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August 24, 2010
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: Accountability, African-American, Business, Commentary, Community, Economics, Environment, History, Minorities, Morality, Native American, Recovery, Social Classes, Social Issues
 2 comments For the past few days I have been haunted by the memory of Hurricane Katrina. August 28th marks the fifth anniversary of the storm that destroyed most of New Orleams and displaced one of the poorest sections of this country- the 9th Ward. I have never been to New Orleans but what happened in 2005 changed my life. Continue reading What Hurricane Katrina Taught Me August 24, 2010
Posted by Carla René in: Accountability, Advice, African-American, Attitude, Biography & Memoir, Book Marketing Online, Book Review, Books, Business, Business Management, Cancer, Cap and Trade, Children, China, Climate Change, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Communications, Communism, Community, Computers, Congress, Contributor's Audio/Video, Creative Writing, Current Events, Democracy, Democrat, Diet, Economic Crisis, Economics, Education, Energy, Entertainment, Environment, Environmental Issues, Faith, Family, Fiction, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Relations, Freedom, Freelance Author, General Topics, Geopolitical Events, Global Warming, Governance, Habit Change, Health & Fitness, Healthcare, Heroes, History, Homeland Security, Humor, Inspiration & Motivation, Internet, Internet Advice, Interview, Islam, Journalism, Latino & Hispanic, Legal, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Literature, Marketing, Marriage, Medical, Men's Issues, Mental Health, Mexico, Military, Minorities, Morality, Motivation, Music, Native American, Nature/Wildlife, Non-Fiction, Nutrition, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Philosophical Genres, Poetry, Politics, Publishing, Question of the Day, Recovery, Relationships, Religion, Republican, Rhyme, Satire, Self-Help, Sex, Short Stories, Social Aspects, Social Classes, Social Issues, Sociology, Spirituality, Sports, Technology, Television, Terrorism, The Economy, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner, Travel, Uncategorized, Website Instructions, Weight loss, Wellness, Women's Perspective, Women's Rights, Working Women, Workplace, World Issues, Writing Essentials
Leave a comment Begun back sometime in 2001, this book was originally a fluke of an idea… [...] August 23, 2010
Posted by Kaye in: Accountability, African-American, Attitude, Children, Commentary, Democracy, Faith, Family, Freedom, Healthcare, History, Islam, Latino & Hispanic, Minorities, Morality, Music, Poetry, Religion, Social Classes, Social Issues, Uncategorized
6 comments The revival of South Pacific was broadcast live on PBS On August 18, PBS live Lincoln Center. The musical which originally opened on Broadway on April 7, 1949 is one of my favorite musicals but then, I love just about everything Rogers and Hammerstein did from Carousel to Porgy and Bess to Oklahoma to Flower Drum Song. As I sat mesmerized in front to my television sometimes singing aloud and other times mouthing the lyrics to songs I consider to be some of the most beautiful songs ever written it slowly began to dawn on me that this musical was not so much about American troops at war on an island in the south pacific as much as it was a story about racism. Continue reading Strange Fruit Living Just Enough For The City August 23, 2010
An oxymoron or a sign of the changing times? [...] August 10, 2010
Posted by georgepolley in: Biography & Memoir, Book Review, Freedom, History, Journalism, Minorities, Non-Fiction, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner, World Issues
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The more I read about the history of the Palestinian people, the more I am reminded of the history of America’s indigenous people since Christopher Columbus landed on the island of Hispaniola in 1492. In both cases ethnic cleansing with its accompanying genocide were norms, especially when the indigenous peoples fought back. In both cases the indigenous populations were treated with disrespect, contempt and removal. And in both cases, genocide and ethnic cleansing were denied by the conquerors and their friends. In the public discourse, we’re the good guys, they the villains. As Israeli historian Shlomo Sand says “what history does not wish to relate, it omits[1]” as if omitting it wipes the slate of history clean. It does not. Eventually, liked or not, truth emerges and has to be faced. Continue reading “His name was Mohammed, and he was a good man” August 10, 2010
A weapon whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed. [...] August 8, 2010
Posted by Alan Caruba in: Commentary, Current Events, Lifestyle, Marriage, Opinion, Relationships, Social Issues
2 comments There’s Nothing Gay about Being Gay By Alan Caruba There are two topics I generally try to avoid discussing. Number one on the list is homosexuality. Number two is most things having to do with religion, although it is impossible to ignore it in a world where a militant Islam is causing so much conflict. I would avoid examining gay “marriage” if I could, but the gay and lesbian community will not let me. With seven decades of life under my belt, I have had plenty of time to learn about homosexuality, know homosexuals, and to have arrived at some conclusions about it. My basic conclusion is that homosexuality is hard-wired into an individual at birth. It is not, in my opinion, a lifestyle option one learns about and decides to choose. Those who discover their homosexuality, early or late, know well that it positions them outside the acceptance of our society and those worldwide. As such, it is a cause of much abuse and, to varying degrees, self-hatred. Continue reading There’s Nothing Gay about Being Gay August 3, 2010
Posted by Michael Crumling in: Advice, Climate Change, Commentary, Entertainment, Environment, Faith, Habit Change, Humor, Life Experiences, Satire, Social Issues, Television, The Media, Weight loss
Leave a comment I like background noise. It allows me to separate my thoughts. Occasionally, I find it a distraction, but most of the time it is just noise. The presence of the sound is somehow transformative. It sustainably enables me to marshal my thoughts and execute whatever it is I am doing, or it allows me to sleep despite any of the din outside. The volume matters sometimes. A loud television or stereo is interesting when you concentrate on it with interest. However, when you are no longer interested, they become a distraction… sort of like people in life sometimes. But, in both cases you will find that you can tolerate either, very well, if the volume has been reduced a good bit. We have all had that conversation. You’re really listening to someone, intent to hear what they are saying. When they hit a few sour notes, your attitude has changed, and you start to hear “blah blah woof woof……blah blah”. Continue reading A list of crap I no longer wish to hear about July 31, 2010
