Color Me Kelso

J Street Conference Cancellations: Can We Count on You to Be a Voice for Us?

2009-10-22T23:22:00.002-05:00

Hi Friends! I hope you're all staying dry...

I wanted to bring to light a current issue that has affected me deeply. I am attending a conference in Washington DC this weekend about cultivating a strong, left-wing Jewish American voice on the controversial subject of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, hosted by J Street-a political organization that has taken a "Pro-Israel, Pro-Peace" on the subject. If I've lost you already, I beg you to bear with me. Allow me to whore myself out as I supply you with some supplementary readings about the conflict that I've written in the past. I know, I'm sorry. Feel free to skim.

http://colormekelso.blogspot.com/2009/05/human-rights-abuse-and-gaza.html
http://colormekelso.blogspot.com/2009/02/waltzing-working-waiting.html
http://colormekelso.blogspot.com/2009/01/wwwgaza-peacecom.html
And here's one I didn't write: http://www.mideastweb.org/briefhistory.htm

Anyways, this conference I am attending in DC is the first national J Street conference, where members of J Street and others who generally support the motives of the organization can come together for four days to educate themselves about the conflict and learn new, more effective ways to educate others. This will be my 3rd time attending a conference like this one (The other two were through an organization I love called Brit Tzedek V'Shalom) and on the last day of the conference we have the oppurtunity to seperate into delegations divided by state and hold meetings with our repsective Senate members and House representatives. Not only have I had the oppurtunity to see the innerworkings of capital hill, I have met many interesting, talented people who care just as deeply about this conflict as I do. The results of a hard-working group of individuals coming together for a common cause have the potential to be phenomenal, even over such a short period of time.

I am very excited to attend this conference. Those of you who know me, though, know that I am openly not Pro-Israel. This doesn't mean I am anti-Israel, pro-Palestine, whatever. Long ago I decided that the only position I could truly justify to take was Pro-Peace. This doesn't mean you have to agree with me, but hear me out. J Street and BTvS have provided a totally unique environment for ideas to be thrown around that no other organization has succesfully achieved before. Just because I don't always agree with the politics doesn't mean I don't fully support the organization. But recent events have led me to question my support of J Street.

This week the right wing, Pro-Israel movement made a series of attacks against J Street, calling them and some of their panel speakers signed up for the conference "Anti-Israel" and "hateful." J Street, being a much more liberal organization, was destined to run into conflict with the power-hungry right wing movement, and I believe that these petty lies being thrown around should be disregarded. But J Street took the heat and "uninvited" two very presitigous panel members, spoken word artists Kevin Coval and Josh Healey, from the conference, after both had been targeted in this slanderous campaign. You can read Coval and Healey's response here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-coval/searching-for-a-minyan-ou_b_327597.html

I wanted to include an email I seen to J Street this evening. I feel that it is absurd for an organization with such great values and potential to recoil when faced with the big bad media. If they cannot hold their own on a national scale, how can one expect them to represent a large percentage of the population who agree with their message on a global scale? Here's my response:
To Whom It May Concern at J Street:

My name is Kelsey Waxman. I am fifteen years old and an active member
of the Jewish community and the Brit Tzedek V'Shalom chapter in my
hometown of Chicago. I signed up with my mother to attend the first
national J Street conference a few weeks ago and I was looking forward
to participating in all of the different sessions and interacting with
other members of the American Jewish community who share similar views
with me on important issues surrounding a peaceful two-state solution
in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But I am very concerned with
recent developments concerning J Street uninviting some panel members
because of some petty criticism from those who wish to see us fail.

I know that JStreet has been under fire from the right-wing Jewish
movement lately, and I know that many of these sources have falsely
targeted some of the conference's speakers as anti-Israel and
hateful. This is unfortunate, but inevitible. JStreet has taken a
position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that many people are
unfortunately not even willing to consider. The narrow-minded leaders
of the right-wing movement have much more public support than an
organization like J Street does, and this support generates a lot of
wealth and power for them. They have the ability to slander the
message of JStreet, and maybe a lot of people will believe it. I
understand how these false statements can damage the image of a newer
organization such as JStreet, but I feel that the actions that this
organization has taken surrounding the issue, such as dropping
respectable speakers, are disappointing.

In situations such as these the best thing we can do, as citizens of
this world supporting a just cause, is to stand together for what we
know is right. The message that J Street promotes is one of peace,
cooperation, and determination; and by sucummbing to the power of
fiery lies I have begun to question J Street's willingness to support
not only its members but the people in the Middle East whose lives
they are advocating to improve. If J Street cannot defend itself
against a few American nutjobs, can we expect them to stay true to
their message on a global scale?

I will still be attending the conference in Washington DC this Sunday
because I understand the importance of a gathering such as this, and I
fully support the grassroots motives of organizations like J Street
and Brit Tzedek V'Shalom. Even in stressful times such as these we
cannot back down. We cannot lose sight of the vital importance of
organizations like these and how the lives of millions of people
halfway accross the world can be affected by our actions. By standing
up against a few slanderous comments, J Street can show the world that
it will not back down, and with the help of its supporters we will
make a difference in the world.

I hope that this weekend at the conference we are able to revive that
determination and confident mentality that has dimmed in this past
weeks. I am sorry that I will not be able to attend sessions led by
reknowned artists Kevin Coval and Josh Healey because I know they
would've contributed a unique perspective to the issues that could not
be achieved by any other panel member. Hopefully J Street can work
with them and similar artists in the future, for the arts often
communicate a message better than any politician could.

I will see you all this weekend. I know I speak for all of the members
of the conference when I say I am looking forward to all of the new
connections and ideas that we will cultivate in those four days. I
just hope that J Street is ready to hold up their end of the bargain.
We're counting on you.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope that you can take something away from this whether you agree with me or not. If you'd like, you can contact J Street yourself to voice your opinion on the issue at info@jstreet.org. If you have any questions, comments, anything, please don't hestitate to contact me.

Thank you for your time!

In Peace.

Green Day: Still Something to Believe In?

2009-07-14T18:32:00.002-05:00

Color Me Kelso goes “Rolling Stone:” Please enjoy my review of Green Day’s concert last night at the United Center in Chicago. Feedback is appreciated. Were you there? Did you want to be there? What do you think about all of this? Onward…

Last night, as an early birthday present, my father and I went to the United Center to see Green Day perform. This is the second time we've seen the Oakland trio (who will always hold the position of "Most Favoritest Band Ever" in my heart) the first time being in 2005, when the band was on the tour for their widely popular punk rock opera of a protest album, "American Idiot". Green Day, which formed back in 1989 and consists of front man Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool, has released 10 full length albums, the most recent being this year's "Quadrophenia"-esque "21st Century Breakdown", a rock opera of sorts about a young couple battling the threats of propaganda, religion and commercialism in present-day America.

I first got into Green Day's music when 2004's massive hit “American Idiot” came out. I was nine years old and was outgrowing Disney Channel music (thankfully I got out before Hannah Montana and what not) and needed something new. So one day on the radio, I hear the album’s title track, “American Idiot”, a song about the corruption of the Bush Administration, and I fell in love. Green Day's music showed me, that music had so many more purposes than just entertainment. It could promote a message to the world, stronger than words alone ever could.

When the concert rolled around in 2005, I was enamored with Green Day’s latest album and their stage presence as they rocked Rosemont, Illinois’ All State Arena. But I was a new fan, still starstruck and oblivious to the obvious discontent of older Green Day fans, who were quick to call the band “sellouts” and “posers,” because they had moved away from their original sound and message.

As I grew older and listened to more of Green Day's music, I realized why some long-time Green Day fans rolled their eyes when American Idiot came around. Green Day wasn't always a political band. When the band made their debut with the album "Dookie", which came out the year I was born, they were known as a band who wrote traditional punk songs about being young and troubled and positively bored. And though Green Day was initially labeled a punk band, there was something uniquely melodic to their sound that always made them stand out from the rest of the punk genre. This is what propelled them forward, which made them stand out from the rest of the punk rock scene; their uniqueness, and willingness to go against the grain.

Another thing that makes Green Day stand out in the crowded music scene these days is their impeccable live shows. Even touring the largest of arenas these days, which weren't built for punk music, Green Day still pulls of a live show, and they do it well. Cool and Dirnt have, in my opinion, one of the most engaging rhythm sections in music today, and Armstrong has the stage presence and charisma to get 20,000 people of all ages jumping around, pumping their fists into the air within seconds of taking the stage. It's always been like this, even before I was there to witness this.

But it seems that as Green Day has gotten more popular, their image has been moving towards what they despise the most; mainstream and commercial. Last night’s show was chock-full of recycled jokes, overkill pyrotechnics, an overdone lighting set and stage, and supercilious banter that make older fans wonder what the band is thinking anymore. It was surprising for me how little Armstrong, the band’s main songwriter, picked up a guitar last night. It was used more as a prop in his punk rock ringleader shtick than as an instrument. The band now has three back-up musicians to enhance the sound, including a very talented musician who ends up playing Green Day’s most famous riffs, while Armstrong leads the crowd in fist pumping, call-and-response chants, and heaven help me, the wave.

Green Day definitely considers themselves a huge band, which is true, but this egoism was apparent throughout the show, starting with merchandise. I was looking forward to purchasing a tour tee shirt but stopped dead in my tracks to find out that the shirts cost FORTY dollars. Hoodies? 85. Here was the band that had preached through my stereo speakers for years about the dangers of advertising, commercialism, and corporatism selling okayish tee shirts for forty dollars. The jumbo-tron in the arena was displaying text messages that fans were able to post, something I’d expect at a Fall Out Boy concert, but not here. The boiling point for me was when Armstrong finished spraying the crowd with a water gun (a recycled trick), and brought out a tee shirt gun, and started shooting Green Day tour tee shirts into the crowd. Such a little gesture struck me so hard, and I knew at this point my Green Day’s renegade image would never be the same.

Everyone grows in time, and change is difficult. Green Day’s sound has improved exponentially over the last 20 years, and even as the band members approach their forties there is a youthful energy to their music which is hard to recreate. As a very devoted fan, I was incredibly disappointed by the concert in whole. The band played passively, and Armstrong’s spiel was old news. I was looking for something new and unexpected, like their music advertises. But it seems Green Day has settled into a rotation of hits; something characteristic to the biggest of big bands. They have achieved stadium status, whether we’d like to admit it or not. Whether they’d like to admit it or not.

