Primo Cares: Blogspot For The Brokenhaerted

Things I've Learned in Ely

2011-05-23T19:44:00.000-07:00

Dedicated to the many wonderful people in the heart of Nevada.

1. How to use UTMs and never be lost
2. How to clean out a steam locomotive boiler
3. How to read Utilization
4. How to drive 4x4s up bad terrain
5. How to live far away from others

Some In-sight For A Blind Social Retard

2011-03-09T20:42:00.000-08:00

Take away the time it takes to realize that a man ain't a man and that a bitch is a bitch, and you got a real sticky situation on your hands. There isn't anything more annoying that a dick or cunt who thinks that they are truly better than they actually are, and by "they actually are," I mean YOU.

Ain't nothing complicated about a superiority complex except for the quizzical case of you, and how you managed to deceive yourself into one. Some people just can't help it I guess. They gotta stroke their ego. And stroke their ego. And stroke their ego until they come into a bowl of their own Coco Puffs and then proceed to spoon feed it to themselves and all their so-called "friends and family." Self Esteem is nothing but psychological masturbation.

It's like you're turning magic tricks and you got everyone lost or guessing as to how you managed to do all the fucked up shit you do. But that's the beauty of it all, because the entire time you were the magician, the audience, AND the rabbit in the hat and yet you are still left yourself in shock and awe. It's amazing how you can keep your simple self entertained!

In the end it ain't nothing surprising, it ain't anything new, because you followed everyone else your whole life, and they in turn define you. You are just another plastic toy popped out of a mold, and I'm not sorry to say that one-in-a-million and one-out-of-a-million are not one in the same. And depending on where you are at the moment, you might not even be one-in-ten despite the fact that you've convinced yourself that you look like a 10.

Although I doubt it, I hope you appreciate Shakespeare because it turns out that your life was a parody of a tragedy all along and not a comedy after all - well, it was funny in a way, cause the joke's on you.

In the end, I guess what I'm trying to say is, man or woman it doesn't matter. Bitches come in all shapes and sizes. And what it all boils down to is this:
Bitches ain't shit.

An Extended Hiatus, A Temporary Return

2010-11-04T00:43:00.000-07:00

It has been far too long since my last post. I have been swamped with the dubiously beneficial, unrighteously ritualistic, and creativity-comatose work handed out by the University of California. And believe me when I say, that the merits of institutionalized education, necessary as they may be, stifle any creativity on the part of the better half of my brain.

But thankfully school is not the only thing consuming the life of me as of now. Life itself has been hectic and trying in itself. It has taken advantage of all of my energies leaving me next to nothing to type with. But, today, with my last breath before my second midterm, I submit an entry into the hearts of many and one - my muse and friend.

I have for the first time in the entirety of my insignificant life experienced the true value of unselfish love and compassion. Unrequited as it may be, Lord knows I am the better in spite of it - for the people in my life unknowingly demand the best of my heart. I have never in my life felt so exhausted, beaten and concerned - it is almost to the point where I worry relentlessly for the condition of another. I am tired, constantly. Is this what it is to be an [responsible] adult?

I now know what real love is. But I have yet to feel it for myself...

On another note, the Giants have finally won a World Series title. I never expected to witness this feat in all my life, especially not this year. What a ride it has been. Here's to my mother, who taught me how to love the game and stay loyal to my team. She is the greatest Giants fan I know.

"Now it is done. Now the story ends. And there is no way to tell it. The art of fiction is dead. Reality has strangled invention. Only the utterly impossible, the inexpressibly fantastic, can ever be plausible again."

~Nothing is impossible...

Where White Man Went Wrong

2010-07-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

Indian Chief 'Two Eagles' was asked by a white government official, "You have observed the white man for 90 years. You've seen his wars and his technological advances. You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done."

The Chief nodded in agreement.

The official continued, "Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?"

The Chief stared at the government official for over a minute and then calmly replied. "When white man find land, Indians running it, no taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, clean water. Women did all the work, Medicine man free. Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing; all night having sex."

Then the chief leaned back and smiled. "Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that."

Fate per Chance?

2010-06-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

Glitzy Glamour in the sky
Living yon’ in penthouse high
Breathless lust in anguish cry,
“Why dost my Love Thou hath deny?
For Is time thy sole alibi?”

With burning envy Thy heart I pry
O! what tinders signify!
Whilst tears of pleasure mist thy eye,
On tender maxim passions lie
To meet in the sweet by-and-by.

My Love
My Loss
My Eternal Life.

Songs for the Brokenhaerted.1

2010-06-08T22:39:00.000-07:00

Love TKO ~ Teddy Pendergrass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV9VuPkIIv4

Lookin' back over my years
I guessed, I've shedded some tears
Told myself time and time again
This time I'm gonna win

But another fight, things ain't right
I'm losin' again
Takes a fool to lose twice
And start all over again

Think I'd better let it go
Looks like another love T.K.O. (Oh...oh...oh...)
Think I'd better let it go (What you think about it, girl), let it go, baby (Oh, yeah)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (Mmm...mmm...mmm)

Tried to take control of the love
Love took control of me
'Cause you lose all thoughts, sense of time
And have a change of mind

Takin' the bumps and the bruises
Of all the things of a two-time loser
Tryin' to hold on, faith is gone
It's just another sad song

I think I'd better let it go (What you say about it?)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (Oh...oh...ho...whoa...yes)
I think I'd better let it go), let it go, baby (Oh, baby)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (Mmm...hmm...oh...ho...oh...)

