ghettoGEEKS

Occupying Wall Street--ghettoGEEKS style.

2011-10-17T13:03:00.000-05:00

My GradSchool potna' getting engaged in the "Occupy Wall Street" movement out in California...

Let's keep GEEKIN' and being bold and decisive in our quest for liberation and freedom!

---or Run & Hide....

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Letter 2 Tha President

2011-08-26T04:31:00.000-05:00

“How hypocritical is Liberty?
That BlindBitch ain’t never did shit for me!
My History----full of CASKETS and SCARS.
My own Black Nation at WAR.
Whole Family behind BARS.
And they wonder why we SCARRED?
Thirteen [years old] lookin’ HARD.
Sister had a baby as an adolescent where was GOD?"

---Tupac Shakur

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

Good Day, Good Sir.

We hope this letter finds you in Good Spirits.

But, We write with Great Urgency.

The People are POOR. The People are ANGRY. The People are INSECURE. With each passing day, We find it harder to trust GOVERNMENT or BIG BUSINESS. And for the record, We see little separation between Corporate Interests and Public Policy.

The citizens of this nation do not feel well, Mr. President.

Our purpose here is to speak to you, openly and honestly, regarding the current State of the Union. Above anything else, please know that this Letter was written in with a “solution-oriented” posture in mind.

Who are we?

[This letter is written by TWO individuals. ONE will remain anonymous.]

I, eRiC Durham, am a native of the Great State of Texas. I lived in the Washington, DC area for a period of seven years. I’ve traveled throughout various regions of our country. I love our country. Considering the troubled history between America and African- Americans--and the current social inequalities--I remain proud to be an American.

But....

I left the United States two years ago. I made, then, what seems like an increasingly popular decision now. I moved to South Korea as a “native-speaker” English language instructor. In the two years I lived here, my overall Quality of Life [QOL] has improved...significantly. The improvement in QOL was instantaneous. I haven’t had the money woes I had in America since the day I received my first Korean paycheck.

(I have spoken and written on the differences between South Korea and the U.S. on issues such as Education and HealthCare.)

It was through exiting America, and actually experiencing another system, I came to truly understand the level of influence a governmental system actually possesses. My time and experience in various countries has given me both visible and tangible material through which to observe differences in social order and social control. From my perspective, Law has become more Apparent as opposed to Invisible.

But, back to the issue at-hand: Life as an expatriate has granted me "benefits of citizenry" that were much more difficult to attain in the U.S. As a service to our countrymen, we would like to offer you domestic policy ideas that would benefit The People. That said, we outline our proposed policy agenda:

1.) GOVERNTMENT –ISSUED FIAT CURRENCY

We are proposing a FUNDAMENTAL change in the National Monetary System. The solution for our current fiscal woes resides in the idea of United States sovereignty. It is exactly that simple. As a sovereign nation, we have the right to decide we are no longer fiscally beholden to international Private-Banking Cartels.

As a country, We can decide the value of National Currency is not based on precious metals. We can decide to change to a FIAT system; whereby Currency is valued by the Government. The Government controls the VALUE of the currency by controlling the QUANTITY in circulation.
It should seem incomprehensible that a collection of banks yield more power than the Government. But, that is where we are today. As is, the Private-Banking Cartels are the Masters of the Universe.

In the Fiat system, the banks are forced to operate just like any other business or individual. Banks will no longer have the ability to practice Fractional Reserve Lending (FRL)—which basically means the ability to loan out money that they do not have. Using a fiat-system, coupled with fair and just governmental regulatory arm, might curtail other forms of fiscal trickery as well. The benefits of the fiat system have been displayed during three periods in history; 1.) ancient Rome; 2.) King Henry’s rule of England; and 3.) Abraham Lincoln’s introduction of the “greenback” during the American Civil War period.

For more information on this point, please refer to Bill Still’s “The Secret of Oz.”

2.) SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN HONESTY

We must develop a Culture of Honesty.

--and that begins with exercising Honesty about the most BASIC national issues.

America is a nation whereby Hegemony has always ruled with an elusive yet strong hand. Historical American legal documents boast of equality, liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness; but a formidable argument can be made that speaks of an American history full of totalitarian, facist, and imperial undertones. A Culture of Honesty would lead to greater understanding of who "We" are.

America was founded on notions of racial inequality. But, no one dare mentions issues of race in polite conversation. A Culture of Honesty would lead us to a greater understanding.

Education: In absolute terms, money MUST be spent on Public Education. There’s no way to argue against the pragmatic benefit to a society where more children are educated well. The Nation can only stand to benefit from a well-educated populous.

Everyone KNOWS this. Korea knows it. Nigeria knows it. Japan knows it. China knows it. All nations understand the importance of Quality Education. America knows it. But, in this country, Public Education is under-prioritized and under-funded. A Culture of Honesty would lead us to the solution.

In order to take advantage of a significant investment in Education, we have to enact public policy that would provide RESPECTABLE and LIVABLE wages for families. Affordable housing, quality affordable healthcare, and an economic environment conducive to small businesses are things that compliment the education agenda—and benefit the People and the Nation. A Culture of Honesty would lead to readjusting the increasing debt burden that is piled on EveryDay-Working Americans.

In short, if we are HONEST with ourselves, we will know that a “redistribution of wealth” is NOT a bad thing—instead, it is the ingredient that would make a positive impact on the average American household….and the nation as a whole.

3.) GET RESPONSIBLE WITH DEFENSE SPENDING

Electronics Costs

Large flat screen televisions are wastefully littered throughout national and international US military instillations; the majority of which have cable access. Therefore, the government is stuck with a bill for the costs of the televisions, the necessary installation costs, and the monthly cable invoices. In order to reduce these costs, I suggest limited authorized cable television. Cable television should be reserved for operational use only; i.e., specific units who require monitoring CNN for real-time updates.

Korea Specific Costs

During my time in South Korea, I have witnessed exploitation of U.S. government funds in both minor and major fiscal amounts. Some Koreans entrepreneurs use government resources for personal profit; one example includes cleaning Service Members’ vehicles with government water. Local Korean entrepreneurs have taken advantage of ServiceMembers through inflating prices of goods and services based on the difference between the “cost- of- living” in Korea and the salaries for American military personnel.

There have been operational planning teams working to figure out how to reduce cost on bringing personnel and their families to Korea. In over 50% of the cases, personnel and/or family members arrive separately—this means the U.S. government incurs additional relocation cost. This is yet another issue which could be solved by placing more focus on the scheduling arrivals and departures; and communicating aims and fiscal goals with personnel.

End of year waste

End-of- year budget spending is outrageous. It is common practice throughout every branch of the U.S. military to expend the remainder of funds—in order to justify current budget allotments and request for future increases. These practices result in several wasteful purchases that are not essential to the successful completion of any mission. A common example of this is easily illustrated with core supplies; like that of munitions. Any, and all, ammunition not used during a particular fiscal year is spent. These practices have been in place much longer than you have been in office; but if you see fit, these are areas on which you can affect change and save the US “some cheese.”

CONCLUSION

During the 2008 campaign season, We believed you could help stimulate some type of meaningful change. We campaigned for you. Though our hope was rooted in things larger than you, We saw you a possible catalyst and conduit for Change. Though we have grown skeptical of the “American Dream” over the years, our hope is based on the possibility of America putting forth a sincere effort to move in a better direction. Before We lose total faith in the system, We send you our thoughts.

And thank you for your service.

Sincerely,

eRiC Durham, Ph.D.
OuttaBoundz
AnomaliesLiveOnPeripheries

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

3rd World Girl

2011-08-01T12:32:00.000-05:00

ONE man. ONE BackPack. THREE countries. #AnomaliesSTILLonPeripheries

"Hello, Sir!" "Tuk-Tuk?" "Boom-Boom?" "Massage?" "Marijuana?"

These were the chants I heard stepping off the bus in Siem Reap. ---and these would be the same chants I would hear in EVERY other city I would visit. Every single city. I won't lie. It was a bit shocking. It definitely let me know that I "wasn't in Kansas anymore."

A couple of dudes and I got a "Tuk-Tuk" (scooter taxi) into the main part of the City. We all went to secure rooms in guest houses and/or hotels...and then met up later for dinner and drinks.

"The People" and "the Tourists" are EASY to differentiate because it is simply based on the Color Line. For all intensive purposes, Westerners are White. Cambodians are dark-skinned Asians. Westerners have money. (not necessarily; but they DO possess the semblance of money) Cambodians are poor. (But, they HUSTLE HARD for the little money they DO make.) Westerners get serviced. Cambodians do the servicing. **But, I'll be writing more about these issues in further detail at a later date. It's not as simple as what is stated in this paragraph.**

"Food, sir?" "Massage, Sir?"

"No, that's okay, Buddy...I'm just going to this bar."

"Boom-Boom, Sir?" "We have Pretty Girlz? You choose. Boom-Boom, Sir?"

"I'm sure, Buddy. Thanks, I'm just going over here."

"Smoke, Sir?" "Want weed, Sir?"

I'll be honest. Early in the trip, I was torn. Seeing the people. Smelling the city. Witnessing poverty like I had never seen. All this tugged at my heart. I felt like one of the Powerful. I wanted to patronize all who asked to sell me a good or service; but immediately understood that could not work.

---and that's when it happened.

I understood "first-hand" how the average White person must feel. To have the SEMBLANCE of Power in the eyes of those with less---but in actuality, you aren't as Rich and Powerful as they might think. (--which can take quite a psychological toll.) This might have actually been the first time I EXPERIENCED this in my life. To be one of the Powerful; in a racial or cultural sense. This alone, shook me at my core. Quite humbling.

The Children.

In the midst of drinking and dancing, I decided to leave one of the clubs to get some fresh air. I stepped out into the warm night air of the Mekong Delta, and caught a vision that literally forced a smile upon my face. Two young Cambodian girls, who couldn't have been older than ten, were dancing the night away. They were putting on quite a show, too! This particular club was an open-air establishment; so even if you were in the street, you could look right into the club and see the dance floor and hear the music with no problem. So, these girls basically brought the party outside with them. ---and right there, in the street, at 1:00 AM, with nothing but drunk Westerners around, these little girls danced. Danced, as if, they had no care in the world....

I started to walk toward my hotel room...I was tired.

Something hit me hard on the leg. I turn around quickly to discover it was a LittleHand. I see this LittleFace smiling up and me, and she hits me again...and then does a little pirouette and smiles at me. *I'm dumbfounded. I've been attacked by a ViolentBallerina.* Her brother starts giggling....most likely because his little sister has rendered me speechless through her combination of Violence and Dance.

The Westerners I'm with are now starting to join in the laughter...and her LittleFace is lighting up---I can see her enjoying the attention. She sees the crowd forming...and then she turns up the heat.

"Oh, you weakling! That didn't hurt."

"Girl, go find your Mama! It's past your bedtime..."

"No, it's not. Plus, you can't tell me what to do, Weakling!"

**WTH?! Realization: I'm no longer in Korea. These people are NOT shy.**

"Girl, if you don't go find your Mama, then I'm going to be one to "put some Heat on that Meat!"

[I make hand motions that simulate a spanking.]

"You don't scare me, Man! Plus, you just got hit twice by a LittleGirl!"

I could not stop this particular child. She eventually wins the "back-and-forth" between us; which had grown into a bit of a public spectacle.

So, I did only the honorable thing. ---I got a picture with the victor.

That interaction epitomized my experience in Cambodia: BIG things jumping out of SMALL packages and surprising the shit out of me.

---This post is dedicated to all those BeautifulPeople I met throughout SE Asia; people who occupy "ghetto" conditions far more intense than the conditions that spawned "ghettoGEEKS." We appreciate the new followers, and we look forward to your contributions.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

White Niggaz

2011-05-14T00:52:00.001-05:00

At the heart of these thoughts, is the desire to initiate an HONEST conversation on the ways in which race, racialization, and racism are carried out in America. The exigencies responsible the construction of the song “White Niggaz” are rooted in the experiences of a contemporary African-American. The experiences are mine. Through a period of [un]employment and [non]opportunity, I was able to experience phenomena that reinforced and reminded me of what it means to be a “nigger” in America. Coupling these experiences with conversations I’ve had with non-blacks and their use of the word “nigger”---especially as related to “Hip-Hop”---led me to articulate thoughts on a piece of lexicon that remains just as powerful today as it did in the years 1619, 1776, 1865, 1955, 1984, or 2008. Today, “nigger” [and all the subsequent symbols associated with the word] remains as over-used and under-discussed as it has ever been. History unequivocally demonstrates that race has been an issue in this country for as long as the country as existed. This is difficult for some people to admit, but we all know it is fact. “Nigger” is as American as apple pie. –and that is one of the reasons “White Niggaz” is such an effective communication tool. The song immediately challenges audiences to operate from a position of raw truth—as uncomfortable as it may be—for the sake of having an honest discussion on the issues. If we are mature enough to begin the discussion with honesty, then perhaps we will conclude at a place of new insight…a place closer to freedom.

The organization of “White Niggaz” is Key. Dare I say, the organization of the song is just as important as the lyrical component. “White Niggaz” is built as ONE seamless verse separated by rhetoric aimed at TWO different audiences. The first part of the song is directed toward White people, and the second part of the song is directed toward Black people. Both audiences are referred to as “Niggaz” throughout the entire song. In fact, the word “nigga” is used a total of 20 times within the 1:09 verse. The portion of the song that is directed at the white audience is aimed specifically at two specific groups within the greater white community. These groups are the (1) elites and the (2) gullible group of people who have been historically used by the elites as “foot soldiers” for overt racist action. In short, this verse is directed at the Cheneys, Rumsfelds, Kochs, and Wolfowitzes AND the Reagan Democrats, Tea-Baggers, and any other poor/working-class whites who have been unwittingly used by elite groups.

The second half of “White Niggaz” is special for a variety of reasons. An obvious reason is that it is a surprise. The title, “White Niggaz,” leads most people to believe they are about to hear a song totally dedicated to chastising white people. As a result, many are surprised to hear rhetoric that critiques the black community—and challenges black people to correct their mis-steps and question their participation in the continuing destruction of their own interests. Indeed it is rare to hear this type of rhetoric, and blacks who have offered constructive critique to the African-American community, in the public forum, have been labeled “Uncle Toms” or crazy (i.e., Bill Cosby). Similar to the first half of the song, there are two distinct groups within the black community that are the focus. These groups would be the stereotypical lower-class young “gangsta/hoodrat” who idolizes rap fiction. –and the second group is the bourgeoisie black families that deem themselves far too reformed to participate in the issues that affect the greater black community.

WHITE Niggaz:
WHITE NIGGAZ---
--always wanna FIGHT NIGGAZ.
REARRANGE the GAME
Just to fuckin’ SPITE NIGGAZ.
Don’t LIKE NIGGAZ.
But, yet and still, they BITE NIGGAZ.

BLACK Niggaz:
These WHACK NIGGAZ
These fiction over FACT NIGGAZ
Insecure as fuck—so they ride around in PACK NIGGAZ.
Tis-for-TAT NIGGAZ

"White Niggaz" is currently playing on the BlogSpot. So, take a listen for FREE.

Like the song?

Click on this link: CD BABY and purchase the song for $1.00 or the entire album for $5.00!

Please share any comments or questions!

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Hip-Hop 101: On-line Syllabus

2011-05-03T01:08:00.000-05:00

Department of Organic Intellectualism
ghettoGEEKS University
Daejeon, South Korea

Bustin' Gats thru Spittin' Raps: Culture, Power, & Politics
Spring/Summer 2011

Instructor: eRiC Durham, Ph.D.
Office Phone: 042-821-5296 [Country Code: 82]
E-mail: ghetto_geeks@yahoo.com
Office: Building W-7, Room 420, 인문대학
Office Hours: TBA (To Be Announced)

Required Text:

1. ghettoGEEKS. (2011). WeNeedBeatz mixxtape, vol. 1 [Audio recording]. Portland, OR: ghettoGEEKS.

2. Durham, E. (2009). Before Barack there was Tupac: Manifestations of Afrocentricity Within the Lyrical Component of Tupac Shakur. Germany: VDM Verlag Dr. Muller.

3. Durham, E. (2009). Bustin’ Gats through Spittin’ Raps: The Rhetorics of Violence in the Lyrics of Dead Prez. Germany: VDM Verlag Dr. Muller.

Course Assignments:

In this course you have two primary responsibilities: you must read and write extensively and you must think. The effort you put into your reading and writing and the quality of the thoughts you produce as a result of that effort is what I will attempt to evaluate in determining your final grade for the course. I have developed the following assignments toward that end.

1. Participation in Class Discussion: Your first assignment is to come to each class meeting having carefully read the day’s readings, in turn, being well-prepared to discuss the content and your introspective insight during class discussion. The level of your preparation and quality of your participation in the class discussion will determine 10 % of your final grade. At various points in the semester, I may ask for your input in helping to determine this portion of your grade.

2. Reaction Papers: Your second assignment is to keep a written account of record of your reactions to our reading. I want to know what you think of each of the major perspectives that we will encounter during this term. You are to write thoughtful responses on issues that will very well include—but in no way limited by—the following:

1. Human Communication
2. The intersections between Language and Culture
3. The current Geo-political Situation
4. World Travel
5. Race, Racialization, and Racism
6. Oppression
7. Gender Issues
8. Music and Culture

Please note these assignments ARE NOT to be a compilation of book reports. I do not want these writings to be mere summaries (or worse, collections of quotations) of your readings. Analysis and critique is what is desired; along with a sense of interaction and engagement with the readings. Think of this assignment as a way for you to show that you have fulfilled the primary purpose of this course, as stated above: you have been reading and thinking. (Indeed, like you have never read and thought before.)

Reaction papers are due at each individual’s discretion. Each reaction paper must be turned in on the day when the particular topic is to be discussed. Please refer to the schedule to determine when the reaction papers are due for each topic. Papers are 3-5 pages in length.

Course Expectations:

• All class members are expected to read both assigned and other materials and be prepared to discuss them in class.

• You must write all your papers according to the guidelines outlined in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Please make sure that the print of your paper that you submit is clean and readable. Please proofread carefully to check for spelling, grammar, logic, clarity, and completeness. In summary, all your papers should be focused, tightly organized, and well written. For your protection, please make a copy of the final draft of all your written assignments for your own files.

Deadlines:
All written assignments must be turned in class on the day they are due. No exceptions. Assignments turned in late will receive a letter grade reduction for that particular assignment. Each student is also responsible for collecting whatever information is given in class, such as announcements and handouts, etc.

Non-duplication of Credit:
Work should be original for this course. Work submitted for grading elsewhere will be denied credit. Plagiarism is unaccepted and will be severely penalized.

Grading Criteria:
Paper Presentation………………………………10 %
Reaction Papers (5 @ 10% each)………………………………50 %
Pop Quizzes (4 @ 10% each) – Participation & Attendance…………………40 %
TOTAL……100 %

*All students will respect the rights of others, including the right to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of thought.
* Instructor reserves the right to change the schedule/and requirements as necessary

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

WeNeedBeatz Mixxtape, vol. 1

2011-04-28T01:53:00.000-05:00

In a world that seemingly seeks to obliterate the relationship between Music and Education, ghettoGEEKS seek to reconcile this relationship. WeNeedBeatz contains the intellectual/spiritual stimulation that has been devoid in contemporary rap music. ghettoGEEKS attempt to revisit a time when people received more than just syncopated instrumentation from their music. With this project, ghettoGEEKS supply people with a cultural/racial/economic/political critique of the current geo-political situation created by the PowerStructure. --and we have some fun along the way....

In essence, we have set the blog to music...and WeNeedBeatz is the SoundTrack!

Pick it up at CD Baby.com---and enjoy!

Click the link to purchase! http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ghettogeeks1

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

ZigZagMan - WeNeedBeatz Mixxtape, vol. 1

2011-04-13T12:55:00.000-05:00

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

We're stepping away from WRITING for a quick second to hit everybody in the head with some MUSIQ for a moment!

Do yourself a favor and put the first single, "ZigZagMan," in your IPOD today...and then get ready for next week's release of the ENTIRE "WeNeedBeatz" mixxtape, vol. 1. This game will NEVER be the SAME!!!!

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

The Minority Report

2011-03-13T06:55:00.001-05:00

The position of the Minority is Undervalued. ---it truly is.

In the 1970s, a disenfranchised minority of young people in the South Bronx came together to communicate the frustration, anger, and angst of ghettoLife. From this Minority, Hip-Hop culture was birthed. In the late 1800s/early 1900s a minority of Jamaican outcasts took to the mountains to escape the influence of Babylon. From this Minority, the world was given Rastafari. Currently, a minority of Americans (5%) control most of the wealth (70%) in America. (Domhoff, 2011). (---and though this example may be antithetical to the others, one can still recognize the power of the Minority.) In terms of Biology, a minority of sperm cells [ONE] reaches the egg for fertilization. LIFE is spawned from that Minority. The point is simply this: the position of the Minority should NOT be considered a position of weakness.

I challenge you to never see it that way again.

The Minority position is one of Strength.

Personally, I have been no stranger to being in the Minority. I have felt the isolation, loneliness, insecurity, and the need to belong---just for the sake of belonging. As a result, I understand the Emotional Intelligence (EQ) required to be in the Minority and be comfortable with it. I understand that it is much easier SAID than DONE. I understand the power of racial allegiances, political affiliations, economic dependence, personal ties--and anything else that can possibly be used to compromise your principles. But, I also understand the Power of Freedom. Through practice and patience, I have grown aware of the benefits of holding such a position when it is the RIGHT thing to do. I have felt the Power and Freedom granted to those who are willing to be the Minority---despite temporary discomfort.

I dream a Dream. I dream a Dream where I am looking down a soft, malleable, fleshy tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, I see fluorescent Light bouncing off a freshly waxed linoleum floor. I don't want to reach the Light. I want to go back where I was before all this movement. But, against my will, I am pushed closer to the Light. Before I reach the Light, I dream I am Great. I dream I will make a difference. Sometimes I will be popular. Sometimes I will be unpopular. But, at all times, I will be Great. Then...I am Born.

This has been my longest recurring dream.

We all have Dreams. But, many of us avoid the painstaking process of actualizing those dreams because sometimes we know we may be uncomfortable and ALONE. ---and many of us choose not to pay this price.

I have decided to pay that price.

I challenge you today--and from this point forward--to develop the mental, spiritual, and physical fortitude that will enable you to grow comfortable with YOURSELF. Yes, Community is important. Cooperation over Competition goes without saying. There is no point in being a rebel WITHOUT a cause. But, The Minority Report isn't about "kickin' up dust" for the sake of causing unnecessary rifts. The Minority Report is about Leadership, Courage, Faith, Service, Discipline, Commitment, and Perservance. You develop these skills through understanding who YOU are.

--and you never find out exactly who YOU are, if you are too scared to BE ALL BY YOURSELF.

---now listen to WILL spit the REAL....

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Reverbz...Echoez...Boomerangz

2011-01-25T05:09:00.026-06:00

Sometimes you don't know if the work you do is making a difference---and then, you receive FEEDBACK.

---and often times, it comes from the most unlikely places. Feedback, whether in words or deeds, can serve as a huge reminder of WHY you have committed yourself to your work in the first place.

Here at ghettoGEEKS, we, like you, ponder on the impact we are making. And, like you, words of support, understanding, and criticism are valuable tools we use to measure our efforts. We are, of course, most appreciative of these messages.

But, SOMETIMES the Feedback is so STRONG; we have to stop and pause. There are some messages that remind us EXACTLY WHY we do what we do....the WAY that we do it. [You follow?] Though we usually don't post private messages, "once-a-blue moon," someone sends something so powerful that we would be remiss if we did not share it with our larger audience.

The following message was an e-mail sent to us from an acquaintance whom I met while working in South Korea; he is no longer employed in the country. We will refer to him as "J" for purposes of this particular post. In the following message, he describes his abrupt decision to leave and return home. Certain details have been altered/ omitted as to protect his privacy and refrain from causing unnecessary offense.

"J" is special because he was an UNLIKELY comrade.

Many, if not all, expatriates ["ex-pats"] go through a process of Culture Shock as they matriculate into a foreign culture. Customary beliefs, habits, and practices are questioned at a core level. That said, I just knew I wouldn't get along with "J." His look and demeanor spoke volumes. When I first met him, I thought to myself, "I'm not going to like this guy--at all." He was a tall, slender, white dude with a bald head--who seemed to always be adorned in dark/black clothes. He constantly reminded me of a Neo-Nazi reject. That was my first impression. He didn't necessarily resemble the picture below, but according to general racial/class schema, he reminded me of this type of guy:

To be honest, I always thought if we would have known each other longer, he may have told me that he participated in a Neo-Nazi organization in the past. I just always got that feeling.

