A Note on Sanjaya

Over a month ago, American Idol Contestant Sanjaya Malakar was my guy of the week. At the time I had no idea that he'd become such a lightning rod on the hit TV show. Everyone wants to tear him to shreads, whether it's for his subpar singing (which I have yet to hear) or his big brown eyes. Despite the opposition to his voice no one has been able to stop this singing beauty and he might just go on to be the worst singer to ever win American Idol.

People seem amazed that he's still around but I find myself wondering what people expect. So many of our most successful artists today can't really sing. You have Hillary Duff and Ashley Simpson and a pletheora of rappers who can hardly hold a tune. These days it's about the performer, technology can do the rest. We can make anyone sound good. One of the most important things for a singer to have now, is not a good voice, but a spark that keeps people coming back. A pretty face for people to fall in love with. For whatever reason Sanjaya has these and that just might be the key to his success. Look how much Taylor Hicks is struggling right now. He has the voice but no spark and not surprisingly his records aren't selling. So maybe Sanjaya will go all the way, I wouldn't mind seeing more of that pretty face myself, and if he does is that such a bad thing? Maybe...but he's hardly the first person without talent to strike it big...

Yet Another Poem

These past two days I've been finishing poems that I previously started. You might be able to tell well I stopped and picked it up again because the style changes but I like it. So here's another:

Mirror, Mirror
For a kid who never could look himself in the mirror,
I was always haunted by my own reflection.
I didn't want to face my own rejection.
I used to look up at the sky and search for shooting stars,
And wish that I could start over again,
Go back before I had these scars.

Why is it that we are so young when we realize that we aren't beautiful?
Who were the people who destroyed our worlds, with one cruel remark?
Who was it that told me jokingly that I was too dark?
I wonder if he remembers, the boy who looked at me with disgust and said my mother should be ashamed,
Now that I've lost weight I wonder if he'd still say the same.

I never doubted that I was born with a love for men,
but what made me decide that I liked them thin?
Why is it that since elementary school I've had a thing for blondes?
Is it just a coincidence or am I part of some big con?

Why is it that so often people stare but never look you in the eye?
That's something I'd like to know before I die.
I used to put others on pedestals but now I'm claiming my own.
And don't think I plan on moving, this is not a loan.
Now I look myself in the mirror,
And maybe I see things a little clearer.
But as far as I can see,
there's nothing wrong with me.

Two Poems

(Rough drafts of two of my poems. As always I had trouble finding the right ending!)




Let My Light Be Your Guide

Let my light be your guide,
So that you may see your way through the darkened nights.
Let my love be your wings,
So that you may reach the stars and achieve all of your dreams.
Let my arms hold you tight,
So that I may protect you when things seem grim.
Let my love lead you home,
When you are lost and feel all alone.
Let our hands never part,
Let our eyes never wander,
Let our old wounds mend,
Let this be where our life begins.
And remember this, even when we may seem far away,
Our love will keep us warm like the perennial sun heralding our new day.




Through the Glass

The child pressed his face up against the glass,
Looking through the display case at the toys he couldn't have.
As his mother dragged him away, he would wonder,
Why was it that he seemed destined to look,
while there were those who just took and took and took?

It wasn't that he asked for too much,
but that really didn't matter, life being such.
Unless his life changed, he knew he'd always feel the pain.
Of being the boy would could look but couldn't touch.

He grew up and no longer wanted toys,
the object of his affection was another boy.
He tried to get his attention, tried to get him to listen,
but he could never get through.
It was like a wall of glass separated the two.

He said he was looking for love,
He wanted it just because.
He saw the beauty that was within,
He just wanted the pain to end.

But he knew that he could never acquire,
the beautiful boy who set his heart on fire.
It wasn't that he asked for too much,
but that really didn't matter, life being such.
He was simply the boy who could look but couldn't touch.

The Deadline

If the Democrats have their way, the bulk of American troops will be out of Iraq within the year. I'm a Democrat and I firmly believe that not only was the War in Iraq morally wrong, it was a crime. Though I never had any doubts that Iraq posed little threat to us, even as a teenager in High School when the war first began, many Americans did and that's because the President and his administration intentionally mislead them and a ineffective congress did little to stop him. What George W. Bush has done is grounds for impeachment but with his term winding down the chances of that ever happening are extremely unlikely.

The Democrats are in control now and they want a way out of this war. Interestingly all the deadlines are before the November 2008 election, where a new President, probably Democrat, will be elected. Despite my hatred for the war I feel my party is doing too little too late and doesn't seem to be looking for any real solutions. If American troops leave, Iraq's Government will fall and anarchy will reign. Time and time again I've heard our leaders say that we were tired of helping the Iraqis needed to fix their own mess and to stand up to the plate and take responsibility. This completely ignores the fact that we created that mess. Saddam Hussein was an evil man but it was the bungled invasion of Iraq to overthrow his government that spawned the Civil War that now rages in there. It's not just the Iraqis mess to clean up, it's ours.

I still believe that the best solution is a divided Iraq. The State of Iraq hasn't always existed it was evented by Great Britain after the fall of the Ottoman Empire following World War I. They stupidly carved out a nation that cut through the territory of several different ethnic groups (ie. Kurdistan in the North). Iraq was created and just as easily as it was created it can be destroyed. The best solution I've heard is to divide the country into three spheres (Kurds, Shiites, Sunnis) either as independent states or in some lose Federation similar to the United Arab Emirates. This break is taking place anyway. This might not immediately end the war but it'll be a good start. It would also curb the influence of Iran to only the Shiite dominated sphere.

I must disagree with the Democratic Leadership on this one. Leaving is not a solution. It seems that instead of thinking of ways to bring peace to Iraq Democrats and Republicans can only think in terms of adding or reducing troop levels. We could have 1 million troops in Iraq and it still might not be enough (The city of Baghdad has 5 million people alone). It's not about military strength anymore that ended with the fall of the Republican Guard. We can keep cutting the weed but until we pull out the roots it's going to keep growing. Hopefully, we'll realize that before it's too late...if it's not too late.

Guy of The Week: Mario Vazquez

I think I fell in love on the ride back from Spring Break. I was riding back with a bunch of other Oberlin Students and unfortunately I didn't have control over the music and the person who did was doing a lot of flipping around but she did manage to keep the radio on one station long enough for me to hear Mario Vazquez's "Gallery". Not only does he have the face of an angel he has the voice to match and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. He might be an idiot for dropping out of American Idol but this is one idiot I wouldn't mind getting to know a little better. Gallery with it's lyrics and wonderful beat would be a great song no matter who sang it but Mario truly makes the song his own and I'm sure it'll be a favorite of mine for years to come. This American Idol Contestant just might have a future in the music business...and with me:)

The Good Life

What a relaxing couple of days it's been. The sun is out and so are the scantily clad guys. Unfortunately it won't last and snow is in the forecast this week. As strong as my affection for Winter is and as much as I fear Global Warming I'm been loving the warmth we've been experiencing here. It's like coming out of a fog and rediscovering the beauty in the world. The feel of a warm breeze, the smell of a Daffodil...the simple things. Those are the things we need to keep in mind when life starts to get complicated as it often does. But for now life is...moderately satisfying. And that's definitely a good thing.