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Thursday, June 30, 2005What does an increase in hormones in the environment have in common with early puberty & the rise in homosexuality?As stated earlier, it appears the Black community is experiencing an exponential increase in same sex relationships. There are two reasons that could be causing this increase, one has its roots in slavery, we are experiencing the effects of intergenerational trauma past from one generation to the next, while the other focuses on external environmental factors such as the addition of hormones in the food supply and the environment that are disrupting our endocrine system (Endocrine disruptors). Recently I read an article entitled Are Black Girls Growing Up Too Fast? The article talks about a young woman who got her period, developed breasts and grew pubic hair all in the same year, she was the first in her class to hit puberty. The problem arose because she was an eight-year-old second-grader. This is an all too common phenomenon in the black community. I believe the external hormones added to our food supply are throwing off the natural rhythms of our body. In other words, our body can't maintain homeostasis. Nothing is neutral, therefore, everything we eat and drink, is complimentary or insulting to our body's ability to maintain homeostasis. Since 1995, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed the use of implanted reproductive hormonal agents in beef cattle. Because of these external hormones in our food supply – our Endocrine system is being disrupted, which is thrusting young black girls into puberty far too early; it is feminizing men (too much estrogen) and masculinizing women (too much testosterone). Someone else is also posing similar types of questions, about homosexuality, about puberty. They asked the following - have you thought, maybe the "gay" gene debate is an intentional attempt to throw people off questioning why homosexuality/bisexuality and gender problems might be on the rise? They have also listed some of the common "Endocrine disruptors" that are in our daily lives. This is a very interesting read. I think we need to reexamine many things in our lives and this is one of those areas. The following six hormones have been added to beef: Females: 1) Estradiol and 2) Progesterone Estradiol, the hormone most commonly used to "fatten" cattle, is a potent cancer-causing estrogen. A synthetic progestin: 3) Norgestomet Norgestomet is mainly used to synchronize estrus in cattle. Male: 4) Testosterone Men produce 10 to 20 times as much testosterone as most women do, therefore changing the ratio has a profound effect on the body and how women respond to sexual stimuli. The same thing occurs for men who have too much estrogen. See the following excert from The He Hormone article published in the New York Times. A Stanford research group, for example, as reported in Deborah Blum's book "Sex on the Brain," injected newborn female rats with testosterone. Not only did the female rats develop penises from their clitorises, but they also appeared fully aware of how to use them, trying to have sex with other females with merry abandon. Male rats who had their testosterone blocked after birth, on the other hand, saw their penises wither or disappear entirely and presented themselves to the female rats in a passive, receptive way. The synthetic anabolic steroids: 5) Zeranol Zeranol is a non-steroidal oestrogenic growth promoter. It increases liveweight gain in food animals following implantation. The use of zeranol for growth promotion in food animals was banned in the EU in 1985 and 6) Trenbolone Male hormone that is also used for body building. Lest not forget those growth hormones promoted by Monsanto, and sold as Posilic, recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone, (rBGH), which increased milk production in dairy herds nearly 20%. And people wonder why I don't eat meat. Just to recap, you really don't have to look far to see why there is an increase in early puberty for black children, an exponential increase in homosexuality/bisexuality, and a health crisis in Americans, particularly African Americans. If we just cared enough to research what we are eating, we can eliminate many things.  
I was on an African Website a while back and GM foods came up many times. There was this big push by U.S. corporations to send GM foods to Africa to help alleviate hunger. If the West really cared about hunger in Africa, I thought they would send non-GM foods. After all, if you look at the root causes of hunger, you will discover that people are hungry not because there isn't enough food, they are hungry because they don't have enough money to buy food. The big question I had then was are these corporations trying to use Africans as guinea pigs to test their products? Now the question is - are we (the American public) being used as guinea pigs since 60 - 70% of all food products on the supermarket shelves contain genetically modified ingredients? Are these products safe for human consumption because it appears a different picture is emerging? Looks like Monsanto's finally been shamed into publishing its Mon863 90-day rat study, after being ordered to release it by a German court. For the review comments commissioned by the German authorities from Dr Arpad Pusztai on both the full 90-day study and a Monsanto summary look here: MON 863 90 day rat studyMonsanto, June 28, 2005 Monsanto published on Friday the full MON 863 90 day rat study, prior to its publication as a peer-reviewed paper in the journal "Food and ChemicalToxicology". Click here to read all 1139 pages. Click here for [Monsanto's!] 11 page summary of all the relevant safety information.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005DSM Town Hall Meetings to be Held NationwideStatement from John Conyers Jr. DSM Town Hall Meetings to be Held Nationwide on July 23rd Click Here for More Information I am pleased to announce that on Saturday, July 23rd, a number of Congressional Members and I will be holding town hall meetings to discuss the Downing Street Minutes and related developments in the Iraq War directly with our constituents. We chose July 23rd because it is the third anniversary of the now infamous Downing Street meeting in London. This is part of the follow up to our hugely successful hearing we held in the basement of the Capitol Building on June 16, at which we obtained sworn testimony on the Downing Street Minutes and pre-war intelligence manipulation. On that date we also delivered to the White House a letter demanding answers from President Bush signed by more than 560,000 Americans and 128 Members of Congress. Educating the public and allowing the American people to be heard on this seminal issue is an important and necessary next step in our campaign to restore trust in our democracy. At this point, I don’t have all of the details in terms of specific locations and times. However, I do know there will be a meeting in Detroit, and that several of my colleagues will host meetings as well. I have set up a link to provide this information to you and to obtain information from any one who would like to attend – either in person, or electronically. The link will also have a mechanism by which you can sign up to host a house party in conjunction with the town hall meetings, and to submit questions and provide information via email. I will be updating this link frequently, and encourage you to sign up now. Much additional information on these and related events is and will also be available on AfterDowningStreet.org. I will have many more announcements on Downing Street follow-up in the coming days and weeks, but I wanted to start by announcing this important initiative.
I couldn't bring myself to listen to Bush tell lies, lies, & mo lies, so this is courtesy of the Angry Black Bitch. Enjoy... We are so fucked... A bitch was saddened to read the comments on yesterday’s post. Specifically the comment made by Monkey, who has experienced the true wages of war. A bitch wanted to share this with you and to say to Monkey…a bitch thanks you for sharing...for what it's worth, your comment and post touched me deeply. Moving on... My bitchy ass sat down with a very strong vodka cran and a full pack of cigs to listen to Scooter last night. When preparing for a Presidential address, one must first determine which media misinformation vehicle to view. A bitch chose CNN as my primary vehicle with a TiVo backup of NBC. Wolfie (we are so close you just wouldn’t believe my ass if I shared the details) was looking flushed and windblown. This bitch adores Wolf Blitzer! Too cute! NBC had desperately inserted Tim Russert’s overworked ass into their coverage, because the new baby anchor replacement for Brokaw has been know to fuck up live news. That poor producer must have been shitting bricks! DRAMA. Hit pause… Quickly pop 2 new wanna-be Sudafed pills (they’ve introduced a new version that is Meth resistant or something…trust me, its not as much fun) and 2 Motrin (because Scooter makes my neck tense up and being proactive is totally required). Freshen vodka cran and light cigs. Take a deep breath, ‘cause it’s hard to breath when wallowing in a huge vat of bullshit… Hit play… ABB’s Recap of Scooter in a time of crisis…Scooter’s attempt to rally the masses can best be explored through an examination of his comments. He doesn’t really do “speeches”. It was more of a continuous stream of randomly connected phrases containing the words 9/11… My greatest responsibility as President is to protect the American people…Actually, Scooter, your principle responsibility is to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. You also swore to faithfully execute the office of the Presidency. But fuck it! Who takes that oath shit seriously? We will take the fight to our enemy!But honey, we didn’t invade Saudi Arabia! Didn’t all the highjackers come from there? A bitch is confused!! And what about Iran building the bomb and North Korea building more bombs? A bitch thinks that we might have gone a wee bit off course…accidentally on purpose. This bitch longs for the good old days, when our government would have had the decency to plant WMD in Iraq after throwing our collective ass into a multi-year war. Where’s my Soylent Green! We will defeat them abroad before they attack us at home! Once again…a bitch is confused. Iraq is not connected to 9/11, so did my ass miss another attack somewhere? For the record, invading Iraq so that you can attack Saudis who have entered Iraq to fight as insurgents seems a wee bit complicated. Was this the plan? Did this comment make sense when it left your mouth, Scooter? A bitch is concerned! We are removing a source of violence and instability!Motherfucker, have you looked at the news? Jesus! Are we talking about the same war? Somebody PLEASE slap me and wake me up from the bloody nightmare! Hey kids! Have you ever considered a career in the military? Seriously. Scooter made a fucking enlistment pitch mid-speech. ABB is now taking bets on the timing of the draft…not the possibility…the timing. As Osama said, Iraq is where the war is and Iraq is where we will fight (or something like that…only in Arabic). Yes, chil’ren, Scooter actually quoted Bin laden to make his point. A bitch has no words…no words at all… Scooter made a total of (6) September 11 references to justify our war with Iraq, which is a country that had nothing to do with the attacks…did you hear that you neo-con war hungry freaks…they had NOTHING TO FUCKING DO WITH THE ATTACKS! And finally, in response to the nation’s concerns over when this war with a constantly changing purpose will end… We will stand down when the Iraqi people stand up! Great. That’s just fucking great. It’s official. We are so fucked.
