The Liberator Magazine | Blog

Story of Cosmetics

2010-09-02T12:01:00.002-04:00

A nice, clear breakdown by Annie Leonard of what is in the cosmetic products we use and the short comings of government policy concerning them. Like a lot of things these days, the 'action' to follow these types of reports will be up to how informed you are and how you allow that information to effect your consumer choices. Below is a list of some specific ingredients to look out for when buying products.

SOURCE: GOOD Magazine

A quick skim of this list reads like a prescription from Dr. Obvious. Clearly nobody wants lead or petroleum on their faces, right? But if you’ve been reading this series, our blog, or our book, you know that the cosmetics industry uses all kinds of ingredients in its products—some dangerous, some just plain confusing. What many of them have in common is that that don't belong anywhere near our largest organ.

Here’s why: Many of them have pretty damning scientific data on record. They’re also not doing anything for your appearance—and in some cases they may be making matters worse. And thus, here is our mantra: If you can't be sure a product is safe, and it isn't doing your looks any favors, why bother using it? With that in mind, here’s a top-10 list of common ingredients, contaminants, and byproducts that are bad for your health and duds for your face.

1. Petroleum and related petrochemicals The danger risk for this group of ingredients ranges from a mellow yellow to code red. Petroleum distillates are toxic solvents used in mascara, hairspray, and callus treatments. But your run-of-the-mill moisturizer probably contains something like mineral oil or paraffin in it, which are not considered dangerous per se, they're just really, really bad for the environment and they suffocate the skin and may interfere with perspiration.

2. Lead-tainted lipstick In 2009 the FDA discovered that of 20 lipsticks it tested, 20 were contaminated with lead. In many cases, the lead levels exceeded those set by that same FDA for candy—and since they don’t set restrictions for cosmetics, this feels like a fair model of comparison, right? Not so according to the FDA, which claims that we don’t eat our lipstick. Lead is a neurotoxin and lipstick goes on our mouths, which combine to make this debate officially ridiculous. Go for organic small-batch lipstick lines, or kiss a beet instead.

3. Formaldehyde-leaching preservatives Our crusade for clean cosmetics started after the discovery of formaldehyde in a hair treatment (and later in our nail polish), but this known carcinogen is also “donated,” as the pros like to say, by preservatives such as quaternium-15, DMDM-hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, and diazolidinyl urea. That means it’s both pervasive and often unlisted, not appearing as an ingredient on labels. It's considered a human carcinogen by many health agencies worldwide, and when it’s not giving rats nose cancer, it might still be giving you a rash.

4. Fragrance It’s broken-record time, but here goes: Fragrance is in everything from your fancy perfume to your face wash. It represents a concoction of mystery ingredients, whose secrecy is protected by industry-ass-kissing trade laws. Lab studies by the EWG have shown them to contain a whole cocktail of hormone disruptors (among other things). Which is nice, since our hormones regulate, oh, everything: genital size, fertility, weight, acne, and beyond.

5. Parabens This popular preservative group used in more than 10,000 products became very controversial when their presence was discovered in the tissue of breast tumors. What that data actually means is hotly debated but studies have shown that certain parabens mimic estrogen, the female sex hormone. This could be bad news for both men and women. Look for ingredients on the label with "paraben" as a suffix to avoid these bad boys.

6. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES) These surfactants get a lot of finger wagging when we talk about shampoo: That’s because they strip out natural oils, force you to use more products, and are sometimes contaminated with a carcinogen called 1,4-dioxane. This last fact is actually making more news in China than it is here, and carcinogens aside, they also strip your skin and scalp of their protective barriers, which we need for protection. Surfactants are also known irritants.

7. Triclosan This very powerful antimicrobial—used in everything from hand soap and face wash to deodorant and acne treatments—has a serious ugly side. For one, it stays in our bodies. There’s concern that regular exposure to the stuff may actually be creating resistant strains of bacteria and hermaphroditic marine life, just like Atrazine. It may also impact thyroid function. It's easy to find on labels. If it says triclosan, put it down.

