Monday, July 18, 2016
R & B
It never ceases to amaze me that all over the world, in the places I've visited, R & B music has been playing - in the taxis, in the lounges, in the hotel lobbies, and in the shopping malls.
Today I listened to Anita Baker's "Sweet Love" during breakfast.
It truly is international in its scope and reach.
Today I listened to Anita Baker's "Sweet Love" during breakfast.
It truly is international in its scope and reach.
Manila Day 2
As promised, below is a recap of my day of sightseeing.
A guide picked me up at about 8:15, and we spent the next four hours touring the city. I was especially excited to see the many churches, and they are even more magnificent than advertised.
The first one was the Shrine of Jesus Church.
Here are some street scenes.
Below is the Shrine of Saint Therese Church. I found this photo online that shows the entire church.
I took this picture of the front of it. Off center. I know.
There is a large military presence with the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines having their bases lined the streets in what could be considered "military row."
Contrary to what I thought, Manila is a thriving city, booming with new construction all over the place. Many of the natives have chosen to live and work abroad, and I assumed that it was because their country was poor and destitute. That is not the case at all. There are areas with homes reflecting great wealth, and there is a mall with high-end stores that rivals anything you'll see in New York City or Dubai.
As I mentioned in the previous post, my hotel is located in a walled city called Intramuros, a part of the Fort Santiago Fortress.
That's it.
It's been a wonderful couple of days here in Manila.
Tomorrow night I head for San Francisco.
USA here I come!
A guide picked me up at about 8:15, and we spent the next four hours touring the city. I was especially excited to see the many churches, and they are even more magnificent than advertised.
The first one was the Shrine of Jesus Church.
Here are some street scenes.
 |
| The bus-like thing is called a jitney. They were everywhere! |
 |
| Busy city street. |
I took this picture of the front of it. Off center. I know.
There is a large military presence with the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines having their bases lined the streets in what could be considered "military row."
 |
| This picture isn't great but it's better than the one I took. It's from the Internet. |
The next pictures are from the Manila American Cemetery & Memorial where 17,206 men who died in the Philippines during World War II are buried. They are 16,636 Americans and 507 Filipinos. It is very much like Arlington Cemetery in DC. There are rows and rows of white crosses that dot the landscape. They are arranged in circular patterns that are solemn, heart wrenching and beautiful.
 |
| Manila American Cemetery & Memorial Monument |
 |
| This photo doesn't begin to do justice to the scene, but I wanted you to get an idea of what it looks like. |
 |
| These columns form a semicircle from the main entrance on both sides, and they include the names of all of the men who are buried here, except for 3,744 who remain unknown. |
 |
| You can't read the names, but they are listed in alpha order, by their branch of the military. These men were in the Navy. |
 |
| Booming cityscape. |
 |
| The main entrance to Fort Santiago. |
 |
| Another view of the main entrance. |
 |
| A president and Gen. MacAuthur, I think. |
 |
| Bombed out building from World War II. |
 |
| Honoring the dead. |
Here are two more churches.
 |
| This is the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral - Basilica. Again, this picture doesn't do it justice. |
 |
| It was fascinating because a mass was being held as tourists were walking through the back of the sanctuary! |
 |
| This is the San Agustin Church, which is a World Heritage Site. Breathtakingly beautiful! |
 |
| It is 445 years old! |
 |
| Another view. |
 |
| Close-up of one of the door panels. |
It's been a wonderful couple of days here in Manila.
Tomorrow night I head for San Francisco.
USA here I come!
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Help For a Determined Kid
An excerpt from CNN -
Community rallies for homeless college student living in a tent
By Lizzie Likness
(CNN)Fred Barley was living in a tent with his belongings in two duffel bags and a box of cereal to ration over the next few weeks.
Responding to a trespassing call on July 9, campus police at Gordon State College in Barnesville, Georgia, asked him to leave his makeshift home.
