Several groups will be in Washington for commemoration of this very historic American event. The groups include Celebrate the Dream, an organization whose name comes from a reference made in the King speech given in 1963 about his hope for his native land;

“Celebrate the Dream is sponsored by ONE DC, EmpowerDC, Campaign for America’s Future, New Organizing Institute, National Organizer’s Alliance, Media Matters, Americans for American Values, and Jewish Funds for Justice. Further support is provided by the Arca Foundation, the CrossCurrents Foundation, and the Program on Inequality and Common Good, a project at the Institute for Policy Studies and the fiscal sponsor for this event. All donations are tax-deductible.”~from Celebrate The Dream’s web site 

as well as The Other 98 %. The Other 98 % name refers to what is left after the Elite 2 percent of the tax paying population is subtracted from the 100 percent of the citizens who work and pay taxes to support this nation.

“On Tax Day, 2010, we went head to head with the Tea Party armed with two huge banners, one overlooked fact, and a simple message: yes there’s a reason to be angry, but it’s not because some immigrant is sneaking across the border in search of “entitlements” or some “lazy” inner-city family supposedly cheating on their taxes and leaving you holding the bill. It’s because the Elite 2% have rigged the system and aren’t paying their fair share.”~from The Other 98 % web site History page

We believe it is not by coincidence a self professed rodeo clown will be holding an event purported to be a celebration of the late, highly venerated Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.,  the site of Dr. King’s most famous speech.

We’ve been surfing the Internet to read the views of many different people in the United States, some who were alive in 1963, some who attended the event in 1963, and others who weren’t even a gleam in their parents’ eyes during one of the shameful periods in our United States history.

During one of our surfing expeditions we found a chart which shows an interesting comparison, a kind of then and now.  It’s a simplification of the vast differences between the world renowned well-educated philosopher, Baptist preacher, Civil Rights activist, best known for being an advocate of non-violent protests; and the bufoon, who like Bud Schulberg’s creation,  Larry ”Lonesome” Rhodes, a character from the classic 1957 film “A Face In The Crowd” is, in the everyday parlance,  the embodiment of  “ just a lucky bum” with a scheme to fill his personal coffers with lots of cash fleeced from the uninformed and bigoted sheeple who follow him on Fox News – the news network owned in part by Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who we know for sure funds terrorist groups in the Middle East via his Kingdom Foundation.

In our opinion Martin Luther King, Jr. was so hugely dynamic and important a figure in the history of our nation even a rodeo clown, and the rodeo owner, are compelled to give him his props.

Since we, as a nation of people of varied races, are not over the subject of race in this country, despite the media telling us we’re living in the “era of Obama” which in some circles is coming to be known as a “ post race era”, we think it’s appropriate  all the hoopla cum nonsense take place prior to and on this the 47th anniversary of Americans sincerely coming together under the leadership of a black man, to demonstrate to our government leaders our desire to make our nation better. We are after all still a nation for, of and by the people, regardless of what the pundits and politicians are telling those of us who still watch, read and listen to them blather on about who deserves to be a citizen of this new way of living

We’re looking forward to a celebration in three years that will exhibit the progress we’ve made toward fulfilling the hopes and desires of all our citizens.

Despite all the news of new financial regulations, read that as toothless, benign and ineffectual to protect the public from the sordid practices of the cagey banksters, according to this exclusive article in the current issue of Mother Jones magazine, the government agencies, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae along with the bailed out financial institutions are helping the hundreds of law firms around the country known as foreclosure mills, force people out of their homes.  We know of one firm that does 30 thousand foreclosures a year.

Many who are being displaced are being wrongfully removed. Documents are being falsified by unethical legal representatives; judges are so overwhelmed by the number of foreclosure cases there is no time for judicial checks to verify the evidence presented is accurate.

If the name of the homeowner in default is similar to yours, even though you have no loan with the same bank or even if you do, and your mortgage payments are up to date or your home is paid off, you could be in for a world of trouble; it may be as troublesome as having your identity stolen. We’ve all heard what a monumental inconvenience that experience can be. Erroneous information of this type once sent to credit bureaus is real tough to have removed. It can be done. It just takes a long time. Read here for more details of how the government and the bankers are pushing citizens out of their homes.

In remembrance of our declaration of independence from British tyranny, we present a musical treat from our favorite group of  six talented men.. Take 6, their rendition of our National Anthem, the Star Spangled Banner…

“* Workingmen to Arms!
* War to the Palace, Peace to the Cottage, and Death to LUXURIOUS IDLENESS.
* The wage system is the only cause of the World’s misery. It is supported by the rich classes, and to destroy it, they must be either made to work or DIE.
* One pound of DYNAMITE is better than a bushel of BALLOTS!
* MAKE YOUR DEMAND FOR EIGHT HOURS with weapons in your hands to meet the capitalistic bloodhounds, police, and militia in proper manner.” ~Printed a few days prior to May 1, 1886, a publisher’s appeal to working people.”

“….whether a man works eight hours a day or ten hours a day, he is still a slave.” ~ Samuel Fielden pointed out in the anarchist newspaper, The Alarm 1886

One hundred twenty-four years ago, on   May 1, 1886, more than 300,000 workers in 13,000 businesses across the United States walked off their jobs in the first May Day demonstration in history.

Chicago was the focal point for the 8-hour work day advocates. Workers numbered to be 40, 000 went out on strike and the anarchists were in the forefront of the public’s eye. Their enthusiastic oratory and revolutionary ideology of direct action,  the anarchists and anarchism became at once respected, admired and accepted by the workers and derided by the business owners, the capitalists.

Tens of thousands of  worker demonstrators took to the streets as a show of  the workers’ unity and power. Despite predictions by the authorities and the newspapers to the contrary the gatherings, parades with bands did not become violent .

As more of the working class continued to walk away from their jobs.The number of striking workers rose to almost 100,000and still there was a peaceful showing of solidarity. Two days later, May 3, 1886,  violence  between police and strikers broke out at the McCormick Reaper Works.

We can, if we care to,  learn much from our history. There are many today who wish to see us return to those horrendous days where the proposal of an eight hour day was considered a radical idea. It is important to remember the thousands of people who sacrificed their lives in order for us to have the 8-hour day.  We must acknowledge that homes with families in them were torched and totally destroyed so we could have Saturday as part of the weekend. There were brave children as young as 8-years old,  survivors of industrial accidents who marched protesting unsafe working conditions and shameful child labor. They were beaten down by  police and company thugs.

It is important to understand our current condition cannot be taken for granted – people fought for the rights and dignities we enjoy today. it would be an indignity to their memory and their courage to return to those awful times. The sacrifices made by so many people must be remembered. We must know and remember our history or we are doomed to repeat it.  This is why May Day, May 1st, is an important day in our American history. It is as important as July 4th, our national independence day. It deserves to be more widely commemorated.

By  the 1860’s, working people called to attention their demand for a shortened workday while sustaining the same pay. Not until the end of the  1880’s was it possible for organized labor gather enough power to announce the 8-hour workday. The announcement was delivered without  employers’ concord; it was a demand made by the majority of the working class.

It was in this period that people were attracted to socialism. It was a new idea presented to working people; workers were drawn to its philosophy of the workers having control over all aspects of  goods and services,  including  production and distribution. Previously workers had experienced first-hand how Capitalism was beneficial only to  their bosses. Workers realized their lives were being traded for profit. With thousands of men, women and children dying needlessly every year in the workplace, and workers’ life expectancy as low as their early twenties in some industries, there was little hope.  Only death would result from their destitution. The new idea offered another option. It was Socialism.

Various socialist organizations quickly developed throughout the last half of the 1800s They ranged from political parties to singing groups. Some socialists were elected into governmental office by the people in their communities. However many of these socialists were limited by the political process so obviously controlled by big business and the two party political machine. Anarchist groups were created throughout the country as tens of thousands of socialists broke ranks from their parties, rejecting the whole political process,because they believed it was only  providing protection for the wealthy.

It is incorrect to say labor unions and the labor movement were “taken over” by anarchists and socialists; it is anarchists and socialist who made up the labor unions. Working people eagerly adopted the concepts  of anarchism. These were ideals which sought to put an end to all hierarchical structures (including government), with emphasis on workers controlling the industry, and highly favored immediate action over the official administrative  procedure.

Iin Chicago, in 1884, the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions (which later became the American Federation of Labor), held  its national convention where it was publically proclaimed that “eight hours shall constitute a legal day’s labor from and after May 1, 1886.” The next year, the FOTLU, supported by the Knights of Labor locals, reiterated their proclamation stating the announcement would be supported by strikes and demonstrations. Initially, most radicals and anarchists regarded this demand as too reformist, failing to strike “at the root of the evil.” A year before the Haymarket Massacre, Samuel Fielden pointed out in the anarchist newspaper, The Alarm, that “whether a man works eight hours a day or ten hours a day, he is still a slave.”

It is estimated a quarter million workers in the Chicago area became directly involved in the crusade to implement the eight hour work day. The Trades and Labor Assembly, the Socialistic Labor Party and local Knights of Labor mobilized workers to enforce the eight hour work day because  “the tide of opinion and determination of most wage-workers was set in this direction. It was a direction opposed by most employers.” When the anarchists became involved other larger issues were featured; issues greater than the 8-hour day. There was a sense of social revolution beyond the more immediate gains of shortened hours; it was a dramatic change in the  structure of the economy of capitalism. Continued next post

who will cry for the little boy?
Lost and all alone.
Who will cry for the little boy?
Abandoned without his own?

Who will cry for the little boy?
He cried himself to sleep.
Who will cry for the little boy?
He never had for keeps.

Who will cry for the little boy?
He walked the burning sand
Who will cry for the little boy?
The boy inside the man.

Who will cry for the little boy?
Who knows well hurt and pain
Who will cry for the little boy?
He died again and again.

Who will cry for the little boy?
A good boy he tried to be
Who will cry for the little boy?
Who cries inside of me

*Antwone Fisher is an acclaimed best selling author, poet, producer and screenwriter. Fisher is also a survivor of child abuse.

April is the month of springtime renewal. It is also the time when we celebrate the earth and make commitments to saving our planet and preserving it for the next generation of humans, plants and other animals on the land, in the sea and in the air.

April is also  Child Abuse Awareness Month. As we are working to preserve our planet,  wouldn’t it be wonderful to develop humans who are kind and loving to other humans? Wouldn’t it be great if the parents who are nurturing the young ones insure they provide protection and love to help the children develop into well adjusted balanced, caring adults by confronting their own issues of past incidents of abuse?

The best way to do this is to become educated about dealing with child abuse. We can learn about preventing today’s abuse and how to resolve past incidents of abuse in the lives of the adult caretakers. Often people who have been abused themselves grow up to become abusers.

The purpose of this month of abuse awareness is to advocate the practice of healing the child–the one inside the adult, as well as nurturing the growing child. This is not just a 30 day exercise; it is a commitment to awareness every month–365 days a year every waking moment.

Heal The Child. Prevent child abuse. Protect the youngsters from being harmed. Heal the child you once were. Heal The Child.

“A young black man can’t understand what it means to have something he’s never been denied. I can’t make them understand the mental relief I feel at the rights we have. It almost infuriates me that people don’t understand what integration has done for this country.”
~ the late Benjamin Hooks in an interview with
U.S. News & World Report~

Benjamin Lawson Hooks was a son of the American South. He was born in 1925 in Memphis, Tennessee. During his college years at LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis, he became acutely aware of the fact he was forced by law to use segregated public accommodations–water fountains, lunch counters and rest rooms.

In 1944 following his graduation from Howard University in Washington, D.C. he enlisted in the U.S. Army. Assigned to the job of guarding Italian prisoners of war Hooks soon found his service to the nation while wearing the U.S. Army uniform garnered him more humiliation than respect. The P.O.W.s were permitted to eat in the very same restaurants where his presence was not allowed.

Upon receiving an honorable discharge from the service, he began his studies at the DePaul University College of Law in Chicago to study the law. At the time there was no law school in the state of Tennessee would grant admission to Hooks to attend law school. In 1948 the DePaul University College of Law in Chicago to study law. No law school in his native Tennessee would admit him. In 1948 he graduated from DePaul with his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree.

Benjamin Hooks returned to his hometown of Memphis to change the practices of segregation upheld by law in the U.S. He passed the bar exam after which he established his own law practice.

By the end of the 1940s Benjamin Hooks had built a reputation as a black attorney, one of very few, in Memphis.

Over the years Benjamin Hooks granted interviews to many publications to chronicle his experience of the the Jim Crow era Southern United States. In an interview with Jet Magazine he described what it was like to practice law in segregated Memphis at the time:

“At that time you were insulted by law clerks, excluded from white bar associations and when I was in court, I was lucky to be called Ben. Usually it was just ‘boy.’ [But] the judges were always fair. The discrimination of those days has changed and, today, the South is ahead of the North in many respects in civil rights progress.”

He met Frances Dancy who became his wife in 1952. in 1956 because he believe he was called to the ministry he became an ordained Baptist minister. Earlier in his life as a younger man he wanted to study theology; his father dissuaded him from doing so.

Rev. Hooks became a close friend and an associate of another southern leader Dr. Theodore Roosevelt Mason Howard, M.D. Dr. T.R.M. Howard was a surgeon as well as the head of the Regional Council of Negro Leadership (RCNL), a leading civil rights organization in Mississippi.

As he continued with his busy law practice as he began preaching in Memphis and increased his civil rights activism by joining the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, as well as his participation in the boycotts of consumer goods and services along with his pioneering participation in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, (NAACP), sponsored restaurant sit-ins.

Rev. Hooks ran for public office in Tennessee in 1954, 1959 and 1963. By 1965 because of his winning personality and determination he had the support of white liberals as well as blacks statewide. In fact he was appointed by the governor of Tennessee to fill an open position on the judicial bench in the Shelby County criminal court.
Governor Frank G. Clement’s selection and appointment of Hooks made history. Benjamin Hooks became the first black criminal court judge in Tennessee. Although this position was temporary expiring in 1966, Benjamin Hooks went on to successfully campaign for a full term in the same judicial post.

By the end of the 1960s Benjamin Hooks was renown as businessman, judge, lawyer and minister. He asked his wife of then thirty years to be hands close advisor, assistant and traveling companion. Hooks was regularly a speaker at the Greater New Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan as well as an active participant in the protests and marches for the NAACP.

Benjamin Hooks was the television host and producer of several programs seen on Memphis’ local television. In 1972 because of his strong support for Republican candidates President Richard M. Nixon selected Hooks to be a member of the five member Federal Communications Commission (FCC). After confirmation by the U.S. Senate Benjamin Hooks and his wife Frances moved to Washington, D.C.

As a member of the FCC Hooks addressed the scarcity of minority ownership of television and radio outlets as well as, the minority employment statistics for the broadcasting industry, and the manner in which black African Americans are portrayed in the mass media. Hooks continued to work for black involvement in the media and entertainment industries even after he completed his five-year term on the board of the FCC.

Benjamin Hooks was elected, by the 64-member board of directors of the NAACP, to become the executive director of the association. He held this leadership position until 1992 when he tendered his resignation.

In 1980 Benjamin Hooks gave the justification for the NAACP’s support for non-violent action saying:

“There are a lot of ways an oppressed people can rise. One way to rise is to study, to be smarter than your oppressor. The concept of rising against oppression through physical contact is stupid and self-defeating. It exalts brawn over brain. And the most enduring contributions made to civilization have not been made by brawn, they have been made by brain.”

In his remarks acknowledging the death at age 85, of Benjamin Hooks, a man who is one of an incredible generation of Americans who changed the world, President Barack Obama said,

“Our national life is richer for the time Dr. Hooks spent on this earth. And our union is more perfect for the way he spent it: Giving a voice to the voiceless.”

Dorothy Height was born in Virginia and at a young age moved to Pennsylvania with her family. When she was 17 years-old she was admitted to Barnard College; however upon her arrival she was denied admission due to the school’s informal policy of admitting only two black students per year.

Height was not deterred for she was determined to pursue an education and she did so at New York University where in 1932 she received her undergraduate degree. She returned to the university and the following year received a master’s degree in educational psychology.

Dorothy Height’s entrance into the world of social activism began while she was employed by the New York City Welfare Department as a case worker. It was during this time she became a member of the National Council of Negro Women, a non-profit organization established in 1935 by Mary McLeod Bethune, to expand opportunities and the quality of life for black African American females, their families and their communities.

Always well dressed, wearing her signature hat, Dorothy Height is the recipient of numerous awards including the prestigious congressional Medal of Honor.

Dorothy Height, a lifelong Delta Sigma Theta sorer,  was a valiant advocate for the rights of blacks and women to be educated and  gainfully employed. She will be missed.

