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popwasabi · 6 years ago

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One Marvelous Scene: “No Tears For Me?”

For those who follow a lot of YouTube writing channels you might have noticed a series this week put out by its top influencers titled “One Marvelous Scene.”

Much like how Nick Fury did at the end of “Iron Man,” in preparation for this weekend’s “Endgame” (EEEEEEEEeeee!!!) the channel Nando v. Movies tasked several other channels in doing a video about their favorite/most thought-provoking scene in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This “One Marvelous Scene” could be anything from the iconic “I’m always angry” line from Bruce Banner in Avengers to an analysis of Captain America and the larger use of military ads within the series.

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(Seriously, this is a little troubling when you think about it...)

Though I was, unfortunately, not called on to be apart of the writing Avengers (#sadface), the series did make me think about what scene has stood out the most to me in this series which now spans 22 movies (24 by the end of the year). Was it Cap’s iconic “I can do this all day line” that changed my perception of the character forever, Thanos’s epic entrance in “Infinity War,” or Cap and Bucky’s emotionally charged battle with Iron Man in “Civil War?”

No.

The scene that has stood out to me the most remains the only moment in any of these films where I almost cried (manly tears, damn it!) and that scene is Erik Killmonger’s journey to the Ancestral Plane in “Black Panther.”

The Ancestral Plain is my favorite setting in this film by a wide margin. It highlights a very spiritual and unique space in the MCU canon and contains the movie’s most emotionally charged moments. T’Challa’s own journeys into this realm are, by themselves, great scenes I considered choosing for this write-up as they highlight the arc of the character in his feelings toward his father and lineage. But Killmonger’s journey is especially powerful and shows why he’s regarded, by many, as the series most compelling villain.

(With all due respect to the Mad Titan of course. I’m speaking of course of Josh Brolin.)

The main theme of this story, to quote another famous Marvel character, quite clearly is “With great power, comes great responsibility.” In this case Wakanda has tremendous power, wealth and influence but they have chosen to hoard it and keep secret from the rest of the world. This negligence is highlighted first by Nakia earlier in the movie explaining how Wakanda can do so much more with the resources they wield but T’Challa chooses not to intervene because of “traditions.”

Erik’s arrival and subsequent takeover of the kingdom of Wakanda shows how that isolationism can have consequences. Erik is right to call out this kingdom’s hypocrisy and if this were any other type of movie he might’ve even been the main character in this story. Think about it: a prince rightfully points out injustice in a society, he is then killed without trial by his brother, his son then raise himself into the perfect warrior so that he may exact retribution and correct this flaw within the kingdom. Doesn’t that like the beginnings of a hero’s journey?

(*Menacing rap theme music intensifies*)

But it’s when he ventures to the ancestral plain that we really see the depth of this cruelty and the tragedy of how this society turned its back on one of its own. We see Erik revert back to being a child in this journey and see’s his father once more. This is an important because it shows how Erik once was, innocent, and through this we begin to understand just how far his fall has been and all because of one selfish, apathetic, irresponsible action.

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When Erik’s dad asks him “no tears for me?” and he responds “Everybody dies. It’s just life around here” it becomes quite clear just how cruel it was for T’Challa’s father to leave him behind. The king, who T’Challa looked up to and admired, left a boy to fend for himself in a harsh world, with no one to help or guide him and for all intents and purposes appeared to never even attempt to go back and check in on him. And this wasn’t just any child; this was a blood relative, his nephew and he essentially left him to fend for himself because he wasn’t “one of them.” The creation of Erik Killmonger was entirely avoidable and yet it happened because Wakanda’s king wielded his privilege and influence of his kingdom irresponsibly all in the name of “tradition.”

In this way the film brilliantly highlights, especially later on when T’Challa returns to the ancestral plain, how king T’Chaka is the real villain of this film. When T’Challa tells his father and the rest of the former kings that they’re all wrong for turning their backs on the rest of the world it truly sends the message home how when you’re given a great power it is your responsibility to help others with it. Combine this genuine moment with Ludwig Gorransson’s Oscar winning score playing in the background and it’s hard not to get a little choked up during this tragic moment.

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(Finally! An original soundtrack worth purchasing from the MCU!)

Contrary to popular belief, villains aren’t born villains in the real world; nobody comes out of the womb an evil, vindictive person. Evil people are created, often by even the most well-intentioned of people through negligence, cruelty and apathy. There’s a reason why MLK many decades ago said he feared “white moderates” more than he did the actual racists. It’s because those folks chose to turn their backs instead of using their privilege to help because it was convenient, much in the way T’Chaka did.

In a series that has largely chosen to cheapen most of its sincere drama with quips and bad jokes, this scene was a tremendous breath of fresh air for me when I saw it the first time. If this scene had been directed by almost anyone else in the MCU chances are there would’ve been at least one reference joke in here somewhere (“Ancestral Plane? Like am I going to see a Force Ghost or something? Derherherher.”) The emotional impact of this scene hit’s you like a sledgehammer when Erik’s dad says “No tears for me?” and thank Bast director Ryan Coogler didn’t try force in any bathos for cheap laughs.

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(If you need a primer on what bathos means watch this great video by “Just Write”)

The MCU has done a better job in recent outings (mostly) with creating genuine moments of drama but at times still feels like they can’t help themselves. I want the MCU to be less afraid of itself in that way. We care about these characters and their stories; we don’t need a pop culture reference every minute to keep us invested in the story.

These films, space cowboys and spandex super heroes and all, can be so much deeper than the MCU allows it to be. “Thor: Ragnarok” is basically the same story as “Black Panther”; A soon to be king learns that his father wasn’t exactly the man he thought he was, a long-lost relative comes to usurp his throne and through this learns to be a better king and leader. The only real difference (besides the setting and characters used) “Black Panther” is sincere in its dialogue and doesn’t shy away from the tougher subjects.

(We get it, it’s funny but c’mon...)

The Ancestral Plain is a powerful setting in “Black Panther” that helps complete arcs for its characters but its through Erik’s journey do we begin to understand the film’s main message. It’s a tragic scene and one that still sticks with me each time I watch the film and, in this day, and age we currently reside in in this world it feels very relevant as well. It’s one of the main reasons why “Black Panther” remains my favorite MCU flick to date and overall one of my favorite movies of the decade.

So While “Endgame” will certainly dominate at the box office this summer and more than likely be a huge crowd-pleaser I do hope that the MCU learns from this film as it travels into its new future. “Black Panther” showed you can tell one of these Marvel stories without adding a punchline in every minute and still be a huge success. Hopefully future films in this series understand this lesson too.

Glory to Bast. Wakanda forever. This is One Marvelous Scene.

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enigmasong · 6 years ago

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Honestly, the more I think of it, the more disappointed I am with how Doctor Who episode, Rosa, handled the Civil Rights movement as a whole.

It did a Rosa Park biopic just fine, but placing the entire movement on her shoulders for this one action was just misleading and wrong, incorrectly assumes that the movement had all their eggs in this one bus basket, and erases all the thousands of people who fought and died against this social injustice on their own terms with their own actions.

And I'm not gonna blame this on the writer here. What caused this was the 'great man history' mentality; the idea that Very Important People are the ones that shape all of history. And this is a mentality Doctor Who tends to follow (likely in part because British imperialism, but mostly because biopics happen to be an easy narrative hook). So they run on the assumption that because a name is in the history books, it's because they were Very Important and did something no one could've done.

But that's not what Rosa Park's story is, because what she did was something black people all over the south were doing constantly and in more places than buses. The point of her story is that it gives a face to all that - an example for people to look at as they're being told that was what was happening all over. And that *is* very important, but it's still not her being unique and special in what she did.

And thing is, you can see that shining through in the episode, with the scene of her and MLK and others organized for the movement and other scenes, but they still can't resist putting the entire history of Civil Rights on Rosa's shoulders when in reality, the most that probably would've changed was the name in the textbooks.

I'll also point out that the characters were also only running on that assumption.

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idemandoolong · 6 years ago

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Three wars and some presidents couldn’t convince America that Blacks are people, too. So you won’t, either. Oh, and Italians and Asians have blood on their hands. Happy MLK Day!

Ok, so we’re going to begin with the “abolition” of slavery. And the reason I put it in quotes is because the 13th Amendment slyly states “…except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted…”

Why is that important? Because that’s the loophole courts used to basically continue slavery. They would charge Black men with crimes, give them unfair trials, then sentence them to jail. From 1865 to 1964, states could (and would) legally deny people employment solely based on race, and until 1968, states could (and would) legally deny people the right to housing solely based on race. So slavery was over on paper, but contrary to many people’s beliefs, things didn’t magically become better for Blacks overnight.

