A Street Prophet Departs : Gil Scott Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011)

Gil Scott Heron

..just listen.

See also Black Orpheus  and  History Through The Eyes of Gil Scott Heron.

OneLove

:::MME:::

Stating The Bare Fact (& Letting It Sing)

Sometimes a mesh of ideas
webs the entranced mind,
the assenting delighted mental eye;
and sometimes the thrust and clash
of forged and metalled words
makes musical clangour in the brain;
and sometimes a nude and simple word
standing unlit or adorned
may plead mutely in cold or dark
for an answering warmth, an enlightening
              sympathy;
state the bare fact and let it sing.

-Dennis Brutus  (from A Simple Lust: Collected Poems)


OneLove

:::MME::: 

The Danger of a Single Story

This is a very good speech by Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie. She makes many beautifully poignant & sometimes anecdotal observations worthy of contemplation. I was reminded of something Malcolm X said in a speech some time ago that still resonates today: 

“It”s good to keep wide-open ears and listen to what everybody else has to say, but when you come to make a decision, you have to weigh all of what you”ve heard on its own, and place it where it belongs, and come to a decision for yourself; you”ll never regret it. But if you form the habit of taking what someone else says about a thing without checking it out for yourself, you”ll find that other people will have you hating your friends and loving your enemies.”

It's 2011 yet folks are still stuck in a one dimensional mindset. It appears as if everything is taken at face value--absolutely no room for complexity or other stories & interpretations. Deep reading has become as outdated as a Betamax  or a  portable transistor radio. TMZ (and other gossip outlets) & most mainstream media outlets have become the one-track diversionary fixation. This is the danger. 

Chimamanda Adichie observed that power is the ability not just to tell the story of another person, but to make it the definitive story of that person. Many people have relinquished their power to think for themselves & tell their own stories in their authentic voices. She quotes Palestinian poet Mourid Barghouti  who wrote that if you want to dispossess a people, the simplest way to do it is to tell their story, and to start with, "secondly." Start the story with the arrows of the Native Americans, and not with the arrival of the British, and you have an entirely different story. Start the story with the failure of the African state, and not with the colonial creation of the African state, and you have an entirely different story.

She concludes in this remarkable speech the following :

"When we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place (or people), we regain a kind of paradise."

Beautiful!!

OneLove

:::MME:::

Book Recommendation: Sheldon Wolin's "Democracy Incorporated"

 
"Foreign military operations literally force democracy to change its nature:  In order to cope with the imperial contingencies of foreign war and occupation, democracy will alter its character, not only by assuming new behaviors abroad (e.g., ruthlessness, indifference to suffering, disregard of local norms, the inequalities in ruling a subject population) but also by operating on revised, power-expansive assumptions at home. It will, more often than not, try to manipulate the public rather than engage its members in deliberation. It will demand greater powers and broader discretion in their use ('state secrets'), a tighter control over society's resources, more summary methods of justice, and less patience for legalities, opposition, and clamor for socioeconomic reforms."

-Sheldon Wolin






Stay alert....

OneLove

:::MME:::

Thought Control in Democratic Societies

"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ...We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. ...In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons...who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind."

-Edward L. Bernays (American pioneer in the field of public relations and propaganda)


Willful ignorance is defined as a bad faith decision to avoid becoming informed about something so as to avoid having to make undesirable decisions that such information might prompt. Propaganda preys upon our ignorance & only works if we choose to stay in the dark and consume the garbage we're being fed 24/7/365 from the major news outlets. One effective way of countering bullshit (propaganda) is to understand its devices. Here are a few devices used to persuade the public**:

(1) Name Calling. Calling President Obama a "socialist" or the news media "liberal" are two examples of directing public attention to predetermined ends.

(2) Glittering Generalities. This technique requires “virtue words” that describe ideals that no one could argue against. These tug at your heartstrings & built-in biases. Words often used as glittering generalities are honor, glory, love of country, and especially in the United States, freedom

(3) The Transfer. Used both for and against causes, this strategy is often used in politics and during times of conflict. It is an attempt to make the subject view a certain item in the same way as they view another item, to link the two in our heads, like "Saddam Hussein" & "Hitler".

(4) The Testimonial. In politics these are often called “endorsements.” It attempts to connect a famous or respectable person with a product, cause, candidate or item. Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of President Obama or Michael Jordan's endorsement of Hanes has a powerful effect on people's thinking & behavior.

(5) Plain Folks. This is an attempt by the propogandist to convince the public that his/her views reflect those of the common person. This is enhanced by speaking in the vernacular, wearing "working-class" clothes & telling some corny joke. Remember Sarah Palin's'(or Joe the Plumber's) 15 minutes of fame during John Mccain's presidential run? Most of us saw right through that shit. Look for homey words like “town,” “village,” “farm,” “diner,” “bar,” “train,” “folks,” “coal mine,” “kitchen table.”

