Finals

Go France!

July 4, 2006

So the thing that most caught my attention today was Italy's victory over Germany in the world cup. I guess I am a traitor... America's big day and I am thinking more about 'soccer' than fireworks and hotdogs. ( I don't eat hot dogs because I don't eat pork.)

But... it must be known that when the Cup began all my heart was in the US winning. Was it likely? No. but I had hope.

Ghana sent the Americans home. After that I hoped that Mexico would go far... Mexico has never one the CUp and hell, more people in this country care about Mexican football than the US team.

Argentina eliminated Mexico. So then I hoped that Argentina's young team would do well. Beyond that I would have liked to see Brazil domiante the Europeon powers..

Nope... by the quater finals only European teams are left.

Portugal has never won.. maybe they can surprise me.

Please!!!

The Wedenesday before Thanksgiving

Ya la habibi ya la
I feel like Rumi
Walking alone
In the cold dark empty road
Drunk
And I am happy
Blanketed by a sky full of stars
Knitted into the street lights
In my blurred mind
Stoned on sheesha and hashish
Alone
With the lost noises
I listen to my own footsteps
As if they lean me on
ya la habibi ya la
Wilid night like
Whiriling dervish
On the dance floor
Friends who adore
The look in their eyes
and then
The night ends
Ya la habibi ya la

Immigration

So, Congress passed a bill that secures the borders and now makes it a felony to enter and live in the country without documentation. Now when people call immigrants "illegals" and "criminals" they are basically right.

I think it's a shame... I can see the need for building a fence on the border and taking other means to secure it, but passing a bill that instantly makes 15 million people in this country into felons seems unproductive.

Every year 300,000 people come to the US from Mexico LEGALLY. That is the maximum number of visas allotted for Mexico. Anyone else who wishes to, or needs to, come to the US from Mexico must do so "illegally." It is estimated that between another 1 million and 3 million people come here without papers.

Why do they come? For jobs... and we need them here. If there were no illegal immigrants in Dallas then no one could eat because: those immigrants work on the farms that grow the food, in the factories where they pack the food, in the stores and restaurants where you buy that food... etc... no building could be built or maintained because at least 70% of that work force is made of illegal immigrants.

The problem of Illegal Immigration? The only problem/ the only harm of illegal immigration is what is done to the immigrants. They are the ones that must live a clandestine life, fearfull of the policy, without the ability to do most of the things we take for granted such as purchasing a home or a car. Now more than ever illegal immigrant know that at anytime the government can arrest them and deport them and take away everything they have worked for.

There is a myth that immigrants come into this country and drain away public resources. They get free medical care right? Hmmm.. tell me wher eyou can get free medical care in this country and I will get in line. The only places like that are hospitals like Parkland which 1) are horrible places and 2) are funded by local taxes. But immigrants don't pay taxes! What is that statement based on? Do they have some card that they use at Wal-Mart that discounts the sales tax? Does the rent they pay not go to pay property taxes? Even amny illegal immigrants pay federal income tax, without the opportunity to collect a refund. So illegals actually contrigute more than blue collar citizens who get part of their tax money back.

One solution to illegal immigration: Legalize it! A realistic quota for Mexican immigrants, somewhere around 1 million, would mean that many many fewer immigrants would try to swim the Rio Grande or cross the desert to enter the country illegally. A lower number of workers trying to cross the border would make it easier for Border Patrol agents to spot drug smuggelers and potential terrorists trying to enter the country.

Logic is wonderful for solveing problems people!

Águas de Março (Waters of March)

---

É pau é pedra
     
It's wood, it's stone


É o fim do caminho
     
It's the end of the road


É o resto do toco
     
It's the rest of the stump


É o pouco sozinho
     
It's a little alone


 


É um caco de vidro
     
It's a sliver of glass


É a vida, é o sol
     
It is life, it's the sun


É a noite é a morte
     
It is night, it is death


É o laço é o anzol
     
It's a trap, it's the bait


É peroba do campo
     
It's peroba of the field


Nó na madeira
     
The knot in the wood


 


