, an emotion, not a noun. I cannot go to "terror's" house and talk about blue daisies. We need to stop fighting terror, stop these politics - it's killing people. Maybe this ties into the whole "world over population" thing, maybe there is a genocide going on underneath our noses, maybe the problem is being addressed so that every brown, poor person in the world dies and all that's left are White American southerners and oil. This is going somewhere, it's a trend, why don't people wake up.

The country's in so much debt it's not even funny. And now there's a $170 billion dollar tax rebate stimulus plan going through... this is what happens when the country is run by a monkey.

And we are his Lemmings.

My opinion may not be popular, but I am an American.

Ex-Offenders: America's legal slaves

Here's a question about prison and reentry: Vocational/job training.

Are we setting ex-offenders up? Hell yes we are

Ok, think about these programs. If you are not familiar with them, they basically teach inmates a "trade" so that when they get out of prison, they will have a skill and be able to get a job. On paper, great idea, right? But think about these jobs that they are being trained for.

Mechanic
Barber
Food Service
Horse Training
Plumbing
Electrician
etc.

These jobs are pretty low paying/low-moderate skill. I would argue that a mechanic and electrician at least are pretty highly skilled, but generally, they're considered a moderate skilled job requiring less education than anything requiring a bachelors. Hence, spotty pay. But my question here isn't about the level of the job training being offered or the subsequent jobs... it's why are these being offered and not the gamut of positions? Why aren't social worker, political scientist (politician), teacher, college-ready scholar being taught?

Easy. We don't want prisoners to succeed or do better because they are... DING DING DING Prisoners! We don't want them working with us, we don't want them living near us, we want them to live in perpetual servitude to us as our new race of "self-made" slaves.

Ok so let me lay out the cycle here to illustrate my point. In ___ easy steps, YOU can become a slave! Here is a general map of the life trajectory of a prisoner/ex-offender:
1. Family lives in poverty because of a history of family members working in low paying jobs stemming from slavery (it still affects us, yes yes yes)
2. Grow up in inner city/high crime area
3. Social learning theory- LEARN how to do crime from environment as a child
4. Shotty education system, learn how to read at age 9 (if at all). School is a waste, drop out maybe or just cut and make money (crimes, more often than not b/c it's more gratifying to get more money quicker with less effort- and that's for anyone, Donald Trump included)
5. Get LOCKED UP whoo hoo now you're in prison/jail
6. Oh great, because you've had good behavior, you now are eligible to go into a job training class (which is actually shown to reduce recidivism in those who participate: one plus I haven't mentioned yet)
7. Learn a low paying job skill
8a. Get out, not get that low paying job because you have a record
8b. Get out, get the low paying job and just live in poverty like your family did from the getgo

I have to say, what the fuck?

How does someone get out of this cycle? Blacks historically have a history or recieiving less-than-acceptable levels of education; less-than-acceptable job opportunities... hell, we were the last ones to get the right to vote and most Blacks STILL DON'T VOTE. Blacks make up 13% of the general population but the majority of the prison population. Doesn't that smell fishy to you? Just a lil? Oh look, there goes Nemo...

My point: It's not just about offenders. Blacks are still slaves. We've got people thinking we aren't, but look at the facts.
A. Blacks: majority are decedents of African Slaves.
B. African Slaves: can't read, can't write... non-slave offspring can maybe read or write, but not well.
C. Non-slave offspring: compared to whites, poorer interpersonal/educational/job skills.
D. People with poor education: get poor jobs
E. Get poor jobs: make no money
F. Make no money: propensity to commit crime explodes
G. Commit crime: get locked up
H. Get locked up: loose civil liberties, now have a record
I. Have a record: can't get a job. Oh wait! Job training! Now I can get a low paying job!
J. Return to step E
*I must note; this cycle does not apply to everybody, but it sure applies to a hellava lot (too many!)

See the cycle? Legally, many Blacks are still slaves and have become so accustome to accepting that status, that most don't even realize that we've been had.

here's a related article, check it out: http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/socialservices/20060524/15/1862

So I reiterate Obama's message (whether he gets the presidential bid or not, it's still a good point made by an intelligent man): YES WE CAN overcome this shit. Black people have the same brain capacity as any other "race" so what the hell. Somebody's gotta stop sitting on their ass and start complaining. Oh wait, that's me. But I can't do it alone...

My opinion may not be popular, but I am an American

Yes We Can

Listen to the teachings of Ghandi, MLK Jr., Buddha, John Lennon, both prophets Muhammad and Jesus...they all say basically the same things. So why do people get upset when somebody tries to convince us we have a chance to make a change? Before you try to respond to what you think is my comparison of Jesus to John Lennon, first think about why that's what you are responding to instead of why so many people have a hard time believing they can make a change.

