Funny Pandas

Langston Hughes -
- people’s poet – the cultural messenger of Harlem for that period
- one of the most versatile and controversial writers of the 20th century. 860 poems.
- prolific writer, poetry has been translated into 60 different languages
- essay “My America” excerpt – 1943
- poem “Freedom’s Plough”

Spoken Word
- so much history can be found in the home just by talking to the elders
- “I am the darker brother” an anthology of modern poems by african-americans
- “Life ain’t no crystal stair”

Used the terms African, Black and Negro interchangeably which was uncommon in that time
- Nikki Giovanni, Oscar Brown, Gill Scott Heron., Sterling Brown

Watergate Blues
We Beg Your Pardon America
“Oatmeal Man – Gerald Ford”
AuH2o goldwater

Heron’s Generation
- series of poets
- Smokey Robinson
- Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
- Curtis Mayfield – Choice of Colors
- Donny Hathaway
- KRS-One – knowledge reins supreme

Common Traits in Shakur and Langston Hughes – political family
son of black panther parents
raised in womb of imprisoned mother
wants to be a revolutionary when he grows up

Shakur’s Book
- His aspirations
- Shakur’s use of the term “nigga”
- never ignorant getting goals accomplished
- what do you accomplish by being a n?
- where do you go from being a n?
- as you raise your children – what do you pass on to them as n?
- they don’t see themselves moving beyond 21
- now a cross cultural term
- how does that move society forward?

Common Themes
- warrior poems
- poems with rose in the title
- sensitivity and strength

Two different sides of Tupac
- the one saddened by what he saw
- wanting to speak about those issues
- talked about heroes – Huey Newton and Nelson Mandela
- “Where there’s a will there’s a world”

Remember when hip-hop was supposed to die out? It’s been some 20 years now…

Another notch on the stat sheet…

[via]

I then promptly ran into every wall I could find.

I noticed the battery low light on my laptop task bar. This didn’t make any sense. I was plugged in to a socket on the second floor of the Purdy/Kresge graduate library (they are renovating — but still…) and should have been receiving the juice without any obstacles. Frustrated enough at Charles Martel already — I picked up the laptop and carried it around to each of the sockets — plugging it in — unplugging in — watching it drain down to 33% before finally packing up with a sigh and deciding to head out.

When I got downstairs — all the lights were out — and the alarm was going off.

There was none of this on the second floor – mind you — where I was at “peace” sifting in and out of the collection in the midst of remodelling. Apparently – some of the circuits that connect the alarms on the second floor have been flipped off while they tear out the walls and whatnot. Whatever the case — the alarms on the first floor were ON and it was DARK…

I began to wonder whether I was caught in the towering inferno — if I was in fact doomed to die in a library – not having heeded what little warning there was — “maybe it’s a bomb…ohmygodabombimgonnadie!” I headed towards the exit — through the deserted library — at a brisk pace and a little confused…Then remembered I still had a reference book in my bag — slid it on a table — and continued outside.

Immediately upon exiting I came across a WSU patrolman and asked,
“So, are they, like, closed?”
“I think so…”
“Or is there a fire drill or something, cause I was just in there and the alarms were going – the lights were off – and there ain’t nobody in the place…”
In the tone of Police chatter into the walkie-talkie on his shoulder:
“mumble mumble got a fire drill at mumble mumble fiver?”
“negative”

And looking at me:
“You just hang out here while I check this out…”
So there I sat and ate my leftover tabouli from lunch, waiting patiently until about 15 minutes later when the officer emerged:

“Sir,”
“Yes?”
“They are closed sir.”

Anyways — to make a long story short — the library staff locked me in the building…A fitting end to an eventful day that included sitting in on the Tri-Chapter ASIS&T Summer 2005 meeting: To Google or Not to Google — on a videolink – something I’ll save for later when I don’t need to drink a beer…

Male: So, I’ll call you tonight.
Female: Yeah, well, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I mean, I’m not one of those girls who is emotionally dependent on that kind of thing. I mean, I HATE that. My ex-boyfriend was like that. If I told him I’d call at 8:00 it’d be like 8:05 and he’d call and be all, like, (girl becomes baritone) “WHY DIDN’T YOU CALL?” I mean, I like, totally hate that!
Male: Uh, well, good.
Female: I mean, I’m not emotional like that. You’ll probably get more worked up than me.
Male: Yeah, you’re probably right.

Conversation 2 (6:10pm)

Girl on cellphone: (In low trembling voice) So, this relationship is, like, over?

Today, though the day still has many hours left in it — I can safely assure you: the calculations were impeccable.

That was Quick Thoughts for Tuesday, January 11th, with your host: Kevin Yezbick. Now back to everyone’s favorite Star Hustler, Jack Horkheimer.

This afternoon when I stepped into the shower following my run I realized that I might have a problem.

I realized that I might have a problem when I glanced up into the steamy water lines streaming from the showerhead and began to see droplets emerging in front of my eyes.

A second realization followed — and several small puddles soon formed on the bathroom floor as I stepped out of the tub and removed my glasses.

Wasted.