Greetings from Philadelphia [email to Cherise]

Dear Cherise,

Before getting into everything else, I want to say that I hope that you and your family, and hopefully their property too, is safe from all the wildfires.

Next, I want to let you know that after your last email, I prayed every day for many, many days, asking God to allow you to regain your good health, with the eyes and ankle.  How are you now?  I hope you're healthy.

I'm sorry if my absence may have led you to false assumptions.  Unlike what you suggested to Jess, I haven't been "mad" at you.  If anything, I've been (and continue to be) confused and unsure of the possibility of any future relationship with you, while at the same time I've been extremely focused on myself, namely my career.

And as long as I've brought up that topic, you deserve to know the good news: I passed the PA bar, and I've already been sworn-in at City Hall and received my attorney ID number.  All of that means that I'm now officially an attorney.  I'm still waiting for the results from NJ, but I'm feeling optimistic, and they should be announced within the next 2 weeks or so.

As far as a job, I'm currently working full-time on a short-term legal project that's helping me to catch-up on the rent and all the bills.  It's not bad; let's just say that 1 week's paycheck pays for my monthly rent, all of my bills (gas, electric, and cell phone), and my groceries for the whole month.  At the moment, the only prospect for a full-time position is a meeting next week with a former City Solicitor.  Wish me luck!  If I get that position, I'll be working with some of the best and most well-connected people in Philly.  My future as a young leader of this city will then be well on its way to becoming reality.  I've been very persistent and aggressive in working all of my contacts to see about getting a full-time job at a firm.  I wanna get something at one of the best, because I know that once I'm settled in as an attorney, I'm gonna be one of the best.

Finally, Cherise, I've gotta tell you that I think about you here and there, probably a lot more than I even realize.  The truth is that I really don't know what the future holds, and so it naturally follows that I can make no promises of anything at all.

I don't really know what you're thinking these days, but that's where I'm at, for whatever it's worth.  The one thing I can definitely say is that I really care about you a lot.  You're a great girl, and that's really an understatement.

Take care Cherise.

More Than Just Ice Cream

I went to a great restaurant/eatery tonight: More Than Just Ice Cream, located on 10th and Locust. Really great food, pretty cool atmosphere, and hip, chill music. All in all, a great place to go to eat. I recommend it, and I'll be sure to go back there again some time.

For posterity's sake, here's what I had: a tall glass of pink grapefruit juice, a hot roasted turkey sandwich with a side of fries, and to finish it off, a walnut brownie topped with whipped cream. All very delicious.

Well, that's all for tonight, considering that it's kinda late, and I have to get up early in the morning. I've gotta start getting into a routine again; not easy for someone who's not really a morning person.

Chevy commercials are racist and anti-immigrant

Do you know those Chevy commercials featuring John Mellencamp singing "This is our country"? Well, those commercials are pretty damn racist and anti-immigrant.

Really, think about it. Every person in those commercials is a light-skinned person of European descent, i.e. white dudes. Put that together with the song "This is our country." So is the message being delivered by Chevy that this country belongs to white dudes only?

To add to the racist overtones, let's recall one version of that commercial which shows a long fence being built by white dudes. Is this an allusion to a fence being built along the Mexican-U.S. border? Quite isolationist; quite xenophobic; quite anti-immigrant. And to really add insult to injury, the sign at the head of the fence, featured at the end of the commercial, shows that the name of the ranch is the "KK." Hmmm, add one more "K" and whaddaya got?

I'd love to see a new version of that commercial featuring only Native American Indians, and put to the same song: This is our country.

Either that or a version that shows who's really working all the ranches out in the Midwest: a ton of Latin American immigrants, put to the song: "Este es nuestro pais."

I'm Back

Did you miss me? Well, I've been taking care of some personal business for the past couple of weeks. But I'm back, at least for tonight, and I do hope to continue checking-in on a more regular basis. So you do the same, why don'tcha?

