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Let's see...about me, MySelf, and I: Okay-dokey: I'm an activist , artist , change-agent , entrepreneur , freedom fighter , geek , Green , Hip-Hop advocate & fan , life-learner , massage therapist , musician , neighborhood advocate , veggie , writer , a friend of animals & the Mississippi river .
I'm currently working PT as a Community Organizer for the Holland Neighborhood Improvement Association (HNIA) , where I'm developing contact management systems and assisting with neighborhood outreach. I'm also cashiering for Eastside Food Cooperative , my neighborhood grocery store in NE Minneapolis. Both are honest jobs while I'm looking towards the next career-oriented one, and I really like seeing all those people from my community on a weekly basis.
Most recently I have been working in the North Minneapolis district office of Congressman Keith Ellison as a Community Representative. My accountabilities included the convening of diverse stakeholders and elected officials on the issues of housing, energy and the environment, as well as representing constituents through individual casework. As an elected official, Keith Ellison is not only great with constituent services, community outreach and policy, his overall convictions fit the district well. Ellison stands for peace being the guiding principle of our nation and the world, prosperity for all working families, environmental sustainability, and civil & human rights as key values and issues in our politics. Like many Americans, my own views cross the ideological spectrum, and I consider myself to be an independent green democrat (note all lower case). However, Rep. Ellison (D-MN) as a candidate has a broad-based grassroots campaign and is really inspiring a new politics of generosity and pluralism that has already rippled throughout the district and beyond. I'm proud to have contributed to this representation.
I also ran for a Minneapolis City Council seat in the Fall of 2005 as the Green Party endorsed candidate. I came in 2nd place in the General Election, and received 30% of the vote. I consider our effort a victory, regardless of the electoral outcome, and am committed to contribute to the most livable, just and peaceful Minneapolis possible.
I am an artist and a musician, and create everything from cave paintings to original music. And yes, cave paintings. Basically a homage to the world's first art and artists. It's about art in ancient styles and techniques, an interest of mine, which include pictographs (paintings) and petroglyphs (carvings) on stone, bark paintings, instrument making, "ancient texts", and ancient music. My work ("Prehistoric Renaissance") was even featured @ the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts (MIA) in their annual " Art in Bloom " show a few years ago.
Probably my greatest passion is music. I'm fond of playing old-time country standards (guitar/sing/bass/harmonica) - Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, etc -other just plain fun covers songs with my freind Ben. I play a variety of instruments including banjo, didgeridoo, flutes (classical, traditional Japanese bamboo flutes i.e. shakuhachi, Ryuteki, Irish penny whistles, Chinese gourd flute, etc), organ, percussion (djembe, dumbeck, tabla, congas,) and whatever else I can get my hands on. I've been known to play some jazz standards (mainly bass, some flute) from time to time. I just flat out love to play music anytime, anywhere, any type, and dream of playing flute in a Hip-Hop band. Right now, I just started group called Raga Diablo, and we play a mix bohemian acoustic indie folk original world-influenced music.
So I live and play in the lower NE Mpls area (Arts District) right on the Mississippi river with my cat, Sumo. I'm going through a transitional period in life right now and think I'll be staying in NE for the time being, given that I'm taking classes this semester at MCTC.
NE rules, and you should come hang with me there sometime, go to an art show, get some coffee, see/hear some live music, make some music, go bar-hopping, or all of this at once!
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More "About Me" on facebook.com .
