Up To Canann Land

(I'm on my way I'm on my way)
Well I'm on my way to Canaan's land I'm on my way to Canaan's land
I've done sunup made up my mind I'm on my way to Canaan's land

If my mother don't go don't you hand to me
If my mother don't go don't you hand to me
I've done sunup made up my mind I'm on my way to Canaan's land
Well I'm on my way...
[ piano ]
If my brother don't go don't you hand to me
If my brother don't go don't you hand to me
I've done sunup made up my mind I'm on my way to Canaan's land
Well I'm on my way...
**********

I think I am discovering what my purpose is. I am supposed to teach. I am supposed to teach on a fundamental level. And I am supposed to teach assholes that they can't neccessarily do whatever they might think they want to. My name means light from the beacon hill. I am supposed to bring others into the light. Allow them to truly see.

Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the word
Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day

From Killing Rage

It was not a question of your giving up the seat, it was an occasion for you to intervene in the harassment of a young black woman and you chose your own comfort and tried to deflect away from your complicity in that choice by offering an insincere, face saving apology... It was this sequences of racialized incidents involving black women that intensified my rage against the white man sitting next to me. I felt a 'Killing Rage.' I wanted to stab him softly, to shoot him with the gun I wished I had in my purse. And as I watched his pain, I would say to him tenderly 'racism hurts.'-bell hooks, Killing Rage

King Adbullah of Jordan Condemns the U.S. Occupation of Iraq

This is a great statement from a very powerful voice in the Middle East. As a sidenote, I heard someone on television say that now U.S. companies control 85% of Iraq's oil wells.

Ella Fitzgerald was a beautiful woman.

I am a Goodson, a Deramus, and a Smith.

Thank god for bell hooks.

Tony Blair must rot in hell. When are the British going to get some integrity and get rid of that man?

Those in the know say that the U.S. is searching for war with Iran. Great Britain, the United States, and Israel. Watch closely now.

At the rally yesterday, a very astute 7th grader pointed out to me that Monument Circle in Indianapolis is surrounded by nothing but banks and churches. Very, very perceptive. A monument to capitalism...

Those in the Know Say the United States is Looking for War With Iran

The University of Flordia Won't Give Jeb Bush an Honorary Degree!

Hip Hip Hooray!!

The rally today was both Student organized and student attended.

A Turning Point

Today's rally on Monument Circle in Indianapolis was quite encouraging. There were between 3 and 4 hundred people there and the astounding part was that 90 percent of them were under the age of 20! This war is on its last legs.

Queen Latifah's new movie, Life Support is absolutely powerful. Ive watched it twice in the past two days.

Papillion

Chaka Khan (My Song for Charles)

A faded photograph i mailed to you
With feelings i don't want to face
And a long song of surrender in blue
I remember when you took my breath away

Chorus:

Chanson papillon, we were very young
Like butterflies, like hot butterfly
Chanson papillon, we had just begun
We let it slide on by
We didn't realize

All our memories are burning in time
Like a bittersweet perfume


Can you tell me how a love that's so fine
Could have climaxed in a single afternoon

Gone are the days of instant romance
And the nights of slow goodbyes
That was a time of life when foxy was the dance
But then you got wise to all my lies

Chorus

Chanson papillon, chanson
Chanson papillon, chanson
Chanson papillon, chanson
Chanson papillon, chanson

A Little Ditty My Mother Taught Me

"That's tough!"
"What's tough?"
"Life."
"What's life?"
"A magazine."
"Where d'you get it?"
"Drugstore."
"What's it cost?"
"A dime."
"shucks, I only got a nickel."
"That's tough.
"What's tough?"
"Life."
"What's life?"
"A magazine."

What's With This New Incident With Iran?

Those in the know say that the U.S. is searching for war with Iran. Britain, The lapdog, has just created an incident with the Iranian government. We ask what is going on?

Ahmadinejad Should Come to the United States

Ahmadinejad should come to New York and address the U.N! He shouldh't change his plans.

I had a mint julep at Mary Mac's Tea Room in Atlanta. It was divine.

Mame

You coax the blues right out of the horn, Mame,
You charm the husk right off of the corn, Mame,
You've got that banjoes strummin'
And plunkin' out a tune to beat the band,
The whole plantation's hummin'
Since you brought Dixie back to Dixie land.
You make the cotton easy to pick, Mame,
You give my old mint julep a kick, Mame,
Who ever thought a Yankee would put
A little Dixie mouse to shame.
You've made us feel alive again,
You've given us the drive again,
To make the South revive again, Mame.
Beauregard Burnside:
You've brought the cake-walk back into style, Mame
You make the weepin' willow tree smile, Mame,
Your skin is Dixie satin,
There's rebel in your manner and your speech,
You may be from Manhattan,
But Georgia never had a sweeter peach.
All:
You make our black-eyed peas and our grits, Mame,
Seem like the bill of fare at the Ritz, Mame,
You came, you saw, you conquered
And absolutely nothing is the same.
You're special fascination'll prove to be inspirational,
We think you're just sensational, Mame.
Since you brought Dixie back to Dixie land.
Since you brought Dixie back to Dixie land.
You coax the blues right out of the horn, Mame,
You charm the husk right off of the corn, Mame,
You've got that banjoes strummin'
And plunkin' out a tune to beat the band,
The whole plantation's hummin'
Since you brought Dixie back to Dixie land.
You make the cotton easy to pick, Mame,
You give my old mint julep a kick, Mame,
Who ever thought a Yankee would put
A little Dixie mouse to shame.
You've made us feel alive again,
You've given us the drive again,
To make the South revive again, Mame.
Mame! Mame! Mame! Mame!

Stop all funding for the war on Drugs. No more money to fund CIA operations in Columbia. Stop the murder of teachers and union organizers in Columbia. Not one more dime!

I feel very sad for Woody Harrelson.