But, lo and behold, we clicked---and I ended up liking the dude. I don't think it took long at all for us to get into some real, deep, socio-cultural issues. ---and these conversations were not superficial. We spoke on subjects of power, economics, politics, and oppression on a level that I am rarely able to reach when discussing these issues in inter-racial/cultural interactions. It's important to note that we didn't agree on EVERYTHING; but we could DISAGREE without being DISAGREEABLE. And though we may reach points of difference, Respect was always mutual. (On a lesser note, "J" has a good sense or humor, too--was never short on wit.)

Anyway---while I was in the U. S. of A. for vacation, "J" was in the process of permanently leaving Korea. He was mad, too.

Aside from his apparent frustration with his job situation, it was humbling to know that after reading "The Road Not Taken," he was inspired to make a decision that was in sync with his perogative, priorities, and preferences. This letter immediately let me know that the work of ghettoGEEKS is not in vain. These words and ideas have a substantial impact on our readers/followers. There are people out here that "get it;" they understand and appreciate the Philosophy. "J's" letter stands as a testament of that.

So, let this stand as a reminder that the work you do, if sincere and consistent, is impactful whether you know it or not. "J" was kind enough to share his thoughts with us...and now we share those thoughts with you.

Without futher ado, "J":

Hey E, it's me J.

I don't know when the fuck you're coming back but you might not see me again. I was going to coast along, evade drama, get my pay and pull a runner sometime in September. Nevertheless, the nasty bitch who employs me tried to get fucked up on me and I made up my mind to get the fuck out. I left my shit apartment and now I'm living swell in a fine motel.

Know what inspired me? Your blog post on when you quit your fuckin job because it was bullshit.

You comin back in the next week? If you do we gotta go hit up some bitches one last time. I'll try to get another job in Korea but I may just get blacklisted by that dumb fuckin rat-face woman. Who the fuck knows huh? Korea is one small country out of many. My options are teach overseas, do manual labour in the tar sands, or join the army again. I gotta go home and straighten out my cousin. Fuckin asshole's 16 and he's robbing houses for coke money. I gotta kick his ass well and good. Nonetheless, whatever I end up doing let's keep in contact. When we're both in the States let's hit up New York. I know some good fuckin spots in Brooklyn. Or wherever, maybe I'll check out Texas. I've only ever been to Dallas/ Ft. Worth and the girls there were kind of snooty.

Anyway, I've checked out your blog and you've got a lot of knowledge. The world is coming to a crossroads and we're all in for some big changes. We just need the right people to make sure those changes are positive and not negative. This is a fucked up world, but a few good thinkers can make a big difference. Don't ever let any cocksuckers derail you, I think you've got the right idea.

I have to leave two good women behind and it breaks my fuckin heart. Nevertheless, there's no such thing as unconditional love and I keep reminding myself that those bitches will turn into cutthroats if the circumstances permitted. I've loved a woman once and I got my nuts hurt for that.

You're one of the few intelligent people that I could relate to here in Daejeon. The other one is an Irish dude named Danny. I'm gonna go outside now and try to get some pussy. If that fails, I'm headed to a hooker tonight! I've been in a 3 week dry spell which is fucked up because I used to fuck a new woman every week here in Daejeon. This is not the same place anymore.

In the meantime, check out these songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORifieiZiP4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQVFqSHXnrY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWeBm61vBhU
If I see you again here in Daejeon, great. If not, best of luck dude.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

NewStripClubSong

2010-12-16T01:37:00.043-06:00

Warm Summer Nights can be quite comfortable....especially in one of my favorite cities; Houston, Texas.

---so I like to stop by Club Onyx whenever it's time for me to leave the southern portion of the United States. I'm well aware that the "PrettyBrownRound" is at a minimum in Korea, so before I depart, I like to fill my eyes with some of the finer aspects of 미국문화 [American culture].

It was a Wednesday night--not crowded at all--perfect for my taste. Upon entering, I made eye contact with an attractive YoungLady [read: stripper] who was standing by the bar. After watching me send a couple of her StripperFriends away, she began to make her way across the room. Before she reached me, I got the impression she was going to offer a "cool experience" for this particular outing. Without any strained/awkward conversation, she smiled...and I smiled back...

She sat down easy on my lap, and put her around me. She smelled good. Cinnammon and shampoo. She looked good. Hazlenut skin...cute face...glitter sparkles on those luscious thighs...pretty toes. ---and yes, she was equipped with the "PrettyBrownRound--Drivin' Me Wild." I was Happy.

We chatted for a minute. She asked me what I did for a living. I told her the truth. She seemed interested. ---and then a nice song came on. I reached in my pocket, pulled out a monetary note...placed in on the table in front of us...and she proceeded to "do her thang." To her credit, she did it well.

Though I can't quite remember, I'm almost certain the song she danced to was of the Hip-Hop variety, had a nice bass line, and it was something we both enjoyed hearing.

But, I've had an epiphany.

From this moment forward, my official LapDanceSong is Tina Turner's "Private Dancer." This choice is made for a variety of reasons...and I'd like to share some with you.

I'm currently doing some reading on Feminism.

In the past, I've actively avoided learning about Feminism. Throughout Graduate School, I had a plethora of opportunities to read Feminist material and discuss topics with women who were actively engaged in Feminist research. Despite this conducive environment and the recognition of utlity in Feminist dialogues, I never really invested serious time and energy becoming more acquainted with it. But, that was wrong. It was short-sighted. It was cowardly. It was chauvanistic. It was debilatating. So, with the help of bell hooks (1984; 2000), and her book Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center, I am attempting a LifeChange. I should have known bell hooks, of all people, would have been a good introduction to Feminist thought as I am a fan of her work on masculinity. (By the way, bell hooks stimulates me intellectually as well as sexually. Her writing, alone, does something to a Playa. No lie.)

The one thing that has impressed me with hooks's (2000) argument is her supposition that Feminism is NOT the complete antithesis of Masculinity. As a result, Feminists should not be seen as people who want to trump, rule, and dominant Men. In fact, a large perecentage of her ideas are focused on critiquing the original feminists for a lack of definition, clarity, and communication of thorough Feminist Theory. One chapter, "Men: Comrades in Struggle," is dedicated to articulating the various ways in which the majority of Men are powerless victims of the sexism perpetuated by hegemony; just like women are also victims (2000).

hooks (2000) stresses finding commonality between the sexes; based on the ACTUAL ways in which the PowerStructure treats both Women and Men. She writes with a style and tone that challenges readers to sympathize, and dare I say, empathasize with the EveryDay Woman. So, when I hear Tina Turner croon:

"All the men come in these places,
and the men are all the same.
You don't look at their faces,
And you don't ask their name."

These words immediately situate the listener [me] as the Woman who is working in the StripClub; unlike most contemporary rap music. While listening to "Private Dancer," I receive the opportunity to understand how the situation looks to the Stripper who is servicing me. I'm a believer that self-reflexivity is healthy and beneficial in a variety of situations; I don't see why the StripClub should be different. A moment of self-reflection might go something like this:

"I am just like all the other tricks who enter this club. I am no different. I might try to come across like I'm different. But, in my attempt to do so, I probably look like the last 100 guys who did the same. It probably looks comical."

.....by the way, come to think of it, that cute lil' Stripper never "asked my name."

As the song goes on, Tina goes a bit deeper in the explanation of the Psychology of Stripping:

"You don't think of them [male patrons] as human,
You don't think of them at all.
You keep your mind on the money,
Keeping your eyes on the wall."

After reading hooks (2000), and coming to understand how the majority of Women and Men are simarily victimized through Sexism and perverse notions of Power, I have a better idea of how both parties mistakenly de-humanize each other. In the lyrics above, Tina Turner illustrates how young females, for the sake of sanity, de-humanize men in order to perform their roles in the production of sexual fantasies (for monetary gain). On the other hand, the proliferation of images that celebrate pimping and the comandering multiple women are constantly being peddled to young males (AND females). Consequently, unjustified [and unnecessary] de-humanization occurs on both sides of the gender coin. We are "tricking" each other. And we are "tricking" ourselves. Everyone's a loser.

Throughout her entire discussion on Feminism, bell hooks (2000) reiterates the notion of COOPERATION between the sexes. She argues that Feminisim should never be about Retaliation or Retribution. If Feminism becomes consumed with "turning the tables," then it is not a revolutionary concept at all. Instead, it is the same system with different PowerBrokers (hooks, 2000). Throught her entire book, she encourages readers to look past stereotypical notions of what is Male and what is Female. She consistently argues that Feminism's main role is to present a NEW WAY to relate to each other. COOPERATION over COMPETITION.

In her discussion on "Revolutionary Parenting," she illustratres this cooperative spirit quite well:

Men will not share equally in parenting until they are taught, ideally from childhood on, that fatherhood has the same meaning and significance as motherhood. As long as women or society as a whole see the mother/child relationship as unique and special because the female carries the child in her body and gives birth, or makes this biological experience synonymous with women having a closer, more significant bond to children than the male parent, responsibility for child care and child-rearing will continue to be primarily women's work. Even the childless woman is considered more suited to raise children than the male parent because she is seen as an inherently caring nurturer. The biological experience of pregnancy and childbirth, whether painful or joyful, should not be equated with the idea that women's parenting is necessarily superior to men's.

What have I learned?

Well....the next time I stop through Club Onyx, to fulfill my role as a LostBoy [read: trick], I am going to ask the YoungLady [read: stripper] to put on Tina Turner's "Private Dancer." I'm going to ask her to pay close attention to the words in the song. And as she begins to dance, I will lean back in my over-sized chair, and imagine the "EntertainmentExperience" from her vantage point...as Tina sings...

Deutsch marks or Dollars,
American Express will do nicely--Thank you...
Let me loosen up your collar,
Tell me do you wanna see me do the shimmy again?

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

The World iz Flat, MyNigga.

2010-10-15T00:55:00.024-05:00

So, after listening to a couple of people pitch the book, I decided to pick up a copy--and yes, Thomas Friedman makes a strong case that Globalization is Real AND it a phenomenon to be taken seriously. The World Is Flat has been a nice read...thus far. I'm not yet finished; so don't confuse these words as a book review, by any measure. [Currently sitting comfortably at the beginning of Chapter 11.]

Rather than a book review, I aim to provide an EXTENSION of Friedman's argument, if you will. I would like to SUPPLEMENT his thesis without making any adjustments to his TRAJECTORY; which I happen to believe is true and exact. My intention here is to merely add VALIDITY to his claim through offering a conversation on the ways in which Race and Culture may be understood through this process of FLATTENING. As an educator, my commentary will focus solely on the thread of Education.

EDUCATION

Friedman does allude to the issues I will highlight; but his allusions are tertiary at best and are absent of substantial historical context at worst. So, consider this a rudimentary framework by which Race and Culture should be meted in the future; in America, specifically, and other multi-racial/cultural societies, generally. After all, ghettoGEEKS WorldWide are, and will continue to be, affected by this current Global Flattening.

Friedman spends a considerable amount of text discussing the culture of education in Asian countries like China, India, Japan, and South Korea. As a current US ex-pat residing in South Korea for the last 14 months, I will reiterate his point: AMERICANS!! PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THE MAN IS SAYING: EDUCATION IS A BIG DEAL IN ASIA!

Here is a small sample the observations he makes in reference to Asian Educational systems:

SUMMER 2004- Discussion on how aggressive Chinese students are about obtaining American visas for entry into American universities. (p.223)

SPRING 2005 - Harvard students form a student group with the purpose of assisting Chinese students with resume writing and joint study projects. Despite most of the Chinese students being from RURAL China, they introduce the American students to Skype--which is the primary means of communication between the groups. (p. 214)

FALL 2005 - "In one of Chennai's [India] ubiquitous academic-coaching classes, a hundred 12th graders are crammed into a purple room, about 30 feet long and 25 feet wide. The energy-sapping temperature is well over 100 degrees despite the constant whirr of overhead fans. {sic} The students listen, rapt, although it is nearly 10:00 pm. When Mr. Arulselvan asks a question, the students rush to reply in chorus. When the tutor poses a problem, they bury their heads in notebooks, chewing on pencils, eager to finish before everyone else" (p. 212-13).

Friedman's (2007) commentary on Education runs throughout the entire book. He goes on to speak about the aggressive ways in which China, India, South Korea, and Japan are handling Education. Through conducting interviews with Chinese government officials, he reports that in 20-50 years it may not be necessary for young Chinese to obtain US visas to attend Harvard or a Yale because Chinese institutions will be on par with elite American universities OR perhaps---better. Friedman makes sure to reiterate China doesn't want to be on par with America: They want to be better. He offers a conversation between a Chinese central bank official and a Mexican journalist. The bank official describes the Chinese-American relationship with the following: "First we were afraid of the wolf, then we wanted to dance with the wolf, and now we want to be the wolf" (Friedman, 2007, p. 404).

FIRST-HAND OBSERVATIONS

Upon my arrival in South Korea, I IMMEDIATELY got the picture. There was no way I could mistake it: Koreans believe in SCHOOL. The typical "teacher-student" relationship impressed me. Dress codes are mandatory; even in Public Secondary institutions. Outside of school, high school students are easily identified because they are ALWAYS in uniform. Why?....oh yeah, that's right, they're ALWAYS IN SCHOOL! For three years of high school, a student is in school from 7:30 AM to roughly 10:00 PM Monday thru Friday. Two (2) Saturdays of the month students are in attendance from 8:00 AM - NOON. During the third and final year of high school school, students are in school seven (7) days a week. (High school students often joke amongst themselves by saying they can't wait to get to college so they can "get a life.") What are American students doing? Waiting for Superman?

Now, one may be able to provide a substantial argument that the Korean system is a bit much. Finland shares the top spot in Global Education and they spend LESS hours at school than any other developed nation. So, while it is true that the Korean way is not the ONLY way to go about educating a nation---I do know this....I've been impressed with the discipline I've seen in South Korean high school students who will tell you, "I can't join you for this activity, because I have to study." Or, "I'll have to spend more time talking to you next year, because I'm currently in my last year of high school." I know far TOO MANY adults who haven't developed this type of discipline.

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN TO AMERICA?

Americans have GOT to start being HONEST with each other. Friedman continually discusses the inevitably of global collaboration, convergence, and cooperation. That means we, as an ENTIRE people, are going to have to learn to communicate/cooperate with non-Americans assuming a power dynamic that doesn't automatically place Americans at the top. That "American arrogance" is going to have to go. Our real-world leverage is slipping. We're going to have to learn to communicate with the rest of the world as EQUALS rather than SUPERIORS. Now, as an African-American, I can only imagine how that will play out due to the ways in which productive/progressive racial healing has been constantly stunted and held in a perpetual state of RETARD.

You have seen, and continue to see, the social fallout from Barack Obama's presidency.

How are we to collaborate with others if we haven't learned to collaborate with ourselves. Friedman (2007) comes close, but he doesn't really address it head on. In speaking about our flawed Educational system in relation to the Asian model he says, "despite the gains of the civil rights movement, the 1960s witnessed growing defacto racial segregation in the schools, as white families with children largely abandoned the cities, leaving behind what we know is an even more segregated (by race and class) city" (p. 360). That is as close as he has gotten in addressing the ways in which America's system of racism has affected America's system of Education. (We are going to have to have more rich, honest, and thorough discussion than that Tom.) If Friedman would have picked up Charles Mills' The Racial Contract, he may have found reasons why the American educational system is as contorted as it is. Race and Racism are at the CENTER of America's Educational problem.

America and Americans are going to have to find HONEST ways to bridge the racial divide. A good place to start is tackling issues of WHITE GUILT and BLACK RAGE. From this point, we can move the conversation forward.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ghettoGEEKS?

The ideal country in a flat world is the one with no natural resources, because countries with no natural resources tend to dig inside themselves. They try to tap the energy, entrepreneurship, creativity, and intelligence of their own people--men and women--rather than drill an oil well (Friedman, 2007, p. 358).

Stop. Grab a mirror. Look into it. THIS is who you have control over. Love yourself enough to practice SERIOUS introspection everyday. Study. Build upon your Strengths. Be honest about your Weaknesses. Study. Stop crying. Start planning. Study. Have a Goal. Get a Goal. Make proper steps toward achieving that Goal. Study. Develop some Discipline. Study. Set your own expectations. Because your school is most likely underserving you, ALWAYS do more than your teachers require. Study. Take a match and some lighter fluid and Burn Up Your Television. Study. Go outside your block, neighborhood, and community---make some new friends. Learn a new language; preferably Chinese, Korean, and/or Japanese. Study. Stop focusing on the White Standard; start focusing on the Global Standard. Buy a Passport. Study. Travel. Practice frugality with your Money. Refrain from being a Label Whore. Have PRODUCTIVE relationships with people; or learn to be comfortable ALONE. Use more weekends for WORK. Study. Create a lifestyle that allows you to take a "weekend" on Tuesday and Wednesday while everyone is at work. Study.

It's time for some serious changes. Alas, the World is Flat, MyNigga.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Obama Presidency + 2-Year Mark + Long Vision + Frank Schaeffer

2010-09-28T01:06:00.002-05:00

In three months, President Barack Obama will hit the two-year mark. The following article was written at the one-year mark, and we at ghettoGEEKS, believe that many of the principles and points outlined within still ring true. We would like to "tip our hat" to Frank Schaeffer for composing this piece. Its value is in its clarity, articulation of fact, and acknowledgement of the flaws within the American political/legislative system (and its people). Please visit his blog and follow his writing...because we will definitely do so.

Without further ado, we present:

Obama Will Triumph — So Will America
By Frank Schaeffer

Before he’d served even one year President Obama lost the support of the easily distracted left and engendered the white hot rage of the hate-filled right. But some of us, from all walks of life and ideological backgrounds -- including this white, straight, 57-year-old, former religious right wing agitator, now progressive writer and (given my background as the son of a famous evangelical leader) this unlikely Obama supporter -- are sticking with our President. Why?-- because he is succeeding.

We faithful Obama supporters still trust our initial impression of him as a great, good and uniquely qualified man to lead us.

Obama’s steady supporters will be proved right. Obama’s critics will be remembered as easily panicked and prematurely discouraged at best and shriveled hate mongers at worst.

The Context of the Obama Presidency

Not since the days of the rise of fascism in Europe, the Second World War and the Depression has any president faced more adversity. Not since the Civil War has any president led a more bitterly divided country. Not since the introduction of racial integration has any president faced a more consistently short-sighted and willfully ignorant opposition – from both the right and left.

As the President’s poll numbers have fallen so has his support from some on the left that were hailing him as a Messiah not long ago; all those lefty websites and commentators that were falling all over themselves on behalf of our first black president during the 2008 election.

The left’s lack of faith has become a self-fulfilling “prophecy”-- snipe at the President and then watch the poll numbers fall and then pretend you didn’t have anything to do with it!

Here is what Obama faced when he took office-- none of which was his fault:

# An ideologically divided country to the point that America was really two countries

# Two wars; one that was mishandled from the start, the other that was unnecessary and immoral

# The worst economic crisis since the depression

# America’s standing in the world at the lowest point in history

# A country that had been misled into accepting the use of torture of prisoners of war

# A health care system in free fall

# An educational system in free fall

# A global environmental crisis of history-altering proportions (about which the Bush administration and the Republicans had done nothing)

# An impasse between culture warriors from the right and left

# A huge financial deficit inherited from the terminally irresponsible Bush administration…

And those were only some of the problems sitting on the President’s desk!

“Help” from the Right?

What did the Republicans and the religious right, libertarians and half-baked conspiracy theorists -- that is what the Republicans were reduced to by the time Obama took office -- do to “help” our new president (and our country) succeed? They claimed that he wasn’t a real American, didn’t have an American birth certificate, wasn’t born here, was secretly a Muslim, was white-hating "racist", was secretly a communist, was actually the Anti-Christ, (!) and was a reincarnation of Hitler and wanted “death panels” to kill the elderly!

They not-so-subtly called for his assassination through the not-so-subtle use of vile signs held at their rallies and even a bumper sticker quoting Psalm 109:8. They organized “tea parties” to sound off against imagined insults and all government in general and gathered to howl at the moon. They were led by insurance industry lobbyists and deranged (but well financed) “commentators” from Glenn Beck to Rush Limbaugh.

The utterly discredited Roman Catholic bishops teamed up with the utterly discredited evangelical leaders to denounce a president who was trying to actually do something about the poor, the environment, to diminish the number of abortions through compassionate programs to help women and to care for the sick! And in Congress the Republican leadership only knew one word: “No!”

In other words the reactionary white, rube, uneducated, crazy American far right,combined with the educated but obtuse neoconservative war mongers, religious right shills for big business, libertarian Fed Reserve-hating gold bug, gun-loving crazies, child-molesting acquiescent “bishops”, frontier loons and evangelical gay-hating flakes found one thing to briefly unite them: their desire to stop an uppity black man from succeeding at all costs!

“Help” from the Left?

What did the left do to help their newly elected president? Some of them excoriated the President because they disagreed with the bad choices he was being forced to make regarding a war in Afghanistan that he’d inherited from the worst president in modern history!

Others stood up and bravely proclaimed that the President’s economic policies had “failed” before the President even instituted them! Others said that since all gay rights battles had not been fully won within virtually minuets of the President taking office, they’d been “betrayed”! (Never mind that Obama’s vocal support to the gay community is stronger than any other president’s has been. Never that mind he signed a new hate crimes law!)

Those that had stood in transfixed legions weeping with beatific emotion on election night turned into an angry mob saying how "disappointed" they were that they’d not all immediately been translated to heaven the moment Obama stepped into the White House! Where was the “change”? Contrary to their expectations they were still mere mortals!

And the legion of young new supporters was too busy texting to pay attention for longer than a nanosecond… “Governing”?! What the hell does that world, uh, like mean?”

The President’s critics left and right all had one thing in common: impatience laced with little-to-no sense of history (let alone reality) thrown in for good measure. Then of course there were the white, snide know-it-all commentators/talking heads who just couldn’t imagine that maybe, just maybe they weren’t as smart as they thought they were and certainly not as smart as their president. He hadn’t consulted them, had he? So he must be wrong!

The Obama critics' ideological ideas defined their idea of reality rather than reality defining their ideas—say, about what is possible in one year in office after the hand that the President had been dealt by fate, or to be exact by the American idiot nation that voted Bush into office… twice!

Meanwhile back in the reality-based community – in just 12 short months -- President Obama:

#Continued the draw down the misbegotten war in Iraq
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)

#Thoughtfully and decisively picked the best of several bad choices regarding the war in Afghanistan
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)

#Gave a major precedent-setting speech supporting gay rights
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)

#Restored America’s image around the globe
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)

#Banned torture of American prisoners
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)

#Stopped the free fall of the American economy
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)

#Put the USA squarely back in the bilateral international community
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)

#Put the USA squarely into the middle of the international effort to halt global warming
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)

#Stood up for educational reform
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)

#Won a Nobel peace prize
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)

#Moved the trial of terrorists back into the American judicial system of checks and balances
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)

#Did what had to be done to start the slow, torturous and almost impossible process of health care reform that 7 presidents had failed to even begin
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)

#Responded to hatred from the right and left with measured good humor and patience
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)

#Stopped the free fall of job losses
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)

#Showed immense personal courage in the face of an armed and dangerous far right opposition that included the sort of disgusting people that show up at public meetings carrying loaded weapons and carrying Timothy McVeigh-inspired signs about the “blood of tyrants” needing to “water the tree of liberty”…
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)

#Showed that he could not only make the tough military choices but explain and defend them brilliantly
(But that wasn’t good enough for his critics)

Other than those "disappointing" accomplishments -- IN ONE YEAR -- President Obama “failed”! Other than that he didn’t “live up to expectations”!

Who actually has failed...

...are the Americans that can’t see the beginning of a miracle of national rebirth right under their jaded noses. Who failed are the smart ass ideologues of the left and right who began rooting for this President to fail so that they could be proved right in their dire and morbid predictions. Who failed are the movers and shakers behind our obscenely dumb news cycles that have turned “news” into just more stupid entertainment for an entertainment-besotted infantile country.

Here’s the good news: President Obama is succeeding without the help of his lefty “supporters” or hate-filled Republican detractors!

The Future Looks Good

After Obama has served two full terms, (and he will), after his wisdom in moving deliberately and cautiously with great subtlety on all fronts -- with a canny and calculating eye to the possible succeeds, (it will), after the economy is booming and new industries are burgeoning, (they will be), after the doomsayers are all proved not just wrong but silly: let the record show that not all Americans were panicked into thinking the sky was falling.

