Category Archives: Rock on-Peace Out

‘We Will Not Apologize’: Chronicling the Defiant Women of India – The New York Times

At this point I delved into a world of shocking statistics. Despite India’s prolonged economic expansion, the percentage of women in the work force remains dismally low — lower than in any country in the G-20 other than Saudi Arabia — and it is dropping. More than 70 percent of women say they have to ask permission from a parent, husband or in-law if they want to leave home to visit a health center or to see a friend in the neighborhood.Peepli Khera seemed like a good place to learn why this state of affairs had persisted. Life there was being rearranged in tangible ways by economic growth — specifically, a booming buffalo meat export industry. Last summer, the increase in female employment in the village had erupted into a raw power struggle, with the conservative male caste leaders demanding that the women resign from their jobs. I thought we — the photographer, Andrea Bruce; the interpreter, Ravi Mishra; and I — would merely plant ourselves there and watch them duke it out.This was easier said than done.

Last summer, the increase in female employment in the village had erupted into a raw power struggle, with the conservative male caste leaders demanding that the women resign from their jobs. I thought we — the photographer, Andrea Bruce; the interpreter, Ravi Mishra; and I — would merely plant ourselves there and watch them duke it out.This was easier said than done. In the end we made nine reporting trips to the village, staying until late at night — when the whiskey kicked in — and arriving before dawn. We collected firewood with the women, accompanied them as they went looking for work, and tagged along on court dates. We spent so much time in the village that the people there began to regard us with sincere pity.Then they began to ignore us. This is when the work began to bear fruit. We became professional eavesdroppers. Four months into our reporting, we were in the village for a series of tense, clamorous late-night meetings, in which the elders grudgingly decreed that the women could return to work.That night, the headman, Roshan, pushed us out of the village with his hands pressed against our backs; later he admitted that he had done so because he did not want us to witness violence. We returned to New Delhi and almost immediately learned that a large group of villagers had assaulted Geeta and her friends, also leaving her husband badly injured. We returned to find our subjects utterly changed — unhurt for the most part, but humiliated and shrunken. One teenage girl never forgave us for failing to protect her.

In real life, stories do not have crisp endings, and the battle of Peepli Khera was no different: When we returned this month, it looked as though Geeta and her friends had gotten much of what they had wanted. They had held on to their jobs and avoided begging for forgiveness or paying a fine.

Roshan was very sick, with what seemed to be tuberculosis, and carried out long, expletive-laced conversations with the goddess Kali over his magic necklace. “How are you coming? Are you coming on a horse cart? Are you coming on the wind?” he said to the goddess, then paused to wait for her response. After a moment had passed, he remarked, “They can go to hell.”Geeta, meanwhile, is rebuilding her house a full story above street level so that she can look out of her windows and over her neighbors’ roofs. I started to explain that the article was going to appear in the newspaper, but she was busy collecting a debt for the local women’s lending collective and had no time talk.

“I’ll say to her face, bring her in front of me and I’ll say it to her face — two months have passed and she will have to give the money up,” she was snapping into her cellphone. She waved goodbye as we made our way down the dark lane — every inch the cheerful, ruthless village power broker. That is the last image I had of her.

Source: ‘We Will Not Apologize’: Chronicling the Defiant Women of India – The New York Times

Kenny Sailors, a Pioneer of the Jump Shot, Dies at 95 – The New York Times

If anyone can be said to have immortalized Sailors, it was the Life magazine photographer Eric Schaal. He was courtside at Madison Square Garden in January 1946, when, in a game between Wyoming and Long Island University, his camera caught Sailors airborne.

In the picture, Sailors, in black high-tops, is suspended a full yard above the hardwood and at least that much over the outstretched hand of his hapless defender. The ball is cradled above his head, elbow at 90 degrees, his right hand poised to fling the shot with a snap of the wrist that will have it backspinning to the rim along a high arc.