But the situation changed once the officers heard his story: The 19-year-old had biked more than six hours from Conyers, Georgia, to register for his second semester at Gordon State. The dorms didn't open until August, but Barley felt his college campus was the safest place to stay.
The biology major, who plans to become a doctor, told CNN affiliate WSB that police officers said they can't let him stay there, but took him to a local motel and paid for his next two nights.
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/17/us/iyw-fred-barley-homeless-college-student-bikes-six-miles/index.html
Community rallies for homeless college student living in a tent
By Lizzie Likness
(CNN)Fred Barley was living in a tent with his belongings in two duffel bags and a box of cereal to ration over the next few weeks.
Responding to a trespassing call on July 9, campus police at Gordon State College in Barnesville, Georgia, asked him to leave his makeshift home.
But the situation changed once the officers heard his story: The 19-year-old had biked more than six hours from Conyers, Georgia, to register for his second semester at Gordon State. The dorms didn't open until August, but Barley felt his college campus was the safest place to stay.
The biology major, who plans to become a doctor, told CNN affiliate WSB that police officers said they can't let him stay there, but took him to a local motel and paid for his next two nights.
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/17/us/iyw-fred-barley-homeless-college-student-bikes-six-miles/index.html
Is It Possible?
That I could love Malcolm Gladwell even more?
Yes, it is.
I've been listening to his new podcast on iTunes called Revisionist History.
They're half hour nuggets of gold.
I love the way he's able to take really complex and complicated topics and make them easy enough for me to understand.
I especially enjoyed the episode entitled "Food Fight" that features Frankie's alma mater, Vassar College.
I've added a link to the right.
You're welcome.
Enjoy.
Yes, it is.
I've been listening to his new podcast on iTunes called Revisionist History.
They're half hour nuggets of gold.
I love the way he's able to take really complex and complicated topics and make them easy enough for me to understand.
I especially enjoyed the episode entitled "Food Fight" that features Frankie's alma mater, Vassar College.
I've added a link to the right.
You're welcome.
Enjoy.
Greetings From Manila
I arrived in Manila last night.
Haven't ventured out yet, so the only thing I can offer is the view from my window.
Tomorrow I'll take a tour of the city.
More soon.
Insha'Allah.
Haven't ventured out yet, so the only thing I can offer is the view from my window.
Tomorrow I'll take a tour of the city.
 |
| The hotel is located behind a fortress wall. Although they're hard to see, but the slats in the wall hold cannons. Lots of people taking pictures by the guns throughout the day. |
 |
| Beyond the wall is a beautiful golf course. |
 |
| Closer look at the cannons. |
Insha'Allah.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Thirty-Seven Years
That's how long we would be married if we'd stayed together.
Instead, we were married for twenty years and now we've been divorced for seventeen.
Randomly, out of the blue, I realized it was our anniversary yesterday as I was chatting with a member of the hotel staff who asked me to rate the place. When I wrote the date, I remembered.
I remembered it was thirty-seven years ago that I said, "I do."
There was a time I'd remember this date and cringe, but no more.
I can appreciate my marriage for what it was (at first happy, then melancholy, then resentful), and I can appreciate my time since my divorce for what it has been (filled with anger and bitterness, followed by forgiveness, peace, and adventure).
Do I ever wish I was still married?
No.
Never.
I didn't discover who I was until I was divorced, and like I've said many times before, I discovered I like me.
Crazy.
Loud.
Opinionated.
Me.
The me who doesn't give a rip if you like me or not. The me who is no longer trying to please the world, or someone in it.
I like her . . .
Independence.
Boldness.
Honesty.
So this reminder of my anniversary fills me, not with regret, but with thanksgiving.
I'm grateful for the experience of marriage and my two wonderful sons it produced, but I'm even more grateful for my divorce, for with it has brought me to this place of peace and contentment.
Instead, we were married for twenty years and now we've been divorced for seventeen.
Randomly, out of the blue, I realized it was our anniversary yesterday as I was chatting with a member of the hotel staff who asked me to rate the place. When I wrote the date, I remembered.
