Inspired by Summer

I finally finished a cow for a very patient customer. She said she wanted a cow and she wasn't picky about the color combination. So I let the warm California sun inspire me when I slowly but steadily sewed this brightly colored cow.

I had to sew this cow slowly and carefully because my arm injuries still won't allow me to sew the way I'd like to sew. These injuries have already caused major delays and frustration this year. Everytime I thought my arm was getting better (either thanks to physical therapy or steroid injections) and I carefully tried sewing again (with my small army of braces) the pains kept coming back.

There's nothing I love more than sewing my creatures, but I think I'm going to have accept that I may have to give up on it. I wish I could create hundreds of little creatures each year and send them out into the world and brighten the lives of many people, but I'll have to find another way to do that I'm afraid. 

Is Karma the New/Old "N" Word? Ask the Black Untouchables of India

Dalit Riders, taking it to the streets, against Hindu caste system (source:  http://www.myspace.com/bfnindia/blog/140163894)

The Black "Untouchables" or Dalits of India are arguably the most oppressed people on the planet. In part 3 of a lecture by Dr. Velu Annamalai, he says that karma--a key concept in Hinduism and Buddhism--was invented by Aryan invaders to promote white supremacy and create a permanent black underclass in India [1]

Is Karma--a seemingly commonsense notion of reaping what you sow--the new (actually old) "N" word?

"What the Aryans did [by inventing the Hindu religion], they made us [the Untouchables/Dalits] completely dumb for 3,000 years." Dr. Velu Annamalai

If Dr. Annamalai is correct then it would seem that the karma concept has been the source of the Untouchables' deplorable plight--literally justifying their gross degradation.[2]

According to the African American historian, Runoko  Rashidi, there are over 160 million Untouchables in India; [3] they are increasingly becoming more vocal in their opposition to the caste system. [4] What can we do to help? Well for starters we might rethink our uncritical use of the "k"-word and the suffering that it sanctions.

Ohmmmmmmm.

Notes:

[1] According to some sources, the Ancestors of the Untouchables were known as Dravidians. Their original home was the  Indus Valley located in modern day Pakistan.

[2] "Two hands and a leg amputated. The remaining limb yet to heal, has turned gangrenous and may also have to be removed. His kidneys have been damaged due to excessive bleeding and he can hardly eat and digest any food. And yet defiance still sparkles in the eyes of Bant Singh, a Dalit agricultural labour activist." Punjab Dalit Solidarity: Bant Singh: Dalit, Defiant, Decapitated (dap @ fara)
[3] http://www.cwo.com/~lucumi/caste.html
[4] The Dalit Panthers who fight for their rights‬‏ (dap @ Cam)


Tags: india, hindu, slavery, untouchables

Also dig

• African presence in early Asia - Google Books
• Why Do India's Dalits Hate Gandhi? by BFN India on Myspace
• Karma From A Buddhist Perspective (thinkingfromtheheart.wordpress.com)
• Who were untouchable by the Indians during gandihi's period (wiki.answers.com)
• Happy 120th Birthday, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar! (iupress.typepad.com)
• Karma Was Discovered In Ancient India (thinkingfromtheheart.wordpress.com)
• Rastafarian pilgrims still searching for respect: Africa Review
• Office Hours with J. Lorand Matory on African-Inspired Religions
• The DR Congo at 50- "I would like to become white" (Dap @ Jemima)

African or American? Black Identity in New York City, 1784-1861 | Reviews in History

This looks to be an important read. Are we African or American? Can we be both simultaneously? Does one identity cancel the other? What has this debate looked like historically? GI

African or American? Black Identity in New York City, 1784-1861 (A review)

by Leslie Alexander

Chicago, IL, University of Illinois Press, 2008, ISBN: 9780252033360; 288pp.; Price: £33.00;

Reviewer: Bronwen Everill, Kings College London

Citation: Bronwen Everill, review of African or American? Black Identity in New York City, 1784-1861, (review no. 770)URL: http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/review/770
Date accessed: Mon 20 June 2011 3:07:44 BST

