Black, out.

Our neighborhood experienced a blackout.

I called PG&E, got info that power might be restored around 9:00. The young black people were all out on the street, lighting up the night with cellphone screens and car headlights. "It's the po-lice! They doing this t' take us down!" I stood there, with them, wondering out loud if that could really be the case. Apparently, it is something that the police can do, shutting down part of the grid.

The power was still on at the cohousing. They're in a different power block. Nicholas went over there to do computing and homework. Caitlan stayed home and read by candlelight. I wandered about on the street, visiting with the youth. One young man asked me if I would buy his CD. I asked him for one of his CDs that had the least amount of swearing and abuse on it. I bought it. It's got some good tracks, but still has quite a bit of swearing.

I know there is power in taking a word back from an oppressor, and redefining it. But in these songs, he and his friends seem to use "nigger" as a term of abuse towards each other. To me, that's an odd way to restore your power.