He said...

Am currently researching Shelley v. Kraemer 334 U.S. in the Law Library, and in the legal text, I encountered this paragraph:

“Petitioners further specially set up rights, privileges and immunities conferred upon them by the provisions of Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of said provisions of said agreement by the courts of Missouri would constitute state action contary to said Section 1 of said Amendment, and would deprive petitioners of their property without due process of law, and constitute a denial to them of the equal protection of the laws, within the meaning of said Amendment.”

(Kurland, 11)

I have highlighted "said."  This is ridiculous. Legalese is insane.

But I do enjoy the twists in logic employed by the litigants.  It's refreshing... just the way I think!

Back to work...

The State of Things

1. I got my first C (in college) on a midterm in
2. I got a B on an essay... lower than usual
3. I played hooky for the first time this semester today
4. I am falling behind on email correspondences
5. I am falling behind on my reading for my classes
6. I am behind in my paper research for 5 papers
7. God is good.

The most important thing I put last.  

I am going to read now.  lol.

The Muted Discourse of Race: Race as a dirty word

As one of the 9% of African- Americans at UC Berkeley, I constantly feel like I cannot talk about the matters of race.  There is always that palpable discomfort in History courses when discussing Civil Rights or slavery in the antebellum era.  Fellow white students speak of slaves as though they were strangers- or worse, brothers.  Somehow the injustices suffered by the enslaved African- American slaves became the injustice of that student.  I stifle my violent reaction to their "we" and quietly think seditious thoughts such as "there is no we."

Among my fellow Black students, I have not found a home.  In High School, I was ridiculed for being a nerd, for not listening to the right music, not wearing the right style of clothing.  Here, it is subtle.  I simply wasn't invited to events.  The facetious smiles and the meaningless complaints about the lack of unity among students of color only make me gag.

Somewhere between these two, I decided that I would discard the notion of race, and try to see humans as God created them- in God's image.  As I grew disillusioned with human nature, it was harder to understand how we were created in His image.  Even then, I couldn't being myself to talk about race- it became like money and sex; you just don't talk about it.  Race is not polite dinner conversation.

Even in 'liberal' Berkeley, I can't talk about race.  In a city where Blacks comprise about 60% of the population, Blacks are surprisingly absent from the cityscape.  Walking on Shattuck Ave., the only Blacks I see are the invisible homeless men with unruly beards, bedraggled coats and clever signs soliciting for money in front of The Cheeseboard, and bright, oblivious students who protest issues they know little about.  

Where are the rest of them?  I don't know... maybe Oakland?

When did it become rude to talk about race?  When was race imbued with negative qualities?  My answer is that it became rude as soon as scientific classifications of humanity were applied to society, justifying colonialism, imperialism.  It became acceptable for Hegel, a respected academic philosopher, to speak of Africa as isolated and retrogressive.  It became acceptable for Professor Trevor Hugh- Roper to assert that Africa had no history before the Europeans came.  It was perfectly acceptable for Malthus to term the peoples of non- industrial nations as redundant, and propose the trimming of such 'redundant' populations through famine, disease and natural disasters- withholding aid in these situations.  In the antebellum era, when "quadroon" "octaroon" "mulatta" was used to describe 'fancies,' female slaves reserved for the master's sexual appetites, race was a dirty word with science behind it.  When Social- Darwinism in the mid- to late 19th century was progressive social science- this is when race became a dirty word.  Even later, race surfaced as a dirty word when Africanism, Separatism  and Black Nationalism reached their respective pinnacles.  

Before race, humans undoubtedly defined and identified themselves in small terms- their ancestral legacy, their home, their nearest kin, their clan.  Now, race has become a complex term fraught with binaries- Black- White, White- non- White, Savage- Civilized, Infidel- Muslim, Heathen- Christian, Jewish- Arab.  All these binaries simplify complex realities in order to fit within a justification that is otherwise wrong.  Think about it- in the War on Terror, the Bush Administration polarized the world- the Free World, with its democracy and free trade, and the Muslim World, with its backwardness and crazed suicide terrorists.  Stripped to its barest elements, the War on Terrorism is a silly political ploy- as race is a silly way of classifying God's diverse creation.  