Tried to take control of the love
Love took control of me
'Cause you lose all thoughts, sense of time
And have a change of mind

Takin' the bumps and the bruises
Of all the things of a two-time loser
See I try to hold on, my faith is gone
It's just another sad song

And I think I'd better let it go (Let it go, let it go)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (I think I'd better)
Think I'd better let it go, let it go, baby (If I know what's good for you, girl)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (I couldn't stand this pain much longer)

Think I'd better let it go, let it go, baby (Whoa...oh...yeah)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (Ooh...ooh...baby)
(Oh, sometimes, sometimes I just feel like I wanna say)
(I wanna say, mmm...mmm...)

'Cause it looks like another love T.K.O.
(Tired of gettin' beat up by love)
Think I'd better let it go, let it go, baby (Before it's too late, yeah)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (Hey...ey...oh, yeah) (Mmm...hmm...mmm...hmm...mmm...hmm...mmm...hmm...)

Think I'd better let it go (Yeah)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (Hey, yeah, whoa, I think I'd better)
Think I'd better let it go (Let it go), let it go, baby (Oh, yeah)
Looks like another (Yeah) love T.K.O.
(Oh, they say love is better the second time around)

Think I'd better let it go (I can't stand on my feet)
Looks like another love T.K.O. (I'm falling down, no, 'cause, 'cause, 'cause)
I think I'd better let it go (Let it go, baby)

...

2010-05-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

My curiosity claws at my insides, crying to get out and run wild with my entrails through infinity. I want to be taken to the corners of the earth and my story told to children long after my bones rot and my footprints wash away from the surface of the sun. My imagination glides in and out of history as if there were no tomorrow. Who knew the dead spoke so loud?

The Best Day of My Life?

2010-05-14T13:52:00.001-07:00

Knowledge crawls in increments - but wisdom, destroys the prevailing structure of the mind with a stroke of furious brutality. Wisdom is exposed in sporadic moments of clarity in the eye of the storm. It spurts up and out in leaps and bounds -- a ho' neva lebo.

Meeting Inspiration.3

2010-05-06T15:33:00.000-07:00

“She said we need to put on jackets.”

We stood there, in the tiny parking lot in front of her store. A black tarp cast itself over the LA sky and the thoughts in the back of my mind whirled in a surge of déjà vu. Perhaps a memory or a dream of the future: through the looking glass into another world, a movie set in my mind. Charges flare as I search in vain, but I can’t recall a time when the City of Angels ever made me feel this way.
A chill in the night broke the spell.

I look through the trunk for a jacket that isn’t there. Who would have thought that it’d be this cold out here?

“It’s okay. I’ll be fine.” I reassured her.

Her head shook with defiance. The stern look of a caring mother gave me an unexpected pang of guilt. She wouldn’t let me go unless I complied. Thankfully, Sandy came to my rescue with a simple “He’ll be fine.”

I walk around to the front of my little orange hamster and prepare to give my most courteous farewell to the generous benefactor of the recent feast.

“Thank you for dinner, it was delicious.” I smile as I extend towards her and her eyes smile back. She takes my hand and squeezes it for just a moment and then opens her arms for an embrace.

I smile as I turn to Sandy, “Now that was a good hug.”

We climb back into our respective cars and I give a long sigh as I turn the ignition.

“She’s waiting for us to leave first.”

I back out of the space and roll out onto the street. She waves to us and I begin to slow down to wave back. But a voice stops me.

“Keep driving. I don’t want to start crying– just, drive.”

Meeting Inspiration.2

2010-05-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

I have never seen a woman eat as much or as fast as Sandy’s mother. How she managed to do it with such swift and yet ladylike neatness left me reeling in awe. Although, I suppose the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…

I look up from my plate and catch her pushing the cooked pieces toward me, faster than I can consume them. Slowly, thoughtfully, I chew; and the meat flavor lingers on each drop of savory oil that bursts with every bite. Part of me wants to keep up. The other part wants to slow down and savor every delicious detail.

Meeting Inspiration.1

2010-05-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

The sizzling mound of meat, glistening and popping, was rapidly piling up on my side of the generously large inset fry-surface, and my eyes could barely contain the appetite arousing hunger that made my mouth water with anticipation. A wisp of steam rises from the strips of oily beef, marinated chicken and charred pork in the little pocket of the skillet, and blaze a trail toward my senses. My mouth involuntarily stretches from ear to ear, and I can feel the smile spread across my face.

I think she saw the way my eyes lit up from the other side of the table.

An island of food floated between us. Little porcelain bowls of colorfully pickled vegetables and fish cake decorated the saving grace that spanned the linguistic void. Our eyes met, and her lips set into a thin smile. Sandy spoke.

“You wrap the meat in this or this.”

As the words leave her mouth, her mother demonstrates proper technique. Her fingers move nimbly, exacting a precision that only a mother capable of many a home-cooked meals could execute. She rolls up the beef in a flat noodle, and taking the Korean burrito between her hashii, she dips it in the red pepper oil.

“Is that daikon?” I ask in amusement.

*

2010-04-21T00:07:00.000-07:00

"I do NOT communicate! Birds communicate, computers communicate. I speak. I listen."

"UC Student Movement" EMAIL #3

2010-03-03T20:22:00.001-08:00

We are hypocrites. We are desperate for public approval. We like to
co-opt French revolutionary and Marxist terminology, because it just
doesn't sound that academic when you use colloquial speak. Yes, we bougie.