I wish them all the best on the tour (though I believe I should get a free tee shirt in compensation for having to put up with this newfound corporatism they’re married to. FORTY DOLLARS!) And I wish them all of the best in the future. And even though last night made me sad and doubtful, I still put on my Green Day albums with pride and sing along to every word.
K

Rest in Peace

2009-07-06T00:14:00.002-05:00

You know it's the beginning of the end when they start selling tickets to a funeral. Rest in peace, Michael. It wasn't until these recent years where I was able to appreciate what he has done for American pop music. He will always be remembered as one of the most succesful American artists of all time. I just hope it was all worthwhile for him. What a tragic story, this has all become. I can't turn on CNN without some repeated news bulletin. Well, I hate to break it to you folks, but now matter how long you talk about it, no matter how close you investigate every little detail, a great man will still be dead. Just give him and his family some peace, please. I can't imagine being in the Jackson family's position. It must be humiliating.

Selling tickets to a funeral. What has this world come to?

K

In the Middle of Summer...

2009-06-26T22:42:00.003-05:00

All was golden in the sky.

Sorry I've disspeared. I've been hanging with my family, regaining what's left of my sanity. Sometimes the best thing to do, when life gets ahead of you, is to take a real deep breath, take a few steps back, and surround yourself with the things that make you feel real. For me, this would be roadtripping with my grandparents in Western Kentucky; eating three hearty meals a day, immersing myself in all of Kentucky's southern splendor. Today, I'm in Bloomington, Indiana with my aunt, uncle, and crazy cousins. We chased for a family member's hot air balloon, tonight. That's an experience!

I hope you all are finding renewal of your own spirits. I get home from my vacation next week, and soon after it's time to get to work. But for now, I'm just going to lay back and appreciate all of the wonderful people and wonderful things in my life.

Stay cool.
K

Shostakovich, Shakespeare, and Summer Rains

2009-06-13T22:47:00.002-05:00

Hey Y'all.

Sorry it's been a while, but now I am OFFICIALLY out of school. Finals have been taken, grades have been given, all that jazz. I'm now a sophomore! This will take some getting used to! (Especially the spelling of the word sophomore, I always forget that second O. It'd be really bad to be a sophomore who can't spell that word right.)

Summer is already very, very busy. I've had nearly 15 hours of choir rehearsal this week, because a few of us participated in a special concert at the Pritzker Pavillion in Millenium Park (for those of you who have been to/hail from the Chi, that's the crazy structure at Randolph and Michigan.) We sang a piece by Russian Composer Dimitri Shostokovich called "Songs of the Forest." It has a really interesting history, as do a lot of Shostokovich's pieces, since he was a composer in the Soviet era, under Stalin. A lot of his pieces "glorify Stalin," but actually have subliminal messages that mock and ridicule him. The only way to have music widely performed in the Soviet Union at that time was to write music the way Stalin wanted it, so Shostokovich catered to his needs. This piece tells about the reforestation of the USSR. It's a beautiful piece, acutally! And despite it being so darn cold this week, it was a wonderful concert. We had 15000 people out there, I heard.

I also wanted to share with you a documentary that I watched today, called "Shakespeare Behind Bars."

This was a most excellent story about a theatre group at a large prison in LaGrange, Kentucky. Every year this group of inmates-whose crimes and sentences vary widely-get together and perform a Shakespeare play; in this documentary, The Tempest. It gives you an insight on just the beginning of the trials and tribulations that one endures in prison; and learning about ultimate forgiveness. (which is an apparent theme in the Tempest) Each man seems to grow from what he has learned in his theatre experience and it is really a heartwarming story about the kind of people who are portrayed in this world as threatening and heartless. It offers a lot of perspective on the American prison system as well, something that those of us who have never experienced it, thankfully, have very little knowledge of. Check this out, it was really great. You can even borrow my copy!

And lastly, tonight my mother and I went to the Old Town School of Folk Music to see the lovely ladies they call the Ditty Bops. So cute, so talented. Enjoy this song from their newest release, Summer Rains.

Good night!
K

Sometimes, Nothing Makes Me Happier...

2009-06-04T17:11:00.005-05:00

...than a finely tuned piano.

I'm about to endure a five day long journey to the utter depths of hell (finals.) So expect a rousing update on how rad our fair president Barack Obama is soon after. And for now, you can watch one of the greatest speeches in history right here. This is just the first part, but it should lead you to the second half when it's done.

Have a good weekend. Hopefully it'll warm up for us Chicagoans.

K

Talkin' 'Bout My Generation.

2009-05-24T21:29:00.003-05:00

Hey hey--

It’s been an interesting week, friends. The picture above is of some of my good friends an I hanging out like any old day, and I deicded to use it as a segway into the topic du jour. I’ve come across a lot of discussion-criticism, mainly-of my generation. Those of us born from the late 80’s on; the children of the Internet.

It’s been an interesting week full of really interesting things to talk about. And I could I get any more vague? Sorry, but I will start off with an issue that’s been bugging me for a while. I’ve come across a lot of criticism about my generation lately. Kids and adults alike look at kids born from the late 80s on as the Internet generation—a clan of desensitized, sheltered, good-for-nothing punks who fail tests and waste away in front of whatever the latest technology may be. American kids especially, a good portion of the world sees us as naïve, stupid, blasphemous. The world is in a sticky situation now, to say the least, and all of this cynicism an pessimism about our generation being the ones to end the modern world has surfaced.
This all makes me sick.

Kids are kids. I believe that all human beings are born with some instincts that date back to the very beginning of mankind, but the rest of a child’s brain is a clean slate (Tabula Rasa for my Latin geeks) that will be molded and imprinted on by the world around them. The young years of a child’s life are essentially one large game of “Monkey See, Monkey Do.” These are the most influential years of a person’s life and will have a prominent role (whether we like to think it or not) in the way a person develops and grows into an adult. It’s all just science, really. I don’t know much about science except for it’s sometimes correct.

My generation, we’ll say born in the mid 1980s and up, started out like any other generation-our parents, our grandparents. Unlike those who’ve come before us, though, we were born into an age of major technological development and advancement. The internet was invented when we were in diapers, and since then we’ve had access to a resource that no other young generation has had before; computers. And here we are, growing up, trying to figure out our own ways in this chaotic world. We’re kids; we screw up, and we choose whether or not to learn from our mistakes. It’s all science.

Yet, people tell me that my generation is selfish, self-absorbed, sheltered, stupid, dumbed down by the blessing and curse of the Internet, HD television, Twitter, Facebook, Limewire, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. People tell me if my generation, if all of the fifteen year olds don’t get their act together soon that the world is going to be a very, very mucked up place in a few years, and that we all need to wake up, put the PlayStations down, and do something about it.

This may all very well be true. American children are sheltered. We have electricity and water with fluoride, indoor plumbing, an generally enough food to eat. But don’t ever tell me that my generation is going to muck up the world. Because I hate to break it to you but it was all mucked up before we even got here. We were born into an era of deception and prejudice, fallacy and façade, war and hatred. Images of terrorism, racism, sexism, stereotypes galore have been embedded in our minds since day one. We turn on our computers, our radios, our television sets every morning and evening to stories of violence and terror, injustice and corruption. If I’m talking to an adult these days it usually has to do with something about money, or the recession.

I want every adult out there to know that I wake up every morning and wonder where I will be in five years. I wonder if I will have enough money to go to college, I wonder if I will be able to find a job, to afford a house. I wonder if I will have good friends who I can depend on and I wonder what I will be doing to help fix the mess that we are living in, in 2009. I wonder if Israel will still exist. If Africa will survive. If gay marriage will be accepted. If separation of race, gender, and ethnicity will still be so widespread. If we will be bound to technology forever. And it’s scary. I am going to safely assume that my parents growing up in the 70s and 80s did not think about these things every day. This goes for my grandparents as well. In this day and age we are facing problems that have never been seen before. But alas, I know I am not every American kid. My friends tell me this quite often. I get teased a lot for being overly passionate about certain issues that “don’t really matter”, “aren’t very important”, or just for being plain old stubborn and grumpy about everything. Some days I am insulted to be a part of my teenage generation. All of the profanity, sexuality, resistance to structured rules an general lack of respect can turn one off from our generation completely. But I think what a lot of people forget is that we are just kids. We are just kids and we take whatever is given to us by the ones who’ve come before us. I recently read an article about the extreme promiscuity of the teenage population of Argentina. Kids were quoted saying that they were exhibiting their rights as free individuals. Argentina hadn’t ever seen a real revolution until recently and that they were the daughters and sons of this new age, and that they were going to live it up while it lasts. I think that every teenager has adopted this mindset at some point or another. Though general disrespect can never be rightfully excused, we are just kids, and someday, we’ll eventually figure things out that hey—we can’t be kids anymore. As for what happens after that?

I asked a few of my friends to sum up what they thought the future held for our generation. I got responses like this:
• “I think our generation is technology obsessed. We are also say-ers, and not so much do-ers.”
• “Our generation is living in its own little bubble, and someday we’ll have to come out and face the real world.”
• “That is a big question.”
• “I think that once we grow up, we will solve a lot of big problems in the world. But not yet, it’ll take time, I guess.”
• “I think they're crazy individual and informed, and they feel pretty empowered. More than that of any generation before us. “
• “I think that our generation will never really get old. Although we will age, we have sort of a youthful vibrancy that isn’t in any other generation.”

A wide variety of answers, yeah? Some are hopeful, some not-so hopeful. But if there is one thing in common that all of the people I spoke to said, it was that our generation was like no other generation that has ever been, an probably that ever will be. We are unique in a way that no others are, which can be taken as a blessing or a curse. Our generation is faced with the huge responsibility of repairing the world. We were born with gifts and graces that we can use for good or evil. In the end, it’s all up to the decisions we make and how we go about executing them.
We have time. We don’t need to go all Chicken Little on the world because the sky isn’t falling quite yet. But it’s best to start repairing the cracks instead of making them deeper, because then when the whole thing caves in we’ll be lost forever.

Have a little faith, world. Stick up for us.
Oh, and listen to Green Day’s new album, 21st Century Breakdown. It’ll help you understand what I’m getting at.
Peace,
K.

Pennies. Happiness.

2009-05-13T19:54:00.004-05:00

I wanted to share a quick story with you all. It's just been a rough couple of days and I needed a bit of self-reassurance, so I wanted to share this with you.

I'm sure you've all heard the little ditty, "See a Penny, Pick it Up, Then All Day You'll Have Good Luck."

Well, I've been having a particularly awful week--I've just been feeling really down on myself. This morning I was in a really horrible mood, and in class I was cleaning out my purse.(we were watching a movie so it didn't really matter) I was going through my wallet, throwing away receipts and stuff, when I realized how many pennies I had! There were at least twenty or thirty in my little coin pouch. They were weighing me down!