Posted by georgepolley in: Book Review, Books, Current Events, Freedom, Morality, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner
Leave a comment Kenneth Ring, PhD and Ghassan Abdullah, editors: Letters from Palestine: Palestinians Speak Out about Their Lives, Their Country, and the Power of Nonviolence. Paperback, $26.95. Wheatmark, Tucson, Arizona, 2010. Website: www.wheatmark.com. For Palestinians, 1948 was a catastrophe. When Israel was born, between 700,000 and 800,000 Palestinians were expelled from their ancestral homes, farms, villages and towns and became permanent refugees. For them this murderous ethnic cleansing was their Holocaust. Sixty-two years later, it continues. For those who live in what was Palestine, the experience is one of contempt, persecution and eradication. The following quote from professor and peace activist David Shulman’s book Dark Hope is a description of what it is like on the ground. “What we are fighting in the South Hebron Hills is pure, rarefied, unadulterated, uncontainable human evil. Nothing but malice drives this campaign to uproot” people from their homes. … “They led peaceful, if somewhat impoverished lives, until the settlers came. Since then, there has been no peace. They are tormented, terrified, incredulous, as am I. What black greed, what unwitting hatred, has turned Israeli Jews into the torturers of the innocent?” The stories in Letters from Palestine are by people who live this reality on a daily basis. Some are refugees who cannot return. Most live in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. In reading their stories, two things are clear: no human being should have to endure what they have endured, on a daily basis, for sixty-two years. It is immoral to allow it to continue. Continue reading A Powerful Testimony to Courage and a Call to Action: a book review July 22, 2010
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: African-American, Children, Commentary, Education, Family, Minorities, Motivation, Personal Experiences, Social Issues, Uncategorized
2 comments Each summer I volunteer to work with young journalists, teens actually, on how to behave in professional settings. Many of them are gifted writers and photographers. Some are just in the group to have something to do for the summer. At the end of each session we do a mock reception or party so we can practice what was learned. One of the things I ask them to write down at the beginning of the workshop is what job title they want at the age of 25. For the mock party they wear name tags with the job title on it and pretend they hold this position. The jobs these young African American and Latino students pick often surprises me. But sometimes they sadden me because they reveal that somewhere in their life someone has given them a set of limitations to deal with that they can’t escape for a minute, even to dream. Continue reading Limitations July 19, 2010
Posted by Kaye in: Accountability, African-American, Children, Commentary, Faith, Family, Opinion, Social Classes, Social Issues
7 comments Last night I learned that my friends lost their only son. He was shot and killed by an undercover police officer in Newark, New Jersey last Friday. He was shot in the heart on a warm sunny evening. His name was DeFarra Gaymon, he was 48 years old, he was the father of two girls and two boys all under the age of 12. We called him Dean, everybody did. He was the President and CEO of a credit union in Atlanta. His father is a pastor, he has a sister and three nieces. He was the apple of his mother’s eye and he had a loving wife. He was a soft and gentle man. The news media accounts say that he was in a park and that a complaint was made. The cop that shot Dean is reported to be so distraught that he is under sedation and unable to give a statement some 3 days later. He hospitalized in the very same hospital that Dean died in 3 hours after he was fatally shot. People are speculating that Dean was engaged some unsavory activity and that when the undercover” cop arrived something went awry. I don’t know why Dean was shot and murdered but what I do know is that Dean Gaymon was a loving family man. I do know that he doted on his mother and he loved his family. I do know that he not only cared about his children he also cared for his children and his sister’s children as well. Continue reading A Soft and Gentle Man July 5, 2010
Posted by Kaye in: African-American, Attitude, Commentary, Democracy, Freedom, History, Military, Native American, Personal Experiences, Politics, Social Issues, Uncategorized, Women's Rights
2 comments Back in June my friend Minnette Coleman wrote a piece entitled General McChrystal Should Go. As with most of Minnette’s posts it garnered several comments some of which focused on the morale of our troops. My comment, which said that I was not concerned with troop morale, raised the ire of Prentiss Gray.I promised to respond to Prentiss and so, after a bit of a wait, here is my reply. Continue reading Answering Mr. Gray July 1, 2010
Posted by Michael Crumling in: Accountability, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Congress, Current Events, Democracy, Education, Freedom, General Topics, Governance, History, Legal, Military, Non-Fiction, Opinion, Philosophical Genres, Politics, Social Issues, The Pundit's Corner
Leave a comment A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bears arms shall not be infringed.Twenty-seven little words packed with so much meaning, and causing so much debate. The recent McDonald v. Chicago decision seems to put to rest nearly fifty years of debate; especially when teamed with District of Columbia v. Heller. These two decisions hold that the Constitution of the United States extends the individual right to arms and that the Second Amendment is applicable to every city and state. Did they make the right decision? Continue reading Chicago loses, Americans win!June 27, 2010
Posted by Michael Crumling in: Accountability, Attitude, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Freedom, General Topics, Governance, History, Non-Fiction, Opinion, Philosophical Genres, Politics, Social Issues