So think back to the days when slavery has just ended. Former slaves were illiterate and unemployed. Many remained in their hometowns because they didn’t really have any other place to go. They took whatever jobs they could, and these were often the jobs the Whites didn’t want. And yes, they were severely underpaid. As a result, Whites would deny them decent employment and housing, charge them with vagrancy, then throw them in jail. This went on for decades. And was perfectly legal.

But let’s back it up to the end of the Civil War. The Department of War established The Freedman’s Bureau, which was an agency to help former slaves and poor Whites as the Civil War was coming to a close and the South’s defeat was imminent. It was officially founded on March 3, 1865, the South surrendered on April 9, 1865, and Lincoln was shot six days later.

Though the Freedman’s Bureau had good intentions, of course, many Whites opposed it. Including President Andrew Johnson. Some of the things the Bureau did were to establish schools (which later became Historically Black Colleges & Universities), help families that were separated during slavery reunite, provide job training, establish hospitals, and help Blacks with legal cases since the chances of them of getting fair trials were slim.

By late 1872, just seven years after being founded, Congress’s support of the Bureau had been waning and all of its efforts were discontinued. Five years later, the Reconstruction Era ended. This was an era in which the US attempted to literally reconstruct itself after the Civil War. The Freedman’s Bureau was a large part of the era, as were the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. Additionally, Blacks were elected to state and federal positions during this time.

Now, this time is very important, as this is when the South began to identify with the Republican Party, and the North began to identify with the Democratic Party. Until then, Republicans would be what we would consider “liberal,” and Democrats were what we would consider “conservative.”

During the Civil War, when Northerners were Republicans and Southerners were Democrats, the North spent a lot of money to support the Union, and this in turn made many businessmen there wealthy. Because they were wealthy, they were then able to influence and to take part in the government. These wealthy White men were not too interested in supporting Black rights, because they did not believe government spending money to help such a small number of people would help them to maintain their money and power. As this is happening, as stated before, the South (Democrats) are opposed to the efforts of Reconstruction--especially the Freedman’s Bureau.

The federal government’s role in people’s lives began to diminish as wealthy White men helped to pass laws to make sure they themselves had as much freedom as possible to do as they wish with their money. See how this is tied to the dissolution of the Freedman’s Bureau?

And what’s even more sinister, more and more land in the Midwest and West of the country was being carved up and given to Whites (after it was taken away from the Native Americans), but Blacks were not allowed to have any of that land, let alone jobs, healthcare, education, and housing.

Now that we’ve got established, let’s fast-forward to WWI. After the War ends, Black soldiers return home and expect to be treated much better than when they left. I mean, they did put their lives on the line for the country…no, for the world. They return to the United States and realize very little has changed. As a result, the Great Migration ensues. Thousands upon thousands of Blacks leave the South and head North (and some went to California) where things aren’t exactly paradise, but they were a lot better than the South. This in turn is the catalyst for the Harlem Renaissance. Blacks had a swell of pride and their culture flourished. Angry White Southerners tried to stop Blacks from getting information about the North, and they even passed laws to make it difficult for Blacks to leave.

Now we’re in the 1920s. The economy is doing exceptionally well, but then the Great Depression happens. Republicans are blamed, so people began voting for Democrats. In fact, Blacks began to switch from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party because Franklin D. Roosevelt established programs to help those affected by the Depression—and as we all know, Blacks were affected a lot worse than Whites were.

So how did the Italian-Americans play into this? Well, let’s put this on pause and rewind. It’s before WWI, but after Reconstruction. This era is referred to the Gilded Age. During this time, may Europeans immigrated to the United States for a better life. Fine. Nothing new there. Well, as the United States has always done, it discriminated against them. The Irish were discriminated against. The Polish were discriminated against. The Eastern Europeans were discriminated against. And of course, the Italians were discriminated against—especially those from the southern part of Italy, because they tend to have darker skin due to the Moors settling there for thousands of years. But I digress.

The dark-skinned Italians are being discriminated against in the United States. To combat this, many of them began to point to Columbus as proof that they did not deserve the poor treatment they were receiving. This is around 1892…the 400th anniversary of Columbus landing in the Caribbean. While America is celebrating the anniversary, Italians are saying, “See? We Italians aren’t so bad after all!” This is despite the fact that Columbus sailed for Spain…not Italy. And this is despite the fact that the establishments in the New World made Spain richer…not Italy. Now I’m not saying Italian-Americans deserved to be mistreated, but to use Columbus as proof to show that Italians can do wonderful things is…specious, at best.

But at any rate, Italian-Americans used Columbus to escape discrimination, and it basically worked. But they were about self-preservation. They saw that other people (especially Blacks) were being mistreated, but it was more of a “Well as long as the Whites aren’t mistreating me, I don’t care.” This sort of established racial tension between Blacks and Italian-Americans in places like New Jersey and New York City which, unfortunately, continues to this day.

Let’s bring it back to the Great Depression and the Democrats. The Republicans are blamed because people are saying, “If you Republicans hadn’t been so greedy over the last several decades, none of this would’ve happened. We need the federal government to make sure this doesn’t happen again!” The Democrats take over and establish social programs to help pull people out of financial ruin. Those who are for social programs tend to be Democrats, and those who are for limited government tend to be Republicans. Which is where we are presently.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The Great Depression is happening, World War II breaks out, the United States enters, and the economy does well because of the social programs, and because people cut back on spending to help the war effort. The Axis is defeated, and Black soldiers return home thinking, “Ok…THIS TIME the White people have to respect us.”

Wrong.

Enter the Civil Rights Movement.

We’re now in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Keep in mind, racial discrimination is still perfectly legal. And also, this is where the Black family begins to crack. Before this time, as with all races, it was much more common than not to have an intact nuclear family: married parents and their children living together. However, during the 1960s, things for Blacks began to shift as far as their families are concerned. With the establishment of welfare, if there was an adult male parent in the home, families could not get welfare benefits. This was not just for Black families, but it happened more often for Black families because the men were, as stated before, being removed from their families for various reasons—and all of those reasons stemmed from the lack of opportunities Black men faced.

It’s virtually impossible to take care of your family if you’re not allowed to have a job, live in certain neighborhoods, or vote. Black women were literally being paid by the United States government to remain single mothers. Their daughters went on to become single parents, and then their daughters, then their daughters, and so on, and so forth.

What does this have to do with Asian-Americans? I’ll tell you.

As the United States began to reform its laws about race, it began to relax its immigration laws. Up until the mid-1960s, Asians were practically prohibited from entering the country and becoming citizens. Once those laws were repealed, they began trickling in. Now is it a coincidence that the United States began to actively improve its relationship with East Asia and Southeast Asia as tensions between it and Russia began? Maybe…but it’s also mighty convenient.

In other words, some (including myself) would point that the United States did not want to have tension with Russia and pretty much all of Asia as Cold War tensions escalated during the 1960s. With the immigration restrictions of Asians lifted, the United States conveniently began saying such kind things about Asians—hence the “model minority” stereotype. Americans would say things like, “Oh, Asians are so smart. And so polite. And so clean. And so hardworking. Please, come to this country.” Because Asian-Americans weren’t really established in the country before the 1960s, they missed all the discrimination that Blacks and Europeans faced. They didn’t really begin coming until most civil rights legislation had already passed.

This isn’t to say Asian-Americans aren’t discriminated against—it’s more to say they didn’t (and do not) face the type of mistreatment Blacks face.

Also, keep in mind, when Asians were allowed into the country little by little, only the best and brightest were allowed. This helped the United States to seem correct when they would point to them as the “model minorities.” It’s easy to be seen as the best when you’re only allowed to send your best over.

With Asian-Americans settling in the country, many of them wanted to fully integrate and be accepted by Whites. Families would encourage their daughters to marry White men, as this was seen as the paragon of acceptance. To this day, many Asian-American women “prefer” to date White men. They’ll openly say this, but then also say, “But I’m not racist.”

Yes, you are.

Also, Asian-Americans would discriminate against Blacks to gain White acceptance. Remember, they weren’t really around to witness slavery, Reconstruction, the Great Migration, and the Civil Rights Movement. Instead, it was like, “Hey…if I want Whites to accept me, all I have to do is do what they do. Hmmm…looks like they don’t like Black people for whatever reason. Fine. Neither do I.” This is also why there tends to be underlying tension between Asian-Americans and Blacks in many parts of the country.