And I thought to myself, "When am I ever realistically going to use these pennies to pay for something?" I never, ever give correct change, I don't use those penny-flattening machines at tourist attractions, and I don't have a penny collection. Because of this, all of these pennies have been accumulating in my wallet for a long, long time. I really didn't want them there-I hate clutter because it just puts me in a bad mood. So, I really felt the need to do something about all of these pennies, as silly as it may sound.

A large part of growing up for me has been learning to focus my negative energy on becoming more positive, and helping others. When I'm feeling bad about myself, I find that it's best to concentrate on other people; and after a while, I don't feel so bad about myself after all. I also like to think about all of the nice things that people have done for me that day, or that week, and then think about how I can return the favor. Not just to those who've helped me, but to the rest of the world, too.

"See a penny, pick it up, and then all day you'll have good luck." I grabbed a few friends and said, "Hey, I want to you leave these pennies in random places." By leaving pennies on doorsteps, on streetcorners, in bathrooms and on the train, I like to think that maybe someone will come along, see one, and pick it up. And then they'll have good luck, or at least they'll feel good. I always feel a little special when I see a penny on the street. All day, I've been dropping pennies wherever I go, hoping to make someone else feel special. It made me feel a lot better about myself, too.

I'm not one to believe in luck or magic or any of that good stuff but I do believe in Karma. I believe that if you have to be faithful and kind to others if you want them to be faithful and kind to you. What goes around comes around.

I had one last penny as I was walking home from the train today. I closed my eyes and tossed it over my shoulder. It felt good. I walked about ten more steps before coming across three shinny pennies on the ground. I hadn't dropped those. I thought about picking up all three, but I only took one and stuck it in my pocket.

It seemed like the right thing to do.

If you're having a bad day, maybe you could try this, too.

Thank you so much for reading my blog, I cannot express how amazing it is to know that people want to hear what I have to say. I am eternally gratefully.
Stay dry! Have a good week.

Lots of Love,
Kelsey.

Human Rights Abuse and Gaza

2009-05-11T16:09:00.003-05:00

Hi guys.
Here's the speech I wrote for english class. This is the second-to-last draft (Final draft edits were made in marker about an hour before I actually gave the speech) so please excuse any minor grammatical/spelling errors. I hope it gets my point across. Feel free to pose questions or just comment on it. This is an issue I'd love to talk more about on this blog, and I think my own personal statement would be a good place to start. If there is such thing as a good place to start.

Thanks, have a good week.
K

BEYOND POLITICS: HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE AND THE BLOCKADE IN THE GAZA STRIP

Imagine living in a place where you have been completely cut off from the rest of civilization. The outside world has written you off: no imports, no exports. The only contact you have is an unreliable monthly food shipment, and maybe a phone call or two. Many people, just like you, have been crammed into this place, forced to scavenge for food; searching through trash bins and dirt just to find enough to eat. Imagine going to school with no pencils, paper or textbooks, because there is nowhere to purchase these materials. You are trapped. And the worst part is on the outside of this blockade, there is another government that has walled you in. You and a million of your closest neighbors are the silenced victims of a growing humanitarian crisis, and those who have tried to help you have been unsuccessful because of the lack of relief aid and the limitations imposed by your political neighbors. There is virtually no way in, and no way out. Every day, violence strikes your area, and you’re community is continuously damaged. You’re poor. You’re starving. You’re helpless. Welcome to the Gaza Strip.

Located to the east of Israel, the Gaza Strip is about twice the size of Washington DC. This area has been a disputed territory for many years and is currently isolated through an Israeli-imposed blockade; a part of a larger conflict between the people of Israel and the people of the territories of Palestine. The conflict is a very complex one with deep historical roots that still rages on today. The Israeli government-enforced blockade in Gaza has exacerbated that conflict and should be completely abolished because it has created a humanitarian crisis and is rapidly destabilizing the entire Middle East region. Nearly 1,400 people in Gaza have died as a result of this blockade (UN Commissioner General’s Statements, 2009) and many more have been injured due to lack of security and resources needed for citizens to live normal lives. The Middle East’s economic stability, regional security, and the lives of million people are endangered, and action must be taken soon.

The situation in the Middle East is a multileveled conflict involving religion, ethnicity, politics, and terrorism. Many people have trouble discussing this conflict in a rational manner because there are competing narratives about the unclear origins of this conflict. I would like to make it clear that I am not taking political sides on this issue; I am focusing only on the injustice of the blockade. Gaza was captured by Israel in the 1967 war, and was an occupied territory with Israeli settlements until a 2005 evacuation by Israel. (Gershom, 2006)Since then, Israel has still maintained control of all borders, water access, air rights, and all movement of goods from external world. As a result, there is little functional daily life in Gaza and this has created another unjust situation in the region cannot be overlooked.

The blockade in Gaza is clearly a violation of international law, and there is evidence to prove it. The Geneva Conventions are a series of four treaties formulated in Geneva, Switzerland, beginning in the mid 19th century. These treaties are considered the foundation for international law concerning human rights. To quote directly “…The Occupying Power has the responsibility of ensuring food and medical supplies to the population, as well as maintaining medical services.” This statement from the Geneva Convention clearly states the Israel is engaging in illegal practices in Gaza. Israel cannot expect the international community’s support in a time of need when they are violating international law themselves.

The blockade in Gaza has led to severe economic damage, causing great harm for its citizens. In 1993, half of the goods produced in Gaza were marketed in the West Bank, another Palestinian territory on the western side of Israel. By 1995 this number had dropped to 8 percent. The per capita GNP dropped 40 percent in five years, from 1992-1997. A testimony from two Palestinian shop owners talks about how Israels policies in Gaza “… Have been designed to promote not development, but “de-development.” (Pearlman, 2003) Besides being completely illegal, the blockade in Gaza is a security threat to the Middle East region, including Israel. Some Gazans are resorting to illegal activities and smuggling through Hamas, one of two main political factions in Palestine and a terrorist government, as a way of survival, which has strengthened the group. As these illegal acts continue to unfold in Gaza, the international threats of terrorism and insecurity increase each day. The blockade has also done nothing to stop rocket attacks; and it is not meeting the original Israeli security objectives. It has only increased hostility and pushed peace farther away.

What we must keep in mind, above all, is that the effects of the blockade in Gaza have resulted in what is essentially a full-scale humanitarian crisis. The following is an excerpt from a testimony by a man in his thirties named Mouhammad, who describes his experiences with Israeli violence. “[One] day I was just taking an afternoon nap when suddenly I woke up to all of this noise outside. I looked out the window and saw a tank and soldiers running around my house. They began to fire gas, but it wasn’t regular tear gas. It was a dense gas that blocks your vision.” He is then able to escape the violence, but not entirely, “We tried to drive back several times, but each time the army or the [Israeli] settlers would come after us and we’d have to flee again. Finally at 10 that night a bulldozer came. They demolished four houses: my house, my brothers house along with his clinic, and the houses of two other relatives.” These are the true words of a man in the Gaza Strip who experiences these tragedies frequently. With each day of hostility, the future of Gaza’s people grows dimmer and dimmer, and families are torn apart. Politics aside, these innocent civilians are trapped and in danger. The immediate crisis makes it hard to achieve more prominent process on an allover resolution of the conflict.

We hear of these atrocities every day on the news and from the international media community, and yet we as a nation of this world are still willing to stand by and watch. I commend President Obama and Secretary Clinton’s recent efforts to create a special Middle East envoy position, currently held by the esteemed George Mitchell (TIME, 2009). But we have not seen change yet. As a leading nation in this world it is our duty to speak out against any sort of human rights abuse. We do not have to agree with the victims, nor does it matter whether we like the perpetrators. It is shameful to stand by and watch hundreds of civilians killed each month. We cannot deny innocent people the right to live.

The Gaza blockade has severely undermined the peace process in the Middle East, and it must be removed immediately. The idea of a blockade itself violates international law, poisoning the atmosphere for negotiation. The instability of the situation poses a greater threat to the region. And above all, it is a humanitarian crisis that simply cannot be ignored. As American we cnnot completely grasp this situation; but just because we are not experiencing this atrocities firsthand doesn’t mean we can sit back and relax. The US is a leading country in the global community and it would be in everyone’s best interest if we paid attention and took a leadership role in this conflict. We have been long time friends with Israel and must do our best to support what’s best for them. They are endangered by their own actions in Gaza so it would be best to eliminate the blockade. Our own security interests have ties to the Middle East so it would be best to end this threat and protect our own safety by lifting the blockade. We have to look out for each other.

As a Palestinian doctor named Mohammed says this, “It is time that the American people look at the situation here differently than the way they perceive it now…Why aren’t they moved now when they see innocent Palestinian children shot every day? What kind of rule of law would accept this inhumanity?” (Pearlman, 2003) This conflict has raged on for too long. We must help our fellow citizens set their differences aside to work for a better tomorrow. Now is the time for change, for hope, and for a long awaited peace.

Mustard?

2009-05-09T21:04:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone.

Sorry for the lack of updatage this week. We've been doing major work on all of the computers in our house...updating, adding, removing, decorating...I even changed my desktop photo. It's an Andy Warhol print, I'm sure you'll all be happy to know. But now my internet works faster and all the junkware on my computer is long gone, so life is much easier. Oh, technology, if only you weren't so complex.

So, a couple of things:

Monday I am posting a speech that I gave in English class about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, mainly the Israeli-enforced blockade in Gaza. It was a really interesting speech to write (I spent a lot of hours on it and it's still a little rusty, but whatever) so I'd love to hear thoughts and opinions on that. But it's too late for heavy subjects like that, so instead you should watch this video or listen to this song. Everyone needs some dancing birds and Wilco.

For a time when you're feeling more contemplative, you're going to want to check out the play called "The Overwhelming" which is currently playing in the Next Theatre in Evanston (in the same building as the Piven Theatre and Actor's Gymnasium). The play is about an American professor and his family who travel to Rwanda in 1994, on the eve of the genocide. The play reflects a lot of how America is full of foreign policy idiots, and tends to fuck up the world, pardon my harsh language. The play is intense, but you must see. The acting is flawless, depsite some iffy accents and bad Kinyarwandan pronounciation (like I should be talking, hah)and the Rwandan characters, despite many portrayals of Africans in American theatre, have depth and complexity. The play does get very intense. Some points I though I was going to upchuck right there and then. But you have to see it. But you have to act now! Because it closes May 30. Please, if there is one thing Americans need to start doing, it's learning their history the right way. I can say the Pledge of Allegiance in Latin and English, I can tell you all about the Magna Carta and the French revolution, and all of that stuff is great, right? But what about Africa? A country that shaped a lot of the world has been forgotten. And we are to blame. This must be rememdied now, and this is a great place to start. SO BUY YOUR TICKETS RIGHT HERE I will personally escort you to the show and fill you in on all of the background information you might need. I will hold your hand in the sad parts. You have to go see this play. We can make a Color Me Kelso field trip out of it. I'm serious.