4 comments When I was a boy my Pap would tell me that a good man should over-deliver and under-promise. Your word and your handshake were a contract. The good rules to live by were the “Golden Rule”, The Ten Commandments and the Constitution of the United States. Regardless of what you believe, these are a great foundation. I understood the golden rule from the time I was a small child. In my household, we tried really hard to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. I have a great deal of empathy as an adult, as a result of this early upbringing. The Ten Commandments were much clearer to me as I entered the middle years of school. As a small child, the concepts are difficult to grasp. With time and a little maturing, it is easy to understand the ethical implications. Don’t lie, murder, steal, cheat on your commitments, or desire to take private property. You should honor your parents and not worship self-indulgent or self-proclaimed “gods”. You should work only six days in the week. One day should be reserved for family members and also those who labor for you; to rest, family and thanks to your creator. I always had difficulty with the graven image issue, but none the less, these are good rules. The Constitution, its’ causes, its’ meaning, and the intent were difficult to grasp. The language was a bit nebulous from the perspective of a child, the need for it unclear. Continue reading Closing Pandoras Box June 25, 2010
Is anybody naive enough to really believe it? [...] June 21, 2010
Do you ever get embarrassed thinking about what you used to do? In my case, my Achilles heel was my ankles which were showing at all times. In the 1970s, they simply didn’t make trousers for people who were 6’5” tall with a 37” inside leg. So I could never wear jeans or something appropriate to my age. It is still tricky, in fact, to this day to find any trousers to fit me in standard shops. My options were to wear shorts, to lower the waist of my trousers down to around the top of my thighs – this became dead trendy later, but was definitely not so at the time, especially as it tended to make my trousers split at the crutch – or to order some tailor-made monstrosities fashioned (if that is the word, which it isn’t) almost invariably from curtain material. I looked like a golfer. Continue reading What was I thinking back in the day? June 21, 2010
What does it say about our young people? [...] June 13, 2010
Posted by Tim Roux in: Books, Children, Family, Literature, Non-Fiction, Relationships, Sex, Social Issues, Sociology, Women's Rights
6 comments We mostly have the same script about how childhood should be. A baby enters as a warm bundle into a sometimes wet world. Especially in Britain, we know that that the sun doesn’t always shine. We are realists. The growing child should be loved and cherished, and allowed to run free (and safely). At a certain point, school, friendships and romance flow through to a young adult’s triumphal entry onto the world stage as a happy, balanced and generous human being ready to contribute fully towards society, not least by repeating this cycle. Sometimes this happens. Sometimes it doesn’t. Continue reading Suffer the children June 11, 2010
Have we lost our ability to laugh at ourselves? [...] June 10, 2010
Posted by Tantra in: Commentary, Family, Marriage, Opinion, Relationships, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner, Workplace
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Transparent Relationships All Round Being in a transparent relationship is a spiritual opportunity, a chance for continuous self-scrutiny, and a way to make sure each person involved is really aware of what is going on, on a conscious level. I believe we are all aware to some degree on an unconscious level of what others we are involved with are feeling or doing, and discussing it out in the open can clarify what we are sensing. Radical honesty in any kind of relationship is an exercise in diligent attention to mental hygiene and honoring reality, and the other. In business, it’s vital, and in science, it’s necessary for our survival. For example, as Dr. David Anderson says in his work about time control, if we aren’t transparent about it, the world can throw itself off its center. Recently it was revealed how often companies check up on all the emails, texts, Facebook messages, and phone calls of their employees. Transparency as far as what a worker is doing on company time makes sense to me, and as it’s a trend people need to get used to, it’s a good time to think about the value of transparency in all kinds of relationship, not just related to how we are spending our time at the desk. June 9, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Books, Commentary, Current Events, General Topics, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Social Issues
One comment When I Choose a Book by Bob Grant The spill in the gulf is killing the fish, To destroy all of us some others wish. The stocks are all down and banks seem to fail, We fear for our travel on planes or on rail. The globe is now warming or all just a [...] June 4, 2010
We shouldn’t allow them to eat us up. [...] May 28, 2010
Is everything we have learned wrong? [...] May 27, 2010
Posted by Tyree Harris in: Accountability, Commentary, Current Events, Education, Freelance Author, Journalism, Life Experiences, Opinion, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner
5 comments U.S. problems rooted in poverty by Tyree Harris One of the greatest lessons I’ve ever learned was that if you really want to solve a problem, you must start at the origins of it. Rather than spending time wrestling with the effects of a bigger issue, one should focus on the source of hardship, and that will usually eliminate any resulting side issues. Apparently, America skipped school the day that lesson was taught. We live in a nation with high incarceration rates, high obesity rates, drug problems and questionable high school curriculums. America has dedicated countless funds, bills and infomercials to ending all these issues, but the problems seem to be going nowhere. Why? Because they are just the results of something larger: poverty. Poverty brews mis-education Raggedy books. Prison-style windows. Unheated buildings. Teachers more concerned with discipline than academics. All of these are common sights in America’s inner-city schools. Because these areas are low-income, with not as much tax money and neighborhood support going to their schools, they often have outdated books and a piteous curriculum with limited advanced placement courses, little emphasis on higher education and overfilled classes. Continue reading U.S. problems rooted in poverty May 17, 2010
Is there any evidence that it still exists? [...] May 14, 2010
Posted by seamus in: Accountability, Advice, African-American, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Communications, Congress, Creative Writing, Current Events, Democracy, Democrat, Economics, Entertainment, Freedom, Governance, Homeland Security, Inspiration & Motivation, Islam, Journalism, Life Experiences, Minorities, Morality, Motivation, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Politics, Republican, Social Aspects, Social Classes, Social Issues, Terrorism, The Economy, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, World Issues
