From Bugs Bunny to Pac Man (Rock The Bells 08)

Rock the bells was hot, real hot. I feel like if I was alone in that heat I would have been seeing the wavy mirages Bugs Bunny experiences whenever he’s in the desert. I would have been drinking sand milk shakes from imaginary diner stools like the classic cartoon caricature did in his day (shout out to Daffy). My main issue with the day was my trouble with the yellow shirted event staff at the venue. I would try to get back stage with my press pass and they would say “you can’t go this way.” I would say there is no other way to go! They would say, “ Well, grow wings kid.” If you don’t know let me tell you, its really hard to convince someone you’re a reporter and belong some place when you look like a punk kid in a fitted cap and tight jeans, so good old ingenuity and dumb luck comes in handy. I met a nice young lady who worked for Rock The Vote a couple years back that now works for Rock the Bells that really stuck her neck out for me to get this little purple bracelet that allowed me to get past all the mean people in yellow shirts just like Pac Man does with the ghosts on his way to the tasty digital bananas and cherries (Yessssss). In my case the tasty bananas came in the form comfy couches, an open bar, and tiny white castle-like burgers behind the main stage.

Though none of the artists would give me the time of day when I asked for interviews, they were happy to pose for pictures- after putting down their bottles of Patron of course.

Many artists had something to say in their set about politics from Tyga remixing Lil Wayne’s “A milli” with a song called “Obama” to Dead Prez talking between songs about how people shouldn’t be so quick to jump behind any candidate.

I have to say the press bigwigs with their huge camera and kaki shorts were a bit frustrating to deal with; they got all the interviews and ate most of the tiny burgers (Lame).

But despite the yellow shirts, the lack of interviews, and the impolite press people I still got to see an amazing hip hop show! And you will hear no complaints from this small fish.

DonnY-

Washington State Primary Energizes Young People

Do Something Award honors Teen

Last week during the Teen Choice Awards, DoSomething.Org honored a young community activist (under the age of 25) that aims to change the world. The winner received $100,000 to continue the community project started prior to the award. Finalists were posted on the Teen Choice website and fans voted for their favorite.

"One amazing young person is going to be recognized for their philanthropic efforts and impact on their community and get the rock star treatment they deserve at the show," said Bob Bain, Executive Producer of TEEN CHOICE 2008.

Do Something is a non-partisan non-profit that believes teens have the power to make a difference. They leverage communications technologies to enable teens to convert their ideas and energy into positive action. Their site says "We inspire, empower and celebrate a generation of doers."

"We think young people aren’t just tomorrow’s leaders; many young people are doing amazing things right now," said Nancy Lublin, CEO of Do Something, Inc.

And the Winner is.....


The winner this year winner was 19 year old Chad Bullock who has become the leading youth anti-tobacco activist…and he lives right in the middle of tobacco country. He works with politicians, companies, not for profits and other teens. One of his biggest successes was making the Durham Bulls Arena a smoke-free arena.

This is a unique way for an organization as well as a nationally televised event to convey to young people the impact they can have on the world around them. Young people already volunteer in their communities in encouraging numbers according to CIRCLE.

"44% believe that "people working together" can make a great deal of difference in solving local problems" and "45% believe they can make some difference" by volunteering in their community.

Honoring them and encouraging others to also get involved can continue the civic engagement we now see from the Millennial Generation.

A New Spin On Vandalism

National Night Out: America’s Night Out Against Crime (NNO) reenergized the nation again for the 25th year on August 5, 2008. This community-centered event was initially developed by Matt A. Peskin, the Executive Director of the National Association of Town Watch (NATW). In 1984, (just months after my birth) Peskin launched NNO in Northfield, New Jersey- a small, predominately white community of just over 7,000 people. NNO was a creative way to address crime prevention and bring attention to programs as well as create unity among law enforcement and the community they serve. The first year's nationwide efforts brought out more than 2.5 million people into their streets.

