generating my own fun

"Mothers of Courage - While many of us preoccupy ourselves with the daily woes of life and our..."

Sun, 12 May 2013 00:00:21 -0400

“Mothers of Courage - While many of us preoccupy ourselves with the daily woes of life and our personal goals, haven’t we stopped and thought for a while of the mothers who gave up their lives, even offered their own blood, for the sake of the greatest mom of all - the Motherland?”

- http://www.bulatlat.com/news/3-15/3-15-mothers.html

"One must say Yes to life, and embrace it wherever it is found - and it is found in terrible..."

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:03:47 -0400

“One must say Yes to life, and embrace it wherever it is found - and it is found in terrible places… For nothing is fixed, forever and forever, it is not fixed; the earth is always shifting, the light is always changing, the sea does not cease to grind down rock. Generations do not cease to be born, and we are responsible to them because we are the only witnesses they have. The sea rises, the light fails, lovers cling to each other, and children cling to us. The moment we cease to hold each other, the moment we break faith with one another, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out.”

- James Baldwin

How taxing the rich creates jobs and opportunity for the middle...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:45:32 -0500

How taxing the rich creates jobs and opportunity for the middle class.

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A TED Talk on Income Inequality by Nick Hanauer (by PoliticalYAK)

“This, too, shall pass.” Harlem Reacts to...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:48:11 -0500

“This, too, shall pass.”

Harlem Reacts to ‘Harlem Shake’ Videos (by SchleppFilms)

I GOT ANXIETY READING THIS SYLLABUS. “Poet W. H. Auden...

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:52:03 -0500

I GOT ANXIETY READING THIS SYLLABUS.

“Poet W. H. Auden was a professor at the University of Michigan during the 1941-42 academic year, teaching “Fate and the Individual in European Literature.” His syllabus required over 6,000 pages of reading including Dante’s “The Divine Comedy,” Dostoevsky’s “The Brother’s Karamazov” and Melville’s “Moby-Dick.” (via W. H. Auden’s syllabus will make your college courses look like a piece of cake | New York Daily News)

help send this birthday girl to the Philippines!

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:48:00 -0500

My name is Hanalei and it’s my birthday week.

This year, in lieu of being on the receiving end of expensive dinners out where we talk about people we didn’t like in high school at length, a Patron-induced hangover in the morning, and quirky knickknacks from your last cruise, I am asking you to help send me to the Philippines in July 2013 for two reasons:

One: I primarily organize with the New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (NYCHRP) a grassroots organization. Currently, I am one of the local organizers for the International Human Rights and Peace Conference (ICCHRP), an international human rights gathering which will take place on July 2013. This year, I am asking for your support to offset the costs of attending this event, and the International Solidarity Mission (ISM), a trip designed for delegates to better understand the human rights situation in the Philippines.

Two: Since September 2012, I have been working on Bloom, a new multimedia piece which will marry 2 great loves of mine: the people’s movement and poetic storytelling. In July 2013, I will launch a curated online series of interactive essays and interviews tracing the stories of Filipino migrant communities I work with in the U.S, On this trip, I will be chasing ledes (pun intended!) and telling stories which can only be collected in several areas of the Philippines. The name Bloom is taken from former political prisoner, Angie Ipong’s, iteration - encouraging all those to “bloom where they are planted.”

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However, to get to the Philippines and to make Bloom happen, I need close to $4,500.000 by July 2013, and a lot of your help! I understand we’re in some tough times right now, so every bit counts! If you can’t give, please help celebrate my birthday by reposting this all over the place - Facebook/Twitter/Instagram! Hey, who knows? Maybe your friends have some room for generosity? Or maybe they’re Scandinavian, and the exchange rate is just stellar? Or maybe you know Kevin Bacon? (…I mean, don’t we all.)

For those of you who can donate, I am truly grateful. I know a free lunch doesn’t exist, so here’s what you get in this lovely barter: (click the bold to be taken to the link!)

FREESTYLE DONATION! - For those of you on-the-go! Quick and simple way to donate. Enter any amount you want, and you’ll be matched to the brackets below!

Any amount under $10 - you have my utmost thanks and will see your name credited online, friend! <3 Facebook/Twitter shout outs, too!

$10 or more - the above and a personal email from me thanking you for your commitment to human rights. AND sneak peeks into the Bloom project!

$25 or more - all of the above and digital downloads of my chapbooks package, including Letters to Martha & Foiled Stars - perfect for your preferred eBook reader!

$50 or more - all of the above and a personalized poem for you AND autographed copies of Letters to Martha & Foiled Stars AND have your name in the end credits of Bloom videos! AND an exclusive link to MY SECRET VIDEO of new work that won’t be released until October 2013!

$100 or more - all of the above and a photo thanking YOU on a sign LIVE! from the PHILIPPINES! AND a special video dedication posted for you on Youtube/Facebook!

$350 or more - all of the above, but instead of a photo of me thanking you, YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR OWN MESSAGE!