8. Chemical Sunscreens We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: Your best sunscreens are ones formulated from physical blockers like titanium dioxide and zinc. Popular chemical sunscreen ingredient oxybenzone is a suspected hormone disruptor that penetrates skin easily and quite possibly brings its toxic friends with. It’s also considered a common allergen that can result in a variety of unpleasant and unsightly skin reactions.

9. Hydroquinone This skin-lightning ingredient is objectionable for so many reasons: It’s incredibly toxic, it speaks to a disturbing cultural beauty standard, and it’s easily abused to detrimental effects. Exhibit A: It’s a suspected carcinogen that, according to industry “guidelines,” shouldn’t be used in formulations above 1 percent or be left on skin. But it is, and it’s available at 2 percent over the counter and 4 percent by prescription. Exhibit B: It’s banned in Europe. Exhibit C: Blue-black lesions are also a possible side effect.

10. Nanoparticles These itty-bitty particles are a new industry favorite despite how little we actually know about them or their safety. According to Dr. Michael DiBartolomeis, a toxicologist and the chief of the California Safe Cosmetics Program, a nano may be able to “get into places it shouldn’t get into—like cells or DNA.” And what else will this cat drag in? Hard to say, but some experts suspect a lot. We certainly wouldn’t want them in the same products as the nine ingredients listed above, would you? (source)

A Breakdown of Sorts: Katrina

2010-09-01T12:01:00.001-04:00

{liberatormagazine.com exclusive feature}

Originally published in Liberator 4.5 #13

We must be mindful in assessing a "crisis" solely as "emotional turmoil." As good ol' Webster states, "crisis," is the point in a story or drama when a conflict reaches its highest tension and must be resolved--either through improvement or deterioration. That is, its irreversible change. In ancient Greek lexicon, it was invoked to signify a "turning point" with regards to disease. As such, 'crisis' can be seen as a crucible or a black box of sorts. Whatever its realization, it permanently alters and emits new understandings, new realities from the sum of its input.

It is within this context that we turn towards the media-dubbed crisis, Hurricane Katrina, and in our usage of "crisis" as a reference point, will demonstrate that far from being a crisis, Katrina is on a fast-track to become another unfortunate (and preventable) incident for the Africana world. Much of the bungling of Hurricane Katrina can be found in its reporting. {full article}

Andre 3000 [mp3]

2010-08-31T12:01:00.001-04:00

Benjamin is back.

I Do

Comment for download.

Rare & Bizarre Vol. 2 [ep/mix]

2010-08-30T12:01:00.000-04:00

The Rare & Bizarre series of projects is a favorite. This is volume 2. Enjoy.
{via Revival Blog}

Rare & Bizarre Vol. 2 (download it)

Maquillage de Tiwa

Danube Incident

Here's Looking At You, Kid

Plus Fort Que Nous

Ceewhy x Erykah Badu [mp3]

2010-08-29T12:01:00.000-04:00

Ceewhy got a shot of momentum recently when Erykah Badu co-signed his adding a verse to her track "Fall In Love" off her new album New Amerykah II: Return of the Ankh.

Fall In Love f. Ceewhy

(mp3)

Umm Hmm

Comment for download.

Gyptian [mp3]

2010-08-28T12:01:00.002-04:00

In celebration of Carnival (Brooklyn's at least), MJ's bday (and mine :), being 5 years away from Katrina, and the end of summer in general: here go some righteous riddims.

Gyptian's "Hold You" is clearly top rank this summer, and probably next. Aside from one super-analyst, I've yet to meet a reggae woman who can listen to this song and hold back the sparkle in her eye. But I wasn't feeling the album version when his LP finally dropped. Below you'll find the original version of the Hold "Yuh" track, before someone whispered in his ear about tweaking it. The track is also part of this year's Reggae Gold and Ragga Ragga Ragga compilations.