Just because we didn’t get everything we wanted in the first short and fraught year Obama was in office not all of us gave up. Some of us stayed the course. And we will be proved right.

Merry Christmas (or Happy Holidays, depending on your point of view) to everyone!

PS. if you agree that Obama is shaping up to be a great president please pass this on and hang in there!

Frank Schaeffer is a writer and author of “Patience With God – Faith For People Who Don’t Like Religion (Or Atheism).”

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

WhiteNiggaz - Mixxtape 2010 Sampler

2010-08-11T23:01:00.005-05:00

Here's a lil' something to BEAT up your EarDrumz! [Play at extremely high volumes in residential areas.]

Click HERE for sound!

Mixxtape StockingStuffers comin' Christmas 2010.....

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Dog Tastes like Meat

2010-07-25T23:12:00.009-05:00

My first year in Korea is coming to a quick end.

When I took the plane ride over last year, I didn't know how long I would last out here. To be TOTALLY honest, I had visions of landing in the country...looking around for a day...getting some sleep in a hotel...and purchasing a return flight to the US the next day. I can remember rationing the $1,000 US dollars my father put in my hand the day before I left. I practiced extreme frugality with that money because the plane ticket home could have been necessary at any moment....or so I thought.

But, alas, I stayed. ---and it has made all the difference.

In fact, I 've had such a good time, I'm staying another year. I've managed to land a job at a Korean university; so now I have an additional year to increase my knowledge of the language and culture, get some additional work done, and continue a process of living and learning in a culture that is significantly different from the one in which I was raised. Which brings me to my latest intercultural experience....

June 30, 2010 marked the day I opened wide and ate Dog Meat for the first time.

It was an end-of-the-year lunch for the teachers at my school. (We have various dinners/luncheons throughout the year; large luncheons are a typical practice.) The day prior to this particular luncheon, a close friend of mine informed me that "Dog Meat" 개고기 was going to be served. In previous conversations, I had told this particular colleague that I was open to try it...and at the end of the semester, the opportunity now presented itself.

Since living in Korea, I have eaten a number of foods that I had never eaten before. Tofu is a food item I had tried in America, but did not care for. Now, I will eat tofu without much hesitation; and this is probably because of the way it's seasoned in Korea. 된장찌개 (twen-jang-chee-geh) makes tofu much more enjoyable than a bland piece of tofu. I have eaten raw snail (escargot), dried squid, raw squid, raw fish, cooked octopus, chestnuts, persimmons, kimchi, and 청국장 (fermented beans). In Texas, we would refer to the smell of fermented beans as "pretty bad," but it actuality, it tastes "pretty good." In any regard....DogMeat was still a significant step for me, but it was a step I was willing to take.

On the day of the luncheon, we all left school, as usual, and to my surprise, we pulled up to a restaurant where we had dined two or three times before. Interesting. When my party and I arrived, all the other teachers were already seated together on one side of the restaurant. My group took an empty table on the opposite side of the eatery. This is a bit different...we usually eat as one cohesive unit. But, anyhow.... We sat down and engaged in a bit of small talk. A teacher motions for someone to bring us some Soju (a popular Korean alcoholic drink). This is normal. I'm assuming we're all about to get pretty "lubricated"...and this is normal--alcohol flows freely at our outings. But, to my surprise, he pours one glass of Soju for me...and everyone else takes some water. This is a bit unusual. But, anyhow....

I drink.

When our food arrives, it is served to us in the same steaming hot bowls which are used for other Korean soups. When the waitress places the bowls before us, I must admit---it smells good. I could smell the onions and peppers that are typical of most Korean seasonings. As a result, the aroma eased my nerves a bit. I'm still thinking, though...I'm about to eat Dog. I looked into the bowl and saw the green onions, peppers, and soup before me. I'm still thinking....Dog Meat lay just below the surface. I bowed my head to pray, just as I would any other meal. During this prayer, I could feel my curious colleagues watching me. After finishing my prayer, I grabbed my spoon, stirred the soup around, found the pieces of Dog with my chopsticks, and begin to eat.

The taste was Wild---like that of Wild Game. It didn't resemble Deer. It didn't resemble Alligator. It didn't resemble Wild Boar. ---and no, it didn't taste like "chicken." I must say, Dog has a taste all its own. Lamb is the CLOSEST example of meat that I can use in relation to a Dog. Lamb always has a "medicine-like" aftertaste; it reminds me of eucalyptus---and DogMeat had a similar type of taste...not JUST like Lamb...but similar. It's a combination of tangy, wild, and "gamey"....that's how I'd have to describe DogMeat. As far as texture goes, you DO have to chew on him a bit more than other meat. He's kind of gummy. In any regard, I ate my soup. I mixed my rice with it, like I do most soups, and enjoyed myself. Interestingly enough, there was a lot of fat in this soup. I don't eat much fat from Beef, Pork, or Chicken...so I wasn't going to change that up for the Dog. I left the fat behind.

Of course, what was more interesting than eating the dog, was the human interaction that surrounded the event.....

The conversation was a bit strained in the car. No one was speaking as much as they usually do. Everyone was nervous. In this particular case, I assume the teachers were more nervous than I was. I DO know that Koreans understand Westerners don't eat DogMeat. I'm sure they've learned this through a variety of interactions...and I'm sure some of these interactions were coupled with deragatory attitudes. I was a bit anxious, too. I WAS going to eat DogMeat; something that is not done in my culture AT ALL. So, here we were: at a Intercultural Nexus--and it is at these particular moments where our moral fiber is tested.

Yes, it's EASY to talk about intercultural interactions amongst friends.
Yes, it's EASY to write/blog about intercultural interactions behind the veil of the internet.
Yes, it's EASY to ponder and pontificate on theories, and history, and case studies.
But, when you allow yourself to LIVE....
....To truly LIVE,
To let go,
To place yourself in a vunerable place where insecurities abound,
All of sudden it ISN'T SO EASY.
If you allow yourself to be challenged, you begin to understand yourself and another culture on a level that the books, the articles, and the intellectual debates just don't provide.
You learn through LIVING...if you're strong enough, patient enough, humble enough, and disciplined enough to do so.

On a FUNDAMENTAL level, ghettoGEEKS is built on a conversation on CULTURE. I am forever reminded just how DEEP and CENTRAL culture is to People. People take Culture VERY seriously. ---and we ALL have it. We all have Culture. --and when we learn to respect the differences, we will simulataneoulsy learn to live Peace and Harmony.

I am under no illusions. I know it is not easy. I know it is uncomfortable. But, for all the differences between Koreans and Americans, White Americans and Black Americans, Black Americans and Koreans, Koreans and Japanese, Tibetans and Chinese, African-Americans and Africans, Mexicans and Central Americans, English and Irish, and every other relationship that has been riddled with difficulty---there is also the possiblity of healing, if we commit ourselves to that possiblity as well.

On the way home, I remember thinking, "Korea is INSIDE me." There's no going back. After I ate the Dog, the reality is I have always eaten a Dog.

---and yes, Dog IS Different....but, at the same time, Dog IS Meat.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

The Road Not Taken

2010-07-04T08:56:00.006-05:00

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; --- Robert Frost, 1916

Let me tell you a story.

August of 2008 I would make a decision that would signal the beginning of one of the lowest points in my Life. I would eventually be Jobless. Aside from part-time work, I would be without a permanent full-time position for approximately one year.

Why?...

....because I decided I would not continue to "eat a dick" at my former place of employment. I decided that I was larger than the limited amount of professional courtesy they were willing to grant me. I decided that I could no longer afford to waste time in a situation/environment that was corrupt at its core. I could no longer attempt to elevate young minds with theories of freedom, liberty, diligence, and integrity, when at the same time, the administration of the institution was aggressively enacting "unwritten" policies that were quite the contrary. These issues, coupled with the professional jealousies, intimidation tactics, and "office war games," were sources of unnecessary stress and fatigue.

I resigned. I struck out on my own ignoring the news of an ensuing national Recession. I figured I had enough education, experience, and wherewithal to land another position without much worry. I was wrong.

Thanksgiving Weekend 2008, after selling everything I couldn't take, I packed all my belongings in a Jeep...and I headed home [Texas]. During that 1,500-mile trip west, I thought about how my nation's media was reluctant to discuss this Depression in open/honest terms. "Is there really a Depression?" "No, it's more of a slight recession. We'll bounce back shortly." "Is there an end in sight?" "If it's just a recession, how long will it take to recover?" Then they'd bring some "expert" economist on to discuss the "possibility" of a Recessionary/Depressionary economic climate. This BullShit would often times evoke profane rants leveled at my television as I banished all the pundits to Hell. "Those fuckers," I mumbled---and continued driving.

I pulled into Texas on Thanksgiving Day 2008...and I stopped at a friend's house in Dallas. His family was in the middle of having Thanksgiving Dinner, and they allowed me to shower "the road" off me. I was probably in need of a GOOD shower, too. I felt like a Bum. I remember looking at all the residue I left in their bathtub...and I knew I wasn't far from BumStatus at all. Little did I know, I was just at the beginning of a nine-month period of Awakening.

After visiting family in Austin, I eventually got to Houston. Houston would be home-base for this particular period of my life as my mother and sister live there. I moved my stuff in the garage, and immediately "opened up shop." I was on the internet everyday. Job search. Job search. Job search. I enacted the same routine that proved futile in Baltimore. But, the good news was I had my supplies ready [resume, e-mail, cover letter templates] and my rhythm down-packed. Everyday I would contact schools. I was in between the phone and computer. Go, go, go. Day in--Day out. Finding a job was my full-time job.

In between searching for a job, I found time to go through all the FEELINGS of insecurity, anger, depression, disgust, shame, bewilderment, confusion, frustration, angst, doubt, and embarrassment. Inviting my Brain to participate with my Heart wasn't too hard, as I also had THOUGHTS which included engaging in political violence, bank robberies, entering the dope game, panhandling, robbing random "rich people," pimping, and I even thought about working as a male stripper. Life was tougher than a MotherFucker.

I can remember sitting in church on Sunday mornings. In the seven years I was on the East Coast, I didn't attend church on a regular basis. I would jokingly refer to the DC/Baltimore area as "purgatory" with my SouthernBrethren...and I would also tell them that I was one of the CrunkestHeathens. (heehee.) They'd laugh. As I would sit and observe the deacons pray, the people clap, the choir sing, and the preacher preach, I would occassionally think about how I could collect a few dollars from the members as efficiently as the church did. *Oh, Devil, get thee behind me.* I did enjoy some of the inspiration presented in the sermons. Church also gave me the opportunity to mediate and relax. The music was often times uplifting. ---and it also gave me the opportunity to see my Momz in her HappyPlace. Accompanying her, was my major motivator for being present.

I DID have my Familee. ---and I am so Grateful for them, too. My Father, My Mother, My Brother, and My Sister; these People are the absolute best thing I have in this Life. Through this entire period, they never gave up on me. I hadn't lived in such close proximity to them in seven (7) years....but when I came back, we were right in sync.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

This day the rhythm of my Life took a drastic change. I hadn't realized that I had grown so accustomed to meeting "dead-ends" in the job hunt. I had grown so comfortable with hearing "No, sorry, we don't have a position available" that I actually got scared by hearing, "Yes, there's an opportunity." On this day, TWO opportunities lay before me. I suddenly felt a new kind of pressure. Now, the "ball was in my court," and I held a leverage that I hadn't held in nine months. In actuality, as it relates to the job market, I hadn't EVER held this type of leverage/choice. My options were as follows:

1.) Take a tenure-track position as an Assistant Professor at a Texas university.

OR

2.) Sign a contract with Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education and take a job teaching English at a high school in South Korea.

Robert Frost's, "The Road Not Taken," is the poem I took with me to sleep.

Friday, August 21, 2009

I woke up that morning prepared to take "the road less traveled by." I didn't tell anyone about my decision to sign the contract for the job in Korea because I didn't want any external "noise" in my head. I signed it. I faxed it. I visited the Korean consulate and quickly finished the last steps of obtaining my Visa. I was going to jump on a plane five (5) days later and fly to country I had never been to, and knew very little about, to live and work for a one-year period of time. The refrain that kept playing repeating in my head was, "You're one Weird-Ass Muhphuka, E."

Soon after securing the position in Korea, I had to visit a professor who was quite instrumental in securing the Assistant Professor position at the university. It was going to be one of those tough talks that a person hates to have....but, nonetheless, HAS to be done. I had been at orientation for the entire week with the university; I had received a teaching schedule; I had met the faculty members of my department; I had met faculty university-wide; I had even seen my new office...I had all but signed a contract, and now, I had went to discuss my decision with my Colleague and Friend.

Though we hadn't known each other for the longest time, through this employment process, we had connected on a certain level. She was someone who I liked, and more importantly, someone who I respected....and still do. Not knowing how she would react to the news, I called her cell phone and requested to meet her on campus. I think she could tell by my voice that something was up. When I arrived on campus, she left an orientation session (a session I most likely would have been in) and met me in the hallway. "What's up? Everything okay?" she asked. I looked at her, and broke the news. "I've signed a contract with a school in Korea. I'll be flying out next week." I went on to explain how grateful I was for her help through this process; and I MEANT that. I was truly thankful for her honesty, candor, and kindness through the process. She accepted my decision with grace.

And if she ever reads this, I want her to know, "I got nothing but Love for you, Doc."

WHAT A DAY! ....and it wasn't even NOON yet!

I've shared this experience with you all now because I have one more month on my current Visa. I have been in Korea for approximately one year now; and I'm looking back on my time here. And I must say, this has been one of the BEST decisions I have ever made. I can truly say the "road not taken" is sometimes the BEST road to take. I had a mulitude of reasons to stay in the States. (In spite of the difficutly I was experiencing.) I had people who I KNOW Love me...try to convince me to stay. But, I knew that I had to leave. God had shown me how rough Life be thorugh this experience ....and I felt through the decision to come to Korea, He was also showing me that the choice to change my lot in Life is Mine.

The decision is YOURS, People. Do not limit yourself through Doubt and Fear. You can do Anything you want to do. You can. You can do Anything you want to do. AND you can do it the WAY you want to do it. It's going to take a Plan; It's going to take Dedication, a tolerance for Pain, an Endurance Reserve...and it may not be easy. BUT, you can do it. When opportunity arises, DO NOT BE SCARED TO SEIZE IT.

Growth ain't supposed to be comfortable---and Pain is an ingredient that comes with process.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. ---Robert Frost, 1916

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

The African Korean

2010-05-22T01:35:00.003-05:00

안냥하세요...We got that 안냥하세FLOW!

Peep the snippet "The African Korean" from the ghettoGEEKS MixTape! Get GLOBAL!

Attention FaceBookers! Click HERE to hear audio!

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Strictly for My N.I.G.G.A.Z. -- Part Deux

2010-05-20T01:25:00.001-05:00

Niggers are full of the "proper" rhetoric; but their actions and activity illustrate that Carter G. Woodson, as sincere as his efforts were, failed at his attempt to enlighten the masses through calling attention to their collective MIS-EDUCATION.

We STILL suffer from the SAME socio-psychological symptoms that Woodson diagnosed during his time.

Niggers LOVE gettin' MAD. Niggers LOVE having something DRAMATIC to discuss. Niggers LOVE speakin' about the ways in which the WHITE MAN is oppressing them. In these instances, Niggers use all the right rhetoric. They will 1.) quote the seminal scholars, 2.) they will follow logical argumentation, 3.) they will coelesce around the "correct" issues; 4.) they will perform with immaculate elocution; 5.) and they will nod and agree with each other in a rhthymic "call-and-response." BUT, when the lights are off and cameras are powered down....Niggers will INSTANTLY act as NIGGERS.

Act as NIGGERS? What does it mean to act as a NIGGER?

The PRIMARY trait is one of Extreme Insecurity. Remember, a Nigger is a "broken person." When a person is "broken" it is hard for them to gain comfort with themselves. Privately, they question everything they do. Publicly, they are boastful and loud in feeble attempts to mask these feelings of insecurity and self-doubt. (As a result, you will find that some Niggers decrease or eradicate their Private time as a way to eliminate the pain involved in grappling with these issues.) It is hard to be happy, to feel self-worth, to feel complete, and to feel adequate...when you have the mind of a Nigger. Now, though it is true that African-American Niggers can lay the blame of this socio-psychological state at the feet of Hegemony and its "Peculiar Instituion" [slavery], it is time to take pragmatic steps to true freedom, equality, and the like.

What do we have instead?

Like any "broken people," Niggers will try to build Identity. Because Niggers are typically removed from access to "healthy" information, they sucuumb to the images that are flashed repeatedly in front of the television. It is within these programs that Niggers find their identities...and so they copy. What has the television, radio, and magazine told Niggers to do? Well...to have the biggest house, baddest car, and baddest chick(s). The media has communicated this message so well, that if a Nigger does not have these things, then a Nigger feels "less-than."

But, it's not that simple, either.

Niggers just don't wear baggy jeans, wife beaters, flip-flops, and khakis. Niggers are not just residents of low-income zip codes. Niggers are not always strapped with weapons, smoking marijuana, and yelling obsecenities at the top of their lungs. There is a HUGE population of Niggers who are in Universities. They are enrolled in Graduate education programs. They are in Medical school. They hold Ph.D.s...MDs....JDs. Some of them are artists, producers, aspiring actors, political freedom-fighters, writers, teachers, police officers, accountants, military personnel, and scientists. Yes, there is a huge population of "educated" and "successful" Niggers. They traditionally get less attention. That is until today. I want to focus on THESE Niggers.

These Niggers are more interesting than the stereotypical Nigger on television. These Niggers usually speak with the King's English. They typically dress better. They're more "educated." They essentially carry an aesthetic that is more easily accepted by mainstream society. In my experience, THESE Niggers are the most Delusional. THESE Niggers are the most Frustrating. THESE Niggers are the most Dangerous. In fact, Frantz Fanon gave special attention to THESE Niggers in The Wretched of the Earth. He warned that the TRULY oppressed will have a more difficult time becoming free if they were not careful of the Bourgeoise. The burgeoise is always more in line with the Power Structure than "the people." No matter what their rhetoric, they are usually in line with hegemony. It is more comfortable.

Niggers remain focused on aestheics because subconsciously (or unconsciously to some) apperances are the only things that matter. Appearance is everything...and that even plays a huge part in the politics and education of these Niggers.

Y'all DO remember Chris, right?

...and here's "gun-toting" Chris with Pastor Steven Anderson (pastor who prayed for Obama's death).

To Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): I have seen too much agregious behavior. This behavior is guided by a philosophy that serves the purpose of unfairly enriching a few administrators [theives] at the detriment of the students [victims]. We can not blame White People for misappropriation of funds, embezzlement, loss of accrediation, sub-par classrooms, sub-par materials, etc, etc, etc. If faculty members at these institutions do not go along with a culture of malintent, then they are subjected to economic abuse, psychological abuse, lack of deparmental support, disrespected, inter-departmental espionage, and any other creative means of frustration. But, everyone comes together to try to save the "HBCU." Why? Because it sounds good. But, these schools have the potential to BE GOOD.

To Black Churches: Stop using the "Jeremiad" to make people feel bad about themselves. Stop providing one version of the Bible; the version that focuses on how many ways a person is a Sinner. The Bible is not a book that is written to scare people into to believing in God. The Bible is a book that has PLENTY of messages of Love, Confidence, Growth, Maturity, Politics, History, Family, and lessons of Ascendence and Responsiblity. You do not have to make people feel incomplete before they enter a Church community....unless you want to take advantage of them to fill your coffers. You CAN make them feel complete and whole. And then you can easily organize them into sharing this Love with those who need it. Put more of your Economic resources in the communities that house the churches. Let's eradicate the stark images we see between the parking lots full of expensive cars in church parking lots and the ghetto communities that contain these churches.

To Black People: Dr. Martin King spoke about not losing the "moral authority." In paraphrasing King, he suggested that if Blacks ever lost the "moral authority," then they would lose a lot. To my African-American brothers and sisters, we have been teetering on the edge of losing all for quite a while. We have to operate in TRUTH. African-American mythology is just as detrimental to society as mythologies created to support White superiority. In fact, in many of our urban hubs, and/or places where the African-American population supersedes the White population, I argue that African-American mythologies are MORE detrimental to young Blacks than myths of White superiority.

Not long ago, Tavis Smiley conducted his national conversation on the Black Agenda. It took a few days to watch this conversation in its entirety. I naturally paid close attention to the ways in which those gathered at the table framed their arguments. ...and it was then I noticed something that I have noticed for quite a while. African-Americans, from the most prominent and prolific national figures to the local leaders, often use history to define, depict, describe the "Souls of Black Folk." I definitely feel that history is IMPORTANT...and should be used as a tool to perserve Cultural Memory. BUT, history should be used in ways the DRIVE the future. If you pay attention, the historical examples that African-Americans often use....are dangerously similar to the contemporary plights that plague us today. This would lend anyone to ask the question, "why are the plights of today and 350 years ago SO similar?" This also tends to make the hitorical references seem like pure elocution and seriously lacking in practical/pragmatic use. Tupac Shakur phrased it more immediate language for "the people" of the Hip-Hop generation by asking, "When we goin' stop sucking Michael Jordan and Malcolm X dick?!" Excluding the Michael Jordan reference, Tupac was merely questioning the sincerity of actual Black progress.

Stop blaming White people of EVERYTHING. YOU DO have the Power to create and change your situations. Yes, there are constraints that surround you. Yes, racism and discrimination are STILL present and prevalent. BUT, dig down deep and find the courage, intellect, faith, and resovle to do something. STOP letting petty jealousy, insecurity, and ignorance impede your growth and maturation. Focus on making YOURSELF and better person. You are MORE than your SEX. You are MORE than your MONEY. You are MORE than your JOB. You are MORE than your ZIP CODE. You are PERSON. You are a HUMAN BEING. That's enough. Be the BEST Human Being you can be.

Stop being a NIGGER, My N.I.G.G.A. Be a ghettoGEEK, instead.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Let’s Get Naked!: A Progressive View of Artifactual Communication (or the lack thereof)

2010-05-06T02:58:00.003-05:00

Artifactual Communication is a link into our personalities (Canterbury, 2010). In essence, we make conscious decisions about how we adorn ourselves. The clothes we choose, the clothes we do not choose, our watches, bracelets, purses, wallets, hats, hair styles, glasses, earrings, tattoos, and the like, communicate something about who we are. The link between artifactual adornment and self-expression [identity] is extra-evident when observing young men who are entering the work force. They often display resistance toward “society” and their parents in regards to professional dress codes. “Boy, you are going to have cut your hair to be taken seriously!” “Do NOT wear those sneakers with that suit!” Along with learning dress etiquette for the professional world, young women who are coming of age, also learn how certain dress may attract male sexual attention they may not want. Where we shop says something. What we shop for says something. Some of us are buy our clothes at Wal-Mart and Target. Some of us may shop at the malls. Some of us shop at a combination of both places. Some of us are strictly whores to high-end labels. Outside of the United States, the artifacts people adorn themselves with changes yet again. In any regard, every culture has certain artifactual norms and mores that are followed—and though not expressed vocally and verbally, this communication is POWERFUL.

Lately, I have been focused on what makes human beings SIMILAR as opposed to what makes us DIFFERENT. Consequently, I’ve stumbled upon something: We all possess a BODY. That’s right. We all possess a BODY. Our Bodies are Ours; and our Bodies are Immediate. Strip us of Food, Clothing, and Shelter, and we would be left with our Bodies. (Sure at this point, they maybe hungry, dirty, and poor--but we would still possess them.) And because our Bodies are OURS--and so essential to our Identity, I argue we should embrace our Bodies in their natural form. We should all GET NAKED.

Shed the designer suit! Drop the trendy jeans! Let go of the skirts, shirts, blouses, and trousers! Embrace your Nakedness. Enjoy your Nakedness! No need to hide it. Be free. Enjoy your vessel. Look at it. Feel it. Touch it. Hold it. Strike a pose! Your Body is You. It is Essential that you enjoy and appreciate You.

You entered this world Naked, and sometime between that moment and this--you have been taught to cover Your Self. In that process of covering, you have grown insecure about your physique and your inner- person; you have placed a priority on clothing; you have judged others by their clothing; and in the act of placing your personal security in artifacts you have invested hard-earned money in clothing. And for what? Nothing. Nothing but Poor Health.

