It's hard not to get excited about the potential for our upcoming federal and state elections.
It's hard not to daydream about the possibility of a world where the middle name of the president of the United States is Hussein, where the Republican party may face a severe majority in the Senate to match its deficiency in the House of Representatives, where same-sex marriage will be protected in California.
It's also hard not to get frustrated when the Republican presidential candidate and vice-presidential candidate keep throwing around the term "Second Holocaust," as if there has been only one Holocaust, as if Jews are the only people who can suffer a Holocaust. As if there haven't already been myriad Holocausts all over the globe. As if indigenous people haven't experienced genocide on every continent on the planet.
Real Clear Politics has the current Electoral College at 353 Obama, 185 McCain. I can't wait. I'd take a simple majority, but I'm salivating over a Republican slaughter, like the way Larry Craig gets all hot and bothered over illicit homo airport bathroom sex.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
RIP Mahmoud Darwish
One of our great heroes has passed. And so the world has lost one of its most amazing poets. Rest in peace, Amo. Thank you for the armor, the sword, the pen, the hope.
"As if I returned
to what has been
As if I walked
in front of myself
I restore my harmony
between the trial and the verdict
I am the son
of simple words
I am the martyr of the map
the family apricot blossom
O you who grip the edge
of the impossible
From the beginning until Galilee
Return to me my hands
Return to me
My identity"
From Poem of the Land
"As if I returned
to what has been
As if I walked
in front of myself
I restore my harmony
between the trial and the verdict
I am the son
of simple words
I am the martyr of the map
the family apricot blossom
O you who grip the edge
of the impossible
From the beginning until Galilee
Return to me my hands
Return to me
My identity"
From Poem of the Land
Friday, July 18, 2008
It's back...
Project Runway, that is! I was happy to find out that the show has not moved to Lifetime yet (because, as much as I love the Golden Girls, I don't really want to see clothes designed for them... or do I??). There is no Arab Adonis this season to keep us occupied (bye, Rami), but there IS a woman (Terri) who suspiciously resembles Donna Summer, and therefore I already love her. There's also a woman (Stella) who looks like Cher on a bad day after a makeover from Tommy Lee if she hadn't had all that work done on her face (oops), and though she appears to be a one-trick pony when it comes to her designs (and her first one was totally lame and hideous), she is from Queens so therefore I already like her too. There's also a girl named Korto who I like because she seems like someone I'd totally want to hang out with on a daily basis (and have her design outfits for me!). Otherwise, most of the others are boring hipsters who are strangely indeterminate from one another. Except that weird guy called Suede (?!) who is apparently really desperate to have everyone call him Suede (and not Albert or whatever his real name probably is) judging by the fact that he constantly refers to himself in the third person. And Jerell who is actually really cute but kind of looks like a hobo. And Blayne, who is probably insane (hence the rhyme) and used "girlicious" even more often than Christian Siriano used "fierce" (even more bizarrely, he used it in description of this outfit he created, which is probably the last thing I'd describe with that term, except maybe the thing that Jerry guy who got auf'd created). Maybe there ARE interesting people on this season... it's really all too much... you'll have to see for yourself (bravotv.com/projectrunway). And thanks to the teasers, I am SO looking forward to hearing Tim Gunn tell the designers, "Holla at ya boy." Oh Tim Gunn!
Monday, June 23, 2008
We Heart Summer
Summer is, undoubtedly, the time of year most people can't wait for and when hella fun things happen. With one of us just graduated from college, one of us preparing for her last year (hopefully) of graduate school, and another about to begin law school, we're all geared up for an amazing, wayward summer.
We're also having a really busy summer, which should explain the dearth of postings as of late. The Prince of Kabob and I just returned from a two-week visit to Egypt visiting our dear friend Hector Bouvier, where we dined on the Nile, gazed at objects of classical antiquity, strolled the lovely parks of Cairo and beaches of Alexandria, and sweated a whole damn lot. Thank goodness for San Francisco fog! Soon our very own al-Fallaha will be traveling again as well, this time making her way to rock the Balkans.