"UC Student Movement" EMAIL #2

2010-03-03T20:20:00.000-08:00

The truth is that we are co-opting the student struggle with our own
struggle to destroy all capitalist establishments that made it possible
for us to send this e-mail in the first place. In case you were wondering:

Yes, we are hypocrites
No, we do not have a real plan other than vying for media attention
Yes, we are smaller in numbers than we give the illusion of

Sincerely,
The Future of America

"UC Student Movement" EMAIL #1

2010-03-03T20:19:00.000-08:00

To the students, faculty, and workers of the campus community:

If you read the paper Monday morning and what you saw made you feel distant
from the actions of those who took to the streets, do not fight that urge.
Fight the urge to give up, the urge to walk away, or, the urge to become
police yourselves out of simple disagreement. The March 4 protests will not
stand or fall on whether we all agree. They will stand or fall on whether
our numbers convey the grave urgency of the situation surrounding public
education in California. While the powerful few wring their hands, shed
tears and say, “there is no alternative,” we must insist. We've heard this
excuse before, and we're still not falling for it.

Some of us will march to Sacramento, the seat of obstructionism, where cuts
are the answer to every question.

Some of us will march in Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco showing that
whatever happens in Sacramento, business as usual here at home cannot go on
any longer.

Some of us have already taken action, seizing buildings and spaces on and
off campus, transforming libraries and lecture halls into positive
educational spaces.

And some of us have supported our fellows even when we disagreed, defending
ourselves against police batons and paying in blood, bruises and broken
bones.

We mobilize against those who have partnered with corporate capital against
the students, workers and families of California. Our spectrum of engagement
keeps us growing and no doubt among us will slow us down, divide us, or
trick us into giving up. We're in this fight for the long haul, to the end.

Administrations from the campus level to Sacramento have a choice: To deal
with thousands that promise to mobilize for March 4 and beyond, or to risk
countless late-night street battles like the one last night in Berkeley.
Because until there is substantive change in California, they will have to
deal with both, and everything in between.

See you on the streets on March 4.

Safety First!

2010-03-03T20:15:00.001-08:00

The following message is from Christopher Kutz, Chair, UC Berkeley's Academic Senate.

You have a right to make yourself heard in protest. We fully support you in this,
and in the cause of public education. But, as faculty, we want more than anything
for you to remain safe. Here are six things you should know to keep yourself safe
while engaged in peaceful protest.

1. If a police officer tells you to do something, do it- even if you think the
officer shouldn`t be asking. Arguing back, or otherwise failing to comply, may
result in your immediate arrest, because it is against the law not to obey an
officer's order. Take a badge number and file a later complaint instead.

2. Do not tear or cross police tape or move barricades. If the police line is
compromised, police may use force to maintain the line. Try to keep a couple yards'
distance from the line.

3. If you see property being vandalized or police equipment (e.g., cars) being
handled by the crowd, leave the scene. The police will act. Innocent observers on
the scene may be arrested by mistake.

4. If you are in the middle of a crowd and want to leave-
a. Turn away from the barricade.
b. Stay on your feet.
c. Use your hands to push your way out of the crowd.

5. If the police tell you to disperse or move back, do so immediately. Failure to
do so could result in your arrest, or in the use of force against you.

6. If you choose to be arrested, consider the possible student conduct
consequences. If you still want to be arrested, follow the instructions of the
officer. Remember also that anything you say to a police officer can be used later
against you or your companions- you have the right to remain silent and to ask for a
lawyer at any point.

Be smart and stay safe!

Missing the Point

2010-02-19T13:12:00.000-08:00

Below is the latest mass-email sent out by our lovely chancellor. His encouragement is dubious, and his intentions are transparent. The man is attempting to strategically flex his PR muscles and pacify the angry student body with what appears to be a form of harmony theory. It is apparent that this maneuver is a form of distraction, a conscious attempt to shift the focus of rising fees (remember, in California public universities we do not call it "tuition") to the PC ideal of campus/student body unity and kum-baya bullshit that docile 21st century college students will accept without question. Okay, the state may not be allocating much money in the higher education budget; but how do you explain the continuous construction going on around campus, not to mention the insane amount of dollars pouring in from alumni designated specifically for Cal football? And here we are discussing a new stadium! So, now my increased "fees" are covering the cost of the other students in my classes? Great. Aren't my taxes paying for these people?

It is a far cry, a ridiculous display of "I'm on your side" political deceit. With the timely visit from Bill Clinton at UC Berkeley, allow me to conclude with a most appropriate quote: "I feel your pain."

Dear Campus Community:

The budget announced by Governor Schwarzenegger in January was hopeful for the
University of California in many respects. However, ensuring the state's
reinvestment in the University of California will require a concerted advocacy
effort. We have been urging all members of our campus community, alumni, and
friends to protest the state's disinvestment from public higher education and call
for the reinstatement of funding to the University of California. A number of
lobbying events and marches in Sacramento this spring are being organized to convey
this important message to our legislators. We are writing to inform you about the
campus's participation in and support of some of these events and our position with
regard to some key issues.

On March 1st, the University of California Students Association (UCSA) is sponsoring
a student-led series of meetings and a rally in Sacramento. We endorse our
students' initiative to protest the state's disinvestment from public higher
education, and demand for reinstatement of state support. To facilitate
transportation to and from Sacramento of our students who want to attend the march,
we will fund the rental of two buses, using non-state funds.

Demanding that the State of California reinvest in public higher education is a goal
that we share with our students. However, we want to make clear that we cannot
endorse demands for "no fees" and "no layoffs."

Student fees, besides providing essential operating funds, are also a redistributive
mechanism for subsidizing the living costs of low-income students. Fees from all
students contribute significantly to financial aid and help ensure access for our
low-income students, by helping support their living costs. With no fees, the net
cost of attending Berkeley would be unaffordable for as many as one-third of our
students. Underrepresented minority students would be disproportionately impacted
by this loss of financial aid, so a "no fees" policy would severely compromise the
diversity of our campus. The Chancellor has made this argument in an op-ed called
"Zero Fees, Zero Low-Income Students?" which appeared this morning in the
Sacramento Bee as "Viewpoints: 'Zero Fees' could hurt neediest students. How
should students respond to fee hikes?" It can be viewed at:
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/story/2541867.html

With respect to "no lay-offs", while it pains us to resort to lay-offs, these
actions have been unfortunately necessitated by the drastic cuts in state funding
that supports staff salaries and benefits.