An American Government more corrupt than we thought

so my fiance sent this to me last night. It's a 5 part video, you'll have to go to YouTube to watch the rest.

Just watch the first few seconds of it before you write it off, there were some things in there (with evidence) that certainly made me raise an eyebrow

My UMI Says

Today's Song
UMI Says- Mos Def

"Tomorrow may never come
For you or me
Life is not promised
Tomorrow may never show up
For you and me
This life is not promised"

Grad school kills people

I am a graduate student.  This will be short.  The semester has just begun and I need to save up my words for my thesis.

there is a point where a PhD student changes from a consumer of knowledge into a provider of consumables, however, within the confines of an advisor who consumed information before the information this student used to reach the conclusions they are suppose to "break ground" with.  "Think outside the box" as long you still fit into this bigger box with 10 other people that are trying to do well, especially better than you so that they get funding and they get to stay in hell longer.  Is that box a coffin?  Why don't they tell us it's a coffin on the application.  

I am not saying don't go to graduate school.  It's great.  I value my education and anything I have to endure here is nothing compared to those who came before me and weren't given the luxury of not just higher, but any education.  But still, graduate school is such a depressant.  Advisors should keep speed on their desks for easy distribution.  If you think you are great, smart, and at the top of your game: don't go to grad school.  It will remind you how stupid you are.  stupid stupid stupid

My opinion may not be popular, but I am an American

Inspiration is a ride at Disney

I took a hiatus from writing.  I got mad with it a few years ago, stopped writing anything that wouldn't end up on the corner of some academic's desk.  But I was inspired to start writing about my dreams and stuff.  In elementary school I wrote a paper on how much I hated eggplants. That was quite possibly the best piece of literature I have ever written to date.  Stay tuned for the sequel, soliloquy to a turnip...

Ok with all food jokes aside, this man really opened my panda box and let all these ideas start to think that it was ok for them to be ideas and to get written down somewhere.  I spent my entire flight last night from SD to DC writing about my flight.  I actually had the attention span to provide a personal commentary to my life in RSS.  I have become a dork who carries a pad of paper everywhere... and it's not to write stupid poems about birds and shit.

So to you, my hubby hubby, I owe the reawakening of the dragon.   thank you

Chances I'd Eat My Friends

41%

Really? What's the point to these quizzes. It basically asked me if I was self-sacrificing and ate sushi. From that, I MIGHT eat my friends

Book Review: Orgasms by Lou Paget

Ok so this book use to be called "The Big O" by Lou Paget. I think it's still called that, but not on every book. Different title: same book.

I actually bought this book when I was out in Chinatown with a friend... by the end of the day i realized it was a date and had been under the impression it was platonic and I'm sure picking up this book didn't help- but hey, i was at Urban Outfitter and saw it, bought it, read the hell out of it and now realize what I was doing wrong allll thiiiisss time. Lou Paget wrote this book awhile ago, I think I remember seeing it on my mother's book shelf as a child thinking "Oh, the big O, I bet that's about Elmo." Clearly, I snuck it down and took a peak and Elmo does not do things like that to Big Bird so I let that one go. Revisiting the book as an adult was a better idea.

Paget writes the book like she's talking to you. Not like "Oh put your hand on A and your tongue on B, then your hip on C and swivel." No, it's not an instruction book-- per se. An easy fast read, you learn some techniques for how to please your partner or get them to please you. But most of all, the book lets you in on how to have an Orgasm (which is the point of the book duh). But it's not in all that technique bullshit all those other sex books put it at where you do a whole bunch of twister moves and magically cum. No. That's not even half the battle, that's the notification that a battle is coming. Paget tells you: it's all in your head. Orgasms start in the brain in that: you think sexy, you feel sexy, you are sexy, you orgasm. Just think about what you're doing, simply put. From this technique, you could hump an armrest and arguably get just as much satisfaction as having actual sex.

The book's worth reading, I buy it for my friends. Goes for $12.95 but it's cheaper on Amazon. To buy the book, check out Amazon.com for it

My opinion may not be popular, but I am an American

Tuan the Sculptor

The other night, my fiance and I were strolling around the gaslamp district and came across this little gallery. The only reason why it stood out so much was because it was lit up like Tokyo at midnight, their electricity bill must be ridiculous.

We went in there not b/c of the art, but b/c we were cold and didn't look homeless. The place was as big as my kitchen and hosted maybe 4 artists in there. Tuan Nguyen was one of them. After pretending to look interested in the paintings for about 10 minutes, the curator told us his story and, whether she was accurate or not, it stuck with us the rest of the night.