$500 or more - First of all, thank you for having $500.00+ worth of belief in my work. B of all, you get all of the above. 3, you will be credited as a producer for Bloom. Last, have I told you lately that I love you?

FREESTYLE DONATION! - enter any amount you want, and you’ll be matched to the brackets above! (I know I’ve written this already, but just in case it took too much for you to scroll back up…)

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Again, I am utterly grateful to you for taking your time to get all the way down here, and reading about my crowdsourcing efforts. I’ve decided to go this route to build awareness on human rights violations in the Philippines and create a supportive community around Bloom. To find some links to my past projects, click here - and be on the look out for some updates from me!

Thanks again, and I’m looking forward to building this community with you, as we surface the stories of the people’s movement of that Philippines, and the everyday heroes we may never have the chance to meet.

Love, Hanalei

This was great to watch live. Someday. Totally Biased: Reggie...

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 14:10:11 -0500

This was great to watch live. Someday.

Totally Biased: Reggie Watts Performs (by TotallyBiasedFX)

When I’m old and gray, these are the nights I’ll...

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 01:21:45 -0500

When I’m old and gray, these are the nights I’ll remember.

(via Calming Manatee)

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 02:48:15 -0500

(via Calming Manatee)

Photo

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 03:06:43 -0500

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Sat, 08 Dec 2012 12:41:38 -0500

titotibok: SIGN THE...

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 23:54:50 -0500

titotibok:

SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.change.org/petitions/justice-for-victims-of-the-tampakan-massacre-cut-u-s-military-aid-to-the-philippines

STOP THE MINING! STOP THE KILLINGS!
JUSTICE FOR THE CAPION FAMILY OF THE TAMPAKAN MASSACRE!

The Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines in Portland, San Francisco, and New York and D.C. based Katarungan: Center for Peace, Justice and Human Rights in the Philippines condemn the October 18th slaying of Juvy Capion and her two sons by the 27th Infantry Battalion(IB) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). This is part of a continuing pattern of intimidation and impunity used by the Philippine military to violently suppress the growing opposition to aggressive mining development in the ancestral lands of the indigenous peoples of Mindanao.

The October 18th massacre in Cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines took place at around 6 o’clock in the morning, when soldiers of the 27th IB, according to human rights workers and church people in the region, strafed the side of the Capion household. This attack upon unarmed civilians caused the injury of four-year-old Becky and the murder of her mother, Juvy, who was two months pregnant at the time, along with her two sons, Jordan “Pop”, 13, and John “Jan-jan”, 8.

Despite the military’s blatant lies to cover up the murder and insisting the firefight was initiated by Daguil Capion, there are no witnesses who support the 27th IB’s claims. Statements show that Daguil was nowhere near his home at the time of the attack, and it was staged by the 27th IB due to Daguil’s ongoing involvement in the campaign to fight against the Xstrata-SMI mining company.

X-Strata SMI is the largest mining investor in the Philippines with US$5.9 billion investment in Tampakan, South Cotabato. The Tampakan site contains the largest underdeveloped copper and gold deposits in Southeast Asia. Its copper reserves are estimated to be between 13.9 to 15 million metric tons. The gold in Tampakan is said to amount between 16.2 to 17.9 million ounces. However, approximately 7,095 of the 10,000 hectares of the proposed mine site lie within the Blaan’s ancestral lands. The Tampakan project will displace an estimated 2,600 families, or 4,000 individuals, from the Blaan Tribe. The AFP was sent to use its full and terrifying force to silence the Capion family’s activism against the aggressive mining in their community,as well as to serve as an example for other locals who oppose destructive mining practices.

In the case of the Tampakan Massacre and deaths of the Capions, X-Strata SMI worked with the AFP to protect its investments for the “Tampakan Gold Project.” Scores of anti-mining leaders and activists have been harassed and subjected to violent abuses either by developers, the government, or a combination of both. Since 2010, 29 cases of human rights violations have been recorded in this area, and among them are anti-mining activists. Because no one is held accountable for these atrocities, including the killing of pregnant women and children, elements of the Philippine military continue to violate the rights of innocent civilians. Despite these well-known human rights violations, the U.S. continuously contributes $30 million in taxpayers dollars to military aid in the Philippines every year.

With over 114 politically motivated killings, 12 enforced disappearances, 200 plus arrested and detained without warrant or trial, and 20,000 plus victims of harassment from the military and other government forces a culture of impunity has been imbued within the Aquino administration and the culture of the AFP and police. Instead of tackling the human rights crisis head on President Aquino and other key members of the military and police deny that a crisis even exists and tags human rights concerns as “leftist propaganda.” This type of talk merely reinforces the culture of impunity and gives an explicit green light to further military and police operations that contribute to the worsening human rights situation in the Philippines.

With the aggressive foreign development in various regions of the Philippines, these types of assaults on communities are becoming more and more commonplace in areas showing resistance to foreign development. As outraged individuals and members of community-based organizations in the United States, we demand:

Justice for the Capion family, and a full investigation on the assault leading to the deaths of Juvy, Jordan, and John. Ensure all those responsible for these deaths are held accountable, and are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

The AFP withdraw from all Lumad areas in order for the harassment and violence imposed on civilians in surrounding communities to end. Also, the full removal of military units in all areas of the Philippines afflicted by aggressive mining development and ore prospecting.

