ryanlinstrom.blog

omfgco: Same goes to all you swingers.

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:04:23 -0500

omfgco:

Same goes to all you swingers.

barackobama: Right around this time four years ago. Let’s do...

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:04:02 -0500

barackobama:

Right around this time four years ago. Let’s do this again.

Photo

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 14:37:50 -0400

"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody..."

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 19:24:18 -0400

“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.”

- E.E. Cummings (via youngfolksociety)

My Christmas Wish List

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:17:33 -0500

Dear Friends and Family,

Six years ago around this time, I had my first experience celebrating Ramadan in Cairo, Egypt. A few weeks later, in Jerusalem, I took part in my first Shabbat.

For those who don’t know, Ramadan is the name of the holy month on the Islamic calendar which is dedicated to fasting, prayer, and spiritual renewal. Shabbat is the name of the seventh day of the Jewish week, and a sacred opportunity to refrain from work in order to reflect on life and spend time with loved ones.

Until I studied abroad in the Middle East during the Fall of 2005, I was uninitiated with both traditions. But I quickly realized that it didn’t really matter.

Let me explain.

During the daylight hours of Ramadan, Muslims around the world refrain from eating and drinking as a sign of reverence to God. Once the sun goes down, however, Ramadan is all about celebration. In downtown Cairo, for example, tables line the streets for miles as people share their food and drink with anyone who will join them. For me, there was something very powerful about that image - Everyone just as hungry as the person next to them, sharing whatever they have in an act of thankfulness. Common humanity at its best.

Shabbat was no less powerful. For my first Shabbat meal our group was privileged to join a Rabbi we had just met, and his family, at his home. We weren’t the only strangers he invited to share a meal with him. When we arrived at his home, we could barely walk through the door it was so crowded. Tables filled his living area, kitchen, hallway, and continued out the door. Whenever someone got up from our table 5 others had to get up as well, to let them pass. The Rabbi and his family served us their food and then led us in their family rituals: the reading of scriptures, the singing of traditional Jewish songs (and the subsequent dancing), and the breaking of bread.

On their own, each experience was a strange, new, cultural / religious custom that I didn’t fully understand. But together they were enlightening on a single point: At our core, we share much more in common than in division.

As I sat at that table in the Rabbi’s house, I thought back to that Ramadan table in the Cairo street, and then I thought back to my family’s own Thanksgiving table; a table which saw its fair share of strangers, and I realized why a stranger’s house on the other side of the world still felt like home.

We all eat, and we all breathe. We sing and we dance - and every once and a while, we rely on the kindness of strangers. We’re human, all of us.

And while that very important point may get muddled in the news stories and the political debates, while it might get lost completely in the dogmatic discussions of theologies and philosophies, that common spark of humanity lives on in each of us, and burns brighter when we share a meal, a conversation, or an act of kindness.

So, in an effort to stoke the common fires of humanity, this year, my family will be happy to hear, I’m actually writing a Christmas wish list. Here it goes - short, but sweet:

#1. Share a meal with someone different from you. I’m not talking about volunteering at a soup kitchen, I’m talking about eating at one. I’m asking you to visit a local mosque, temple, or church, and bring lunch. Go to listen. Just to find something in common. I guarantee you it won’t be too difficult over a meal.

#2. If you have still some Christmas cheer and charity left in you, take a second and donate that money you were going to spend on a reindeer sweater to a new project that I’m involved in. It’s a video series called ReView Religion, and it’s all about breaking down stereotypes and pre-conceived ideas of people from different faith traditions. You’ve read my inspiration above, and over the next few months, if you’re interested, I’ll be sending out some more updates and info about the project. If you can’t donate, please at least leave us a comment on Facebook and let us know what you think about the project. We’re in the infancy stages here, and would love to hear your thoughts and stories.

Thanks everyone, and Happy Holidays.

Human Trafficking Awareness Week

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:02:00 -0400

A shout out to my friends over at the Human Trafficking Clinic who are in the midst of their second annual Human Trafficking Awareness Week. The concert was last night, but if you’re in Denver you can still catch the Art Auction tonight and the Film Night next week. More info here.

type-blog: Keep Calm and Drink Beer

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:05:50 -0500

type-blog:

Keep Calm

and

Drink Beer

I can’t believe this is real. I freaking love Denver.

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:22:53 -0500

I can’t believe this is real. I freaking love Denver.

weandthecolor: SURLY BENDER An experimental poster for Typcut...

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 21:50:35 -0500

weandthecolor:

SURLY BENDER

An experimental poster for Typcut by norik.

More amazing poster design inspiration.

__
posted by weandthecolor//facebook//twitter

I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this. But seriously. I...

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:21:18 -0500

I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this. But seriously. I need a job.

Tonight’s creation - A graphic representation of our...

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 23:10:00 -0500

Tonight’s creation - A graphic representation of our retirement plan. (Assuming we pay off the student loans, of course.)

