42 Search Results for "contact"

• Daily Inspiration

  • From: etsaman
  • Description:

    Today's Daily Word - Monday, November 2, 2009

     

    Art of Giving

     

    I give from the Christ of my Being.

     

    When I think of giving as an art--a creative expression of my Christ Light--I pour more of myself into giving. I tune in to ways I can support others and give meaningful gifts that will delight the receiver.

     

    Divine ideas come to mind as I shift my focus away from "things" to the art of true giving. As I write a letter to a friend with whom I've lost contact or give an encouraging smile to a struggling stranger, I know that just what is needed is mine to give. I am inspired to give more as new creative expressions of giving come to mind. Knowing that the circle of giving is also receiving, I am grateful for all that I give and all that I receive.

     

    Your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of everyone of you for one another is increasing.–2 Thessalonians 1:3

     

     

     Renaissance Unity

     

    Monday, November 2, 2009 – Inner Power

     

    “Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”

    ~Norman Vincent Peale

    Today's Affirmation

     

    I call the shots in my consciousness!

     

    Today's Meditation

     

    Dear God,

     

    You have instilled within me the power to create my world.

    I do not let false beliefs guide my perception of reality.

    Opinions of others pass by me freely.

    I allow the silent power within me to build my consciousness.

    Thank You, God!

     

    Amen

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  • 2 weeks ago
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• OPEN LETTER TO TOM JOYNER

  • From: Mliza
  • Description:

    Open Letter to Tom Joyner:

           First of all, Mr. Joyner, I cannot contact you without first expressing my exceedingly high regard for you and all that you do, especially pertaining to your excellent support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Voting Rights and Responsibilities, and Family Health Care promotion -- to mention a few.  It is especially because of this high esteem that it is somewhat difficult to utilze this opportunity to “take you to task” about a matter you have not only overlooked these past months, but have actually become grossly negligent for quite some time. The “bone of contention” that we must “machinate” upon is your neglectful ownership of a website called “Inauguration Day 2009.” Tom, this is one time you started something that you have not finished. That is so unlike you. Your “Inauguration Day 2009” site serves as an excellent opportunity to promote social and political responsibility from your listeners. Through it you have attracted and inspired a small, diverse, capable, talented, noteworthy, verbal group of followers – some of whom have still managed to maintain communications on the site by addressing many of the important public issues of our times. I don’t know why they have chosen to hang on, but they have; and it may be for a purpose greater than you even realize just now. It is simply incredulous that you have allowed this significant opportunity to go to waste.

           Tom, you are so savvy, that it is quite a wonder that you have not realized this yet. “Inauguration Day 2009” is an untapped resource that could be mobilized at your fingertips for helping to move and persuade public opinion, but you have chosen not to use it. You seem much more interested in the hottest new craze of text-messaging limited-content notes, rather than encouraging serious, in-depth discussion of issues that can “put the world’s mess to the test.” I have sent you a “Friend Request” that has lain dormant for nearly a year now. J. Anthony Brown and Sherryl Underwood are no better, because they have abandoned the site like their leader. And the usually astute Sybil Wilkes has not even chosen to create a page.  Why is that?  None of you has even been on the site for nearly a year. This is very frustrating. If the creator of the site shows no interest and concern, then the membership becomes truly uninspired, unresponsive, and thus most are inactive. Yet, somehow, a few newcomers appear about each month or so.  So I have decided to begin welcoming them for YOU.  I could have seen this site become a rallying point of writers, journalists, and thinkers, as well as anyone else in cultivating responses and actions that were sorely needed during the Congressional hearings this summer and elsewhere. We longed for a glimpse at other thoughts than those that screamed and screeched out at us over the media. And undoubtedly there are more scintillating times yet to come. With the publication of this Open Letter on my page of your site, as well as more directly in your contact point on Black America Web, I am hoping for a valid response. I must tell you in all candor, I expect no less than the best from you. That’s what you have given to the world so many times over – you can’t stop now.

           In the meantime, I am going to try my best to encourage a little mobilizing on my own from those who are still thriving. But the effort would be so much more appealing coming from you. Finally, please explain the meaning of the site name. It may inspire more tenacity from more people. You are one of the cleverest businessmen we have encountered; surely you can find the means to make this site soar. Thank you in advance for your kind consideration of this request.

     

    P.S.  Most sites allow users to add photos.  Yours does not allow us to do that.  So you obviously intended for this to be solely a talk site.  But come on, Tom, at least let us add graphics or something to increase the interest on this site for those that come on but are not "writers or talkers" yet.  Give us something more to peak our interest.  Please talk with your site designers about that.  We need a few moe perks, I believe.  Too many join and are never heard from again.

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  • 2 weeks ago
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• Daily Inspiration

  • From: etsaman
  • Description:

    Today's Daily Word - Monday, October 19, 2009

     

    Pray for Others

     

    The light of God expresses perfectly as me and as you.

     

    I love to be of help, but sometimes I may feel powerless to help a loved one who is going through a difficult challenge. In those times, the greatest gift I can give is to see the truth of who my dear one is, a perfect expression of the light of God.

     

    In my prayers, I close my eyes to appearances and perceive with the faith that is within me. I see my loved one as an expression of perfect life that provides healing energy to the mind, body and soul. My beloved is open and receptive to the wisdom of God within, which whispers the answer to every question and provides the supply for every need.

     

    This is the truth about my loved ones and me, and about every being on the planet.

     

    "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'"--Mark 2:5

     

     

    Renaissance Unity

     

    Monday, October 19, 2009 – Pure Heart

     

    “Create in me a clean heart, O Lord my God.”

    ~Psalms 51:10

     

     Today's Affirmation

     

    I will seek the Lord in all that I do today.

     

    Today's Meditation

     

    Dear God,

     

    As I awake to the newness of this day, I am blessed!

    My heart is filled with love for myself and others.

    I will share this love with all those that I come in contact with this day.

    May I see the goodness in my family and friends.

    You are with me always and I will praise Your name in all that I do.

     

    Amen

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  • 4 weeks ago
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• Spread The Word

  • From: pinkiehot52
  • Description:

    Now please help spread the word.

    Thank you for calling on Glenn Beck's advertisers to take their dollars elsewhere. It's an important step towards keeping the misinformation and race-baiting of people like Glenn Beck off of cable news.

    200,000 people have already signed on, and 62 companies have stopped their ads from running on Beck's show. And the more of us who stand together, the stronger our voice will be. Will you take a moment and invite your friends and family to add their voice as well?

    Feel free to use the draft letter below, or write your own. But please only contact people you know personally — spam will hurt more than it helps.

     

    You can cut and paste the text below into an email message:

    Dear friends, As you may know, right-wing talk show hosts have been bringing race-based fear mongering into the mainstream, but FOX's Glenn Beck has taken it to another level. I signed ColorOfChange.org's petition to stop Glenn Beck's lies and distortions, and so far, 62 major companies have stopped their ads from running on his show. These companies have decided they don't want to be associated with Beck's race-baiting. But Beck is only stepping up his fear-mongering, so we can't stop now. We have to make sure advertisers keep leaving, and stay away from his show. Will you take a stand and be counted, and invite your friends and family to do the same? It takes just a moment: http://www.colorofchange.org/beck/hold/?id=1744-523806 This summer, Beck said:   This president has exposed himself as a guy over and over and over again who has a deep-seated hatred for white people... this guy is, I believe, a racist. That statement fits into a pattern of rhetoric from Beck designed to stoke racial paranoia and fear. He has claimed that President Obama has a "reparation appetite" and a desire to use his policies to settle old racial scores. Beck's overall plan is to create an atmosphere in which the White House can accomplish nothing, and he's carrying it out by preying on race-based fears and mobilizing hate. Beck relies on dishonesty, distortion and exaggeration, and he is embarking on character assassinations of Obama administration officials with whom he disagrees. FOX has a horrible track record on pushing racist propaganda, but Glenn Beck appears to be taking the network to an even lower standard. He's trying to divide and distract America when we should be coming together and talking about issues that really matter--like health care and the economy. The good news is that we have the power to stop this. Over 200,000 people have joined this campaign, and 62 advertisers have already stopped their ads from being run during Beck's show. Please help keep the momentum building. http://www.colorofchange.org/beck/hold/?id=1744-523806 Thanks. Here are some links to more info: "Beck: Obama has 'exposed himself as a guy' with 'a deep seated hatred for white people'" http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907280008 "Glenn Beck: Obama agenda driven by 'reparations' and desire to 'settle old racial scores'" http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907230040

     

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  • 2 months ago
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• Glenn Beck and Fox are losing

  • From: pinkiehot52
  • Description:

    Thanks to you, Glenn Beck and Fox are losing money.

    Help keep the pressure on by calling on advertisers to stay away:

     

     

    Dear Michele,

    We've got big news -- Glenn Beck's show is making less than half the money it was making when we started calling on companies to pull their advertisements from the show. This is huge and it's thanks to you -- more than 200,000 ColorOfChange members have spoken out, and 62 advertisers have listened.

    Data from a media tracking firm shows how deeply we're hitting Fox's pockets; they are now sacrificing more than a half-million ad dollars a week to keep Beck on the air.

    Of course, Beck and his supporters are fighting back with everything they've got. Today, we need your help to make sure the 62 companies who have pulled their ads from Beck's show stand strong, and to turn up the pressure on his remaining advertisers. Please join us in thanking the companies that have pulled their ads, and in calling on his remaining advertisers to stop supporting him:

    http://colorofchange.org/beck/hold/?id=1744-523806

    During the last week in July, Beck's show pulled in over $1 million from advertising. The first week in September, that number was down to less than $500,000, even as his ratings have gone up.¹

    It's clear that our campaign is making a significant financial impact, despite Fox's insistence otherwise.

    What's happening is a simple matter of supply and demand. Fox has a limited amount of time devoted to ads each day. If 62 companies refuse to run ads during Beck's show, the demand for that time is reduced, and the rates the network can charge for the show plummet. In Beck's case, almost no major companies are willing to advertise during either of his twice-a-day broadcasts, so Fox can't collect as much ad revenue as they could before. If we can keep the advertisers away, Fox will have to decide sometime soon whether it's worth losing money to keep Beck's poison on the air.

    Beck's smear campaigns

    Beck claims to be a patriot who asks hard questions and gives his viewers the facts. In reality, he consistently uses lies, distortions, and exaggerations to stir up anger and fear, and to distract his viewers from working towards real solutions to the problems facing our country. He seems determined to create an atmosphere in which the White House can accomplish nothing, and he's doing it partly by launching vicious smear campaigns on Obama'a character, policies and advisers.

    Last week, Beck and his supporters took credit for both Van Jones' resignation² and for the demotion of Yosi Sergant, who was "reassigned" at the National Endowment for the Arts following vicious attacks by Beck ³. And Beck has made it clear he's got other targets.⁴

    Holding the line

    Our campaign is working. Respectable companies don't want to be associated with Beck or support his show with their dollars. It's resulting in a major loss of funding for his show, and at the same time, it's making clear that Beck's race-baiting and fear-mongering are far outside the mainstream.

