Musings

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OneLove
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:::MME:::

Poet's Nook: "Please Don't Take My Air Jordans" by Lemon Andersen

Sometimes we wonder why our innocents get slaughtered in the street for nothing...a jacket, a pair of shoes, a simple glance....This poem allows us to take a peek inside the chaotic mindstream of benighted souls...Impactful storytelling by this gifted poet . 
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OneLove.
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:::MME:::

The Democracy Charade

OneLove
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:::MME:::

"We Must Unleash Radical Thought" (Harry Belafonte)

Harry Belafonte still has the fire of truth burning within. Most people sell their souls to the Devil for comfort, fame & power/wealth, but not ol' Harry! He still kicks ass and tells it like it is! Mayor of Newark (NJ) also gave a stirring introduction at this awards ceremony which you can check out here.

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Onelove
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:::MME:::

Poor Us: An Animated History of Poverty

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• Almost half the world — over 3 billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day.
• The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the 41 Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (567 million people) is less than the wealth of the world’s 7 richest people combined.
• Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
• Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn’t happen.
• 1 billion children live in poverty (1 in 2 children in the world). 640 million live without adequate shelter, 400 million have no access to safe water, 270 million have no access to health services. 10.6 million died in 2003 before they reached the age of 5 (or roughly 29,000 children per day).

— More Facts (and Sources 

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OneLove

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:::MME:::

Musings

 “The evolution of the brain not only overshot the needs of prehistoric man, it is the only example of evolution providing a species with an organ which it does not know how to use.”
 - Arthur Koestler

OneLove
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 :::MME:::

The Surreality of Survival

How can you be sitting there 
Telling me that you care-
That you care? 
When every time I look around, The people suffer in the suffering 
In every way, in everywhere....

-Bob  Marley

When W.E.B Dubois introduced and addressed two concepts that describe the quintessential Black experience in America— the concepts of “the veil” and “double-consciousness.” - I was blown away. Although I did not grow up in the US, I connected to what Dubois was saying. These two concepts gave a name to what so many African-Americans felt but previously could not fully express.  The implication and connotation of these words were far-reaching because not only did it briefly describe the dilemma of being Black and American then, it rings true to the core and essence of what it means to still be Black and American today.  Du Bois describes double consciousness as a "peculiar sensation. . . the sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity". According to Du Bois assertions, the Black American exists in a consistent "two-ness, - an American, a Negro". Furthermore, the African American lives shut behind a veil, viewing from within and without it. During the nineteenth and twentieth century, it has been all but impossible for an African American to function as an American who happens to be an African as well. It was even a more ridiculous notion that he can function as an African who happens to be born into the American nationality. This is why African-Americans have become, in my opinion,  the greatest masters of disguise as they have had to operate in two Americas for survival. Is this not part of the reason why African-Americans have such a unique and rich tradition of jaw-dropping artistry be it in dance, poetry, music, athletics, literature, painting, acting......? Operating within the Duboisian Veil - which is a metaphor for the separation and invisibility of black life and existence in America - makes the soul beat against psychic prisons to proclaim to the world, "HERE I AM!!!"....Quite surreal....
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OneLove
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:::MME:::

MME's Jam Of The Day

 

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Gotta love the message in this clip. Written by Alicia Keys and newcomer Emeli Sandé, this video gets its muse from the late artist-painter Jean-Michel Basquiat whose work, according to art aficionados,  focused on "suggestive dichotomies," such as wealth versus poverty, integration versus segregation, and inner versus outer experience (Basquiat's personal biography is itself quite intriguing - he perfectly embodied the "hungry, struggling  oppositional artist" mythos). Alicia Keys is the shi*!
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OneLove
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:::MME:::

Our Brave New World

 (The question is: What are we gonna do about this? Should we allow our rights to be trampled on as if we have no value and accept the "reasons" given for such widespread surveillance? )
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Stay alert....

