Samurai Champloo AMV: Gang Starr-Battle & More!

Check it out!

This is craaaaazay! I love it! (I know, some of you have been on this for a while now).

Anyone wanna chill and watch Samurai Champloo all weekend long? Let me know! haha.

NUJABES (one of my fav. music producers) got me curious about Samurai Champloo.




Check out the opening credits to Samurai Champloo. Now that's hip hop!




and...another one... i love this song... i love the keys.. i love the artwork... i love the hip-hop undertones..



so check out episode 1, pt. 1 (the first few sequences are dope...i know the DJs would appreciate the "rewind/fastfwd" scratching part and the scene changes.....)

and...for the bboys/bgirls--i know you would appreciate the fighting scene...

McCain's Palin. Not a surprise.

Despite the media coverage and the crazy somewhat but also true observation of the commodification of Obama in urban pop-culture (come on, we see his face on T-Shirts in Urban Outfitters---like, it's fashionable to rock him [and i'm not hating on that, it's an effective campaign tool, yet also he's becoming an icon like Che)... Obama is not that much ahead of McCain in polls.... It's a close race... And that makes me nervous.

After attending the viewing of Obama's DNC acceptance speech at the Hyatt in SF and feeling so alive in the room (because the room was crazy loud), I must say I was moved. I want to attribute that feeling to the environment I was in and the intro. video of Obama's life, but I also want to give him credit in his gift in public speaking (but Michelle Obama is friggin' amazing! She beats her husband in public speaking by far in my opinion!) After that night, I did feel excited and hopeful....

and then.....


BAM! McCain officially announces his Vice Presidential running mate, Sarah Palin. Good one, McCain. Good one. Is this his stunt in trying to win over the die-hard Hillary Clinton fans? I understand this isn't the first time a woman has been a VP running mate... But given the context of the 2008 election, this is totally different from the 1980s. And on the superficial tip, it doesn't hurt that she's an attractive woman. YES, I SAID IT!

Youth Rise!

So....I finally finished my submission for Illuminating Voices!

Please check it out on www.bakitwhy.com.

Title: Youth Rise!



Never underestimate the youth!

People always ask me why I teach or what inspired me to go into teaching. If only I had a whole day to explain my purpose in teaching, or deconstruct the oppressive education system the youth are in, or take people into my classroom for a day--but even then I wouldn't know where to begin. I could start off my answer with any of the following (all of which are very much true for me):

A) "Because I believe in the power of the youth."
B) "Because they speak the truth."
C) "Because I learn so much with the youth. We critically analyze the world together. And ultimately, we teach and learn as a collective."

Or.... I can simply just say:

D) "Here, watch this video. You'll be able to see, hear, and feel why I became an educator/facilitator. This is why I am inspired each day, and I hope that you too, will feel the urgency to change this society for the better."

Marvin Gaye, Olympics, Nike, Dope Beat.

So my guest roommate introduced this video to me...... I was moved. The BEAT of the song is DOPE too..... Someone should sample that beat and flip it!



But while I'm on this Summer Olympics tip, I have got to watch the opening ceremony. I saw bits of it and it just seems all kinds of crazy!

Though I am an avid viewer (and have much to learn about the logistics on the various events and competitions), I must say that I can't help but think about the story behind the Olympics. I can't help but think about the hundreds and thousands of people displaced, the homes demolished, businesses terminated, etc. etc. just to "beautify" and "modernize" China in the past several years---and just to accommodate strangers from all over the world. The people of China were witnessing their own landscape changing---making them feel strangers to their own neighborhoods--communities. It's even crazier to think that the Chinese people gave up their EVERYTHING (homes, businesses, jobs,etc) for the Olympics that last for weeks, and most can't even AFFORD to attend the games themselves! Now that's some shet.

Water of Life. Mother Earth. Fertility. Loyalty.

Katapara[ng] (baybayin): Loyalty. This year so far has been a year in review. A year of reflection. A year of looking back and learning from my past experiences. A year of realizing and feeling with such intensity the importance of loyalty. Loyalty to one's family. Loyalty to one's companions. Loyalty to one's principles. Loyalty to one's beliefs. Loyalty to one's goals. Loyalty to one's ambition. Loyalty to one's purpose. Loyalty to one's community. Loyalty to one's heart. Loyalty to one's service. Loyalty to one's actions and & words. It's more than just a word to me. It's this crazy passionate goose-bumpy feeling that guides my life. (lol..sounds crazy..but I don't know how else to explain this word!)

check out Blue Scholars' Loyalty song. http://lyricwiki.org/Blue_Scholars:Loyalty

Water design: Refer to Paulo Coelho's, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept.
Source of Life. Essential to Life.
Feminine face of god.
Pure.
Powerful---nothing can break water apart....and even with an interruption of
rocks or pebbles, it reconnects and continues to flow effortlessly.
Mother Earth----mostly composed of water in all different forms and feeds life.
The earliest civilizations were formed near the waters..