Lots of good stuff is happening on our home turf, too. One big thing we're looking forward to this summer is the fabulous, chic, fun Bibi party, which is celebrating its one-year anniversary this Friday. Really, every wayward Middle Easterner and SWANA folk should be there!
Wayward Middle Eastern Girls love summer! Even the foggy San Francisco kind! See you out there... xo
We're also having a really busy summer, which should explain the dearth of postings as of late. The Prince of Kabob and I just returned from a two-week visit to Egypt visiting our dear friend Hector Bouvier, where we dined on the Nile, gazed at objects of classical antiquity, strolled the lovely parks of Cairo and beaches of Alexandria, and sweated a whole damn lot. Thank goodness for San Francisco fog! Soon our very own al-Fallaha will be traveling again as well, this time making her way to rock the Balkans.
Lots of good stuff is happening on our home turf, too. One big thing we're looking forward to this summer is the fabulous, chic, fun Bibi party, which is celebrating its one-year anniversary this Friday. Really, every wayward Middle Easterner and SWANA folk should be there!
Wayward Middle Eastern Girls love summer! Even the foggy San Francisco kind! See you out there... xo
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Lessons from Mama Jan #1: Holla We Want Pre-Nup
Although I've yet to read Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father, I've been inspired to offer my own tales of race, inheritance, culture, and assimilation.
Like the proper Middle Eastern child, I revere and endlessly adore my feisty immigrant mother. Perhaps atypically, we have a simultaneously intense and irreverent relationship, and she is among my closest friends. She advises me on matters of the heart, education, finances, beauty, relationships, and countless other things (except sex, of course!). We are bluntly honest with one another, and this honesty mixed in with some linguistic fun leads to mighty fine advice and even louder laughter.
A few weeks ago, California's State Supreme Court ruled that prohibiting same-sex marriage is illegal. On her evening commute home, stuck in traffic in the San Fernando Valley, my mom calls me. Below is an approximate, but accurate, transcript.
Mama Jan: "I have heard the news today! Congratulations, Bianco! I am happy for my children and that this godforsaken country finally did something right."
Me: "Yeah, Mom, tell me about it. Now we have to beat the amendment on the ballot coming up in November."
Mama Jan: "What? What kind of stupid jahkesh would do such a thing?"
Me: "Republicans...Jesus freaks...the usual! So you'll have to get out and vote."
Mama Jan: "Oh, I will. I will force anyone who will listen to me, to go and beat this."
Me: "Good! Should you really be driv-"
Mama Jan: "Wait! So, when you get married someday, how will you do your taxes?"
Me: "It's quite complicated. You have to each file federal as single, but state as married filing jointly, and then a fourth ghost return."
Mama Jan: "This is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. What kind of freedom is this?"
Me: "I agree! Accountants will be rich!"
Mama Jan: "So...what happens if you get a divorce? Do you have to pay alimony, and child support?"
Me: "I assume so, yeah."
*pause*
Mama Jan: "OK, Bianca Jan. Just make sure, sign a pre-nup. Someday, you will have a lot of money. Love is important, but be smart! Protect yourself!"
Please stay tuned for more wise advice, as I intend to make "Lessons from Mama Jan" an ongoing feature here at Wayward Middle Eastern Girls.
Like the proper Middle Eastern child, I revere and endlessly adore my feisty immigrant mother. Perhaps atypically, we have a simultaneously intense and irreverent relationship, and she is among my closest friends. She advises me on matters of the heart, education, finances, beauty, relationships, and countless other things (except sex, of course!). We are bluntly honest with one another, and this honesty mixed in with some linguistic fun leads to mighty fine advice and even louder laughter.
A few weeks ago, California's State Supreme Court ruled that prohibiting same-sex marriage is illegal. On her evening commute home, stuck in traffic in the San Fernando Valley, my mom calls me. Below is an approximate, but accurate, transcript.
Mama Jan: "I have heard the news today! Congratulations, Bianco! I am happy for my children and that this godforsaken country finally did something right."
Me: "Yeah, Mom, tell me about it. Now we have to beat the amendment on the ballot coming up in November."
Mama Jan: "What? What kind of stupid jahkesh would do such a thing?"
Me: "Republicans...Jesus freaks...the usual! So you'll have to get out and vote."
