Wise · as · Serpants · Harmless · as · Doves

Is it morally acceptable to work at a place where the employees are exploited for numerous reasons, mostly pertaining to their illegal residency status?

I just can't decide, because I see it as a problem but I do not know if I should worry.

My consious isn't clear, but I'm not sure why...

Nobody's making me say this
I'm talking to you
Been travelþing 17 hours
Irradiated by signals, by images
of viruses, of virtues
like everyone
Like exiled angels we swing out of the clouds
Above night city-
Fields of light broken by the curve of dark waterways

On the other side of the world
an unhappy teenage girl sets fire
to herself, her house, her neighbourhood and some that dwell therein
Sorry simulacrum of sad dawn

You've never seen everything

Sleep of the just, sleep of reason, any damn kind of sleep please!
I'm trying to balance on a sloping bed in Naples
or is it Skopje? I forget
Through the thin hotel wall a man groans in his dreams

And on the other side of the world
the drug squad busts a child's birthday party
Puts bullets in the family dog and the blood goes all over the baby
And the Mounties are strip-searching schoolgirls
because they can

And a car crashes and burns on an offramp from the Gardiner
Two dogs in the back seat die, and in the front
a man and his mother
Forensics reveals the lady has pitchfork wounds in her chest -
Pitchfork!
And that the same or a similar instrument has been screwed to the dash
to make sure the driver goes too

You've never seen everything

I see:
A leader of the people with a ring in his nose
And the leaders of business tell him which way to go
With tugs on the golden chain which once led the golden calf
And we're supposed to be impressed with their success
But my mind goes blank before the unbelievable indifference
shown life
spirit
the future
anything green
anything just


Bad pressure coming down
Tears - what we really traffic in
ride the ribbon of shadow
Never feel the light falling all around

Years ago when my brother was in India
A small town baker got a bright idea
He cut his flour with pesticide
and sent a bunch of neighbours on their longest journey
He was just being cheap -trying to make a profit
Didn't even have shareholders to answer to

But it's worth remembering, as we sell off the forest
gene-splice the world's food into an instrument of control
maim and destroy as acts of theatre,
what came next -
That when the survivors looked around
and understood what had been done
they butchered
that baker

Snow swirls in the parking lot light like flour
like pesticide There's a trade war brewing - or at least that's the face they paint on it

But it's only more transnational manipulation
It's all bad magic and gangrene politics
Hormone disruptors and carcinogenetics
Greed twists eternal in the human breast
But the market has no brain
It doesn't love it's not God
All it knows is the price of lunch

Here I sit
Staring at my own shadow
Feeling my blood move
Trying not to have a drink
Trying to find somewhere to put the rage I'm carrying


Bad pressure coming down
Tears - what we really traffic in
ride the ribbon of shadow
Never feel the light falling all around
Never feel the light falling all around

You've never seen everything

A 20-something black man was rapping at me last night on the purple-line train. I listened to him hard, but he sat right across from me and said things like "I hate all the white people, 'cause they call all the black people niggers all day, and it keeps them in shitty jobs with low pay, so I cry all day, I hate those stupid crackers, why can't we just love, love eachother." He also mentioned that his grandmother was from Mississippi and she told him about all the terrible things that whites did to blacks when she was young.

I'm in an African American History course right now, and it made me really sad to see that A. This guy was such a moron he would say he wishes we could all just love eachother when he himself kept getting this look of anger in his eye and a pitch of anger in his voice when he would sing the lines involving "I hate all white people." and also B. It made me sad that his blanket statements about racism and whiney loud voice were annoying people of all race, color and creed.

It came to mind to find this poem by Langston Hughes:

Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed--
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?

I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek--
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.

I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one's own greed!

I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean--
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.

Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That's made America the land it has become.
O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home--
For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore,
And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa's strand I came
To build a "homeland of the free."

The free?

Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay--
Except the dream that's almost dead today.

O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME--
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.

Sure, call me any ugly name you choose--
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!

O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath--
America will be!

Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!