So what's been going on? Well, this past Thursday, I attended an event at The Hub at Cira Centre. It was my first time in that building. I got there by walking through the main concourse of 30th Street Station, then heading back to where you pick-up the SEPTA regional rail trains, and continuing through the connecting bridge to Cira Centre. I must say, The Hub was a really nice venue. I enjoyed the event, due in great part to the open bar and complimentary hors d'oeuvres (a more sophisticated way of saying "free beer and food").

Today, I went past the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I was very impressed to see so many people out and about. I realized that the Rocky statue at the base of the museum steps has really established itself as a major tourist draw; there were a ton of people there, waiting their turn to get a photo with the Italian Stallion. There were a lot of people outside today, no doubt because of the great autumn weather. It was really nice to see.

Well, that's all for now. Be sure to check back soon!

RE: Thanks and Request for a lil' help [email to Stephanie]

Hey Steph,

I took the NJ bar, and the results are still pending.  Once they're in, I'll be sure to let you know.

As far as [...], I've spoken with Anita, Richard, and Sue.  Right now, it seems that someone else had the inside track on Cynthia's position, so I'm second in the deli line.  Something may or may not open up, so we'll see about that.

I do intend on being an active member of the HBA, especially once I'm practicing.  I honestly don't have the money for dues right now.  But I'll check the website and start going to meetings.

Finally, thanks for your help.  Please let me know what you hear from your immigration contacts.  I'm really eager to put my skills into practice.  And I know once I settle in somewhere, I'm gonna be a solid attorney.

THANKS AGAIN!!!

[.....]

PS. Since you intimated it in your email: MANY, MANY CONGRATS on being pregnant again!  That's gotta be exciting!!!

RE: sup [email to Pito]

The weekend was fine, but busy.  Somehow I've gotten into the habit of getting up every day by around 8am, and then getting things started right away.  So I worked out both Saturday and Sunday, mopped up the floors of the whole apartment on Saturday, went to church on Sunday, etc.  Saturday night was the dinner at Bill and Nancy's.  Only Paul showed up out of the rest of the guys.  We just ate pizza, played some Nintendo Wii (the new gaming console where you actually get up and move around), and then watched the Phillies game.  I was tired, though, so I was back home by midnight and in bed shortly afterward.  Then Sunday, after all my stuff in the morning, my friend Patricia (la cubana) picked me up here in Philly and we went out to Wayne, where she lives.  We spent the day drinking a whole bottle of wine and walking.  Later her mom cooked us "ropa vieja," a traditional Cuban dish, to celebrate me passing the bar, and she talked with us about Cuba and her friend's contact with Che.  So the food was delicious and the conversation was very interesting.  I dead-headed back into Philly around 11pm, so I made a full day out of it.  Yesterday was disappointing with literally only 1 job listing; maybe b/c of the holiday.  Today I'm looking again, but also disappointed b/c I think my cell phone has been cut-off.  So I emailed Mike and Richard to see if anyone has any yard work or house work for a few bucks.  I will be so grateful once I have a job and my money situation is not so wretched.

Listen

The slow chugging of an engine, maybe a bus or a garbage truck.
Then, the sound of a car going by and glass clinks and clanks,
so it's probably a garbage truck. The engine chugs, and a couple
short sounds of horn, not too loud though. Another car goes by,
then a loud humming engine of a truck goes by. The slight
screech of a brake. Then, silence. My pen stops moving for a
second. But another two or maybe three cars go by. The city is
waking. But silence again. No sounds but engines and car wheels whizzing
by. Vague noises of sleepiness. What else to be heard?

Let your voice be heard

If you have not already done so, be sure to vote in our poll. Your feedback is important! Just like (North) American society, I have to lull you into a false sense of participatory democracy, even though I am in complete, dictatorial control of this blog. Hoo hoo haa haa haa (evil sounding laugh). Okay, maybe that's being a little cynical, but vote anyway, gosh dang nab it!

