(for part 1 click here) Humanity; what a trip. Do you define yourself as "Italian", Irish", Spanish", or "German"? Have you ever thought about why you define your heritage or ethnicity the way you do? Because your parents did? Maybe its where your great-grandparents lived before immigrating to America. I'll grant you that defining details such as language, recorded history and (ugh) physical traits are natural points of reference.…
I've wanted to touch on the subjects of ethnicity, nationality, heritage and race for awhile now so I should thank Nobel Prize winning DNA pioneer, James Watson, for the kick in the pants. While no one would, could, or should, mistake me as a student of any scientific discipline (outside of figuring poker odds), I am still qualified enough to have my own opinion on his "learned" opinion: He's a…
I was completely shocked today after reading that Lucky Dube had died during an apparent car-jacking attempt. He was just here last month and performed at the Mesa (AZ) Convention Center. Losing him is on the scale of Bob Marley's death from cancer. Both of these artists, along with Fela Kuti, were struck down in their prime. But they were beyond artists. They were poets/prophets…
"The fish in the water that is thirsty needs serious professional counseling." (Kabir) It is likely a paraphrasing or translation into contemporary verse, but the above line, credited to Indian poet Kabir 500 years ago, has much to say about current conditions. How prolific our society is in seeking professional help to perform adequately in our daily lives. Counseling groups, weight loss groups, psychologists, life coaches, nutrtionists, psychiatrists, physicians all…