And finally, for all of my lovely readers in the Chicago area, if you're not busy this Friday, the 15th, in the evening hours, come downtown and check out Manifest! It's a Columbia College Showcase, but you should really come to the parade. My friend Mercedes is in a hoop dance group/troupe? and asked me to join her. I'm so excited. You have to come cheer us on. Details soon.

Okay, be nice to your mommies and and all o the mommies you know tomorrow. And the next day, and the day after that. You know.

Peace and love. K

Today is May First. (Strange and Suprisingly Personal)

2009-05-01T23:23:00.003-05:00

I woke up singing this song in my brain this morning. It's such a springtime song.

Aren't there some things in life that mean so much to you, though the reason it means so much to you doesn't really make a lot of sense? May first is kind of like that. It's the light at the end of the tunnel.

I've got a nice weekend coming up. Going to be on stage with some beautiful people, and then I'm going to celebrate with these beautiful people, and our friends.

On that note, I've been trying my best to make it a priority, for my own sake, to surround myself with good people. Negative energy brings me down, and there have been a lot of years in my life where I just felt down, all of the time. Some days, before you open your eyes, the first thing into your stream of conciousness is, "Oh crap, I have to do this again today?" And then the day after that, and the day after that...

I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorders ages ago. I don't talk about it much; don't have a lot of reason to. I was a really unhappy and afraid person for a very, very long time. And I'm not sure how and when that changed, but all I know is that now when I wake up in the morning, the first thing I think is, "I'm glad to be here." I think being at lowest points in my life (not being able to eat, sleep, talk) have taught me to appreciate overlooked things in life; like when people make an effort to talk to you, and when the sun shines bright, genuine compliments, and good food.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I lived in a mindset where the world and everyone in it was against me. My parents were out to ruin my life. I had no friends. God hated me. Everything was going wrong. And I stopped believing. In God, in friends, in family. And I lived like that for what seems like a long time in my small fourteen years and nine months. And I let people bring me down; I surrounded myself with people who were feeling the same way as me, and we all brought each other down.

The best way to heal anything--a broken leg, a broken heart, a broken soul--is with baby steps. Learning to put yourself back into a normal life. Learning to identify the things you enjoy in life, and the things you don't. Finding the people who make your life better, and letting the people who drag you down go. Learning about yourself is like reading a complicated map in a language you've never heard of. It takes time, baby steps.

So this all may sound silly to those who have never had any experience with anxiety and depression, but I feel like the universe put me here on this earth to experience everything. the highs and the lows, the good and the bad. to be a witness, and the one who gives the personal tesitmony. I'm learning to appreciate my mother's hugs and my fathers phone calls and when people tell me I'm good at things. I'm learning to appreciate studying for tests and going to good friend's houses and eating ice cream out of the carton. Butterflies, rainbows, music--all of those things make me happy and it's become a priority to surround myself with things that make me happy.

Because I know that if I'm happy, I can make other people happy, too.

Enjoy your weekend. K.

Career Day, and More Than Just The Flu?

2009-04-29T18:45:00.003-05:00

Hey all--

Hope you're having a good week. Remind me to move somewhere with a more stable climate, Chicago weather is such a nuisance. It was 80 on Friday, and it's been 50 for a few days now, with flood warnings! But of course, tomorrow it'll be 75 and sunny and we'll all just put away our parkas until we need them again sometime over the weekend. What happened to April showers bringing May flowers? The trees aren't even that green. Oh, global warming, please stop killing our earth.

Today was career day at my school. I'd never had career day before; I'd only seen it on the television, in movies and such. It was fairly dissapointing. Probably because I forgot to sign up for seminars of my choice, and they gave me whatever was left. First, there was some wacky entrepreneur who worked in the Dollar Store industry, and a lawyer who works for a large bank that we're all not that happy with. The latter speaker gave the classic "I didn't want to be a lawyer, but here I am and it's honestly no fun" speech that I've heard too many times from my father.

This session kind of pissed me off honestly; I cannot stand people whose lives revolve around money. Most of the money you will possess in your live you will never physically see. What if it all doesn't actually exist? Why dedicate your life to something you will never hold, when you could worry about spending time with people you care about and helping the world in better ways? I'm sorry, but it's something that really upsets me, that I could rant about in really unconstructive ways for a very long time. My second session was much better though. It was a head honcho of political lobbyists for the real estate people in the US (I'm sure his offical title is much more sophisitcated) Politcal activism is something I love (though I hate money, hmm) and he really cleared up what a typical day in the office was.

I like lobbyists who are genuinely interested in what's best for their followers/members, not organizations like AIPAC WHO BABYSIT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THROW MONEY AT THEM LIKE THEIR LIVES DEPEND ON IT. But this as well, is for another time.

My last session was from a web designer who talked in webspeak most of the time, but definitely emphasized the importance of liking what you do when you grow up, and that you shouldn't feel married to a career the minute you pick a major. I think this is completely true. Sure, there's a monetary aspect to this; it's expense to change careers. But your happiness is crucial in whatever you do; you have to feel like you are putting out as much good into the world as you possibly can, as well as keeping yourself and those around you happy. Money will play into this, of course: people need to eat and have a home, and such. But happiness is key. I think a lot of people forget how to be happy because work has consumed their lives. At least, that's what I've personally observed.

On a completely different note, what's up with this swine flu?

Overview:Here

My analysis: I'm sure that swine flu is a serious illness, and if untreated can be fatal, as we've seen with the recent deaths in Mexico, and today with the child in Texas. My heart goes out to those whose families have been plagued by the recent epidemic, and I know that people at the CDC and medical experts around the globe are working quickly and dilligently to quell the growing epidemic. For the rest of us, the only thing we can do is take the same precautions that we do for any other illness, like human influenza. Wash hands, sneeze and cough into a tissue, be aware, etc.

The WHO has raised the swine flu epidemic level to a 5. This is the second highest level. These cases were not exposed until a week ago. Today, Kilmer Elementary in my neighborhood of Rogers Park, in Chicago, was closed down because a child is suspected of having the swine flu. This is sensible; Kilmer's average attendance is 95% and yesterday only 87% of their almost 900 students attended. A big drop for one day, and with the suspected case...it makes sense.

What doesn't make sense is how PARANOID people are getting. A cough? Oh no, you have swine flu! Go sit in the corner! Better yet, go home so your parents can deal with you! It's spring, and the weather is crazy. People get sick. You probably do not have swine flu.

But the worst thing for me was what my sister told me when she got home from school. Her school, located in Albany Park-a Chicago neighborhood with a large Hispanic population. It is now widely known that this outbreak originated in Mexico, and the American cases are related to Mexican travel. So my sister had a field trip scheduled to Roosevelt High School, a Chicago high school located in Albany Park.

Apparently, this trip was cancelled. Reasons were not specifically given, but a note from my sister said they were taking "health precautions." Health precautions. What would make traveling to Roosevelt any different that going to any other school? Roosevelt has a high hispanic population. Our school system is paranoid and racist. I'm participating in a concert in Humboldt Park, another very Hispanic-populated neighborhood tomorrow. I've been asked if the concert was cancelled, because of swine flu.

Do people not understand how ridiculous they are?

The people who have swine flu in this country went to Mexico over spring break. They were probably white, and had some money. If you've emigrated to the US from Mexico, then you probably are not going to want to spend your break in Mexico. To close down a school with a sick child is sensible. To cut off ties because a school has a bunch of Mexican people? Is ridiculous. Who knows how many of those Hispanic Roosevelt students are actually Mexican.

I think this is just a reminder of the paranoid and racist closeted fears our country possesses. We tend to blow things out of proportions, Americans do. And its times like these where these little closeted fears surface once again, if you're willing to look. It shows that no matter how progressive our nation is portrayed to be, there's definitely a good chunk who are living in the past. Which nowadays, is plain unacceptable.

What are your thoughts on all of this? Is the swine flu pandemonium rational? Am I being quick to judge? Let me know what you think. The most important thing, overall, is that we are fair to each other; the sick and the well, and that we don't let a preventable issue get in the way. Stay well.

Peace.

Kelsey

The Notorious Essay (A Few Days Late)

2009-04-27T21:14:00.002-05:00

Feel free to completely ignore this. Feel free to skim over, mentally register the words "Congo" "Colonialism" and "Bad", and move on. Or, feel free to critique my writing as you wish. Writing is one of my passions and unless someone lets me know that I am not good at it, it's probably going to be a big part of my future. So, dissect, shout, stomp on it. Compliments are also appreciated, you know.

The Democratic Republic of Congo lies in the heart of a land that has been pillaged and exploited by outsiders for hundreds of years. With its natural resources severely depleted and its economy in a state of prolonged decline, the effects of Congo’s colonial nightmare cannot be forgotten. The exploitation of Congo's resources and complete oppression of its people in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by King Leopold and the Belgians created great obstacles for political and economic stability that continue to cast a shadow over the Congolese today.
King Leopold II of Belgium took full control over what was referred to as the Congo Free State in 1885, giving all control of trade, political matters, and resources to himself. He sold this idea to the rest of the Western world by running a series of anti-slavery campaigns, and continuously promoting a message of productivity and tolerance, even as he occupied and oppressed the Africans under his rule. While massive amounts of positive propaganda were being fed to the larger world, disaster was settling into the Congo region. Today, the current political and economic situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo strongly reflects the rule of its past colonizers. Since its independence in 1960 Congo has been on a long downward spiral; facing major threats from rebel forces and racial and ethnic violence, as well as the prominent problems of child soldiers, extreme poverty, and untreated disease. If Leopold and Belgium had not pillaged the Congo Free State of its resources and left the Congolese stumbling blindly to independence, Congo would have had the potential to be a prosperous and successful nation.

There was a time when Congo was a very successful civilization. The Kingdom of Kongo, located in West-Central Africa, was established in the early 15th century, but its people had been living in the region since 1000 BC. A central civilization in the vast, unexplored continent of Africa, the Kongo Kingdom was a center of trade and commerce, situated right on the Congo River. Its lands were lush and fertile, and its people were farmers and metal workers. The Kingdom’s first encounter with Europeans was the expedition of Portuguese explorer Diogo Cortes in 1483 (Collelo, Thomas). Soon after, Portuguese missionaries flocked to the area in hopes of converting the Congolese into Christians. At first, relations were good between the two peoples, but soon after a Congolese convert named Alfonso came to the throne in Kongo and attempted to mimic European civilization as closely as possible. The Portuguese took advantage of this; taking Kongo’s fertile land for their own as well as starting a slave trade. Kongo’s rulers were also becoming greedy and took money from the kingdom, leaving the people in mass poverty. Thus, the Kingdom of Kongo had already felt the effects of European colonization when Leopold discovered Belgium, but this time the impact was on a much larger scale. By the time Leopold had fully claimed the kingdom as the Congo Free State, the people of a once prosperous civilization were completely powerless.