Another set of events is being planned for March 4th and organized by a coalition of
labor leaders and others as a national day of action and strike in defense of public
higher education. Rallies are planned in the Bay Area, throughout the state, and in
the capital. The campus is not planning any official events on this day.

We urge faculty to be flexible about providing make-up opportunities to students who
miss classes or examinations that may have been scheduled on either March 1st or
March 4th. Faculty who wish to participate in advocacy activities but who have
teaching obligations on those days are expected to arrange for alternate coverage of
their class.

Staff wishing to participate in these events should arrange in advance with their
supervisors for time off through furlough or vacation. Supervisors are encouraged
to grant such requests provided that the work needs of their unit can be met.

President Yudof, university administrators and some Regents will be in Sacramento on
March 1st to visit legislative leaders with student leaders, although at the request
of UCSA, the administration will not take a role in the public rally. Chancellor
Birgeneau will travel to Sacramento with our campus student leadership on March 10th
to advocate for UC funding and for issues that are specific to UC Berkeley. Other
UC chancellors have similar plans.

Finally, the leaders of the University of California, the California State
University, and the California Community Colleges are planning to lobby jointly in
Sacramento on April 27th for state reinvestment of public higher education funding.
We will keep you informed of this event as plans develop.

Further information about the University's advocacy activities is available on the
Cal Advocacy website: http://www.ucforcalifornia.org/cal/state/main/?state=CA

Robert J. Birgeneau
Chancellor

George W. Breslauer
Executive Vice-Chancellor & Provost

A Threat Towards Disruptive Shenanigans

2010-01-20T19:01:00.000-08:00

With the Spring semester's beginning, we write jointly to remind the university
community that use of our common resources -- our classrooms, labs, offices, and
public spaces -- is subject to rules aimed at protecting the liberty of each of us
to teach, learn, work, live, and engage in political expression. Rights of protest
and demonstration are both protected and governed by rules of appropriate time,
place, and manner, crafted collaboratively by faculty, students and administration,
in accordance with First Amendment law.

In particular, we remind all that the following campus rules are fundamental to our
respectful and vigorous life as a community diverse in beliefs, interests, and
activities. These rules will be enforced as we embark on a season of renewed
discussion and debate concerning the path forward for Berkeley and higher education.
We expect the full compliance of faculty, staff, and students.

From the Campus Regulations Concerning the Time, Place, and Manner of Public
Expression (http://students.berkeley.edu/uga/regs.stm), Secs. 300ff:

311. The University has a special obligation to protect free inquiry and free
expression. On University grounds open to the public generally, all persons may
exercise the constitutionally protected rights of free expression, speech and
assembly. Such activities must not, however, interfere with the right of the
University to conduct its affairs in an orderly manner and to maintain its property,
nor may they interfere with the University's obligation to protect the rights of all
to teach, study, and freely exchange ideas. These regulations purport to assure the
right of free expression and advocacy on the Berkeley campus, to minimize conflict
between the form of exercise of that right and the rights of others in the effective
use of University facilities, and to minimize possible interference with the
University's responsibilities as an educational institution.

312. These regulations provide authorization for certain uses of University
facilities, and establish procedures for such authorized uses. Such uses must
conform to these regulations, Berkeley campus and University policies, and state and
federal laws that may protect or regulate matters of public expression on the
Berkeley campus.

321. All individuals on University property or in attendance at an official
University function assume an obligation to conduct themselves in a manner
compatible with the University's responsibilities as an educational institution.
This means that all persons are responsible for complying with applicable University
and Berkeley campus policies, including but not limited to the listed prohibitions.
No person on University property or at official University functions may:

(a) block entrances to or otherwise interfere with the free flow of traffic into and
out of campus buildings;

(b) have unauthorized entry to, possession of, receipt of, or use of any University
services; equipment; resources; or properties, including the University's name,
insignia, or seal;

(c) engage in physical abuse including but not limited to sexual assault, sex
offenses, and other physical assault; threats of violence; or other conduct that
threatens the health or safety of any person;

(d) obstruct or disrupt teaching, research, administration, disciplinary procedures,
or other University activities;

(e) engage in the production of amplified or non-amplified sound that disrupts
campus activities;

(f) exhibit disorderly or lewd conduct;

(g) participate in a disturbance of the peace or unlawful assembly;

(j) possess, use, store, or manufacture explosives, firebombs, or other destructive
devices;

(k) possess, use, store, or manufacture a firearm or other weapon.;

(l) engage in the theft of, conversion of, destruction of, or damage to any property
of the University, or any property of others while on University premises, or
possession of any property when the individual had knowledge or reasonably should
have had knowledge that it was stolen;

(m) fail to comply with the directions of a University official or other public
official acting in the performance of his or her duties while on University property
or at official University functions; or resisting or obstructing such University or
other public officials in the performance of or the attempt to perform their duties;

(n) camp or lodge on University property other than in authorized facilities;

(o) climb up or rappel down any tree, building, or structure on University property;

331. The Sproul Plaza and Lower Sproul Plaza have traditionally been designated as
areas for public expression. These areas are open to the public generally between
the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 midnight. Between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m.,
these areas are generally closed to all activities except coming and going to a
University building or crossing the campus. During open hours, Sproul Plaza and
Lower Sproul Plaza may be used without reservation for discussion or public
expression which does not require or involve sound amplification equipment. Space in
both areas may be reserved through the Center for Student Leadership for use by
recognized campus organizations or non-University groups in accordance with facility
use regulations and established office procedures. However, use of these areas for
discussion or public expression may be limited when such use interferes with the
orderly conduct of University business or authorized events.

