Monday, September 08, 2008

Palin: wrong woman, wrong message

Sarah Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Hillary Clinton. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.

By Gloria Steinem
September 4, 2008

Here's the good news: Women have become so politically powerful that even the anti-feminist right wing -- the folks with a headlock on the Republican Party -- are trying to appease the gender gap with a first-ever female vice president. We owe this to women -- and to many men too -- who have picketed, gone on hunger strikes or confronted violence at the polls so women can vote. We owe it to Shirley Chisholm, who first took the "white-male-only" sign off the White House, and to Hillary Rodham Clinton, who hung in there through ridicule and misogyny to win 18 million votes.

But here is even better news: It won't work. This isn't the first time a boss has picked an unqualified woman just because she agrees with him and opposes everything most other women want and need. Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It's about making life more fair for women everywhere. It's not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It's about baking a new pie.

Selecting Sarah Palin, who was touted all summer by Rush Limbaugh, is no way to attract most women, including die-hard Clinton supporters. Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Clinton. Her down-home, divisive and deceptive speech did nothing to cosmeticize a Republican convention that has more than twice as many male delegates as female, a presidential candidate who is owned and operated by the right wing and a platform that opposes pretty much everything Clinton's candidacy stood for -- and that Barack Obama's still does. To vote in protest for McCain/Palin would be like saying, "Somebody stole my shoes, so I'll amputate my legs."

This is not to beat up on Palin. I defend her right to be wrong, even on issues that matter most to me. I regret that people say she can't do the job because she has children in need of care, especially if they wouldn't say the same about a father. I get no pleasure from imagining her in the spotlight on national and foreign policy issues about which she has zero background, with one month to learn to compete with Sen. Joe Biden's 37 years' experience.

Palin has been honest about what she doesn't know. When asked last month about the vice presidency, she said, "I still can't answer that question until someone answers for me: What is it exactly that the VP does every day?" When asked about Iraq, she said, "I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq."

She was elected governor largely because the incumbent was unpopular, and she's won over Alaskans mostly by using unprecedented oil wealth to give a $1,200 rebate to every resident. Now she is being praised by McCain's campaign as a tax cutter, despite the fact that Alaska has no state income or sales tax. Perhaps McCain has opposed affirmative action for so long that he doesn't know it's about inviting more people to meet standards, not lowering them. Or perhaps McCain is following the Bush administration habit, as in the Justice Department, of putting a job candidate's views on "God, guns and gays" ahead of competence. The difference is that McCain is filling a job one 72-year-old heartbeat away from the presidency.

So let's be clear: The culprit is John McCain. He may have chosen Palin out of change-envy, or a belief that women can't tell the difference between form and content, but the main motive was to please right-wing ideologues; the same ones who nixed anyone who is now or ever has been a supporter of reproductive freedom. If that were not the case, McCain could have chosen a woman who knows what a vice president does and who has thought about Iraq; someone like Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison or Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine. McCain could have taken a baby step away from right-wing patriarchs who determine his actions, right down to opposing the Violence Against Women Act.

Palin's value to those patriarchs is clear: She opposes just about every issue that women support by a majority or plurality. She believes that creationism should be taught in public schools but disbelieves global warming; she opposes gun control but supports government control of women's wombs; she opposes stem cell research but approves "abstinence-only" programs, which increase unwanted births, sexually transmitted diseases and abortions; she tried to use taxpayers' millions for a state program to shoot wolves from the air but didn't spend enough money to fix a state school system with the lowest high-school graduation rate in the nation; she runs with a candidate who opposes the Fair Pay Act but supports $500 million in subsidies for a natural gas pipeline across Alaska; she supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, though even McCain has opted for the lesser evil of offshore drilling. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.

I don't doubt her sincerity. As a lifetime member of the National Rifle Assn., she doesn't just support killing animals from helicopters, she does it herself. She doesn't just talk about increasing the use of fossil fuels but puts a coal-burning power plant in her own small town. She doesn't just echo McCain's pledge to criminalize abortion by overturning Roe vs. Wade, she says that if one of her daughters were impregnated by rape or incest, she should bear the child. She not only opposes reproductive freedom as a human right but implies that it dictates abortion, without saying that it also protects the right to have a child.

So far, the major new McCain supporter that Palin has attracted is James Dobson of Focus on the Family. Of course, for Dobson, "women are merely waiting for their husbands to assume leadership," so he may be voting for Palin's husband.

Being a hope-a-holic, however, I can see two long-term bipartisan gains from this contest.

Republicans may learn they can't appeal to right-wing patriarchs and most women at the same time. A loss in November could cause the centrist majority of Republicans to take back their party, which was the first to support the Equal Rights Amendment and should be the last to want to invite government into the wombs of women.

And American women, who suffer more because of having two full-time jobs than from any other single injustice, finally have support on a national stage from male leaders who know that women can't be equal outside the home until men are equal in it. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are campaigning on their belief that men should be, can be and want to be at home for their children.

This could be huge.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Madness Lyrics

I've been most unwilling
To see this turmoil of mine
The thought of sitting with this
Has me paralyzed

With this prolonged exposure
To near and averted eyes
I think that I've been waiting
Such mileage for empathizing

Now I see the madness in me
Is brought out in the presence of you
Now I know the madness lives on
When you're not in the room
Though I'd love to blame you for all
I'd miss these moments of opportune
You simply brought this madness to light
And I should thank you

Oh, thank you
Much thanks for this bird's eye view
Oh, thank you
For your most generous triggers

It's been all too easy
To cross my arms and roll my eyes
The thought of dropping all arms
Leaves me terrified
[Madness Lyrics On http://www.elyricsworld.com/ ]
And now I see the madness in me
Is brought out in the presence of you
Now I know the madness lives on
When you're not in the room
Though I'd love to blame you for all
I'd miss these moments of opportune
You simply brought this madness to light
And I should thank you

Oh, thank you
Much thanks for this bird's eye view
Oh, thank you
For your most generous triggers

I'd have to give up knowing
And give up being right
You, inadvertent hero
You, angel in disguise

And now I see the madness in me
Is brought out in the presence of you
And now I know the madness lives on
When you're not in the room
And though I'd love to blame you for all
I'd miss these moments of opportune
You simply brought this madness to light
And I should thank you

Oh, thank you
Much thanks for this bird's eye view
Oh, thank you
For your most generous triggers

Alanis Morissette

This song touched me deeply. It represents where I am right now in life. Right Now. Awakening to Life's Purpose.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Sean Bell (May 18, 1983–November 25, 2006) was an African-American man who was shot and killed by plainclothes New York Police Departmentdetectives on November 25, 2006. Bell and two other friends were leaving Bell's bachelor party at a strip club in Jamaica, Queens when they were shot, in an incident that sparked fierce criticism of the police for the killing of an unarmed man and drew comparisons to the 1999 killing of Amadou Diallo.^[1] Three of the five detectives involved in the shooting were indicted by a grand jury for the incident^[2] but found not guilty on charges ranging from manslaughter to reckless endangerment.^[3] Bell was buried in Port Washington, New York

Background

Bell was the nephew of University of Miami basketball coach Frank Haith.^[4] As a teenager, he studied acting in Flushing, Queens.^[5] He was a star pitcher for John Adams High School in Ozone Park. His senior year season ended with an 11-0 record, a 2.30 E.R.A. and 97 strikeouts in 62.2 innings. Bell then gave up baseball because his girlfriend was pregnant.

Bell held odd jobs after the birth of his daughter. His fiancée, Nicole Paultre, told Larry King that Bell was an electrician by trade and in between jobs when the shooting occurred.^[6]http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,232079,00.html New York Mayor Promises 'Fair and Thorough' Investigation of Groom's Death], Fox News, November 27, 2006. In all cases, he was released on his own recognizance.^[7] The New York Daily News reported that, according to unnamed law enforcement sources, Bell sold crack cocaine twice to a confidential police informant in August of 2006.^[8] Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield, who were also shot in the incident, had been arrested nine and three times, respectively, each having been arrested at least once for illegal firearm possession.^[9] Benefield was subsequently arrested during a gambling raid in Harlem after attending the funeral of James Brown, and again on September 25, 2007 for hitting his child's mother. His latter arrest resulted in him pleading guilty on October 12, 2007 to a lesser charge, and accepting a conditional discharge along with counseling.^[10]

[edit]Shooting incident

At the time Bell was holding his bachelor party at Kalua Cabaret, a venue that was being investigated by seven undercover police detectives ^[11]. The owners of the club had been repeatedly accused of fostering prostitution.^[12]

The New York Post reported that, according to an unnamed undercover officer, Guzman had an argument inside the club with a woman and threatened to get a gun. One of Bell's friends was heard to say "yo, get my gun" as they left the scene. Fearing a shooting was in the making, the Undercover Detective followed them to their car while alerting his Backup team that they were possibly retrieving a gun from the car, prompting the team to confront Bell and his companions before they could leave the scene. ^[13] The undercover officer followed the group and Bell was ordered by the officer to raise his hands after getting in his car. Instead, Bell accelerated the car and seconds later hit an unmarked police minivan.^[1] A toxicology report reportedly showed that he was legally drunk at the time of the shooting. An attorney for the Bell family said in response to the report, "No matter what his blood-alcohol level was, he's a victim."^[14]

Other accounts of the incident conflict with that of the undercover officers. According to Guzman and lawyer Michael Hardy, the detectives never identified themselves while they approached the vehicle with drawn weapons.^[8] Another source also told New York Daily News that the officers failed to warn Bell before opening fire and started firing immediately upon leaving their vehicles.^[15]

The police officer who initiated the gunfire said that he saw a fourth man in the car, who fled the scene amid the chaos, possibly with the alleged weapon that wasn't recovered. Some civilian witnesses at the scene support this claim, and pointed to Jean Nelson as the fourth man. Nelson was possibly present at the bachelor party and witnessed the shooting, but denies being in the car or possessing a gun.^[16]^[17] According to The New York Times, a preliminary police report of the shooting contains

"... no meaningful discussion of a fourth man, a mysterious figure who some in the Police Department have suggested may have been present along with the three men who were shot. None of the witnesses whose accounts are in the report speaks of someone who may have fled — perhaps possessing a gun — and there are no indications that the police at the time were seeking anyone who may have left the scene."^[18]

Critics suggest that the scenario was concocted by the police officer in order to justify the shooting.^[16] Columnist Juan Gonzalez reported in the New York Daily News that, according to a law enforcement source, in the hours immediately following the incident, there was no mention of a fourth man in the police calls and no search was launched for the potentially armed man. This source thus contradicted initial reports that the police searched the neighborhood for the missing man.^[19]

According to Michael Palladino, the head of the detectives union, a man who was working as a janitor in a nearby building while the incident occurred later told the detectives that he had seen a black man fleeing the scene, and that the man had fired a gun, at least once, at the police. The witness further stated that he had then heard the officers shouting "police, police." According to the police, there is no ballistic evidence indicating that any weapon, other than those of the officers', was fired at the scene. ^[20].

