gEnArlOw wIlsOn!

I know I made a big deal about the Day of Action, and that SHOULD be what I'm writing about today. But here's the two reasons why that's being put on the back burner: 1) I got some video I want to edit and organize, and 2) I have to back up and touch on my man, GENARLOW! If you're unaware of this particular case, it's basically a 17 year old engaged in consensual oral sex with a 15 year old at a party. It was videotaped; the tape incriminated him to the point where he was convicted of AGGRAVATED CHILD MOLESTATION, which resulted in a MANDATORY 10 year prison term. He's already served 2 years of this sentence, and RECENTLY A JUDGE ORDERED HIS RELEASE. Followed very quickly by an appeal by the State Attorney General, denying the release of Genarlow. Now for some interesting details...

I'm not sure how to see this as anything other than a personal attack on this young man with racial motives. Please call me out if you see any bias on my part because I do have a bias, warranted or not, against the south when it comes to issues of race. And I base that on 1) my belief that your consciousness evolves through time resulting in YOU today. For example, families who have lived in the south for generations still have parts of their ancestors' consciousness within them, as well as what they have contributed to their own current consciousness. And 2), I've been to Mississippi and Louisiana and WOW! Being from the Northeast, where racism is not extinct but is not as OPEN, I had a very hard time accepting the amount of Confederate flags. On people's homes, at the register in convenient stores and gas stations, etc., etc. With all that said, my intent is to look at the FACTS and try to come to a logical estimation of what's going on.



The main issue I have is the Attorney General's appeal. We are at a point in history where extraordinary breakthroughs are happening in countless disciplines. And that's great; we're learning from our mistakes and making the world a better place. So it really puzzles me when this AG appeals this case because it's LITERALLY the law. I respect the law and abide the best I can, so it's not that I'm just a generic discontent. Even though many very educated, powerful leaders including FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER, MONROE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE THOMAS WILSON, and MATT TOWERY, have spoken out against the injustice, he cannot see why common sense should supersede law. A law that since has been amended, just not retroactively, and has been an eye-opener for a lot of lawmakers and pundits. And that includes the aforementioned Matt Towery, the former Georgia lawmaker and author of the original piece of legislation back in 1995.

In the article, he admits that the original intent was not to lock up teenagers for 10 YEARS for having consensual sex. He also explains how in order to get ANYTHING passed he had to merge with another law, raising the age of consent in Georgia to 15. And because of this agenda-fueled merge of two very intricate laws, the final law did not get the debate it deserved. I'm not a lawyer by any means, BUT during the process of merging the two into one, there was a HUGE element overlooked. A ROMEO AND JULIET CLAUSE was added to the sexual intercourse side, but not the ORAL (Aggravated Child Molestation falls here). With the protection of the Romeo & Juliet clause, Genarlow Wilson's case would have automatically been reduced to a misdemeanor because there was less than 3 years between the two consenting participants. If he would have engaged in sexual intercourse, the R & J clause would have applied. Does that sound like a fair law? Wouldn't it make sense to retroactively change this law for everyone affected? Why keep this man in prison one more day?!?



So you're probably thinking, "yes, this is a terrible injustice, but where is the racial motive?" Well, do you remember the ROB LOWE SEX TAPE? That happened in Atlanta, and when the story broke, local television stations were warned by the Feds that if they broadcast, or even viewed, the tape, they would be guilty of possession and/or distribution of child pornography. Compare that to how this video is being handled. By definition, the "Genarlow Wilson Sex Tape" is child pornography, and there is no suffocation of either the viewing or distribution of this tape. Why?With those questions out there, it brings me back to the importance of knowing our laws. A good thing that came out of this is this SITE. In these times, more than ever, we NEED to know our rights. They're changing, and sadly diminishing, everyday. And how will you be able to teach your children "right" and "wrong" if you don't know yourself? To me, without viewing the tape, it seems the malicious intent that this law was originally intended to protect children from, is not there. We've all been to high school; and we know how athletes are viewed, especially through the eyes of underclassmen looking to fit in. This man is not a SEXUAL PREDATOR, as far as this case shows. But if the Attorney General gets his way, through plea bargains or continuing to prosecute under this law that is basically a gray area in the law, Genarlow will have to register as a sexual predator the rest of his life, with no asterisk explaining the complexities or the change that resulted because of this man's sacrifice.

dAY Of ActIOn!

As the DAY OF ACTION quickly approaches, a lot of different emotions are battling inside my skin. Everything from JOY to FRIGHT; HOPE to ANGER; EXCITEMENT to HESITANCE has been bouncing off each other like atomic particles. And we've ALL seen the negative potential of those who swear to protect and serve us on our local news stations. And if you really think about it, that's most likely the reason why THAT information is broadcast through your TV. GOTTA KEEP US IN OUR CULTURE OF FEAR! Stay in check, SHEEP! Have you EVER seen a PEACEFUL PROTEST on your news? Or any story that promotes that peaceful protest is one of your inalienable rights? And that it's YOUR DUTY, as an American, to exercise this right? I would guess NO! But if you have, PLEASE let me know...



Other than your government telling you how great this country is, why do you feel this country is so great? Don't get me wrong, I am NOT saying our country isn't a great country. What I am saying though is that everything evolves, and this country is a manifestation of the PEOPLE. But not all people; only the ones that PARTICIPATE! And you may ask yourself, WHY SHOULD I VOTE?

To keep this brief and on topic, the following are encompassed within THE MILITARY COMMISSIONS ACT OF 2006. Let me know if you think these are legitimate reasons to vote?

• It revokes habeas corpus, thereby giving the power to imprison people without trial for as long as the President likes
• It gives George W. Bush and other top officials legal amnesty for any war crimes he may have committed
• It legalizes torture
• It creates a secret committee controlled by the President that can declare anyone to be an enemy, and thereby strip away their legal rights guaranteed by the Constitution
• It ends protection of prisoners of war by the Geneva Conventions
• It removes the right to a speedy trial
• It sets up absurd kangaroo courts that fail to meet the most fundamental civilized standards of justice, with unfair trials kept hidden from the American public

When you read this list, doesn't it seem like a list of human rights violations that the US, as the "world defenders of freedom," would be fighting against? Unfortunately, it's not. It's OUR law! If these are the laws in the LAND OF THE FREE AND HOME OF THE BRAVE, it seems pretty elementary that we, as a country, are heading in quite a different direction than what our FOUNDING FATHERS had in mind. And I'm not trying to say that these men were the finest of moral and ethical prognosticators, but they did have the advantage of REVOLUTIONARY EXPERIENCE! Revolution (on any level of intensity) is Democracy! From not wanting a casino in your neighborhood to not wanting to be locked up for no reason. The People's actions affect policy from local to federal levels. Unfortunately, recently our action has been INACTION; and now we're in a bit of a mess.



For anyone who has read more than 1 of my ramblings, you know that I'm kinda stuck on my boy, HABEAS. So you can really FEEL me, imagine your own family. And I'm sure if you think long enough, you can think of that ONE family member who died before you were born. BUT, your family has kept them alive, and you get to know their SPIRIT. It's almost as though you do know them on some levels. It's to the level of you WISHED you had the chance to live and experience this person when they were HERE. But that's where you're connection is halted. You can listen to stories, look at pictures, watch video, and whatever else you do with your fives senses and never get the connection you want.

Well right now, this MILITARY COMMISSIONS ACT is the murderer, cancer, plague that took the life of Habeas Corpus, so the generations after US will have to look upon a free and fair trial, or ACCESS TO THE EVIDENCE USED TO DETAIN THEM, or torture-induced confessions, as we look upon the spirits of our ancestors. That just doesn't sit well with me. I don't even have any children, and I have to DRAW MY LINE IN THE SAND. Even without a direct connection currently, I feel a responsibility to do WHAT I CAN to avoid passing on these laws of tyranny to future Americans.



