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untitled (4)

unlocked

unleashed

unblocked

unmuted

unstopped

unstuck

unburdened

unfettered

unchained

unblurred

unburied

unbossed

undefeated

undeleted

understanding

understatement

underutilized

underslept

uncorked

unweakened

unlit

unbowed

undone

unframed

unsheathed

unafraid

the return

of ruby k

hakohein

Super Bowl XLVI pregame thoughts

I don't want this to be a good game, I want the Giants to destroy the Patriots. I want Eli to hang 4 TD passes on the Pats D in the first half alone. I want JPP, Tuck and Osi to hit Brady so many times Giselle loses her modeling contracts. I don't want a close game or an exciting game, only a game where my team is so victorious, professional sports writers who picked the Pats to win are handing in their resignations and going off to teach journalism someplace.

Why?

Simple, really. I'm a New Yorker first, and thus, the Giants trump regular sportsfandom for me.

Let me explain- like a lot of people, there are a lot of reasons I enjoy sports: it's a distraction, a hobby that doesn't involve the fate of the world. yet it's interesting and powerful- the grace of athletes performing the amazing, the chessboard on a field strategy of matchups, the poker game of knowing when the odds are in your favor to mix it up just a little bit, and the excitement of a back and forth, close game, decided by 90 feet/6 inches/a last second kick save.

Yet- my loyalties are never in question or up for grabs. NY, all the way, with some of my strong love of new orleans in the rest of my life seeping in to create second favorite teams. Yankees, Rangers, Giants, Knicks, Liberty, Red Bulls. Having teams to root for take it beyond having a classic contest- it means the thing matters. And when you really care about a sports team, the rewards of an exciting finish are amazing, but the stress, even just the stress of a semi-committed sports fan (admission: i didn't get to see all 16 Giants regular season games this year, probably caught about half of them), make it not worth it.

So, on amateur night (aka the superbowl) when most people are finally tuning in and companies i couldn't give two shits about are spending 5 million dollars for 30 seconds of my attention, what I really want is to watch a lopsided contest where my team crushes the other team and the outcome is never in doubt, and watch it with people who care about the game from slightly less to slightly more than me.

Being in a room of people who don't care about the game is stupid and a bad idea for me. But then again, so is expecting me to want "a good game" today- I want the Giants to win, by so much Joe Montana ponders coming out of retirement.

Angel's Share

the sun drenches

my city

with light

and yet

there's no place as bright

as the space

in front of your face

when you smile. it is

ambrosia and amnesia

yet i remember

what i'm fighting for.

the joy that

escapes your lips

when i say, yes,

i'm coming to

snuggle with you

could put Pappy

out of business

intoxicating sweetness

I never want

to stop drinking.

and as the angel's share

rises to shamayim,

i hold the love

you've blessed me

with here,

and laugh

because the sun

doesn't know from warmth.

untitled

The soot still stains me,

Clings to my skin

Never lets go.

I can still feel it

In the cracks where

Fingers meet hand

Or break apart from another,

Stretching towards their own suns.

Still feel it

Where my arms and legs bend,

Where my neck extends

From torso

To connect head to chest

Brain to blood pump metronome

Two structures keeping each other alive

As best they can.

It defies fingernails

Dares soap to come get it,

It laughs at Lady MacBeth,

Saying you don’t KNOW

from spots.

It splits atoms and seeps

Below skin,

Drops into veins and

Visits blood cells,

Passes time with amino acids

In the stomach

makes itself

Permanent parts of us

Inside and out.

The soot is still in the air

Still landing on cars I no longer own

Still forming a crust

On everything I touch

Still invading conversations,

Extending invitations

To unwanted thoughts

To stay long past their non-welcome.

Its still being made into ink,

Printed and shipped

To other countries,

Still fresh on the bombs we drop

On others.

We’re still importing it

Everywhere we go

Wearing it

Like sheriff stars we had

No business brandishing

And should never have forged.

we’re still crafting bars from it

still hurling it like epithets at each other.