Two of the five officers involved were black, one was white, one was Middle-Eastern, and one was of biracial black and Hispanic origin (Haitian/Mexican). The first officer to fire was black.^[21]

In an interview on Larry King Live, accompanying Bell's fiancée Nicole Paultre, Al Sharpton stated that according to his conversations with eyewitnesses, none of the three men who were shot mentioned a gun while leaving the club. Sharpton also felt that it would be impossible for the persons in the car to have heard the police from within the car, and that they were likely to fear that they were being carjacked. ^[6] Several of the witnesses received payment from Sharpton, and several groups, including the NYPD Detectives union have questioned the ethics of these payments, calling into question the witnesses' credibility, to which Sharpton has replied, "How can [the Detectives Endowment Association] support the detectives and I can't support the victims?" ^[22]

According to Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, veteran officer Michael Oliver emptied two full magazines, firing 31 shots from a 9mm handgun and pausing to reload at least once.^[11] Some shots hit nearby homes and a train station. Five of the seven officers investigating the club were involved in the shooting. Detective Paul Headley fired one round, Officer Michael Carey fired three, Officer Marc Cooper fired four, Officer Gescard Isnora fired eleven, and Officer Michael Oliver fired thirty one times. ^[23] ^[24]^[25]

An autopsy showed Bell was struck four times in the neck and torso. ^[26] Guzman, 31, was shot 19 times^[27] and Benefield, 23, who was in the back seat, was hit three times. Both men were taken to Mary Immaculate Hospital; at the time of admission Guzman was listed in critical condition and Benefield was in stable condition. Guzman and Benefield would ultimately survive the shooting.^[11]Benefield was released from the hospital on 5 December 2006,^[28] while Guzman was released on 25 January 2007.^[29] Surveillance cameras at the Port Authority's Jamaica AirTrain station a half block away from the shooting site recorded one of the bullets fired by the officers shattering through the station's glass window and narrowly missing a civilian and two Port Authority patrolmen who were standing on the station's elevated platform.^[19]^[30]

On April 25, 2008, a Queens judge found the three officers in the case to be "not guilty" of murder and reckless endangerment. This sparked a public outcry, and Rev. Al Sharpton, who has been advising the family, has called for a federal civil rights prosecution of the officers.

[edit]Response

Memorial in memory of Sean Bell at the place of the shooting

Hundreds of protesters came out over the weekend following Bell's death to protest the amount of force used; protests continued into the following week.^[31]^[32] Some have noted the similarity between this incident and past shootings of unarmed people, such as Amadou Diallo and Ousmane Zongo.^[1]^[33] The family has designated Al Sharpton as their advisor.^[34]

New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has said "it sounds to me like excessive force was used,"^[35] and has called the shooting "inexplicable" and "unacceptable".^[34] Ex-New York governor George E. Pataki has also stated that the shooting was excessive.^[34] Kelly has put the five officers involved on paid administrative leave and stripped them of their weapons, a move the New York Times called "forceful".^[34] He told the Times that the officers were stripped of their guns because "there were, and are, too many unanswered questions."^[34] Both Bloomberg and Kelly have also noted that the shooting was possibly in violation of department guidelines prohibiting shooting at a moving vehicle, even if the vehicle is being used as a weapon.^[36] The Public Advocate extended condolences to Bell's fiancee and family following the killing.^[37]

On December 7, 2006, Nicole Paultre legally changed her name to Nicole Paultre-Bell to "honor the memory" of Sean Bell.^[38] New York State laws require a couple to obtain a marriage license prior to a wedding, and "although the marriage license is issued immediately, the marriage ceremony may not take place within 24 hours from the exact time that the license was issued."^[39] According to Nicole Paultre's attorney, a posthumous wedding was impossible since no marriage license had yet been signed.^[38]

On March 5, 2007, it was announced that a Rikers Island inmate offered to pay an undercover police officer posing as a hit man to behead New York City police commissioner Raymond Kelly and bomb police headquarters in retaliation for the incident.^[40]^[41]

On March 25, 2007, New York Daily News reported that an unnamed Queens drug dealer, after being arrested, alleged that Sean Bell had shot him the previous year on July 13, 2006 over a drug turf dispute. Police sources called the drug dealer's account credible, but could not rule out the possibility of the drug dealer falsely identifying Sean Bell to garner favor with authorities. Sanford Rubenstein, (the attorney representing the Bell family, Nicole Paultre, and the two other occupants of the vehicle that were wounded during the shooting) denounced this development, saying, "We expected them to throw dirt at us and they are throwing dirt at us." NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau detectives say the dealer's tale has no direct bearing on the police shooting of Bell, though some legal experts said that it could help the defense by portraying Sean Bell as possibly armed and dangerous.^[42]

[edit]Investigation and criminal indictment

Some activists have called for a special prosecutor in the case, but former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer said he did not see the need for it^[28] although Attorney-General Andrew Cuomo promised to keep a watch on the criminal proceedings. The Queens district attorney's office interviewed over 100 witnesses and presented more than 500 exhibits to a grand jury.^[43] An issue considered by the grand jury was the New York State Penal Code's description of circumstances under which a police officer can use deadly force, "The use of deadly physical force is necessary to defend the police officer or peace officer or another person from what the officer reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of deadly physical force."^[44]^[45]

On March 16, 2007, three of the five police officers involved in the shooting were indicted by a grand jury. Officer Gescard Isnora, who fired the first shot, and Officer Michael Oliver, who fired 31 of the 50 shots, face charges of manslaughter, reckless endangerment and assault; while Detective Marc Cooper faces the lesser charge of two counts of reckless endangerment.^[43] All three detectives pleaded not guilty at the arraignment hearing on March 19, 2007. Detectives Isnora and Oliver were released on bail and Detective Cooper on his own recognizance.^[43]

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, Second Department, recently denied a motion by the detectives' attorneys to remove the trial to a venue outside of Queens. Following the adverse ruling, the detectives waived a jury trial and instead submitted to a bench trial.

The District Attorney Richard Brown has faced some criticism from activists who believe he did not question the police officers involved quickly enough.^[46]

[edit]Acquittal on all charges

On April 25, 2008, all three of the police officers indicted were acquitted on all counts. The defendants opted to have Justice Arthur J. Cooperman make a ruling rather than a jury. The ruling was handed down in a state supreme court in Queens. ^[47] After the ruling was made, the family led by Al Sharpton and several others went to Bell's grave side in Port Washington for a memorial service. Sharpton, Bell's family and the rest of the crowd left after the services without incident.

[edit]Civil Case

On July 24, 2007, attorney Sanford Rubenstein filed a civil lawsuit against the officers involved in the shooting and against the NYPD on behalf of Bell's fiancee, Nicole Paultre Bell. He said the civil suit will not be pursued until the criminal trial concludes.^[48]

Lawyers of Nicole Paultre Bell plan on continuing with a lawsuit against the police officer co-defendants and against the NYPD.

I've been away for a while....

Im not sure if it was just laziness or just plain denial of the insanity in the world, but I have been away from my blog for a while.

So I decided to come back at least for a few entries.

I don't really know where to start....Madonna's new album...Hillary Clinton's madness...or today's acquittal of Sean Bell's killer cops.....hmmmmmmmmm

Ok...So Sean Bell.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Chitown 2007

i spent a week hangin with my friend Tariq in Chicago. it's a beautiful city. Tariq has some amazing history there and he showed me around and told me all about the Chi. Sit back and enjoy my video of us chillin and T drivin around showin me the spots.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Her voice through Him

Ever since my mother died, I've been able to communicate with her in different ways. A part of my garden is dedicated to her. I see her in my dreams. She came to me in the hospital when I was dying last year from a tonsillectomy gone bad. She put her hand on my shoulder one night when I was sitting at my computer. Every chance I get I speak to her. And each time is precious. The other night I went to hear my friend Mario Spinetti perform. He is an amazing singer/songwriter who I met recently through his girlfriend, Lauren Adams. Lauren is one of the most beautiful choreographers in the world. She created Moving Still, which I had the privilege of seeing. Moving Still starred Danny Tidwell and Travis Wall as well as several other breathtaking dancers. Danny Tidwell used one of Mario's songs, "Delirious", during one of his solos on So You Think You Can Dance. It was the first time I heard his voice and I was blown away. Since then, I have become a huge fan of his music and had the chance to hear him perform live 3 times. The last time I heard him perform was 2 nights ago. He did a set at Piano's here in the city. During his song "Hallelujah" (which he dedicated to me!!) the most amazing thing happened. I heard my mother's voice. I don't mean that I heard her voice in my head, or in the room. I actually heard her voice come through Mario while he sang "Hallelujah". And in that moment it was as if my mother was singing to me. Now, I have spoken to my mother before lots of times. But this was the first time that she was speaking to me since she died 2 years ago. It was the most beautiful experience and I feel blessed to have had it. Mario's music often makes me think of my mother but she spoke through him this time. And for the first time in over 2 years, I heard my mother's voice again. For anyone who has lost someone they love dearly, you know how upsetting it is to start to forget what they sounded like...what their voice was like. So being able to hear it again...LIVE..not on a tape or a video..but LIVE. I can't describe it other than to say pure joy. I've just started to process this so it's still very raw which is why I'm blogging about it. (If you haven't noticed already, this blog is very raw and emotional...just like me). I will cherish that moment forever and will be talking about it for a long time I'm sure. If you haven't heard Mario's music yet..please get off my blog site immediately and go to iTunes and search for Mario Spinetti. He just released his first EP and it's a beautiful taste of his brilliance. You can also go to his myspace page at www.myspace.com/mariospinetti to listen to his music and learn more about him.
And to anyone who has lost someone and may believe that you will never hear from them again. You are wrong. You will. I just had to open up to it and let it happen.

(Here is a video I created for Mario using footage from Lauren's Moving Still starring Danny Tidwell and Travis Wall)

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Don't call the police for help

Yesterday was one of the worst days I've had as a social worker. Over the past 7 years, I have seen alot. I have seen the ugly side of society, as well as the most beautiful side of humanity. My clients are a constant inspiration to me and others around them, even as they are disgarded and abused by the system.

Yesterday, I saw the worst of humanity. And it came from a cop. Yes ladies and gentlemen, the "heroes" of new york...the ones who are here to "serve and protect". Cops.

Many times I have called 911 asking for police assistance when one of my clients, who struggle with severe and persistant mental illnesses, need help getting to a hospital for psychiatric or medical treatment.

Yesterday, I called 911 to assist in the escorting of one of my clients to the hospital for psychiatric assessment. My client, who I've known for 5 years, is 50 years old and walks with a cane. When the cops arrived, I met with them downstairs to brief them on the situation. I told them that he was very much on edge although I was able to calm him. I explained that if they went into the office aggressively, he would respond aggressively. I specifically asked if the cops could try and be calm so not to increase the potential for violence.

They didn't. They went into the office in an aggressive manner. They yelled at my client, demanding that he "SIT DOWN"! He immediately lunged towards the male officer with his cane. It looked as if he struck the officer with his cane. The cops wrestled him to the ground, knocking over the watercooler in the process. The female cop maced him in the face and pinned him to the ground. At this point he was face down in a puddle of water from the cooler. His hands were behind his back and he was handcuffed.
I thought...ok that was bad but at least it's over. Well I was wrong.

Next thing I see is the male officer who was struck in the face with his cane starting kicking my 50 year mentally ill client in the back. HARD. Not once, but twice. Then, as if that wasn't bad enough, he kicked him in the back of the head. Not once, but twice. He didn't stop until me and another staff member yelled for him to stop. Within a second of him stopping, i noticed the puddle of water on the floor turning red. When they picked up my client, he was bleeding from his head and mouth. There was a puddle of his blood on my office floor as well as blood that trailed behind him as they dragged him out like a dog.

I followed the cops downstairs to get their names and badge numbers and watched as they forcefully pushed him into the police van. After he was in the back of the van, the same male officer jumped over the seats and starting punching my client some more.