And as much as I may "disagree" with George Bush, these are LAWS! And when he's (hopefully) out of office on January 21, 2009, the next president will have the same power. To all my Bush-count-downers: just because he's gone, doesn't mean things will get better. Recent legislation under Bush is sending everyone in the world a BIG message. And it's a shame the expertise used to keep US clueless. A great majority of folks have far more on their mind than international politics. And what is worse than an IGNORANT PEOPLE? Maybe the teachers of the ignorant?

In closing, I'd like to leave you with something to ruminate...

In THIS INTERVIEW from 2002, Noam Chomsky said in response to the question "How far do you believe will the US sacrifice its basic civil liberties for a greater sense of security?":
"...My feeling is that popular commitment to the rights that have been won in hard struggle is too deep to allow the attack to proceed very far..." Now, this was said in 2002; I wonder how he'd respond in 2007?

P.L.U.R.,
zAy

kAtrInA!

Remember Katrina? You have to. I know I was on the edge of my seat for AT LEAST a week and a half when it was going on. And that'll be something I will NEVER forget. And we all know how short the American Memory is. We're coming up on 2 YEARS since (ARGUABLY) THE WORST NATURAL DISASTER THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN! And other than this wrinkle in time being permanently burnt into my brain, the fact that NEW ORLEANS IS NOW TRYING TO GET FINANCIAL AID FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES, just gets my emotions boiling once again.

It's not that I'm too proud to accept assistance from other countries. It's the BUREAUCRACY involved in getting the money ALREADY RECEIVED to the people who NEED it. The federal government declined both logistical and monetary aid from foreign countries BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER! This storm didn't just come outta nowhere; it was HUGE; watched it for days.

Mr Bush was on vacation. And THIS just amazes me because if it was me that gave my buddy a job with responsibilities that required skills he did not posses, I would be making sure he got a little extra help when there was a chance he may be called upon to exercise said skills. Not W...



Maybe the ONLY good conclusion I've come to out of the whole situation is that DAVID BANNER is NOT a ignorant southern rapper. And it kind of hit me off guard. His video, PLAY, was all over the video channels and you have to admit the video is pretty extreme. But what turned me around happened in the days that followed the storm. The storm happened on a Monday, and NOTHING happened all week. So, on Saturday following the storm I was listening to DJ WHOO KID'S SHOW on Shade 45, and they were all trippin' off NOTHING still happened. And David Banner called up FROM MISSISSIPPI and broke down what was really going on, AND what he was doing about it. Long story short: he was doing his best to give back some of the money to the people that listen to and buy his music. He was very humble and made a point to say that without these folks, he wouldn't be in the position he was in. Shout out to all the other members of the Hip Hop Community that provided assistance before FEMA!



During the days immediately following the storm, David Banner managed to get 2 bus loads of food, water, and supplies to the victims (not refugees), BEFORE any assistance from the federal government. WHAT?! How could this happen? While DB's instincts were providing relief, FEMA and the rest of government were overwhelmed with offers from overseas. So overwhelmed, that they denied MOST of the aid, which included:

$854 MILLION in cash and oil. ($400 million = oil to be sold)
Cruise ships, Communication systems, Water, Emergency Health Workers, Urban Rescue Workers.

In a time where we really need to hold on to ANY country that would consider us an ally, we declined 54 of the 77 recorded aid offers from our most loyal allies: CANADA, BRITAIN, & ISRAEL! As a result, only $40 million of the total 854 has gotten to the folks who need it the most. And if you recall, this is when the gas hike really started because of the refineries that were damaged and destroyed during Katrina. At the same time we were offered $400 million-worth of oil. This fact makes me very skeptical of the governments true intent; it just doesn't make sense. JUST DOLLARS!

And what MOST government officials told the potential contributors was to give the money to the THE BUSH-CLINTON RELIEF FUND or Pat Robertson's OPERATION BLESSING. Pat Robertson? This "man of God" said the hurricane was an intentional punishment from God because of homosexuality, abortion, and what New Orleans represented as a city. And we expect this money to get to the the very people HE blames for this natural disaster...



To me, this is a PEOPLE issue. To hell with all the bureaucracy, investigative reporting, monitoring, and just plain old partiality. These are people that were seconds away from DEATH! And many had NO HOPE AT ALL! If this is truly a government of, by, and for the people, WHY were the major news stories about looting, the "inappropriate" spending of the little money some were lucky to get, and the decisions made by some medical professionals in the face of death?

I think the way the "looters" were portrayed through the media was RIDICULOUS! Who are these news executives to JUDGE people in these conditions? As is usually the case, these folks that CONTROL the information we receive do not research and report with a SOLUTION behind the reporting. They immediately go to the extreme. And, in this case, continue to denigrate how Blacks are viewed by people that have never saw anyone darker than SUNBURNT! It's pretty clear to me the level of Racism in the country and particularly with the handling of the aftermath of KATRINA, so I wanna look at another interesting happening concerning this debacle.

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS!

Wow...and since I've already thrown RACISM around a lot, I have to note that these are WHITE FOLKS! And could someone tell me how this doesn't conflict with the 2nd Amendment? This is scary. We have to get off the couch! These are direct violations of the Constitution; and we're just letting it happen...because it hasn't reached OUR circles...YET!
I like to read quotes. And earlier this week, I heard one on the radio from THOM HARTMANN. He said "...voting isn't enough anymore...not enough people turn out for that to be effective..." And after thinking that through for a few days, I have to agree. We need to get more involved in our government--BEFORE IT'S GONE!

To sum it up, I feel Katrina is a humanitarian issue first because if you can't even be guaranteed LIFE in this country, how can you expect to be awarded these other RIGHTS guaranteed by the Constitution. If your LIFE isn't even respected, why do you think you'll be given HUMAN RIGHTS, or "INALIENABLE RIGHTS?" And if you haven't seen at least parts of Spike Lee's documentary, "When the Levees Broke," you need to!

JUNE 26, 2007 = DAY OF ACTION! I'll be in Washington, DC...

P.L.U.R.,
zAy

prIsOns!

This topic of "prisons" and "prisoners" always has been a very sensitive one to me. But today's rambling is gonna be extra sporadic. Please excuse me. I received some extremely troubling news yesterday about the only MAN I've ever considered my "best friend." I've been trying to call him for the last few months to no avail. And now I know why. He apparently was arrested and charged in relation to OPERATION BROKEN TOY and is facing double-digit years behind bars. My heart goes out to him...

But this post is not about him in particular. It's about a very broken system that is being used to "keep people in their place." And I'm not solely referring to the poor staying poor, BUT also the rich staying rich. There's a required balance. And before I get any further into this, I want you to check out this SLIDESHOW I did for an Ethics class back in 2003 on the subject. Just so you know where I'm coming from.

To be clear, I am not anti-prison. I agree that there are people who deserve to be locked up. BUT I don't believe NON-VIOLENT DRUG OFFENDERS are amongst these folks. Because as we ALL know, once you've been to prison, the "odds" are definitely against you. Instead of being formally rehabilitated and able to blend back into society, you get a big X on your back. To me, that says 2 things. 1) The prisons are not serious about rehabilitating people. After all, isn't the backbone of ALL SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES repeat business? And 2) as a result of number 1, it makes it a lot more likely the person will go back to his or her "old ways." PEOPLE CAN CHANGE!



If you're unaware of what the ROCKEFELLER DRUG LAWS are, please educate yourself. THESE LAWS and similar ones outside of New York state are tearing apart entire inner city families (black and hispanics mostly.) In a nutshell, these laws require RIDICULOUSLY harsh mandatory jail sentences, regardless of the actual circumstances of each individual case. For example, 8-20 years (mandatory) for selling 2 ounces of weed! It doesn't matter if you picked up the wrong briefcase at the bus stop, or you just left your dealer's house; 8-20! This is an extreme example, BUT the key is these are mandatory sentences. I could spend all day on these laws, but I wanna touch on a few other things. FYI: The RDL's are in the reform process, and some minor reforms have recently (2004-5) been accomplished. Cross your fingers...