2 comments Amazing how many high government officals (including the Attorney General), political pundits, politicians, school officials and religious leaders comment so harshly on the immigration law in Arizona and publicly admit they haven’t read the ten page document. The document basically states that when being stopped for a traffic violation or questioned concerning a crime that [...] May 14, 2010
Posted by seamus in: Accountability, Advice, Attitude, Business, Cap and Trade, Commentary, Communications, Congress, Creative Writing, Current Events, Democrat, Economics, Entertainment, Finance, Freedom, General Topics, Geopolitical Events, Governance, Homeland Security, Humor, Journalism, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Literature, Minorities, Morality, Motivation, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Politics, Recovery, Republican, Satire, Self-Help, Social Aspects, Social Issues, Sociology, Terrorism, The Economy, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, Women's Rights, Working Women, World Issues
Leave a comment Pick Your Reason 10. I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies’ profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn’t. 9. I voted Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the [...] May 12, 2010
Posted by Tyree Harris in: Accountability, Commentary, Creative Writing, Family, Habit Change, Journalism, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Medical, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner
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High life shattered by addiction by Tyree Harris Jerret Hooey, 22, said he usually slept in until about 1 p.m., but on one night last October he awoke at 4 a.m. by an all too familiar aching: He was fiending for a high. Hooey made his way to the bathroom with his mind set on heroin. As his body demanded, he opened a bag of dope and put several little pieces onto tinfoil, lit it and smoked it using a hollow ink pen. For now, his fixation was suppressed, but the relief was short-lived. A loud banging on the door began — it was the FBI. Hastily, Hooey sprinted to his clothes room and grabbed as much of his stash as he could. If he didn’t get his stuff down the toilet — fast — he would be caught red-handed. Continue reading High life shattered by addiction May 8, 2010
Posted by Congressman Billybob in: Accountability, Commentary, Current Events, Life Experiences, Minorities, Social Issues, Women's Rights, Working Women, Workplace
One comment Burqa Mentality in the Blue Ridge
I read, and I write for, the Highlands Newspaper, a weekly paper with a modest circulation. The Editor, also my editor, is Kim Lewicki. She ran an article in last week’s issue that was excellently written and edited, and worthy of sharing with my national audience. The week before, Erika Olvera, a former Police Officer in this town, filed an EEOC Complaint against the Town of Highlands. Our experience with Officer Olvera was limited, but we found her to be diligent and capable. She worked for the Town for two years. She is a naturalized American from Mexico, who has lived in this area for about 20 years. About six months after she was employed by the Police Department, a nasty rumor circulated that she had had an affair with Police Chief Bill Harrell. (In a small town, everyone hears everything.) I said at the time the rumor may have nothing to do with her, but may be an effort by one of the other officers to undermine the Chief. Suffice to say, Bill Harrell is married. Continue reading Burqa Mentality in the Blue Ridge May 7, 2010
Posted by Muhammad Cohen in: Business, China, Morality, Social Issues, The Pundit's Corner
Leave a comment In Singapore and Macau, gambling companies have invested billions on shaky propositions. [...] May 7, 2010
Posted by steve sangirardi in: Creative Writing, Faith, Freelance Author, Relationships, Religion, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner
5 comments Stephen Sangirardi The Monster Bard715@aol.com Once upon a time there was a priest who had the best of intentions. While in the seminary, he devoted himself to God and practically memorized the Bible. He was going to transform the world into a model of Christianity, beginning with the parish he would one day shepherd. No vow was too difficult for the young man to grapple, especially the vow of chastity and purity, and not a night passed when the young novitiate did not pray like a thousand saints rolled into one. The day of his graduation from the seminary came, and the priest was sent out into the world. His parish was a small community in upstate New York, where he would serve under the current pastor. It was understood that when the elder pastor died, the young priest would succeed him. For the first few years of his service, the young man of God zealously served his flock, energizing his sermons with a power that the congregation had never seen before. In addition to sermonizing, the priest counseled anyone who sought his advice and administered Holy Communion in the dead of winter, swirling snow and all, if an ailing person needed to receive the Eucharist at home. In this respect, the priest was like an old-fashioned doctor who made house calls. Word of the priest’s spirituality began to spread to other congregations, and in no time the priest had doubled the number of people who came weekly to his church. He had made proud the old pastor who once told a newspaper reporter that had he, an aging pastor, not chosen the celibate life, the young priest was the type of son he would have wished for. After a few years, however, the price of repression, of sexual sacrifice, had begun to take its toll on the priest. He prayed endlessly to ward off the temptations that began to attack him and he made certain that he never looked at any woman in his parish for too long or spent too much time with any female in the confessional or the sacristy. He practically took to whipping his flesh, as the Reverend Dimmesdale resorted to in The Scarlet Letter after the Rev. had fornicated and produced a child with Hester Prynne. Sure enough, the priest overcame every urge to make the beast with two backs with a woman. Continue reading The Monster May 6, 2010
Posted by Antonio de la Vega in: Democracy, Economic Crisis, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Relations, Freedom, Geopolitical Events, Governance, History, Latino & Hispanic, Mexico, Morality, Native American, Opinion, Politics, Social Aspects, Social Issues, Sociology, Uncategorized, World Issues
One comment La ley SB1070 además de polémica debe encerrar otras razones de fondo, para llevar a la reflexión sobre los temas relacionados con el movimiento de personas en el mundo. [...] May 4, 2010
Posted by Tyree Harris in: Commentary, Creative Writing, Journalism, Life Experiences, Relationships, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner
8 comments Overdose claims relationship (part two) by Tyree Harris The following is the second part of a two-part series started in last week’s “In These Eyes.”