Hispanic Heritage Month

Well, we're halfway through Hispanic Heritage Month (Mes de la Herencia Hispana), which is observed every year from September 15th -- the Independence Day of five Latin American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua) -- to October 15th. (source)

The theme of this year's National Hispanic Heritage Month is Hispanic Americans: Making a Positive Impact on American Society. (source)

WHO IS A HISPANIC?
The term Hispanic, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, refers to Spanish-speaking people in the United States of any race. Thus, the term Hispanic is broader than any racial category. In other words, the term Hispanic is not a racial identification. There are black, red, white, and yellow Hispanics, as well as those that are brown. Also, there are Jewish, Muslim, and Protestant Hispanics, as well as those that are Catholic. (source)

On the 2000 Census form, people of Spanish/Hispanic/Latino origin could identify themselves as 1) Mexican, 2) Puerto Rican, 3) Cuban, or 4) "other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino." More than 35 million people identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino on the 2000 Census.

Many non-Hispanics jump to the conclusion that a Hispanic must necessarily fall into one of two archetypes -- Mexican or Puerto Rican -- or, if in Florida, then possibly a third -- Cuban. The numbers clarify this common prejudgment. 64% of Hispanic-origin people are of Mexican background. Another approximately 10% are of Puerto Rican background. This means that 1 out of every 4 people of Hispanic-origin are of neither Mexican nor Puerto Rican background. Continuing with the stats, Hispanics of Cuban, Salvadoran and Dominican origins account for about 3% -- each group -- of the total Hispanic population . The remainder are of some other Central American, South American or other Hispanic or Latino origins. (secondary source; primary source: AmericanFactFinder).

GROWTH OF THE U.S. HISPANIC POPULATION
42.7 million: the estimated Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2005, making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest ethnic or race minority. (This estimate does not include the 3.9 million residents of Puerto Rico.)

Today, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are now over 44 million people of Hispanic origin in the United States. That's about 14% of us!

102.6 million: the projected Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2050. According to this projection, Hispanics will constitute 24% of the nation’s total population on that date.

OTHER RESOURCES
--> Read here the President's Proclamation on National Hispanic Heritage Month, 2007
--> Click here for a list of links to celebrate and research our Hispanic heritage

So celebrate the second half of Hispanic Heritage Month by eating Hispanic food, listening to Spanish-language music, supporting Hispanic businesses, and learning Spanish. That last point will be brought up in a later entry, when I will discuss the inevitable, already-occurring evolution of the United States as a bilingual nation. So listen up, juevon: aprenda hablar espanol ya!

Lucitas Azules

Caminando por el sendero a las orillas del Rio Schuylkill en la noche, veo las luces azules del Cira Centre reflejadas por las olitas del rio. Esas lucitas azules parecen como llamitas frias bailando por el superficie del agua, todas ellas intentando, deseando, queriendo nadar hacia la costa, pero nunca superan la fuerza de gravedad que las mantienen amarradas en su baile eternal solitario. Cada lucita azul representa a un residente de la ciudad, cada uno se ve los demas, cada uno esta rodeada por los demas, cada uno puede hablar solo a las mas cercanas, cada uno tiene que gritar con toda su fuerza para comunicarse con las mas lejanas, cada uno se ve todas las otras lucitas bailando furiosamente, y, de vez en cuando, cuando una pare por un momentico para ver para afuera y darse cuenta que existe un mundo afuera de, y mas grande de, su propia olita, se de cuenta que todos estan bailando, siempre bailando, que siguen, siguen, siguen bailando, ailando, lando, ando, do, o. En ese instante, esa lucita se siente que es una parte integral de un gran movimiento, dirigido por un Gran Director en el cielo, y a la misma vez esa lucita se siente tan solito, tan aislado, tan vacillo, tan pequenito. La luz aspira super hondo y grita desde el fondo de sus pulmones, con la fuerza inmensa de todas las fibras de su alma: Que Contradiccion!!! Sus lagrimas caen al rio, que las lleva al mar, que las da a las nubes, para dejar caer otra vez en el rio. Asi sigue el ciclo de la vida, nuestras lagrimas nos refrescan en el justo momento cuando las necesitamos. Y mientras todo, el Gran Director sigue con el ritmo, la musica, con el bajo bien fuerte para que uno se siente el pulso en el puro centro de su pecho.