Why did we end up like this? The revolutionary war was a end result of individuals who had been pushed to their breaking point with regulations and ever growing taxes. Sound familiar? This began with the Boston tea-party in which the tea was dumped into the harbor. Citizens then as currently do not like to have the money from their work taken from them and then spent on things they don’t believe in. It was that way then and it is that way right now. You can not change human nature. People are endowed with rights by the creator and one of those rights is liberty. The founding fathers had no idea that the totalitarianism of King George would ever be able to rot America ever again. They carefully wrote our constitution to prevent it from happening.

What they didn’t comprehend is that the country would shift away from the grace of God to a humanist philosophy of elites deciding what is best for the masses. As excellent as the constitution was, no document is any good if the leaders sworn to defend it simply overlook it. That is what has occurred. Every year little by little, we lose more of our freedoms. Each year more new laws and rules are forced on us that can imprison us should they be enforced. The undermining of our free market system began after world war II when soviet spies were given positions in our government. Read a great book by Ann Coulter called Treason for an in depth history of how that occurred.

Which brings us to today and the proliferation of the tax day Tea Party April 15 events everywhere. These are not the kooks and extremists that the evening news would have you believe. No these are actually the traditional average Americans who know what freedom and liberty are, and see it slipping away. They are not from any one party. They include members from at the very least 5 parties from all walks of life, race and religions. When a community hospital closes it’s doors because some law requires them to treat for free non citizens, that isn’t racist, that is a legitimate hardship to individuals. When it is taught in schools that abortion is a choice yet wearing a seat belt is not a choice, there is something not right. When legislation is going through capitol hill that something a person says can land that person in jail under the classification of hate speech, then something is wrong.

Massachusetts is known as the most socialist sympathetic state as a whole in America. It is nicknamed Taxachusetts. Since the current government with super majorities in both houses can do whatever it wants in theory, this makes millions of people edgy. When it was learned that this government was going to bankrupt the nation with socialized health care, in which each voter would be required to buy no matter how poverty-stricken, the rebellion of the tea-parts even reached into Taxachusetts. Scott Brown, a liberal republican promised to halt the hated health care takeover and he won the election by a sizable margin.

Your Rights and civil rights violations

Once you decide to file a lawsuit for a civil rights violation, one of your initial issues can be where to file, in federal or state court. Ultimately, if the civil rights case goes to trial, the plaintiff must prove by a “preponderance of the proof” (that it is more and more likely than not) that the defendant is legally accountable for the damages alleged by the plaintiff. If you suspect you have suffered a civil rights violation, the simplest place to start is to speak with an experienced Civil Rights Attorney. An experienced Civil Rights Attorney will be able to inform you whether filing a government claim can be necessary in your case. Legal issues involving civil rights will be terribly sophisticated, and can be terribly troublesome to resolve without proper expertise.

Civil Rights And The Law

Law enforcement officers and other officers like judges, prosecutors, and security guards are given tremendous power by local, state, and federal government agencies—authority they need to  enforce the law and ensure justice in our country. Laws guaranteeing civil rights originate at the federal level, either through federal legislation or through federal court selections, including those handed down by the US Supreme Court.

Are The Police Exempt

Police misconduct cases are more common than one would think. This law, commonly called the Police Misconduct Statute, gives the Department of Justice authority to hunt civil remedies in cases where law enforcement agencies have policies or practices that foster a pattern of misconduct by employees. The majority of complaints allege misconduct bylaw enforcement officers like state or local cops, federal law enforcement officers,prison superintendents, correctional officers, state and county judges, or alternative public officials.

There are plenty of general stages in bringing potential criminal civil rights violations to prosecution. Gather data regarding the civil rights violation and save it for the future. There are various types of civil rights violations, as well as discrimination conduct by employers. Civil rights lawyers bring discrimination claims against employers who discriminate in hiring, providing benefits, or advancing an employees career on the premise of: Age discrimination, sex discrimination, national origin discrimination, discrimination lawyer, spiritual discrimination, race (racial) discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, incapacity discrimination, etc.

“Jessye Norman said not long ago that she simply “would like it to be that it made a difference to some people that I came and went, that I was here.” She has made a difference to anyone who loves music, and indeed it matters quite a lot that she is here: Jessye Norman, a great American singer.”~ from Kennedy Center: Biographical Information for Jessye Norman

We echo those sentiments. Ms Jessye Norman, is the youngest recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors

Norman’s vocal range is uncommonly wide, encompassing all female voice registers from contralto to high dramatic soprano.

When she was 16 years-old, Norman was entered in to the Marian Anderson Vocal Competition in Philadelphia. Although she did not win, she was offered a full scholarship to Howard University, in Washington, D.C. While attending Howard University, Norman sang in the university chorus, and she also sang as a professional soloist at the Lincoln Temple United Church of Christ.She studied voice with Carolyn Grant.

In 1965, Jessye Norman in collaboration with 33 female students and 4 female faculty, became a founding member of the Delta Nu Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota. In 1966, she was the National Society of Arts and Letters singing competition winner.

She graduated in 1967 with an undergraduate degree in music. Norman began graduate level studies first at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and later at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. It was from the University of Michcagn she earned a Masters Degree in 1968. During her time in graduate school Norman studied voice with Elizabeth Mannion and Pierre Bernac.

Jessye Norman a true American opera diva….and we mean that in a good way, loved and appreciated by fans worldwide.

Raymond Pace Alexander born in Philadelphia in October 1898 into a working class family, the grandson of slaves was destined to beat the odds to become a distinguished Philadelphia lawyer, who later was to serve as a judge as well as advisor to other lawyers including the future federal Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

Raymond Pace Alexander with his talented wife, Sadie T. M. Alexander, worked to transform a segregated society in order to afford opportunity for those who had been denied.

Early on in his education Alexander, influenced by historian Carter G. Woodson, chose to study black history and use it as a tool to vigorously oppose racism and develop better relations between the races. Having heard Woodson’s speech “Stranger in the House” Raymond Alexander was motivated to work for equality rights. As a result Alexander and Woodson remained professional friends. Raymond Alexander became a life member of Woodson’s organization established for the study of black history, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASALH).
The Philadelphia local chapter of the ASALH was founded by Raymond P. Alexander.

Alexander, himself, had personally experienced racial discrimination;   he was excluded from a Chestnut Street theater showing The Ten Commandments in 1924.  He was so successful in taking the theater owners to court, he was able to win their assurance never to discriminate again. That experience is the reason Raymond Pace Alexander was determined to see the implementation of such racist policies end.

After the death of his mother in childbirth, Raymond went to work to help his father provide for himself and his four siblings. By the time he was the age of twelve Alexander was earning money from his own shoe shine stand.

He received a scholarship in order to attend the best secondary high school in Philadelphia. At the time Central High School, the second oldest high school in the United States, was an all male academic high school, and Raymond Alexander graduated with honors in the top percentile of his class.

He later received a scholarship to attend the University of  Pennsylvania. Upon completion of his course work in three years he graduated with honors while having worked evenings and weekends as a waiter. Raymond Alexander was  the first black graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School. In 1920 Alexander began studying law at Harvard Law School; in 1923 he earned the Juris Doctorate.

When he returned to Philadelphia, in 1923,  Raymond Alexander married Sadie Tanner Mossell;  together they founded the premier black law firm in Philadelphia.

Raymond Alexander became president of the National Bar Association in 1929.  As the president of the newly formed organization Alexander exerted his considerable influence on every black attorney in the nation to become an advocate for civil rights. This action supplied the legal guidance to  finally force the courts to move toward handing down more reasonable and equal rulings concerning blacks.  Alexander was elected president of the National Bar Association again in 1933 until 1935.

When a Civil Rights Bill was passed in Pennsylvania, in 1935, Raymond Alexander was involved in getting the measure approved. He was counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP ).

In the early 1930s Alexander sued two Chester County school districts to court when  they tried to establish racially segregated school systems. The legal victory achieved in that case was the demise of de jure segregation in Pennsylvania schools.

In the sixteen years since his graduation from Harvard Law he’d built a  legal reputation so strong attorney Thurgood Marshall presented a brief for Raymond Alexander’s review. It was this 1939 brief that provided the framework for the Brown v. Board of Education decision of 1954.

Raymond Alexander was named Honorary Consul of Haiti in Philadelphia in 1946; during that time he also functioned as representative for Haiti in the settlement of its war debt as well as in other litigation.

After some time, in 1948, in the case of the Trenton Six, he was finally able to have the black defendants cleared who’d been falsely accused of killing a white storeowner.  This was a case Alexander won on appeal with assistance from attorney Thurgood Marshall who would become the first black appointed as a justice to the U.S. Supreme Court.

When he ran for election to Philadelphia’s City Council he won.  He was a member of the Council from 1951 to 1958.

It was 1951 when RPA solely began the legal maneuvers to bring to an end the exclusion of blacks from Girard College.  More than 15 years later his efforts reached a successful conclusion when the United States Supreme Court ruled blacks be admitted to the college.

Raymond Pace Alexander was appointed in January 1959 by Governor George M. Leader to fill a vacancy in the Court of Common Pleas  of Philadelphia, thus becoming the first black judge in this court.

“As a judge I have seen at first hand the helplessness and bewilderment of the poor when faced with the legalities of our complex society.”~Judge Raymond Pace Alexander, decision in favor of the Philadelphia Community Legal Services Case 1966

In 1966 several local attorneys opposed the Philadelphia Bar Association’s proposal to organize Community Legal Service, Inc., a nonprofit corporation funded by money from the federal Office of Economic Opportunity.

The proposed service, part of the War On Poverty, was to open twelve law offices in neighborhoods around the city, under a 20-man board of directors, which included four leading lawyers and seven representatives from the local communities.

The dispute was turned over to then 67 year-old Judge Raymond Pace Alexander of the Court of Common Pleas to decide. Long hearings ensued. Judge Alexander gave a detailed decision which upheld the service as  lawful and completely beneficial to the community.

“It is in the public interest that this program go forward. Let it begin—now.”~Judge Raymond Pace Alexander, in his decision upholding the Philadelphia Community Legal Services Case 1966

Judge Raymond Alexander remained on the judicial bench, as Senior Judge until his death in 1974.

Judge Raymond Pace Alexander challenged numerous segregated institutions in the Philadelphia area. He will be remembered for the indelible impression he made on the city and on the legal profession.

For more information visit:
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“Realistically, the only way to solve our problems at this point in our history is by planning our future, clearly and objectively, and then working to make that plan a reality.” Rev. Leon H. Sullivan, author Alternatives to Despair 1972

Back in 1972 the late Leon H. Sullivan, author and innovator of Philadelphia’s  Opportunities Industrialization Center, (OIC), was sounding the call to make definitive plans for our future.

“Strangely enough in Philadelphia, the big metropolitan city, you think people had work, but discrimination was still very strong . . . I decided to confront discrimination, again, because businesses were not employing blacks in Philadelphia, blacks couldn’t even get jobs as waiters in the good hotels.”~Rev. Leon Sullivan

Choosing to confront the racial discrimination he witnessed in hiring practices in Philadelphia, he organized 400 other ministers to implement a successful boycott of companies that did not support equal employment opportunity. This demonstration of  “selective patronage” resulted in more than 4000 jobs open to dark skinned African Americans. However many still lacked the necessary training to perform the jobs now available.

That is when in 1964 founded in an abandoned jailhouse, the OIC was born.
OIC provides job training and life skills and then couples the graduates with the needs of Philadelphia businesses. So successful was the first endeavor OIC was duplicated in cities around the nation.

Five years later Rev. Leon H. Sullivan’s efforts were replicated on a global scale with the creation of OIC International to supply training and employment for individuals on the African continent.

“I believe not only in milk and honey in heaven but in ham and eggs on earth besides.”~Rev. Leon H. Sullivan, Build Brother Build

Sullivan, who began his ministerial career at age eighteen in his hometown Charleston, West Virginia had a personal experience with bigotry. At age twelve he tried to purchase a Coca Cola at the local drugstore in his town. What happened then inspired his lifelong dedication to opposing racial prejudice. The owner of the store refused to sell the beverage to him saying, “Stand on your feet, boy. You can’t sit here.”

Leon Sullivan went on to graduate West Virginia State University. It was during a visit to West Virginia by Adam Clayton Powell, prominent black minister, noted author and  the father of the congressman, that he encouraged Sullivan to come to New York to study theology at the Union Theological Seminary.  Sullivan became an assistant minister at the activist Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City’s Harlem following his studies at Columbia University for a Masters Degree in religion in 1947. While living in New York Leon met Grace whom he married and lovingly called “Amazing Grace”. Together they had three children, Hope, Julie and Howard.

Eventually the family relocated first to Northern New Jersey where Rev. Sullivan was selected to lead the First Baptist Church in Orange, New Jersey.

In 1950 Leon, Grace and their children all moved to Philadelphia because Leon was taking on the leadership role of pastor at the Zion Baptist Church. From 1950 until 1988 Sullivan , known as “the Lion of Zion” served the congregation and community. During this time he increased the membership of 600 to 6,000 making it one of  the largest congregations in the U.S.

Rev. Sullivan became the first black man appointed to the board of directors of the world’s largest corporation, General Motors (GM), a Fortune 500 company. At the time General Motors was the largest business entity in the world and Sullivan used this prestigious position with GM to influence decisions particularly in South Africa.

Sullivan  launched an international campaign to transform apartheid in South Africa; he created a code of conduct for human rights and equal opportunity for companies operating in South Africa.  This code became known as the Sullivan Principles. They Principles were later expanded by Rev. Sullivan and former Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan “to support economic, social and political justice by companies where they do business,” including respect for human rights and equal work opportunities for all peoples.

The most important fact to remember about the late Rev. Leon H. Sullivan is he advocated self-help. He strongly supported empowerment of individuals, institutions and communities through education. Job training and life skills are the foundation for individuals to build successful communities.

Today the organizations that are his legacy, The Leon H. Sullivan Foundation headed by his daughter Hope Masters, Esquire; Opportunities Industrialization Centers Of America, (OIC-America) led by his son Howard H. Sullivan, along with OIC International  and the International Foundation For Education and  Self Help, (IFESH) guided by his daughter Dr. Julie H. Sullivan;  all continue to promote sustainable projects around the world because access to education for vulnerable populations is still extremely important.

” I hate the way they portray us in the media. You see a black family, it says, ‘They’re looting.’ You see a white family, it says, ‘They’re looking for food.’ And, you know, it’s been five days [waiting for federal help] because most of the people are black. And even for me to complain about it, I would be a hypocrite because I’ve tried to turn away from the TV because it’s too hard to watch. I’ve even been shopping before even giving a donation, so now I’m calling my business manager right now to see what is the biggest amount I can give, and just to imagine if I was down there, and those are my people down there. So anybody out there that wants to do anything that we can help — with the way America is set up to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off, as slow as possible. I mean, the Red Cross is doing everything they can. We already realize a lot of people that could help are at war right now, fighting another way — and they’ve given them permission to go down and shoot us!”

“George Bush doesn’t care about black people!”

~Kanye West, musical artist, during fund raising event in the aftermath of the devastating hurricane Katrina on NBC live telecast Friday, September 2, 2005

We assembled the smartest people on our staff to view and discuss the following controversial 39 second video clip:

George W. Bush appears to have wiped his hand on Bill Clinton’s shirt after shaking hands with a crowd of Haitians.
The conclusion of our gathered collective brain trust is Kanye West was right.

If seeing is believing we think the preceding video is proof positive George H.W. and Barbara’s first born is a racist. Not that right thinking people needed any additional proof of his bigoted ways.

Kanye’s statements on the evening of September 2, 2005, when NBC’s levees broke, seem to have been very accurate. Five years later when NBC is an acronym for “Nothing But Controversy”; and the whole world can watch via YouTube or on any blogger’s site, including this one, how in lieu of hand sanitizer the former president GWB, aka “President Dumbya”, could not resist wiping his hand on the shirt of another former president, who erroneously is called by some “America’s first black president” we have evidence of how George W. Bush really feels about dark skinned people of African descent.

We saw how well George related to President and Mrs. Obama when he greeted them at the White House during the administration transition.

We’ve been allowed to see him interact with President Obama and the other past presidents, Carter and Clinton at a luncheon last year at the White House.

We were shocked when it was announced George and Bill would be working together to raise money for the people of Haiti. We realize Bill is a closet Republican, better known as a Dixie-crat. George knows he is in competition with Bill for G.H.W. Bush’s attentions. As if it isn’t enough to have to compete with JEB for Daddy Bush’s love-
” ’cause everybody knows JEB is the smart one”.

We’re just saying with all the lies being perpetrated by the die-hard members of the G.O.P about how caring the former president is for poor people and some black people who aren’t even poor for us the video makes all their claims null and void.

However, when we viewed what happened we could not believe our eyes. Of all the reports we found we liked this one video report because of the fairness of the presentation–both sides were told and we liked the frumpy looking anchor’s closing remarks. Watch and you’ll see what we mean…

There is no doubt this is a family who put the D-I-S in disrespect,  or the D-Y-S and the  F-U-N in dysfunction.

Our favorite quote from the shop owner,

“They don’t know how to deal with things in the United States. They think they in Fallujah or the mountains of Iraq or somewhere.”

