isawthat

The food that I’m eating
Is suddenly tasteless
I know I’m alone now
I know what it tastes like
So break me to small parts
Let go in small doses
But spare some for spare parts
There might be some good ones
Like you might make a dollar
I’m inside your mouth now
Behind your tonsils
Peeking over your molars
You’re talking to her now
And you’ve eaten something minty
And you’re making that face that I like
And you’re going in, in for the kill, kill
For the killer kiss, kiss for the kiss, kiss

I need your money, it’ll help me
I need your car and I need your love
So won’t you help a brother out?
Won’t you help a brother out?
Won’t you help a brother out?

So break me to small parts
Let go in small doses
But spare some for spare parts
You might make a dollar
Dollar, might make a dollar

So won’t you help a brother out?
Won’t you help a brother out?
Won’t you help a brother out, out?

Well, I stopped using livejournal for the most part. I can't help it. Tumblr is fun.

But livejournal seems more suited to my mood tonight. That's only because my partner of 3 1/2 years dumped me.

It was abrupt.

It's always interesting (and a little tricky) when a journalist becomes part of the news. Being one who considers herself an old-fashioned newspaperman, it feels unnatural when reporters and broadcast news orgs stop calling as colleagues and start calling for quotes. Making the transition from private individual to voluntary public figure comes with its share of responsibilities: words, actions and even the clothes you wear suddenly become fodder for public scrutiny. After a few days of sideways glances and back-to-back interviews, you find yourself becoming your own personal Thought Police.

And now with blogs, forums and user-generated comments on news Web sites, there's nothing old-fashioned about the public's ability to read and respond to the news.

Here is a roundup of coverage of recent controversy surrounding my March 13 column, "I am not a white bitch."

Print:
- The Daily Kent Stater's preview of the meeting
- The Daily Kent Stater's coverage of the meeting
- The Stater editorial board's response to the meeting
- The Stater editorial board's response to comments posted on the column's Web page
- Akron Beacon Journal: KSU column prompts 'hate' e-mails

Audio
- Audio of the meeting (in its entirety), captured by Black Squirrel Radio
- BSR's coverage of the meeting

Video
- TV2's coverage (My interview is 1/3 into the broadcast, just after the first commercial break)
- Channel 19 Action News' coverage

Blogs
- Political Science 216: An offer for Beth Rankin from Political Science 216
- Political Science 216: Beth Rankin to Political Science 216: "Maybe!"
- Daily Kos: One Reason It is Hard to Discuss Race Honestly
- blueollie: Early April Rants
- Resist Racism: Why I hate white ‘anti-racists’
- Tough Sledding: One journalist’s rage turns to campuswide dialog
- Southern Poverty Law Center: White Supremacists Threaten Kent State Columnist
- Orcinus: That dialogue on race: The hard part
- AkronNewsNow: Student Column Brings Hate E-Mails
- Wigger Lover: White Supremacists Threaten Kent State Columnist
- Laura Torchia: My American Life: Racism alive and well in Northeast Ohio

I wasn't going to let a foot and a half of snow get me down, oh no. Here are some photos from a portrait shoot and a performance piece. As always, click on the photo to see a larger version.



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I shot Obama in Akron tonight. He was two hours late, but it's all good, because I got some OK stuff.



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And tomorrow I have to write a column and a paper, turn in my edits to the Stater, finish my plaster head, get a welding demo and go to two editing meetings. Sundays are not what they used to be.

Ben and I went to Summit Equipment in Akron this morning to buy steel for our Sculpture I class.



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My sister Abby turns 6 years old today. We'd better book her piano/Chinese/ballet/cricket classes fast! Soon she'll be too old to be the child prodigy baby sister I've always dreamed of locking in a closet to memorize spelling words.

Christmas may be past us now, but the holidays are far from over. Susan, Megan and I are throwing a post-Christmas party this weekend, and Rami and I are hosting New Year's at his place.

In the meantime, here are some pictures from Christmas as my mom's. Hope your Yule was merry.

( Ho ho holidaze )

I love Christmas.

Inspired by Reuters Pictures of the Year 2007, I created my own year in pictures.

Here is a slideshow of my favorite shots from freelance, class assignments, projects, travel and life in general from 2007. Warning: There are a few shots that contain nudity.