    The longer Beck stays isolated, the more of a problem he'll be for Fox, and the harder it will be for him to spread his lies and distortions. If we can keep the pressure on, Fox will have to make a choice: 1) drop Beck because it doesn't make business sense to keep him; or 2) communicate to the world that they're so intent on providing a platform for race-baiting and fear-mongering that they don't care if they lose money (a serious problem for a public company like News Corporation, the owner of Fox).

    More than ever, it's time to keep the pressure on. You can help by joining us in thanking the advertisers that have stopped supporting Glenn Beck, and calling on those whose ads are still running on his show to follow suit:

    http://colorofchange.org/beck/hold/?id=1744-523806

    Thanks and Peace,

    -- James, Gabriel, William, Dani and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
       September 14th, 2009

    Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU -- your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don't share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:

    https://secure.colorofchange.org/contribute/?id=1744-523806

    References

    1. Propreitary study conducted by leading media monitoring organization using industry-standard data.
    (for press inquiries, contact beckstudy@colorofchange.org.)

    2. "White House Official Resigns After G.O.P. Criticism," New York Times, 9-06-09
    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/07/us/politics/07vanjones.html

    3. "Beck Strikes Again; Yosi Sergant Reassigned at NEA," Washington Post, 9-10-2009
    http://tinyurl.com/oa5oyn

    4. @glennbeck on Twitter, 9-03-09
    http://twitter.com/glennbeck/status/3749169499

     

     

     

  • Blog post
  • 2 months ago
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• Joe Wilson's Contact Informati

  • From: pinkiehot52
  • Description:

    Give Joe a call this morning
    
    Fax:
    202-225-2455
    
    Phone and U.S. Mail:
    The Midlands’ Office
    1700 Sunset Blvd (US 378), Suite 1
    West Columbia , SC 29169
    Phone: (803) 939-0041
    Phone: (888) 381-1442 (*only for area codes 803, 843, and 864)
    Fax: (803) 939-0078
    
    The Lowcountry Office
    903 Port Republic Street, Beaufort, SC 29902
    Mail to: Post Office Box 1538, Beaufort, SC 29901
    Phone: (843) 521-2530
    Fax: (843) 521-2535
    
    The Washington Office
    212 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
    Phone: (202) 225-2452
    Fax: (202) 225-2455
    
    Give Job a call and let him know how you feel about his action durning President Obama's speech, Let's see if we can do a Van Jones on Him.
    

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  • 2 months ago
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• The Exorcism of Mr. Charlie, R

  • From: TheSarge1960
  • Description:

     

    The Exorcism of Mr. Charlie, Ripples in the Pond, and a Gifted Latina

     

    Ripples in the Pond

     

    Newsflash from the Hooterville Gazette

     

    The era has arrived, the moment has come, and the future has now become the present.  Never before in the history of America has it become more apparent to those who identify themselves as “guardians of Aryan purity and Aryan superiority have life in America been more upside down. Sacred members of the old guard (Pat Buchanan, Tom Tancredo and a few other good old boys) that have been entrusted to carry the torch that houses the “eternal flame” of racial intolerance and racial indignation have been insidiously attacked and subdued by race mixing liberals who have forsaken the angelic twang of country music for the synthesized rhythmic beat of rap.  Good Lordy Miss Claudey, the Colonel has turned over in his grave! What was once a small ripple in Norman Rockwell’s pond of tranquility has now manifested into a Tsunami of Black and Brown culture.  Putting it simply, Mayberry has integrated.  Ma, call the National Guard!

     

    The Reality of it all

     

    The first major ripple in the pond occurred on May 17, 1954 when the Supreme Court decided in the case of Brown versus the Board of Education Topeka, that public schools that purposely separated Colored students from White students, were guilty of denying Colored students the same educational opportunities that were afforded to White students.  Justices of the Supreme Court liberally articulated this “arrangement” as being an inequity and by a vote of 9-0, public school segregation in America officially ended.  Further, the Justices interpreted that racial segregation prevented young Colored minds from receiving the necessary academic and social tools that would enable them to fairly compete with their White contemporaries.  (Well ain’t that the point?) Although there were many lawyers who argued before the Court to rip down the “curtain” that provided cover and concealment for those of us who hide behind granddaddy’s window of racial fear, lets take a moment to recognize the emergence of Thurgood Marshall, a gifted young Colored NAACP lawyer, who subsequently, in 1967 would later be appointed as the first Colored Justice to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.  Thank you very much President Lyndon Baines Johnson for tossing a stone in Mayberry’s pond, now you know why you and Miss Lady Bird were never invited to our annual fish fry and cross burning gala.

     

    It can be argued that the second ripple in the pond occurred on December 1, 1955 in Birmingham, Alabama, when a Colored woman named Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat, as mandated by the South’s “Jim Crow Law”, to a White man who understood that because he was born White, it was his inherent right to claim the seat that Miss Park was sitting on.  This bold (OK, brave) and defiant 42 year old woman was the spark that manifested to liberals the meaning of their rebellion which they now consider to be a righteous cause.  

     

    This modern day civil rights campaign which was birthed by Miss Parks, compelled partisans and non partisans of civil rights to re-think and to re-read the words of The American Declaration of Independence which states, “That we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."  The choice that Miss Rosa Parks made on December 1, 1955, to take a stand against what liberals say was an unjust and an immoral law, defined this stubborn (OK, dignified) woman, before the world, as being the catalyst of a movement that knocked Dixie to its knees.  Sacred carriers of the torch that housed the “eternal flame” took notice as the ripples in the pond began to spread. 

     

    The third and most heart stopping ripple that tipped over Andy’s and Opie’s fishing boat, occurred on November 4, 2008.  This was the infamous date that the Democratic Presidential nominee, Barack Obama, a Colored man of mixed heritage with a funny sounding name, defeated White Republican Presidential nominee, John McCain for the office of the Presidency of the United States of America.  We’ve received reports that on that day, White people across America ripped the hair out of their scalp, chain smoked Marlboro Red cigarettes, drank countless bottles of whiskey, beat their children for listening to Jay Z and consequently, bought thousands of rounds of rifle ammunition as they breathlessly awaited for a sign from their local Grand Dragon that the much anticipated race war was about to commence. 

     

     

    And now, adding final insult to our injury, a female Puerto Rican from the Bronx, New York, who also has a funny sounding name, has been nominated to replace albeit a liberal, a White Man, to sit as a judge on the highest court of the United States of America.  The ghost of Confederate President Jefferson Davis has just peed on himself. 

     

    A Gifted Latina

     

    Sotomayor who?

     

    Sonia Sotomayor’s bio illustrates that she was born June 25, 1954 in the Bronx, New York, from parents of Puerto Rican descent.  Judge Sotomayor’s trek through life as a young lady has been marked with both tragedy and triumph.  Raised in the tough housing projects of both East and South Bronx, New York (isn’t that the place where there’s a bunch of Yankees?) and forced as an 8 year old to contend with being a diabetic, young Sonia understood early in life the meaning of determination and survival. Her father, Juan Sotomayor, a tool- and- die worker with a third grade education, spoke a limited amount of English and died when Sonia was only nine years old.  Sonia’s mother, Celina, a Woman’s Army Corps veteran during World War II, worked as a nurse to support Sonia and Sonia’s brother Juan Junior after the death of her husband Juan.

     

    A condensed snapshot of Judge Sotomayor’s academic accomplishes include being honored as her Catholic High School’s Valedictorian, graduating in 1976 from Princeton University, Summa Cum Laude, and in 1979 graduating from Yale University with a law degree.  Acknowledged and admired by past New York Mayors and past U.S. Presidents for her talents as a skilled litigator and arbitrator, Judge Sotomayor has steadily climbed the ladder of professional success and as a tribute to her hard work and experience, was nominated on May 26, 2009, by President Barack Obama, to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter.  If confirmed by Congress, Judge Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic and only the third woman to be seated as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. 

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The Exorcism of Mr. Charlie

     

    We love Mr. Charlie

     

    It’s been brought to the attention of our newspaper’s chief editor, Mr. Harlan P. Beauregard that liberals have secretly conspired to contact Father Patrick Mahoney, Hooterville’s only Catholic priest, in an attempt to drive away evil spirits from a local resident, who according to those ignorant liberals, goes by the name of Mr. Charlie. Mr. Beauregard has further discovered after reading Hooterville’s white pages, that currently, there is no “Mr. Charlie” that resides in Hooterville; however, because the names, Hannity, Buchanan, Chaney and Limbaugh are always mentioned in conjunction with the anonymous “Mr. Charlie”, we are compelled as God fearing “Real Americans” to contact the aforementioned brethren and warn them that liberals are trying to drive the devil out from them.  No sir, if there’s to be an exorcism conducted in Hooterville; it will be performed by the good Reverend Percy T. Williams who is a bonafide Christian and gun shop owner.  In our attempt to locate Mr. Charlie and show our support, local volunteers are placing “We love Mr. Charlie” fliers on the windshields of all vehicles parked in the parking lot of the “Galaxy Drive-In Theatre” located on county road 111.  If anyone locates Mr. Charlie before we do, please inform him that Reverend Williams will be performing exorcisms after the annual fish fry and cross burning gala.

     

    Quote of the month:          

     

    "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life"

     

     

  • Blog post
  • 6 months ago
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• Daily Inspiration

  • From: etsaman
  • Description:

    Today's Daily Word Tuesday, May 12, 2009

     

    Child in Me

     

    I am open to my good in thought, attitude, and expectation.

     

    I value the wonderful qualities of children. As I watch a group of children absorbed in playful activity, I see that each child is intent on what he or she is doing, eager to learn and free from concern.

     

    Having this open, receptive, jubilant attitude is a perfect way for me to live my own life. Willing to receive divine direction, I expand my eagerness to experience life's offerings. More opportunities open to me because my heart and spirit are open. I am receptive to God's love, healing, and abundance, and I am free from doubt and concern.

     

    I take time to honor the child in me in thought, attitude, and expectation. I am a spiritual expression in human form, and all I need for healthy, joyous, prosperous living is mine. With eagerness and openness, I receive my good, in expected and unexpected forms.

      

     

    Renaissance Unity

     

    Tuesday, May 12, 2009 – Sacred Silence

     

    "We can make conscious contact with God, transcend the limitations of a dichotomous world, and regain the power that is only available to us when we're connected to the Source. This is what I call getting in the gap. It's where we create, manifest, heal, live, and perform at a miraculous level. The gap is the powerful silence we can access through meditation."

    ~Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

     

    Today’s quote is taken from: Getting In the Gap

      

    Today's Affirmation

     

    In the silence between my thoughts, I connect with the Source of All.

     

    Today's Meditation

     

    Dear God,

     

    There are empty, yet to be created spaces between what I think I know, and between those ideas that are familiar to me. In this void, I connect to You. In the sacred silence of my heart, I enter into the emptiness and invite what is yet to be; to manifest through me.

    Thank You for sharing the wonderful mystery of creation.

    Thank You for recreating me, now.

    Alleluia!

    Amen

  • Blog post
  • 6 months ago
  • Views: 36

• Anybody Know The Rationale for

  • From: Mliza
  • Description:

    Maybe I missed something somewhere.  I don't get out that much (Just funning!)  What I really mean to say is that I don't come INSIDE this site that much.  I must have missed why my main man, Tom Joyner, created this site anyway, and why he named it Inauguration Day 2009.  Anyone out there want to clear that up for me? 