Hold Yuh

(mp3)

Gappy Ranks [mp3]

2010-08-27T12:01:00.001-04:00

In celebration of Carnival (Brooklyn's at least), MJ's bday (and mine :), being 5 years away from Katrina, and the end of summer in general: here go some righteous riddims.

Officially released to the global masses on this year's Reggae Gold compilation, Gappy Ranks' "Stinkin Rich" been blowing up party spots for a minute now. If your party has yet to be blown, by all means, take a listen.

Stinkin Rich

(mp3)

Francesca: "No sera por mi" [mp3]

2010-08-26T00:01:00.004-04:00

The story: the Spanish (as in Spain) Ronin's Dojo production crew calls up Francesca in Los Angeles after hearing her LP Here & Now and simply asks her to lend her gift to their track "No Sera Por Mi" ("It's Not For Me") off the Trabajos Forzados Vol. 1 project ("Forced Labor"). She accepts. The result: a beautiful, multilingual collaboration, where Francesca blows, "you can't write the story for me/ through this pen I'm always free".

No sera por mi

(mp3)

Faro-Z: Afro-Cuban Linx [mp3s]

2010-08-25T00:01:00.001-04:00

Kings vs. N----s

Live From Planet Earth alumni and New Rap Order member Faro-Z is back with his debut LP Only Built For Afro-Cuban Linx. Although his last EP Faro-Z Is My Favorite Rapper was quality, this Afro-Cuban project blows it out the water. If you're looking for intentional, skilled lyricism over a mix of headnod and boogiedown production, look no further.

Congi Swagga

Jason Reynolds calls Faro a conscious emcee who "brings the grit and grime of the New York City street to his music as well. A true representative of Black Brooklyn...

... A blue collar, hardbody emcee. No frills. No strings. No gimmicks. Just a pen hand that weighs a ton... He makes it a point to make all new listeners, instant believers... he works to keep the arc of his album tight, and its title true... a task most emcees have a hard time with -– creating a cohesive project without filler. Faro-Z shines in the face of such a laborious task... It’s more than just a lyrical showcase. It’s more of a nod to the past, an experimental push for cross-culturalism in hip-hop’s future, boundless music-making, and a challenge... maybe even a check, to his fellow emcees to work harder and think bigger."

The Sunman

(mp3)

Brooklyn Black Generals

(mp3)

Calm and Humble

La Palabra

(mp3)

Beautiful

(mp3)

Drop a comment if you'd like a download.

Tamar Kali [ep/mp3s]

2010-08-24T00:01:00.003-04:00

Geechee Goddess Hardcore Warrior Soul (download)

In addition to the free EP, Brooklyn-based vocalist Tamar Kali recently released her LP Black Bottom. As far as hardcore music goes, she's already queen of the hill. "Warrior Bones" and "Pearl" (below) are two stunning tracks, and represent the artist at her best. The official synopsis of the LP says it well:

/////"Tamar-kali travels a lonely road of independence that finds many artists of her caliber overworked and under-appreciated. Her album title is no mere piece of alliteration, but a reflection of where she found herself after a particularly disheartening period. The cathartic, orgasmic emotion Tamar-kali brings with every song leaves her peerless... As she says in... "Warrior Bones," "These warrior bones ache for revolution/ but the people ain't ready"... for warriors and lovers alike, the thrill of the unexpected makes her music all the more necessary."/////

Warrior Bones

Pearl

Drop a comment if you'd like the downloads.

Curren$y [videos/mp3s]

2010-08-23T00:01:00.002-04:00

Remember when Snoop signed with Master P and No Limit Records? Curren$y really has nothing to do with that directly, except for the fact that he raps about a lot of weed and is actually from New Orleans. Actually, Curren$y seems like a super-Snoop: when he's not rapping about weed, he's composing funky, triumphant lyrics that testify to a struggle of resisting big record companies and believing in yourself, but he does it over tracks that are so rooted in the chill culture of black New Orleans that at times it feels like this is some sort of jazz-electronica hybrid that you're listening to.