This was a handcuffed man, already bleeding, helpless in the back of a police van.

By no means am I excusing my client's participation in the altercation. He did strike the cop first. But they maced him, wrestled him to the ground and then beat him by kicking him like a dog. After they had subdued him. After.

Like I said, I have seen alot being a social worker who works with one of the neediest populations. But this was the most horrible, and most inhumane thing I have ever seen with my own 2 eyes.

After they left I was speechless. I spent the next few hours helping the clients who witnessed it process their feelings. I spoke to several supervisors and legal counsel about what we could do. While I was trying to calm the office, the female officer returned saying she needed his cane for evidence. I calmly asked her where she was taking him and she said "Jail...he assaulted a sargeant and that's a big deal". I reminded her that he was a psychiatric patient and needed psychiatric attention to which she laughed. She then intentionally tried to intimidate me by saying that it was MY FAULT since I had "made them come to the office". Again, I reminded her that I had simply called 911 for their assistance and went out of my way to brief them on the situation and the potential for violence. She then asked me if we had cameras in the office, which we don't but lord I wish we did! Then before she walked out, she looked at me and said in a nasty tone, "I will see you in court".

I will never trust a cop again. Never

So to all of you out there in cyberland who are reading this and saying...DUH...I get it now. I get it.

And if you happen to be a police officer and you are reading this...this is why people don't like you. This is why people don't trust you. This is why.

There is never a reason to beat someone up after you have restrained them. I explained to the 911 operator that he had the potential to become violent. I then went out of my way to explain to the responding officers what was happening. They didn't listen. And this is what happened.

The sargeant kicked a helpless man while he was down. In the back and in the head. Then continued to beat him in the police van.

A piece of humanity was chipped away at yesterday.

I did file a formal complaint against the cop for excessive force and I will keep you all updated on what happens next.

I am saddended though. Deeply saddended.

Sunday, May 06, 2007

A Numbers Game: Most Americans disapprove of Bush...FINALLY

It’s hard to say which is worse news for Republicans: that George W. Bush now has the worst approval rating of an American president in a generation, or that he seems to be dragging every ’08 Republican presidential candidate down with him. But According to the new NEWSWEEK Poll, the public’s approval of Bush has sunk to 28 percent, an all-time low for this president in our poll, and a point lower than Gallup recorded for his father at Bush Sr.’s nadir. The last president to be this unpopular was Jimmy Carter who also scored a 28 percent approval in 1979. This remarkably low rating seems to be casting a dark shadow over the GOP’s chances for victory in ’08. The NEWSWEEK Poll finds each of the leading Democratic contenders beating the Republican frontrunners in head-to-head matchups.

Perhaps that explains why Republican candidates, participating in their first major debate this week, mentioned Bush’s name only once, but Ronald Reagan’s 19 times. (The debate was held at Reagan’s presidential library.)

When the NEWSWEEK Poll asked more than 1,000 adults on Wednesday and Thursday night (before and during the GOP debate) which president showed the greatest political courage—meaning being brave enough to make the right decisions for the country, even if it jeopardized his popularity —more respondents volunteered Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton (18 percent each) than any other president. Fourteen percent of adults named John F. Kennedy and 10 percent said Abraham Lincoln. Only four percent mentioned George W. Bush. (Then again, only five percent volunteered Franklin Roosevelt and only three percent said George Washington.)

A majority of Americans believe Bush is not politically courageous: 55 percent vs. 40 percent. And nearly two out of three Americans (62 percent) believe his recent actions in Iraq show he is “stubborn and unwilling to admit his mistakes,” compared to 30 percent who say Bush’s actions demonstrate that he is “willing to take political risks to do what’s right.”

Obama is seen as the most optimistic candidate (a consistent measure of electability) in either party: 51 percent of registered voters say the Illinois senator is optimistic, compared to 47 percent who say Edwards is, 46 percent for Clinton, 45 percent for Giuliani, 40 percent for McCain, and 27 for Romney.

While the poll has some high marks for Clinton, it’s not all good news. Though the New York senator and former first lady aims to project an aura of inevitability that she will win the Democratic nomination, Obama beats the leading Republicans by larger margins than any other Democrat: besting Giuliani 50 to 43 percent, among registered voters; beating McCain 52 to 39 percent, and defeating Romney 58 percent to 29 percent.

Like Obama, Edwards defeats the Republicans by larger margins than Clinton does: the former Democratic vice-presidential nominee outdistances Giuliani by six points, McCain by 10 and Romney by 37, the largest lead in any of the head-to-head matchups. Meanwhile, Sen. Clinton wins 49 percent to 46 percent against Giuliani, well within the poll’s margin of error; 50 to 44 against McCain; and 57 to 35 against Romney.

Where Clinton remains the undisputed champ is among Democrats. When matched against her main rivals for the Democratic nomination, Clinton is the choice of 51 percent of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters over Obama’s 39 percent; and she defeats Edwards 57 percent to 38 percent. Obama has not substantially narrowed Clinton’s lead since the early March NEWSWEEK poll, where he trailed Clinton by 14 points. Edwards has narrowed Clinton’s lead over him though. Back in March Edwards trailed Clinton by 31 points; now her lead is down to 19 points.

With 38 percent of Republicans dissatisfied with their party’s field, things could get interesting if former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson joins the race; 46 percent of Republicans who are dissatisfied with their candidates say he should (34 percent say he shouldn’t). Of the much smaller 14 percent of Democrats who are dissatisfied with their candidates, 60 percent say they want former vice president and Democratic nominee Al Gore to join the fray. Current New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Democrat who changed parties shortly before running for mayor, receives unenthusiastic support from both Republicans and Democrats: 18 percent of dissatisfied Democrats would like to see Bloomberg join the Democratic field, and an even more anemic 14 percent of Republicans would like to see him join theirs.

All of the candidates can perhaps take some solace in Americans’ dissatisfaction with the way things are going in the United States at this time (only 25 percent are satisfied; 71 percent dissatisfied). American dissatisfaction ratings last hit 71 in the NEWSWEEK poll in May 2006, at the height of the scandal over secret government wiretapping inside the United States. The last time that even half of our survey respondents were happy with the direction of the country was in April 2003, shortly after the start of the Iraq war. With that many unhappy Americans, the nation should have a strong appetite for new leaders and new ideas.

The NEWSWEEK Poll was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International May 2-3. Telephone interviews were conducted with 1,001 adults, age 18 and older; the overall margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points. The margin of error for questions asked only of Democrats and Democratic leaners is plus or minus 7 percentage points; for Republicans and GOP leaners, 8 percentage points.

Monday, April 09, 2007

barack obama.

the next president of the united states of america.

the audacity of hope.

the wings of peace.

he will change the course of our world.

one world.

one blood.

one love.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Happy Birthday Mom

February 27th would have been my mother's 76th birthday. It has taken me until this moment to get enough strength to write something about that day. It was a hard one. She was born in 1931. It's amazing to me how much life she lived. Her childhood in the 30's, being a teenager during the 40's, a young adult in the 50's and 60's and becoming a mother in the 70's. I don't know how any of us survived the 80's, and the 90's are when I really started to appreciate and cherish my mother.
I didn't have enough time with her and I never got to know about my mother's life. She spent so much of her time focused on her children and her husband, I only heard a handful of stories about her own life. When she died I was faced with the fact that I would never get to hear those stories and have a deeper understanding of who my mother was. Even after she was given chest compressions at the hospital to get her heart beating again and I saw for the first time that she had a mastectomy, my father refused to tell me about her battle with brest cancer. Since then, I've rummaged through so many papers and personal documents of hers and read her medical charts from before I was born. That is when she had her mastectomy. So she was in remission for breast cancer throughout my entire life without me knowing a thing about it. It blows me away on so many levels. Not only was she able to hide her struggles from me (in order to protect me from being burdened she would say), she was a breast cancer survivor.
So today, as I remember my mother, I celebrate HER life...her struggles, her acheievments and her strength. She was the strongest, most loving person I've known and one day I hope to be able to share her story and honor her for the hero that she was.
Happy Birthday Mom.
I miss you.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Not MY Tube

After posting a new video I created for my friend's magazine Movmnt 2 nights ago I had no idea what I was in for the next morning. I woke up and attempted to see how many hits the video got but it wasn't on Youtube anymore. I searched with different tag names and finally realized that they had taken ALL of my videos off YouTube and cancelled my account!!
It seems that the large corporate takeover of YouTube has led to a "copyright" infringement overkill. I have not made ONE CENT from any videos that I created and put on YouTube. They are my personal interpretations of songs and I consider them performances.
I apologize to all my fans who watch my videos. If you have a second, contact YouTube and tell them that it's not fair to remove videos that aren't making any money and are pure entertainment.
Soon enough it won't be YouTube anymore, but just another corporate broadcasting channel that chooses to censor anything that doesn't serve its own interests.
For those fans who want to see more, I already have some of my videos on googleVideo which can be found at video.google.com. Search for Madanna.
Soon I will have my own website that will have all of my videos as well.
It's time we all stood up and said "Enough"! to corporate America and the lawyers working for the entertainment industry. Without people to buy tickets and movies and cd's they will all go out of business. Take the power back to the people where it belongs.

Sunday, January 07, 2007

Barack Obama: The New Hope for America

I just finished reading Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope". I now feel a sense of hope that has been a long time gone for me. Since the Bush-hijaked 2000 "election" in America, I have felt extremely anxious about America's direction. A year after that criminal "election", I watched the WTC attacked and then collapse in my home city. I then watched as we started an illegal war in Iraq and began whittling away at our own civil rights. Our soldiers were torturing Iraqis. The American economy plundered. It seemed all over for Bush and then in 2004, he was really elected to serve 4 more years as the leader of the free world. I lost all hope. I felt that so many Americans were terrorized by the Bush administration's fear tactics, we were past the point of no return.
But there was one person during the 2004 presidential conventions that rose out of the dark and into the light. Barack Obama. It's one of those moments I think I will remember forever. Like most Americans, I had not heard of Senator Obama until the Democratic National Convention. He was the keynote speaker and brought a vitality to John Kerry's campaign that was not only exciting but necessary (since John Kerry sounds like a bored robot when he speaks). His speech was brilliant. Click here for the transcript of Barack Obama's Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic Convention
Not only was it a breath of fresh air to hear an articulate politician speak, after 4 years of bumbling idiot Bush, but his hopeful words were inspirational. Barack spoke of an America we all want to live in. One that respects other nations and uses it's financial success to aid the world. One that uses its technological advances to make the world a better place to live for everyone, not to oppress and violently attack.
I truly believe that if we, as Americans, truly want change then we need Barack Obama to bring us back into the light. If you don't think it's possible, or that "he's not the one that's gonna win it" for the Democrats in 2008, let me offer this....
The more we believe he can and will be our next president...the more likely he will be.
In 2004, most of us believed passionately that our next president had to be "anyone but Bush". We focused so much of our negative energy towards Bush and what did we get? BUSH.
When it comes to energy, it doesn't discriminate positive or negative forces...you get what you put out there.
This time..let's focus all of our positive energy on someone who can truly change the course of America, its values, and its potential for the world. Barack Obama. We all can light the spark and fan the flames of change for the better. Barack Obama can carry us through the healing we all need.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Moving Through