    Well, for me, Tom "can do no wrong." and if he wants to create such a site and give it such a name, who am I to dissuade him.  I'm all for that.   In fact I'll just join him.  And did.   It's just that i'm usually considered a rational person and want to understand everything that I decide to become connected to.  So what's wrong with that?  Can anyone out there help me?

    I don't even know how I really got onto this site.  Just clicked on somewhere out of curiosity, I guess.  And you know these things -- you have to create some footage, give up some information to get what you want.  But since I have done that, I have come in contact with some interesting people on occasion.  I think this site will soon be growing and will become as popular as any of the others.  I just want someone to explain to me where it is really heading.  Come on, Tom.  You know I also have a connection to Black America Web and get information about your show and business periodically on that.

    Well, at least I can see one main, great value in this connection:  It gives me a forum to say somewhere what I never have access to that's going on on the daily TJMS show.  Am I the only one who doesn't even try to win the $1,000 4 times daily?  Regardless of how much I could use it, I never could get through anyway (And to think there is someone who won it 3 times.  Oh Glory!).  For that matter, I never can seem to keep up with all three numbers:  If I hear 1 and 2, I'll never hear 3.  Most of the time I hear 2 and 3 and would have missed #1.  But haven't there been so many whenever I wanted to say something back to J. Anthony Brown or even Sybil or a guest but I could not do so because I would never be able to get through on the phone that soon.  So here is a place I can express myself:  Even Rant and Rave!  So if nothing else, there is the value in this.  But that's my side of the story and I'm sticking to it.  What say You?

     

     

     

  • Blog post
  • 6 months ago
  • Views: 60

• Ex-priest claims molestation b

  • From: pinkiehot52
  • Description:

    ORANGE, Calif. — A former Roman Catholic priest filed a lawsuit Monday claiming that as a teenager in Southern California he was sexually abused by a priest who was his mentor.
    Ben Rodriguez, who left the priesthood in 2006, claims that Gordon J. Pillon molested him multiple times from 1978 to 1981 at Pillon's apartment in the rectory of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in La Habra.
    The lawsuit, filed in Orange County Superior Court, names the Diocese of Orange and the parish as defendants. Pillon is temporarily listed as "John Doe" for procedural reasons and his name will be added later, said Rodriguez's attorney, Joseph George, who held a news conference with his client to announce the legal action.
    The suit seeks unspecified damages for future medical and therapy expenses, damages for physical and mental pain and suffering, lost wages and earning capacity, and punitive damages.
    Ryan Lilyengren, spokesman for the Diocese of Orange, said in an e-mail that the diocese had not yet seen the lawsuit and could not comment.
    Rodriguez alleges Pillon gave him muscle relaxants and sleeping pills during the abuse. Rodriguez's parents were divorcing and Pillon persuaded the teen to leave home, cut off contact with his family and join the seminary at age 18, according to the complaint.
    Rodriguez said he moved into foster homes arranged by Pillon and saw the priest as a father figure and spiritual mentor, despite the abuse. He said Pillon would play pornographic movies and sexually molest him during overnight visits at the priest's apartment.
    He gave me drugs and alcohol and I remained silent about it my entire life until recently," Rodriguez said.
    Pillon was defrocked in 2006 and is now a professor at the University of Northern Virginia's campus in Prague, in the Czech Republic, according to George.
    An e-mail to a Gordon Pillon at the Prague campus was not immediately returned Monday. David Lee, chancellor of the school's American campus, said he could not reach anyone at the campus for comment because it was night in Prague.
    Rodriguez, now 45, graduated from seminary in 1991 and became a priest in the Diocese of Peoria in Illinois. Pillon, who already was in central Illinois working at a Catholic university, began serving in the Peoria diocese shortly thereafter, George said.
    Rodriguez said he was forced out of the diocese in 2006 after telling his superiors about the abuse. He now works as a substitute teacher in Riverside County.
    Messages left Monday at the Diocese of Peoria after business hours were not immediately returned.
    In 2006, however, a spokeswoman said Bishop Daniel Jenky asked Pillon to step down after allegations surfaced that Pillon molested a minor 25 years earlier in Orange County.
    In addition to serving in Orange County and in six parishes in central Illinois, Pillon also served at the Diocese of Charlotte, N.C., and was in ministry at Bradley University in Peoria.

    This is the same Catholic church that has a problem with President Obama's position on Anything  or his commitment to speak at a few higher Institutions of Learning for commencement Really is disgusting this is same church that just moved these priest from one parish to another to prey on more and more children, till the sheer numbers and exposure made them finally expel these criminals  and only a few did prison time. Who's pope will visit a country over-run with AIDS and warn against condoms. These are the people of high Moral authority.
    
    Some one needs to save these people from themselves, before they destroy us all.
    
    

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 83

• Daily Inspiration

  • From: etsaman
  • Description:

    Today's Daily Word Thursday, March 5, 2009

     

    Always

     

    Trusting in divine guidance, I accept unlimited options and opportunities.

     

    Life holds countless opportunities for me. Whatever the situation may be, there is always another means, another blessing available to me. Even if I feel I am going in circles, with closer examination, I find I am making progress, spiraling upward. Trusting in divine guidance, I am open to the array of blessings revealed to me.

     

    There is always another method--to learn, remember, try, or apply. There is always another place--to work, live, play, or find support. There is always another friend--to contact, share with, or meet anew. There is always another work--to accomplish, contribute to, or receive from. My options and alternatives are limitless. In renewed awareness, I affirm: There is always another way.

     

    "Then the sentinel saw another man running; and the sentinel called to the gatekeeper and said, 'See, another man running alone!' The king said, 'He also is bringing tidings.' "--2 Samuel 18:26

      

     

    Renaissance Unity

     

    Thursday, March 5, 2009 – Power to Change

     

    "Look at your feet. If you do not like where you are standing, MOVE!

    ~Ron Rathbun

     

    Today's quote is taken from: The Way Is Within

     

     Today's Affirmation

     

    I enthusiastically embrace change.

     

    Today's Meditation

     

    Dear God,

     

    When I sense internal restlessness and fidgeting,

    I pay attention to the source of my irritation.

    I recognize that my awareness is being directed to some aspect of my being

    for the purpose of transformation.

    Rather then whine and complain about current circumstances,

    I lean into change.

    Thank You for situations that grab my attention

    and cause me to take a closer look at life.

    Thank You for the courage and strength to change my mind and my world.

    Thank You for the incredible order that governs the way our world works.

    Illumine any area of my life that is ready for transformation.

    Thank You, God!

    Amen

  • Blog post
  • 8 months ago
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• Racism Can Be a Teaching Momen

  • From: E_Joyce
  • Description:

    

    
    I received several e-mails of the picture from the  Barnes and Nobel bookstore in Coral Gables, Florida, along with a call for the boycotting of the Barnes and Noble stores.For those who did not see the picture, someone placed a book on monkeys in the middle of the store front display of books on  President and First Lady Obama, then took the picture.  Knowing a little bit about retail, I decided to contact the Barnes and Noble corporate offices to find out what they had to say and how they responded to the outrage over this display.   I was provided with the e-mail below that was sent to anyone who called and inquired:

     

    Hello Joyce Moore,

     

    Thank you for contacting us about the book display which included President Obama in our Coral Gables store. Barnes & Noble would like to publicly apologize for an incident in our Coral Gables, Florida store. 

     

    We believe that a customer played a cruel joke and placed an inappropriate title in the front window of our store, where we were featuring books written by or about President Obama.  We want to assure our customers that the book placed by someone other than any of our booksellers was never intended to be included in our display and was removed as soon as we became aware of the situation.

     

    We are looking into it and taking the steps necessary so that it does not happen again. From time to time customers will move titles from one area of the store to another. In this particular case, we do not condone whatever message may have been intended with the placement of this title in our Presidential display. It certainly was not part of our merchandising and we regret that we didn't see the placement of this title immediately.

     

    Sincerely,

     

    [name deleted]

    Customer Service Representative

    Barnes and Noble Customer Service

    customerservice@bn.com

     
    Mary Keating, spokesperson for Barnes and Noble, sent me the statement below, along with responses to my questions: 
     

    The photograph being circulated on the Internet was taken by a customer in one of our stores, who maliciously placed an inappropriate title in the center of a display honoring President Obama.The store immediately removed the title from the display.  Barnes & Noble finds this malicious act to be despicable.”

      

    Mary Ellen Keating

    Spokesperson

    Barnes & Noble, Inc.

     

    In response to a series of questions I posed she said: " We follow a specific blueprint for the displays in each of our stores. The display was set up in January and the incident took place two weeks ago."  "This particular store in Coral Gables has a window display that is accessible to the public," stated Keating. .  "Most of our stores are 25000 square feet and have thousands of titles in each store.  Unfortunately, every bookseller has to deal with customers moving titles from one area of a store to another, but they do an excellent job of making sure titles are in order."  "...we view this as a malicious act and agree that it is an isolated incident." 

     

    I know that I am personally tired of these behaviors, although in this case I think that Barnes and Noble is a victim, as well, of a malicious prank.  If it was done by the persons taking the picture, apparently they were not aware of the fact that their images are reflected in the window (there are two people in the reflection, at least one is a white male).   I want to turn this incident into a teaching moment.  When the now  infamous New York Post  cartoon  crawled out from under its journalistic rock, Marc Clarke wrote on why this matters so much to African Americans.  His Blog was quoted on CNN, and Marc's article was the source of their explanation of its history.  

     

    “The Negro: What Is His Ethnological Status?”  was published in 1867 under the pseudonym “Ariel.”  ... the author was a Southern clergyman, the Rev. Buckner H. Payne of Nashville, Tenn.  Rev. Payne argued that Negroes weren’t descended from Adam and Eve. “... Adam and Eve being white, ... they could never be the father or mother of the kinky-headed, low forehead, flat nose, thick lip and black-skinned negro...”  The minister continued: “[I]t follows, beyond all the reasonings of men on earth to controvert, that [the negro] was created before Adam, that, like all beasts and cattle, they have no souls.”  Rev. Payne then broke it down scientifically: “[W]e take up the monkey, and trace him ... through his upward and advancing orders – baboon, ourang-outang and gorilla, up to the negro, another noble animal, the noblest of the beast creation.  The difference between these higher orders of the monkey and the negro is very slight, and consists mainly in this one thing: the negro can utter sounds that can be imitated; hence he could talk with Adam and Eve, for they could imitate his sounds.”    “... Adam and Eve being white, ... they could never be the father or mother of the kinky-headed, low forehead, flat nose, thick lip and black-skinned negro...”   Payne continued: “[I]t follows, beyond all the reasonings of men on earth to controvert, that [the negro] was created before Adam, that, like all beasts and cattle, they have no souls.”  Rev. Payne then broke it down scientifically: “[W]e take up the monkey, and trace him ... through his upward and advancing orders – baboon, ourang-outang and gorilla, up to the negro, another noble animal, the noblest of the beast creation. The difference between these higher orders of the monkey and the negro is very slight, and consists mainly in this one thing: the negro can utter sounds that can be imitated; hence he could talk with Adam and Eve, for they could imitate his sounds.”  You can download the full 48-page text of Buckner Payne’s “The Negro” as a PDF file, courtesy of Google, by following this link .   Read more of  Mark Clarke's full commentary by visiting his Blog. 

