Thanks for coming. See ya next time.

Do you remember March 11th, 2007??

... I do...

(haha I was cliché then too...)

I probably didn't know half of you guys at the time... The other half of you were still in high school...

So I started this blog.

A lot of blogs seem to start as alternatives to E-mail list/updates. For me, it's always been about clearing my mind-- not necessarily sharing...Back then, I didn't care who, if anyone, read it... I just got inspired by some cool art/design/music/bmx/skate etc. blogs (most notably Dork Mag's blog, which doesn't exist anymore...) and wrote about what I was reading, listening to, seeing etc...

I wrote really to teach myself about what I was consuming "musically, artistically, culturally and socially" and to start remembering... (in short, I had a project where I was writing down all my thoughts-- because I knew they were going to be changed in college... I didn't realize how rad things would get... who knew?)

I wrote because I missed things about life that I thought I'd end up forgetting about completely if I didn't constantly remind myself... And if I didn't remind myself I'd probably be a business major... and wear business suits... and drive business cars... and do business things... I was insecure and felt the pressure of unwanted social forces...

Now, 3 years and a half years later I'm done. I'm off the sidewalk...in a sense...

So this is the logical conclusion point...

It's been a pretty dope ride... (yes, I like puns too...)

We've been through bad days on bikes, good and bad romances, good days with friends, rough days at "work", bad days in the news, good albums, bad albums, great exhibits, rad shoes, a lot sociological theory... gosh just whatever was floating in my head...

sorry to leave you hanging on the summer adventure... but you shouldn't care, you should be/are having your own adventures...

Some part of me wishes there was some overarching theme/message I could share that would some how complete my life and yours. Suprise. There isn't. Go live.

Through it all "I cannot help but hold onto a hand full of ties."

You guys have been the best friends for such an adventure.

Thanks for caring (i.e. reading).

You'll have to come visit now :)

(I'm serious.)

or I'll come to you.

Hotep.

(the last one...ever. dun dun dunnnn,I'm so dramatic.)

p.s. For the non-believers.

p.p.s. Like Banksy? Try Venchen.

p.p.p.s. Esperanza's new joint's worth checking out.

p.p.p.p.s. I'm gona miss blogging... All good things come to an end...

"This is real life shit, this ain't no Hansel and Gretel..." - The Cool Kids.

This kind of stuff kinda really scares me.

My friends are/will/continue to do this kind of selfless aid work...

and i was worried about getting mugged... [eh..]

Hotep.

Home. Pack. Home.

intermission:

This isn't the first idea i stole...

Botswana in Brazil. I thought the irony was funny. Call me a hipster then.

Four feet and tubing. Rad.

Soccer. They love it. I love it. We love(d) it.

This is still Brazil. But oddly familiar.

Graffiti.

Sociology!

It really got tense for a second.

Especially on the way out.

(Unfortunately) We left before anything 'happened'.

This isn't from an airplane.

Hotep.

p.s.

I like arming my voice, but making the weapons is more fun...

So that will be my primary means of contribution for now...

I guess this really makes me a "spineless liberal" - against me!

[<3]

I have an apartment again. Make yourself at home. I'm a socialist on bad days.

"Well holy moly me oh my..." - Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

I'd never guess just how time flies.

Gosh, i'm in the too much to write about phase again.

...I guess this is a good problem...

I play soccer, eat beans and rice and talk about politics/the fact Brazil is a 3rd world country a lot...

Found them a bit too late...

not very active online, but still good to see a community.

If they ride in Rio, they're as crazy as those Mash guys...

I've decided post-racial society can't exist because of the extensive saturation of western ideas/concepts. It's vector? Western media (+ globalization).

I mean if she knew about Radiohead, she would have similar exposure to televisions and movies... which portray racial stereotypes to a tee. I guess you don't have to act on it... I mean we try not to right?

The tid-bit about cultural homogeneity based on regions seems true after about two weeks.

Been reading a lot.

The Shack is an interesting book.

What makes it more interesting is its popularity...

Yea the CIA was here too...

So was the current president (4th grade education, labor union guy.)

And his (potential) female successor.

(yea i qualified that with the word 'female'... and I call myself a feminist... shame on me)

All of this makes Brazil a really really interesting country...

Although there are a lot of good things, there are still some short comings when the "workers of the [country] unite" (do i really need a link here? Com'on)

well unite might be the wrong word...

more like take power... or some of them take power...

Is it a problem with the system? If so which one?

(my bet is on the latter of the two)

Hotep.

p.s. I might be amending my summer adventure...

(time is the enemy)

My last post had no structure and was simply word/thought vomit. I'll do better.

I'm having second thoughts.

Is a post racial social structure even ontologically possible?

Here is the scenario:

I'm sitting at a table. Everyone at the table (except me) is Brazillian of a more European decent (see portugal). Conversation erupts, obviously in portuguese. (I can make out bits and pieces at this point... it's very similar to Spanish... I usually don't contribute, unless in english or by translation...) Eventually something happens (i'll explain later) and for a split second I think about the role my race plays in the situation...

BOOM!