OneLove
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 . :::MME:::

Dirty Wars: The World is a Battlefield

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You can pick it up from the 2:47 point where Jeremy Scahill is speaking - some very explosive observations & revelations in this interview. Some folks are still under the spell of President Obama's historic/iconic presidency, but it is way past time to put this away & focus on what is happening now both domestically & internationally in our name. It's not a pretty picture. Also check out Jeremy Scahill's disturbing investigation of the US's disastrous war in Yemen...


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OneLove
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:::MME:::

Gabriel Teodros on Hip Hop & Science Fiction

Whoa! Gabriel's razor-sharp observations & engaging delivery will give you several moments of "hmmm...interesting".....Check out his website which features some incredible music & videos.
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OneLove
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 :::MME:::

Rotations: The Music of Just A Band (Kenya)

These brothers are fantastic! Hailing from Kenya, they masterfully blend various genres into one unique, harmonious sound, African style!
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OneLove
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:::MME:::

Fear Is Control

(The Obama Admin went after this guy hard a couple of years ago, but the case against him was dropped last year.  Let's applaud the people who are unafraid of speaking truth to power no matter the consequences. As the great Dr Martin Luther King once said, "It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees").
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OneLove
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:::MME:::

Hedges vs Obama

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If you were to ask anyone what is the NDAA and its importance on the body politic, I am willing to bet that you will get a deer in headlights gaze and a shrug of the shoulders thrown in to amplify the cool igorance and apathy. It is not entirely the fault of the average citizen to not know what is being done in their name. The local news programs, newspapers and radio stations, mostly controlled by big corporate interests with deep ties to the military-industrial-entertainment complex, have as their main function the task of keeping us distracted, redirected . Let's waste precious time talking about Beyonce's Super Bowl performance or Kim Kardashian's baby bump or the Manti Te'o's hoax -- as if this information has any meaning whatsoever - rather than thinking & talking about issues that have a direct bearing on our lives like the NDAA. 
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Big up to Chris Hedges, Noam Chomsky & the other plaintiffs in this pivotal case. Many people are loath to say anything critical about Pres. Obama since he has become a historical figure of sorts being the first African-American president in US history & the fact that he appears to be such a good-natured individual. Politics should never be centered on a charismatic personality - look at Germany in the 30s & the personality cult centered around Hitler. Not to equate Obama with Hitler, my point is that when we as citizens stop paying attention to the things that matter, we will continually get punk'd - no matter how "nice" we think our leaders are. 

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OneLove
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:::MME:::

Resonance - Beings of Frequency

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This spectacular documentary uncovers for the very first time, the actual mechanisms by which mobile phone technology can cause cancer. And, how every single one of us is reacting to the biggest change in environment this planet has ever seen.
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 Two billion years ago life first arrived on this planet; a planet, which was filled with a natural frequency. As life slowly evolved, it did so surrounded by this frequency. and inevitably, it began tuning in. By the time Mankind arrived on earth, an incredible relationship had been struck; a relationship that science is just beginning to comprehend. 
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Research is showing that being exposed to this frequency is absolutely integral to us. It controls our mental and physical health, it synchronizes our circadian rhythms, and it aids our immune system and improves our sense of well-being. Not only are we surrounded by natural frequencies, our bodies are filled with them too. Our cells communicate using electro magnetic frequencies. Our brain emits a constant stream of frequencies and our DNA delivers instructions, using frequency waves. Without them we couldn't exist for more than a second. This delicate balance has taken billions of years to perfect. But over the last 25 years the harmony has been disturbed. and disturbed dramatically. Mankind has submerged itself in an ocean of artificial frequencies. They are all around us, filling the air and drowning out the earth's natural resonance. To the naked eye the planet appears to be the same. But at a cellular level it is the biggest change that life on Earth has endured; the affects of which we are just starting to see and feel. (Source)
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★ PLEASE SIGN the following petition to have telecom companies put warnings on their packaging:
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The Petition
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OneLove
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,:::MME:::