Look at them working in the hot sun
The pilloried saints and the fallen ones
Working and waiting for the night to come
And waiting for a miracle

Somewhere out there is a place that's cool
Where peace and balance are the rule
Working toward a future like some kind of mystic jewel
And waiting for a miracle

You rub your palm
On the grimy pane
In the hope that you can see
You stand up proud
You pretend you're strong
In the hope that you can be
Like the ones who've cried
Like the ones who've died
Trying to set the angel in us free
While they're waiting for a miracle

Struggle for a dollar, scuffle for a dime
Step out from the past and try to hold the line
So how come history takes such a long, long time
When you're waiting for a miracle

You rub your palm
On the grimy pane
In the hope that you can see
You stand up proud
You pretend you're strong
In the hope that you can be
Like the ones who've cried
Like the ones who've died
Trying to set the angel in us free
While they're waiting for a miracle

-Bruce Cockburn

You know, the reason why Americans have so many problems is because they are all machines, doing everything they do without thinking, the children watch too much TV and the parents don't love enough.

I thought about this as my boss at a tiny coffee kiosk at Northeastern Illinois University stared me down. It's true, I had told her I felt like my mind was still in bed, and my body was on auto-pilot. Who wants to live like this?

These last few days as I was preparing to speak about Coretta Scott King, I realized that I was overwhelmed with my circumstances. At the forefront of my mind is…getting to work, paying my bills, feeding myself, completing my homework, making it to class, trying to go to church once and a while, and still finding a few hours to sleep.

Upon researching Coretta’s life, I was overwhelmed by the triumphant grace she had within even her busier circumstances. Reading about all of her major accomplishments was one thing, but what stuck out the most to me was the beauty of her dedication within the common, day to day things of her life.

Even her daughter Yolanda, at a Memorial service held at their home church this past weekend noted that…her mother’s tireless, ferocious compassion was definitive of her personality.

A mother of four, a wife, an activist, public speaker, and so much more, Coretta Scott-King was constantly working for the good of her family and neighbor.

Another noble and hard-working woman, Mother Theresa said, “Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired.”

According to her biography, Ms. King spoke out “on behalf of racial and economic justice, women’s and children’s rights, gay and lesbian dignity, religious freedom, the needs of the poor and homeless, full employment, health care, educational opportunities, nuclear disarmament and ecological sanity”

As a Christian, and a woman, and a college student, I too have opportunities moment by moment to make choices that will determine my own legacy. It’s at times of introspection like these that I am able to contemplate these choices that I have.

Who do I admire? What historical lessons will I choose to learn from? Will I react, or will I respond? Am I going to love my neighbor, or am I going to sit back and hope that someone else will?

Though I did not know Mrs. King personally, what I see in her legacy, beyond her more well-known and note-worthy achievements—which are many-- was a heart that never tired of loving, especially not in the small things of her life.

Those small loves over the course of an entire lifetime certainly add up, and now as we’re bidding her farewell and honoring her lifetime of determination and faith, let Coretta’s life be an example of how we should live: Seeking out justice, working for peace, and doing everything we do in love. Love for our neighbor and love for God …No matter how much we have on our hands.

Let us thank the Lord for role-models like Coretta Scott-King.

When I think of the term Raw Food Diet, I chuckle, recalling an episode of The Simpson's where someone proclaims that they're a "5th Level Vegan" who wont eat "anything that casts a shadow." As if being health-consious could be any more difficult and alienating to your friends and family, The Raw Food Diet shuttles you even farther away from your own culture and brings you down a path darker than the rice-cakes and granola aisle of some traditional "diets."



Cultural identity is something that I've thought a lot about over the course of the past few months. I'm fascinated by the ideas that have been presented to me in class concerning the Israelites, and their diet. Eating a kosher diet was particularly useful in reminding the people who they are every time they'd take a bite of food. People eat a lot, especially when they're wandering around in deserts all the time. So every time they put food in their mouths, they were reminding themselves that they're not Assyrian, they're not Babylonian, no no, they were Israelites.


Similarly, when I eat food, I'd like to remind myself of who I am. There are a few things I don't want to be reminded of. I don't want to have to sigh heavily before I eat because the grease that I am about to put into my body is going to make me feel heavy and bloated. I don't want to have to wonder what kind of chemicals were sprayed on my food, I don't want to have to just assume that meat is hormone or antibiotic-free... When I am having a meal, I want to be feeding my body what it needs to function properly and effectively. I want to help my body combat disease and avoid infection. When I purchase a food product, I want to make as sure as I can that the food product I'm buying is not causing anyone to labor for little money. I want to support Fair Trade and not pennies a day for some family I will never meet. I want to feel good about how I treat people I don't know. I am a person who stands for justice. I am an individual who desires health, and to treat my body as a temple.