I learned early on that fluoride was dangerous for human use/consumption. I stopped using fluoridated toothpaste over a decade ago and now I purchase all natural toothpaste from Whole Foods. Since Chicago fluoridates its drinking water, I buy bottled water. I think it is important to research everything that you consume because policies are implemented without any regards for the health of the people. Most of the time - people have been consuming the said products for decades before the ill effects are publicized. By now, we all should know that the U.S. has a nasty little habit of hiding pertinent studies from its citizens. Cases in point are the Milk and the Tobacco Industries as well as those famous studies that revealed that GM foods were harmful to rats and had the potential to cause harm in humans too. The 60th anniversary of fluoridation in the United States (jointly announced by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Dental Association) is certainly nothing to be excited about. Why? A study from the Harvard School of Dental Health found that young boys exposed to fluoridated tap water from ages 5-10 suffered an increased risk of osteosarcoma--bone cancer--between the ages of 10 and 19. This study is the first to link the toxic effects of fluoride to a child's development and the beginnings of bone cancer. (No such link, however, was found among young girls.) Dangerous Fluoride Use About 170 million Americans live in areas with fluoridated water; however, the United States isn't the only country dangerously exposed. In the UK, the chemical is added to tap water on the advice of organizations such as the British Dental Association; the Department of Health claims fluoride is a cost-effective public health measure that helps prevent tooth decay in children.
Good ole Uncle Sam is watching you... Air travelers who have been concerned about the government collecting their personal information from airlines now have a second source to worry about: commercial data brokers. The federal agency in charge of aviation security revealed that it bought and is storing commercial data about some passengers -- even though officials said they wouldn't do it and Congress told them not to. Link
Tuesday, June 28, 2005Kill the Messenger, Hide the News - By Steve WeissmanWhen truthout boss Marc Ash asked me earlier this year to look into the Pentagon's killing of journalists, I didn't know what to expect. Many reporters at the time believed that American soldiers were purposely targeting them. But, as I soon found, the crime was larger and more systemic. The 4-part investigation "Dead Messengers: How the US Military Threatens Journalists" appeared in February and March. Readers responded positively and in overwhelming numbers, and the series won a prestigious award from Project Censored as one of the year's top under covered news stories. Everyone who worked on the story here was pleased. But none of us celebrated. The Pentagon did not change its policies. Journalists remain at risk. And - no surprise - the mainstream media continues to miss the story. As far as anyone has yet proved, no US commanding officer ever ordered a subordinate to fire on journalists as such. Not at Baghdad's Palestine Hotel in April 2003. Not at the highway checkpoint where soldiers wounded Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena and killed her Secret Service protector in March 2005. And, not anywhere else in Iraq or Afghanistan. How, then, did the US military end up killing journalists? Link
The Supreme Court's mixed rulings on displaying the Ten Commandments on public buildings and property offer us the perfect patriotic step forward for this coming July 4: let's post the first Ten Amendments, i.e. the Bill of Rights, instead. It is the Bill of Rights, not the Ten Commandments, that embodies the true core of our national existence. Link
This is no surprise to me. I thought the Democrats were pretty much obsolete/useless ever since the last election. I would like to see a viable third party emerge. In an astonishingly limp report on the stolen 2004 election, the Democratic Party has once again proven why it is unworthy to lead this country and incapable of mounting significant resistance to the far-right GOP juggernaut. Link
Have you ever thought about the similarities between pharmaceutical and tobacco companies? They're striking. Both sell products that kill people when used as directed. The statistics are readily available for pharmaceuticals, which kill around 100,000 Americans each year according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, and Big Tobacco, which makes tobacco products that are partly responsible for hundreds of thousands of cases of cancer in the United States each year. These are the facts from industry. Industry critics (such as myself) would argue that those numbers are actually much higher. Full
Monday, June 27, 2005Early Hepatitis B Vaccines and the “Man-Made” Origin of HIV/AIDS - by Leonard G. Horowitz, D.M.D., M.A., M.P.H.Since the data doesn't support that we have an HIV/AIDS epidemic in America at all, then I would have to say that something else is driving the HIV/AIDS scare. This article presents a plausible theory as to the origin of HIV/AIDS and why it can't be verified in the black community. If we believe some type of external source created it, then we will not trust anyone enough to be tested. But, if the powers that be bombard us long enough with these ominous statistics and advertisements, they know that eventually all of the noise about HIV/AIDS will penetrate our psyche and scare us into being tested. And the results will be a death sentence because the alleged cure is deadlier than the alleged disease. The interesting thing about the test for HIV, it can’t determine if you have HIV or not. We are living in a culture that thrives on fear and perpetuates death. This article regards a matter of global urgency transcending better known AIDS threats. It describes a universal challenge posed by ever increasing numbers of plagues predicted to depopulate at least half of the world’s current human inhabitants within two generations. This documented science virtually proves, through the process of elimination and a review of the most updated evidence, the origin of HIV/AIDS as an iatrogenic (i.e., man-made) outcome of specific vaccination experiments. Considered reflection on this AIDS science, along with the sociopolitical correlates and antecedents of this current catastrophe, reveals the likelihood that myriad other immunedysfunctions, autoimmune diseases, and cancers, including leukemias, lymphomas, sarcomas, and other ailments linked to viral infections, have resulted from previously engineered microbes that have by accident or intent found their way from cancer virus laboratories into humanity’s bloodstream by way of the most trusted public health preventative—vaccinations. If what you are about to read is true, and each point is precisely stated and meticulously documented, beyond extensive depopulation, humanity’s very survival may hinge on this recognition, its implications, and our considered response. Especially relevant, when reflecting on the following facts, is the wisdom addressed by the late World Health Organization (WHO) AIDS czar, Dr. Jonathan Mann, whose life ended tragically on Flight 111 enroute to a European AIDS conference. “More than a medical scientific problem,” Dr. Mann said, “AIDS is a sociopolitical imposition.” Full Link
This article explains why I can no longer support the Democratic party as it stands now. Here is the opinion of one political nobody on why Sen. John F Kerry conceded the election on Nov 2004. I have been told, "get over it" and get lost. The following is why Kerry has made me one pissed off Ohio voter and turned voting into a waste of time. John Kerry on Nov 3 2004 made this concession statement. "In America, it is vital that every vote counts, and that every vote be counted. But the outcome should be decided by voters, not a protracted legal process. ...I would not give up this fight if there was a chance that we would prevail. But it is now clear that even when all the provisional ballots are counted, which they will be, there won’t be enough outstanding votes for our campaign to be able to win Ohio. And therefore, we cannot win this election. ..........." Time factor: The decision to concede was made on Election Day, but delayed until the next day because it was viewed as an important event. Claimed all the evidence was in. But, it was not in and those few extra hours were not a satisfactory time period to acquire election fraud evidence. The time needed was one to two weeks. 10 more days were needed to count the provisional ballots in the critical state of Ohio. But Kerry decided that counting every vote was no longer needed and accepted totals as is. Thus, the choice in time bases was 10 days of counting or 4 more years of Bush. Kerry chose neither, he went into hiding. Campaign Promise Broken: Kerry promised, every vote would count. During campaign, an estimated $ 10 million, 17,000 lawyers nation wide, and jets were said to be ready for election problems. But that promise was broken. There was massive fraud in Ohio and other critical states. But only a few issues were legally addressed during the election. In Ohio, The Secretary of State Blackwell while used that office for the BushCheney04 campaign and later arrogantly boasted he helped Bush win Ohio. However, national exit polls showed -- Kerry won. Edwards did NOT want to concede. But Kerry and advisors stated they saw no evidence of fraud. After Kerry quit and went into hiding, non-political election groups were flooded with reports of vote fraud, voter suppression and irregularities at the polls. At legal hearings, no sign of direct support from the Kerry-Edward camp. At a recount hearing in Columbus, I was shocked to hear the Ohio Kerry-Edwards lawyer say, Kerry and Edwards did not support the recount. He was there as an "Intervener-Defendant ". It was the Green and Libertarian Party that wanted every vote to be counted fairly. They should not have had to find additional funds for the recount fee and volunteers. Full article
Istanbul, Turkey - Today in Istanbul the jury was taken aback by witness testimony from Iraqi war victims and a US Air Force veteran. Snipers hunt people in the streets. People attempting to go to health centers are shot at," testified Eman Kmammas, an Iraqi translator. "There are many crippled children. There are thousands of widows and orphans. There are no police for security and there are no courts. Even hospitals are occupied and bombed and burned." Former US Air Force combat veteran Tim Goodrich stunned the jury by revealing his role in the "softening up" of Iraq months before the US declaration of war. "We were dropping bombs then, and I saw bombing intensify," Goodrich explained to a hushed room. "All the documents coming out now, the Downing Street memo and others, confirm what I had witnessed in Iraq. The war had already begun while our leaders were telling us that they were going to try all diplomatic options first."