Allow me to point out what happened to Latasha Harlins. On March 16, 1991 in Los Angeles, a 15yr old girl named Latasha Harlins went into a convenience store owned by a Korean-American family, the Du family. She put a bottle of orange juice in her backpack and held the money she planned to pay for it in her hand. The matriarch of the Du family, Soon Ja, accused her of trying to shoplift despite the fact that Harlins was at the counter with money in her hand. An argument ensued, and Du grabbed Harlins and tried to snatch her backpack off. Harlins hit Du three times, causing Du to fall back. Du then threw a stool at Harlins. Harlins picked up the orange juice botte and set it on the counter, and Du snatched it from her. As Harlins turned to leave the store, Du reached under the counter for a handgun and shot Harlins. The bullet hit her in the back of the head and she died instantly.

You can look up the security footage on YouTube.

During the trial, Du stated she killed Harlins because she feared for her life, so it was in self-defense. Two eyewitnesses disputed this, and so did the fact that Harlins was shot from behind as she attempted to leave. Du was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter, but rather than getting the 16yrs of prison, which was the maximum sentence, she was sentenced to probation for five years, given a $500 fine, (approx. $920 today), and told she had to complete 400 hours of community service.

The trial was overshadowed by the infamous Rodney King beating, which occurred two weeks later, which in then turn led to the 1992 LA riots after the police officers were acquitted after being videotaped beating him. Some believe (including myself) that the riots were also inspired by the outcome of Du’s trial.

Ok, you got all that? Let’s take it back to the late 1960s. The Civil Rights Era is coming to a close, and something called The Kerner Commission is published. Never heard of it? That was intentional.

Basically, The Kerner Commission was an investigation to figure out why Black people were the way they were. Moreso why they were rioting every so often. But it also answered why were their families falling apart? Why was their income so low? Why were they less educated than everyone else? Why were their neighborhoods violent?

You’d think it’d be obvious…but sometimes, people don’t like to admit they had a hand in creating a problem. A lot of White people would say, “Well slavery and all that is over. They’re just lazy. That’s why things are the way they are for Blacks. They’re not trying hard enough.”

But the Kerner Commission debunked all of that. Federal agents investigated the circumstances Blacks were in and concluded, “This is America’s fault. We’ve been screwing them over literally since the day they got here, and now we’re pretending we don’t know why things are so bad for them.”

Why are they poor? Because they’re denied jobs.

Why aren’t they educated? Because they’re denied education.

Why are they criminals? Because they can’t get jobs or go to school.

Why are their families broken? Because we paid their mothers to be single.

And what did the government do once the Kerner Commission was complete?

Nothing.

They just said, “Oh…well…ok…” and that was that.

What the government wanted to hear was: “Black people are lazy. They’re naturally move violent than everyone else. They don’t want to work. They hate school. They like drugs. They like to break the law.” But when that didn’t happen, the report was shelved.

Now it’s the 1970s, and Blacks are experiencing another swell of pride and culture. They’re letting their hair grow without altering it in any way, the “Black is Beautiful” slogan is popularized, and Black fictional characters in media are standing up to White people...which was unheard of before. This led to the 1980s where Blacks and Whites were slowly integrated in mainstream TV shows and films. You didn’t really see racially mixed casts before then. It was either virtually all black, or virtually all white.

Once Hollywood realized Blacks actually are marketable on their own, Blacks were able to produce their own projects with Hollywood’s help. From the mid-1980s up until the late 1990s, you saw many Black sitcoms and films doing quite well, and for the first time ever, the Black middle class was getting attention. Before this time, Blacks were typically depicted as working class or upper class in the media. People did not really think a Black middle class existed.

Unfortunately, even today, Hollywood is not too comfortable with Blacks who don’t “act Black,” so to speak. Those who run the media believe the only Black person who is marketable is one who portrays some sort of stereotype. And what happens is people believe these stereotypes are true while ignoring the millions of Blacks who aren’t in the service industry, who aren’t drug addicts, who aren’t criminals, who aren’t poor, who aren’t violent, who aren’t entertainers, etc.

Whenever a Black person comes along and says, “Actually, most Black people aren’t like that. And I’m living proof,” the response is, “Well you’re not REALLY Black, though. You act White.”

Presently, these attitudes continue. Many people still ignore history and say the reason Blacks are the way they are is because they’re not trying hard enough. Many still say, “You’re not really Black if you don’t [insert stereotype here],” and many discriminate against Blacks in order to subconsciously gain approval from Whites.

And even present-day Freedman’s Bureau tactics are reviled. Many non-Blacks think Historically Black Colleges & Universities are racist and unfair. They think anything specifically designed to help a Black person is unfair. They think if a Black person is successful, then he/she doesn’t really deserve it and must’ve had some unfair advantage nobody else had. But when you actually do your homework, you’ll see these “advantages” don’t really help Blacks as much.

Whites were given land, loans, jobs, healthcare, education…and this has helped them to prosper for generations. Asian-Americans benefited because they largely came after racial discrimination was outlawed. But Blacks? Soon as they get a scholarship, it’s “not right,” and it’s “reverse racism.” Do you honestly, truly believe a $5,000 NAACP scholarship will boost all Black people beyond the ramifications of slavery and legalized discrimination which lasted from 1619-1968? Do you know how long that is? That’s 349 years. That means Blacks have had complete freedom for 51 years now, but have been in the country for 400 years.

So don’t sit there and get upset that a Black kid got into Harvard although his SAT score was a little bit lower than a White kid’s. Don’t call it “unfair.” Don’t have a fit because the BET Awards exist, but the WET Awards don’t. And don’t call your state representative to complain that the black girl got the job over you despite being a little less qualified when you’re literally benefitting from the fact that her family wasn’t allowed access to basic necessities for 349 years.

Do your homework.

Well, you don’t have to, because I just did it for you.

Black people have a long way to go, and sadly, those alive today will not live to see the day where the consequences of slavery and discrimination are long gone. A scholarship here and a job there is a step in the right direction, but it’s not the end.

And it’s definitely not “unfair” considering what Blacks have had to endure just to get it.

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apexart-journal · 3 years ago

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Keegan Xavi in NYC, Day #?? I’ve got 9 days left

I got back from DC last night. Got off the bus on 8th, asked someone which was was 7th Ave So I wouldn’t walk in the wrong direction. Walked to Herald Square, jumped on a yellow line, was home in like 10 minutes. Maybe 15. Walked in the door. I was home. And it felt more like home since I got here because for the first time last night I got comfortable enough to act like I was at home. Which meant the floor exploded with my instant piles as I unpacked: shoes off and in the pile, paper souvenirs for possible collage projects over here, dirty laundry there, coat goes here - not in the closet, but over the arm of a chair. When I am comfortable I am messy lol But I finally got comfortable enough to relax a little and just like I do at home, I sat in silence and just THOUGHT about things. The problem was back home, I no longer liked the things I was thinking about it and was desperate for NEW thoughts, ideas, higher vibrations of intellect and emotion. A lot of those things I HAD to think about, cuz that’s just life... but my thoughts were getting fucking stale to me and I am so grateful for this head change.

D.C.:

- it’s so like downtown Mpls with its trees, bushes, flowers, etc, and antiquated bank-looking buildings everywhere... but also kinda desolate the way downtown mpls is on the weekend. no one actually lives in the area I was in. Everyone was a visitor/tourist like me and I heard maybe 5 or 6 different languages while there. That part reminds me of LA and what I miss about there. The Architect Hotel was super cute, efficient and to the point, just a bed in a clean room with nice moldings and trim. teh first night was overcast, but still good for walking. went to the chinese american museum, then got lost getting to Dupont circle, but found it, went to a bookstore, bought a salad, went back to the hotel.

the next day i was MISERABLE because it poured all day. I mean, I was out there pounding pavement, but was not a happy camper at all. but i’m a soldier, I figured it out. The MLK Jr. Memorial Library was super peaceful and had exhibits on the 4th and 5th floor and an outdoor terrace area that had a bit of an awning so you could sit there even while it rained. I didn’t sit there tho, just passed thru. The exhibits were actually heart-breaking . The one that talked about the Civil Rights Movement and King’s assassination was just sad because ... how much has really changed? We seem to be going backwards, actually. When I teach I always want to make connections so young people can understand why learning about the past is important for the future, and I am doing my best to learn what to say anymore.

Blah. Let’s keep it moving.

The other exhibit was also depressing - signs form around the world from people who did not have homes. My father was homeless for years before he died. He was a genius man in so many ways, but never assimilated into American culture. I don’t know how he would’ve done in his birth country either. He may have been a strange man in any time or place. But yeah...

I really loved the movie “Everything, Everywhere, All At Once”. That was good.