Christopher Kutz
Chair, Faculty Senate

Fiona M. Doyle
Vice Chair, Faculty Senate

Robert J. Birgeneau
Chancellor

George Breslauer
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

A Toast!

2010-01-19T22:32:00.000-08:00

Here's to those like you and me:
Constant scholars and connoisseurs of the fine arts. Critics of premiere human expression delivered in many a medium, ranging from the purely refined to the utterly distasteful. Our undying curiosity for the human condition and psychological motive wanders from day to day continuously searching for the answer to the inevitable question: "Why?"

Brokenhaerted 1.0

2010-01-19T20:06:00.000-08:00

My fingers gently glide through the tracks,
they gather themselves to cradle it.
Leaking sentiments
a grasp in vain,
but at something.
Smooth beige poured out from a fist,
the tiniest grains sift under my nails.
...
...
...
I feel: everything

Daniel Asa Rose's Visit to Berkeley: On "Larry's Kidney"

2009-12-10T00:28:00.000-08:00

Daniel Asa Rose argued profusely his ethical innocence was justified by his ignorance. That ploy was frankly childish, and evidence though circumstantial it may be, point to the fact that he knowingly went to China to participate in illegal activities. The writer in him most likely jumped on the bandwagon in order to take advantage of what promised to be a whopper of a story – a despicable display of privileged Western and Eurocentric priorities. At best, it was the hubris of benevolence, the unconscious arrogance of believing that he was acting out as a good cousin/person and doing the right thing – and that is only if we give him the benefit of the doubt. Most despicable was his claim to aiding and abetting his cousin because he “loved him” [a genuine lie]; apparently he didn’t love him enough for it to dawn on him that he could donate his own kidney.

Scheper-Hughes examination of the organs trafficking under the political economies lens is especially relevant in the case of Rose’s personal conquest for a kidney. The story really takes the shape of Immanuel Wallerstein’s world systems theory in the political economies discourse. The theory takes up the language of Marxist rhetoric and examines the global economy as a dependency model with a core and periphery: the periphery primarily serving as a geopolitical source of economic extraction for the core. This model can be used to explain the bleeding of human capital, natural resources, knowledge (the “brain drain”) and even human organs from the global South to the North. It is an exploitative model seething with racist and colonialist sentiment. The organ trade could arguably be a modern representation of Orientalism at large, and the unapologetic exploitation of the dominant-submissive geopolitical/ethnic mentality.

In this particular story, Rose’s story-writer mentality had pushed him to participate in not only exploiting his own cousin’s situation, but the world systems model as well. His exploitative behavior was that of the core x2. Not only did he patronize a black market organ economy, he exploited the story about exploiting a black market organ economy. His money-making publication reflects how greedy and uncaring the exceedingly rich core can be to the plight of the periphery. If it is possible to profit on illegal profit, Daniel Asa Rose has done it. The story itself reflected the lack of seriousness and complete disregard of the gravity and ethics of the organ “trade.” The title itself, Larry’s Kidney, goes as far to make light of the situation and turn a tragic mode of dehumanized (literally) exploitation into a humorous debacle. What a despicable human being.

Justification.

2009-12-01T21:14:00.000-08:00

November 30, 2009

Open letter from the Academic Council to the University of California community

We are the Academic Council of the University: we are the chairs of the ten campus divisions, as well as the chairs of the systemwide committees. We write to address the protests on many of UC campuses over the Regents’ decision to increase student fees by $2,500 per year. This decision followed budget shortfalls that have entailed significant staff layoffs and cuts to a range of student services. Faculty and staff also are suffering from significant reductions in compensation due to the current year’s salary reductions and furloughs.

We share the anguish over the policies adopted in the face of the state’s abrupt 20% disinvestment in higher education. The budget shortfall wounds the institution and community we cherish. We believe these policies are a regrettable but necessary response to the state’s actions. While we are committed to doing everything we can to mitigate their effects on the most vulnerable populations of our students and staff, we recognize that many disagree deeply, and that vigorous and vocal protest is an understandable response. The passionate advocacy of students, staff, and faculty for the University and its public mission has been remarkable.

Many of the protest activities were appropriate forms of peaceful advocacy. We are concerned, however, about activities at several campuses that disrupted our educational mission and interfered with the freedom of fellow students, faculty, and staff, to teach, learn, research, and work. We are especially concerned about group protests in which a number of individuals attempted to move past police barricades, physically threaten and throw objects at police, and surround vehicles to trap those within. These activities are unlawful and disrespectful of the rights of others, and they create a serious risk of violence for everyone in the area: police, protestors, and bystanders. A number of injuries, some serious, were sustained last week by both protestors and police officers.

We will insist, through all avenues open to us, that uses of force by police will be subject to inquiry and review, as well as the policies that govern crowd control. While we expect campus police professionals to be committed to accommodating peaceful protest, we realize that there may be failures of policy or individual action. We are committed to ensuring that the University remains a place where it is safe to teach and learn – and engage in peaceful protest.

At the same time, we wish to remind everyone of the limits of protest, and of our obligation to be civil, to show respect for different points of view, and to take personal responsibility for our own and each other’s safety. Occupation of university buildings, for example, directly interferes with the rights of other members of the community.

The problems that confront our University are daunting, and finding solutions to them will require the collective best efforts of our students, faculty, staff, and members of the community. Tempers will worsen and patience will shorten as these policies take hold, but we must channel our energies outwards, towards advocating for restoring funding to the University of California so that it can fulfill its mission of providing democratic access to the great research universities of our state.