(6) Card Stacking. Also known as selective omission involves only presenting information that is positive to an idea or proposal and omitting information contrary to it. Remember Bush's justification for invading Iraq? Also think of how nasty the health care debates got with the Republicans highlighting some relevant flaws in the Democrats' arguments yet omitting some critical flaws in their own arguments.

(7) The Band Wagon. This is the “everyone is doing it” technique. Think of Bush's "you're either with us or against us". This informal fallacy is easier to detect than the rest, but from time to time we all feel compelled to join a group or cause just to fit in.

These counter strategies were first presented in the classic, "How to Detect Propaganda,” published in 1937 just before WWII. Sadly, in the 74 years since it came out, it is still needed. Stay tuned.....

OneLove

:::MME:::

The Inside Job

I have to admit that when President Barack Obama hired many of the Wall Street insiders featured in this documentary, I was hugely disappointed as I really wanted to believe that Presidents could be more than just figure heads for the real decision makers. Either the President wasn't aware of the massive corruption in the financial sector that almost destroyed the world economy or he knew but was naive enough to believe that the same Ivy League assholes could correct it. As intelligent as the President is, I believe he purposely chose to ignore this financial armageddon for the sake of political expediency. As much we all like the President on a personal level & admire his eloquence and keen intellect, we must not allow ourselves to be blinded by this. As Shakespeare wrote in Macbeth, "‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair’, which means appearances aren’t what they seem. Take some time to absorb & reflect upon this sobering documentary. To borrow the theme of the President's quest to the White House (which seems to have been forgotten), we need change we can believe in.

Click HERE for the study guide that accompanies this documentary.

OneLove

:::MME:::

MME's Jam of the Day

This cut is probably the most requested yet most underrated contemporary R&B jam of all time. It's either the quintessential ode to romantic love that aims to "touch your heart & make your love appear" or the best pick-up seranade to "stop your frowns & turn them upside down ". I like the timeless, old-school 70's feel  to it (reminds me of Major Harris' "Love Won't Make Me Wait") & although this was Robert Winters' only R&B hit (his life was cut short by illness a few years after it was released), this song will endure for my childrens' children to groove to....Enjoy! 


OneLove

::MME:::

..& Now a Message from Wile. E. Coyote (Super Genius)

(See: US Healthcare)


OneLove


:::MME:::

War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning

After reading Chris Hedges book, "Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle" which was quite a disturbing read, I became an avid reader of his other books & essays. His courageous & independent thinking is exemplary & we have much to learn from his keen observations & righteous resistance. Take a deep listen to what he is saying in this clip, & as the noble bard of yesterday, James Russell Lowell, once stated:

Once to every man and nation
Comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth and falsehood,
For the good or evil side;
Some great cause, God's new Messiah,
Off'ring each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever
Twixt that darkness and that light.

Though the cause of evil prosper,
Yet 'tis truth alone is strong;
Though her portion be the scaffold,
And upon the throne be wrong:
Yet that scaffold sways the future,
And behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow
Keeping watch above his own.
OneLove

:::MME:::

Natural Wisdom

When I bring to you colored toys, my child, I understand why there is such a play of colors on clouds, on water, and why flowers are painted in tints – when I give colored toys to you, my child.

When I sing to make you dance I truly know why there is music in leaves, and why waves send their chorus of voices to the heart of the listening earth – when I sing to make you dance.

When I bring sweet things to your greedy hands, I know why there is honey in the cup of the flower and why fruits are secretly filled with sweet juice – when I bring sweet things to your greedy hands.

When I kiss your face to make you smile, my darling, I surely understand what the pleasure is that streams from the sky in morning light, and what delight that is which the summer breeze brings to my body – when I kiss you to make you smile.

-Rabindranath Tagore

OneLove

:::MME:::

Seeing The Forest for the Trees



The Rich vs The Rest of Us


And yet another study to back-slap us with something we already know - the rich are getting outrageously richer.


Collectively, U.S. millionaires will go from $39 trillion to $87 trillion in wealth by 2020, according to a study the Deloitte Center for Financial Services and Oxford Economics released recently.

The rest of us? Not a damn thing coming besides the anxiety of keeping a job, losing a job, keeping a home, losing a home and hoping that we can stay out of debt & maintain the little wealth we've accumulated. Studies like these prove to me that there is something seriously wrong with the "system". I've received many e-mails from folks from all over, especially from here in the U.S, who argue that the system works if one works hard enough & makes sacrifices, but the facts scream, "It just aint so!".