     

    Many like to minimize these covert acts of racism, calling them "jokes", such as the watermelon on the White House lawn e-mail sent by Republican Los Alamitos mayor Dean Grose to colleagues and friends.  Grose, who resigned as mayor -- although that means little,unless he resigns from the council, since the council takes turns filling the position -- claims that he "didn't know that it was offensive to African Americans."   Personally, I don't buy his explanation, or his apology.  If he did not know of the stereotypical myth that Blacks/African Americans 

    have often been portrayed as a" lazy race of people who just sit around eating fried chicken and watermelon".  then exactly what was the "joke"? 

     

    The truth is that watermelon is native to Africa, especially near the Kalahari desert.
    Watermelon, as the name suggests has a high water content, more so than other fruits, in fact. They are also really high in nutrients and vitamins.  Slaves working in the fields were at risk for dehydration since it was intense labor and it's hot in the south.  (today's water bottles hadn't been invented yet), so they would eat slices of watermelon to hydrate and refresh themselves from working in the fields.

     

    Chicken, watermelon, okra, chitterlings (pig intestines), black eyed peas.... and many other foods that are labeled soul food today, was once considered food not fit for the master's table.  Basically, Black slaves ate whatever the slave master gave them...they ate the scraps (pig-intestines fat-back, pig feet, pigtail,  etc) and what was cheap or easy to grow.  Poor Whites  -- mostly Irish, who were slaves for a time themselves -- ate the same.  Even after slavery, Blacks still enjoyed these food because it was what they could afford.   Today, that which was the soul of the African American sustenance is now a part of many a fine restaurant's menu. 

     

    Acts of overt and covert racism have been dredged up and forward throughout our history.  In this century alone, corporations such as AT&T had their corporate hand slapped because they used an image of a monkey to depict the people of Africa in an internal publication.  In 2001,Toyota -- because of a modern day "blackface" postcard developed by their ad agency , Saatchi & Saatchi -- pledged millions for diversity development, training and minority supplier inclusion.   With the Presidential campaign and subsequent election, consciousness of the issue of race increased.  Paradigms began to crack, perceptions started to erode and suddenly the invisible become very visible.  As those who have the long held belief in their power and assumption of privilege witnessed how quickly their perceived power evaporated as quickly as the clothes of the emperor they have become fearful and angry.  Thus, the only moves left are to continue to instigate fear based upon untruths and resurrect ancient stereotypes and pre-1950s myths to distract, divide and distance those who are beginning to move past race as an issue. 

     

    We cannot allow our emotions to evoke hair-trigger reactions to the misbehavior of a few.  To demand a boycott of Barnes and Noble without verifying the facts is not how we should engage this heightened level of racism.  When we hear the venomous diatribe of hysterical radio talk show hosts  and attention-hungry cable news personnel, we don't preach to the choir or call the networks who gave them license to spew their vitriol , we contact their advertisers instead. Because at the end of the day, it is all about the bottom line. I am not certain that Rupert Murdoch would have personally apologized on behalf of the N Y Post, had calls not been made to Kraft Foods, AT&T along with other advertisers.   There isn't a single institution in this economic crisis who can afford to have their finances affected by foolishness. 

     

    Perhaps we all need to learn how to play chess.  I understand that it is a game of patience and strategy, where each move is a response not a reaction.  It is also rumored that President Obama plays chess in 3D.  Perhaps it is time to take a page from his playbook and stop reacting to every move and instead begin to respond in a manner that will yield the outcome we are looking for.  Otherwise, the next few years will be spent fighting battles of distractions rather than making the strategic moves to win the war.  And I'm already tired.

    
    

  • Blog post
  • 8 months ago
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• Amnau Lee Interview: The Real

  • From: E_Joyce
  • Description:

    Michelle's Controversy Swirls - Women's Wear Daily, 1-27-09

    First Lady Under Fire... - Women's Wear Daily, 1-22-09

    Michelle Obama under fire for not wearing black designer - Chicago Sun Times, 1-26-09

    Black Artists Association Co-Founder Slams Michelle Obama's "Kumbaya" Designer Picks - Huffington Post, 1-26-09

    Like most, the above headlines piqued my interest. Curious, I read the original article that launched the perceived firestorm, the Women's Wear Daily, and found myself becoming annoyed. Coincidentally, I was working on a re-write of an op-ed for a newspaper and since I wanted to include an example, this seemed to be the perfect storm. The blog attached to the Huffington Post version of the story was filled with sarcasm, anger, outrage, indignant overtures, exasperation, along with the usual suspects who hide behind their computers spewing their venomous racism.

    Who was Amnau Eele and what was this Black Artists Association anyway? Why did their point of view rate interest from WWD and the Chicago Sun Times? It didn't add up. I searched the Internet for information about this organization, asked around among visual fine artists I knew, to find out why the opinion of this particular African American organization was deemed important enough to gain attention from WWD. Could not find it, there was no 501C3 certification and they were not incorporated in the state of New York, not even a website. All of the normal trappings one expects of an organization that had the clout to gain the attention of three primary media outlets. This organization had none. Well, who was Amanu Eele? Why was her point of view attention worthy? By the Monday night, the comments online had become meaner, with some reaching self-determined conclusions, judgments of both the person and the organization, and - as happens still - with African Americans in general, since many still believe that one person speaks for all, when it comes to African America. But then there was still something that bothered me about this story. Yes, the First Lady's choice of designers is not even on the scale in comparison to the economic landslide this country was struggling to survive, along with global unrest and environmental concerns. But to me this was not so much about the players as it was about the play. As much as I could tell, this was the opinion of one person, not a celebrity, not a fashion designer, was not really a known artist. So it was really about the play, namely, the media. This is a perfect example of a false story, a term coined for stories manipulated by journalists to create controversy and outrage. Controversy has become the gold standard that today's media is mining. Controversy is rewarded by more visibility for the journalist, never mind the effect on the subject of the controversy.

    I acquired contact information for Eele, and left a message. To my surprise she called. It was Tuesday and there were new additions to the story; highlighting the fact that she had been threatened because of the story in WWD. I believe in objectivity when searching for the truth, otherwise it's harder to see when bias obstructs the view. Here is what I found: the Black Artists Association is a group of painters, none of whom are fashion designers. The group has been around since 1996 and is self supported in its mission. It is a community outreach organization that is completely focused on aiding the homeless, the underserved, the displaced and most importantly, the youth." We paint secondary artwork to pay bills or for what we do. We are simple, there is nothing to hide," said Eele. They have their own version of social enterprise, selling books and other paraphernalia throughout the day, and use the money raised to purchase Metro cards, food, whatever is needed by those they serve on the streets of New York City. "We are an underground organization and we like it that way," says Amanu. "I have had my twenty minutes of fame and I am not interested in being in the public eye." stated the former runway model. "We don't have websites, and we have no need to be a corporation. We call people when we need them to buy a coat for a person or help them get a job. I don't want anyone to ever ask what we did with their money, so we don't ask anyone for it. .I use my own money and do what I need to do to help." "I have been accosted on the street as a result of the article, which I hadn't even read," said Amnau. "People just assumed that I was disrespecting First Lady Obama and that cannot be further from the truth." "I have the utmost respect for the First Lady and all that she has accomplished. I just have the point of view that, for the young ones who are struggling to find their way, they needed to see her in support of the African American designers. They are not on the runways during fashion week. Now we deal with the young every day. I just wanted to get some attention given to the African American designers by First Lady Obama, since she is the ultimate role model right now. I don't give phone interviews, yours is one of the very few, because I would rather e-mail answers to questions and not have my words changed.' Eele continues, "It's more important to us that the truth is written and spoken. And we can use that free time to do what we do everyday, feed homeless people, pass out metro cards to them, help young kids attending schools get computers, art supplies, coats, jobs." Amnau had to leave our interview because it was time to distribute the metro cards and the line was already forming. She did want me to read the e-mails she'd sent to WWD and to the Chicago Sun Times. She said no other publication had contacted her, even though they ran stories. "You'll see that I never, ever would have disrespected First Lady Obama by saying anything like "Kumbaya" or "We Are The World" or "This was our moment." or any of those comments in Women's Wear Daily." "When I found out what the article said, I asked the writer at Women's Wear Daily, [Rosemary Feitelberg], why did she do that?" "Black Artists Association does not represent designers, we represent painters only. oil on canvas. In fact, my husband is upset with me because all of this is a distraction from our role in the community; we represent painters, not fashion designers. We help a lot of artists whose work is labeled "outsider art" to find shelter and jobs in NYC. Many of these artists are sent to HAI, an organization that helps outsider artists in NYC. We also help other artists to find work in the art world - TV and Indie film industry as art directors - set designers, prop masters etc....BAA does not speak for anyone except our organization." "First Lady Obama is not obligated to support any designer, no matter the color. "We applaud her choice of including non-African-American designers like Isabel Toledo and Jason Wu for many of her White House functions. Both are very talented designers. We also thank Ms. Toledo and Mr. Wu for booking African-American models for their runway shows before Mrs. Obama entered the White House. But as a former couture model who has watched non-black designers ignore qualified black talent for years, it's sad to see some of those same designers line up to dress the new first lady of America while many young talented black designers face losing their studios and homes. That was my point." "Now I have this interview with Nightline on ABC and heard from CNN and then I will go back to doing what we do, because we are helping people. We are not interested in any more interviews."

    Amnau invited me to come see her when I am in New York and walk with her for a day and see what she is trying to impact. Amnau became emotional, feeling overwhelmed by the increased number of homeless and displaced, wanting to provide more emotional and physical support than they are physically able to give, yet the Eeles are not deterred from trying. "I have three teeth I lost when we were in Miami helping homeless un-documented Haitian refugees, artists who hid under bridges in Miami . I was punched in the face, beaten because we were there helping them. I did not get them replaced because, for me, it is my badge of honor for what we did there." "I believe that we, my husband and I, are doing what God intended for us."

    Author's note: 'We hold as the arbiters of truth, those who have lied to us the most.' -- Dr.Amos Wilson. This story is not about the story. This is about human behavior, the media and how fiction can easily become fact if the media source is deemed credible and the subject is an unknown. Amnau Elle's life journey is an interesting one, there is certainly more to her than what most will ever hear about. What I personally took from this experience is none of us should rush to judgment and allow perceptions we are offered to replace reality, just because we think the information source can be trusted. Now, more than ever, truth has to become the new gold standard, if we are to ever affect real change.

    E. Joyce Moore is a writer and author of Ramblings Through the Attic of Thought.

  • Blog post
  • 10 months ago
  • Views: 315

• President Barack Obama: Change

  • From: E_Joyce
  • Description:

    <embed />st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

    I started this on my birthday. as  I had a tradition, over the last seven years, of writing a reflective piece to honor the experiences of the passing year and to offer homage to what the future brings.  This past year, and the year 2009 have a special significance.  We had a presidential election and for the first time I got involved, voicing my views, responding to those of others, watching how humans reacted and responded to changes in nationally held social and political paradigms and documenting it all.  I decided to walk my talk; getting involved in supporting the candidates I felt best represented my political views, who had a vision for what they wanted to accomplish, and the character, intelligence, courage and competence to achieve that vision.  My birthday, my mother’s birthday and the birth date of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is January 15^th; in fact, my mother and Dr. King were born on the same day. My mother lived in a time and place where prejudice and discrimination was the norm in the small town of Franklin, Tennessee.  I am full of excitement and great anticipation, for her as much as myself, as the inauguration of President-elect Barack Hussein Obama as the forty-fourth president of the United States is hours away. 

