Showing posts with label fish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fish. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Let It Snow


New York City, March 2, 2009, 20 degree weather with single digit wind chills and a foot of snow. March 7, 2009, near 70 degree weather. Something ain’t right. I love spring and summer-like weather in the spring and summer. But if folks don’t think global warming is for real, they really need to open their eyes. Humans can be quite a selfish species. And because of that we alter the environment to suit us instead of respecting Mother Nature. 


During the storm on March 2, I took a trip to the park. At one point, those wicked winds picked up, snow started blowing and caused snow blindness. In all that howling wind, there was an eerie silence. There is something so resolute and absolute about nature; a power that we need to respect. Ducks fly south for the winter because it’s too cold. The largest mammal on this planet, the Blue Whale, travels to warmer waters in the winter. Bears (the most famous of the hibernators) just say, “Fuck it, it’s too cold. I’ll see you in the spring.” Animals adapt to their environment. They don’t rip it up and spit it out. The unnatural presence of humans in certain environments has grave effects on ecosystems. We sterilize deer so Bambi won’t go bounding throw backyards that we took from them. Dogs are emasculated and turned into bed-sleeping, sweater-wearing, look-at-me-I’m-in-a-handbag, gourmet-food-eating bitches. Fish are gnawing at transoceanic cables because they’re mistaken for food. I want my children to know what a polar bear or a tiger is and not just from photos. I don’t want my melanin-rich children to add to the increasing numbers of skin cancer cases due to the massive hole in the ozone layer that keeps gaping like a….. (I’ll stop there)


Global warming doesn’t just mean we’ll sizzle to death. Global warming means more hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis or wildfires. Remember El NiƱo? Mild winters may be arctic winters or 50 degree summers. Sea levels will continue to rise and obliterate coastal cities. We won’t need another Katrina to flood New Orleans. Steps are being made to go green and we all, as a race, species, family, genus, whatever word you wanna use, need to be smarter and more conscientious in how we treat the earth. Or don’t we care? Is this why there’s been a sudden interest in searching for other “earths” in other galaxies? I’m not ready to move.


Monday, February 23, 2009

Damn Black People


I find humor in 
SOME stereotypes. So, I’m walking around Greenwich Village on this very bright, brisk day, Afro blowing in the wind and had a hankering for some fish (I’m known to get cravings that sometimes turn into month-long binges). I end up in Little Britain at A Salt and Battery. I order Fish and Chips and the guy working on this particular day asked if I wanted any particular condiments. He said he had already put the tartar sauce in the bag. And I knew I didn’t have to ask for the vinegar, so I said no and took a seat to wait for my order. Not long after he called me when my cod and chips were fried to a crisp. 

“Here you go, love. Where are you?” he asked in his hackney accent. 

I hopped off my stool and went to the counter. Then he asked again if I wanted any condiments. He probably forgot he asked me already. I shook my head 
‘no’. Then he asked if I wanted any hot sauce. Again, I said no and left the shop. I thought that was strange. I’m walking down the block and wondering, “Who the hell puts hot sauce on fish and chips?”

Black people.

I smiled. I couldn’t even get mad at him. As I’m approaching the subway entrance, I see a woman who is confused, getting directions from a man who is confused. People often ask me for navigation tips when I’m walking around so I prepped myself. Next to that man and woman, there was a homeless guy (one of those got-better-clothes-than-you-on homeless guys) sitting there shaking his cup at me. I shook my head at him and turned back to the couple trying to figure which way they should go.

“What you worried ‘bout her for? I’m the one that needs help!”

My man begging for money and gonna get rude! Maybe the cold and hunger made him irritable, but I’m supposed to go in 
my pocket to help him after he’s being demanding and belligerent? 

Yup, he was Black.

I should’ve reached in my bag and started eating my fish and chips right in front of him.

Again, 
Black People.



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