Observations from a Saturday Night Grocery Trip

By Abrahim Harb

It’s January 19, 2025 –
A cold Saturday in Chicago.
The temperature is 27 degrees according to my car,
But the blast of cold air says otherwise.
We’ve had two days of good weather after frost advisory days to kick off the year.
And one of those two days, the sun was out and melted the small amount of snow accumulation on the ground with no anticipated snowfall for the next week.
It’s just water puddles, dirty car exteriors from all the salt used in the previous week, and muddy grass spots.

Notes on Ending 2024 and Entering 2025…

By Abrahim Harb

Employment…

Lay off after lay off after bankruptcy filings throws job security into a frenzy in the United States

Trump re-elected…
The only one to have non-consecutive presidential terms since 1892

Palestine…
Protest because the BDS movement works, so continue to boycott and push for divestment and sanctions to defund ongoing genocide in Gaza

Luigi Mangione…
Proverbs 28.6 allegedly inspired Luigi to fix the broken healthcare system

Lessons from the Stage

By Abrahim Harb

To all the characters from the the stage that teach us lessons...

Album Review: brat by Charli XCX [5/5]

 By Abrahim Harb

Charli XCX's 9th album, "brat" (or is it BRAT?) is a return to her club classics roots. She took a turn from pop princess back to her origins in underground club music. brat is one of the best albums of the year, it flip flops between braggy and candor so effortlessly. It's vulnerable pop but properly coated with auto-tune and underground club beats. People who don't get Charli XCX will never get her and she is not trying to make you like her. Using auto-tune is part of the genre of music, it's not because of lacking in vocal prowess. We will go on a journey through all three iterations of the album - "brat" which was the first release; "brat and it's the same but there three more songs so it's not" which has three new tracks (Hello Goodbye, Guess, and Spring Breakers); and "brat and it's completely different but also still brat" which features what some would call remixes - but I am calling iterations. 

From Coast to Coast

By Abrahim Harb

Trading in subway rides for bike rides –
Trading in a 4th floor apartment without an elevator for something more manageable –
Trading in life without needing a car for life most likely needing a car –
Trading in snow worn concrete for sun soaked concrete –
Trading in a short season for sweater weather for a longer season of sweater weather –
          (Trading their cold weather heavy wardrobe for lighter layers, if you’re asking me…)