Sincerely,

Henry C. Powell, Chair
Academic Senate

Daniel L. Simmons, Vice Chair
Academic Senate

Christopher Kutz, Chair
UC Berkeley Divisional Senate

Robert Powell, Chair
UC Davis Divisional Senate

Judith Stepan-Norris, Chair
UC Irvine Divisional Senate

Robin L. Garrell, Chair
UCLA Divisional Senate

Martha Conklin, Chair
UC Merced Divisional Senate

Anthony W. Norman, Chair
UC Riverside Divisional Senate

William Hodgkiss, Chair
UC San Diego Divisional Senate

Elena Fuentes-Afflick, Chair
UC San Francisco Divisional Senate

Joel Michaelsen, Chair
UC Santa Barbara Divisional Senate

Lori Kletzer, Chair
UC Santa Cruz Divisional Senate

Sylvia Hurtado, Chair
Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools

Farid Chehab, Chair
Coordinating Committee on Graduate Affairs

M. Ines Boechat, Chair
University Committee on Affirmative Action and Diversity

Alison Butler, Chair
University Committee on Academic Personnel

Keith R. Williams, Chair
University Committee on Educational Policy

Shane White, Chair
University Committee on Faculty Welfare

Gregory Miller, Chair
University Committee on Research Policy

Peter Krapp, Chair
University Committee on Planning and Budget

http://academic-senate.berkeley.edu/pdf/Academic_Council_statement_on_protests.pdf

UC Berkeley 11/20/09

2009-11-23T16:55:00.000-08:00

Hello,

This is the latest email the chancellor sent out. It is complete and utter bull shit. Tuition is being raised while our budget is cut, but buildings are being erected while our classes are dwindling and our faculty let go! Who will be there to occupy these buildings so that their investments may be justified? bp? Novartis? He does not empathize with the student body nor does he truly care about the direction of this campus and university (in terms of the quality/diversity of instruction and the social-moral obligation aka ivory tower). No. To him, along with Yudof and the rest of the UC Regent cronies, the university is a business with cost-benefit analysis and a profit margin. Who let them decide this? And when and where did we get our priorities mixed up?

During the events that took place last Friday, the university email listserve was bombarded with vague, dismissive, and morally affected email "updates" sent out by the chancellor himself. It was a form of damage control and an overt tactic to aid the police and UC Regents in diffusing the situation. I have also noticed that many "homemade" video footage of the violence that I witnessed that day have been mysteriously taken down from Youtube etc. Is the UC system implementing a mass cover-up? Cheers to the students who cared enough to escalate the situation to that point of confrontation, maybe now we are getting somewhere. Last week I finally experienced the romanticization of the student riot first hand - believe me, it lives up to the hype it gets in history books and documentaries.

Perhaps this was the Berkeley that I have always longed for.

PRIMO

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Review of Wheeler Hall Protest
From: "Robert J. Birgeneau, Chancellor"
Date: Mon, November 23, 2009 1:59 pm
To: "Academic Senate Faculty, Staff, All Academic Titles, Other
Members of the Campus Community, Students,"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, November 23, 2009

Dear Campus Community:

Last week was a very difficult week for everyone across the University of
California as the Regents voted to increase fees by 32% in response to the
extreme funding cuts imposed on the University by the State of California.
Protests occurred on many campuses, including our own, as students,
faculty, and staff are justifiably angered by the fee increases, by
lay-offs, and by other difficult decisions necessitated by the state
budget reductions.

On Friday, 40 individuals, the majority of them students, took over the
second floor of Wheeler Hall, refusing to come out unless the
administration agreed to reinstate 38 laid-off custodians. Supporters and
on-lookers gathered at Wheeler Hall, urged on by fast-spreading electronic
communications. We urged the police to be as respectful as possible of
our students. As the size of the crowd grew and false fire alarms were
repeatedly set off in many campus buildings, our police chief recommended
bringing in additional officers from outside the UC Berkeley police
department to help maintain order and ensure safety. As safety barriers
were brought in, confrontations began to occur between the police and the
quickly growing crowd.

118 classes were scheduled in Wheeler Hall that day. We have a
responsibility to provide instruction to students who rightfully expect to
attend their classes and decided that we needed to remove the protestors
swiftly and safely in order that classes could proceed.

Many of you have written to us expressing concerns that police action at
Friday's demonstration in front of Wheeler Hall showed brutality toward
individuals who did not appear to be presenting any imminent threat.
Concerns have been raised about the calling in of outside police and the
excessive use of force that may have caused injury to those who had come
to support the protestors inside Wheeler Hall.

The images that have appeared on YouTube and videos do not reflect our
values and those of our entire campus community and may not accurately
reflect the whole sequence of events. As are many of you who have written
to us, we are distressed at the portrayal in the media of our campus. Our
priority in dealing with the demonstration was to provide for the safety
and wellbeing of the entire campus community.

We truly regret the incidents that brought physical and emotional injury
to members of our community. UCPD has already begun conducting an
operational review that entails collection of all the available
information including reports, videos and pictures taken by UCPD,
students, the public, and media, to ensure that actions were reasonable
given the situation presented and the information known at the time. This
includes a review of uses of force. Additionally, we will ask that there
be an independent investigation by the Campus Police Review Board. The
Board includes representatives of students, faculty, and staff. It will
receive the report of the UCPD.

Any tactics to exercise crowd control on campus must provide a safe
platform for expression of free speech and freedom of assembly and we
expect that, as a result of this review, modifications will be made. We
must strive to ensure that there is no possibility in the future of the
alleged actions of police brutality and that our actions are guided by
non-violence.