It's sorta like taking Snoop's 1996 project The Dogfather and replacing its west coast, g-funk heart with the heart of the U.S. south. Don't get it twisted, I don't mean to establish a hierarchy: Curren$y is obviously a cultural descendant of Snoop -- not Snoop, and not "better" than Snoop -- and it serves him extremely well. And peep: dude is linked tightly with Mos Def -- an interesting concoction, to say the least. His debut LP Pilot Talk is available now.

Perfect Time

(mp3)

Blown Away

(mp3)

EPs
* "Sports Center Vol. 1" (2004)
* "Welcome Back, Curren$y" (2004)
* "Life At 30,000 Feet" (2006)
* "Independence Day" (2008)
* "Higher Than 30,000 Feet" (2008)
* "Welcome To The Winner Circle" (2008)
* "Fear And Loathing In New Orleans" (2008)
* "Super Tecmo Bowl" (2008)
* "Fast Times At Ridgemont Fly" (2008)
* "Fin..." (2008)
* "How Fly" (with Wiz Khalifa) (2009)
* "Smokee Robinson" (2010)

Famous

(mp3)

Smash On O'Leary

(mp3)

Address

(mp3)

Roasted

(mp3)

The Big Uneasy [trailer]

2010-08-22T00:01:00.039-04:00

Harry Shearer, best known for his voice-over work with "The Simpsons," unveils a brand new documentary about Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent -- and quite possibly inadequate -- efforts to prevent this kind of disaster from happening again. "The Big Uneasy" will be shown in select theaters across the country for one night only on August 30th (5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina).

Who's a black revolutionary? (an interview with Cedric Robinson)

2010-08-21T00:01:00.001-04:00

{via Doc Searls}

A crucial interview with Cedric Robinson, author of "Black Marxism: The Making Of The Black Radical Tradition" (listed in Dr. Greg Carr's Recommended Reading #001, which you'll find in our Syllabus). Robinson is an expert on black resistance traditions and the history of Marxism. One of the main things his book does is point out the differences between Marxist ideology and black folks' revolutionary movements in order to illustrate that black folk have a unique tradition of resisting capitalism and white supremacy that stands on its own merits and becomes more powerful as it becomes more self-aware. This 1999 interview teases out some of the opinions he's developed about the trajectory of black struggle in the new millennium in light of his research. Here is the full interview. Below are some excerpts:

On Solidarity And Common Ground:
One conceit is class; another is determinancy; and another is the stage-construction of history. As Amilcar Cabral argued thirty years ago, class is not a world-historical phenomena enveloping the histories of all peoples; and culture and consciousness are as powerful in determining choice and behavior as the material reproduction of a society. Finally, the discrete stages of history which Marx borrowed from the Scottish Enlightenment of the 17th century hardly corresponds with any human history, even European’s.

On The Differences Between Resisters Of Capitalism:
But confrontations with Marx’s historical vision are also shaped by the social context in which they unfold. The Black Radical Tradition emerged in the belly of the beast, in a setting where physical and cultural problems were very immediate and the surveillance of Black radicals was omnipresent. Black radicals thus took slave society, colonial, and post-colonial society at its word and attempted to subvert in on this basis. Whereas Chinese Marxists, for example, saw capitalism and the West as an invasive force coming from without. The Chinese revolutionaries never conceded to the West its self-definition, and thus had a different relationship to Marx's historical vision.

On The Global Adoption Of Capitalism In Nations Of Color:
I believe it is necessary for the Black Radical Tradition to remain focused upon the cultural legacies that have provided for its strengths. The Tradition is most powerful when it draws on its own historical experiences while resisting the simplifications of Black nationalism. This protocol allows for the emergence and recognition of other radical traditions, drawing their own power from alternative historical experiences.

On China's Rise And The Role Of Race In Capitalism:
What is important to remember is that capital never develops according to pure market exigencies or rational calculus. Whatever the organization of capitalism may be and whoever constitutes its particular agencies, capitalism has a specific culture. As Aristotle first revealed, capital accumulation is essentially irrational. And as was the case in his time, race, ethnicity, and gender were powerful procedures for the conduct of accumulation and value appropriation.

