In the spirit of everybody articulating what President Barack Obama's Inauguration means to them, my boy Ricosuave wrote an excellent piece about Black Love and what it means to him.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
My Bad My Obamas...
My bad yall, the last few weeks have been crazy for me. Notorious came out on the 16th, Inauguration Concert was on the 18th, Inauguration was on the 20th, and my 21st birthday was on the 22nd, which dragged on to the 23rd, the 24th, the 25th, and so on and so forth...so I havent stopped, I just fell off...in class now, I'll be back later...
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Barack Obama's Letter To His Daughters
Dear Malia and Sasha,
I know that you’ve both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn’t have let you have. But I also know that it hasn’t always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn’t make up for all the time we’ve been apart. I know how much I’ve missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.
When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me—about how I’d make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn’t seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn’t count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that’s why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.
I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential—schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college—even if their parents aren’t rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.
I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you’ll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.
Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country—but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free—that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.
That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.
She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better—and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It’s a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.
I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you’ve had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much—although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.
These are the things I want for you—to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That’s why I’ve taken our family on this great adventure.
I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.
I know that you’ve both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn’t have let you have. But I also know that it hasn’t always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn’t make up for all the time we’ve been apart. I know how much I’ve missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.
When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me—about how I’d make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn’t seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn’t count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that’s why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.
I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential—schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college—even if their parents aren’t rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.
I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you’ll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.
Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country—but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free—that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.
That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.
She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better—and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It’s a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.
I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you’ve had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much—although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.
These are the things I want for you—to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That’s why I’ve taken our family on this great adventure.
I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.
Love, Dad
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Bay Area Rapid Transit Homicide
Here is the video of the incident along with step by step commentary from the woman who took the footage...
Johannes Mehserle is the officer whose weapon allegedly "discharged" and Oscar Grant and all of those that loved him are the victims...
Friday, January 2, 2009
DMV Youtube Cypher
DMV YouTube Cypher...the old school can't keep up with this...
This is great to see, DMV stand up...who got next???
Thursday, January 1, 2009
The Artist & The Hierarchy
Even though it is winter break, I have still tried to stay somewhat productive. Between working on beats for Ricosuave and Ice the Villain, working on some upcoming events as an Artist Rep for RocNation, and preparing for after graduation, I have spent a lot of time on my laptop and on my phone. To take a break from all of that, I went through my Books to Read List & picked out The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.
I found out about the book through elitaste, the blog of Daniel Weisman (Wale's manager). He made a post recommending it about a month ago. I finally got around to cracking it open and it is a great read for anybody interested in creating anything, musicians, authors, poets, entrepreneurs, etc. Pressfield breaks down how to defeat the enemy that is Resistance, first by defining it, second by combating it, third by moving beyond it. The War of Art has many effective messages and the output of information that you receive for the input that you give to this quick read makes it efficient as well.
The part that interested me the most is where Pressfield speaks on "The Artist and The Hierarchy." Pressfield says that any artist that defines himself or herself hierarchically is committing creative suicide. In a hierarchy, an individual will naturally do four things:
(1) compete against all others in the order, seeking to elevate his station by advancing against those above him, while defending his place against those beneath;
(2) evaluate his happiness/success/achievement by his rank within the hierarchy, feeling most satisfied when he is high and most miserable when he is low;
(3) act toward others based upon their rank in the hierarchy, to the exclusion of all other factors; and
(4) evaluate his every move solely by the effect it produces on others, including act for others, dress for others, speak for others, think for others, etc.
Pressfield says that the musician, author, poet, entrepreneur, etc. must do his or her work for its own sake. In a hierarchy, the artist faces outward, either up or down. The one place that the artist is not looking is the place that he or she must, within.
This is a paraphrasing of only one page out of the one-hundred and sixty-five pages in The War of Art. The book is full of great advice for any artist who is having trouble tapping into his or her creative energy.
I found out about the book through elitaste, the blog of Daniel Weisman (Wale's manager). He made a post recommending it about a month ago. I finally got around to cracking it open and it is a great read for anybody interested in creating anything, musicians, authors, poets, entrepreneurs, etc. Pressfield breaks down how to defeat the enemy that is Resistance, first by defining it, second by combating it, third by moving beyond it. The War of Art has many effective messages and the output of information that you receive for the input that you give to this quick read makes it efficient as well.
The part that interested me the most is where Pressfield speaks on "The Artist and The Hierarchy." Pressfield says that any artist that defines himself or herself hierarchically is committing creative suicide. In a hierarchy, an individual will naturally do four things:
(1) compete against all others in the order, seeking to elevate his station by advancing against those above him, while defending his place against those beneath;
(2) evaluate his happiness/success/achievement by his rank within the hierarchy, feeling most satisfied when he is high and most miserable when he is low;
(3) act toward others based upon their rank in the hierarchy, to the exclusion of all other factors; and
(4) evaluate his every move solely by the effect it produces on others, including act for others, dress for others, speak for others, think for others, etc.
Pressfield says that the musician, author, poet, entrepreneur, etc. must do his or her work for its own sake. In a hierarchy, the artist faces outward, either up or down. The one place that the artist is not looking is the place that he or she must, within.
This is a paraphrasing of only one page out of the one-hundred and sixty-five pages in The War of Art. The book is full of great advice for any artist who is having trouble tapping into his or her creative energy.
This "Quiet" Kid...
Ive built quite a reputation for being a quiet kid. I think that I come off quiet because my mind is constantly racing, thinking about something other than the matter at hand. Im starting this blog to let the world know about whatever is on the mind of this quiet kid...
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