We are facing extraordinarily challenging times as we work to find
solutions to one of the most difficult financial situations in the history
of the university. While last week's protests were difficult for
everyone, we have been encouraged by the outpouring of concern, support,
and offers of assistance from almost every area of our community to work
together. Many key members of our student and faculty leadership are very
engaged with us to help address issues concerning the future of the
university and the experience we offer our students.

We must sustain our two paramount goals: access and excellence. State
budget cuts are extremely damaging to UC. We continue to encourage
everyone to express your outrage to your elected representatives at the
state's disinvestment in UC; we share your passion and commitment to this
effort. As we stated on Friday, we must work together to advance our
cause. We hope that last week's events will mark the critical moment
which mobilized all of us to focus our collective energies together.

As many of us leave campus this week to reunite with family and friends
for Thanksgiving, we urge everyone to reflect upon the week with the
benefit of distance from the events that we have experienced. However
difficult the challenges we face, we should all remember to give thanks
that we are part of this great university and reaffirm our commitment to
work together to ensure its future.

Robert J. Birgeneau
Chancellor

George Breslauer
Executive Vice-Chancellor & Provost

Harry Le Grande
Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs

East Asia: The Beauty of Death

2009-11-15T21:56:00.000-08:00

Below the breathtaking slopes of Fuji-san lays a sprawling sea of trees shrouded with an ominous air of darkness. Lengths of string knotted to trees along the pathways weave its way into the dense forest allowing family search parties to find their way back out. Small bits of red ribbon tied to the branches float in the cold breeze: they are markers of bodies lost and found. Besides the occasional scatted bits of clothes tossed across the mossy tree roots, the only signs of human activity are the warning posts and surveillance cameras posted around the perimeter of the forest. The forest whispers the notes of its captive song into the wind - almost daring trespassers to enter. (w/ <3 from Nippon)

Outside one of the booming urban centers of modernization and social transformation, a farmer’s wife escapes around the back of her family’s hut. Tears of pain trickle down her sunken cheeks and sun-worn skin. Her locked jaw clenches to stifle a howl of anger rising up from an empty stomach. Blood breaks the skin across her knuckles as she wraps her fingers around the can of toxin. In the heat of the moment she lifts the contents to her mouth. Her cry for help falls on deaf ears, and she falls silent forever. (w/ <3 from rural China)

I am battling the two-faced demon deemed dangerous by the p.c. wannabes of society - my wits have been scuffed dull - blunt mind steals the lines from my mouth before they fall on the keys of a white language. I scramble to scramble this hardboiled funk - I reach back to crack the shell that withholds the truth - but I'm beaten to it. Get off my back before I accidentally scratch the life from the yellow face which hides a timid soul of disgrace.

Who Shall Save The University? FSM Turned On Its Head, Mario Savio Turned In His Grave.

2009-10-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

Dear California Taxpayer,

Decision Day is upon us. Now it shall be determined whether University California, Berkeley will remain the premier public university in the world. In the process of budget cuts, furloughs, walk-outs and teach-ins we must stop and question our actions, our motives, and our system. How did we dig ourselves into this current predicament? Is the prestige of UC Berkeley not a priority to be addressed in Sacramento? Is the title of #1 worth investing in, worth saving?

I have no idea if or when the quality of education will begin to deteriorate -- When professors become fed up with dealing with UC they may very well decide to finally accept the more attractive offers from east coast and ivy leagues.

I feel that UC Berkeley is no longer a passionate aggressor toward the institution. In fact, the 21st century student could even be accused of being a fully-functioning part of the 'odious machine.' (See BP in Berkeley) As students, we romanticize our radical heritage but we fail to take up action ourselves. The student demographic is not loud enough or angry enough to be of any threat to the status quo. I was hoping to see a riot during the day of the walk-out - at least an arrest. But alas, there were no police in riot gear, no dogs, no tear gas and no angry Golden Bears. All I heard was a murmur from the steps of Sproul that day. The moral/ethical pulse of the Berkeley conscience is beginning to flat-line.

The turnout alone was disappointing - it was a reflection of a dismembered student body. Not even half of the campus had the decency to show up in support of solidarity. Apathy is Liberty's deadliest enemy. And Apathy is single-handedly choking the last living transparency out of the UC. Could it possibly be the tacit assumption that the other students will take care of the problem that plagues the campus? To my disgust, even beyond Indifference lies the overtly self-centered student: "I am going to graduate in the spring and all of this will no longer be my problem."

I know I'll get out alive - but what about the freshmen? I just hope my alma mater will continue to be a university that I will be proud of claiming, not one I will mourn with a guilty conscience. Years from now, will we finally regret the missed opportunities for action, for revolution? After all, this university is not only our future - it is our legacy.

Bummed Out in Berkeley,
PRIMO

My Memories of Memorial

2009-10-27T00:35:00.000-07:00

I just remembered a strange thing I saw a few weeks back. It came back to me while I sat waiting for my roommate to vacate the shower.

Several weeks ago I had the dubious pleasure of attending the Cal Vs. USC game. The game itself was a pitiful display of $2M down the shitter, not a single touchdown from the old blue & gold. I screamed my throat hoarse, in vain. No discount for the second week in a row.

In the eyes of a Golden Bear, the Trojan represents all that is wrong with our society. It is a symbol of the arrogance of money - the privilege of knowledge. But we all know: wins can be measured with dollars, evil prevails, and nice guys always finish last. Such is life.

But all that is here nor there. Allow me to continue on to the real story.

Nature had called out to me at the top of the third quarter. And I was obliged to answer. After noting the row number, I made the trek to the top, to the outer rim of Memorial - the rim of port-a-potties. And this my friends, is where the puzzle unfolds.

Before the row of unmistakable blue-green plastic monoliths-of-shit, stood two perfect rows of eager fans dying to empty out their bodily contents and get back to the painful slaughter on the gridiron. I was in no particular rush.