On The So-Called Decline Of Revolutionary Movements:
I do not believe that the Black Radical Tradition is at a low point. For example, there are vanguard movements in the Tradition: think of the reception of Nelson Mandela in the US after his release from prison. He became a marker for the advance of the Black Radical Tradition as a whole in the minds of many Black Americans. On the other hand, local conditions in places like the US have not produced such world historical individuals in recent times.

But the world is dynamic, constantly changing, constantly creating new possibilities (see, for instance, how far revolutionary agendas were pursued by youth gangs in Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco in the post-Civil Rights era). All over the US, Black Radicalism is manifesting itself in urban churches, in theory (i.e. doctrine) and practice (i.e. volunteerism). What will be the next phase, when the rule of law becomes transparently farcical, the Christian right achieves its fascist perfection, and the State acquires a predominantly carceral posture towards the majority of Blacks, Latinos, etc.?

On Black Studies:
Hegemonic control of Black Studies is as important to capital as any other field of knowledge production. The selective breeding of Black intellectuals in this country is even older than the appearance of the philanthropic Black colleges of the late 19th century; and the necessity of dominating Black knowledge production finds a template in the Gunnar Myrdahl enterprise in the years of World War II.

On White Studies:
Whiteness Studies deconstruct and decenter whiteness, showing that it is an artifice, that it has a history and one that does not go back very far. The best of the work (like George Lipsitz's The Possessive Investment in Whiteness) is an extension of radical Black Studies.

On Defining Oneself:
What name do you give to the nature of the Universe? There are some realms in which names, nomination, is premature. My only loyalties are to the morally just world; and my happiest and most stunning opportunity for raising hell with corruption and deceit are with other Black people. I suppose that makes me a part, an expression, of Black Radicalism.

On Pop Culture:
As someone fascinated with culture and its potentialities, interrogating film is another means of determining how popular cultures contest with mass cultures; the latter being stories about the world and human experience which are manufactured for the masses by elites. Aristotle once wrote that the many are wiser than the few. In the best sense of this observation, the conflict between social history and popular cultures, on the one hand, and induced memories of the past on the other may be the most important site of analysis in a civilization whose technicians can now design virtual reality. Under these changed circumstances it becomes even more imperative that we can distinguish authentic (historical) radicalism from imagined radicalism.

Babylon [film]

2010-08-20T00:01:00.000-04:00

"Blue (Brindsley Forde) fronts a reggae sound system while navigating the trials and tribulations of young black youths in troubled west London during the early 80s."

Blue Gold: World Water Wars [film]

2010-08-19T00:01:00.018-04:00

"Wars of the future will be fought over water as they are over oil today, as the source of human survival enters the global marketplace and political arena. Corporate giants, private investors, and corrupt governments vie for control of our dwindling supply, prompting protests, lawsuits, and revolutions from citizens fighting for the right to survive."

There's also a documentary called "FLOW: For the Love Of Water" (watch full movie here) that came out around the same time as Blue Gold, but Janet Smith calls that one more alarmist and unorganized and Blue Gold much more informative and useful, so that's why that one is here.

The SpeakEasy movement

2010-08-18T00:01:00.001-04:00

Mentioned New Rap Order a while back when they dropped their Wu-Tang style video showcasing the group's individual talent in a united front.

On the side, the group has been hosting "Speakeasy" gatherings around New York City to build and support the creative community. The gatherings bear a similar energy to the Live From Planet Earth movements. The SpeakEasy has been a monthly event held in living rooms around the city, with the location rotating boroughs each month.

One of the event's hosts, New Rap Order emcee Cavalier, described a recent session with this: "Art, music, and merriment. And always a surprise or two. We ask nothing but your positive energy. Come as you are. Anything we ask will not be much. It's the SpeakEasy tradition. Nothing is required other than a good vibe, a private place, amazingly beautiful people and a collective desire to make this life a beautiful one to be shared."