I remembered it was thirty-seven years ago that I said, "I do."
There was a time I'd remember this date and cringe, but no more.
I can appreciate my marriage for what it was (at first happy, then melancholy, then resentful), and I can appreciate my time since my divorce for what it has been (filled with anger and bitterness, followed by forgiveness, peace, and adventure).
Do I ever wish I was still married?
No.
Never.
I didn't discover who I was until I was divorced, and like I've said many times before, I discovered I like me.
Crazy.
Loud.
Opinionated.
Me.
The me who doesn't give a rip if you like me or not. The me who is no longer trying to please the world, or someone in it.
I like her . . .
Independence.
Boldness.
Honesty.
So this reminder of my anniversary fills me, not with regret, but with thanksgiving.
I'm grateful for the experience of marriage and my two wonderful sons it produced, but I'm even more grateful for my divorce, for with it has brought me to this place of peace and contentment.
The Top 100 Movies?
I don't know. The list limits it to what's on Netflix now.
Still sketchy.
You decide.
https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/06/the-100-best-movies-on-netflix-june-2016.html?a=1
Still sketchy.
You decide.
https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/06/the-100-best-movies-on-netflix-june-2016.html?a=1
She's Made a New Fan
Pink, I'm all in.
From the Root -
The 8 Wokest White People We Know
Their eyes are wide open, and they’re using their privilege to speak out about racial injustice.
BY: GENETTA M. ADAMS
http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2016/07/the-8-wokest-white-people-we-know/?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content%26
From the Root -
The 8 Wokest White People We Know
Their eyes are wide open, and they’re using their privilege to speak out about racial injustice.
BY: GENETTA M. ADAMS
http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2016/07/the-8-wokest-white-people-we-know/?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content%26
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Quote
From The Wrap -
Neil deGrasse Tyson Stopped ‘a Dozen’ Times for ‘Just Being Black’
Tyson also described being stopped several times while trying to bring boxes of textbooks into his graduate school office.
“I wonder how often that scenario shows up in police training tapes,” he said. “In total, I was stopped two or three times by other security officers while entering physics buildings, but was never stopped entering the campus gym.”
http://www.thewrap.com/neil-degrasse-tyson-shares-stories-of-a-dozen-racial-profiling-incidents-from-his-past/
Neil deGrasse Tyson Stopped ‘a Dozen’ Times for ‘Just Being Black’
Tyson also described being stopped several times while trying to bring boxes of textbooks into his graduate school office.
“I wonder how often that scenario shows up in police training tapes,” he said. “In total, I was stopped two or three times by other security officers while entering physics buildings, but was never stopped entering the campus gym.”
http://www.thewrap.com/neil-degrasse-tyson-shares-stories-of-a-dozen-racial-profiling-incidents-from-his-past/
Standing Up for Humanity
An excerpt from Vox -
Raising my fist at the Olympics cost me friends and my marriage — but I’d do it again
by John Carlos on July 13, 2016
The aftermath was hell for me and my family
The first 10 years after those Olympics were hell for me. A lot of people walked away from me. They weren't walking away because they didn't have love for me or they had disdain for me. They were walking away because they were afraid. What they saw happening to me, they didn't want it to happen to them and theirs.
My wife and kids were tormented. I was strong enough to deal with whatever people threw at me, because this is the life I'd signed up for. But not my family. My marriage crumbled. I got divorced. It was like the Terminator coming and shooting one of his ray guns through my suit of armor.
Still, I wouldn't change what I did.
That picture of me and Tommie on the podium is the modern-day Mona Lisa — a universal image that everyone wants to see and everyone wants to be related to in one way or another. And do you know why? Because we were standing for something. We were standing for humanity.
http://www.vox.com/2016/7/13/12118332/john-carlos-olympics
Raising my fist at the Olympics cost me friends and my marriage — but I’d do it again
by John Carlos on July 13, 2016
 | ||
| Peter Norman, Tommie Smith, and John Carlos on the medals podium at the 1968 Olympics (Universal History Archive/Getty Images) |
The aftermath was hell for me and my family
The first 10 years after those Olympics were hell for me. A lot of people walked away from me. They weren't walking away because they didn't have love for me or they had disdain for me. They were walking away because they were afraid. What they saw happening to me, they didn't want it to happen to them and theirs.