Jacob's Ladder --Paul Robeson

We are climbing Jacob's ladder
We are climbing Jacob's ladder
We are climbing Jacob's ladder
Brothers, sisters, all

Every rung goes higher and higher
Every rung goes higher and higher
Every rung goes higher and higher
Brothers, sisters, all

We are dancing Sarah's circle
We are dancing Sarah's circle
We are dancing Sarah's circle
Sisters, brothers, all

Every round a generation
Every round a generation
Every round a generation
Sisters, brothers, all

We are climbing Jacob's ladder
We are climbing Jacob's ladder
We are climbing Jacob's ladder
Brothers, sisters, all

Open a New Window, Open a New Door-- From Mame

Open a new window,
Open a new door,
Travel a new highway,
That's never been tried before;
Before you find you're a dull fellow,
Punching the same clock,
Walking the same tight rope
As everyone on the block.
The fellow you ought to be is three dimensional,
Soaking up life down to your toes,
Whenever they say you're slightly unconventional,
Just put your thumb up to your nose.
And show 'em how to dance to a new rhythm,
Whistle a new song,
Toast with a new vintage,
The fizz doesn't fizz too long.
There's only one way to make the bubbles stay,
Simply travel a new high way,
Dance to a new rhythm,
Open a new window ev'ry day!
If you follow your Auntie Mame
I'll make this vow, my little love,
That on the last day of your life
You'll be smiling the same young smile
You're smiling now, my little love,
If you wake up ev'ry mornin'
And you pull aside the shutter,
And you promise me that these'll be
The first words that you utter
Open a new window,
Open a new door,
Travel a new highway,
That's never been tried before;
Before you find you're a dull fellow,
Punching the same clock,
Walking the same tight rope
As everyone on the block.
The fellow you ought to be is three dimensional,
Soaking up life down to your toes,
Mame and Agnes:
Whenever they say you're slightly unconventional,
Patrick:
Just put your thumb up to your nose.
Mame and All:
And show 'em how to dance to a new rhythm,
Whistle a new song,
Toast with a new vintage,
The fizz doesn't fizz too long.
There's only one way to make the bubbles stay,
Simply travel a new high way,
Dance to a new rhythm,
Open a new window ev'ry day!
All:
Open a new window,
Open a new door,
Travel a new highway,
That's never been tried before;
Before you find you're a dull fellow,
Punching the same clock,
Walking the same tight rope
As everyone on the block.
The fellow you ought to be is three dimensional,
Soaking up life down to your toes,
Whenever they say you're slightly unconventional,
Just put your thumb up to your nose.
And show 'em how to dance to a new rhythm,
Whistle a new song,
Toast with a new vintage,
The fizz doesn't fizz too long.
There's only one way to make the bubbles stay,
Simply travel a new high way,
Dance to a new rhythm,
Whistle a new love song,
Toast with a new vintage,
Open a new window ev'ry day!

Rove and Others Must Testify Under Oath

Castrate that son of a bitch Bush if he tries to have it any other way!

Rove Has to Go Before Congress!

Yea! They forced that bastard to go before congress! Next step is the removal of Alberto Gonzales!

The Ten Boom Legacy

This is a drawing of the Ten Boom family home, Barteljorisstraat 19, Haarlem, Holland. The drawing looks very much like the house does today. In 1837 Willem ten Boom opened a watch shop in this house. His family lived in the rooms above the shop. The home was later passed down to Willem’s son, Casper, and then to Casper’s daughter, Corrie. In 1987 the Corrie ten Boom House Foundation purchased the building. To continue this family’s witness, in 1988 the Foundation opened this home as a museum. It is often called the Hiding Place. It has become a symbol that surpasses national boundaries. Let us share the inspiring story of the Ten Booms and the Hiding Place with you!

The Ten Boom family were devoted Christians who dedicated their lives in service to their fellow man. Their home was always an "open house" for anyone in need. Through the decades the Ten Booms were very active in social work in Haarlem, and their faith inspired them to serve the religious community and society at large.

During the Second World War, the Ten Boom home became a refuge, a hiding place, for fugitives and those hunted by the Nazis. By protecting these people, Casper and his daughters, Corrie and Betsie, risked their lives. This non-violent resistance against the Nazi-oppressors was the Ten Booms' way of living out their Christian faith. This faith led them to hide Jews, students who refused to cooperate with the Nazis, and members of the Dutch underground resistance movement.

During 1943 and into 1944, there were usually 6-7 people illegally living in this home: 4 Jews and 2 or 3 members of the Dutch underground. Additional refugees would stay with the Ten Booms for a few hours or a few days until another "safe house" could be located for them. Corrie became a ringleader within the network of the Haarlem underground. Corrie and "the Beje group" would search for courageous Dutch families who would take in refugees, and much of Corrie's time was spent caring for these people once they were in hiding. Through these activities, the Ten Boom family and their many friends saved the lives of an estimated 800 Jews, and protected many Dutch underground workers.

On February 28, 1944, this family was betrayed and the Gestapo (the Nazi secret police) raided their home. The Gestapo set a trap and waited throughout the day, seizing everyone who came to the house. By evening about 30 people had been taken into custody! Casper, Corrie and Betsie were all arrested. Corrie’s brother Willem, sister Nollie, and nephew Peter were at the house that day, and were also taken to prison.

Although the Gestapo systematically searched the house, they could not find what they sought most. They suspected Jews were in the house, but the Jews were safely hidden behind a false wall in Corrie’s bedroom. In this "hiding place" were two Jewish men, two Jewish women and two members of the Dutch underground. Although the house remained under guard, the Resistance was able to liberate the refugees 47 hours later. The six people had managed to stay quiet in their cramped, dark hiding place for all that time, even though they had no water and very little food. The four Jews were taken to new "safe houses," and three survived the war. One of the underground workers was killed during the war years, but the other survived.

