WISCONSIN DEATH TRIP
That is what the Huskers were on last weekend and this weekend it seems they have invited Hrunginir’s unhappy playmate for a visit. And there is no split feelings over who I am pulling for this Saturday. I do think that the offensively-challenged Buckeyes will come in here and smash up on the Huskers quaterback, Taylor Martinez, who is a great quarterback when he is up against week competition but has not shown the maturity nor the inclination to find the tough way to victory. I can’t cheer full-throatedly for a cat like that. Ugh!
At the gym Wednesday night, a few members were still talking about the game from Saturday evening and how the Badgers pushed the ‘not-as-big-as-their-big red’ around on both sides of the ball. Also, the maturity of the Wisconsin quarterback, Russell Wilson, who started for three seasons at Carolina State (Sandie Ann's school) played minor league baseball AND graduated already! Am told he also sold consessions and did post-game landscaping on the field at Carter-Finely while he matriculated in Raleigh!
I won’t rub it in too much when the Buckeyes win their game this weekend. That isn’t my style… I may rub it in whe I AM doing the actual winning, but I never get too bad, honest!
THE ONLY THING THAT CHANGES IS THE APPEARANCE
Now if your family plans to surprise you with a ‘This Is Your Life’ party, you better hope that they were unable to secure Ken Burns to do the research! I watched his docu-series ‘Prohibiton’on PBS and it society then bore a striking resembelance to the times we have now. The Great Depression was caused by eerily similar bad practices on Wall Street and the Rethugs were still being obstructionist when it came to providing help for the people.
Meanwhile, the women’s movement had begun to mainstream and was applying political pressure to be granted voting rights. And there was the temperance movement, because alcohol was the drug of choice and it was eroding society in every area, from the nuclear family to national productivity. If I got it right, the was not limit based on age and it was very loosely regulated. Communities and a few states had bans on liquor and regulations on beer, America was a nation of drunkards. And just like now, there was an under-educated social movement applying pressure to change laws and codify behaviour in accordance to laws that was influenced strongly by religion. As the movement for prohibition swept the nation, it was when the confluence of the women’s sufferage, moral behavoir, and a government lacking for character, collided with a world-wide economic meltdown to write the only admendment to ever be repealed, the 18th, which banned alcohol.
The movement that created the prohibition surge was rife with its own inner squabbles and opportunist seeking the limelight. If there was any purpose representing the public good, it was buried beneath all the other junk that weakened the wrong-headed message that the admendment was the way to go.
THE N-WORD
I don’t know of any more complicated subject in American society today than that of the intergrating the ‘N-word’ into a discussion. That we collectively think there is a need to have a dialogue on its use is a sign not of progress, but of how confusing the problem is concerning the ‘N-word’.
This is a link to a video that presents the reasons why ‘we’ call ourselves the ‘N-word’ and why we accept its use within our community. NWA was does the same but they also with their rap puts the word in a stronger commentary than the first video, which could be a nice performance art skit for a talented actor/actress. They both make bold statements and if a person can’t sense that, it may be that not only are they not ‘part of the club’ but they may lack comprehension.
What confuses ‘non-club members’ is how such word with such negative connotations and that can dredge up the kind of explosions with its use, can also be used with such love and emotions in the very people it was meant to demean. It is hard to explain but I am not immune from using the word in both extremes in my life.
The only thing that I would say is that if you aren’t black then you simply CAN’T USE IT in any company unless you want the fan to blow like the one inthat scene in the ‘Airplane’ movie!
While I like both the overdub of the 'Spongebob' overdub, along with NWA'S anthem, I really 'feel' the impact of the word when Brother J of 'X-Clan' says it, because to me,he verbalizes it with an 'elgance' that belies the militancy behind its use. He reminds me of Howard Beale, who is also outraged!!
Hope everyone is doing fine! I am chilling as chill as I can, keeping in contact with my classwork and all that. Thanks for reading and commenting... really appreciate the love and will prolly continue my 'year in review' as well!
4 comments:
The younger gays have followed the example and used "queer" as THEIR word. I don't use it, but I like the idea of taking the hate out of a word and making it your own.
The "n-word" is kind of like the word "smurf." It has no independent meaning of it's own, it's meaning is entirely dependent on context: who said it, and why.
When Rick Perry smurfs it, it's completely smurf from when Snoop Dogg smurfs it.
I think the only time I've ever uttered the "n-word" is while rapping along to songs. Otherwise, it's an ugly word in vocabulary, just as the "c-word" to a woman. There is no power or strength in it, just pure meanness and ugliness. I understand that in the black community it's used in a different context; however that gives me ZERO right to use it back.
About 2 weeks ago, I was with my very outwardly gay friend Damon (him and I go to church together as well). He was explaining how his friend Jaymes said "you(Damon) are too gay". Granted Damon is a little flammin', Jaymes does actual drag work. Damon asked me my opinion and I said something and used the word faggot. I couldn't even believe I said it and immediately apologized. Damon didn't find any offense in it whatsoever and said, "He is what he is and he's very much a fag." Maybe b/c I'm his fag hag he didn't care? Otherwise I was embarrassed to even use that word. :/
I am glad to see that The Ohio State is not very good this year, but then, the suspended players can now play again. We shall see if they are any better.
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