    I blogged and wrote articles right up to the day of the presidential election.  I was at City Hall to work the polls on Election Day, worried over the behind the scenes chaos with the absentee ballots as human behavior became a looming factor while the minutes before the closing of the polls dwindled away.  I was determined to gain the ultimate experience of that historical night, so I dragged myself downtown to the Democrat’s party here in this so-called red state.  Lo and behold, not only did this red state turn blue, I was stunned when the words flashed on the big screen and the crowd roared, as the media announced that Barack Obama would become our forty-fourth president of the United States.  I could not help but cry.

    As the months and days pass, the economy tanks, the strife between neighboring countries escalates, natural disasters continue, yet, gas prices magically drop amid all of the insanity on Wall Street and white collared crooks began to rise to the surface like cream in a bottle milked dry, a man with a plan began to gather his team, choose his plays and prepare to implement his vision of what it would take for this country to rise from the economic ashes it was mired in.  All the while, corporate media continued to beat its critical drum albeit with more covert and muted banging, and -- to its discredit -- the Republican Party did what it has always done, continuing to eat its sour grapes, while verbally cannibalizing itself.   But I was exhausted and my writing turned back to my creative self, as my book was unexpectedly picked up and published while the economy continued its freefall, taking with it the artists and art industry of all genres – from visual to literature, from film to music. Michael Anthony Brown, a native D.C. artist, was so inspired by the election of Barack Obama, he created an amazing painting that is priceless (and he is retaining) but did decide to share it with the world by reproducing it as a poster.  I saw the piece and was inspired to write his artist statement:

     Vision. Hope. Change.  Four years ago, an unassuming voice rose from obscurity to center stage of the National Democratic Convention, initiating the most incredible political journey in our nation’s history.  A ground swell of support, a monumental grassroots effort, engaged the young, not so young, men, women, even children in a national dialogue about change. 

    Barack H. Obama will become the forty-fourth President of the United States on January 20, 2009.  He will become the first American of color and African descent to attain the most powerful position in the country, transcending the myths, stereotypes, labels, and politics as usual in the process.  It is a role he does not take lightly and did not come easily.  His journey began before he was born. Thousands of steps taken through the shadows of history cleared the path Obama was destined to follow, culminating in his successful hard-fought election to an office most only dream of.  Many footsteps taken, many voices lifted, those who in their own right as ground breaking leaders, as historians, activists, artists, scientists, musicians, politicians, doctors, nurses, lawyers, ministers, housemaids, writers, and yes, community organizers who had the courage to walk their talk, who acted upon their vision and determined that they had a part to play in shaping the fabric out of which this country, our country, the United States is built.  From the life-saving heroism of Harriet Tubman, to the legal judgment of Thurgood Marshall, from the theatric voice of Paul Robeson to wordsmith Zora Neal Hurston, the dance of Twyla Tharp to the philosophy and leadership of Mahatma Ghandi, well over one hundred historical images have been artistically woven into the fabric of President Obama’s shirt and chronicled in the matting surrounding the painting.  This painting captures the demonstrated humility, integrity and heart of a man who has – as the visionary leaders preceding him – setting aside personal pursuits in sacrifice for the greater good.  And he is not alone in this sacrifice. Behind every great man there is the support of a strong and capable woman, whose greater sacrifice, along with that of family and friends demonstrates a generosity of heart and a shared vision of what can be accomplished.  Michelle Obama’s decision to support the candidacy of Barack Obama is an unsung sacrifice of great proportion.  Without her, we would not be celebrating this crossroads in U.S. history.  This work of art is a passionate delineation of history honoring our past, celebrating our future.  As a people uniting, one nation, irrevocably connected by the common crises of economic, ecological and societal devastation, working toward the common goal of resurrecting ourselves as global citizens of a diverse community, in hope of shattering the racial paradigms long held as truth,.  We each have our own journey to take, our own path to make during these challenging times.  Change is the operative action; we must begin to walk our own talk, willing to make our individual sacrifices for the common good of our families, our neighbors, our selves.  We must be realistically optimistic about what can be accomplished.  The journey will not be without challenges, neither the path nor the leader will be perfect, but with continued clarity in vision, hope in the teamed efforts made by we the people, Change will come.
    

    Change.  Change your behavior, change your paradigm, change your mind, change your actions, change the outcome, Change.  Change takes time, change takes patience, change takes effort, change takes trying, change takes setbacks, change takes you, change takes me, Change.  Here is what I know: President Barack Obama is not superman, he is human.  He is not perfect, because humans can never be perfect, but that in itself is a separate topic and I don’t want to digress.  He will not be a perfect president; there will be missteps.  To expect miracles, to expect immediate results, is setting him -- and yourself -- up for sure failure.  What we do have, can be assured of, is that he is visionary and a genuine leader.  A true leader serves, includes, directs, listens, collaborates, responds versus reacts, did I say listens, knows when to say when, knows how to say I made a mistake, now how can we resolve it?  His greatest power is in his need not to abuse it, instead he uses it to serve, lift up, empower others who thought they lacked a voice or had a choice.  He does not fear the one thing that defines long term success, yet most don’t have the courage nor the sense of self to realize: that you surround yourself with those who are more experienced, smarter, more creative, more knowledge, more strategic acumen than you do, yet share your vision – even if their concept of how to achieve that vision may differ from his.  And that concept should differ when there is a better answer to the question, a better solution to the problem.   “Yes men or women” are not necessary on the team of a real leader.  You see, a true leader does not need an echo of his own voice, he needs a team that encourages him to make the right choice.(Besides, how boring would it be, if everyone I talked to sounded just like me?)

     

    To that end, I have this to say to those insistent upon their attempts to micromanage every move that our new President takes, those who continue to believe that they are right, that there is no way that this President is the best choice for our country: If anyone has done the same comprehensive study and consideration that the team President Obama put together and comes up with a better idea, then put it on the table immediately; I am certain he will listen. If not, criticism from Congress, Right wingers,  media or any other armchair quarterbacks -- without any alternative solution -- is worthless noise. His decisions may not be perfect and please everyone, he may not move on matters as quickly as you or I would like, but we are in uncharted territory. We have two wars, a flat-lining national and global economy, fighting between other countries that will ultimately affect us, not to mention a myriad of social, environmental and human rights issues that require attention. Patience and restraint is required. I also suggest that each of us should contact those who represent us in Congress and let them know where we stand as individuals and that we expect them to voice our points of view through their votes. We do not have time to play political kid games or placate those who believe their personal position is more important than the state of our nation.  It is our individual responsibility to hold them accountable for what they do.  Because what they do – or don’t do – affects you, affects me.

    While we are waiting for change to come at the government level, we too have to put some skin in the Change game.  It would be tragic to allow that one word – change -- to become a cliché as useless as a New Year’s resolution.  One person   -- you -- can change society one step, one person, one community at a time.  You can change the paradigms within your self, your family, your school, your community, your job, your city, your state, and collectively, your, no our, nation.  We must talk less, act more.  Stop waiting for your ship to come in; figure out how to build a boat, get in it and row.  It has become the cliché to say that our children are our future.  The reality is that they are the mirror reflecting us. Kids do – and believe -- what they see.  It is one thing to tell children what to do – quite another to show them.   If you have lost your self, you cannot expect them to follow your direction to the path down which they need to go.  I/You/me have plenty to work on while we wait for change to come from the external sources.

    I/you/we have individual and collective responsibilities; if we aren’t a part of the solution, then we are indeed a part of the problem.  Small changes, big changes. Change that moves me/you/us forward, no matter what size it comes in, is growth. Collectively, all change has a big impact.  Hugging your children more, yelling at them less, teaching them the difference between breaking a rule and making a mistake – that is change.  Choosing to listen and learn who people are, rather than assuming their position in our society – that is change.  Picking up the trash on the street where you live, checking in on the elderly couple across the street – that is a change.  Become an advocate for creating neighborhood schools – that is change.    I thought about writing more, but I think that maybe less is more.  I am anxious and excited to see what change will ultimately look like four years, two years, one year, from today. Don't get it twisted. Dr. King  would agree: this is just the beginning, we are just getting started. Change is gonna come.  It’s up to us to determine how.

     

  • Blog post
  • 10 months ago
  • Views: 183

• Release: DC Artist Commemorate

  • From: E_Joyce
  • Description:

    

    It was almost incomprehensible: Barack Obama would become the forty-fourth president of the United States.  As an artist Michael Anthony Brown, a sculptor and painter, felt compelled to document this historic event in his own inimitable way: through his art. 
     
    Michael Anthony Brown, a native of Washington DC is a fine artist known for his detailed paintings and sculptures.  Brown's unique inclusion of  hidden -- usually historical or symbolic -- objects is an expected pleasure for those who have followed his artistic career and a surprise for those who are yet to discover his work.  He uses his very detailed work to reach back and draw the path journeyed through history as clearly communicated in the sculpture Call of Freedom and  the etching Stars and Stripes.  With the historic election of Barack Obama as president of the United States, Michael Anthony Brown was inspired to create a painting that commemorates the history and captures the spirit of this event.   The creator of the official poster commemorating  the  Million Man March in 1995, Brown rarely creates work that is reproduced for the general public. This poster is one of the very few works that the artist has allowed to be mass produced.     The painting, Obama Hope, incorporates over one hundred images of those whose individual and collective, historical and cultural contributions paved the way to the inauguration of Barack Obama as president of the United States. Still inspired, Brown is developing future work as a part of a series, so stay tuned. The poster is now available on the website www.obamaworks.com .For interviews or further information about the artist or the commemorative poster, contact E. Joyce Moore on 317.258.3935. 
    
    
    
     
     Artist Statement
     
    Vision. Hope. Change.  Four years ago, an unassuming voice rose from obscurity to center stage of the National Democratic Convention, initiating the most incredible political journey in our nation’s history.  A ground swell of support, a monumental grassroots effort, engaged the young, not so young, men, women, even children in a national dialogue about change. 