I bet these unnecessary deaths account for a major portion of the health disparity in African Americans. The top three causes of Unnecessary Deaths in the United States are related to our "drugs only" health care system... The number one cause of unnecessary death in the United States, called Iatrogenic deaths (783,986) is shown in the table below. Our regulatory system is doing NOTHING about this problem, either. Condition------------------------------------ Deaths--------Cost Hospital Adverse Drug Reactions--------106,000------$12 billion Medical error --------------------------------98,000 -------$62 billion Bedsores -------------------------------------115,000 -------$55 billion Infection -------------------------------------88,000----------$5 billion Malnutrition--------------------------------108,800---------- Outpatient Drug Reactions------------199,000---------$77 billion Unnecessary Procedures-----------------37,136-------$122 billion Surgery-Related ----------------------------32,000----------$9 billion TOTAL---------------------------------------783,936--------$282 billion The number two cause of unnecessary death in the United States is Heart Disease. Statistics show "The 2001 heart disease annual death rate is 699,697." The number three cause of unnecessary death in the United States is Cancer. Statistics show "the annual cancer death rate is 553,251." The total number of known unnecessary deaths, per year, directly due to the drug-based American Medical System is 2,036,884. People in the "health" world know that both heart disease and cancer are solvable issues - but not with drugs...
The government is out of control... The American Civil Liberties Union released a report today examining government policies and practices that have hampered academic freedom and scientific inquiry since September 11, 2001. The report sheds new light on how these policies curtail basic rights and put all Americans at risk. "Attacks on scientific freedom have the same effect on our democracy as attacks on political freedom," said Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU. "Curtailing scientific freedom in the name of national security is bad for science, bad for freedom and simply not effective in increasing the safety of America." Link
WTI aims to record the severe wrongs, crimes and violations that were committed in the process leading up to the aggression against Iraq, during the war and throughout the ensuing occupation, that continue to be widespread to this day. The Tribunal intends to also record the social, political, environmental and cultural devastation. In the end, the evidence gathered and presented will serve as a historical record that breaks the web of lies promulgated by the war coalition and its embedded press.
Sunday, June 26, 2005Oprah's roots Winfrey's DNA points with pride to Zulu tribeComing to the next episode of the gift-tastic Oprah's Favorite Things: Genetic testing for you! TV talk-show host/arbiter of style/granter of fondest wishes Oprah Winfrey recently told an African audience that DNA tests determined that at least some of her ancestors were members of a famed South African tribe, the New York Post reports."I always wondered what it would be like if it turned out I am a South African, (because) I feel so at home here," she told a group of 3,200 fans at her Live Your Best Life seminar in Johannesburg. "Do you know that I actually am one? I went in search of my roots and had my DNA tested, and I am a Zulu." I had my mitochondria DNA tested by African Ancestry. Your mitochondria DNA is passed to every offspring from the mother unchanged so you should be able to trace it back to a single group in Africa. Instead, when I got my results it said that I was closely related to the Kru people in Liberia and the Mende people in Sierra Leone. I was excited when I got the news. But after I calmed down, I said this is bogus, the mitochondria DNA should have only lead to one person/group. There are some reasons that could account for this, but I won't bore you with the details. I still think I need to ask Rick for my money back or when his database is updated, he needs to reanalyze my DNA for free because there is another group out there that I'm more closely related to. The only reason I haven’t contacted him was because I was thinking about doing a post doc in his lab. But now I've changed my mind about the post doc, because my goals have changed. I'm patiently waiting for the next time Rick comes to town and I will discuss this matter with him. In spite of this, I still think it is a great idea to know where you are from at least some of your ancestors and DNA testing is a great way to find this information out.
Friday, June 24, 2005I'm on a roll - Another PostFor the past few days, I've been preparing for a talk at the school where I did my masters and haven't really had time to comment much on things that have been going on around me. I'm a movie buff and I generally go see movies when they first come out, but I couldn't bring myself to see Cinderella Man because I had this feeling that it was filled with lies. Here is an article on Black America Web that confirms my suspicion. Not only is it historically inaccurate, but also, this man extorted money from Joe Louis for 10 years. I would ask, can you believe this, but we all know this is true. Well, this settles it for me. A person has to have some principles in this world. It is official I am a passive aggressive. These people should pay Joe Louis' family back. Hell, as black people, we all need to be repaid (reparation) in some form or fashion. Just give me my money now. Excerpt from the article. Oh, and that nasty business of Braddock and his managers demanding 10 percent of Joe Louis’ boxing earnings for 10 years as a condition of Louis getting a 1937 title shot at Braddock? Don’t look for it in “Cinderella Man.”
Now, you know racism is bad when Oprah Winfrey is refused entry to a store. I guess in this crazy world we are living in, money doesn't always talk. Anyway, I bet the average North Africans that people see in other countries, don't look like Oprah. Who are these people trying to kid? *You can’t just refuse to let Oprah Winfrey into your store and not expect severe consequences and repercussions. As previously reported, the talk show maven – recently voted Forbes magazine’s No 1 celebrity – was in Paris last weekend and wanted to dash into Hermes at closing time, which was just after 6:30 p.m. According to a source for the New York Post, she politely asked a sales clerk if she could just pop in and buy a watch for her dinner partner that evening, Tina Turner. Not only did the clerk tell her no, but the store manager came out from the back to reinforce the clerk’s refusal. It had previously been reported that neither the clerk nor the manager recognized that it was Oprah Winfrey standing before them because she wasn’t in full hair and makeup, and furthermore, they'd been "having a problem with North Africans lately." But a source tells the New York Daily News: "They knew exactly who she was. They specifically said, 'We know who you are.'" Full story
It just seems so appropriate on Fridays, to add a little something on my blog about DSM. A couple of more stories to bring to your attention. The Knight Ridder news service has done exemplarary work on this issue, running several early and useful articles. Today, they... A couple of more stories to bring to your attention. The Knight Ridder news service has done exemplarary work on this issue, running several early and useful articles. Today, they ran another good article, detailing how the American public is souring on the war. They included a particularly good passage ridiculing the White House press office dismissing my investigation, since I voted against military action in the first place: "Did you catch the irony? Conyers has no credibility to challenge the president's actions toward Iraq, the White House argues, because Conyers has opposed the war from the beginning. Yet just a few months ago, the Bush people ridiculed Sen. John Kerry because Kerry allegedly supported the war before being against it - remember all the giddy supporters chanting ``Flip-flop! Flip-flop!'' I also would point out a great opinion piece in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer entitled "Bush's pre-emptive war pre-empted Congress." Everyone of you who submits pieces like this to their local media, is doing a valuable service in keeping this critical issue in the public eye. I am working on follow up to the hearing, and hope to have more to share with you next week.
