Urban Teaspoon

Episode 17 (Not Happening) by UrbanTeaspoon

If you follow me on social media you might have noticed I haven’t really said or reposted anything about the post recent school shooting. I don’t… I’m not sure what to say. It’s not even the most recent mass shooting any more.

So far in 2018 there have been 102 mass shootings in the United States as of this recording on May 20th 2018 if the definition is a single incident where 4+ people are injured or killed by a shooter. If the definition is that the shooter has to kill 3+ there have been 13. I don’t really feel like splitting hairs on the definition.

I’m currently living in Baltimore where so far this year 106 people have been murdered 94 of those people were shot. I also lived in London and so far in 2018 there have been 63 homicides only 9 of which involved a shooting. The UK’s gun laws are pretty stringent and assume that you don’t need one putting the onus of proof on the party attempting to get a license—very much the opposite of the US just like our justice system supposedly assumes innocence until proven guilty and their assumes guilt until the defense can prove innocence. I say supposedly because we get that wrong a lot especially when we try people with black and brown skin. Anyway, this 63 homicides is actually a rise in crime for the British city, even without the terror attacks.

You may be thinking that there is a world of difference between Baltimore and London and it is not just the accents. You wouldn’t be wrong but you wouldn’t be right. The racism, sexism, classism is still there they just have nationalized health care and tighter gun laws. Sure, I’d go back to London with its 17% sales tax and a public transit system that shuts down everything but a literal night bus. I’d go back to New York where I heard gun shots at night and even the rats might sexually assault you. I’d go to a hundred other city’s and still not fault Baltimore. We all have our shit, each and every one of the places I have lived has been deeply flawed and I could enumerate them for you but I have a bigger point here.

This is America where even our presidents have been gun shot victims. That hasn’t been enough. And I… I don’t have the answer.

References:

Hinahosa, Maria and Julio Ricardo Varela. “#110: LIVE from Chicago, Suave’s Story.” In the Thick. Futuro Media Group. 7 May, 2018.:http://www.inthethick.org/episodes/

Berkowitz, Bonnie, Denise Lu, and Chris Alcantara. “The terrible numbers that row with each mass shooting.” The Washington Post. 18 May, 2018. :https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/mass-shootings-in-america/?utm_term=.3bf146da955e

Casciani, Dominic. “Gun control and ownership laws in the UK.” BBC. 2 Nov., 2018: http://www.bbc.com/news/10220974

Snead, Florence. “London murders: a list of the victims killed in the capital so far in 2018.” iNews. 18 May, 2018. :https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/london-murders-a-list-of-the-victims-killed-in-the-capital-so-far-this-year/

Bond, David. “Sharp jump in homicides and violent crime in London.” Financial Times. 26 April, 2018. :https://www.ft.com/content/4df0da0a-4940-11e8-8ae9-4b5ddcca99b3

Robinson, Melia, Skye Gould, and Samantha Lee. “There have been 101 mass shootings in the US so far in 2018—here’s the full list.” Business Insider. 18 May, 2018. :http://www.businessinsider.com/how-many-mass-shootings-in-america-this-year-2018-2

Childish Gambino and Hiro Murai. “This is America.” VEVO. 2018. :https://www.vevo.com/watch/childish-gambino/this-is-america-(official-video)/USRV81800280

Ballentine, Lee. “How many US presidents have been shot?” Quora. 26 Nov, 2017. :https://www.quora.com/How-many-US-presidents-have-been-shot

Episode 15 (Self-policing)

When you’re doing “it” wrong…at least according to others.

References:

Oxford Living Dictionary. “Self-policing.” Oxford University Press. 2018: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/self-policing

Gupta, Prachi. “New York Times obit for rocket scientist introduces her as mom and cook first.” Salon. 13 March, 2013: https://www.salon.com/2013/03/31/new_york_times_obit_for_rocket_scientist_introduces_her_as_mom_and_cook_first/

Episode 14 (2 Dope Queens is Too Dope for Coping Laughter)

Do not try to hide the laughter when listening to 2 Dope Queens in public. You’ll just look crazy anyway because a half-suppressed giggle-snort is much more noticeable.