I stepped up to the front of the row as the woman with curly dyed-red hair in front of me entered the unsanitary chimney. I will refrain from identifying the color of sweater she wore in attempt to protect the innocent... and the guilty. I waited, and waited. In the meantime other toilets were being evacuated with a 30 sec turn-over rate.

I started thinking:
Shit, it's just like at the grocery store, or the fucking gas station for that matter. I picked the wrong line. I didn't mean to mind waiting, but I slowly began to get more and more agitated by the amount of time this woman was spending in there. Did she pass out? God, I hope not. I hope she's okay. Right when I was about to ditch my sunken costs the door swung open. A brief release of the intoxicating smell of those blue hockey puck things wafted toward my delicate face. Yum.

Finally. I opened the door and stepped up into the main chamber. I have no idea how disgusting, careless, inconsiderate or all of the above human beings can be sometimes. Nearly every inch of the port-a was covered in piss. The seat itself sustained heavy collateral damage. The little droplets had already begun to pool. It looked like the work of an adult-sized 5 year old after a few too many cold ones.

As I stood there doing my thing, I began to think about all the simple benefits that come with being a male - namely, the luxury of peeing whilst standing up. And then it hit me: What the did the dyed redhead do? How did she deal with the sticky situation? Was she the culprit? ... How the hell would that work?

Use your imagination.

A Cure For Madness?<$@#$%^&*

2009-10-25T22:21:00.000-07:00

As we explored madness and mental illness I couldn’t help but ask myself repeatedly “What are the distinguishing markers of sanity? Aren’t emotions perfect examples of instances of irrationality? How many times has ‘love’ caused us humans to do the unthinkable and the utterly stupid? I don’t always seem to be the master of most of my own house? Am I crazy?”

In “Tenacious Assumptions” Deborah Gordon proposes that the social implementation of a bio-medical mindset leads to a medicalization of anything that deviates from the norm: “In this way, medicine has inherited the former clientele of the church, the prison, the social periphery: “madness” is transformed “mental illness,” “teenage illegitimacy” becomes “teenage pregnancy,” “anomalies” become “handicaps” (Foucault 1965; Arney and Bergen 1983, 1984)

From observation alone it seems obvious that the image of the ‘abusive’ mental institution/hospital/ward is void of any forms of compassion, humanity, tolerance and respect for the patient -- seems intuitive to me that recovery would be impossible, even negative, in that prison-esque [Sarcasm mine] environment. What I really want to know is how medical ‘professionals’ came to the conclusion that ECT had any effect on mental illness. It seems to me that the ‘treatment’ serves more as a form of punishment for transgressions of social and cultural norms -- structural violence, literally to the dome. It is unfortunate that as human beings we have a natural propensity to take up violence (physical or otherwise) against anything that we do not understand, anything against the ‘norm’ AKA the culture of the dominant party. The result is the socially acceptable punishment of anything deemed a threat (any deviation from the “main furrow”) “Delirium is now considered a threat, that while no longer punishable, must be controlled, prevented, corrected, modified, that is, treated.” (Basaglia)

Much like how the Marxist rhetoric is used to define the commodification and dehumanization of the physical body (and complete devastation of the holistic image of our mind/spirit/body existence), we refer to dialogue taken from political economy, language borrowed from Rousseau’s On Social Contract in order to define a citizen’s obligation to a society, in order that he may live in that society. Basaglia sights that ‘labor’ has become the only socially recognized value. In addition, the goal of the bio-medical model has been set to ‘cure’ madness, in hope (and expectation) that the patient will fulfill his social duty and become a ‘productive’ member of society. I find it terribly disheartening that the value we place on a human being is essentially the line that is drawn to separate the citizen from the sick. It is with a disturbingly similar manner that we separate the criminals from society – maybe that is why the persons diagnosed as mentally ill are sent to their own prison: they have been charged with violating the social contract.

It’s no wonder why parents always fear for their children’s rebellious nature, why experimental musicians and artists are often marginalized until after they die, and why envelope-pushing comedians are often thought as psychotic. But alas! Reason and unreason are socially defined: “A dialectic between individual and group, subjectivity and collectivity, and hence person and organization.” “Danger and threat are inherent to human nature.” It is an eternal battle between the free spirited individual versus the odious machine we call culture. That is why the people who define the epitome of the norm, the stringiest of social standards, are called “culture.” It is they who are slaves to the unnatural institutionalization of mankind. Maybe it is they who are crazy for exchanging their freedom for structural shackles. So, clinically speaking I may not be the one who is mentally ill. But am I still crazy?

Allow me to introduce myself. I care, So you better care too.

2009-10-23T23:04:00.000-07:00

My first blog.

Greetings earthling. I am Primo.

I will not be so arrogant to assume that this will be my everlasting legacy to the world. I won't even go as far to assume that anyone will read this. But. If you can't possibly resist the tantalizing mind-fuck that my twisted imagination will concoct time after time - Beware. You may regret it.

To rant, to rave. To love, to hate. To love to hate. To take the memories and dreams off the dusty shelves in the deepest darkest crevices of my mind and violently shake them until any pieces of meaning fall out - that is what I shall attempt to do. This abstract vehicle shall be the canvas for the abstract brain leakage spilling out of my ears, nose and throat.

Unfortunately, I live in this world with you. It is not fair. Frankly, it sucks. But that is no excuse to continue living the same pitiful life you've been taught to live. Do something. Change yourself. Otherwise things are only going to get worse. At least try - God knows I am. Most of all, CARE. I care. And if I care, you better care too.

Here's to the First Amendment, and to you. Cheers.

Peace/Love,
PRIMO