His comments not only give us a hint as to the ethnicity of the people who attacked his store; it tells of the cultural difference between the bride, her family and the businessman and his family.

This statement also reminds us it’s one thing to come to the United States to be free; we must be mindful of the many strange customs to be learned that make assimilation a real challenge , too.

For example asking to have a gown valued at more than one thousand dollars on credit or even using a credit card that is not your own–it’s in the name of someone who is not present at the shop with you–these are unacceptable practices  in the U.S. Throwing a hissy-fit, making threats assaulting the shop owners  and tearing up their place of business is an even less than acceptable behavior in these United States. If they do not know they certainly need to ask somebody. Hot ghetto mess demeanor is not the way to go.

We suggest a suitable punishment for the perpetrators would be for the groom (??) and his boyz to be confined to the local jail on the day of the wedding; the nuptials will have to be held at the jail house for all the trouble they caused. The bride should be made to wear the government issued orange or blue incarceration jumpsuit to match her groom and his groomsmen, for her part in instigating the melee. In fact the traditional black and white broad horizontal striped garb would be suitable for the occasion- a wedding behind bars. Black and white is a very chic fashion statement!

Remember, if you want to clown in public you may receive your fleeting fifteen minutes of fame notoriety on the Internet as a featured YouTube video.

“People wish to be poets more than they wish to write poetry, and that’s a mistake. One should wish to celebrate more than one wishes to be celebrated.”~Lucille Clifton

Lucille Clifton, (nee Sayles), acknowledged as one of the most accomplished women in the world of literature, died February 13, 2010.

Clifton, an artist known for her affable demeanor, common sense approach to poetry and writing, served as the Poet Laureate of the state of Maryland for six years from 1979 to 1985.

She was born and raised in upstate New York. Upon graduation from high school at age sixteen she received a scholarship to Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she was introduced to dramatist and poet Amiri Bakara, formerly known as LeRoi Jones and poet, Sterling Brown. However, Lucille returned to New York state to receive her undergraduate degree from Fredonia State Teachers College.

During her lifetime she held several teaching positions including in Baltimore, Maryland’s Coppin State College, from 1974 to 1979; she was professor of literature and creative writing at the University of California, Santa Cruz, from 1985 to 1989.

Lucille Clifton was also Distinguished Professor of Literature and Distinguished Professor of Humanities at St. Mary’s College, Maryland, from 1989 to 1991, and professor of creative writing at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, beginning in 1998;

The recipient of many prestigious literary awards Clifton is also known for her intelligent and practical sense of humor as exhibited in her poetry and her prose. An excerpt from her poem Admonitions:

“…children when they ask you why your mama so funny say she is a poet she don’t have no sense.”~Lucille Clifton

Clifton was married to Fred Clifton until the time of his passing in 1984. They met when Lucille was attending Fredonia State College, and at the time Fred Clifton, her future husband, was a professor of philosophy at the University of Buffalo. Together Lucille and Fred had six children.

Lucille Clifton was nominated three times for the Pulitzer Prize for poetry, once in 1980, 1987–the first poet to have two books competing in the finals for the Pulitzer, and again in 1991; additionally she received the Lannan Literary Award for poetry in 1997; the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize in 1997; the Los Angeles Times Poetry Award in 1997; the Lila Wallace/Reader’s Digest Award in 1999.

Clifton won the National Book Award for Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems, 1988-2000 (2000) as well as winning in 2007, the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize; the $100,000 prize honors a living U.S. poet whose “lifetime accomplishments warrant extraordinary recognition.”

She has been recognized with honorary degrees from Colby College, the University of Maryland, Towson State University, Washington College, and Albright College.

Lucille Clifton is rightfully celebrated for her work which demonstrates her sincere passion for the everyday things we often take for granted. As she so eloquently expressed:

“Poetry is a matter of life, not just a matter of language.”

“We must teach our children to dream with their eyes open. The chances of your becoming a Jerry Rice or a Magic Johnson are so slim as to be negligible. Black kids must learn to distribute their energies in a way that’s going to make them productive, contributing citizens in an increasingly high-technology society.”
~ Harry Edwards, author and Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley as quoted in Time Magazine March 6, 1989.

Sociologist, scholar and author Harry Edwards, born 1942, is from East St. Louis, Illinois; he received his doctorate in sociology from Cornell University.

Harry Edwards stated desire is to be a role model of “the promising athlete who gave up the possibility of a career in professional sports to become a scholar instead.”

Harry Edwards is the founder of the Olympic Project for Human Rights, (OPHR) which led to the Black Power Salute protest by Black African-American athletes at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

The author of “The Revolt of the Black Athlete” Edwards has been described by a writer for the New York Times Magazine in May 1988 as a man who sees ” himself as one who provokes and incites others to action, a reformer, not a revolutionary. And indeed, no other single figure in sports has done as much to make the country aware that the problems of the larger culture are recapitulated in sports, that the arena is no sanctuary from drugs, racism and corruption.”

Edwards is known as a vigorous advocate for black  managers in professional sports. Harry Edwards, in addition to having been a sociology professor at the University of California at Berkley, has taken the academic theory from the college campus to the real world board room; from
serving as a staff consultant to the San Francisco 49ers football team and to the Golden State Warriors basketball team, Edwards has also been actively involved in recruiting black talent for front-office positions in major league baseball.

Articles and essays by Professor Edwards have been published in leading sports journals and magazines such as  Sports Illustrated and Psychology Today.

There is no doubt the result of his influence in the world of professional sports can be seen throughout the professional sport teams leagues.

“If I win, I am American, not a black American. But if I did something bad, then they would say I am a Negro. We are black and we are proud of being black. Black America will understand what we did tonight.” Tommie Smith U.S. Track and Field Olympian Mexico City, 1968

It was October 16, 1968 at the Olympic Games in Mexico City where John Carlos and Tommie Smith, along with white Australian Silver medalist Peter Norman, who wore a human rights badge on the podium in solidarity of the Americans’ protest, made headlines around the world.

Read more about these two former Olympic athletes who were suspended from the games for silently protesting their opposition to ongoing U.S. human rights violations in 1968.

“…As an active worker for civil rights, she has been a steady and forceful advocate on the national, state, and municipal scene, reminding people everywhere that freedoms are won not only by idealism but by persistence and will over a long time…”
~Excerpt from citation the University Of Pennsylvania honorary degree of Doctor of Laws conferred in 1974 upon Dr. Sadie T.M. Alexander

Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, a Philadelphian born in 1898 was a trailblazing female scholar and lawyer. Named Sarah at birth she was known as Sadie throughout her life.

She was born into a family of accomplished individuals. Her maternal grandfather, Benjamin Tucker Tanner, was a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Sadie’s father, Aaron Albert Mossell, was a graduate of Lincoln University and the first African American to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1888. One of her uncles, Nathan Francis Mossell, was the first Black African American physician to graduate from the prestigious University of Pennsylvania. Other members of her family include her uncle the artist Henry O. Tanner and her aunt Hallie Tanner Johnson Dillon who also became a medical doctor and founded the Nurses’ School and Hospital at the Tuskegee Institute- now University, in Alabama.

When Sadie Alexander was to attend high school she was relocated to live with her uncle, Lewis Baxter Moore, the dean of Howard University in Washington , D.C. and the first Black African American to receive a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania.

Upon graduation from the “M” Street high school, the first high school for black students, enrolled, attended and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Education. She then entered the graduate school at Penn to study economics.

In 1921 Sadie T. Mossell became the first Black African American female in the United States to received a doctorate degree as well as the first Black African American to obtain a PhD in economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. Sadie was proud of her scholastic achievement.

“I can well remember marching down Broad Street from Mercantile Hall to the Academy of Music where there were photographers from all over the world taking my picture.”

Following completion of her graduate work she went to work as an actuary for North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company in Durham, North Carolina a black owned and operated insurance company.

In 1923 after her fiance Raymond Pace Alexander was admitted to the Bar and established his law practice Sadie returned to Philadelphia to be married in November of that year.

Autumn of 1924 found Sadie T.M. Alexander a student again at the University of Pennsylvania. This time she was enrolled to study the law.

When she successfully completed her law studies Sadie T.M. Alexander, obtaining an L.L.B., became the first Black African American woman to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law.  During that same year 1927 she was also the first African American woman admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar.

Sadie teamed with her husband to practice law; her particular specialty being estate and family law. Together, Sadie and her husband Raymond they championed removing the barriers of discrimination; they fought to desegregate Philadelphia restaurants, hotels, and theaters.

From 1928 to 1930 and from 1934 to 1938 she was appointed and served as Assistant City Solicitor for the City of Philadelphia.

In 1943 Sadie Alexander was elected the first woman to hold a national office in the  National Bar Association.

Four years later Alexander was appointed by President Harry S. Truman to serve on the President’s Committee on Civil Rights.  During her appointment the report issued, entitled To Secure These Rights, became the foundation for  civil rights policy decisions and legislation implemented in the future.

Finally in 1959 Sadie Alexander opened her own law office where she practiced law for 17 years before joining the firm of Atkinson, Myers and Archie. While practicing law Sadie Alexander found time to be active in more than 30 national and local civic organizations.

1974, Dr. Sadie T.M. Alexander was honored with a fifth degree from the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania. This time she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree to celebrate and commend her tenacious work for equal public accommodation. When she was eighty-one years old, in 1978 she received another presidential appointment as chair of the White House Conference On Aging.

Sadie Alexander retired from an active practice and public life in 1981. Seven years later, in 1989 she died.

It is very fitting that the Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander University of Pennsylvania Partnership School, is named for her; it is a public school located in West Philadelphia developed in partnership with the University, which provides  academic and financial support to the school.

Every year Black African American law students from the University of Pennsylvania Law school  and legal professionals meet at a conference to commemorate Dr. Alexander’s vast scholastic and professional achievements; they gather to honor the many firsts in her career as well as to commend those who are following her academic example in the study of law and outstanding accomplishments in the legal profession.

“Failure is not a word I accept”~ John H. Johnson, Publisher

John H. Johnson was an American businessman, founder of the Johnson Publishing Company. He was the chairman of Johnson Publishing Company and he also chaired the Fashion Fair Cosmetics Company, a company created by his wife Eunice Walker Johnson.

Under his leadership both Jet and Ebony Magazines flourished. Readership and circulation grew every year from 1945 the year in which they were first published.

The magazines were named by his wife Eunice and the start-up money came from a $500 loan  from his mother. She allowed Johnson to use her furniture as collateral for the loan.

His business success is nothing short of meteoric. He rose from the depths of poverty, spending a short time on the welfare rolls to becoming the first Black African American to be included in the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans.

“Indomitable spirit”, that is how many describe Johnson’ secret to success. He was creative and innovative. He always found a solution. when faced with blatant racial discrimination when he was denied approval to buy a lot in downtown Chicago, Johnson hired a white attorney to buy the property in trust for him.  By this action he became the first black to construct a major structure in Chicago’s bustling downtown business area.

From President Bill Clinton, John H. Johnson received the nation’s highest  civilian award  the Presidential Medal Of Freedom.

During his business career because of his business expertise Johnson was chosen to serve as director of several important American corporations including Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Continental Banks and Dillard’s Department Stores. He was also a trustee of United Negro College Fund and the Conference of Christians And Jews.

John H. Johnson  is recognized as the first entrepreneur to acknowledge the
awesome buying power of the Black African American consumer.

The word of warning is DON’T! Do Not share everything about your life on the Internet…as fascinating as you may find it, or you believe others may find it so, some nefarious individuals may find it even more so…

We advise what is private must remain private.

It is said a word to the wise is sufficient and if you happen to be unwise then a picture is worth at least a thousand words…

Celebrate Black History Month 2010

Eunice Walker Johnson had been since 1961 the producer and director of America’s most well known fashion show The Ebony Fashion Fair. An interview with Eunice Walker Johnson.

This trailblazer and fashion icon died last month. Mrs. Johnson was the widow of John H. Johnson a prominent Black American businessman, noted for being the first Black American to be featured in Forbes 400; publisher and founder of Johnson Publishing Company–publisher of jet and Ebony Magazines.

Eunice Walker Johnson was a daughter of the American South, born in Selma, Alabama. She received a bachelor degree in Sociology from Talladega College, and late earned a master’s degree from Loyola University in Chicago. Several years later Talladega College conferred its famous graduate with an honorary doctorate degree. It was during the time of  her graduate studies she met her future husband. They married the year after she completed graduate school.

Together Eunice Johnson,  and her husband John created several magazines, Jet–a weekly publication, and Ebony a monthly magazine, being the most popular. It was Eunice Johnson, who became secretary-treasurer of Johnson Publications and columnist for Ebony magazine, who named the magazine for the dark wood. Last month readership for Ebony had reached more than one million while circulation for the weekly Jet was reported to be 900,000.

Mrs. Johnson began the Ebony Fashion Tour in 1958 in order to raise money for a hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Johnson’s idea pioneered using models of black African descent on the runway. In fact when certain European design houses refused to provide clothing for the show tours in the U.S. Johnson purchased all that she needed to make her idea a reality. Until that time the American general public had not seen or known of high fashion couture designs except on film or in magazines.

The Ebony Fashion Fair helped highlight the works and careers of African-American designers and models. The fashion event also raised more than 50 million dollars for education in over 200 cities around the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean during the last fifty years of its tour.

Turning adversity into a successful resolution, Johnson had her difficulties in finding cosmetics suited to the skin tones of her models; she created Fashion Fair Cosmetics in 1973 as a line of makeup to be sold in leading department stores.

Among the numerous awards and prestigious memberships presented to Eunice Walker Johnson most notable is a Golden Life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and a membership of Harvard Graduate School of Business.

“We use the ability to lower the armrests as the gauge, as the armrests are truly the definitive boundary between each seat.”

Blanche Africa Reilly Dark has her say about Southwest Airlines and movie director Kevin Smith.

Over the past weekend the Internet was all a buzz with news a young fat movie director was ejected in a manner he considers inappropriate whether he is a well known fat dude flying the people’s airline or just one of the unknown people who fly affordable air transportation. I should add right here I agree with Smith. The disrespect and humiliation demonstrated toward him was absolutely unacceptable! It’s unsatisfactory to be rude to any paying customer in any industry.

According to Southwest Airlines own web site this policy for “customers of size”–read that phrase as a euphemism for fat, overweight or obese,  has been followed “for 29 of our 38 years of operation, but only became more vigilant regarding the additional purchase when we began seeing an increase in the number of valid complaints from passengers who traveled without full access to the seat purchased because a large Customer infringed upon the adjacent seating space.”

Many Americans are overweight. Many airline seats are too small and uncomfortable to accommodate regular size, “normal” size, American travelers. Seventeen inches wide indeed!  My office desk chair is an inch wider. It does not mean I wish to sit in it for a two hour flight!

I believe Smith and his wife when they say he’s got the body of a stout fellow; that he’s not a  portly man whose body can be accurately described as one encroaching into another passenger’s territory .

“.Purchasing two seats on Southwest Airlines is significantly less expensive than purchasing one first class seat on another airline..” from the Southwest Airlines web site Customer Of Size Q & A page

I believe Smith when he says he buys two seats on the regular because he can afford to do so to insure his traveling privacy and comfort given the seats are really small.

To end this controversy I suggest there be a scale to weight passengers, just like the luggage is weighed, before the board the aircraft.

A tip to the heavyweights who choose air travel over car, bus or train, make sure you’re not the last fat chick or fat dude to board the plane.

I say this because as I listened to Kevin Smith’s description of his experience of Southwest Airlines poor customer service it became quite clear he was, as a passenger flying on stand-by status, the last fat man to board the plane. This by no means justifies the maltreatment he received.

In fact it is a call for larger seats, and more respect for the not so skinny average American traveler. Shame on you Gary Kelly and your band of corporate associates. All your platitudes and lofty musings have not trickled down to the rank and file as courteous action. Tsk! Tsk!

Blanche predicts more passengers will begin to ditch Southwest and book flights with the competition.

Unless Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly, Greg Crum, VP Operations, who I understand is responsible for those who interact with the public, as well as Matt Hafner, (Ground Operations executive) and Mike Hafner, (Inflight Services); –I wonder are those two brothers?… and company can reinvigorate in their personnel with some of that Southwest Airlines culture– the “warrior spirit”, “a servant’s heart” and that well promoted “fun-LUVing attitude” along with some real love toward the flying public whether they are Kate Moss skinny, Moni’que big or chubby like comedian Earthquake or hefty like Ralphie May.

If you ignore this matter Southwest Airlines could go the way of Pan Am.

“We are the world, we are the children…”
Lionel Richie

In March of 1985 forty-five American singing stars gathered at the A&M music studio to record a song composed by the late Michael Jackson and lyricist Lionel Richie. The featured singers from several genres of music joined to make a record that would be sold to raise money for the charity USA For Africa. They raised over $30 million to help the less fortunate overseas.