Clothing has not only separated us from Nature, but clothing has essentially, separated us from Ourselves. The most obvious symptoms of our separation from Nature are the physical symptoms. Clothing has provided an outlet for over-consumption. All one must do is consider the obesity rates, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol percentages, and other symptoms of over-eating. The National Institute of Health reports that “97 million Americans are obese” (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov, 2010). That equates to approximately 1/3 of the entire American population. The American Heart Association states “74.5 million people over the age of 20 have high blood pressure” (http://www.americanheart.org, 2010). That number is approximately 20% of the total population. Homosapien has lost a major connection to the rhythm of the Nature. You eat do that you may work. You must give something back to Nature. Eating is to gain energy...so that energy may go back into the World. Now, many of us, eat and don't work it off---and we conceal/disguise this habit behind clothing. We seem to be paying a high price for this behavior in Poor Health.

In a Nudist culture, you would have to develop a positive attitude about your appearance; and the things you want to change would require a sincere invest time, exercise, and diet. No longer could you go to the store and purchase a way to conceal or add to these things you did not like. You would go to the health club, gym, basketball court, or jump on the bicycle to make improvements in your appearance. You would avoid McDonald’s for lunch, and go to your local grocery store and have a lunch that is strictly from the Produce Section. It might be cheaper---and it would definitely be healthier. Whether you are overweight, athletic, busty, or poor, you would know longer be able to conceal these “flaws.” In the process of running errands, going to work, and handling day-to-day activities, you would grow comfortable with looking at yourself. You would grow comfortable in your OWN skin. And should you dislike something about your physique, you wouldn’t have to wait for a doctor to tell you about the importance of Diet and Exercise. You would develop the respect for Diet and Exercise independent of medical advice.

You entered this world Naked, and sometime between that moment and this--you have been taught to cover Your Self. In that process of covering, you have grown insecure about your physique and your inner- person; you have placed a priority on clothing; you have judged others by their clothing; and in the act of placing your personal security in artifacts you have invested hard earned money in clothing. And for what? Nothing. Nothing but Emotional/Social Weakness.

Let me be clear: our physiques are not the only things that are affected by Clothing. Strong self-respect, self-esteem, and civility have also been adversely affected by anti-nudist cultural attitudes. With the addition of clothing to human communication physio-psychological makeup, it seems that ruthlessness, dishonesty, and status-seeking tendencies are not only permissible; but valued. But, when a person is absent of anything that would obfuscate, conceal, or embellish exactly who they are; that person MATURES. For a reasons very few people could articulate, Nudity is generally looked down upon. It is understood as obscene---as graphic---as lowly. But, Nudity is natural. Your Identity is found in your Nudity. And if more people would actually look at themselves, and allow others to look at them in the Nude, strange things would begin to happen. For one, your self-esteem would see an immediate impact. Regardless of your physical health issues, the discipline, pride, humility, empathy, and self-esteem required to be a productive citizen in a Nudist culture would grow tremendously. When you strip something of all additives and preservatives, the natural beauty and potency of said object is revealed. Human beings are no different—our Core would naturally grow stronger.

There would be a resurgence of respect for natural temporal rhythms, organic production of food stuffs, respect for Mother Earth, spiritual understandings of Life and Death, Care, Concern, and respect for our neighbors would return. Understandings of Sexuality might improve—we would definitely be less insecure about the subject. Racism might dissipate. I’m sure if we are all “Butt-Booty-Ball-Naked” many racial myths would be dispelled. Are Black Men truly more endowed than their White counterparts? And many other racial-sexual mythologies would be exposed for the nonsense they are. Spirtual maturity/enlightenment/respect may be achieved...it would definitely heightened. Often times, those of us who are the most fanatic about religion become judgemental and often use the "Jeremiad" to scare people into obedience. The dimiension of religion and spirituality that calls for Self-Reflexivity often gets missed. Nudity would keep egotistical religious postures in check by bringing Humility to the fore. Your eyes and mind would evaluate other people, yourself, and the entire world differently. You would learn to accept people for who they are because you are simultaneously accepting yourself for who you are.

Physique is linked to Persona. Explicitly stated, a nudist culture would transfer into a less insecure culture. Nudism allows one to accept the things they can not change. For the things they can change, nudism requires core values, assumptions, and beliefs such as, dedication, discipline, perseverance, humility and sacrifice. Nudism does not allow people mask as easily. As a result, the persons in the nudist cultures learn to be secure about not only their person, but the people around them as well. This would inevitably lead to a drastic change in what we consider Beautiful in the world.

Take Them Clothes Off!

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Ode to Baltimore - ghettoGEEKS MixTape

2010-05-03T07:46:00.003-05:00

The forsaken sun slides down its parabolic way
Into the heartless, ravenous Chesapeake bay
While my girl and I,
Dying to bawl,
Watch this holy shadow,
An infinite number of unholy shadows,
Bleeding on the wall.
---Excerpt from "An Ode to Baltimore," Austin Levitt, 2010

ghettoGEEKS version of "An Ode to Baltimore." LISTEN CLOSELY.....

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Six Flags doesn't like Dreadlocks?!?!

2010-04-27T00:55:00.002-05:00

Former Morgan State University student, Janet Bello, is denied employment at Six Flags due to her hairstyle. Interestingly enough, this particular Six Flags location [P.G. County, Maryland] is heavily populated with persons [customers] who wear dreadlocks. Janet, and another woman, have placed a spotlight on the company's hiring practices. See video below:

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

TGIM - Thank God it's Monday! GET WIT IT!

2010-04-27T00:49:00.002-05:00

Eric Thomas! The Hip-Hop Preacher! THIS Brotha has got what WE ALL need! GET POSITIVE about LIFE!

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Duffle Scruffle - WeNeedBeatz Mixtape Sampler

2010-04-13T07:47:00.004-05:00

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Roses in Concrete

2010-04-08T07:37:00.004-05:00

For audio, video, and written social/cultural commentary just as STRONG as the image below, visit The Sable Verity Blog.

Onward March....

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Wait 'til I get my Money right....

2010-04-03T16:40:00.003-05:00

...and then you can't tell me nothing, riiight??

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

ZigZagMan Sample from 2010 MixTape!!!

2010-04-03T01:11:00.005-05:00

Greetings Boyz and Girlz:

In the highly anticipated drop of our first MixTape, ghettoGEEKS: WeNeedBeatz, vol.1, we will be sharin' some snippets off the album. So...sit back...relax and experience "Edu-tainment" as only these ghettoGEEKS can deliver!

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

ghettoGOSPEL

2010-03-31T03:52:00.017-05:00

This post is written with no adherence to organization. It is more a collection of thoughts. It is random. But, it is here for you anyway.

This particular post is immediately inspired by a recent FaceBook discussion generated when I posted a video posting of Reverend Wiley Drake discussing why he is praying for the death of President Barack Obama. When I posted this video, I was under the assumption, if any subsequent conversation took place, it would be focused on the current social, racial, cultural climate in America. We must all admit, these are some interesting times. Economists are reporting that the day the "US Dollar" led the world is over. Countries around the world are having to realign and repostion themselves in the new world order. These global economists then make the logical argument that awareness to new social, political, and cultural relationships will be necessary as the economic situation evolves and changes. Simultaneously, America has its 1st Black President; and as a result, it has to navigate through new cultural, racial, and social issues domestically. Most Americans, and other global citizens, know the American track record on these issues isn't the best, hence, the "Pastors of Imprecatory Prayer."

I was made familiar with Pastor Steven Andersen's prayers for President Obama's death a few weeks ago, and now I am of learning of Rev. Wiley Drake and his prayers for the death of the President. I am in awe at the audacity of these preachers, "Men of God," using their pulpits to pray for the President's death. (Well, honestly, I'm not too surprised; but you get my point.) Throughout the interview I posted on my FaceBook page, Rev. Wiley Drake suggests that imprecatory prayers (prayers for a person's demise) are all throughout the scriptures. He never gives us a scripture, though. A pro-Bush placard, with the scripture 2 Chronicles 7:14, is shown in one of the visuals that are being shown as he is speaking. When I went to reference this scripture, it, like many others, COULD POSSIBLY be used to support his theory of imprecatory prayer; but is DEFINITELY NOT specific about the characteristics of the leader in question.

In short, Rev. Wiley Drake is doing nothing innovative or new. He is doing other religious leaders are doing. He is using his social position (and his personal perspective) to influence his congregation and other like-minded individuals. He should probably be commended for going a step further than most other churches, who have a tradition of being insular, and actually attempting to affect social change in the world. (I actually wish more churches in the African-American community would take bold, unpopular action when African-American interests are being threatened.) And though I disagree with Rev. Wiley's position, if given the chance to speak with him, I would offer him a suggestion to sharpen his message rhetorically; for the sake of clarity. My suggestion to the Rev. would be that "wicked" is too broad/vague a word to describe the President. He needs to choose a more simple/clear explanation for his opposition. ---something that would be easy for his constituents to rally around. ---something as "American as apple pie."

This post is written with no adherence to organization. It is more a collection of thoughts. It is random. But, it is here for you anyway.

The subsequent FaceBook conversation did not address these issues, but instead, took a decidely "energetic" conversation on the essence, purpose, utility, value of religion. Due to the nature of the discussion, and the participants who were involved, I have decided to write on the topic. Because Religion and Spirituality are issues just as central to ghettoLIFE as pre-marital sex, high school drop-out rates, hard-core drug use, spread of sexually transmitted diseases, high unemployment rates, teenage pregnancy, gun violence, and the like; but not typically addressed in the context of ghettoLIFE, is yet another reason I wanted to address this issue. In fact, religion and spirituality are MORE central to ghettoLIFE than the more widely discussed factors simply because a strong spiritual foundation has a huge impact on the ways in which a person understands themselves AND their environment. Do you see the implications??

Now, we all are aware of how heated conversations of this nature can be. [For the record, this particular conversation remained civil.] Nevertheless, as the discussion took shape, the typical questions began to surface in my own mental space.

Why is it the case that religious conversations engender so much emotion which can lead to anger, angst, dispute, mis-communication, non-communication, and in many cases, war?
Why is it that religion and spiritualty, which are constitutionally filled with Love, when discussed in the "public sphere" [outside of our own sanctuaries, mosques, synagogues, etc.] can spark so much Hate?
If there is ONE God, then why should it matter if I choose to communicate with Him through Jesus Christ and my neighbor chooses to communicate to Him through Muhammad?
During my time in Korea, I've learned more about Buddism, Confucianism, the I-Ching, and other Eastern philosphies; and as a result, can't make direct comparisions to Christianity or Islam. What does that say about the relationship between Christianity and Islam?

...and of course, the more we explore, the more questions we will have. So, I will offer my 3-tier position on the issue as follows:

(1.) I do not believe that Faith and Intellect must be Divorced. I don't it's reasonable, or appropriate, to expect people to refrain from thinking and asking questions when it comes to issues of Religion.
(2.) It is my belief that Religion and Spirtuality is best practiced with a strong concentration on the Individual/Intrapersonal understanding FIRST. In fact, spirtuality and belief systems are LARGELY individual. If we have a secure understanding of what God means to us PERSONALLY, then we are able to interact with others in ways consistent with our understanding of God. (I actually came to this understanding through my work at a Jesuit institution; St. Ignaciaus de Loyola.)
(3.) People will continue see God in different ways. History has shown us there has been little corporations between Religions. But, borrowing from our President, if we choose to focus on what we AGREED on versus what we DISAGREE on, then we may at least be able to move the conversation forward. On on the subject of Religion, that should be easy to do. LOVE is a central theme of many religions.

The PATHOS of the church is what I have appreciated most about the church over the years. In my reading of the Bible, I appreciate the narratives of the Kings....Solomon, David, and the story of Samson. I appreciate the story King of Kings; Jesus Christ. I appreciate these narratives and parables because they FIRST and FOREMOST have no lesson at the end which says something is RIGHT or WRONG. ---and it amazes me that this is exactly the FIRST thing a "church person" wants to tell you. HOW to act, believe, or think. The Bible is not written that way. These are stories of Men (and women). Just like you and me. Fallen, fallable people, who in living fallen fallable lives, looked to God for support. Sometimes they succeded...sometimes the failed. But, in the process of living, they looked to God for wisdom and guidance. Their successes and/or failures are written for us to gain wisdom and a sense of the world. When I read the Bible I read LOVE. I read a book of Bold action, unpopular stances, unorthodox behavior based on principle. Themes such as power, falling victim to lust and abuse, deceit, trechary, Love, fear, hypocrisy, redemption....they are all available to read. So I read. I will be open to reading the themes of other religious texts. I will use my spirit of discernment, and I will continue to live the best life I can.

This post is written with no adherence to organization. It is more a collection of thoughts. It is random. But, it is here for you anyway.

Here's what I haven't done after reading the Bible. I have never finished reading the Bible, and felt the need to go run and tell somebody what to do or how to live. It's never happened. I actually don't see how "church folk" have made that leap. When I read the Bible, it is always so humbling an experience.

The church, as an institution, is not above critique. Martin Luther King, Jr. critiqued. Malcolm X critiqued his. Jesus Christ critiqued the church. (The Pharisees, "church folk," were constantly challenging Christ.) All of this is written.

Ghandi was a Hindu. Malcolm X was a muslim. Am I to believe, despite the good these men did for their people and world, they are not in heaven, because they didn't except Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour? And in Ghandi's instance, his philosophy of non-violence helped an entire society of African-American Christians find strength to fight their battle for freedom; is Ghandi in Hell because he was a Hindu? Is Martin King a BAD Christian for using the philosophy of a Hindu to liberate his people? If so, is he banished to Hell for it?

Be Great and leave an impact. Those who actually Live Strong say the best Prayers.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Marley & Me (Remix) -- Strictly for the HERBalists

2010-03-27T10:55:00.001-05:00

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Care for a Spot of Tea?

2010-03-25T04:38:00.003-05:00

America must learn to operate in TRUTH. For only It, shall set us free.

The focus for this piece is solely dedicated to uncovering the HYPOCRISY of this contemporary "Tea Party" movement.

SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL TEA PARTY (Boston; 1773)

In order to understand the HYPOCRISY of this contemporary "Tea Party" movement, all one must do is simply invest a bit of time reviewing American history. The original Boston Tea Party was, of course, one of the critical social protests which led to the American revolution and eventually the founding of our great republic. Like most conflicts, both historical and contemporary, MONEY was at the center of the debate between the American colonies and the ruling British government.

In Asia, tea has been appreciated for its taste and medicinal qualities for ages. As a matter of fact, I've recently been informed by a Korean colleague of mine, that if physical weight and availability are accounted for, GOOD tea possesses more monetary value than gold. Currently, in China, GOOD tea is slightly more expensive than gold...and a bit more difficult to attain. In any regard, Europeans developed an intense taste for tea in the 17th century, and with this rise in demand for the beverage, the English Parliament, gave the East India Company a monopoly on the importation of tea from India (Wiki, 2010). By English LAW, it was illegal to import Indian tea directly to the colonies. Instead, the tea was routed through England. So, of course, taxes were levied, transporation costs were affixed, and any number of "other" charges were also applied, and then the product was sent to the American colonies for consumption. By the time European hegemony received its share of initial profit on the European market, and then applied all markups on the "American" tea, a lot of MONEY was being made in Europe.

"Americans," justifiably so, thought this situation was unfair. It was a direct affront to the freedoms and liberties of the "English subjects" that occupied the colonies. In fact, for much of the late 1700s, American colonists embraced the BLACK MARKET, and even smuggled Dutch tea as a means to circumvent this abusive tea policy imposed by the British government (Wiki, 2010). Colonists defended their protests and participation in the BLACK MARKET by suggesting they were being unfairly and egregiously taxed by the British government. In addition, they received NO representation in British Parliament. Hence the term, "NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!" (Which is STILL an issue in modern-day Washington, DC, which happens to be heavily populated by African-Americans, but I'll avoid that tangent for the time being.)

Due to this abusive situation, some brave colonists, like Samuel Adams and approximately 125 others, dressed up as Native Americans, and ransacked the Darmouth destroying all 342 chests of tea (Alexander, 2002). ---and as simple as that, America has the Boston Tea Party. (I am dedicated to arguing ONE point in this piece, so I will again avoid a tangent, and leave readers to speculate why disguising themselves as Native Americans was a necessary tactic.)

THE LOOKING GLASS

Now, if a group of Americans, concerned about the general progression of the country, are going to band together under the moniker of the "Tea Party," it would seem that consistency with the original movment would be a prerequiste. As stated above, we are able to understand the political and economic constraints at the time of the original tea party. There are two fundamental issues present. These issues are (1.) the "unfair" pricing, distribution, and taxing of tea on the colonists by the financially insolvent (British) East India Company which generated capital from an oppressed citizenry, and (2.) a governmental system which allowed these particular corporate interests to actualize their plans by providing them with the legal means to extort "we the people."

THE CONTEMPORARY TEA PARTIES

With this understanding of the HISTORY of the Boston Tea Party, wouldn't it have seemed more plausible for these contemporary "tea parties" to have been formed during the Bush years?

Let's examine the situation:

(1.) The "unfair" pricing, distribution, and taxing of tea on the colonists by the financially insolvent (British) East India Company which generated capital from an oppressed citizenry (Knollenberg, 1975).

The unscrupulous accounting practices of AIG, Bear Sterns, and Lehman Brothers, which led them to grotesque insolvency, draws a SHARP and STRONG correlation to the fiscal state of the British East India tea company at the time of 1773. In both eras, corporate interests aimed to profit on the backs of working-class people. In both cases, these corporate interests used unfair means to do so. In the real estate market, CountryWide and all its cohorts, schemed on working-class families by offering mortgage loans at sub-prime levels, as a why to take advantage of the fictitious numbers createad by Wall Street's "credit-default options." Again, corporate interests are teaming up to make money, not from investing in the production and perpetuation of Public Good, but simply taking advantage of the Public!

Where were the "tea parties" then? Remember Enron, Texas? Where was the Texas Tea Party then? We had a PLETHORA of "East India Companies" taking advantage of "we the people!" Where was the love and reclamation for American history then?

(2.) A governmental system which allowed these particular corporate interests to actualize their plans by providing them with the legal means to extort "we the people."

Now, while Enron was squandering people's pensions, while Wall Street was inflating the Market with "phony money" through CDOs, and while corporate real estate giants were awarding loans to people at sub-prime rates to take advantage of these CDOs, the domestic economic policies of the Bush administration, characterized by serious DEREGULATION, provided the fertilizer for these greedy schemes by the super-wealthy. All this activity has led to the WORST domestic (and arguably international) economic situation since THE GREAT DEPRESSION.

In addition, George Bush and his cronies, led us into a War in Iraq under FALSE pretenses. Thousands of young American men and women gave life and limb predicated on a Lie. Back on the HomeLand, Americans were repeateadly shown color-coded "terror alert" systems. (I imagine those Americans who actually believe news is unbiased and not influenced by governmental policy were scared during these "terrorist alert" moments.) And if going to fight an unjustified War wasn't bad enough, we couldn't even WIN the War. With all of Bush's rhetoric on redemption for 9/11, Osama Bin Laden is still free. (Oh yeah, but that's the War in Afghanistan; sorry...it gets confusing.) Under the Bush administration, we've spent $585 BILLION dollars, and we're still in Iraq...AND Afghanistan.

Again, I ask: Where were the Tea Parties then? Where were the Great American Patriots of today when America was being led into a War that was based on a LIE? Where was the anger? Where was the rage? Why weren't your civil liberties cause enough to take to the streets? Because he actually assumed more of a posture to Hitler, where were all the placards and signs of George Bush as Adolf Hitler? In many estimates, it would take $50 BILLION dollars to erase poverty in America. By those estimates, this is less than 10% of what we've spent in Iraq! O, Tea Partiers, what say thee?!

ghettoGEEKS INVITATION TO SIP TEA

We, here at ghettoGEEKS, would like to invite these contemporary tea party patriots to a spot of tea. We are interested in engaging in conversation about the current state of domestic and international affairs. We are interested in learning more about the anger and rage coming from the Right. ---and after all cups have been filled with the beverage, our contribution to the conversation would go as follows:

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Middle-Class, Working-Class, and/or Lower-Class, Ultra-Conservative, Radical Right-Wing, White Person:

It is MANDATORY that you let go of your collective insecurity about other people and other cultures. You are NOT God's chosen people. God belongs to us all. The world belongs to us all. God did not grant you, nor your race, special authority over other races and cultures of people. The "myth of White superiority" that you were sold by ruling White elites (hegemony) was a hoax. ---and just because you are finding that it has no merit, does not mean you have to become reckless and pick up arms to protect yourselves from over-confident Niggers and Spics. It does not mean you have to led your congregations to pray for the death of a President in the name of God. It might just mean you have to relax, reassess the situation, and begin to participate as an equal partner in a new global situation.

Steven Anderson, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Rick Perry, David Horowitz, Sean Hannity...and whoever else I forgot to mention, God never granted divine approval for capitalism. It is merely ONE way to organize society; not The Only way to do so. God certainly did not give special permission to use unscrupulous tactics to swindle wealth from the world and concentrate it in the hands of Europeans and Americans. Greed did that (or a spiritual entity more likened to the Devil). Greed also placed us in this economically and socially percarious situation that we find ourselves in now, and Greed continues to perpetuate the division within the system. World Hunger, World Poverty, Climate Change, Black Male Incarceration Rates, World Financial Collapse, Sub-Prime Mortgage Crisis, Mexican and Afganistan Drug War, Iraq and Afganistan Wars, Illicit Arms Deals, Child Slavery, Sex Slavery, etc....you name the problem, and greed, money, and power is at the center. In most cases the money trail will lead you to people with large amounts of POWER.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Middle-Class, Working-Class, and/or Lower-Class, Ultra-Conservative, Radical Right-Wing, White Person:

The persons who are in control of this particular level of POWER are NOT the Niggers, Spics, Chinks, Iranians, or Afghanies you have demonized for all these years.

Tea Party "patriots," let's be TRUTHFUL. You have the LARGE TASK of demonstrating your resentment of President Obama and his policies are not based on race and are not fueled by racist attitudes. It's is a LARGE TASK those on the Right are trying to manage, but at times, it gets fumbled and clouded...even for you all. ---and I can understand why. Let me suggest something you haven't tried yet.

TELL THE TRUTH.

With an unjustified war in Iraq waged on the covert basis of empire and conquest, publicly waged on the false premise of securing the Homeland, simultaneously controlling the domestic population through color-coded terror alerts, George Bush had more in common with Adolf Hitler than Barack Obama. Where were the presidential "Adolf" signs, placards, and references then?? Nowhere except on international grounds---not in America. Why are they present now? My guess is because of basic psychological "projection." You are "projecting" your inner feelings of race and your perceived loss of power. In your your shotty attempt to justify your rage and create yourselves as victims, you have created the argument that Barack Obama is the Hitler-like tyrant. Wake up. Get over yourselves and your Whiteness. Start cooperating with the rest of the world's people.

Not all, but many of those who so vehemently oppose the President have DEEP issues with him because he is Black. The minute you stop lying about it; the minute you stop covering it up with other things like his policy on abortion or "big government;" the minute you begin a mature conversation about your inability to understand race without activating racism; will be the exact minute ALL Americans can begin to create a BETTER future.

America MUST shed the diseases of Cultural Ethnocentrism and Racism.

There is no room, nor any more time, to debate the EXISTENCE of these phenomena; there is only time to create a SOLUTION to these phenomena. Living as an expatriate in Korea for the last seven months has made me realize that, America, "on paper," is a marvelous set of ideals. All the words etched on that historic parchment, which serve as the CONSTITUTION of this country, represent nothing short of an excellence in promise, purpose, and principle. When it comes to organizing society, I would argue that America is one of the BEST ideas the WORLD has ever seen. But, the HYPOCRISY that is equally American, created by American hegemony and perpetuated by the American people, is simultaneously one of the WORST ideas the WORLD has ever seen.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Biiiiiiiiitcch!

2010-03-07T07:23:00.004-06:00

In our attempt to bridge the "gender gap," and explore sexuality in contemporary media, we have solicited assistance from the Twerk Team. This is a group of three young women, out of Atlanta, GA, who have become quite famous through posting their dance videos on YouTube.

For those who don't know, "twerking" is a particular dance style in which young ladies will move their bodies, in erotic splendor, to the rhythm of bass-intensive rap audio. Generally, the "twerkers" body movements are isolated to the "gluteus maximus" region, creating visual euphoria for witnesses. Twerking, done well, instantly captures the attention of young male onlookers; I can attest to this personally.

If memory serves me correctly, I was trying to find some UGK late last year...and that's when I found the stumbled across the Twerk Team. My introduction to them was through their video "Let Me See It." Let's just say, after that first viewing, I knew I would return.