Robinson, Phoebe and Jessica Williams. 2 Dope Queens. WNYC Studios. 2018. https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/dopequeens

Robinson, Phoebe. Sooo Many White Guys. WNYC Studios. 2018. https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/whiteguys

Taking the Millennial adage “The struggle is real” to heart in what is worth it and difficult way, and explaining two real things I am doing multiple times a day to try to change my own mind.

References:

Gladwell, Malcolm. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. Little Brown & Co. 2005.:https://www.amazon.com/Blink-Power-Thinking-Without/dp/0316010669

Project Implicit. Harvard. 2018: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/

Understanding Prejudice. Social Psychology Network. 2018. :http://www.understandingprejudice.org/iat/racframe.htm

Lowe, Fredrick H. “The Clutch of Fear”. Chicago Reader. 17 Aug. 2000. :https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-clutch-of-fear/Content?oid=903053

Wong, Gloria, Annie O. Derthick, E. J. R. David, Anne Saw, and Sumie Okazaki. “The What, the Why, and the How: A Review of Racial Microaggressions Research in Psychology.” US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health. 22 Feb. 2016. :https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4762607/

Conger, Cristen and Caroline Ervin. “How to Get a Yoga Body with Jessamyn Stanley.” Unladylike. Stitcher. 6. Feb. 2018. :https://unladylike.co/episodes/03/yogabody

Pollard, Sam. Slavery by Another Name. PBS. 12 Feb. 2012. :http://www.pbs.org/video/slavery-another-name-slavery-video/

DuVernay, Ava. 13th. Netflix. 2016. :https://www.netflix.com/title/80091741

Adashi, Judah. Rise Bmore. 2018. :http://risebmore.com/

Episode 12 (Spoons that Nestle)

When your plate is really full trying to not be a crappy person sometimes means you have to settle for a short podcast episode that isn’t about changing the paradigm.

References:

Pillowscases from an Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/listing/469274839/big-spoon-little-spoon-pillow-cases?ref=pla_similar_listing_top-4

Sometimes you hear something that sets your blood on fire (Well, hello there, Rage Fever), as a teacher of words and a feminist, “bossy” will do it just bout every time.

References:

Conger, Cristen and Caroline Ervin. “Why is bossy a bad word?” Stuff Mom Never Told You. How Stuff Works. https://www.stuffmomnevertoldyou.com/podcasts/why-is-bossy-a-bad-word.htm

Atlantic think pieces on “bossy”?: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=the+atlantic+bossy

Episode 10 (Where your Mouth Is: Call You Girlfriend Rec)

I like words to a degree other people find strange (KonMari is totally on my side in this; AKA, I am not a hoarder) and so I like people who follow up their positive use of words with actions such as the team at Call Your Girlfriend

and I cannot recommend them enough. Get these girl-friends in your life cause you definitely need some. Disclaimer: Neither Gina Delvac, Ann Friedman, Aminatou Sow, Marie Kondo, nor FutureMe have purchased this time or opinion monetarily or materially.

References:

Kondo, Marie. TheLife-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Ten Speed Press: 2014. https://www.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/1607747308

Sow, Aminatou, Ann Friedman, Gina Delvac. Call Your Girlfriend. http://www.callyourgirlfriend.com/

—. “Bleeding’ for Amina!” Call Your Girlfriend. 2018 http://www.callyourgirlfriend.com/blooddrive/

Friedman, Ann. “Shine Theory: Why Powerful Women Make the Greatest Friends.” Shine Theory. 2013. http://shine-theory.tumblr.com/thesis

“Data Query.” United Nations. 2018. https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/dataquery/

“Write a letter to the future.” FutureMe Labs. 2018. https://www.futureme.org/

People in cities walk because they have places to go and it is a good way to get there. Walk with purpose, a plan, and don’t wait for the little walking stick figure to give you permission. See show notes on urbanteaspoon.com for an image of a typical path when doing so.

Footsteps and the sounds of the city have become the theme song of this podcast. Here’s some of where that decision comes from.