    Barack H. Obama will become the forty-fourth President of the United States on January 20, 2009.  He will become the first American of color and African descent to attain the most powerful position in the country, transcending the myths, stereotypes, labels, and politics as usual in the process.  It is a role he does not take lightly and did not come easily.  His journey began before he was born. Thousands of steps taken through the shadows of history cleared the path Obama was destined to follow, culminating in his successful hard-fought election to an office most only dream of.  Many footsteps taken, many voices lifted, those who in their own right as ground breaking leaders, as historians, activists, artists, scientists, musicians, politicians, doctors, nurses, lawyers, ministers, housemaids, writers, and yes, community organizers who had the courage to walk their talk, who acted upon their vision and determined that they had a part to play in shaping the fabric out of which this country, our country, the United States is built.  From the life-saving heroism of Harriet Tubman, to the legal judgment of Thurgood Marshall, from the theatric voice of Paul Robeson to wordsmith Zora Neal Hurston, the dance of Twyla Tharp to the philosophy and leadership of Mahatma Ghandi, well over one hundred historical images have been artistically woven into the fabric of President Obama’s shirt and chronicled in the matting surrounding the painting.  This painting captures the demonstrated humility, integrity and heart of a man who has – as the visionary leaders preceding him – setting aside personal pursuits in sacrifice for the greater good.  And he is not alone in this sacrifice. Behind every great man there is the support of a strong and capable woman, whose greater sacrifice, along with that of family and friends demonstrates a generosity of heart and a shared vision of what can be accomplished.  Michelle Obama’s decision to support the candidacy of Barack Obama is an unsung sacrifice of great proportion.  Without her, we would not be celebrating this crossroads in U.S. history.  This work of art is a passionate delineation of history honoring our past, celebrating our future.  As a people uniting, one nation, irrevocably connected by the common crises of economic, ecological and societal devastation, working toward the common goal of resurrecting ourselves as global citizens of a diverse community, in hope of shattering the racial paradigms long held as truth,.  We each have our own journey to take, our own path to make during these challenging times.  Change is the operative action; we must begin to walk our own talk, willing to make our individual sacrifices for the common good of our families, our neighbors, our selves.  We must be realistically optimistic about what can be accomplished.  The journey will not be without challenges, neither the path nor the leader will be perfect, but with continued clarity in vision, hope in the teamed efforts made by we the people, Change will come.
  • Blog post
  • 10 months ago
  • Views: 239
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• Grandparents Rights?

  • From: Seeking_Solutions2
  • Description:

    I am in need of advise and direction. I reside in Illinois. I married my dear husband early 2007. My mother does not like my husband and did not approve of my marraige. Consequently, I have now been in court with her for almsot 2 years. She is trying to take my children from me. I am 30 years old, in school and have held a professional job for almost 10 years. My husband is 40, self employed very involved in various community organizations and a good family man. She is manipulating the courts and they are just prolonging this. I thought that it would end on its own. It has not and this has become to much for my husband and I. She is tainting his image which was founded many years before I came into the picture. As we all know, a positive image can be difficult to build but easily destroyed. I am now at the point that I feel that I need to contact ABC, NBC, CBS, the Suntimes, and the Tribune. An additional problem is that my story is yet another example of the breakdown of the family structure due to nonsense. This is rediculous. Has anyone finally defined Grandparents rights? Have we come to a point where the court system can tell a parent, that has been proven to be of sound mind, when and how often to send their children around the maternal or paternal grandparents? My husband and I have a Middle-Class family and lifestyle and it is getting harder and harder to maintain. These court fees and costs are financially straining on us, to put it lightly. Does anyone know if there is an agency or someone that can guide me to get this case closed? The case is located in Cook County, Illinois. I beg of you please help me. This is my first attempt to reach out and I really don't know where to go.

  • Blog post
  • 10 months ago
  • Views: 74
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• What's up with all these unjus

  • From: Mysterj
  • Description:

    Wow...

    What's up with this rash of  unjust Renegade police shootings???   It is the third time in less than two months where a police officer has  shot an unarmed black man in the back...   What's up with that???

    I have the lone wolf writing about the thankgiving day shooting of  "K-Roc" here in Fayetteville NC...  Now it seems that there is a rash of them taking place around the country...  Something must be done about these Renegade Police taking the law into their own hands...   I received this email from a friend of mine who also has had enough and is reaching out to one of the most popular radio talk show host in the nation... 

    Check out what she said:

    "Tom, I was listening to your show this morning, 1/7/09, when I heard you talking about the 23 year old man who was shot by police, in his drive-way on New Years. I don’t want to be on the radio but I think what I have to say is important enough to be heard, and hopefully you will speak out on this family’s tragedy on your show as well.  On Thanksgiving Day another young black man, Kenmara Davis, 26 years old, student due to graduate 12/08 from Fayetteville State University, with a 3.8 GPA, was shot in the back by a Fayetteville police officer, and no one seems to care. There was an eye-witness who stated he was standing there watching but the officer  order him to go into his house, which he refused. The witness stated the officer said Davis had a gun, but the witness stated Davis had his hands in the air at the time he was shot in the back. He (witness) also informed the family he was taken down town, questioned by police, who tried to convince him to change his story.  There has been only one Blogger, culturallyconscious.wordpress.com, writing on the tragedy since the day it happen, and nothing is being done about this. The officer has been envolved in other shooting/ killing during his career, and yet this continues. There have been attempts, to contact Civil right leaders, and other radio talk show host, but in my opinion, that since this event has had very little media coverage they are not interested nor do they care. It is all about where they can get the most exposure to the public.  Tom I hope after reading this you will at least mention this incident on your show, just to bring awareness to this little bedroom community that is still under a slave mentally, so to get the full story log on culturallyconscious.wordpress.com. "    

     

    So Tom (and all the rest of the black radio host who are now our new civil rights mouthpieces) what you going to do to bring awareness to what this tragic shooting and the rest... 

    Need I say more???  I did not think so...

    "Obama: What's up with all these Unjust Police Shootings around the nation???"

  • Blog post
  • 10 months ago
  • Views: 275
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• Unhappy Holidays...HELP !!!

  • From: QueenSister
  • Description:

    Due to the Intentional Infliction of Endangerment created by Illinois National & State Government, District Representatives, City of Chicago Mayor & Local Officials Formulated by Gentrification Experimentation for Systematic Victimization. Methodology: Crime by Design, Creating Victims for the System. 

    The Chicagoland Roseland Community, is Deteriorating due to Degenerating Conditions that are visibly prevalent factors conducive to IL. Health, transmission of disease, infant mortality, sexual misconduct, suicide, poverty, crime, police corruption, brutality & MURDER…

    Illinois National & State Government, District Representatives, City of Chicago Mayor & Local Officials… Villagers, NO LOVE LOCK-OUT Kicked to the Curb to be LOCKED UP & On to the Mean Streets of the Murder Capital of the World to … DIE !

    Resulting in an IL. De-humanizing State of Non-productiveness.
    And, with the assistance of Dr. Gary “Ceasefire” Sulkin, UIC. It’s Scientific! African Culture is the Foundation of Black Pride which appears to be forbidden in African American Villages throughout the United States of America, the Incarceration Nation of the Whole Wide World.

    We the People, of the Village… Function in the capacity of Culture our soul purpose for existence is to be of assistance. In our endeavors and meeting the needs of the less fortunate, individuals whose needs would otherwise go unmet.

    1. Whereas the Village Roseland Community has become home to 15,000 of the 30,000+ Inmates released into 2008 General Population by IL. Dept. of Corrections.

    2. Whereas, the Village Roseland Community House 300 Sex Offenders, more Predators, Pedophiles & Child Murderers than any of the 77 Chicago-land Communities.

    3. Whereas, the Village Roseland Community has become the Killing Field for approx. 50% of the 2008 Chicago 300+ Homicides, as Criminal & Poverty Stats increase. 15 year olds squeeze triggers of guns for fun, forbidden to express their Inner Creative Ability, hold the handle of a hammer or feel the thrill of a drill.

    4. Whereas, the Village Roseland Community Percy L. Julian High School has more Students appearing on the Chicago Public Schools Murdered Victims Student Roster than any of Chicago Public High Schools.

    5. Whereas, in the Village Roseland Community, Is home to more than 600 faith based facilities. And, there is not 1 facility that reflecting African Culture representing the Chicago’s Roseland Community. Where there is no pride, there is shame.

    25 National Violence Prevention Orgs, & 13 IL. Violence Prevention Orgs,

    Local Organizations: Ceasefire, Safety Net, Chicago Area Project, CAPS, LISC, Safer Foundation, Mac Arthur Foundation & More …

    Billions of Dollars Granted for Research to Detect & Dissect. Negroes, Blackfolk, African Americans, & People of Color by Sex, Age, Class, Demographic etc. And, Psychologist & Behavior Scientist have yet to determine the Diagnosis; the Root of the Historic Problem is Cultural. Black Pride is denied. Educated Scholars or Educated Fools?

    We the People, of the Village… Identify the factors jeopardizing our community stability & future security placing our Youth at Risk of delinquency / destruction & citizens in danger. The elimination of degenerating, deteriorating, dehumanizing conditions begins in the

    “VILLAGE” Cultural Creative Cntr. 10456 S. Halsted St. Chicago IL.

    For the purpose of Implementing Strategies, Obtainable Goals, Comprehensive Delinquency Prevention Plan & Programs. Providing options, opportunities & alternatives to Community Crisis, Urban Issues, Combating Territorial Warfare, Uncivilized Barbaric Behavior & Homicide. Decreasing the recidivism statistics of African Americans within the Juvenile Justice System & Dept of Corrections. Producing, productive citizens of society. We the People, of the Village… Citizens of Chicago in State of Illinois has concluded the provisions, rehabilitation & restoration needed for the

    “VILLAGE” Cultural Creative Cntr. 10456 S. Halsted St. is in the best interest of health, morals, safety & welfare of the Villagers in the Chicagoland Roseland Community.

    We the People, of the Village… located in the Roseland Community, Chicago… Publicly Charge: Our Illinois National, State, Local Officials & District Representatives with Accessory to Murder!

    U.S. President Elect Barack Obama 312 886 3506

    IL. Governor Rod Blagojevich 217 782 6830 U.S.

    IL. Senator Richard J. Durbin 312 353-0150

    IL. 2nd Dist. Cong. Jesse Jackson Jr. 708.798.6000

    IL.14th Dist. Sen. Emil Jones Jr. 217.782.2728

    IL. 28th Dist. Rep. Robert Rita 217.558.1000

    5th Dist. Ck Cnty. Comm. Deborah Sims 312.603.6381

    Mayor Richard Daley 312.744.3300

    34th Ward Ald. Carrie Austin 312.744.5663

    THEY CANNOT WALK THE STREETS WITHOUT AN ENTOURAGE, PRESS or PAPARAZZI!

    PLEASE CONTACT LISTED INDIVIDUALS IN SUPPORT OF THE VILLAGE CULTURAL CREATIVE CENTER 10456 S. HALSTED CHICAGO We the People of the Village… Summons your attention to our present conditions; requesting your undivided attention in hope of you recognizing the urgency of the moment, whereas time is of the essence. Your expeditious assistance, support, reply or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. The Healing Begin. . . Within!

    Queen Sister It Takes a Village, Org. P.O. BOX 288244 CHICAGO, IL. 60628

    The Murder Capital of the World.
  • Blog post
  • 11 months ago
  • Views: 161
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• A Black Attorney General Maybe

  • From: starchild50
  • Description:

    Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

    Daily Cartoon

    (click here to view)

    David Horsey Seattle Post-Intelligencer Nov 18, 2008 EditorialCartoonists.com

    ********************

    Obama names first African-American attorney general-maybe...

    

    President-elect Barack Obama plans to tap longtime lawyer Eric Holder to be attorney general, which would making him the first African-American ever in the post, according to several reports Tuesday.
    
    Holder, who served as deputy attorney general under former president Bill Clinton, will head the Justice Department, reported Newsweek magazine's Michael Isikoff, citing legal sources close to the presidential transition.