Race effectively stratified people on the basis of skin color.  In the 1860's US, the Irish and the Italians finally became 'white' when the African- American slaves were emancipated.  In 2008, South Africa's ruling party, the African National Congress, classified the Chinese population as Blacks in order to qualify them for preferential treatment in jobs and other social services, and ingratiate the South African government to China.  Today, in the United States, race is circumvented in favor of liberal- progressive attitudes- not talking about race can mean race doesn't exist- but talking around it is okay.  Only political pundits have the guts to say "Obama is BLACK!"  Instead, McCain has to call Obama "that one" and Fox news has to speculate on Michelle Obama's militancy, and call her unpatriotic simply because she and her husband shared a fist bump on camera.  Surely, a fist-bump isn't merely an act of great affection- it has to mean something deeper.. like a terrorist fist jab!

I accept the hypothesis of race as a social construct- but I do not accept the necessity of race.  One can argue that programs to promote fairness and equality require racial identity.  But programs like Affirmative- Action are not 'fair' as long as their proponents are unbiased- have you ever met an un- biased person?  I haven't!  The other extreme would be forms of ethnic nationalism- which relies on unity and a common enemy or plight for its legitimacy.  In my head, the ideal would be an abandonment of race as an idea, social construct, and as a reality.  

But I cannot conceive how this would happen!  One teacher in High School suggested not teaching children colors- but I find this incomplete.  TV, newspapers, movies,- the media will still educate children in matters of race.  I just don't know... I don't want my children to come home with the realization that they are darker than their classmates, and the color doesn't rub off.  I want them to be proud of the way God made them, but I don't want them to limit their identity to their race- just as I wouldn't want them to limit their identity to their gender, their sexual orientation, their social status, or their intellectual capacity.  

Any thoughts?  

Parsimony in Contentment

A few thoughts:

-I am pleased as punch to have an optical drive that works!  It's cool to watch a DVD :D

-home- made tomato soup in a coffee mug is yummyy!!

-I am still content... caught up with school, happy, healthy, loved

my contentment is parsimonious, so, goodbye.

-arri

Another day, Another midterm returned

Got my History 10 midterm back.  89.17%  YAY.  :)

I studied a lot for that midterm, and I am pleased as punch.  

For now, I am in the East Reading Room, using the wireless internet, and continuing some research for my papers.  Eeep.  I also have work in 39 minutes, so, I'll be there.  :)

Hmmmm... lessee... I don't check my phone often enough- just about once  a day.  It's kinda lame, 'cause I missed 3 text messages (lucky, 'cause one of them was infuriating, so now it's a delayed response.) 

Still liking my new computer.  It's nice and shiny and clean.  We shall see how long this lasts.  :)

ummmm... I'm sure there's more, so... later.

October 21, 2008 Tuesday

Hello All:

I'm at AGO, studying.  I'd rather sleep, but I gotta finish this book for History 10S.

Well, good news, got my African- American Studies 112 midterm back- 89%.  Yay :D  That's better than I had hoped.  When Professor Hintzen said that most of the class did not do well, I had to cringe.  Hmmm.  :)  

It's a shame, but I think I like my laptop case better than I like my computer.  lol.  It's bright orange and cushy.  It was love at first sight- although I was hoping for one with a handle.  

ahhh.. later

-arri

News!

1) I went to Pismo Beach for the ADX/AGO Football Tournament this weekend
2) I am going to the ADX semi- formal with Taylor!
3) I got a MacBook! :D

Yeah, that is all. Thus far, I have installed iWork '08, and fiddled a bit with PhotoBooth. That's a picture of me in the East Reading Room of Doe Library.

yepp.

The Martha Complex

At the Home of Martha and Mary

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.^[f] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Luke 10:38- 41

I have a confession: I am Martha. I am that hard- worker who toils away, missing the real thing. Today, I finally burned out for the first time in 6 months. I was doing so well... I had everything all neat, got things done. Then today, and Monday, I broke down crying in the middle of a noon concert. Not pretty. The fact that it was so public made me more upset, and that exacerbated the tears. Ugh. Not to mention my anger at God... I thought "Heaven better be worth this... I'm not buying that frou frou crap about harps and fluffy clouds!" It was also, dare I say it... bitter. I can't be bitter toward God.

I'm tired. I don't know any other way to live.

I can't stop giving my services and the works of my hands- that's where my joy comes from... but I can't keep doing that. But I need to find joy elsewhere.

Maybe I need to find that better thing that Mary chose?

That's all.

On Beauty

At work in the library, I was in a particular mood. It was one of those dissonant moods where I was in between happiness and despondence. And this girl, ok, woman, (she was maybe 20?) approached me, "I think you're beautiful." I couldn't help but smile as she walked away.

That just melted away all of my doubts and fears.