(image source)

Take Action to Help the People of Burma

Since August 15th, the people of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) have been demonstrating publicly against the military junta that has ruled that country since 1992 (and the military rule since 1962, when democratic rule ended as a result of a coup d'etat). These peaceful, pro-democracy demonstrations gained momentum when the country's highly-respected Buddhist monks joined in peace marches on September 18th.

During the past week, the military-controlled government has begun to crack down on these demonstrations in an attempt to repress the pro-democracy movement and maintain its control. "Cracking down" has meant firing bullets into crowds of demonstrators, entering Buddhist temples to physically beat and arrest monks, and shutting down any connections to the internet, thus attempting to cut-off any contact with the outside world.

The official death toll, as of today, is 13 killed. But according to ABC, the number of those who have been killed by the military crackdown is in the hundreds. And British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has stated that he believes the loss of life in Burma has been "far greater" than that reported by the authorities.

Human rights violations in Myanmar are widespread and systematic (source). They include:
--> The use of child soldiers and forced labor.
--> Laws that criminalize peaceful expression of political dissent. At the end of 2006 most senior opposition figures were imprisoned or administratively detained, among more than 1,160 political prisoners held in deteriorating prison conditions.
--> People are frequently arrested without warrant and held incommunicado.
--> Torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment are common, especially during interrogation and pre-trial detention.
--> Judicial proceedings against political detainees have failed to meet international standards of fairness.
--> Defendants are often denied the right to legal counsel and prosecutors have relied on confessions extracted through torture.

You can TAKE ACTION right now!
--> Ask President Bush to urge a UN Security Council mission to Burma
--> Download Amnesty International USA's Urgent Action sheet for detained protesters

When the people of Burma last staged mass pro-democracy protests back in 1988, the military junta murdered thousands (source). Let the military junta know that the world is watching!!! Take a minute and take action right now! Because failing to do so is to remain silent. And as Zack de la Rocha sings in Fistful of Steel:

Silence

Something about silence makes me sick

'Cause silence can be violent

Sorta like a slit wrist

Fin de semana, mae!

Here are three great events going on this weekend. Check'em out, yo!

Midtown Village Fall Festival
--> this Saturday, Sept 29th from 12 noon to 8pm
--> in Midtown Village
--> featuring international cuisine and beverage tents from nearby restaurants, product booths by retailers, all types of live music, adult and kids games, an outdoor movie, charitable giving and much more
--> more information here

Campus Philly Kick-Off
--> also this Saturday, Sept 29th
--> museums from 10am to 5pm (see esp my previous post)
--> music from 2pm to 7pm
--> on the Ben Franklin Parkway
--> featuring Talib Kweli, Against Me!, and The Ataris
--> more information here

And to stoke your pre-game for the concert, here are a couple vids to warm ya up:
Talib Kweli - Get By (he's sporting a Sixers hat, check it out at 1:00):


And, as we begin autumn, a fitting song to end the summer: The Ataris - Boys of Summer:


Puerto Rican Day Parade
--> this Sunday, Sept 30th from 11:45am to 3:30pm
--> departs from 20th Street & the Ben Franklin Parkway, then heads down 20th St to Market St, where it turns left and moves down Market St to 16th St, where it turns left to head back to the BF Parkway, moving back to 18th St, and finally arriving at the reviewing area at Logan Square
--> more info about the parade can be found at El Concilio's website here

See Tut b4 time's up

Reminder: you only have through this coming weekend to see King Tut here in Philly. The boy king can be found at the Franklin Institute, located at 20th & the Ben Franklin Parkway:


View Larger Map

Tropic of Cancer

Early on Sunday morning, I finished reading Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller. The book described the author's time in Paris during the 1930s, and included graphic descriptions of his sexual escapades there. In between those vivid scenes, there were some really beautiful stream-of-consciousness mental explosions, which were nothing less than poetic.