Continuing with the affect to the inner city family structure...most of the State prisons are NOT in the communities where the prisoners are from. As a result, the families are (more times than not) COMPLETELY cut off from their family members, usually fathers. And I take NOTHING from the single mothers out there; I LOVE YA'LL! BUT, basic reason will tell you that FATHER + MOTHER > MOTHER. And another point for consideration is the JOBS produced by these prisons. Wouldn't it make sense to give these (good-paying) jobs to the family members of the prisoners? I'm not saying security guards or anything like that...but cooks, janitorial, clerical, admin, etc. The MAIN point here is this: these prisons are BIG business! And now that they're PRIVATIZED, they're being positioned by Congressmen (mostly Republicans) in districts where the demographics of the prison and the residents are opposites. The prisoners CANNOT VOTE; but are counted as residents in the census...BIGGER POPULATION, BIGGER DISTRICT, BIGGER APPROPRIATION...

I know I've been a little hard on the NY... So tomorrow I wanna go to GEORGIA...

P. L. U. R.,
zAy

2nd AmEndmEnt!

"[The Constitution preserves] the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation...(where) the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms." - James Madison, January 29, 1788.

The 2nd Amendment. I know people have different feelings when it comes to the RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. Most are based on their personal experiences with guns. What I want to discuss is the historic purpose of this amendment, as well as how it applies to our society today. For the record, I do own a gun.



Let's start with the quote from above. The first part is basically saying we are one of VERY few nations in the world that allows their citizens to BEAR ARMS. And this is true to this day. When I lived in England (1999-2002), it always was a trip to me how the BOBBIES didn't carry guns. I just couldn't comprehend COPS NOT HAVING GUNS. But I must admit, the country is FAR less violent--for obvious reasons and not so obvious ones. On an elementary level, LESS GUNS equal LESS VIOLENT CRIMES. But bigger than that, their culture in general did not glorify violence as much as US. And we all know that our culture is very NUMBING. Why has television PROGRAMMING become overwhelmingly this "reality tv" genre? What do you learn from this? It's a distraction; but that's another discussion. The second part of the quote explains WHY these other countries do not allow their citizens this RIGHT--they're afraid of the citizens collective power. Why would they have this distrust if they had the people's best interest at heart? Hmmm...

Now remember, America is a very young country. And these other nations around the globe have been through what we're going through to some degree, at least on the level of "keeping the masses at bay." Unfortunately, OUR government was intricately planned BEFORE the PILGRIMS did whatever they did. A society of overindulgance! Perfect for this CHRISTIAN/CAPITALIST/IMPERIALIST amoeba we all claim to LOVE and sacrifice our loved ones to uphold. All on the grounds of our SELF-PROCLAIMED HIGHER MORAL AUTHORITY!



As I understand it, the Constitution was amended to include this RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS so we could defend "the security of (our) free state." The OUTDOORSMEN community has definitely become a very lucrative one, but this is not the true intention of the right to bear arms. Again, I believe the Constitution justifies revolution in this case.

Should everyone own a gun? NO. Should every household have a gun? YES. The reason I say this is because in the event of an actual revolution, or anything close to, responsible gun owners are going to be very easy to track down because they'll most likely have their guns registered with local, state, or federal government. If there was one in every household, there would be no way of distinguishing higher threat (to the government) levels.

I obviously support the 2nd Amendment, but I'm also for gun control. Not everyone should have access to firearms. Similar to a driving license, you need to be competent enough to handle the responsibilities that come along with bearing arms. A conflict I have though is the level of firearms one should be able to have access to. One one hand, I don't feel that people have the need to have AK-47's or grenade launchers; but on the other hand, if your reasoning for having them is in case of an uprising, your gonna need something that will make a difference. If you have a six-shooter, you'll be virtually worthless against THESE!

And I know that many will have their views on guns (set in stone) because of a family member that was killed, or their morals just don't allow for violence, or any number of other reasons. And to these people I say this: I understand the emotions that come along with a tragedy like this; it's VERY difficult. Please try to expand your mind beyond feelings. Emotions make you irrational in this society. Emotions are NATURAL reactions; and they make you act in your most natural state. And although it may seem impossible, TRUTH & REASON need to be allowed into your thoughts.

I truly believe that we are being bombarded with information, so it's too difficult to sift through. It just makes me wonder what "secret" legislation was signed last week when Paris Hilton was the TOP story on the majority of the network and cable news networks. It may seem like a very cynical view, but when you've done as much reading and research on this stuff as I have, it becomes almost undeniable that the world we are seeing right now is NOT AN ACCIDENT. Think about it. Even with the law of averages, SOMETHING has to "randomly" work out IN FAVOR of the little people of the world. Can you think of ANYTHING?

Race is frustrating...

I'm so disgusted right now! Paris Hilton is out of jail! Not that I have anything personal against HER, but what this actually represents is the bigger picture of RACISM in the U.S. And I know that A LOT of FOLKS will argue that this has nothing to do with Race. And that's OK. It could easily be misconstrued as an ECONOMIC ISSUE. But I'd be willing to bet that a very, very small number of minorities would see it that way WITHOUT ULTERIOR MOTIVES. This is not an isolated incident...

Let me give you a personal experience example of what I'm talking about. It was 2003, and I was taking a Black Literature class. One of the pieces we BRIEFLY covered was KNOWLEDGE IS KING, by KOOL MOE DEE. While we were discussing it, the lady next to me says "I CAN'T STAND ANY OF THAT RAP CRAP!" She was in her late 40's and white, so I kinda have an ignorant tolerance for her demographic when it comes to HIP HOP. But she wouldn't let it go, and brought up the song "WORK IT," by Missy Elliott, and how that's all she hears on the RADIO. So being the HIP HOP HEAD that I am, I asked her if she thought that MAYBE she was hearing THESE songs on the radio intentionally. I let her know that 98% of what I listen to is Hip Hop, and I NEVER listen to the radio. Do you think that the government controls what's on the radio? OF COURSE!!! Why else would they play the RIDICULOUS bullshit they do on free radio? Have you ever heard KRS-ONE, Mos Def, Common, dead prez, or Talib Kweli on the radio? OF COURSE NOT! They have a positive message!



I guess I'll wrap this up (no pun intended). The point I was TRYING to get across was: INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM DOES EXIST! And even though a lot of us are affected by it, either directly or indirectly, don't throw up your hands in defeat. Continue to ASK QUESTIONS and fight for what you believe in! Even if you're skin is white, you have a part to play.

DON'T BE TOLERANT OF INTOLERANCE!!!

Nuttin' but LOVE!

1st AmEndmEnt!

"THERE IS NO EXPRESS GRANT OF HABEAS IN THE CONSTITUTION; THERE'S A PROHIBITION AGAINST TAKING IT AWAY" -Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales - January 18, 2007 WOW!!! Now, I'm not gonna kid MYSELF and tell you I know the intricacies of Constitutional Law, BUT it seems to me that if the Constitution states you can't take it away that it's to be assumed that you got IT! Americans...that's your countries TOP lawyer! Congratulations!!! So let's talk a little law...

And I'm sure we all recognize this fine piece of literature as the 1st Amendment...*applause*...when it comes to FREEDOM, this is a trandscending document--almost holy. And if you really think about it, RELIGION, SPEECH, PRESS, PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY, & PETITION are all freedoms WE probably take for granted at times. But people from all around the world are risking their lives RIGHT NOW to get here for a chance to live under this law. It's a BEAUTIFUL THANG! The freedoms that is. It's quite amazing. People will jump in an inner tube or rowboat just to get here. And they have no guarantee of entry when, and if, they arrive here. Just ask Mr. Bush about the HAITIANS! EITHER ONE!

