No matter what someone's political beliefs may be, Barack Obama is an impressive individual. He has worked tirelessly and diligently to assume the role he now plays in our world. I feel that no matter what the legacy of his presidency may be, he will be remembered by history to be one of America's most inspiring figures.
Obama's parents are Barack Obama, Sr., a black man from Kenya, and Stanley Ann Dunham, a white woman from Kansas. So yes, while the President may personally identify with being a black man (and rightfully so), he is the product of an interracial relationship.
I would cautiously argue that many Americans tend to admire the novelty and exoticism of individuals who are biracial or multiracial descended. We seem extremely attracted to them; we view their existence almost as an evolution of humanity. They represent the gradual erasure of the racial divide. However, there are many in our society that are still apprehensive about interracial dating. We still have those initial tribal impulses embedded in our bodies that prevent us from fully appreciating romantic biracial interaction. When we see interracial couples in public, we can't help but take a second look and wonder about their story. What were the circumstances that brought them together and why did they choose each other instead of someone of their own race? Is the scrutiny difficult for them, or has it simply become background noise?
I know I do this, even though I feel a bit of shame. It takes a moment for my reason and acceptance to offset the initial pangs of tribalism. I guess I'm human after all.
But for me, there is a bigger question. If the children of interracial couples are so treasured by our society, why are the couples themselves still the targets of scrutiny and skepticism? Should we not praise their efforts as openly as we marvel in the beauty of their offspring?
To be more specific I'm a motorcyclist, which to me is much different than simply owning a motorcycle. Anyone who owns a motorcycle will happily ride during near-perfect riding conditions; middle of the day, 77 degrees, no traffic, and not a cloud in the sky. But in addition to this, a motorcyclist will ride at any other opportunity s/he finds, no matter the conditions. I've ridden during the middle of the night, through pouring rain, to work and back, to run errands around town, and even down to temperatures of 40 degrees. The only reason I'm not riding my bike now is because I don't own motorcycle gear that can protect me from the relative frigidity of a Philadelphia winter. (However, that type of gear does exist, and I will own some in the near future.)
Many motorcyclists have tried to describe the appeal of riding. Some romanticize about the sense of isolation and time for self reflection motorcycling offers. Others will celebrate the camaraderie and community that accompanies motorcycle ownership. And yes, both of these concepts are very appealing. But more than these, motorcycling allows me to be as fully engaged with the world and my surrounding as I can possibly imagine.
Consider this. A motorcycle is practically a chair on which someone has bolted an internal combustion engine (so it's highly flammable), two wheels (so it has half the grip of an automobile), and handlebars (so the rider has to physically hold on). And depending which chair-on-wheels the rider may own, s/he is capable of traveling at speeds upwards of 180 mph. So even at more legal velocities, the performance of a motorcycle can quickly become overwhelming. Oh, and let's add a few 2-ton blocks of steel moving at similar speeds in close proximity to this high-powered chair, just for good measure (many of them driven by people texting their BFFs while looking for their credit card to purchase their vacation tickets to Bermuda). As you can see, the attention that is required to safely operate a motorcycle on the street is paramount and requires active and unconditional commitment.
This is what I absolutely love about motorcycling. It's one of the few things in life one can do that doesn't allow "phoning it in." If only we injected this type of engagement into other events/actions/relationships in our lives...
Let me be clear. There are many challenges in the motorcycling community, and most are reflective of similar challenges in the greater society. In future posts, I will most likely take time to highlight some of these issues in hopes of inspiring discussion.
Nevertheless, motorcycling will be a part of my life until the end. It has become part my identity; as much as where I grew up and or who I consider my friends. I feel if things had been different, I would have wanted to be the first black racer in MotoGP instead of a theatre artist. But for me, it was a matter of economics. I'll save that for another day.
For now, here's a video of one of my favorite styles of motorcycle racing, flat track. I hope to build my own flat tracker in the next couple of years and start learning how to ride this way. I really want to try this!
For more info on flat track racing, look here. See you tomorrow!
This will be the last week I highlight Asher Roth, and I'd like to end the month with his first single "G.R.I.N.D. (Get Ready It's a New Day)" off of his forthcoming album The Spaghetti Tree.
After spending the month listening to Asher, I am really impressed by his commitment to solid, steady progress as an artist. So many new emcees see debut hits as a chance to propel themselves into superstar territory which, more often than not, never quite comes to fruition. But Mr. Roth seems to be following a more measured and deliberate approach. He's making very credible and insightful choices about the artists with whom he chooses to collaborate, and he is doing the grassroots ground work that remains the tried and true method of solidifying one's fanbase. Plus, the cat can rhyme, he makes enjoyable music, and he doesn't take himself to seriously. I've had fun learning more about Asher and his music this month, and I look forward to hearing good things from him in the future.
