my stuff, your stuff

Buy my stuff!

Grad school is really tough on the wallet, so I've decided to start selling some things on Amazon.com. My seller nickname is my_stuff_your_stuff, so go and check it out.

Here are some items I posted today:


Raw: The Best of Lady Saw [Audio CD] Lady Saw Used from $11.00

Broken Silence [Explicit Lyrics] [Audio CD] Brown, Foxy Buy New $12.00

Take a Joke America [Explicit Lyrics] [Audio CD] Mencia, Carlos Buy New $12.00


tags: music for sale amazon

ban on "natural" hair

(picture from http://www.howtodread.com/dreadlocks.html)


January 1st "extreme" and "fad" hairstyles like cornrows, twists, locs, mohawks and afros are banned from the police dept. People with locs are forced to cut their hair off and women with natural hair are forced to either straighten or shave their heads. I find this to be extremely racist against black people considering locs, cornrows, twists and fros are worn by mostly Blacks. The sad thing is this was set in place by a BLACK mayor and BLACK police commissioner.

Their excuse: The police would "blend in" with the criminals.

Now if you all care about equal rights (despite of how you wear your hair) I suggest you sign this petition. We cannot allow these kinds of regulations to perpetuate internalized racism. There is nothing that dictates that "straight" hair is more "normal" or less offensive than natural hair, except our socialization process.

Please help by signing the petition at the site below.


http://www.petitiononline.com/baltpd/petition.html

tags: hair black law

protecting equality

LANSING VOTES TO PROTECT GLBT PEOPLE

(Lansing-MI) - Tonight the Lansing City Council voted unanimously to pass a human rights ordinance that bans discrimination within the city, including discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Today, Michigan's Capital City, became the 14th municipality in the state to outlaw discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people when the city council voted unanimously to support a human rights ordinance. The ordinance bans anti-gay discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations. It also includes local protections based on race, religion, sex, weight, and other characteristics.

"Today is a great day for everyone who lives or works or even passes through, Lansing," said Sean Kosofsky, Director of Policy for Triangle Foundation, Michigan's leading civil rights organization for GLBT people and their allies. "The unanimous vote by city council, should send a loud message that discrimination has no place in Lansing."

Anti-gay discrimination is still legal in the State of Michigan, because the State's civil rights law, The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, does not prohibit discrimination based on "sexual orientation" or "gender identity or expression." Fourteen cities have gone the extra step of banning such discrimination, within their borders.

Anti-gay activists from the American Family Association - based in Midland - have threatened to repeal the protections for GLBT tax-payers and residents of Lansing.

"This ordinance is like a holiday gift to the entire Lansing community. It is a shame anti-gay extremists from outside Lansing want to divisive and mean-spirited agenda to Lansing," continued Kosofsky.

The other Michigan cities with protections for GLBT people are: Detroit, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Douglas, Birmingham, Oak Park, East Lansing, Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Flint, Huntington Woods, Ferndale and Grand Ledge.


tags: equality glbt law

gift ideas

While trying to finish up exams and prepare for the numerous holiday parties just around the corner, I have found myself in a quandary over holiday gifts. I came upon this website/store uncommon goods. They have really cute stuff, and an abundance which fits into my price range of under $25.

tags: holidays gifts websites

Role of Arts in a Time of Crisis

(click post title to link to video and text)

Mary Schmidt Campbell, Dean of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, presented this keynote address at a conference last year in Brazil, called "Performing Heritage." In this keynote speech, she addresses the role of arts, the public intellectual and response to government and political policy. There is a full text and video of her address, available at the link above.

Ayanna turned me on to this series of conferences called Encuentros, which are really a mix of academics and arts. The next one is taking place in Argentina, and focuses on body politics. The deadline for proposals is January 15, 2007, and you can access info at this website.

tags: art call for artists intellectuals

Scratch and Sniff Art Exhibit

(click post title to read entire story)

My partner sent me this article about a really inventive idea for an art piece. I only wish I had thought of it first. Read on . . .

