AndTheBeatGoesOn

my constant state of mind.

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 22:36:00 -0600

my constant state of mind.

"My heart is at ease knowing that what was meant for me will never miss me, and that what misses me..."

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 14:15:45 -0600

“My heart is at ease knowing that what was meant for me will never miss me, and that what misses me was never meant for me.”

- ابو عبدالله محمد بن إدريس (via 9940km)

"Be happy for no reason, like a child. If you are happy for a reason, you’re in trouble, because that..."

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:32:30 -0600

“Be happy for no reason, like a child. If you are happy for a reason, you’re in trouble, because that reason can be taken from you.”

- Deepak Chopra (via onlinecounsellingcollege)

If You're Laughing at Kanye West, the Joke's on You

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:27:44 -0600

If You're Laughing at Kanye West, the Joke's on You:

ancestryinprogress:

sebastiankmtco:

The media is freaking out about an interview with Kanye West that theNew York Times ran yesterday. West always gives good copy, and predictably enough, he obliged the NYT by saying lots of suitably “outrageous” things, all of which have been circulating like crazy around the Internet over the last 24 hours. The inevitable quote roundups have already started rolling in, and their tone is all too predictable — Vulture, for instance, gives us “The Most Ridiculous Things Kanye Said In His New York Times Interview,” while The Daily Beast goes with “The Craziest Quotes,” and… well, you get the idea. Look at the crazy guy! Listen to the crazy things he says! The thing is, if you really think West isn’t doing this on purpose, well, the joke’s on you.

The way Kanye West is portrayed in the media is an ongoing study in the conflict between perception and reality. As the reaction to this interview (and, indeed, the interview itself) demonstrate, he’s frequently depicted as a cartoonish figure, a caricature of the egocentric modern celebrity. In fairness, he hasn’t always helped himself defy that stereotype, but then, perhaps he hasn’t wanted to do so, because the persona West projects is all about making the media work for him, and he knows exactly what he’s doing.

The way in which savvy musicians are dictating their own mythology is something I’ve looked at before, but whereas in the case of many artists, this is a process of resisting the way they’re portrayed and trying to dictate an alternate narrative, West seems to have decided early on in his career to embrace many of the stereotypes thrown at hip-hop artists (although, curiously, not all of them; he’s never for a moment embraced gangsta clichés) and turn them up to 11.

West is many things — brilliant, idiosyncratic, egotistical, contradictory — but one thing he’s definitely not is stupid: “I get it, everybody knows I’m a motherfuckin’ monster,” he raps during the chorus to “Monster,” and he’s only too happy to play up to this popular perception of himself. People criticize him for his ego, so he appears on the cover of Rolling Stone as Jesus, or proclaims himself “the Steve [Jobs] of Internet, downtown, fashion, culture.” People criticize him for being materialistic, so he raps, “They made us hate ourselves/ And love their wealth”… and then, a decade later, tweets a photo of himself with his private plane.

It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that there’s more than a whiff of racism in making a spectacle of “crazy Kanye West,” in the same way that there’s something sexist about the way that Fiona Apple is always depicted as the madwoman in the attic — take, for example, the rather distasteful way that Vulture’s quote roundup describes West as “Kim Kardashian’s future baby daddy.”

Again, West seems only too aware of this; on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, he snaps that “the same people that tried to blackball me forgot about two things: my black balls,” and years earlier, he noted, “We shine because they hate us, floss ’cause they degrade us/ We trying to buy back our 40 acres/ And for that paper, look how low we stoop/ Even if you in a Benz, you still a nigga in a coop.” By the sounds of it, Yeezus tracks like “New Slaves” and “Black Skinhead” address this subject even more explicitly.

The fact that the media has been only too happy to portray West as a caricature rather proves the validity of the entire exercise. His persona has worked as a fractured reflection of expectations, and if you look back over the way that this persona has evolved throughout his career, it’s almost performance art — compare and contrast the fresh-faced, Polo-shirt-wearing, backpack-toting preppy of The College Dropout to the moneyed hedonist of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and the latter-day firebrand of his new work. It’s like Middle America’s nightmare made flesh, an articulate and angry black man first trying to live the American dream, then transcending it, then rejecting it. Rarely has a career followed such a compelling and coherent narrative arc, and if you think the guy following it is just a cashed-up egomaniac, well, you’re putting an awful lot of faith in providence.