Because underground materials and extra ration cards were found in their home, the Ten Boom family was imprisoned. Casper (84 years old) died after only 10 days in Scheveningen Prison. When Casper was asked if he knew he could die for helping Jews, he replied, "It would be an honor to give my life for God's ancient people." Corrie and Betsie spent 10 months in three different prisons, the last was the infamous Ravensbruck Concentration Camp located near Berlin, Germany. Life in the camp was almost unbearable, but Corrie and Betsie spent their time sharing Jesus' love with their fellow prisoners. Many women became Christians in that terrible place because of Corrie and Betsie's witness to them. Betsie (59) died in Ravensbruck, but Corrie survived. Corrie’s nephew, Christiaan (24), had been sent to Bergen Belsen for his work in the underground, and never returned. Corrie’s brother, Willem (60), was also a ring leader in the Dutch underground. While in prison for this "crime," he contracted spinal tuberculosis and died shortly after the war.

Four Ten Booms gave their lives for this family’s commitment, but Corrie came home from the death camp. She realized her life was a gift from God, and she needed to share what she and Betsy had learned in Ravensbruck: "There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still" and "God will give us the love to be able to forgive our enemies." At age 53, Corrie began a world-wide ministry which took her into more than 60 countries in the next 33 years! She testified to God’s love and encouraged all she met with the message that "Jesus is Victor."

Corrie received many tributes. Corrie was knighted by the Queen of Holland. In 1968, the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem (Yad Vashem) asked Corrie to plant a tree in the Garden of Righteousness, in honor of the many Jewish lives her family saved. Corrie’s tree stands there today. In the early 1970’s Corrie’s book THE HIDING PLACE became a best seller and World Wide Pictures released the major motion picture "The Hiding Place." Corrie went on to write many other inspiring books and make several evangelical videos.

Corrie was a woman who was faithful to God. She died on her 91st birthday, April 15, 1983. It is interesting that Corrie's passing occurred on her birthday. In the Jewish tradition, it is only very blessed people who are allowed the special privilege of dying on their birthday!

Corrie's story is recounted in her books THE HIDING PLACE and TRAMP FOR THE LORD. These, and many other books and videos about this family are available from the Book Shop on this web site.

My mother described to me a couple of nights ago my great-great grandparent's home, Mattie and Morgan's. She said when you pulled up intothe yard there was a huge arbor full of scuffonongs and you walked underneath it up some very high steps to the porch of the house. She said when you walked in there was an expansive living room and off from it were the bedrooms and the kitchen, dining room, etc. She said the rooms in the house were large rooms with high ceilings and it had magnificent wood floors(many of my uncles, Mattie Roper's sons, were carpenters--and reputable carpenters in their era and place). She said that when Mattie Roper lived in it the kitchen was off separate from the house and you had to walk down a little runway to get to it. It was later added to the house. I would have loved to have seen that house.

Abbey Lincoln could definitely be one of my aunts. She looks a lot like my Aunt Betty. She has the style and glamour of my Aunt Sadie.

Michael Knight rocked on Rip The Runway . His clothes were absolutely chic. I was envisioning J.Lo, Jennifer Hudson, and Halle Berry as they were modeled across the stage. Much love to Steve Harvey and Monie C as well!

Sweet, Sweet Spirit

There's a sweet sweet spirit in this place
And I know that it's the spirit of the Lord
There are sweet expressions on each face
And I know that it's the presence of the Lord
Sweet Holy Spirit
Sweet heavenly dove
Stay right here with us
Filling us with your love
And for these blessings
We lift our hearts in praise (hearts in praise)
Without a doubt we'll know that we have been revived
When we shall leave this place

Something I Just Learned-- A Lesson in Deconstruction

The Greek word for what we now know as Iran(formerly Persia) is Persis, from which we derive the word Persistant. The Greeks used the word Persis with fear.

Why Scooter Libby's Pardon is a Slam Dunk by Frank Rich from Truthout.org Via The NYT

Everyone should read this article. Frank Rich delivers a stirring assessment of the cause and effects of Scooter Libby's trial and the entire underhanded effort of the White House et al to 1. Get us into war with Iraq and 2. Cover up its mistakes and messes after the fact. Rich alerts us to the creation of the White House Iraq Group(WHIG) composed of Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Scooter Libby, and others, whose task it was to concoct lies and a sexy credible story to sell to the all-too consumeristic American public as a great reason to go to war with Iraq.(Lesson: Stop Buying Everybody's bullshit and stop this wreckage which is our consumer culture). With this effort in their hands Libby, Rove, et al played the nuclear war game, invoking the fear of nuclear war and nuclear holocaust if Saddam Hussein wasn't removed (oh, the same as if all the Communist weren't imprisoned, the Negroes quelled, and the Welfare mothers kicked off of the dole).

This effort worked until actually put into effect when America LOST THE WAR IN IRAQ and all the shit started to fall apart. Then it was time to lie and do other bullshit stuff. When Valerie Plame's husband, Joseph Wilson came out and refuted George Bush's claim that Iraq was buying depleted uranium from Libya and was therefore destroying Bush's entire reason for war, WHIG--and Mr. Scooter Libby most incriminatingly, decided it was time to use some tried and true practices from Nixon and Mr. J. Edgar Hoover by blowing Valerie Plame's CIA cover and trying to discredit her and her husband in any way they could( anyone remember the actress Jean Seberg who was active with the Black Panther Party and how J. Edgar Hoover decided to leak to the press that the child that Seberg was carrying was fathered by a Black Panther and not by her husband, which caused her to go into early labor and have a stillborn child? Anyone remember her suicide about a decade later?) So this little underhanded effort on the part of Cheney, Rove, Libby, et al would have worked had it not been for whatever brave journalists who still have their integrity intact who forced the question which has now resulted in Libby being convicted of perjury. Now, what Rich does here is also interesting in that he ties all of this (because it is all connected) into the scandals of this new escalation of the war (with a "surge" and then several other calls for additional troops after that) and the horrific treatment of the veterans who come back here maimed and otherwise injured at a poorly funded Walter Reed Hospital or a Bethesda, Maryland because Bush, Cheney, et al have spent a billion dollars on a warplane and not on healthcare. And with this poor treatment of the recent veterans (not to mention the old ones) we also have the Bush Administration trying to tidy up it's shit and make everything "look" rosy and using all of its power to do so. Selling this war, make it smell good, and deliver it in the most capitalistically effecient way possible(sex, greed, and violence). Rich talks about the trumped up stories of Jessica Lynch and Pat Tillman that were put front and center on the White House's banner.