Cynthia Wick lies on her couch, crushed. No food in her system, no hope on her mind, no sleep in her near future. In fact, for Wick, the act of sleeping now means enduring horrible nightmares that wake her up every 30 minutes. Since she lost her boyfriend of two years to an overdose, her life hasn’t been the same. “I had no desire to do anything,” Wick said. Wick doesn’t even sleep in her bedroom anymore — it reminds her too much of Devyn Lorett. Continue reading Overdose claims relationship (part two) May 3, 2010
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: Commentary, Environment, Family, Lifestyle, Motivation, Nature/Wildlife, Social Issues
9 comments They delivered the dirt mulch before the dirt. They delivered them two days apart. It came from a city sponsored program to help the trees that line our block. Two weekends ago I attended a workshop held in the basement community room of one of the co-op apartment buildings on our street to learn how to care for the trees you adopt. We were taught what needed to be done to ensure the beautification of our street and the health of the trees. While most block association meetings have low attendance, this meeting had a great turnout. There were children there interested in helping the environment, people who wanted to make signs to stop pet owners from letting their dogs pee on trees (its kills them, you know) and there were adults there interested in helping the street develop into a community. Continue reading Watching a Community Develop May 3, 2010
It is fundamental to the human spirit that we all believe we are leading a worthy and honorable life. [...] April 30, 2010
Posted by write2bfree in: Accountability, Attitude, Biography & Memoir, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Communism, Creative Writing, Current Events, Democracy, Economics, Finance, Freedom, General Topics, Geopolitical Events, Governance, History, Literature, Minorities, Morality, Opinion, Philosophical Genres, Politics, Social Aspects, Social Issues, Sociology, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner, World Issues
Leave a comment Charles Dickens’ novels show the degradation and exploitation of the working poor, but his solution (as pointed out by Orwell) was that those in power would become better people and in their new-found compassion create a safer, healthier environment for the workers. This would extend even to educational opportunities and a chance to move up the ladder, but only so far, never far enough to threaten the existing order. To counter this “benign ruler” point of view, some people in the early 1900s began to organize the working poor. Those most effective and trustworthy came from that background and took action. The work of Camus and Orwell springs from a real knowledge of poverty (Camus) or being an outsider among the privileged (Orwell). It must be pointed out that Camus took a dim view of Marx, and Orwell was horrified by Stalin’s Communism. But these two writers have held the greatest influence in the minds of Western thinkers who call themselves liberal. Camus went so far as to coin the term “libertarian socialist.” Continue reading A Measured Voice April 30, 2010
Three schools of thought on driving. [...] April 27, 2010
Posted by Tyree Harris in: Commentary, Creative Writing, Freelance Author, Habit Change, Journalism, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Medical, Relationships, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner
4 comments Overdose claims relationship By Tyree Harris After a long afternoon playing board games and talking with 18-year-old Devyn Lorett, her boyfriend of more than two years, she decided it was best if she left his house. It was too difficult for her to be around him; they had been broken up for almost a month. “I just wanted to tell him how much I missed him, how much I loved him, and that I didn’t want us to be apart anymore,” said Cynthia Wick, 18. But as much as she wanted to say this, and as right as it felt, Wick knew she couldn’t be with him. She met Lorett while trying out for a cheerleading squad her freshman year. At first sight, he told her she was beautiful, displayed clear interest and instantly pursued her. Initially, it was to no avail, but Lorett was determined. Though he couldn’t get her attention in person, he managed to track her number down through mutual friends and began texting her. Wick was thrown off by his inexplicable perseverance. Continue reading Overdose claims relationship April 26, 2010
It is whatever we want it to be; we write it ourselves. [...] April 23, 2010
The love of the hunt. [...] April 21, 2010
It is all up to us. [...] April 19, 2010
Posted by georgepolley in: Book Review, Children, Family, Poetry, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner, Women's Perspective, World Issues
Leave a comment Stella Evelyne Tesha: “A Journey Into Life”, Author House (UK), 2010. In “A Journey Into Life”, Stella Tesha takes us on a journey of life from Europe to the villages of Africa and back again. Nothing hidden here; these are straightforward poems written from the heart. A young woman asks her lover “Would [...] April 16, 2010
Posted by Muhammad Cohen in: Book Review, Books, Fiction, History, Minorities, Social Classes, Social Issues
Leave a comment The best novelist virtually unknown beyond his homeland. [...] April 9, 2010
The joy of cigars. [...] April 6, 2010
Posted by Lauren Harrison in: Advice, Children, Current Events, Education, Family, Opinion, Social Issues
One comment High school sucked for me, there’s no better way to put it. The funny thing is I didn’t realize it until after graduation. Maybe it wasn’t high school specifically, maybe it was more like adolescence sucked for me. But looking back on it now I have also realized that it could have been much worse. At least most of the time it felt like I had someone to talk to. When you’re sixteen years old, the most important thing in the world is to feel included, especially if you’re a girl. I read an article this afternoon– printed in the New York Times on March 29th– about a teenage girl who had committed suicide because of bullies at her high school. Most of the parents who’s children attend that high school are clamoring for the superintendents removal and very strict anti-bullying measures to be put into effect. Those teens who where guilty of the harassment are being charged with felonies, but I feel like some people are missing the point. Yes, the school is responsible for every student within its walls, but how can parents expect the staff to catch every act of discrimination? In my experience, most teenagers are pretty intelligent when it comes to getting away with stuff they shouldn’t. They’re intelligent enough to know how not to get caught, even after repeated offense, and smart enough to completely understand what they’re doing. The high school in question is partially at fault, but I blame the students themselves. By the age of sixteen a person is old enough to know better. What I cannot understand is how those teens could think that treating a fellow student in such a way would ever be okay or acceptable. Frankly, it is disturbing. But they learned that behavior from somewhere. I’m not saying it was television or video games or books (if they even read them) that taught them that was a cool thing to do, but they got the idea from somewhere. Continue reading Sometimes That’s All it Takes April 6, 2010