Here are my top three quotes from Tropic of Cancer:

"Lawyer, priest, doctor, politician, newspaperman -- these are the quacks who have their fingers on the pulse of the world. A constant atmosphere of calamity. It's marvelous. It's as if the barometer never changed, as if the flag were always at half-mast." -- page 146

"One is ejected into the world like a dirty little mummy; the roads are slippery with blood and no one knows why it should be so. Each one is traveling his own way and, though the earth be rotting with good things, there is no time to pluck the fruits; the procession scrambles toward the exit sign, and such a panic is there, such a sweat to escape, that the weak and the helpless are trampled into the mud and their cries are unheard." -- pages 183-84

"It may be that we are doomed, that there is no hope for us, any of us, but if that is so then let us set up a last agonizing, bloodcurdling howl, a screech of defiance, a war whoop! Away with lamentation! Away with elegies and dirges! Away with biographies and histories, and libraries and museums! Let the dead eat the dead. Let us living ones dance about the rim of the crater, a last expiring dance. But a dance!" -- page 257

Yeah, man, in the spirit of that last quote, let's all dance like this guy:

Hey Doog!

Before I get any deeper into this blog thang, I really have to take a moment to reflect on the fact that my dream of writing in my diary on my computer at the end of each day has finally been realized by way of this blog. Just like Doogie Howser, M.D.:



Great quote from that series:
Patient: You're a kid.
Doogie Howser: True, but I'm also a genius. If you have a problem with that I can get you someone who's older but not as smart as me.

And as long as we've brought up Neil Patrick Harris, let's use this opportunity to remind ourselves to always stand up and speak out against homophobia. As Coretta Scott King stated in a 1998 address:

"Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity, and personhood."

Autumn Has Arrived!

Just about three hours ago, at 5:51 a.m., the equinox took place. In the northern hemisphere -- where we are here in Philadelphia -- this means that autumn has arrived. And autumn will be here until the winter solstice, which will take place this year on December 22nd at 2:08 a.m. So let's enjoy autumn for everything it's worth!

Cool days, crisp nights. Changing, falling leaves. Yellow, orange, red, purple. Afternoon coffee, late night hot chocolate. Cool winds coming off the Great Lakes, coming from the Canadian plains. High school football Fridays, College football Saturdays, Pro football Sundays. Squirrels in the park, geese in the sky. Curling up under covers: on the couch to watch a movie, in bed to go to sleep. Halloween, trick-or-treat, candy, chocolate, visiting neighbors. Thanksgiving, turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, visiting family. Pumpkin pie, apple pie, apple cider. Mountain trails, college campuses, and city sidewalks, all covered in leaves. Clear, starry nights. Crisp, fresh mornings, imbuing one's soul with vigor and optimism for a fresh new day.

College Football: Penn State and Rutgers

Earlier today, (10) Penn State lost 14-9 to Michigan. From what I saw today and from what I've seen in the past, I've come to the conclusion that Anthony Morelli simply cannot step up to the plate when it really counts. And despite the Nittany Lions' solid defense, Morelli's inability to pull out the close games will hold Penn State to a mediocre season in the Big Ten.

So let's get real: Penn State was highly overrated at #10. I mean, c'mon, the first three wins (all home games for PSU) were against Florida International, Notre Dame, and Buffalo. Let's break that down. Florida International has an 0-4 record. Notre Dame likewise has an 0-4 record. And Buffalo -- whose lone win in a 1-3 record was against the perennially winless Temple Owls (who have only 1 win in the past 27 consecutive games) -- was no powerhouse either.