This is what John Cory had to say about the Democrats: Sometimes I get so angry I could just spit. What the hell is wrong with you Democratic politicians? Why do you turn on each other? Why won't you stand by your own words and ideals? Why do you keep apologizing for telling the truth? And why can't anyone see McCain's true colors? Or Lieberman or Biden? And why in God's name do you expect folks like me to come support you after you turn tail and run? This is what Ousman Cessay had to say: This comment was extracted from here. This is the problem I have with the democratic party... they have become a party of reactionaries and wimps. Just a few days ago they left Durbin to fend for himself before he ultimately break down under wingnuttery and apologized. People like that pompous chicago mayor of yours...daley undermined him.Fast forward to Rove's attack. Instead of undermining him the right went into gear. Some are parsing his comments while others are defending him. No defectors so far. They will not undermine him. That is something spineless democrats would have done by now ala Joe Biden. Although I think Karl Rove should resign along with Bush & Co., one has to admit, something is wrong with the Democrats too. Take a look at the following article. At first glance, you think it is the Republican Justices behind this, but wait a minute, it is the Democrats. Why would the Democratic Justices rule in favor of corporations taking peoples' property away from them for development whether they want to sell or not. Look at what Oscar in Louisville has posted on the Underground Railroad. He has an interesting view on this subject.
What nonsense coming from Karl Rove. He should resign (period). Leading Democrats reacted furiously on Thursday to remarks by Karl Rove that liberals had responded to the Sept. 11 attacks by wanting to "offer therapy and understanding for our attackers," with some Democrats calling for him to apologize or resign as a White House adviser. "Conservatives saw what happened to us on 9/11 and said, 'We will defeat our enemies,' " Mr. Rove continued at a gathering in Midtown for the Conservative Party of New York State. "Liberals saw what happened to us and said, 'We must understand our enemies.' " The remarks led to a cascade of criticism from Democratic lawmakers, particularly in the Senate, where Republicans have sought to put the party on the defensive for days after a leading Democratic senator, Richard J. Durbin, compared abusive treatment of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to the war crimes of the Nazis and the Khmer Rouge. Full Story
Thursday, June 23, 2005The Thing We Don't Talk AboutThis is a scary prospect. A state of constant warfare on someone. We need wars. Without wars, the economy flakes and falls apart. Without wars, the trillions of dollars spent on weapons systems, military preparedness and a planetary army would dry up, dealing a death blow to the economy as currently constituted. Without wars or the threat of wars, the populace is not so easily controlled and manipulated. Link
Wednesday, June 22, 2005Food for ThoughtThe following Website is a list of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Why didn't HIV/AIDS make the list? The CDC estimated ~18,000 deaths. If HIV/AIDS is as deadly as they say, why didn't it make the list as a leading cause of deaths in the U.S.? And - why can't the actual number of people infected and those who died from HIV/AIDS be acounted for instead of using estimated percentages after two decades to represent this class of people? What criteria was used to make the estimates if not from the actual numbers? Other Epidemics in the U.S. and around the world - the fatalities were real. For instance, the Bubonic Plague, which happened in 1330, it was reported that after five years - 25 million people were dead--one-third of Europe's people. The Spanish Influenza outbreak in 1918 - 1919 left 25 million dead in one year. There were three major Influenza epidemics - the 6th, 14th, and 17th centuries. The death toll from all three outbreaks was 137 million victims. Where is the real data for HIV/AIDS from the death register? Where is it? Because, I can't find it...
By Hassan Al-Haifi (commonsense@yemen.net.ye) By attacking groups in American civil society, the Bush Administration is showing what kind of regime it really is. Bush's recent attack on Amnesty International after the group issued a report critical of U.S. behavior at Guantanamo demonstrates why Washington now has so little credibility as a champion of democracy. Link
This article is interesting because Doctors had convinced my relatives that one of the children had ADHD and should be prescribed Ritalin. When I heard this, I almost had a heart attack. I intervened on the child's behalf. I told my family that most drugs are not benign. As a reward, I ended up keeping the child for an entire year. Within that time, I changed his diet because I thought he might be sensitive to processed sugar. After limiting his intake of processed sugars, a major improvement was observed in his behavior. I purchased books to bring him up to his grade level. Everyone was shocked and happy with his progress and this was five and half years ago and he is a perfectly little gentleman. A new study found that every one of a dozen children treated for attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder with methylphenidate experienced a threefold increase in levels of chromosome abnormalities—occurrences associated with increased risks of cancer and other adverse health effects.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005Apologies, Apologies, & More Apologies - Nothing But Apologies...
PHILADELPHIA, Miss. - An 80-year-old former Ku Klux Klansman was convicted of manslaughter Tuesday in the 1964 slayings of three civil rights workers — exactly 41 years after they disappeared. The jury of nine whites and three blacks reached the verdict in the case that was dramatized in the movie "Mississippi Burning" on their second day of deliberations, rejecting murder charges against Edgar Ray Killen but also turning aside defense claims that he wasn’t involved at all. Prosecutors had sought murder charges, but included the manslaughter charges just before the trial began. Killen could get up to 20 years on each of the three counts of manslaughter. Link
Excerpt: As with Iraq, the president has paved the way for the conditioning of the American public and an all-too-compliant media to accept at face value the merits of a regime change policy regarding Iran, linking the regime of the Mullah's to an "axis of evil" (together with the newly "liberated" Iraq and North Korea), and speaking of the absolute requirement for the spread of "democracy" to the Iranian people. "Liberation" and the spread of "democracy" have become none-too-subtle code words within the neo-conservative cabal that formulates and executes American foreign policy today for militarism and war. By the intensity of the "liberation/democracy" rhetoric alone, Americans should be put on notice that Iran is well-fixed in the cross-hairs as the next target for the illegal policy of regime change being implemented by the Bush administration.
Monday, June 20, 2005The Death of the Mainstream MediaAt the core of the "Mainstream Media" conceptualization is the idea that there is an audience of "mainstream" Americans for whom a particular range of well-established media outlets serve as news providers. Blogs, for example, are generally not considered "mainstream" sources of news because the bulk of their audiences and authors are not perceived to be "mainstream," and are, instead, understood to be self-selecting partisans who consume news at an extraordinarily high rate. It is in this sense that the concept of the "mainstream" media continues to postulate the truncated remnants of a national consensus. You can see this all the time when we crow about the need for the MSM to pay attention to one story or another. We, the fringe who consume alternative media, want the "mainstream" news to report something to the "mainstream" of the country. If we can only penetrate this mythical institution that the mythical mainstream both uses and trusts, then we can swing the mainstream. I think, however, that it is time we put the notion of the Mainstream Media to rest. The national consensus is dead, and the mainstream media is dying. Full
The White House on Monday did not rule out the possibility of sidestepping the Senate by naming John Bolton as U.N. ambassador in a recess appointment, as it urged an up-or-down Senate vote on the nomination. "It is critical that we get him in place," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said of Bush's controversial nominee. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hinted on Sunday that President Bush could install Bolton to the U.N. post through a temporary recess appointment. "We'll see what happens this week," she told "Fox News Sunday." Link
Sunday, June 19, 2005Introduction: Did George W. Bush steal America's 2004 election?Bob Fitrakis, Steve Rosenfeld and Harvey Wasserman June 16, 2005 The following text is the Introduction to the 767 page: Did George W. Bush Steal America's 2004 Election? Essential Documents. You can buy the book here. This volume of documents is meant to provide you, the reader, with evidence necessary to make up your own mind. Few debates have aroused more polarized ire. But too often the argument has proceeded without documentation. This volume of crucial source materials, from Ohio and elsewhere, is meant to correct that problem. Amidst a bitterly contested vote count that resulted in unprecedented action by the Congress of the United States, here are some news accounts that followed this election, which was among the most bitterly contested in all US history: Full Link
I had the privilege and good fortunate to be invited to a reception and special preview of a WTTW/Ch. 11 documentary, “Paper Trail: 100 Years of the Chicago Defender,” underwritten by ComEd on June 16th at The Goodman Theatre. ComEd president, Frank Clark hosted the reception. The documentary takes a unique look at Black history in 20th century America. It tells the story of Robert Sengstacke Abbott, the Defender’s founding publisher, who single-handedly started “The Great Northern Drive” that forever changed the landscape of America. The documentary premiers on Ch. 11 (WTTW) on June 22, 2005 at 9 p.m. It is a must see. I’m excited about this documentary because several friends of mines were instrumental in every facet of the production of this documentary; one friend is the producer, while others were either composing and arranging the music or compiling the footage for the documentary. I must say they did a wonderful job - the sneak preview was fabulous. This little preview also gave me the opportunity to rub elbows with some of Chicago's finest citizens (Black & White). I was told that a more lucrative offer might be coming out of this for some of the people who worked on this project. I will talk about this, as more information is available.