And this is how the Bush administration is attempting to cover up the mess which is spilling out of Iraq. Firstly, it banned all photographs of the dead coming back from Iraq in any news media and secondly, it shut up the solders; when this mess known as the war in iraq first started you could hear soldiers voicing their complaints and disagreements all over NPR--then there was nothing, and there still nothing to be heard. Then, the Bush administration has started to censor coverage and depictions of veterans in the media-- they don't show the wounded in military hospitals at all, the wounded only arrive at these hospitals at night. Also, Bush has decided and made it his policy not to attend U.S. military funerals for fear that media attention might come to all of it. Alas, there was incident in which Bush was honoring an amputee from this current war with a medal and another soldier was told he was not welcome to the ceremony when he announced that he would be wearing short pants and not long pants(which would cover his amputated leg) to the ceremony. You even had General Kiley, the Sergeant General of the army, blaming the presence of rats and roaches in the veteran's rooms at Walter Reed Hospital on "the well-feed, well taken care of" soldiers bring food into their rooms. All of this is boiling to a head. People are taking notice (Rich talks about Cher's frantic phone call to CSPAN in October of 2003--I watched that program on television as it happened--where she was asking why the wounded veterans were not being seen or talked about in the media) and people are beginning to demand accountability.

I hope this glass house is broken. I hope we can finish off this most wicked administration and the most wicked system for which it works( capitalism, patriarchy, the militery industrial complex, whatever you call it). We need to bring about a just peace in the world where the lives of the vulnerable and the ordinary are not at the mercy of the vile and the inhumane. We need to envision a new world.

Something I Wrote a Long Time Ago in a Book on the Nth Time of Watching Bowling for Columbine

"Lockheed Martin makes war, bombs, and poverty." Isn't that the trend for all of capitalism?

Mary Matalin ought to be ashamed of herself. How can she be married to James Carville and still have so little integrity as to stand with the people that she stands with?

Arresting Christians in Washington DC for Protesting the War

The power structure is arresting people of faith who are taking a stand for dignity and humanity. Now the Romans will walk their way to hell with certainty...George Bush and Pontius Pilate hand in hand. God Bless the world with integrity, hope, peace, and love!

Throw It Away

Abbey Lincoln

Throw it Away
Abbey Lincoln

I think about the life I live
a figure made of clay,
and think about the things I lost;
the things I gave away,
and when I'm in a certain mood
I search the halls and look.
One day I found these magic words
in a magic book.

Throw it away. Throw it away
Give your love, live your life
each and every day,
and keep your hand wide open,
Let the sun shine through,
'cause you can never lose a thing
if it belongs to you.

There's a hand to rock the cradle
and a hand to help us stand,
with a gentle kind of motion
as it moves across the land,
and the hand's unclenched and open.
Gifts of life and love it brings,
so keep your hand wide open
if you're needing anything.

Throw it away. Throw it away.
Give your love, live your life
each and every day,
and keep your hand wide open.
Let the sun shine through,
'cause you can never lose a thing
if it belongs to you.

Throw it away. Throw it away
Give your love, live your life
each and every day,
and keep your hand wide open.
Let the sun shine through,
'cause you can never lose a thing
if it belongs to you.

Currently, I am reading The Black Expatriates by Ernest Dunbar.

The Wording of the Email Which Called for firings at the Justice Department

The reasons given were because these attorneys "chaged against Administration initiatives." Someone needs to be castrated.

Impeach Gonzales

Alberto Gonzales refuses to step down as Attorney General of the United States after his department was caught red-handed in firing 8 Attorneys-General for political reasons and in an effort to possibly cover up wrongdoings related to the Bush Administration. Since he will not step down, call your congresspersons and urge them to draw forth Articles of Impeachment to remove Alberto Gonzales from the Attorney General's office. Contact your legistlators here.

Alberto Gonzales Should Step Down and George Bush Should Be Impeached

New evidence has been given to Congressional democrats concerning the white house's involvement in the political firings of several U.S. attorneys whose political leanings did not match those of the Bush administrations. God please dont let them get by with this one! This seems to be the new Watergate unfolding...

Easy Silence

The Dixie Chicks

When the calls and conversations
Accidents and accusations
Messages and misperceptions
Paralyze my mind

Busses, cars, and airplanes leaving
Burning fumes of gasoline
And everyone is running
And I come to find a refuge in the

Easy silence that you make for me
It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me
And the peaceful quiet you create for me
And the way you keep the world at bay for me
The way you keep the world at bay

Monkeys on the barricades
Are warning us to back away
They form commissions trying to find
The next one they can crucify

And anger plays on every station
Answers only make more questions
I need something to believe in
Breathe in sanctuary in the

Easy silence that you make for me
It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me
And the peaceful quiet you create for me
And the way you keep the world at bay for me
The way you keep the world at bay

Children lose their youth too soon
Watching war made us immune
And I've got all the world to lose
But I just want to hold on to the

Easy silence that you make for me
It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me
And the peaceful quiet you create for me
And the way you keep the world at bay for me

The easy silence that you make for me
It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me
And the peaceful quiet you create for me
And the way you keep the world at bay for me
The way you keep the world at bay for me
The way you keep the world at bay

Mayans Cleansing Site After Bush Leaves

The Mayan people have said that they will have to spiritually cleanse a sacred place because George Bush has dared to step his foot in it. You go people! Cleanse it and cast him out!

I first saw Educating Rita a long time ago when I was a child--back in the 80s. I remember this movie always made me cry and I can nearly quote every line. I just purchased it for my home collection of films.

One summer I was down to my Uncle Lawrence's house and the songs that constantly kept playing( on the television and inside my head) were Madonna's "This Used to Be My Playground," K.D. Lang's "Constant Craving," and that song "What Kind of Love?"