Anyhow, their publicity seems to be consistently increasing. They seem to have an organized production team behind them; they have a number of videos posted and producing more on a regular basis; they have "imitation groups" copying their brand; and they have recently been mentioned by Ludacris on the George Lopez show. As their popularity has increased it seems they have found themselves embroiled in a battle with Karine Steffans, a.k.a. SuperHead. Steffans allegedly made an off-hand comment about them in an interview, and being keen business opportunist, they produced the following video as a response to the slight:

Now, though there is plenty to discuss within these 3-4 minutes. I would like to focus my commentary on the way in which they use SuperHead's notoriety as a sexually "loose" woman to degrade her while simultaneously using their sexuality to build a "career" platform as well.

Ms. Twerk: "Suck a dick and write a book? Bitch you scarred for life!"
"...and your little blog sucks. Suck at something you like."

This rhetoric is, of course, meant to suggest that SuperHead is less than virtuous. She is loose. She is nothing short of a prostitute. But, then, in somewhat contradictory fashion, Ms. Twerk boast of her own sexuality and ends her rap by stating:

Ms. Twerk: "Let me move my PoppaStoppa----Suck my mic!"

Though I must admit, she moves her PoppaStoppa quite well---I'm left ever so slighty confused. If SuperHead is "less than" for building a life on promiscuity and the subsequent power of her sexuality, then how is Ms. Twerk doing anything different from that? I think they answer this question later.

Lady L: "...on Media Take Out, we killin' on YouTube.
No Suckin'. No Fuckin'.--all the shit that you been through."

Betty Butt: "OK, let's see, how should I start this?
You got your career from suckin' off Mr. Marcus.
You will suck a carcass to get to Neiman Marcus."

It seems that I (and others) should understand they are validated in referring to SuperHead as a "bitch" and a "hoe" because she has repeatedly "sold" herself for actual sexual intercourse. Her behavior is unlike that of the TwerkTeam, because, alas, they just DANCE---no suckin'...no fuckin'. Consequently, they are of higher quality than their rival as they only "suggest" sex through dance. Here's the thing though, ladies, to all the young men traversing the internet at night, there is not much difference. We remain the same PHYSICAL distance from both the TwerkTeam and SuperHead--very far away. But, the PSYCHOLOGICAL distance, or better yet PSYCHO-SEXUAL distance, between you is very MINIMAL.

...and for all the young ladies reading this blog and watching these videos, who are pondering on the THIN LINE between DANCING sexually for money and HAVING SEX for money: IT'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE, LADIES! Just ask all the young strippers who slide down this slope every year...

What is even more disturbing is the nature of the sample they use throughout the audio track. Throughout the track you hear a little girl cussing someone out. The Twerk Team producers have sampled this girl's voice, and used these profanities and vulgarities to attack SuperHead. The following video is of the young girl used in the track:

So, here we witness a much deeper problem. This is NOT a mass media production; though unfortunately, with today's technology it is "media that has reached the masses." It is NOT a fabrication of a production studio. It is NOT an artifical media battle between some young erotic dancers [driven by money and notoriety] and a young woman [driven by money and notoriety] who led a very solacious lifestyle with countless celebrity men.

This is a Little Girl. This is a Little Girl. This is a Litte Girl---who exists in a Real World. She is learning how to cuss, intimidate, and degrade other Little Girls, who most likely, look just like her. Even more disturbing, she is learning these lessons from her caretakers. She is learning how to play a role that many people feel is all she is worth playing anyway. And let's not be mistaken, she is not as RARE as we would like to think. There are thousand Little Girl's growing up just like her. It's not new, either. This Little Girl has existed way before the Twerk Team, NWA, Snoop Doggy Dogg, YouTube, and any form of mass media motherfuckers wanna lay blame. This Little Girl has existed just as long as the Ghetto has existed--and it is going to take "we the people" to correct the problem.

It is our fault. It is not Lil' Wayne's fault. It is not 50 Cent's fault. It is not SuperHead's fault. It is not the fault of the TwerkTeam. It is OUR FAULT. Take some responsibility. Let's take care of our daughters.

The effect these images, words, and thoughts have on Children is what really matters. Adults can not afford to be negligent with the responsiblity of mananging, producing, critiquing, and articulating the differences between reality and fiction. We must come to some type of healthy consensus on what this material means and the power it has to influence the minds of our youth. Adults must understand these materials first, and then be careful to manage it accordingly. We can enjoy it as we deem fit. But, we must enjoy it responsibility. We CAN NOT afford for our daughters to actually feel as though this language, aggressive posturing, or sexuality is the true and correct way to live.

Happy Women's History Month.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Y'all Shut Up! --and Pay Attention to what "Erka-Say."

2010-03-02T23:44:00.005-06:00

Happy Women's History Month from ghettoGEEKS!

This year we wanna listen, participate, contribute, and benefit from discussions regarding Womanism, Feminism, Femininity, Misogny, Sexism...and anything else that applies.

We will start the Month off with a contribution from a Woman that I've known MOST of my life--and ALL of her life--my BabySister, Ms. Erika Hargrove. A Queen of "reading the fine print" and asking plenty of questions, Erika and I shared much of our youth in between libraries, schools, parks, and our ImaginaryWorlds [literally]. We both seemed to cultivate a Love for Wordz and the potential Power they possess...especially through poetry. That said, enjoy Erika's latest work:

I'm in Recovery - Love Me

I'm Crazy, but ain't I beautiful?
I'm Crazy, but ain't I smart?
I'm Crazy, but ain't I all that with some fritos and chili on the side?
I know how to open wide and dip it low and bring it up slow
Don't that make my craziness bearable?
Don't that make my life shareable?
Yes or No? There's no in between.
Answer me!

I'm giving, I'm living
My heart's on my sleeve. The ground is at my knees. Why can't you love me the way I need?
The way I love you. Why can't you do what I do?
Oh. No one asked me to? Okay, then. Fine.
Now, it's your time.
Let's see how you handle this. Let's see how far we get with go-with-the-flow.
Uh huh. Didn't think so.

I'm right. You're wrong. And now I'm done.
Until tomorrow, when I miss you and wanna kiss you.
And we're back to it. Let's do it.
Wait - I'm not satisfied, but I cry on the inside.
You're happy, so I guess that's good enough.
Man, this life is tough. Tough.
I've had enough.

Finally seeing that it's not you. It's me.
I'm sick. Sick of you, but sick of me too.
Finally seeing how I need to be. Finally learning to love me.
I'm in recovery. Thank God I'm in recovery.

---Erika Hargrove

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Eazy Reader...

2010-02-17T16:29:00.002-06:00

Television HAS been used as more of a learning tool---and we got the Footage! Thank you, Morgan Freeman. Grooovy, Man...

Morgan Freeman Gets Groovy on "The Electric Company" - watch more funny videos

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

I hit the WEED, and hope to GOD I can FLY HIGH...

2010-02-15T09:14:00.005-06:00

We burn it up freely in the Ghetto. We burn it up behind closed doors in the Suburbs. We set fire to it in automobiles with the windows rolled up tight. When we're at home, we ignite it, and then listen to our ecclectic mixes of Bob Marley, Beethoveen, Tupac, Enya, Miles Davis, and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. We burn it in EZ Widers (Double-Wide), Dutch Masters [Washington, D.C.], Zig-Zags, Swisher Sweets [Texas], Psychodelic Glass pipes (w/the White Boyz), and Bongs (Economical Smokers). However it's smoked, we take instruction from Goodie M.O.B., and "put some fire on the azz end of that weed."

And though the American government has criminalized and regulated its use since 1937, for the last 73 years Americans have found ways to smoke Herb and find relaxation, spaces for meditation, recreation, and rejuvenation. As the RastaMan says, "It is the healing of the Nation." ...especially a Nation frought with as many problems as ours.

Though Men (and Women) have used it for ages, the brilliant mindz behind ghettoGEEKS made acquaintance with the Ganja approximatedly 12 years ago in College Station, Texas. As undergraduate students, with sincere philosophical interests about the world, we decided to see what the "hype was about." No risk--No reward. ;)

Pulling smoke from the chamber of the chalice, and recovering from thorough coughing fits, we lean back on the couch and enjoy a new appreciation for the music. Hearing "new" instruments hidden in the beats...sounds never heard before...Junior Gong continues to lay his vocals over them with relaxed precision..."Me Name Jr. Gong....Me tellin' ya...Young girls betta' run...Me tellin' ya." "Why is THIS illegal?" Don't quite remember what my HomeBoi's answer was...but, I know we had a good laugh about it.

I began to wonder what else in this world seemed to make no sense at all. One could say that the Marijuana was an organic catalyst for these Organic Intellectuals. The practice to critique society became more relevant and more valuable. The oxymoronic had never been further from "moronic." Alas, ghettoGEEKS....

So, the US government has decided to loosen restrictions on the use of Marijuana as states like California, Washington, and New Jersey begin to exercise Medicinal Marijuana laws. For the record, I'll just say, that I'm skeptical WHEN and IF the Government decides to LEGALIZE it. I just don't trust Phillip Morris...they might start putting RAT POISION in the Weed, too! TruWord. And, of course, money will be re-routed from "Mom & Pop" business into the hands of the Corporate Cronies that run present-day tobacco companies.

Not only would Legalization take money from the "people who've paid the biggest price" (through incarceration, and the like); Legalization would also take the "sexy" away, don't you think?

Scenario: You lose your contact(s) for whatever reason. You have to find a new "WeedMan." You flip through your cell phone. Who would know how to get some?....Who would know how to get some?....Not her...Not her...Not his ass...Definitely not her...SHE probably DOES...but you can't ask her, based on your relationship...HE definitely does...but you don't like his trifling ass.

**OK, you hit the street.** Who looks like they know?...Who looks like they know?...Not him...Not him...He looks he knows where the CRACK is...and he most likely knows where the Weed is, but getting ripped off by a CrackHead is not in today's agenda. Ah-hah! There he is. He knows. Gotta check the bag before it's copped...we don't smoke that DirtWeed...nothin' but the StickyGreen. *Be Cool.* *Check the scene for Police.* *Be Cool.* "Say, you got that, Dogg.?" Cool. "Is it that Fiya? Can't fuck with that BullShit." "Aight. Yeah, looks good....okay smells right." *Check the scene for Police.* "Let me get your number, Dogg...if it's good--be in touch."

Now, who wants to do without that dance?.....unless, you go to the University of Colorado (see below):

So, while the State [read: government] decides what stance to take in their overall hypocritical position regarding the "Kaya," we'll continue to practice our norms, traditions, beliefs and values. ...and yes, one of the cultural components of ghettoGEEKS is to produce large clouds of smoke and ponder upon things of more significance. Still Smokin'....

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Black MYSTERY Month

2010-02-08T06:49:00.007-06:00

In celebration of Black History Month, ghettoGEEKS looked around...and then asked the question, "What the hell are celebrating?"

No matter where you are in America, or the world, chances are it's kinda rough....so, we've decided to commit ourselves to the interrogative posture and ask QUESTIONS this year for Black History Month. These are questions that may provide stimulation, motivation, education, or further interrogation...but in any regard, we hope that it may add value to your 2010.

Without further ado, here is our attempt to omit MYSTERY from the HISTORY:

1.) Why isn't John Griffin's Black Like Me required reading in American high schools?
2.) Why don't Historically Black Colleges and Universities implement more aggressive Study Abroad agendas?
3.) How much of an ACTUAL effect do the National Black Pan-Hellenic Fraternal organizations have on the lives of the Working Poor and the Destitute?
4.) When will White people collectively conquer "White Guilt" and honestly engage in meaningful "Buberian dialogue" regarding race relations?
5.) Why are Niggaz STILL Scared of Revolution?
6.) Why I gotta be a "sell-out" just because I gotta Asian girlfriend?
7.) Can Black churches start disseminating true/transparent fiscal reports to all their members?
8.) WHAT in the HELL is Sarah Palin talking about?
9.) Why don't we do away with the REPRESENTATIVE Democracy and the need for an electoral college, and use technology to garner in a POPULAR Democracy and cast ballots at ATM machines?
10.) How come the Tupac Shakur murder is still unsolved?
11.) Why doesn't Barack Obama have any sons? Would have still been elected if he had one?
12.) Would the legalization of Marijuana help improve race relations?
13.) Why do older Black people talk about the "wild, ignorant, ghetto youth" as if they are not related to them in any way?
14.) Why do too many Historically Black Colleges and Universities purposefully, strategically, and consistently under serve their student populations?
15.) Why do Democrats and Republicans fight and bicker publically, but they both manage to spend HUNDREDS of BILLIONS of dollars on unsuccessful wars over the last decade?
16.) The estimated costs needed to end poverty in America is 50 billion dollars; why not spend "war" money on this project?
17.) Why did General Motors "kill" the Electric Car?
18.) Why is it that Homosapien has been engaging in heterosexual and homosexual intercourse for millions of years without AIDS being a problem? Then, from out-of-the-blue, the 1980s gives us AIDS. And now, worldwide, why is AIDS a predominantly Black problem?
19.) What do Martin King, Malcolm X, Steve Biko, Bob Marley,and Tupac Shakur have in common?
20.) Why does the greater Black community continually tell Black youth to "go to college" as if a magical PromiseLand is waiting after they get degrees...when this is obviously not the case? What do the youth need IN ADDITION to the degrees?
21.) Why haven't you picked up your copies of Before Barack there was Tupac and Bustin' Gats through Spittin' Raps?

If you have any answers to these questions...or have any questions of your own, feel free to share.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

For all those with "Paul Shirley" logic, we introduce Sir Hilary Beckles, President of UWI-Cave Hill

2010-01-29T20:46:00.003-06:00

The Hate and the Quake

Published on 1/17/2010

BY SIR HILARY BECKLES

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES is in the process of conceiving how
best to deliver a major conference on the theme Rethinking And Rebuilding Haiti.

I am very keen to provide an input into this exercise because for too long
there has been a popular perception that somehow the Haitian
nation-building project, launched on January 1, 1804, has failed on account of
mismanagement, ineptitude, corruption.

Buried beneath the rubble of imperial propaganda, out of both Western
Europe and the United States, is the evidence which shows that Haiti's
independence was defeated by an aggressive North-Atlantic alliance that could not imagine
their world inhabited by a free regime of Africans as representatives of the
newly emerging democracy.

The evidence is striking, especially in the context of France.

The Haitians fought for their freedom and won, as did the Americans fifty
years earlier. The Americans declared their independence and crafted an
extraordinary constitution that set out a clear message about the value of
humanity and the right to freedom, justice, and liberty.

In the midst of this brilliant discourse, they chose to retain slavery as
the basis of the new nation state. The founding fathers therefore could not see
beyond race, as the free state was built on a slavery foundation.

The water was poisoned in the well; the Americans went back to the
battlefield a century later to resolve the fact that slavery and freedom could not
comfortably co-exist in the same place.

The French, also, declared freedom, fraternity and equality as the new
philosophies of their national transformation and gave the modern world a
tremendous progressive boost by so doing.

They abolished slavery, but Napoleon Bonaparte could not imagine the
republic without slavery and targeted the Haitians for a new, more intense regime of
slavery. The British agreed, as did the Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese.

All were linked in communion over the 500 000 Blacks in Haiti, the most
populous and prosperous Caribbean colony.

As the jewel of the Caribbean, they all wanted to get their hands on it.
With a massive slave base, the English, French and Dutch salivated over owning
it - and the people.

The people won a ten-year war, the bloodiest in modern history, and
declared their independence. Every other country in the Americas was based on
slavery.

Haiti was freedom, and proceeded to place in its 1805 Independence
Constitution that any person of African descent who arrived on its shores
would be declared free, and a citizen of the republic.

For the first time since slavery had commenced, Blacks were the subjects
of mass freedom and citizenship in a nation.

The French refused to recognise Haiti's independence and declared it an
illegal pariah state. The Americans, whom the Haitians looked to in
solidarity as their mentor in independence, refused to recognise them, and offered
solidarity instead to the French. The British, who were negotiating with
the French to obtain the ownership title to Haiti, also moved in solidarity, as did
every other nation-state the Western world.

Haiti was isolated at birth - ostracised and denied access to world
trade, finance, and institutional development. It was the most vicious example of
national strangulation recorded in modern history.

The Cubans, at least, have had Russia, China, and Vietnam. The Haitians
were alone from inception. The crumbling began.

Then came 1825; the moment of full truth. The republic is celebrating its
21st anniversary. There is national euphoria in the streets of Port-au-Prince.

The economy is bankrupt; the political leadership isolated. The cabinet
took the decision that the state of affairs could not continue.

The country had to find a way to be inserted back into the world economy.
The French government was invited to a summit.

Officials arrived and told the Haitian government that they were willing
to recognise the country as a sovereign nation but it would have to pay
compensation and reparation in exchange. The Haitians, with backs to the
wall, agreed to pay the French.

The French government sent a team of accountants and actuaries into Haiti
in order to place a value on all lands, all physical assets, the 500 000
citizens were who formerly enslaved, animals, and all other commercial properties
and services.

The sums amounted to 150 million gold francs. Haiti was told to pay this
reparation to France in return for national recognition.

The Haitian government agreed; payments began immediately. Members of the

Cabinet were also valued because they had been enslaved people before
independence.

Thus began the systematic destruction of the Republic of Haiti. The
French government bled the nation and rendered it a failed state. It was a
merciless exploitation that was designed and guaranteed to collapse the Haitian
economy and society.

Haiti was forced to pay this sum until 1922 when the last instalment was
made. During the long 19th century, the payment to France amounted to up to 70
percent of the country's foreign exchange earnings.

Jamaica today pays up to 70 per cent in order to service its international and domestic debt. Haiti was crushed by this debt payment. It descended into
financial and social chaos.

The republic did not stand a chance. France was enriched and it took
pleasure from the fact that having been defeated by Haitians on the battlefield, it
had won on the field of finance. In the years when the coffee crops failed, or
the sugar yield was down, the Haitian government borrowed on the French money
market at double the going interest rate in order to repay the French government.

When the Americans invaded the country in the early 20th century, one of
the reasons offered was to assist the French in collecting its reparations.

The collapse of the Haitian nation resides at the feet of France and
America, especially. These two nations betrayed, failed, and destroyed the dream
that was Haiti; crushed to dust in an effort to destroy the flower of freedom and
the seed of justice.

Haiti did not fail. It was destroyed by two of the most powerful nations
on earth, both of which continue to have a primary interest in its current
condition.

The sudden quake has come in the aftermath of summers of hate. In many
ways the quake has been less destructive than the hate.

Human life was snuffed out by the quake, while the hate has been a long
and inhumane suffocation - a crime against humanity.

During the 2001 UN Conference on Race in Durban, South Africa, strong
representation was made to the French government to repay the 150 million
francs.

The value of this amount was estimated by financial actuaries as US$21
billion. This sum of capital could rebuild Haiti and place it in a position
to re-engage the modern world. It was illegally extracted from the Haitian
people and should be repaid.

It is stolen wealth. In so doing, France could discharge its moral
obligation to the Haitian people.

For a nation that prides itself in the celebration of modern diplomacy,
France, in order to exist with the moral authority of this diplomacy in
this post-modern world, should do the just and legal thing.

Such an act at the outset of this century would open the door for a
sophisticated interface of past and present, and set the Haitian nation
free at last.

Sir Hilary Beckles is pro-vice-chancellor and Principal of the Cave
Hill Campus, UWI.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Black Racists?! WTF?!

2010-01-21T09:39:00.013-06:00

Professor D...do you think black people can be racist by definition?

One of my former students had this question neatly packaged on my FaceBook wall yesterday. First and foremost, I don't think this question could be anymore timely. There seemed to be a sense of urgency regarding my response, but the question was too important to be answered briefly within the confines of FaceBook---so I took a bit more time to offer my opinion on the subject. (I hope I didn't take too much time, Marcus.) In addition to space limitations on FaceBook, posting this exposition on ghettoGEEKS allows me to reach a larger audience. And as I write these words, I imagine this audience to be Black, White, Asian, Rich, Poor, Religious, Agnostic, Atheist, Heterosexual, Homosexual, Confident, Intellectual, Insecure, Stupid, Jealous, Racist, Wierd, Materialistic, Ugly, Beautiful...and any other adjective under the sun. Without further ado, I offer my opinion on the matter.

I have said, and will say again, the Conservative arm of the American political system is on a serious mission to define race and issues of race. This campaign to define race is occuring RIGHT NOW. Think about it--in wake Bush leaving office and the decline in Republican power in Washington, personalties like Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, David Horowitz, Glenn Beck, and a host of others, have been consistently speaking on issues of race. (In the cases I'd like to highlight, white people are portrayed as the victims of racism and reverse discrimination, i.e.; the Connecticut Firefighters.) The Right has actually been MUCH more active than the Left in articulating philosophical arguments surrounding race. And when you think about it, it's actually a stroke of rhetorical genius. If they get out in front and DEFINE and CONTEXTUALIZE race and racism, then they are seen as operating from a position of neutrality and objectivity.

But, there is a problem. This popular right wing view on race is inherently flawed. COLLOQUIAL TRANSLATION: The shit doesn't make any sense.

I'll explain.

RACE

Race is a societal construction based on physical characteristics. According to the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, "the term race or racial group usually refers to the categorization of humans into populations or groups on the basis of various sets of heritable characteristics." If we focus on the term "heritable," we will learn that this idea is concerned with phenotypic variation in a population that results in genetic variation among individuals (Wiki, 2010). THOUGH THIS INTERESTING INFORMATION, THIS BRINGS TO CONVERSATION TO A BIOLOGICAL LEVEL...AND THIS IS NOT THE FOCUS OF THIS PARTICULAR DISCUSSION.

Our focus is, of course, SOCIAL.

Now, SOCIALLY, the concept of race gets a bit more interesting. Why? POWER. Plain and simple. Everybody wants Power. Everybody. Please be under no illusions about this. Most people want Liberty...and based on the research, a possession of POWER is a prerequisite for the possession of LIBERTY. I'm sure Patrick Henry would agree with me on this point.

Interested in more about the link between POWER and LIBERTY?...pick up Before Barack there was Tupac or Bustin' Gats through Spittin' Raps.

Recognizing the role (social, economic, and political) POWER played in the creation of the racial hierachy in America, a person may be able to gain a clear and more historically accurate idea of race. The American racial hierarchy was constructed to serve the interests of those IN POWER. (To believe anything else, is nothing short of baffling.) The early American elite used race as a way in which to organize society. Through law, politics, money, and culture, those who were white were routed into social classes near POWER...and the darker your skin, the further removed from POWER you were. You were relegated to social positioning at the bottom of the social (power) hierarchy. In fact, America's unique system of CHATTEL slavery created beings who were legally defined as less than human yet more than four-legged beast. The concise rhetorical label for this population of chattel was: Nigger. Summarily, it is here we understand race is SYNTHETIC. It is man-made. It is a way in which the elite organized society in the interest of protecting and perserving POWER.

RACISM

It is a verb. It should be understood as "race in motion." Racism is the actual execution and protection of the current racial hierarchy. It is DEEPLY entrenched into the American social, legal, and economic system. Racism, in America, is cultural. It is NORMALIZED.

It would behoove all parties involved to decrease the emotional investment you place in examples of grotesquely overt instances of racism sensationalized on television and radio. Barack Obama is hung is effigy...white cops shoot innocent black man 49 times...such and such. (Let me be clear: These stories are sad, and they NEED and DESERVE media attention.) But, what needs just as much, IF NOT MORE, attention is the Covert/Intellectual side of race. This is where it get's sexy. The maintenance of the hierarchy is not evidenced in sensational stories; it's actually eradicated/deleted/omitted in these sensational stories. When a group of poor, disenfranchised, white men kidnap and rape a black woman EVERYONE gets emotional. Black people get LOUD and white people get QUIET. But, everyone gets emotional. When a black woman lies about being raped by a prominent collegiate lacrosse team, everybody gets emotional. White people get LOUD and black people get QUIET. But, everyone gets emotional. Now, if we focused on the quiet side of racism, the side where the historical racial hierarchy is kept intact, then we may be able to communicate (intra AND inter)racially with a basis in something real and relevant.

So....Professor D, do you think black people can be racist by definition?

Absolutely not.

BY DEFINITION, race WAS constructed, and IS maintained by people in power. In America, this means wealthy white people. There is not ONE black individual who has access to this social club. (OK, Oprah MAY have enough money to gain access...and IF she is participating in activities that maintain the current racial heirarchy...and IF she dedicated to protecting the interest of the current powerbrokers, THEN she MAY be racist.) I doubt any other black people qualify.