Today’s creation - inspired by Radiohead’s latest...

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 20:40:00 -0500

Today’s creation - inspired by Radiohead’s latest album. Check it.

Photo

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 13:34:00 -0500

Photo

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 23:32:37 -0500

Tear gas used against protesters in Egypt are US-made. Not...

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:54:42 -0500

Tear gas used against protesters in Egypt are US-made. Not exactly our shining example of exported democracy.

On the Rise and Fall of Dictators (and the Governments That Support Them)

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:37:00 -0500

Tunisia. Palestine. Egypt. Us Middle-East-news-junkies have had quite a bit on our plate the past few weeks. I was slightly embarrassed when I checked my Twitter account yesterday evening and saw the excessive amount of retweets I had posted throughout the day:

I just can’t help myself.

I’ve been on emotional roller coaster - one moment so proud of those Egyptians I know that are standing up against a deeply entrenched system of corruption, and the next moment worried about the amount of violence that has to occur before the world takes notice. On one side, I’m happy that the truth is out about the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, and on the other, worried that peace will never rise again.

A couple thoughts that I just have to put out there:

#1. These are people’s movements.

——————————————————————————

The Tunisian riots started after an unemployed young man set himself ablaze in complete desperation. The Egyptian riots were not organized by political parties, or even attended by Mubarak’s opposition, the Muslim Brotherhood and the Wafd parties. In fact, the majority of the credit for these riots have been given to the Facebook page “We are all Khaled Said”, and initial reports suggest that this is an unexpected groundswell response born out of years of frustration, anger, and of course, desperate unemployment - a plague that has been growing for years. What is important is that unlike the forced regime changes in Iraq and Afghanistan, these events are starting at the ground level, and, in my opinion are more apt to bloom into some form of true democratic movement. Now let’s check out the other side of that coin.

#2. Change is never easy.

——————————————————————————

And it won’t be squeaky clean. Tunisia now has the difficult job of putting together a new government that speaks for the people and doesn’t allow extremist or corrupt elements to sneak in. Palestinians have to decide where to go from here. Do they follow their Tunisian and Egyptian counterparts and revolt against their own leadership? If so, what does that mean for their future? No doubt Israel will use any disturbance as an excuse to crackdown on Palestinians. And Egypt. Egypt, like Palestine has the misfortune of protesting a government that is funded, supported, and heavily armed by the US. As one article states, “…if the army ever decides to shoot into a crowd of unarmed protestors, it will be shooting with hardware provided by the United States.”

Which brings me to a third point.

#3. The US is selective about their “Democracy”

——————————————————————

Mention of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the Egypt riots were noticeably missing from last night’s State of the Union address, despite Obama’s overt mention of the Tunisian revolution. I tend to agree with the author of the article I already mentioned when it comes to the reasons why those mentions were missing. The sad truth is also a well-known cliche’: “The evil we can’t see is worse than the evil we can.” The US would much rather have stability in the form of a dictator than instability in the form of “freedom”. Hillary Clinton even mentioned the word “stable” in her initial response when she said, “Mubarak’s government appears stable and is looking for ways to respond to the needs of Egyptians “. Yet, nearly half of Egypt’s population lives under the poverty line, according to the UN. In this case, then, when Clinton says “stable”, what she really means is “subdued”. But don’t take my word for it: the U.S. position seemed to abruptly change today as the protests (and the chaos) continued. Today Clinton urged Mubarak to implement reforms for the Egyptian people. Translation: The US knows Mubarak’s presidential palace is just a stone’s throw from US interests, and Egyptians are warming up their throwing arms.

So what does it all mean?

——————————————————————————

These people-centered movements in the Middle East are important for the same reason they are chilling for the US government - The US is not in control. We’ve seen what US-backed “regime-change” has led to: more death. more destruction, and more anger focused towards our nation. The question “Why do they hate us?” has been making its rounds over the past decade. The nebulous answer is “Because we’re free”. I think you already know I disagree. A better answer would be, because we support despots like Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia and Mubarak in Egypt, and while we pay lip service to “Democracy” we set up our own puppet governments in Democracy’s place.

Obama’s short foray into foreign policy last night during his State of the Union Speech produced at least one beautiful line (Ok, two if you’re counting the punctuation). He said,

“And we saw that same desire to be free in Tunisia, where the will of the people proved more powerful than the writ of a dictator. And tonight, let us be clear: The United States of America stands with the people of Tunisia, and supports the democratic aspirations of all people.”

If I could challenge Obama at this moment, I’d say “Prove it”. The Middle East needs people-centered freedom movements. Not just in Tunisia, where the US’ stakes were small, but throughout the region. In this blog post alone I’ve put forth at least three examples of people standing on Democracy’s doorstep, and all the while the US is helping the dictators barricade their doors. I love the subtitle on the Atlantic article, because it subtly offers the same challenge I’d offer. It says: “Could the U.S. find itself on the wrong side of history?” Considering our own history. I sure as hell hope not.