I've been having a hard day. I went to work today in a great mood. Ready to take on the day with my eyes wide open. I met a new client today who I am excited to work with. I had a great clinical session with another client of mine who I've worked with for 4 years and am seeing progress which is very cool. I even decided to go to a yoga class tonight, officially getting back to working out and "working in" on my body.
That's when it all came flowing out. During the final relaxation part of the yoga class, tears just started streaming down my face. I cried all the way through final relaxation for a good 15 minutes. At first I wasn't sure why and then on my way home from yoga it hit me.
I really miss my mother. I never thought that 18 months after my mother passed away, the pain of losing her would feel as raw as the day she died. On the way home I was listening to my ipod shuffle. I love the shuffle because you never know what song is coming next. It's always a nice surprise. Well, Mary's new song Reflections (I Remember) came on. It's such a brilliant little ditty....Mary can do no wrong in my book.....Anyway..everytime she sang "I remember", I thought about my mother. I started crying again but this time I was hysterical. I let it all come out right there on the A train. Bobbing my head to Mary and crying... It almost turned into that "ugly cry" where you just look a mess.
Alot of people say that after you lose someone you love, you learn to live with it and it gets "better".
I'm here to say..it doesn't just get better. It's fucking sad. And it's going to be sad for a long time. My mother isn't around anymore. I can't call her and wish her a happy New Year. I didn't get a xmas gift from her. I don't hear her reviews of all the new movies she saw. I don't get to hug her and tell her I love her. I don't get to tell her all my crazy social work stories. It sucks. And sometimes, when I think I'm having a great day...it creeps up and overtakes me. Like today. And when I have to cry...I cry. And boy do I cry.
I wanted to post this because I want people to realize that it's really hard to deal with death. Alot harder than I had expected.
Especially the death of a mother or father. My mother and I spoke everyday...EVERYDAY. And now I can't speak to her at all. Sure, I speak to her in my heart...I even have a space in my garden dedicated to her. But I can't just pick up the phone and tell her something silly from my day like I used to.
I have changed because of it. I feel sad more. I don't want to talk to people as much and find myself wanting time alone more than I used to. (If you know me, you may understand a little more about why I don't always answer the cellphone).
So..when you go out into the world tomorrow, try to be more patient with the people you interact with. Life is hard, and dealing with death can be overwhelming. You never know what everyone is going through so just be more patient. Thanks for listening.

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Taxpayers in New York will pay $33.9 billion for the cost of war in Iraq. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:

192,760 Affordable Housing Units
11,680,594 Children with Health Care
63,485,816 Homes with Renewable Electricity
509,631 Port Container Inspectors

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Dreamgirls
What a DREAM!

I saw Dreamgirls last night at the Zeigfeld Theater here in NYC. Surrounded by half of the homosexual population of NYC I anxiously sat in my seat waiting for the lights to go down. The energy was palpable in the theater. As most of us looked through the shiny 54 page Dreamgirls movie program we were handed when we entered the theater, I could hear comments about Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson swirling around me.
And then the moment came.
An announcer went to the front of the stage and welcomed everyone to the theater. People applauded. He reminded everyone there were no previews and the movie would start in a few minutes. People started settling into their seats and quieting down.
The lights went dim and everyone applauded again. I thought, this is going to be something!

The first few beats of music started and the audience went wild!! It was like we were all watching it happen live. There wasn't a song in the film that didn't get applause at the end of it.
(Well maybe that slow Jamie Foxx song 3/4 of the way through)

Anyway...Dreamgirls was absolutely breathtaking. The music, the fast paced story telling, and that Jennifer Hudson. I can't put into words how brilliant Jennifer Hudson is. I know that everyone who sees the film says something similar but it's 100% true.
From the moment she enters the film, the audience was hooting and hollaring about her! Not only did her voice knock you on your ass, but her acting was amazing!!
When she started the historic, "And I Am Telling You", i don't think anyone was breathing in the theater. And when she hit that last note (which she held for 11 seconds), the theater erupted into screams, cheers, and for most of us, a standing ovation for Ms. Hudson!! I have never been wathcing a film where I felt compelled to stand up in the theater and applaud a performance...in the middle of the film.

Now I don't want to pass over Beyonce. Although this is Jennifer Hudson's moment, Beyonce was great as well. Not once, did I feel like I was watching Beyonce. She got into her character and played it throughout. When she belted out "Listen" towards the end of the movie, and had her diva moment, I may have seen a sliver of Beyonce but only because I've heard the song on her album so many times. Beyonce had to play a quiet, NON-diva, which for a mega superstar can be almost immposible. (Watch any Madonna film where she is not playing herself or Evita)

But she did it. She is one of the most beautiful women in show business today. And any drag queen would die to wear anyone of the 100 outfits she was sporting in the film.

And then there was Danny Glover and Jamie Foxx who both served up their roles with grace and perfection.

But Eddie Murphy stole it from them like Ms. Hudson stole it from the other women in the film.
Eddie brought a level of energy to his role that brought the audience to its feet during the end credits and had us all screaming and applauding during the film.

This film is a MUST SEE for everyone. If you love the music, the story; if you want to be entertained, hear Beyonce and Ms. Hudson tear up the screen with their voices, or just be a part of some serious film history, get off my blog site now..go to moviefone.com and buy tickets to Dreamgirls. You will be very glad you did.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

I can't take it anymore.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Time Magazine: The Empress Strikes Back

On Wednesday, Madonna sat down with TIME's Josh Tyrangiel for a rare print interview to set the record straight about her controversial adoption of a Malawian boy.
Excerpts:
Why do you think people are so upset by the fact that you adopted a Malawian child?
People or the media? Because I don't think people really give a shit. But when you throw in things like, I'm a celebrity and I somehow got special treatment, or make the implication of kidnapping, it gets mixed into a stew and it sells lots of papers. But care? People don't care and the media certainly doesn't care. What they should care about is that there are over a million orphans in Malawi, and following me around is just a gross misappropriation of attention and money. But I do think there's a certain amount of nationalism and racism thrown in there. I mean, there's a lot of Brits-reporters on the street-who've said, 'Why don't you adopt a kid from Britain?' Or, 'Why did you adopt a black child?' So a lot of people's hangups and 'isms' are sort of mixed into this, too. It's just kind of a cocktail for disaster in terms of media perception.
One of the 'isms' that you're frequently accused of is dilletantism. You're new to Africa and these issues and there's a perception that you're jumping on a bandwagon, and bringing a child into it, too.
Look, I could have joined the U.N. and become an ambassador and visited various countries and just kind of showed up and smiled and looked concerned. But that's not getting to the root of the problem-and by the way, neither is building orphan care centers and giving people food and medicine. But it's a start. I'm saving people's lives. And whether I have earned the right to do it, or the respect of people who think I may not have the right to do it, is completely and utterly irrelevant. And in any event, no, I'm not interested in going in there like a dilettante and being an idiot and going 'Ok, I'm going to build 10 orphanages and I'll see you guys later!'
You met Mr. Banda once, in a courtroom. What did you say to him?
Obviously when you're sitting across from the father it's really heart wrenching. He was looking down at the ground all the time and I felt so bad for him. I said, 'I feel for you and I want what's best for David. So if you want him, I don't want to take your son from you. I just want to save his life. I can't live in Malawi. I can't move my family here. He would have to come and live with me and I would raise him as a son. But there's another option. I can just give you money, and you can raise him.' And he said no. But he still had a very hangdog expression, which crushed me. It was very confusing, and I'm sure he was very confused. Look, his wife dies, his other three children die, the guy's been grieving and been through hell. He gives his last son to an orphanage at the age of two weeks....to a certain extent he was ready to move on with his life. Then suddenly I show up and someone from the village says 'Hey, this white woman'-he didn't know who I was-'wants to adopt your child!' And once the press got involved everyone said Oh God, now we better cross our t's and dot our i's to make sure we actually aren't jumping queues, because we're going to be scrutinized.... The idea that people think I got a shortcut or an easy ride is absolutely ludicrous. I have never worked so hard for anything in my life, and I've never been given such a hard time. And my celebrity has worked against me in every way....And by the way, say I did cut the queue? Say I did cheat and not have to wait two years to adopt a child? Well good for me! Do you know how many children are going to die in the next two years? It's a stupid law. Change the law.

The full interview is available to read online at http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1555006-1,00.html and will be available to buy on news stands on Monday 06 November.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

As Madonna's Confessions Tour comes to an end in Japan this week, the artist has released a statement regarding the much talked about Crucifixion scene.

"I am very grateful that my show was so well received all over the world. But there seems to be many misinterpretations about my appearance on the cross and I wanted to explain it myself once and for all.

There is a segment in my show where three of my dancers "confess" or share harrowing experiences from their childhood that they ultimately overcame. My 'confession' follows and takes place on a Crucifix that I ultimately come down from. This is not a mocking of the church. It is no different than a person wearing a Cross or 'Taking Up the Cross' as it says in the Bible. My performance is neither anti- Christian, sacrilegious or blasphemous. Rather, it is my plea to the audience to encourage mankind to help one another and to see the world as a unified whole. I believe in my heart that if Jesus were alive today he would be doing the same thing.

My specific intent is to bring attention to the millions of children in Africa who are dying every day, and are living without care, without medicine and without hope. I am asking people to open their hearts and minds to get involved in whatever way they can. The song ends with a quote from the Bible's Book of Matthew 'For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you took care of me and God replied, Whatever you did for the least of my brothers...you did it to me'. Please do not pass judgment without seeing my show."

Madonna's "Confessions Tour - Live From London" is scheduled to air on NBC this November. NBC has not confirmed whether they will include this portion of the show in their broadcast. The artist is scheduled to come to New York at the end of October to promote her new children's book "The English Roses - Too Good To Be True" and has also announced her plans for a trip to Malawi for several weeks in November to participate in the building of an orphanage and care center for the children of that country (www.raisingmalawi.com).

Monday, September 11, 2006

Album Review

At least one tactic or event preceding the release of Beyoncé's second solo album inspired a bemused three-syllable exclamation from anyone who was paying attention. The lead single, the late-'70s-funk-inspired "Deja Vu," had the audacity to not be as monstrous as "Crazy in Love" -- its stay at the top of the charts was relatively brief, so clearly there was evidence of some drop-off there. This was quickly followed by "Ring the Alarm," an angered, atonal, and out-of-character song with an accompanying video that invited all kinds of perplexed analysis, along with debate on whether Beyoncé was being autobiographical or, as the singer claimed, channeling her Dreamgirls character. All of this gave the haters plenty of ammo when anything less than 100% polite, ladylike, and expected was bound to do the trick. Add to this an album title that can be pronounced just like "bidet," along with the advertisement that the album's ten songs were whipped up in two weeks, and you have yourself a career-killing train wreck. B'day isn't even close to that. While Beyoncé does sound like she's in a bit of a hurry throughout the album, and there are no songs with the smooth elegance of "Me, Myself and I" or "Be with You," it is lean in a beneficial way, propelled by just as many highlights as the overlong Dangerously in Love. Two collaborations with Rich Harrison swagger and preen: "Been locked up in the house way too long/It's time to get it, 'cause once again he's out doing wrong" (the blaring/marching "Freakum Dress"); "Don't give me no lip, let mama do it all" (the spectacularly layered "Suga Mama"). The Neptunes assist on "Green Light," an ambitious, fleet-footed number that continually switches tempos and sounds, as well as "Kitty Kat," a deceptively sweet, rainbow-colored track -- where what sounds like purrs are more like claws-out dismissals -- that could've been pulled from one of the first three Kelis albums. And even with an entirely bonkers line like "I can do for you what Marvin did for the people," "Upgrade U" is the most potent track on the album, a low-slung Cameron Wallace production where Beyoncé wears and buys the pants while making her proposition sound more like empowerment than emasculation. If the circus surrounding this whole thing -- which could take up to ten pages to document -- was an elaborate ploy to transform Beyoncé into an underdog, there really is some kind of genius at play, but it's extremely unlikely that anyone in her camp could've predicted that the expectations and reactions would be less rational than any of Beyoncé's decisions and actions. There is nothing desperate or weak about this album. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide

Monday, September 04, 2006

This man should be our next president!
2008 let's do this!

