happy thankstaking

“…Now listen, when you celebrate “Thanksgiving”/
What you are actually celebratin’/
is the proclamation of the Pope of Rome/
Who later, in league with Queen Isabella/
sent Cardinal Ximenos to Spain/
to murder any blacks that resisted Christianity/
These Moors, these black men and women/
were from Baghdad, Turkey/
And today, you eat the turkey, for your “Thanksgiving” day/
as the European Powers destroyed the Turkeys/
Who were the forefathers of your mothers and fathers/

“Nature of the Threat” by Ras Kass

And some words on this Holiday from Mumia Abu Jamal:

I think of those precious few who remain, and wonder, what do they think of this day; this national myth of sweet brotherhood, that masks what can only be called genocide?

The amount of myth needed to uphold America’s identity is ridiculous.

on a different note: The Roots on Yo Gabba Gabba

the song is appropriate. i got a lot to be thankful for. even though shit gets rough, there is love. and sometimes the greatest battle is within myself. i’m thankful for my fam but i gotta do things differently. i’m comforted by Alex Karras’ words:

“It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than to dominate them, more ‘manhood’ to abide by thought-out principles rather than blind reflex. Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles and an immature mind.”

word. i’m writin poems again though i still got a long way to go to get back to form. i am not there yet. i’m exactly where i need to be. choosin love over fear, one day at a time.

nuclear family (w.i.p.)

i don’t go into detail
with friends why i don’t like UFC or violent movies
i say simply
it makes me uncomfortable
when i really mean
i don’t find enjoyment in people getting hurt

it’s 1992
we reunite as family
father mother three sons
alone in America
leaving relatives in Thailand
for a better life

i started school here in the 3rd grade
one morning
i decided i didn’t want to go to class
the chattering kept me up the previous night
as i slept in the living room
my dad took me home to the garage
punched and kicked me repeatedly
to the soundtrack of his loud cursing

some nights
i fall asleep to the sounds of my mom’s screams in agony
patriarchal fists smashed any sense of trust to maintain subservience
we never mentioned it

my brother grabbed a kitchen knife
threaten to stab my oldest brother
me, the youngest, pleaded with tears and please don’t
it happened more than once

a promise was made
to myself then
do not become like them
children of chaos and confused masculinity
all the men in my family had a temper
held it in
til they explode on loved ones

i’m not excluded
gettin into fights at school
attempts to prove
i am a fuckin man!
even before puberty

First Asian Boy

[courtesy of the homie Bev]

it’s catchy as hell haha. from a fellow Thai brotha, apparently dude’s HUGE on youtube. Asians are still underrepresented in the media/movies/etc. but we got youtube on lock! along with him, there’s kevjumba and Happyslip. in my backpacker days, i wouldn’t co-sign these folks cuz they ain’t “political” enough. on the real though, to counter stereotypes we need every type of Asians.

fuck Bobby Lee from MadTV and Dat Phan though. them lames need to quit, they’re the type that perpetuate bullshit.

thin line (work in progress)

after hearing loved ones tell their stories
of heartbreaks/emotional and physical abuses

the old me
would wonder why’d she put herself in that situation
blame the victim

the old me
would be angry
i’d call em out/put em on blast
those speakin poetic words but don’t live them
i’d want to make em feel the same pain
with my fists
becoming no different
than the men i despise

the present me
knows there’s a thin line
between progress and regress
the old me is still here
anger is still the first instinctual emotion
it’s easy for males
the abused can quickly become the abuser

the present me
knows there’s a thin line
between a man and a boy
and many do not grow up to be a man
age is just a number/sometimes

it’s not enough to point fingers
i struggle with myself each day
these are commitments to become the best of me
i have seen and heard too much
to inflict similar pains on those closest to me
i’ve learned
we can be the cruelest to those closest to us

we deserve nothing less
than to be treated with respect
and love

© pathanapong pathanadilok 2008

LA fires 2008

man, the sky was red when i was comin home Friday night. You could smell the ash in the air the whole wknd. We always have fires in LA every year but it’s usually around rich neighborhoods and far from me and my folks. The Sylmar fires was pretty damn close. photos via LA Times.

Save Sunday’s at the Thai Temple!

in Berkeley

http://www.ktvu.com/video/17355342/index.html

and check out savethethaitemple.com for ways you can help.

This already happened in LA. Same complaints by the neighbors and they won. Now they don’t sell food at the temple on weekends. In Berkeley, it’s only ONE day of the week. And if you watch til the end of the vid, they had to compromise so much already. I can’t believe the white lady compared Thai food to McDonald’s and somehow Thai food has hypnotic abilities. This shit pisses me off, i ain’t got eloquent words for this crap. Fuckin wolves in sheep clothing. At least with Republicans/conservatives, they usually tell you what they’re thinking unlike so-called liberals. Check this bullshit

On September 27th, one of the petioners walked into the Thai Temple and proceeded to ask what the purpose of the volunteers and Buddhists were on Saturday; ‘Are you here to buy food? You can only buy food on Sunday’s’ and proceeded to take pictures inside and around the Temple. The monks and onsite volunteers, due to their lack of English skills, did not attempt to stop the petitioner. The petitioner went so far as to call the police on the Thai Temple regarding the incident.

FYI: Therevada Buddhists Monaists/Monks are not allowed to cook for themselves, relying on the community and volunteers for food. The petitioner ignorantly determined any food made on Temple grounds is for sale and not for Religious reasons. After the incident, volunteers and Monks were informed of their basic rights and the posting of ‘Private’ and “No Trespassing” signs throughout the area.

Let my people be!

Slumdog Millionaire

The tagline is lame: an Indian boy from the slums appears on ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ but it’s more like an Indian version of City of God with a love story that spans a decade. Yes, shit gets gritty and grimey. And the theme takes its cue from Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. That’s all I’ll say cuz it’s mos def something to experience with a large group of folks. Normally i’d be hesitant to co-sign what seems like a product of culture vultures; those in positions of power (typically white) profiting from other people’s cultures. But I got a soft spot for decent love stories plus the film is very well made. One of the best movies of the year, easily.

Here’s the trailer: don’t watch it if u don’t wanna be spoiled

44th

i’ll leave my critique for another day. this is a beautiful moment in US history.

and Jeezy should be invited to the White House.

human condition

there is no them
our struggles are different
the journey is the same