South of the Border [trailer]

2010-08-17T00:01:00.002-04:00

Director Oliver Stone does a good job articulating the growing leftist movement in South America in his new documentary, South of the Border.

One thing that hit me after viewing this in the Twin Cities recently, was how much progressive, economic and political action had occurred outside of the U.S. in the 00s -- makes you feel like the 80s and 90s were a big drought. It also reminded me of how large a role Cuba has played in the ideas and imaginations of people around the world as a living symbol of the alternative.

If watching Steven Soderbergh's Che, or reading Jon Anderson's A Revolutionary Life might leave one feeling somber about struggling to end imperialism, Oliver Stone's movie gives you the type of hope one might have upon seeing a silver lining after a storm.

Teza [trailer]

2010-08-16T00:01:00.003-04:00

A powerful, moving story by Haile Gerima. Saw this in New York and it's DOPE.

"Set in Ethiopia and Germany, Teza examines the displacement of African intellectuals, both at home and abroad, through the story of a young, idealistic Ethiopian doctor -- Anberber. The film chronicles Anberber's internal struggle to stay true, both to himself and to his homeland, but above all, Teza explores the possession of memory -- a right humanity mandates that each of us have - the right to own our pasts."

Skid Row [short film]

2010-08-15T00:01:00.000-04:00

Viewer beware: Brady Westwater, author of the yet-to-be-released "Radical Pragmatism; A Rx for Los Angeles 101 Ways to Fix a Broken City" has this to say about the creator of this film, Sam Slovick:

/////"Below you will find a copy of my post exposing not just Sam Slovick's previous lies about Skid Row -- but also how when he had a chance to publicly support (in the LA Weekly article) a program to get kids off of Skid Row -- he instead lied about the program's existence(among many other things) to make himself look better. He is the very worst kind of poverty pimp; someone who exploits the homeless to promote himself and his career, no matter how much damage he does to their lives." (read more)/////

Nevertheless, it's a well-enough produced short documentary to be a starting point for folks to get to know about Skid Row in Los Angeles and use as a jump off point for conversations on poverty, housing and homelessness.

Allen Ginsberg & the march of time

2010-08-14T00:01:00.003-04:00

{liberatormagazine.com feature}

I didn’t quite expect to confront my own mortality on a lazy Sunday afternoon but that’s exactly what happened after viewing Beat Generation: The Photographs of Allen Ginsberg at the National Gallery of Art this weekend.

Beat Generation spans four decades in Ginsberg’s life, tracing his rise to literary fame (and notoriety) and capturing his friends and lovers in quiet, quickly snatched black-and-white moments—William S. Borroughs sitting in a chair, his face mostly obscured by shadows, save for a shaft of light streaking behind him; Jack Kerouac smoking on the rooftop of Ginsberg’s apartment building, with a book tucked into his jacket pocket; Gregory Corso sitting in front of a window, flanked by plants. These portraits of literary giants, before they became literary giants, are poignant because we’re looking at these men the way Ginsberg saw them, rather than as flat, historical figures whose works we read in high school and college.

But the most compelling part of the exhibit was the last room, where we see the last two decades of Ginsberg’s life. Suddenly, his friends are older, balder, a bit more sullen than they were in their youth. And Ginsberg himself goes through profound shifts as well. His hair grows from a dark pompadour to a long, shaggy man, then begins to recede, and goes from gray to white. His body grows bulkier. His glasses become thicker. And his photos change too. The off-the-cuff feel is still there but now there are more self-portraits, rather than group photos. There are more photos of his home life—an ever-present New York Times newspaper and the view from his kitchen window.

What struck me most, as I left the exhibit, was that I just witnessed a man’s life spread out entirely in photographs.

It reminded me that time marches on, whether we want it to or not. And while that forward movement can lead to so much—new jobs, new countries, new accolades, new friends, new lovers—it also means the end of many things. Our loved ones pass on, our friends slip from our lives, our bodies shift and morph until one day, we are no more.