I figure, that could be God's reminder. I do forget that... I find myself avoiding mirrors, and just wearing the same template: t- shirt, jeans, flats. *shrugs*

This is a picture of my newest piercing. Also, my 3rd favorite necklace. I love turquoise. :D

Hmmmm.. that is all.

Good Night.

Love and the Mind:

What is love?

According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, love is "unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another." The Free Online Dictionary, love is "to have a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person." In Western culture, love has taken on new meanings. To 'make love' has shifted in meaning from flirting to engaging in sexual intercourse. This corporeal understanding fails to capture the fullness of love. Poetry even falls short of fully capturing love's essence. Western understandings of love are far too casual to encompass God's love. We can say "I love you" but do we really know what love is? So, what does the Bible say about love?

The Bible has quite a bit to say about love. We are all quite familiar with 1 Corinthians 13:4- 7: (NIV)

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast,
it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1 John 5:3 states that "This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome." Three chapters prior, St. John reiterates in 1 John 2:5, "But if anyone obeys his word, God's love^[a] is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:" John 1:1-2 states that, " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." So, essentially, obeying the Word is obeying God. 'The Word was God.' Jesus even said in John 14:15, "If you love me, you will obey what I command." In 1 John 4:8, the Scripture says, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

What I glean from this is that love is obedience and submission to God's will. In the same manner, to love is to know God, because GOD IS LOVE. Genesis 1:27a states that "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him." We, as humans, are created in the Creator's image. In the manner we act, we can imitate Him, or we can indulge our sin- nature. In Ephesians 5:1, Apostle Paul tells the Ephesian church, "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children." In this roundabout way, I deduce that the act of loving others, is the act of imitating our Creator. Because He has made us in His image, we are to strive to be that way, despite our sinful natures.

Where does the mind come into this? Jesus' greatest commandment (John 14:15) was to " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'", for "This is the first and greatest commandment.." This echoes Deuteronomy 6:5 "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Finally, in Romans 12:2, Paul tells the Church, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

In short, love is obedience. And to enable obedience, we must renew our minds, in order to fulfill the command Jesus gave in John 14:15- to love our Lord with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind. This differs from a secular, Western understanding of love, where love is easily reduced to symbols. Love is not merely a feeling, but it is the combination of genuine sentiment (faith and hope), a fundamental re- alignment of our wills, a renewal of our minds, and the acts that result from the aforementioned.

And now, I leave you with a concluding verse:


1 Corinthians 13:13
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love"

good day and God bless you
-arri

05-18-2008 Letter to Self: "Dear Arri"

Dear Self:

Right now, you're going through a bit of a trial. Seeking the Lord has been your strength and hope. Right now, the loss of appetite, the sleepless nights an despairing thoughts have no hold on you, because the Lord your God is your strength and protection.

In the future, you hope to see the fruition of the hopes and prayers cast to heaven. You hope to see the strength of the Lord- never growing weary or bitter. In the future, your worth is in Him. And all else... none of it matters.

As for relationships, let there be healing- that your heart may once again love as Christ would have you to love. Let there be remembrance of past trials and sacrifices. An most of all, seek first the kingdom of God.

<3>

wow. I wrote this to myself almost 5 months ago. Things have changed indeed.

My first experiment with Asian Fusion Cuisine:Tofu and Catfish w/ Udon Noodle in Ponzu- Garlic Sauce

1 lb. Catfish
10 oz. firm tofu, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
handful fresh parsley
1/3 C. Ponzu Sauce
3 Tb. brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
canola oil

1. cook udon noodles following directions on package
2. sautee onion, parsley, adding tofu when the oil is sufficiently hot, add fish
3. in small saucepan cook ponzu sauce, brown sugar, and garlic until it boils
4. when the fish is halfway done, add the ponzu- garlic sauce
5. mix in noodles once the fish is done

serve and enjoy


sorry the pic isn't very colorful

Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Parsley- Chives Chicken and Mixed Salad with Lemon- Red Wine Vinaigrette

Mashed Potatoes:

1 10lb bag of Russet Potatoes
6-7 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch of fresh parsley
2 sticks butter
1/4 C. olive oil
1 C. milk

1. peel and boil the potatoes until soft in salted water
2. drain and mash the potatoes
3. melt 2 sticks butter, sauteeing garlic and parsley
4. add the mashed potatoes, stirring in milk slowly until creamy

Parsley- Chives Chicken

5-6 lb. chicken breasts
1/3 bunch parsley
1/2 red onion
seasoned salt
pepper
paprika