Xstrata-SMI leave Blaan ancestral domains, abandon the Tampakan Project, and be banned from the Philippines.

All U.S. military aid to the Philippines be cut, since it is funding the death of civilians including women and children.

STOP THE MINING! STOP THE KILLINGS!
JUSTICE FOR THE CAPION FAMILY!
X-STRATA-SMI, OUT OF BLAAN ANCESTRAL DOMAINS AND OUT OF THE PHILIPPINES!
SCRAP THE PHILIPPINE MINING ACT OF 1995! SUPPORT THE PEOPLE’S MINING BILL!
CUT U.S. MILITARY AID TO THE PHILIPPINES!

Endorsed by:

Alay ng Kultura (Seattle)
American Friends Service Committee (Portland)
Anakbayan (East Bay)
Anakbayan (New Jersey)
Anakbayan (New York)
Anakbayan (Seattle)
Anakbayan (Silicon Valley)
Anakbayan USA
babae San Francisco
BAYAN USA
Coalition for Asian Pacific American Studies (Portland State University)
Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (New York, Portland, San Francisco)
F.A.C.E.S. (SF Bay Area) Filipino/American Coalition for Environmental Solidarity
Filipinas For Rights and Empowerment
Friends of the Congo
GABRIELA USA
International Action Center (IAC)
KATARUNGAN (Washington D.C.)
League of Filipino Students (San Francisco State University)
People’s Organization for Progress – Arthur Schomburg Branch of New York
Philippine-U.S. Solidarity Organization (Seattle)
Pinay sa Seattle
Portland State University – Multicultural Center
PSU Kaibigan – Filipino American Student Association (Portland State University)
Revolutionary Student Coordinating Committee NY
United National Antiwar Committee (UNAC)

SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.change.org/petitions/justice-for-victims-of-the-tampakan-massacre-cut-u-s-military-aid-to-the-philippines

REFERENCES:

Committee for Human Rights, full statement: http://nychrp.info/2012/11/13/stop-the-mining-stop-the-killings-justice-for-the-capion-family-of-the-tampakan-massacre/

KARAPATAN Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights, Palparans prowl and kill in Mindanao - http://www.karapatan.org/Palparans+prowl+and+kill+in+Mindanao

KARAPATAN Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights, 27th IB’s replacement in Tampakan has EJK record, http://www.karapatan.org/27th+IB%E2%80%99s+replacement+in+Tampakan+has+EJK+record

BAYAN EUROPE, Australian-Swiss mining company Xstrata-SMI must be held accountable for the Blaan massacre - http://www.bayaneurope.org/swiss-mining-company-xstrata-must-be-held-accountable-for-the-blaan-massacre/

thefuckingloudestazns: Revolutionary Student Coordinating...

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 23:51:03 -0500

thefuckingloudestazns:

Revolutionary Student Coordinating Committee is bringing back the historic demand of the CUNY movement for real open admissions. For the first time in many years, students are campaigning to open up CUNY to serve the generations after them and the people as a whole - the students in high school, the working-class and oppressed communities in NYC.

Sign and share the link!

(via Cats That Look Like Pin Up Girls)

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 17:14:19 -0500

(via Cats That Look Like Pin Up Girls)

Robert Anton Wilson explains Quantum Physics (by sloeber)

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 10:41:54 -0500

Robert Anton Wilson explains Quantum Physics (by sloeber)

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Sun, 18 Nov 2012 10:41:13 -0500

Photo

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:57:18 -0500

"In sum, the message, written in Filipino, says: First, man is created in God’s image and it is work..."

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 15:21:55 -0400

“

In sum, the message, written in Filipino, says:

First, man is created in God’s image and it is work that allows man to continually strive to be perfect, as the steward of the earth and all creation.

Second, being able to work is a right, as it enhances the dignity of people. It helps people provide for their families, acquire basic comforts in life and contribute to national development. The lack of decent jobs and livelihood is deemed a “social disaster” by the Church, and it is the duty of those with the means to do so to provide the industries, businesses and other means of livelihood by which people can work.

Third, work is at the same time a duty of man. People must work so they can be better stewards of God on earth, have dignity, provide for their families and help build the nation.

Finally, labor is the most important aspect of production, and workers’ welfare must never be sacrificed at the altar of profit. Capital and profit are also important, but must never be pursued at labor’s expense.

”

- Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle’s message read during the Labor Day Mass at the Quiapo Church.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/30762/in-may-1-message-manila-archbishop-affirms-dignity-of-labor

My costume this year.

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:13:18 -0400

My costume this year.

I like whales and sea life. (via Creative Illustrations by Jay...

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 11:05:57 -0400

I like whales and sea life.

(via Creative Illustrations by Jay Fleck | Cruzine)