In the midst of the “Scramble for Africa,” King Leopold was well on his way to gaining complete ownership of anything the Congo Free State had to offer. After dealing with the rest of the greedy European powers who had their eyes on the region, Leopold made no hesitation before jumping right into the pillaging of Congo’s resources for his own private corporations. At the same time, he was sending little trinkets to his “friends” in Germany, France, and the U.S. to make sure they were not questioning his motives within Congo Free State. At the Berlin Conference of 1884, Leopold had it made official that he be the sole ruler of the Congo Free State -- not even the country of Belgium could claim ownership -- and he continued to profit immensely from the huge rubber trade. Soon, Congo’s once flourishing rubber crop was slipping away, and the 30 million inhabitants of the Congo Free State because Leopold’s personal slaves; producing and shipping rubber to his factories day in and day out, along with other crops Leopold exported for himself. He soon became, arguably, the richest man in Europe, while the people of Congo endured poverty and chaos. Leopold’s Force Publique was called into make sure the rubber quotas were being filled. If a slave was not working hard enough they were beaten, taken hostage and tortured, and sometimes raped or maimed. (Encyclopædia Britannica). It has been speculated that the death toll during this time was anywhere from 5-15 million, with thousands more left ill and impoverished. The colony had become a humanitarian crisis.

The Congo Free State began its downfall at the turn of the 20th century. Bigger, more profitable rubber industries were appearing in Central and South America, eroding the economic dominance of the colony. Leopold came under greater scrutiny regarding the condition of the people of the Congo Free State. Eyewitness reports of the atrocities, such as those authored by Irish diplomat Sir Roger Casement, were becoming more widespread. After many years of struggle, Belgium formally annexed Congo Free State in 1908, removing the sole power from Leopold. But it was not for another 50 years that Congo was able to achieve independence.

The true effects of colonialism on Congo were not completely apparent until Congo’s declaration of independence in 1960. Growing nationalism led the Congolese to push the Belgians into permitting the formation of their own political parties for the first time in history in 1958. This pressure was led by Patrice Lumumba, who became known as the Father of the Congolese Independence movement. After a long and bloody struggle with only two years of legitimate political experience, Congo was granted independence and Lumumba was elected first prime minister. However, stability eluded the young nation. For example, tensions grew between the white Belgian settlers who remained and the Congolese Force Publique, and attacks against white settlers escalated. In response, Belgian forces were brought into the country, which heightened tensions; the last thing the newly formed Congo wanted was the presence of their previous ruler. Finally, Belgian troops were replaced with United Nations troops, who were not effective. Congo’s leaders realized they would have no help from the outside world so the opposing political leaders turned on each other. Like their colonizing rulers before them, Lumumba and his biggest political rival, Joseph Mobutu fought for sole power of the Congo, which turned into a nationwide political bloodbath. This continued until Belgium and the U.S. (who were against Lumumba’s rule because he was seen as a communist) joined forces with Mobutu to have Lumumba publically beaten and murdered. Without the father of their independence movement, Congo lapsed into a huge civil war, and no stable government was established for many years. (Dummett, Matt)

Even today, Congo is still raging with conflict. Its central government is weak and has no control over the fringe rebel parties, like the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), who have continuously terrorized Congo and its neighbors Rwanda and Uganda for over 20 years. (Pike, John) A lot of violence concerning ethnicity (Hutu and Tutsi) left over from the conflict of the Rwandan genocide still rages in Congo today. The people of Congo are poor, starving, and suffering from preventable diseases like malaria, cholera, and HIV.(Global Health Reporting) Slowly but surely, Congo’s African neighbors are stepping up to initiate peace talks with the nation, which have so far been unsuccessful. Congo is struggling to survive on a nearly nonexistent political foundation, whose origins can certainly be traced back to its deceptive and debiliating colonial days.

Peace.
K

Colonialism in Congo

2009-04-22T22:46:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone!

I'm sorry it has been...exactly three weeks since I last updated. One and a half of those weeks I was in Europe on Spring Break, and the other one and a half I've been buried in work. Europe was fantastic. I went to Dublin, Ireland, and then to the UK (Wales, and England) and finished it off with two days in Paris. I saw so many beautiful attractions, ate some great food, and hung out with some great people. I could write a book about everything I saw in ten days, but instead you could take a look at some of my pictures.
Dublin I
Dublin II
Wales
England
Paris I
Paris II should be coming to a screen near you shortly. I have to get my life back together first.

Last few weeks have been ridiculous. The good news is I can actually start using this blog for it's original purpose again, starting tomorrow. I will post a paper I wrote for my World Studies class about Colonialism in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Did you know that the Belgians were sadistic military fiends who killed the man who was to lead Congo to some sort of stability? (They WERE, not are.) Have you heard of King Leopold II of Belgium? When was the last time you had something from the Cadbury Chocolate Company? (hopefully, never.)

You can be informed on all of this tomorrow, when I post the final draft of my essay. It's currently being dissected by my mother who is quite enjoying herself with my many referrences to people with no hands. (Hey, it's late, I'm tired, and lots of people got their hands cut off in the Congo Free State.)

If you'd like to catch up on your Congolese history, I reccomend this YouTube videos. I won't make you read this time.
>Early Kongo Kingdom interactions with Portuguese, African Slave Trade
Patrice Lumumba: Father of Congolese Independence Movement
Slideshow of Congo: Viewer Discresion Advised.

Are you hopeful for Africa's future? Lemme know what you think.

K

Leavin' On A Jet Plane, Take Two.

2009-04-01T20:40:00.001-05:00

In Europe.
See you in ten days.
Stay cool.
K

Sharing Some Words of Wisdom

2009-03-25T21:37:00.002-05:00

God, this is probably my favorite poem right now. The poet's name is )Andrea Gibsonand I don't know much about her (but I guess that's what Wikipedia is for and the title of this poem is "Thank Goodness." It touches base on a lot of current issues and ties them in with religion and the bible and stuff. And I've been trying to write a poem lately with a similar theme, I guess. Mostly talking about how I can believe in something and still identify with the Jewish faith, without believing in God. But that discussion is for a time when I'm less busy and more awake so now I invite you to sit back, relax, and grab the tissue box because this poem makes me wanna cry so hard, but then it makes me want to save the world afterwards, so I hope you feel that way, too.
And also, setting fiery poetry to beautiful, flowing, resounding piano? Damn.
My M key is being uncooperative. Must fix that.
Peace and Love.
K

What do YOU value?

2009-03-16T21:03:00.008-05:00

So this picture really had nothing to do with what I was going to talk about tonight, but it's one of my most/least favorites from my collection from last summer's trip to Rwanda and Uganda.

I love it because of the kids. That was such a fun day. We were in rural Uganda, touring the farms of some of the members of Peace Kawomera Cooperative and we stopped at this one man's house and of course, whenever the white people are around, it's great entertainment. Especially white people with digital cameras. I've never seen a kid laugh harder than when I would show them the pictures on the screen of my digi. I'll never forget that. It's a beautiful picture, too. Everything's so green and lush and there are so many beautiful people! Like JB, the agricultural specialist for the cooperative, who was so nice to us while we were there. If only we could edit out that silly mzungu with the camera.

This picture also makes me feel very weird. Spoiled, out of touch,American. I mean, the thing we (myself and those kids) were focused on was the camera. To me, it was just the regular old digi. You know, bring it to school, take 800 photos of you and your closest friends in the infamous "white girl pose." And then post them ALL over the internet for your 500 closest friends on Facebook to admire. To those kids, those little kids with bare feet, ragged clothes, and bright white smiles, that digital camera was a phenomenon! They didn't have a television, or a radio. There schools don't have projectors or computers. They probably had never used a telephone. And to have this strange silver device make a click noise and then have their faces show up on this little screen? How funny!

My grandpa grew up in rural Kentucky. He didn't have indoor plumbing until he was 17. He didn't have technology growing up. He went on to become an incredibly successful doctor and a food lover. Yet, I still see him marvel at the capabilities of a dishwasher, or the new GPS he and my grandma got for Christmas.

Doesn't it makes you wonder, how messed up are we? We, who haven't known a world without television and radio and telephones. It makes you reconsider what our values, as a country, are.

What do we, as Americans in 2009, value?

I'll tell you what I think. I think we value money, because there's *such a crisis* right now! We value television because it teaches us all we need to know. We value religion and the media because it's so much easier than getting up and going to church. Valuing our friends is so much easier with websites like Facebook and Twitter. Valuing our family is nice, but even better with a child support check. Material goods, appearance, and social status are high up there, too. We value all of those things like peace, unity, and brotherhood, but that's a given since there's no raging war on our soil.

Now look me in the (virtual) eye and tell me that what I've presented isn't just a little bit true. Makes you kind of sick, doesn't it?

My perception doesn't have to be your perception. In fact, my perception is not the typical foreign perception. The people I met last summer LOVED Americans. They thought we were silly, but the LOVE Barack Obama and they LOVE Beyonce and they really LOVE Britney Spears. They love the missionaries who provide aid to their communities, but they're not so fond of the part when they try to convert them. (That was for you, Texan idiots who were at the same hotel as us in Uganda, "Spreading the Gospel from hut to hut." Good Grief.) They think we're filthy rich, because of the color of our skin and where we live. They think we have a lot of power, and that we know all of the important people, because of the color of our skin and where we live. But they're so receptive and welcoming and you can't help feeling like you've taken a little bit of Afica home with you when you have to leave.

And sure, they've taken some America for themselves. They've got Coca Cola and computers, an aggressive economy and some budding R&B musicians of their own. But one thing they've been able to do is preserve their culture. Their languages, their foods, their traditions that make them unique compared to the rest of the world. And we, as the Internet generation, all we can do is appreciate them for who they are.

All we can do as people in this world is appreciate people for who they are. That is what I value.

Good Night.
K

One Day, Robots Will Cry

2009-03-12T17:20:00.003-05:00

Hey All,

I just received a really snippy email from a teacher concerning a late assignment that she knew was going to be late. It was a group project and she was going off on me about how only ONE of our group members showed up when she knew that I wasn't going to be there. And it really, really aggravated me. And I'm thinking about it now--it was a 4 sentence email from a teacher, and why am I so angry about it?

