Child Soldiers

Emmanuel Jal was forced to be child soldier in the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army in order to survive the civil war in Sudan at about the age of 7. His father had been killed, and his mother had also died. For five years he fought, until it was so unbearable that he ran away with others. For threes months they traveled, until reaching Waat, where they reached the safety of a group that had splintered from the main SPLA. Many of his traveling companions had died during the trip.

Jal met Emma McCune in Waat, a British aid worker who rescued him from his former life. He was 11 years old. McCune adopted him and smuggled him to Kenya where he was enrolled in a Nairobi school. Tragically, McCune was killed in a car accident only months later, but friends helped Jal to continue his studies.

From wikipedia :"Through his music, Emmanuel Jal counts on the unity of the citizens to overcome ethnic and religious division and motivate the youth in Sudan. After escaping to Kenya, he fell in love with hip hop in the way that it identified issues being faced by the neighborhood, which he was able to identify with in a unique manner. Although he lacked any music background or knowledge of its history, he felt that hip-hop could provide the easiest and most effective path to publicize across his story and lobby for political change. His primary aim has been, through music, to protect the childhood of others, which was unfairly robbed from him at a young age. "Music is powerful. It is the only thing that can speak into your mind, your heart and your soul without your permission." Through his heartfelt lyrics, he opens the world up to the corruption and greed of the Sudanese government. According to Jal, in times of war, starvation, hunger and injustice, the only way to survive the daily tragedy in Sudan is to allow the inner-soul to be uplifted through music, which is like soul food to heal pain. His unique brand of hip hop, layered with African beats, has led him to be considered one of the rising stars in the world music scene. Prior to Jal, rapping in Southern Sudan was primarily in the local language of Nuer and artists used sticks and clapping hands in place of instruments. Central to the themes of his songs is the campaign for peace of opposing sides in Sudan and the clear message that children have no place in wars."

On Memorial Day I just wanted to remind people that there are so many CHILDREN in this world that are directly affected by war. Remember these children when you vote. Don't forget them. Coalition To Save Child Soldiers

"Warchild"

Tendencies, I've got some...

I was so completely distracted during the final moments of Grey's Anatomy by this song, that I seriously couldn't focus on the continuing idiocy of Whats-her-face and Whats-his-bucket, Meredith and Derek. This song is so good, and the singer, Bryn Christopher has such a smoky, gravelly soulful voice, that I was scrambling to find a pen, and write the chorus so that I could Google it and deliver the goods to you, and me, later. I didn't even care that dumb ass Meredith decided that she wanted to get back with Derek. I can't trust that ninny of a woman.

Guess what happened? When I entered "what I'm gonna live for, what I'm gonna die for, Who ya gonna fight for, I can't answer that" into the search engine my query came up with the Suicidal Tendencies! I had to do a little more research, but I came up with the info. Anyhoo, I do think that this guy is going to be huge, especially in Britain, over here he might be more of an acquired taste.

6/1/08 UPDATE:  Suckily, embedding has been disabled for this video, so in order to watch it you'll have to go to YouTube.  Bryn Christopher's album will be released next Tuesday, June 9th, on Polydor.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaxUHbxQzTM

"The Quest"

I'm not crazy!

You're the one that's crazy!

All I wanted was a Pepsi.

'Institutionalized"

Joke Corner

Q: How many rude boys does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Four. One to drop it and three to say Pick it up! Pick it up! Pick it Up!

That's one of the two jokes that I can remember when it's time to tell a joke. The other? :

Q:What's the difference between an onion and a mime?
A: Nobody cries when you cut up a mime.

Ha! Gets 'em every time! So stupid, that mime one, yet almost everyone laughs.

One of the very best shows currently on television is Yo Gabba Gabba. It has brilliant art direction, amazing music, and is almost too cool for school. It's amazing that it's for preschoolers, yet it's something that parents can watch too, without wanting to kill themselves. I don't even have kids, and I eagerly search out episode segments. Oh, and the dancers, they're famous, I don't have to tell you about Nathaniel, do I? The kid's had his 15 and then some and there's no way he has a freakin' inkling about Warhol.

So, here's a good example of why the show is genius, I'd love to play this song to get my imaginary kids cracking during clean-up time, and to introduce them to ska. The show is like a sneak attack, little moral lessons wrapped up in bombs of cool visuals and music that are so mesmerizing you don't know you're being taught to be such a good, interesting, well-rounded person until it's TOO LATE! I'm such a fan!