Barack Obama has dedicated his life to public service as a community organizer, civil rights attorney, and leader in the Illinois state Senate. Obama now continues his fight for working families following his recent election to the United States Senate.

Sworn into office January 4, 2005, Senator Obama is focused on promoting economic growth and bringing good paying jobs to Illinois. Obama serves on the important Environment and Public Works Committee, which oversees legislation and funding for the environment and public works projects throughout the country, including the national transportation bill. He also serves on the Veterans ’ Affairs Committee where he is focused on investigating the disability pay discrepancies that have left thousands of Illinois veterans without the benefits they earned. Senator Obama also serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

During his seven years in the Illinois state Senate, Obama worked with both Democrats and Republicans to help working families get ahead by creating programs like the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which in three years provided over $100 million in tax cuts to families across the state. Obama also pushed through an expansion of early childhood education, and after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Senator Obama enlisted the support of law enforcement officials to draft legislation requiring the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.

Obama is especially proud of being a husband and father of two daughters, Malia, 8 and Sasha, 4. Obama and his wife, Michelle, married in 1992 and live on Chicago ’s South Side.

Barack Obama was born on August 4th, 1961, in Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. and Ann Dunham. Obama graduated from Columbia University in 1983, and moved to Chicago in 1985 to work for a church-based group seeking to improve living conditions in poor neighborhoods plagued with crime and high unemployment. In 1991, Obama graduated from Harvard Law School where he was the first African American editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Now after all that technical information...let's hear from the man himself!

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Madonna is Raising Malawi

Sunday, July 23, 2006

My recent trip to Maine.

There is nothing as spectacular as mother earth.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Bush is a Dictator

George Bush has hit a new level of crazy this week with his "anger" towards the New York Times becuase of their reporting of yet another secret program that once again punches holes in all of our rights to privacy, freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
Finally we have a Washington scandal that goes beyond sex, corruption and political intrigue to big issues like security versus liberty and the reasonable bounds of presidential power. President Bush came out swinging on Snoopgate—he made it seem as if those who didn’t agree with him wanted to leave us vulnerable to Al Qaeda—but it will not work. We’re seeing clearly now that Bush thought 9/11 gave him license to act like a dictator, or in his own mind, no doubt, like Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War.
No wonder Bush was so desperate that The New York Times not publish its story on the National Security Agency eavesdropping on American citizens without a warrant, in what lawyers outside the administration say is a clear violation of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
The problem was not that the disclosures would compromise national security, as Bush claimed at his press conference. His comparison to the damaging pre-9/11 revelation of Osama bin Laden’s use of a satellite phone, which caused bin Laden to change tactics, is fallacious; any Americans with ties to Muslim extremists—in fact, all American Muslims, period—have long since suspected that the U.S. government might be listening in to their conversations. Bush claimed that “the fact that we are discussing this program is helping the enemy.” But there is simply no evidence, or even reasonable presumption, that this is so. And rather than the leaking being a “shameful act,” it was the work of a patriot inside the government who was trying to stop a presidential power grab.
No, Bush was desperate to keep the Times from running this important story—which the paper had already inexplicably held for a year—because he knew that it would reveal him as a law-breaker. He insists he had “legal authority derived from the Constitution and congressional resolution authorizing force.” But the Constitution explicitly requires the president to obey the law. And the post 9/11 congressional resolution authorizing “all necessary force” in fighting terrorism was made in clear reference to military intervention. It did not scrap the Constitution and allow the president to do whatever he pleased in any area in the name of fighting terrorism.
This will all play out eventually in congressional committees and in the United States Supreme Court. If the Democrats regain control of Congress, there may even be articles of impeachment introduced. Similar abuse of power was part of the impeachment charge brought against Richard Nixon in 1974.

Its imperative that we all do what we can to support the Democrats regaining control of Congress.
It is the last chance we have to impeach this absolutely devastating president.

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Untitled

American Hypocrisy Alive and Well in Iraq

In Iraq, anger is building over the alleged killings of Iraqi civilians by U.S. forces. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has condemned the deaths of two dozen civilians in Haditha last fall as "a horrible crime." In addition, seven U.S. Marines and a sailor could be charged with murder, kidnapping or conspiracy in connection with a single Iraqi death in April.Friday, the U.S. military confirmed that it was investigating a third incident -- and then late today a defense official said an internal review found no misconduct on the part of U.S. forces in that case.

When a group of people decide to go and kill innocent people in anger, Americans call that terrorism. But when the killers are American, then it's considered a part of war!?! THIS IS WHY PEOPLE HATE AMERICA. Because we make generalizations about other groups of people, then excuse our own behaviors even if they come from the same place.
Not only do these outrageous murders compound the US occupation in Iraq, but other soldiers who are trying to do what they believe is right, will now be in even more danger from retaliation.
It is America's own hypocrisy that puts us at risk for another terrorist attack. It's not that people hate freedom...im so sick of hearing that!!!

Until now, Iraqis have largely ignored the controversy over the alleged killing of unarmed civilians in Haditha by U.S. Marines last November. As for the second investigation, in which one Iraqi man was killed in the village of Hamandiya, west of Baghdad, most Iraqis have never even heard of the town, let alone the incident.But now there are at least three incidents in the news, and with each new set of allegations, the question of the treatment of Iraqi civilians at the hands of the U.S. military is getting more attention here -- especially at the highest levels.
Prime Minister Maliki has ordered an Iraqi investigation into the Haditha deaths, prompting a visit from the U.S. ambassador and the top American general in Iraq to assure Maliki that he would be kept informed.The latest incident to come into the news is from a village called Ishaqi, about 50 miles north of the capital. In mid-March, U.S. forces raided a house there, stating they were after a man suspected of supporting al-Qaida in Iraq, the terrorist group headed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The military said four people died when the house collapsed after a heavy firefight, and the suspect was arrested.U.S. officials confirm that they are investigating an incident in the town of Ishaqi north of Baghdad last March. Eleven Iraqis, including five children, were reportedly killed during a raid by U.S. troops aimed at capturing an al-Qaida militant.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Mother's Day Everyday

Intense. Beautiful. Surreal. There are many adjectives I could use to describe how I felt on Mother's Day. I am still processing that day as it has become my everyday.

I never could have imagined the pain of losing my mother. I have thought about what it would feel like all through my adult years. My parents are 40+ years older than me. My mother struggled with osteoporosis for the past 20 years and I've seen the fragility of aging "gracefully". I've grown to cherish the knowledge and wisdom I've gained from having older parents. They both grew up at a time when people were humble and appreciative from struggle and sacrifice. I truly believe my soul has been shaped by my parents and their experience.

Back to Mother's Day. Even as I write I tend to wander away from thinking about it and memories of my mother flash through my mind.
I went to the cemetary on Mother's Day with freshly cut lilacs from her lilac tree in our backyard. My mother loved the color purple. It was very sad being at the cemetary to see my mother on Mother's Day. I knealt on the ground to be close to her and listened to my neice and nephew tell stories about their favorite memories of their grandmother. When it was my turn to say my favorite memory I told everyone that I have started to garden and cook which were my mother's favorite things to do. This way I am closer to her.
Mother's Day has always been my everyday. But it has usually brought me happiness and a sense of peace.
I talked to my mother almost every single day for the past 10 years. Whether it was about a new movie that came out or what crazy thing happened at work that day, she always brought me joy by the end of the conversation. My mother taught me about unconditional love and genuine spirit.
I do have peaceful moments where I smile with that spirit and feel blessed that I have those things from my mother, but dammit I miss her too. Yeah I know Im lucky to have had such an incredible mother and yes Im sure my mother would want me to be happy....well i also just want to talk to her again.
So Ive started to garden. The garden in the front of the house was chock full of weeds. A few trips to Lowe's and some solar powered copper lamps later and the garden is incredibly beautiful. I can celebrate Mother's Day everyday through my gardening. I planted a lot of different flowers and have a purple plant section near the back that will flower all the purple flowers for my mother. This way I can talk to her anytime I want. Just in a new way that connects genuine spirit, Mother Earth, and unconditional love.
I miss her so much.

Saturday, May 13, 2006

The final video of the Bush Agenda Trilogy

Friday, May 05, 2006

update....

the tonsils are finally healed!

so i haven't been so inclined to post anything new in a while; spending alot of my time trying to figure out ways to get Bush impeached....since lying, cheating, stealing, and causing the deaths of thousands upon thousands of american soldiers as well as 20,000 and counting innocent iraqi women and children isn't enough to get you impeached in America.

anyway, besides my time thinking about Bush and America...I have been making some videos. The politcal ones Ive made have been quite cathartic for me. There is another one coming soon to complete my Anti-Bush trilogy! Im planning on completing it this weekend so look out for it.

Other than that...ive been working...chilling...working..and chilling. I played baseball in the park with some clients the other day and it was really alot of fun. I haven't been physicial in a while so i woke up with pain...but good pain...the kind that reminds you that you have muscles that need to be worked out.

someday.

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Shocking new revelations -- more reasons to impeach Bush
More conspiracies, lies and crimes revealed

The growing nation-wide effort to impeach George W. Bush and Dick Cheney is emblematic of a larger issue: what kind of country is the United States to become.

Yesterday’s news brought out two explosive pieces of information:

1. Lewis Libby, the indicted chief aide to Dick Cheney, has admitted under oath before a Federal Grand Jury that it was George W. Bush himself who authorized Libby to illegally “leak” classified information to New York Times reporter Judith Miller in July, 2003 in an effort to discredit Ambassador Joseph Wilson who had publicly stated that “there is nothing to the story” that Saddam Hussein’s government was trying to buy uranium for a nuclear weapons program. Wilson is the husband of Valerie Plame, the undercover CIA operative whose identity was revealed to the media as retaliation for Wilson’s contention that Bush’s assertions about Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction were false. The “classified information” that Bush and Cheney authorized Libby to plant in the New York Times turned out to be entirely false.

2. Bush’s Attorney General admitted yesterday that Bush believes that he has the authority to personally authorize the secret wiretapping, without any court order, of any and all conversations and emails between Americans that occur exclusively within the borders of the United States. Earlier it was revealed that Bush set up a massive secret wiretapping operation monitoring a huge number of Americans, but he had asserted that it was only to listen in on conversations of people in the United States who were making international calls and emails.

The fact that Bush has not already had articles of impeachment filed in the House of Representatives is clear evidence that the people must act forcefully as the true guardians of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. That is exactly what the ImpeachBush.org movement is doing. When impeachment looked remote, there were still tens of thousands of individuals who tirelessly worked to collect petitions, hold rallies, wrote and called members of Congress and donated so that we could place newspaper ads all across the country.
Today, impeachment is not remote at all. It reflects the majority sentiment. Recent polls show that by 52% to 43% majority the American people favor impeachment if it is proved that Bush lied about the reasons for going to war. A nearly similar majority support impeachment if the President broke Federal wiretapping laws by authorizing the secret wiretapping of Americans without a court order when there is no evidence or inquiry of criminal wrongdoing.
Yesterday’s revelations confirm again that this is a lawless administration. Impeachment is imperative. This is a challenge for every person in this country who has a commitment to the Constitution. The people must continue to act rather than wait for the politicians to lead.