Long Distance Revolutionary

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For those who don't know, a little background..... 
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Why is Mumia on death row?
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 On Dec. 9, 1981, Abu-Jamal was driving a taxi when he saw that police had stopped his brother. He got out of the car to make sure police were not violating his brother’s civil rights. In the altercation that followed, Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner was shot and killed. Witnesses saw a man flee the scene who did not look like Abu-Jamal. But when police arrived, they arrested Mumia Abu-Jamal, who had also been shot. Ballistics reports prove that the gun found on Mumia Abu-Jamal, a .38 caliber weapon, was not the gun that killed Officer Faulkner. He was shot with a .44 caliber weapon. Police did not even test Abu-Jamal’s weapon to see whether or not it had been fired. Eyewitnesses who were not called to testify in 1982 have come forward. They say Mumia Abu-Jamal was not the shooter. Eyewitness Veronica Jones says police threatened to jail her if she testified. Other witnesses, who testified against Abu-Jamal in the original trial, have changed their stories, saying police threatened and intimidated them. 
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Who is Mumia? 
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Mumia Abu-Jamal joined the Black Panther Party in 1967, at the age of 15. He went on to a distinguished career as a radio journalist. An untiring opponent of racism and police brutality, he earned the wrath of the notoriously racist Mayor Rizzo and the Philadelphia police department. At the time of his arrest, Abu-Jamal was president of the Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia. Because of his advocacy for Philadelphia’s Black community, he was known as the "Voice of the Voiceless." Mumia Abu-Jamal has always maintained his innocence. His lawyers and supporters say Abu-Jamal was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Because he had earned the enmity of the Philadelphia police for his political stance, Abu-Jamal made a convenient target for a frame-up. Abu-Jamal has continued his work on death row, exposing the racist character of the death penalty and inhuman conditions in the prison system through articles and radio commentaries. He is the author of several books, including "We Want Freedom: A Life in the Black Panther Party", "Live from Death Row" and "All Things Censored". (Source)
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Check out  this important documentary   coming to a theatre near you...
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Stay awake....
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OneLove
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:::MME:::

Are We Slowly Witnessing Our Doom?

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The baffling response to Arctic climate change

Coal’s share of global energy mix to continue rising

The Arctic Ice Crisis

Wildlife in a Warming World

 DO THE MATH!

 OneLove
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 :::MME:::

Poet's Nook: "Keeping Quiet" by Pablo Neruda

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Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still
for once on the face of the earth,
let's not speak in any language;
let's stop for a second,
and not move our arms so much.

It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines;
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.

Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would not look at his hurt hands.

Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victories with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.

What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.

Life is what it is about...

If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with
death.

Now I'll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.

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OneLove

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:::MME:::  

High Noon In America

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Way too may people - especially our young ones - are being blown away senselessly. Not a day goes by when we don't think "please, not another mass shooting today"...Some time ago I posted a powerful piece by two brilliant poets from Chicago where a shocking number of teenagers are being gunned down almost on a daily basis. Check it out again - it captures the utter hopelessness many feel in these troubling times:
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OneLove
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:::MME:::

The Lucifer Effect

The president negotiates our withdrawal from Afghanistan, proclaims mission accomplished — and the wars of the last decade continue winding down to nothing.

