Adventure Is My Grandmothers Firstname

Arkadia:

Spanish Pastoral simplicity and happiness.

Latin Adventurous

My grandmother raised her two daughters alone after my grandfather split. Years later she took my mother and me in. Eleven years later she took me in. Three years later she took me in again. Between then and now I crashed over at her place a lot and spend time with her in her kitchen. We talked about family and cooking and spirituality.

My grandmother always gave me some cash and food before I would leave her house. She taught me medicine and a bit about agriculture. She never pushed religion on me but was happy to have me join her at church on Saturdays.

When I got a Mohawk she said I looked handsome and modern.

She has a tendency to mention how she will be dying soon but with a twinkle in her eye knowing she is a lot healthier and younger looking than most folks her age.

My grandma tended to give me what I gave and was happy about the simplest things like time and company. She sometimes nagged and bitched but really she was very happy to have me around. Even a phone call made her happy. I think I get that from her.

Her and my aunt conspire always to send me clothes and money. I have more money than I have ever had before and so many clothes yet they send me both still since I moved out to Portland.

My Grandmother taught me ways to eat healthy and to make medicine and care for my body with things from the dirt. Because of her I could catch, kill, and cook my own food when I was in a pinch. I was able to fight off colds and walking pneumonia.

I want to tell you about her while she is alive. I want her to know I have at least written about her once. I am not much for memorials. When someone is dead they are gone. Gracias, Abuela. Thanks for still betting on me, after all my falls. I hope you feel it paid off.

Equitylandia

On my way to the hot springs in Oregon with my friend and local organizer Alyssa Pagan, we discovered the solution to all our troubles. Deep in what would be the white homeland we found a place free of racism. Alyssa and I have never felt safer. We had made a wrong turn when we stumbled upon this racist free zone and just could not believe it. We almost skipped going to the hot springs in fear that we would never be able to return to this shangri la of equity. Sadly, it was really cold and wet and we really wanted to go to the hot springs.

It is good that we moved on because liberated zones are not enough to free all humans. Not everyone can reach liberated zones. No, we could enjoy that space but we needed it to be an inspiration not a destination. We moved on and enjoyed the day with our friends knowing that one day our struggle will lead to all of earth to be a racisim free zone.

Things Gringos Do Not Know About Puerto Rico #5

I remember my first thanksgiving as an adult in the United States of Amerikkka. When one of the ladies at the table heard I was from Puerto Rico she said, “ SO you must grow your own food.” She seemed really stoked about the idea. I guess the whole noble savage idea has not gone from the European American mind. She seemed deflated when I told her “No, most of our food is imported.” In fact, about 85% of it is imported and has to come from US ports. Even if we import from the Dominican Republic, it still needs to be on US ships from US ports.

This puts Boriquas at a dangerous disadvantage. Luckily there are those trying to put a dent in this crisis. Tara Rodríguez Besosa an architect and creator of El Departamento De La Comida. What started as an online service became a tangible organization that connects urban city dwellers with local agriculturist. They are no big money Ayn Rand, Mark Cuban capitalist profiteer preying on calamity. Tara is a person with great vision and a desire to bring people together and make resources accessible for all people. The government of Puerto Rico has tried to boost agriculture but has focused more on industrialized methods for the purpose of creating jobs. None of those approaches actually benefit the residents of Puerto Rico since the jobs pay very little and provide a limited selection of foods.

Check out the video from PBS below.

Puerto Rico seeks to reclaim island’s farming industry

Things Gringos Do Not Know About Puerto Rico #4

Agent Orange was tested in the united states before being deployed in Vietnam. Puerto Rico is only 3,515 sq. The USA drafted 65,000 people to then go fight in Vietnam on their behalf. Here is more data from the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Puerto Rico

Location: Las Mesas and La Jagua experimental areas at Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
Dates: 2/1956 - 6/1956
Project Description: During February to June, 9 chemicals were evaluated in PR on 16 genera tropical woody plants. The chemicals were applied in highly concentrated solutions with a microsprayer to the leaves.
Agents: 2,4,5-T, 2,4-D, pentachlorophenol, ammate, weedazol, endothal Harvestaid, Butyne -1,4-diol
DoD Involvement: Yes