Friday, April 07, 2006

GEORGE W BUSH is a LIAR and a THREAT to NATIONAL SECURITY.
Now we find out that he approved the leak of sensative information that
threatened national security!!
THAT IS TREASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He is a threat to our national security and should be sent to Guantanamo Bay IMMEDIATELY!!

Enough is Enough.
We need to all stand up against this and demand his arrest and life-long incarceration!

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Friday, March 31, 2006

I can't believe its actually happening!! The posters are up in the city!! It's going to happen very very soon! The Queen will be at Madison Square Garden June 28th and 29th for her Confessions on A Dance Floor Tour!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Suddenly Im feeling ALOT better. Tickets go on sale April 10th. Better save your money! Im sure it will not be cheap.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

tonsils

when i was a little boy i kept my tonsils. they stayed in the back of my throat minding their own business. they helped me maintain my own wellness, kept me warm on cold winter nights, and moved out of the way while I scarfed down all of my mom's amazing cooking.

then i grew up. they betrayed me. they started to get scratchy in the winter. they even throbbed on occasion and once in a while caused me a great deal of pain and heartache.

well i took matters into my own hands and decided to divorce my tonsils.
last week i went to the hospital and had them removed.
never could i have expected what happened next.....

i came home from the surgery feeling pretty down. i was in pain, couldn't speak, and knew that i had a good couple of weeks ahead of me of hardcore recovery.

i fell asleep and woke up every hour to sip on some cold water. around 1am in the morning i woke up feeling something strange in the back of my throat. it felt as if warm water was running down from my nose into my throat.

it took me a few minutes to wake up and i went straight to the bathroom to see what was going on in my mouth....well, i opened up my mouth and a bucket full of blood came rushing out into the sink.

i still remember my face in the mirror....it was that face you see in horror films when the dumb white girl walks into the closet to see what the noise was only to find a machete quickly coming towards her head....yea..not cute.

anyway...i started to panic and feel light headed...so i layed down on the couch trying to think about what i should do. i realized pretty quickly that the bleeding wasn't stopping so i ran upstairs to wake up my father and have him call 911.
of course as stubborn as he is, he hesitated thinking that we should try to call my doctor directly first....i screamed at him that i was dying and forced him to call for an ambulance.
(i would have done it myself, but bleeding from your throat, having trouble breathing, and calling 911 at the same time is somewhat difficult)

anyway, the ambulance came and gave me oxygen which made me feel better immediately. they rushed me to the hospital which is a good 15 minutes away from my dad's house. i think i passed out for a minute or so in the back of the ambulance but i don't really remember it.

when i got to the ER, i just remember laying in a bed in some backroom for hours holding onto the oxygen mask as if it was a beenie blanket for comfort. the nurse (a bitchy queen) kept telling me that i didn't need the oxygen but i kept the mask on because it seemed to be the only thing making me feel somewhat comfortable. (my feet stuck off the end of the bed which was annoying....aren't there other people who are 6ft4 that go to the hospital?)

i stayed in that room from 2am the morning after the surgery, until 1pm the next day, when they decided that i was in such bad shape that i should be moved to the acute ER across the hall.
i spoke to a doctor once or maybe twice in all that time.
the only way i found out how dire my situation was, was by getting up out of the bed to go to the bathroom...once i did that my heartrate shot up to 181 beats per minute and all these alarms went off which made the bitchy queen nurse and my doctor run into my room and demand that i get back in bed.

at that point, the doctor explained to me that i must have lost a great deal of blood and my body needed time to recover.
when i moved to the acute ER across the hall i lay in the bed from 1pm to 7pm just holding onto my oxygen mask. all i remember is one nurse who kept pointing at me and saying "he's really really sick...i mean really really sick". not what i needed to see or hear! so im pretty much panicking at this point feeling that i actually might not make it.

i closed my eyes and imagined myself on a beach somewhere laying in the sun. i was trying anything to make me feel better when all of a sudden my mother came to me. i mean she literally came right up to me, held my hand, and told me that i was going to be ok. she said i was going to make it and i didn't have to worry. she said that it was not my time to die. right at that second madonna's "Die Another Day" started up in my head. (for real)

ok..so finally i got a bed upstairs. the doctor decided that i needed to get 2 litres of blood to help boost my body's regeneration of blood becuase my blood test had shown a low hemoglobin level. a normal hemoglobin level is 14-16...mine was 8.6
once i got upstairs to my own room with peace and quiet i felt 100 times better. it felt like i was actually going to start healing.

the nurses were great upstairs, pampering me as much as they could and really going out of there way to make me feel comfortable.
they let my boyfriend stay overnight which was amazing. he actually drove down from Providence that night to stay with me. what a guy!
From 8pm until 3am the next morning i received 2 litres of blood. i watched the blood as it traveled from the bag into my arm with this huge smile on my face. i just thought how lucky i was that someone was so generous to share their blood with me.
i wondered what kind of person it was and if i was going to pick up any of their personality traits from the transfusion.

it also changed my feelings about giving blood. now you might ask..why would anyone have a problem with giving blood? well, that whole thing about being refused as a donor because you've had gay sex..is pretty ridiculous since all the blood is screened before it is accepted anyway and then screened again before it is transfused into someone else. besides gay sex doesn't make your blood dirty!! so sure..politically its ridiculous...but when you are laying there thinking you may die because you lost so much blood, all of that goes out the window.
so if i have to lie to get the red cross to accept my blood donations from now on. so be it. i will definitely be giving blood from now on.

once the blood transfusions were completed, i passed out! i had not slept for 24 hours and i was exhausted.

after checking my hemoglobin levels again (10.3) the doctor decided that i could go home and recover with lots of bed rest and relaxation.

i came back to my father's house and did just that. for the next 5 days i just sat around on the couch, watching lots of television. My favorite shows are Ellen, Starting Over, Martha, Judge Judy, Oprah, and all the crime dramas.
i also watched Flightplan which i LOVED and the Corpse Bride which was so adorable.

so monday came around...exactly one week after the orginal tonsillectomy. things seemed to be getting better. i had more energy, my throat seemed to really be healing, i could eat more normal foods. (Yes jello and ice cream get really boring after a few days).

i was talking to my friend on the phone and it happened again. i felt something warm in the back of my throat and i thought...oh JESUS...i told my friend that i thought i was bleeding again and i needed to get off the phone.
i ran to the bathroom and opened my mouth and guess what....there i was bleeding again!!!

this time i was not waiting around for anything...i called for my father and said lets go back to the hospital. i brought his cell phone and called my doctor from the car. he told me to meet him at the hospital ER.
when i got the ER, i was speaking to the receptionist who told me that she had just gotten her tonsils out and it took her 5 weeks to recover. she said it was a nightmare with so many complications that she wouldn't wish on anyone. (again with the bedside manner....hello...someone needs to teach people who work in hospitals to not freak out patients!)

they brought me right into the ER. i had stopped bleeding but they wanted to check my blood levels anyway to make sure i didn't lose too much blood since my body was already weakened in that area.
the ENT came to see me in the ER and decided that he wanted to take me over to his office in the next building and see if he could cauterize the area that was bleeding to hopefully prevent any further complications.
after he convinced the ER that he would bring me back...there was some beauracratic red tape thing that they were concerned about...i went to his office.
he sat me in the chair and began to cauterize the area. unfortunately the opposite happened. all of a sudden it started bleeding even heavier than it was before i got the ER.

the look on his face was "uh oh...we have a problem here". so i asked him what happened and he told me to go to the 3rd floor immediately. that is where the original tonsillectomy took place. i literally ran down to the 3rd floor and waited for the ENT to meet me there.

the receptionist there was confused and questioned why i was there. i explained to her what was happening and she told me that I needed to return to the ER. i told her that the ENT told me to meet him here and she said "i understand that but you need to go back to the ER". at this point i am pissed! here i am bleeding profusely from my throat for the 2nd time and some receptionist is telling me to go back to the beginning because the computer had me listed as an ER patient.
i didn't move. i told her i wasn't moving until my doctor met me here and told me what to do.
she called him on the phone and he told her to tell me to go to the ER.
i didn't believe her so i asked her to call him back so i could talk to him directly.
i did, and he told me to stay where i was!! when i told that to the receptionist she called in her supervisor. so here i was standing at her desk while she argued with her supervisor and 2 other doctors about which building i needed to be in.

HELLLO im bleeding to death here!! so i finally opened my mouth and spit some blood onto her desk and said " hey...im about to die...so could one of you figure out which room i need to go to NOW".

the visual seemed to work. before i could say "im gonna sue all of you", a wheelchair appeared next to me and i was being wheeled across the hospital to the OR where the ENT was preparing to operate again on my throat.

this time he was going to just stitch up all of the areas that seemed prone to bleeding. after completing yet another set of forms, and answering the same 50 questions i had been asked the last 2 times i was in the same hospital within the past week, they wheeled me into the OR and had me on the operating table.

as i started to doze off into la la land, my mother appeared to me again. she told me that i was going to be fine and made some joke about my need for attention that seemed pretty funny at the time. i think i actually laughed right before i went under anesthesia.

i woke up feeling really cold and in quite a bit of pain. at this point though i felt like nothing could freak me out. i had been through it and then some and i didn't really have a worry in the world.
a really sweet nurse, Dianne, came up to me and asked me how i felt. she said that i shouldn't hesitate to ask for morphine. (that's what i call great bedside manner!!)
i took her up on her offer and had her pump me full of morphine and valium.
what a day that was. or was it night? who knows

once i woke up enough i was transferred to another room where i stayed over night to make sure i was not going to bleed again. they also checked my hemoglobin levels...10.1.
so i did lose some blood but not too much.

i stayed overnight and dealt with some crappy nurses. eventually after giving me morphine, valium, and some benedryl i fell asleep. i think i slept for 4 hours and it felt like the best rest i had had in a long time.
that morning i woke up feeling that i was going to be ok.
i remember the nurse even commenting that i was so perky for someone who had been through what i had been through. i told her that i felt as if i had stared death in the face and made it through back to life. i couldn't be happier.

im now recovering back at my father's place. i had salmon and mashed potatoes yesterday which was so great. when you are restricted from food for so long, the simplest meal feels like heaven.

so this is my bottom line about tonsils.
if you have a child, or are planning on having a child...just get their tonsils out as soon as you can.

if you are an adult and are thinking about having your tonsils removed...DONT DO IT.
unless you get sick all the time, and you can't go on any longer with your sickly tonsils....just keep them. sure they are annoying and they can betray you as they did me... but no one should ever have to go through what i did over the past 10 days.

on the positive though...i do feel like i went through something horrible and have come out the other side stronger. we will see how much longer i will have to recover...but right now...today..i feel pretty good. and i am grateful for that much.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Please Dont Say Im Sorry

Zeitgeist - Definition

A funny thing happened. A fellow blogger asked to put my Sorry video on his blog a few days ago. His blog seems to be a big contender in the bloggers paradise. Since then, approximately 3,000 people have viewed the video. ( plug alert plug alert....In case you haven't seen it....scroll down a bit and just hit play.)
Anyway. He introduces the video as ..." A short look at the current pop culture and political zeitgeist".
So of course I didn't know what a zeitgeist was...anyway, for anyone else who didn't know what that was...click on the Definition link. Blessed.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Curling:

what is it? where did it come from? how do you play?
Curling, a precision sport similar to bowls or bocce, is played on ice with polished heavy stones. The level of precision and complex nature of the strategic thinking required to win in curling has led it to be referred to as "chess on ice."

http://www.curlingbasics.com/ (check out this site for basic curling information via animations)

http://www.nbcolympics.com/curling/index.html (check out current olympic curling information)

Friday, February 17, 2006

The voice of reason. The voice of truth. The voice of humanity.