Love it. sarahstrnad: This pretty much says it all.

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 21:35:44 -0500

Love it.

sarahstrnad:

This pretty much says it all.

What the “Palestine Papers” mean for the U.S.

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 22:21:00 -0500

Originally posted at: Aware!

The “Palestine Papers”, the name given to the thousands of pages of confidential documents, which have been leaked by Al Jazeera and The Guardian, will no doubt be a source of humiliation for the Palestinian Government in the coming weeks (The PA have already called the documents “fabricated”). The Fatah-led and US-backed leadership in the West Bank of the Palestinian territory has long been lacking credibility with the Palestinian people. Mahmoud Abbas and his staff are frequently labeled “collaborators” and are consistently seen as pawns of the U.S and Israel. Now these leaked documents confirm, in black-and-white, the complaints Palestinians have been leveling at their leaders for years.

The documents reveal unprecedented compromises on the part of the Palestinian leadership during peace negotiations. Palestinian negotiators are documented offering Israel large portions of Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, relinquishing the right of return for Palestinian refugees, and proposing “creative” possibilities to concede sovereignty of the Ha ram-Al-Sherif, location of Islam’s third holiest site, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, to a third-party. In each issue the Palestinian leadership makes compromises that go far beyond the desires of the Palestinian public.

Ali Abuminah, of the Electronic Intifada, puts it succinctly in an Al Jazeera panel discussion on the Papers, when he says that the Palestinian Leadership have “…lost their mandate”, and calls for an end to “secret dealings behind the Palestinian’s backs.” It’s clear that these documents could be a flash point for the brewing discontent with the Palestinian leadership, especially regarding the negotiating process.

And yet while I read through each of these documents, it’s all I can do not to scream in frustration at my own country’s involvement in what is clearly now a “failed” peace process. The American presence in the negotiations is dismissive, arrogant, and seemingly unconcerned with the desires of the Palestinian public.

In one Guardian article regarding these documents, the author outlines the desperate attempts of the Palestinian leadership to gain ground on peace negotiations against a stone-walled US-Israel alliance. Even with excessive concessions on the part of the Palestine leadership, the US and Israel rejected their proposals as “inadequate”. The result is a worn-down and pathetic vision of a heavily imbalanced negotiation table:

“In an emotional – and apparently humiliating – outburst to Barack Obama’s Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, in Washington in October 2009, the senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat complained that the Ramallah-based Palestinian leadership wasn’t even being offered a “figleaf”. He said: “Nineteen years of promises and you haven’t made up your minds what you want to do with us … We delivered on our road map obligations. Even Yuval Diskin [director of Israel’s internal security service, Shabak] raises his hat on security. But no, they can’t even give a six-month freeze to give me a figleaf.” All the US government was interested in, Erekat went on, was “PR, quick news, and we’re cost free”, ending up with the appeal: “What good am I if I’m the joke of my wife, if I’m so weak?’”

Another infuriating example from the same article: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in a conversation regarding compensation for Palestinian refugees who were forced from their homes in 1948 when Israel became a state said to the Palestinian leaders, “Bad things happen to people all around the world all the time.”

These are not the words and actions of a neutral third-party. While these documents have obviously de-legitimatized the current Palestinian government in any future negotiations, it has also de-legitimatized the American government and their approach to “peace”. Peace negotiations cannot be brokered by a state with a “special relationship” to the State of Israel. Peace negotiations cannot be brokered by a state whose rhetoric has, let’s face it, become increasingly hateful towards Muslims and Arabs over the past 10 years. And peace negotiations can surely not be brokered by a state which provides millions of dollars each year to the State of Israel for the purpose of increased militarization.

It’s time to face the music and realize that the U.S. Government is not actively seeking a just and peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These papers provide definitive proof that the Palestinian leadership have been willing to make extreme concessions to move towards the very same “Two-State Solution” our government claims to support, and we rejected those concessions outright. After nearly 40 years of negotiating for that ever-elusive “peace”, maybe it’s time we found a new approach.

Or a new negotiator.

Sarah Strnad: The Z Word

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 10:58:22 -0500

Sarah Strnad: The Z Word:

sarahstrnad:

As an American Jew with left leaning politics, what am I to make of Israel? I believe in human rights, equality, democracy and social justice and can see very clearly that Israel is falling far short of upholding those values. Do I check my values at the door and support Israel no matter…

Sarah Strnad: Trying to Move a Mountain: NOLAGA Demonstrators Tactics and Message

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 15:09:29 -0500

Sarah Strnad: Trying to Move a Mountain: NOLAGA Demonstrators Tactics and Message:

sarahstrnad:

For most of you the term General Assembly and its abbreviation GA probably denotes the UN’s main body, but for American Jews GA also refers to an additional and entirely different phenomenon. In the Jewish world the GA is the biggest annual meeting of North American Jews, American Jewish…