I don't know about this normal thing. It really depends on who you ask because I'm sure a different picture would emerge.
Friday, June 17, 2005Black Men: MissingAs we limp into the 21st century, a gender gap is rending the fabric of the entire African-American community. The overwhelming absence of Black men has always been one of the most distressing facts about life in America's public housing developments. In Chicago, for example, black women are the vast majority of lease holders in the Chicago Housing Authority; men are like ghosts in the projects. Besieged by poverty, disease, violence and mass incarceration, African-American men are conspicuously missing in action. At one time, this gender imbalance afflicted mostly lower-income neighborhoods. But as we limp into the 21st century, that gender gap is rending the fabric of the entire African-American community. "Where have all the Black men gone?" asked the headline on a story by Jonathan Tilove for The Star Ledger in Newark, N.J. The article examined the New Jersey city of East Orange, where there are 37 percent more adult women than men. Tilove wrote that most of the missing men are dead, and many others are locked up or in the military. Full Story
This study shows why I am reluctant to take the word of the government as the gospel truth. When a study revealed that mercury in childhood vaccines may have caused autism in thousands of kids, the government rushed to conceal the data - and to prevent parents from suing drug companies for their role in the epidemic. Link
Intelligent Design is really picking up momentum if Northwestern thinks enough of this topic to devote a seminar to it. Northwestern Seminar Given by Eugenie Scott from the National Center for Science Education. It will be held at 12:00 noon on Thursday June 23 in the Baldwin auditorium in the Lurie Medical Research Center. This is an excellent opportunity to hear about this very important issue from perhaps the nations expert of the topic. Genie Scott has been a leader in the fight against the substitution of creationism, intelligent design, or other religious beliefs for the teaching of biology in high school in the United States. It is important for the medical community to recognize that the same forces that oppose evolution also oppose stem cell research and many of the reproductive rights won in recent years. Genie will discuss the importance of this linkage and the ways that the medical community may become more active in the area.
Top-secret documents suggest that the Bush administration "fixed" intelligence about Iraq WMD and that British Prime Minister Tony Blair sought legal cover for a predetermined invasion. Follow debate about the memo. Q&A: Michael Smith, Sunday Times Reporter Who Broke the Story Memo: U.S. Lacked Full Postwar Iraq Plan (The Post, June 12, 2005) British Intelligence Warned of Iraq War (The Post, May 13, 2005) The Downing Street Memo (The Sunday Times, May 1) World Opinion: Could Links Sink Tony Blair? (May 3) World Opinion: Downing Street Memo Story Won't Die (June 7) World Opinion: Deep Throat of Downing Street (June 14) Talking Points: Democrats Seek Road Map to Downing Street (June 14) White House Briefing: The Second Memo (June 13) White House Briefing: The Memo Comes in From the Cold (June 8) Media Notes: Iraq Memo Gets Second Look (June 16) CBC News: Call for an Impeachment at Downing St. Hearing: Democrats call for inquiry into 'Downing Street (June 16)
Wednesday, June 15, 2005Bush for Life: GOP introduces new bill to CongressCourtesy of Oscar Carter from African Americans For Democracy. It appears some Democrats are introducing this bill. It looks like "Purple Power" is at it again. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) http://hoyer.house.gov/ Howard Berman (D-CA) http://www.house.gov/berman/ Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) http://www.house.gov/sensenbrenner/ Martin Olav (D-MN)http://sabo.house.gov/ Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ)http://www.house.gov/pallone/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original message: Republicans have officially started the the campaign to amend the Constitution by repealing the 22nd Amendment - the one that confines the President to two terms. If the Republicans hold their current strength, or increase it, in the 2006 Congressional elections, expect this measure to pass allowing Bush to remain President... Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the 22nd amendment to the Constitution. (Introduced in House) http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.J.RES.24.IH: (Notice this is on the Library of Congress server, where the current Congressional record is maintained) Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the 22nd amendment to the Constitution. (Introduced in House) HJ 24 IH 109th CONGRESS 1st Session H. J. RES. 24 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the 22nd amendment to the Constitution. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 17, 2005 Mr. HOYER (for himself, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. SABO, and Mr. PALLONE) introduced the following joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the 22nd amendment to the Constitution. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification: `Article -- `The twenty-second article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is repealed.'. Link
This is one of my all time favorite politician Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney made history in 1992 when she became the first Black woman to serve in the House of Representatives from the State of Georgia. She has earned a reputation as a strong and principled fighter for human rights and has helped to pass critical legislation that supported the rights of the people over corporate and political interest. In 2002, she came under fire for being one of the first Members of Congress to demand a thorough investigation into the events of September 11, 2001. An estimated 40,000 Republicans used an unethical practice called “crossover voting” to vote in the Democratic Primary to oust her. In 2004, she ran for re-election and the people of the 4th District responded with overwhelming support and put her back in office. Jesse Muhammad (JM): Why do you think you face so much opposition in the halls of Congress? Cynthia McKinney (CM): My positions are pure and this makes others uncomfortable. If there are those who have been, and who are, compromising here and there, then there is going to be a contrast. They do not want the people to see those who do not care about the powers-that-be. Link
I've always wondered who are the people being polled... WASHINGTON -- When it comes to public approval, President Bush and Congress are playing "how low can you go." Bush's approval mark is 43 percent, while Congress checks in at 31 percent, an Associated Press-Ipsos poll found. Both are the lowest levels yet for the survey, started in December 2003. "There's a bad mood in the country, people are out of sorts," said Charles Jones, a presidential scholar and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. "Iraq news is daily bad news." The public also is showing concerns about the direction of the country as the war in Iraq drags on. Only about one-third of adults, 35 percent, said they thought the country was headed in the right direction. Forty-one percent said they supported Bush's handling of the war in Iraq, also a low-water mark.