I digress to say there's so much more involved with being a raw-foodist than eating a diet of organic carrots and celery.
Being a raw-foodist incorporates justice, and brings you closer to the ground. It brings you closer to the ground in the sense that it brings you closer to other people who are working somewhere along the growth and harvesting line of the food you put in your body...And also in the sense that you begin to think more about the earth and what it's good for. It is very much alive, and can provide us with perfect, nutrient-dense foods. I've found myself more apt to thank God for the people who throughout the production of each ingredient have provided me meals I make for myself, instead of just asking Him to bless what I'm going to eat. It's an entirely new perspective of food consumption.


There are countless recipes for raw-versions of your favorite foods, and even more so wild and hearty salads that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are good for you. But is it worth it? What are the benefits of changing your diet so drastically? Why is it worth the constant insults from meat-eaters and even vegetarians--? (as vegetarians this extreme truly scare even them)

My roommate and I have been pouring over two books by a few raw-enthusiasts who own their own restaurants and spend their free time inventing new recipes, and finding new ways to live a toxin-free life.

Yes, eating in this manner doesn't just mean you're going to eat any vegetables you can find, but you're going to have to invest a little more money and (a lot more) time looking for organic produce. Pesticide-free, non-GMO, uncooked, preferably un-pasteurized (or gently pasteurized) foods. Technically you can cook your food, but not over 102-116F.

The tools of the trade are a bit costly, but they are entirely worth it. Owning a blender (and sometimes a food processer), a good set of knives, a food-dehydrator, and a juicer, you can be sure to keep your diet rich in variety as you prepare foods that are delicious and full of nutrients. You can sprout your own grains to be used in making dehydrated breads, or on salads. You can and should eat a variety of seeds, nuts, berries, sprouts, sea vegetables (making vegetarian sushi is a wonderful way to get use to this lifestyle), fruits and vegetables! What I did which was very helpful was purchasing a book that is an encyclopedia of produce, which is a fun and easy way to explore new food options. One of the downsides to this diet is that there is a possibility that you can develop nutrient-deficiencies if you do not take the time to properly plan out your meals. Eating as many different kinds of vegetables per meal as you can is key. Also, I recommend planning out your meals so that you do not waste food, and that you shop according to what you will need is very important.

I would love to be able to eat like this all the time. While many brave, anal-retentive people out there have actually been able to manage eating like this all the time, I'm convinced that you almost have to be single to do something as bold and time-consuming. What I do know, is that even incorporating these new raw recipes into my diet once a day has me feeling more clear-headed, energetic, and healthier. I'm not going to suggest that you try to cold-turkey cut out everything in your diet that is cooked and dear to you, but to open your eyes to the idea of being thankful and standing up for justice--even when you eat--is something you should try.

Close your eyes and think of all the things you never thought before.
And if you prefer to keep your eyes open, check out these websites:

Easiest Way To Get In Shape!
Living and Raw Foods Community
Shirley's Wellness Cafe
Raw News: The Truth About Toxins
A Good Review of RAW: The Uncook Book by Raw Chef Juliano

Oink Oink. Clicky Clicky!

[it's an interview by some random news tool with the creator of Adbusters, who argues that we should spend less money...]

Joshua looks like the cartoon character Arthur the Aardvark.
He's a skinny little kid who is constantly whining and saying things like "But I don't want to..."
Even when it's clear that everyone is going to do the same thing (ie: lunch, watching a movie, snack, playing with a specific toy)

He had a really rough day today.

He always allows the other kids to pound on him, and chase him and he volunteers to be the one they pick on.
He accepts the role and is even happy to fulfill his duty as local punching bag.

I got him aside for a minute to confront his actions:

Joshua, what's the deal? Why do you always let the other kids beat on you?

He looked at me frustrated and annoyed.

I'm just wondering Josh, tell me.

After sighing, stomping his feet on the ground and rolling his eyes he responded:

Because I don't have an army.

Then he ran away.

"I'd like to buy the world a home and furnish it with love,
Grow apple trees and honey bees, and snow white turtle doves.
I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony,
I'd like to buy the world a Coke and keep it company.

It's the real thing, Coke is what the world wants today."