What better way to check what’s going on in the streets of your hood than taking a stroll and hangin’ out for the night? Nothing unusual for us young folks, right? But what about your neighbor? Do you know who they are? Do you know what issues they care about on the block? Do you know if your neighbor is registered to vote? If you answered yes, then you are 10 steps ahead of the game. Unfortunately, most people do not know who their neighbors are, or interact with them much. In this time of technology, we spend a lot of time behind our computers (I mean c’mon now, face it. You’re at a computer right now reading this). We poke our neighbors on Facebook, and leave Myspace “Have a Great Weekend” glitter graphics on pages, but do we really care about our neighbor’s weekend? Do we really value real human interaction?

After a little thought, I decided to leave my last Myspace comment and close up shop, hitting the streets of the Twin Cities, Minnesota!!

I couldn’t quite shake the tech habit yet, so I sent a text message (from my Samsung Blackjack provided by our fabulous sponsors, AT&T) to a couple of my friends who might have heard about some NNO festivities. A few responses flowed in about a small block BBQ, rumors of ice cream and a few community center events. I quickly Googled “National Night Out 2008- St. Paul” and came across a gigantic list of block parties, public gatherings, ice cream socials, and cookouts all categorized by neighborhood. I decided to first peep out what was going on over on the West Side.

Nestled in the Mississippi riverbank in St. Paul by my favorite taco place, Boca Chica, was the Neighborhood House’s First Annual NNO. I don’t recall it being on the list. Actually, what drew me there was the spoken word vibes of Ill Chemistry (Carnage and Desdamona) over the loud speaker, and the hustle and bustle of the basketball tournament in the street. “Hustle the struggle, don’t let the struggle hustle you” was declared on the microphone. Young people rested on the sidelines, bounced in the hoper, and got ready for their dance performances. Even though it was the community center’s first NNO, the grassy field and nearby streets were stirring with change - real action taking place toward solidifying black-white-brown unity.

For many years, the District del Sol has been a growing, predominantly Latino community on St. Paul’s West Side. Patterns across the nation show that inner-city neighborhoods are becoming more and more integrated and diverse. Hmong, African American, Caucasian, Somali, Native American and Latinos gathered together in peace- not thinking twice about the cultural gaps they were bridging, the stereotypes they were dispelling, and unity across racial lines they were solidifying.

Enrique “Cha-cho” Estrada, the Community & Youth Advocate and National Night Out organizer for the West Side’s Neighborhood House stated, “There has been a lot of tension in the neighborhoods with the different races and the whole goal today is to bring everyone from the community together.”

Different from the initial intention of the first National Night Out in 1984, the Neighborhood House on the West Side found it’s own exclusive meaning: By simply hanging out for the evening, racial, economic, religious, and gender barriers were being shattered- this being the type of vandalism I can stand behind 100%. Forged upon these breakthroughs, a solid foundation built in trust and unity will be home to the next generation of revolutionaries.

Click HERE for more pictures from my adventures on the West Side!!!

Barack the Vote or Campaign for McCain?

It’s official! Rock the Vote is teaming up with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) to launch "Battle of the Vote." It’s the largest campaign of its kind to register 2 million young adult voters.

"Battle of the Vote" is history in the making. It’s an innovative promotion tool that allows HBCU’s to compete to register over 8000 students and young citizens to vote.

This drive specifically targets Black Americans who make up 36.7 percent of the voting population. Rock the Vote wants to increase that number as well as motivate and encourage current voters to continue to strive for political change.

Don’t sleep on this opportunity. Rock the Vote has been in contact with Black American media and organizations; Sister2Sister magazine, The Source Magazine, Black Entertainment Television (BET) and other media outlets to ensure that this drive is a guaranteed success.
If you and your school isn't down for the cause yet, then you better get on it ‘cause we're taking over one youth at a time. This is our year. This is the young person’s year. If you wanna be heard join forces and demand to be heard.

