Imk2's journal on e:strip™ - Buffalo, NY's Original Neighborhood Blogging Community (estrip v5.0)

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tinypliny 22:32 Apparently I speak way too formally (according to people in my department) so I need a wardrobe to match my voice - right?
tinypliny 22:31 I can then kid the people into thinking that my crumpled tees and shirts are actually formalwear
tinypliny 22:30 Wearing a Blazer seems to make even the drabest of hobo clothes formal - so I have decided that I want more blazers
tinypliny 22:11 I wanted to take a butcher's knife and draw and quarter all the actors (especially the lead) after gutting them.
tinypliny 22:10 Don't ever see that movie, btw
tinypliny 22:10 The last time I wanted that was some move called broken english - but alas no one died!
tinypliny 22:10 hehehe
jim 22:01 Just saw 2012, the movie. OMG too long. I wanted all the characters to die by the end.
jim 00:33 Movie over time for sleeeeeep.
tinypliny 00:16 Aarrrgh. Home remedies without basis

Imk2's Journal from 11/2008

11/05/08 08:24 - 50ºF - ID#46544thank god

For once I don't feel embarrassed by our choice of president.

For once I am actually proud!

permalink: http://estrip.org/articles/imk2/46544.html

Words: 18 -- Buffalo, NY

11/05/08 17:11 - 64ºF - ID#46561going to see W tonight

i'm going to see it at elmwood. if anyone wants to go, let me know.

permalink: http://estrip.org/articles/imk2/46561.html

Words: 16 -- Buffalo, NY

11/13/08 08:41 - 46ºF - ID#46670anyone interested in beta testing?

Dyyno is an exciting new application that allows you to share your screen with others. Popular with video game enthusiasts, you simply run the software and broadcast what you are doing. With this application you can help a buddy navigate a tough map, show off some new photos, or help Grandma learn to use Internet Explorer. With Dyyno you have an easy and fast way to show things over the Internet without exposing your system to security risks.

Your involvement in this beta test will not only help Dyyno maximize the quality and usability of their product; it gives you a chance to show Centercode your skills as a beta tester. We will be monitoring this project to identify the participants we believe would be valuable contributors in future projects. In addition, the top performers on this test will be eligible to receive one of the two $50 gift certificates being awarded each week of this test. So get engaged and have some fun, and you could end up with some extra cash to spend!

Please click the link below to log into your OnlineBeta account and begin testing! We hope you enjoy participating in this exciting project and look forward to offering more opportunities like it in the near future.

The Centercode Beta Test Team
support AT centercode.com

i guess you guys would need to register to get an account, but that's not a big deal.

--

Please click the following link to apply for this test:

permalink: http://estrip.org/articles/imk2/46670.html

Words: 262 -- Buffalo, NY

11/13/08 20:29- ID#46680obama is white

Well ok he may not be all white but he's is just as white as he is black. if people can call him black, they can certainly call him white….so then why don’t they? why doesn't anyone say that obama is the 44th white president we've had?

it totally pisses me off that it is so much more PC to call a mixed person black rather than white. and it pisses me off that mixed people (for the most part) don’t recognize their white heritage and instead choose to embrace and identify with only their black heritage. i don't buy the bull that says that that's how society see's them, thus they're forced to see themselves as such. if biracial people would demand to be recognized as both, black AND white, sooner or later, regardless of how society viewed them in the past, we’d come around and realize the absurdity of what we’ve been doing. i don’t understand why accepting the status quo is acceptable and is not cause for outrage and contempt.

we’d never say that other minority groups should suck it up and deal because society views them as one way, even when they’re clearly another. we’d never say that it was acceptable for gay individuals to be passive and conform if they were forced to live as straight because society didn’t approve of their lifestyle. of course we’d expect them to protest the stupidity and injustice. we’d never expect them to accept society’s views as unfortunate yet absolute and unchangeable. so then why is saying that mixed people view themselves as black because society forces them to is “just the way it is” and why is no one is protesting and asking for change?

i have seen so many white parents of mixed children, celebrities included (hale berry, alesha keys, obama, mariah carey) raise their kids to identify only as black and it baffles me as to why. ok, i can't speak for the parents of the celebrities, but among my white friends i've found that to be completely true.

my daughter is mixed and although she is brown (she is not nearly as black as her father and she is not nearly as white as me) she is still considered to be just as polish and just as white as she is black and american by me and my immediate family.

it would be sad to let my child grow up without learning about and experiencing such an incredibly rich and old culture that makes up half of who she is. she is quite proud of the fact that she is polish and that her mother was born in poland and identifies as a european much more so than being american and more white than black but she'd be looked at as if she’s was crazy if she'd tell people that she's white or polish, yet no one would give it a second thought if she said she was black. that is bullshit.

and what truly pisses me off the most are ethnicity questions on questionnaires. I dont understand why in this day and age they don't have a biracial option. when she was born, the nurse who was filling out her paperwork made me chose a race to put down. i asked what would happen if i refused and she replied that she would have to choose herself by observation (meaning she would mark her as black because her skin color was not completely white). it’s not completely black either, so how can we force people to be one without the other and why do these people think that that’s acceptable?