Whenever I find myself lacking in inspiration to perform or write or practice, there are a few key thoughts or ideas that usually help me get back in gear. Recent events in my professional progress have jostled me a bit and I've noticed feeling a bit weighted down. But tonight, I'm feeling somewhat rejuvenated as I've revisited the stories, thoughts, and musings of one of my current heros, Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Dr. Tyson is the director of the Hayden Planetarium inside the American Museum of Natural History in New York. He's written 11 books, including Death By Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries and The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet. He's appeared on The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Rachel Maddow Show, and half a dozen other television programs enlightening audiences about the fascinations of the universe. He's also the host of NOVA scienceNOW on PBS. For a full bio, check this out.
He's also one of the best storytellers of our time.
He has a way of talking about the universe with colors and textures that arrest me with interest. There's no way I'm not going to listen to what he says. He makes the most complex scientific theories refreshingly digestible without watering down their importance. But what's most important, he has fun discussing the universe with people. From what I can tell, he doesn't seem to mind people asking him questions about the cosmos. He's an educator, and he's good at.
I could go on and on about Dr. Tyson's dopeness, but I'll save that for another night. It's much better now if you have a chance to see for yourself.
So for your viewing pleasure, a bit of Dr. Tyson doing what he does. I hope you enjoy.
If you're in the northeast, you may have noticed a little bit of precipitation over the last few days. Seeing as how I'm a country boy from eastern North Carolina, snow will always remain somewhat of a novelty to me no matter how long I live up here. When I see it blanketing the streets, houses, and trees around the neighborhood I can't help but feel just a bit of excitement and wonderment. Yes, snow can be dangerous and cause damage to property. Yes, it's a pain to shovel for an hour twice a week. But a day in out in the snow can be an incredibly fun adventure.
My cousin Nina, her two-year-old twins Madison and Roderick, and I had one of those adventures today. We went sledding over at the local park and had two solid hours of frozen fun. As I mentioned earlier, I'm from eastern North Carolina where there is very little snow and virtually no hills to slide down. So this was my very first time sledding and let me tell you, if you haven't had the opportunity to do this, go to where the snow is and get to it. It's off the hook!
But enough yackin'. Here are a few pictures of our day, courtesy of my cousin Nina.
Here are Madison and Roderick doing their Inuit impressions.
That's me with our trusty steed, a 2001 Nissan Xterra. My dad calls it "The Billy Goat."
I'm not quite sure what this one's all about.
And for the grand finale, a video of my first sledding experience for your viewing pleasure. I am such a child.
So the State of the Union address was last night. (yawn...)
The President's remarks were remarkable. His speech and proposals reestablished his message and allowed him to rise above the rhetorical shenanigans and political posturing of punditry and partisan bickering. (boring...)
The official Republican response was inflexible and unsuccessful in offering clear alternatives to the President's proposals, mostly regurgitating Republican talking points to no real purpose. (next...)
But then there was the "Official Tea Party Response to the President's State of the Union" by Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann. (It aired on CNN, giving it EQUAL BILLING with the SOTU and the official Republican response.) You remember her, don't you? She's the Kato Kaelin grand prize winner that found her way onto "Hardball with Chris Matthews" (I still don't like that name.) and called for media penetration of liberal members of Congress for having "anti-American" views.
I'm loving this Tea Party stuff. Its exposure of the destructiveness and hatred that exists in the extreme right of this country's electorate is exactly what our political process needs. I have many friends, some conservative and some liberal. But more than anything, they are ALL hard-working, decent, generous people who simply want their children to have a better experience of life than they. They are much more alike than different. And none of them carry these types of radical and extremist ideologies. I know. I've talked to them.
There are only two outcomes to this Tea Party movement.
1. The Tea Party movement succeeds in yanking the Republican party further and further to the right in order to maintain its base, rendering most Republican candidates for state and federal office unelectable. The Democrats will respond by moving the center of the country towards the left and offer sensible programs and policy that appeal to the majority of American citizens.
2. The Republican party distances itself from the principles of the Tea Party and moves ITSELF further towards the left, more in the direction of a Dwight Eisenhower sense of conservatism. (Look up his domestic policy. You'll be surprised.) This would also allow the Democrats to move left as well. These two moves would allow for a more healthy bipartisan effort in governing the country, confining the extremists on both the left and the right to the fringes of the political landscape.
Although both outcomes are fine with me, I hope for the second. Republicans have ideas, too. And even though I consider myself fairly liberal/progressive, I recognize my beliefs aren't for everyone and governing should be shared in order for us all to progress together.
So thank you, Tea Partiers, for being so out of your mind. You are serving your country more than you know.
So I'm taking another night off. I haven't talked to Walta in a while so I decided it'd be a good time to catch up with her since we both have a free evening. I'm also taking in the coverage of President Obama's State of the Union address. I will be back tomorrow with my thoughts on the speech.
Until now and then, here's a video of a two rats having a staring contest.
Hmmm... I'll bet this is what would happen if Bill O'Reilly ever met Ed Schultz.