On February 1, 2010 a new generation of celebrities, count’em 80, singers, actors, and the like–joined by some old school participants from the first recording, have gathered to do a remake of the original song We Are The World. This time money raised will go the benefit the survivors of last month’s devastating earthquake in Haiti. The organization is We Are The World 25 For Haiti.

“There’s a choice we’re making.
We’re saving our own lives…”-Lionel Richie

Nearly twenty-five years after the initial recording of the song created by the late Michael Jackson with lyrics by Lionel Richie, a new generation of Hollywood celebrities, singers, actors, models and people just known for being known, gathered to record a remake of the song that raised in 1985 more than $30 million for the charity USA For Africa.

This new crop of celebrities met on February 1, 2010, almost 25 years after the first gathering headed by music producer Quincy Jones, to record the cover to raise money for the survivors of the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti.

We’ve decided to revisit the original recording from 1985:

We’ve posted the lyrics indicating which artist is singing what part.

Lionel Richie
There comes a time when we heed a certain call

We are the world….

See if you can recognize who is present for the historic session from twenty-five years ago. In the next article we will take a look at the 2010 version We Are The World 25 for Haiti.

“You have to think about yourself, because no one wakes up in the moring with you on their mind.”~Attorney Allie Latimer

Allie Latimer is a living American shero who counts among her many educational, civic and professional  achievements, the fact she is the founder of the national organization Federally Employed Women (FEW).

FEW is an advocacy group established in 1968 to improve the status of women employed by the Federal government and by the District of Columbia government.Membership in this group has never been limited to simply females executives working in government. In fact the first National Treasurer was a male Lieutenant Colonel who could identify with the plight of women because of the situations he faced as a southerner. He worked with FEW until he was reassigned.

Attorney Latimer, a graduate of  Hampton Institute, now Hampton University;  with a law degree from Howard University School of Law, also holds an advanced research law degree, LL.M, from Catholic University. Allie Latimer earned  both a Master of Divinity (M. Div.) degree and Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) from Howard University.

Allie Latimer had attended college in North Carolina for a time before transferring to Virginia’s historic Hampton Institute. She returned to the state to practice law for a time.

Following her work in private practice in North Carolina Allie Latimer  joined the federal GSA  during the early 1970s as an Assistant General Counsel. In 2005 the State Of North Carolina recognized her legal work there and elsewhere

Ms Latimer organized the initially grassroots organization, along with June Chewning and Florence Perman. After convincing several of those with whom she worked the first chapter of the advocacy group was established in Washington, D.C.  Today there are more than 200 FEW chapters. when she, herself was employed by the General Services Administration (GSA).

In 1976 she left the General Services Administration in order to serve in the position of an Assistant General Counsel.

It was in 1977 Attorney Allie Latimer returned to the  GSA as the first African American female to serve in the post of General Counsel of a major agency. Ms Latimer worked in that post until 1987 when she moved on to serve as Special Counsel for Ethics and Civil Rights at GSA. She was Special Counsel for eight years leaving the position in 1995.

Allie Latimer has received numerous awards for her humanitarian contributions and her legal achievements.

It’s February in the United States and that means it’s time to celebrate the myriad contributions made by so many little known and well known people of black African descent.

It’s time to honor those who made it possible to change this country from the inside to a nation closer to living up to its creed of equality for all.

This time of year is the source of inspiration for young and old alike. It is a season to inspire black, white, yellow and brown to the highest ideals and levels of achievement despite overwhelming odds and seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

The most obvious history maker to be honored is our current president, Barack H. Obama, number 44 in the line up of presidents. Some say he is not the first black man to head our nation; they make reference to the Moors who ran the country in its early days.

Whether or not he is the first, we believe he will not be the last. Kind of like the winners of the Miss America pageant. There have been about a half dozen winners of black African descent to wear the coveted Miss America crown since Vanessa L. Williams became the first back in 1983, including the newly crowned 2010 winner Caressa Cameron.

Mostly it happens without much fanfare. Could it be we’re gaining some real progress toward making the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream a reality by judging individuals by the content of their character and quality of their intent? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if an event as important as our presidential election were as enlightened as a beauty pageant seems to be?

Celebrate, honor and respect the tenacity, intelligence, creativity and strength of a people who have more than survived the harsh history of the past to thrive, participate in and witness the history being made in modern times.

We want you to know and remember Martin Luther King, Jr was substantive, not just a dreamer. He was a strategist and a man of action who used the same principles as India’s Gandhi, to lead the greatest movement for equality and freedom the world has ever seen. There is a difference between non-resistance and non-violent resistance to evil acts.

The late Dr. King, a recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace, inspired a national movement and a worldwide following.

This landmark presentation delivered by the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr describes the conditions that brought about the public demonstration by thousands of Americans, of all races and religions, to change the policy of the times. He implores the government to remove the barriers that limit freedom for anyone who is not white.

He expresses the purpose for the gathering. He eloquently explains what is desired by the national black community.

Note how he predicts continued unrest if the demand for equal rights is not adequately addressed and soon. The philosopher reminds those who protest the racist policies to remain peaceful but steadfast. King also speaks of the interconnectedness of both blacks and whites.

And in the end he describes his dream and his hope the nation will live up to its full promise allowing freedom to ring from every mountain, village, hamlet, city, and state.

Mostly this bad behavior is from the so-called “loyal opposition”. From what we’d previously observed the Republicans in the Congress know the rules and the policies. That’s how they always manage to best the Dems at the game.

This lapse in socially acceptable, good behavior, gives us reason to believe the Democrats may have a shot at growing a spine or having one implanted if the official GOP reps continue to act out.

Last week during President Obama’s very first State Of The Union Address a federal Supreme Court justice was seen mouthing an opposing reaction. Traditionally the justices of the court are to remain impartial. That means no public demonstration of support or opposition to anything the president says during the SOTUA.

Of course the lack of impartiality became very apparent during the selection of George W. Bush in 2000 when the court took sides and chose Bush over Al Gore; we think this happened because the decision was based on who arrived at the courthouse door first. In this case it was BushCo.

Last year during a speech to the Congress some representative could not control himself and blurted out from the audience calling the president a liar. He later apologized. No apology would be necessary if he did not demonstrate such blatant disrespect

Where do these people think they are? The UK? The Parliament or the House of Lords? Shouting and calling out at the administrative leader is what is done across the pond. It is not good form in the U.S. of A.

We’ve noted many have expressed their rudeness and disrespect for our current president. Jimmy Carter says the maltreatment Barack Obama is receiving is because he’s black. Perhaps. It may also be a sign of the frustration of the times. Our country is in a mess. It isn’t his fault. It was like this when he came into office.

Mark Fiore, political cartoonist gives his version of the president giving a speech….

Rather than dismiss Larry Platt as just some old guy who received a benevolent 15 minutes of stardom, we found him interesting enough to conduct some research.

We found he is an American treasure. He is a part of living American History. General Larry Platt is an activist who survived the Civil Rights Era to bring us this lively tune; it is the foundation on which so many others have built a creative tower.

Just watch as Jimmy Fallon, who we believe was the first to pick up the tune, performs it as Neil Young.

See Jimmy Fallon, as his television persona, when he plays Larry Platt’s song with one of the American Idol judges, bassist Randy Jackson in a jam session with musical group The ROOTS. BTW we are fans of The ROOTS.

Now watch, comic actor, comedienne and writer/producer, Wanda Sykes, as character “General Mamma Gram”, do her parody of Larry Platt’s song, “Boobs Outcha Blouse”.

Interestingly enough this is what Bill Cosby, President Barack Obama, Shiela Johnson owner of three professional sports franchises, are speaking of when they discuss the style of dress of young people.

We know everyone who dresses inappropriately won’t get the hint.
We hope many will be successful in beautifying America.

At 9pm Eastern Time the president’s vision for the future of the country will be televised live from the capitol in the capital city Washington, D.C..
He will be describing his plan to deal with unemployment, health care, and the  wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One of the topics to be presented the budget, has already been previewed by the White House Press officials. We believe the term “limited spending” would have been a better choice to describe the new budgetary spending restrictions rather than the word “FREEZE”. Whether we agree with the decision to do this or not is not the point.  We’re talking saleability of an idea.

“Limited spending” would have been a more accurate term and would given less of an opportunity to the simpleminded among the opposition; the opposition of questionable loyalty and those in the public who support them,  to seize on any phrase or word to help them  paint a negative picture of this current administration’s competence. Why wittingly or unwittingly provide ammunition for their criticism?

We found this delightful parody of America The Beautiful written by the Salty Droid. The original lyrics written by Katharine Lee Bates were penned more than one hundred years ago in 1893.

Today, ten years into the 21st Century, we believe the parody may be more fitting for the current State of Our Union

….it’s certainly funny enough and we believe we could use a few laughs right about now…

America Doh Beautiful (sing to the tune “America The Beautiful”)

Doh beautiful, in our narrow minds,
Big waves of subsidy corn,
For massive sprawl, and fat behinds,
And our “secret” love of PORN!

America! America! All ignorant in glee,
We crown ourselves … and call it good,
singing ME ME ME ME ME.

Doh beautiful, are the uninsured
Their fear, and pain, and stress
A “lesson” for the working poor
and their worthless worthlessness!

America! America! Let’s deny our ev’ry flaw;
We’ll sing dumb songs, and move along,
protecting rich men from the law!

Doh beautiful, gold credit cards,
Because I can’t quite buy this yet.
Oh what the fluck, I got some “needs”
and someday YOU will pay for it!

America! America! Sham wealth is all we need,
More fake tits, and more fake lips,
from $EA to FAKE-Shining $EA.

If that non-event had not taken place–after all no one was seriously injured, nonetheless the American flying public is afraid because of what did not happen; then we would not have heard Senator Lautenberg of New Jersey complain about the weak punishment for Haisong Jiang, 28, of Piscataway, NJ who “breached” a lame security area at Newark Airport. Haisong Jiang, a graduate student at Rutgers University, only wanted to kiss his beloved good-bye as she was on her way to California after a holiday visit with him. We wish him success in defending himself against the charge. We hope his community will provide the best legal mind available to insure his bright future.

Too bad the TSA and the airport security video recording system did not capture the man’s infraction. It was only after a person who witnessed the breach reported it to a TSA security person Ruben Hernandez of Newark, NJ that the airport officials found their video system was streaming live pictures only. They had to hope they could retrieve pictures from another source.

And for reporting the alleged breach, now called defiant trespass, Ruben Hernandez, a TSA employee for the past two and a half years, who received a commendation for his performance of his duties and responsibilities is rewarded by being made the scapegoat for this episode of “Illusion Of Security”. We like this term better than the “Security Theater” because theater is entertaining. Illusion is deceptive. We believe the whole Transportation Security Administration is another example of the government’s successful “Illusion Of Security” plan.

If Ruben Hernandez, a man considered to be a good and reliable TSA employee, had not responded to being called away from his post, upper management TSA officials say it’s likely Haisong Jian would not have successfully been able to bid his love farewell in the designated restricted” area of the terminal.

We believe in personal responsibility. We believe in accountability. That is why we say if the Transportation Security Administration under the control of the Homeland Security Department had been more vigilant and cooperative with the Federal Bureau Of Investigation (FBI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA) neither Haisong Jiang, 28, of Piscataway, NJ, nor Ruben Hernandez of Newark, NJ and Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab of Nigeria would probably been associated in this way.

“The reader is a hand held or fixed-mount device that emits electromagnetic (radio) waves. These waves can range from one inch to 100 feet and are dependent on power output and the radio frequency used.”

Verichip has also developed technology for use on humans. Now through the magic of science your entire medical history can be imprinted on a chip the size of a grain of rice…in Japan the scientists there have made a chip as tiny as a grain of sand.
As announced on the Verichip web site this is

“the nation’s first and only microchip cleared for patient identification by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration”

Sounds really convenient, yes? As with all great inventions someone will some how manage to corrupt its use for the “bad side”….Hmmmm

So while you’re concerned about paying your mortgage, keeping a job, nurturing your children, getting an education watching the dramas unfold that include health care legislation, Tiger Woods infidelity scandal and the Late Night TeeVee host wars some person with a high powered rifle may inject you with a chip to track your every move…..

Celebrate his birth this weekend by providing service to your community.

Monday is the federal holiday. That is when you will see the commercialization of the birthday celebration. Just as presidents Washington and Lincoln, Dr. King’s birthday will likely be commemorated with “Dream Bargains”, “Freedom Sales”, “Marches For Discounts” and other clever ways to capitalize on the American worker’s consumer side.  You separate folks from their money, even during these difficult times.

Next month the nation will be celebrating  Black History Month, and Presidents’ Day the celebration of George Washington’s birth and Abraham Lincoln’s natal day.

One of our favorite political cartoon creators, Mark Fiore, has  a view of the matter with which we agree. Take a look and be aware of what looms ahead for you with or without a credit card this shopping season and beyond.

Many were proud and pleased to see him receive the honor; others were perplexed by the irony that the man who recently determined to escalate the war in Afghanistan is the most recent recipient of a prize that pays tribute to peace.As we present an excerpt from the opening of his acceptance, we, too, note the contradictory nature of this historic event.

Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Distinguished Members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, citizens of America, and citizens of the world:

I receive this honor with deep gratitude and great humility. It is an award that speaks to our highest aspirations – that for all the cruelty and hardship of our world, we are not mere prisoners of fate. Our actions matter, and can bend history in the direction of justice.

And yet I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy that your generous decision has generated. In part, this is because I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage. Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize – Schweitzer and King; Marshall and Mandela – my accomplishments are slight. And then there are the men and women around the world who have been jailed and beaten in the pursuit of justice; those who toil in humanitarian organizations to relieve suffering; the unrecognized millions whose quiet acts of courage and compassion inspire even the most hardened of cynics. I cannot argue with those who find these men and women – some known, some obscure to all but those they help – to be far more deserving of this honor than I.

But perhaps the most profound issue surrounding my receipt of this prize is the fact that I am the Commander-in-Chief of a nation in the midst of two wars. One of these wars is winding down. The other is a conflict that America did not seek; one in which we are joined by forty three other countries – including Norway – in an effort to defend ourselves and all nations from further attacks.

Still, we are at war, and I am responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land. Some will kill. Some will be killed. And so I come here with an acute sense of the cost of armed conflict – filled with difficult questions about the relationship between war and peace, and our effort to replace one with the other.

To Be Continued…..

Maybe Christ’s questions although determined to be disruptive were appropriate considering who Jesus Christ is.

During the past month more than 25 Georgians have been briefly detained in South Ossetia and Abkhazia for border violations. These actions are straining tempers which flared over a year when South Ossetia was the focus of a five-day war between Russia and Georgia.

All except the teenagers have been quickly released. South Ossetia says the Red Cross has been given access to the teenagers. As representative  of the EU and Sweden, Reinfeldt urges the Ossetians to release the teens.

The European Union president has also denounced the Azerbaijan court’s decision in the case of two bloggers.

On Wednesday, November 11, 2009 Emin Milli received a sentence of 2 years 6 months and Adnan Hajizade, was sentenced to two years for their part in a fight in a restaurant last July. Some in Azerbaijan believe the young activists were arrested for their activism.

Even the EU presidency states its regret “the trial proceedings did not reflect due process and believes that the court decision may further undermine the freedom of expression” in Azerbaijan.

Prime Minister/President Reinfeldt has also spoken against the recent execution in China of nine people for their participation in the ethnic riots in Xinjiang last July. That’s when the Uighurs attacked majority Han Chinese in regional capital Urumqi after taking to the streets to protest against attacks on Uighur workers at a factory in southern China in June that left two Uighurs dead. The area is the Chinese-controlled far western majority Muslim region.

Reinfeldt condemned the executions calling on China to abolish the death penalty. it was concerned about the way the trials were carried out.

“The EU calls on China to review urgently the cases of those who remain under sentence of death for their alleged involvement in this year’s unrest and for their sentences to be commuted.”

The Chinese foreign ministry responded with a MYOB statement. (Mind Your Own Business). In his comments Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang charged the European Union was interfering in China’s internal affairs.

“We are extremely dissatisfied,”

Qin said in reference to the remarks by Reinfeldt. The full statement and the news conference in its entirety can be found on the ministry’s website (www.mfa.gov.cn).

China is a country ruled by laws, carried out the trials properly, and no outsider has a right to get involved, he said.

Qin said China

“demands the European side stop making the same mistakes again and again, earnestly respect the principles of equality and mutual respect, and do more to benefit the healthy and stable development of China-EU relations,”

We’re wondering if the EU Presidency will be speaking out against incidents of injustice, human rights violations here in the good old U.S. of A, Incidents like those reports describing law enforcement personnel tazing defenseless elderly and the young; incidents where police attack citizens who generally pose no serious life ending threat to police …Hmmmmm gives you something to think about.

Send your donation of money, clothing, computers, other school supplies and food to:
Love and Charity Homeless Mission
1031 Douglas Avenue
Racine Wisconsin 53403
Or telephone: 262-634-7059 to offer your time to be a helper in whatever way you can.