Posted by seamus in: Advice, Attitude, Books, Business, Commentary, Current Events, Entertainment, Faith, Family, Freedom, General Topics, Health & Fitness, Healthcare, Humor, Interview, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Medical, Men's Issues, Motivation, Non-Fiction, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Publishing, Recovery, Religion, Self-Help, Social Aspects, Social Issues, Sociology, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner, Uncategorized, Wellness
21 comments Several months ago I woke up feeling odd (not strange for me). Got out of bed, took the old good morning pee, moved down the hall following the smell of coffee and then had to grab a gaudy table halfway down the hall to keep from falling. Not normal but what the hell. I [...] March 31, 2010
Socialization 101. [...] March 30, 2010
According to at least some psychologists, the metaphor stands at the centre of our perceptual mechanisms which are based on the contrast between one thing and another, whether it be to reconstruct edges and corners visually or to assess how much of a vegetable a mushroom is (believe it or not, we have a running cognitive map that scores vegetables as to ‘vegetableness’, with root vegetables at the top). The narrative form of the metaphor is the proverb or allegory, an ancient method of getting messages across much favoured by Aesop, Jesus and Fontaigne.
In recent times, the masters of the pointy fable have been George Orwell, who buried the philosphical pretensions of socialist totalitarianism first with ‘Animal Farm’ and then with ’1984′, and Antoine de Saint-Exupery with his ‘Little Prince’. Continue reading In all humanity March 29, 2010
Have they just scratched the surface? [...] March 26, 2010
Posted by Genevieve in: Children, Family, Lifestyle, Personal Experiences, Social Classes, Social Issues
4 comments I find myself in a quandary and am hoping for advice. I would say that overall, I am a very relaxed sort of mom. We live in a very remote area, so when my kids have friends over, they often stay overnight. And of course, my girls stay in other children’s homes as well. It’s something we didn’t do much of when we lived close to our neighbours, but here, where everything is at least a ten minute drive away, it is the norm. We have all relaxed into the routine, and have gotten to know the kids around here very well. It’s been an educational experience, and a fun one. We live in an area in which it is not uncommon to drive past a mansion, then drive past a neighbouring trailer decorated with rabbit ear antenna. We have people who work in offices, people who fish for a living, artists and writers, and lots of retired folk. A pot pourri of incomes, if you will. It makes for even more education on my side, since I grew up in a position of financial comfort. Continue reading Smokey Sleepovers – looking for advice! March 26, 2010
Such people are typically described as “colorful” characters. [...] March 24, 2010
Posted by scottqmarcus in: Children, Commentary, Current Events, Diet, Health & Fitness, Healthcare, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Opinion, Social Issues, Weight loss, Wellness
Leave a comment Childhood obesity begins in adulthood. At first blush, that makes as much sense as the bumper sticker that proclaims, “Insanity is hereditary. You get it from your kids.” Of course, that placard is humorous; the wellbeing of society is anything but. The unvarnished truth is when we get down to brass tacks, children to not become obese by choice, but rather by the (in)action of adults. [...] March 20, 2010
Posted by Congressman Billybob in: Commentary, Current Events, Democracy, Governance, Life Experiences, Opinion, Social Issues
Leave a comment Feeding Starving People March 17, 2010
Posted by Tyree Harris in: Accountability, African-American, Commentary, Creative Writing, Current Events, Personal Experiences, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner
15 comments Don’t be colorblind–be aware. by Tyree Harris In a nation that drowns itself in political correctness and shudders in fear of any racial discussion, the notion of “colorblindness” has been our sure-fire way of not seeming racist or to disregard the racial and class tensions that mean so much to our society. People who identify as “colorblind” claim that they don’t “see color,” that race doesn’t matter to them, and worst of all, that race isn’t a problem anymore. Colorblindness is a form of ignorance and yet, most of us consider colorblind a positive term. I cringe every time I hear it: How could you not see something so real? Continue reading Don’t be colorblind–be aware. March 12, 2010
Invaluable tool for detecting HSA’s. [...] March 11, 2010
Posted by Kaye in: Accountability, Attitude, Children, Commentary, Economic Crisis, Education, Family, Governance, Habit Change, Homeland Security, Legal, Opinion, Politics, Social Issues, The Economy
3 comments Today, like every weekday, I got in my car, after work, and head for home listening to NPR. I’ve been thinking about this for some time now and today, after hearing a piece on NPR about Kansas City, Missouri’s school board approving a plan to close 26 schools in one district and Cleveland, Ohio’s school board approving a plan to close or move 16 schools, I had to give voice to my thought which is, Our country is broken and bleeding. We are loosing our safety, loosing our jobs, our homes, our way of life and even our schools. Not only can’t we house and feed our children we can’t educate them either. I’m at a loss. I’m lost because I can’t see a fix. This week, here in South Carolina, a Columbia city council member who has held office representing the same district (The City of Columbia’s District 2) for 27 years, resigned after pleading guilty to federal tax evasion. According to reports, the man failed to pay more than $25,000 in federal income taxes in 2004. Before this revelation we learned that two convicted felons were trying to run for mayor of the city of Columbia and we have a governor that was hiking the Appalachian Trail in Argentina. Continue reading s it just me or, is there something wrong with this picture? March 9, 2010