    Read More Here: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Obama_names_first_AfricanAmerican_attorney_general_1118.html

    And Here: http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/poweringup/archive/2008/11/18/obama-s-attorney-general.aspx

    Watch Video Here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27792403#27792403

    ********************

    Obama girls get to see their new White House rooms

    By LISA TOLIN

    AP – President-elect Obama, center, drops his daughters Malia, left, and Sasha, off at school in Chicago, … WASHINGTON – Malia and Sasha Obama got a tour of their new White House digs from Jenna and Barbara Bush on Tuesday and checked out potential schools, capping a busy few days looking into their new life in the nation's capital.

    President George W. Bush's twin daughters showed their rooms to Sasha, 7, and Malia, 10, as they toured the residential areas of the White House with their mother at the invitation of first lady Laura Bush. The Obamas spent about an hour at the mansion, said Sally McDonough, a spokeswoman for Laura Bush.

    Mrs. Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, was also with the group.

    Watch Video Here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081119/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_schools

    ********************

    Vice President Cheney and former Attorney General Gonzales indicted

    A South Texas grand jury has returned multi-count indictments against Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on charges related to the alleged abuse of prisoners in Willacy County’s federal detention centers

    Watch Video Here: http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/dick-cheney-indicted-tx

    Read More Here: http://thinkprogress.org/2008/11/18/cheney-gonzo-indicted/

    *********************

    U.S. admits it held 12 juveniles at Guantanamo

    The government revises its count, up from eight reported in May to U.N.

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The U.S. has revised its count of juveniles ever held at Guantanamo Bay to 12, up from the eight it reported in May to the United Nations, a Pentagon spokesman said Sunday.

    The government has provided a corrected report to the U.N. committee on child rights, according to Navy Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon. He said the U.S. did not intentionally misrepresent the number of detainees taken to the isolated Navy base in southeast Cuba before turning 18.

    "As we noted to the committee, it remains uncertain the exact age of many of the juveniles held at Guantanamo, as most of them did not know their own date of birth or even the year in which they were born," he said.

    Read More Here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27754942/

    Watch Slideshow Here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21135124/displaymode/1107/s/2/

    ********************

    Perino: ‘We Did Not Torture’

    The Bush administration repeatedly insists that it does not practice torture: “We do not torture,” President Bush declared in 2005. The U.S. “is not torturing any detainees,” White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said last April. Dismissing a Red Cross report describing interrogation techniques that were “tantamount to torture,” Bush proclaimed last year, “Haven’t seen it, we don’t torture.”

    Today, Perino took the Bush administration’s torture denials to a new level when she insisted that it had never engaged in torture:

    PERINO: This president has said that we did interrogate terrorists, and we did so to protect the country from possible imminent terrorist attack.

    We did not torture.

    Watch Video Here: http://thinkprogress.org/2008/11/18/perino-bush-didnt-torture/

    ********************

    ACLU suit alleges U.S. used foreign nations to hold terror suspects without charges.

    The ACLU is today filing a suit alleging that the Bush administration has asked other nations to hold terrorism suspects whom the U.S. had not yet charged. The ACLU cites the case of Naji Hamdan, an American Muslim, who has been held for nearly three months in the United Arab Emirates “without charges, access to a lawyer or contact with his family.” Said an ACLU spokesperson:

    Read More Here: http://thinkprogress.org/2008/11/18/aclu-torture/

    ********************

    Project Censored's Top 25 Stories You Won't Hear From The Media

    By Nicole Belle

    It's been out for a while, but still cannot be mentioned enough. Project Censored, a media research and analysis group based at California's Sonoma State University has released the 25 Most Important Stories that are completely ignored by the mainstream media. They are:

    #1. Over One Million Iraqi Deaths Caused by US Occupation
    # 2 Security and Prosperity Partnership: Militarized NAFTA
    # 3 InfraGard: The FBI Deputizes Business
    # 4 ILEA: Is the US Restarting Dirty Wars in Latin America?
    # 5 Seizing War Protesters’ Assets
    # 6 The Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act
    # 7 Guest Workers Inc.: Fraud and Human Trafficking
    # 8 Executive Orders Can Be Changed Secretly
    # 9 Iraq and Afghanistan Vets Testify
    # 10 APA Complicit in CIA Torture
    # 11 El Salvador’s Water Privatization and the Global War on Terror
    # 12 Bush Profiteers Collect Billions From No Child Left Behind
    # 13 Tracking Billions of Dollars Lost in Iraq
    # 14 Mainstreaming Nuclear Waste
    # 15 Worldwide Slavery
    # 16 Annual Survey on Trade Union Rights
    # 17 UN’s Empty Declaration of Indigenous Rights
    # 18 Cruelty and Death in Juvenile Detention Centers
    # 19 Indigenous Herders and Small Farmers Fight Livestock Extinction
    # 20 Marijuana Arrests Set New Record
    # 21 NATO Considers “First Strike” Nuclear Option
    # 22 CARE Rejects US Food Aid
    # 23 FDA Complicit in Pushing Pharmaceutical Drugs
    # 24 Japan Questions 9/11 and the Global War on Terror
    # 25 Bush’s Real Problem with Eliot Spitzer

    My local Air America station (San Francisco's Green960) is working with Project Censored to cover these stories in a continuing series. You can listen to their coverage of the #25 story on Spitzer now, and check back for updates of other stories.

    ******************

    Lawyer: Michael Jackson may be too sick to travel

    By RAPHAEL G. SATTER

    LONDON (AP) -- Michael Jackson might be too sick to travel to London to testify in a suit claiming he owes an Arab sheik $7 million, the pop star's attorney said Tuesday.

    Jackson is seeking to give his testimony by video link from the United States.

    "It would be unwise for him to travel, given what's he's got now," lawyer Robert Englehart said, declining to elaborate "for the obvious reasons."

    A lawyer for Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa said the medical evidence presented by Jackson's legal team was unsatisfactory.

    "It's not the first time a sick note has been presented by Mr. Jackson," the lawyer, Bankim Thanki said. He gave no precise indication of what the illness might be, but told the court that Jackson's condition could be treated with a bandage "if the diagnosis is positive

    *******************

    E.D. Hill To Leave Fox News Channel

    Huffington Post via TVNewser

    TV Newser has learned that Fox News anchor E.D. Hill is leaving the channel after her contract was not renewed:

    TVNewser has learned veteran Fox News Channel anchor E.D. Hill will not be renewed when her current contract expires. Hill, who has been with Fox News for more than 10 years, will continue with the network for the next few months until her current deal expires.

    
    SVP of Programming Bill Shine tells TVNewser that he "chose not to renew E.D.'s latest contract" but noted that "Hill has been a valued contributor to the success of FNC over the years, and we wish her all the best."

    Hill gained notoriety several months ago when she referred to the "pound," "fist bump," or whatever you want to call the handshake that Barack Obama exchanged with his wife Michelle as a "terrorist fist jab."

    Watch Video Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_vmQrTi3aM&feature=related

    *******************

    Obama means change for NBC TV

    Network makes 'Friends With Black People'

    Mara Brock Akil

    President-elect Barack Obama is already bringing about change -- to the world of network TV development, at least.

    NBC is developing a comedy based on the book "Making Friends With Black People," a buddy comedy that will focus on the state of race relations in the U.S.

    Show isn't specifically about Obama's rise as the nation's first African-American president -- but "Making Friends" hopes to capitalize on how Obama's success has changed the nation's dialogue on race.

    "From time to time, race bubbles up in the consciousness of the country and then dissipates," said "Making Friends" author Nick Adams. "Now, with Obama, people are talking about race a lot more. We hope to capitalize on that and not let the dialogue die down. ... It seemed like a good opportunity to strike while the iron is hot."

    "The Game" exec producers Mara Brock Akil (who also created "Girlfriends") and Salim Akil will write the script and serve as exec producers on the project.

    Read More Here: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117996036.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&nid=2562

     

    *******************

    'Nutty Professor' may rise again

    An open call is out for writes for another installment

    By Steven Zeitchik

    Will Universal and Imagine Entertainment get nutty again?
    
    The studio and production company are in the early stages of developing a new "Nutty Professor" movie, in what would be the third installment of the remake of the 1963 Jerry Lewis vehicle. An open call is out to writers for their take on a potential third entry.
    
    Although it has been eight years since the last "Nutty" came out, executives are interested in a new version that would follow "The Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps."
    
    Like "The Nutty Professor," "Klumps" focused on Sherman Klump, a portly, gentle scientist (Eddie Murphy) who turns obnoxious after trying one of his own cures. In the second film, which expanded to include more of Klump's family members (many also played by Murphy), it was eternal youth that Klump sought.
    
    The sequel to 1996's "The Nutty Professor," "Klumps" had a less corpulent boxoffice gross than its predecessor, earning $162 million worldwide vs. the $270 million of the first installment.
    
    Still, the franchise has proved profitable, and a third installment could prove attractive for Universal, which like other studios has been relying increasingly on established brands.
    
    Murphy is not attached to a new "Nutty"; his involvement would be contingent on the writer, director and other elements. Murphy's comic versatility was seen as key to the success of the two "Nutty" movies, and it seems unlikely that a third installment could go forward without him.

    ******************

    Can Mall Be Filled For an Inauguration? 4 Million May Try It.

    By Nikita Stewart and Michael E. Ruane

    Washington Post Staff Writers

    District and federal officials are preparing for as many as 4 million people for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, a crowd that would be three or four times larger than previous big events on the Mall.

    Only a fraction of those people will be close enough to get a good look at the action. But officials are planning extra JumboTrons at the Mall and along the inaugural parade route so that spectators can feel a part of the historic day.

    "The Mall actually may be the best seat in the house. . . . It'll kind of be like the world's biggest stage and auditorium on January 20th," said Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D), adding that the crowd projections have emerged in briefings conducted by federal and local officials.

    Read More and Watch Video Here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/11/18/ST2008111800082.html

    ***********************

    Protesters say racism is behind Texas dragging death

    David Edwards and Muriel Kane

    A killing originally considered an accident and then prosecuted as murder is now being described as a hate crime by protesters, who rallied on Monday outside the Lamar County, Texas courthouse to demand justice.
    
    In September, the mutilated and dismembered body of Brandon McClelland was found lying in the middle of a road near Paris, TX. His death was at first thought to be the result of a hit-and-run accident, but later two men who had been seen picking up McClelland in their pickup truck earlier that day were arrested for his murder, and it was revealed that McClelland had been dragged for seventy feet under the pickup.
    
    Although McClelland was black and his killers white, the three men were known to be friends, and the Lamar County district attorney and police investigators insist that the murder simply grew out of an argument. District Attorney Gary Young stated in September, "There is no indication at this time that this is a racially motivated crime, but rest assured, it will be dealt with accordingly if that becomes an issue."

    Read More and Watch Video Here: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Protesters_say_racism_behind_Texas_dragging_1118.html
    

    ***********************

    Union President, Obama Worker Admits To Racial Slur Against President-Elect

    By Erik Bilstad and Jay Sorgi

    Firefighter's union members are calling for a high profile firefighter to resign for allegedly using a racial slur against President-elect Barack Obama.