Exhibit captures the 'smell of fear'

RODRIQUE NGOWI,
Associated Press Writer
Wed Dec 6, 6:17 PM ET

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Masahiro Sugiyama walked up to the gallery wall, gently scratched the paint and cautiously moved closer to capture the smell that many would try to avoid or mask with deodorants under normal circumstances.

A potent odor similar to that of an unwashed male armpit wafted from the wall, a scratch-and-sniff exhibit that captures the "smell of fear" as part of a show at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology exploring how artists use modern technology in creative work.

"This is not the kind of place where you you'd want to stay for long," MIT graduate student Sugiyama, 28, said of the artwork created by Norwegian artist and researcher Sissel Tolaas.

tags: art art event

Life in the Fast Lane

Stephen Crowley/The New York Times
Gloria Castillo, 22, works from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. at a Burger King in West Dallas, earning $252 a week before taxes. She and her husband, who have two boys ages 7 and 8, work different shifts.

(click post title to view read article and view video on nytimes website)

From the car window, the whole fast-food experience is a numbing routine. Pull up. Order from the billboard. Idle. Pay. Drive away. Fast food has become a $120 billion motorized American experience.

But consider the life inside that window on Loop 12 in West Dallas. There is a woman with children and no health insurance, undereducated, a foot soldier in the army of the working poor. The fry cook sneezes on the meat patties. Cigarettes go half smoked. Cameras spy on the employees. Customers throw their fries and soft drinks sometimes because they think it’s funny.

tags: immigration jobs texas american poor

fyi: travel regulations

So, I am finally getting out of Ann Arbor for a little bit to visit some family :) I haven't gone anywhere in a while, so I wanted to be sure I was up to date on all the latest travel regulations. After hearing that they threw away this little girl's peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I had to go to the source. I don't know about you, but I always bring my own food, water, etc to the airport cause everything is way overpriced AND gross. It looks like I can still bring food, as long as none of it is liquid-like, but no water. I am already feeling parched!

Click the title link to see all prohibited/allowed items. I won't poke fun now, but some of them did make me laugh. Ok, I'll tell you one that did - the gel bra! hehe. Luckily, you are allowed to wear this through the security area.

Have a great weekend!

tags: travel

Crash: Girl Art Party, Miami

tags: art miami call for artists eve interrupted women

immigration: these arguments incense me

How does this make any sense? (click title of post to read full article from USA today)

"City Council members (in a suburb of Dallas, Texas) unanimously approved fines for landlords who rent to illegal immigrants, making English the city's official language and allowing local authorities to screen suspects in police custody to check their immigration status."

English is used here as an indicator of legal citizenship status. How does that make any sense? I know a lot of people back home in Miami that speak very little, or poor English, and are fully legal citizens. Talk about politicizing and criminalizing language! Arguments like these really incense me, because they terrorize people. Then, the advocates wonder why people get angry and get into fights. Hello! I'm angry, and I don't even have to worry that anyone's going to come knocking on my door to see whether or not I speak English, and then use that against me in terms of immigration status.

Then, there's that part about landlords being fined for renting to illegal immigrants. Now, I understand, as a property owner, that it is my responsiblity to be sure that there is, like, no drug ring action happening in my condo, and that I get my rent check on time. But, how does a mere landlord gain the credentials and reponsibilities of an immigration officer? That is not my job, and it is not the job of any landlord in Texas (well, I guess now it is!). See, it just doesn't make any sense.

All of these policies come out of fear. Fear of what? Fear that their city is going to "become Hispanic." Well, they should've realized a long time ago that that city that they think is "theirs" doesn't really "belong" to anyone. It is not their job to "make it white." And, if they really want to see whose land it is, then it is definitely not historically theirs. Texas, before it belonged to the US, was most assuredly part of Mexico. And, before it was part of Mexico, it belonged to the indigenous people who lived there.