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metalpeter writes at 01:39:06 11/14/08 - Comment #42114

There is another factor also, thanks (e:Ajay) that you made me think about. This is going to sound odd, but I think blacks are more excepting of whites then the other way around. Yes there are some women who if they see a white girl with a black guy all hell is going to break out and yes there is some racism, but from what I have seen there is a lot less in the black community (again I don't have any numbers just from what I've seen).

ajay writes at 01:17:52 11/14/08 - Comment #42108

It's probably been mentioned below, but I'll say it anyways because I'm lazy.
It's the whites who made the so-called "one drop" rule (Jim Crow) that said that even if you have a little bit of colored ancestry, you were not "white".
Therefore, it is natural that a person with mixed ancestry would identify with the group that did not try to kick him out.

Take 2 situations: a biracial kid growing up in a, say, all-black neighborhood and an all-white neighborhood. I would posit that he would be considered less "different" among the blacks, than among the whites.

metalpeter writes at 12:51:05 11/14/08 - Comment #42105

The Token blacks on TV and Movies. Yes you do make a great point that there are a lot of them, playing sterotyped roles. I do see why it gets you upset. They are very common in Teen Movies. If you have ever seen "Not Another Teen Movie" (yes a spoof movie that is very good unlike most) there is a funny Joke about that, they use these two black actors and they both show up at a party and so one of them has to leave. But here is what takes the Joke to the next level. I had seen both actors play the token black in movies before.

That being said I think I should point out that not everyone who is black is playing someone black (I think could be wrong here). I also want to say that everyone who is black in movies and TV isn't the crazy person (we will set aside the black comedies like The Cosby Show, The Hugely's, Fresh Prince of Bell Air, Sparks and a bunch of others both new and old). For Example Sam Jackson (maybe he is playing someone white he has done it before) In Starwars, he isn't the crazy one and has a lot of wisdom in that movie. On TV Omar Epps (great actor by the way, go watch Juice, and the 3rd Major League movie (think it is the 3rd he took Wesley Snips place)) In House plays a good character, yes he is the only black but he is grounded and is a great add to the show, I think. I'm sure there are more examples I might be able to think of, but I'm sure there are more examples of what you said, I'm talking about the exception here.

metalpeter writes at 12:37:44 11/14/08 - Comment #42104

I will admit I don't know any Black Disney Characters from Movies. I'm not going to defend Disney here but just say that Most of there Movies (animated fairy tail style ones) have that European castle theme. I'm not saying that there isn't a story that follows that from some African Country but if there is they don't know about it. Yes they have a couple stories from there but they always have animals like the Lion King, oh yeah Disney Barrowed that also, I think from some Old Japanse story or Animee about a White Lion or something like that. I kinda think Disney may have done some movie about Egypt and some king but I have no idea what it is called. I can see how it would be very disapointing to a kid, but I don't think disney thinks that is there Demographic. I think because of that they don't go looking for a Black Princess, I'm guessing they also think that no one would go see it. So because of that there may never be one either.

metalpeter writes at 12:25:35 11/14/08 - Comment #42103

Well hopefully this comment won't get lost but if it does maybe I'll do a few short ones.

I'm only guessing to be honest. I'm guessing that there are many factors of how someone biracial sides towards one side or the other. What parent do they like better, do they grow up poor or rich in a good hood or bad hood (yes there are white Mafia and Suburban gangs it isn't only inner city, and bike gangs and meth areas). I still think the biggest factor is who they are around and their skin tone. I think that naturaly if you look black and are around blacks then you will take on that culture because that is what you know. I do think that it is important to remember both sides just like if you where half Italian and Half polish.

pmrk writes at 11:51:34 11/14/08 - Comment #42099

The ethnic check box on forms bugs my husband too. He is biracial and generally ends up choosing Hispanic over white because it is often the choice that benefits us the most - ie: school financial aid.

joshua writes at 01:04:50 11/14/08 - Comment #42087

These are questions that I think society is only beginning to cope with... at this stage I'm not sure there are any easy answers.