Then the next morning, I was just DOWN when I woke up. It wasn’t pouring the way it had on Saturday, but still drizzly and that’s how my mood felt. grey and drizzly lol I did not want to go to yoga class AT ALLLLL..... but I actually got there super early cuz it was boring just sitting in that tiny hotel room brooding on how grey I felt. And it was like an ADVANCED YOGA CLASS... I’ve been doing my lil 5-Tibetan routine for years, but it’s super chill... but this class.. well, I am sore today and it felt good.. just what I needed. And the rest of the day just got better.

So Casey Smith came and picked me up and our time together was so uplifting for me. I adore honest, funny, and intelligent people. Our lunch was at the perfect outdoor taco spot with the cutest dog that ever existed (ever) at the table over from us. Talking to another apexart fellow was so helpful because no one else would understand the uniqueness and intensity of this particular program. He gave me a brief tour of the neighborhood including the white house, that church where TFG held the bible upside down, BLM Plaza, then an art school where he used to teach at. It was like go go go, but we got a lot in before I got dropped off at my bus. I hope Casey and I get to hang out again someday. Sofija too... I’d love to see her again.

So this morning I got up and took my time getting ready (like hours and lots of coffee time) before I ventured out for household basics. This part also felt like being at “home”. Trashbags, tp, etc. I also picked some Murphy’s Oil Soap because that’s what I’d do to these floors if they were mine. Outside, union Square is poppin!! I went to Trader Joe’s, then to CVS for the stuff Trader Joe’s doesn’t have, then through the farmer’s market before sitting on the steps for a little while. So sunny and beautiful today. That little breather in DC was kinda like a dream-within-a-dream thing. It gave me space to process outside of NY before I go back home. Very helpful.

#Keegan Xavi #Inbound from Minneapolis

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poofbeegone · 3 years ago

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Across cultures, darker people suffer most!🖤 On what would've been Dr. King's 93rd bday, the "why" remains!🤔 "That is where we are today. And also in the human rights revolution, if something isn't done, and in a hurry, to bring the colored peoples of the world out of their long years of poverty, their long years of hurt and neglect, the whole world is doomed. Now, I'm just happy that God has allowed me to live in this period, to see what is unfolding. And I'm happy that He's allowed me to be in Memphis." #drking #mlkbday #mlkweekend2022 #mlkweekend #ivebeentothemountaintop #civilrightsmovement #mlk #lorrainemotel #room306 #nationalcivilrightsmuseum #Memphis #wearememphis #bringyoursoul #poofbeegoneblog (at National Civil Rights Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYxEyyrrTCY/?utm_medium=tumblr

#drking #mlkbday #mlkweekend2022 #mlkweekend #ivebeentothemountaintop #civilrightsmovement #mlk #lorrainemotel #room306 #nationalcivilrightsmuseum #memphis #wearememphis #bringyoursoul #poofbeegoneblog

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jesterravencroft · 7 years ago

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Questions I was asked to answer

I reblogged a post earlier that had 30 questions within it and my best girl @curvybihufflepuff asked me to answer all of them within a post, so here I go!

1. If you could do anything without consequence, what would it be? I would go streaking. That’s really weird but I think it would be a freeing experience to run around somewhere naked and without consequence.

2. If you could put yourself into any show, which show would it be and why? Oh shoot I think I’d put myself in Friends. Solely because I relate to Chandler Bing on a spiritual level and I’d love to banter with Ross.

3. What do you want to name your kids? If I have a girl, I’d love to name her Eliza Odette or Matilda Kimberly. If it’s a boy I like the name Jarvis. But I was told I can’t name a child that.

4. What is your lifelong dream? I wouldn't really call it a lifelong dream but It’s been a dream of mine since I was 12 and it’s to go on my church’s outreach mission to Romania and then to Tanzania.

5. How long have you known what you wanted to be? Ha. Jokes on you all, I have no idea what I want to be.

6. If you were a Youtube personality, what would you do and what would your name be? I would either like to have a channel where I give advice or I just review things and my name would be J.L Darvill

7. What is your favorite color? Yellow!

8. What is your favorite number? My favorite numbers are 9 & 15

9. What is your favorite thing to do on a rainy day? My favorite thing to do on a rainy day is to curl up with a fuzzy blanket in front of my window with a cup of tea and listen to Glenn Miller and his orchestra.

10. What is your favorite animal? My favorite animals are Quokkas, Capybara, Sloths and Koalas

11. What is your dream job? A scout for the NHL or a head coach for an NHL team

12. If you had a choice, would you rather meet the characters, or actors, of your favorite show? Is both an option? Because I’d love to meet both the characters and the actors of Luke Cage and Daredevil.

13. What time period would you like to live in? Either the 1930′s-1940′s or the mid-1960′s

14. What time period would you least like to live in? I would hate to live in the 1800s if I’m honest

15. One positive thing you do every day? One positive thing I do every day is just remind myself that I am enough as well as the promise I made to my little brother which is ‘I will keep fighting, no matter how bad life gets.’

16. What is your favorite form of art? I love renaissance art, along with abstract art and photography.

17. What is your all time favorite movie and why? My all time favorite movie is French Kiss (1995) with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline and it’s because I first saw it at a time when I was really struggling and I related to Meg Ryan’s character, Kate and her fear of leaving.

18. What tragedy in history would you reverse if you knew things would remain the same in present time? I’d stop MLK’s assassination because I feel as if he would've helped change the world even more than he already did.

19. If you could live anywhere for a day where would you live? I’d live in Washington D.C

20. What is your favorite name? I love the name Odette but I also like the name Maureen and Clarence.

21. What is something nice you have done for someone recently? I try to do nice things for people everyday so I don’t really have an answer for this one.

22. What is something nice someone has done for you recently? My puppy brought me a rock, and my girlfriend bought our movie tickets.

23. What is your favorite scent? (Can you explain it?) My favorite scent is lavender, rosemary and vanilla. It’s all very calming to me.

24. Favorite landscape? Upstate New York in the autumn.

25. Favorite Song? Can’t Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley Georgia on My Mind - Ray Charles New York, New York - Frank Sinatra Always on My Mind - Elvis Presley Love Me Tender - Elvis Presley

26. Song that gets most stuck in your head? Les Yeux Ouverts by The Beautiful South or That’s What I Like - Bruno Mars

27. Your parents favorite songs? I honestly don’t know my dad likes Kansas but my mom loves Il Divo

28. Favorite coin? The 50 cent piece.

29. Favorite dollar bill? ex. $10 $20 $5 My favorite dollar bill is the $10 because it has Alexander Hamilton on it.

30. Favorite thing about answering questions? It allows people to get to know me better!

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indd40041020202021 · 4 years ago

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Mid term presentations

In some ways I wish that I could drop this grad project and just read and write about other design projects instead. I’m taking a few classes to complete my curatorial minor degree this semester and it’s really invigorated my love for writing and my opinion that design needs more critical writing and archiving (something that I love to do). Anyway, that is what has been going through my head, as well as the pressing weight of the past year and it’s slow and arduous continuance into this one. Needless to say it has been really hard to pull some kind of positive motivation out of myself to get this work done. For the mid-term presentation, I felt like I hadn’t really done that much work, at least comparatively to my normal pace. I dropped a class to focus more on core, but I think it has taken up to this week for me to really gain traction again in thinking about what this project is.

one thing I’ve been aware of is the complex ideas I’m proposing with my project, and the difficulty in explaining what I’m trying to do. I’ve learned a lot in my current writing class about an audience and tempering your work for readability, and this has inspired me to instead show what I’m trying to do through story.

As Sophie and I spoke a few days before the presentation, I felt that my point maybe was too convoluted in description, and felt that I couldn’t say all that I wanted to say about what I was trying to do. As well, I felt that through explaining my work, contradictions arose that didn’t feel true to my project either. I needed to succinctly get these ideas and points of entry down in a way that brings people into an understanding where I don’t have to explain the point, because I’m not doing a good job if I have to supplement the meaning.

I was originally thinking about a counterfactual involving the boom of plastic in the 50′s, as this was a catalyst to mass manufacturing once injection molds and mass replication was possible. Sophie said that maybe it was too obvious to choose plastic as the villain. I also talked about my leech - a species that is currently extinct but unknown (like a Schrödinger's species, maybe it existed, maybe it didn't) and that I was thinking about it being used for blood testing in humans, as we would have to feed it our blood to get results, a kind of symbiosis. Sophie asked why it would be a tool for humans when we could biohack ourselves, and whether that would be something I would look into.

This project is about decentering the human, and I felt that directing any kind of spotlight back to human achievement would be detrimental to the intended meaning of the work. Although, I always find myself coming back to these reflexive loops of “not about the human but Im human and writing it”, it feels like a bit of puppetry, but I don’t know if that can be avoided in these nature futures scenarios.