Caingá, candeia
     
Caingá?, lamp


É matita-pereira
     
It's the matita-pereira tree


É madeira de vento
     
It's wood of the wind


Tombo da ribanceira
     
Falls of the river bank


É o mistério profundo
     
It's the profound mystery


É o queira no queira
     
It's the want in the don't want


É um vento ventando
     
It's the wind blowing free


É o fim da ladeira
     
It's the end of a slope


É a viga é o vão
     
It's the beam, it's a void


Festa da cumeeira
     
Ridge beam festival


É a chuva chovendo
     
It's the rain coming down


A conversa ribeira
     
The riverbank talks


Das águas do março
     
of the waters of march


É o fim da canseira
     
It's the end of the strain


É o pé é o chão
     
It's the foot, It's the ground


É a marcha estradeira
     
It's the beat of the road


Passarinho na mão
     
Small bird in the hand


Pedra de atiradeira
     
A slingshot stone


Uma ave no céu
     
A bird in the sky


Uma ave no chão
     
A bird on the ground


É um regato, é uma fonte
     
it's a creek, it's a fountain


É um pedaço de pão
     
it's a piece of bread


É o fundo do poço
     
It's the bed of the well


É o fim do caminho
     
It's the end of the road


no rosto desgosto
     
The dismay in the face


É um pouco sozinho
     
It's a little alone


É um estrepe é um prego
     
It's a point, It's a nail


É uma ponte um ponto
     
It's a bridge, its a point


É um pingo pingando
     
It's the drop dripping


É uma conta, um canto
     
It's an account, a story


É um peixe, um gesto
     
It's a fish, a gesture


É uma prata brilhando
     
It's the silvery glow


É a luz da manhã
     
It's the soft morning light


É o tijolo chegando
     
It's the brick arriving

É a lenha, é o dia
     
It's the firewood, It's the day


É o fim da picada
     
It's the end of the trail


É a garrafa de cana
     
It's the bottle of liquor


Estilhaço na estrada
     
Splinter in the road


É o projeto da casa
     
It's the plans of the house


É o corpo na cama
     
It's the body in bed


É o carro enguiçado
     
It's the broken car

É a lama, é a lama
     
It's the mud, It's the mud


É um passo, uma ponte
     
It's a footstep, it's a bridge


É um sapo é uma rã
     
It's a toad, it's a frog


É um resto de mato
     
It's the rest of thicket


na luz da manhã
     
in the light of the morning


São as águas de março
     
They are the waters of march


fechando o verão
     
closing the summer


É promessa de vida
     
It's the promise of life


no teu coração
     
in your heart


 



É uma cobra, um pau
     
It's a snake, a stick


É João, é José
     
It's John, It's Joseph


É um espinho na mau
     
It's a thorn in your hand


É um corte no pé
     
It's the cut on your foot


São as águas de março
     
They are the waters of march


fechando o verão
     
closing the summer


É a promessa de vida
     
It's the promise of life


no teu coração
     
in your heart


 



É um passo uma ponte
     
It's a footstep, a bridge


É um sapo é uma rã
     
It's a toad, it's a frog


É um belo horizonte
     
It's the beautiful horizon


É uma febre terçã
     
Its the third fever


São as águas de março
     
They are the waters of march


fechando o verão
     
closing the summer


É a promesa da vida
     
It's the promise of life


no teu coração
     
in your heart

---

Democracy?

Is Democracy only a luxuary to be had by the most stable countries? or could it be a means to an end in conflict area?

Why not have a referendum in Kashmir to let the Kashmiris decide weather they want to be part of India or Pakistan, or be independent. Isn't that what freedom and democracy are about? Or how about in Palestine? Both Isrealis and Palestinains could vote on so called "ROad maps" to peace.

Democracy and government are no synoyms and are almost contradictory. What the government wants and what the people want are in conflict many times. The US, the world's self-proclaimed leading democracy, has never had a nationwide referendum about any issue.

It seems that in instances when democracy would result in something other than what serves the purposes of the government, then the authorities side-step democratic procedures. They only permit the people to use their power when both results are acceptable to the government.

merde!

ego sum, ego sonido

ego sum, ego sonido

I feast with Arabs in the sunlight during Ramadan

I smoke weed and listen to church bells ring

I dream in color- dreams that I forget

I defend the blacks from the whites and the whites from the blacks

I declare that God is One, There is no Allah but Allah and Mohamed is his Prophet and Jesus the Messiah.