"Pick It Up" by Gogo 13 featuring Alex Desert of Hepcat



"Pick It Up"

Ridiculous

I'm in love with Adele Adkins, and last night she played at Bimbo's 365 Club, which is my very favorite venue, ever. It opened in 1931 at 365 Market Street . In 1951 the club moved to Columbus Street, where it remains today. It's an intimate venue, with cool topless mermaid artwork and touches like old school bathrooms complete with an attendant on the weekend. She'll have anything you could possibly need for a touch-up, nail polish, deodorant, hair products, lotion, sewing stuff. Gauche girls go in and don't even leave a tip, even after the attendant graciously hands them towels to dry their ingrate hands after they wash. They're usually the loudest, the drunk ones who want to crowd into a stall together.

This is Dolfina, who is somewhat the Bimbo's mascot, she's on all of the cocktail napkins, cool right? I love how retro they are, except I believe the same napkins have been in use for years and years, so I don't know if that really qualifies as "retro".

So, on Monday I found out Adele was playing at Bimbo's on Thursday (yesterday) and I immediately called my friend Hollis, who is a freak for her too, knowing that he would be down for going to the show, but of course it was sold out. I was pretty sad, because she is just ridiculously amazing live, and the fact that she is so popular and talented means she will never again play a venue as small and intimate as Bimbo's. My only consolation is that next week I'm going to see the amazing Jamie Lidell there, and I am so going to put on my groove shoes for that!

"Melt My Heart To Stone - Live in NYC- Joe's Pub"

Oakley Shades

When I think of Oakley's I think of fluorescent Blades, and naturally, of the wily Sacto water skier. Boating out on Lake Shasta, the Delta or the American River, the Sacramento water skier can be found hopped up on meth , rocking to the classics, drinkin' beer, and skiin'.

Anyhow, here's Weezer's new video.

"Pork and Beans"

Lekker!

I love Dutch things. I have some very dear friends in the Netherlands (Hi Ilona and Fatima!) and very fond memories of my visits there. Nederlanders are very cool people, they are open-minded, fun, fashion forward and tend to be the tallest people in the world. That's a change for me, for once I wasn't one of the tallest women in the room, something very strange indeed.

Since the Dutch colonized a few places, their current culture is influenced by some of their former foreign colonies such as Indonesia and Suriname which often shows in the food available there, I ate a lot of nasi goreng, a delicious rice dish and bami goreng, a noodle dish. Going to rijsttafel, the rice table, is common. Rijsttafel is what a Indonesian banquet table is called. If you go, bring your appetite, because there will be much to eat, all of it terribly delicious. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesian_rice_table


Dutch cheese is wonderfully delicious, I'm partial to aged Goudas, especially on a ham and cheese toastie, perfect bar food. If you are in a cafe, you must be prepared when ordering a cheese sandwich, a broodje kaas, to order the right type of cheese, jonge kaas or oude kaas. I also love, love , LOVE black licorice, and the Dutch kind isn't foolin' around. It's called drop, and it isn't pronounced with an O like hop, but like mope. Drop isn't too sweet to begin with, but then you have zoute drop, which has salt added, I really like that stuff, and even more, I love dubbel zoute drop, with twice the added salt. Those crazy Dutch.

My last favorites are sweet , vla and Chocomel. Vla is a thin pourable custard. It comes in milk cartons in chocolate and vanilla flavors, as well as ones like banana which I'd never have because banana custard is an aberration. Vla is freakin' deelish. Chocomel is just a yummy chocolate milk brand. I like my chocolate milk to be thick, and this stuff is. Every once in a while I find some in an import store, and I'm in heaven.

I would love to be able to go to Amsterdam this summer and visit my friends, but alas, the dollar is in the bucket, and instead of vacationing, I need to find a job. I'll dream of pleasant idylls in the Vondelpark instead. Kraak & Smaak will help tide me over. Dutch boys do good.

"Squeeze Me"

Jurassic Furry Five

Furries are definitely freaky, but I didn't know that they were such freaky b-boys and girls. Check out when the turtle throws off the shell to really get down. High-larious!



DJ Format - "We Know Something You Don't Know" from Ruben Fleischer on Vimeo.

My bong reaches acro-oss the room!

Oh Lord God, please help me, make it stop. Make it stop!

"There Will Be Bud"

What's old is new again

I rediscovered one of my very first internet loves today Mullets Galore. I was first introduced to the site by Elaine, of Sticker Robot and Zoltron fame. Make sure you have plenty of time when you visit, and be sure to bring a friend, it's exponentially more hilarious when you're laughing at heshers with someone else. I even spotted a local, but exotic mullet, the Red Robin! I have a feeling I know who may have made the submission...