In March 2008, candidate Barack Obama made a speech in Philadelphia articulating his own views on race in the politics of the presidential campaign. In it, he stated that ‘at various stages in the campaign, some commentators have deemed me either “too black” or “not black enough”.’(1) Clearly, issues of political and racial identity for African Americans are still both highly relevant and highly contentious today. This makes Leslie Alexander’s tightly knit narrative of the development of two broad African American political identities an important contribution to the growing historiography. It joins such recent titles such as James Sidbury’s Becoming African in America (2), Patrick Rael’s Black Identity and Black Protest in the Antebellum North (3) and Leslie Harris’s In the Shadow of Slavery: African Americans in New York City, 1626-1863.(4) Alexander describes the purpose of her research as examining the conflict between ‘moral uplift’ and African heritage and emigration in the development of political activism and nascent Black Nationalism in New York City. She uses political activists’ speeches from throughout the period, as well as ongoing newspaper discourses, as her primary way into the politics of the black community.

Read more @  Reviews in History

See also:

• The ties that bind Ghanaians and Africans in America
• Tracing and Debating the Slave Trade 
• World's first recorded Afrocentric statement was uttered by a white man

tags: identity, african american, new york 

Snake Gods in the Vodoun ("Voodoo") religion

I just got back from a study-tour in Ghana-Benin. I have been to Ghana roughly 7 times and Benin 3 times. This trip was a bit different in that I was co-supervising students from my place of employment, Winston-Salem State University. I will share some images from the trip as time permits. GI

Vodoun (so-called "Voodoo") [1] python shrine in Ouidah, Benin.

In the Judeo-Christian western world, snakes are often feared and associated with evil. There are a few exceptions to this general rule. For example, there are white American Charismatics (ACs), mostly in the Appalachians region of the American South, who use live snakes during worship. However, there are a few differences between the ACs and Vodoun snake worshipers. First, AC snake handlers use poisonous snakes[2]. Vodoun devotees use non-poisonous python snakes. Second, as I understand it, ACs do not believe in the divinity of snakes. Rather they view the snake's ability of kill worshipers and the worshiper's life or death fate while handling these venomous snakes as a example of Gods power and as literal manifestations of biblical narrative. But in many parts of the world, including some parts of Africa, snakes are revered as divinities (called "Loas" in Vodou), sacred protectors, and admired for their elegant movements. Vodoun devotees and Aboriginal Australians perform dances that mimic snake movements.[3] 

Notes

[1] The more widely known spelling "Voodoo" is considered racist and/or offensive by some Vodoun devotees. Vodoun (there are several alternate spellings) means "spirit" or "God."
[2] In Jesus' Name: Taking Up Serpents

[3] The Vodoun dance is called Yanvalou. See here and here.

see also:

• Does Anthropology Belong to the White Man?
• "Pestilence of Imported Gods" (dap @ usa africa dialogue)
• "Can we be a free people while taking on the values of the people that enslaved us?" (Afrikania religion)

tags: benin, slavery, religion, vodou, vodoo

The Montucky Review

Word comes from Bozeman, Montana that A.g. Synclair has opened a new prose and poetry site, The Montucky Review.  Montucky, Synclair says, is a rather affectionate nickname given to the state of Montana by its residents to illustrate the dichotomy between the cosmopolitan atmosphere of cities like Bozeman, and the overall rural feeling of Montana in general.  The Camel has often been in Montana, and knows what that means.  A.g. is posting some good stuff up there in the Big Sky, and wanderers will find it worth the trip to visit at http://montuckyreview.blogspot.com/

SewSare

1. Could you tell us a bit about yourself? 

I’m Sare of SewSare, Sare being short for Sarah but I can’t really remember the last time anyone called me that. I’m 22 and at the moment live in Brighton, UK with my boyfriend. I’m originally from London and I still commute there for my job. I sew and bake as much as possible as well as being a keen runner (I’ve just run my second marathon). And of course, I love reading blogs!

2. What do you make and how did you get into this?

I make home and fashion accessories so things like cushions, tote bags, aprons, purses, hair bands.

This is just what I’ve always made. I like to make new things so most of my products are things I’ve tried out and liked enough! I’m constantly trying new things so don’t expect my products to stay the same for very long.

3. Why did you name your blog SewSare?

My blog is named after me and what I like to do, SewSare sums it up perfectly! It’s not all sewing though, there’s enough cake to make anyone hungry I think. And a bit about where I live and what I’ve been up to.