Location: Guanica and Joyuda, Puerto Rico
Dates: 6/1956 - 9/1956
Project Description: 9 chemicals were evaluated on 16 genera of tropical woody between June and September. The chemicals were sprayed to duplicate small branches, using a microsprayer.
Agents: 2,4,5-T, potassium cyanate, amiendo, F-2, 6-Ca-4, Y-F Tree and Brush Kiler, ACP M- 118, ShedA-Leaf
DoD Involvement: Yes

Location: Las Mesas and La Jagua, Mayaguez, Joyuda at Cabo Rojo, and Guanica Insular Forest at Guanica, Puerto Rico
Dates: 9/1956-12/1956
Project Description: 16 compounds with defoliating properties were evaluated using 28 different tropical woody plants, each representing a separate genus. The chemicals were applied to duplicate small branches with a microsprayer and to single larger branches or whole trees with a 2-gallon knapsack sprayer.
Agents: 6-Ca-4,Liojn Oil,2,4,5-T, B-1613, B-1638, Ammate, V-C1-186, endothal, shed-a-leaf, M-118, Y-F,esteron 2,4-D,F3,F4,F5,F6
DoD Involvement: Yes

Location: Las Mesas and La Jagua, Mayaguez, Guanica Beach, Puerto Rico
Dates: 1/1957 - 3/1957
Project Description: 7 compounds were evaluated on 29 different woody plants to determine their effectiveness as defoliants, desiccants, and as killing agents. They were applied with a microsprayer to the upper leaf surfaces of duplicate small branches.
Agents: V-C 3-105, V-C 1-21, V-C 1-443, F-7, TBP, Phillips 713, V-C 3-173
DoD Involvement: Yes

Location: Las Mesas and La Jagua, Mayaguez, Guanica Beach, Puerto Rico
Dates: 4/1957 - 6/1957
Project Description: 7 compounds were sprayed on 25 different plants in order to evaluate their effectiveness as defoliants, desiccants, and killing agents. The compounds were applied with a microsprayer to the upper and lower leaf surfaces of duplicate small branches.
Agents: B-1676, B-1638, NP 1098, SD 1369, Ammate, Shed-a-leaf
DoD Involvement: Yes

Location: Las Mesas and La Jagua, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
Dates: 7/1957 - 12/1957
Project Description: 8 different spray formulations were applied to 16 different tropical trees and shrubs in order to evaluate their effectiveness as defoliants, desiccants, and killing agents.
Agents: MgClO3, Golden Harvest Defoliant, Dow-M562, F-8, F9, F-10, F-11, F-12
DoD Involvement: Yes

Location: Loquillo, Puerto Rico
Dates: 4/1966, 10/1966
Project Description: Field tests of defoliants were designed to evaluate such variables as rates, volume of application, season, and vegetation. Data from aerial application tests at several CONUS and OCONUS locations are provided in tables.
Agents: Orange
DoD Involvement: Yes

Location: Las Marias, Puerto Rico
Dates: 2/1967 - 12/1967
Project Description: During the period of 12/1966 - 10/1967, a comprehensive short-term evaluation was conducted by personnel from Fort Detrick's Plant Science Lab in coordination with contract research on formulations by chemical industry and field tests by USDA and U of HI.
Agents: Various, including Orange
DoD Involvement: Yes

Location: Near Rio Grande, on the northeast coast of Puerto Rico

Dates: 8/23/1967, 10/18/1967, 12/21/1967-12/26/1967
Project Description: In 1967, the Dow Chemical Company was awarded a DoD research contract. The objective was to prepare as pellets mixtures of various herbicides and to test them on varying vegetation situations for the control of a range of plant species.
Agents: Picloram, bromacil, pyriclor, and terbacil
DoD Involvement: Undetermined