My wife and kids were tormented. I was strong enough to deal with whatever people threw at me, because this is the life I'd signed up for. But not my family. My marriage crumbled. I got divorced. It was like the Terminator coming and shooting one of his ray guns through my suit of armor.
Still, I wouldn't change what I did.
That picture of me and Tommie on the podium is the modern-day Mona Lisa — a universal image that everyone wants to see and everyone wants to be related to in one way or another. And do you know why? Because we were standing for something. We were standing for humanity.
http://www.vox.com/2016/7/13/12118332/john-carlos-olympics
Speaking His Truth
The following is an excerpt from a powerful Facebook Post that was featured in USA Today (his whole story is worth reading and can be found at https://www.facebook.com/brian.crooks/posts/10103901923530909?pnref=story-
~~~~~~~~~
I could go on and on and on about this. I could tell you about the guy who wanted to buy his guitar from someone who “actually knew what a guitar was” when I worked at guitar center. At that point, I had a Gibson Les Paul at my house and an Ibanez acoustic, plus a Warwick fretless bass. I could tell you about the coworker who thought it was funny to adopt a stereotypical Black accent to apologize that we weren't going to have fried chicken and cornbread at our company Christmas party. I could tell you about the time I gave my floor mate a haircut freshman year and he “thanked” me by saying he'd let a negro cut his hair any day of the week. I could tell you about leaving a bar heartbroken and fighting tears when the Trayvon Martin verdict came out only to see a couple middle-aged White guys high-fiving and saying he “got what he deserved” right outside. These are only a handful of the experiences I've had in my 31 years.
I've never had a Black boss. I played football from middle school through senior year of high school and only had one Black coach in that whole time. Not just head coaches, I'm talking about assistants and position coaches. I've had two Black teachers in my entire life. One was for my Harlem Renaissance class, and one was for my sign language class. I've never been to a Black doctor, or a Black dentist. I've never been pulled over by a Black police officer. What I'm trying to explain is that, in 31 years, I've seen three Black people in a position of authority. Think about what that does to the psyche of a growing young man. I remember being excited just a few years ago when we started to see Black people in commercials without there being gospel or hip hop music in the background (remember that McDonald's commercial where the little kid was pop-locking with the chicken McNuggets?).
Before you say it, I don't want to hear that you're “sorry I had these experiences.” Because it's not just me. It's not like I'm some kind of magnet for all of the racists in America and I'm some weird anomaly. This is what it means to be Black in America. I appreciate that you're sorry for me, but I'm not seeking your sorrow. I'm seeking your understanding. I just want you to understand that this is real. We're not exaggerating it, and we're not making it up. White people often say that we make everything about race. That's because, for us, damn near everything IS about race. It's always been that way. When I have a great phone interview, but go for my in-person interview only to be told that the position has been filled, how am I supposed to know that's not just because they expected a White Iowa graduate to show up for the interview? When I have an especially-attentive employee keep checking in with me at the mall, how am I supposed to know they're shooting for employee of the month, not watching me to make sure I'm not stealing? What do you think it's like when someone says “You don't sound Black at all” when I have a phone conversation with them and then meet them in person? What do you think it's like seeing Confederate flags on cars and flag poles in northern states, only to have someone tell me I'm being too sensitive for not liking it?