Today as it has always been for the last 234 years, members of the Corps, the few, and the proud, have been doing what Marines have always done…secure the peace.

Happy birthday to you all.

Once a Marine, always a Marine.

Sempre Fidelis!

The All Saints Lutheran Church, 751 Dunlawton Avenue, in Port Orange, Florida, near Daytona Beach, Florida, will be the host of a program of hymn arrangements, quiet meditative music, and joyful uplifting music presented today, Wednesday, November 4, 2009 by Silver Keys Music at the lunch time hour.

Claire Arnold, pianist/organist and flutist Leanne Polhill are the featured musical artists in this mid-day concert being given in honor of Marian Michel and in memory of her late husband John Michel. The Michels, who celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary in June of this year, are  long-time supporters of the Healing Music Series.

“Music for Healing” is presented weekly and is sponsored by the Port Orange Ministerial Association.

If you wish you may help the local relief efforts, by using the offering plates in the rear of the nave; or if you wish you may make your contribution by check or money order payable to the Port Orange Ministerial Association.  For more information, call 386.761.9129.

from their June 2008, five week appearance on the Today Show as contestants in the Race to The Altar competition; where one lucky couple wins an all expense paid televised wedding and private, lavish honeymoon.

I knew they were winners going into the competition. Handsome, confident, intelligent Darnell from St. Louis, Missouri and Decatur, Georgia along with, at the time his lovely fiance LaDonna from historic Tuskegee, Alabama–a true southern beauty, who is as brilliant as she is good looking, were the couple to watch.

And indeed millions did watch, as I did , as these two very accomplished young adults won the competition and were married on June 25, 2008, live, on the NBC television network.

Well this is what electrical/computer engineering professionals do after they marry each other. They establish a foundation. The Suggs Foundation, Inc, is a non-profit corporation, to promote scholastic values for those who follow them.

LaDonna and Darnell, oh I think they are so cute together; have decided to encourage others to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields, known as STEM, through the Suggs Foundation while providing young people with resources for simplifying the decision making process when facing the challenges of making pivotal life changes;  advancing responsible citizenship, shielding the beneficial social and cultural ecology and inspiring social action.

They’re a very clever couple. The focus of their foundation’s work is defined in  three parts. It’s a formula for what they call SUGGS-cess©. You know the children have the term copyrighted. I told you they’re smart.

Firstly, there’s the goal to increase the number of Americans pursuing careers in the STEM fields. Darnell and LaDonna use their foundation to promote the professional opportunities within these career areas. Lawd knows we need more scientists and engineers. Is there anyone out there today who can do simple math without a calculator?

Secondly, the Suggs recognize the difficulty many young people experience when making important decisive change from scholarly pursuits, the world of work/profession and relationships. In particular, the sometimes fragile transition between high school and college; followed by college and the work force, dating and subsequent marriage. The Suggs have noted the major moments in the life of a human being and have set out to make the life odyssey a more  welcome adventure.

Finally, the third part of the SUGGS-cess© formula is service. Their philosophy is advocating and teaching civic responsibility along with environmental responsibility can inspire community activism/ involvement.

What I admire about these exemplary, smart, good looking young people is they have decided to use their celebrity as a stage from which to sincerely share their passions.

They are available for public speaking engagements through which they will raise money for the foundation. Darnell and LaDonna are using the Suggs Foundation to raise funds by holding charitable events, and they also accept public and private donations.

The Suggs Foundation is striving to give a voice to academic and professional issues affecting our society, in order to strengthen the fabric of our country.

Darlings, that’s what I call SUGGS-cess©!

For more information on how to support STEM education
contact The Suggs Foundation by email thesuggs@meetthesuggs.com

The Unitarian Universalists Society’s Religious Education Committee’s successful Explorations collaborative, now presented on Wednesday evenings as the Wednesday Evening Explorations, (WEE), will be featuring two Life Long Learning series with Jim Strayer, biologist and lecturer, as moderator. Both programs will be covering the subject How Science is Done:Two Examples and will begin at 7pm. Contact 386-441-2811 or 386-672-2556 for more information.

First on Wednesday, November 4, Part 1 Joseph Priestley.
Joseph Priestly was a scientist who is widely known for his discovery of oxygen. According to the Wikipedia

“Priestley’s science was integral to his theology, and he consistently tried to fuse Enlightenment rationalism with Christian theism.[3] In his metaphysical texts, Priestley attempted to combine theism, materialism, and determinism, a project that has been called “audacious and original”.He believed that a proper understanding of the natural world would promote human progress and eventually bring about the Christian Millennium. Priestley, who strongly believed in the free and open exchange of ideas, advocated toleration and equal rights for religious Dissenters, which also led him to help found Unitarianism in England. The controversial nature of Priestley’s publications combined with his outspoken support of the French Revolution aroused public and governmental suspicion; he was eventually forced to flee, in 1791, first to London, and then to the United States, after a mob burned down his home and church. He spent the last ten years of his life living in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.”

In the second presentation in the series How Science is Done:Two Examples, on Wednesday, November 11 Part 2 Masters and Johnson. Scientist Jim Strayer will provide information about William Masters, renowned American gynecologist and his research associate Virginia Johnson, psychologist; together they comprised one of the first scientific research teams to investigate human sexual response in the laboratory.

Alfred Kinsey, earlier, had conducted his controversial research through personal interviews.

The study of human sexuality, sexology, was an area mostly neglected by scientists due to provincial social conventions during the mid 20th Century.

Join the Unitarian Universalists for an evening of thought provoking topics. For complete details call 386-441-2811 or 386-672-2556

According to a recent report in the New York Times Business section,

“…there are more Americans 65 and older in the job market today than at any time in history, 6.6 million, compared with 4.1 million in 2001.”

That’s about 2 and a half million more than eight years ago. Hmmmm, I bet there’s a correlation between the fact President Dumbya was in office implementing new economic policies and enforcing previously established economic policies during the time the numbers of seniors remaining on the job was growing. You know the policies made by other administrations including, the administrations of his father George Herbert Walker Bush, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Policies and new legislation that chipped away and successfully removed the safeguards to protect our economy. Safeguards, neo-cons call them restrictions that had been in place for as long as I am old.

Many of those older workers were looking forward to retirement. Now because the economy has underperformed and their 401Ks have decreased in value older parents, other relatives, neighbors and friends are still doing as the children say their “grind”.

At least those folks have gigs. The New York Times reports there are about 500 thousand older workers who wish to have jobs, and like everyone else who wants a job, they can not find work.

It’s interesting to note a goodly number of these older folks have taken on more debt than previous generations of older Americans while their job protections deteriorated.

“…the level of indebtedness among older Americans has risen faster than in any other age group, partly because so many obtained second mortgages to take money out of their homes.”

I guess they got all caught up in the hype; they believe the fantasy that housing prices would continue to skyrocket instead they have plummeted dramatically.

It will be interesting to see more fast food restaurant employees bonding with their grandchildren as they ask , “Would you like fries with that?”

“France has been with the No. 59 Brumos Porsche since the inception of the Daytona Prototype class in 2003. He was the first overall winner in the history of the class, joining Hurley Haywood in the No. 59 Fabcar for back-to-back victories at Homestead and Phoenix in 2003. He has co-driven the No. 59 Riley for the past two seasons with Joao Barbosa. His best finish since then was third in the 2009 Rolex 24, joined by Haywood, Barbosa and Terry Borcheller. A veteran of three different types of motorcycle racing – flat track, road racing and motocross – France drove in the KONI Challenge in 2002 before joining the Rolex Series.

France and Barbosa are currently eighth in the Daytona Prototype standings, only two points out of sixth. The 2008 winner of the Jim Trueman Award, France holds a 202-point lead over Rob Finlay as he bids to become the first two-time winner of Grand-Am’s  ‘Gentleman Driver’ award.”~ from news item August 2009.

The recent arrest and subsequent charges surrounding the adolescent episode of 44 year-old Jamison C. (Jamie) France, grandson of NASCAR founder,the late Bill France Sr., son of Jim France, founder of the Grand-Am circuit and cousin to Brian France, NASCAR CEO and chairman; reminds us of a scheme that might have been concocted by two characters from the Will Ferrell, John C. Riley film called “Step Brothers”. It’s the 21st Century version of “Dumb and Dumber” starring middle-aged men.

The film comedy is the story of Brennan Huff and Dale Dobeck two middle aged, very spoiled guys, who become competitive step brothers when their formerly single parents marry. We had no idea, in addition to being local ce-lout-brities big deals, a Hollywood film had been made about France and his step brother.

Jamison C. (J.C.) or Jamie France and his step brother, Russell Van Richmond were racing around the streets of Daytona Beach, Florida early Thursday morning in their expensive sports cars.  Both were charged with DUI, speeding and possession of illegal substances.

This story is so bizarre it caused the staff of YouThinkWhat to speculate along with our leader Henry T. Gandolph as to why a rich guy, who owns the Grand-Am car, a Brumos Porsche,  he and the team drove to win at least one victory this racing season; with one more race left, would choose to self sabotage a racing career. What would cause him to make the boneheaded decision to race on the Seabreeze Bridge in Daytona Beach, Florida after a night of partying?

Everyone knows, even tourists, the Daytona Beach Police are very vigilant for drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs late at night or early morning  coming across the bridge to the mainland at a high rate of speed, especially in the days leading up to what amounts to a local racing enthusiast biker “holiday” week of events.

In this part of Florida October means BIKE-tober Fest. It’s the time of year when bikers from everywhere come to Daytona to party. The City Of Daytona calls in law enforcement officers from all over the state just to keep the local residents and the visitors safe during this time.

Considering all the extreme safety consciousness of the authorities and  the Daytona Beach, Florida community why would a member of the town’s allegedly premier family flaunt such reckless behavior?

We’ve kicked this around and come up with what we believe is a plausible answer. Using the perspective of the screen characters, Brennan Huff and Dale Dobeck, mentioned at the beginning of this article. If you’ve seen the film you’ll understand the irrational logic we’re using to reach our unscientific, speculative conclusion.

The grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France, the son of Grand-Am founder Jim France; and cousin of Brian France chairman and CEO of NASCAR, is not comfortable being a driver on the Grand-Am circuit. The family has given him this spot in the family business in order to keep it all in the family.

He buys a car. They let him drive and let him think he’s captain of the team. He’s a co-driver with a guy who has trained and really knows and loves his job. We believe at this point, six years into driving and traveling the circuit, France is itching to get back to his decadent lifestyle. The cynosure to the Daytona Beach drunks, druggies and whores was desperate to return to his life before becoming a Grand-Am racing circuit driver.

On the circuit he has to stay morally straight, clean and upright. No booze, no drugs, what a drag. Drunks and druggies are not permitted to drive the circuit. Additionally they are disparaged by Brian France CEO and chairman of NASCAR which owns the Grand-AM.

Despite the fact there is a crew, a team of mechanics, engineers, drivers and man servants who wait on him hand and foot 24/7 who rely on him for a paycheck, France is self absorbed, self centered and conspires with his step brother to go out in a blaze of notoriety by doing some outrageous act that will get him suspended from the circuit for an undetermined amount of time, indefinite period,  forever, perhaps even for life.

In the deranged mind of this infamously shameful local slug-lebrity , thug-lebrity celebrity and his wanna-be step brother, the plan is logical because it serves his main intention which is to get back to all that hard partying and drugging he’s been missing. There’s a lot of catching up to do in that area.  The cost to him of $15K is like jukebox money; that’s the total fee for bail in this incident for him and his stepbrother. it’s the price of doing business to get out of racing. It’s way less than the cost of paying salaries in the off season or even for the last race of the season.

With no regard for those who are depending on him and only one race left the grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France, the son of Grand-Am founder Jim France; and cousin of Brian France chairman and CEO of NASCAR managed to disgrace himself, bring shame to his associates–his name is toxic to anyone who works worked for him who wishes to be hired by a reputable entity; the family and negative publicity to the family business Grand-Am and NASCAR . There are some who believe, as Henry T. Gandolph does, all publicity is good publicity when you are in business.

Win or lose he could have announced his departure from the circuit for less worthwhile endeavors. The mind mentally disordered by drugs often gives no consideration how his actions will affect, or disrupt the lives of others; and mostly he does not give a care.

Nonetheless this spawn of the France family has won the tri-fecta of stupid self serving decisions; he got what he wanted, screwed up several lives so he is further vilified by more people than already know him as a lout while garnering headlines around the world, the racing world that is, proving once again it doesn’t take a genius to bring the media to ones turf.

And so the grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France, the son of Grand-Am founder Jim France; and cousin of Brian France chairman and CEO of NASCAR,  will, if fortunate, live to see another day.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of the story unfolds. Will the judge favor France, like the bail that was set for $4500 for France and $10K for his step brother? Or will there be disparity of treatment because France is a bigger cheese than most who come to court in Daytona Beach, Florida. Stay tuned….mean while… (see next article)

The bold progressives over at the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) are celebrating and promoting a boost/shoutout they recently received from teevee commentator Rachel Maddow.

Last night on her highly viewed and extremely popular cable teevee program Rachel Maddow mentioned a petition begun by and being circulated by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee demanding an “up or down vote” on the strongly debated healthcare legislation.
Maddow showed the petition addressed to Senate Majority Whip Harry Reid, (D-Nevada),  on her program last night, which simply states the signers are giving an ultimatum to the Democrat senators. The signers of the petition agree those who support ” a Republican attempt to block a vote on health care reform should be stripped of their leadership titles.”

The PCCC says Reid was instrumental in returning Joe Lieberman to the Democrats’ caucus after he boldly endorsed  Republican John McCain for the presidency. PCCC believes Reid is obligated to lead the senators as his title suggests for the benefit of the voters who put him in office.

Democrats who side with Republicans on basic procedural things like allowing or denying a vote are behaving in a manner unacceptable to the welfare of the people.

Millions of Americans are without proper health care coverage; foot-dragging along with bureaucratic sandbagging is not what is needed when our people are in such desperate need.

The goal is to get 75,000 registered voters to sign the demand for a proper vote on the matter in the senate.
Visit the Progressive Change Campaign Committee’s web site to sign the petition and while you’re there make a donation. These bold progressives do good and important work.

Family Renew Community (FRC) is an organization, financially  supported by local Judeo-Christian faith based groups, whose mission it is to provide help to families with children who are without the stability that comes from having proper shelter.  The FRC will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this coming Sunday, September 13th 2009 with an all you can eat Ice Cream Social.
The annual event is being held this year at the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida on Sunday afternoon. It promises to be a real fun wholesome family day with games, clowns, face painting for the kids and amusements for adults that include a silent auction and the always popular Elegant Junque table display from the Family Renew Community’s Secret Attic Thrift Store collection.

This price of admission is just $5 for adults and children over 12. Children under 12 will be admitted at no charge.

The work performed by Family Renew Community to help save families thus preserving our community and our future citizens is commendable.
Visit the web site to find out how you can help.

You may be able to inspire a child  who will work to make organizations like Family Renew Community unnecessary in our nation’s future.

It’s the 21st Century and ain’t has been in the dictionary for sometime defined as nonstandard English “a substitute for am not, is not, and are not in declarative sentences, ain’t is more common in uneducated speech than in educated, but it occurs with some frequency in the informal speech of the educated, especially in the southern and south-central states.”

We’re way past ain’t; we’ve got  Twitter, soz,  as well as that skimpy beach wear for men the mankini.

English our language grows and reflects the digital culture. and other interesting reported events. Here are just a few of our favorites:

Twitterverse: the social-networking site Twitter and its users

Twitter it’s a noun as in “What is all this fuss about Demi Moore’s denial of plastic surgery on Twitter?”;  or it’s a verb as in “Many large corporations have hired personnel to twitter about the company’s activities.”

pseudocide: John Darwin may now be wishing he had never heard of pseudocide as he sits in his prison cell; the canoeist faked his own death to collect a massive insurance payout.

beer o’clock:  We know people who’ve used this term for years. It’s the time of day when it is acceptable or customary to begin drinking your favorite alcoholic beverage.

boomburb:  a large suburb experiencing rapid population growth. Naperville, Illinois qualifies as one. It’s located in two different counties!

Ponzimonium:  financial turmoil in the wake of uncovering Ponzi schemes

frugalista:  a person who tries to stay fashionably dressed on a budget

homo economicus:  a theoretical human being who rationally calculates the costs and benefits of every action before making a decision, used as the basis for a number of economic theories and models

Example of using the terms in a sentence:  “Freda is a frugalista who is dating Herman whose friends describe him as the quintessential homo economicus. They met through a personals ad in the WSJ.”

“the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the employment situation report for August, which is the 20th month of the economic downturn.  The report showed an additional 216,000 jobs lost in August for a total of 6.9 million jobs lost this recession.

The good news is that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is providing a significant boost to the labor market.  Over the last three months, the labor market has shed an average of 318,000 jobs per month.”