The photograph, appearing in one of America’s widest-circulating magazines, made an impact coast to coast.“A shot whose origins could be traced to isolated pockets across the country — from the North Woods to Ozarks, from the Appalachian Mountains to the Pacific — was suddenly by virtue of one picture as widespread as the game itself,” the journalist John Christgau wrote in his book “The Origins of the Jump Shot.” “Everywhere young players on basketball courts began jumping to shoot.”

Source: Kenny Sailors, a Pioneer of the Jump Shot, Dies at 95 – The New York Times

Afghan youngsters use hip hop to speak for women′s rights | NRS-Import | DW.COM | 29.01.2016

Sonita Alizadeh was just like any other teenager in Afghanistan. Growing up in a country in which girls are up for sale as brides meant her fate would not be any different. But she had other plans. Her dream was becoming a hip hop artist, and she was not going to let it go.Iranian film director Rokhsareh Ghaemmaghami found Sonita in an Iranian school after she and her family fled the Taliban. Seeing the girl’s story and her musical talents, Ghaemmaghami decided to film a documentary about her story, even stepping in when the girl’s family planned to sell her as a bride: she paid Sonita’s family 2,000 dollars (€1,833) for them not to force the youngster into marriage.These experiences resulted in the film “Sonita,” which has been screened at the Sundance film festival, receiving many plaudits. In the movie, Sonita speaks up against many practices limiting women’s rights in her country, including forced marriage and limited education for girls, and her weapon of choice is hip hop music.

Source: Afghan youngsters use hip hop to speak for women′s rights | NRS-Import | DW.COM | 29.01.2016

Let’s Ask Obama to Give This Speech Next

Barack Obama once confessed to politics’ original sin but has yet to atone for it. He now has an opportunity to do so.

Source: Let’s Ask Obama to Give This Speech Next

Well, Mr. President, it’s time. You have no more campaigns to wage. With a little less than 12 months left in the White House, you have the opportunity to atone for exploiting a system that you have deplored in words if not deeds. You can restart the engine of reform and even demonstrate that Citizens United can be tamed. Just take out your pen and sign an executive order compelling federal contractors to disclose their political spending. In one stroke you can put an end to a blatant practice of political bribery that would be one small step for you and one giant leap for democracy.

It’s an open-and-shut case. In fewer than five minutes, you could face the cameras and announce your decision:

My fellow Americans. I have today signed an executive order requiring any company with a federal contract to disclose how much they spend on politicians and lobbyists, and who is receiving their money.

There are several reasons for this.

First, federal contracting is big business. In 2013 alone, the United States government spent about $460 billion dollars on contracting, with $177 billion of that going to just 25 companies. Since the year 2000, the top 10 contractors have raked in $1.5 trillion in federal contracts.

#ImSoEstablishment: Why words (and the absence of them) matter — Medium

Senator Sanders is a great man. He fights for so many things we believe in, but he’s not the champion we need in this perilous moment for women and families. His voice is an important one, which is why his rhetoric matters.Words matter. So do the absence of them. And so do we.

Source: #ImSoEstablishment: Why words (and the absence of them) matter — Medium

Mimi Writes…….: Stuck In The Snow With You

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016

Stuck In The Snow With YouIn memory of Glenn Frey (1948-2016)  Saturday 9 meme. Play here! 1) In this song (The One You Love, 1982) Glenn explores one of the great romantic conundrums. This week, Saturday 9 is confronting it, too. If you had to choose, would you prefer to be loved, or to be in love? The perfect storm is both. So I’ll go with both … at the same time. Sorry. I can’t choose. 2) The song describes an awkward moment: an old boyfriend calls when a woman is on a date with someone new. To whom did you last say, “I can’t talk now?”  Not in the sense implied here, but I said that to my mother on Thursday LOL. It had nothing to do with boyfriend(s) but I’ll tell the tale anyway. I am trying to prep for the “historic” ice storm (ho humm) wandering around with a million shoppers trying to find water and bread. She kept calling to remind me to get home and be safe.  Here’s a snippet of our eternal conversation.”You really should get off the roads now.””I’m not on the roads. I’m in WalMart.””What are you doing?””I’m shopping.””What do you need?””Supplies.””What if your power goes out?””I’ll build a fire.””Do you have wood?””Yes.””Do you know the fireplace safety rules?””Yes.””How am I supposed to get off the roads if you keep calling me in the store??!!”Click