Here is an Article Concerning Gonzales from The New York Times

Impeach Gonzales, Bush, Cheney, Rice, et al

Chuck Shumer has called for Alberto Gonzales to step down as Attorney General over his disregard for the privacy of public citizens as well as his political firings of attorneys in the Justice Department not loyal to the Bush regime. The man and actually the entire Bush crew should be castrated--I mean impeached. Someone sign the articles of impeachment!

I Was Right--Oliver North Was Convicted

With all of the broohaha going on concerning Scooter Libby, many news sources have also brougth up the Iran Contra scandal. They only mention the conviction of John Poindexter.However, I thought I was right, and it turns out that I was, that Oliver North was also convicted in regards to the Iran Contra scandal. Now, he is firmly entrenched in GOP politics....oh the people they choose.

Eugene Debs

While there is a lower class, I am in it
While there is injustice it is done to me
While there is a criminal element, I am of it
While there is a soul in prison I am not free

U.S. Military Activity in Columbia Makes the News

I think it is time to end all U.S. military activity in Latin America. The people of Latin America should shut their doors to U.S. troops as well as to George Bush. Long Live the Latin American Revolution!

The Democrats are full of shit. When will they stop pussyfooting and kowtowing to Republicans? Kick their asses!

George Bush in Latin America

GRINGO GO HOME!!!

God Bless Hugo Chavez! God Bless the people of Latin America for telling Bush to go fuck himself!!

The News of the Day: The FBI Has Been Breaking the Law

Is this news?

The Thief's Journal

I am loving this book. Jean Genet is like a very queer, European Walt Whitman. He's like the Marquis du Sade, Walt Whitman, and Jimmy Baldwin all rolled up into one.

I'm Going to Follow the Case of the Fired U.S. Attorneys Closely

They have been holding congressional hearings about the series of firings that the Bush administration has handed out to several U.S. attorneys, most of whom were working on cases that incriminated the Bush administration and the GOP, including the investigation into the Randy "Duke" Cunningham scandal. I hope that the democrats have a goddamned backbone and will actually do something to nick this son of a bitch bastard in the bud. God help us!

I also thought about when I was little and I would be at my grandmother's house over vacation. She had these porcelain elephants and dolls that she kept in her cabinets as well as some animals carved out of wood. I used to play with those all of the time and I never broke any of them. thats more than I can say for the generations after me. They break everything. Although, thats just an observation. Every generation is good.

Today I was thinking about when I was little and we would go down to my grandmother's condo that she had down in florida.The newness of everything still lingers with me: the carpet between my toes and under my feet, the crisp, clean everything.I remember that I would always get disoriented walking into the front door because the entranceway was lined with mirrors and I would keep walking into mirrors on my way in. HAHA! I also remember the jacuzzi there with all of those jets of water. That was fun.

Libby's Conviction

With Scooter Libby's conviction for purgery in the CIA leak case concerning CIA agent Valerie Plame, Scooter Libby becomes the highest ranking government official to be convicted in a government scandal since John Poindexter was sent to jail for his part in Ronald Reagan's evil doings in the Iran Contra scandal.

Libby's Going to Jail!

Yippee!! Yippee!! Now Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, and Rice!!!

We Need A New Underground Railroad

The military just convicted Spc. Agustin Aguayo of desertion for refusing to be deployed to Iraq. We need to stand with these soldiers who are refusing to be deployed and we need to do all we can to help those who wish to become conscientous objectors.

John Negroponte is a Professional Killer

Is this what the United States is about?

Chavez Says Negroponte Involved In Assassination Plot

The Daily Journal reports that Hugo Chavez has identified John Negroponte's hand in a plot to assassinate the president of Venezuela. Chavez refers to Negroponte as the Bush administration's henchman. Castrate!

Jean Genet is a mess! I am currently reading The Thief's Journal.

NAACP President Resigns

Hallelujah! They needed to get rid of that man. They only elected him so they could kowtow to George Bush--get a grip, some gumption and a backbone! Bring back Merlie Evers-Williams!!!

Something Interesting That I Was Reminded Of.

French writer, Jean Genet, the flagrant homosexual author, was a guest of the Black Panther Party in the United States during the 1960s.

Anarchists are in the Streets!

Anarchists and other activists are rioting in Copenhagen in protest of police evictions of several squatters from an abandoned building that served as a meeting place for community activists, a building that has been connected with the progressive movements since the 1890s. "Solidarity among people has no borders, just like the Spanish civil war or the youth rebellion in the late 1960s. People recognize themselves in such causes" Rene Kopantschof, University of Copenhagen.

The Cherokee Indians, again, Are Acting Like White People

The Latino Pop Star Chavez is Gay!!

The beautiful latino pop star, Chavez has just come out of the closet--god there's hope!

American Rubbish

The United States is soo trying to do everything it can to get rid of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. I just did a search, trying to find out information about the gorgeous latino pop star, Chavez, and goddamn every newspaper in the United States it seems like has an article bad-mouthing Chavez and what he is doing in Venezuela. Go to hell America and your store-bought press!

I was just thinking today, I can identify quite a bit with the character of Beneatha Younger from A Raisin in the Sun. She has such a vibrant, youthful energy. She is a character I will explore further.

The Rich Man's House

Traditional Labor Movement Song

Well I went down to the rich man's house and I took back
what he stole from me
took it back
took back my dignity
took it back
took back my humanity
well I went down to the rich man's house and I took back
what he stole from me
took it back
took back my dignity
took it back
took back my humanity
Now he's under my feet, under my feet, under my feet
Ain't gonna let the system walk all over me!

Well I, went down to the Landlord's house and I took back
what he stole from me
took it back
took back my dignity
took it back
took back my humanity
Well I, went down to the landlord's house and I took back
what he stole from me
took it back
took back my dignity
took it back
took back my humanity
Now he's under my feet, under my feet, under my feet
Ain't gonna let the system walk all over me !

Well I, went down to the Welfare Office I took back
what it stole from me
took it back
took back my dignity
took it back
took back my humanity
well I, went down to the welfare office I took back
what it stole from me
took it back
took back my dignity
took it back
took back my humanity
Now it's under my feet, under my feet, under my feet
Ain't gonna let the system walk all over me!