Now, without a single doubt, black people can be definitely be PREDJUDICE...and IGNORANT...AND STUPID. These are intrinsic human qualities; and black people are definitely not exempt from them. Prejudice, referring to the practice of pre-judging individuals based on a certain set of stereotypical misnomers, is a practice every human being of capable of performing. I have sadly witnessed many black Americans illustrate huge prejudices in unabashed fashion. In these moments, especially when they are performed in public in uniquely boadacious fashion, I have stood dumbfounded...cringing on the inside.

"You IG'NANT ass nigga...PLEASE close your mouth, because you know not what you speaketh. You are a member of a traditionally oppressed group. If anyone should understand racial and cultural sensitivity, it should be your black ass."

So, the argument I present is not in any way attempting to black people from racial slurs, racial prejudice, and race-baiting. BUT, I stand by the position that it is IMPOSSIBLE for black people to be RACIST because black people do not have access to the levels of POWER. Dick Gregory (1964) makes a similar case in his book Nigger. Race and racism are deeply connected to POWER...and that is something, frankly speaking, blacks in America don't have much of, in economic, legal, and political forms. So, to say that black people can be racist is one of two things (1.)a significant syntactic flaw; or (2.) the most racist thing I've ever heard.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Dr. King, I Know what You Mean.

2010-01-20T03:32:00.001-06:00

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Behave when you workin' for the BEAST...or you won't be workin'!

2010-01-16T21:24:00.001-06:00

GET MAD AT THE BANK!

GET MAD AT THE BANK!

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Pariah Means OutKast!

2010-01-15T02:45:00.001-06:00

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

What the Summer of the "Chi" got to offer an 18 - year old?...

2010-01-04T07:29:00.003-06:00

....sell drugs or get a job---NOPE!

You can take some inspiration from Damon Williams (and his Mother), and do something a bit more constructive....and a bit more PROFITABLE.

Happy Freakin' New Year!

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Kill the Demon! (Happy New Year)

2009-12-30T00:05:00.010-06:00

....just in case y'all missed us....

We are bringing you some of that "MachineGunFunk" that we KNOW you love.

Your MainMan, OuttaBoundz [a.k.a. Encyclopedia Brown] wants to give a shout-out to all those individuals who contributed to the life of ghettoGEEKS in very significant ways this past year.

Shout-out to "A. Dub Productionz"; the young man who runs this production company has been a crucial element to the ghettoGEEK brand in 2009. I can't say enough about his professionalism, dedication, passion for life, education, and business. Shout-out to Sable Verity...I've never met her in person, but this brilliant young woman has made a definite impact with us here at ghettoGEEKS; and I wish her the absolute BEST in her future endeavors. Shout-out to Dr. Kimberly Campbell of Texas Southern University. She opened up her classroom for Dr. eRiC Durham and ghettoGEEKS...that gesture was a great opportunity for ghettoGEEKS....and hopefully, for her students as well. Shout-out to all the ghettoGEEKS radio participants of 2009...Dr. Kandace Harris, Evita Castine, Femi "The DriFish" Lawal of The 5th L, Julia Kennedy, David McCoy, Rachel Droogsma, Dr. Chetachi Egwu, Ashley Charisma, Jeremy Hargrove, and anyone else we may have forgotten....it wasn't on purpose.

Now, sit back, relax....and enjoy 3 minutes and 30 seconds of that OriginalMaterial that only ghettoGEEKS can bring....

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

GOD iz ILLA!

2009-12-19T10:21:00.002-06:00

Glad to see that the Recession iz provdin' Musical Blessin'....

These catz is from the Ghetto...and they be GEEKIN'...

PAY ATTENTION....

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Attention Gentlemen: Fall Back in Love with your NUTSACK!

2009-11-21T06:02:00.008-06:00

This message is directed to Men, in general. But as an African-American man, who understands the nature and circumstance of that particular form of masculinity best, I would like to direct this message more SPECIFICALLY to them.

First and foremost, I feel it is appropriate to share the catalyst for this particular post. Recently, I was scrolling through FaceBook, skimming through the daily chatter between friends....when one particular conversation caught my attention. It was between two young women in their mid to late 20s (marrying age). This conversation didn't catch my attention because it was out-of-the-ordinary. No, in fact, it caught my attention because conversations like these are becoming TOO ORDINARY! (Read conversation below:)

Female #1: [FaceBook Status] Wants 2 line up all the skinny jean wearing, whiny, actin' more like a bitch-than a bitch.......& take the out the game Execution style.....this would make the world a better place!

Female #2: Wow!!! Take a deep breath...

Female #1: Whoo-sa....right!lol Girl all of this bitch made ass men out here just Gross me the fuck out! WTF is r winnin abt?! Ain't nuthin givin.....u gotta get ya shoes alrdy!

Female #2: And u know it. These dudes act more like women everyday. And as soon as they start wit that sh!t they get dropped. I'm startin to feel like the guy in the situation. I feel ya...

Female #1: U feel me B! Uugh! I can't deal with these non-masculine males. It sickens me! Can we just be the women in the situation?! My girl said, ever since niggas stopped drinkin tapp water they don got soft! Lol I'm finna send out a PSA....No more bottled water....Lmao

Female #2: That's right!!! No Smartwater, No Fiji, not even Dasani. Turn on ur faucet and drink some damn MANHOOD! I'll sponsor the PSA!!!

Female #1: LMAO!!!! U killin me! We cld UVA walk-a-thon fundraiser! Us women hv it soo hard out here!

Female #3(New): OKKKKKKKKKKK (Lil' John voice!)

Male #1 (New): Dayohmmm....interesting

Female #1: Female #3, u know better than most! We don't like these types!! Male #1, dnt change......u r leading the league!!! Lol

Female #4 (New): Get em' Girl!!

Male #1: Dayolmao.......

Female #1: Female #4,......dnt blame me, blame tha Eastside.........100, Lol

Female #4: LMBO!!!! Yeah, that's that eastside in you.

Female #1: U already know, where niggas stand on tha block of Eastmain all day.......doin what they do, but no room for softness. Only the hard, only the strong!

Now, this can be read as a simple conversation of a lover scorned. Most of us have experienced love gone bad. (Sh)It happens. It is natural. Disappointment, anger, confusion, miscommunication, frustration, impatience, immaturity, fear, and a host of other emotions connected with a dissolving relationship, are not limited to age, race, sexual orientation, culture, gender, intellect, or financial status. These feelings are emotions that EVERYONE is succeptible to at some point.

But, as you may be able to deduce, this is a conversation between African-American females...and they are most likely discussing the behavior of African-American men. Again, I chose to highlight THIS conversation, but I could have picked ANY one of MANY conversations between women. Whether it be on FaceBook, through face-to-face interactions, on the telephone, between family members, you name it....it seems that it is becoming more and more evident that (Black) women are losing faith, interest, respect, affinity, etc. for (Black) men. I will stop here.

For purposes of COMPLETE CLARITY, I am NOT directing this conversation to women. This correspondence is STRICTLY FOR MY N.I.G.G.A.Z.

Gentleman: It has become EXTRA-evident that you need FALL BACK IN LOVE WITH YOUR NUTSACK.

Let me re-phrase for all those who may have missed it. You need to re-evaluate the way you understand Masculinity. Masculinity is about Principle. Masculinity is about Power. Masculinity is about Provision. Masculinity is about Focus. Masculinity is setting GOALS and achieving GOALS. These tenets are not new, innovative, contemporary, or new-age theories of Manhood. These tenets are Historical, Classic, Timeless.

Masculinity is NOT about imitating a RAP SONG. Masculinity is NOT about imitating your favorite ACTION MOVIE STAR. Masculinity is NOT available at your local mall through the purchase of ANY type of clothing. Masculinity is NOT found in a bottle or a blunt. Masculinity is NOT about playing video games all day long. Masculinity is NOT, at least at the very core, solely about VIOLENCE. Masculinity is NOT about SEXUAL PROWESS. Masculinity is NOT about PIMPIN' HOES. Simultaneously, Masculinity is NOT about INVESTING ALL TYPES OF MONEY, TIME, AND ENERGY DOING THINGS TO IMPRESS WOMEN, either. In fact, Masculinity, in many situations, may go unrecognized...but Masculinity is NOT about recognition. Jesus Christ illustrated this tenet in John 6:15; after feeding the multitude of 5,000, they rushed to MAKE Him a King...and he left to be alone.

And if you don't understand ANYTHING else, it is important that you understand this:

Masculinity is nothing that any woman will ever be able to teach you, show you, or give you.

So, STOP LOOKING FOR APPROVAL FROM WOMEN. But, that DOES NOT MEAN you go to the other end of the spectrum and MISTREAT Women, either. (Masculinity is about Moderation.) Women are Beautiful people. But, you can't love them correctly if you don't know yourself. Knowledge of Self. Know Thyself. That is the essence of Masculinity.

I am thoroughly aware, in many instances, some of us lacked male role models. But guess what? Masculinity is NOT about EXCUSES, either. Life is Hard. Life is not fair. At times, it can be down right cruel. As Africans in America, we know this far too well. BUT, a Man (1.) assesses the situation, (2.) formulates a plan to counter the situation, (3.) ENGAGES the plan with DETERMINATION and FOCUS, (4.) provides the Spoils of War to his Family, Community, and People, and (5.) then lives to protect his Family, Commodities, Community, and People from foreign invasion and abuse.

So, please Gentlemen. I beg of Thee. Go Home. Get Naked. Get in front of a Full-Size Mirror. Grab your NUTSACK. Look yourself in the Eye...and find your Manhood.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Black Jesus - Wake Up and Listen! might help you get started.

Black Jesus - Wake Up and Listen

2009-11-15T11:46:00.009-06:00

Credits:
Black Jesus. (1968). Dir. V. Zurilini. Perf. W. Strode.
Smile. (1997). T. Shakur, B. Jordan. Untouchables. Asylum Records.

WeBeGeekin'
http://www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com/

2009-11-14T10:46:00.002-06:00

WORD OF THE DAY

Profit Motive /prof-it moh-tiv/, noun:

Defined as the tendency or logic in pursuing a particular goal or action solely because that goal or action will return greater desired outputs than required inputs.

The profit motive is present in many of aspects of our lives. It is the reason why some of us practice in particular professions. It is the reason why some of us buy homes or play the lottery. Desired outputs from the profit motive do not always have to be money, it can be time as well.

See, the profit motive is not just the simply based on the exchange of one good for another. It is based on returns over and above that which was used to create the return. And it is this drive and only this drive that advances the profit motive.

On its surface the profit motive may seem benign and intuitive, however, there is a cause for concern. When one sets his or her goals based on the profit motive, one must pay attention to its repercussions. Rarely does anything occur in a vacuum. The desired outputs we seek so much, may be at the cost of others. Sometimes we may "profit" but the profit creates a better standard of living for all. Other times, the "profit" may be at the peril of others.

BEWARE OF THE PROFIT MOTIVE...

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

1,000 Wordz

2009-11-11T21:24:00.001-06:00

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

ghettoGEEKIN': WorldWide Pedagogy!

2009-11-06T23:52:00.014-06:00

The BEST Co-Teacher in the World! (Choi Seon-Sang-Nim) My Friend...

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

The Son of Chico Dusty made a FUNNY!

2009-11-03T06:42:00.001-06:00

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

HEALTH is WEALTH.

2009-10-30T09:44:00.009-05:00

Though ghettoGEEKS is quite aware that the HealthCare debate has been raging in the United States for quite a while, we have not yet given commentary. Many readers may have been wondering WHY THE HELL NOT?

On July 21, 2009, one of our readers wrote the following:

Write about universal healthcare on one of your blogs so I can comment, pretty please. The UK is often cited as a bad example of what we don't want to become and after being here for nearly a year I have some insights that I'd like to share (I think).

So, this particular post, I dedicate to her.

The REAL reason nothing has been written on this site up to this point is that all immediate situations pertaining to the American HealthCare system have been far to embarassing and painful (PUN INTENED) to comment on. Needless to say, the HealthCare situation in America is PITIFUL...and as ghettoGEEKS, we are QUITE AWARE of the dispicable system that Americans call HealthCare.

But, now we have a concrete comparison that adds a bit more of a perspective on the entire situation.

Yep, your MainMan, OuttaBoundz, recently suffered an ankle injury playin' basketball with his Hak-Seng [students] this past Wednesday. In the middle of a "Michael Jordan Moment," I rolled my ankle on an uneven part of the ground. It hurt. I decided to rest for five minutes...and then I figured I'd finish the game out by moving at a slower pace. But, that uneven part of ground found my ankle again, and I immediately went down. I was in PAIN.

As I looked up at the sky, I was met with five faces of young people who seemed very concerned about my well-being...but the language barrier did not disappear...so things were a bit difficult at first. After going back and forth in a "broken communication dance," we finally decided that I would follow them to "Chon-Yeon-Reck-Qua" (the orthopedic clinic).

I hobbled into the facility...showed my Green Card....and within three minutes I was ushered to the back for treatment. The doctor, knowing only a small amount of English, and I, knowing a small amount of Hanguk-mal, were able to communicate enough to understand each other. HE understood I was in discomfort. I understood he cared about relieving my pain. I was given a splint, x-rays, a surprisingly thorough conversation regarding what he found in the x-rays, a cold pack, and a prescription for medication. My co-payment was $30.00. I walked one block away, and paid $3.80 for the medication. Total time in the clinic: under 1 hour.

NOTE: I only pay $50.00 bucks a month for medical insurance. (This $50.00/month includes the entire body; Vision, Dental, and Medical.)

The next day, my co-teacher drove me back to the clinic, and they equipped me with a set of crutches for $20.00.

I have since been back for a third consecutive day for physical therapy; physical therapy is $3.80 per visit. It includes a hot pack strapped to my ankle for 20 minutes...and this electrolysis for 15 minutes...and I'm back to my business.

The reality is, I haven't received medical attention of this caliber since I was a very young person. For the last three years, I have been uninsured due to employment stipulations...and I'm a pretty well-educated individual. In that three-year period, I've waited in emergency rooms with the indigent; listening to horror stories about 3-4 days of wait time without seeing a doctor. I've visited student doctors and dentists in attempts to receive medical care at low costs. I've held my breath when riding my bicycle, playing basketball, or doing anything else a human being should do to maintain physical health. ...and for what? So that private insurance companies can continue raping "we the people" and getting rich collecting monthly premiums while using the "pre-existing conditions" clause to avoid offering service? But, let's not excuse the Federal Government. In fact, it is governmental policy that allows this pillaging of the people.

I've heard two stories from two separate friends, who have friends from other countries, who have purchased airline tickets to their home countries to receive medical care because it is cheaper to travel to their respective home countries to receive treatment than get treatment in America. WTF?!

As my ankle continues to heal, I will continually ask myself the obvious question.

America...........why do you find it necessary to fuck your citizenry?

Give us a DECENT Public Option! It is the Humane thing to do....

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Man, You Funny as Hell! --- Artist SpotLight

2009-10-26T12:29:00.006-05:00

As you may, or may not know, the preliminary players responsible for the formulation of ghettoGEEKS met at Texas A&M University many moons ago...

In this Artist Spotlight, we go back to AggieLand to highlight one of our peers, Comedian Rich Foster. Currently based in L.A., we'd like to highlight one of his performances at the HaHa Club.

You can go to www.imfamousonline.net to check out all of his "Funny."

Keep it comin' Rich...ghettoGEEKS are tuned in...

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Feed Your Mind...Light Your TV on Fire!

2009-10-24T06:55:00.001-05:00

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Calling All Seon-Sang-Nims!

2009-10-23T05:54:00.001-05:00

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

From Hip-Hop to Hanok!

2009-10-17T05:49:00.002-05:00

From Hip-Hop to Hanok: Building Cross-Cultural Bridges

Tuesday, August 25, 2009….a day I will not soon forget. On this day I left the continent of North America en route to the continent of Asia. I was to be away from home for exactly one year. In both a geographic and temporal sense, I had never made a move of this magnitude before. In addition, I had also done very little “homework” on my new place of residence. All I did know was that I had secured an opportunity for employment, an opportunity to EXPERIENCE concepts I had invested a great deal of time and money researching, and I could find no valid reason(s) to let this opportunity pass. My destination was South Korea, and Tuesday, August 25, 2009, symbolized the first steps of this monumental journey.

While teaching a Communication & Conflict course at a university in Maryland, I would often introduce the concept of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) to my students. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is generally proffered as a human being’s ability to find a productive balance between exercising raw/honest emotion and intellectually strategic responses to situations that possess potential conflict (Cahn & Abigail, 2006). Put succinctly, if you placed emotions and intelligence on a pendulum, EQ would be defined as the ability to strike the perfect balance between displaying true and transparent feelings and the best pragmatic outcomes to potentially negative situations. This in mind, most people can easily understand concepts such as emotional transparency, masking, truth-telling, deception, and saving “face.” Consequently, EQ should be understood as the framework operating underneath any observable manifestations of emotional states-of-being. Though often used as a concept to increase interpersonal conflict management skills, EQ has its beginnings at the intrapersonal level. As far as the lessons learned on my journey to Korea and the information I would like to impart in this essay, the intrapersonal level is the most appropriate place to begin.

For the sake of properly framing this piece, it is of extreme importance to illustrate my personal EQ levels. Therefore, I will provide an intrapersonal dissection of my state-of-mind. This exhibition of my psyche will illustrate the dichotomy between my Emotions and my Intelligence during the process of transition from Home to Daejeon. My voyage to Korea, like most of my English-speaking peers, is an odyssey of great personal significance. Due to the magnitude of this decision, it automatically becomes a huge emotional undertaking. That said; let us examine my emotional state first.

I informed my mother that I signed my official contract with the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education 10 days before I was scheduled to depart. Like most days I would pick her up from school, she was displaying her typical talkative disposition. That is, until I told her, in no uncertain terms, that I would be leaving for Korea in 10 days and would not be home for one year. My identity hung in the balance. As my sister wrestled through rush hour traffic, I did the best I could to savor my last breaths of Texas air. I thought about these last moments with them when I switched planes in Salt Lake City. My identity hung in the balance. Prior to boarding the “13-hour flight of no return” to Incheon at LAX, I thought about these moments yet again. For the sake of sanity, I shoved these loving familial visions aside and “embraced the unknown.” Once in the air and bound for Incheon, the realization that I wouldn’t glide back across the Pacific for one year left me a bit heartbroken. My identity hung in the balance.

Though Emotions are definitely important, and there is a great deal of personal realization and revelation in these highly emotional experiences, I did have a mission to complete. This in mind, let us now examine my Intelligence at work. As an Intercultural Communication scholar, I have read, studied, written, pondered, and taught a considerable amount of information regarding basic principles and theories of Intercultural Communication. For years I have stood before groups of students and expounded upon the necessity for understanding and exercising Intercultural Communicative Competence in “real-world” relationships. I have spoken repeatedly on the need to recognize xenophobia and ethnocentrism in others and in ourselves. I have conducted research and written on the impact of media stereotypes on actual group dynamics. (By the way, in that research we did find that stereotypes perpetuated in the media have a profound impact on the ways in which groups of people perceive and understand each other.) In short, I have a decent theoretical knowledge of culture, communication, and the importance of incorporating effective intercultural communication at the interpersonal and mass communication levels. But, a sound understanding of “theory” without “praxis” makes for an impotent intellectual. Operating under this guise, and simultaneously detesting any association with impotence, my mind challenged my body to strike out and assume the position of the “organic intellectual."

When one decides to take steps toward assuming the posture of an “organic intellectual,” the potential to forge new bonds are present. Mrs. Yeon Hee Choi, my Co-teacher, is one person with whom I’ve had the pleasure of establishing an effective working relationship. From constructing effective lesson plans, and more importantly, developing long-range strategy, Mrs. Choi’s ideas and suggestions have been most helpful. In the classroom, her use of the computer and her bilingualism have been of great benefit in filling communication gaps between the students and me. Working with Ms. Song, another one of my co-teachers, is always a pleasure. Sharing a classroom with Ms. Song often times feels as if I have a co-pilot in the room with me. Her attention to the students and her honest critique of my lessons’ effectiveness, give me the sense that I am working in concert with a true pedagogue. “Nuna” Joey shares the same passion for educating the students as I do, and when we team up with our microphones, we’re unstoppable. I’ve even made formidable relationships with colleagues who are not necessarily my co-teachers. Between Jin Ho “Hyung” and Vice Principal Kim, I have two enthusiastic Korean Language instructors. Vice-Principal Kim has assisted me in learning the Korean alphabet and shared numerous conversations with me on Korean geography and sport; a very kind man, indeed. Whether inviting me to play soccer, introducing me to his family during Chu-Seok Holiday, or conducting weekly Korean Language sessions complete with workbooks and snacks, Jin Ho “Hyung” has been a source of support.

Utilizing “organic intellectualism” in the classroom has been just as rewarding. More specifically, it has been an exercise in three academic themes in which I have become quite familiar over the years; 1.) Identity, 2.) Ethnocentrism, 3.) and improving Intercultural Communication competence. Through a discussion of these three principles, I aim to provide future GETs with a fundamental understanding of effective Intercultural Communicative competence. The purpose here is not to provide Guest English Teachers with a handbook that provides situational vocabulary to respond to microcosmic examples of potential conflict situations. As far as this essay is concerned, that would be extremely short-sighted. The purpose here is to provide individuals with a philosophical framework that increases self-awareness, cultural awareness, and subsequently allows for the consummation of this enlightenment for the sole purpose of the highest quality of pedagogy. Through an intimate discussion of the three principles above, I hope to provide current and future Guest English Teachers (GETs) with a philosophy that is conducive for providing the best service possible for our students [Hak-seng].

Identity/Culture
In totality, Identity is the answer to the basic question: Who am I? A person’s motivations, fears, desires, likes, dislikes, habits, prejudices, language, palate, intellect, athleticism, strengths, weaknesses, and vices, simultaneously and collectively create that particular individual. Now what gives birth to all these influential ingredients? Nothing short of environment; i.e. Culture. It should be no surprise that Identity will be linked to culture in this essay. For all intensive purposes, Culture should be understood as the mode of transport for Identity.

Culture is the essence of our being. Culture is what our mothers eat while we reside in their wombs. Culture meets us when we leave those comfortable places and are quickly passed from obstetrician to nurses like hot-potatoes. Culture was waiting for us at school when we learned to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Culture was with us when we fell in love with Hip-Hop, went on our first date, left home for university; and it continues to be present when we receive our accolades and our criticism. Culture will be present when our loved ones gather for our Final Farewell. There is no single doubt about it: Human Beings are ENVELOPED in Culture. Our values, assumptions, beliefs, and expectations are constituted, constructed, and maintained by and through Culture. Consequently, our identities are deeply (if not totally) cultural. If you have doubts, I challenge you to board a plane with a one-way ticket to a land you’ve never been on the other side of the world for a period of one year. Your identity (culture) might just hang in the balance.

Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism is defined as the general assumption that one’s race and culture are central to gaining a valid understanding of the entire world. As a result of assuming this type of epistemological vantage point, the ethnocentric individual perceives and understands their culture as being normal, correct, and valid. Therefore, any cultural nuances that do not mirror this “normal” culture are understood as “abnormal.” As one might imagine, scholars of Intercultural Communication consistently warn against assuming these types of stances. Semester after semester, I would lecture students on the importance of recognizing and avoiding ethnocentric practices; first within themselves and then in interpersonal situations. I would offer countless examples explaining how culture influences mores, norms, beliefs, and values. Being cognizant of the fact that culture is so pervasive, I would warn them that ethnocentric practices are easily assumed if one does not have a thorough understanding that enculturation has a profound effect on how people view cultural differences.

During my time at EPIK’s Late Orientation, I was introduced to wonderful Korean cultural traditions; the Samulnori Band, Kyoungbok palace, a great historical presentation by Hyoo Sun Woo, and we were even invited to view the play Nanta. Our time in Seoul was filled with a decent education on Korean culture. But, I was still appalled by the cultural insensitivity that was displayed by a few members of the teaching corps. Some “quiet” and “not-so-quiet” .commentary on Korean peoples and behaviors left me somewhat dumbfounded. Not only did the countless readings on Intercultural Competence go flying through my mind, but my soul became disturbed. Keeping in mind, it is not as if I’ve never witnessed these opinions or behavior; as an American it is so common one could argue very well that ethnocentrism is a facet of American culture. But, that aside, I was more appalled at the way in which it seemed unbridled while occupying space in a country in which we were sent to assist people in the learning process. It seemed nothing short of contradictory; and furthermore, of potential detriment to the children we have been charged to instruct.