Location: Las Mesas Cerros, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
Dates: 5/24/1968, 5/26/1968, 5/27/1968
Project Description: In 1967, the Dow Chemical Company was awarded a DoD research contract. The objective was to prepare as pellets mixtures of various herbicides and to test them on varying vegetation situations for the control of a range of plant species.
Agents: Picloram, bromacil, pyriclor
DoD Involvement: Undetermined

- See more at: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/locations/tests-storage/outside-vietnam.asp#sthash.lgEsWlve.dpuf

F**KLANDIA: A Title As Creative and Edgy As Portlandia

Portlandia is at six seasons and has about two more to go. All of them have been damaging to Portland residents. Specifically, queers, transfolk, low-income residents and people of color. One establishment that may be getting hit hard is In Other Words Feminist Bookstore. If you watch the show you may recognize IOW as the set for Women and Women First. Carrie and Fred play as Toni and Candace, the two staff members of the feminist bookstore. Fred and Carrie perform a minstrel show of feminism and seems to be a mockery of transfolk or gender nonconforming people. Not only is it a misrepresentation of feminism and feminist but it could be damaging.

Now with that said, let me get less academic and more practical.

It is fun to be funny, more so when you make others laugh and they throw money at you to tell more jokes. When you find a funny joke and tell it to an audience you know well and get positive feedback, it is difficult to stop and see if the joke you are making is ok. Even if the joke is about your own experience and your own pain, it can potentially be harmful to others that have had similar experiences. The reason is, that when you make jokes at your own expense you give others permission to laugh about it. That is not always a bad thing but can be problematic when the permission is given to people that do not really understand or can empathize with your experience. In short, all because everyone in the room is laughing and ordering another season from you does not make what you do right.

Some are under the impression that a non-profit such as In Other Words Bookstore and Community Center can benefit financially from exposure from a popular show like Portlandia. If you are familiar with tourism or have worked in the industry you know that tourist does not really bring money to a community and its businesses as a whole. Many people that visit In Other Words on 14th NE Killingsworth, just come in to take pictures of not just the shop but the staff and patrons. They probably do not even spend money at the neighboring businesses. In Other Words, Bookstore is not a zoo, museum or a peculiarium. Nor is it a place where you will get mistreated or be unwelcome for being a cis man. If anything, you will more likely be treated better because the clerks have less tolerance for assholes than any dive bar.

In Other Words is much more than a bookstore. They provide a space for creative, educational and therapeutic events and activities for all for the community. It only struggles because they work to have as many free or affordable services as possible like their library and their books for prisoners program. They are open most of the day every day but Monday. Walk in and feed your mind instead of sitting at home watching mediocre comedy for mediocre people, by mediocre producers.

If you want to see how the Producers of Portlandia try and help Portlandia check out these fun tweets they posted during the super bowl.

You get the point. Help, don't help me.

The show has functioned as an internal tourism program to attract people to move to the city and "normalize" it. Everyone wants the low rent and healthy environment but no one wants the customs of the locals. You could call internal colonialism. Come in and, convert the locals, while also emulating their culture as they are driven out. On the other hand, Portlandia is helping Oregon achieve its old vision since it was made a member of the  United States, as white European homeland or the lebensraum. Hey, that would be a rad episode. Fred and Carrie can play Hammerskins at a local, Whole Foods-like grocery store. 

In Other Words, let me know if I have said something shitty or problematic. I do not want to be like Portlandia and its Producers. I will gladly delete the whole thing.

What I really think about In Other Words Feminist Community Center

In Other Words Feminist Community Center is a space that can feed the mind of the lost and wandering soul. It is a place that can provide the affirmation that , "No, they are not crazy, the world is sick." "Yes, their anger is a rational response and they do not need to smile more." and " Yes, there is something they can do about it." From the front of the house to the back closet, from the register to the bathroom, there are messages of hope optimism and determination to free all people. Every sex, gender, skin, face and language is welcomed in that place. A show like Portlandia does not capture any of that. In fact it hides the truth. In a capitalist society truth is not given freely. Thank you to everyone that helps at IOW. Your work is revolutionary because it supports revolutionary people.