I sleep under a rosario and when I awake I curse the hour

I have crossed the Rio Grande illegally in both directions and found both sides equally inviting and equally hostile

I never felt more American than when I was in Paris

I sat on the banks of the Seine discussing life with Brazilian-American and contemplated how many must have drowned themselves, first with wine and then in the river.

I have defended the hijab to Arab women and told Muslim women they should not feel obligated to wear it.

I have accepted Jesus by denying Christ

I have gained a little something by everyplace I have visited, but I have also left a piece of myself behind

I ate carne asada in the sombra of el cerro de la silla

I drank wine in the shadow of Notre Dame

I have swam in a stone quarry in Northeastern Ohio

I have driven the early hours north on 1-35 to Dallas

I have been assualted by food in Section 8 Indian apartment

I can smell tamales and curry at the same time in my own mind

I have ridden trains illegally to go downtown and taken African taxi cab back home

I treat everyone as equal because no one is better than me, and no one is worse.

Being a good host

I realized that some people (usually of the fairer skin type) are terrible hosts. So I am setting out a set of rules that are for being a good host. (Note: if you are Hispanic, Indian, or Arab you probably have no need to read this because your parents taught you to be hospitable.)

1) Do not consider letting someone into your home a favor. You are fortunate to have guests. Especially if you invite someone over, then you have no place to pretend that they owe you something.

2) Greet your guests with a smile and an enthusiastic saludo. It not enough to just say "hey" and immediatly look away. It makes your guests feel unwelcome.

3) Do not eat or drink in front of your guests without offering them something. If you do not have enough to offer then you should refrain from eating or drinking while your guests are present. Going so far as to prohibit your guests from eating or drinking what you have is very rude.

4) Do not invite someone into your house and then leave them un-entertained as you partake in another activitiy, such as sleeping. If you must then politely say: "I am tired I have to sleep now. Thank you for visiting. See you tomorrow."

5) As a new person arrive to your house, introduce them to the others already present if they are not aquainted. This goes for many other situations too. There is a simply thing called empathy. You should realize that your guest will feel uncomfortable in your home if he/she does not know any of the other guests.

6) See-off your guests and make them feel as if they were welcome back any time, even if that isn't true!

Bombas Suicidas

Suicide bombers: by far the boldest and most outrageous form of terrorism.

I recently saw the movie Paradise Now which is a fictional story about 2 Palestinian men chosen to be suicide bombers and the moral dilema that creates for them.

My state is thus: I see the act of suicide bombing, as all terroist acts, as an un-excusable act of violence which hurts all sides of an issue. However, those that carry out the acts demand a certain empathy. Anyone who is willing to sacrifice their life for a cause is certainly in a desperate situation... that doesn't excuse their actions but the issue is dynamic.

An intelligent person should be capable of judging a person on more than their actions.

Estados Unidos

Los gringos no quieren tener otro Fidel Castro en America Latina, sino quieren un fidel castrado.

The U.S. doesn't want another Fidel Castro in Latin America, but they do want another fidel castrado (Spanish for loyal and castrated.)

Try this!

Step 1- Take a normal cardboard box.

Step 2- Fill it with candy.

Step 3- Write on the box in arabic: "This is a box full of candy. Have some. Free Candy" and other similar phrases.

Step 4- Leave the box in a public space.

Step 5- Call me so I can bail you out of jail after you get arrested for making a bomb threat.

marjane

Marjane Satrapi

Marjane Satrapi es un novelista grafica, osea que escribe novelas parecidas a comics. Ella es de Iran pero ahora vive en Francia. Sus libros mas conocidos son Persepolis y Persepolis 2. El primero se trata de su ninhez en Iran durante los anhos 70 cuando el Shah era el lider del pais. Los padres de Marjane son revolucionarios y asi ella conoce las ideas y efectos de la politica de sus pais. La historia se enfoca en el punto de vista y identidad que la ninha Marjane tiene.

El conflicto de la histora es la revolucion que trayo los lideres islamicos al poder. Despues comienza la guerra entre Iran y Irak.

Persepolis 2 se trata del la adolescencia de Marjane. Viviendo en Austria, Marjane explora con drogas y con el amor. Al volver a Iran marjane encuentra un mundo muy diferente.