When we say “Black Lives Matter,” understand what that actually means. We aren't saying that ONLY Black lives matter. We're saying “Black lives matter TOO.” For the entirety of the history of this country, Black lives have not mattered. At a minimum, they haven't mattered nearly as much as White lives. If a Black person kills another Black person, and we have it on tape, the killer goes to jail. If a White police officer kills a Black person and we have it on tape, the entire judicial system steps up to make sure that officer doesn't go to jail. It doesn't matter whether the Black person was holding a toy gun in a Walmart, or whether the Black person was a 12-year-old kid playing with a BB gun in an empty park. The police union steps up to say the officer was fearing for his life, just worried about trying to make it home that night. IF a grand jury is convened, the prosecutor will present a purposely-weak case to make sure no indictment is reached. IF, by some miracle, an indictment is handed down, no jury is actually going to convict that officer. That's what we mean when we say Black Lives Matter. I can only speak for myself, but I have no reason to believe that the officers in Minnesota or Baton Rouge will ever see the inside of a jail cell. If we can have video evidence that an officer pulled up, jumped out of his car, shot a 12-year-old to death less than 2 seconds after arriving on the scene, administered no first aid, tackled and hand cuffed the boy's sister when she arrived on the scene, and then falsified a police report to say that the boy pointed a gun at him and that he only shot when the boy refused several orders to drop his weapon and STILL not get an indictment, why should we think that an officer who shoots a Black man who had a gun in his pocket, or a Black man who had a concealed weapon on him, will face a trial? If a White man sees a 14-year-old Black boy in his neighborhood, follows him in his car, ignores orders not to engage him, then gets into a fight with him and shoots him in the chest and is found not guilty, why should we expect ANYBODY to go to jail for killing us? It's just not realistic. It's a fairy tale. All you have to do is say you were afraid, and you get a book deal and a job as a commentator on FOX News every time this kind of thing happens again.
That is why Black people are in such pain right now. The deaths are bad enough. But having the feeling that nobody will ever actually be held accountable for the deaths is so much worse. And then watching as the police union, the media, and conservative politicians team up to imagine scenarios where the officer did nothing wrong, and then tell those of us who are in pain that our pain is wrong, unjustified, and all in our heads just serves to twist the knife.
If you read all this, I really, really want to say thank you. I know it was a lot to get through. But this is real. This is me. This is what my life is and has been. And I'm not alone.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/07/12/being-black-iowa-man-shares-experience-viral-essay/87005918/
~~~~~~~~~
I could go on and on and on about this. I could tell you about the guy who wanted to buy his guitar from someone who “actually knew what a guitar was” when I worked at guitar center. At that point, I had a Gibson Les Paul at my house and an Ibanez acoustic, plus a Warwick fretless bass. I could tell you about the coworker who thought it was funny to adopt a stereotypical Black accent to apologize that we weren't going to have fried chicken and cornbread at our company Christmas party. I could tell you about the time I gave my floor mate a haircut freshman year and he “thanked” me by saying he'd let a negro cut his hair any day of the week. I could tell you about leaving a bar heartbroken and fighting tears when the Trayvon Martin verdict came out only to see a couple middle-aged White guys high-fiving and saying he “got what he deserved” right outside. These are only a handful of the experiences I've had in my 31 years.
I've never had a Black boss. I played football from middle school through senior year of high school and only had one Black coach in that whole time. Not just head coaches, I'm talking about assistants and position coaches. I've had two Black teachers in my entire life. One was for my Harlem Renaissance class, and one was for my sign language class. I've never been to a Black doctor, or a Black dentist. I've never been pulled over by a Black police officer. What I'm trying to explain is that, in 31 years, I've seen three Black people in a position of authority. Think about what that does to the psyche of a growing young man. I remember being excited just a few years ago when we started to see Black people in commercials without there being gospel or hip hop music in the background (remember that McDonald's commercial where the little kid was pop-locking with the chicken McNuggets?).