Well I, went down to the Governor's house and I took back
what he stole from me
took it back
took back my dignity
took it back
took back my humanity
well I, went down to the governor's house and I took back
what he stole from me
took it back
took back my dignity
took it back
took back my humanity
Now he's under my feet, under my feet, under my feet
Ain't gonna let the system walk all over me!

Seize the Time

Elaine Brown

You tell me that the sun belongs
To you and should surround you
But, when I turn to look
I see they've snatched
The sun from all around you.
Why you hardly seem
To want whats yours
You hardly seem to care.
If you love the sun
It's where you've come from
Then you had better dare
To Seize the time
The time is now
Oh,Seize the time
and you know how

You tell me that the soul is real
and your soul must survive.
Yet, I see they've taken liberties
With your souls and your lives.
Don't tell me that you lack concern
For all that you must be
'Cause I know you know you must be turned
And I know that you can see
To Seize the Time
The Time is Now
Oh,Seize the Time
And you know how

You worry about liberty
Because you've been denied.
Well, I think that you're mistaken
Or then you must have lied.
'Cause you don't act like those who care
You've never even fought
For the liberty that you claim to lack
Or have you never thought
To Seize the Time
The Time is Now
Oh Seize the time
And you know how

I am officially sick of Anna Nicole Smith. Let her rest in her grave!

Lunar Eclipse Tommorow

Watch the moon tommorow as it is supposed to be in total eclipse and display beautiful colors.

There is something horrid and scary about these winds that are blowing through the midwest and the south.

Love Me In A Special Way

I am certainly a fanatical lover of Debarge. This song has been playing through my head all day.

You know you had me
With your sensuous charm
Yet you looked so alarmed
As I walked on by
In awsome wonder
You had to know why i did not respond to carry on

Chorus:
Love me in a special way
What more can I say
Love me now
Love me in a special way
What more can I say
Love me now (love me now)

Cause Im special
Not the average kind
Who'd accept any line
That sounds good
So reach into your chain of thoughts
Try to find something new
Because what worked for you so well before
For me it just wont do.

Love me in a special way
What more can I say
Love me now
Love me in a special way
What more can I say
Love me now (love me now)
So reach into your chain of thoughts
Try to find something new
What works so well with you before
For me it just wont do

Love me in a special way
What more can I say
Love me now
Love me in a special way
What more can I say
Love me now (love me now)

Love me in a special way
What more can I say
Love me now
Love me in a special way
What more can I say
Love me now (love me now)

Human relations are explosive, murky,and volatile. We little know what we want and very little do we even understand ourselves.

God, What Destruction

Enterprise, Alabama has been torn to shreds by tornadoes. Thankfully my people are ok. That community has been devastated though.

Israeli Socialism: A Lost Cause?

From The Christian Science Monitor

KIBBUTZ GAASH, ISRAEL
The leaders of this agricultural commune - once young communists with visions of an agrarian Jewish state - say they are now prepared to take a once-unthinkable step: embracing the free market.
Kibbutz Gaash, a collective that has already replaced chicken coops with a strip mall, may be on the verge of rejecting its collectivist roots and privatizing. If it does, as an upcoming vote is expected to decide, it will provide further evidence that the era of the iconic kibbutz is over.
Mostly secular and leftist, kibbutzes were hailed as the building block of the Zionist enterprise, the crucible in which to remold the old-world Jew as the new Israeli.
But modern pressures mean communes must cope with bank debt, attrition, and the waning collectivist spirit.
What this U-turn means for the shrinking number of kibbutzniks is that they'll be living like most other Israelis: collecting a paycheck, competing on the open market, and balancing their own budget.
Stacked on the desk of Kibbutz Gaash Chairman Hanan Rogalin is the soon-to-be-voted-on plan to scrap the commune's egalitarian dream and allow members to live according to their own earning power.
"The contemporary kibbutz doesn't provide answers for life needs, and most important in my eyes, people's aspirations," says Mr. Rogalin. "The kibbutz creates too much friction. The secretariat dictates too many things to members. And people want more freedom to take responsibility for their lives."
The process of privatization among kibbutzes has been quietly proceeding for years, though two weeks ago, Israelis took notice when Kibbutz Degania, the first kibbutz established on the Sea of Galilee in 1909, took the step.
With two-thirds of the 273 kibbutzes across Israel already privatized, the demise of Degania was a ringing reminder of the seemingly inevitable extinction of the kibbutz as Israelis know it.
"Does the kibbutz have a chance?" asked an opinion article that mourned Degania on the movement's website. "As long as man feels in his soul the need to be in a society built on the bedrock of justice, of equality, of camaraderie, of mutual commitment and solidarity - there's a chance."
Frontiers of the new state
The communal agricultural estates laid down the fresh roots of Jewish settlement in the biblical land of Israel, assuring a degree of economic independence for the fledgling state. The communities were given the task of settling what would become the frontiers of the new state.
"The kibbutz was an attempt to create a miracle and transcend human nature. By trying to create a miracle, the kibbutz was instinctively seen by Jews as a worthy symbol of the miraculous return to Zion," says Yossi Klein Halevi, a senior fellow at Jerusalem's Shalem Institute.
"We're so past the point of being shocked by the decline of the collectivist dream that this isn't a moment that took anyone by surprise. Nevertheless there's poignancy.... We've lost something precious and essential in what defines Israeliness," he says.
Kibbutz members once dominated parliament and key spots in Israel's lionized military. Though secular and leftist, the movement, with its pioneering activism, inspired religious Jews who settled in the West Bank and Gaza Strip after 1967.
With large tracts of public land to cultivate, the kibbutz followed directives from the Israeli Agricultural Ministry on what to grow. "We didn't think if we were earning or losing money, we thought about what was good for the country," says Yossi Katz, founder of Kibbutz Gaash. "We were sure the entire country would become socialist."
Walking past the old boarded-up dining hall and the seedy building that housed Gaash's first chicken coop, he acknowledges that the kibbutz lifestyle could be oppressive and suffocating.
The kibbutz compelled members to turn over possessions for public use. Children were raised in communal dorms rather than in parents' homes. Social life revolved around the dining hall. A kibbutz committee approved plans for higher education and careers. Whoever left was considered a traitor.
With the ascension of the right-wing Likud party to power in the 1980s, the government cut off generous subsidies that exposed waste and unprofitable kibbutz operations, as well as billions of dollars in debt. A $17 billion bailout made the kibbutzes seem spoiled rather than selfless.
Meanwhile, observing Israel's growing prosperity, kibbutzniks lost sight of the ideals behind their Spartan existence and began seeking the same creature comforts. The collapse of the Soviet Union and communism also had an impact. In the past 20 years, the kibbutzes have lost one-fourth of their population and members today number 120,000, a small fraction of Israel's 7 million people.
"I know that if I work hard, that I'll earn the same as the person living next to me who works less," explains Sharon Tirosh, director of human resources at Gaash, who also supports the change. "There is something in the education, that begins at the bottom, that there's no point in being terribly successful."
Postprivatization kibbutzes cut down on waste, and experience a jump in member's earning power of almost 40 percent, says Rogalin, Kibbutz Gaash's secretary. Members keep their pay, and pay fees for services. They also contribute to a social safety-net fund. In addition to ideological stress, it has worried people afraid of providing for themselves for the first time.
"If someone gets used to something for years, and suddenly it's taken away, they lose focus," says Rogalin, who isn't willing to bet whether the proposal will get the 75-percent support necessary to pass.
Kibbutz ethic, high-tech times
At stake is the survival of economic enterprises - agriculture is now only a small part of kibbutz businesses that range from wineries to commercial real estate - employing some 30,000 workers, with combined output of $7.4 billion, in a $114.3 billion economy.
What remains of the kibbutz ethic of self-sacrifice, activism, and egalitarianism is unclear. In Israel's high-tech economy, do the old kibbutzes have a role to play?
Rogalin says that their role will be to cultivate a quality education system that will teach children values of social justice. And with a safety net for members, the kibbutz hopes to remain a model of social welfare in a society with a large gap between rich and poor.
Whatever the decision, founder Mr. Katz knows that the ideals upon which Gaash was founded are no longer attainable. "At my age, I've reached the conclusion that humans are egotists, and like to keep things for themselves rather than the general public," he says. "The idea that everyone will eat from the same plate doesn't exist anymore. I've done my part. It's over. We aren't an example for anyone."