Mama Jan: "Oh, I will. I will force anyone who will listen to me, to go and beat this."
Me: "Good! Should you really be driv-"
Mama Jan: "Wait! So, when you get married someday, how will you do your taxes?"
Me: "It's quite complicated. You have to each file federal as single, but state as married filing jointly, and then a fourth ghost return."
Mama Jan: "This is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. What kind of freedom is this?"
Me: "I agree! Accountants will be rich!"
Mama Jan: "So...what happens if you get a divorce? Do you have to pay alimony, and child support?"
Me: "I assume so, yeah."
*pause*
Mama Jan: "OK, Bianca Jan. Just make sure, sign a pre-nup. Someday, you will have a lot of money. Love is important, but be smart! Protect yourself!"
Please stay tuned for more wise advice, as I intend to make "Lessons from Mama Jan" an ongoing feature here at Wayward Middle Eastern Girls.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Victimized? A Fashion Controversy
As if it wasn't bad enough that the keffiyeh has been warranting so much debate thanks to its inappropriate adoption by those who think Urban Outfitters invented the thing, Palestine is again making news in the fashion world due to the production of a this tee shirt (as featured on the Fashionista website) displaying the image of a Palestinian youth holding a gun with the word "Victimized" written below him. While Fashionista appears to dislike the shirt, as well as totally misunderstand its purpose (there's no explanation of "why it was intended to be funny or ironic" because it WASN'T, geniuses), Freshjive-- the company that created it-- has offered an eloquent, intelligent, and perfectly acceptable defense of the shirt and rationale for its production.
While I am very critical of Urban Outfitters (namely because their clothes are way overpriced and often way ugly, plus the keffiyeh issue of course), I am not surprised they sold the shirt, given their apparent habit of wrongly using Palestinian images and culture for capitalist purposes. I am also not surprised they pulled the shirt, as they obviously weren't selling it for political reasons (and clearly have no backbone). So of course, that fact is a source of annoyance. But the reason I have Freshjive's back on this issue is because this is not a matter of simple misappropriation. The company knew exactly what they were doing by making the shirt; it wasn't (only) a money thing. Rather, the shirt was created as a political statement, a part of the company's "The World's Got Problems" line in which true political issues facing the world today are brought into the open. As Rick, the owner of Freshjive, states in his defense, "is it not simply true that some Palestinian kids have become child soldiers due to the ongoing battle between Palestine and Israel?... Is it not simply true that some Palestinians and especially Palestinian children are victims of this terrible conflict?" Can't deny that.
Even more so, I have their back because of the criticism they have received for the shirt-- not just aesthetic (that people think it is ugly or in poor taste because it features an unfortunate truth) but political. People have actually complained that the shirt is, among other things, a "brutal, bloody, Jew-hating tee shirt." I am pretty sure, just by looking at the shirt, that there is no mention of Jews (or people of any religion or ethnicity other than Palestinian) on it, and that it claims no political opinion thereof; it simply states that Palestinian children have often been victimized as a result of the conflict in Palestine, as stated above. There's nothing else to it, and if you have to make that kind of leap to support your case, you don't have much of one-- and if you are so quick to label things as hateful or bigoted when they really aren't, you should probably examine why you need to be that defensive to begin with.
Personally, I like what the shirt is saying and the creator's reason for making it. I think anyone who wears it-- unlike the ubiquitous keffiyeh-usurpers-- knows what it means and knows why they are wearing it, which I support. While I do have to think that it might serve to objectify Palestinians even more so than they already are, I also appreciate the fact that a company is taking these risks to speak their opinions and speak the truth about what goes on in the world-- the things that people don't like to think about or admit.
While I am very critical of Urban Outfitters (namely because their clothes are way overpriced and often way ugly, plus the keffiyeh issue of course), I am not surprised they sold the shirt, given their apparent habit of wrongly using Palestinian images and culture for capitalist purposes. I am also not surprised they pulled the shirt, as they obviously weren't selling it for political reasons (and clearly have no backbone). So of course, that fact is a source of annoyance. But the reason I have Freshjive's back on this issue is because this is not a matter of simple misappropriation. The company knew exactly what they were doing by making the shirt; it wasn't (only) a money thing. Rather, the shirt was created as a political statement, a part of the company's "The World's Got Problems" line in which true political issues facing the world today are brought into the open. As Rick, the owner of Freshjive, states in his defense, "is it not simply true that some Palestinian kids have become child soldiers due to the ongoing battle between Palestine and Israel?... Is it not simply true that some Palestinians and especially Palestinian children are victims of this terrible conflict?" Can't deny that.