Posted by Kaye in: African-American, Attitude, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, History, Music, Opinion, Social Issues
5 comments Anyone who has ever set foot on a historically black college or university campus knows that there is something called stepping, the form of percussive dance where the entire body is used to produce intricate rhythms and sounds comprised of a mixture of rapid footsteps, spoken word, rhyme, hand claps, syncopation and synchronization. Stepping is generally performed in groups or teams and finds its origins in African foot dance. African American Greek-lettered fraternities and sororities across the nation have always taken pride in their step performances and often organized fierce competitions Alpha Kappa Alpha (ΆΚΆ), Alpha Phi Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta (Deltas), Iota Phi Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi (Kappas), Omega Psi Phi I (Que Dogs or the /Ques), Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta (Zetas), and Sigma Gamma Rho comprise what is known in the Black community as the “Divine Nine” and are celebrated for their innovative and sometime provocative step routines. Continue reading The Culture of Step March 6, 2010
Posted by psuedowriter in: Accountability, Commentary, Current Events, Legal, Opinion, Social Issues
One comment by Don Maker In May of 2000, John Albert Gardner III pleaded guilty to molesting a 13-year-old female neighbor. Prosecutors said he lured the victim to his home with an offer to watch a movie. In addition to being molested, the girl was beaten before escaping and running to a neighbor. First, this was not a case of a man being “unjustly accused” and later exonerated. Because of the circumstances, Gardner could have faced decades of prison time, but under terms of a plea agreement he faced a maximum of 11 years in prison. However, David Hendren, the prosecutor who handled the case, urged six years. Hendren said that Gardner’s lack of a significant prior criminal record justified less than the maximum sentence. Prosecutor’s also said they wanted to “spare the victim the trauma of testifying.” Why should she have had to testify? Gardner had given a clear, un-coerced confession to a brutal crime. A court psychiatrist, Dr. Matthew Carroll, who evaluated Gardner, pushed for the maximum sentence, as many as 30 years, saying in court documents that Gardner “would be a continued danger to underage girls in the community.” Even Hendren must have agreed to a certain extent, because prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo that Gardner “never expressed one scintilla of remorse for his attack upon the victim” despite overwhelming evidence against him. Gardner wound up serving five years of a six-year prison term. Continue reading “Bleeding Hearts” Cause Many Hearts to Bleed March 5, 2010
Why the Tea Party should remain independent. [...] February 19, 2010
The art and passion of fly fishing. [...] February 16, 2010
Posted by Tyree Harris in: Commentary, Creative Writing, Current Events, Freelance Author, Journalism, Life Experiences, Non-Fiction, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner
7 comments Drunken assaults in Eugene not isolated event by Tyree Harris The recent assaults and thefts at University of Oregon involving football players Rob Beard and Mike Bowlin have caused quite a stir: I’ve seen people in Eugene begin to worry about their safety, traveling with friends more often and discussing how violent it has become. However, despite the recent speculation, violence in Eugene is no new epidemic. February 15, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Accountability, Comments & Discussion, Healthcare, Question of the Day, Relationships, Social Issues
Leave a comment Do you feel a responsibility to take care of the elderly? Your relations and/or strangers? We welcome your thoughts and comments. February 14, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Commentary, Current Events, Morality, Opinion, Social Issues
Leave a comment What is Nudity? by Bob Grant This seems to be the consensus definition of Nudity: noun: the state of being without clothing or covering of any kind. Someone, very special to me, sent out a harmless Valentine’s Day JibJab video. Someone else wrote something about there was an impression of nudity in this video – they try to [...] February 13, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Lifestyle, Question of the Day, Social Issues
3 comments What do you think of Body Piercing, Tattoos, and Branding? We welcome your thoughts and comments. February 12, 2010
And the differences with “New School.” [...] February 12, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Commentary, Finance, Opinion, Social Issues, The Economy
Leave a comment We Have No….. by Bob Grant We have no lodge on mountain up high, We have no jet on which to fly. We have no yacht on which to ride, We have no mansion in which to hide. We have no Harley on which to cruise, We have no closet with mountains of shoes. We have no tailor [...] February 10, 2010
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: Democracy, Democrat, Opinion, Social Classes, Social Issues, Sociology, The Pundit's Corner
One comment Once upon a time in a land far far away. • “Roosevelt is a socialist, not a Democrat,” declared Republican Rep. Robert Rich of Pennsylvania during a debate on the House floor on July 23, 1935. That remark came after Republicans hinted they were considering a move to impeach Roosevelt, according to the New York Times . • “The New Deal is now undisguised state socialism, declared Senator Simeon D. Fess (R-Ohio) today as he pictured President Roosevelt as the New Deal’s leading socialist,” reported the Chicago Daily Tribune on Aug. 7, 1934. “The president’s recent statements,” Fess said, “remove any doubt of his policy of state socialism, which necessitates increased activities of the government in either ownership or operation of industry, or both.” • “The Russian newspapers during the last election [1932] published the photograph of Franklin D. Roosevelt over the caption, ‘The first communistic President of the United States,’” said Sen. Thomas Schall, a Republican from Minnesota. “Evidently the Russian newspapers had knowledge concerning the ultimate intent of the President, which had been carefully withheld from the voters in this country. In fact, the voters of the United States were meticulously misled as to such intentions Continue reading Socialists Need Not Apply to the Tea Party Convention February 10, 2010