Basically the unemployed are not finding gigs; the speed of job loss has slowed.

14.9 million workers are  unemployed with about 5 million having been without employment for more than six months. That is more than the record set in 1983.

In July 2009 there was a slight decline in the unemployment rate. An unusually large number of workers dropped out of the labor force causing the numbers to ratchet back up during August.

EPI reports:

” …unemployment reestablished its steady upward climb in August, rising from 9.4% to 9.7%.  Unemployment has more than doubled since its pre-recession low of 4.4% in March 2007, and has nearly doubled from 4.9% at the start of the recession in December 2007.  While the unemployment rate has not reached its post-WWII peak of 10.8% at the end of 1982, the increase in unemployment over this recession — 4.8 percentage points — has far surpassed the overall increase of 3.6 percentage points in the recession of 1981.”

What they’re saying is we’re going for the record in this installment of capitalism it’s an adventure.

And as usual we can count on our government to tell us their version of the truth.  EPI found this fact:

“… the official unemployment count understates the slack in the labor market by counting neither those who want a job but have given up looking for work (‘marginally attached’), nor workers who are working but can’t get the full-time hours they want (‘involuntary part-time workers’).

There are currently 14.9 million unemployed workers in the United States, but if the marginally attached and involuntary part-time workers are included, the number swells to 26.4 million.  Currently one in six U.S. workers (16.8%) is either un- or underemployed.”

Always during these times as in the past certain groups are typically more affected than others. Those groups are racial and ethnic minorities, men, workers with lower levels of schooling, and younger workers.

Last month, August 2009 among Blacks and Hispanics the jobless rate was
about 28 %–15% and 13% respectively; while the rate among whites was 8.9%

More men were unemployed than women; and workers with high school education was more than twice that of those with college degrees.

For workers 16 to 24 the rate of joblessness was more than 18% and for those 25 to 54 the rate was about half; in the 55 plus age group the rate of unemployment was nearly 7%.

But wait…that’s not all…6.9 million jobs lost since December 2007, which is when the government says this recession officially began. Let’s not forget the population continues to grow.  To keep pace with population growth the economy requires two and a half million jobs for the period December 2007 through August 2009, 20 months of economic decline; that would be about 127,000 jobs each month.

The bottom line here is that when the Congress meets again next week the first order of business should be to extend the benefits for about 500,000 unemployed workers whose benefits will end September 30, 2009

Goodell personally met with Vick for about an hour in New Jersey. The news of Michael Vick being clearedto be fully reinstated came prior to the Eagles losing 38-27 to the New York Jets in their final pre-season game.

Goodell who originally said he might hold off on reinstating the former Atlanta Falcons star until Week 6 of the current NFL season, publicly announced the good news on Thursday, September 3, 2009 from the league’s New York City headquarters after meeting with Vick.

Eligibility to play in Week 3 required Vick be one of 53 players on the final team roster in order to practice before the game set in Philadelphia. That roster is finalized today.

According to Commissioner Goodell his decision to fully reinstate Vick, who is on probation after serving a 20 month sentence for his part in abusing dogs in a dogfighting ring, was based, in part, on input from Eagles’ coach Andy Reid regarding the quarter back’s progress with the team.

The Mid-Atlantic Dachshund Phest is an annual event, originally known as Bark in the Park, featuring wiener dog races, dancing dogs, photo opps with Santa, a special Halloween costume contest and doggie parades.

There is no admission charge; nor is there registration required for your dachshund pooch to compete in the two weiner dog races.

Dog owners, dog lovers, or if you just want to have a fun filled day with this breed of man’s best friend, visit the 8th Mid-Atlantic Dachshund Phest. All are welcome. It’s indoors.The event will be held rain or shine, and it’s free.

This very sweet production was one of the 2009 Cannes Lions winners.

The Cannes Lions is an award given during the International Advertising Festival (IAF). It’s a meeting for those working in advertising and related fields. According to Wikipedia it is currently the largest gathering of worldwide advertising professionals and advertisers.

Watch this classic tale of boy meets girl with a modern twist. Enjoy this diversion and enjoy the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Edward Kennedy will be remembered as the protector of the dream. This is a reference to the dream of the founding fathers of this nation as well as to the dream of equality spoken of by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Senator Kennedy was the legislative champion in the senate for the millions who are less fortunate in this country. He was the kind of senate representative who worked for the interests of the people he represented.

We are reminded of his frailty, his shortcomings by those who would discount the fact he did not have to work as diligently as he did for the people of Massachusetts or the people of the United States.

We have also been reminded by his loving family of the strength, the love and compassion he exhibited when faced with the challenge of being the patriarch–he almiost never missed a family event, including those for the children of his brothers, as well as his own.

Ted, as he was known by his colleagues and friends in the senate, was a tireless worker; even through his terminal illness he continued to promote the universal health care legislation which he advocated for nearly fifty years of his political career.

The name of Edward M. Kennedy can be found on hundreds of pieces of legislation from immigration, to education, to labor issues such as minimum wage and family medical leave laws; from legislation to protect citizens with disabilities to the much debated and still not yet passed law to provide universal health care for 47 million Americans who are at risk because they lack health insurance.

To members of the loyal opposition, Kennedy, who was a fiercely loyal Democrat,was admired and respected his work. He was passionate in his quests.  Edward Kennedy never made his attacks personal when debating laws. He was respectful, playful– an all  ’round affable guy to his associates in the senate.

Your job is well done Edward M. Kennedy. Rest In peace, Senator.

In Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, Spike Lee has invited fans of the King Of Pop to attend a celebration of his birth and his life. More than 10,000 guests are expected.

We invite you to remember Michael Jackson here in this video.

All right people! Get it over it! I’m hearing all this fuss over Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty’s decision, with his wife, to send his children to a so-called “good” public school; one that is better than his neighborhood school.

Will someone explain to me why this is a problem?!

The man has kept his campaign promise to send his youngsters to a public school. Fine! Let’s give him an atta-boy for keeping his promise. He’s the mayor. There are certain privileges that come with leadership positions. Why else would anyone run for public office? Satisfying personal ego demands are part of what makes Adrian, or Mike or Barack or Nancy or Hillary,  anyone run.

I see this camflamma as simply another distraction from the issue of health care for citizens who are at risk without it. Lack of health care for 47 million citizens is disgraceful. The mayor of Washington D.C. sending his children to  the best public school to meet their educational needs is not in the same category as the great nation we say we are leaving the people who make it great without access to proper medical care.

So local D.C. folks get over the moral outrage about the mayor’s kids issue, and direct some indignation toward this health care legislation.

DEMAND health care reform NOW!

We’re wondering why a venerable institution like Bank Skank of America would require its customers to sign off on such an agreement.

In what is it the bank is doing to expose them to a possible class action lawsuit? Could their lawyers be paranoid about being sued? Does legal counsel for Bank Of America believe something illegal is being done to cause outraged consumers to sue?  Geez! It wouldn’t be the first time; and furthermore some would consider it is the price of doing business in today’s litigious market place.

We believe such an agreement would not be necessary if banks would do they job they were originally intended to do. That job is to protect the consumers’ deposits with integrity rather than the standard of today, greed and avarice.

If you wish to hear the call go to Forty Days For Health Reform.

40 Minutes for Health Reform is sponsored by:
National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.; Progressive National Baptist Convention; Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism; NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby; United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society; The Episcopal Church; Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference; Jewish Council for Public Affairs; Gamaliel Foundation; Faithful Reform in Health Care; Unitarian Universalist Association; African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME); The New Evangelicals; National Council of Churches in Christ; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; United Church of Christ; The Latino Leadership Circle; Christian Community Development Association; Islamic Society of North America; Washington Office of Women’s Divisions, General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church; Jewish Women International; Islamic Medical Association of North America; Presbyterian Church (USA), Washington Office; Disciples Center for Public Witness; Disciples Justice Action Network; Catholics United; Faith in Public Life; Faithful America; PICO National Network; Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good; Sojourners

If you are a person of faith who wishes to be active in supporting comprehensive health care reform,  Sign The Petition.

Walk the walk that goes with the faith based language  you’ve been talking.

Get the word out to our leaders. Health care reform will benefit our entire nation. Our people must be strong and healthy to keep our nation strong. We must have proper health care reform and we must have it NOW!

Millions of citizens are without insurance. Living without health insurance is detrimental to anyone’s health.

This fact is a moral disgrace! It reeks of the kind of moral depravity we’ve read about in ancient times.

Late last night one of the most influential men  in the U.S. Senate, a man who has spent the last forty years of his life working to secure the rights–economic, health care and civil, for minorities and the less fortunate, died.

Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts always a passionate advocate for universal health care in this country declared last summer in Denver Colorado at the meeting of the Democratic National Convention, the issue of universal health care is the “cause of his life”.  He worked tirelessly for the passage of the legislation that will provide coverage for an estimated 46 million people for are now at health risk.

We urge all the congressional representatives, Democrat and Republican alike to do whatever is necessary to pass this important bill with the single payer option. Honor Ted Kennedy’s dedication to helping the less fortunate. We want coverage and we want it NOW!

Your tenure  in the United States Senate or the House of Representatives will definitely depend on how you vote on the universal health care bill. Make no mistake about that!

Where you stand on this matter, how you vote will be a major consideration as to whether or not you remain a player in the nation’s capital.

Take action to insure you are not among the future unemployed–we’ve heard this economic downturn may continue for a couple more years.

Our lives and the lives of our children depend on the passage of this bill. The future of our nation is dependent on  strong, healthy citizens.

Give Us Universal  Health Coverage NOW!

Watch his 1980 presentation, at the Democratic National Convention held in New York City, wherein he fully commits to continuing to fight for economic, health and civil rights for everyone.

Garret Keizer is now joined by Larry Flynt. That’s right, Larry Flynt, the publisher of Hustler has written an article in support of a general strike.

Many Americans  are beginning to feel similar frustrations expressed by the man, Joe Ferraro, aka The Nerd, who  said so when calling in a question to a Philadelphia radio talk show on which the president was appearing to answer questions about the health care issue.

We’re not just frustrated and upset about health care in this country, though it is an important issue. The heath care crisis  affects our elderly citizens and our youngest most vulnerable citizens. The children are our hope for the future. As well documented in recent news reports this is a great source of concern as well as frustration.

We’re getting batted around like a party pinata because of the inequality in the justice system; banks continuing predatory policies despite using our money to keep their failed enterprises afloat. The continuing housing crisis; or the uncontrolled use of tasers by police to exert their authorityl whether necessary  or not.   The crisis we face in employment with jobs being sent overseas. And we’re all fed up with politicians. Even the divinely eloqient Mr. Obama and crew.

Interestingly, Flynt has titled his piece “Common Sense 2009″. We have always thought it makes good common sense to hold a general strike to get the American public’s point of view across.

The last time this was attempted the momentum was built online by bloggers. There was support for a general strike from sites such as the Daily Kos.

There were different dates October 17th or November 6th or Black Friday…have a general strike once a month until the powers that be capitulate. It does not have to be a one time  event to be effective.

A series of protests to let the government know they must heed what we, the people, have to say.

People from every part of the country. Military veterans, school teachers, doctors, lawyers, blue collar workers, sanitation personnel, mothers, fathers. Everybody who has a stake in keeping this ship of state afloat should be in the streets to demonstrate we want meaningful change. Not rhetoric.

We can do something about this. We can organize peaceful, sensible, non-violent demonstrations. People around the world have organized in this way. Mexicans for more than six months following a presidential election they did not like. Ukrainians and others have carried on to get the attention of the oligarchs who control their country.

We, Americans, are capable. We can set a strategy to send a message to our government we will not be doormats any longer! We are mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore!

When Vick suits up with the Philadelphia Eagles he’ll be wearing the number 7, as he did when he played for the Falcons in Atlanta before serving time in a federal prison for killing and abusing dogs.
Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid reports Vick is focused and eager to get his career on track.

Starting quarter back Donovan McNabb endorses Vick coming to the Eagles. “I pretty much lobbied to get him here, because everybody deserves a second chance.” What part Michael Vick will play on the team’s offense is not yet clear.

Eleven year-old Damon Weaver of Canal Point, Florida
is a student reporter at the Katherine E. Cunningham Elementary School in Canal Point, Palm Beach County, Florida. Damon Weaver has conducted an interview at the White House with President Barack Obama. Watch it here:

After interviewing Vice President Joe Biden when the then senator-candidate visited Palm Beach County last fall during the presidential election campaign, Damon Weaver began his quest to get the scoop of his lifetime by winning an exclusive interview with the man who would be America’s first black president.

We’ve always supported Damon’s desires to be the ace number one cub reporter. We championed Damon’s request for credentials to be at President Obama’s historical inauguration. We reported when Damon was successful and received those highly prized press credentials.

We are proud and pleased to announce he’s captured an interview with the President Of The United States. Congratulations to Damon Weaver. We wish you much success in the future.

We agree with the “Birthers”. Barack Obama was not born in the United States of America; in fact he wasn’t even born on this planet.

The current occupant of the White House was born on the planet Mongo, located in another universe. He was delivered here to this planet in the same manner as the so-called “Man of Steel”. That’s right an alien space ship dropped him off as the passengers and crew were on their way to catch the party train to Mars.

Here’s a video by Lee Camp to provide a moment of clarity on the subject of President Obama’s birth and Professor Gates’ recent arrest.

Certain opponents to the health care reform proposals are counting on the fact the public will not read the proposed bill. Their stock and trade is in fear. “If we can scare the people we’ve got control”.

As a public service YouThinkWhat presents the controversial Page 425 of the current proposed legislation. Read it for yourself. Do not let some tired old tee vee actor, former Republican politician with a talk-radio program tell you what it says. Read it for yourself.

Here is the actual full section in question taken from the Library of Congress Thomas legislative website.
SEC. 1233. ADVANCE CARE PLANNING CONSULTATION.

(a) Medicare-

(1) IN GENERAL- Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) is amended–

(A) in subsection (s)(2)–

(i) by striking `and’ at the end of subparagraph (DD);

(ii) by adding `and’ at the end of subparagraph (EE); and

(iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

`(FF) advance care planning consultation (as defined in subsection (hhh)(1));’; and

(B) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

Advance Care Planning Consultation

`(hhh)(1) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), the term `advance care planning consultation’ means a consultation between the individual and a practitioner described in paragraph (2) regarding advance care planning, if, subject to paragraph (3), the individual involved has not had such a consultation within the last 5 years. Such consultation shall include the following:

`(A) An explanation by the practitioner of advance care planning, including key questions and considerations, important steps, and suggested people to talk to.

`(B) An explanation by the practitioner of advance directives, including living wills and durable powers of attorney, and their uses.

`(C) An explanation by the practitioner of the role and responsibilities of a health care proxy.

`(D) The provision by the practitioner of a list of national and State-specific resources to assist consumers and their families with advance care planning, including the national toll-free hotline, the advance care planning clearinghouses, and State legal service organizations (including those funded through the Older Americans Act of 1965).

`(E) An explanation by the practitioner of the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice, and benefits for such services and supports that are available under this title.

`(F)(i) Subject to clause (ii), an explanation of orders regarding life sustaining treatment or similar orders, which shall include–

`(I) the reasons why the development of such an order is beneficial to the individual and the individual’s family and the reasons why such an order should be updated periodically as the health of the individual changes;

`(II) the information needed for an individual or legal surrogate to make informed decisions regarding the completion of such an order; and

`(III) the identification of resources that an individual may use to determine the requirements of the State in which such individual resides so that the treatment wishes of that individual will be carried out if the individual is unable to communicate those wishes, including requirements regarding the designation of a surrogate decisionmaker (also known as a health care proxy).

`(ii) The Secretary shall limit the requirement for explanations under clause (i) to consultations furnished in a State–

`(I) in which all legal barriers have been addressed for enabling orders for life sustaining treatment to constitute a set of medical orders respected across all care settings; and

`(II) that has in effect a program for orders for life sustaining treatment described in clause (iii).

`(iii) A program for orders for life sustaining treatment for a States described in this clause is a program that–

`(I) ensures such orders are standardized and uniquely identifiable throughout the State;

`(II) distributes or makes accessible such orders to physicians and other health professionals that (acting within the scope of the professional’s authority under State law) may sign orders for life sustaining treatment;

`(III) provides training for health care professionals across the continuum of care about the goals and use of orders for life sustaining treatment; and

`(IV) is guided by a coalition of stakeholders includes representatives from emergency medical services, emergency department physicians or nurses, state long-term care association, state medical association, state surveyors, agency responsible for senior services, state department of health, state hospital association, home health association, state bar association, and state hospice association.

`(2) A practitioner described in this paragraph is–

`(A) a physician (as defined in subsection (r )(1)); and

`(B) a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant who has the authority under State law to sign orders for life sustaining treatments.

`(3)(A) An initial preventive physical examination under subsection (WW), including any related discussion during such examination, shall not be considered an advance care planning consultation for purposes of applying the 5-year limitation under paragraph (1).