I googled him, didn't come up with much but this stuff on wikipedia. The art gallery lady explained that he was born a prince in Vietnam, had all the best instructors and access to everything - including art teachers (which was not taught in Vietnam schools at the time). Then something happened (think this is where the communist conflict comes in) and his family was stripped of everything and he was locked up. Didn't have much to do, ended up making sculptures out of the clay at the prison. Whatever a Vietnamese warden would be called, that person commissioned Tuan (what he goes by, first name only) to do some pieces for his family. From there, he ended up getting released (or maybe he tried to escape? not sure). Some other people tried to leave with him and they were killed. Somewhere in this story he met a woman and fell in love etc etc she was killed and he's never taken on to someone the same way again. Now, after all this stuff with prison and escaping, he was in the Philippines and trying to get to the states but couldn't for whatever reason, but his father had been given a whole bunch of teeth from I believe villagers who wanted to show their appreciation or something... sorry I'm kinda fuzzy on that part of the story. Anyway, Tuan's father didn't have anything to give him so he gave him these teeth and this was what Tuan provided to the immigration people as some type of collateral to get him passage to the U.S. Turns out the teeth belonged to Vietnamese and American soldiers who fought during the Vietnam war and being able to ID the owners would allow those families to have some closure. So he exchanged the teeth for allowance into America and he is said to attribute his current freedom and life in America to the American soldiers who died.

The gallery director told us this story, so contact the gallery if you wanna know what she told us exactly: their website http://www.ecgallery.com/


I don't know how accurate what we were told was, u'd really have to ask Tuan to know. There's been some talk about putting his life into a movie, but he wasn't too keen on it. They're at it again, and with this story being so movie worthy because and only because of the message of triumph, hope, and luck in it: I hope they go forward with it this time. Even if this isn't even close to his actual story, just thinking that a man can go from having the world to losing everything to still becoming one of the most revered living master artists of this time... then I would be doing his drive injustice by not accomplishing my own dreams. It's possible, through everything and everything, anything is possible.

What's going on? Parent-child homicide

Some people who are killing their kids: the CNN stories
Banita Jacks in D.C.
Lam Luong in Mississippi

In each case, there were 4 kids. In each case, all 4 were killed by one parent. In one, the homicides occurred following an argument with the spouse. In the other, it's assumed the parent committing the homicide is suffering mental illness.

What's going on? Who knows. The D.C. case is responding by firing social workers, which I'm not sure if that's all together fair. Those people get limited training, not enough pay, and a huge workload with way too many cases. For the D.C. Mayor to pin it on them and say it's totally their fault... not fair.

Could it be having so many kids? There are lots of families who have that many kids and more who don't go throwing their kids off bridges.

Is there really a way to legitimately say "we can fix this kind of problem this way"? Did this type of stuff happen 50 years ago? Does it happen in other countries? Which ones? Why? More questions than answers, and I don't really have much of an opinion on this one. It's just sad. Those poor kids.

An east coaster's day in L.A.

Ok, so to me, an East Coast girl born and raised on the foundations of the work and toil of the power elite and the value of education: L.A. is just a shiny wannabe version of... well, everything. My opinion may not be - actually probably isn't - fair. But I still think that L.A. is the fly trap to every individual who wants to "make it big" by being "someone else." It's fake. Fake boobs, fake actors, fake smiles, fake friends, fake. I don't think it's "L.A." that's fake- I just think it attracts and caters to a certain personality type. bzzzzap there goes that bright blue bug killer again...

Still, I know people who want to be a part of it. I don't fault them for it- America glamorizes and idolizes that flashy stuff. Anywho, I went there for the first time this weekend. And despite the fakeness, I had a whole lot of fun and everyone I met there - whether it was fake or not - seemed reallllllyyyy happy to be in L.A. Refreshing compared to the depressed guldrum "I hate my life and that's so cool" attitude on the east. No wonder midwesterners are impartial.

Ok, so my day was planned out by my wonderful fiance who "surprise!" took me to heaven. Literally, I met God. This place was fantastic - at Hermosa Beach. Glen Ivy Hot Springs is rep't as one of the best spas SoCal has to offer and lemme tell you - between the "relaxation room" with apples and cucumber slices everywhere and the hot stone 50-minute massage topped off by chocolate covered cheesecake and strawberries w/sparkling champagne and 30 minutes to take a 4-nozzle hot shower afterward... angels, every last one of the employees at this place were heavenly messengers. If you haven't gone- go. It's worth the money

Next, I was shuttled over to Alhambra. I met my fiance at salsa dancing so we both dance- and the whole plan was to just go the L.A. to dance (but it was really to go to heaven, the dancing was a ploy). Here that fakeness smacked me in the face. I have never seen so many people look so mad to be dancing. Like, really pissed off angry faces. Mean face. All of them. Too cool to smile. "I am too cool to look happy, I must spin 8 times. spin spin spin. I am amazing." I was looking around like "whooooaaaa" really, I was "like whoa". What about the music? What about dancing because you love it? Naw, it was dancing to make other people want to hate and envy you. I was sad for a moment, mourning the absence of soul in these people. But then I just danced it off with my fiance and a few other L.A. people I danced with (who were actually very nice, it was the better dancers who had the happy-allergy). Again, had a great time and grew a greater appreciation for my dancers back home. The venue was really very very very nice though- Granada, it's called - dancing on the main floor, outside on the patio, and upstairs if you wanted to. Nice floor. Live band was great too. But damn, who dances salsa in big sun glasses and a matador shirt?