I look for Penn State to finish fourth in the Big Ten this season -- behind Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio State. And watch out for the Iowa Hawkeyes, who put up a great fight against the Wisconsin Badgers earlier tonight.

Let's see if (11) Rutgers can avoid a similar characterization after their game next Saturday at home against Maryland. Although Maryland is sitting at .500 after winning 2 and dropping 2, let's consider that the Terps only lost to West Virginia by a count of 31-14. With a strong running game in Ray Rice, though, and more consistent play -- as compared to Morelli -- by Mike Teel, and weapons at the WR position (Tiquan Underwood and Tim Brown), Rutgers is a more balanced team than Penn State.

Look for Rutgers to steadily move up about three spots in the rankings until their meeting against West Virginia on Saturday, October 27th. Meanwhile, over the same course of time, look for Penn State to settle into a high-teen/near-twenty ranking in the AP poll, as they have to face tough battles against Iowa and Wisconsin before their October 27th match-up against Ohio State.

Philly Graffiti

Check out the cover story of this week's Philadelphia Weekly.

And check out this cool video, put to really cool music: "Sound of Philadelphia" by Reef the Lost Cauze:



Although I do not support the nonconsensual modification (by spraypainting) of another person's private property, there is still something to be said for alleviating the glum, post-industrial, and aesthetically unpleasant environment of some sections of the city by adding some color. If the choice is living across the street and walking by a vacant gray warehouse everyday or tagging it with a colorful, personalized, and artistic design, I'd choose the latter. Put the burden on the property owner to actively use her property, and if she doesn't, then put the burden on the government to actively remove urban blight.

Of course there is the flipside that cannot be ignored. There is a lot of graffiti that is just plain ugly. To all you artistically uninspired taggers out there, stick to your day job! And there is also a lot of graffiti that is painted where it shouldn't be, and with a malicious intent to purposely deface property. Anytime anyone does anything with a mean spirit, I really can't support it, it's as simple as that. C'mon now, a little love, people!

Car Free in Philly

Today, September 22nd, is Car Free Day in Europe and Canada. Two weeks ago, on the morning of Sunday, September 9th, many of Philly's streets were blocked off in order to allow cyclists to ride safely in an event called Bike Philly 2007.

On a related note, just a couple of nights ago ABC World News Tonight ran a piece that highlighted the growing problem of longer and longer commutes in the U.S. Increasingly longer commutes translate into more wasted time and more wasted money on more wasted gas. Because this problem is only going to get worse, the obvious solution is to minimize the time/distance between work and home. But how, you ask? => the answer is The 21st Century Renaissance of the American City. Instead of living in the suburbs and commuting to the city for work everyday, imagine living in the city and working down the street.

What the Renaissance means here at home -- where we are expected to realize the prophecy of Philadelphia as "America's Next Great City" -- is that we absolutely must lead the way in addressing people's need to minimize their commute. This means, in part, the continued growth of Philly as a liveable, residential city (not to mention its reputation as being very walker-friendly). But really most pressing is the task to design and implement a plan to expand and modernize Philly's internal public transit system. That is, to give city residents the ability to travel easily and quickly from one part of the city to the other. This project is a multifaceted Gordian knot that will not be easy to unravel, due to its chicken-or-egg and NIMBY aspects and the ever-present question of where the money will come from, but it is one which must nonetheless be actively confronted by Philly's leaders: political, business, community, et al. More thoughts on this later.....

But for now, here's to being car-free today and to spreading the word to make next September 22nd a completely car-free day for Philadelphia.

Bienvenidos a Philly 215!!!

Blog. An onomatopoeic word calling up the image of a puddle of vomited oatmeal, maybe with a few raisins mixed in. Or perhaps a pile of warm, recently-evacuated soft-serve style shit, the kind that barely satisfies the definition of a solid, the kind that may have been created as a byproduct of a brave new dish.

So here we go! Our reader-writer relationship has now officially begun. And so, without further ado, the time has come for me to evacuate...............