Annan: U.S. should shut Guantanamo

Saturday, February 11, 2006

im sorry that bush is our president.

Sunday, February 05, 2006

pretty persuasion. wow.

Pretty Persuasion

2005-USA-Black Comedy/Teen Movie
N.Y. Times Review by Stephen Holden

Critic's Pick

Type: Features
Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Films

Rating: NR
Running Time: 110 Minutes

Starring: Elisabeth Harnois, Jane Krakowski, Ron Livingston, James Woods, Evan Rachel Wood
Directed by: Marcos Siega

REVIEW SUMMARY

Kimberly Joyce (Evan Rachel Wood), the smirking 15-year-old alpha girl who spins a toxic web of lies and deceit in "Pretty Persuasion," is a screen monster worthy to stand beside Suzanne Stone, Nicole Kidman's fame-obsessed television weather reporter in "To Die For." In her upscale private high school, situated in the 90210 ZIP code that everyone loves to hate, Kimberly glides through the corridors like a malignant princess, oozing contempt as she tosses poisoned roses to her courtiers. An obscene, misanthropic go-for-broke satire, the movie is so gleefully nasty that the fact that it was even made and released is astonishing. Much of it is also extremely funny. The film's ingenious, far-fetched plot revolves around the touchy subject of sexual harassment in the classroom. Any satire worth its salt should not be afraid to offend, and "Pretty Persuasion," directed by Marcos Siega from a screenplay by Skander Halim, flings mud in all directions with a fearless audacity. — Stephen Holden, The New York Times » Read the Full N.Y. Times Review

ClicK her for some Pretty Madness!!

Monday, January 30, 2006

How many lies until Bush has to GO?? It seems like the country has been living in a bubble of fear ever since the September 2001 attacks. Like a group coma. What if the attacks were allowed to happen for this very reason? Well, if so, we have sure let the basic civil liberties that America is grounded on to be manhandled by the Bush administration. We believe that once anyone says "matter of national security", we must all remain silent and just do what we are told. I saw the "Manchurian Candidate" last night and it reminded me of how things REALLY are here. Sure, the mass populas doesn't have small implants in their brains to make them zombies to the government....we just watch too much television. Well, i think its about time we all woke up! Question the government. There is nothing more patriotic than someone who questions their own government in an effort to preserve what is golden in America....our Constitution. Don't let fear take over your perception of right and wrong. The Bush administration has made a fool out of us for too long. Check out the following websites and catch up on how much this administration has lied to us and the world.

www.impeachpac.org
www.impeachbush.tv
www.impeachbush.org

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

check out madanna's sail away video...straight from the new hit website youtube.com

Sunday, January 22, 2006

The whale trapped in the River Thames died Saturday as rescue workers took it out to sea for release on a rusting salvage barge, officials leading the operation said.

The northern bottle-nose suffered a series of convulsions at 7 p.m. and had been struggling with the effects of being out of the water as it was ferried on a barge toward the Thames Estuary, marine experts said.

Rescuers said the whale was breathing quickly in distress and despite the their best efforts, it died, reports CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar. Now scientists want to know what brought the whale to London in the first place.

Saturday, January 21, 2006

A whale that should be in the deep ocean was instead swimming along the River Thames in London on Friday. It is seen here near the Houses of Parliament.

Click here for story

Monday, January 16, 2006

Never in my life did I imagine someone re-singing U2's song "One". Mary J. not only serves it up..she creates a new and IMPROVED song!! She is the ONLY one who could improve this song. N jOy Madanna serving up Mary serving up U2's One. (Check out how Mary sings over Bono into the very last breath of life of the song)

Friday, January 13, 2006

"Do you have any flour?", Jeffery asked as we sat and pondered what we were going to do for the Madonna Hollywood wood music mash remix.
That started one of the most hysterical video shoots ever done by Madanna. If you look at me in the background shots of this video you can see that Im laughing. Just get ready for the madness of Jeffery and Madanna together. This is the first of MANY videos to come.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Thursday, January 05, 2006

http://www.fmep.org/analysis/articles/arik_ascherman_event.html

A very enlightening conversation about

Human Rights, Jewish Values, Security and Peace

..."If we get back to the negotiating table, we should not repeat the mistakes of the past. Palestinians must learn that violence destroys the peace process, and Israelis must understand, as the dominant military and economic power with control on the ground, using superior force to violate human rights is also destructive of the peace process."...

-Rabbi Arik Ascherman at a talk sponsored by the Foundation for Middle East and Americans for Peace Now in Washington on November 28, 2005

Arik Ascherman is the Executive Director of Rabbis for Human Rights, a rabbinic NGO based in Jerusalem that works to promote the human rights of Israeli Jews, Israeli Arabs, Palestinians and foreign workers. Since 1998, RHR has been active in challenging home demolitions, destruction of olive groves, economic injustice, and other human rights violations, as well as educating about Judaism and human rights.

the breakthrough album. 5 stars-classic-masterpiece.

mary j blige has always represented the real raw sister girlfriend who will always tell you the truth no matter how crazy it is...allowing you, the listener, to immediately feel validated and honored... she is pure...organic....that tree limb that has been bent and battered by a storm coming back the next spring to grow new leaves and become even stronger.
well she has lived a LIFE. mary j is so correct that its wrong! For the first time we hear mary's voice through major processors and vocoder machines...which at first can be a little surprising and off-putting for true mary fans...but when added to her real gut wrenching voice.....oooh child..watch out!! mary gonna come and get u out that chair...throw you down on the ground...make you have a full on seizure like you found jesus....pick u up..throw you across the room and around again...100% pure lllllove. really though. she is it. she gots the spirits in her and she aint right.
make sure you download the iTunes version which has a hidden track "Show Love" that turns mary into Kelis after lots of therapy.

oh yea..so watch my new mary video....Aint Really Love

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

its the chronic WHAT cles of Narnia...Hey pass the chronic WHAT cles of Narnia.

click on the Garden of Narnia photo to
enter through the wardrobe.

The Buddha's essential functioning, the partriarchs' functioning essence, 
manifest without deliberation and acomplishes without hindrance. 
Manifesting without deliberation, its manifestation is intimate of itself. 
Accomplishing without hindrance, its accomplishement is realized of itself. 
Its manifestation, intimate of itself, has never been defiled. 
Its accomplishement, realized of itself, is neither absolute nor relative. 
The intimacy that is never defiled drops away without dependence. 
The realization that is neither absolute nor relative penetrates without intent. 
Clear water soaks into the earth; the fish swims like a fish. 
The sky is vast and penetrates the heavens; the bird flies like a bird.

Friday, December 30, 2005

Someone I care about a great deal got stabbed in the head the other night. After some prompting he got himself to the hospital where he passed out, got sick, and underwent 2 hours of surgery to re-attach part of his ear. He made it through and is healing at home as I type. A group of kids surrounded him and attacked him. One of them videotaped the attack and is now showing that tape as a joke in the projects nearby. I really don't know what to say about all of this. It is still a shock to my system and I am trying to process all of it. I just ask that whoever is reading this post to spend just a little more time each day smiling, spreading love and joy to the people around you, ones you know and ones you don't. Because it is clear that there are too many people in this world who are so empty inside, that they think that stabbing someone in the head is funny. And you know what...its not funny....its sick.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Click on me....drink it up...lalala la laa...cabernet and unwine..d...perfect holiday gift...for me.

Sunday, December 18, 2005

For decades, Western psychology has promised fulfillment through building and strengthening the ego. We are taught that the ideal is a strong, individuated self, constructed and reinforced over a lifetime. But Buddhist psychiatrist Mark Epstein has found a different way. Based on the premise that the Western notion of self is deeply flawed, Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart shows us that happiness doesn't come from any kind of acquisitiveness, be it material or psychological. Happiness comes from letting go.
Weaving together the accumulated wisdom of his two worlds--Buddhism and Western psychotherapy--Epstein shows how "the happiness that we seek depends on our ability to balance the ego's need to do with our inherent capacity to be." He encourages us to relax the ever-vigilant mind in order to experience the freedom that comes only from relinquishing control. Drawing on events in his own life and stories from his patients, Epstein leads us through a series of intimate and emotionally resonant chapters that explore key psychological and spiritual experiences such as emptiness, connection, passion, and relief. Highly personal and engaging, Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart teaches us that only by letting go can we start on the path to a more peaceful and spiritually satisfying life.

As a student of Buddhism and Buddhist theories, I find a reoccuring theme throuhgout most writings on the subject....and that is...RELAX!
I wonder what creates such a hypervigilant sense of self. Is it the American or Western culture? If so, what is it about our culture that leads to such a state? If not, what then?

This is a great book that will take you on a journey of self inquisition and introspection. And possibly leave you with a greater sense of peace and happiness.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

its finally here for all to see.
troy and madanna doing ray charles' night time is the right time.
if you haven't seen it yet...it is a classic.
styled by troy and filmed by madanna...its another troy/madanna MUST SEE!

ok ok ok..so its my own video, of course i love it. but on the real tho...i love making really good videos...so i do hope you enjoy...
share the love yo.
share the love.
-madanna
oh, click on the pic for the video :)

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Im Popular!

Google Video - Madanna is Popular :

Today at 8:53pm, Madanna's face appeared on the face page of Google Video Beta's new search engine for videos. This page has the 8 most Popular videos listed. Today, Madanna is Popular!
Under the still of his face wrote; Madanna's Final Vision Of Love - 3min. 25sec.
Directly above the Madanna video was Joseph's Hung Up video which Madanna LOVES.
Sweet.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is working to clarify what the U.S. does, and does not do, with its prisoners. In Europe Wednesday, she said U.N. rules against torture apply to Americans even if they are outside the United States.

"Those obligations extend to U.S. personnel wherever they are, whether they are in the United States or outside of the United States," Rice said.

Rice spoke amid allegations about secret U.S. prisons -- and the grabbing of suspects abroad.

Her comments signal the Bush administration is moving closer to the position of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who is sponsoring legislation to outlaw cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment of prisoners or detainees. Vice President Dick Cheney has lobbied against the McCain amendment, saying it might hamper the war on terrorism.

Ok. Is it just me, or is Condaleeza Rice MORE evil than George W. Bush? To me, she is right on that axis of evil...right next to Dick Cheney who believes that torturing prisoners, most of whom are released as innocent (about 90% are released as innocent)...he truly believes that torturing innocent people HELPS the war on terrorism? WHAT!? I think thats called being a BULLY. Hey, im the vice president....I know how to stop people from hating us so much that they are willing to die in an attempt to harm us....let's TORTURE THEM!! idiots.

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Click on Madonna's red string to see the light!!
This has to be one of the most thrilling videos ive seen in a long time.
The water is serving it up throughout!