Before you say it, I don't want to hear that you're “sorry I had these experiences.” Because it's not just me. It's not like I'm some kind of magnet for all of the racists in America and I'm some weird anomaly. This is what it means to be Black in America. I appreciate that you're sorry for me, but I'm not seeking your sorrow. I'm seeking your understanding. I just want you to understand that this is real. We're not exaggerating it, and we're not making it up. White people often say that we make everything about race. That's because, for us, damn near everything IS about race. It's always been that way. When I have a great phone interview, but go for my in-person interview only to be told that the position has been filled, how am I supposed to know that's not just because they expected a White Iowa graduate to show up for the interview? When I have an especially-attentive employee keep checking in with me at the mall, how am I supposed to know they're shooting for employee of the month, not watching me to make sure I'm not stealing? What do you think it's like when someone says “You don't sound Black at all” when I have a phone conversation with them and then meet them in person? What do you think it's like seeing Confederate flags on cars and flag poles in northern states, only to have someone tell me I'm being too sensitive for not liking it?
When we say “Black Lives Matter,” understand what that actually means. We aren't saying that ONLY Black lives matter. We're saying “Black lives matter TOO.” For the entirety of the history of this country, Black lives have not mattered. At a minimum, they haven't mattered nearly as much as White lives. If a Black person kills another Black person, and we have it on tape, the killer goes to jail. If a White police officer kills a Black person and we have it on tape, the entire judicial system steps up to make sure that officer doesn't go to jail. It doesn't matter whether the Black person was holding a toy gun in a Walmart, or whether the Black person was a 12-year-old kid playing with a BB gun in an empty park. The police union steps up to say the officer was fearing for his life, just worried about trying to make it home that night. IF a grand jury is convened, the prosecutor will present a purposely-weak case to make sure no indictment is reached. IF, by some miracle, an indictment is handed down, no jury is actually going to convict that officer. That's what we mean when we say Black Lives Matter. I can only speak for myself, but I have no reason to believe that the officers in Minnesota or Baton Rouge will ever see the inside of a jail cell. If we can have video evidence that an officer pulled up, jumped out of his car, shot a 12-year-old to death less than 2 seconds after arriving on the scene, administered no first aid, tackled and hand cuffed the boy's sister when she arrived on the scene, and then falsified a police report to say that the boy pointed a gun at him and that he only shot when the boy refused several orders to drop his weapon and STILL not get an indictment, why should we think that an officer who shoots a Black man who had a gun in his pocket, or a Black man who had a concealed weapon on him, will face a trial? If a White man sees a 14-year-old Black boy in his neighborhood, follows him in his car, ignores orders not to engage him, then gets into a fight with him and shoots him in the chest and is found not guilty, why should we expect ANYBODY to go to jail for killing us? It's just not realistic. It's a fairy tale. All you have to do is say you were afraid, and you get a book deal and a job as a commentator on FOX News every time this kind of thing happens again.
That is why Black people are in such pain right now. The deaths are bad enough. But having the feeling that nobody will ever actually be held accountable for the deaths is so much worse. And then watching as the police union, the media, and conservative politicians team up to imagine scenarios where the officer did nothing wrong, and then tell those of us who are in pain that our pain is wrong, unjustified, and all in our heads just serves to twist the knife.
If you read all this, I really, really want to say thank you. I know it was a lot to get through. But this is real. This is me. This is what my life is and has been. And I'm not alone.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/07/12/being-black-iowa-man-shares-experience-viral-essay/87005918/
Larry, the Cat
An excerpt from USA Today -
As Cameron moves out, the cat stays put at 10 Downing Street
By Ryan W. Miller
With the United Kingdom voting to leave the EU and in turn electing a new prime minister, countless questions around the country’s future have arisen in the recent weeks. One thing is not up for debate, though – Larry, the Chief Mouser of 10 Downing Street, will keep his London residence during the leadership change.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/07/12/cameron-moves-out-cat-stays-put-10-downing-street/86998646/
As Cameron moves out, the cat stays put at 10 Downing Street
By Ryan W. Miller
With the United Kingdom voting to leave the EU and in turn electing a new prime minister, countless questions around the country’s future have arisen in the recent weeks. One thing is not up for debate, though – Larry, the Chief Mouser of 10 Downing Street, will keep his London residence during the leadership change.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/07/12/cameron-moves-out-cat-stays-put-10-downing-street/86998646/
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