My weekend was topped off by great food at this Cuban bistro (as the Chargers kicked the ass out of the Colts' mouths... sad) and this little Soul Food place (Angelenas their catfish was OMG). Spoke to the Liberty Tax girl on the corner for a minute, then drove on home. What a weekend.

So my impression of L.A. : what I expected. But I need to see more of it to get a better idea of what it's really like. And I don't mean driving around Compton or something - I'll stick to the tourist spots.

My opinion may not be popular, but I am an American

2 a Days

So yes, this is my umpteenth attempt at doing this whole "blog" thing. But inspired by my writer of a fiance, I have taken to the road again. Writing writing writing tidbits of things that you MAY or PROBABLY won't be inclined to read. Unless you really have that much time to just sit on ur ass doing a blog search and come across something I've written and think it witty enough to contact me about it or "comment" of how titillating. But everything (usual disclaimer) on here will be my opinion and typically my and every other intelligent person's opinion, so read on. I call myself a thinker, you may just call me arrogantly opinionated, but hey, everybody's got their shtick. (note to self: expand my vocabulary so I don't rely so much on right-click-thesaurus. thanks)

Ok, here's the headline: "It's happened again." What exactly happened again? Ask CNN and they'll tell you that some new 20something grade school teacher has poisoned the mind of America's virginal youth... oh deary deary my. Bull shit. What has been absent from every article reporting on these young teachers knocking boots with their students is the student: THE STUDENT. Do you really think that a teacher - a young, beautiful, PE teacher to add- has the ability to corrupt a young teenager on the path to knowledge and pure living? let's think.... ok, let's think longer... keep thinking, you'll get my point

Think about these kids.

1) A lot of them, per Mary Kay Letourneau, are apparently from less-than-ideal backgrounds. The 14 year old kid who's family is setting himself up for an ivy-league education is not fucking his teacher in the school parking lot. He's either not fucking her or fucking her in the apartment that his parents have bought him. Perhaps the kids who are willing to go that far with a TEACHER was not taught at home "Hey, don't fuck your teacher." Moot point? Probably would at least leave an imprint if followed by "Or I'm kicking your ass!" Parents need to be strict, hey mine were.

2) Myspace and facebook. Yes, I said it. I am referring to the very holy books of generation X that I myself even spend more time than I should stalking my friends on. And what does this have to do with teacher fucking? Sure, it's an avenue to be "friends" with your teacher online. Great. Big whoop. you get their number, it's all over anyway. No, I'm refering to the shit kids have access to on those things, particularly myspace. Tila Tequila, for one. I saw her page. I even felt encouraged to go take off all my clothes and take pictures of my abdomen afterward. Strippers, porn stars, and your every day honey just trying to make it Tequila style is on there. And how do kids have access? Add em as a friend, doesn't matter if you know em. But the point is this: kids have front seat access to shit tellin them that it's ok to be sexual, even at a young age. Are they under 16? Doesn't matter, they can enter an age that says they are older than they are and get access to all sorts of stuff. And parents don't check it, this isn't like the little chat rooms we had 10 years ago.

3) My final point. These kids are BOYS. Yea, there are girls getting molested too, but how many of them are in the news. Those kids get traumatized, these boys get trophies. I have friends, yes me, who banged a teacher either while we were their students or after graduation. It has happened, this is not new. And a lot of those boys GO FOR THE TEACHER. First it's hey, lemme hang out in your office after hours so I can talk about how "troubled" I am, then it's hey, let's be friends on myspace, then it's hey, come meet me at this park near my house, my parents won't know- i just want to talk. Then yada yada yada the kid has banged his teacher. These kids are not little corrupted angels. Shit. If a kid (like the one in Florida) can orchestrate getting a cousin to drive him and his teacher around in the back of his SUV so they can "do what it do," then no, they're not being preyed upon

So my point: sure, the teacher's are messin up by having sex with their students. Definitely, no question about that. It's not like they tripped and fell on the dick, some kind of choice happened and clearly went the wrong way. But listen... look at these kids too. Our media (yes, the MEDIA whoaaaahahaha whooooooahahahahahah) show these kids that sexuality is where it's at and that fuckin is cool and fucking a teacher, man- you must be the shit if you can take it that far. Treat the teachers, yes. But we're all to "blame" somewhat for what we expose our kids to. Treating the problem means treating the WHOLE problem- not just the part that's easy to criticize.

My opinion may not be popular, but I am an American