Barack the vote or campaign for McCain. Which ever you choose, make it happen on your campus. For more information on "Battle of Vote" contact the Rock the Vote office.

Some Still Want her Back!

After the 2000 presidential elections many Al Gore supporters were left feeling as if their votes really didn't count in the end. Fast forward a few years to the 2008 primaries where Hilary Rodham Clinton won the popular votes in more than 10 states- or 12 if Michigan and Florida actually counted- and you can see that some parts of the country are getting that disappointed feeling all over again.

I knew that I didn't count in the 2000 election only because I had not voted. I thought, " Well, I bet when my generation gets to vote we will all make a difference. " I still feel confident that my generation can make a difference because there are things that I myself have done that will impact the outcome of my future here in America. Yet, some of my community members remain apathetic. They feel strongly that Hilary should have been the Democratic nominee. I have even seen bumper stickers on cars that read "Re- Elect Hilary."

I am from California. We have a celebrity governor and we have homes that are way too small and too expensive. We have the biggest population of illegal immigrants and gas goes up and down like a ferris wheel. But most of us here in Cali don't seem to mind that most things around us don't seem right. For me, most things still feel the same as they did after the 2000 elections. I was only 11 then but I can remember feeling that the elections were not fair because eventhough the majority of Americans wanted Al to be president he wouldn't be the one to sit in office.

This year's elections are going to give us a surprise no matter what. I believe in equality for all and the right to have our voices be heard. I know that not everyone is going to be happy with the outcome on Novemeber 4th, but the fact that we gave it a shot will make all the difference. Ultimately, "we , the people of the United States" are who make this country what it is.

Party Like a Rock Star

It all began when John McCain's campaign released a television add attempting to tie his opponent Barack Obama's campaign enthusiasm to celebrities like Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears -- who don't entertain strong approval ratings by the public. The Today Show did a quick piece about the attacks where they asked the McCain campaign if these were supposed to label Obama as "frivolous and irresponsible" to which the McCain campaign responded, "Yes!"

The Obama campaign responded with an add of its own according to the Today Show clip, and the debate could have stopped there, but it didn't.

Progressive Accountability, a project of Media Matters and the Center for American Progress Action Fund released the McCain/Brittany ad which features the two agreeing on foreign policy.

If that isn't enough, last week Paris Hilton responded with her own video. Hilton evidently understood the tone the McCain campaign was going for and found the assumption that she was "frivolous and irresponsible" insulting. Her ad features an honest and intelligent presentation of her own energy policy coupled with humorous commentary about her own hotness.

Rachel Maddow on MSNBC's Road to the White House believes this is part of the media's interest in covering Obama's "exotic" or "celebrity" but neglects McCain's own "celebrity" characteristics.

In an op-ed in the LA Times Neal Gabler responds to the whole ordeal by saying Obama's celebrity stems not from a kind of rock star hysteria, but rather from an honest emotional connection that voters have with the candidate.

"It is insulting because it suggests that their devotees' effusions are just a visceral reaction -- the political equivalent of puppy love. And it is imprecise because Obama is -- and Bobby [Kennedy] was -- more movie star than rock star, which is an analogy with a difference. Rock stars, with some glaring exceptions, typically whip up the crowd; the thrill tends to be short-lived. Movie stars, by contrast, tend to create a long-standing emotional identification with their audience. It's a difference that may have a bearing on the outcome of this election as voters weigh the advantages of being a movie star against its disadvantages. Movie stardom can be confused with mere celebrity, which has connotations of insubstantiality."

He goes on to say that today all campaigns are like movies. I would add that with reality TV shows flooding the airwaves, that actual reality can seem a lot like something viewers could see in prime-time. Making presidential campaigns a lot like the American Idol of Politics and elevating the candidate to someone that we don't just want to vote for but we want to be a fan of as well.

This is a fun interactive blog today - so I ask you, friendly reader, regardless of your candidate of choice, do you want to also be a fan?