The bottom line is this - I don't think anybody is disowning one ethnicity or another. It's not easy to cope with one, let alone two identities. Knowing who you are is an incredibly difficult concept at times made doubly difficult when you're of two races, so I think biracial people should be given a break in this regard. Ultimately how they perceive themselves will be up to them, but I think the key is to make them aware of the importance of embracing the entirety of your being while still young. Traditions will transcend race in your own household.

I'm not qualified to speak for the entirety of biracial people in the USA, or any biracial people for that matter, but ultimately I imagine that whether or not they are race neutral in their own minds is strictly an individual concern. I don't think relating to one race more than another is tantamount to rejection of the other race... IMO anyway, it is too complicated a topic to presume that there are any clear cut answers.

mrmike writes at 12:02:57 11/14/08 - Comment #42086

Okay, this parent of three beautiful biracial kids weighs in and says "Sing it, Sister!" Nice post and I agree wholeheartedly. I want my kids to be proud of both sides of the heritage. We even took it as far as making an "Afrish" flag for them. Still, I cringe when my kids can perceive being appraised. My younger daughter is very conscious of her heritage and has developed a radar for those who are examining her appearance. I still remember my wife and I getting dirty looks one time in Sweet Tooth of all places. We've made progress but these are very provincal times.

The last part of your comment made me think of that scene toward the end of Tropic Thunder when the one actor (I forget his name) went off on Robert Downey for his portrayal of his identity of blackness.

I'm rambling a little but that is something we've struggled with, but stressing how important all facets of their very diverse family are hopefully will make them that much stronger in taking on the world.

imk2 writes at 11:05:04 11/13/08 - Comment #42083

peter and james,

yes, i do understand why it's happening. i understand that whites view anyone with a drop of black blood as black. what i don’t understand though, is why don't biracial people embrace their white heritage as much as they embrace their black ancestry? why do mixed people mostly refer to themselves as black when they're just as white as they are black? and why don’t biracial people claim injustice and push for a change in how society views them? why are they comfortable disowning half their ethnicity.

are they ashamed? are they scared of the reaction they'll get from white people if they attempt to identify themselves as white? are they afraid of being laughed at or afraid of rejection? are they just embarrassed to be white? is it cooler to be black these days than being white, just like it's cool to be bisexual if you're a chick and you're hot. Or is it because of some of the advantages you can gain by being a minority when applying for college admission or jobs? i definitely think there are more scholarships and programs that assist minorities with a college education as well as lenient admission policies and hiring policies such as affirmative action targeted at minorities. EOP is one of them (educational opportunity program).

"Educational Opportunity Program students may receive support services, such as academic, career, and personal counseling; tutoring and supplemental instruction. As part of a student's overall financial aid package, the Educational Opportunity Program provides financial assistance for non-tuition related expenses (e.g. books, supplies, etc.)"

i couldn't apply for this when i attended UB but lord knows I tried. you have to come from a disadvantaged background, although i couldn’t find an explanation for what a disadvantaged background consists of. i thought that being a woman would prove to be disadvantaged enough. but i guess i was wrong. But I bet that i'll be pushing Faben to check off the African American box in her admission application, even though the correct terms should be Caucasian and Black (Cauack?) polish American with a tendency to culturally identify more so with her polish ancestry.

I feel so sad because Faben repeatedly has asked me to make sure that if I ever decide to have any more children to have them with a black guy so that she doesn’t feel like the odd one out. i also remember when she was 5 years old and Halloween came around and she wanted to dress like one of the Disney characters such as Cinderella, snow white, sleeping beauty or belle but said that she wishes that there would be some characters that she could dress up as and look like the character is supposed to, i.e. white. Very, very few Disney princesses were ethnic.

What do you say to a child that says that?. sure you can tell them they could be Pocahontas or jasmine from Aladdin, or Esmeralda from hunchback from Notre Dam. But those characters are slightly tan with no black features and white textured hair even if it was black in color. Thankfully because of my super straight hair, she received a nice mix that is the texture of my hair with a ringlet curls from her father. I say thankfully because it’s so much easier to take care of than black hair. In addition, her features don’t bear much resemblance to her African American ethnicity. She is often asked if she’s Hindu or Hispanic, so to make the long story short, those costumes that represent the slightly pigmented Disney characters fit her perfectly, but what about those children who have features that are black? What kind of costumes could they wear. What kind of disappointment do black children face when they can’t even come close of resembling ANY Disney princesses. NONE, ZIP, NADA. I can’t imagine the hurt feelings when nothing is available as Halloween costumes that is based on black characters. If anyone knows any, let me know.

Ok and one more thing that pisses me off. Is it really necessary to cast every person of color as the token black person in tv and film? Do they always have to have a black accent when they speak? Do they always have to be sassy or have an attitude? Do they always have to be loud and outspoken? I mean seriously white people complain about how different black people are from them, yet when they write roles for black actors which continually present characters that are extremely culturally different than their white counterparts. I actually do know a lot of black people who do not speak with aints, niggas, sups, and grammar consisting of “got my hair did” and “i be where I’m at”. They also are not angry or full of attitude and they are not the loud and outspoken characters we (white people) perceive them to be. yet, seeing black people on television would lead you to believe that every last one of African American citizens act exactly like that. and don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that black people should act more like white people. I’m saying that often blacks are not that different culturally than whites but white people who constantly complain that blacks choose to remain on society’s fringe because they refuse to adopt mainstream America values and behaviors refuse to acknowledge that, and stick to the same tired token black character that they complain about.

jenks writes at 10:37:17 11/13/08 - Comment #42076

well goddammit... I had just written a huge long rant-response comment, and fucking IE froze and I lost it.

So I will just say-
hear hear. nice rant. I totally agree. It's bullshit.

tinypliny writes at 10:20:24 11/13/08 - Comment #42072

And yet all of us actually came out of Africa.

metalpeter writes at 09:45:08 11/13/08 - Comment #42070

So I had a long thing that was all over the place and vanished. So to do the quick recap or summery is that it used to be that if you had any black blood at all you where considered black (1/16 maybe like a great grandparent). Race is a visual thing so if your skin is dark you are black if it is white you are white. So you could be black and yet I forget the diease where your skin is white so you would be called white. In fact there is something called passing. That is when you are considered one race but you look like the other so you pass your self off as white when you are not. The fact that people Judge someone on the skin color can go on to explain most of what upsets you. If I was mixed and grew up near other blacks I would pick up there culture just like being white you pick up white culture.

metalpeter writes at 09:31:24 11/13/08 - Comment #42066

When a person sees someone they say they are white or black or even Latino based on skin color. There are blacks who are also called Light Skinned and then some who are called High Yellows (yes I've heard them called that myself). When you see someone you don't know it is based on skin color it doesn't matter what the percentage is of of them being white or black. Some one I knew was Italian and was Called Chico all the time, it was a joke nick name cause most people mistook him for being hispanic. In terms of if people consider them selves black or white you need to know that in America there was this law (still might be in effect not sure) that if you where 1/16 black you where legally black. In a class I figured it out once and it is something like if one of your great grand parents where black then you where legaly to. I think it was part of the philsophy that if you have one drop of black in you then you are black and not white. I'm sorry I don't remember the history of the law but I'm sure it has some tie into slavery and or Jim Crow laws and it was a way to keep people of mixed race out of rights and power by making them black. You have to remember that whites wanted the power for them selves and often many still do.

In terms of what you said about how people who are mixed stay with the black culture I agree with you. If I where them I would to. Again they look black and not white and I think that often times if they went with the white culture the whites would reject them, then since they act white the black kids wouldn't like them either so I see why they go with that. Again I think it is important to remember that since they look black people treat them that way. I'm also guessing that most kids who are interacial grow up in the black part of town and not the white part. If they grew up in the burbs and watching High School Musical and playing polo then that is what they would like. But if they are born into rap music then that is the side of the culture they will know and like.

In terms of the questionaire I say there is no biracial one again because race is viewed as a skin color thing. If they changed it to nationality that might change things. People could put down Irish, Polish, Kenyan or what ever but we are identifed by our skin color.

That being said I think it is good for people to know the culture of where they came from. I don't just mean racialy. But to be honest maybe it isn't a good idea. I'm Irish and Yeah Jackdaw is awesome but I could care less about Irish Music. Irish dance yeah Rinca Na Tirna is awesome and they go over to irealand and win all kinds of awards. But you know what I wasn't born in Irealand and my mother wasn't, I'm an American, and not an Irish American. If I was born there and then moved here then Yes I would be. Corn Beef and Cagagae is gross give me some Noodles, Pizza, Fried Chicken, Beef Birani and some ice cream. All I used to listen to was Rap and yeah House Of Pain was Sweet But compaired to NWA or RUN DMC or the the Beastie Boys they Sucked. My Point is that yes it is important to remember where we came from and know about the past, But when we put to much pride in it we just follow everyone else. I think we should have traditions and parts of our own culture but this country was supposed to be a melting pot and we also need some of other peoples culture to.