The disturbing truths about the last election in Ohio have been largely ignored by the press and the Congress. Outside the oil and gas junta that controls two and a half branches of our government (the half soon to be whole is the judiciary), there was a good deal of envy at the late British election among those Americans who are serious about politics. Little money was spent by the three parties and none for TV advertising. Results were achieved swiftly and cheaply. Best of all, the three party leaders were quizzed sharply and intelligently by ordinary citizens known quaintly as subjects, thanks to the ubiquitous phantom crown so unlike our nuclear-taloned predatory eagle. Although news of foreign countries seldom appears in our tightly censored media (and good news, never), those of us who are addicted to C-SPAN and find it the one truly, if unconsciously, subversive media outlet in these United States are able to observe British politics in full cry. I say "subversive" not only because C-SPAN is apt to take interesting books seriously but also because its live coverage of the Senate and the House of Representatives is the only look we are ever allowed at the mouthpieces of our masters up close and is, at times, most reflective of a government more and more remote from us, unaccountable and repressive. To watch the righteous old prophet Byrd of West Virginia, the sunny hypocrisy of Biden of Delaware -- as I write these hallowed names, I summon up their faces, hear their voices, and I am covered with C-SPAN goose bumps. Link
When it came to "buzz" power, blogs played a role similar to that of mainstream media and the candidates' campaigns themselves during the last presidential campaign. A new study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found blogs sometimes created the buzz and sometimes amplified the buzz which originated elsewhere. It's also not surprising that it found bloggers act as something of a reference point for mainstream media when it comes to getting the pulse of the rest of the Internet. Link
Tuesday, June 14, 2005Slavery's Legacy - Part IIIn the past few decades, there has been an increase in same sex relationships in the black community that wasn’t there in the past, at least not to the degree it is observed now. And, Atlanta has become known as the black gay Mecca of the U.S. The justification for this post is to explore at least two reasons for this phenomenon. One hypothesis has its roots in slavery, the trauma that was experienced by our ancestors were past onto future generations (effects of intergenerational trauma), while the other has its roots in modern times, the increase in hormones in the food is thought to be feminizing men and masculinzing women. In order to understand the premise behind both arguments, each topic will be discussed separately although I think the latter hypothesis is related to some extent to the former. Slavery and the effects thereof is a topic that is a tough subject (too many painful memories) for many people to talk about in America (black or white), at least in a truthful and meaningful manner. African people were shackled wrist-to-wrist, ankle-to-ankle, and stuffed in the bottom of a ship for up to four months in thick intense heat. On the four-month voyage, the smell of feces, blood, urine, and death rendered the air too foul to breathe. Yellow fever and smallpox spread rapidly. And that was only the beginning of the plight of our ancestors. It is a well-established fact that white slave masters routinely and systematically raped black women , and there are many references to this on the Internet. However, what is not well known are the rapes of black men, boys, and young girls. This information is hidden, yet many know that it occurred. The movie Goodbye Uncle Tom, (English and Italian versions) is based upon historical accounts of what really happened during slavery and unapologetically talks about the brutal rape of women, girls, boys, and men. One of the reviewers said this movie makes Roots look like an episode of the Jeffersons. Perpetrators are still using rape as a tool to exert control over their victims. And homosexual rapes of black men by the slave masters were no difference, a tool to control, humiliate and to make them become docile by challenging their masculinity. They would routinely chain black men, strip them, and rape them repeatedly in public while people watched and cheered. A natural outcome from this forced dehumanizing act was shame, docility towards the slave master and oftentimes hostility towards the black female and the perpetuation of the dehumanizing acts upon the children. Since children emulate parents, we were in essence stuck in a perpetual loop of depravity forced upon us by outsiders. This type of sex was strange to our African ancestors. Although homosexuality exist today in Africa and there is a debate as to when it was started, it is outlawed for men in at least 29 countries and for women it is outlawed in 20 countries, which suggests this practiced is not indigenous to Africa or Africans. From all the research that has been done by Dr. Patricia Newton and other African scholars - prior to slavery, Africans didn't engaged in these types of relationships since they are an abomination. Therefore, some people believe that what is seen in the African American community is a learned experience, a backlash so to speak of slavery, a behavior that was simply emulated from the European or American slave masters. These violent acts against black people also suggest that homosexuality was entrenched into the psyche of the captors. Unfortunately, these same dehumanizing acts are occurring in the Sudan to Black Africans men and boys by Arab and now African Muslims. Before I explain the premise behind this theory - Post Traumatic Slave Disorder (PTSD), it would help to see a list of things people experience under extreme trauma, which African Americans have experienced for over two and a half centuries and some can argue rightfully so that the trauma is ongoing, and can be seen in the high incarceration rate of blacks compared to their white counterparts and the poor health of blacks compared to whites. - A serious threat or harm to one's life or physical integrity - A threat or harm to one's children, spouse, or close relative - Sudden destruction of one's home or community -Seeing another person injured or killed as a result of an accident or physical violence -Learning about a serious threat to a relative or a close friend kidnapped, tortured, or killed -Experiencing intense fear, terror, and helplessness -The stressor and disorder is considered more serious and will last longer when the stressor is of human design According to Dr. Bruce H. Lipton, the environment that you live in will determine which biological mechanisms that will be expressed. His hypothesis is this, since the human genome project uncovered approximately 34,000 genes, this suggests that our genes do not control who or what we are, but, we are a direct result of which proteins are expressed based upon the external forces that are predominant in our particular environment. These environmental signals then provide the necessary cue for the regulatory proteins (epigenetic control) to stop protecting the DNA and allow a specific gene to be transcribed into RNA and then that RNA is translated into the behavior element (the protein) based on the environmental stimulus that is needed. For instance, if a person is traumatized, they will express proteins that allow them to have the skills that are necessary to protect themselves' similar to the flight or fight response. Once this mechanism is in place, it is in place at the expense of other stimuli that are necessary for the growth and reproduction stage. This flight or fight response prevents the proper development of the brain. Therefore, if we are in the protection mode because of trauma, your system is closed to any type of growth and development forcing you to deal with only the rudimentary levels of existence. The premise is this, you will be unable to adequately deal with higher order thinking, reasoning, and spirituality, and the outcome is those traumatized individuals are fixated on satisfying or cultivating their carnal or lower order desires. It is interesting to note, this type of stress and trauma will prevent the body from replacing much needed nutrients giving rise to a weakened immune system and a host of other physical and developmental problems. Researchers like Allan N. Schore and others corroborate this claim. These researchers believe the earlier the trauma occurs in an individual, the damage to the brain is more severe. Because of this, people are unable to parent effectively, which give rise to a propensity for the learned behavior of the traumatized victim to past onto the next generation the act that was traumatizing. Many scientists believe that prior to ovulation - genomic imprinting occurs and the brain of the growing fetus is affected by the attitudes of the parents. If you are in a perpetual traumatized and stressful mode, it will result in an offspring with a less developed (smaller) brain and a more muscular (developed) body than an offspring in a less stressful and traumatized situation. In addition, the traumatized animal/individual passes any undesirable behaviors they experience throughout their lifetime to their offspring. In others words, that old saying, be careful what you say and do because your children will mimic your behavior (good or bad) has been proven a scientific fact. It is against this backdrop that Dr Patricia Newton's research has led her to postulate that the increase in homosexuality in the African American community is a direct result of the physical manifestations of slavery, which caused severe psychological damage to the psyche of the African mind in America. This learned behavior has manifested itself in an increase in sexual abuse of children in the African American population. Her research has shown that 7 out of 10 men she studied in Baltimore have been sexually abused while 8.9 out of 10 women have been sexually abused. If we extrapolate her data to the wider African American population, then it is plausible that the increase in homosexuality in the African American population is a direct result of the effects of PTSD (intergenerational trauma that is still being passed on). Although I think this theory may explain why homosexuality exist in our community, I’m not convinced this is the only reason for the increase, which leads me to believe there are other external factors that are acting upon our bodies to produce a desired outcome, which will be discussed at a later date. Summary 1. Black people are suffering from PTSD. 2. Our development may be stunted due to the effects of the trauma lingering from slavery. 3. It appears many African American men and women are sexually traumatizing their children. 4. We need to come out of denial and disbelief. 5. We need psychological healing from the trauma. 6. There may be other environmental factors responsible for the increase in same sex relationships in the African American community. 7. If Atlanta is considered the Black Gay Mecca and Baltimore has this many people who were sexually abused, you really have to wonder what is going on in Atlanta. 8. If there is an increase in AIDS in the African American community, it is highly possible that stress and trauma are causing our body to react to environmental factors/cues that are affecting negatively on our immune system that are independent of HIV and the negative effects are reversible if the trauma or stress no longer exists. 9. If there is an HIV/AIDS epidemic in the African American population because of bi-sexual men, then the same increase should be seen in the white American population because bi-sexuality originated in that population. 10. The Africans that stepped on that boat are not the same Africans that stepped off that boat.