BAN COCA COLA! WHAT THE WORLD WANTS TODAY IS JUSTICE!

1 Billion of Earth's inhabitants do 86% of the spending here.

The other 5 Billion do the remaining 14% of the spending.

Keep in mind this holiday season and next, that overconsumption leads to ecological turmoil, and eventually... . terrorism.

The only thing that prohibits me from doing all the things that I want to do in life, is myself.
[Accidentally this became a New Year's Resolution Post]

When I was small, I was a philosopher. I would climb a tree or lay down under the sky and think big things. I mean big things for such a small kid.
And I suppose nothing much has changed, I'm largely in love with being alone, and being in nature, and with drinking in life and light through art.

When I'm at my personal best, it's usually when I've found the peace of being disconnected from my circumstances, while I'm still taking care of business.

I'm finding ways to eat healthier (macrobiotic influences, organic purchases, as well as fair-trade foods when possible)

I'm finding ways to live healthier (breathing exercises, stretching exercises, getting enough sleep, meditating)

I'm finding ways to think healthier (refusing myself the pleasure of a grudge, getting over things, moving on, denying myself the luxury of cynicism )

I'm finding ways to act healthier (recycling to the extreme! becoming involved in my community! working at the soup kitchen again!

People do a lot of talking, and I am not excluded from this statement.
This next year I'm planning on making better decisions. Ones that help me to grow; that bring me closer to my faith, my family, and my goals for life. I'd not like to look back over the course of my days and say that it was all meaningless. What a pity to say that I worried my life away thinking that I'd never be recognized or important or beautiful or loved, when I could have simply done the things I thought I couldn't. You've got to push yourself, you know? It seems elementary until you realize that most of us are really lazy. This is one of the most obvious reasons people give up their New Year's Resolutions for a quicker, cheaper, and usually less positive alternative.

If you look at history as a cosmic time-line, and think of all the people in all of the various cultures scattered across the world, you're likely to notice that things have changed inevitably for the worst. Many things have improved, while positive things were inversely affected. As in, sure, we've got oil for our cars, but we've had plenty of wars.... Sure, we've got manufactured goods but we also have environmental pollution from factories, and child labor still going on in this day and age, even in the United States.

I read recently that obesity is becoming the most pressing public-health concern over hunger and infectious disease.
I mean, what does that tell you about consumption? On a more intimate level, what does that tell you about your eating habits?

Let's make 2006 a conscious year, rather than one where we drag ourselves through so many days apathetically looking for tomorrow as our savior.

That's what I keep telling me.

I lay in a bed last night, on the verge of falling fast asleep, and it hit me...This use to be my room.

It's now an office, a place for my parents to have people stay if they come for a visit...and here I am..I was laying there, and feeling really shaken up, because who am I to be so blessed?

Who am I to be so warm in this bed? Who am I to be around this family I once ran so far away from?

Let us roll around in our mouths and hearts, the thank yous that need to be born.
The sincere and the profane can all be taken in the same way, if we allow ourselves to understand that we deserve none of this.
For myself, I have been choked by my own longings for some cosmic shift in my own little universe, where reality is RIPPED OPEN and down from the heavens comes a giant's hand to scoop me up, take me somewhere where I don't have to live with so many worries, and, you know, the traditional American folklore ending:
They Live Happily Ever After....

What a farce, what a ridiculous sense of religion.

We can stand on any old soapbox, hoping that someone will hear the lengthy lists we croon, that someone will take notice. That someone will pay our bills for us this month, that someone will perform some amazing miracle that changes everything... OR we can allow the timeless words of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young to apply to us...

There's a Rose
In a fisted Glove
and the eagle flies with the dove
and if you can't be with the one you love...
love the one your with

It makes me smile to think of how funny that is, to hear what I really want to hear on the radio. To think that when Young first picked that tune he wasn't thinking about the ladies. Hehe. But seriously, you can only work with what you have, take it take it take it, and do something with it. Take your situation, and change your attitude towards it.

If we truly live in a series of moments, and not big chunky blocks of time or series of stages of life... sheesh, just make a decision at any old moment, and be thankful. You can only make a difference in the lives of others if there's a difference in YOU.

I'm glad you're here, stay awhile. I'm tired of complaining about my life, so I may as well just stop. I gave up my old journal therachel, and this is the replacement. Public for all.

...thank you.

really!