`(B) An advance care planning consultation with respect to an individual may be conducted more frequently than provided under paragraph (1) if there is a significant change in the health condition of the individual, including diagnosis of a chronic, progressive, life-limiting disease, a life-threatening or terminal diagnosis or life-threatening injury, or upon admission to a skilled nursing facility, a long-term care facility (as defined by the Secretary), or a hospice program.

`(4) A consultation under this subsection may include the formulation of an order regarding life sustaining treatment or a similar order.

`(5)(A) For purposes of this section, the term `order regarding life sustaining treatment’ means, with respect to an individual, an actionable medical order relating to the treatment of that individual that–

`(i) is signed and dated by a physician (as defined in subsection (r )(1)) or another health care professional (as specified by the Secretary and who is acting within the scope of the professional’s authority under State law in signing such an order, including a nurse practitioner or physician assistant) and is in a form that permits it to stay with the individual and be followed by health care professionals and providers across the continuum of care;

`(ii) effectively communicates the individual’s preferences regarding life sustaining treatment, including an indication of the treatment and care desired by the individual;

`(iii) is uniquely identifiable and standardized within a given locality, region, or State (as identified by the Secretary); and

`(iv) may incorporate any advance directive (as defined in section 1866(f)(3)) if executed by the individual.

`(B) The level of treatment indicated under subparagraph (A)(ii) may range from an indication for full treatment to an indication to limit some or all or specified interventions. Such indicated levels of treatment may include indications respecting, among other items–

`(i) the intensity of medical intervention if the patient is pulse less, apneic, or has serious cardiac or pulmonary problems;

`(ii) the individual’s desire regarding transfer to a hospital or remaining at the current care setting;

`(iii) the use of antibiotics; and

`(iv) the use of artificially administered nutrition and hydration.’.

(2) PAYMENT- Section 1848(j)(3) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(j)(3)) is amended by inserting `(2)(FF),’ after `(2)(EE),’.

(3) FREQUENCY LIMITATION- Section 1862(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395y(a)) is amended–

(A) in paragraph (1)–

(i) in subparagraph (N), by striking `and’ at the end;

(ii) in subparagraph (O) by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting `, and’; and

(iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

`(P) in the case of advance care planning consultations (as defined in section 1861(hhh)(1)), which are performed more frequently than is covered under such section;’; and

(B) in paragraph (7), by striking `or (K)’ and inserting `(K), or (P)’.

(4) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by this subsection shall apply to consultations furnished on or after January 1, 2011.

(b) Expansion of Physician Quality Reporting Initiative for End of Life Care-

(1) Physician’S QUALITY REPORTING INITIATIVE- Section 1848(k)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(k)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:

`(3) Physician’S QUALITY REPORTING INITIATIVE-

`(A) IN GENERAL- For purposes of reporting data on quality measures for covered professional services furnished during 2011 and any subsequent year, to the extent that measures are available, the Secretary shall include quality measures on end of life care and advanced care planning that have been adopted or endorsed by a consensus-based organization, if appropriate. Such measures shall measure both the creation of and adherence to orders for life-sustaining treatment.

`(B) PROPOSED SET OF MEASURES- The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register proposed quality measures on end of life care and advanced care planning that the Secretary determines are described in subparagraph (A) and would be appropriate for eligible professionals to use to submit data to the Secretary. The Secretary shall provide for a period of public comment on such set of measures before finalizing such proposed measures.’.

(c) Inclusion of Information in Medicare & You Handbook-

(1) MEDICARE & YOU HANDBOOK-

(A) IN GENERAL- Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall update the online version of the Medicare & You Handbook to include the following:

(i) An explanation of advance care planning and advance directives, including–

(I) living wills;

(II) durable power of attorney;

(III) orders of life-sustaining treatment; and

(IV) health care proxies.

(ii) A description of Federal and State resources available to assist individuals and their families with advance care planning and advance directives, including–

(I) available State legal service organizations to assist individuals with advance care planning, including those organizations that receive funding pursuant to the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 93001 et seq.);

(II) website links or addresses for State-specific advance directive forms; and

(III) any additional information, as determined by the Secretary.

(B) UPDATE OF PAPER AND SUBSEQUENT VERSIONS- The Secretary shall include the information described in subparagraph (A) in all paper and electronic versions of the Medicare & You Handbook that are published on or after the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Here’s Merle Hazard singing his latest release, “Bail Out”. Enjoy!

We have been thinking about this accusation. Just like Bernie Madoff, R. Allen Stanford is accused of doing that ponzi scheme thing. Often described as “any fraudulent investment scheme that pays returns to investors from their own money or money paid by subsequent investors rather than from any actual profit earned”, this definition brings us to conclude, banks do the same thing.

We ask the question: Why is R. Allen Stanford’s business different than Bank Of America, or as we like to call the company Skank Of America. What separates R. Allen Stanford’s operation from say Citi, or as we have named the huge financial conglomerate Sniti. How is R. Allen Stanford’s banking empire different than Wachovia, or as we say Wacky-skank?

Other than the fact the head man is a criminally indicted person we do not see much difference.

Requests for assistance, i.e. loan modification, from consumers facing foreclosure or those who have received notice of foreclosure from the lender(s) who hold the mortgage(s) on their house, have increased.

The lenders do not find it profitable to help save your home. Even with the government money for the banks as incentive to help consumers, the banks skanks do not find it is profitable to help save families and communities. Glori-osky what a revelation! We are wondering how those bankers sleep at night.

Just as in the past, so it is today, the banks will be preserved at all costs.

The economic experts from the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston conducted research with results that state it would have worked better if the money given to the banks skanks–$75 Billion earlier this year had been given to the home owners to pay off those non-performing assets.

Fact is, if that $75 Billion had been given to John Q. and/or Madeline Homeowner-In-Default to pay off the debt, the bank would have no assets, non-performing or otherwise.

Let us waste no further time discussing what “should have happened”. Let’s talk about what is happening. Let’s find a solution to the situation.

It is important for the banks to have assets. It is important at all costs; even if it means keeping a class of financially indentured slaves so encumbered far into the future. How else will the banking class live the extravagant lifestyle they believe they are entitled to have?

Utilizing this measure in full would insure every  one of the banks goes out of business, NSF, overdrawn.

Why should the very people who have bailed out the banks repeatedly with billions of dollars, then trillions of dollars, be mercilessly hounded and ruthlessly attacked when the banks, the so-called money experts, cannot balance their own books. They have resorted to the same public they prey upon to rescue them.

For an investment of about six million dollars you can start a bank of your own. Think of all the benefits to be derived from owning a bank. It’s  a very exclusive club. You can mismanage funds and receive more money from the government when you do.

All you have to do to get the free funding is promise to make money available to consumers. When you get the cash renege on your agreement to make loans. Invest the money received to make a profit for at least six months, then begin to repay the government with a penalty applied. It’s simply seen as the price of doing business because you’ve made a very large profit from money that was never yours to invest. This is a great example of using other people’s money. It is a business model to be taught, learned and followed.

We’ve been resisting the demand to write about her. Many members of our staff believe she does not deserve one iota of publicity. This time the minority has won because we’re publishing an article about La Palin and we are using her name. (See this article. It does not mention her by name.)

We want to know what is the fascination with her? We believe David Letterman, late night tee vee comic was correct, in his description of La Palin as having the “slutty airline hostess” look. Some other comedian, during the presidential campaign when John McCain was often seen with his vice-presidential running mate, described La Palin, her spouse and brood as a gang of grifters with either La Palin herself, or the youngsters, as the bait for the mark. The mark being John McCain.

Others say she needs to update her look from the 1980s when she was young. Some say she should update her intellect and read a book as well as “all the newspapers that are out there.”

Who else do we know who is a former governor, a national candidate who has the vocabulary and the communications skills of an inarticulate 18 year-old? One clue: He was president of the United States and he lives in the second largest state in the nation.

We’re glad she’s resigning from office for whatever reason. We do not really care about the reason. As long as she goes away. The electorate of Alaska deserve better.

We hope she doesn’t pull a Richard Nixon on us. We want this Repuglican to go away….far, far, away and never return to the front pages of our blogs and newspapers; we want never again to have her face darken our tee vee news programs. Adios to La Palin et al.

To say he influenced many aspects of our society is no exaggeration. To speak of Michael Jackson as a musical genius is not hyperbole.

This is for you Bill O’Reilly, and those of your ilk who can not understand why black Americans and people all over the world have such admiration for Michael Jackson.You will never achieve the same level of success, popularity, respect and renown. You will never understand “the face thing” as you call it because in America you are on the correct side of the color line.

It was because of Michael’s universal perspective and the skin disorder vitiligo from which he suffered that he was able to transcend much of the clatter and the noise to create wonderful music and choreography.

Watch as author Michael Eric Dyson explains the magic, the attraction the special gifts of Michael Jackson and how he changed the world for the better.

Then watch this report’s speculation of how Michael Jackson will be seen in history.

On that auspicious occasion the stakes were raised, the ante was upped and our nation’s leaders declared our independence from the British crown.

It was the beginning of a history that continues to unfold.

Farrah Fawcett born and raised in Texas, came to Hollywood as a young woman and made her mark. At the height of her popularity women everywhere copied her hair style and men purchased her poster making record sales.

Although her fame came through acting in a formulaic series tee vee show Fawcett showed her authentic acting skills performing in dramas on the off-Broadway stage, in feature length films and teevee movies.

For her portrayals of a potential rape victim, a battered wife, the renown photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White, and Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton  Fawcett received high critical acclaim.

There were several Golden Globe nominations. We loved her performance as Robert Duvall’s wife in his independent film “The Apostle”.

Beneath the veneer of a pop icon we discovered a great actress whose groundbreaking performances will long be remembered.

The family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations to support cancer research be made to The Farrah Fawcett Foundation, P.O. Box 6478, Beverly Hills, California 90212.

 As a West Point cadet Dan Choi was trained to  forego cheating, lying and stealing. As a commissioned officer Dan Choi is sworn to practice integrity everyday. The powers that be in the Department of the Army, and the Pentagon have taken steps to court martial and dishonorably discharge Dan Choi for doing what he has sworn to do as an officer in the United States military.

On Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 8 a.m., Lt. Dan Choi of the U.S. Army will stand trial for announcing: “I am gay.”
 
On Tuesday, he will be facing a panel of colonels who will decide whether or not to fire Lt. Dan Choi.– They will consider discharging Lt. Choi for “moral and professional dereliction” under the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

Dan wishes to remain in the military. Help him to stay. Sign the petition.
We don’t understand why anyone would want to go into military service in the first place.  We especially do not unerstand why a gay, lesbian, transgender or bi-secual person would want to present himself for the obvious ridicule and abuse by others in the service.  Apparently it is because they have no other alternative.

We do believe someone who is in the army, who has served the nation well, who wishes to remain in service to his country, should be allowed to stay. Dan Choi does not deserve to be disgraced because of a bad law.

We are told by those who know, there are those who remain in all branches of the armed forces who have more serious social issues than simple sexual preference. Horror stories of child and wife beaters, drug and alcohol addicts who were in charge of fixing or flying airplanes, mentally ill officers in charge of many men and women, adulterers, and even a military doctor who was sexually abusing patients, including the widow of a downed pilot. Military officials didn’t throw them out of the service.  There is no justice in a gay person being discharged from the military for no good reason.

We’ve said it before, we will say it again,”Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is a bad law! it should be repealed, but until it is, do not fire any more gay military personnel for simply being themselves.

When it comes to repealing bad laws the Congress of the United States of America and the President should work together to take this very bad law off the books as quickly as possible..

For example both Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett have died. As did Billy Mays a teevee pitchman for organic cleaners who also began his career just like Johnny Carson’s sidekick McMahon, on the boardwalk in Atlantic City.

We know there is trouble in Iran, The Honduran president has been overthrown in a military coup.

We know the governor of South Carolina is having some marital troubles along with a lack of support from his fellow Republicans. His actions sure take the heat off another Republican named Ensign.

Silvio Berlusconi’s, “I-Did-Not-Pay-For-Sex” scandal has made headlines around the world, too.

To those who are critical of the attention being paid to the passing of international super-star Michael Jackson we say consider the mourning that took place when Ronald Reagan died. He certainly deserved the media attention not because of his exceptional talent; he was after all an actor in low budget, “B” movies. it was only because he was president of our nation he received overwhelming, some would say excessive, media recognition upon his death.

We think it is only fitting for a man as generous, as talented, as dedicated and hardworking, who touched the lives of so many and influenced the people of the planet for so many years receive our well deserved love and attention.

Now, in other news……

Michael Jackson fans, fans who love the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, and fans of Briney Spears look at these performances.

Michael Jackson died on Thursday, June 25, 2009. He was 50 years old. Jackson, who began his music career at the age of 9 with his brothers in a group known as the Jackson 5, is an influential international super-star performer whose contributions have come to revolutionize the entire entertainment industry.

Michael Jackson, the international super-star who began his career at age nine singing with his brothers, died yesterday at age 50. He will be remembered for his contributions to music, dance, charity, performance, world peace, celebrity and fashion for years to come.

Jackson’s compositions crossed music genre’s and generations. For the past forty years he has been a renown household name around the planet.

We extend our most sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Michael Jackson.

Our video tribute to Michael Jackson follows:
It began like this in Gary, Indiana.

We never can say good-bye to you Michael. Like that other entertainment genius, Sammy Davis, Jr, you, too, never had a childhood. You never were understood. All your millions of fans around the world love you and miss you. Rest in peace.

Happy Father’s Day to everyone who nurtures a child!

This story comes to us from New Mexico where the state, one of 30 other states, is using banks and credit card companies to disburse unemployment benefits by way of debit cards and direct deposits. State officials, and bankers say debit cards help reduce costs such as postage, paper and “processing”.

According to a Citi-bank spokesperson such programs are designed to supply a savings for the state while providing “added convenience without added expense” for the unemployed. Citi is the facilitator of unemployment benefits on pre-paid cards in Kansas and Maryland. The state of New Mexico reportedly realizes a savings of about $1.5 million annually using this procedure.

Sounds really great, right? Anytime a banking product is proclaimed to be good for the consumer, hold on to your wallets, and your underwear. Get ready for the scam…

Good old Skank-of-America is charging 50 cents for  an inquiry about the bank balance, plus another $1.50 for making two withdrawals in one day. On the face of it this does not sound like very much. When one considers the number of unemployed people around the nation, the fact the banks have made out like the bandits they are; the fact it costs about zero dollars for a balance inquiry call or to make a withdrawal, we cry foul!

The Skank -of -America justifies this excessive fee charge by saying  its fee schedule is consistent with what other banks charge for such cards. Apparently the way the program is set up in New Mexico you can apply for direct deposit payment of these benefits, but you most likely will be unsuccessful in receiving your benefit in that way. You will be probably be getting paid by debit card. Because such programs are designed to supply a savings for the state while providing “added convenience without added expense” for the unemployed. Obviously the design and purpose of such programs is different than the reality of how they function. Reality indicates a savings for the state which is in collusion with the financial institution to fill its coffers with cash from those who can least afford to pay.

Way to go Bank Of America and your royal skanky sisters whose fees are consistent with BOA! And we’re giving the back of our hand to the government officials in New Mexico too. Way to care for the citizenry!

This time it’s American dairy farmers. That’s right folks banks across the country are cutting off farmers’ access to credit and at least two dairy farmers have committed suicide in California.
The most recent speculation is the drop in domestic milk prices could result in a loss of  30 percent of the remaining dairy farmers by December 2009. That would be about 20,000 family dairy farmers off the land–out of the dairy farming business by the end of 2009.

Losing so many family farmers around the nation will have a further devastating economic effect on American farmers;  the loss will wipe out more than $52 billion of economic development in less than one year.

Some experts say a critical gap in U.S. food safety will be created as foreign milk protein concentrate (MPC) imports from countries such as Mexico, India and China  will increase dramatically. It is said these countries have lower food safety standards than the U.S.

We ask you to write to the Secretary of the Agriculture, Tom Vilsack , to request he use his authority set forth under Section 608c (18) of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 to adjust the price of milk paid to farmers to “reflect the price” of production. This legally mandated “floor price” should be at least $17.50 cwt.

Once again, we are in a crisis situation. It demands immediate and decisive action.

We, all of us, are friends to family farmers and as the United States Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack  is responsible to alleviate this situation.

YOU must act quickly. Encourage the Secretary ot institute reforms in dairy pricing to ensure a disaster like this  is averted in the future. Our American dairy farmers are counting on you. Contact the USDA today!

Letterman told a joke about Alaska’s governor and her family; he told a specific bad joke about one of her female children. He made a joke about the governor’s appearance, too.

We agree his jokes were not funny. A couple of them were in bad taste. Unlike radio personality Don Imus, David Letterman does not have a history of making coarse, off color remarks about young girls.
All you feminists, both male and female, who are outraged by the poor choice made by a late night teevee comedian to tell a joke that disparages  and exploits females, just hold on for one moment.