Circumstance is part of it, I guess; I was incredibly busy the two days I was absent for a school competition. But, as I'm thinking about it now, I think that maybe if she'd said something in person, that it wouldn't have bothered me as much. I don't know how it is for others, but reading a mean email is almost worst than someone saying mean things to your face.

I think part of this is because written words we can receieve in different ways or meanings. If you mean to say one thing, that doesn't always me that the person on the recieving end is going to take it that way. [There is a great quote from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll concerning this, I believe. Or it might've just been in the Lookingglass Theatre Production?] I guess this is true in both face-to-face communication as well as telephone, email, etc. but it seems that the more impersonal the communication the worse it gets.

It makes me think about how impersonal communication is and how desensitized our world population is becoming. I'm completely guilty: I get up in the morning and check my cell phone, and then I check my email and my Facebook at school, and then I text during physics [Might be why my grade is not so great...nah!] and then I use the internet for homework at lunch and then I'll ring a couple people at lunch on my cell phone, and so on. And I probably spend an average of 2-4 hours a day of screen time. That's 2-4 hours more than I need to. I guess that a lot of that is homework [and sporadic Facebook breaks] but seriously, is that gross or what?

And before you go all, "Ooh Kelsey, you're going to be a mush-brained teenage burnout because you spend anywhere from 14-28 hours a week on the computer," Think about how much time you spend clicking away. This includes work, Blackberry-ing, homework, any time on the internet. Try and find out your daily and weekly averages. GROSS, right?

How about phone calls and text messages? Last week I sent 115 text messages. Seven days. That's about 16 a day. That is way more than usual for me. Now I know some of you are like "WOW does she ever do anything productive?" [Yeah I do, sometimes.] and some of you are like, "Damn, that's NOTHING!" which is kind of scary. I know people who send a thousand a week.

I could go on and on, calculating how much time we spend clicking away on our BlackBerries or talking others' ears off on the phone, or staring at an overly bright screen until our brains start to melt. The fact of the matter is we, as a generation, and even older generations now, are addicted to the internet. to our phones. to ALWAYS being accessible. to ALWAYS communicating. We talk so much that we've resorted to a new kind of shorthand.

N hoo dsnt luv gettin a msg lyk this?!?!?1!1

In AA and other rehab programs (I read.), the first thing you are supposed to accomplish is accepting the fact that yes, you have a problem. And as much as we do not want to admit it; we all have a problem.

I'm going to start trying my hardest to limit my computer time. There are better ways to communicate. Here are some ideas!
---Write letters! I have some good friends who made it their new year's resolutions to write more letters.
---Talk to people in person! I've gotten so lazy with that. I'll be like, "Oh, I'll just Facebook them when I get home. At this rate we'll never see each other again!
---BE CAREFUL. The things you write on the internet are more often than not public. I've seen people get bashed in emails and publicly on social networking sites. I've sent/received brutal emails. Now you're hearing about kids getting charged with child pornography, etc. because of racy pictures they put out on the internet. Bad, bad, bad.

As the weather gets warmer it'll be easier for us to come out from hiding in our homes and embrace life once again. This summer I hope that you and I can put the laptops away (except for blogging, of course) and remind ourselves that yes, the sky is blue! Yes, it is nice to receive compliments in person! Yes, it feels good to connect with people, one-on-one!

And really? Think about it. When was the last time you received a letter that wasn't from your grandma? When was the last time YOU wrote your grandma?

K!

Soggy Marches bring Soggier Aprils.

2009-03-09T16:58:00.003-05:00

That's a sunset at the north pole. wicked.

I feel like there are a lot of things going on in the world that I should be talking about on this blog right now. But honestly, I haven't been in much of a news reporter mood lately. I think it must be hard to have a job like that because you have to smile a lot and act professional, and really--the world gets me down sometimes, and I get tired of talking about bombs and bigotry. Sometimes, I just get tired of talking.
Yet, we keep bombing and blasting and blabbing.Though we're tired of it.

As my life continues to change quicker than traffic lights, I've been trying to think about things in my life and which ones I hold dearest to me. Think of it as a...mental detox of sorts. Like, for one, I'm trying to clean my room. More like a great purge (without Stalin and bloodshed). Every 14 year old I know has a room that looks like Hurricane Katrina passed by. And I'm currently sitting in a laundry basket of half-clean clothes wondering, "What am I doing to myself?"

Clutter makes me anxious and irritable, yet I am very lazy when it comes to cleaning and have no motivation to change that. But I've been working a little each day--throwing away old Algebra papers and putting books I won't read again into a box to wait for a garage sale that I probably won't have for a while. But at least it's in a box and not all over the place.

As for bigger, more valuable things, I've been trying to meditate on each one and decide where it should go. Where would it be most succesful in the world-would someone else appreciate more than I or should it just go somewhere where it could be made into something else? And slowly, my room is getting clearer and clearer. The other day I lifed up the shades for the first time in years and cleared the cobwebs. And as the sun comes up a little bit more each day I start to feel a little bit more alive, and not weighed down by so much...crap.

The fact that I've dedicated an entire post to talking about cleaning my room may seem a bit absurd. The fact that I've taken this cleaning-my-room thing so personally is a bit absurd to me. But my room is supposed to be my safe haven and it's getting there, slowly. I think it is a good oppurtunity for not only myself, but for other people. As they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure.

I guess I've caught the spring cleaning bug. That's completely fine with me, as long as the spring part is included. Oh, sunshine.
K

When it Hurts to Be Human.

2009-03-04T22:42:00.002-06:00

I wish they'd made a version of that book, "When Bad Things Happen to Good People," for dogs.

What a world.

Casmir Pulaski is My Homeboy.

2009-03-01T22:52:00.003-06:00

Want a great way to kick off your March? Listen to
This Song.

Hi everyone, I apologize for the lack of updatage lately, there’s been copious amounts of projects due on this end (especially group projects, and I hate those) and I’m also fighting some sort of bug, so the blog was shoved in a hypothetical corner for a little while. But I’m back, and while writing this I was sitting in my synagogue JRC in Evanston (couldn't post until I got somewhere with Internets!), listening to a presentation given by two lovely ladies who are recounting their first hand stories of marching on Selma, Alabama in 1950s with the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This is incredible story; these ladies grew up here in the Chicago area, which experienced segregation but not as severe as in the south. They got involved with civil rights activism up here, and uniquely tried to apply their Jewish values to their activism, and vice versa. Somehow, this led them to Selma, Alabama, where they participated in one of the most historic large protests of the Civil Rights Movement. Extraordinary. We’re hoping to get them to participate in our Oral History Project through Interfaith Youth Core—but that is for another update.
February is referred to as Black History Month, but it’s not widely recognized. My school’s Black Student Union put together a lovely assembly (best assembly I’ve ever been to) that incorporated theatre, poetry, dance, and history. There was even an African-inspired fashion show. That was a hit. My choir,The Chicago Children's Choir, has a day in February where all of the children participating in the school choral program (over 60 Chicago Public Schools) come together downtown to sing songs and celebrate African American heritage and culture. Black history month and the civil rights movement have always had a special connection to the Chicago Children’s choir because it was founded in 1956 straight out of the Civil Rights Movement. I encourage you to read more about it on the website.

I wish that there were more programs focusing on African American history during this month. I believe that the Civil Rights Movement, to any average person, means Martin Luther King giving his ‘I Have A Dream’ speech to millions of people across America in 1963. There are so many staple events and key players that formed this fight against segregation in America that are not given enough recognition. I can assure you that if you look close enough, you can find people all around you ho had first hand encounters with the Civil Rights Movement and the fight against segregation. Whether they listened to and read Martin Luther King’s speeches, went to protests , participated in boycotts, marched, spoke, wrote—they were all a part of shaping America’s history. Everyone who was old enough to remember those events was a witness. I hope you’ll take the time to check that out some day. Especially here in Chicago, there is a strong, friendly activism community that we should take more pride in as an American city.

So as we leave February behind (and hopefully the cold weather, too) I hope that this African American history continues. MLK’s National Holiday and Black History Month are great, really, but these should be incorporated more thoroughly into basic primary and secondary American education. Honestly, if I had children, I would rather they know about Emmett Till, Jim Crowe, the boycotts, the marches, the impact, etc, that know how to multiply astronomical numbers in your head, like how it was at my school. I don’t even know what’s happened to the American education system. It’s like a mind factory now; your main goals are memorization of everything you’ve ever learned so you can get as many perfect scores on the standardized tests as possible. But, I digress. I’ll save that for another post.

Not to be cliché or anything, but one of my favorite sayings in the whole wide world is “Those who don’t know history are bound to repeat it.” It’s stuck with me since the first time I heard it.

So yeah, know your history. It’ll serve you better than knowing how to multiply 293 by 50 in your head. With a 5-second time limit. Knowing that if you do know the answer in those five seconds, the teacher will give you another piece of candy. Oh, humanity, what has happened to you?

Pray for some warm weather. Have a good week!
K

Always Be A Poet, Even in Prose.

2009-02-18T16:32:00.003-06:00

Charles Baudelaire said that.

So today I participated in the city level of the National Poetry Out Loud Competition. It's a poetry reciation contest, different from slam in that you're not writing your own poems but instead reciting others from more famous authors. I did two today--"One Art", by Elizabeth Bishop, and "Famous", by Naomi Shihab Nye (Who is Palestinian-American! One of my favorite poets.) I loved both poems dearly and it was so much fun and I'm so glad I got to participate. I even got first runner up! Which means I get to go on in a couple of weeks and compete at state level with the winner to represent the Chicago area. There are seven areas from around Illinois so there will be fourteen of us. I am so excited, it's such a wonderful oppurtunity. They gave me free books, too!

So yes, just a bit of tootin' my own horn today. My apologies. The above picture I took in Berea, Kentucky last August at the Berea College Campus. I found it funny to have such a pretty Hamsa sitting in the middle of rural Kentucky but hey, life surprises you a lot, yes?

Oh, I remember: Slumdog Millionaire! I said I would review it, didn't I. So, I thought it was absolutely marvelous and you should all see it. I've never been to India but I'm guessing the portrayal was fairly acurate for such a mainstream movie. It got rough in some places but wow, the messages were thuroughly communicated! And my goodness, but I have to say the actor who played Jamal was so cute. It was like, unbearable. And the Bollywood dance scene at the end, on the train platform? I think we need to recreate that here. I wanted to be there! Of course, I can't dance to save my life, but it still would've been so fun.

All right, going to go finish my essay on Stalin. UGH, I could say a million things about that whole messed up time in Russia, but I won't bore you (or myself) to death.
Have a good day!
K

And I Didn't Even See Disney World.