According to the study, there are nearly 7.8 million households in America with $1 million to $5 million in assets, 2.3 million households with $5 million to $30 million and 496,000 households with more than $30 million. OK, there are over 308 million people in the U.S, so that leaves...where's my calculator.....approximately 225 million of us (not including children which number about 73 million) outside the gates of luxury cars, penthouse lofts w/ private sky decks & multiple income producing assets that propel the rich further into the stratosphere (Deloitte projects the assets of these millionaire households will more than double by 2020).

It's one thing for one to work hard, save & invest wisely & make the necessary sacrifices in order to gain financial security. Granted, there are many of us who have done so, but the playing field is so heavily skewed towards those who already have ample assets, opportunities &/or connections, that it makes no sense to me to argue that just anybody can be the next millionaire--a thousandnaire, more likely. Yes, one or 2 may make it to upper echelons of wealth & privilege, but the vast majority of us will not & it's not because we're lazy, under-achieving &/or dim-witted. The truth is that the "system" has been rigged against us (from education to taxes to health care) & people the world over have caught on to it (in the U.S, less so) & are demanding a overhaul of this shabby state of affairs. It's amazing how the few endeavor to amass so much in the midst of untold suffering & still have the gall to expect low tax rates, downplay workers' rights, attack the social safety net & poison the environment to boot!

When I was a kid, I used to read Richie Rich comics & marveled at the money bursting from every crevice of his surroundings--stuffed in mattresses, in canyons, under hills. etc. Money was everywhere and this little white boy could do as he pleased. Many of the stories revolved around greedy miscreants trying to get at his wealth, but he always prevailed. I eventually tired of this character & often fantasized about stomping on his rich, pampered ass! Fast forward to the present, the feelings are still the same, only now the characters are real. 'Richie Rich', watch your back! The people want their money back!

OneLove

:::MME:::

Tribute To A Soul Rebel

Bob Marley Tribute by EddieGoGwen

(Reggae icon Bob Marley died 30 years ago today at just 36, but his music and message still vibrate within the hearts of many.)

Ride Natty Ride...

Dready got a job to do
And he's got to fulfill that mission
To see his hurt is their
Greatest ambition
But we'll survive
In this world of competition
'Cause no matter what they do
Natty keep on comin' thru
And no matter what they say
Natty de deh every day

Natty Dread rides again
Thru the mystics of tomorrow
Natty Dread rides again
Having no fear, having no sorrow

All and all you see a Gwan
Is to fight against Rastaman
So they build their world
In great confusion
To force on us the devil's illusion
But the stone that the builder refuse
Shall be the head cornerstone
And no matter what games they play
There is something they could never take away
Something they could never take away
It's the fire, it's the fire, fire
Burning down everything
Feel that fire, fire, the fire, the fire
Only the birds have wings
No time to be deceived
You should know and not believe
Jah says this judgement
Could never be with water

Now the fire is burning
Out of control panic in the city
Wicked weeping for their gold
Everywhere the fire is burning
Destroying and melting their gold
Destroying and waisting their souls

Ride Natty ride
Go deh dready, go deh dready
Go deh dready go deh

Now the people gather on the beach
And the leader try to make a speach
But Dread again tell them it's too late
Fire is burning
Man pull your own weight
Fire is burning
Man pull your own weight
Natty dread rides again
Go deh Dready, go deh Dready, go deh
Oh ride Natty ride
Natty dread rides again
Go deh Dready, go deh, go deh Dready, go deh
Riding thru the storm
And we riding thru the calm
Go deh, go deh
We riding thru the thick
We riding thru the thin
Ride Natty, ride Natty

OneLove

::MME:::

Living a Lie

“The profound crisis of human identity brought on by living within a lie, a crisis which in turn makes such a life possible, certainly possesses a moral dimension as well; it appears, among other things, as a deep moral crisis in society. A person who has been seduced by the consumer value system, whose identity is dissolved in an amalgam of the accouterments of mass civilization, and who has no roots in the order of being, no sense of responsibility for anything higher than his own personal survival, is a demoralized person. The system depends on this demoralization, deepens it, is in fact a projection of it into society" - Vaclav Havel


OneLove

:::MME:::

Earthlings

Sometimes the harsh, unadorned truth can downright level you to the ground & radically change you. After watching this documentary, I was utterly devastated by what I saw. It confirmed for me that we, humankind, are the most dangerous & reckless species that has ever walked the face of the planet. I say this because we are possessed with the gift of conscience/moral agency (the ability to discern right from wrong), yet we seem bent on committing (&/or ignoring) the worst atrocities not only towards ourselves, but towards other species & Nature in general.

I guarantee you that throughout this documentary, your heart will shatter & you will cry from a depth where only God knows. If you cannot handle it, just watch & reflect upon the first 20 minutes of it. All of the footage was via hidden cameras & leaked videos.