West’s attitude has defined his career, and without it, he might never have become one of the most famous rappers of all time. As he rapped in his guest verse on Rhymefest’s “Brand New,” “They say your attitude determines your latitude,” going on to describe himself as “still the motherfucker that you love to hate/ But [you] can’t because you love what I make.” This, perhaps, gets to the heart of West’s persona — you can love him or hate him, but he won’t be ignored. (It was fascinating to note his reaction to a reviewer giving one of his live shows a report card-style B+: “What’s a B+ mean? I’m an extremist, its either pass or fail! A+ or F-!”)

Even his occasional “missteps” have been remarkably successful in terms of refining his mythology. Take his notorious “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” moment, for instance — apart from the fact that he was probably completely correct, it occurred in the same week that he released Late Registration. I’m not sure that West is cynical enough to have treated his appearance solely as a publicity stunt — the speech in which the quote came seemed pretty emotional and heartfelt — but equally, he clearly realized that this was an opportunity to do… something. He pauses for a moment before making his proclamation, like he’s weighing its impact, and then jumps in with both feet. And look, here we are, nearly a decade later, still talking about it.

The NYT interview comes with the provocative headline “Behind Kanye’s Mask,” but really, it’s not anything of the sort — it’s another manifestation of the persona he’s been refining for years, and what truly lies “behind the mask” is something that very few people get to see. Intriguingly, those who know him best describe him as somewhat shy, which makes sense when you think about it — it’s often those who are least secure who tend to overcompensate by being aggressively extroverted. Whoever the real Kanye West is, one thing’s for sure: if you’re giggling about how “crazy” Kanye is, you’re doing exactly what he wants you to do.

Although I rarely read critical writing on hip hop, this piece actually goes in. -Sebas’

Also I’m beginning to think that Kanye is a musical/media genius.

Also, he gave life in that interview.

findaustinhudson: Austin Hudson-LaPore, a third-year student in...

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 11:36:13 -0600

findaustinhudson:

Austin Hudson-LaPore, a third-year student in the College at the University of Chicago, has been reported missing. He was last seen at his apartment, on the 5300 block of South Kimbark Ave., around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 12.

Austin is 20 years old, 5 feet 7 inches tall, approximately 110 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing black gym shoes and blue jeans.

Please help us spread the word that Austin is missing!

Any tips or messages, please contact us at: FindAustinHudson@gmail.com or contact the Chicago Police Department Area Central Detective Division at (312) 747-8380.

PLEASE help! Went to high school with this kid. Such a beautiful mind. Please send prayers, good vibes, and any positive energy you can.

everyoneisgay: Dear friend, I’m writing to tell you, among...

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 09:51:29 -0600

everyoneisgay:

Dear friend,

I’m writing to tell you, among other things, that I am super gay. This may or may not come as a surprise to you. If it does: Surprise! If it does not: You were right all along! Either way: Hooray!

I didn’t want to come out. I don’t want coming out to be a thing that anyone has to do.

A short list of things I’d rather be doing than “thinking about being gay” includes (but is not limited to) writing a song, reading a book, climbing a tree, dancing a jig, and watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the zillionth time. Don’t get me wrong - I think it is in the best interest of everyone to strive for a greater understanding of the self. I just wish that being gay (or transgender, or asexual, or fill-in-the-blank here) was as unremarkable to the masses as being left-handed or blonde.

In a perfect world, nobody would have to experience any of the negative side-effects of figuring out that you’re gay, which can include feeling confused, shameful, afraid, lost, or alone. In a perfect world, everyone could just like who they like, and get on with it.

Spoiler alert: We do not live in a perfect world.

I began to realize that I was interested in girls in junior high. At first, it made me uncomfortable. I grew up in a fairly rural, conservative town. I knew exactly one kid who was out at school, and he was harassed on a daily basis. I had always sort of liked feeling different from most of the kids at school – you know, poetry over football and whatnot. But I didn’t want to be THAT different.

My feelings were further complicated by my religious upbringing. My family attended a born-again style church which taught (as many churches do) that homosexuality is a sin. The price of that sin, should you find yourself unable to turn away from it, was to burn in a pit of fiery torment for all eternity. I was an impressionable kid, and hell was advertised to me as very real - and very likely, if I didn’t watch my step. I internalized these ideas as a child and as I grew, they grew with me.