(the left side is a "softer"design of water--which, relatively and geographically speaking, relates to Tagalog region....)

(the right side is a "rougher" design of water---which relates to the harder land of the Ilocos region.........the region in which my family is from)


Fertility Symbol: Womanhood. Womb. Place of origin and development. The sacred power of being able to give life. Historically, a source of "threat" to the oppressor/imperialist/colonizer, but spiritually, a symbol of honor, respect, and divinity.

Red: Potent. The color of bloodshed (and.. our regla! ha..which is also part of being a woman!). and.......SERVE THE PEOPLE.

Left-arm: you know what's crackin'!

I love me some old people working out.

Go Metro! Go Green!

..is the catch phrase these days.

So my bestfren from PSP2005 spontaneously came up with the idea of exploring LA through the Metro (subway). Of course being the ultimate "vacationer" of all time, which my profession affords me, I was all for it!

To my surprise (as a regular automobile driver), folks actually do use the Metro! ha. (I know....I know...this bit of reaction on my end exposes how NOT of a public transpo person I am).... In my perspective, as a "first-timer," I felt like I discovered an underground culture---literally and figuratively! ha. BUT.... alas, this "underground culture" has been in existence or in use since for quite some time now (well, at least for the sublines, its been in operation since the 1990s).

It was interesting taking the subway station in LA. I was a bit fascinated throughout the entire experience for the following reasons:

1. The modernized architecture of each station, especially my starting point of Vermont & Wilshire.


2. The unique art (different types) found in each station.


3. The relatively diverse (in age, race, class), yet calm and collected community that created a warm and non-aggressive environment within the subway cars... (bc the freakin' surface streets are a whole different story!)...




4. The subway stations appear to be operating under AN HONOR SYSTEM. Not once have I been checked for a ticket, nor did we have to insert a ticket in any gate..... (So in some way, this is good for the working class folks who are using the subway lines to get around, but I wonder what $ is being used for maintenance..)


5. I felt like a tourist.




It's kind of crazy how perspectives and experiences change with the type of transpo one uses. The stops we took and the streets we walked are areas that I usually drive through....And it's crazy because as an automobile driver, I just pass right through (trying to avoid traffic, and never really take the time to look around). As a public transpo commuter on foot, the world was seen upside down. I felt more invested in the different communities I was exploring---perhaps it's because traffic was not an issue for me, and walking around afforded me to just relax and appreciate the people and the streets.



6. I want to take the metro all the way to Long Beach next time.

Addicted....

to RUNNING/JOGGING!

so... i just realized that i think i'm addicted to running. all i do is think about running/jogging. i get worried when i make plans with folks and wonder: where can i fit my run? lol.

Last week my twin and i decided to run a different route. To our surprise we ended up running around 6.5 miles or so.... We just kept on running!......and RUNNING! (I know for some crazy runners, 6.5 mi is "nothing", but... that's a big improvement for us!)

what's going on here?

twin and i just finished the 5K in PTown. It was a really good experience for the following reasons:

1. I got to see familiar faces---folks from UCLA that graduated before i did.......and a few after....
2. I got to run on the streets that I walked for the JFAV Parade since I was an undergrad at UCLA.
3. I got to hear the community cheering all of us on----folks standing outside their storefronts and homes....smiling and clapping for us...
4. I got to see a little kid (prob. around 5 or 6 years old) cheer his other 5-6year old friend on as he ran ahead of us.....
5. It's cool to see filipinos of all ages come out and walk/run. Filipinos that appear to have come from all over..
6. I met a stalker. wtf? (it's hard to "run away" from a stalker when you are in a run. lol) WHICH, makes me think.... is this the best way to stalk someone? Since... the person could only run faster (which is challenging...or slow down, which could also be challenging...there is no way of avoiding someone there!)

AND....FINALLY.......

7. I got to see Al, Mr. PCORE himself. lol. That always brings a smile to my face or a chuckle in my life!


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