I rethought plastic as a catalyst too, and after reading Against Performative Positivity by Dana Abdullah during my reading group, I was reminded of the politics of efficiency, and felt a renewed connection to it’s criticisms, especially related to how I’ve been feeling the past few months. While I knew about Taylorism, I did a bit more of a dive into his work and found that models of efficiency was a much better catalyst than plastic, as plastic in the 50′s already had the inertia of Taylor and Ford pulling it forward. So I sat down and wrote a story for my presentation and supplemented it with both guiding reference photos and photos of some of the process that I’ve been going through. The following is my script and photos with annotations of what I was intending for each section of the story.

____

A Technological History of the 20th Century

[If I gave myself more editing time, I would’ve specified ‘20th Century in the West”]

In the late 1900’s, as the Industrial Revolution began to gain traction in the West, Fredrick Taylor published a text called The Principles of Scientific Management. This work, encouraging factories to go further in their exploitation of workers by valuing efficiency systems over living beings, enraged the general public and incited the Factory Riots of 1911. Lead by the “Imagination Effort” and supported by the Luddites, the Factory Riots destroyed many major factories, including Ford and General Motors, who were both car manufacturers at the time.

[In reading the first few pages of the Principles of Scientific Management, it’s incredible to see that Taylor’s efficiency models were actually in hopes of a less wasteful manufacturing, not only in manpower but of finite resources. He quotes Theodore Roosevelt on conserving nature and talks about our water and forests vanishing. He then goes on to say that the most wasteful resource of all is man power, and talks about how idle thought and reliance on memory are detrimental. I found this really interesting, as it seems to be in good faith for a better world, but is really taking power away from man, our abilities to memorize and the value of imagination. For this reason, I imagined a protest group of people who also read between the lines here and called themselves “the Imagination Effort” in reference to his quote about the wastefulness in ‘efforts of the imagination”. I wanted to incite an event that would be detrimental to the way manufacturing historically succeeded, so I thought of taking down Ford and GM as two huge factories at the time, even making reference to a general public in this other world not knowing who they are (”who were both car manufacturers at the time”)]

The Factory Riots changed the way the West developed. Former President Theodore Roosevelt later applauded the work of the Imagination Effort for their advanced theories on conservation through thoughtful consideration of other beings.

[Something I wanted to try was using old photographs and repurposing them in another world. Many of the comics around Theodore Roosevelt’s conservation efforts were in jest, but what if these were representations of people actually appreciating his respect for nature. I imagined that a political figure supporting a cause would bolster the effect of such cause, and be more realistic in their continued influence on world events (similar to the JFK/MLK alliance during Civil Rights protests in the 60s)]

Throughout the 20th century, science shifted from the pursuit of knowledge of, towards the understanding of knowing with. Forestry and Oil industries began to downturn as cellulose bioplastics and bio-fuel began to boom in the 1950’s. This integration and new respect of nature and technology lead to locating many new species previously on the brink of extinction due to past industrial concepts.

[I wanted to show that I have been making some things - I was able to get this algae grow set-up working and bubbling away on my desk. Do I know what I’m going to do with the Algae yet? no. Does it look futuristic with purple lights? yes. In all seriousness, I am trying to get to a thinking through making mode that I often push aside and thought that by creating this algae set up and watching it grow, that I might be able to access some meaningful reflections on algae and all of its superpowers (bioplastics and bio-fuel being an example). I also thought of it as a potential air purification device, as algae is an incredible carbon capture capacity, higher than trees in general. I also wanted to be careful of my wording and to avoid words like ‘discover’ regarding the finding of other species.]

As part of a connection trek in Ontario’s Boreal Forest, scientists met the Photuris Hirudinea, the Firefly Leech. Both an omnivore and an amphibian, the Firefly Leech has an incredible ability to identify and communicate complex chemical chains in hemoglobin samples through bio luminescent markings, and has taught humans how to read other species emotional states with more nuance.

[The leech is something I want to stick with so that I can: revision and elevate the leech, open conversations about what has been lost through natural destruction, the power and abilities of other species, and because I want to make something physical and believable - and I think I can do so with some 3D modelling, silicone molding, and basic electronics. I imagine this to be swimming - actually swimming - through an aquarium tank during the exhibition. The name, photuris hirudinea, I was wondering whether I should include latin naming as this world is about breaking down hierarchies, including taxonomical ones, but I thought I would leave it as I believe that some human tendencies or leftover patterns would remain. I chose ‘photuris’ for the Firefly, as they are one of the only land species that use bioluminescence and I wanted the leech to be amphibious ,and hirudinea refers to the leech. I think it brings a bit of believability to this other-world species to have it rooted in real species. I wanted to state that it is an omnivore as well, because both plants and animals carry hemoglobin, and I thought that this was a good way of talking about it’s chemical abilities not only for human use but for other species as well. Finally, because I have the license of another world, I moved away from ‘health data’ to emotional data, something that is unvalued in our world, and something that Taylor explicitly called ‘wasteful’ in his writing. I also think that science valuing both empirical and theoretical data, quantitative and qualitative research, phenomenon and nomenon, was something I wanted to infer.]

In the 1980’s, Michael Strano developed nanobionics, and the interweave was born. Through non-invasive pre-sensing, developed with aid from the Firefly Leech, Strano was given permission by the Giant Kelp species to rewire their mRNA structure, allowing internal tRNA transfers to be visualized on the kelp’s surface, and for information transfer between kelp leaves on touch. This created a network that allowed other species to input, transfer, and communicate information, due to the Giant Kelp’s generosity.

[I focused heavily on word choice in this section. Dr Michael Strano really is the person who helped developed nanobionics, but I took the doctor from his name as academic achievements and social stature may be separate in this world. I had been playing around with the idea of printing a circuit board onto seaweed. What would it mean if we had a natural backing for something that we base most of our technology on? What if a circuit board wasn’t rigid? What if this was floating through the sea, oxidizing and naturally going back to the Earth? What if it was grown into the kelp, genetically implanted with their permission? Could the firefly leech help us communicate what other species wishes and boundaries are? I wanted the language to remove the dissecting power of the ‘scientific’ human into more of a conversation and mutual agreement between species. Stating that the kelp is giving permission for us to alter it, while leaving out exactly how that happened, I think it is a way to turn these ideas of hierarchies on their head. I imagine someone outside of design thinking this is absurd, but on the off-chance that it makes someone think outside of themselves, I think it’s important. I want to run down my reasoning with my friend Rylee, but mRNA, the messenger RNA, is a single chain, meaning that it can attach to another through tRNA, the transfer RNA. This is way over my head if you asked me specifics on it, but in theory I think it’s close to something imaginable, especially with what they are called (messenger and transfer, similar to internet terms anyways). I also wanted to change the internet to the interweave, as net invokes ideas of capturing, whereas weave invokes ideas of support.]

Through advances in bacterial memory storage, the Interweave of the kelp forest expanded in it’s knowing and expanded it’s form - seen in giant kelp clouds that are easily seen from shorelines all over the world.

[Bacteria holding memory is a real thing, and I was wondering what that would mean if we had known about it earlier (if we had appreciated other species earlier). I think there’s something really compelling about living memory storage. I also thought about the agency of other species, if the interweave allowed other species to interact in their own ways, I assume there would be some information transfer between other species, and maybe some learning. Could kelp gain the understanding to have floating clouds networking above the water too? I think this is the most far out idea of the group but I wanted to show some preposterous ideas for ideas’ sake. Imagination is a big part of this project, and I think a lot of people are afraid to use their imaginations for fear of looking stupid, but I think it’s one of our greatest abilities!]

As nature and technology continued to grow together, human involvement in it’s developments became extraneous. Communication has become increasingly nuanced, beyond the early 20th century notions of speech and body language. Knowing between species has evolved, and contributes to other-than-human species developing many of the technologies that we interact with today.

[I wanted to show current day symbiotic relationships in this slide: clownfish and anemone, algae and lichen, trees and fungi, and of course, my monitor lizard engineer. I like the idea of proposing that these species connect without us, without our intervention, and that there are so many other dimensions of communicating between species that we do not pay attention to. I didn’t go into specifics about current day technology in this world because I didn’t have any in mind while writing - but I wanted to allude to the idea that many other technologies made by humans and some made without humans exist in this world.]

While we can appreciate other species and how they have helped support us through the years, we can only imagine what may have been if the Imagination Effort had not risen up in defense of our earthbound kin way back in the Factory Riots of 1911.

[With what I currently have, this is how I am imagining the gallery set-up - an aquarium with the leech swimming around, with a didactic stating that the aquarium is just for show and that they live freely in the wild. I also thought that I could create a simulation of a kelp interweave branch, simulating connections through lights. I didn’t include the algae because I’m not quite sure what it means yet.]