I understand that ALL of these freedoms are integral parts of the makeup of our nation, but I want to focus on the right to ASSEMBLE PEACEFULLY. Why that one? Because on June 26, my SIGNIFICANT OTHER and I are heading to Washington, DC for the DAY OF ACTION! This will be both of our FIRST (of many) protests, and I can't wait. This is also our first step in ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY for our democracy. I'll definitely have pics!



And this guy is my main motivation. Of all the BS that is making me sick and cynical at the same time, this is closest to my heart. PEOPLE, without Habeas Corpus, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS! It's irrational; and will change (for the worst) this country FOREVER! Imagine being detained/arrested on someone else's WORD! You get NO say. It is what it is. UNLESS we do something about it! It's our time to shine; our part of history is being written RIGHT NOW! And the Constitution JUSTIFIES REVOLUTION! Remember JUSTICE?

Since I started with a quote, I'll end with one. From my all time favorite movie, Do the Right Thing, DJ Mister Senor Love Daddy (Samuel L): WAKE UP!

MEMORIAL DAY!

Good morning all! Before this HOLIDAY WEEKEND, I'd like to give you something to think about. First and foremost, I'd like to ask you to pray, hope, eat a goat, roll the dice, --or whatever it is you do when you REALLY want something, for the troops in harm's way. This is Memorial Day, and it's a time that we Americans dedicate to those who've given their lives defending what we stand (or used to stand) for. There will be countless ceremonies, parties, dedications, etc. in support of all the past and present SOLDIERS, AIRMEN, SAILORS, AND MARINES. As usual, most of us will enjoy our 3-day weekend and not pay any mind to WHY we get it--as we are PROGRAMMED to do.

This HOLIDAY has made us immune to what it represents. Through wordplay, once again, our government has made something NEGATIVE perceived as POSITIVE. Especially NOW, being at WAR, we need to re-evaluate how much BS we will accept. WAR IS NOT GOOD, PERIOD!!!

And to everyone that voted for change last year--which better be ALL of you-- you should be outraged! The Democrats we voted in to "change course" in Iraq and here at home, just voted IN FAVOR OF a bill last night that allowed MR. BUSH to continue, business as usual. WHAT!? And this is after MONTHS OF SAYING THEY WON'T BUDGE when it comes to TIMETABLES TO PULL OUT OF IRAQ! Guess what---the bill passed giving the PRESIDENT pretty much everything he wanted.

I want to stay on topic, but it is a RAMBLING...so I just want to touch on some things that happened this past week. Aside from the funding bill---Bush secretly signed a PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE that basically gives him powers of a DICTATOR! in case of an emergency. And HE gets to say what an emergency is, when it starts, when it ends! VERY TROUBLING!

And now, he's bringing back the name of THE BAD GUY, Bin Laden, to stir up fear once again. And Al-Qaeda is now based out of Iraq? DON'T BELIEVE THIS! After he said HE'S NOT WORRIED ABOUT BIN LADEN ANYMORE, and the CIA CLOSED THE BIN LADEN UNIT LAST YEAR, he's trying to say Osama is our biggest threat, and we need to be afraid. STOP THIS BULLSHIT!

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

Don't "Support the troops!!!"

Tell 'em Keith...



Before I get started, a few disclaimers: 1) I'm NOT implying that Keith Olbermann is saying don't support them; 2) I am a veteran that served in the Air Force for 8+ years; and 3) If you've never heard of FRANK LUNTZ, please do some homework.

I first heard of him a few weeks ago on Bill Maher's show. In a nutshell, he is the propaganda-wordsmith for Mr. Bush and his crew. It was his great idea to change the ESTATE TAX to the DEATH TAX, SCHOOL VOUCHERS to OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIPS, and DRILLING FOR OIL ON A WILDLIFE PRESERVE to RESPONSIBLE ENERGY EXPLORATION...to name a few.

This brings me to the point of words and their meanings. We have to be VERY CAREFUL not to take "answers" to our questions at face value. Actual definitions and intentions of words and phrases are what need to be taken into consideration. We all know politicians LIE to some extent, either through wordplay or straight out. As a result, we need to take the initiative to UNDERSTAND what the true meanings are of what we're being told.

After taking in as much of the media as I could stand, I came to the conclusion that the Dems backed down because of the accusation that they were NOT supporting the troops. Politically, I understand this. How is someone going to get elected President (2008) if they don't support the troops (in theory). I can't believe Mr. Bush pulled this off once again.



We need to forget about what "SUPPORT THE TROOPS" used to mean. After all, we are living in a different world in different times. By continuing to blindly support the cause of this administration, we are WITH THEM. And we need to be AGAINST THEM! I could go on forever with this topic, but I won't...

How about this?

Do you think it would be that difficult for the Dems to start gathering veterans and their families in support of ending the war? If they do that, it would be CLOSE to impossible for the Republican wordsmiths to say the Dems are not supporting the troops. Then, we could get by this hurdle and get to the REAL ISSUES...

FUCK FEAR!

What are we gonna do?

What in the world is going on? I thought we were heading in the right direction back in November, when the Dems took over POWER (in theory) of the House and Senate. But after THIS HAPPENED, I kind of threw my hands up in disgust. My bottom line here is this: If you you're AGAINST the war, DON'T VOTE FOR IT! Stop with the politics and be a person! It makes me understand why NANCY PELOSI is in charge of this party---SHE HAS NO BALLS! Physically, this is a good thing. BUT, politically this sucks!

For anyone who thinks their vote doesn't count, PLEASE re-think your stance. A LOT of people took a stand last year for a change in policy and power. We entrusted our futures to some LIARS. For everyone who voted for Democrats, with hopes of change, hold them accountable. WRITE, CALL, EMAIL! Whatever it takes.

WE'VE ALL HEARD THE PHRASE "YOU GET OUT OF SOMETHING WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT!" For the most part, I believe this. So think about if you do nothing...

The politics are starting early for this next election. We need to PAY ATTENTION! And I'm gonna do my part by writing on topics that I feel strongly about. And hopefully, it will raise awareness and open up the avenues for discussion.

THE PEOPLE NEED TO BE HEARD!!!

frEEdOm!

Good Morning All!!! First things first...did ya'll check out my new PROJECT? I like the way it turned out.

Today I'm gonna ramble about a lot of things. BUT everything is gonna relate to the idea of FREEDOM!


I love this man! And not just because he's on the HUNNID! But today is not about him. It's about YOU (AND ME)! Check this out...



To get my point here, I need you to leave ALL prejudices at the door. That's very difficult, I know. And I'll touch on that later. But for now...TRUST ME! So forget about MOMMA AFRICA and read the words. I'm going to assume that you understand it and believe it. With that being said, here's the question...

Mr. Bush says "THEY HATE OUR FREEDOM!" And I just wanna point out once again the way words (AND NOT MEANINGS) are being used as tools--sometimes weapons, to satisfy the masses. The word FREEDOM is very powerful! I would put it second to GOD in terms of the amount of pure emotion involved when people use it. I would only put it second because more people know God, than know FREEDOM. Stay with me here. I say that because I truly believe that. THINK ABOUT IT! It's a tough idea to wrap your mind around. And even more difficult to explain to someone who has NEVER had it affect their lives. I've had first-hand contact with people who came from NO FREEDOM--to freedom; and also people that didn't have FREEDOM and probably still don't. I don't wanna lose anybody, so here are some ideas to think about. Plus, I know that if I don't throw another picture up, some of you will quit. And you need to hear/read this...