But other growth was happening simultaneously. Over time I got more comfortable with myself, lost a few friends, and made some new ones.When I began my journey as a musician, I decided that I didn’t want to publicly address my sexuality. I didn’t think it was a big deal, or relevant to my job in any way. I also worried that the first word people would associate with me was going to be “gay” instead of “musician.” I didn’t want a non-musical part of myself overshadowing the musical part. Plus I figured it wasn’t anybody’s business.

I still maintain that it is not anybody’s business. I don’t think anyone should have to feel an obligation to come out. I don’t think that outing people is cool. I think every person has the right to privacy, and should be able to share themselves with their friends, their family, and the world at their own pace, in their own time. However, I’ve come to realize in recent months that a big part of my desire to hide this aspect of myself was rooted in those dusty old feelings: that there is something wrong, something bad, something less-than about being gay.

It brings me no pleasure to admit to you that I have felt these feelings. I want to appear strong, because I feel strong now. But at the same time I know it is important - perhaps even the whole point of writing this thing - to make myself vulnerable. Because I know that there are human beings out in the world who understand these feelings but cannot give them a name. I want to tell you that it’s okay to feel messed up. Feeling messed up is a part of life, but it is not the only part. And the only way out of that feeling is through.

This summer I am going to marry my fiancé. Her name is Kristin Russo and she is one half of the team behind EveryoneIsGay.com. Having a firsthand view of the work that she and Dannielle do has been inspiring, and has also made me think more critically about my decision. What kind of a message does it send to a teenager when I avoid a question about my sexuality? Whatever the answer, I’m confident that it is no longer a message I am comfortable sending.

I think it is damaging and isolating for young people to look out into the world and not see a representation of their experience. To encounter others who are like you is to know that you are not alone. Even if you never meet them in real life, these representatives help to contextualize you – they are proof that you are part of something.

You are not an anomaly. You are not a mistake.

I am thankful that in recent years, it has become a bit more common for people from all walks of life to step forward and identify themselves as human beings who also happen to be gay. I am proud to offer my voice to that expanding chorus.

Love,

Jenny

awesome :)

Heeyyyyyyyy

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 00:20:11 -0600

Heeyyyyyyyy

Photo

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:15:53 -0600

alliegonino: And there you have it, folks.

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 22:59:15 -0600

alliegonino:

And there you have it, folks.

Tatiana Maslany receiving her Critic’s Choice Award for Best...

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:51:44 -0600

Tatiana Maslany receiving her Critic’s Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series

Seriously, SO well deserved.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 00:40:08 -0600

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Photo

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 00:20:08 -0600

danieldempsey: My dude straight loving him some nsync.

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 17:55:42 -0600

danieldempsey:

My dude straight loving him some nsync.

foodnun: IM LAUGHING SO MucH ITRL?!

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 17:50:16 -0600

foodnun:

IM LAUGHING SO MucH

ITRL?!

afro-art-chick: The above portrait was taken by Christian...

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 10:00:45 -0600

afro-art-chick:

The above portrait was taken by Christian Fernandez of the final graduating class at Rice High School in front of the brownstone made famous in the Great Day in Harlem photo.

<p>Fri, 07 Jun 2013 02:05:14 -0600</p> <br/><br/><p></p> </article> <article> <h1>FACT: Good music fixes everything.</h1> <p>Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:50:38 -0600</p> <br/><br/><p><strong>FACT:</strong> Good music fixes everything.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Photo</h1> <p>Tue, 04 Jun 2013 13:00:16 -0600</p> <br/><br/> </article> <article> <h1>BAWS.</h1> <p>Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:00:36 -0600</p> <br/><br/><p><strong>BAWS.</strong></p> </article> <article> <h1>healthier-habits: Balsamic Penne with roasted asparagus Recipe...</h1> <p>Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:00:36 -0600</p> <br/><br/><p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://www.healthierhabits.net/post/51946380658/balsamic-penne-with-roasted-asparagus-recipe">healthier-habits</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>Balsamic Penne with roasted asparagus</p> <p>Recipe Link: <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/penne-with-roasted-asparagus-and-balsamic-butter" rel="nofollow">foodandwine.com</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.healthierhabits.net/tagged/weight-loss-recipes/">Click here for more healthy recipes!</a></p> </blockquote> <p>ATTEMPTING </p> </article> </main></body></html>