The weekend, and random thoughts

Michael Franti & Spearhead has been around for a number of years, and Franti's music is influenced by multiple genres - Hip Hop, Reggae, Jazz, Funk, Rock, Folk - and frequently leavened with intelligent social commentary. I plan to get the most recent album All the Rebel Rockers. With summer class completed, at any rate, I am especially glad its the weekend - and for the chance to not only relax (and not worry about assignments) but see a movie I had been looking forward to seeing, that is, District 9, the much-acclaimed Sci Fi movie produced by Peter Jackson of The Lord of the Rings fame. Well, I did see it last night, and my impression is: District 9 was thought provoking and original, and unsparing in its portrayal of man's inhospitality. District 9 had the feel of a documentary, sci fi flick, action pic, and b movie, all rolled into one conceptual whole. The South African setting was not incidental, and there were many disturbing scenes of brutality and sheer grossness. But there were also parts of District 9 that reminded me of The Shawskank Redemption and The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, with their messages, respectively, of hope and enduring love. For the rest of the weekend, I plan to catch up on my reading list and just relax.

Boom, sha-la-ka

New music from two exciting musicians. Anjulie received a generally positive review of her self-titled debut album from the The New York Times. Her current single is the infectious, playful, Caribbean-tinged Boom, which is getting alot of buzz thanks in part to a 2009 MTV "Breakthrough Video" award nomination. Anjulie Persaud, her full name, is of Canadian-Guyanese-Indian background and her musical influences include: Lauryn Hill, U2, Annie Lenox, Prince. I like her style and really enjoy her sound; and I hope she does more than just "breakthrough." And speaking of Caribbean-tinged tunes, who wouldn't love the new Michael Franti and Spearhead joint Say Hey, a bouyant, brilliant, and rocking celebration of love, with - careful! - an addictive chorus ("I love u") you may find yourself repeating subconsciously long after you've listened to the song.

One down, one to go; and more Jazz

It is odd that I am talking about the Health Care reform discussion and Jazz in the same blog entry, actually in the same paragraph, but there you have it. :) I am actually very tired at the moment, but also excited about finishing my paper on Health Care, which, by the way, was twelve pages long and took a pretty nuanced position, although one in favor of reform. As for the class, the final is all that's left before I am able to spend some time just relaxing, maybe even go visit relatives abroad if I have enough money saved. Now, about Jazz: I am currently listening to Brandford Marsalis' Newport gig; and not only are the titles pretty interesting - Just you just me, Cheek to cheek, Hope, Eternal - but the songs themselves are incredibly wonderful. I can't wait to listen to Mahanthappa's work, which fuse Jazz with South Asian musical styles. Until next time.

Some articles I will reference in paper

Here is a list of some of the articles I have researched so far (I am aware of these articles because I either subscribe to the periodicals or regularly read them online). I will also be checking out Lexis Nexis for recent articles on the topic from around the country, from different points of view.

Health Care: The Fateful Moment

The Cost Conundrum

Health Care Reform and You

Note: Moving piece on the recession and charity. Feel free to check it out.

"Butterfly Effect" analogy, Health Care discussion

I made a slight change to the Butterfly Effect reference in the essay below. The Butterfly Effect describes an event that occurs in the atmospheric realm, not social interactions. I tried to draw an analogy and I have made this intention clearer with the alteration. (Since we are on the topic of kindness, this video by Marisa Monte is a wonderful and moving example of kindness in action). As for what I am doing at the moment: I am currently delving into the mindfield that is the healthcare debate. I believe the core of the discussion is the need for afordable healthcare that covers most (if not all) Americans and concerns about government involvement in such an important sector of the economy. I plan to research and think through as much of the issue as I can before offering my thoughts. This is the final paper of the class, by the way. After that, vacation!