That's the end of my rant for today . . .

tags: immigration language texas english spanish

the Bluest Eye: Detroit this weekend

The Bluest Eye is playing at Plowshares Theater through the end of this weekend. Don't worry about getting a bad seat because it's general admission! I just bought my tickets, and I am super excited to see this adaptation of Toni Morrison's book. Here the description from the theater's website:

Eleven year-old Pecola Breedlove has desired the love of her family and friends all her young life. Instead, she faces constant ridicule and abuse. Blaming her dark skin, Pecola prays for blue eyes - as blue as Shirley Temple's. Everyone adores little blue-eyed girls. Her prayers are granted in the most poignant way. The Bluest Eye is the heartrending story of a young black girl's tragic coming of age in 1941 Ohio. Toni Morrison’s poetic and piercingly relevant debut novel is brought to the stage with loving care by playwright Lydia R. Diamond.


tags: theater women art toni morrison detroit black

Shorts on the Beach (films, that is)

tags: film miami art

NYC makes gender a personal choice

Read the article linked above. NYC now makes it possible for transgendered people to "change" their legal gender with or without undergoing surgery. This has many interesting implications for the use of the words 'sex' and 'gender' in society, well in NY anyway, and how people perceive themselves v the way the world interprets them. But, what I am unclear of is, does this mean that there are still only two legal genders, male and female? What if a person rejects both of those categories?

tags: new york gender transgender language

a poem to kick your butt to the polls!

a poem from Staceyann Chin on tomorrow's necessity . . . I have already sent in my absentee ballot, so you all go on and exercise that right.


Why the Fuck Should I Vote in 2006? (only a portion, go to her myspace to read the whole thing)
by Staceyann Chin (www.myspace.com/staceyannchin)


Less than twenty-four hours

left

before the mid-term elections



the weeks have tricked us

into days/the moment

descends and my fingers itch

for a poem

a great rage to inspire you

to rise you up

early or late tomorrow



to go vote



for Katrina

and the ill winds that flapped

incumbent at the throats of old women

who marched in Selma



for the children who will never know

the New Orleans into which they were born



for Alabama

and Georgia



for Tennessee

Missouri



New York City and how this town

has become a place

only the wealthy can enjoy

vote against these small boxes we pay

entire months wages for



every month

I have to cut something else

snip

snip

snip away at the doors Black teenagers can walk through

pile all the Puerto Ricans on top of each other

call them Mexicans

because you don't know better



if your mother is Dominican

if your father is from Barbados

your older brother is still in Belize

grandfather is in Nigeria



if your maternal grandmother is Jamaican

if you have never seen the city where your people are from

white as a WASP and liberal

or independent

or you used to be republican



Go Vote

tags: vote poem art staceyann chin culture

being a woman artist

Guerrilla Girls
Originally uploaded by 16_sparrows.

i am supposed to be working on writing my NSF grant, and instead i got lost looking at flickr photos. but, this has some bearing on the subject of what it means to be a caribbean woman artist, so i thought i would share.

tags: women art artists guerilla girls

*weekly* recipe: honey-glazed tofu with bok choy

glazed tofu in pan
Originally uploaded by thinkist.

I just finished yet another paper, and my reward is a blog post. Maybe that sounds lame, but hey, you gotta have something to look forward to. And, maybe some of you will benefit . . . works out all the way around!

So, here is an awesome recipe from >poco-cocoa

I have made so many things from her blog. This honey-glazed tofu was so yummy! I made the bok-choy too, but forgot to take a picture once everything was plated.

Enjoy!
Gingered Bok Choy

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger (one small piece)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (2 medium cloves)
1 head bok choy, sliced, stems and leaves separated
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and saute 1 to 2 minutes, until garlic is just golden. Add bok choy stems, soy sauce, and water, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until stems are just tender. Add bok choy leaves and cilantro, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Serve with tofu and brown rice.

Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Source: poco-cocoa.

