Stephen Mejias

A couple of months ago, I heard <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/128092">an interesting segment on NPR</a> about Sam Hillmer's <a href="http://www.myspace.com/representingnyc">Representing NYC</a> project. Hillmer, a NYC school teacher, partners his students with indie-rock musicians to create hip-hop albums. The children are given an opportunity to express themselves and gain real experience in the art of commerce, while the musicians get to contribute to the working-class communities they've recently moved into.

I woke up this morning with a couple of sweet lines playing themselves over and over in my mind. The doctors and scientists call this phenomenon an <i>earworm</i>, which is an entirely unpleasant term. Isn't it? I mean, I would never want an <i>earworm</i>, but I don't at all mind the sound of pretty words running through my head.

Hi. I turn my back on my computer screen to look through my office window and see that it is once again pouring rain. This is the 567th consecutive day of rain in New York City. What the hell is going on? Is this some sort of end-of-the-world business?

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