fEAthErEd friEnd

i wAs wAtching this gUy tOdAy thinking hOw simplE & thErEfOrE EAsy his lifE mUst bE...
jUst Ambling ArOUnd... scrOUngin fOr A bitE tO EAt...
thE OccAsiOnAl mAting ritUAl tO spicE things Up A bit...
nOt rEAlly lOOking whErE hE's gOing...
dOEsn't likE this spOt sO mUch hE jUst high-tAils it tO sOmE plAcE ElsE...
sOUnds kind Of OK right?

wOrds...

mOst Of thE impOrtAnt things in thE wOrld hAvE bEEn AccOmplishEd by pEOplE whO hAvE kEpt On trying whEn thErE sEEmEd tO bE nO hOpE At All
- cArnEgiE

cAn't find my idEntity... hAvE yOU sEEn it?

Ugh... crEdit cArds... thE bAnE Of my ExistEncE!

sO i jUst wEnt OnlinE tO mAkE sUrE my mOnthly pAymEnt hAs gOnE thrOUgh And mAdE thE AnnOying discOvEry thAt my cArd hAs bEEn UsEd fOr A strAight Up bUying frEnzy which i knOw nOthing AbOUt. yEs thAt's right... idEntity thEft. irOnicAlly i hAd stAshEd thAt cArd AwAy sO thAt i wOUld stOp Using it And stArt pAying it Off. mEAnwhilE sOmE cybEr thUg hAs dEcidEd thEy wAnnA bE mE And thEy wAnnA gO shOpping. AirfArEs, hOmEwArEs, pOstAgE, phOnE bills, yOU nAmE it.... thE nEw mE wEnt tO tOwn.

sO At first i wAs rEAlly Angry bUt thEn i cAncEllEd thE cArd And gOt OvEr it. bUt i'vE bEEn thinking A lOt AbOUt thE idEA Of idEntity thEft. i'vE bEEn thinking A lOt AbOUt idEntity. think AbOUt thE irOny At wOrk hErE... in this sOciEty whErE OUr idEntity is tO sUch A lArgE ExtEnt dictAtEd by thE mAss mEdiA And thE pOwErs thAt bE... And thEn idEntity bEcOmEs this virtUAl cOstUmE thAt wE cAn stEp in And OUt Of And thAt sOmEOnE wE dOn't EvEn knOw cAn try On fOr sizE. whAt is idEntity AnywAy? my nOtiOn Of idEntity might bE kindA UtOpiAn bUt i wOUld sAy it is OnE's EssEncE As shApEd by OnE's EnvirOnmEnt. thE inflUEncE Of EnvirOnmEnt is inEvitAblE bUt fOr thE sAkE Of hUmAn individUAlity i hOpE nOt pArAmOUnt.

i think jEAn grAE nAilEd it in hEr sOng "dOn't rUsh mE" whEn shE tAlks AbOUt bEing On thE right pAth tO whO shE's gOnnA bE At lAst:

"...still rEmAin whO i cAmE dOwn tO EArth tO bE
it's nOt jEAn grAE, thAt's jUst A nAmE, yOU'll sEE"

sO this idEntity hEist is rEAlly A jOkE On thE idEntity thiEf bEcAUsE thAt idEntity wAs jUst A rOUgh drAft AnywAys. EvEn As yOU rEAd this i'm tOiling AwAy in thE lAb Of lifE wOrking On thE nEw imprOvEd vErsiOn... AlwAys will bE!

tAmil prOtEst

is thAt A lUmp in yOUr thrOAt Or yOU jUst hAppy tO sEE mE?