2009-02-16T14:51:00.005-06:00

Not that I'm complaining or anything. I hate roller coasters, so Disney World is one color, plastic, corporate hell for me. I was kind of hoping to fly over it on my cross-state flight from RSW, but instead I got an eyeful of ugly wasteland. It's so werid, we were driving from Estero (by Ft. Meyers) to Miami, so all the way accross the state, and all there was to see was a whole lot of ugly. Useless wasteland, scattered with trash and runoff and all sorts of unfortunate sights. Everyone talks about Floridian climate as ideal, with palm trees and beaches, but wow, talk about a reality check.

It really made me think about how so much of this country is completely useless, and how the population densitity is completely unbalanced. Cities are so overpopulated that they are collapsing thanks to shaky infastructure, when all there is to see in south Florida is a few mass-produced neighborhoods and acres of dried grass. I hope that this new administration will put some time and thought into cities like Chicago, that are still suffering the effects of the Migration, some 100 years ago. In short; when freed slaves decided to leave the south, they hopped on trains and rode north to places like St. Louis, Chicago, and New York City. Here, they looked for work but this was hard to find, especially for a person of color. So these people settled on the outskirts of these cities and made due with whatever funds they had, and were forgotten by the city government. A process called Redlining, or denying someone financial support based on ethnicity, gender, dissability, etc. became a huge problem in Chicago and this is how the South Side, the "Black Belt" was established. The city has provided minimal effort into bridging the gap between the North and South sides, and still today, driving South of the Loop is like a completely different city, and vice versa.

So yes, my hope is that Chicago can become further integrated and that the infastructure can be modernized and repaired. Though cities like the Chi, NYC, LA, etc are known for their diverse culture, you'd be surprised to see the stats; these neighborhoods are still so segregated, and I am going to go ahead and blame it on the city governments. Especially Chicago.

I'm pretty sure the surname "Daley" is an ancient word for corrupted, greedy nepotism. I don't know many people who wouldn't agree.

So yes, I don't really have a solution for this one. Mostly we just have to keep speaking out and telling it like it is. Although, I just read an article in Time magazine, maybe, I don't remember, about writing to your Newspaper! Like a letter to the Editor! I'll try and find that one for you.

So yes, I must say goodbye to the sunshine and my strawberries (thanks Grandma!) because they're calling my flight to MDW. Happy President's Day. A 'Slumdog Millionaire' review is coming in the near future.
K

Hello, Sunshine.

2009-02-12T16:58:00.004-06:00

Hi from Estero, Florida.

It's five PM here and I'm sitting out on the screened-in patio (called a linae or something? I should know these things...) in shorts and a tee shirt. My grandparents are living in a golf community so I am looking out at some beautiful golf course with lots of hills and trees and manmade ponds with big fountains. The best part about it? Right in front of my face, on the other side of this screen, is the most beautiful hibiscus tree. It has these huge pink flowers and in the day time butterflies come and sit on the tree and it's one gigantic rainbow tree. I wish I had my camera so I could take a picture.
Thank god CPS gave us five days off. I'm actually (wayy) below the Mason-Dixon line because I have a cousin in Miami who is getting bat mitzvah'd this weekend, but thankfully I got to come down early and go home a little late. The bad news is that I had to bring all of my work with me and will probably be up to the wee hours of Sunday morning because I procrastinated on my Algebra Unit Portfolio. Ugh.
So there's nothing much to add besides the fact that I swam in a pool and wore a parka in the same day and it was really cool. I think that when I grow up I will be a nomad because I get tired of places really easy. Traveling is really exciting and invigorating for me and I am so grateful for all of the oppurtunities I have been given in the past couple of years. This possibly includes Argentina and Uraguay in July! I'm so excited!
Oh, and while enjoying my instant black coffee on the plane this morning, somewhere over Alabama or something, I did get a news bulletin (checking your phone? on the plane? Shame.) that the ICC has issued some sort of warrant for President Bashir of Sudan's arrest? Is this correct? I will look into that and update later.
Also, what's up with Senator Gregg? The stimulus package? This Israeli Election?
So much to talk about, but first I might go have some chocolate and take a nap. Happy Birthday, Mom! I hope you read this!
K

Waltzing, Working, Waiting...

2009-02-08T17:49:00.002-06:00

Please go see this movie. Or watch it bootleg. (No, don't do that. That's stealing.)Or buy a DVD. Something. Anything to watch this movie. Please, you will not regret it. First, before you finish reading this post. Watch the trailer.

Done? Okay.

This movie is about an Israeli soldier who fights in the Lebanon War in the early 80s. If you know nothing about the Lebanon War, like myself, Check This. Isn't it sad Wikipedia was the most neutral source I could find? Oy. So this guy fights in the war but cannot remember any of it, 20 or so years later. So he goes on a journey to find and talk with all of these people he fought with, to remember these experiences and to piece together how much of a negative affect this war had on all sides; Lebanese, Palestinian, Israeli. The animation is absolutely astounding and even if foreign, historical films aren't your thing you should go see it just for the art direction. It's like someone took a graphic novel and gave it life. So cool. Now, I'm just ranting because I'm so excited about this movie and after you see it you'll be excited too.

Quick update because there are massive amounts of homework to be done and puppies to feed, but next time you have some free time check this movie out. It really breaks down the war for you, stays really neutral, and will boggle your mind. Be aware of violence and some graphic images, but this will definitely inform you a lot on the historical background of today's conflict.

Three more days of school and then I'm headed to Florida for a couple of days. Waiting, waiting, waiting... Have a good week!

Football, Tu B'shevat, and Rockin' Out for Darfur!

2009-02-01T18:26:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone, enjoying the SuperBowl? I'm not, and that is perfectly okay. I'm not even aware of who's playing. But it is an epic American tradition so I guess I should wish you all a happy superbowl and please, do not resort to heavy alchoholic beverage intake or violence when your team sucks. Please.

So last night we had some friends over to celebrate my favorite holiday! It's a Jewish holiday called Tu B'Shevat. (That is one out of millions of ways it can be phonetically spelled) Tu B'Shevat is the celebration of Trees and the fruits that they bear. In Hebrew School, we'd sing Happy Birthday to the trees. We have a seder, which is a big ceremonial dinner. Seder actually means 'order' in Hebrew, which fits because for any kind of seder there is lots of following order to be done. Most people are familliar with Pesach (Passover) seders, but I actually prefer this one much more.

Tu B'Shevat literally means the Fifteenth Day in the Month of Shevat. Judaism follows a lunar calendar so the 15th of Shevat lands on Feb 8th of this year, at sundown. This date was originally set by Kabbalists long ago at the end of a tithing year for trees. One website I looked at even compared it to the April 15th (Tax Day)of trees!

During a Tu B'Shevat seder we thank the Universe for four different types of fruits, as well as recognizing the changing of the seasons. The four different types of fruit are: Fruits with hard outsides and softer insides (nuts), Fruits with softer outsides and a pit in the middle (Peaches, dates, figs, etc.), Fruits with a peel (Oranges, bananas), and fruits that are soft on the inside and outside (berries, figs). We thank the Universe for each type of fruit and what it symbolically represents. There are many different symbolic representations of these. The four glasses of wine symbolize the turning of the seasons. The first glass, completely white, is for winter. For each of the next three, more and more red wine is added to show the transition to summer. At our family seders, everyone reads a poem or reading about nature. It is by far my favorite Jewish holiday.

If you want to check out some more Tu B'Shevat facts, Check this out!

Today was pretty fun, too. My friend and I went to Metro, this cool little venue by Wrigley Field, for a benefit for STAND--Students Taking Action Now in Darfur. Check us Out! It's a student-run organization all over the world that advocates for serious action taken to eliminate the crisis in Darfur. I joined the chapter at my high school but it has since de-chaptered. But I've gotten connected with a couple of STAND heads from different schools in the Chi and I hope to get our school's chapter up and running next year. Anyways, this particular school's chapter teamed up with Chicago's Own Paul Green School of Rock and did a U2 cover benefit concert for aid to Darfur. Not only did we get to see this little kids rock out to U2 classics like "One", "Sunday Bloody Sunday", and "Desire", but inbetween sets there were informational presentations on the crisis and what we can do to help. Really, really cool. And seriously? I've never been so jealous of a 10 year old's guitar skills in my life.

So yeah, this was my weekend. Not looking forward to my Lord of the Flies homework now. What an incredibly silly book. I mean, the way that each boy represents an aspect of human nature (or mutiny) is cool, but the cannibalism and the little naked boys running around with spears just really isn't my thing.

Have a good week!
K

The Investigation

2009-01-26T19:00:00.003-06:00

I can now offically say that I've seen a play in Kinyarwanda and French, and used minimal subtitles (There were subtitles but I didn't have my glasses... woops. But I did okay! For French at least, I picked out a couple of Kinyarwanda words. Woo!) I think that makes me pretty indie, yeah?

If you're in the Chi-town area anytime through Jan. 31st, you need to check this play out. It's called The Investigation and it is absolutely astounding. Produced by a Rwandan theatre company, it features seven actors from Rwanda, Burundi, and Congo reading word-for-word trial transcripts from the Holocaust.

Think about that.

The general worldwide feeling after the Holocaust, from what I've learned, was "Never Again." Never again would the Jewish people be mistreated on such devastating levels, never again would a genocide, an ethnic cleansing so horrible words cannot describe it, happen to any person on this earth. And then comes Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur. Hmm. What happened there?

I don't think there is much rational explanation on why genocides happen. It's a big word and compared to the rest of the world, you and I are pretty small. Why should something as big and scary as genocide affect us? People my age weren't around for the Holocaust, Armenia, Cambodia, and we don't remember Rwanda. We don't know what genocide is. The crisis in Darfur is one of the most lightly covered situations in the media today.

To prove my theory, I asked a couple of friends (via Facebook, thank God for the interwebs) what the first thing that came to mind was when they heard the word "Genocide."

Think about thisand has a fascinating story Really made me think. The cool thing was that a bunch of people from my trip to Africa that I took over the summer came, and since we went to Rwanda and learned about the genocide and were are almost all Jewish it was really cool to share this experience with them.

Death

Grenades

Sudan

Rwanda

So, I guess we know the gist, yeah? People die. People die in Sudan. People died in Rwanda. There were grenades. I can work with this.

My philosophy on life is becoming very clear: People need to learn from others' mistakes. And the best time to learn is now; not tomorrow, not three days from now. Now.

Some people are mathematicians. That's okay. Math is pretty much the only nonviolent thing in this universe that I really hate, but I guess it is relevant to a lot of things. You can be a math person, a science person, an arts person, but we're all people. And as people, we have the duty to be knowledgeable citizens of this earth. We have the duty to reflect on those who came before us so we can improve as a whole. That doesn't take a lot of math and science and textbooks. That takes the willpower to learn and observe and connect and grow.