1. chop parsley, slice red onions
2. season chicken (to taste) with paprika, seasoned salt, and pepper
3. mix in onion, and parsley evenly
4. bake at 375 for 20 minutes

Lemon- Honey- Red Wine Vinaigrette

1 lemon, squeezed
2 T. honey
1/3 C. red wine vinegar
1/4 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 large red onion, sliced

1. mix lemon juice, olive oil, re wine vinegar in small bowl
2. stir in honey
3. add chopped onions
4. let sit in refrigerator overnight

tip: this tastes great with raisins and apples

News at 10:49pm

Some news:

I registered for the December 6th, 2008 LSAT. I'll be there a total of 7 hours, hoping for a good score. :) I also picked up the LSAT study book for a mere $40. Fun. Law School is costing me about $300 already! Goodness! The best 3 years of my life...

I'm fascinated now.

another bit of news: I love my daddy. :)

Just random.

Failed: Operation Oatmeal Cookie or "The Way the Cookie Crumbles"

Well, the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe promised 56 cookies. I got 26.

I baked them at 375 for 8- 10 minutes... I got mush. So I added a couple more minutes only to be greeted by a burning cookie sheet, with uncooked cookies... great.

Well, I made granola, then. The cookies crumbled. wow.

way to deflate my ego. :) They still taste awesome.

definitely deserves a do- over.

yep.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

* 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons butter, softened
* 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons white sugar
* 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
* 2-1/4 eggs
* 1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1-1/3 cups and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3-1/4 cups rolled oats
* 1 cup and 3 tablespoons raisins


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In large bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in oats and raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Cool slightly, remove from sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

makes 56 cookies...

yes, I like funny numbers. :)

Sunday Sundries: 10-05-08

I just had an epiphany:

Life is a book, slowly revealed
the words I see are shown in a timely manner
the anguish of unanswered prayer
is alleviated with unexpected revelations
God speaks to me in the language of life
and I ought to listen
For each day, each page is divinely inscribed
with a purpose and a plan
set forth eternities ago

God is good.

The other day, I realized that the doors that close to me simply are not for me. I am so willing to settle just for a semblance of happiness, that I overlook the things I cannot see. Happiness is immaterial.

ttyl

Sundown Towns: Real Estate Practices: Ligitation and Legislation

Arrianna Marie Conerly Coleman
History 139c: Essay Research

1917: Buchanan v. Warley

• Louisville, Kentucky
• Ruled that an ordinance requiring residential racial segregation violated the 14th Amendment
• http://www.enfacto.com/case/U.S./245/60/ (10-04-08)

1922: The first Neighborhood Association was founded in LA as “The Anti- African Housing Association”, but later renamed “University District Property Owners Association.” (391, Loewen)

1948: President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981, desegregating the Armed Forces, connection to inequity in FHA and Veteran’s Administration benefit distribution to Black vets.

1948: Shelley v. Kraemer
St. Louis- restrictive covenant had banned “people of the Negro or Mongolian race” from owning property in the city.
- Supreme Court of Missouri ruled in favor of enforceability of covenants, stating that they were private agreements between the original land- owners, and thus the agreement was tied to the land, not the persons. On this basis, the state had the right to enforce these racially- based restrictive covenants.
- The United States Supreme Court ruled against state enforcement of racially- based restrictive covenants, because it would be a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Additionally, the Supreme Court ruled that the covenants were private agreements, and thus not illegal- the judicial enforcement of these agreements was illegal and unconstitutional.
- http://supreme.lp.findlaw.com/supreme_court/briefs/01-1269/01-1269.mer.ami.lccr.pdf (10-04-08)

1972: The National Association of Realtors adopted a fair housing policy

1974: Milliken v. Bradley
• 5-4 decision
• Detroit, which in 2000 was the most segregated metropolitan area according to 2000 Census Bureau data (Loewen, 358)
• The court contended that school desegregation did not mandate a racial balance in the classroom.
• Exempted suburban school districts from responsibility in desegregation of schools, bussing
• http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=418&invol=717 (10-04-08)

1975: The federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 forced banks to disclose lending patterns- to prevent red-lining

1977: Community Reinvestment Act makes redlining illegal

1988: Fair Housing Amendments Act
• http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/housing/title8.htm
• Section 805 is of particular interest