As a result, I propose that EPIK, in addition to the excellent Korean cultural presentations, also include cultural sensitivity training. These cultural sensitivity training workshops can run parallel to the Korean language workshops. These workshops could focus on improving cultural sensitivity through educating instructors on the importance of culture, the manifestations of culture, and the need to respect cultural differences. The time and energy devoted to these workshops would benefit everyone who is involved in the EPIK experience. It would benefit the Guest English Teachers by easing their matriculation into a culture far from their own; it would benefit the co-teacher/GET relationship which would ease initial stress and set the stage for increased understanding; and it would undoubtedly benefit the students through providing them with GETs who have been thoroughly educated on respecting them as different but valuable human beings who are sharing the experience of learning language.

Improving Intercultural Competence
Which leads to my last and final comment: the EPIK teaching experience must be an exercise in improving Intercultural Communication Competence. With improved Intercultural Communication competence, human beings, acting as global citizens, can “disagree without being disagreeable.” We can recognize that we have differences as well as commonalities. With proper understandings of Culture, we can begin assuming correct postures for improved Intercultural Communication Competence. Relationships between the GETs and the Korean community should be understood as an exchange of information, ideas, and philosophy. It is maximized and most beneficial when the RELATIONship is understood as a PARTNERship. The reality is that all parties have something to contribute to one another.

The Basic Communication Model (BCM) is the result of roughly 60 years of formal academic research on Human Communication Theory. Currently, it represents three levels of conceptual maturation. The first level is known as the Shannon-Weaver (i.e., Linear) model of Interpersonal Communication. It is characterized by a ‘sender’ sending a message through a channel to a ‘receiver.’ Communication moved in one direction and ended with the receiver; conceptually it mirrored that of the cans connected by strings. Scholars later recognized the Shannon-Weaver model of communication was incomplete because an essential component of natural Human Communication was absent; Feedback/Reciprocity. The result was the Transactional Model and the single major addendum was that of ‘dedicated receiver’ now possessing the capacity to send message back to the sender. Both interlocutors now had the power to ‘send’ and ‘receive;’ which added much more credence to the model and the entire Human Communication field as an academic discipline. But, there was yet another addendum that became more and more evident in the late 1980s with the rise of Multiculturalism in mainstream educational institutions. Recognizing that messages could not be sent or received without influence of Culture on the part of the ‘sender’ and the ‘receiver,’ academics soon recognized Culture as the entity that encapsulates and envelopes both participants in conversation. The addition of Culture to the BCM signifies the last level of maturation. Absent the historical backdrop, I introduced the BCM to my classes and then begin to use it as conduit in which to learn English.

“Lift Every Voice and Sing, ‘til Earth and Heaven ring…ring with the harmonies…of Liberty…” Though I’ve been told that I should leave singing to the ones who can actually do it, I grabbed the microphone and sang this song for 1.5 weeks to 21 different classes. And though some of my students would offer me the same advice, every time the song ended my efforts were greeted with sincere applause. During our discussions of the song, some students said it sounded sad, others said it sounded hopeful, all seemed to appreciate it on some level. Little did they know, the mere act of singing the hymn gave me comfort and solace and helped alleviate some homesickness. Hence, this is a prime example of using classroom time as beneficial for both you and the students. My singing of the “Negro National Anthem” acted as precursor to their assignments of presenting Korean Cultural Artifacts to me the following week. This assignment is based on the sharing of cultures through communication.

The following week I learned about the intense, historical, cultural emotion of Han, and how this emotion was very influential in Korea’s most popular folksong; “Arirang.” I learned of historical and contemporary aesthetic of Hanji; traditional Korean paper used in cosmetic doorways and hand-held fans. One of my favorite lessons was that of Ondol. Ondol is the Korean system of heating the floors in homes; traditionally done through a network of stones and an outside wood fire, now Ondol is available electronically through a push of a button. I have Ondol in my apartment! I learned of the various ways to make Kimchi, its ingredients, and its numerous medicinal benefits. I learned repeatedly of the “crazy old man” who burned down Namdemoon. I received full doses of Korean patriotism when discussing the struggle with Japan over the island of Dok-do. From Samulnori to Ddokpoki, from Bibambap to Yutnori, from the traditions of Chu-Seok to contemporary entertainment of PC Bangs, my students collectively provided me with a definition of Korea in this particular moment in time. After hearing their Cultural Artifact presentations and reading their writing, I felt more aware of the place and space I now occupied. I felt a little less foreign. Later at orientation, I would gently smile to myself when topics were introduced on which I had been thoroughly educated. They matched the passion and information I had given them week before through “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” We had fulfilled the Basic Communication Model; we had established a PARTNERship.

Yes, we are sent here to teach English. But, opening yourself up to the opportunity to learn Hangul is not antithetical nor is it counterproductive. In fact, it may increase your ability to teach English. Why? First and foremost, it reminds you of how difficult it is to acquire a new language. The empathy you discover as a student of language, yourself, will have a profound effect on how you structure your lessons. You will also show your students that you, too, still have a love for learning. This love for learning and this thirst for knowledge should be easy to attain because you are living a learning experience. You are constantly a student of culture during your time in Korea. By fully embracing this notion, you automatically assume a more effective pedagogical stance. Reason being, you understand the power of knowledge, and more importantly, the application of that knowledge. You understand how difficult it is to perform the most basic functions: going to the grocery store, taking a taxi, buying a train ticket, asking for directions, etc. You understand just how important language and culture is because you are constantly negotiating your way through a land that is not your own. You are a foreigner. Consequently, you understand this concept more than your students do.

With all objective honesty, our ability to teach English is somewhat limited because of a large communication barrier. However, we can transfer Culture to our students with greater ease; in fact, the cultural transfer is inevitable. Understanding this, we have the ability and opportunity to leave positive associations of the English language with our students. Our philosophies, pedagogies, body language, dress, pronunciations, and all other nuances that we hardly recognize will be most evident to our students. If we remain knowledgeable and aware of this power, then we can continually tap into this cultural transfer and educate in such a way that creates a desire to learn the language independently later in life.

Language is one of the largest manifestations of culture. If one never leaves their cultural comfort zones, it becomes easy to understand that language is normalized. Yes, English is important; and yes, there is a global demand for learning the language. But English speakers, especially GETs, do themselves and everyone involved in the learning process, a disservice by assuming a position of arrogance regarding the English language and a prideful ignorance about the people they are teaching. Placing myself in Korea has presented me the understanding of just how much “culture” acts as an envelope. As human beings, we are typically enveloped in our own cultures in such profound ways that we don’t recognize most elements of culture. But, when you place yourself in a culture far from your own, these lessons become quite clear.

As proverbial as it may sound, I appreciate Albert Einstein’s postulation that “imagination is far more important than knowledge.” In this particular case, my argument is that ‘imagination’ and ‘knowledge’ must work in tandem. During my time in Korea, I am positive that my theoretical understandings of culture, communication, and conflict have been beneficial. For that reason, I will not debase the knowledge I possess; in fact, I am most appreciative for my formal education. What I am proffering is this: The intelligent decision involves coupling this “intelligence” with “emotion” [read: experience]; and I am of the opinion that “intellect” without “experience” makes for inept understanding. As a Guest English Teacher, you would be wise to make the most of your intellect and education through a fusion of both elements. This will create an atmosphere of engagement that is conducive for growth from all parties involved. Hopefully, your identity, your co-teachers' identities, and your students’ identities will hang in the balance.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Gimme My Squid with Ketchup!

2009-10-11T01:33:00.023-05:00

They were JAMMIN' in the Park - Hongdae (Seoul)

Beware of THIS Motley Crue!

Kept the DanceFloor FULL....

Cuttin' UP!

Lee--He picked the RIGHT club! Good Job, Buddy...

Let's try the SilkWorms...-Insadong (Seoul)

Not too bad...

Let's go for the Snail (Escargo) [Ashar's face--take #1]

The Escargo Brothers shake hands...Kev wasn't havin' any part of it!

[Ashar's face--take #2]...any questions?

So tasty, Andy had to have a bite.

...had to sneak away and crash a BirthdayParty for a second. Happy Birthday, Lily!

Three Cheers for the NoriBang!

QuickTrip to Busan closes it all out...

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

PHUCK Fear!

2009-10-07T07:07:00.008-05:00

So, I've been in South Korea for a little over one (1) month now, and I'm currently in the process of doing a bit of writing to benefit those who will come after me. If you are reading these words, chances are...your mirror provides you with the image of a ghettoGEEK. Consequently, this post will be presented with a clarity that affords you clear UNDERSTANDING. And more importantly, you will messages that should prove BENEFICIAL during those periods of intense decision-making you are bound to face during life's amazing journey.

Far too often academics divorce themselves from emotion, and then attempt to pass along "life lessons" in nice, neat, sanitized packages. Not surprisingly, most people can't understand, much less, FEEL what this person is attempting to impart. No worries, I won't do that today because the lesson is FAR TOO important. So as simply as I can put it: Fuck Fear.

Today, I am not the writer. My Familee is taking that role. Today, I am the subject. I will, instead, be an example of a person who was grappling with a bout of Fear on my fourth day of being in South Korea. In Intercultural Communication circles, we refer to this particular phenomenon as the 2nd stage of Culture Shock; The Crisis Stage. On this particular day, I was experiencing the Crisis Stage to the fullest!

I was without Skype [still don't have it] and was inadvertently relegated to purchasing/using calling cards at public telephone booths. Keeping in mind I had only been in Korea four(4) days, and my Hanguk was more "chokum" than it is now, (1.)purchasing calling cards and (2.) using telephones without the benefit of speaking the native tongue can be quite a chore indeed. Unaware of what a PC Bang was at the time, I walked for one hour, passing several PC Bangs, with a gentle old soul who guided me to the Yoosung Hotel Business center...where I used the internet and public phones.

There I sent an e-mail, full of fear and anxiety, to my Familee. And these were the responses I received:

Momz

Good Korean Morning Son,

Only God knows your heart...be real with Him. Please believe me...He is holding you and me at this very minute.
As much as you want to come home...Yes, I want you to be home at this very minute...But God has a plan for you.
Relax and trust Him that you are where you are suppose to be...It is called homesickiness, and all people experience it.
You are no different, because you are out of your comfort zone...now you really have to Trust that God will take care of you, and He will, just feel assured that these stressful feelings will pass.

Think about and ask for a translator, if not, do what you feel is necessary and what God will have you do...there are no bicycles that will ride across oceans...no turning back from your responsibility to be there for one year.
How was your medical exam?

Remember the man here that walks all the time? Now you know why he walks and thinks. Join a gym, get a hobby, stay with your work group, go shopping, site-seeing, visit the museums and libraries.

Love You More Each Day!

Relax in your apartment and just focus on your immediate surroudnings and establish a regular routine: Get to know where you live, what to eat, where to shop, and the university environment and physical fitness...That's enough for the first few weeks.

God Bless You,
Love Mama

Popz

You decided to do this, so put best foot forward.

It will get easier each day as you get more familiar with your surroundings and your routine. There is nothing wrong with wanting to do something different as along as you keep in mind that it will be different. And when things are different, there is going to be a period of adjustment. When you get your phone I will keep you updated on everything.

Mimi said to tell you "hello" and you know I send my love.

Go Hard

Sista

I managed to get my sister on the PayPhone, and through all the conversation we shared, I just remember:
(1.) her essentially telling me to calm down and stop being a "Beeoch"
(2.) and that if I showed up at the airport she was NOT COMING TO PICK ME UP! Truly, it was one of the best phone conversations I've ever had.

She later sent an e-mail that simply said:

I love you too, dear. Prioritize and stay encouraged. This, you can do.

What is the common thread in these three messages? Fuck Fear, Mayne.... I think T.I. is absolutely right when he raps, "If your heart filled with Faith, then you can't fear!" There is no room for fear, doubt, indecision, and insecurity when it is time to GET THE JOB DONE! No, you are not less of a person when fear and anxiety stop to visit. But, you become a STRONGER person when you show them the exit. With new challenges, come new fears...those who are "down" for challenge are bound to get scared from time to time. It's a natural process. But, always find the capacity to find your Faith, clear your mind, focus on your goals, and get back to the task at hand. You'll be all the better for it.

Those that understand the essence of these ghettoGEEKS, will understand why the rhetorical figure below is so relevant and consistent with our mission. Flaws and all, Tupac Shakur provided a spark to the young minds behind this ghettoGEEK mission before ghettoGEEKS was an official concept. And though this footage is 14-years old, we would like you to appreciate the relevance, resillience, and brilliance of his commentary. Stay true to your mission. Overcome fear and anxiety. Live Strong.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Beauty Of The Beast

2009-10-02T22:09:00.002-05:00

This is a song for the genius child.
Sing it softly, for the song is wild.
Sing it softly as ever you can -
Lest the song get out of hand.

Nobody loves a genius child.

Can you love an eagle,
Tame or wild?

Wild or tame?
Can you love a monster
Of frightening name?

Nobody loves a genius child.

Kill him - and let his soul run wild.

Langston Hughes

Ultimately, I leave this poem for you to interpret. However, I think we can all agree there is something in all of us that defies both convention and limitation. To all the ghettoGEEKS out there, remain free and let the beast show its beauty.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Seoul EPIK Orientation pt. 1 [Kyoungbok Palace]

2009-10-01T07:48:00.036-05:00

What it iz...What it waz?

Been busy meeting new folks and getting comfortable in a new country...wanted to share a couple pics with all y'all ghettoGEEKS---

Texas A&M Aggiez were representin'...Seoul EPIK Orientation Day 1

Traditional Salmunori Dancers (Ribbons and Percussions can be Hypnotizing...)

Kyoungbok Palace -- Large Hanok edifices...even larger area of land that comprises the palace estate!

ghettoGEEKIN'

Clowin' around...

Couldn't find my camera shot...

Texas Boyz livin' like African Kingz...

Patrick [far left] and Andy [far right]--some cool-ass dudes...

Ashar & Matt -- Some COOL Brits...

Chillin'...

Kim & Sowon are the closest in proximity to me...interested in knowing more about them.

"Korea" and "Mountains" are one in the same...

70% of Korea is mountains...

OVERsized BlueJays were everywhere! Someone told me they were Magpies...don't remember the Hanguk (Korean) name.

Fresh...

Christy is on MY right...we love each others' accents [Ireland/Texas]. Jake & Victoria are on MY left--like me, they teach in Daejeon!

Changing of the Guard

Chillin' with the Guard...

Livin' Life like a Souljah...

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

KanYe, You's a Nigga...and I don't mean that in no Nice Way!

2009-09-20T07:47:00.009-05:00

I was undecided on writing this post for the LONGEST time. These are two of my most favorite people...and I was positive about not adding unnecessary "fuel to this fire" by feeding into a tangential debate between The President of the United States and KanYe West. But, after reading, listening, and seeing so much commentary....I figured it was time to present an argument from a ghettoGEEK perspective.

Tough as it was to write on it, this piece is situated similar to conversation I had with HomeBoi that went a lil' sumpin' like this.....

I think it's just as important to remember that Kanye may have a bit more LIBERTY than the President (as oxymoronic as that may sound). Obama still has to play to a more powerful players than Kanye West. I like Obama because he plays it just well enough for you to forget that he is at the nexus of a BUNCH of POWER and MONEY. I don't the President's position at all, in fact, the graceful way he handles power is one of the reasons I like the Brotha...

Now, I'll say this first: In my opinion, KanYe West made a mistake when he interuppted Taylor Swift's VMA Award Acceptance Speech.

Judging from KanYe's actions AFTER the fact (namely his apology on Jay Leno), I believe that KanYe, himself, believes his actions were inappropriate, rude, and unthoughtful. Regardless of how you feel about his apology, he DID give one...and as a fairly decent scrutinezer of men, it was a SINCERE one.

FAST FORWARD

President Barack Obama calls KanYe West "a jackass" off-the-record.

First and foremost, it is of extreme significance to note the SETTING of this interview. It was "off-the-record." That has A LOT to do with how Obama's comments should be interpreted. (In academia, we call this the "rhetorical situation.")

Now, the "off-the-record" nature of the President's comments can mean a couple of things: 1.) Obama did not intend for this comment to reach the masses; 2.) these were his true feelings regarding KanYe West; and/or 3.) he was appeasing the small audience with whom he was immediately engaged. Whichever reason, or combination of reasons, everyone who is interested should remember ONE thing: members of the Hip-Hop culture/constituency were major proponents (voting bloc) of President Barack Obama.

Understanding that Hip-Hop culture (African-American youth) were and remain passionate/engaged supporters of President Barack Obama should not be lost in this current debate. There is POWER in Politics...and as Tupac Shakur reminded us, "It's all Political."

No, KanYe West, by himself, is not Hip-Hop--and his actions at the VMAs were NOT some of his best...but, that does not discount the fact the KanYe is a HUGE asset to Hip-Hop based on his contributions thus far.

...and no, being an awesome rapper-producer, does not require the same skill set as being President of The United States....especially the 1st African-American President. I do not envy Barack Obama at all. He sits at the "nexus of BIG money and power"....and that HAS to be stressful as Hell. But, if I do not argue that President Barack Obama should consider the interests of African-American youth as much as he does the interests of "power and money," then my most dedicated readers should actually start questioning my value system.

Hip-Hop culture, is the product of broken Black children who didn't lose ALL hope. This culture was born in the Belly of Beast, and has given America and the world some of the most inspirational rhetorical donations human beings have witnessed. And though A LOT of it has been mangagled due to they way it has recently been PROSTITUTED, some artists like KanYe West, have been able to still produce QUALITY music that is constitutionally consistent with the original purpose of the artform.

Education and Enlightenment are two things that his music still represents; which is why he is still true to Hip-Hop...and also why ghettoGEEKS will continue to support him.

Note: This is Ye's 2nd Presidential Beef...if he's doing nothing else, he's making sure the "Powers-that-Be" don't forget about us...

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Exportin' Korean Sound....

2009-09-15T08:42:00.001-05:00

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Get Yo' MackGame Tight!

2009-09-12T03:18:00.001-05:00

Go IMMEDIATELY to Tariq Elite's Mack Lessons Radio Show......

This Boi is "OFF A COUPLE CHAINZ!"

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Finding a Point of Reference....

2009-09-10T23:45:00.005-05:00

Before I came to South Korea, my good friend, Dr. Kimberly Campbell, spoke to me from experiences she had while teaching a two-year stint in China.

"eRiC, it's like being in a fishbowl for your entire life...and then...one day...you leave the fishbowl, and discover you can breathe air. You venture to other parts of the room, and you realize that YOUR point of reference is just that; YOUR POINT OF REFERENCE. Doesn't make it right or wrong, but understand things are done DIFFERENTLY at other places in the room outside the fishbowl."

The day she gave me these words, I knew they would come in handy.

So, in response to responses I received on the post, "To Be Black," I offer the following:

Let's go back to FUNDAMENTAL BASIS for ghettoGEEKS. In this philosophical statement you find the following rhetoric:

"ghettoGEEKS fill a void that is actively neglected. Through courage, contempt, passion, and desire for freedom, ghettoGEEKS constructs entrances into spaces of freedom. We are about enlightenment and liberation at our core."

...and...

"Postmodern in nature and name, ghettoGEEKS takes advantage of the oxymoronic juxtaposition in order to find new ways of viewing traditional problems.

Put bluntly, we (I) don't have all the answers. This ghettoGEEK journey is all about a process of self-growth and discovery. The process is not neat and clean; it's messy. It is organic. Sometimes it will feel GOOD. Sometimes it will feel BAD. Sometimes, as a writer, I will feel comfortable. Sometimes, I will feel uncomfortable. But, at the core of my decision to occupy space in another part of the world, is to observe, evaluate, and possibly understand difference(s) without the filter/bias of a media outlet with an "agenda." So, the last thing I want to do, is propagate fear and anger for the sake of doing so.

I wrote "To Be Black" as a cathartic exercise. Yes, I was upset when I wrote it. I needed something to do...and writing "To Be Black" was the most constructive thing could think of at the time. But, I find it just as important to say, I DO NOT want this ONE negative incident to paint a distorted picture. As a ghettoGEEK, I share certain moments for a general audience...but especially, for that American child who is growing up being bombarded with TOO MANY messages and reasons for why they SHOULD NOT or CAN NOT do something. If ghettoGEEKS are at war with anyone or anything...it is with people who propogate messages of FEAR and TERRORISM as a means to control and subjugate.

We are not at war with Koreans, Nigerians, Chinese, British, Mexicans, Cameroonians, Malayasians, Filipinos, Ugandans, etc. BUT, we pick up our arms with anyone WITHIN these groups who feel the need to unjustly oppress people within these groups for the sole sake of abuse, prostitution, and/or other forms of inhumane activity. That was our focus in America. THAT has not changed.

So let me provide a more complete picture of my time in Korea thus far...

Since being here, I have received a gift every single day. Gift-giving is a HUGE part of the Korean culture. Whether large or small, I have received something from someone every single day. On average I'm receiving more than one item a day. I've just started to try and return the favors...but they give without necessarily expecting/wanting a gift in return. Now, to an American like myself, I have been constantly wondering, "What's the catch?" I have, on several occassions, unsuccessfully tried to refuse the gifts.

Let's speak on this act of gift-giving in further detail...

I have NEEDED help since I placed my body, mind, and soul in this country. For an independent-minded person like myself, this has been a HUGE lesson in Humility. (Some of my ex-girlfriends can tell you this.) I've HAD to humble myself. No other way around it. (I can not yet read simple street signs...much less go to the bank and set up an account by myself...can't ask for help in the grocery store by myself...the list goes on and on.) It's a continuous lesson in swallowing my pride...and I haven't had the opportunity to regurgitate it yet! So, if nothing else, I will suspect I will return to the United States much more humble than when I left.

My Co-teacher(s), my LandLady, and my students have been nothing but supportive through this process thus far...and I feel it my duty to state these facts as well as my moments of frustrations. It is only fair....because it is TRUTH.

So, I'm going to "ride-out" now...and continue to discover my new Points of Reference. I'm already beginning to see that my traditional binaries of Black/White, Rich/Poor, Male/Female, and the like, are beginning to be challenged...I'll share more about that later.

Thanks for rollin' with a Brotha...

Peace,

OuttaBoundz, a.k.a. EncyclopediaBrown

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

To Be Black...

2009-09-10T07:11:00.004-05:00

...well, I've been in Korea for exactly two weeks today...

...and just a while ago, I've had my first encounter with the Daejeon police.

...to be Black.

I've been using a public telephone booth a block away from my residence to make phone calls. Though I now have cell phone, I continue to use the pay phones to avoid incurring cell phone charges on top of my international calling card fees. As antiquated as public phone booths are, I actually enjoy using them as I have access to the street, nightlife, and the people. I able to hear the language as well as share English with the many pedestrians who pass by.

So tonight, like clockwork, I do the same thing.

There is always a small group of individuals who are near the phone booth I frequent; an older man, an older woman, and a couple of younger people (all of whom are a bit older than me). Tonight they heard me use a mixture of English and Hanguk (Korean), as I was sharing some of the language with my mother. After reassuring my mother that I was fine, safe, and taking care my health, I hung up the telephone. I stepped out of the booth and faced the street. Upon deciding which direction to go, I noticed a police car pass me....

Now, as a young African-American, I have a keen sense of when the police take an interest in me. (Let's just say it's cultural.)

As this police car passed me, I noticed the two policemen inside were looking at me more intently than usual. (Their behavior reminded me of how my interactions with police back in the States.) But, I soon didn't pay them any more attention as I have noticed, in Korea, the police do not usually seem concerned with "harassing" too many people. I've seen a lot of behavior that would garner instant police attention in the States...but in Korea, it's generally disregarded. (Two examples include [very] aggressive driving and public consumption of alcohol.) In short, I forgot about them soon after they passed.

...then I see the flashing lights...the car pulls up slowly towards me...as now I understand that I am unquestionably the subject of interest...

ahhh....to be Black....

Due to my American enculturation, I immediately know the best behaivor to assume during this situation. [1.) Very Important: Remain Calm. This is MOST important. Whatever you do, DO NOT begin moving away. Stand still. If you do move, move slowly and causally TOWARD them. 2.) Keep eye contact. 3.) Speak with a calm energy.] In short, active your "Barack Obama: Cool Pose."
The officer in the passenger seat gets out of the car. He walks toward me, and with limited English, offers a greeting. I return the greeting. (I'm thinking at this moment...the twist in this episode will be the language barrier. But, I don't want to go to jail...so I will do my best to communicate with two guys as effectivly as I can to reduce any miscommunication.) The officer that initially spoke walks behind me toward the group of people who had been listening to my phone conversation. I ignore him, and now focus on the second officer who is now approaching me.