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presentation feedback:

I’m happy with the feedback overall, I think the story aspect really helped people understand the point of my project, which has been my biggest hurdle in the past and going into this presentation. Donnie brought up a good point about what it would mean to have these future moments happen now or present day. I find it quite a bit harder to actually imagine from the point that we’re at now, I’m not sure why but it almost feels more... practical in a sense, I would want to avoid inventing something that becomes an actual usable artifact, like Auger’s Tooth Implant, where it was meant as a critical piece of work but was considered seriously by the public.

Here are some of my miro responses:

“Love it. Seems kind of speculative evolution-y. See Dougal Dixon “

I think speculative evolution is definitely similar. I looked up Dougal Dixon and recognized his work from Speculative Dreaming. I really love how he was able to create these worlds as dunne and raby say, through tempering speculation, even though he’s talking about 50 million years in the future. I think the issue with it is that 50 million years in the future is so far forward that I have a hard time caring about something that far forward. 100, 200, 300 years I can understand, that is something that I could see through a genealogical sense and understand, but 50million years is unreachable in understanding what that frame of time actually means. I think while Dixon is talking about the scientific evolution over time, I am talking about species that already exist in this time that we just don’t know about or have already extinguished.

“ whimsical and unique, I look forward to seeing more! “ Thanks!

“ so effective and well composed - the narration + the performative... I am so taken with the compelling affect of active story telling. AR?”

I’m glad this came across as I wrote this story the day before the presentation, haha. I want to avoid AR - I focused so heavily in VR last semester and found that the learning curve was taking away from my actualization time - that my fidelity level would not catch up in time for the show. I do appreciate AR and VR though, but I was fully immersed in it last semester and it’s just not right for this project at this time with this deadline.

“ I imagine your final project book laid out as a mock history textbook “ I actually really want to print a book for this project. A cumulation of writing about process and planning in the first half, and the story and final work in the second half. It would be more of a monograph and not part of the exhibition itself, I just want something really nice that I can shop around after I graduate and when I’m applying to my masters.

“ @Lauren will you still be doing another workshop around this new counterfactual world? Maybe a writing workshop? I would love to write a story around this as a workshop! It's such a fun idea “

I love this idea - I did receive a grant last semester that I haven’t used yet. Maybe I can do a workshop where I send out a prompt through the mail and ask people to write a story around where they think it came from? I don’t know, and I don't want it to seem ad-hoc - But I have this money and I would love to spend it somewhere. I don’t know really! “ I love how you brought nature into design, especially in. an urban setting. I am excited to see what comes next! “

I’m not sure if I understand what they meant by urban setting, but Im happy they enjoyed it.

“ I researched "Monsanto" company which is a huge seeds company having 30% market share in the US. One of their experiments was combining the fish’s gene and some veggies... When you talked about bio technical history, it came up in my mind. I think something that related to our life directly but hidden science facts would be good to see in the exhibition as well. “

I like this comment because I was not thinking about Monsanto in any way, but I’m glad it came up. Monsanto is a great example of when species’ agency is not considered, and these genetic experiments are purely for profit and are usually detrimental to both people and the environment. Is there good genetic hacking? I’m attending a bioart talk next week, maybe they will be talking about this - but I’m really happy that the story made them think of something else in our current world. That is the intent of this work is to relate to now and talk about these issues and why they are issues.

“ Lauren! Your project brings me so much joy! Your story telling and creativity is amazing and I love how it brings these ideas of nature and humans coexisting in a way that it currently does not. “

This was really nice, thank you!

_____________

Overall I’m happy with the response - was hoping for a bit more constructive feedback.

I’m going to talk to Bobbi in the WIP lab next week to talk about how to make the leech happen, and am feeling that maybe the leech is enough of an anchor to base my world around - maybe.

Anyway, I’m going to take a break from school for a little bit this week to try and reset and drag some motivation from inside myself for the last few weeks of my degree.

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pumpkinsadlatte · 7 years ago

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Buns

Because I’m poor and cannot draw, I’m writing gift fics for my friends this holiday season!

Next up is @slcyer / @gcrdens (I’ll re-tag your regular URL after the holidays), who specifically requested “Write me quality tai and young roob stuff.” I wrote you Tai and Young Roob, but I can’t guarantee that this is all that quality.

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas to favorite rose daughter :)

"Whatcha makin'?"

Ruby's voice had honestly startled Tai: he'd thought the five-year-old was taking a nap. Yang certainly was: she'd been knocked out on the couch for the better part of the day, this cold was hitting her hard. He closed the fridge with his foot, setting the ice cube tray beside the bowl on the counter, then picked Ruby up and balanced her on one hip to let her see.

A bowl of shredded chicken and diced carrots and celery, an ice cube tray full of cubes of what looked like solidified broth, and twelve small lumps of bread dough on a plate. All sitting beside the bamboo steamer, a little bowl of flour, and a pile of parchment paper squares.

Ruby may not have recognized the other ingredients right off, but she knew that dough. That dough, next to the steamer, meant one thing.

"Buns!"

"Yep."

She looked over the bowl, tray, and plate again, and, in a very small voice, asked a question that, in hindsight, Tai had been expecting to hear from her for awhile now. "I help?"

"... y'know what? Sure," Tai nodded, giving the child a slight squeeze before setting her back down and walking across the room to grab a chair for her to stand on. Instead of setting it up at the counter, though, he first directed her to the sink. "You're gonna need clean hands first, though."

After Ruby's hands were sufficiently washed, and the chair moved over to the workspace, Tai floured the counter and divided the lumps of dough between them, handing her six of them and keeping six on his side. "We have to flatten these first. Do you know how to do that?"

"Uhhhh..."

He grinned a little, picking up one of the lumps. "Just do exactly what I do, got it?"

Ruby mimicked him, taking a lump of dough into her little hands. She trained silver eyes on his movements, watching how he rolled the rough into a ball between his hands. Copying almost exactly how he pressed the dough flat against the counter.

Once she finished her first lump, she looked up at Tai as if to ask if she'd done it right. He looked over, poking at different parts of the dough, before shaking his head a little.

"Close, sweetie, but here, watch again." He rerolled his dough, flattened the ball again, but made a show of the step that followed. He pressed the outside edge of the round flatter with his fingers, leaving the middle somewhat raised. "You have to keep the middle a little thicker so the filling doesn't leak out. The middle needs to support the whole inside of the bun, so there needs to be more of it."

"Oh."

"But it was a good try. No one does it perfect the first time. Just roll it back up and try again."

It took her a few tries, (Tai had actually finished his half of the dough before she even got to her second round) before she finally managed it. She halfheartedly pushed three of her dough lumps over to Tai, letting him finish them while she fumbled through the ones she'd kept. As she finished hers, he placed each piece onto a square of parchment paper and set them aside.

Noticing that Ruby looked more than a little discouraged, Tai nudged her shoulder a little with his forearm to get her attention before picking up the ice cube tray to dump out the cubes onto the newly-emptied plate. "You remember how Yang and I fill buns, right?"

Her eyes lit up, and she nodded quickly. She'd watched them do it so many times, and once or twice, she'd gotten to help with that part.

"Okay." Tai held out a spoon, which Ruby took. He normally would've rationed out ingredients with chopsticks, it was how he normally cooked, but Ruby was still using training chopsticks. "We've gotta put a little spoonful of filling in each bun, then one of those cubes, then another spoonful of filling. Why don't we do a couple together, then you do the rest while I close the buns up?"

"Okay!" Ruby made sure to watch closely this time when she copied Tai's movements, keeping the filling of the bun all in the middle with her first spoonful, then picking up a cube. She became sufficiently distracted, however, when she felt it. It felt squishy. "What's this?!"

"These are chicken soup buns," Tai explained, laughing. "That's the soup part."

"Ewww, feels weird."

"Yeah, it does. But it's got all that yummy soup flavor in it, so we need it."

Ruby giggled, pressing the cube into the filling and covering it with another spoonful of chicken and veggies, before sliding the whole thing over to Tai for his approval. When he nodded and picked up the bun to close it up, Ruby beamed brighter and set to work on the rest of the buns, her tongue poking out of her mouth in concentration as her eyes narrowed and focused on her work.

It didn't take nearly as much time as flattening the dough had, and finally, Tai was closing the steamer and placing it on the stove. "Alright, now we wait."

"When are the buns gonna be done?!"

"We let them cook like that for about fifteen minutes. Then we turn the heat off and wait five more minutes."

"Why?"

"So the buns can finish cooking."

"Oh."

