December 2010
27 posts
1 tag
Happy Kwanzaa 6: Kuumba
The principle of Kuumba is Swahili for Creativity and today is the day we celebrate and acknowledge its value upon society.  The heart behind Kuumba is in doing what we can creatively, as much as possible, to contribute to our community’s beauty and to leave it more beautiful than we inherited it. Our society has developed a very peculiar relationship with creativity over the last decade or...
Dec 31st
1 tag
Happy Kwanzaa 5: Nia
On this fifth day of Kwanzaa, we celebrate Nia, or Purpose.  Broadly speaking, purpose is simply what we are meant to do or accomplish; however, in this context, Nia specifies our purpose to be the building up and development of our community to restore [black people] to our traditional greatness.  Of course, there are certain amendments that can be made to expand this to people of all ethnic...
Dec 30th
1 tag
Happy Kwanzaa 4: Ujamaa
The fourth principle of Kwanzaa is Ujamaa; Cooperative Economics.  The original vision for this principle is to see black people build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.  As a people who come from a history of being mere tools in the economic machine of “the white man”, this certainly makes sense, given the context of black...
Dec 29th
1 tag
Happy Kwanzaa 4: Ujamaa
The fourth principle of Kwanzaa is Ujamaa; Cooperative Economics.  The original vision for this principle is to see black people build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.  As a people who come from a history of being mere tools in the economic machine of “the white man”, this certainly makes sense, given the context of black...
Dec 29th
1 tag
Happy Kwanzaa 3: Ujima
The principle of Ujima represents Collective Work and Responsibility.  It harkens back to the initial principle of Umoja in its seating in community.  In essence, Ujima calls us to join together as brothers and sisters; making their problems our problems and finding solutions together. What I like about Ujima is it, from the very get-go, addresses the fact that we will have problems.  It is not...
Dec 28th
1 tag
Happy Kwanzaa 2: Kujichagulia
The Swahili word, Kujichagulia, means Self-Determination.  It is the act of establishing ourselves as who we want to be; to define, name, create for and speak for ourselves; in relation to those around us (remember community?  Umoja and all that?).  Kujichagulia is essentially the principle of centering ourselves in a manner that is not self-centered. Kujichagulia is a principle I have found...
Dec 27th
1 note
1 tag
Happy Kwanzaa 1: Umoja
As originally described by Maulana Karenga, the founder of Kwanzaa, the principle of Umoja, or Unity, is about striving for and maintaining unity in the family, community, nation and race.  It is the Swahili word that is used to describe a sense of community or desire for a totally selfless “oneness” that desires nothing in return but to be undivided; allowing, of course, for minor and...
Dec 26th
1 tag
On Kwanzaa.
This year, I’ve decided to blog through Kwanzaa.  I’ve discovered that several of my friends and associates don’t know the first thing about Kwanzaa (or what they do know is actually very misguided) and that’s understandable as the bulk majority of my friends and associates are not of African descent, don’t care or are ignorant as fart.  For this reason, I’d...
Dec 26th
2 tags
On Hard-to-find auto parts and the Right of way.
I’m in need of some wisdom right now.  Some wisdom and patience to wait on the wisdom.  You ever have one of those days when you just can’t even comprehend how the heck any good can come of something?  In a world where I’m desperately searching for God’s glory in all things, sometimes the “good” eludes me.  And today, with that guy who plowed right into my car...
Dec 23rd
1 tag
Dec 19th
3 tags
Dec 19th
1,054 notes
4 tags
WatchWatch
This Christmas break, I’m interning at BB&P Ad Agency. The project they gave me was to come up with and produce their annual Christmas promo greeting for clients and to be as over-the-top as possible in showcasing them as a fun and creative agency. My idea was to choreograph a music video to a design studio-centric version of Jingle Bells and get everyone in the office involved (from...
Dec 16th
2 notes
5 tags
Dec 16th
18,504 notes
4 tags
On the perfect blend of Christmas cheer and...
I am it.  That is all.
Dec 15th
2 tags
Dec 14th
2 tags
Dec 14th
674 notes
5 tags
Dec 12th
2 notes
2 tags
ZOOEY'S MISCELLANY: BESTIE DAY: →
zooeydeschanel: BESTIE DAY: A few years ago I was in Tokyo on Valentine’s day with the husby and while there, I learned that Valentine’s day is just the beginning of a cluster of holidays! A trifecta of confectionary-as-symbol-of-affection-or-ambivalence holidays begins on Valentine’s day, when the girls give… I want Japan’s version of Valentine’s day instead of the Western...
Dec 8th
1,351 notes
3 tags
Dec 7th
4 tags
Dec 7th
2 tags
Dec 7th
4 tags
Dec 7th
14,274 notes
3 tags
Google Maps & Label Readability
41latitude: Why Do Google Maps’s City Labels Seem Much More “Readable” Than Those of Its Competitors? For months, I’ve been trying to figure out why Google Maps’s city labels seem so much more readable than the labels on other mapping sites. To me, Google’s labels seem to “pop” much more than the other sites’ labels. Major cities also seem to stand out much more. [1] And whenever you’re...
Dec 5th
68 notes
3 tags
Dec 4th
1,595 notes
3 tags
Dec 3rd
231,155 notes
2 tags
Dec 3rd
2 tags
On finishing for the semester.
Catdang, it feels good.  At the same time, though, I feel like it’s a trap and that I have some secret assignment I forgot about, waiting to jump me.
Dec 2nd
1 note