Category: True Stories

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September 28th, 2009

Eyedea & Abilities on Cultureal Sindicate

Young and angry in Minnesnowta

Young and angry me in Minnesnowta, cerca 1900

Before I resort to something clever like peace, love, and “junk” in reference to Eyedea’s newest single to introduce this week’s radio show and post, Atmosphere made it impossible for me not to go out with “You,” a song from his album When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That S*** Gold.

The man can get away with the cheesiness better than even I can blogging from the dairy state.

Yesterday we talked about Eyedea and Abilities, a hip-hop duo out of Minneapolis. If I’ve learned anything about art, it’s that the process brings you back to your roots, and this show brought me back to my birthplace in Minnesnowta. With my weird side out of mind and screaming back loud and clear into my ears, I’ve realized one last thing – music rocks even when life really, really, doesn’t.

Britny and I tried desperately to get Eyedea on the show and a rapper from Texas Fat Tony, since he’s from another place of genesis for me Texas. It was almost too perfect to call fate, so I said to Britny, “let’s just do us.” The playlist of songs and an .mp3 of last night’s show are below for people not cool enough to stay up until 1 a.m. and take a radio show seriously.

Just kidding, I know it’s a little on the weird side. I figure if we’re going to be having the same conversation in Britny Rose’s apartment, we might as well share it online and on air.

Radio Show:

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Click on the audio player above to listen to our show about Eyedea and Abilities

Playlist:

Music Videos:

“Weird Kid Starts a Huge Dance Party” to Unstoppable by Santigold

Mosh by Eminem

Junk by Eyedea and Abilities

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Posted in Hip-Hop, True Stories, Video | Comments

July 6th, 2009

Creative Agency

The New York Times published an article about graduates underachieving.

I don’t agree at all with defining either generations by parenting trends. There are myths of achievement that vary by cultural, ethnic, hippie spectrum, or whatever identity is handed down. Just watch an episode of Wife Swap. We aren’t defined by kids who did go to college, graduate, even though a lot did and considered it an accomplishment. I wish it was a bigger deal than a ceremony.

Who are these guys? Not my friends. We weren’t all all-stars in high school and to be honest, we were just serious about being ourselves, even if that meant wearing overalls every day of Junior year. I love them for letting me not think about fashion. I intervened when it was time to care and I’m still not really into fashion.

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Posted in Art in 2D, Digital Realm, True Stories, Video, Writing | Comments

July 1st, 2009

Wild Nights in Harlem

The ‘hawk in the photo is Basim Usmani of The Kominas. It was taken last month at a screening of New Muslim Cool in Harlem, NYC.

Please credit photos to Kaitlin Foley.

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Posted in Art in 2D, Photos, Travel, True Stories, Writing | Comments

June 10th, 2009

Here’s the Deal: There’s a New Deal

Today I changed the name of this blog. “Here’s the Deal” was actually a place holder until I figured out whether or not blogging was worthwhile. The amount of time I spent on the Internet this past year has been unreal but necessary to launch another blog and online community for a new media project about Islam.

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Posted in Digital Realm, Politics, True Stories, Writing | Comments

June 8th, 2009

Here’s the New Aesthetic

The issue, quoting Adbusters, is such:

We can’t explore the possibility of developing a new aesthetic until we answer the question of what, if anything, will be the unifying philosophy of our age. If, as Plambeck has suggested, we are destined to be a culture that measures success through a tally of Facebook friends and blog hits, then we have no impetus to collectively tap an undercurrent of meaning and truth. We will be content to live in a world of appearances, virtual successes and hollow forms.

No, no, none is letting that happen.

Yesterday, I posted this question. Beyonce asks: “Where your boss at?” and here are all posts about Nietzsche who is included in the photo. If you’re still feeling empty, the “weird kids” in my generation and our gathering force to mosh to the anthem of our own.

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Posted in Projectile Ranting, Quote Arsenal, True Stories, Writing | Comments

June 8th, 2009

Weird Kids

The song in that video is by Santigold and she will kick you in the gut if you say her music is hip-hop or R&B. Rightly so, it isn’t at all – she’s not really like Britney Spears or Brandy either. She’s more like Betty Blowtorch if anyone. That’s the whole point. Actually, next up is a hip-hop weird dream team.

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Posted in Philosophy, Politics, True Stories, Video, Writing | Comments

June 7th, 2009

President Obama: Cairo Speech

I literally cannot believe President Obama pulled off the speech as well as he did. This one’s for the blog:

I know there has been a lot of publicity about this speech, but no single speech can eradicate years of mistrust, nor can I answer in the time that I have all the complex questions that brought us to this point. But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly the things we hold in our hearts, and that too often are said only behind closed doors.

Well, Mr. President, here’s a start…
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Posted in Commentary, Faith, Politics, True Stories, Writing | Comments

June 6th, 2009

Feminism and Girl Punk

Satan Mary's College

Saint Mary's College - 2003 - Friends

I’m not skilled at talking about feminism and had to come to terms with it the hard, crash into the authorities way in college. After two years at a the same Catholic women’s school my mother attended, I found it much more interesting to try and understand stories about gender than delve into a the feminist consciousness.

Dress Codes: Of Three Girlhoods–My Mother’s, My Father’s, and Mine is one memoir, written by Noelle Howey, about a relationship between a daughter and her dad: transgendered, lesbian, and father. I already understood that process of coming to terms with being an individual without moving into a feminist world. The story is profound, honest, and human.

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Posted in Feminism, Photos, True Stories, Video, Writing | Comments

June 4th, 2009

Bone Zone Photo Set

I was riding in a cab in Madison when we drove past what she called the “bone zone;” I went back to take this photo set. Photos were taken at Resurrection Cemetery in Madison, WI, USA.

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Posted in Art in 2D, Photos, True Stories | Comments

May 14th, 2009

Find the Talk Radio Station; Turn it Up so it Bumps

I used to write out these lyrics, over and over:

Good thing the internet makes it way easier for everyone else…

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Posted in Audio, Lists, Passing Notes, Quote Arsenal, True Stories, Writing | Comments

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