Senate Apologizes to Lynching Victims, Families for Failure to Act From 1890 to 1960, 4,742 Americans were documented as having been lynched, with actual numbers believed to be much higher. During that time, nearly 200 anti-lynching bills were introduced to the United States Congress. The United States House of Representatives even passed three anti-lynching bills, but all failed on the floor of the Senate despite the lobbying of seven U.S. Presidents. Because of the Senate’s refusal to pass the legislation, the federal government was left powerless to intervene and protect Americans from these heinous acts of mob violence. Link Beloved has an interesting posting (Apology Accepted?)detailing the story of her family's history of the lynchings and brutality that occurred in Mississippi. Excerpt: Nevertheless, James and Missouri married. Missouri gave birth to my grandmother, her only child and sometimes traveled the countryside serving as a nurse. Missouri was often mistaken for a white woman. She was extremely fair-skinned and had straight hair that reached past her waist. When out in town with James, their presence would often cause a stir because most outsiders would mistake them for a black man "mixing" with a white woman. Tragically, one day on her way home from helping a family, a group of white men that had previously seen her in town took her, locked her in a cellar of an abandoned home and set the home on fire. The men then went looking for James. They assumed that they were doing a "duty" by punishing a "white woman" for dealing with a black man. James managed to escape unharmed, but he was forced to hide for several years, leaving my grandmother to be raised by various relatives in Seven Springs.
 Michael Jackson entering court yesterday in California. (AP) SANTA MARIA, California - A jury yesterday acquitted Michael Jackson of molesting a 13-year-old cancer survivor at his Neverland ranch, vindicating the pop star who insisted he was the victim of mother-and-son con artists and a prosecutor with a vendetta.Jurors also acquitted Jackson of getting the boy drunk and of conspiring to imprison his accuser and the boy's family at the storybook estate - a total legal victory but one that may do little to improve his bizarre image. It's always been hard for me to even think Michael Jackson is capable of doing this. He is weird but that doesn't mean he molested anyone. This should be a lesson to him. Do not let those children back into his house. He is an easy mark.
Monday, June 13, 2005Slightly wicked of me...Today, we had a birthday/graduation/going away party for three lab members. One person is going to medical school, one is going to law school and the last will be doing his residency in New York. One lady in the lab ordered food and another picked up the cake. I always try to stay away from the girly frilly stuff. Anyway, I went to get a vegetarian sandwich and there were none. I said, do you mean to tell me that no one ordered any vegetarian sandwiches? The woman who ordered the food said I ordered one veggie sandwich for you and someone took it. I'm thinking why would anybody order a single sandwich? Most meat eaters - at least at Northwestern will eat a veggie sandwich, but I haven't seen any non-meat eaters who are willing to eat a sandwich with meat on it. So there I sat through a party where I was the only person who didn't have anything to eat. It reminded me when I went to training in Dallas while working at one of the then Big Six Accounting firms, now Big 5. In Dallas at that time, I guess they were not big on Veggie dishes. Anyway, we sang happy birthday, the cake was cut and still people expected me to eat cake on an empty stomach. I guess I could have eased their conscious, but I refuse to budge. I simply told them I don't eat any type of dessert on an empty stomach. Again, I sat and watched everyone eat cake, all the while thinking, this will teach them to be this inconsiderate. People kept apologizing. Someone said I brought in a banana loaf, why don't you eat that. I politely refused. I could see the guilt, yet I didn't budge. I could have eaten the loaf, or the fruit I brought from home, but I didn't. I just sat there talking to people and thinking, I bet the next time we have something, they will order not one, but three veggie sandwiches. The funniest part to me is this - it really was too early for me to even think about eating, and I hate sandwiches. I would have eaten out of politeness. Since I didn't have any food, I said the hell with politeness. I have to admit, although I think this is funny; it is slightly wicked on my part...
Online version If we could turn the population of the earth into a small community of 100 people, keeping the same proportions we have today, it would be something like this: 61 Asians 12 Europeans 14 Americans (from North and South America) 13 Africans 01 Australian (Oceania) 50 women 50 men 67 are not christian 33 are christian (Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox) 6 people own 59% of the entire wealth of the community 13 are hungry or malnourished 14 can't read only 7 are educated at a secondary level Of the village's total annual expenditures of just over US$ 3,000,000 per year: US$ 181,000 is spent on weapons and warfare... US$ 159,000 is spent on education... US$ 132,000 is spent on health care. If you keep your food in a refrigerator.. And your clothes in a closet... You are richer than 75% of the entire world population. If you have a bank account You're one of the 30 wealthiest people in the world. 25 struggle to live on US$ 1.00 per day or less... 47 struggle to live on US$ 2.00 per day or less. Work with passion Love without needing to be loved Appreciate what you have And do your best for a better world.
This is an interesting commentary by Adam Roufberg. I'm always glad when I find others who can see through all the crap coming out of Washington. This war really has to make you wonder about many things and some of those things are explored below. The Neo-conservative Administration which has taken over the White House and the Pentagon, save Congress and the Judiciary - at least for the moment - has made a slight miscalculation in their divisive plans for a Pax Americana. Their major blunder - some might contend- was poor planning for the Iraq war. Make no mistake, this was no mistake. Too few Troops from the "Coalition of the Willing" were sent and a stabilized Iraq was never the goal. The same could be said about an exit strategy. If you do not plan on leaving the country you occupy you do not need an exit strategy. Rather, you need enough cannon fodder and media oversight to perpetuate the cultural, spiritual, and blood-lust rape of a nation- the peoples of which understand occupation all to well. The war planners understand this understanding and fully intended to invoke both a huge resistance - to be pacified - and a civil war. Yet the major flaw of the war planners was to make the assumption that there would be no major resistance from the US populace and any upsurgence which might occur could easily be contained. It is most unfortunate that the US Congress bought into the war. One would almost have to assume that US military and economic hegemony is a principle accepted by the full spectrum of politicians - with total disregard for life both inside and outside US borders. How else could the authorization for the use of force against Iraq (PDF) be issued and implemented - specifically when most of the major elements of this Law proved to be untrue before military action was taken. The National Intelligence Estimate of 2002 proved to show little support for the contentions that the Bush Administration put forth as a means by which to justify their illegal invasion of a sovereign nation- the supreme international crime. Illegal because it is a violation of the US Constitution, the War Powers Resolution, the UN Charter, The Geneva Conventions, and so on down the list of internationally accepted statutes which are intended to prevent such heinous actions of any nation state against another. If the Legislative and the Executionary branches of the US Government were mutually complicit in a greedy and megalomaniacal grab for the Iraq’s resources - (as pointed out by Wolfowitz as well as implicitly stated in Rebuilding America’s Defenses (PDF) - the Neocon recipe book for US Military hegemony (a.k.a. Full Spectrum Dominance) in the passage "the need for a substantial American force presence in the Gulf transcends the issue of the regime of Saddam Hussein " (i.e. if Saddam was not in power the US would still have to invade Iraq)), they must have assumed that they could get away with it. The key to this is to suppress any resistance at home. Link
Sunday, June 12, 2005The Shocking Truth Behind the Original Food Guide PyramidJust think - many people hang on every word of the government although there is enough proof that everyone should know that this government is only concerned about corporate profits at the expense of the general welfare of its citizens. Lies, lies, and more lies always being told - always being uncovered. Can the government be relied on to provide objective, health-promoting food and nutrition advice, via the new Food Guide Pyramid? According to nutritionist Luise Light, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) insider and contributing architect of the original version of the Food Guide Pyramid, most certainly not. With no holds barred, Dr. Light highlights the shocking reality of a government bowing to industry interests and playing a key role in the obesity epidemic that now plagues the United States. The new food pyramid isn't much better according to Dr. Light.