Honey-Glazed Tofu

1 (12-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained, blotted dry, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon sriracha sauce (you may want to add more, mine wasn’t spicy at all)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu in one layer, and cook without stirring for 4 to 5 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly browned. Flip pieces over and brown at least one other side, about 4 to 5 minutes more.

While tofu is cooking, whisk together remaining ingredients. Once tofu is browned, add honey mixture to the pan. Shake and stir until the tofu is evenly coated, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens up a bit and glazes the tofu.

Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Source: poco-cocoa.

poco-cocoa's original post

tags: food tofu honey vegetarian bok-choy recipe

a girl like me

read this opinion piece, by Leonard Pitts in the Miami Herald. it's associated with this video by Kiri Davis. she's a 17 year old who made a short film about the self-image of young black women. in this short film, which is part of the media that matters film festival, davis investigates self-image, beauty and how young women understand their own histories. she also recreates a 1930s "doll test" which engages young children to express the ideas and stereotypes they've already been shaped by.


soon to come on this blog (i will try. grad school work is keeping me far away from blogging.)
-a weekly recipe so long overdue, i should just call them "monthly"
-why do we still have a holiday called "columbus day?"
-what i learned from sandra cisneros

thanks for hanging in there. meanwhile, i'd like to let you know that comments really motivate me, so keep 'em comin',

tags: art video black women self-image history film

Sandra Cisneros and Ruth Behar, Ann Arbor

Thursday, September 28, 7:30pm, in the Rackham Auditorium

The Hispanic Heritage Month 2006 Keynote Address will feature Sandra Cisneros on “Why I’m Not Hispanic.” Sandra Cisneros is a novelist, poet, short story writer, and essayist whose work gives voice to working-class Latino and Latina life in America. Her lyrical, realistic work blends aspects of “high” and popular culture. Her work includes the novels: The House on Mango Street (1983) and Caramelo (2002), Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories (1991), poetry: Bad Boys (1980), My Wicked Wicked Ways (1987), and Loose Woman (1994), a children’s book Hairs/Pelitos (1994), and Vintage Cisneros (2003), a compilation of her works. In 1995 Cisneros was awarded the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and in 2003 she received the Texas Medal of the Arts. She lives in San Antonio, TX, where she has created the Macondo Foundation, a unique writers workshop with a Latino focus and a commitment to community service.
Followed by a light reception and book signing by Sandra Cisneros.



Friday, September 29, 11am-1pm, in 3512 Haven Hall


Talking in our Pajamas: A Conversation Between Sandra Cisneros and Ruth Behar. Dressed in their pajamas, author, Sandra Cisneros and U-M Professor of Anthropology and Women’s Studies, Ruth Behar will have a public conversation. They will discuss a range of topics, including writing, books, and being Latinas, topics which they have been talking about for over a decade. A continental breakfast will be served.

tags: art art event writers ann arbor latina cuban ann arbor latina cubana chicana ruth behar sandra cisneros author women

Calling All Dancers! A Space of Your Own (new york)

This is a great opportunity to have an office and get the guidance needed to run a professional dance company. Here are the details:

DNA Subsidized Administrative Space Program

Dance New Amsterdam (DNA) is a unique arts organization that provides an arena where dancers at all levels of training, from novice through professional can study, create and perform. DNA's mission is to provide the tools and support necessary for artists to establish viable, healthy long-term lives as dancers. DNA acts as a laboratory in which ideas and vocabularies are exchanged and where artists may present their work before audiences.

Dance New Amsterdam's Subsidized Administrative Space program (SAS) was created and designed for dance artists and choreographers seeking to establish themselves in New York City but have been unable to find affordable administrative rental space given the current New York City real estate market.

Dance New Amsterdam's SAS program provides up and coming choreographers as well as established choreographers and companies dedicated administrative office space located within the executive offices of Dance New Amsterdam at a subsidized rental rate. For those applicants selected Dance New Amsterdam will provide access to the following.

