Always, always, always

Awesome: Gov. Patrick to nominate first openly gay justice to Mass. high court

"On April 1st, [street artist] Ron English hit up the concrete portion of the Texas-Mexico separation wall. He says he’s the first street artist to do so and there were two border patrol vehicles within 60 feet."

Image: source.

Being Bilingual May Boost Your Brain Power: "Many believe that learning more than one language from birth confuses children. But researchers say the evidence to the contrary is quite strong: Being bilingual is a form of mental exercise that is beneficial for the brain."

An article from Hampton Sides (the author of the wonderful Hellhound On His Trail, which I'm still reading), on remembering Dr. King with all his (numerous) imperfections.

Science? Geology? The age of the universe? Sounds confusing! Have no fear, the adorable, brilliant, and charismatic Dr. Phoebe Cohen is here to break it down for you! Video: Geologic Time: The Ticking of Our Planet’s 4.6 Billion Year Clock

"And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.'" - Kurt Vonnegut

Image: source.

"Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness."

"On April 4, 1968, 43 years ago today, Civil Rights Movement leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was tragically assassinated while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 39 years old.

Far from the sanitized version of his life currently taught to America's school children, King was genuine, full-scale agitator - leading marches, supporting strikes and nonviolently demanding racial and economic equality for all Americans. He'd headed to Memphis to help the city's sanitation workers fight for the right to collectively bargain. On April 3, the day before his assassination, King delivered his last public speech, "I've Been to the Mountaintop", in support of those striking workers, saying,

All we say to America is, "Be true to what you said on paper." If I lived in China or even Russia, or any totalitarian country, maybe I could understand the denial of certain basic First Amendment privileges, because they hadn't committed themselves to that over there. But somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of the press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for right." source.

"Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!

And so I'm happy, tonight.
I'm not worried about anything.
I'm not fearing any man!
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!"

Find the full text of King's powerful final speech here.

The Ashland Independent Film Festival is this week and I'm super excited. It's so great that so many awesome films are coming through our small town. On Thursday I'm seeing two collections of Oscar Short Documentaries; on Friday I'm seeing two films about immigration (Sin Pais, and The Fence); on Saturday I'm seeing a film about running (Hood to Coast); and on Sunday I'm seeing two documentaries about activism/activists (Better this World, and If A Tree Falls). Great line up (I hope!)

Image: source.

“Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel? You must work, we must all work, to make the world worthy of its children.” - Pablo Picasso

Reba is so awesome. Love this song.

50 Years of Amnesty International Poster Art: "Amnesty International has been calling on top-level contemporary artists to create amazing poster art for 50 years. From Picasso and Calder, to Miró and Cieslewicz."

A long, and involved, but very worth-reading article from the New Yorker: A Murder Foretold: Unravelling the ultimate political conspiracy by David Grann

Image: source.

Had a great first bike ride of the year today, and wore clipless shoes and pedals for the first time. After a little getting used to clipping in and out, they were nothing but awesome. I'm psyched for a summer of riding.

Watching The Cove with one of my roommates right now. I've heard great things about it (but also that its incredibly upsetting).

"Today like every other day
We wake up empty and scared.
Don't open the door of your study
And begin reading.
Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do
There are hundreds of way to kneel
And kiss the earth."

[Rumi]

Robert Frost

Image: source.

From GOOD: Radishes in Suburbia: Documenting Urban Growth and the End of a Family Farm

In honor of summer - it'll be here someday! - 101 fast (vegan) recipes for inspired picnics

Sigh: DIY Oregon cabin.

The Financial Hurdles Gay Couples Face: Same-sex couples must spend extra time and money to recreate the many benefits that heterosexual married couples receive automatically.

Image: source.

The Mountains Goats: Power in a Union

"Over at The Atlantic, Julianne Hing writes about some tragic immigration stories, from the Border Patrol officer who was charged with giving shelter to an undocumented immigrant (his father) to a kid from Oregon who didn’t even know he was undocumented until ICE agents arrested him. Read the whole thing." source.

"I believe Gandhi is the only person who knew about real democracy — not democracy as the right to go and buy what you want, but democracy as the responsibility to be accountable to everyone around you. Democracy begins with freedom from hunger, freedom from unemployment, freedom from fear, and freedom from hatred. To me, those are the real freedoms on the basis of which good human societies are based." - Vandana Shiva

“Enough” by David Whyte

Enough. These few words are enough.
If not these words, this breath.
If not this breath, this sitting here.
This opening to the life
we have refused
again and again
until now.
Until now

Ha, LOVE this guy who replicated common Vogue poses: What you’re thinking: I’m on my way to werq, get out of my way — oh, look a camera — I’m giving — now I’m walking away.