I’m not sure if Ginsberg had any of this in mind when he picked up a Kodak Retina camera at a secondhand shop in New York half a century ago. But I’m glad he had enough foresight to capture and preserve these moments, these essential truths, for another generation to see and experience.

Black August [liberator event]

2010-08-13T14:00:00.000-04:00

Peace team, I'm very glad to announce that we are sponsoring this year's Black August concert, film festival and art showcase in New York organized by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement.

I remember hearing about Black August benefit concerts around the world -- Cuba (1998, 1999, 2000, and 2003), South Africa (2001), Tanzania (2005), Brazil (2004, 2006) and Venezuela (2007) -- and wishing I could be in attendance. When I finally attended a Black August benefit concert a few years ago in Manhattan at BB Kings I had an unforgettable experience.

Even though I'm sure there are folks old enough to be able to tell me that at one time long ago this was "normal", for me ain't nothing better than the all too rare sight of some of the best of hip-hop coming together and putting on a superfriends show for a truly worthy socio-political and educational cause -- speaking inspiration in the names of our ancestors, our community, our babies, and those of us not yet born.

This year in New York, in addition to the concert, there will be a film festival and art exhibit. Check the flyers below or the Liberator Calendar for detailed information.

Dateline roundtable 1963: Baldwin x Belafonte x S.Poitier

2010-08-13T00:01:00.006-04:00

In this Dateline footage, James Baldwin, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Marlon Brando, Charlton Heston and Joseph Mankiewicz talk about the Civil Rights Movement in a roundtable that was recorded immediately following the March on Washington, August 28, 1963. The trajectory of the conversation underscores both the discussion that took place here about "liberal disconnect" and the points outlined in this essay.

This quote from the essay (the whole thing actually) is apropos as a sidecar for the video debate: "While well-intentioned in attempting to engage our generation’s ideological cloudiness, Belafonte failed to place his finger on something more fundamental: his touted Civil Rights Movement bore similar murkiness in its aims."

Thomas Merton [sayings]

2010-08-12T00:01:00.007-04:00

"We cannot be happy if we expect to live all the time at the highest peak of
intensity. Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order
and rhythm and harmony."
~Thomas Merton

Air lakes and cloud waves

2010-08-11T00:01:00.016-04:00

(Taken at 30,000 feet in the air.)

Clouds are beautiful. Its hard to really see them from the ground up, but from the sky down, clouds are awesome. They appear to be quiet and fairly still (unless they are conjuring up a storm, of course). Otherwise, they shape and mold themselves and are extremely tranquil. When I have the chance to fly, it is usually at random times of the day or night when I am unable to look out of the window and truly cloud-watch. But a few weeks ago, I had the chance to really see the clouds, flying above them in an airplane. The Sky was blue blue, and the clouds reminded me of waves. So I took a few pictures and I can't stop looking at them. Splendid.

A cloud is a visible mass of droplets of water or frozen crystals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or another planetary body. A cloud is also a visible mass attracted by gravity, such as masses of material in space called interstellar clouds and nebulae. Clouds are studied in the nephology or cloud physics branch of meteorology.

On Earth the condensing substance is typically water vapor, which forms small droplets or ice crystals, typically 0.01 mm (0.00039 in) in diameter. When surrounded by billions of other droplets or crystals they become visible as clouds. Dense deep clouds exhibit a high reflectance (70% to 95%) throughout the visible range of wavelengths.

They thus appear white, at least from the top. Cloud droplets tend to scatter light efficiently, so that the intensity of the solar radiation decreases with depth into the gases, hence the gray or even sometimes dark appearance at the cloud base.

Sources: NASA, ScienceDaily.com

Ski Beatz x Mos Def [vid]

2010-08-10T00:01:00.000-04:00

Ski Beatz' album is quietly one of the most anticipated projects in hip-hop right now if you've been paying attention. Dame Dash is quietly working magic with this Creative Control collective, under the motto that artists should control every part of the creative process from beginning to end. A video like this, for Ski's track "Cream of the Planet", with Mos Def in the captain's chair, only builds that anticipation more.