Bridges

Diane Reeves

Bridges

I have crossed a thousand bridges
In my search for something real
There were great suspension bridges
Made like spider webs of steel
There were tinny wooden trestles
And there were bridges made of stone
I have always been a stranger and
I’ve always been alone
There’s a bridge to tomorrow
There’s a bridge to the past
There’s a bridge made of sorrow
That I pray will not last
There’s a bridge made of color
In the sky high above
And I pray that there must be
Bridges made out of love
I can see him in the distance
On the river’s other shore
And his arms reach out in longing
As my own have done before
And I call across to tell him
Where I believe the bridge must lie
And I’ll find it
Yes I’ll find it
If I search until I die
When the bridges is between us
We’ll have nothing to say
We will run thru the sunlight
And he’ll meet me halfway
There’s a bridge made of color
In the sky high above
And I know that there must be
Bridges made out of love

I adore the film Adventures of Felix.

Fabulous Film!

I definitely would love to have partied with Marie Antionette.

I was looking for pictures of Wentworth Miller, doing some research, and it definitely turned into a salivation session.

Maya Angelou's Interview with Cousin Betty

In the interview that Maya Angelou conducted with my cousin Betty Deramus, there was something very profound said that really sticks to me and is something to consider. Cousin Betty said that when she was in South Africa during the time when they were struggling to end apartheid, she asked a white south african whether or not he was afraid of the violence that would consume the country. He replied that he was not afraid because his house was well-insulated, well-padded and locked, etc. Cousin Betty's thought to this was that those who work to imprison someone else also imprison themselves....It is something to think about. Maya Angelou followed this with discussing the example of a person trying to keep someone pushed down to the ground--the one pushing down is also keeping him or herself down and exerts a negative force while the one pushing up exerts a positive force...a liberatory force. This was a very intriguing dialogue and powerful thoughts.

Dare I Laugh?

Haha!! It seems that Bush and Condoleeza will have to sit down and face the Iranians....unless this is some kind of prank. Oh the progressive struggle!!

Here is a Link the the 16th Cuba International Book Fair

This looks like a wonderful event with writers and publishers from all over the world including writer Wole Soyinka from Nigeria and thousands of books from Africa, Latin America, and Europe.

Todays News

Dick Cheney almost bought the farm.

This Is One of Those Moments

There are moments you remember all your life.
There are moments you wait for ans1 dream,
Of all your life.
This is one of those moments.
I will always remember this chair,
that window, the way the light streams in.
The clothes I'm wearing,
The words I'm heating,
The face I'm seeing,
The feeling I'm feeling,
The smell, the sounds, will be written
On my mind, will be written in my heart
As long as I live!
I can, travel the past and take what I need
To see me through the years
What my father learned and his
Father before him will be there
For my eyes and ears.
I can walk through the forests
Of the trees of knowledge
And listen to the lessons of the leaves.
I can enter rooms
Were there are rooms within rooms
Wrapped in the shawl that learning weaves.
I remember, Papa-everything you taught me
What you gave me, Papa-
Look at what it's brought me
There are certain things that once you have
No man can take away-
No wave can wash away-
No wind can blow away-
And now they're about to be mine!
No tide can turn away-
No fire can burn away-
No time can wear away...
I can open doors and take from the shelves
All the books I've longed to hold
I can ask all the questions,
The whys and the wheres
As the mysteries of life unfold
Like a link in a chain
From the past to the future
That joins me with the children yet to be,
I can now be a part
Of the ongoing stream,
That has always been a part of me!
There are certain things that once you have
No man can rake away-
No wave can wash away-
No wind can blow away-
No tide can turn away-
No fire can burn away-
No time can wear away-
And now they're about to be mine!
There are moments you remember all your life.
There are moments you wait for
And dream, of all your life.
This is one of those moments!