Tai set the timer on his scroll, then moved the bowls, plate, tray, and spoons to the sink with the pot that he'd made the broth in in the first place. He rinsed them each sort of roughly, then set to washing them properly. Ruby even pulled her chair over to the sink to help, picking up a towel to dry the clean dishes as Tai set them aside.

They worked in silence while they did dishes, and finally, Tai set the last one in the drying rack and turned to open a cabinet, pulling down a container, a few cups, and a small plate. He pulled down another pot from the next cabinet over, setting it on the stove. He wandered back to the fridge for the milk, pouring some into the pot to heat up. Just as he turned on the heat, his scroll buzzed, letting him know to turn the heat off of the buns and let them sit. He set the scroll for another five minutes and let the buns finish and the milk heat up.

Ruby had pulled the chair back to the table, and sat down to let Tai move around the kitchen as he needed to. He didn't usually like people in the kitchen with him, but of course, he'd never told Yang or Ruby "no" when they wanted to help.

After another five minutes, the heat was shut off of the milk, and Tai was moving again, filling two cups with cold mlk and one with warm milk. He placed several of the buns into a container and set it on the counter, putting three of them onto a plate. He moved around in place for another few minutes, before finally turning around with the cups, plate, and container on a tray.

"C'mon, Ruby," he called, prompting the little girl to hop to her feet. "Let's go see if Yang's hungry."

#taiyang xiao long #ruby rose #sleigher #slcyer #gcrdens #pumpkin writes

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mrkinetik · 6 years ago

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This is Coretta Scott King (4/27/1927 - 1/30/2006). I have often wondered what it would’ve been like to in her position, given the things we know about her husband’s life and his own work. I’m sure she has done far more than we will ever truly know. She was born in Alabama; her mother drove a school bus, was a church pianist and singer; she also worked with her husband in his businesses. Her father’s lumber mill was burned down by angry Whites after he refused to let a White logger use it. Her parents were not formally educated but pressed their children to be educated; they went to a one-room elementary school and a segregated Black high school (Lincoln Normal School) in Marion, Alabama. Her mother drove the bus to the school. Coretta was valedictorian in 1945. She attended Antioch College (Yellow Springs, Ohio); her older sister Edythe attended as a program to diversify the student body by offering full scholarships. She studied music, later joined the local NAACP chapter. She wasn’t allowed to student teach in Yellow Springs public schools and worked at Antioch’s lab school instead. She transferred to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston which is a pretty high accomplishment. She met Martin Luther King, Jr. through a friend and wasn’t really feeling him at first but he was all about Coretta, and over time they grew to love each other. They got married in 1953 on the lawn of her mother’s house; she removed the “obeying” part of the vows from her marriage vows. She finished her degree in voice and piano and moved to Montgomery, Alabama in September 1954. She paused her own dreams of being a professional singer. They had Yolanda on November 17, 1955. The Montgomery Bus Boycott started December 5, 1955 and the rest is history. Coretta Scott King deserves it all. Read books about her, watch videos and films, hear her voice. Her dedication to the Civil Rights Movement is just as important as her husband’s dedication! She was a key force in getting the MLK Holiday among many, many other things. She is wonderful, Coretta Scott King, a legend. #corettascottking #blackhistorymonth #mrkblackhistory #jaaamaccordingly (at The King Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt5rR1LHjFk/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=xl04u1yfap5w

#corettascottking #blackhistorymonth #mrkblackhistory #jaaamaccordingly

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tinybigdreams · 8 years ago

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WORN / NEW THINGS

Some recent photo’s taken of us by my lovely Husband. Worn /Me: HomeGrown Ribbed Sleeve Top, HomeGrowns Rolla Trade Overalls (in maternity). Yumi: Was actually a cute little dress we got at the thrift store in Australia. ((it’s an EA dress that came with an EP))

I believed I mentioned in one of my recent posts that we had to cut the trip short due to my surprise pregnancy, and you probably can’t imagine what that must’ve been like for us since we sold our home followed by our house hunting history. Well, it was better than I could’ve imagined it. Our little trip lead us to California which we fell instantly in love with this little city called, San Luis Obispo. It was perfect to all of us and since we were already homeless we decided on the thought of living here. Well, one thing lead to another and we actually began going house hunting.

It wasn’t long before we both found homes not too far away from each other, in fact, the real estate part was a breeze. It went so smoothly that I thought it was a dream and the house we got... Better yet, the neighborhood we’re in is just perfect. Everything is really just perfect. I haven’t been this happy or excited about moving in such a long time. We’ve moved so much already with Yumi that I'm finally happy to just settle down, for good. The school districts are great and we’re so close to our friend's house! Yumi is so excited and is already thinking about what the future holds for her and her best friend Aoife.

We started buying things and decorating the house already and we managed to get all, yes I repeat ALL the upstairs bedroom finished and even got the kitchen done within 4 days. It was stressful, fun, and exhausting but we’ve made it! Just a few days ago we were at the pet store getting catnip, cat beds, and etc for Moo when Hubbs and Yumi fell in love with this pug puppy that was up for adoption there. He was pretty cute if I say so myself, I guess that’s why they insisted on bringing him home. I had to kindly decline this offer since we already have a cat and a baby on the way. I don’t think I would’ve been able to handle a puppy.

We went home with no puppy and a bunch of kitty products. By the time we got home it was pretty late and I was too tired to cook so I asked my husband to go out and get food and he agreed. The kids went with him so I had some alone time to tidy up a bit. When they came home Yumi was running towards me saying “MOMMA MOMMA MOMMA LOOK!!!” and I looked and it was this pretty big dog. I’m not going to lie, I got frightened and held Yumi close as if the dog was about to eat her or something. Yumi pulled away and said “No... It’s okay, she doesn’t bite momma! See look!” and she swung her little arms around the dog's neck giving her a tight hug.

I stared at them before whispering to Kohaku about how I told him not to get a dog and he said “We didn’t get a dog babe... We found her... Kind of like she got us.”.. I insisted on them taking her back where they found her, but they begged me and Yumi went on and on and on dramatically about how she’ll “JUST DIE!” out there alone. So I said fine, keep her outside in the backyard until morning. We did just that. Except for long story short, the little sucker made me fall in love with herself by being so sweet to me and my babies that I agreed to keep her. Yumi wants’s to call her Polly, and Hubbs doesn’t agree. But “Polly” LOVES Yoshi and Yoshi loves Polly... He calls her “Doggie” except he says it like “Dog-geh”.

So yeah, there’s that. We’re going to take “Polly” walking to this park where they’re doing an MLK parade today. Have a good one!

