Ms. Darby

I am baking an apple-pie and the smell wafts through the house. I love this smell. Although it doesn’t trigger any specific memories for me, it is a pleasant and warming smell. It reminds me to revisit Diane Ackerman’s book, A Natural History of the Senses. She tells a story describing how Helen Keller ascertained the path that each visitor took throughout her house SOLELY BY THE ODORS they carried with them as they moved through various hallways and rooms.

I ADORE the sense of smell, and am extremely attuned to it. Unlike many, I find pungent smells (body odor, skunks, intense cheeses) rather appealing, mainly because they are incredibly distinct. This brings me to my fascination with nostalgia, as a topic and how it relates to smells (physiologically) and actual longing or grieving, of sorts. Grieving for familiarity, perhaps. Or longing for food, even. Perhaps the smell association is linked to memory (nostalgia) so that we could survive when we were hunters and gatherers. By smells triggering memory, we were perhaps more capable of anticipating weather, tracking prey, and choosing suitable mates through the phermones they released.

Filed by darby at 6:21 pm under Docu Potent
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Hey Smoove,

I don’t mean to make this public, but you think you know me. You don’t know me, Smoove B. First, you want to sex me wild, but baby, it’s gonna take more than 100% silk sheets from the farthest reaches of China and leopard print tightie whities to do it. You want to cook me succulent lobsters…ahh, smoove. Them shits were frozen packed and I saw you shake off the ice freeze. Then you serve juice, while you know my diabetes don’t allow for such glucose, especially at that hour.

Did you even know I had adult onset diabetes. (Also known as Diabetes II)
I did not think so, Smoove.

As you act like you tend to my needs, while you do indeed hit me doggy-style, have you ever heard of the Clitoris, Smoove? And Keith Sweat…for real? Naw, Smoove. Naw. I am talkin’ Marvin, or D’Angelo, or better yet, Sade. I would hope that your sensitivities would allow for you to imagine putting on the sensual and exotic rhythm of a woman like Sade, but I believe you are a product of this patriarchy as much as I am.

I will say, though, I did very much enjoy the placing of both white and purple grapes into my luscious mouth.

Smoove, the IDEA of riding the caravan of love with you to Atlantis SOUNDS good, but you’re broken down ride is all I envision when you speak of such things. You wish to sting; to smoove me. I wish for you to get a new ride, buy some good CD’s, and learn about MY man in the boat, which is the ONLY thing takin’ us to Atlantis.

Filed by darby at 12:12 pm under rants
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CSR, or Corporate Social Resposibility, is the subject of a “survey article” in the Economist this week by Clive Crook. It is complex and far-reaching, to say the least. As I physically stopped my socialist knee from jerking about, I opened my mind and some meaty ideas began to emerge. Like this one; Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations describes the idea that promoting self interest (as an individual/corporation) in turn serves the overall good of the people. Crook differentiates self-interest from greed.

“The kind of self interest that advances the public good is rational and enlightened.”

I can relate. While drinking plenty of wine with my women friends over the years, we often repeat the obvious; if you aren’t taking care of yourself, how can you expect to take care of anyone else?

I am more cynical than the author, however. I don’t happen to believe that left to their own devices (under governmental “scrutiny”, free market competition, etc.) corporations will automatically make a decision that ultimately serves the public good. Crook suggests many possibilities and scenarios that support the opposite, but I am not sold. The reason is simple: greed. ‘Cause even if people are intrinsically good (I believe that we are), bad decisions are often made around and within uncommon circumstances. Most of us will never be in the position to make a decision that directly influences millions of dollars streaming into (or out of) our own pockets. The power involved remains within the circles of our Elite, and history has painted a bleak foundation on which we build our greed palaces.

I envision an interview, Terry Gross style, including Naomi Klein, of No Logo fame and Crook duking out the details.
I’ll produce it.

Filed by darby at 7:46 pm under Docu Potent
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O.K. Maybe not freedom. Allow me to explain.

The other day, my sick friend Liddy, who lives a block away, needed a few things from the store. I walked down the street to Rockwell Mini-Mart (a.k.a. Milk and Honey Stores), a place I frequent and adore. The father of the guy I usually see there rang up my items, and I planned to pay him with my debit card. Woops. They only take cash, which I had none of. He looked up at me without hesitation and said, “You go ahead. Pay me tomorrow, or whenever you are by here next.” I was thankfully surprised, as I had never even met him before. He said that neither the items I would take nor the money he was owed would make either of us rich, so why worry? I ended up bringing him the money after I delivered the goods to my sick friend.

Also included: online shopping and delivery!

I have just returned home from another visit to Rockwell’s mini-mart, and my buddy Issa Noor was there. I learned today that he is from Pakistan. I also learned that he believes in peace. He said he has lost belief in his government and in our present administration here in the U.S. He is independent in his thoughts, explaining to me he will not blindly follow the doctrine of a country. He is Muslim. He does not think Osama Bin Laden is Muslim. He also believes that experience is wisdom and he cherishes his family and elders. His store is packed with organic foods and earth-friendly cleaning products. And he’ll let you pay him Tuesday for a hamburger today.

Shop locally, build community. A doctrine I believe ANYBODY can get down with.

Filed by darby at 11:43 am under Docu Potent
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My friend Alison Leber hosted Fearless Radio’s show Ghetto Boy and Monty this past Tuesday and Thursday. I am listening to her now. And it reminds me…with dedication, and a little bit of technology, the Radio’s door has been completely opened to anyone interested enough to walk in.

My dream is to produce radio. NPR and PRI, in particular. And it reminds me that all I have to do is do it. Just Do It. (Thanks, Dan Weiden…mostly cuz it’s true.) And I want to applaud Fearless Radio for just doing it.
And my girl, Ali, for following her dream of being a stand-up comic, which is probably the most intimidating field EVER.

Filed by darby at 1:50 pm under General
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