So, Jim and I are not actually dead and are still floating around in cyberspace somewhere… we’re just snowed under with assignments and thesis research right now.

Wanted to do a short post about Chris Brown having abused Rhianna. Really, the most worrying aspect of this case is how it’s been received (victim blaming, excusing Brown, etc) but I found an interesting reconstruction of what happened according to police findings since the start of the investigation:

Having watched that, please go read Open Letter to Chris Brown over on Diary of a Black Male Feminist. And I think perhaps the crux of the argument is this:

I was doing everything backwards. I was trying to teach women how not to get abused instead of teaching young men not to abuse.

Which is a good point to remember everytime you see government poster campaigns with tips for getting home safely or avoiding being drugged by a man. Or again, everytime you hear someone respond to hearing of domestic abuse with, “What did she do to make him so angry?”

Today I just want to promote/congratulate this guy. I’ve never really been into hip-hop much, but having come to a growing realisation that most good things in any genre will be hard to find, I did some research. And Sage Francis stood out for me – he’s a proper artist. It’s surprising enough when any given contemporary performer comes across as a self-aware, socially conscious, intelligent human being. Add to that captivating lyrics and you deserve some respect! This particular song, by way of context, was written a month after 9/11. (And yes, that’s Bob Dylan at the end).

Anyway, I’ll let the song speak for itself.