BIBLIOGRAPHY

See also:
1. James Loewen, Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism, ( New York City: The New Press, 2005), 397
• “Housing segregated along race and class lines still signifies social power and success.” (363)
2. Patricia Broussard, http://writ.lp.findlaw.com/commentary/20051102_broussard.html
3. Donald Deskins Jr., and Christopher Bettinger, “Black and White in Selected Metropolitan Areas” (2002), in Kate A. Berry and Martha L Henderson, eds., Geographical Identities of Ethnic America, (Reno: University of Nevada Press, 2002), 38
4. Gunnar Myrdal, An American Dilemma: The Negro Problem and American Democracy, (New York: Harper Brothers, 1944)
• Cites residential segregation as key factor in the subordinate status of Blacks

Some News As I Conclude My Day

I got my ear (precisely, pinna) pierced. Piercing the cartilage doesn't hurt nearly as much as people made it sound. The guy who pierced my ear (Tim) didn't warn me, and it caught me off- guard. I'm happy... I chose the pearl earring, so now I get to wear my favorite stone daily. :D

For now, I am being productive and writing a research paper! Yay for constitutional cases regarding housing and real estate practices! :D

I took that picture yesterday around 12:30pm. It was grey and cloudy and the photograph took the quality of a black- white photo. :)

I'll post pics of my ear piercing later.

-arri

Es ist regnet!

Hello All:

Just a spare moment. At the moment, I am seeing just how flimsy my happiness is. Here I am, looking around and saying "Why don't I have that?" And it is always the same thing.

It's not about things, really.

I detest the cyclical nature of my happiness,and I wish I could fully embrace the joy of the Lord.I am greatly blessed indeed. How ungrateful can I be?

Now I just want to bake and give it all away.

Oatmeal Raisin cookies...mmmm.

-arri

10- 03- 08 Cabbage, Kielbasa and Israeli Couscous

Hello All:

I had a head of cabbage, and I flirted with the idea of making sauerkraut.

Fortunately, I did not.


Here's what I made:

Cabbage and Kielbasa

1/2 yellow onion
1/2 lb. Kielbasa Sausage
1 head of cabbage
a generous serving of olive oil

1. dice the onion
2. sautee in olive oil,
   
3. add kielbasa sausage
4. add cabbage once sausage is browned

tip: I added water too. :)

For the couscous, follow the directions

1. add boiling water to the couscous (measurements vary)
2. let cook 8-10 min

enjoy

Butternut Squash Lasagne

1 lb lasagne
5 medium sized zucchini
2 butternut squash
2 red onions
7 medium yellow tomatoes
1/2 lb. Swiss guyere
12 oz. ricotta cheese
sage, to taste
salt, a dash
sugar, to taste

1. bake butternut squash in half (scoop out pulp), laying face- down in a 9" x 13" pan, bake at 350 for an hour
2. scoop out the meat, mash, adding ricotta cheese, sage, salt, sugar and water until desired consistency
3. chop onions, caramelize, adding basil to taste
4. slice tomatoes, zucchini
5. arrange layer by layer in a casserole dish
6. bake at 425, covered in foil for 45 minutes to an hour

Oatmeal- Coconut Cookies

1 C. butter
1 C. brown sugar, packed
1 C. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 C. sifted flour, sifted
1 ts. salt
1 ts. baking powder
1 ts. baking soda
2 C. rolled oats
1 C. flaked, dried coconut

1. cream salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and butter into mixing bowl
2. add eggs
3. add flour slowly until doughy consistency is reached
4. add oats
   
5. roll into balls, spacing across 13" x 9" oiled baking sheet bake at 350 for 10- 12 min or until golden

Buttercream Frosting

1 lb. Confectioner's Sugar
1/4 lb. soft butter
1/8 ts. salt
1 ts. vanilla extract
3- 4 ts. milk

1. cream 1/3 of the sugar with butter and salt in a large bowl
2. blend extract, 2 ts. milk, and remaining sugar into mixture.
3. Gradually stir remaining milk into frosting until spreading consistency is reached
4. add food coloring as desired

note: it works to refrigerate these before use. in my experience, the food coloring changed the texture, so beware.

Sugar Cookies

5 1/4 C. Flour
1 3/4 ts. baking soda
1 ts. baking powder
1 3/4 C and 1 Ts. butter
2 3/4 C and 1 Ts. sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 ts. vanilla extract
1/4 ts. salt
1 ts. lemon zest

1) cream butter, sugar, vanilla extract, salt, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest in mixing bowl
2) add flour slowly until desired doughy consistency has been reached.
3) bake for about 10 minutes at 350


note: the lemon zest really does thee trick. Also, don't handle the dough too much, or the dough will be stickier, and the cookies crispier.