Take a couple of minutes of your time tonight to learn about genocide: What it is, who it has affected, and what we can do to stop and prevent it. Linkage!
US Holocaust Museum: What is Genocide?
Genocide Watch: The International Campaign to End Genocide.
Genocide in the 20th century.
Save Daefur Campaign

If I was going to ask myself what the first thing I thought of when I heard the word genocide, it would be two experiences I've had.
--The first was in Rwanda, and going to the genocide museum, and running out crying because wow, they don't lie to you.
--The second was flying over Sudan at around midnight on our way home, and getting the chills as the flight tracker showed we were going over Darfur. Something just made me uncomfortable.

I've had the privelage of talking to survivors of the Holocaust, Cambodian, Rwandan, and Darfur genocides. Not everyone gets these privelages. We need to know about genocide. I hope you can take a couple minutes to find some things out, and next time someone asks you about Africa, or the Holocaust, you can tell them. Trufax, as we internet junkies would say.

Even if you cannot make it to this play this week, check out the concepts. Or ask me about it! I can even tell you some Kinyarwandan words.

Here's a bonus: Seka (Say-kah), it means smile.
K

Someday, You'll See our Names in Lights.

2009-01-24T16:01:00.002-06:00

Happy Saturday, Happy January 24th, Happy post-finals, etc.
I bring you fine music from my own living room. Notice my political statement by wearing a kafia. That' right. Give it up for Obama signing orders on Guantanamo and a Middle East Peace Envoy! There's something to celebrate about. But for now, please, enjoy.

Going to a friend's Bar Mitzvah party tonight. Should be fun. Have a good weekend.
K

"What is Required of Us Now is a New Era of Responsibility."

2009-01-20T14:42:00.004-06:00

During one of the most, if not the most historical Presidential Inagurations to this day, I was sitting in a classroom struggling through a physics final. I hope that you all will remember where you were and who you were with when you watched Barack Obama get sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. I'm going to watch reruns on CNN and I'm waiting for the good YouTube videos to come up. Link me to some if you find any.

I've been alive for three presidents. My mother and father? Ten. But, I still feel like I've seen quite a lot of politics in my short fourteen and a half years. And I've seen enough to know that today was a very, very special day because we saw the end of an era and the dawn of a new, tangible hope. I just can't wait until the new Presidential mugs come out. You know, the ones with the lists of the Presidents and their portraits? Fourty-four! So exciting!

I still remember when George Bush got elected. I was in first grade, and I was pretty pissed off when it happened. I was the tiny, opinionated liberal in Mrs. Smith's first grade class. Not much has changed, well, I'm not as tiny anymore. I'm pretty sure I cried when Bush got re-elected, too. But then I watched the Jib-Jab video about the re-election and it felt a little better.

2 wars, trillions of dollars, and a whole lot of angry people later, we are ready to start over. But are we really starting over? We all love Barack Obama because he is our one-way ticket out of this mess, and I guess all we can do now is do our best as citizens of this country to make sure he comes through. A government for the people, by the people.

Enjoy today. My thoughts go out to Senators Kennedy and Byrd. Sheesh.
K

Peace in Gaza/ MLK Day 2009: Check this out.

2009-01-19T13:21:00.003-06:00

www.gaza-peace.com

Posted using ShareThis

My mom actually sent me this interactive video this morning. It gave me the chills the first time I watched it, but wow, it does get a message across. The art and animation is exquisite, too. I encourage you to check it out.

So, apparently, they're toying with the idea of a ceasefire. Good for them, that these governments are at least trying. I still don't think that gives the rest of the world the right to sit back and watch the events unfold like we we watch CNN every night.

On a lighter note, Happy MLK Day. This national holiday has always had a special place in our household because my dad worked as an intern for one of the congressmen who was a key player in the passing of the national holiday, I believe. I've got to go call my dad up and tell him thanks, once again. If you know anyone who was active in the Civil Rights Movement, today is the day to call them up and say thanks. Go ahead and do that.

Yesterday, whilst studying furiously for finals, I went to my synagogue with my Interfaith Youth Group and watched a documentary called Encounter Point It is the story of Palestinian and Israeli peace activists crossing tangible and intangible borders to come together for peace in the region. These are everyday people, just like you and me, who had the courage to stand up for what they believe in: justice to all. You should check it out--a lot of the dialogue is in Hebrew and Arabic, but you can get English subtitles. I've seen it...4 times now? I really like it.

Back on the subject of MLK day, I'd love to write a whole bunch on how Martin Luther King shaped the path for the USA, how he inspired people then and now, and how this holiday is really, truly important now, with the inaguaration of President-elect Obama being tomorrow and all. But, I do have to go study for physics finals, but I will leave you with a couple of things so you can think about these wonderful things for yourself.

1) This Movie: Selma, Lord, Selma This is a fictional story about two schoolgirls who are inspired by Dr. King, who march to Selma, Alabama as part of the Civil Rights Movement. Even though this was made by Disney, it is truly a touching story. The music is wonderful, too! Who doesn't love a good version of "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round"?

2)The Entire I Have a Dream Speech: 8/28/1963

3) Remember this.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

2009-01-14T22:50:00.001-06:00

I saw this on the news last night, and it just baffled me. I mean, it made me think of something that would happen in an Edgar Allen Poe story, or a Chuck Palahniuk novel. I mean, I know the financial crisis has caused a great deal of stress on almost every American's life. We've all heard about the suicide of the Madoff investor, and everyone knows someone who's financial situation has been ripped by the last few months, but this is just insane. I know that his financial troubles and the investigation weren't the only things that were causing stress in his life, but still, I hope people will see this, see how blown out of proportion it is, and get a move on in their lives.

I feel badly for this guy. Obviously, not everything is all togther up there, and I'm sure that all of these recent stressors didn't help. But the story itself is clever beyond belief. I swear, the Coen Bros. should make a movie out of it, yes?

I guess there was nothing worldly about this or anything. I just thought it was really wacky and wanted to share.

Moral of story: Be careful who you give a pilot's license to.

I have finals next week. They start on inaguration day. Oh boy. I think I'll post my massive rant on the conflict then. I'm still writing it and everything...Have a good Thursday, etc.

Kelsey

Edit:Also, if you know anyone who is good with computers, specifically writing Facebook applications, hook me up, por favor.

1 in 200 US Kids is Vegetarian!

2009-01-11T21:05:00.001-06:00

I was checking my email and saw a pretty interesting article on the AOL homepage, and I thought I'd share it with all of you.

As some of you may know, I took the big step of cutting meat out of my diet in early August last year. People ask me what my reason for it was and honestly, I do not have a specific answer. There's the apparent issue of animal rights, of course, as well as the fact that there are many healthier alternatives to meat. But I guess mainly, as I think about it now, it was mainly an environmental thing. I read books like Fast Food Nation and Morgan Spurlock's Don't Eat this Book but also, hearing about the impact that one vegetarian meal makes per week, I thought, why not make all my meals vegetarian??

It's interesting, this article on AOL said that a lot of kids attribute their newfound vegetarianism to videos on YouTube of animals being slaughtered, etc. Apparently, PETA has put up a bunch trying to get the message out. I think this has pros and cons; visuals certainly get the message accross more than anything else, but also, I don't think PETA should be scaring young children into vegetarianism. It is a life-changing decision that is harder than it looks (this is my second try...when I was twelve I lasted a month) and it should be thought out carefully. Especially at our age, as children and young adults; we need those vitamins!

I do get some ridicule about my decision. I once had a classmate ask me if I ate Cabbage Patch Kids, since they're made of cabbage, and all...But honestly, my decision was my decision, and it doesn't have to be anyone else's. I just hope that Americans, we can realize how massive of an impact we have on the world in all aspects--lifestlye and environment included.

Try eating one vegetarian meal a week. Get your whole family involved! There are so many delicious alternatives--I'm a big fan of Stir Fry. If you are considering vegetarianism; remember to watch your diet carefully. Make sure you get enough iron, calcium, and other necesarry vitamins, but make sure you don't pile up on the sugars and fats. If you're going veggie for health reasons, that is one of the struggles you may encounter.

Below is the article I found as well as some interesting websites on vegetarianism and some great veggie dishes. If you try any of them out, give me a shout out. I'm trying to expand my cooking repetoire. It mostly consists of PB&J, and some African food. I'm trying.

Have a good week, and more very soon. I attended a forum sponsored by Brit Tzdek v'Shalom: The Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace tonight all about Gaza. I think I know what I'm going to say now.

Peace.
Kelsey

AOL: One in Two Hundred US Kids is Vegetarian.

TeensHealth: Becoming a Vegetarian

Twenty Questions About Vegetarianism

Hello, Hello

2009-01-09T20:19:00.001-06:00

So, I've been meaning to do this forever. This blogging thing, I mean. This is not my first blog, actually. I've decided that this will be one of my new year's resolutions; to make a worthwhile, informational blog that will not bore you to tears. You'll have to tell me how I'm doing.

This isn't going to be about my personal life. That's not very important.

Mostly, I just need an outlet for whatever's going on in the world. 2008 was quite the year, and I wish I'd documented it more on a personal level; I only started keeping a journal on my trip to East Africa in July. Fourteen years too late, seriously. You never know what will be important 100 years from now. Sure, probably recording your outfit on the first day of school or how much homework you had will not be lifechanging in a few years, but you never know. It's also highly entertaining to look back on where you were in your life a few years down the road. Once again, another reason there will be limited personal life on this blog.

So, I guess my first blog post of '09 is about a conflict that I feel incredibly strongly about; Israel and Palestine. This is such a touchy issue on so many levels and I honestly feel fairly educated o the issue but not educated enough to have a fullout position on it. Mainly, my thing is that people are formulating opinions off of unreliable sources and statements. This is one of many vital things that Americans are not educated about. One of many...

So, here are some things that can help you learn more about the conflict. We can learn together and then we'll know what we, as citizens of this world, can do to help. I started my YouTube career a few years ago with a question for the YouTube/CNN presidential debates on the conflict. Obviously, it wasn't picked, but almost two years later, I've got 2600 views and hundreds of comments. A 30-second video and wow, I felt so cool. I've had a lot of responses recently, most were not nice at all. Coming soon to a screen near you: Another short video asking for your clean, honest, intelligent opinion on what's going on. We've got to start somewhere.
Shabbat Shalom
-K

The Conflict in A Nutshell

Here's my vid. Feel free to weigh in. Be respectful.
Kelsey's YouTube Debut!

It's cold in here. Time for hot chocolate. Stay warm!