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: African-American, Commentary, Current Events, Democracy, Democrat, Opinion, Politics, Social Classes, Social Issues, The Pundit's Corner
Leave a comment First of all it would be very difficult to elect an African American President in America today. There would have to be some sort of cataclysmic event like a massive meltdown of or economic system that would cause people to lurch violently left. But let’s just say that happened and an African American were elected. The election itself would spawn ultra right candidates who would appeal to white America with calls of country and God and a new sort of Nascar beer drinking rural constituency would form in reaction. The opposing party would probably come up with an opposing candidate who might be a minority or a woman who would probably be violently right and try to appeal to white American with visions of the country in a 1950′s world. After the election the President would have to have increased protection because a lot of the country would simply not accept a black man as President. The election might be contested or they might even say he wasn’t a citizen and not eligible to be President. Gun sales would skyrocket in the South and the threat level against him would probably go up four hundred percent. A whole new campaign would immediately be launched to slowly destroy his credibility. Far right commentators would make it their job to bring him down. In effect, the election campaign against him would continue. Continue reading What if an African American were elected President? February 10, 2010
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: Commentary, Current Events, Democracy, Opinion, Politics, Social Classes, Social Issues, Sociology, The Pundit's Corner
Leave a comment President Obama can stop running now. Someone should really tell him that. He is still in campaign mode and wants to give those feel good speeches. The problem is the speeches don’t feel so good anymore and we really don’t need somebody running for an office he already won. Being President is not about [...] February 10, 2010
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Democracy, Democrat, Opinion, Politics, Social Classes, Social Issues, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner
Leave a comment Sarah reads from her palm. She mixes up names and trashes the English language and makes up little idioms like shout outs and six pack joes and hockey moms. She really isn’t into all that minutia of policy and stumbles around when pressed and mixes metaphors and trips over sound bytes and puts her pedagogy’s where her pedagog should go. In short she is no verbal linguist. But neither was George Bush and he reined for eight years. Do not underestimate the populist who can’t talk. For years we laughed at George ruining the English language. That Texas boot just stuck in his craw every time he had to quote some leader from the Mideast or get those evildoers straight in his mind from Afghanistan. He just didn’t like all that foreign talk but he could chat about a barbecue or a pickup truck or having a beer. Enter Palin the Palm reader. Sarah read from her palm like any other high school kid who cant keep his facts straight. It is an old trick and one that belies the person who just wants to get though the test and doesn’t really care about learning. Sarah just wants to get through the interviews and then get back to being Sarah. That she does very well. She really doesn’t have the intellectual curiosity of a Barack Obama or the encylopedic knowledge of policy and procedures that Bill Clinton possessed. Continue reading So what was written on Sarah’s Palm…George Bush? February 10, 2010
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: Opinion, Social Classes, Social Issues, Sociology, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner, Uncategorized
Leave a comment You wake thinking something exploded. Someone hit the house with a hammer and everything shakes. You jump out of bed because something has just happened and yet the house is quiet. A meteorite just hit the house. A UFO landed on the roof. A jetliner crashed in your yard. Your wife runs in and says there has been an earthquake. Your son says his bed moved across the room. The earthquake last night hit in the middle of a snowstorm and I thought snow must have fallen from the roof and hit the porch. There was no news of an earthquake. It is Illinois for Godsake. So I run around the house looking for damage. Nothing. I look outside trying to see if there is a smoking meteor or a plane that crashed in the neighborhood and shook the house. And it is then I have a small glimmer of what people in Haiti went though. The terror is not knowing what is happening. There is the feeling of the world suddenly lurching out of control and your once sane existence is threatened by an unseen hand shaking your house like a box of popcorn. We go on the Internet looking for any news but there is nothing. Continue reading The Illinois Quake-Glimmers of Haiti February 10, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Commentary, Current Events, Economic Crisis, Lifestyle, Question of the Day, Social Issues
2 comments Should Homelessness concern you/us? We welcome your thoughts and comments. February 9, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, Personal Experiences, Question of the Day, Relationships, Social Issues
2 comments Do you consider yourself normal or abnormal? We welcome your thoughts and comments. |
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The Great March
Tomorrow is the 47th Anniversary of the March on Washington. It is a significant date in the history of this country, August 28, 1963. Never before had so many American people, 300,000 or more, gathered in one place to lift in one voice of shared concern for “jobs, and freedom”, and equality for all Americans. Others have tried to duplicate the event and its success but this political rally organized by civil rights, labor, and religious organizations calling on all Americans in support of civil and economic rights for African-Americans, that took place in Washington, D.C, were Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial would come to be known as “The Great March on Washington“.
At 6:30 the morning of August 28, 1963 my grandfather in Pennsylvania and my parents in New York City boarded two buses both bound for Washington in the District of Columbia. All three of them were journalist; all three were Americans of African decent; all three held great expectation, pride and there was a jubilant hope in their hearts. Continue reading The Great March