My shop is called The Bear & Rabbit. I had been looking for a new name for my shop (the sew part was staring to limit some of my ideas) and Bear & Rabbit just really appealed to me.

4. Where and when do you like to create?

I live in a very small flat so my creative space is limited. I have taken over the dining table because the view from the window there is lovely. But it isn’t unusual to find me curled up on the sofa or spread out across the floor. It usually just depends on how close to the sewing machine I need to be!

I have an 1½ hour commute each day too so I like to put in my headphones and doodle new designs to pass the time on the train. If I’m really brave I craft on the train too but nothing more adventurous than a cross stitch so far. You get some strange looks!

5. What or who inspires you? 

So much inspires me! I love people watching; certain colours or fabric combinations someone is wearing or a book they are reading can spark off a new idea for me. I live in a city squashed between the sea and open countryside so nature plays it’s part too. I’m slightly obsessed by magazines, giving me another endless stream of inspiration. And of course, blogs! I’m constantly adding things to my favourites to inspire me later.

6. What’s the best thing you’ve ever made?

The best thing I’ve made so far is definitely these cushions for my mum’s house. I had been making a few things here and there but this was the first thing someone else requested me to make something. After that everything started to click and I haven’t stopped making things for friends and family!

7. When you create what do you like to drink, snack on, listen to, or watch?

What I’m listening to usually depends on who I’m with while crafting. Usually whatever my boyfriend is watching or playing is on in the background so I zone it out pretty quickly! If it’s music though, definitely anything 80’s, the cheesier the better! I have a serious sweet tooth so there’s normally a lot of chocolate around too, along with something caffeinated. I’m definitely not a healthy snacker!

8. What skill would you love to learn and who would you like to be your teacher?

There’s so much I want to learn! I’ve been attempting to learn to crochet for forever and I still can’t do it. I have quite a few designs floating around my head that need crochet so I would love to learn how. Anyone with enough patience to get past my lack of hand-eye coordination would be good!

9. What are you working on now and what are your goals for the future?

I’m planning to open my Etsy shop this summer so I’m busy working on new designs and products ideas at the moment. I feel like I’ve waited so long to get my shop opened that I can’t wait now!

10. What are your five favorite websites?

Twitter: I am probably the worst tweeter in the world but I love catching up with what people are up to. Twitter has allowed me to ‘meet’ lots of crafty people I would never have had to chance to otherwise.

A Beautiful Mess: Finding this blog is what started everything for me. Crafting doesn’t quite have the same reputation here in the UK as in other places like America. That’s starting to change now but this blog opened up a whole new world for me.

Handmade By Emily: This is another UK crafty blogger who posts about the most amazing things she finds on the internet. Her cute owls and lavender mice are well worth a look too.

Lauren Loves: Lauren writes a beauty blog which isn’t really my thing but her posts are so addictive I have to read them. Watch out for her crimes of fashion posts for a good giggle!

Picnik: Pretty self explanatory but I couldn’t survive without this site to save my dreadful photos!!

11. Where can we find you online?

You can find me at my blog, and on twitter. I'm hoping to open my Etsy shop in early summer so keep an eye on my blog for news on that!

WORLD’S ORIGINAL ONLINE POETRY BAR ANNOUNCES THE CREATION OF BOOKS ON BLOG™ FOR DIGITAL POETRY CHAPBOOKS

June 19, 2011  The world’s original online poetry bar, The Camel Saloon, opens its doors today to the creation of digital poetry chapbooks with the publication of its first two Books on Blog™, First Poems from Viet Nam, edited by Michael H. Brownstein, and Safety First, by Darryl Price.  Operated by Russell Streur of Johns Creek, GA, the tavern is ranked as a top-ten publisher of poetry on the web.

First Poems from Viet Nam features poems written by 18 students enrolled in a first-year English class taught by Michael H. Brownstein at the University of Agriculture in Ha Noi.  The selections are the first poems ever written by the students in any language.  Themes range from the happiness of drinking tea with friends on sunny mornings to the imagination of life as birds and lizards among lotus blossoms and cay buoi trees. 