:: Office hours 9:00am - 8:00pm* (Monday - Saturday)

:: Private cubicle with lockable storage and file space

:: Computer with internet access and printer

:: Phone with a private extension and receptionist

:: Office supplies**

:: Fax and photocopying**

:: Access to DNA facilities including conference room for private meetings, rest rooms, locker rooms, kitchen and faculty lounge

:: Approximately two hours weekly of private consultation with DNA staff in finance, development and marketing***

:: Access to potential teaching and performance opportunities.

*Flexible schedules available
**Limited to availability and usage
***By appointment only

DNA's community of artists, dancers, musicians, patrons and students provides a stimulating environment for SAS participants. Resident companies will receive professional guidance based on an initial annual assessment of each company's unique challenges, goals and objectives. Directors of SAS companies will be given special consideration for employment within DNA's school programs including the Modern Guest Artist Series.

Applications for the SAS program will be reviewed by the senior staff of Dance New Amsterdam as well as an independent panel of six dance educators and administrators. Selected choreographers and companies will begin their administrative residencies in November 2006 by signing a one year rental contract with the opportunity for extension when applicable.

The Application & Selection Process

Choreographers and companies interested in seeking approval should provide the SAS committee with a brief narrative that should include the following information.

:: Name of Company or Individual

:: Non-Profit/Corporate status and organizational chart*

:: Mission Statement

:: Brief History: biography of body of work, recent accomplishments

:: Current Fiscal sponsorship

:: Funding history and current fiscal sponsorship

:: Financials (annual budget)*

:: HR manual and EEO policy guidelines*

:: Administrative Goals: strategic plan or outline of intended goals during artist/company's residency in the SAS Program

*when applicable

The SAS committee will choose a group of semi-finalists with the final selection by the Executive Director. Selection will be based upon need, a clear mission and a history of completed projects. Consideration will be given to successful informal showings, presentations in small venues and ongoing consistent development of work.

Emerging dancer artists and companies without an extensive history of performances or general body of work will also be considered for participation and are strongly encouraged to apply

Deadlines for Submissions: October 13, 2006

Send proposals via email to:

SAS Program
development@dnadance.org

Proposals can also be submitted by US mail or Fax:

SAS Program
Dance New Amsterdam
280 Broadway 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10007
Attn: Development Department

Fax: 212-625-8313

No Phone Calls Please

tags: dance dancer office call for artists new york artist

favorite yoga pose: Janu Sirasana

I get these daily emails from Yoga Journal, which I think are really great. They remind me of things to focus on, and also things I can "let go" of. I meant to post one email that was titled "mind chatter!" But that's beside the point. My point today is that Janu Sirasana is one of my favorite poses. It's easy to do, and when done properly, uses your whole body to twist slightly and fold forward. Make sure to spend the time getting into proper position and avoid just collapsing forward.

Here's the info from Yoga Journal:

Tune Your Hamstrings

Think your hamstrings are too tight to forward bend? Then Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose) is the pose for you. This asana is attainable even for those with little flexibility. Its benefits-mental clarity, improved digestion, decreased stress-make it a welcome addition to any practice.

Janu Sirsasana is easier than other forward bends because it allows you to stretch one leg at a time-it cuts the resistance you may feel in your hamstrings when you fold forward in half.

Here's how to try it:

Sit upright with your legs extended on the floor in front of you. Bend your right knee up to the ceiling and pull your heel in toward your buttocks. Let your knee open out to the right until it touches or almost touches the floor. Place the sole of your right foot on your left thigh and flex your left foot. Twist toward your left leg and hold your thigh, ankle, or foot with both hands (or you can hold on to a strap wrapped around the left foot). Inhale and lengthen your spine, then exhale and gently fold deeper into the pose. Remain for five to 10 breaths, then switch sides.

Janu Sirsasana is a calming, cooling pose. As it becomes more comfortable to perform, you may find yourself ready for more challenging forward bends.


Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose)
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/476_1.cfm?ctsrc=nldn

Long and Strong
http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/1849_1.cfm?ctsrc=nldn

tags: yoga asana janu sirasana stretching health body