crips & bloods: made in america.

phil and i sat down and watched this documentary last friday. i mean, i know that racism is institutionalized in america and canada, but lord, i wasn't prepared to see what i saw and learn even more about the true history of the degredation of black culture on this continent.

do yourself a favour and educate yourself - watch this film, and understand how much further we have left to go. we need to understand our communities before we can know how to properly raise them up and fight the powers that be.

hey mambo! mambo italiano..

so i just got back from an epic roman holiday. having never been to italy before, i partook in as many of the amazing things it had to offer as i could. basically, i stuffed myself with delicious porcini risotto, al dente pasta, unbelievable wine and walked around just staring at things until my eyes got blurry.

i was lucky enough to have been able to visit the pantheon, the vatican, the colliseum, the forum, and even the headquarters for valentino - where i got to touch (read: clutch and yelp at) julia roberts' and cate blanchette's oscar dresses, jackie o.'s wedding dress to aristotle onassis, a dress worn by princess di, j-lo's sea-foam green grecian-inspired dress from some sort of super-crazy event (you'd know it if you saw it), and about a million other amazing things that i can't even find the words to describe.

what an absolutely stunning city. everywhere you look, there's something there that reminds you of the ultimately very tiny role you play in the history of the world.. now back to reality!

andy paints.

debbie sits.

r.i.p. john updike.

this iconic and pulitzer prize-winning poet, art and literary critic, short story writer and novelist passed away today of lung cancer. he was groundbreaking in his chronicling of the sexualized young american, and in his consistent inventiveness. another legend leaves us.

a lengend passes: bettie page.

50's pin-up legend, s & m persona and bettie page just passed away last night from pneumonia; never regaining consciousness after suffering a heart attack earlier this month.

unknowingly, a force in the sexual revolution, and a cult heroine, she spent most of her life out of the limelight, turned to religion, then later battled with acute schizophrenia.

she was 85.

my president is.

BLACK.

young jeezy & nas, y'heard?

sorry, can't stop writing about it. i've got that electic feel yo.

ushering in a new era.

and we are living history. right now.

and it all comes down to this.

it's election night for our neighbours. and i hope that change prevails.

thanks to chris milk and ye.

pull up the people.

yesterday, june 3, 2008, with all state primaries counted, barack obama passed the 2118 delegate mark and became the democratic presumptive nominee. he is the first african american to be the presumptive nominee of a major political party in the history of the united states of america.

jasmine and i were texting eachother as soon as we heard the news.

did you know that obama was placed under secret service protection on may 3, 2007, the earliest ever for a u.s. presidential candidate? it's no coincidence that this type of protection is in place for a candidate, that 20 years ago might have been perceived as a completely radical choice.

we are living through a very special time. history is happening all around us. we need to make sure that we open our ears as well as as opening our eyes.