First Poems from Viet Nam is located at: http://theeyeoftheneedlevietnam.blogspot.com/

Safety First is a new collection of poems by Darryl Price.  Laced with images of blue snow, ancient hunger and eternal mystery, Price’s work celebrates love and loss along the highways of modern civilization.  The road is dangerous but the destination is worth the risk. 

Safety First is located at: http://thecamelsaloonbook1.blogspot.com/

Upcoming Books on Blog™ will include more volumes created by the tavern’s Saloonatic and Camelholic patrons.  

About Michael H. Brownstein

Michael H. Brownstein taught elementary school in Chicago’s inner city for years before retiring.  In addition to teaching English in Ha Noi, he studies African instruments and records performance and music pieces with grants from the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs, the Oppenheimer Foundation other cultural organizations.  Brownstein is widely published throughout the small and literary presses.

About Darryl Price

Darryl Price was born in Kentucky and educated at Thomas More College. A founding member of L. Jack Roth's Yellow Pages Poets, he has published dozens of chapbooks, and his poems have appeared in many journals, including Pudding, The Bitter Oleander, Cornfield Review, Allegany Poetry, Out of Sight, Fireweed, Paper Radio, The West Conscious Review, Four Paper Letters, LITSNACK, Ramshackle Review, Metazen, Prick of the Spindle, Blue Five Notebook, Istanbul Literary Review, THIS Literary Magazine and The Camel Saloon.

About The Camel Saloon

The Camel Saloon welcomes submissions of poetry, short fiction, photography and works of art from dromedaries, malcontents and jewels in the world.  It is operated by Russell Streur, an internationally published poet and born-again dissident residing in Johns Creek, Georgia.  Streur, the story goes, was hit over the head by a baseball bat swung by an insistent muse from Crete in 2004 and has been just fine ever since.  Duotrope Digest ranks the speakeasy as a top-ten publisher of poetry on the web. The bar is located at http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.com/

Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee: Leonard Peltier Remembers Geronimo Pratt

Greetings to all my friends and compatriots,

Everyone it seems knows something about Geronimo Pratt. To all of us, to every human being on the planet, he was a beacon of principle that we should all aspire to emulate. To those directly involved in the struggle, he was one of those gifted, tough as nails warriors who not only had the vision to know what was right, but the strength and courage to stick to his convictions no matter the cost. When he had to be, he was a terror to his enemies.

To me, he was a friend and an ally. I met him in jail of course, so many years ago. He always had so much of my respect.

Read more @ Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee

(Dap @ bermudaradical.wordpress.com)

The Right to Drive is The Right to Speak

June 16, 2011  The Camel’s good friend Claudia Rey writes today to remind us that Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive.

Claudia also brings the news that tomorrow, June 17, Saudi women are defying this stupid, discriminating, medieval and absurd law which prevents them from taking the wheel by taking their cars and driving throughout the country.  The protest courts the risk of imprisonment and civic punishment for those brave enough to participate. 

Claudia asked the Camel to spread news of this event.  While the Camel has never before spoken in support of any particular cause, and disapproves of cars in general, Claudia’s request is happily granted.
 
A petition to support the Women2Drive campaign can be found here:  http://www.change.org/petitions/secretary-clinton-publicly-support-saudi-womens-right-to-drive

Please join The Camel in supporting this effort.

The imprisonment of poets who have spoken in support of The Arab Spring has also drawn The Camel's recent attention, notably the cases of the poetess Ayat Al-Gormezi, who has been sentenced for reciting the words:

We do not like to live in a palace
And we are not after power
We are the people who
Break down humiliation
And discard oppression
With peace as our tool
We are people who
Do not want others to be living in the Dark Ages

See:  http://www.englishpen.org/writersinprison/wipcnews/bahrainpoetayatal-gormezisentenced/

and of the Sunni poet Mohamed Al-Buflasa who remains illegally detained for speaking in Pearl Square support of The Spring.  See: http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=246540

Please also join The Camel to support the release of these voices.

double d

Dedik and Deduk. Twin brothers from Seminyak. This shot is from a few years ago. Dedik runs a surf school now: www.surfschoolbali.com

Two of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Pure stoke. Twins who surf twin fins.

shallow

Equatorial Pacific. Midday howling trades. Good at sunset. Coral heads. Go right.

sky

Sunrise, looking skyward.