Even more so, I have their back because of the criticism they have received for the shirt-- not just aesthetic (that people think it is ugly or in poor taste because it features an unfortunate truth) but political. People have actually complained that the shirt is, among other things, a "brutal, bloody, Jew-hating tee shirt." I am pretty sure, just by looking at the shirt, that there is no mention of Jews (or people of any religion or ethnicity other than Palestinian) on it, and that it claims no political opinion thereof; it simply states that Palestinian children have often been victimized as a result of the conflict in Palestine, as stated above. There's nothing else to it, and if you have to make that kind of leap to support your case, you don't have much of one-- and if you are so quick to label things as hateful or bigoted when they really aren't, you should probably examine why you need to be that defensive to begin with.
Personally, I like what the shirt is saying and the creator's reason for making it. I think anyone who wears it-- unlike the ubiquitous keffiyeh-usurpers-- knows what it means and knows why they are wearing it, which I support. While I do have to think that it might serve to objectify Palestinians even more so than they already are, I also appreciate the fact that a company is taking these risks to speak their opinions and speak the truth about what goes on in the world-- the things that people don't like to think about or admit.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Al-Nakba Event in SF!
Bay Area people (or should I say, beble?), you MUST come to this event on Saturday May 10 in SF, recognizing 60 years of al-Nakba (the Disaster) in Palestine-- the destruction of homes, seizure of land, denial of existence, and, yes, apartheid state, for Palestinians. It is being organized in part by our very own hardworking Miss al-FallaHa, among others, and is going to be excellent. The entertainment features the amazing local soul-funk-hiphop band the Scribe Project, the lovely and talented DJ Emancipacion, NaR, Dam, and other hotness.
Here's the scoop from the organizers, plus the flyer. Remember, the event is FREE and close to BART and Muni. Yalla, come out!
Here's the scoop from the organizers, plus the flyer. Remember, the event is FREE and close to BART and Muni. Yalla, come out!
The Local Nakba Committee
and the Palestine Right to Return Coalition Present
Nakba-60, Palestine Peace and Solidarity Festival
MAY 10TH 2008, 12-6pm
CIVIC CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO
We invite you to commemorate 60 years of struggle and resistance on the anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, Arabic for "catastrophe" and marks the expulsion, dispossession and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.
Bring the family, and join us for a special day of resistance music, cultural and youth programs, Nakba tent/art, Dabka, local solidarity groups and more! Meet survivors from 1948, and learn about the tragedy, while listening to Palestinian and Native American elders recount their experiences. Childcare assistance will be provided on-site.
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Artists:
Dam, featuring Abeer – see: www.dampalestine.com
Shadia Mansour: http://profile.myspace.com
Fred Wreck
Ras Ceylon
Arab Summit: Narcicyst, Excentrik, Omar Offendum, Ragtop
Scribe Project
Rebel Diaz
Special performances by: Boots Riley, NaR, Mamaz, Kiwi, Polikal Heat, Rithmatik, Patriarch, and DJ Emancipacion - with MC's: Noura Erakat and Maysoon Ziyad.
We need your support!
Please donate what you can! Make your tax-deductible donation payable to 'Palestine Right to Return Coalition' or "PRRC/Palestine Solidarity" and mail to:
Local Nakba Committee (LNC)
PO Box #668
2425 Channing Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
To donate online: go to: www.al-awda.org, and please make sure to include 'Nakba-60, Palestine Solidarity Festival in the notes, or to the Facebook cause titled "Nakba-60, FREE Palestine Peace & Solidarity Festival".
A special thank you to event partners: Al-Awda, Arab Resource & Organizing Center, Middle East Children's Alliance, American Indian Movement, International Jewish Solidarity Network
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