Monday, November 28, 2005

I remember the first time I heard Madonna's "Die Another Day" and my heart felt as if it was beating to the beats of the song. It has this start/stop thing going on throughout that does something metaphysically to my chemical makeup. Whatever that is....man its fierce!
"I think I'll die another day...its not my time to go!"
Who says that?? well besides madonna.
By the way, if you haven't heard already...Madonna's "Hung Up" makes for her 36th top ten song. She is now tied with Elvis for the artist with the MOST top ten songs!
I mean if you are going to be obsessed with an artist, it may as well be the BEST!
Click the photo above and Enjoy the video

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

how high are the stakes? the song "how high", on madonna's #1 album ; confessions on a dance floor, marches on with a fierce driving force that demands attention with every beat. its sound brings confidence to the dance floor like "die another day" meets "nobody knows me". its purity and brilliance forced me to redo a video. i definitely don't think im finished doing videos for this song either. its just too fierce for it to ever end. will i carry on? will it matter when im gone? sometimes music just gets you somewhere deep down inside deep deep deep inside...and there is nothing you can do about it right? click this intergalactic wormhole and you will be taken to it!!

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Madonna's denim vest auction

This is a posting on Christie's auction

Rock and Pop Memorabilia

Location York, Rockefeller Plaza Date 21, 2005
Lot Number Number />Lot Title />Estimate - 8,000 U.S. dollars
Lot Description />A sleeveless blue denim jacket, labelled inside and on the left breast pocket Maverick -- worn by Madonna for a photo shoot, 1983; accompanied by 95 black and white contact prints on six sheets, the shots taken by Marcus Leatherdale show Madonna in various poses wearing the jacket included in this lot, including some shots with her friend Martin Burgoyne, each sheet -- 8x10in. (20.3x25.4cm.); a corresponding machine-print photograph, signed in pencil on the border by the photographer and dated '83 -- 14x11in. (35.6x28cm.); and a document concerning the provenance (9)

Friday, November 18, 2005

troy. it was over 10 years ago that troy and i met. i was walking my dog Rain, and he asked me for a cigarette. the rest is history. troy is one of those forces that drives through the world with with a strength that can only be described as a life force. he has been by my side through more things than a Desperate Housewife who is Lost on Survivor. We have been in a total of 2 fights and get over them rather quickly. (i think the first fight we were in was over in 2 minutes)...and that involved police and me talking trash to them....anyway...i love him. So sit back and N-Joy one of our many productions together.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

click on this clip from my new video "How High" from Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor.
You won't be sorry..its human nature.

If you haven't purchased the album yet, run out and get it ASAP!

Monday, November 14, 2005

Madonna gets Back into the Groove

TIME.com: Back into the Groove -- Nov. 21, 2005 -- Page 1

Saturday, November 12, 2005

Untitled

Coping with the death of loved ones

Summary: How to cope with the pain and negative emotions aroused when confronted by the death of people we love.

A student writes:

"Recently, my father has begun his dying process. It has been slow and quite painful for me and my family."

Lama Shenpen:

Thank you for your email and I am sorry to hear about your father and the pain you are in. Could you give us your father’s full name and we will put him on our dedication list here at the Hermitage.

By dedicating our punya (merit for good that we have done) and making pranidhanas (wishing prayers for the welfare of ourselves and/or others) for people we make a good, living connection for them with the Sangha and the path to Awakening - a heart connection that works through the power of adhistana ('blessing' drawing us to the truth and Awakening).

Have you read the booklet on death and dying advertised in the Newsletter? I think you may find this quite helpful.

Student:

"This situation has affected my meditation sessions and my daily awareness practice. Sometimes, I do not want to sit to meditate as I feel that I will spend the whole time crying or thinking about what can be done, or having strong negative emotions."

Lama Shenpen:

These are common experiences in such situations. At times when you feel very disturbed like this it is important not to have idealistic notions about how you should be, but try to just turn towards the actual situation in terms of your experience, just as it is, and remember this is the practice. It is enough just to do this, so be very kind to yourself.

Student:

"Even staying open around the dynamics of this time has become quite difficult. When I am alone and attempt to stay open, I feel a lot of fear and uncertainty and that does not feel good and I want to distract myself and close down. When I am with others, I am afraid of the anger that comes up."

Lama Shenpen:

If you do not feel open, if you feel a desperate despair and raging of emotions, it is important not to think 'I shouldn’t be feeling this, I should be calm, I should be open and relaxed'. Instead think, 'This is it. This is how we suffer at a time like this.” This is what the Buddha taught. He taught us the first thing to notice is the truth of suffering. It is inescapable as long as we attach to the idea of birth and death. It is inevitable as long as we have not Awakened from this dream or nightmare called life and death.

Notice the pain, the anxiety, the restlessness, the anger, the all-engulfing cry of 'No!' - all that you have described - as you notice it, rather than try to push it away, breath it into your heart together with this same suffering suffered by countless beings now, in the past and in the future and then suddenly, for a moment, switch and let it go as you connect for a moment to your deep and everlasting wish that you, yourself and all beings be freed from suffering like this forever. That wish is there always, so try to just suddenly connect with it and ride out with it on the outbreath.

This might just be enough to kick start a means of access to the power of your heart within you. Your heart is not just a tender place, a soft and warm spot where you feel love and compassion. It is also where your courage and strength are. It is where you can bear it all - even a broken heart. The heart doesn’t break but bears the pain and responds to it in the most genuine and appropriate way possible.

So do not try to cut off before your heart is touched - let it break and then just breath in that groundless, lost, desperate feeling of nothing meaning anything any more - or whatever the feeling is - breath in the whole experience, the physical feeling of it and how it feels mentally, emotionally and in one's heart. Breathe it in deeply so that gradually over time an appropriate response can bubble up on its own. You cannot predict what that will be or when it will come. But it will come because that is what the heart is all about.

Other than that, do things that help you relax and open up - this might be just to go out for walks, or even to do what might seem like distractions - but do them with the intention to help yourself relax. Of course ideally the practice or reading inspiring sayings of the Buddha, or mantras or prayers will have this effect - but if you cannot do things like this for more than a few moments at a time - just do them for a few moments at a time. Make pranidhanas, think of others around you and what you might do to make things easier for them, try to notice the times when there is nothing you can do and worrying is useless and try to let it go.

Whatever practice you can do, dedicate to your father to help him connect and remain on the path to Awakening. If you feel you can do very little right now, then make the resolve to practice and dedicate this for him in the future.

watch madanna work mariah out. click on the
photo above and check out one of madanna's
mariah videos. early on, madanna realized his
carey-soul. he would put on any mariah song
and immediately transform into the spirit
of The Voice. madanna's got a secret.
mmmmm-mmmmmm imalinalo imalinalo-o-o

Friday, November 11, 2005

we each can imagine how the world would be without war. can't we? im sure at least 50% of you who are reading this already rolled your eyes at the thought of peace. Why is that? Are we programmed to believe that violence is inevitable?
Everywhere you turn it seems as if the world is literally exploding. Surprisingly enough the first annual Human Security Report finds – despite evidence from Afghanistan to Iraq, Chechnya to Congo – that violent conflict around the world is declining. Can this be true?

Read this report - http://www.opendemocracy.net/conflict/report_2927.jsp##

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

what is going on in the world today? are we so disconnected that we just sit by and allow for so much destruction and chaos? is this the natural process that we are destined to live out or do we have control of our fate?
everyone hates someone. nobody trusts anyone. is it all worth it? i guess we deserve it.

did you ever sit back and wonder what we are doing as a species? if i care am i too liberal? if i want others to prosper am i a traitor? do i have to change my name? will it get me far?

all i know as truth, is this....love is not just a four letter word. love is an act. it reaches beyond colors, borders, and currencies. love heals. love means believing in yourself. love is pure and powerful.
the more we love, the more we have.

Sunday, November 06, 2005

what a year. i lost my mother almost exactly 5 months ago and it feels as if i haven't fully accepted it. i don't even know if i have to accept it, or what that really means anyway. i have a restlessness that fills my days. i rarely speak about it and when i do my true feelings are masked behind a tasteless joke or sarcastic laughter. there is anger pushing itself into the sadness. is it bitterness? yes, i am definitely bitter about losing my mother. my mother was love. she taught me what unconditional love meant. she was the person who pushed me the most, who listened to me the most, who allowed me to be me...the most. i feel a void in myself without her phone calls and hugs and warm loving voice telling me how much she loves me. a part of me has been silent since she died. i spend alot of time sitting and thinking and crying and isolating from the world. i don't want to disconnect though....so I write.
this is the first time i've allowed myself to write about her. the end is starting to feel like the beginning.
hope.

Daniel "Cloud" Campos:

Cloud was part of "Al Fuentes’ High Voltage Extreme Acrobatic Dance Team".
They combine high energy with extreme acrobatic moves, and breath-taking stunts - all choreographed to the strong rhythmatic beats of contemporary music.
Throughout most of the 2004 year, Cloud was with MADONNA's
Re-Invention Tour. The tour featured 56 shows, of which 55 were sellouts.
Cloud grew up in Adel. GA, but didn't always see eye-to-eye with his father about dancing. He moved to Orlando Florida and joined the High Voltage team, they tour up and down the country with their routines. Cloud is currently based in Los Angeles working on other ventures.
Why Cloud loves to perform: “I love being in front of an audience. I think entertaining people is one of the best feelings in the world. It gives me a ‘rush’ that I can’t find anywhere else.”
Cloud has won many Bboy contests in the past and has also done some modeling. Before rejoining Madonna he was with the Groovaloo show, review: In "A Father's Footsteps," Daniel "Cloud" Campos squeezes your heart as he relates through his dexterity the terrors of a brutal childhood. Paternally disowned, Campos battles his demons and emerges rejuvenated.

Saturday, November 05, 2005

Perception: What is reality?
Everyone must check out this website below. It has a really cool optical "illusion". Its all an illusion. There is so much confusion.

http://www.patmedia.net/marklevinson/cool/cool_illusion.html

Grief. Loss. The pain can be so intense. Wrestling with your darkness. So important, yet so revolting. You know what I ming?

"All i know is that after I heard Isaac for the first time, I feel like I completely turned into Kabbalah". So go most of the comments I heard that fateful afternoon listening to the leaked Madonna album, Confessions on A Dance Floor.
Spinning and dancing all around my apartment, feeling as if my pill had just kicked in, I could not contain the overwhelming feelings of bliss and nirvana. "She's back.....AGAIN", I thought. How does she do it?
Well, I'm going to tell you a secret.....

probably sleepin

Monday, September 08, 2008

Palin: wrong woman, wrong message

Friday, June 13, 2008

Friday, April 25, 2008

Background

[edit]Shooting incident

[edit]Response

[edit]Investigation and criminal indictment

[edit]Acquittal on all charges

[edit]Civil Case

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Monday, April 09, 2007

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Monday, February 12, 2007

Sunday, January 07, 2007

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Monday, September 11, 2006

Monday, September 04, 2006

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Untitled

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Friday, May 05, 2006

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Friday, April 07, 2006

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Friday, March 31, 2006

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Please Dont Say Im Sorry

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Friday, February 17, 2006

The voice of reason. The voice of truth. The voice of humanity.

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Monday, January 30, 2006

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Saturday, January 21, 2006

Monday, January 16, 2006

Friday, January 13, 2006

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Human Rights, Jewish Values, Security and Peace

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Friday, December 30, 2005

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Im Popular!

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Monday, November 28, 2005

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Madonna's denim vest auction

Friday, November 18, 2005

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Monday, November 14, 2005

Madonna gets Back into the Groove

Saturday, November 12, 2005

Untitled

Friday, November 11, 2005

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Sunday, November 06, 2005

Saturday, November 05, 2005

Who should be the next President of USA