Animals can communicate quite well. And they do. And generally speaking, they are ignored.
--Alice Walker

Love animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled. Do not trouble their joy, don't harass them, don't deprive them of their happiness, don't work against God's intent. Man, do not pride yourself on superiority to animals; they are without sin, and you, with your greatness, defile the earth by your appearance on it, and leave the traces of your foulness after you--alas, it is true of almost every one of us!
--Fyodor Dostoyevsky (novelist)

"Even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath, so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is Vanity."--Ecclesiastes 3:19

Without free animal life, I believe we will lose the spiritual equivalent of oxygen.
-Alice Walker

The abuse of a harmless thing is the essence of sin.
-A. W. Tozer

Until we have the courage to recognize cruelty for what it is--whether its victim is human or animal--we cannot expect things to be much better in this world... We cannot have peace among men whose hearts delight in killing any living creature. By every act that glorifies or even tolerates such moronic delight in killing we set back the progress of humanity.
-Rachel Carson

"If we cut up beasts simply because they cannot prevent us and because we are backing our own side in the struggle for existence, it is only logical to cut up imbeciles, criminals, enemies, or capitalist for the same reasons."--C. S. Lewis

"For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love."--Pythagoras

"If all the beasts were gone, man would die from loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beast, happens to the man."--Chief Seattle

OneLove

:::MME:::

An Ignominious End



Photo from the Situation Room: The President watching the Mission Live


Dr Vijay Prashad on Osama's Death by MixmasterE

History tells us loudly that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind (& the blind people think that they still see!). Osama is gone--now what? At the risk of sounding naive, can peace have a chance? His death can be a transformative moment, I think, to mark the beginning of the end of the bloody cycle of violence....We shall see. Dr Vijay Prashad offers some very thoughtful insights in this short interview worth pondering.


OneLove


:::MME:::

MME's Jam of the Day

This cut still sounds fresh. It's a wonder it hasn't been sampled more (I think DJ Quik is the only artist who sampled it in his "Summer Breeze" jam)....Enjoy!

JERMAINE JACKSON you like me don't you (ext. M Reis) by MixmasterE

OneLove

:::MME:::

Windows to Other Worlds

A good word is like a good tree whose root is firmly fixed and whose top is in the sky-The Koran

Maya Angelou once said, "Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him." How true those words! As avid Marvel comics & Mad magazine fans in our youth, my buddies & I would swap & devour comics which fed our fertile imaginations & sharpened our wits at the same time. This produced (for me) the habit of reading which Barnes & Noble is quite appreciative of, I'm $ure.

Amongst the many books I've read, there are characters with whom I identified, the most striking one being John Power (known as 'Brotherman') from Roger Mais' classic caribbean novel, "Brotherman". This character has remained with me since my teenage years. It resurrects memories of wanting to become a Rastafarian & living a happy & humble life in the tropical surroundings of my island home. More powerfully, the character's ethic of peace & love & the spiritual nourishment he provided for his despised & chaotic community, exposed me to a way of life beyond the surface of things. Before I knew of Ghandi, Thich Nhat Hanh or M.L King, this fictional Rastafarian protagonist ("Brotherman") was the most powerful influence on my young mind (outside of friends/family). This illustrates the sheer power of the book & one's imagination which far surpasses anything the electronic media has to offer. The challenge now is to convince our children of this with over 500 TV channels, video games, Twitter/FB, cell phones, digital cameras, computer games & the Internet to compete against!! (Where's my belt.....?)

OneLove

:::MME:::

The Faustian Peril

I am no hardcore religious fanatic or sanctimonious buffoon , but whether you're religious or not, you'd have to admit that Mankind's unending lust for power, fame, pleasure & fortune have ruined the lot of us & trashed the place (Earth). This brings to mind the legend of Faust. Every religion has its moral tales & the following one is a great example of our Faustian dilemma :-

A powerful senator dies after a prolonged illness. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

"Welcome to Heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in," says the guy.

"Well, I'd like to but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in Hell and one in Heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity."

"Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in Heaven," says the senator.

"I'm sorry but we have our rules."

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to Hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him, everyone is very happy and in evening attire. They run to greet him, hug him, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster and caviar. Also present is the Devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a big hug and waves while the elevator rises. The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on Heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

"Now it's time to visit Heaven."

So 24 hours pass with the head of state joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

"Well then, you've spent a day in Hell and another in Heaven. Now choose your eternity."

He reflects for a minute, then the senator answers, "Well, I would never have said it, I mean Heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in Hell."

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to Hell. Now the doors of the elevator open and he is in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags. The Devil comes over to him and lays his arm on his neck.

"I don't understand," stammers the senator."Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and club and we ate lobster and caviar and danced and had a great time. Now all there is, is a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable."The Devil looks at him, smiles and says, "Yesterday we were campaigning! Today you voted for us! The election is over."

OneLove

:::MME:::