sAtUrdAy mOrning, sO cAUght Up listEning tO this rOb swift mix I missEd my stOp And EndEd Up At mArtin plAcE. mArtin plAcE is thE cOmmErciAl cOrE Of dOwntOwn sydnEy. it's whErE thE 'mAtrix' scEnE with thE wOmAn in thE rEd drEss wAs shOt. it's bEEn A minUtE sincE i wAs AnywhErE nEAr mArtin plAcE... At lEAst 6 yEArs i'd sAy. it's kind Of A drAg thAt i missEd my stOp bUt At thE sAmE timE i'm cUriOUs tO rEvisit A pArt Of tOwn thAt i hAvEn't sEEn fOr sO lOng. As i EmErgE frOm thE sUbwAy i nOticE A wEird chAnting sAmplE thAt i'vE nEvEr hEArd bEfOrE On this mix. tUrns OUt it's nO sAmplE.
it's A mAssivE prOtEst AgAinst thE virtUAl gEnOcidE Of thE tAmils in thE sri lAnkAn civil wAr... And i'vE wAlkEd strAight intO it. mEgAphOnE mEssAgEs bOUncing All OvEr thE plAcE. thE prOtEst is pEAcEfUl bUt pAssiOnAtE.

bEfOrE i'vE EvEn mAdE sEnsE Of whAt thE prOtEst is ActUAlly AbOUt i stArt tO gEt thAt fEEling. i'm nO strAngEr tO thAt fEEling. it's A gOOd thing i hAd my sUnniEs On cAUsE thAt fEEling tEnds tO bring with it A fEw tEArs. it's thE fEEling i gEt whEn i'm At A dOpE cOncErt. it's thE fEEling i gOt whEn ObAmA wAs ElEctEd. it's thE fEEling i gEt whEn sOmEbOdy spEAks OUt. it's thE fEEling i gEt whEn A sitUAtiOn fOrcEs mE tO tAkE A stAnd. it's A fEEling thAt is EqUAl pArts sAdnEss & ExhilArAtiOn. thE ExhilArAtiOn cOmEs frOm finding A vOicE & hAving A sEnsE Of sOlidArity. thE sAdnEss cOmEs frOm knOwing thAt i cAn't AlwAys hAvE thE fEEling.

i'm lUcky tO hAvE stUmblEd AcrOss thE dEmOnstrAtiOn. i didn't knOw A whOlE lOt AbOUt thE plight Of thE tAmils in sri lAnkA. nOw i knOw mOrE. first lEt mE jUst mEntiOn thAt M.I.A. is tAmil. hEr fAthEr hAs bEEn EngAgEd in thE tAmil indEpEndEncE strUgglE sincE shE wAs A bAby.
thE tAmil tigErs ArE A sEpArAtist Army whO hAvE bEEn fighting fOr tAmil indEpEndEncE frOm sri lAnkA sincE 1983. thE cOnflict hAs clAimEd mOrE thAn 70000 livEs. thE wEstErn wOrld hAs - sUrprisE sUrprisE - slAppEd thE Ol 'TERRORIST' tAg On thE tAmil tigErs.... mEAnwhilE bAck At thE rAnch stAtE-spOnsOrEd Ethnic clEAnsing gOEs UnchEckEd. sO whO dEfinEs tErrOrism? thE 'WAR ON TERROR' bAnnEr gEts wAvEd ArOUnd A whOlE lOt thEsE dAys. sEEms tO mE thAt thE nOtiOn Of tErrOrism crEAtEs A vEry cOnvEniEnt 'Us & thEm' dichOtOmy which Only sErvEs tO mAkE thE sO-cAllEd first wOrld lOOk likE thE gOOd gUys. i smEll A rAt!

whAt wOUld yOU sAy cOnstitUtEs tErrOrism?
lOOk At thE indiscriminAtE viOlEncE thAt US fOrcEs hAvE inflictEd On irAqi civiliAns... i'd sAy thAt's tErrOrism. lOOk At thE tOxic chEmicAl wArfArE thAt isrAEli militAry hAvE UnlEAshEd On thE pAlEstiniAn pEOplE... sOUnds likE tErrOrism tO mE. isn't it strAngE thAt thE OpprEssOr criEs victim And thE OpprEssEd ArE brAndEd tErrOrists?