    Joe Conway, the president of PFFW Local 311 in Madison, told the Journal Sentinel that union president Rick Gale admitted to using the "n-word" the day after the election.

    Gale, who is white, worked on the Obama campaign in Wisconsin.

    A memo from the PFFW executive board to its members states that he made the comment on Nov. 5 while he was with several union board members while watching a report on Obama's election.

    He agreed that he would write an apology to union members for the comment.  He will also have to undergo counseling.

    Watch Video Here: http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/34635399.html

    ****************************

    Comparing Obama to Hitler on Rightwing Radio

    Anomalos Publishing, a company that puts out conservative and Christian works and describes itself as "created for authors who...have a talent for writing but have not found a publisher," has announced that one of its authors will appear on rightwinger Michael Savage's nationally syndicated radio show to compare Barack Obama to Adolph Hitler. From the press release:

    Nationally-syndicated talk show host Michael Savage is set to interview former German member of the Hitler Youth, Hilmar von Campe this Tuesday, November 18.

    The program will focus on similarities, which von Campe sees between the rise of totalitarianism under Hitler and the current social and political trends inside the United States.

    "Every day brings this nation closer to a Nazi-style totalitarian abyss," writes von Campe, now a U.S. citizen, and author of "Defeating the Totalitarian Lie: A Former Hitler Youth Warns America."

    "Today in America we are witnessing a repeat performance of the tragedy of 1933 when an entire nation let itself be led like a lamb to the Socialist slaughterhouse. This time, the end of freedom is inevitable unless America rises to her mission and destiny."

    Hilmar points to events surrounding the election of Barack Hussein Obama as reminiscent of the way the Nazi regime came to power.

    
    Read More Here: http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2008/11/10923_obama_hitler_von_campe_savage_radio.html

    ***************************

    Major recall on Lean Cuisine frozen dinners

    

    WASHINGTON, DC -- Nestlé has recalled over 879,000 pounds of frozen chicken meals after pieces of hard plastic were found in several of the products.
    
    The company received several complaints after finding pieces of hard plastic inside of their frozen chicken meals, according to the USDA. One person was reported injured.

    Read More Here: http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=2bd7f9de-5b96-4a5a-802e-f6f3a24b51e9&Yuck

    ******************************

    Tainted meats point to superbug C. diff in food

    Study finds gut germ in 40 percent of grocery meats; CDC says not to worry

    By JoNel Aleccia
    Health writer
    msnbc.com
    
    
    A potentially deadly intestinal germ increasingly found in hospitals is also showing up in a more unsavory setting: grocery store meats.

    More than 40 percent of packaged meats sampled from three Arizona chain stores tested positive for Clostridium difficile, a gut bug known as C. diff., according to newly complete analysis of 2006 data collected by a University of Arizona scientist.

    Nearly 30 percent of the contaminated samples of ground beef, pork and turkey and ready-to-eat meats like summer sausage were identical or closely related to a super-toxic strain of C. diff blamed for growing rates of illness and death in the U.S. — raising the possibility that the bacterial infections may be transmitted through food.
    
    
    Read More Here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27774614/
    
    
    ********************************

    As children starve, world struggles for solution

    By John Blake
    CNN

    (CNN) -- Some mothers choose what their children will eat. Others choose which children will eat and which will die.
    

    Those mothers forced to make the grim life-or-death choices are the impoverished women Patricia Wolff, executive director of Meds & Food for Kids, encounters during her frequent trips to Haiti.

    Wolff says Haitians are so desperate for food that many mothers wait to name their newborns because so many infants die of malnourishment. Other Haitian mothers keep their children alive by parceling out food to them, but some make an excruciating choice when their food rationing fails, she says.

    "It's horrible. They have to choose among their children," says Wolff, whose nonprofit group was formed to fight childhood malnutrition. "They try to keep them alive by feeding them, but sometimes they make the decision that this one has to go."

    The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. declared in his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech that "I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies." Four decades later, King's wish remains unfulfilled. The global food market's shelves are getting bare, hunger activists say -- and it will get worse.

    Read More Here: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/17/hunger.week/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

    **********************************

    Woman who stabbed 5 after football game in custody

    Clever detectives believe there may have been some anger between a 21 year old girl and the 5 people she stabbed

    STUART, Fla. (AP) -- A 21-year-old woman is in custody after authorities say she stabbed five people during a fight at a high school football game.

    Melanie Vanessa Mitchell was charged Monday with aggravated battery with a weapon, and is being held on $10,000 bond. More charges are expected.

    Friday night's fight at Martin County High School occurred during a game between longtime rival South Fork High School. One person involved in the fight was Tasered by a deputy.

    Detectives believe a rivalry existed between those involved in the stabbings. None of the injuries were life threatening. South Fork beat Martin County 35-10.

    Mitchell's mother, Gloria Mitchell, said her daughter was defending herself from about 30 other girls who were beating her.

    **********************************

     

     

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  • 1 year ago
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• Racial Incidents and Threats A

  • From: pinkiehot52
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    Since election day, the number of threats against the president-elect, and racial or violent incidents directed at his supporters, have soared. The Secret Service is concerned, calling it the highest number of threats against a President-elect in memory, but the national media until this weekend have largely ignored the disturbing pattern. So a few days ago, over at the Editor & Publisher site, we started chronicling the incidents, which has drawn wide attention (so we will continue, though we hope the problem subsides).

    Some claim that, given the size of this great country of ours, the incidents don't amount to much or are merely anecdotal. I would argue: The ones we know about may represent only the tip of the iceberg -- the ones that make it into the local press. And, yes, they may die down as the country gets used to the idea of a President Obama. On the other hand: They could soar again as that reality nears.

    So let me just briefly list the full range of episodes, which doesn't even include several cross burnings on front lawns. These aren't necessarily the worst but they do capture the national flavor/fever. Note that about 2 out of 3 took place in states that Obama won.

    * In a Maine convenience store, an Associated Press reporter saw a sign inviting customers to join a betting pool on when Obama might fall victim to an assassin. The sign solicited $1 entries into "The Osama Obama Shotgun Pool," saying the money would go to the person picking the date closest to when Obama was attacked. "Let's hope we have a winner."

    * In Idaho, the Secret Service is investigating a "public hanging" sign erected by a man upset with the election outcome, the Bonner County Daily Bee reported Thursday. A handmade sign posted on a tree reads "FREE PUBLIC HANGING" written in large letters beneath a noose fashioned from nylon rope. The most prominent name on the sign is "OBAMA," according to the Bee. "That's a political statement. They can call it whatever they want, a threat or whatever," the creator of the sign, Ken Germana, told the Bee.

    * A popular white supremacist Web sites got more than 2,000 new members the day after the election, compared with 91 new members on Election Day. The site, stormfront.org, was temporarily off-line on Nov. 5 because of the overwhelming amount of activity it received. One poster, identified as Dalderian Germanicus, of North Las Vegas, said, "I want the SOB laid out in a box to see how 'messiahs' come to rest."

    * From the Orange County (Ca.) Register: "Two gang members pleaded not guilty Thursday to hate crime and attempted robbery charges in connection with the beating of a black man who was trying to buy cigarettes at a Fullerton liquor store." The two men shouted racial and anti-Obama epithets in the attack.

    * From today's New York Times: "Two white Staten Island men face hate crimes charges after they were arrested on Friday in the beating of a black teenager on the night that Barack Obama was elected president, the police said on Saturday. The teenager, Alie Kamara, 17, was walking home on Pine Place in the Staten Island neighborhood of Stapleton when several men hit him on the head with a baseball bat and yelled 'Obama,' said Aliya Latif, the civil rights director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, who was in contact with Alie's family since the attack and spoke to his mother on Saturday after the arrests were announced."

    * In Mississippi alone, the American Civil Liberties Union has received more than 10 calls since the staff first reported anti-Obama incidents last Friday, according to the Jackson (Miss.) Free Press.

    * In Midland, Mich., a man dressed in full Ku Klux Klan regalia walked around toting a handgun and waving an American flag. Initially denying it, the man eventually admitted to police that the display was a reaction to the Obama victory. "[The man] had a concealed weapon permit and was walking up and down the sidewalk in front of a vehicle dealership while some motorists shouted obscenities at him and others shouted accolades," police told The Saginaw News.

    * Parents in Rexburg, Idaho, contacted school officials this week after they learned that 2nd and 3rd graders on a school bus were chanting, "Assasssinate Obama!"

    * At the University of Texas in Austin, a racist post on Facebook has cost one student his place on the university football team, according to the Houston Chronicle. Buck Burnette, a sophomore offensive lineman for the fourth-ranked Texas Longhorns, was dismissed from the team on Nov. 5 after posting a racist remark about President-elect Obama as his "status" on the social networking Web site. Burnette posted: "All the hunters gather up, we have a [slur] in the White House," the Chronicle reported.

    * AP reports: "While the world watched a Grant Park celebration heralding the election of the first black U.S. president, some white Chicago police officers committed hate crimes against black residents cheering Barack Obama's victory elsewhere in the city, attorneys alleged Thursday." Lawsuits have been filed.

    * At Appalachian State University, the administration has expressed disappointment at the numerous times black students have expressed being harassed in residence halls since the election. The Appalachian, a student newspaper serving the university, also reported conversations suggesting Obama may not be alive in 2009 and a t-shirt seen around campus that reads "Obama '08, Biden '09."

    * Mentioned in the same article, racist comments were discovered at North Carolina State University last week. Spray-painted in university's free expression tunnel after the election were the phrases, "Kill that n..." and "Shoot Obama," the Appalachian reported. The NAACP has called for the expulsion of the four students accused of the graffitti, the Associated Press reported Thursday.

    * The Associated Press revealed on Wednesday, "Police on eastern Long Island are investigating reports that more than a dozen cars were spray painted with racist graffiti, reportedly including a message targeting President-elect Barack Obama. The graffiti included racist slurs and sexually graphic references. At least one resident in the quiet Mastic neighborhood told Newsday her son's car was scribbled with a message threatening to kill Obama."

    * Employees at Hampel's Key and Lockshop in Traverse City, Michigan, flew an American flag upside down last Wednesday protesting of the new president-elect, the Traverse City Record-Eagle reported. One worker used a racial slur during an interview with the Record-Eagle: "(The inverted flag is) an international signal for distress and we feel our country is in distress because the n----- got in," said Hampel's employee Rod Nyland, who later apologized for the comment, according to the Record-Eagle.

    * Authorities in Temecula, Calif., found spray-painted graffiti on a city sidewalk containing a swastika and anti-Obama slogan. And from the Los Angeles Times: "Vandals spray-painted swastikas and racial slurs on a house and several cars in Torrance that displayed campaign signs or bumper stickers for President-elect Barack Obama, authorities said Tuesday. The incidents occurred Saturday night in the Hollywood Riviera section of the city, said Sgt. Bernard Anderson. Four separate incidents were reported the next day, he said. No arrests have been made."

    * And from Maine: "More than 75 people rallied Sunday against an incident last week in which black figures were hanged by nooses from trees on Mount Desert Island the day after Barack Obama won the presidential election," according to the Bangor Daily News.

    Related:
    Obama Victory Triggers Racist Backlash: At Least 200 Incidents Reported

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