My driveway. It’s worse now. 3) The lyrics talk about heart vs head. When you find yourself in that predicament, which usually wins — heart or head? Heart. Always. That’s a no-brainer…so to speak. 4) This song was from Glenn Frey’s solo album, No Fun Aloud. What fun stuff are you looking forward to this weekend? I’m cleaning out my blog posts and all things Internet. Drinking coffee. Yesterday I organized two out of three bathrooms from top to bottom. Oh, you didn’t ask that… Every day is fun in the Palace of Bloggingham. Just ask Homer.   My actual car the day I bought it. I miss that new car smell…5) Glenn Frey was born in Royal Oak, a suburb of Detroit. The Motor City is known for car manufacturing. Is your car domestic or foreign?My car is a royal Toyota. Look it up.6) The popular 1990s sitcom Home Improvement was set in Royal Oak. Are you handy around the house?   Only when I break things….It’s a curse.7) Glenn Frey co-founded The Eagles in 1970. What’s your favorite Eagles song?  “Desperado” 8) The Eagles helped define “California Rock,” but in recent years Glenn and his wife lived in Tribeca. Have you ever been to New York? If so, did you like it? Yes. I love New York and all the beautiful sights you can see and especially the energy in the city. I do not love New York traffic however. They don’t like me either. The last time I was in New York I had a nice little conversation with a tollbooth operator in the Holland Tunnel just after she took my $15.00 to drive 8,558 feet.  “How do I get to this exit?” I asked (**imagine a million honks and curses behind me**) “You’re in the WRONG lane, ma’am. Cross four over to the right and stay on the wall.” “In the dark??!! NOW???!!” I just blew my horn and took my chances. Somehow we all survived.9) Glenn wrote “Smuggler’s Blues” and “You Belong to the City” for the iconic 1980s TV show, Miami Vice. What else comes to mind when you think of the 80s?Teased hair. It was not pretty. Trust me. TV shows would be The Cosby Show which now makes me sad to even think about. Seriously sad. The Dukes of Hazzard was my son’s favorite show as a kid. I saw many many episodes while he sat in the living room eating mac ‘n cheese and SpaghettiOs on his little blue Smurf tray. (I hope he’s not reading this today…)I have a pic of him sitting on the hood of a replica Dukes car at the beach when he was about four.  He loved that car! A happy boy.Knight Rider… because I was a little in love with David Hasselhoff. Alas, it was not reciprocated. See question #1Hey Homer!Let’s watch reruns of Mork and Mindy today!  Be safe today. If you’re stuck in the snowstorm/blizzard somewhere I hope you are safe and warm!

Source: Mimi Writes…….: Stuck In The Snow With You

Mimi Writes…….: Glenn Frey ~ You Better Let Somebody Love You ….

They took me down highways and through musical doors that seared into my psyche, influenced my musical choices, helped me form an appreciation for phrasing and lyricism that lasted my whole life.My friends and I used to sing “Desperado” with the radio on the way home from school. We added harmonies and passionate joy that only comes when teenagers invade the back of a Volkswagen Beetle drinking glass-bottled cokes popping peanuts inside.I was a freshman and my boyfriend had a car. It was a yellow 1966 Ford Mustang convertible with a stick shift and I loved to drive it. We sang “Peaceful Easy Feeling” (1972) …. “Take It Easy” (1972)…”Lyin’ Eyes” (1975 Don Henley/Frey)…so many times in my friend’s Volkswagen or in my yellow love bug machine flying down back country roads fifteen minutes past my eleven o’clock curfew. Turning down the music was always the best option when trying to sneak in the driveway unnoticed. It didn’t help that the headlights would always shine directly into my parents’ bedroom window.   Why is it that his music always brings back memories of carefree high school days with friends….when all that mattered was which song was on the radio?

Source: Mimi Writes…….: Glenn Frey ~ You Better Let Somebody Love You ….