WE HAVE TO BE MORE SELECTIVE (AND INFORMED) ABOUT WHAT WE ALLOW INTO OUR MINDS! DON'T SAVE WORDS WITH ONE-WORD DEFINITIONS OR EVENTS OF YOUR LIFE IN THERE EITHER!

And as for the GOD vs. FREEDOM arguement, two things: 1) Once people have, or think they have FREEDOM, their quest for GOD may be less important; whereas if they have, or think they have GOD, their quest for FREEDOM remains constant. And 2) Freedom is OF THIS WORLD; As opposed to GOD being (in most RELIGIONS) more of an afterlife reward.



We all have heard the phrase PERCEPTION IS REALITY. We need to figure out what OUR perception of FREEDOM is and make sure it's not just smoke and mirrors. Just because someone tells you you have freedom, doesn't mean you do. There are RESPONSIBILITIES that go hand-in-hand with the PRIVELEGE OF FREEDOM.

The abuse of power is nothing new. What is new though is PEOPLE accepting it--or even worse not knowing about it. We're ignoring decisions/laws being made against our best interests because they're falling under this umbrella of PROTECTION. THIS IS THE ULTIMATE SLAP IN THE FACE!!! It's almost like THIS REGIME, I MEAN ADMINISTRATION, NO REGIME... tells us what to think and believe. FEAR makes people stop thinking rationally. Human Nature, instincts, AND a little PROGRAMMING kick in...and all we want to hear is how to be safe. And it's being proven now that THERE'S NO PRICE TOO HIGH! I just hope it doesn't get to the point where our CIVIL RIGHTS are so diminished that we have NO POWER, even as one, against what our government can do.

REMEMBER THIS IMPORTANT FACT: MR. BUSH WAS NOT ELECTED IN THE FIRST PLACE! NOW, THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WOULD DO IF HE CANCELS THE 2008 ELECTION AND SAYS WE'RE NOT LEAVING! WHAT WOULD YOU DO? NOTHING! LEGALLY, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO...

ONE LAST POINT...DIDN'T THESE GUYS ALL STAND FOR FREEDOM?
BOB MARLEY DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR JFK CHE GUEVARA

AND I WONDER WHAT THESE GUYS DID?...

RAMBLE COMPLETE, AT LEAST ON HOLD...

P. L. U. R.,
zAy

MOTHER'S DAY BLOG

GOOD MORNING!!! And a special HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the mothers out there. And just in case you didn't know, Mother's Day was originated as a proclamation to honor mothers of course, BUT it was also in response to the Civil War--and the point of it originally was to bring peace during war time. So, this rambling is going to be a hybrid of honoring all the mothers and the "to be continued" that I promised last blog.



IT'S "THAT" TIME!

We need to begin to understand how this WORLD really works, so we can shape it to our advantage in the future. When we get into our 40's, we're going to be making social decisions/votes based on how we saw the world in our 20's. THINK ABOUT THAT! The responsibility of OUR generation starts NOW. No longer can we WAIT for the world to line up for us. We NEED to align it to our advantage. And the FIRST step everyone needs to take is to vote ACCURATELY in 2008. And that doesn't mean ensuring you hit the correct button. That means vote for the candidate that has your best interests at heart.
And you're probably thinking something along the lines of: THEY'RE ALL THE SAME, or THEY'RE ALL LIARS, MY VOTE DOESN'T COUNT, ETC...You're all pretty smart people, this way of thinking is IGNORANT! Of course your SINGLE vote as an individual doesn't hold much weight. BUT that doesn't mean that you either do not vote, or EVEN WORSE, vote for someone for no reason at all. Example: The TORNADOES IN KANSAS recently brought to light (again) the fact that too many of our NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS are serving in Iraq. The point here is this: The people of Kansas voted themselves into this position. They were 100% in support of the "TROOPS!" As a result, they voted in favor of EVERYTHING that supposedly "supported the troops." And they VOTED in favor of funding the war, increasing troop presence in the Middle East, getting the troops what they need to do their job. This blind, un-educated vote caused them to be unprepared for what used to be "business as usual." No matter where you live, you're most likely to be in danger of a NATURAL DISASTER at some point throughout the year. And many of us don't fret because we feel confident that the people that handle this sort of thing, will handle it. Well guess what...THEY CAN'T! You voted to send the majority of these good-hearted people HERE!

HOW ABOUT WE WAKE UP AND TAKE LIFE A LITTLE MORE SERIOUSLY?!
WHY ARE WE VOTING FOR BILLIONS OF MORE DEBT AT THE SAME TIME THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT CUTTING TROOPS' PAY!


We need to stop and think before taking action, either physically or mentally. Too many people are so caught up in their OWN, PERSONAL RAT RACE, they react to words only and pay no mind to the intended meaning of what's being said. The #1 reason the Republicans have been in power so long is beacause of their WORDPLAY!



I HAVE to touch on this subject...


What's the deal with this? Is it that since the US has no one to answer to, it can't be considered wrong? Couldn't this be perceived as blatant racism? Are we OK with being perceived in this light by the rest of the world? The basis of why OUR country used to be the model for all others to aspire was simple. IT WAS A GOVERNMENT OF, BY, AND FOR THE PEOPLE! Do you feel that way now?

This is a very complex issue WITH HISTORY! We have to look at this through neutral eyes. To A LOT of Mexicans these states (Texas, Arizona, New Mexico(?), and California) is the land of their ancestors. The US pushed them south, so we could claim the land in the name of freedom. And to this day, we show no tolerance towards people who have legitimate gripes. Our way, PERIOD! As a "CHRISTIAN NATON," exporters of peace, etc., etc., it doesn't seem to make sense that we would have policies like these. It's an issue we ALL need to figure out where we stand. Did you know there are still NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES FIGHTING FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO RECOGNIZE THEM? A very serious issue, not only because of the moral and ethical questions, but it's not gonna be long before WHITES are the minority in this country. Who DOESN'T know someone with a MIXED background? Our children's generation and beyond are gonna live in a world where a large proportion of people will either be MIXED, or at least be very close to people who are. We can't continue our policies of intolerance. How ignorant are we going to look when our children and grandchildren are victims of the intolerant laws and policies that we (in theory) supported?

To rap this up, I want to again wish all mothers a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! But more importantly, I want to say to the MOTHERS and FATHERS having your children's well-being is always on your mind. I know that. But we are living in a very important period of time, and you have to realize that the everyday-decisions you are making NOW are gonna affect your children's future well-being. And especially important is the leadership we choose for this country in 2008! There's a fork in the road, and we can't afford for another President to pick the road repeatedly travelled...

PEACE, LOVE, UNITY, RESPECT!

MY EYE IS ON DENNIS KUCINICH FOR PRESIDENT! WE NEED TO GET MORE PEOPLE ACCESS TO HIM, SO THEY ACTUALLY KNOW HE EXISTS!

WORK, HOUSE ARREST, & FLASHLIGHTS

Good afternoon EVERYONE who is reading this! This week was quite a week in my little world. For everyone that is not aware, I have a 110 MILE DAILY COMMUTE to work and back. So, in TIME terms, this means about 3 hours/ day on the average. To add to that, here is how my week went: Monday: @ work = 11 hours; Tuesday: @ work = 9 hours. But Tuesday was a special day because I went to a cOmpAnY-spOnsOrEd seminar by dAlE vErmIllIon This day most likely changed my life permanently. We'll see... Anyway, I followed up that day on Wednesday with a LONG 12 hours. Thursday : @ work = 10 hours; Friday: @ work = 10.5; Saturday: @ work = 5 hours. So now I rest on Sunday (at least physically). Cuz now that I actually have time to sit down and reflect on my past week, I've made it a math problem and 74% of my available time (minus sleep) was dedicated to my job. Sorry bAbe!!!

INSERT PITY HERE!!!

