Saturday, January 1, 2011

The Best of 2010 Parts 4-9

Yay it's 2011. I can't believe we've made it!  So far I've posted 3 Best of 2010's.  I owe you seven more.  Today I'm posting six rapid fire "Best Ofs". You'll have to stay tuned for the last one. So In case you missed my first three, here they are:


Biggest Event to Happen to the Holy Game Since a Guy Name Michael Retired for the First Time: The Decision

Biggest I Should Have Lost My Job Moment, But Didn't: Regis Philbin 


Best Impersonation of Ebenezer Scrooge: Lester Freeman


So now here's the next six:

Best Blog in the World: Feministing.com

Duh. I mean if you're not down with radical feminism, than you're pretty whack.  And if you are down, than you should read feministing.com.  Perhaps Naomi Wolf should check it out too.

Best Proof That I Was Right About Michael Vick: tie Barack Obama and Tucker Carlson

I've written more than once about the case of Michal Vick.  I wrote that he would have "an opportunity to become a figure of redemption in Black America".  Barack Obama's recent comments on the subject prove me right.  I also wrote in a separate commentary, that you can't discuss the "nationwide" hatred for Michael Vick without also looking at the racism of the criminal justice system.  And good old Tucker Carlson proved me right when he called for Michael Vicks execution the other day.

Best MC I Never Heard of Until We Met In Germany: Cihuatl-Ce

If you want to meet a radical, Latina MC from LA all you have to do is travel to Chemnitz, Germany.  At least that's how it worked for me meeting Cihuatl-Ce.  My band, Broadcast Live, was selected to give a Hip Hop Workshop and performance in Germany and so was "Cihuatl".  The rest is history.  My favorite line from one of her songs?  "Leave you castrated with the jagged edge of my chipped tooth".  Check out her music.  Speaking of Germany...

Best Trip Taken By Me This Year: Germany

As I mentioned earlier my band, Broadcast Live, traveled to Germany on tour and it was a blast.  My partner LJ made the journey that much better by taking me on a bike ride through Berlin.  Check out the pictures at the Broadcast Live Facebook page. My most memorable moment?  Reading Dickhardtstrasse on a street sign. (Strasse means street in German.) Sorry for the potty humor but it's a true story.

Best Gathering of Diverse, Radical People in the United States: US Social Forum in Detroit

I wasn't expecting to be amazed at the US Social Forum but I was.  It's not that I didn't think it was going to be cool, I did.  It's just that I didn't expect it to be so diverse in age, class, race and gender identity.  The reason is simple, so few events really are.  So I don't know where the next one is going to be but it will take place in 2014, count me in.

Best Gathering of Diverse Radical People in New York State That I Helped to Organize: The New York State Prisoner Justice Conference

What does it take to get 200 Criminal Justice Activists together to discuss ways to work collectively in order to make the change we want in New York State?  It takes a handful of people to say: "We should try to gather around 200 Criminal Justice Activists from across the state to discuss ways we can change our justice system."  And twenty people (or so) working day and night to make it happen.  My mentor, Naomi Jaffe said it was one of the most well organized events that she's ever participated in.  And she's got a Wikipedia page, so there.

One more to go...