We’ll be leaving behind an unstable country with one of the world’s highest infant mortality rates and hundreds of armed insurgent groups. We haven’t rescued or rebuilt the country or accomplished any objective that begins to justify the human and financial cost of this adventure. We just lost. But we’re the most powerful nation on the planet. How is that possible? And, as Tom Engelhardt asks, “who exactly beat us? Where exactly is the triumphant enemy?”
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He goes on, in an essay that ran this week on Common Dreams: “Did we in some bizarre fashion fight ourselves and lose? After all, last year, more American servicemen died from suicide than on the battlefield in Afghanistan; and a startling number of Americans were killed in ‘green on blue’ or ‘insider’ attacks by Afghan ‘allies’ rather than by that fragmented movement we still call the Taliban.”
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Did we fight ourselves and lose? This is a question for the millennium — a question in which the human future hangs in the balance. A rich, arrogant and unbelievably powerful nation, riding a tide of opportune vengeance, pursuing its global interests, invades a poor, backward country, then a year and a half later invades another. It pours multi-trillions of dollars into the adventure and unleashes the most sophisticated high-tech weaponry the world has ever seen. On the home front, the war is backed by at least 80 percent of the population. It’s a good war, a righteous war, proclaimed by the prodigious public relations arm of the military-industrial consensus as a “war on terror” . . . a war on evil itself.
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And we lost. Or sort of lost — at least in the sense that we didn’t win. As Andrew Bacevich wrote in 2010: “By 2007, the American officer corps itself gave up on victory, although without giving up on war. First in Iraq, then in Afghanistan, priorities shifted. High-ranking generals shelved their expectations of winning . . . . They sought instead to not lose. In Washington as in U.S. military command posts, the avoidance of outright defeat emerged as the new gold standard of success.”
His essay was titled, “Is War Becoming Obsolete?” That is, is war becoming an ineffective means of achieving, not merely the aims of its own propaganda (the defeat of evil), but its actual, limited goals of regional dominance, the looting of natural resources, the containment of geopolitical rivals? And if so, does it matter?
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Beyond such questions, I sense that a larger question lurks: Might it be that war isn’t something we wage, so much as a force that wages us? And if that’s the case, it doesn’t particularly matter whether we win or lose because it’s not in our control anyway, at least not in the way we think it is. War has been obsolete for at least the last century, in that the damage it inflicted shattered winner and loser alike, almost to the point of mutual suicide — not counting the United States, which emerged powerful and prosperous and on top of the world after World War II. It took another half-century or so for the lose-lose nature of war to catch up to us, and thus for us to begin noticing its obsolescence.
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This may be a good time to begin assessing the nature of our loss in the war on terror, beyond the non-achievement of geopolitical ends and non-fulfillment of whatever our mission actually was. Certainly this loss includes expenditures in the trillions of dollars, contributing enormously to the national bankruptcy.
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And it also includes the thousands of American combat deaths and the hundreds of thousands of soldiers wounded, both physically and psychologically, during their extended deployments, or suffering from an array of mystery nerve, respiratory and multiple other illnesses— now called chronic multisymptom illness and declared, in a recent report by the federal Institute of Medicine, to be the same symptoms that several hundred thousand vets from the 1991 Gulf War still suffer from — which are the result of the toxic hell that modern warfare inflicts on its battle zones.
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In the process of inflicting all this harm on ourselves, of course, we inflicted infinitely more harm on the nations we invaded, killing hundreds of thousands, displacing millions, and polluting Iraq and Afghanistan with radioactive waste from depleted uranium munitions and the toxins of unregulated burn pits, among much else. In 2010, the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health published the results of a study showing that Fallujah, Iraq, was experiencing higher rates of cancer, leukemia and infant mortality than Hiroshima and Nagasaki did in 1945.
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Is war becoming obsolete? When war's toxic aftermath is endured only by the defeated “enemy,” the winners can still cheer. But today there’s no cheering on any side of the erstwhile war on terror. The pertinent question is: How do we stop our mad preparation for future wars?
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And there’s only one answer: Stop inventing enemies, whom we proceed to dehumanize. Once we begin the dehumanization process, we lose — not just figuratively, but literally, and in almost incalculable ways. Philip Zimbardo coined the term “the Lucifer Effect” to describe the sadistic corruption that consumes good-hearted men and women when they are given overwhelming power over others. We wage war thinking we can control the Lucifer Effect. We’re always wrong.

                                                         (Source: Commondreams)


OneLove
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:::MME:::