PillowTalk

Sylvia


I, I, I, I, I
Hey, baby, let me stay
I don't care what your friends are 'bout to say, ah-ah
What you friends all say is fine
But it can't compete with this pillow talk of mine
You can't find love on a one way street
It takes two to tangle, takes two to even compete, oh, yeah
So boy, just put that stop sign down
And let's get together before the day runs us down
I'm pleading to you now
Hey, baby, let me try
To be the one's who's gonna light your fire, ha-ha
What you friends all say is fine
But it can't compete with this pillow talk of mine
Ooh, I don't wanna see you be no fool
What I'm teachin' you tonight, boy, you'll never learn it in school, oh, no
So friends who tell me wrong from right
I'll ask to borrow their pants some cold and lonely night
Ooh, hey, baby, let me be
The one who turns you on from A to Z, ha-ha
What you friends all say is fine
But it can't compete with this pillow talk of mine
Ooh...baby
Ooh, baby, la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Ah...would you, baby
Would you, baby, la-la-la-la-la-la-la
I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I
Uno momento por quito
Uno momento por quito
I, I, I, I
Nice daddy, nice daddy, nice daddy
I, I, I, I
Oh, my God

Close Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and Prison

There should be a concerted effort to close both the prison and naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The prison is the site of horrendous human rights abuses carried out by the United States and the entire naval base is illegally present on the island of cuba as the land and on which it sits rightfully belongs to Cuba. Close it down!

Best Dressed

My picks for the Best Dressed definitely have to be Naomi Watts, Jennifer Hudson, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz,and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Oscars

Congratulations to Jennifer Hudson!!! Hooray!! Kudos to Helen Mirren and Forrest Whitaker as well! Now that they have given Martin Scorese an Oscar for Best Director, they need to give one to Barbra Streisand!

A Wow Moment

I know that Al Sharpton is blown out of his mind by the revelation that he is related to Strom Thurmond. Well, at least he is also related to Strom Thurmond's Black Daughter. Also, he isnt the only Black person to be related to racist, evil white men from the south. Lena Horne's great-great grandfather was John C. Calhoun, the staunch pro-slavery senator from South Carolina.

IFC/ Spirit Awards

Its sad when the IndependentFilm Awards are hopelessly bought off and conformist.

Its a Start

The state of Virginia has officially apologized for slavery. I think it is a bold and hopefully well-intended move...now to bring the rest of this country forward.

A Message from Activists

Friends:
At 12:10 a.m. this morning, Toledo police arrived at Rep. Marcy Kaptur's office and told 10 members of the NW Ohio Peace Coalition who had been there nearly 15 hours, that they had to leave the building. 4 members of NWOPC: Jeff Klein, Steve Miller, Larry Coleman, and Trudy Bond replied they were prepared to be arrested and the other 6 of us (we started with 17 earlier) then left. The arresting officer said they were going to be charged with criminal tresspass, taken to the jail and booked where they would "likely" be released on o.r. sometime later this morning.
Terry Lodge, attorney for the four, said they were released in the early morning hours per a standing Federal Court order on overcrowded conditions in the Lucas County Jail. He will schedule a pretrial appearance for the activists in the near future.
During our stay in Kaptur's office as part of the Occupation Project, we talked informally with several of the staff and met for about 30 minutes with Steve Katich, chief of staff. He explained the purpose of Marcy's trip to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq which she is currently on, as being primarily to thank the troops, and get a better understanding of the needs of the military as the Defense Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, on which she is second most senior to Rep. Murtha, starts to shape the Bush administration's $93,000,000,000 request into specific legislation.
We made our position clear to him that Marcy should vote the whole request down; that there is sufficient money from previous supplemental spending bills and in the general Dept. of Defense budget to provide for the needs of the troops currently in Iraq and bring them home. We reiterated our position that we wanted Marcy to sign a pledge to that effect or we would not leave the office voluntarily.
He said several times that we and Marcy were on the same side of the issue of the Iraq war, and cited her many statements against the war, her membership in the House "Out of Iraq" caucus, and her vote against the use of force just prior to the U.S. invasion in 2003. He added that Marcy has consistently called for diplomatic means to be used as the way to end the conflict.
We responded that all those points were admirable, but that despite her initial vote against the war and her subsequent statements of concern, she has voted for 6 out of 7 bills to fund the conflict.
One NWOPC member participating in the day-long sit-in, Peggy Daly-Masternak, explained to Katich that, paricularly now with Kaptur being on the delegation to Iraq, signing a pledge to vote against the war money would be historic and help assure the war was brought to an end. She asked him what Kaptur or anyone would say to the families of those killed during period when a "diplomatic approach" was being pursued and money was still being voted for the war?
Nancy Roffey told Katich that the War Powers Act should be used to end the fighting.
Katich made it clear he really didn't want to have any of us arrested, and kept the office open with three staff people beyond the usual closing time of 5:30 pm until 11 pm, hoping we would leave before the building management closed the whole facitity at 11. Kaptur's staff was hospitable and supportive throughout our stay.
Throughout the day we took turns reading the name, rank, and home state of each of the 3,184 U.S. troops killed in Iraq, plus several hundred names and ages of the nearly 1,000,000 Iraqis killed in the war.
Mary Anthony, a member of Military Families Speak Out with a son on his second deployment to the Middle East, worked the phone diligently during the day to update local news outlets.
Commenting on Kaptur's stance and Katich's characterization that she "is on your side," Lodge later said, "How can she be on a side when she's sitting on the fence? She's so much like junk food: tasty, empty calories signifying nothing and unhealthy to boot."
A vote is expected on this latest "supplemental" spending request for the war, around March 14.
Check with the Occupation Project, linked above, for ways you can join people around the nation pressuring their elected officials to cut the money and stop the war.

Mike Ferner
www.mikeferner.org

If either the United States, Britain, or Isreal attack Iran...we know what has happened, why, and what its all about.