A people's dream

This is Black Elk, speaking of the massacre at Wounded Knee:

"I did not know then how much was ended. When I look back now from this high hill of my old age, I can still see the butchered women and children lying heaped and scattered all along the crooked gulch as plain as when I saw them with eyes still young. And I can see that something else died there in the bloody mud, and was buried in the blizzard. A people's dream died there. It was a beautiful dream.

And I, to whom so great a vision was given in my youth, — you see me now a pitiful old man who has done nothing, for the nation's hoop is broken and scattered. There is no center any longer, and the sacred tree is dead."

Christmas is coming!

I was in town today, and realised that Christmas is coming! I love Christmas! (even though I don't get presents from my family etc) I love all the glitzy commercialism and consumerism (and I really mean this), all the spending of cash and blood and sweat and toil!

I have Hayley Westenra's 1st album, and I am immensely in love with this song:



Christmas is such a nostalgic season. It feels so festive and yet a little sad at the same time.

I'm also at a slightly depressing spot in my music collection. First it was this:



Christmas is not a good time to feel lonely. I love this song! It's so melancholy and chilly and er, lonely, it practically sucks the life force out of you and leaves you deflated and feeling somewhat grey.

And then my playlist went to this next song, which was about the only highlight of Jay's flop of a show:



I love this version of the song. So retro, and so listen-able.

Zhao Ziyang

(T_T)

It's just one of those days of neurotic self-doubt and lack of direction. Or rather, I feel pulled in so many directions, and I'm not sure why I'm choosing one direction over another anymore. I feel as if I'm setting myself up for a big big fall and plenty of regrets.

There, an emo post for you to chew on. Don't say I don't have inner struggles :P

Yawnz

I stayed up to watch the whole Tiananmen documentary on Youtube, so I finally have a detailed version of what happened. Main impression is that the students were passionate but horribly naive and ignorant, probably imbued with the sense of immortality that youths always possess. They were rebelling against the government, but still believed in the inherent goodness of their government.

And yes, I watched Painted Skin, and thought it was good.

Just in case anyone didn't realise...

... what a hugely monumental change it is to have an African American as the President of the United States.

This is a website with a collection of postcards and photographs of lynchings in the US. Not all of the victims depicted are black, but you will notice that most were.

And now, just look at this. Would you just look at that.



No wonder the Kenyans are celebrating. Can you imagine being seen as the poor and destitute and backwards (or worse) for centuries, and then suddenly have one of your own become the leader of the most powerful country in the world?

It's just freaking amazing.