You do make a lot of good points. But the other side isn't even close to how you think about it. There is so much racism in this country you wouldn't beleive it. I think that you daughter is the exception to the rule and it is to bad more people aren't that way.

james writes at 09:11:18 11/13/08 - Comment #42065

It harkens back to the European legal codes defining Jews by blood which America adopted to Blacks. Blackness is a taint on White racial purity and it takes a dozen generations to flush out the darkness.

This irritates me as well. It is so obviously a left over trope of racism. It should be done away with.

Words: 635 -- Buffalo, NY

11/20/08 19:30 - 31ºF - ID#46778prince william's pee pee

permalink: http://estrip.org/articles/imk2/46778.html

Words: 15 -- Buffalo, NY

11/21/08 22:18 - 23ºF - ID#46793outing

does anyone want to go to lasertron tomorrow?

paul?
jenks?
terry?
libertad?
peter?
mrmike?
drew?

permalink: http://estrip.org/articles/imk2/46793.html

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imk2 writes at 12:35:47 11/23/08 - Comment #42520

OMG, we had so much fun. we totally have to do an estrip lasertron thing. it was so exciting and intense.

faben kicked drew's and mine ass. her team beat us 4 times.

mrmike writes at 09:04:31 11/22/08 - Comment #42517

It was, I just got yanked into a family thing so I'm just finding out about the timing now at 9:00. My loss. I'm sure it was a good time. I'm upset that I wound up missing it out, but family duty called (a cousin passed away on thursday and her husband wanted company tonight). Lord know meeting a heavily armed imk in the dark is the recipe for fun times :)

imk2 writes at 06:03:37 11/22/08 - Comment #42500

ok, 7 it is. Mike i hope that's ok with you?

drew writes at 06:00:10 11/22/08 - Comment #42499

7 is likely better for me

imk2 writes at 05:57:09 11/22/08 - Comment #42498

so what time do you guys want to meet? 6:30? 7?

call me 743-9311

metalpeter writes at 04:49:08 11/22/08 - Comment #42494

Sorry but I'm out.. Hope for those that can make it, they have a great time.

gardenmama writes at 03:55:06 11/22/08 - Comment #42490

I've never done this but I think it would be fun. I would really like to go but, unfortunately, I am fighting the flu (I think I'm not winning). Like (e:janelle), I too would be in for sometime in the future when I'm not sick.

imk2 writes at 03:07:03 11/22/08 - Comment #42488

yes, it'll have to be an evening event. i'll call tony to see if he wants to go.

drew writes at 03:05:21 11/22/08 - Comment #42487

It's just after 3pm, and I am game for anytime/

mrmike writes at 01:13:20 11/22/08 - Comment #42486

I'd be down with pretty much anytime, but as we're looking at 1:15 while I write this, this is looking like an evening tour (which is still cool by me)

janelle writes at 10:00:58 11/22/08 - Comment #42482

I would love to go if I wasn't busy hacking up bits of my lungs today. I've never played before, but it looks superfun. It seems like a good activity to do in January or February when you're tired of being stuck inside all the time. Then we can be inside, run around, and shoot each other. I'm definitely in for some time in the future when I'm not sick.

imk2 writes at 09:53:51 11/22/08 - Comment #42481

whenever. what ever works best for everyone. why dont you guys post what time you'd like to go and maybe we can all come to some kind of compramise.

oh and can someone call tony?

jim writes at 08:26:53 11/22/08 - Comment #42479

LASERTRON!? I think I might be in. Have to check with James. What time?

libertad writes at 07:53:49 11/22/08 - Comment #42478

I thought by your title you were going to out someone. I gotta help someone move....grrr or should i say brrr?

drew writes at 10:48:38 11/21/08 - Comment #42471

what time? What's the cost?

paul writes at 10:44:51 11/21/08 - Comment #42470

Thats not really my thing but I bet (e:enknot) would go.

mrmike writes at 10:30:16 11/21/08 - Comment #42469

Sure

Words: 15 -- Buffalo, NY

11/24/08 23:10 - 37ºF - ID#46825this time was for real

alright this time it's done. i cleaned out my desk, took all my belongings, turned in my resignation form, pager, keys and id. no two week notice, not with the way things went down.

it's over.

thank god.

permalink: http://estrip.org/articles/imk2/46825.html

Words: 40 -- Buffalo, NY

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