Image: source.

18 mile run today! As usual, it was hard and a little painful, but I did it. I'm feeling good about the marathon (in just under a month!) - I know it won't be easy or 100% enjoyable, but I think (KNOW) I can do it.

Interesting. I've definitely thought about this question in a professional setting, especially as a young woman (ie someone who is more likely to be perceived as "nice" than "competent," I think)...Do You Perceive Warm [People] as Less Competent?

I'm sorry to say that I didn't know of Manning Marable until his death this week, but he was apparently an amazing teacher and scholar and I look forward to reading his soon-to-be-published biography of Malcolm X.

“Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you.” - John De Paola

"Machines" by Michael Donaghy

Dearest, note how these two are alike:
This harpsicord pavane by Purcell
And the racer's twelve-speed bike.

The machinery of grace is always simple.
This chrome trapezoid, one wheel connected
To another of concentric gears,
Which Ptolemy dreamt of and Schwinn perfected,
Is gone. The cyclist, not the cycle, steers.
And in the playing, Purcell's chords are played away.

So this talk, or touch if I were there,
Should work its effortless gadgetry of love,
Like Dante's heaven, and melt into the air.

If it doesn't, of course, I've fallen. So much is chance,
So much agility, desire, and feverish care,
As bicyclists and harpsicordists prove

Who only by moving can balance,
Only by balancing move.

Listening to: The Avett Brothers Tiny Desk Concert for NPR Music

An editorial from the Washington Post on the economic effects of deporting undocumented families: The madness of mass deportation: Can business bring Arizona to its senses?

Image: OREGON LOVE!

Training: after a rough few days because of my back pain, I got back in the pool last night and it actually felt great to give my shoulder muscles some gentle work. I went to bootcamp this morning, careful not to go too hard on my back/shoulder, and it was a-ok. Gonna try to get in a nice long run tomorrow...I have a pretty high number in mind, but I don't want to jinx it...

As my marathon gets closer, I've been struggling with the fact that when I look in the mirror, I don't see the body I thought I would see running the marathon. I guess I thought that if I did all the training etc I would, on May 1st, bust out of the start line a lean, toned, bronzed running goddess. I assumed that's what marathoners looked like. Turns out that they look a lot like me. A fitter version of me, a more muscular version, but still with all the "imperfections" I struggle with. I've been thinking a lot about this the last few weeks and have come to this conclusion: the bummer is that a lot of times we set up these goals in our minds, thinking that if we achieve them, we will be new people - new people free of our past imperfections and flaws and struggles. But the reality is that even when we reach those tough goals - long runs, making it through law school, passing the bar, climbing mountains, battling depression - we are still us. But the good side of that, if I can be an optimist for a moment, is the realization that people that do those amazing things - triathletes, survivors, award winners - they look just like us. Because they are us. We are the people who do those amazing things - not a better or perfect version of us - just us, the us we are right now. And I guess that's pretty cool.

My childhood love of the 50's and 60's has never really gone away. It's the best music to grow up on, I think. (The white people, super dressed up, standing in the background not moving kill me....I wish they were allowed (?) to dance!)

From The Crunk Feminist Collective: How Chris Brown is Effing Up My Sex Life: A B-Side to Dating While Feminist

Good interview: Cornel West and the fight against injustice: "The provocative US intellectual discusses issues of race, civil liberties and Barack Obama's leadership."

Image: source. So true.

"Secure Communities" is bad for everyone. "Many state and local governments have sought to blur the lines between regular law enforcement and immigration enforcement. The consequence of this has been that immigrant domestic violence victims have become fearful of law enforcement, making all of our communities less safe. Enlace Communitario, an Albuquerque-based non-profit, has developed this video designed to raise awareness of how these policies are imjuring innocent women and children."

A great article from a parent on children's books and talking to your kids about gender. (Thanks, MDR!)

"Self-love is not for slackers. Self-love is a constant journey that takes mindfulness, grit, and to be honest, hard work. Truthfully? It’s not for the lazy or the faint of heart. It takes real courage, perseverance, and a healthy amount of stubbornness against the too-easy-to-swallow messages from conformity, from people who don’t deserve to be in your life… and especially, from the messages you’ve accepted and told yourself. The fear." source.