Other comedians have told similar jokes about the Alaskan first family. Maybe the governor’s hormones were slightly out of balance last week when some Republican agitator told her about the jokes.  Maybe some people in the GOP encouraged her to gin up the news to make an issue out of nothing. This is a move guaranteed to get her more face time in the press, the blogosphere and the electronic media.

The subject of the jokes has used her feminine attractiveness to obtain the political office she holds. If you remember she was the so-called “hot one” in position number two on the GOP’s 2008 presidential campaign ticket. We remember a comedian, not Letterman, said the governor and her family in the company of Senator John McCain reminded him of a family of grifters.

The governor of Alaska is,  a former beauty queen who knows very well how to use, shall we say exploit, her female comeliness to its best advantage.  she was also for a brief time in a small market a teevee personality.

David Letterman did not invent the culture we have today where women and girls are frequently demeaned. He is not the reason those types of jokes are taken as no big deal.

David Letterman is not responsible for the fact the female of our species is exploited for commercial gain, with or without her knowledge or permission in music, film, and every commercial form of enterprise one can name.

We like Letterman. No amount of bashing Dave, or calls for his ouster will change the fact we have a culture that heavily relies upon sex to persuade and influence decisions from which politico we elect to what car or shampoo or dog food we purchase. We say David Letterman is not the source of our society’s problems in respecting females.

To the governor of Alaska we say you can not have it both ways. One day you have your daughters promoting your candidacy; on another day you have the older of the three working as the public spokesman advocating for abstinence among young people. You heavily publicized your son’s military tour of duty during the presidential campaign last fall. You brought your youngest son to nearly every photo opportunity to show how you are a concerned mother with a child with special needs. Then the next time we hear from you, you are saying leave my children out of the limelight.

You can not have it both ways. If you wish your family to be private then do not parade them about in front of the media.

Now let’s compose ourselves and focus on why President Barack Obama is backing off of the corporations, the banks, the doctors and the health insurance companies. This Letterman-Alaska thing is just a distraction. Let’s get down to the real business at hand.

“Today and every day, we have an opportunity as well as an obligation to confront these scourges…  we have the opportunity to make a habit of empathy, to recognize ourselves in each other, to commit ourselves to resisting injustice and intolerance and indifference, in whatever forms they may take…” President Barack Obama-April 2009 Holocaust Museum Remembrance Day Event.

Stephen T. Johns was a security guard who worked at the Washington, D.C. Holocaust Museum.

On Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Johns was murdered by a very old, very desperate, hate-filled deranged man who has extremely harmful out-dated ideas about people who are Jewish or Black. The man who committed this devastating crime is a menace to our society.

Stephen Johns was a husband. He was a caring father to twelve year-old son, Stephen T. Johns, Jr. and a loving son to his mother. We send our sincere condolences to Mrs. Johns, his wife of just one year; Mrs. Jacqueline Carter, the mother of the deceased Wackenhut security guard; his son, and the entire Johns family and all of Stephen Johns’ friends.

We hope this incident will develop in n Mr. Johns’ young son him a determination courageously chooses to help peacefully rid this society of people like the man who murdered his father. We know it will be challenging to express love. We understand it is not an easy thing to do when all around you are remarking about the coward who committed this heinous crime.

Stephen T. Johns will always be remembered as a hero who saved the lives of many on Wednesday, June 10, 2009.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus the Christ~ New Testament John 15:13 ]]> http://youthinkwhat.com/stephen-t-johns-holocaust-museum-hero-1970-2009.html/feed 0 http://youthinkwhat.com/dhs-forewarned-dhs-ignored.html http://youthinkwhat.com/dhs-forewarned-dhs-ignored.html#comments Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:40:49 +0000 admin http://youthinkwhat.com/?p=1411 In recent weeks the Department of Homeland Security gave warning of the possibility of violent right wing activity increasing because of the down economy.

Just as the warning of an attack in September of 2001 was ignored by our government, so this one, too, was ignored. Fortunately the loss of life was not in great numbers. We believe the loss of one life is one death too many. It is unacceptable to allow a violent wrong wing extremist to attack.

We’ve experienced all levels and colors of the rainbow terror alerts for people who have no viable means to come here to harm us.

When there is legitimate reason to believe terrorists, domestic or foreign will do harm to Americans we is our government asleep at the wheel? Are they taking direction from the Joe Scarboroughs of the cable news network world? Scarborough in our estimation is no Fulbright or Rhodes Scholar and he, along with that cry-baby Beck person should be relegated to a program on Public Access tee vee or better yet CCTV.

See how the mainstream media responded to the news from Homeland Security.

]]> http://youthinkwhat.com/dhs-forewarned-dhs-ignored.html/feed 0 http://youthinkwhat.com/gm-files-bankruptcy-while-chrysler-reinvents-itself-as-new.html http://youthinkwhat.com/gm-files-bankruptcy-while-chrysler-reinvents-itself-as-new.html#comments Sat, 06 Jun 2009 23:53:30 +0000 admin http://youthinkwhat.com/?p=1393 General Motors has filed for bankruptcy. Chrysler has renamed and reformulated itself to be the New Chrysler Company.

Here’s how Mark Fiore one of our favorite political animated cartoonists, described back in April of this year just what we have going on in our automotive industry today. He calls it Barry’s Auto Emporium.Watch. We think this is funny and very true.(scroll down the page)..

]]> http://youthinkwhat.com/gm-files-bankruptcy-while-chrysler-reinvents-itself-as-new.html/feed 0 http://youthinkwhat.com/dr-george-tiller-memorial-to-be-held-today-in-kansas.html http://youthinkwhat.com/dr-george-tiller-memorial-to-be-held-today-in-kansas.html#comments Sat, 06 Jun 2009 11:18:01 +0000 admin http://youthinkwhat.com/?p=1397 Family and friends will gather to honor the life and contributions to society of the recently slain Dr. George Tiller. Funeral services will be held at College Hill United Methodist Church.

Dr. Tiller was murdered last Sunday as he stood in the foyer at the Reformation Lutheran Church, where he was serving as an usher.

Security is expected to be tight because of the circumstances surrounding the murder of the controversial abortion doctor.

Signatures are being gathered at a web site commemorating more than twenty years of service during which Dr. Tiller and others provided care to women and their families.

Join the thousands who have already sign. Go to Remember Dr. Tiller .
Sign the memorial card. Honor his courage and compassion.

]]> http://youthinkwhat.com/dr-george-tiller-memorial-to-be-held-today-in-kansas.html/feed 0 http://youthinkwhat.com/mark-fiore-oppositeland.html http://youthinkwhat.com/mark-fiore-oppositeland.html#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:20:06 +0000 admin http://youthinkwhat.com/?p=1390 Mark Fiore is another of our favorite political cartoonists. In this animated piece from May 20, 2009 Fiore gives a recap of what is happening since the Obama administration has come into power. Take a look. This pretty scary stuff.(Scroll down to see animation.)

]]> http://youthinkwhat.com/mark-fiore-oppositeland.html/feed 0 http://youthinkwhat.com/demetricia-c-patterson-foundation-provides-prescription-meds-for-central-florida-seniors.html http://youthinkwhat.com/demetricia-c-patterson-foundation-provides-prescription-meds-for-central-florida-seniors.html#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2009 04:16:50 +0000 admin http://youthinkwhat.com/?p=1383 Three months ago, under the guidance of Demetricia Patterson, Consignment Furniture Etc. opened its doors with its mission to provide one half of the profits toward funding a foundation which gives drug assistance to senior citizens.

Demetricia Patterson is the owner of the consignment store and the creator of the Demetricia C. Patterson Foundation, a non-profit drug assistance program for people age fifty plus.

Ms Patterson says she established the foundation because she has witnessed  people in her community who must choose between purchasing necessary medication or buying food.

Ms Patterson says she is dedicated to this cause because many of the people who have to choose between food or medicine are those who helped her in her youth growing up in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. “My heart is full. I have so much gratitude,” says Patterson who helps her older friends with rides, meals and companionship

The Patterson Foundation provides prescription medications for seniors who are afflicted with medical conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, HIV/AIDS, diabetes or cancer.

Donations can be sent by USPS to P.O. Box 1323, New Smyrna Beach, Florida 32170. All donations are tax exempt.

You may call 386-428-8222 for the hours of operation of the store, Consignment Furniture Etc, located 628 N. Dixie Freeway .

To receive an application for assistance visit the Patterson Foundation web site.

We commend Demetricia Patterson for the community service she is providing.

]]> http://youthinkwhat.com/demetricia-c-patterson-foundation-provides-prescription-meds-for-central-florida-seniors.html/feed 0 http://youthinkwhat.com/bethune-cookman-university-explorer-program-preps-young-males-for-college.html http://youthinkwhat.com/bethune-cookman-university-explorer-program-preps-young-males-for-college.html#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2009 03:44:46 +0000 admin http://youthinkwhat.com/?p=1380 Where can a young male between the ages of eleven years-old and 18 years-old, in the Daytona Beach, Florida area go this summer for interesting educational field trips, tutoring in science, math, reading and writing? Where can a youngster who is considered “at risk” go to remove the stigma of that label as he improves himself and prepares himself for his later life at a college or university? What other year-round program offers trips to the Jacksonville Zoo, Epcot and Universal theme parks, the state legislature in Tallahassee with an opportunity to meet the legislators or the Kennedy Space Center?

The answer is Bethune-Cookman University’s Explorer program. On June 8, 2009, from 9am until 1pm orientation for young males who wish to improve themselves as they prepare for a better future will participate in this beneficial program which promotes education and career exploration along with social fun.

It was sixteen years ago when  Daytona Beach educator, Frederick T. Milton, heard about a program offered by Florida A&M University designed specifically for young males to prepare them for the challenges of attending and graduating college.

Mr. Milton took action. He wrote a grant proposal and received funding from the state of Florida for what is now known as the Bethune-Cookman University Explorer Program. It’s a mentoring program where the university students provide guidance to younger males to help them add polish to their abilities.

This college preparatory program developed by Mr. Milton provides young males in grades six through 12, a supportive system and an environment filled with the encouragement young males need to progress to adulthood.

The Explorer program is held year-round during weekends; however this year it is being offered as a summer session with the orientation scheduled in the University’s Fine Arts Building, Room 218. There is a fee of $50 for registration and there are scholarships available for applicants who qualify.

For more information call Frederick Milton 386-481-2143 or 386-252-2425

]]> http://youthinkwhat.com/bethune-cookman-university-explorer-program-preps-young-males-for-college.html/feed 0 http://youthinkwhat.com/banks-cash-in-on-mortgage-modifications-and-short-sales-of-real-estate.html http://youthinkwhat.com/banks-cash-in-on-mortgage-modifications-and-short-sales-of-real-estate.html#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 11:59:05 +0000 admin http://youthinkwhat.com/?p=1365 As if it weren’t enough to know the banks are getting our money to do with as they please, not as they promised when they came to the government hat in hand; or as we like to say in the Southern parts of the United States, “Hand full of gimme and mouth full of much obliged”, those banking bastids, or financial skanks are set to make even more money from the misfortune of others, which they in part caused.

Word on The Street, Wall Street, that is, and it’s probably true, when banks begin a loan modification, aka loan mod, they stand to earn an extra $2,500, even if the modification is unsuccessful they are paid from our money $2,500. This does not sound like very much when one considers we’ve already been bilked out of  Billions and billions of dollars by Sniti Skank,  Skank Of America and Wachy Skank; but just think of the number of loans that need modification and we’re talking hundreds of millions of dollars to the skanks that are too big to fail.

The other talk on The Street, which will soon prove to be true, is that President Obama and his team of economic advisors are encouraging banks to accept less than what is owed on mortgages. This transaction is known as a Short Sale. The obvious and logical  incentive for banks is that with each Short Sale transaction they would receive a savings of a minimum of $60,000 to $100,000 . Once again when one considers the number of homeowners eligible for this type of transaction the savings to the lenders is tremendous.

We’re talking money they do not have to spend on lawyers or auction houses only to end up with the property and a big fat loss.

One thing that is important to know is the way the law is written when a homeowner agrees to rid himself of the ball and chain that is his over mortgaged dream nightmare of a house, he is not permitted by law to receive any monetary benefit. No monetary profits over or under the table.

Here’s the part that’s really ironic: the banks will be receiving a $6000 incentive for agreeing to Short Sale transactions.

We think the law could be re-written to benefit the family who has to move out of the home, as mandated by law. Six thousand dollars would be a good way to begin again. The money would be a good way to help families pay off other debts, to move.

We think the bankers have gotten enough of our money. They do not need to capitalize further by allegedly helping consumers out of their homes.

]]> http://youthinkwhat.com/banks-cash-in-on-mortgage-modifications-and-short-sales-of-real-estate.html/feed 0 http://youthinkwhat.com/president-barack-obama-proposes-prolonged-detention-for-everyone.html http://youthinkwhat.com/president-barack-obama-proposes-prolonged-detention-for-everyone.html#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 11:54:56 +0000 admin http://youthinkwhat.com/?p=1369 Blanche Africa Reilly Dark, mother of our own ace investigative reporter Clark Dark, is our contributing writer today with a few words about her displeasure with America’s first African-American president.

Everyone knows I am as proud of President Barack Obama as if he were one of my children. He elicits the same feeling among older females as does Eldridge Tiger Woods. He’s everyone’s son; or what every mother hopes her son will be. They are both wonderful role models, and our young people can never have enough of those with or without the obvious role models, moms and dads, in the home.

Over the last few days we’ve been all a twitter about Judge Sotomayor, the female jurist who will become the first Latina on The Supreme Court, President Obama’s first judicial appointment since taking office. It’s all very historic. It’s simply wonderful!It has also been a distraction from the latest proposal concerning the rights of humans everywhere as proposed by the leader of the free world.

This latest proposal made by President Obama in his speech at the National Archives in front of the authentic, original Constitution of The United States of America has got me really angry. I’m disappointed, confused and very upset.

After eight years of the Bush administration with an assist from the likes of Vice President Dick Cheney, John Yoo, Alberto “The Torturer” Gonzales and a host of other malevolent academic thinkers and doers in conservative business clothing…these guys are a dominatrix dream; our first president of color suggests detaining people for an indefinite period of time for the harm they may- could-possibly-we’re -not-sure-if-they-might-could-have the potential-to-we-suspect-they-may based on, not even their past behaviors, based on nothing more than,  our government thinks they could be a threat to harm Americans. What??!!

It’s hard to reconcile a constitutional law professor proposing bad legislation, the kind that can be harmful to many, many people…oh I forgot about John Yoo wrote the so-called torture memos.  Yoo is not only a constitutional law professor, but expert in international law as well as a leading academic.

If I used this logic when I was bringing up my children their shoes would have been nailed to the kitchen floor. They would not have left the house-ever!  if I had used the Bush and the Obama administrations’ logic for keeping Americans safe my children would not have gone to school; not to the circus, nor Sunday School; not even when they were getting on my nerves I would not have allowed the little darlings to be away from home because of fear of the harm that may come to them from some nefarious person.

I wonder what Dr. Martin Luther King would think about this terrible turn of events? It’s like a Clarence Thomas moment where the colored guy, the formerly poor guy turns his back on people of color and people who are poor. You have to know this proposal is bad if Republican neo-cons support it saying things like, “See we Republicans had the right idea all along. We simply executed poorly by not having the paperwork to back up/justify our malicious actions.This African Obama guy isn’t so bad after all.”

Vague terms like “prolonged detention” sounds to me like “extraordinary rendition”. Non-specific in defining how long, the president did hint at five or ten years of detaining those suspected of maybe possibly committing a crime. Oh gracious, future crime, arrested not for what is done but for what might be done as in the sci-fi story “Minority Report” of Philip K. Dick !!

It also looks like President Obama is true to historic form. Once power is acceded to government authorities they are not willing to give it back to the people. In most places that means a fight. As the children say, “It’s on!”

Hmmph!  I guess the next thing President Barack Obama will do is rescind the Emancipation Proclamation! That’s when we’ll know for certain his white side will be showing.

]]> http://youthinkwhat.com/president-barack-obama-proposes-prolonged-detention-for-everyone.html/feed 0 http://youthinkwhat.com/sonia-sotomayor-president-obamas-choice-for-supreme-court-of-united-states.html http://youthinkwhat.com/sonia-sotomayor-president-obamas-choice-for-supreme-court-of-united-states.html#comments Wed, 27 May 2009 15:52:34 +0000 admin http://youthinkwhat.com/?p=1362 President Barack Obama, whose own life is filled with historic moments, has selected as nominee for his first appointment to the Supreme Court Of The United States Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

When confirmed Sotomayor will fill the seat of  Justice David Souter, a Reagan appointee who was confirmed by a Senate vote of 90-9.  Souter is retiring after 18 years of service on the court. It is said that he has

Despite the announcement by right-wing Republican activists to oppose her nomination and to make trouble during her Senate confirmation hearing we believe Judge Sonia Sotomayor will be the first Latina to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States of America.

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