Just playin'... Because now that I have that off my chest, I'd like to discuss and manifest what I did with my other 26%. Unless this is the first time you've read anything I've written, you know that I'm very concerned with the direction of our country, the politicizing of serious issues to distract us from them, the withering away of our personal rights, etc., you get the picture...so A LOT of my driving time is spent listening to shAdE 45 on SIRIUS satellite radio. If you don't have it, get it. At least an internet membership. You'll be amazed at what uncensored, live programming can do for your world view.



I wanna preface this comment with I detest gossip, especially "HOLLYWOOD" gossip, but there's a point to be made here. Uncle Jemimah above, or you may be more familiar with his government name Tracy Morgan, apparently rEAllY lOvEs tO drAnk!!! Which, if he'd keep it off the road, would be no business of ours. But what really grabbed my attention was he is now serving 30 days house arrest, and he's forbidden to drink. I'm sure many of us know folks who were on house arrest, probation, parole, whatever, where they weren't "aloud" to drink...but WE found this out discussing their civil restraints over a couple beers. Tracy, though, is wearing the infamous ankle bracelet with a twist. The one he wears automatically checks his blood-alcohol content every 30 minutes through whatever comes out of his pores. This is the first I've heard of this. WOW!

And a similar DUI-related discovery for me was how EVE got busted as a result of the flAshlIght brEAthAlYzEr! I may just be ignorant on this one, but this was the first I've heard of this. Whatever happened to OUr rIght tO plEAd thE 5th?, like Ollie North!?!

I THOUGHT THE REASON SCARFACE LOST WAS BECAUSE ALL HE HAD WAS HIS BALLS AND HIS WORD, AND HIS AMERICAN OPPONENTS HAD THESE!!!

With all that being said, let's get serious here...

WE HAVE TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT REALIZING WHAT'S IMPORTANT!!! Tell everyone you know that is pissed about their life in one way or another to VOTE. Straight up!!! Think about ALL the people in your circle of life who don't vote, as well as the people who cast ignorant votes. For example, voting REPUBLICAN ACROSS THE BOARD! Not a well thought out strategy. You need to realize that if everyone you know that has similar beliefs (that don't vote NOW) votes, it's gonna make a difference. That's the real reason people from ALL OVER THE WORLD come to this country. It's because of the type of government we have. But if you haven't been paying attention, gOvErnmEnt has been getting a lot MORE privacy, while we've been getting lEss & lEss!



TO BE CONTINUED...

ImUs & hIp hOp!

Good morning beautiful people! I hope everyone who knows the significance of 4:20 enjoyed themselves Friday night. Today's rambling is gonna be a little tough for some ears. So don't say this out loud, and you should still be safe. If you read my last blog, this one kinda pIggY-bAcks off the RACE discussion. And what really got me thinking more intensely about this is the RIDICULOUS amount of coverage by ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX the last 2 weeks of Imus and the V. Tech mAssAcrE!

I can't even front, this guy ImUs, I stereotyped him from the gate! I don't know if it's just me, but pretty much ANY whItE dUdE thAt OpEnlY wEArs A cOwbOy hAt is racist until proven otherwise. The ONLY exception to this rule is if the dude actually awakens when he hears cOck-A-dOOdlE-dOO, milks the cOws, then is outside in the sun the rest of the day rustlin' cattle or whatever. That would make sense to me; the hat is practical and serves a purpose; keeps the sun OFF your face and neck. Imus, on the other hand, wears his cOwbOY hAt to HIDE his red neck, not to prevent it.

Now that you know my stance on him, we can move on to the REAL issue I have with the coverage of this most recent dIstrActIOn. SOMEHOW, the discussion got to the point of this crazy dOUblE stAndArd jIvE! We ALL know the biggest prerequisite for reporting the news is to sOUnd As whItE As pOssIblE! Ask the Gumble's... And to hear these guys say If rAppErs sAy hOE, nIggA, bItch, Etc., thEn whY cAn't ImUs? makes me sick. It's crazy!!!

OK, I know some of you might not be agreeing with me right now. Like, what the hell is this guy talking about? Well, if you're feeling like that right now, let me explain where I'm coming from...



HIP HOP IS A CULTURE that has evolved through the lessons learned by inner-city (mostly Black & Hispanic) poor folk after the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT OF THE 60'S Hip Hop, to me, is the result of how these people decided to live their lives after evaluating WHAT THEY HAD ACCOMPLISHED versus WHAT THEY HAD SACRIFICED in the previous 10 years.

Without a doubt, huge LEGAL strides were made (in some areas) for non-whites' civil liberties as a result of the sacrifices made/dues paid in the 60's. But something even more important than that manifested as a result; that would be to realize the POWER words really have, and how they can mentally enslave you if you're not aware of them. I'd be willing to bet that if I had .0000001 cent for every time a White person called a Black person NIGGER out of pure hatred/ignorance in the 60's, I'd be richer than Bill Gates. What's the point? It's that if you've only ever heard a word used out of negativity, then it becomes negative--and you can only imagine how many times that multiplies when the word is used to attack you, or used to let you know YOU ARE INFERIOR.

So what happens is that Blacks reverse the energy of the negative words into positive energy. That's why RAPPERS use words that Imus cannot. When words are said by a rapper, they're speaking from within Hip Hop Culture--where words have different meanings to different people. Imus will never OVERSTAND that. And by putting these words to music, it empowers them that much more. I might've lost some of ya'll on this one, so if you're lost, ask a question...

I can't believe these guys are trying to argue/debate from the angle of not being equal in some way, when they've been (unknowingly?) reaping the benefits of the WHITE PRIVILEGE seed that was planted for them when the first WASP's arrived and started killing off the rEd mAn These same reporters will NEVER do a story like why did GEORGE W BUSH make it to Virginia Tech the day after the massacre, BUT didn't make it to n'AwlIns fOr wEEks AftEr kAtrInA



Well, I gotta wrap this up prematurely, because MySpace is acting funny right now, and I don't wanna lose any of this.

I guess the moral of the story is DON'T DISCRIMINATE BLINDLY; DO YOUR RESEARCH AND PRACTICE EDUCATED DISCRIMINATION!!!

P.L.U.R.,
zAy

rAcE!

Hello to all on this EAstEr mOrnIng! Today's RAMBLING is gonna be about a topic that many of US reading this will not have a problem discussing amongst ourselves, BUT we also know that this topic can gEt pEOplE kIllEd! The topic is RACE!

This topic is always scary, mainly because you don't know what another person has been through. This is VERY sensitive to some and a JOKE to others. I usually don't like to refer to TV to make a point, but remember the show blAck. whItE., about a Black family and a White family who "switch places/races." The Black son was about 15, and the way he dealt with race was to ignore it and joke about it. It was just easier for him.

But others who take it VERY seriously and are frustrated with it will have shorter fuses. They'll also be less likely to wanna hear your side of the story because yOU nEvEr gEt A 2nd chAncE tO mAkE A 1st ImprEssIOn...as cliche as it might sound, it's the truth.



OK...as always, on these SENSITIVE TOPICS, I'll will start with MY stance, viewpoint, reasoning, experience, whatever you wanna call it, etc....

Born as JOSE VICTORIANO FRAYRE JUNIOR, I have to tell ya: A rOsE bY AnY OthEr nAmE dOEs NOT smEll As SwEEt!

I lived in Harrisburg until the 5th grade, with majority Black friends @ school, my name was Jose. This is ages 5-10, the beginning of sports and competition. While the White kids were busy studying and going to church, I was with my Black friends playin' ball and listenin' to hIp hOp. And that was early 80's--around the last time thEsE gUYs won a championship...