Images courtesy of mulletsgalore.com

Furor from Der Führer regarding the Playa

Hitler is no laughing matter, but this made me cry. I've never been to Burning Man, and never will, I don't like wind, dust or heat, and I like to have a clean bathroom guarantee. I guess Adolf and I wouldn't get along so well.

"Hitler Plans Burning Man"



Thanks to boing boing

School's Out For Summer!

I have one last final to take today, and then I'm officially done with my medical assisting program. I'll be happy to look for a job after that, I'm really looking forward to it. During my externship I realized how much I really love working with patients and in the medical field. This is just a stop on my way though, I'll see what direction it takes me. There are a lot of great technical positions out there, and working as an LVN or RN are still very likely.

"School's Out For Summer"

Tanorexic

You'd never know it, since I've got a completely Irish name and countenance, but I actually have a Latina background, coming from my maternal grandmothers side. The rest of my lineage is Irish and a smidgen of Dutch, so there is no visual proof of my Mexican heritage. When a former boyfriend, who had just been introduced to my grandparents earlier that day , was asked by a doubtful friend if my grandma Alice really was Mexican, he said "Yeah, she was even eating a burrito."

Consequently I avoid the sun, I was pretty tan as a kid, but I tend to get migraines in the heat, so I am a lovely shade of ivory year round.I went to Hawaii for 2 weeks on my honeymoon in Dec/Jan and I left pale and returned the exact same shade, mission accomplished! Sometimes I really would love to have a gorgeous tan, but it's not worth it. I just tell myself that in twenty years, I'm going to look a lot younger than I really am. I hope so, with any luck I'll follow my mom's suit, she doesn't look anything like her age, and that woman spent plenty of time baking herself to a crisp in the Southern California sun.

Love this classic tune by the Stranglers, I'm including the ode to heroin in my post, but we'll just pretend it's about getting tan.

BTW: The secret to my success? The very best sunblock EVER, Kinesys, it never fails, smells fantastic (or not at all) and it's sweatproof, cruelty-free and uses 100% recyclable packaging. Oil, alcohol, PABA free, broad spectrum sunscreen. I use the ingenious spray on, no rub version, but they also make a cream. Comes in a smellerific mango scent, and they have a new Girl version, vanilla scent that I can't wait to try, it apparently dries to a powder finish, nice.
http://www.kinesys.com/

"Golden Brown"

La Boda

Weezer's Red album is coming out on June 3 . In honor of the new album I shall post an old favorite, with a twist! Island In The Sun has two videos, the one below, which is the original, lesser known version, and the second, better known version which was directed by Spike Jonze. I like this one, the original. I'm fond of Mexican-American traditions, and family celebrations.They are always festive and colorful. I was always fascinated by the quinceañera, but had already turned fifteen by the time I learned about them, so there was no way I was going to be able to have one even if I could convince someone that I deserved one. The boda (wedding) and quinceañera have many similarities, the white dress, the ceremony as a rites of passage, religious rituals, and a large family gathering involving food, drink and dancing.

"Island in the Sun"

Myanmar/Burma

The situation in Myanmar/Burma post-Cyclone Nargis worsens. Since the military junta is letting few aid agencies in to assist with relief efforts, there are many people who still need assistance. If you can help with a donation, you can help make a difference. Avaaz.org is a reputable agency co-founded by Re-Publica and Move-On that promotes political action on issues such as climate change, human rights, and religious conflicts. Avaaz is also a co-organizer of the Global Day of Action for Burma along with Burma Campaign UK and Amnesty International.

From Avaaz.org - "... the government has slowed the urgent process of providing humanitarian relief--so Avaaz is raising funds for the International Burmese Monks Organization and related groups, which will transmit funds directly to monasteries in affected areas.

In many of the worst-hit areas, the monasteries are the only source of shelter and food for Burma's poorest people. They have been on the front lines of the aid effort since the storm struck. Other forms of aid could be delayed, diverted or manipulated by the Burmese government--but the monks are the most trusted and reliable institution in the country."

http://www.avaaz.org/en/


Burmese monk appeal for cyclone relief

Open the Door

..And walk through it if you dare. Gnarls Barkley's new video was shot in Jamaica. It has local flavor, and the choreography is fantastic. I think the video is really cool.

Sorry about the lack of posts lately, school is wrapping up and I've been busy with the tail end of an internship and studies. More posts to come in the next week or so as I finish school!

"Going On"

Ladyman Ladies on Skates!

Brett and Jemaine bust out with some sexy rollerskating moves to thrill us here on A Rollerskating Jam. How we love the jams!

"Ladies of the World"