A whole (orginizational?!) network of consensus formation explodes (at least in my head) and post-racial social life disappears for that one tenth of a second... I eventually convinced myself it wasn't a racial issue (maybe a nationality issues, but that's "a whole 'nother story...") but the episode got me thinking...

If I have thoughts of race/ethnicity inside of a non-racialized social system the system is no longer "non-racialized"... (right?!) Now my thoughts come from years of socialization in a system where race is still an issue, but transplanting these thoughts into 'non-racial' system, essentially makes the system racial. At least for the epistemic subject in question, which in this case is me...)

So is racisim all in your (my) head?

We'll yes and no.

No, because we've seen, many times in American history (and present) and even some in Brazillian history, examples of a explicitly raciest social system that systematically oppressed people of "color". These systems of oppression have had a noticable effect on the distribution of material wealth and every day liberities... SB1070.

and

Yes. Yes, in this case because I introduced the thought of race as a factor for what I precieved as 'unfair/unequal' treatment (see: Mead? Product and Process). But even epistemically speaking I can't ever surly know the intent of the other people involved, perhaps they were indeed trying to be racially offensive... But I highly doubt that. If the concept of race exists in the mind of just once, the entire system can't be marked as "non-racial" I suppose an argument of 'post-racial' could be made... (haha either way I guess this is my cue to leave Brazil and let them return to utopia... nahh, i'll stay a bit longer...Haha and I take a guilty pleasure in the fact my agency has the ability, theoretically, to corupt an entire system... Who said structure ran everything? I guess positive change is/will always be more difficult.)

Does post-racial mean race exists, but is some how not a factor? I guess?

So can a 'post-class' system ever exist? In theory maybe, but I don't think it would work in practice... or if it did, it would look like late-capitalism (i.e. the United States...) which really in my mind is just is a kind of revoloution limiting fasle consciousness...

so is 'post-racial' akin to a false thinking about role race plays in social life? (This can be discussed at length on the micro and macro level... In my aforementioned micro level interaction it seems like a farce but on a macro-level it seems more plausable...)

And of coures all of this could be applied to gender issues...

Gosh, I'm just not sure anymore...

I know 'a better world is possible' but I don't know what it looks like anymore...

A lot of thinking to be done...

haha sorry, this is probably no more or less structured than the last post...

BTW sociology needs 'less big words and more exclamation marks!' - Tokyo Police Club.

i'll work on this.

Hotep

p.s. if you know the relavant sociological/social psych theory that would compliment this post let me know! I'm pretty much totally out of the race/ethnicity literature... And this can't possibly be a new concept...

p.p.s. I've written some good love letters in the past, but NOTHING like the one she's about to get... haha... I need her to like me. A lot. My life (see: passion and also career) almost depends on it... The last e-mail's were positive, contrary to the past. Maybe I should have applied, Maybe she'll still help...

p.p.p.s yea, I recycle.

Remember that time you told me about Dale McKinley...

You've never been wrong. I'm in love... again.

Well, I can't really say love. I've only been in one place for about a week, but really it's nothing short of amazing. I'll start with the superficial:

If you have low or wavering self esteem in regards to your physical appearance you don't need to come to Brazil. Period. The people here are nothing short of beautiful... pretty much all of them. Most men and women alike look like super models, but maybe (hopefully) it's just the city...

And yea I know looks aren't everything, but if she speaks portuguese and english too, AND (thanks to globilization) also likes Raidohead and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers you tend to be swooned...

I didn't even ask about bicycles or sociology... good thing my alcohol assisted abstinence program is fail proof... It's like PEPFAR x PUNK**... haha why didn't Bush think of this?

*The necessity to make an awful "do it yourself" reference was supressed...

Speaking of PEPFAR... Brazil, which use to recieve bilateral funding from Bush's master piece recently (ok not that recently...) shot down the funding because Brazil refuses to explicitly state they oppose prostitution...

I remember getting in an argument on someones birthday about the role the state should/shouldn't play in illegal/unsafe activities**... Prostitution being one of them... Haha I know it's the opposite of anarchy, but if the state can in anyway regulate and subsaquently protect (in this case women) against the ills of a job (say contracting HIV) they should. Yes, prostitution is bad. Yes, there should be other opportunities for women. But the government shouldn't just turn a blind eye to something that is going to happen regardless of its legality. They need to do the best they can to protect and serve all of their citizens. Brazil does this, even for its prostitutes... (ahh back to my good ol' socialist roots...) Recently a Brazillian Sociologist did an ethnograpic study on prostitution. I saw it in the book store... (Along with Howard Becker's "Talking about Society" to bad I can't read portugese... ahhh!)

**the logic works: if you regulate prostitution you can in theory help keep it safer/more controled. Same way the pornographic film industry is kept "safe".

speaking of turning down the West- The way Brazillians love soccer is unreal. And when I say they love soccer, I'm not talking English Premire Leauge, or some other huge western mega leauge (where many of Brazil's "soccer stars"play-- The ones WE all know and love/hate... Kaka, Ronldino etc.) I'm talking about their league. I got a chance to go to one of the games, and nothing- I mean nothing said I don't give a shit about your money than the way these people (you people?!) cared about their teams and their leauge.