Then I moved to Middletown...CULTURE SHOCK!...and that's weird because the shock was from not seeing any BLACK folk. In the mid-80's Middletown was practically segregated. There was definitely a "BLACK SECTION." One thing I can say I learned from this timeframe is that RESPECT means something different to WHITES than it did to BLACKS. Looking back now...I think it boils down to $$$mOnEY$$$ again. And here's what I mean by that: it seemed to me that the white dudes always ULTIMATELY had money to fall back on...if they lost a game or a fight, it wasn't that important because they were gonna sleep in their own bed in their own room that night. On the BLACK side, sports and fighting defined you more because you tend to have to curve out your own niche A LOT more. Ask any White kid who has really entered into the Hip Hop culture about curving out your niche. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THESE DUDES THAT SAY THEY'RE HIP HOP AND DON'T EVEN KNOW ANY BLACK FOLK! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

Anyway, it's as basic as MENTAL vs. PHYSICAL. It's the root of the relationship between Black Africans and the fOUndErs Of thIs cOUntrY.

Other than Africans, I consider anyone with NON-WHITE skin in my generic definition of the category BLACK. Because, unfortunately, the ONLY time thE mAn has historically proven not to discriminate is when he's deciding WHO to discriminate against.

Ask the Japanese, Mexicans, Cubans, Chinese, Native Americans, Puerto Ricans, and the list goes on and on...



OK, I guess this is really turning into a rambling...let me reel it back in...

I've been aware and interested in this complex paradigm we call RACE for my whole life. So I spent a lot of time researching it and doing my own "social experiments" to try and understand it better. It means a lot to me to do what I can to allow different races to be patient enough with each other to actually LISTEN to where the other is coming from. I have great BLACK friends; I have great WHITE friends; And I know that WHITES & BLACKS can get along GREAT! Because if they couldn't, there wouldn't be so many MIXED babies running around!

Our generation has the opportunity to turn around this country's philosophy about characterizing people by race. We have a WAY better understanding of how much skin color DOES NOT MATTER than our grandparents had. Unfortunately, our generation is also a generation of do-nothings. REVOLUTION no longer has the same meaning; although this country was founded as a result of a REVOLUTION. People are so concerned about their little RAT RACE that they ignore the fact that they would be SO much more POWERFUL as a group of like-minded people of ALL races fighting for the same reason. It's true that DEMOCRACY is the government OF THE PEOPLE.

The people need to be aware of this. Because the PEOPLE can be the PEOPLE'S worst nightmare if they are ignorant to what their GOVERNMENT is doing; Within a DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT, it is the PEOPLE'S (ANY COLOR) RESPONSIBLITY to revolt and make sure the government's policies reflect the majority. Race is the ultimate dIstrActIOn! While the poor and uneducated babble back and forth about it, kill themselves over it, the most powerful look at their plan and celebrate as people of all races get FATTER, ADDICTED TO MORE DRUGS(LEGAL), SPEND MORE THAN THEY MAKE, AND JUST GO ALONG WITH THE STATUS QUO.

Using this characterization of RACE is no different than using other similar labels, like Christian, Gay, Liberal, etc., to motivate people to engage in emotional HATE CRIMES. And if you think that these kind of distractions are too little to make a difference. Imagine if the KKK used their power and influence to LOVE instead of HATE. CONFLICT based on emotional factors can take over individuals, as well as groups, so much that not much else matters. IF YOUR BIGGEST CONCERN IN A DAY IS JUST TO GET THROUGH IT, THAT'S NOT HEALTHY!

I can ramble on about this forever. It's a very complex issue that affects us all. I just hope and pray that ONE DAY IT WON'T MATTER. Before that day, WE'RE going to have to take politics and government way more seriously. Until corporations like DuPont stop researching EUgEnIcs, we all have to have each other's back.

CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS BASED ON THE SPIRITUAL CONNECTIONS YOU SHARE; NOT SKIN COLOR!

HIP HOP CULTURE IS OUR GENERATION'S CHANCE TO BREAK THE CYCLE! DON'T LET IT GET PIMPED!



P. L. U. R.,
zAy

5 mOst ExpEnsIvE AddIctIOns!

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, HOMIE!!!

For those of you who don't know, my cat's name is HOMIE!. And it usually takes a little cAtnIp to get him to at least THINK outside the box.

Anyway, today I wanna talk about thE 5 mOst ExpEnsIvE AddIctIOns:


And ironically on this st. pAtrIck's dAy wEEkEnd, the MOST expensive addiction is Alcohol, w/ an estimated annual cost of $166 BILLION! Now, I know this is a sensitive subject for A LOT of people out there. And without a doubt, alcohol and I are very, very fond of one another. I had some of the bEst and dEfInItEly thE wOrst experiences of my life UndEr thE InflUEncE. I started drInkIn' at a pretty young age, and although my consumption has definitely decreased over the years, there was never a time that I can remember where I didn't drink ANYTHING for longer than a year or two. We're talking probably a span of 15-16 years (half of my life); and strangely I've never considered myself dependent on alcohol. Hmmmm...? I have thought of completely quitting as a goal. sUch A dIlEmma!

How about this? ...LET'S ELECT SOMEONE WHO WILL MAKE ALCOHOL ILLEGAL!!!

The 2nd most expensive addiction is SMOKING, estimated $157 BILLION ANNUAL COST!


Excuse me if it sounds like I'm taking these personally, but hopefully we can get to one that I'm not contributing to. AAAAHH! So this one is even more personal than the drinking because I'm cUrrEntlY At wAR wIth nEwpOrts! I haven't had a puff since the first week of January! This is a battle I've had many times before, BUT this time, as you noticed, I referred to it as a WAR. And I say that confidently because this time I had the mEntAl wAkEUp cAll!

This story can be confirmed by thIs gUY......but the first day of my quit-smoking-struggle, I was TAKEN to a few bars and I didn't pay for one drink, but I had a lot to drink!!! And I was even voicing my concern to this non-smoking group of unsensitive, peer pressure-applying, unsupportive, drink buyers...but my words fell upon deaf ears. MORAL OF THE STORY: I DIDN'T SMOKE! thIs AlsO hElps! I'll keep you updated...



The number THREE spot also hits pretty close to home. DRUGS! Let's try to look at this at a very basic level. Besides the thE wAr On tErrOr, the WAR ON DRUGS is the most ridiculous idea ever created. It's a great POLITICAL strategy! And executed beautifully I must add. WOW! Drugs are a part of OUR culture! That's what happens when a government recruits the best scientists from EVERY country in the world, and has a pOpUlAtIOn Of OvEr 300 mIllIOn, of which the bottom 1/3 is slowly being exterminated by various physical, mental, economic, etc., experiments and studies. AND DRUGS ARE A BIG PART OF THIS!!! I guess my biggest frustration when it comes to drugs is the hypocrisy involved. Don't get me started on prEscrIptIOn drUgs...and that whole mess! Even if we ignore HOW drugs get in the country, WHERE they end up, WHEN they're available (usually kinda tuff around election time, I've heard), we're left with the WHO and WHY!

WE SHOULDN'T HAVE PLACES IN OUR COUNTRY WHERE IT'S EASIER (SOMETIMES CHEAPER) TO GET DRUGS THAN FOOD!!! This is such a SAD and DISHEARTENING subject. Amazingly, it took us till the 3rd spot to come to a partially ILLEGAL addiction.

NUMBER 4: OVEREATING($107 BILLION)



The mere existence of the chart above is CRAZY! Add to that, ESPN televises these "competitions(?)" now! People are being rewarded for THIS! The direction MY FINGER is pointing on this one is fAst fOOd and vIdEO gAmEs Who knows what's in fast food? YOU?

With all that being said, I must admit that I am yet again contributing to the list. For me though, it's more LACK OF EXERCISE than OVEREATING. But I gotta plan for that too. With the weather trying to break into spring here in the NORTHEAST, my plan is to run the track around my complex on Monday and Wednesday mornings before I go to work. In the meantime, I'll be playing basketball Fridays, 4:30-6:00. AND WHAT ABOUT YOU? START HERE!