 Hi, I'm a Big Frigging Baby. I'm The Republican chairman and ya'll aint playing fair, who do you think you are. Just for that, I'm going to walk off and take my gavel with me. And, you can't do anything about it. Nah.. NaNa.. Na.. Na.. Now you take that. As he storms away, he leaves the Democrats shouting into turned-off microphones at a raucous hearing Friday on the Patriot Act. These people are like stage masters and magicians fighting for the spot light.. Link
Friday, June 10, 2005Public Broadcasting Targeted By HouseIf anyone thinks that this Republican led government is good for the people, well - they should take a closer look at the lastest onslaught coming out of The Capitol. This article is courtesy of Gerald Berke over at punditification. Gerald had this to say: Public radio and TV to be destroyed by Bush & Co. It is really happening. This is not a drill. A House subcommittee voted yesterday to sharply reduce the federal government's financial support for public broadcasting, including eliminating taxpayer funds that help underwrite such popular children's educational programs as "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow," "Arthur" and "Postcards From Buster." In addition, the subcommittee acted to eliminate within two years all federal money for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting -- which passes federal funds to public broadcasters -- starting with a 25 percent reduction in CPB's budget for next year, from $400 million to $300 million. In all, the cuts would represent the most drastic cutback of public broadcasting since Congress created the nonprofit CPB in 1967. The CPB funds are particularly important for small TV and radio stations and account for about 15 percent of the public broadcasting industry's total revenue.
On Thursday June 16, 2005, Rep. John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member of House Judiciary Committee, and other Democratic Members will hold a Democratic hearing to hear testimony concerning the Downing Street Minutes and the efforts to cook the books on pre-war intelligence. The June 16th hearing will attempt to answer the serious constitutional questions raised by these revelationsand will further investigate the Administration's actions in the lead up towar with new documents that further corroborate the Downing Street memo. Directly following the hearing, Rep. Conyers, Members of Congress, and concerned citizens plan to hand deliver to the White House the petitionand signatures of over a half million Americans that have joined Rep. Conyers in demanding that President Bush answer questions about his secret plan for the Iraq war. For details on time and place and for downloadable flyers promoting the rally, please watch the top of this website: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/
Going to Hell in a Hand Basket You don’t have to be a genius to realize that our nation is heading in the wrong direction under GOP rule says John Conyers NY Times June 6 Headlines 1. page A,9; a story on how Latin Nations are resisting U.S. calls for creation of a committee to monitor democracy. Is it any wonder when more than one half year after the Ohio fiasco not a single question has been answered by the Ohio Secretary of State to explain the massive irregularities? 2. page A, 10; a story on Texas Governor Rick Perry having a bill signing at an Evangelical School. Does separation between church and state have any meaning any more for the Republican party? 3. page A, 11; First Lady Laura Bush comes under fire for seeming to endorse a repressive regime in Egypt. Do we really have the credibility to advocate for liberties and democracy abroad at this point in time? 4. page A, 15; Missouri flies Confederate Flag at memorial service. Does anyone think elections don’t matter when the GOP Governor made this happen? 5. page A, 16; Sen. Biden urges U.S. to close Guantanamo. And this from an original supporter of the War. At least Senate Judiciary seems willing to hold hearings on the abuses. We’ll see. 6. page A, 22; Now we’re on the editorial page. Excellent editorial reminding us that the only thing stopping an historic world commitment to alleviate poverty in Africa is the U.S. Government. And for a fraction of the cost of the Iraq war. 7. page A, 22; Great piece by the Editorial Observer comparing the present unease to the mid 1970's in the wake of Watergate and Vietnam. Is there a silver lining? Adam Cohen notes the time could be ripe for a change of political control in the U.S. 8. page A, 23; Finally, the op-eds. Bob Herbert has another great column, this time on class war in America and Bush and GOP doing everything in their power to expand class injustices in America.
The Republican Party has spent decades trying to co-opt morality, pushing voters to their side by claiming to represent American values. Today, however, the Republicans have abandoned any pretense of concerns for working families by producing the most cold-hearted, wrong-headed priorities in a federal budget in recent memory. The FY 2006 budget that Congress is sending to the president gives more tax cuts to the wealthy and reduces or ends over 150 domestic programs that would assist children, schools, health programs and job creation. And as Republicans try to rally the country around social security privatization by claiming the program will soon run out of money, this budget finances its deficits with every cent of the Social Security Trust Fund surplus. Tragically, this budget cuts Medicaid by about $35 billion because, as Senate Budget Committee chairman Judd Gregg put it, the program ‘is growing far too fast for us to be able to afford it.’ To be moral, however, requires more than just lip service. Morality means actually caring about people, showing compassion when faced with those in need and making sacrifices in order to help those people. This kind of morality, it seems, is extinct in the Republican Party.” Link
Thursday, June 09, 2005Senate Panel OKs Expanded Powers for FBIThis is an interesting development. Is America a police state? WASHINGTON -- The FBI would get expanded powers to subpoena records without the approval of a judge or grand jury in terrorism investigations under Patriot Act revisions approved Tuesday by the Senate Intelligence Committee.
If you can brainwash people that easily using religion, then something is obviously wrong with either the religion or the people or both. Satan rules, at least according to many of my fellow Americans. In recent surveys, over two-thirds of those polled said they believed the devil to be real, whether with or without horns and a tail. Call him Lucifer, Mephistopheles, or the Evil One, his existence plays a major role in the way Americans see the world. Right-wingers, in particular, have found him extremely useful in attacking their political foes. Racial segregationists, union-busters, and John Birchers historically pursued their own agendas by attacking opponents as devilish collaborators of "Godless communism." Far-right evangelicals still blast the United Nations as a Satanic force run by his End Time agent the anti-Christ, while Christian Reconstructionists tar-brush every intellectual current from humanism to modern science as the work of a diabolical hand. The Enlightenment was, after all, the devil's assault on faith. Satan sells in the USA. That's why Ronald Reagan battled "the Evil Empire," and how George W. Bush uses "the Axis of Evil."
"I told the guys in my old golf group in Pittsburgh that I'm not coming back. You can come to visit me," he recalled telling his friends in the western Pennsylvania city, "but I'm not moving back there." Robinson, the vice president for resource development at the Heart of Florida United Way, is part of the most recent wave of blacks to move into the South — a reverse migration that has fueled some major gains for blacks. During the 1990s, the South's black population grew by nearly 3.6 million people, more than in any other sector of the country.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005The new scramble for AfricaWhy are Africans leaders allowing this to happen? The easy thing to say is that there is enough educated Africans to advise African leaders against this type of abuse. However, with any traumatized people, they are incapable of, in many instances, making informed decisions. Never the less, concerned educated Africans in the diaspora must find a way to prevent their countries from being raped. A new "scramble for Africa" is taking place among the world's big powers, who are tapping into the continent for its oil and diamonds. Simon Taylor, director of Global Witness said: "Western companies and banks have colluded in stripping Africa's resources. Our investigations in three African countries rich in resources - Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Liberia - show how British-based companies have negotiated deals that critics say are against the interests of some of the poorest and most traumatised people on earth.
This is yet another example of favoritism to the rich and unscrupulous. We all have to admit this is reprehensible. What about the Enron scandal? Aren't these the same guys that created the rolling blackout in California in 2000; that gave themselves bonuses at the expense of their employees; that donated millions of dollars to the Bush Administration; that ran Enron in the ground and left their employees penniless; on and on and on... And now, they are getting hundreds of millions of taxpayers' dollars to develop a power project. I guess we can kiss that money good bye. What does this say about the American people? And, what does this say about the American government? Senate Energy Bill Contains Provision for Hundreds of Millions of Dollarsin Loan Guarantees for Power Project WASHINGTON, D.C. – Buried in the 700-plus page energy bill currently under debate in the U.S. Senate is a provision that provides hundreds of millions of dollars worth of federal loan guarantees for a power project apparently to be built by four former Enron executives. One of the former executives is Thomas White, former head of Enron’s retail and energy trading in California during the energy crisis who later served as President Bush’s Secretary of the Army. Title XIV, Section 1403(c)(1)(B) of the Senate energy bill provides federal loan guarantees for “a project to produce energy from coal … mined in the western United States using appropriate advanced integrated gasification combined cycle technology that minimizes and offers the potential to sequester carbon dioxide emissions and … shall be located in a western State at an altitude greater than 4,000 feet.”
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