Although the teams actually rack of a large amount of debt and really don't make much money, the dedication to supporting the home team(s) and talent is a beautifully and culturally relevant way of remind me (and/or the rest of the world) that they can keep their wealth-- We have our own culture. The problem is, the rest of the world won't pay attention... unless of course that attention has the potential to make them some money... (i.e. a good Brazillian footballer...)

Speaking of Brazillian Footballers... They come in all different shapes, sizes, and shades. Post racial social life does exist in Brazil. It's nothing short of amazing. I am more Brazillian in Brazil than I was African in Africa (I know, this is an ecological fallacy... The units of analysis I'm comparing are not equal, it is a country and a continent... I've read my share Durkheim... and about to read a lot more... but you get the picture...)

The problem is I don't speak Portugese (very well yet...I don't even speak english yet... shit you see i can't spell without an english spell check...) but still I'm always addressed in the nasely lanuage. It's really actually kind of cool... Although Brazillians of Afro-descent are still behind the curve from their european friends, my interactions have seen few predjustists. This coupled with the anecdotal accounts of other people paints a positive picture. However, people are rather frank when they say that the inequality still exists along economic lines. So if you have no money, regardless of your skin color, you're really going nowhere... It's interesting, especially as American shifts to a post racial social scene... (or I think it is... give it 25 years...)

So ethnicity and race are cool... additionally I've been told (but haven't really seen first hand) that culture in Brazil (I'm thinking lanuage/accent/style of dress etc.) relates to region of the country- as opposed to ethnic group... (haha so student leauge for Black culture wouldn't make any sense here... good thing I left that shirt at home...) This is kinda cool, because it can play a part in disproving the conservative claims that in "socialist"societies everyone would look and act the same... The varaition will always exist. Here it is regional, not ethnic/racial. (But in the United States it is both regional and ethnic... which makes this really complex at time... Because being black from the south is different than being black from the north...)

So for all this talk about race Brazil is still not where I wish it was when it comes to gender equality. Yea my knowledge is pretty situated relative to a close friends outlook, but when (she) people have to worry and assume the worse about their lives as single/divorced women I tend to stay concerned. Yes, I can't really say exactly what it is-- Maybe the machismo culture? I have a few interesting anecdotal stories about such-- but there is no saying for sure... Maybe it is just her agency, but no matter how smart and pretty you might be it seems you have few options outside of marriage... But there are a ton of women in politics... ahh the confliction... I'm not as well read/prepared on the politics of the region as I was say Africa. I'm kinda here out of the blue...

Well, to conclude:

Social life is pretty rad.

It was one of the most expensive clubs in rio.

The club system is interesting.

Balie Funky vist in route [friday]...

(slums + party = my sociological dream)

The waves are nice.

Surfing in the winter is a yes.

This is the coldest part of the year. Its 22 degrees... celcius...

They all have of jackets... haha I'm practically naked.

The people are too.

"You can drink and piss in the streets at night." A pretty cool Brazilian kid* (my age...) told me... "these were the advantages of the third world..." haha is he right?

I mean he pushes a sector9... and was a lefty...

Oh yea, and I learned a little about favela life and culture.

Including an interesting bit about kites. Yea, they love kites here...

kids use kites to signal for the police... before advaning to "other" jobs

As we were driving from the airport on day one we passed through Cidudad de Deus.

I was told that the slum/drug wars in the favela have died down over the last 5 years, but at one point in time people were being shot in their cars from the favela. I haven't gone in yet, but that will come with time...

The museum was also a great experience.

And if we must keep it capitalistic... The natural resource based socialism seemed to work here too... You have to have a market for it to work... you can always make one... They did it in Ethopia*... it worked their too... I'm still more for a more community oriented system, but no one wants to hear that anymore... They call us dreamers... which is frusturating...

*and Botswana

And the political system is also pretty interesting... Four Major Parties ... mandated voting... A sucuessful syndicate (labor/worker) party... a growing Green (environmental) party...

gosh...

I'm having trouble keeping it all in my head... Ces't la vie.

The only thing you did wrong was let me come to a non-spanish speaking South American coutry... Now I'm gona learn Portuguese...

instead of spanish

hotep.

p.s. I probably wont make it... but I have soooo much I want to talk about... chew some coca for me.

p.p.s yea, it's mostly in portugues... and the post is a bit rough... sry, I'm too busy living...

The summer adventure rolls on... I'll stop when I die.

I think I should let them convince me...

...Just gotta ask in the right place...

I wonder what that kid is doing right now... probably not blogging...

I'll be sure to ask in my best Portuguese...

Being a little tanner (see: darker) than usual (thanks to 7 months of summer!) I can't wait to test out the "post-racial" social system I heard Eduardo Bonilla-Silva go on about...

I mean at least they admit/are trying to make it/draw attention to the fact that it's a socio-economic class thing...

next one's from your South America.

I'm sure the PSDB won't mind...

Hotep.

P.S. Inception was pretty rad.