I COULDN'T RESIST THIS PIC! But #5 is GAMBLING! And I can honestly say, I've never had a close affiliation with the gambling community! For me, it never went any further than some scratch-offs or a MARCH MADNESS bracket @ work!

MY STANCE AS OF 3-18-2007:
(ON A SCALE OF 1-5, 5 = QUIT, 1 = IGNORANTLY LOVIN' IT)

1) ALCOHOL: 3, Cutting down, but I'm lOvIn' thIs shIt rIght nOw!
2) SMOKING: 4.8
3) DRUGS: 1
4) OVEREATING: 4
5) GAMBLING: 5

CHECK YOURSELF! IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD! PEACE!

mOnEy!

Hello all! Today's random rambling is gonna be about $MONEY$ But before I get into that, I'd like to pay respects to the dollar above. I actually ordered A LOT of these, so if you want one let me know. Anyway...I found them on this site when I was researching for a paper I HAD to write for a Philosophy class back in 2003, titled "The United States Government and Cocaine." But to make a long story short, this guy Michael C. Ruppert was the one who blew the whistle on the CIA for introducing crAck cOcAInE to South Central Los Angeles in the 80's. And it's fact that said area (along with MILLIONS of other cities) has not yet recovered from the aftermath. And what I got a much better understanding of was what the root cause of this was. Now, I'm sure we all heard of this guy OLLIE NORTH, but not sure why. Well, I'm old, I mean WISE, enough to remember back in the 80's when this fool was on TV all the time...and if you are as WISE as I, you remember he was in court more than thE jUIcE. Bottom line on this: Ollie & R-Double sold drugs to Americans to fund a WAR!

..">

I'm proud to say that I actually took the picture above. And even though the money wasn't mine, I did have it under my command. I guess I was kinda holding it for the Air Force. But the point of all this is that holding and having control over that much money was as powerful, if not more, than carrying a gun. Both ways too...the way I felt personally, and the way people treated me in return...VERY POWERFUL!

As we all know, the amount of $MONEY$ we have dictates what kind of life we can have in a Capitalist Economy. And doesn't it suck the more you make the more taxes you "have" to pay? That's where I wanna pause for a second...

Does EVERYBODY remember the Boston Tea Party? Well, if you're a little too WISE to remember, it was about being taxed without any representation. Kinda like, "FUCK YOU, PAY ME!" The way I see it, in order to prosper in a capitalist society you need as much cash as possible. And letting the government hold a couple g's of your money all year without paying you any interest is not the right decision. Here's just 2 reasons why: 1) when you owe taxes, YOU'RE PAYING INTEREST on that starting April 16 every year. NO NEGOTIATION! 2) they ARE gaining interest on your money AND funding wars, AND paying companies like THESE no-bid contracts for jobs American Servicemen (and women) used to do. And on top of that, pay the contractors 3-4X as much as the soldiers, marines, airmen, and sea-men <---whY I wOUld nEvEr jOIn thE nAvY--->...oh yeah, they work right beside them doing the same jobs. If that's not supporting the troops...WHOA!---that was a rant...I wanna try & keep this Random Rambling RANTLESS...

...back to the point...use this IRS CALCULATOR to get your W-4 correct. This is the money you need to be saving for your RETIREMENT! Because let's face it, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET SOCIAL SECURITY PERIOD! A very common mistake made by people like me (and probably you too to some extent) is we feel that if we can't put a SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT in some sort of savings, then we'll wait 'till we can and put NOTHING away right NOW. TERRIBLE MISTAKE!

BUT, check this out...TIME is far more valuable than money. cOmE hErE, I'll prOvE It...

To those who know me best, this will come as a big shock...BUT I have to actually give some credit where it is due. In 2003, YOUR government not only InvAdEd IrAq On mY 7th yEAr AIr fOrcE AnniversArY, but also did something good. They established the US Financial Literacy & Educational Commission, and their site is excellent for those of you who are not as fascinated with numbers as I. Check it out! GET IN THE KNOW!

And since this is such a rare happening, I might as well have the lightening strike twice. Another kudo for the GOV'T/IRS: sOmEthIng fOr thOsE Of yOU thAt wAnt tO stArt sOmEthIng fOr thE bAbIEs' cOllEgE and get a TAX BREAK at the same time. This is an EDUCATIONAL TRUST that you can switch over to anyone in your family to use for education costs, including ROOM AND BOARD (over half of total costs). So PLEASE start saving NOW...

I'd love to sit in front of this computer ALL DAY, but that wouldn't be right. I do have other things that need tending to. So I'll leave you with this sUpEr nEws!

tIll nExt tImE...

rElIgIOn!

What's up, ya'll?! I sit here writing this listening to B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) by GZA, while millions of people are getting ready to go to church and practice his or her RELIGION. For some odd (or intentional) reason I was checking out AlEx grEY's wEb sItE. this morning. DISCLAIMER: If you like art and don't know him, check him out. Anyway, the cUrrEnt prOfIlE pIc is from Mr Grey and profiled under my TV section.

So the point of all that is this...RELIGION is a very complicated and complex thing. VERY COMPLEX AND COMPLICATED!!! Before I get too far on this subject, I just wanna let everybody know my stance because I'm not trying to hurt anyone's feelings when it comes to their beliefs. But I am an outsider to most because I wasn't brought up anywhere near ANY church. Which if you think about it, kind of voids any chance of a debate without bias from the side that was brought up around, in, or AS the church. And I can confidently say that because if you don't know about something, or only hear about it from someone else, there's no emotional connection (or fear) to it. And that's kind of the elementary difference; because once you add the saturation of "what a good person is supposed to say, do etc., etc.", that churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and whatever other house of HIGHer whatever undeniably does, it kind of overwhelms the balanced scales. I don't like to use the word PROGRAMMING loosely, so I won't. But looking from the outside in, gives me a chance to objectively observe and analyze human habits. And let's face it, CHRISTIANS are not a small group of people. And that makes it that much easier to see a consistent pattern of behavior. AND I'M NOT HATIN'!

...really I'm not. There are ALWAYS GONNA BE EXTEMISTS. I understand that. What I'm interested in is the PURPOSE of religion. Higher Beings, Spirituality, Gods, Metaphysics--I'm cool with all of that. It's the actual organizing of the people and the influence over GENERATIONS of humans' minds. It's very powerful; and unfortunately history has shown us that RELIGION and WAR are very, very fond of each other.

WORLD MATHEMATICS:
Religion + War = Money

Money and Power are synonymous. And how rich do you think George Bush is? Either one? And this is the man who said that God appointed him President! And you know, I believe him; because I know he didn't get the votes. So tell me...could it be possible that FEAR caused by ONE'S RELIGIOUS BELIEFS trumps ALL other layers of reasonable and potential thought? Huh, you say? Then why do so many not care about the Iraq War? The TROOPS, for God's sake! Or how about global warming?

OK, so these issues are too big for one person to make a difference, right? Well, what about what the PATRIOT ACT and THE MILITARY COMMISSIONS ACT OF 2006 have done to your personal rights. HABEAS CORPUS ACT OF 1679 IS GONE!!! If you don't know how real that is, get your Habeas Corpus-game up!

Please someone help me make sense of any of this. I feel confident in saying that I've seen more of the world than the average person. And on top of that, I've seen the majority of these places at the resident-level. Not just the tourist spots. I've been IN PEOPLE'S HOMES in Mozambique, Panama, Germany, and England. That's some serious access to different cultures. And there's DEFINITELY a spiritual connection between you and the people you "click" with. Even if you don't speak the same language.

So tell me what, who, where, when, why YOU believe in. And most importantly let me know why your way is THE WAY...



P.L.U.R.,
zAy