#F A S H I O N & B E A U T Y #L I F E #H O M E & D E S I G N

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canaryatlaw · 8 years ago

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Okay it's late and I have to wake up at 6:40 so let's get this thing going. I woke up some time around 6 and my apartment was literally freezing. I check the thermostat and the temperature was already pushed up to like 75 or so so there was like nothing I could do, so I just went back to sleep and by the time my alarm went off at 11 it was fairly warm. I texted my roommate about it and she said the issue is the furnace is having trouble kicking on or something so when it gets down to a temperature that would kick it on it just doesn't turn on and it just continues getting cold. Lovely part of living in an old building, but hopefully we have it working better now. I just hate being cold, lol. But once I woke up again I started getting ready to head down to school for class. Walked to the train and it was fine, train to school and got there at like 12:40 for my 1 o clock class, and there's like nobody in the room. Am I in the right room...? Generally the first week of class everyone is here like at least twenty minutes early....but I checked online and it was the right room, so I sat down and pretty soon people started trickling in so I felt better. There were about 12 of us I think, that's generally where the larc III classes cap off. Ah yes, back to larc. Quick refresher, larc is my schools acronym for what's basically legal writing (it's "legal analysis, research, and communication," but it's legal writing) and I got a semester off of it because for second year they have the first half of the alphabet take it in the fall semester and the second in the spring (and my last name starts with M, which initially was the cut off for the fall, but then got bumped to spring). So I wasn't too thrilled about starting it up again, but you gotta do whatcha gotta do. The prof seems cool, she's an adjunct who works at one of the downtown firms. The actual class period was like, insanely boring because it was about researching for administrative regulations, which is as boring as it sounds like it would be. I mean she couldn't really do much writing wise until after we give her our first assignment, so she had to fill it with something. The first assignment is due in two weeks, just the argument section of a trial brief, 1750 word limit, so not bad. What will be fun from here is trying to figure out what exactly she wants as compared to what my larc prof from last year wanted. It's strange like, there's my concept of legal writing that I do on memos and finals (apparently well enough to get me A's and school boards to change their decisions) but then there's what you do for larc, which is basically an entirely different concept. It's difficult to explain like this, but it's just very very technical and requires extremely specific pieces in order to work right. So that should be interesting at least. I did pull an A in my last semester of larc, so that is encouraging (I mean, I worked my ass off for it, but I did get it). She let us out like 15 minutes early, so that was nice. Headed back home, where I pretty immediately started on laundry because that really needed to get done. Put a load in, then relaxed for a little while while also getting a bunch of little things done. I also decided to make this recipe I saw a few days ago for banana blueberry muffins that looked good, so I did that and they turned out very nice. Watched the latest episode of frequency, which I still need to set to record on my TiVo so I don't forget about it, lol. I'm glad it worked out that Raimy is *not* being charged with first degree murder for obvious reasons, although I have serious doubts of whether in that situation that actually would've happened. I'm also glad Frank didn't get busted with a guy in his trunk hahaha so that's good. It's interesting to see where they'll go from here, because it's almost as if by everything they've done to try and stop their mom/wife from getting killed has actually put her on the guy's radar all the more, and given him more motivation to target her, which is very scary because this douche is fucking terrifying man and I really hope they get him soon. I mean of course they won't really be able to take him down until the season finale, because television, but you know what I mean. I'm enjoying the show though. After that I didn't have anything else to catch up on so I switched to daredevil season 2 again, which saw the so called downfall of the punisher and then the arrival of Electra. I find the punisher to be such an intriguing character, and I almost wish they dug into his story more than they really do, because there's just so much there that they could've worked with. I mean I'm rewatching it because I know I missed a lot the first time around so maybe they will get into it more, but I remember being disappointed in their story of his trial (though that was probably more from a legal perspective) and how unhappy I was that Matt essentially abandoned being a lawyer this season because I need my lawyer superheroes, okay? (Don't talk to me about Laurel.) I'm liking that though. I have always liked Electra, but mainly from a superficial perspective because I never really dug into her story (most of my actual comic knowledge is DC, not marvel) I just knew about her as a character and liked how kick ass she was, and I definitely went to a superhero party dressed at her (which was like, a red shirt, a short red skirt, and red leggings) when I was like, 16 lol. So that was good. I basically just chilled out and did that for a while, which was nice to just relax and get some stuff on my to do list done. Around 9:30ish I started getting ready to go out for the party I was invited to. It was a birthday party for my summer job friend and another one of her friends who I'm friendly with, just at her apartment. So I ubered there because it was a Friday night and it was already 10 o clock, and there wasn't a simple public transport route there, and it was cold lol. But got there and started talking to some guys from classes, and talked about school because we're dorks like that and what else where we gonna talk about? Lol. It was pretty basic, didn't really do anything besides stand around and talk to different people while everyone else got sloshed and I drank coke lol. It was good though, talked to some different people. I ended up taking to two guys for a little while that were, for lack of a better term, quite stupid, which of course was...interesting. And they later like came back over to talk to me specifically and I was like.....okay haha I'm gonna go over here now. Sigh. I talked to a girl from my trial ad group for a little though and that was good, then various friends for a little, and some 1L's, just the usual about surviving first semester and what to expect post-finals and going forward. It's strange because I've met like, no 1L's this year besides my mentees haha so I felt like I should talk to them a bit. And yeah, that was pretty much it. Pleasant enough, as much as a party can be when you're pretty much the only sober person there. I left at like quarter to 1, because they were moving out to a bar then and there's not much point going to a bar when you can't drink, lol. I made plans with my spring break friend to meet up with her in the morning to drive to the donate a day that pad is co-sponsoring, so hopefully she won't be too hungover lol. Took an uber home for obvious reasons, and had a very nice conversation with the driver about the world and politics and everything, and then about my work and fostering, and she was saying that she had considered being a foster parent but didn't because she thought giving them back would be too hard, and I said that yes it absolutely will be hard, but we so need good people that are willing to make hard decisions like that for these kids that need to be loved even if you have to give them back, and she seemed to really take to that and said she was really going to reconsider it now, so that made me quite happy to hear. Got home and basically got ready for bed, and here we are, gotta be up in a little more than 4 hours to go volunteer to do something with some kids (I don't even really know what we're doing, something about an MLK Jr. peace rally, whatever that means, but it sounds like something our world could use about now) so that should be interesting, and I'm gonna get some sleep now. Goodnight peeps. Happy weekend.

#daily journal #January 2017

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kyleprisock · 5 years ago

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Kyle Prisock - 2020-06-18T01:46:30.000Z

Some Thoughts on Current Events I have been watching, reading and listening to recent events, trying to absorb as much as possible and process everything that has been happening in recent days. It was tempting to simply be a spectator, to wait and be silent, to have a private conviction without a public declaration. This would have allowed me to live out my beliefs while hopefully avoiding the negative consequences of having taken a stance. However, the fact that I felt any trepidation about using my voice confirmed how necessary each voice is. It’s amazing to me how polarizing the issue of race continues to be in this day and age. You would think that we would’ve moved past this and learned to accept people, “not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character” (MLK) but there are so many issues you would think we would’ve risen past by now that our lack of progress is disappointing but hardly surprising. We live in an age where everyone wants a diatribe, but few want discussion. Everyone wants to be understood, but few are seeking to understand. We want to see a change, but do not want to be changed. Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen people reveal themselves from both sides of the issue as they shared the innermost feelings of their hearts with new transparency. I’ve had many discussions and while not all of them have been comfortable, many have been valuable as I’ve sought to make some sense of the events unfolding around me. I am friends with people of all skin colors, from all walks of life and from many countries. I am also friends with members of law enforcement. In both cases, I consider myself fortunate to call them friends and it’s through the benefit of a wide variety of conversations that I’ve been able to clarify my position (a benefit that many of the most vocal seem to have chosen not to avail themselves). One word that has stood out to me during this time is resonance. It means to resound or to sound again. It’s also the echo and carrying of sound across space and the feeling we get when something matches the frequency of our own heart. As I’ve listened to honest and heartfelt thoughts from friends who are hurting, I’ve found their words to be the resonating or resounding cry of the feelings of those around them. They share in pain and sorrow common to their hearts, though too often hidden and too seldom acknowledged. Scripture tells us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matt 22:39) and to bear one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2). It does not give us a license to pick which neighbors we love or which burdens we help to bear. It simply asks, no, demands that we help bear them without discrimination or preconditions. It is similar to the verse in Ephesians where we are asked to submit ourselves to another. (Eph 5:21) This mutual servitude allows us to help one another along the way, each compensating the other in strength and weakness. You may need it today, I may need it tomorrow. We each do what we can to help one another move forward. Right now we are being asked to show deference to the pain being felt by our brothers and sisters of color and to stand with them as we seek better solutions for the problems that surround us. This is a task that should come easy to those who value their neighbor, but negative expressions from various contributors can often distract from the importance of the issue at hand and the urgency to find a better path forward. I know there are those who have problems with the terminology used in the phrase “black lives matter”. For some, it is due to disagreements with the organization bearing the same name, but many take issue with the phrase itself, quickly countering that “all lives matter”. I want to humbly offer a small effort as others have also done to help re-contextualize this in a way that may help some. Hypothetically... If I knew North Vietnamese Christians were being persecuted and I say “North Vietnamese Christians Matter”, in a show of solidarity with their pain, I am not saying that Christians outside of North Korea do not matter. I’m simply trying to draw the attention to the current plight of Christians in North Korea and you are not dismissing your love for all Christians by agreeing. However, if once you are aware of persecuted Christians in North Vietnam, you respond with, “All Christians Matter” you haven’t shown your love for all Christians so much as you’ve generalized and trivialized the pain of the ones who are being persecuted. Similarly… If I say, “Starving Children Matter”, I am not saying that children who are well feed do not matter. I’m merely trying to raise awareness for those in need of food and you are not devaluing well-fed children by agreeing. However, if I say that “Starving Children Matter” and you respond with “All Children Matter” you haven’t re-affirmed your love for all children so much as you’ve generalized and trivialized the needs of those who may be hungry. It’s interesting to see that many of those who take issue with the phrase “Black Lives Matter” due to their perception that it excludes ALL lives, have no problem with the phrase, “Blue Lives Matter” (which I also support) and do not mind that the statement does not include ALL lives either. This shows that many understand the concept of what is being said, but have a problem with the specific group being promoted. That is racism. Black lives DO matter and while there are those on all sides who may misuse, abuse, and mischaracterize the statement, it does not take away our responsibility to act in kind and help bear the burden of our neighbor and be the change we wish to see in the world. Unity does not mean uniformity and you do not have to agree with every potential solution to agree that a solution IS needed and to lend yourself as a part of it. I encourage you to reach out to those you know that may be hurting and have the courage to have open and honest conversations. Allow their pain to resonate with you and do what you can to help them bear this burden as we show love to our neighbors.

#status

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