I offer him a greeting, "Hello." He returns the greeting. Then the inquistion begins...

1.) Do you know Korean?

My answer: "Chokum." (a little)

2.) Were you using this pay phone?

My answer: "Yes."

In between the questions, he goes back to talk with the other officer and the group of people. As the officers and the people talk to each other, I generally keep my face to the street...though I look back at them from time to time. I'm doing my best to remain calm as now several passerbyers are stopping see what is going on. In short, I am a part (and, indeed, the reason) for a small public spectacle.

But, this statement feels redundant, as I am a spectacle ALL THE TIME. There are very few people of African descent in Korea: period. But, I digress.

Back to the police--and the officer's third question:

3.) Who were you talking to?

In my mind: What the fuck, Dude?!?!

My answer: "My parents."

Now, of course, I'm getting more and more upset with this entire ordeal. My imagination takes me to a place where I am providing everyone on the scene a REASON for fuckin' with me. I have this immaculate image of delivering a beautiful sequence of punches and kicks that lays everyone involved on their backs! But, back to the reality and the situation at hand...

4.) Where do you live?

Ahhh, man...this took me RIGHT back home. I've received this question from police too many times in my life.

My answer: "Univilla." (...and then I actually point to my building.)

I then ask the officer is there a problem. I point to the phone booth, and ask, "Is it okay to use the phone?" My questions were not returned with answers. He may have attempted, but I'm not sure if he understood what I was asking.

He then goes back to talking to the group...and after a couple of moments they get in their vehicle and leave.

Understanding that I won't be going to jail in a far away land this night, I wave them "GoodBye" as they pull from the curb and drive down the street. As I make this gesture, one of the members of the group, a young woman who is the cashier at the convenient store, smiles.... (I actually think she might have spoken up on my behalf if the situation escalated.)

As I stand there in the night air, seething with anger, my imagination returns. I feel like shedding my "Barack Obama: Cool Pose" with lighting speed, and WHOOPIN' EVERYBODY'S ASS that was responsible for calling the police on me!

...I'm standing there thinking...

1.) You punk-muhphukaz see out this bitch every other night on the telephone!
2.) Old man...while you were drunk a couple of nights ago, you called me over to sit down and talk with you! I even let you look through my English-Korean translation guide! Do you only feel interested in talking to a Black man only when you are drunk?!?!
3.) I KNOW you muhphukaz KNOW me...'cause I'm the only African muhphuka in this whole damn neighborhood!
4.) What the "complete and utter" fuck is the problem?!

...ahh, to be Black...

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Pssss....let me show you a PIECE of South Korea.

2009-09-08T09:29:00.019-05:00

Streets of Daejeon. At Night, the Neon Lights will blind you!

My Seoul "TourGuide" and first Korean friend, Sun-Mi Park, checkin' the Subway routes on her cell phone in Seoul Train Station. I wasn't in Korea two hours when I met her on an airport bus to Jeonju University. She leaned over asked me, "Where are you from?"

Seoul definitely has ghettoGEEKS lurkin'...one of them left a mark on this wall, so I had to stop and compliment it.

Korean puppets at restaurant in Seoul where we ate Bulgogi and drank Soju. The Bulgogi was GOOD...and the Soju was STRONG!

Me and Sun-Mi....chillin'.

If I've learned nothing else, shoes are a BIG deal in Asian culture; shoes for the street; shoes for the house; shoes for the bathroom; shoes for school; shoes for the washroom...etc. As far as street shoes, you'll see all types, especially on women. These were the pair Sun-Mi rocked the day we met up in Seoul...

...so I bought some "HouseShoes" that day. Now I'm rockin' my {Chinese} Korean slippers...

One side of Seoul Station...

...the other side of Seoul Station...

Administration building of Seoul Train Station. Where you catch the KTX train (high-speed train) that can take you all over Korea.

Seoul...

There are a few things that are reminiscent of HOME...the Galleria in Daejeon. For all the Fashionistas back home, yes, folks do some serious shopping in this place! ...and, true to me, I am not one of 'em!

OuttaBoundz, a.k.a. Encyclopedia Brown

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Soul 2 Seoul!

2009-08-30T07:26:00.006-05:00

안녕하세요, 영의 세계!

Translation...

Hello, YoungWorld!

Yep, it's your MainMan, OuttaBoundz, givin' y'all a shout from Daejeon, South Korea!

...yes, indeed, I am currently 14 hours away from the Time Zone of my birth...and I can feel every bit of the difference. But, alas, difference is GOOD...because, in this case, difference is GROWTH. I have decided to "climb outta the crib" (so to speak) and take a look around the world for the next year. I'll be teaching English at a local high school in the City of Daejeon. But, as I TEACH...I'm sure I'll be LEARNING just as much about South Korea, the City of Daejeon, Korean culture and customs, AND....myself!

Without a doubt, the decision to come to South Korea took MUCH soul-searching. To date, it was probably the most soul-searching I've done. But, every so often, I find myself craving a new challenge...and this is the challenge God has presented me with at this point. So, here I am. Ready to accept. I DO NOT know WHY, but I DO know that I am here now....and it is definitely for a reason. And one reason that is pretty easy to figure is to be a looking-glass for all these ghettoGEEKS back in the States! So, y'all stay tuned...and make sure you got ghettoGEEKS bookmarked...'cause we are going to continue tradition and keep bringin' you that "MachineGunFunk" the only way we know how!

So, let's start now....

Don't take the phrase "Follow your Heart" lightly.

I have attempted to do just that for much of my life...and when I look back, it has not been to my detriment. It has actually been to my benefit. In MANY instances, it will take courage...and some people will call you "crazy." To be honest, I thought was "crazy as hell" for jumpin' on the series of flights to get here...but guess what? I kept jumpin'.

...and I landed on my feet...and then I put one foot in front of the other...and went to Jeonju University for ESL training...and then to Daejeon....and then to PC World....where I then walked to a computer....and sent this message to all of you! Moral? Keep walkin'...keep goin'....don't stop!

I've only been in the country for four (4) days at this point. Once I get myself situated, and I get my camera and computer operable, I'll be sending photos and such to all y'all ghettoGEEKS StateSide!

Onward.....March!

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

It's Our Anniversary

2009-08-27T19:56:00.002-05:00

How fast time flies. It seems the last 12 months have come and gone and ghettoGEEKS has made it through its first year. I guess that's to be expected when you are laboring for the love of it.

To commemorate this milestone, ghettoGEEKs would like to thank all of you who have participated in the content and production of this brainchild. We truly see this as a community of effort and we continue to seek worldwide engagement.

We plan to accomplish a great deal in the next 12 months so stay tuned and keep your eyes on the prize.

One love.

Peace...
WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Gettin' closer to the REAL issues surrounding HealthCare Debate?

2009-08-13T09:17:00.001-05:00

Reform Madness - White Minority

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Spinal Tap Performance

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Yo' Mama....

2009-07-27T15:10:00.003-05:00

What's up, YoungWorld!!!!

Been away for a mintue...on some Familee Bid-ness....

Your MainMan, OuttaBoundz, took a trip to Corpus Christi, Texas this weekend to enjoy Food, Folks, Fun...and most of all...Family!

I am always in awe with the way in which Family shapes a person's identity. During my time in the "City by the Sea," I most appreciated the opportunity to shed titles, occupations, and status symbols....and simply appreciate the history of those persons who came before me...as well as admire those who are coming after me. Simply put, it felt good to LISTEN to the elders and WATCH the YoungOnes...

The following audio sample was one of my small contributions to the Reunion...and I hope it can provide someone out there with a good feelings, a sense of connection, and hope for the future.

Enjoy,

OuttaBoundz

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Amandla Ngawethu! Power to the Poor People!

2009-07-19T12:01:00.003-05:00

Fighting Foreclosure in South Africa: An Open Letter to US Activists

To: All poor Americans and their communities in resistance

The privatization of land--a public resource for all that has now become a false commodity--was the original sin, the original cause of this financial crisis. With the privatization of land comes the dispossession of people from their land which was held in common by communities. With the privatization of land comes the privatization of everything else, because once land can be bought and sold, almost anything else can eventually be bought and sold.

As the poor of South Africa, we know this because we live it. Colonialism and apartheid dispossessed us of our land and gave it to whites to be bought and sold for profit. When apartheid as a systematic racial instrument ended in 1994, we did not get our land back. Some blacks are now able to own land as long as they have the money to do so. But as the poor living in council homes, renting flats or living in the shacks, we became even more vulnerable to the property market.

It is chilling to hear many people today speak with nostalgia about how it was better during apartheid--as if it was not apartheid that stole their land in the first place. But, in an obscure way, it makes sense. Back then in the cities there was less competition for land and housing. Because many of us were kept in the bantustans by a combination of force and economic compulsion (such as subsidized rural factories), the informal settlements in the cities were smaller and land less scarce.

But in the new South Africa (what some call post-apartheid South Africa and others call neoliberal South Africa), the elite have decided it is every man--or woman or multinational company--for him or herself. And thus, the poor end up fighting with the rich as well as with themselves. The elite use their wealth and their connections to all South African political parties in the pursuit of profit. There is very little regulation of this, and where there is regulation, corrupt and authoritarian government officials get around it in a heartbeat. People say that we have the best constitution in the world--but what kind of constitution enshrines the pursuit of profit above anything else? They claim it was written for us. That may be. But it obviously was not written by us--the poor.

So, the recent realization that there is a financial crisis in the US (we think the crisis has been there a long time, but was hidden by economists) reminds us of where we ourselves stand. While our neoliberal government has touted growth and low inflation figures as proof of the health of our country, 40 percent unemployment has remained. While Mandela and Mbeki were in power and the economy grew, poor South Africans had their homes stolen right from under them. For our entire lives, we have been living in a depression, and at the center of this crisis is land and housing.

As the poor, we gave the African National Congress government five years to at least make some inroads towards redistribution. But instead, the land and housing crisis has gotten worse, inequality greater, and we are more vulnerable than ever.
So, in 1999, 2000 and 2001, farms, townships, ghettos and shack settlements all across South Africa erupted against evictions, water cutoffs, electricity cutoffs and the like. We have been fighting for small things and small issues, but our communities are also fighting two larger battles.

The first is embodied in the declaration we make to the outside world: We may be poor but we are not stupid! We may be poor, but we can still think! Nothing for us without us! Talk to us, not about us! We are fighting for democracy. The right to be heard and the right to be in control of our own communities and our own society. This means that government officials and political parties should stop telling us what we want. We know what we want. This means that NGOs and development “experts” should stop workshopping us on “world-renowned” solutions at the expense of our own homegrown knowledge. This means we refuse to be a “stakeholder” and have our voices managed and diminished by those who count.

In the 2004 national elections and again in this year’s elections, we have declared, “No Land! No House! No Vote!” This is not because we are against democracy but because we are against voting for elites and for politicians who promise us the whole world every five years and, when they get elected, steal the little we have for themselves. Elections are a chance for those in power to consolidate it. We believe this is not only a problem of corruption, but also a structural problem that gives individuals and political parties the authority to make decisions for us. We reject that and we reject voting for it.

Second, while our actions may seem like a demand for welfare couched in a demand for houses, social grants and water, they are actually a demand to end the commodification of things that cannot be commodified: land, labour and money. We take action to get land and houses and also to prevent banks from stealing our land and houses. When a family gets evicted and has nowhere else to go, we put them back inside. (In Gugulethu last year we put 146 out of 150 families back in their homes).

When government cuts off our electricity, we put it back on. In 2001, we were able to get the City of Cape Town to declare a two-month moratorium on evictions. We break the government’s law in order not to break our own (moral) laws. We oppose the authorities because we never gave them the authority to steal, buy and sell our land in the first place.
Combined these are battles for a new emancipatory structure where we are not stakeholders but people; where land is for everyone and where resources are shared rather than fought over.
This anti-eviction movement you are waging has the potential to help build a new kind of liberative politics outside of the political parties. We have found that these politics must be about the issues (including land and housing). It must not be about personalisation of the struggle. No politician or political party can or will fight the struggle for you. As a hero of your past once stated: power concedes nothing without a demand. Being in the struggle for over nine years, we have learned the following:

• Beware of all those in power--even those who seem like they are on your side.
• Beware of money, especially NGO money, which seeks to pacify and prevent
direct action.
• Beware of media, even alternative media written by the middle class on behalf of the poor. Create your own media.
• Beware of leaders, even your own. No one can lead without you. Leaders are like forks and knives. They are the tools of the community and exist to be led by the communities.

When you build your “Take Back Our Land! Take Back Our Houses!” movement, build from below. Build democratically. Build alternative and autonomous ways of living within your community while fighting for what is yours. Build your own school of thought.
Make sure poor communities control their own movements because, as we say, no one can lead without us. Make sure you break the government’s laws when necessary, but never break your own laws which you set for yourselves.

Most important of all, do not forget you have much to teach us as well. We all have much to learn from one another.

Amandla Ngawethu! Power to the Poor People!

The Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, South Africa

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Never Ignorant -- Getting Goals Accomplished!

2009-07-16T22:35:00.003-05:00

He's been to Europe, Africa, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and to New York....

...and in New York, he talked to African-Americans at the NAACP this evening. And in doing so, he spoke to this crowd as an African-American. He delivered relevant content that was combined with appropriate style. He connected. He connected so well listners were able to observe a genuine tenet of African-American rhetorical culture known as "call-and-response."

[Remaining cognizant of my issues with the NAACP, I am, in no way, suggesting his rapport with this audience is a litmus test for his leadership. But my focus here is not the NAACP. My focus is Barack Obama.]

I find more and more reasons to like this man.

He continuously shows mettle, resolve, intelligence, discipline, sense of self, foresight, patience, confidence, innovation, and charisma. He is one who seems to be in touch with his core VABEs (values, assumptions, beliefs, and expectations); and from what I know of leadership, this awareness, in and of itself, is KEY. He is undoubtedly a role model to many; myself included.

As a rhetorician, I can appreciate how he used history and recency to create a speech that contained a sense of urgency combined with a call for action. Beautiful touch! Being the masterful orator that he is, the President even used HIMSELF as an example...and it didn't come off as egotistical; it actually reinforced the idea that he is aware of who is he, and what he represents in this space and time.

In this speech, he yet again, illustrated that he is Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished. So to all his adversaries...y'all can't phuck with this N.I.G.G.A!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

OuttaBoundz
WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Access Denied: Blak Photografia

2009-07-11T23:09:00.004-05:00

A. Dub and OuttaBoundz "chop it up" about the elimination of Black Press/Media from the Michael Jackson Memorial Service this past week. We now find that AEG has privatized the Memorial Service, and only allowed Getty Images [one of their subsidaries] in the Staples Center to take pictures. The pictures captured by Getty Images will then be sold to other media outlets. The Black Press, should they want these images, will have to get in line and pay. For more detailed report, please see read The Los Angeles Sentinel's article.

Let's check in wit' the fellaz....

WeBeGeekin'
A. Dub Productions
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Ashely Charisma chats it up with OuttaBoundz!

2009-07-10T13:09:00.002-05:00

What up, GoodPeople!

All the women...who independent...throw yo' hands up at me!!!!!

Your MainMan, OuttaBoundz, got the opportunity to catch up with a young woman who is busy flying across the country promoting her book, The School of Black Love. We were able to converse during her brief time in St. Louis, Missouri...where I learned about her inspirations for writing this book. It did not take long for me to discover that Ashley Charisma is also a prolific poet and motivational speaker, as well. As a product of Baltimore, Maryland, Ashley uses her emotions and experiences to build literary art that invites people to examine the world through her eyes. As is evidenced in our conversation, she is an artist full of energy and intellect...so do yourself a favor...and check her out!

WeBeGeekin'
A. Dub Productions
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Playin' Ball in the Street 'til the Lights come on!

2009-07-07T21:47:00.010-05:00

ghettoGEEKS recently hooked up with "FootBall Aficianado," Jeremy Hargrove of Houston, Texas, to discuss his perspective on the untimely passing of Steve "Air" McNair. As a former Texas college football player and a die-hard fan of the game, Mr. Hargrove provided an intimate view of the history, cultural politics, and the overall legacy of Steve McNair. As illustrated in this audio clip, Steve "Air" McNair is remembered as a powerful leader...YET one who also understood the power of grace.

With all the recent deaths in recent weeks, this Walt Whitman quote seems most suitable:
"Re-examine all you've been told...Dismiss what insults your Soul."

LifeLiveGood!

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

From the Mouth of Babes...

2009-07-05T16:24:00.002-05:00

What are the youth up to'?!

Have you listened to them in a while?

Spend some time....spend some time...spend some time talkin' with some YoungPeople. I say this MOSTLY because "Popular Opinion" will have you believin' the youth don't have much cognitive complexity. There is a large opinion that suggests the youth don't understand power dynamics, sexuality, morality, and mor(t)ality...and the people who believe this, may be right. I don't know. I don't usually come into contact with children as young as the ones seen in this clip. But, I DO know when I was their age---I was not as versed as they seem to be on the "evil sides" of the game.

I generally meet YoungPeople when they decide to enter a college or university. At this point, as a instructor/professor, you are dealing with an older, more mature person who USUALLY has a idea of what they want to do with themselves. As a result, my purpose and methodolgy is different than it would be for those teaching at the high school level. I understand that. But, if there is any doubt that a muliti-generational pedagogical strategy is necessary, I believe this video has throughly challenged those doubts. After the performance I just viewed, I'm not sure I'll ever see this kid in a college or university. I sure hope so, though.

I sure hope so.

(Check the lil' one @ 1:06! Lil' Mama so small she gotta jump to get in the frame.)

Below you will see how diverse his YouTube commentary/critique is:

1.) DAmn he's Good. Wheres He From?
2.) haha 1:02 is why I like the African-American race.... but could be babaric or violent sometimes.
3.) spierdalaj leszczu jebany babmbusie
4.) fake ass gangsta in front of the camera...bi atch
5.) NiGGa
6.) anybody know if this kid is in jail yet????
7.) dayuumm he killt dhat shytt .
freshhh .
8.) and the funny thing is that all these people will end up living off of welfare and sucking up the money of those who work their asses off and make something happen, not these punk ass kids.
9.) omg! these dumbass fucking kids we will see were this will lead them in the future fucking dumb bunch of idiots fat fucking useless kids!!!!
10.) better than 75% of new rappers out now lol
11.) i think he is a monkey
12.) ill eat him but then again he yung step ya game up lil nigga switch ya flow
13.) This kid has SERIOUS talent!! I could listen to his stuff all day!
14.) i thought the zoo was closed
15.) I think the gettho sceens must be burried in shit cause its all over the world especialy U.S of Fucking A why dont you people stop yapping and blaming the society for your poor judgments.. the elected a NIGGER for prez... you give something good to a nigger and they fuck it up big time!!!
16.) dirty nigger
17.) ok that sucked i gotta friend that 11 and can rap amazingly and hes been rapin since 2nd grade.lol and i'ma girl and i could rap better so he sucked monkey balls

OuttaBoundz
WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

UpAndUp TV interviews Method Man!

2009-07-01T00:09:00.004-05:00

One of my former Undergraduate students, Powerful Aguilar, conducts interview with Hip-Hop veteran Method Man! This interview moves beyond the typical "album-promotion" questions and offers a closer look at some of the past experiences and current opinions from this Hip-Hop heavyweight. As one who studied Team & Leadership Development under my tutelege, Powerful is doing an effective job applying leadership theories to "real-world" situations. Stay tuned for more information on upcoming projects from God's Illa!

OuttaBoundz
WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Bombs over Bagh---....IRAN!

2009-06-29T19:50:00.005-05:00

What up, YoungWorld!

In THIS episode of ghettoGEEK Radio we focus on the current political struggle in IRAN with none other than the impassioned intellect; Sable Verity! Sable discusses the Iranian conflict from a political and cultural vantage point. Utilizing Neda Soltan's death, Ahmedinejad's rhetoric, and America's current strategic posture, Sable attempts to provide insights on gender issues, issues of oppression, and implications for Iran's affect upon the global community.

Before closing out, OuttaBoundz shares conversation with the DriFish...one half of the Baltimore-based Spoken Word duo; The 5th L! DriFish shares his passion for lyricism, community, global politics, and work ethic! He provides an in-depth glimpse at the experiences that influence the artistry we've come to know as the The 5th L. (All in all, an insightful glance at the theory and methodology BEHIND the music!)

OuttaBoundz
WeBeGeekin'
A. Dub Productions
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

A Lil' Left Coast History Lesson....

2009-06-27T23:00:00.005-05:00

Cops patrol projects and the people livin’ in ‘em,
I was born an inmate, waitin’ to escape the prison.
Went to church, but don't understand it. They underhanded!
God gave me these commandments.
The world is scandalous!
Blast 'til they holy high
Baptize they evil minds….rise…no longer blinded.
Watch me shine, Trick.
Which one of y’all wanna feel the degrees?
Bitches freeze when they see Black Jesus!
(Tupac Shakur, Black Jesus, 2000)

It is of no surprise that rap music is a derivative of the economic underclass. The themes, messages, and meanings that are contained in rap music are based upon the understanding that the information being relayed is of importance to the urban underclass. As Rose (1994) states, “these unusually abundant polyvocal conversations seem irrational when they are severed from the social contexts where everyday struggles over resources, pleasure, and meanings take place” (p. 2). Rose does a wonderful job at contextualizing her observations and understandings of the Hip-Hop culture, more specifically, rap music within the parameters of mainstream society. Black Noise takes readers on a socio-historical tour of the Hip-Hop culture. Beginning from the economic collapse in the South Bronx during the late 1960s, Rose (1994) begins to explain the behavior of rap music by drawing consistencies with the environment from which it was born. To fully comprehend the social depth of her chronological cross-reference, she makes it known that the economic depression in the Bronx was neither coincidence or community-inflicted. She makes it quite clear that New York City planner, Robert Moses, was strategic in his disrespect for communities in the ethnic minority: “Like many of his public works projects, Moses’s Cross-Bronx Expressway supported the interests of the upper classes against the interests of the poor and intensified the development of the vast economic and social inequalities that characterize contemporary New York” (Rose, 1994, p. 32). Her ability to state the cause of the economic depression in the Bronx, during this period in history, allows for recognition of the correlation between rap’s view of society and society’s ill treatment of these artists and their communities.

Arthur Pressley (1992) discusses the ill effects of economic depravity in his emphasis on psycho-theological interpretation of rap music. The first part of his argument addresses the psychosocial and physical needs that are lacking in many urban black communities due to lack of economic resources. He gives examples of staggering death figures that “include 920 suicides, 650 homicides, 20,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease and 500 deaths from cirrhosis of the liver” (Pressley, 1992, p. 93.) He speaks of urban black males, which he interviewed, who speak as if their only real choice in life is how they will die. He continues to construct a scene that consists of narcissistic individuals, who have only their dilapidated habitat to blame, as they attempt to build healthy relationships.

OuttaBoundz
WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Come Together....RIGHT NOW!

2009-06-27T12:23:00.005-05:00

OuttaBoundz
WeBeGeekin'
A. Dub Productions
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

We know y'all got Soul...but do you have GYPSY SOUL?

2009-06-27T00:22:00.008-05:00

Y'all go ahead and PRESS PLAY to hear your MainMan, OuttaBoundz, get the scoop from the whole Gypsy Soul Crew, Kayencha, Will, and Shauna! It was so LIVE out at the Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center--the crew had to exit the building for us to capture an audible interview! So, do yourselves a favor and hit Baltimore, Maryland for some of the best in sexy, intelligent, comfortable, enlightening entertainment! With the GoodPeople of Gypsy Soul as your tour guides, you can't go wrong! Make sure to catch them at TeaVolve and various venus around the City...

WeBeGeekin'
A. Dub Productions
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

How GOOD and how PLEASANT it would be, before GOD and MAN...

2009-06-25T15:58:00.007-05:00

NAS & DAMIAN "JR GONG" MARLEY DISTANT RELATIVES preview from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

The Beauty of an Intercultural Communication Exchange!

2009-06-23T22:31:00.009-05:00

In the midst of WeekEnd full of Fun, I received the opportunity to engage in an enlightening global/political conversation....and I would like to share a bit of my experience with you....

OuttaBoundz
WeBeGeekin'
A. Dub Productions
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com

Don't Shed a TEAR....Mama I'm not Happy HERE...

2009-06-21T17:22:00.003-05:00

Pac's Frustation with Media Framing

Pac's Plan for using Rhetoric to Empower

Let's take lessons from the successes and failures of those in our past...

WeBeGeekin'
www.ghettogeekin.blogspot.com