Still clutching it

Like pressure and heat and time

Will reverse clocks

Or at least turn the soot

Back to bone flesh steel glass

Heart brain hope skyline

Like our September will just be given back to us.

Surprise! The election isn't over yet!

Who: You
What: Phonebank for Jim Martin from your house via my.barackobama.com or at a phonebank
When: Over the next 4 days
Why: HUGELY IMPORTANT Senate Runoff in Georgia on 12/2.

I'd love to see you this week, NYers, but I'm leaving town again. But I was away for four months, right? Why am I leaving again?

Because the election ain't over.

There's a critical Senate runoff happening in Georgia on Tuesday between Democratic challenger Jim Martin and Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss.

And the results of all the hard work that you and I have put in the last weeks, months, years, could be severely hampered if Jim Martin loses

civics recap: a group in the Senate that wants to pass a bill generally needs 60 votes to limit debate. (enacting cloture)

Jim Martin puts the Democrats one seat closer to having that critical number. If you actually want President-elect Obama to actually enact all that policy he's been talking about, the Dems need to get to that number in the Senate. The economic stimulus package, health care reform, making it easier for people to organize unions, investing in our infrastructure, bettering education, all of those policy goals need the votes in the Senate to do it.

Runoffs come down to turnout. And even if you're not in Georgia, you can help. Go to a live phonebank in Greenwich Village, plenty of times available.

Or better yet, get yourself an account at my.barackobama.com, log in, and follow the links for the virtual phonebank.

Any time you can give in the next four days, give it to this. I know you're busy, but even an hour will make a difference. I'm going down to knock on doors, but we need everyone helping with this, so please, get on the phones and help Jim Martin win that Senate seat in Georgia!

GOTV and E-day highlights

Four years ago, I woke up in shock, thining somehow, I was just having a really vivid dream and was going to wake up, it was going to be E-Day, and we'd have a chance at victory. The last couple of days, my body has woken up early, ready to get everything together, do trainings, make sure the walk packs are right, scout stuff, everything. And I still am waking up, thinking I'm dreaming. Thinking that this is all a vivid dream I'm going to wake up from any moment.

And yet, possibly my favorite moment of the night, and winner of the JEJ honorary best motivation communication for 2008 was a text from Zappy reminding me that we've got to organize for the Employee Free Choice Act. Not to be Baron von Buzzkill, but while it's absolutely amazing we helped elect Barack Obama president, we still have a ton of work to do to actually get the change we really need.

Here are some of the highlights of the last week:

Schedule1, WvonW, Kungfujew, and KS showing up, with bagels and s&s cheesecake, at 1230am Saturday... and then Schedule1, WvonW and KFJ labelled campaign literature (lit) with me till 3am.

Sitting at the Strange Brew, a place I spent many nights the last three months, with some of the most important people in the world over two nights.

SC, BZ, DD, ABW, and SL singing the election fight song to me.

One Purple vol with a bad foot getting a ridiculous amount of knocks.

MK and SC going from new canvassers to team leads and trainers in a matter of weeks.

One Purple Team staying out till last knock of 7:45 on Eday. Hardcore and as it should be. The AP had called NH for Obama and Shaheen BEFORE THEY GOT BACK FROM THE FIELD!

After a week or managing logistics and being absolutely furious, getting to canvass on E-day with two of my new favorite organizers.

Getting to sit across the room from some amazing sisters from PP.

A lot of it is a blur, especially b/c this is the third day in a row i'm up way before i want to be. Joyous chants of "SWEEP! SWEEP! SWEEP! SWEEP!" when we found out that not only had Obama taken New Hampshire, but all of our federal races were victorious!

Sobbing like a little kid for a half hour when the race was called.

more soon.

Four years, two days.

"I'm exhausted and going to bed, and I cannot help but feel that I failed you." ---November 3rd, 2004, 3am or som.

I'm exhausted and going to bed. And I cannot help but feel a little more hopeful today. Stories tomorrow.