The Blog

This is neat. And strange. I like.

“I am Sikh. Sikhs are not part of the Muslim and Hindu (sic),” reads a flyer taped over a Newport cigarettes poster, taped to a Montclair, NJ gas station attendant’s hut.

It continues, “My Turban is not a hat, not a mere piece of cloth. I will die, but not cut my hairs…”

My roommate and I stopped for gas about a week ago and spotted the flyer. Naturally, I wanted to know why he’d decided to post the flyer. And as a journalist, I needed to ask him about it. Instead, I snuck a picture of it.

That week, the media had been reporting ad nauseum on the protests against the downtown Islamic center in New York City. I can only assume it was somehow related to that, given NYC is only 20 minutes away.

The questions I’d ask him now:

- Is this a coordinated effort within the Sikh community, to distinguish or distance itself from the Muslim faith and community?

- Did something happen recently to make posting this flyer necessary?

- Do you feel persecuted or disrespected by people who patronize your gas station(s) and assume that you are Muslim?

- Has the sign helped at all?

“It’s his way of saying, don’t bother me. I’m not the threat that you think I am,” as my roommate Jonathan put it. “He’s discriminating in his own way by (implying), ‘They’re dangerous, and I’m not.’ ”

I’m not sure I agree with Jonathan completely on that. I don’t think the flyer is meant to disparage Muslims or anyone else.

Whatever the case, it’s a sad state of affairs if my assumptions are right. And there’s a possibility that I’m really late on this and that Sikhs have ben posting signs like this for years.

Click here to see a larger image of the flyer.

My dad is a karate nut. During his brief stint in the army, so he tells me, he earned a second degree black belt. Growing up, my dad taught us (my sisters and I) some basics. (Couldn’t remember any of it today if I tried.) We loved spending time with dad, even if it meant dressing up in ninja costumes and practicing martial arts at Oakland’s Mills College. (I’m not exaggerating.)

That time with him created lasting memories. Fond memories. That time was reinforced by a variety of kung fu films my dad collected. I’ve never stopped loving those films. My favorite: The Eighteen Jade Arhats. Released in 1979. I’ve posted a clip below.

Spike Lee threw a free party in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park for Michael Jackson’s 52nd birthday last weekend. It was hot out there. We sat mostly in the shade during our stay. It picked up at the end. Rappers Snoop Dogg and Warren G performed — a big surprise for Jessica and I, two West Coast to East Coast transplants.

We got these cool signs. And I had my holgaroid camera with me. Also, enjoy a clip of Snoop’s quick performance. He rapped over the beat of Michael’s Butterflies.

My college friend Siaira happened to be in Brooklyn for a couple weeks this summer. Hadn’t seen her in such a long time I had to make sure we linked up. She’s a singer from the Bay Area, in case you’ve never heard of her. I’ve posted a clip from her EP, The In Between. Take a listen below. Also, check her out here.

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Good seeing you, Siaira.

Although the summer isn’t quite over, I’ve had a blast so far. Last weekend I partied on a friend’s rooftop. She has some of the most amazing views on BK and the City. And the colors in the sky that evening were awe inspiring. That makes sense, of course, because my friend Amanda is a color guru. Check her blog out.

More fun to be had…

Someone is growing up. My favorite little person on the planet. Time flies.

I attended Celebrate Brooklyn a couple of Saturdays ago. The Roots headlined that day. I’d seen them before, but they reminded me why they are one of the best live acts around today. True to hip hop, pure musicianship, and instrumentation.

I’m hoping to attend more shows before the weather changes and all the free programming is done for the summer.

So far…I’m set for:

Lalah Hathaway on Aug. 18.

While my mom and sister were in town, we saw Fela the Musical on Broadway. While I haven’t seen more than four plays on Broadway, this was by far the best production I’ve seen. The energy level was sky high.

Take a look at the show’s opening number:

In the video below, my favorite number from the show: