on october 10, the u.s. supreme court will hear fisher v. university of texas, no. 11-345, a major challenge to affirmative action in higher education. the case was brought by abigail fisher, a white woman who says she was denied admission to the university of texas based on her race. the university selects parts of its class by taking race into account, as one factor among many, in an effort to ensure educational diversity.
nine years ago the court endorsed that university's approach in a five-to-four vote. the majority opinion in the case, grutter v. bollinger, was written by justice sandra day o'connor. in fact, she said she expected it to last for a quarter of a century. but o'connor retired in 2006.
o'connor was succeeded by justice samuel a. alito, jr., a president george w. bush appointee who consistently votes to limit race-conscious decision-making by the government. chief justice john g. roberts, jr., another bush appointee, has made no secret of his distaste for what he calls,"a sordid business, this divvying us up by race."
justices anthony kennedy, antonin scalia & clarence thomas all dissented in the grutter case, which suggests there now may be five votes to limit or overturn it. the aim of such a decision may depend on the intricacies of the admissions system in texas. the university provides automatic admission to students in texas who graduate in roughly the top ten percent of their high school classes. their system generates diversity, partly because many texas high schools remain racially homogeneous.
ms. fisher narrowly missed the cutoff at a high school whose students have above-average test scores for the state. she was rejected for one of the remaining spots under the part of the admissions program considering applicants' race. the court may uphold the texas system under grutter, or it may rule against it by saying, for instance, race-conscious admissions are forbidden where a race-neutral method - like the ten percent program - can said to be working fairly.
i am
- mark j. tuggle
- harlem, usa
- same-gender-loving contemporary descendant of enslaved africans. community activist, feminist, health educator, independent filmmaker, mentor, playwright, poet & spiritual being. featured at, in & on africana.com, afrikan poetry theatre, angel herald, bejata dot com, bet tonight with tavis smiley, blacklight online, black noir, brooklyn moon cafe, gmhc's barbershop, klmo-fm, lgbt community services center, longmoor productions, nuyorican poets cafe, our corner, poz, pulse, rolling out new york, rush arts gallery, saint veronica's church, schomburg center for research in black culture, sexplorations, the citizen, the new york times, the soundz bar, the trenton times, the village voice, upn news, uzuri, venus, vibe, wbai-fm, wnyc-fm & wqht-fm. volunteered with adodi, bailey house, inc., black men's xchange-new york, colorofchange.org, drug policy alliance, east harlem tutorial program, imagenation film & music festival, presente.org, save darfur coalition, the enough project, the osborne association, the sledge group & your black world. worked on films with maurice jamal & heather murphy. writing student of phil bertelsen & ed bullins. mjt975@msn.com.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Colonoscopy 101
last wednesday morning i had a colonoscopy. first time. the procedure was unpleasant yet worthwhile. they were supposed to anesthetize me - but didn't. or, should i just say, whatever local medication they injected me with refused to do the job. i felt the black snake inside me. my stomach was in knots. i wanted to ask my male doctor, "before you hit it, can we get to know each other better? how about dinner & a movie? a little foreplay..."
so i'm making light of a dark situation. but that's who i be.
the preparation was horrible. tuesday, i had to drink a gallon of water mixed with a chemical which has too many syllables to pronounce, much less remember. every 15 minutes i had to drink a glass of this stuff, which kinda tasted like salt & alka seltzer. my doctor told me it would taste like gatorade. she lied. that shit was nasty. p-funk. the bomb.
after a couple of hours my head started to spin. my equilibrium was unbalanced. my stomach was nauseated. i began to vomit as i sat on the toilet releasing liquid waste. i felt like linda blair. unplugged. i called a female friend who has more health issues than myself. she assured me the drink was the hard part & everything else would be was a piece of cake. uh, okay, i guess.
around 10 pm i began to experience slight emotional relief. i called another friend. a guy. why? because i value balance in my relationships. we laughed at the absurdity of it all. his compassion was comforting. other friends, diverse men & women, told me what to expect before the procedure. i appreciate their support, primarily because it came from their personal experience with having a colonoscopy themselves. some more than one.
more than once? oh mah goodness....
to my delight & surprise, i woke up spiritually refreshed wednesday morning. in fact, i was pleased at how i felt before undergoing the unknown. but i serve a loving god. his wisdom is infinitely better than my own. as such, i was unafraid of the outcome. they told me i had some internal hemorrhoids. most importantly, no cancer was found! i don't have to do another colonoscopy in 7-10 years.
in the immortal words of madea, "ha-le-loo-yer."
so i'm making light of a dark situation. but that's who i be.
the preparation was horrible. tuesday, i had to drink a gallon of water mixed with a chemical which has too many syllables to pronounce, much less remember. every 15 minutes i had to drink a glass of this stuff, which kinda tasted like salt & alka seltzer. my doctor told me it would taste like gatorade. she lied. that shit was nasty. p-funk. the bomb.
after a couple of hours my head started to spin. my equilibrium was unbalanced. my stomach was nauseated. i began to vomit as i sat on the toilet releasing liquid waste. i felt like linda blair. unplugged. i called a female friend who has more health issues than myself. she assured me the drink was the hard part & everything else would be was a piece of cake. uh, okay, i guess.
around 10 pm i began to experience slight emotional relief. i called another friend. a guy. why? because i value balance in my relationships. we laughed at the absurdity of it all. his compassion was comforting. other friends, diverse men & women, told me what to expect before the procedure. i appreciate their support, primarily because it came from their personal experience with having a colonoscopy themselves. some more than one.
more than once? oh mah goodness....
to my delight & surprise, i woke up spiritually refreshed wednesday morning. in fact, i was pleased at how i felt before undergoing the unknown. but i serve a loving god. his wisdom is infinitely better than my own. as such, i was unafraid of the outcome. they told me i had some internal hemorrhoids. most importantly, no cancer was found! i don't have to do another colonoscopy in 7-10 years.
in the immortal words of madea, "ha-le-loo-yer."
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Pennsylvania Set To Execute Death Row Sexual Assault Victim
unless the state's board of pardons prevents it, pennsylvania will execute terrance "terry" williams, 46, by lethal injection. williams is on death row for the 1984 murder of amos norwood, who sexually abused wlliams as a child. months earlier, williams had killed another man who also raped him. governor tom corbett set an execution date of october 3, which would make williams the first person put to death in the state in 13 years.
prosecutors characterized williams as a serial killer, but the jurors never heard evidence of the years of horrific abuse he suffered from older men. child advocates, judges, prosecutors, the jurors who found him guilty & the victim's wife say he should not die. additionally, over 345,000 people have signed a petition on colorofchange.org to grant him clemency. a similar viral show of support for a death row inmate was given to troy davis a year ago.
terry williams' case has exposed the inherent flaws in the precarious administration of the death penalty, while acting as a catalyst in the push for a death penalty moratorium in the keystone state. williams could become the first non-volunteer execution since 1978. all three of those who were executed since the u.s. supreme court reinstated the death penalty waived their remaining appeals.
barely 18, williams killed norwood, 56, with a tire iron, set him on fire & left him in a cemetery. at age 17, he killed herbert hamilton, 50, by cutting his throat with a knife, for which he received 27 years. but the jury in his capital murder case didn't know norwood, a church leader, sexually abused him from the age of 13 & raped him until he bled the previous night. also, williams endured poor legal representation. his new attorneys argue prosecutors knew about the abuse, but told williams' co-defendant, marc draper, to testify robbery was the motive for the killing.
sadly, williams' life began in tragedy. he was brutally beaten by his mother & alcoholic stepfather with belts, extension cords, fists & switches. at age 6, he was raped by an older boy in the neighborhood. in middle school a teacher repeatedly raped him. when a robbery landed him in juvenile detention, he was gang raped by two older boys. as a teenager, williams was sexually exploited by older men - in exchange for clothes, food, money & other gifts.
although williams suffered post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the ongoing violence he experienced, he received no mental health treatment or counseling. williams used alcohol & other drugs to self-medicate, as well as self-mutilation & suicide attempts to deal with his pain. eventually, he fatally attacked two of his abusers.
five of the jurors who sentenced williams say they were unaware of his long history of sexual abuse. they said this information would have influenced their decision. furthermore, a number of jurors say they want a life sentence for williams, rather than death. moreover, the jurors were not instructed life sentences means life without parole. pennsylvania is the only state where such an instruction is not required.
"the reason that i opted for the death sentence was because i was under the impression that if we sentenced terry williams to life in prison then he could get out on parole," said one of the jurors. "if i had known that a life sentence meant life without parole, i personally would have voted for a life sentence & i think other people probably would have voted for life too," the juror said. mamie norwood, the widow of amos norwood, says the execution goes against her christian beliefs & she has forgiven williams.
meanwhile, dozens of child advocates, former judges & prosecutors, law professors, mental health professionals & religious leaders, including the archbishop of philadelphia, have publicly demanded a commutation of terry williams' impending death sentence. they join a host of human rights organizations & the european union in calling for williams' clemency.
the williams case is front & center in the national consciousness, primarily due to two recent high-profile sex abuse scandals in pennsylvania. jerry sandusky, a former assistant coach at penn state university, was convicted of sexually abusing young boys. a scathing report from former fbi director louis frech found university officials failed to intervene & protect children.
ironically, the archbishop of philadelphia - despite his support of williams - is under fire for providing cover to men of the cloth who abuse kids. monsignor william j. lynn, former secretary clergy for the archdiocese of philadelphia, was recently found guilty of endangering children & protecting predatory priests from the law. lynn was sentenced three to six years.
with 216 people condemned to death, pennsylvania has the fourth largest death row population in america, behind california, florida & texas. alabama is in fifth place. according to the death penalty information center, 61% of death row inmates in the keystone state are african-american, 30% are white & eight percent are latinjo. yet, the 2010 census states blacks are only 11% of the state's total population. also, six pennsylvania inmates have been released from death row due to evidence of innocence, of the 140 such inmates across the nation.
a study commissioned by the pennsylvania supreme court found pay for court-appointed criminal defense lawyers in philadelphia is "grossly inadequate" & "unacceptably increases the risk of ineffective assistance of counsel in individual cases & is primarily responsible for the first judicial district's growing inability to attract a sufficient number of qualified attorneys willing to accept court appointments in capital cases."
marc bookman of the atlantic center for capital representation wrote, "court appointed lawyers in philadelphia rarely visit their clients much, seldom file motions on their behalf & never use a jury questionnaire." he also said, "this is not a technical issue...death sentence after death sentence has been reversed based on the quality of legal defense in philadelphia."
in light of these problems & the scheduled execution date, a bipartisan state senate commission wrote a letter to governor corbett calling for a postponement of all executions until it completes its study on the effectiveness of the death penalty. the commission will release its findings, which will discuss the cost, fairness, impact & proportionality of the death penalty, in 2013.
prosecutors characterized williams as a serial killer, but the jurors never heard evidence of the years of horrific abuse he suffered from older men. child advocates, judges, prosecutors, the jurors who found him guilty & the victim's wife say he should not die. additionally, over 345,000 people have signed a petition on colorofchange.org to grant him clemency. a similar viral show of support for a death row inmate was given to troy davis a year ago.
terry williams' case has exposed the inherent flaws in the precarious administration of the death penalty, while acting as a catalyst in the push for a death penalty moratorium in the keystone state. williams could become the first non-volunteer execution since 1978. all three of those who were executed since the u.s. supreme court reinstated the death penalty waived their remaining appeals.
barely 18, williams killed norwood, 56, with a tire iron, set him on fire & left him in a cemetery. at age 17, he killed herbert hamilton, 50, by cutting his throat with a knife, for which he received 27 years. but the jury in his capital murder case didn't know norwood, a church leader, sexually abused him from the age of 13 & raped him until he bled the previous night. also, williams endured poor legal representation. his new attorneys argue prosecutors knew about the abuse, but told williams' co-defendant, marc draper, to testify robbery was the motive for the killing.
sadly, williams' life began in tragedy. he was brutally beaten by his mother & alcoholic stepfather with belts, extension cords, fists & switches. at age 6, he was raped by an older boy in the neighborhood. in middle school a teacher repeatedly raped him. when a robbery landed him in juvenile detention, he was gang raped by two older boys. as a teenager, williams was sexually exploited by older men - in exchange for clothes, food, money & other gifts.
although williams suffered post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the ongoing violence he experienced, he received no mental health treatment or counseling. williams used alcohol & other drugs to self-medicate, as well as self-mutilation & suicide attempts to deal with his pain. eventually, he fatally attacked two of his abusers.
five of the jurors who sentenced williams say they were unaware of his long history of sexual abuse. they said this information would have influenced their decision. furthermore, a number of jurors say they want a life sentence for williams, rather than death. moreover, the jurors were not instructed life sentences means life without parole. pennsylvania is the only state where such an instruction is not required.
"the reason that i opted for the death sentence was because i was under the impression that if we sentenced terry williams to life in prison then he could get out on parole," said one of the jurors. "if i had known that a life sentence meant life without parole, i personally would have voted for a life sentence & i think other people probably would have voted for life too," the juror said. mamie norwood, the widow of amos norwood, says the execution goes against her christian beliefs & she has forgiven williams.
meanwhile, dozens of child advocates, former judges & prosecutors, law professors, mental health professionals & religious leaders, including the archbishop of philadelphia, have publicly demanded a commutation of terry williams' impending death sentence. they join a host of human rights organizations & the european union in calling for williams' clemency.
the williams case is front & center in the national consciousness, primarily due to two recent high-profile sex abuse scandals in pennsylvania. jerry sandusky, a former assistant coach at penn state university, was convicted of sexually abusing young boys. a scathing report from former fbi director louis frech found university officials failed to intervene & protect children.
ironically, the archbishop of philadelphia - despite his support of williams - is under fire for providing cover to men of the cloth who abuse kids. monsignor william j. lynn, former secretary clergy for the archdiocese of philadelphia, was recently found guilty of endangering children & protecting predatory priests from the law. lynn was sentenced three to six years.
with 216 people condemned to death, pennsylvania has the fourth largest death row population in america, behind california, florida & texas. alabama is in fifth place. according to the death penalty information center, 61% of death row inmates in the keystone state are african-american, 30% are white & eight percent are latinjo. yet, the 2010 census states blacks are only 11% of the state's total population. also, six pennsylvania inmates have been released from death row due to evidence of innocence, of the 140 such inmates across the nation.
a study commissioned by the pennsylvania supreme court found pay for court-appointed criminal defense lawyers in philadelphia is "grossly inadequate" & "unacceptably increases the risk of ineffective assistance of counsel in individual cases & is primarily responsible for the first judicial district's growing inability to attract a sufficient number of qualified attorneys willing to accept court appointments in capital cases."
marc bookman of the atlantic center for capital representation wrote, "court appointed lawyers in philadelphia rarely visit their clients much, seldom file motions on their behalf & never use a jury questionnaire." he also said, "this is not a technical issue...death sentence after death sentence has been reversed based on the quality of legal defense in philadelphia."
in light of these problems & the scheduled execution date, a bipartisan state senate commission wrote a letter to governor corbett calling for a postponement of all executions until it completes its study on the effectiveness of the death penalty. the commission will release its findings, which will discuss the cost, fairness, impact & proportionality of the death penalty, in 2013.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Serena Williams & Andy Murray Win U.S. Open Singles Titles
serena williams defeated world #1 victoria azarenka of belarus, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 to win her fourth u.s. open women's singles crown. the 30 year-old african-american now has 15 major singles titles. as williams thoroughly dominated the first set, cbs commentator & international hall of famer john mcenroe called her the greatest female women's tennis player in history.
but williams had to withstand a furious comeback by her opponent, the 2012 australian open champion. the 23 year-old azarenka began the year with a 26-match win streak. she is dominant on hard courts - her favorite surface - & felt confident going into the final, despite her 1-9 record against williams, who first won the u.s. open as a 17 year-old teenager in 1999.
azarenka's competitive spirit & punishing ground strokes gave her an edge. in the past she would fold under duress but her mental toughness is now an asset. after winning the second set 6-2, she broke williams twice & led 5-3 in the final set. down match point on azarenka's serve in game eight, williams broke back & continued to fight like a champion. when azarenka's backhand sailed out, she hit the ground in amazement, smiling at her latest accomplishment.
andy murray of britain defeated world #1 novak djokovic of serbia, 7-6 (12-10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 to win his first major singles title. murray sunk to his knees after the last point, letting tears of joy freely as he became the first brit since fred perry in 1936 to emerge victorious in a major men's singles championship. previously, murray was 0-4 in major final matches.
the hard-fought & highly contested match lasted four hours & 54 minutes, tying a record for the longest u.s. open men's singles final, set in 1988, when mats wilander defeated ivan lendl. ironically, lendl serves as murray's new coach. the first set was nearly 90 minutes. but the tiebreaker lasted almost 25 minutes, setting a record for the longest tiebreaker in u.s. open men's singles finals history.
both players gave a tremendous effort with brilliant shot making from all parts of the court. their back court rallies were long & punishing - one lasted 54 shots in total. murray was up 4-0 in the second set & seemed destined for a straight set victory. undaunted by murray's fine play, djokovic, the defending champion, roared back to tie the match at two sets all. but murray's perseverance was too much for djokovic. he held serve in game eight, to finally win a major singles title.
but williams had to withstand a furious comeback by her opponent, the 2012 australian open champion. the 23 year-old azarenka began the year with a 26-match win streak. she is dominant on hard courts - her favorite surface - & felt confident going into the final, despite her 1-9 record against williams, who first won the u.s. open as a 17 year-old teenager in 1999.
azarenka's competitive spirit & punishing ground strokes gave her an edge. in the past she would fold under duress but her mental toughness is now an asset. after winning the second set 6-2, she broke williams twice & led 5-3 in the final set. down match point on azarenka's serve in game eight, williams broke back & continued to fight like a champion. when azarenka's backhand sailed out, she hit the ground in amazement, smiling at her latest accomplishment.
andy murray of britain defeated world #1 novak djokovic of serbia, 7-6 (12-10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 to win his first major singles title. murray sunk to his knees after the last point, letting tears of joy freely as he became the first brit since fred perry in 1936 to emerge victorious in a major men's singles championship. previously, murray was 0-4 in major final matches.
the hard-fought & highly contested match lasted four hours & 54 minutes, tying a record for the longest u.s. open men's singles final, set in 1988, when mats wilander defeated ivan lendl. ironically, lendl serves as murray's new coach. the first set was nearly 90 minutes. but the tiebreaker lasted almost 25 minutes, setting a record for the longest tiebreaker in u.s. open men's singles finals history.
both players gave a tremendous effort with brilliant shot making from all parts of the court. their back court rallies were long & punishing - one lasted 54 shots in total. murray was up 4-0 in the second set & seemed destined for a straight set victory. undaunted by murray's fine play, djokovic, the defending champion, roared back to tie the match at two sets all. but murray's perseverance was too much for djokovic. he held serve in game eight, to finally win a major singles title.
Wednesday, September 05, 2012
First Lady Michelle Obama Electrifies DNC
the democratic national convention is taking place in charlotte, north carolina this week, following the republican national convention which was held in tampa, florida. last night, before 20,000 people diverse in age, culture, faith, gender & orientation - unlike the gop contingent - first lady michelle obama electrified the audience with a brilliantly moving testimony to her husband, family & nation.
her message was simple: president barack obama is just like you. "barack knows the american dream because he's lived it," she said. the first lady tried to reassure voters her husband shares their values of faith, hard work, perseverance & sacrifice. as such, she drew a stark contrast between obama & gop nominee mitt romney, although she never mentioned his name in her powerful speech.
first lady michelle obama reminded folks of their tough times together as a couple when "we were so young, so in love, so in debt...our combined monthly student loans was more than our mortgage," said the first lady. the comment drew laughter from the packed house. mrs. obama said her husband got his favorite coffee table from a dumpster & sometimes wore dress shoes a size too small.
with a mix of personal anecdotes & policy talk, the first lady's speech was her most poignantly political to date. said the first lady, "today, after so many struggles & triumphs & moments that have tested my husband in ways i never could have imagined, i have seen first hand that being president doesn't change who you are - it reveals who you are."
she painted a portrait of a leader who knows first hand the struggles of everyday americans who listen to them with compassion & empathy as president, while he also tries to keep their best interests at heart & in mind. said mrs. obama, "that's the man i see in those quiet moments late at night, hunched over his desk, poring over the letters people have sent him...i see the concern in his eyes & i hear the determination in his voice as he tells me, "you won't believe what these folks are going through michelle, it's not right, we've got to keep working to fix this. we've got more work to do."
the first lady sought to counter republicans trying to depict obama as something other than a typical american, while implying romney can't relate to people burdened with a recessive economy. yet neither obama nor romney live like the average working-class american who struggles daily with credit card debt, health care costs & mortgage payments. both men are millionaires who have access to power, privilege & resources few americans will ever experience.
as she stood in the center of the convention's blue-carpeted stage rocking a bright pink dress, mrs. obama's words spoke to the core contrast between the democratic party platform & the republican party platform. democrats say the president is pushing policies to boost the middle class, while romney wants to protect the wealthy & hope their success trickles down. the crowd roared with chants of "four more years."
mrs. obama delved more deeply into the details of her husband's policies than in any of her previous speeches, demonstrating her courage, growth & integrity. the first lady promoted signing of the lily ledbetter act giving women equal work for equal pay, his health care overhaul, push for tax cuts among middle incomer earners & the auto bailout he engineered early on in his presidency. she said, "in the end, for barack, these issues aren't political, they're personal."
the first lady is the most popular figure in this year's presidential campaign. in fact, she earns higher favor ability ratings than the commander-in-chief, his republican rival, the other contender for first lady, or either candidate for the vice presidency. according to the latest associated press-gfk poll, 64% of americans said they had a favorable view of mrs. obama, compared to 53% for the president.
her message was simple: president barack obama is just like you. "barack knows the american dream because he's lived it," she said. the first lady tried to reassure voters her husband shares their values of faith, hard work, perseverance & sacrifice. as such, she drew a stark contrast between obama & gop nominee mitt romney, although she never mentioned his name in her powerful speech.
first lady michelle obama reminded folks of their tough times together as a couple when "we were so young, so in love, so in debt...our combined monthly student loans was more than our mortgage," said the first lady. the comment drew laughter from the packed house. mrs. obama said her husband got his favorite coffee table from a dumpster & sometimes wore dress shoes a size too small.
with a mix of personal anecdotes & policy talk, the first lady's speech was her most poignantly political to date. said the first lady, "today, after so many struggles & triumphs & moments that have tested my husband in ways i never could have imagined, i have seen first hand that being president doesn't change who you are - it reveals who you are."
she painted a portrait of a leader who knows first hand the struggles of everyday americans who listen to them with compassion & empathy as president, while he also tries to keep their best interests at heart & in mind. said mrs. obama, "that's the man i see in those quiet moments late at night, hunched over his desk, poring over the letters people have sent him...i see the concern in his eyes & i hear the determination in his voice as he tells me, "you won't believe what these folks are going through michelle, it's not right, we've got to keep working to fix this. we've got more work to do."
the first lady sought to counter republicans trying to depict obama as something other than a typical american, while implying romney can't relate to people burdened with a recessive economy. yet neither obama nor romney live like the average working-class american who struggles daily with credit card debt, health care costs & mortgage payments. both men are millionaires who have access to power, privilege & resources few americans will ever experience.
as she stood in the center of the convention's blue-carpeted stage rocking a bright pink dress, mrs. obama's words spoke to the core contrast between the democratic party platform & the republican party platform. democrats say the president is pushing policies to boost the middle class, while romney wants to protect the wealthy & hope their success trickles down. the crowd roared with chants of "four more years."
mrs. obama delved more deeply into the details of her husband's policies than in any of her previous speeches, demonstrating her courage, growth & integrity. the first lady promoted signing of the lily ledbetter act giving women equal work for equal pay, his health care overhaul, push for tax cuts among middle incomer earners & the auto bailout he engineered early on in his presidency. she said, "in the end, for barack, these issues aren't political, they're personal."
the first lady is the most popular figure in this year's presidential campaign. in fact, she earns higher favor ability ratings than the commander-in-chief, his republican rival, the other contender for first lady, or either candidate for the vice presidency. according to the latest associated press-gfk poll, 64% of americans said they had a favorable view of mrs. obama, compared to 53% for the president.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Bloomberg Wants To Ban Beverages
mayor michael bloomberg is proposing to ban sales of sugar-sweetened beverages over 16 ounces in new york city. while new yorkers would be limited to 16-ounce beverages, they would still be able to indulge in other high calorie items.
this restriction will cover everything from coffee drinks, juice drinks, soft drinks, sports drinks & teas. furthermore, bottled & fountain beverages over 16 ounces could no longer be sold in coffee shops, food trucks, movie theaters, restaurants, sports venues & street carts.
according to the mayor, new yorkers need help deciding what size beverage is appropriate. but beverage restrictions don't make people healthy - commitment, discipline, exercise, nutrition & responsibility do. solving the complex problems of diabetes & obesity starts with giving people more choices, not fewer choices.
visit NYCBeverageChoices.com for more information.
this restriction will cover everything from coffee drinks, juice drinks, soft drinks, sports drinks & teas. furthermore, bottled & fountain beverages over 16 ounces could no longer be sold in coffee shops, food trucks, movie theaters, restaurants, sports venues & street carts.
according to the mayor, new yorkers need help deciding what size beverage is appropriate. but beverage restrictions don't make people healthy - commitment, discipline, exercise, nutrition & responsibility do. solving the complex problems of diabetes & obesity starts with giving people more choices, not fewer choices.
visit NYCBeverageChoices.com for more information.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Gunmen Dead, Others wounded during shooting near Empire State Building
a disgruntled laid-off women's accessories designer shot a former co-worker to death in front of the empire state building yesterday. the incident took place just after 9:00 am, causing a chaotic showdown with police, who killed the suspect. at least nine others were wounded, some possibly by police gunfire, city officials said.
some of the wounded were grazed by bullets & others hit directly, but all were expected to survive, officials said. the gunshots rang out on the fifth avenue side of the building at a time of day when the sidewalks are packed with consumers, employees, merchants, students & tourists. after the shootout, 34th street between park avenue & sixth avenue was shut down. police helicopters buzzed overhead & swarms of officers gathered around the tragic crime scene.
jeffrey johnson, 53, was laid-off a year ago at hassan imports. he confronted a 41 year-old former colleague & shot him in the head, police commissioner ray kelly said. apparently, the two had traded accusations of harassment when johnson worked there. johnson walked away after shooting him, but a construction worker who witnessed the encounter followed johnson & alerted police, officials said.
johnson then turned his .45 caliber pistol on the two officers & they traded gunfire, killing johnson. although it's not clear how many shots johnson fired at the officers, they fired a total of 14 shots, some of which wounded people nearby. johnson worked at the company almost six years & was laid-off because due to downsizing.
"we were just working here & we heard bang, bang, bang!", said mohammed bachchu, 22, of queens, a worker at a nearby souvenir shop. he rushed from the building & saw seven people lying on the ground, covered in blood. another queens resident, rebecca fox, 27, said she people running down the street & initially thought it was a celebrity sighting, but then saw a woman shot in the foot & a man dead on the ground.
said fox, "i was scared & shocked & literally shaking...it was like csi, but it was real." she said police seemed to appear in seconds. hassam cissa, 22, of the bronx, said he saw two bodies on the ground & police applying a white cloth to a man's stomach wound. gunshots outside one of new york's leading tourist attractions prompted fears of terrorism, but federal officials said that wasn't the case. a guard at skyscraper said it didn't involve the parts of the building where tourists gather to visit the skyscraper.
the gunfire came less than two weeks after a knife-wielding man was shot dead by police near times square, another popular tourist site. authorities said police shot 51 year-old darrius kennedy after he lunged at officers with a kitchen knife august 12. kennedy was smoking marijuana in times square on a saturday afternoon when officers first approached him. it was the beginning of an encounter stretching seven crowded blocks.
some of the wounded were grazed by bullets & others hit directly, but all were expected to survive, officials said. the gunshots rang out on the fifth avenue side of the building at a time of day when the sidewalks are packed with consumers, employees, merchants, students & tourists. after the shootout, 34th street between park avenue & sixth avenue was shut down. police helicopters buzzed overhead & swarms of officers gathered around the tragic crime scene.
jeffrey johnson, 53, was laid-off a year ago at hassan imports. he confronted a 41 year-old former colleague & shot him in the head, police commissioner ray kelly said. apparently, the two had traded accusations of harassment when johnson worked there. johnson walked away after shooting him, but a construction worker who witnessed the encounter followed johnson & alerted police, officials said.
johnson then turned his .45 caliber pistol on the two officers & they traded gunfire, killing johnson. although it's not clear how many shots johnson fired at the officers, they fired a total of 14 shots, some of which wounded people nearby. johnson worked at the company almost six years & was laid-off because due to downsizing.
"we were just working here & we heard bang, bang, bang!", said mohammed bachchu, 22, of queens, a worker at a nearby souvenir shop. he rushed from the building & saw seven people lying on the ground, covered in blood. another queens resident, rebecca fox, 27, said she people running down the street & initially thought it was a celebrity sighting, but then saw a woman shot in the foot & a man dead on the ground.
said fox, "i was scared & shocked & literally shaking...it was like csi, but it was real." she said police seemed to appear in seconds. hassam cissa, 22, of the bronx, said he saw two bodies on the ground & police applying a white cloth to a man's stomach wound. gunshots outside one of new york's leading tourist attractions prompted fears of terrorism, but federal officials said that wasn't the case. a guard at skyscraper said it didn't involve the parts of the building where tourists gather to visit the skyscraper.
the gunfire came less than two weeks after a knife-wielding man was shot dead by police near times square, another popular tourist site. authorities said police shot 51 year-old darrius kennedy after he lunged at officers with a kitchen knife august 12. kennedy was smoking marijuana in times square on a saturday afternoon when officers first approached him. it was the beginning of an encounter stretching seven crowded blocks.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Armed Washington Man Arrested in alleged threat against President Obama
the secret service on tuesday arrested a washington state man accused of making an e-mail threat against president barack obama & brandishing a shotgun at officers who came to his door. anton calouri, 31, was arrested at an apartment in this south seattle suburb for investigation of making threats against the commander-in-chief & assault on a federal officer, said brian leary, a secret service spokesman in washington, d.c.
u.s. attorney spokeswoman emily langlie said the threat was sent to a general purpose federal bureau of investigation (fbi) e-mail address. the fbi then notified the secret service, said leary. he refused to discuss the nature of the threat but federal way spokeswoman cathy schrock said she understood it was a threat to kill the president.
a secret service agent & a federal way police officer went to an apartment in a four-plex at the panther ridge apartments, knocked & announced themselves for about three minutes. they faced a man armed with a shotgun when the door opened. "the shotgun was coming up to point in the direction of the agents...the two officers were able to close in & take control of the weapon before anyone was harmed," said schrock. the officers also seized a gun in the man's ankle holster.
because the resident made statements about explosive devices in the apartment, the federal way bomb squad was called to evacuate the four-plex & sweep it for explosives; but none were found said schrock. a woman who identified herself as renee - calouri's mother - told a local tv station at the apartment scene, "i don't know a whole lot...how would you feel if your son got arrested? never got arrested, was in the military, has a college education. and i'm just a little bit upset & shocked."
schrock said she understood calouri's mother lived in her son's apartment. the spokeswoman said the mother was allowed back in their apartment briefly to get some personal belongings. her location was not known tuesday night. federal agents began searching the unit after the all-clear tuesday evening concern for explosives. calouiri was scheduled to appear in court wednesday at 2:00 pm.
u.s. attorney spokeswoman emily langlie said the threat was sent to a general purpose federal bureau of investigation (fbi) e-mail address. the fbi then notified the secret service, said leary. he refused to discuss the nature of the threat but federal way spokeswoman cathy schrock said she understood it was a threat to kill the president.
a secret service agent & a federal way police officer went to an apartment in a four-plex at the panther ridge apartments, knocked & announced themselves for about three minutes. they faced a man armed with a shotgun when the door opened. "the shotgun was coming up to point in the direction of the agents...the two officers were able to close in & take control of the weapon before anyone was harmed," said schrock. the officers also seized a gun in the man's ankle holster.
because the resident made statements about explosive devices in the apartment, the federal way bomb squad was called to evacuate the four-plex & sweep it for explosives; but none were found said schrock. a woman who identified herself as renee - calouri's mother - told a local tv station at the apartment scene, "i don't know a whole lot...how would you feel if your son got arrested? never got arrested, was in the military, has a college education. and i'm just a little bit upset & shocked."
schrock said she understood calouri's mother lived in her son's apartment. the spokeswoman said the mother was allowed back in their apartment briefly to get some personal belongings. her location was not known tuesday night. federal agents began searching the unit after the all-clear tuesday evening concern for explosives. calouiri was scheduled to appear in court wednesday at 2:00 pm.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Misdiagnosed Patient Settles $20 Million Suit For Wrongful HIV-Positive Test
in 2005, terry hedgepeth sued whitman-walker clinic in washington, d.c. because it mistakenly told him five years earlier he was hiv-positive. a seven year court battle ended this week when the clinic quietly settled for $20 million. on tuesday, just a week before the case was scheduled for trial in d.c. superior court, an agreement was reached. details of the settlement were not disclosed.
"we are happy to settle the case amicably," said don blanchon, whitman-walker's chief executive. he would not comment further on the case. hedgepeth's attorney, johnathan c. dailey, said "the case was resolved amicably" & also declined to further discuss the agreement. but dailey added the agreement came a year after the d.c. court of appeals unanimously ruled (in the case) medical patients who are given incorrect information from their doctors about a life-threatening illness can seek legal recourse for emotional distress.
said dailey, "we changed 25 years of law. now if a doctor misreads information, a patient can sue for negligent emotional distress." dailey said his client, now 59 years old, married & living in the maryland suburbs, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder because of the misdiagnosis. "the effects of those five years have not worn off completely," dailey said.
according to court records & interviews with dailey, hedgepeth went to whitman-walker after his then, girlfriend, with whom he'd been sexually active, told him she has aids & feared she'd infected him. a clinic employee mistakenly wrote in hedgepeth's files he'd taken two tests at the clinic & one of them was positive. later, a clinic doctor failed to carefully review his chart & began counseling him about the virus.
during the next four years no further blood tests were done; hedgepeth continued to believe he was hiv-positive. as such, he became depressed, according to the court records, quit his job as a caterer, began using alcohol & other drugs, while twice committed to psychiatric wards because of recurring suicidal thoughts.
hedgepeth was monitored at whitman-walker but never medically treated for the virus. the clinic also arranged for him to live in a facility with hiv-positive people. in june 2005, he sought alternative treatment from the abundant life clinic in southeast washington. the clinic conducted a routine blood test & discovered he was not hiv-positive. a month later, hedgepeth was referred to johns hopkins bayview medical center to take a follow-up test which confirmed his hiv-negative status.
in august 2005, hedgepeth sued whitman-walker for medical negligence. one year later, d.c. superior court judge robert e. morin dismissed the case. in 2009, three judges on the d.c. court of appeals agreed with morin's decision, saying hedgepeth was not physically harmed by the misdiagnosis, noting he'd not been prescribed hiv medication which caused any side effects.
hedgepeth & his attorney petitioned for all 10 of the d.c. appellate judges to review the case in 2009. last year, the judges reversed the lower court's decision, finding the case should move forward because serious emotional distress could result from a doctor's negligence. the ruling finally gave hedgepeth a chance to be heard by a jury. on tuesday, as both sides were preparing for trial, they resolved the provocative case.
although dailey believes the appellate judges' decision gives people misdiagnosed with deadly diseases grounds for such lawsuits, his victory is not universally accepted. catherine hanssens, executive director of the center for hiv law & policy in new york, said courts & juries realize doctors make mistakes. "many people who find out they are not hiv-positive view it as good news - they don't run out & get a lawyer...doctors are not infallible & patients have to realize doctors don't & should not have the last say in their health.," said hanssens.
"we are happy to settle the case amicably," said don blanchon, whitman-walker's chief executive. he would not comment further on the case. hedgepeth's attorney, johnathan c. dailey, said "the case was resolved amicably" & also declined to further discuss the agreement. but dailey added the agreement came a year after the d.c. court of appeals unanimously ruled (in the case) medical patients who are given incorrect information from their doctors about a life-threatening illness can seek legal recourse for emotional distress.
said dailey, "we changed 25 years of law. now if a doctor misreads information, a patient can sue for negligent emotional distress." dailey said his client, now 59 years old, married & living in the maryland suburbs, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder because of the misdiagnosis. "the effects of those five years have not worn off completely," dailey said.
according to court records & interviews with dailey, hedgepeth went to whitman-walker after his then, girlfriend, with whom he'd been sexually active, told him she has aids & feared she'd infected him. a clinic employee mistakenly wrote in hedgepeth's files he'd taken two tests at the clinic & one of them was positive. later, a clinic doctor failed to carefully review his chart & began counseling him about the virus.
during the next four years no further blood tests were done; hedgepeth continued to believe he was hiv-positive. as such, he became depressed, according to the court records, quit his job as a caterer, began using alcohol & other drugs, while twice committed to psychiatric wards because of recurring suicidal thoughts.
hedgepeth was monitored at whitman-walker but never medically treated for the virus. the clinic also arranged for him to live in a facility with hiv-positive people. in june 2005, he sought alternative treatment from the abundant life clinic in southeast washington. the clinic conducted a routine blood test & discovered he was not hiv-positive. a month later, hedgepeth was referred to johns hopkins bayview medical center to take a follow-up test which confirmed his hiv-negative status.
in august 2005, hedgepeth sued whitman-walker for medical negligence. one year later, d.c. superior court judge robert e. morin dismissed the case. in 2009, three judges on the d.c. court of appeals agreed with morin's decision, saying hedgepeth was not physically harmed by the misdiagnosis, noting he'd not been prescribed hiv medication which caused any side effects.
hedgepeth & his attorney petitioned for all 10 of the d.c. appellate judges to review the case in 2009. last year, the judges reversed the lower court's decision, finding the case should move forward because serious emotional distress could result from a doctor's negligence. the ruling finally gave hedgepeth a chance to be heard by a jury. on tuesday, as both sides were preparing for trial, they resolved the provocative case.
although dailey believes the appellate judges' decision gives people misdiagnosed with deadly diseases grounds for such lawsuits, his victory is not universally accepted. catherine hanssens, executive director of the center for hiv law & policy in new york, said courts & juries realize doctors make mistakes. "many people who find out they are not hiv-positive view it as good news - they don't run out & get a lawyer...doctors are not infallible & patients have to realize doctors don't & should not have the last say in their health.," said hanssens.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Felix Hernandez Throws Perfect Game
felix hernandez pitched the seattle mariners' first perfect game & the 23rd in baseball history, overpowering the tampa bay rays in a brilliant 1-0 victory wednesday afternoon. the 2010 cy young award winner has never hid his desire for pitching perfection. for a franchise on its way to 11 straight seasons without a playoff appearance, hernandez is the one constant keeping fans interested in mariners baseball.
"it was always on my mind, every game, i need to throw a perfect game. for every pitcher i think it's in their mind," said hernandez after reflecting on his historic achievement. "today it happened & it's something special. i don't have any words to explain this. this is pretty amazing. this doesn't happen every day," said the talented right-hander.
hernandez is revered in the pacific northwest, not only for his magnanimous performances on the mound, but for his willingness to stay in one of the smaller market cities. although he could easily have waited & sought a bigger payday with, perhaps, the angels, rangers or yankees, king felix humbly signed an extension two years ago which will keep him a happy seattle mariner through 2014.
riding down in a crowded elevator after the game, seattle general manager jack zduriencik jokingly held his cellphone to his ear & said, "no, we're not trading felix." mariners catcher john saso said, "it almost seems like a matter of time before this happens...a little dribbler here or something it's ruined, but his competitive attitude & competitive mind he brings out to the mound each time he pitches, you know you have a guy out there who's going to give you a chance to win."
hernandez threw the third perfect game in baseball this season - a first in mlb history - joining gems by philip humber of the chicago white sox against the mariners in april, along with matt latos of the san francisco giants against the houston astros in june. more than half of all perfect games, 12, have come in the last 25 seasons.
this was also the sixth no-hitter in the majors this season, three of them at safeco field. on june 8 six mariner pitchers held the los angeles dodgers hitless in seattle. there have been seven no-hitters in a season twice since 1900. the first time was in 1990, then again the following year, with nolan ryan throwing two of them.
hernandez's dominance got stronger as the game progressed. he cruised for five innings, then pitched through tough at-bats, delay tactics & mounting pressure of perfection to close out the gem. hernandez fanned 12 batters, including eight in the final four innings. he struck out the side in the sixth, did it again in the eighth, while clocking 95 mph in the ninth.
two starts earlier against the yankees, hernandez tossed a two-hit shutout, which seattle manager eric wedge called the finest outing he's ever seen from his all-star pitcher. "it was special. he had special stuff," said wedge. "but felix is so consistently good that when he does take it up to another level, which we've seen him do through the course of the year, you never know how it's going to turn out," wedge said.
hernandez has now struck out 10 or more batters in a game for the fifth time this season. most of his outs were on the infield. there were only five fly ball outs. after another outstanding game his battery mate saso said, "you could throw any lineup out there today & it's close to the same result." his record is now 11-5 for the year.
"it was always on my mind, every game, i need to throw a perfect game. for every pitcher i think it's in their mind," said hernandez after reflecting on his historic achievement. "today it happened & it's something special. i don't have any words to explain this. this is pretty amazing. this doesn't happen every day," said the talented right-hander.
hernandez is revered in the pacific northwest, not only for his magnanimous performances on the mound, but for his willingness to stay in one of the smaller market cities. although he could easily have waited & sought a bigger payday with, perhaps, the angels, rangers or yankees, king felix humbly signed an extension two years ago which will keep him a happy seattle mariner through 2014.
riding down in a crowded elevator after the game, seattle general manager jack zduriencik jokingly held his cellphone to his ear & said, "no, we're not trading felix." mariners catcher john saso said, "it almost seems like a matter of time before this happens...a little dribbler here or something it's ruined, but his competitive attitude & competitive mind he brings out to the mound each time he pitches, you know you have a guy out there who's going to give you a chance to win."
hernandez threw the third perfect game in baseball this season - a first in mlb history - joining gems by philip humber of the chicago white sox against the mariners in april, along with matt latos of the san francisco giants against the houston astros in june. more than half of all perfect games, 12, have come in the last 25 seasons.
this was also the sixth no-hitter in the majors this season, three of them at safeco field. on june 8 six mariner pitchers held the los angeles dodgers hitless in seattle. there have been seven no-hitters in a season twice since 1900. the first time was in 1990, then again the following year, with nolan ryan throwing two of them.
hernandez's dominance got stronger as the game progressed. he cruised for five innings, then pitched through tough at-bats, delay tactics & mounting pressure of perfection to close out the gem. hernandez fanned 12 batters, including eight in the final four innings. he struck out the side in the sixth, did it again in the eighth, while clocking 95 mph in the ninth.
two starts earlier against the yankees, hernandez tossed a two-hit shutout, which seattle manager eric wedge called the finest outing he's ever seen from his all-star pitcher. "it was special. he had special stuff," said wedge. "but felix is so consistently good that when he does take it up to another level, which we've seen him do through the course of the year, you never know how it's going to turn out," wedge said.
hernandez has now struck out 10 or more batters in a game for the fifth time this season. most of his outs were on the infield. there were only five fly ball outs. after another outstanding game his battery mate saso said, "you could throw any lineup out there today & it's close to the same result." his record is now 11-5 for the year.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Judge Won't Halt Pennsylvania Voter ID Law
a pennsylvania judge on wednesday refused to stop a tough new voter identification law from going into effect. commonwealth court judge robert simpson said he wouldn't grant an injunction halting the law requiring voters to show valid photo identification. opponents are expected to file an appeal within a day or two to the state supreme court.
the republican-penned law has ignited a furious debate over voting rights as pennsylvania is poised to play a key role in the november 6 presidential election. republicans defend the law as necessary to protect the integrity of the election. but democrats say the law will hinder college students, elders, poor folk & historically disenfranchised (blacks, latinos, i.e.) americans from fair voting practices.
"we're not done, it's not over," said witold j. walczak, an american civil liberties union lawyer who helped argue the case for the plaintiffs. he said, "it's why they make appeals courts." simpson didn't rule on the full merits of the case, only whether to grant a preliminary injunction stopping it from taking effect.
votes by four of six supreme court justices would be needed to rescind the ruling by simpson, who is a republican. but the high court is currently split between three republicans & three democrats following the recent suspension of justice joan orie melvin, a republican who is fighting criminal corruption charges.
the state's lawyers acknowledged they are "not aware of any incidents of in person voter fraud." instead, they insisted lawmakers properly exercise their latitude to make election-related laws when they chose to require voters to show widely available forms of photo identification.
republican governor tom corbett signed the law in march; every democratic lawmaker voted against it vehemently. at issue is the requirement of all pennsylvania voters to produce a valid photo id before their ballot can be counted - a substantial change from the law it was designed to replace. that law required identification only for people voting in a polling place for the first time & it allowed non-photo documents such as bank statements or utility bills.
but some of the people who sued over the law say they will be unable ot vote because they lack the necessary documents, inlcuding a birth certificate, to get a state photo id, the most widely available of the ids valid under the law. lawyers who provided free legal representation to the plaintiffs also warned it'll be difficult for many others to get a valid photo id. they presented testimony from department of transportation license workers who appeared uninformed about these new legal requirements.
in addition, some voters won't know about the law until they get to the polls. as such, long waits will result while untrained election workers struggle to carry out a complex & unnecessary - some feel racialized - law amid the traditionally larger turnout in presidential elections, they argued.
according to folks from the attorney general's office, which defended the law, the state is planning to begin issuing a special photo id card for registered voters who are unable to get a pennsylvania department of transportation-issued id & lack any other photo id acceptable under the law, such as an active-duty military or passport id.
also, they say the state is rolling out a public relations campaign to raise awareness of the new voter laws. the department of state, which oversees elections in pennsylvania, has not produced any kind of study or survey estimating the number of people without a valid photo id required by the law.
finally, the obama administration's department of justice is looking at whether pennsylvania's oppressive new voter laws requiring photo identification complies with federal laws. monday they asked the state's top election official & a chief supporter of the law for a long list of information about it.
the republican-penned law has ignited a furious debate over voting rights as pennsylvania is poised to play a key role in the november 6 presidential election. republicans defend the law as necessary to protect the integrity of the election. but democrats say the law will hinder college students, elders, poor folk & historically disenfranchised (blacks, latinos, i.e.) americans from fair voting practices.
"we're not done, it's not over," said witold j. walczak, an american civil liberties union lawyer who helped argue the case for the plaintiffs. he said, "it's why they make appeals courts." simpson didn't rule on the full merits of the case, only whether to grant a preliminary injunction stopping it from taking effect.
votes by four of six supreme court justices would be needed to rescind the ruling by simpson, who is a republican. but the high court is currently split between three republicans & three democrats following the recent suspension of justice joan orie melvin, a republican who is fighting criminal corruption charges.
the state's lawyers acknowledged they are "not aware of any incidents of in person voter fraud." instead, they insisted lawmakers properly exercise their latitude to make election-related laws when they chose to require voters to show widely available forms of photo identification.
republican governor tom corbett signed the law in march; every democratic lawmaker voted against it vehemently. at issue is the requirement of all pennsylvania voters to produce a valid photo id before their ballot can be counted - a substantial change from the law it was designed to replace. that law required identification only for people voting in a polling place for the first time & it allowed non-photo documents such as bank statements or utility bills.
but some of the people who sued over the law say they will be unable ot vote because they lack the necessary documents, inlcuding a birth certificate, to get a state photo id, the most widely available of the ids valid under the law. lawyers who provided free legal representation to the plaintiffs also warned it'll be difficult for many others to get a valid photo id. they presented testimony from department of transportation license workers who appeared uninformed about these new legal requirements.
in addition, some voters won't know about the law until they get to the polls. as such, long waits will result while untrained election workers struggle to carry out a complex & unnecessary - some feel racialized - law amid the traditionally larger turnout in presidential elections, they argued.
according to folks from the attorney general's office, which defended the law, the state is planning to begin issuing a special photo id card for registered voters who are unable to get a pennsylvania department of transportation-issued id & lack any other photo id acceptable under the law, such as an active-duty military or passport id.
also, they say the state is rolling out a public relations campaign to raise awareness of the new voter laws. the department of state, which oversees elections in pennsylvania, has not produced any kind of study or survey estimating the number of people without a valid photo id required by the law.
finally, the obama administration's department of justice is looking at whether pennsylvania's oppressive new voter laws requiring photo identification complies with federal laws. monday they asked the state's top election official & a chief supporter of the law for a long list of information about it.
Thursday, August 09, 2012
2012 Summer Olympics in London - USA Gold Medal Winners
the 2012 summer olympics in london have been exciting to watch. i've been engrossed in many of the sports from day one. despite my contempt with american politics, a strong sense of patriotism seems to emerge at a time like this. although the games are not over, listed below are american gold medal winners to date:
boxing: claressa ahields.
cycling: kristin armstrong.
gymnastics: gabby douglass, aly raisman.
judo: kayla harrison.
rifle: jamie lynn gary.
skeet shooting/men: vincent hancock.
skeet shooting/women: kim rhode.
swimming/men: nathan adrian, ricky berens, tyler clary, conor dwyer, matt grevers, brendan hansen, ryan lochte, michael phelps.
swimming/women: missy franklin, katie ledecky, allison schmitt, rebecca soni, dana vollmer, shannon vreeland.
tennis/men: bob & mike bryan.
tennis/women: serena & venus williams.
track & field/men: aries merritt, christian taylor.
track & field/women: allyson felix, brittney reese, sanya richards-ross, jenifer suhr.
volleyball: misty may-treanor, kerry walsh-jennings.
women's gymnastics; women's rowing; wonmen's soccer; women's water polo.
boxing: claressa ahields.
cycling: kristin armstrong.
gymnastics: gabby douglass, aly raisman.
judo: kayla harrison.
rifle: jamie lynn gary.
skeet shooting/men: vincent hancock.
skeet shooting/women: kim rhode.
swimming/men: nathan adrian, ricky berens, tyler clary, conor dwyer, matt grevers, brendan hansen, ryan lochte, michael phelps.
swimming/women: missy franklin, katie ledecky, allison schmitt, rebecca soni, dana vollmer, shannon vreeland.
tennis/men: bob & mike bryan.
tennis/women: serena & venus williams.
track & field/men: aries merritt, christian taylor.
track & field/women: allyson felix, brittney reese, sanya richards-ross, jenifer suhr.
volleyball: misty may-treanor, kerry walsh-jennings.
women's gymnastics; women's rowing; wonmen's soccer; women's water polo.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
The War On Drugs Is A Failure!
today, the united states accounts for five percent of the world's population, yet 25% of the world's prisoners are on american soil. why? the so-called war on drugs. actually, the war with drugs might be more accurate. the land of the free & home of the brave imprisons more people each year. the prison industrial complex is real talk.
these are our nation's war on drugs facts:
conservative estimate of annual government spending on the u.s. war on drugs: %51,000,000,000.
number of people arrested in 2010 in the u.s. on nonviolent drug charges: 1,638,846.
number of people arresred in 2010 for a marijuana law violation: 853,838.
number of people charged in 2010 with marijuana law violations who were arrested for possession only: 750,591. (88%).
number of americans in 2009 behind bars of federal, state & local jails & prisons: 2,424,279 - or, one in every 99.1 aduits: the highest incarceration in the world.
number of states whom allow the medical use of marijuana: 16, plus the district of columbia.
fraction of people incarcerated for a drug offense in state prison whom are black or latino, although these groups use & sell drugs at similar rates as whites: 2/3.
tax revenue which drug legalization would yield annually, if currently illegal drugs were taxed at rates comparable to those on alcohol & tobacco: $46.7 billion.
number of murders in 2010 in juarez, mexico, the epicenter of that country's drug war: 3,111 - the highest muder rate of any city in the world.
number of students who have lost federal financial aid eligibility because of a drug conviction: more than 200,000.
number of people in the u.s. who died from an accidental drug overdose in 2007: 27,658.
just say no? i don't think so. for more information visit www.drugpolicy.org.
these are our nation's war on drugs facts:
conservative estimate of annual government spending on the u.s. war on drugs: %51,000,000,000.
number of people arrested in 2010 in the u.s. on nonviolent drug charges: 1,638,846.
number of people arresred in 2010 for a marijuana law violation: 853,838.
number of people charged in 2010 with marijuana law violations who were arrested for possession only: 750,591. (88%).
number of americans in 2009 behind bars of federal, state & local jails & prisons: 2,424,279 - or, one in every 99.1 aduits: the highest incarceration in the world.
number of states whom allow the medical use of marijuana: 16, plus the district of columbia.
fraction of people incarcerated for a drug offense in state prison whom are black or latino, although these groups use & sell drugs at similar rates as whites: 2/3.
tax revenue which drug legalization would yield annually, if currently illegal drugs were taxed at rates comparable to those on alcohol & tobacco: $46.7 billion.
number of murders in 2010 in juarez, mexico, the epicenter of that country's drug war: 3,111 - the highest muder rate of any city in the world.
number of students who have lost federal financial aid eligibility because of a drug conviction: more than 200,000.
number of people in the u.s. who died from an accidental drug overdose in 2007: 27,658.
just say no? i don't think so. for more information visit www.drugpolicy.org.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Back On The Blog
its been several months since my last blog post. i'm still unsure why, but i was unable to access my own blog to write new posts. i decided to wait until i bought a new compuiter to continue my journey thru the blogosphere. well, that day has come! ok, the day passed a few weeks ago - apathy & procrastination are two inherent enemies - however, in this moment i'm back on the blog!
i miss blogging. i started seven years ago not knowing what to expect, how to proceed, if i would commit, who would read, etc. but i was determined to write. about what? my intention was to speak my heart as it opened to the universe. i get inspired to share pieces of my personal journey but more importantly my strong sense of justice compells me to write about various social issues impacting our lives each day.
exploring issues like aids, black cultural politics, community activism, drug addiction, ecology, global poverty, human sex trafficking, mental illness, prison industrial complex, same-sex marriage & white supremacy has challenged my fears, intolerance & woundedness in very painful ways. but still i write.
i write bcuz i feel the spirit of writers...
i write bcuz i feel the spirit of maya angelou, james baldwin, deeepak chopra, michael eric dyson, zora neale hurston, toni morrison, sonia sanchez, alice walker, iyanla vanzant & paramahansa yogananda.
i write bcuz i feel the spirit of mumia abu-jamal, amiri baraka, franz fanon, khalil gibran, bell hooks, june jordan, audre lorde, larry neal, louis reyes rivera & neale diamond walsch.
i write bcuz i feel the spirit of michelle alexander, frances cress welsing, frederick douglass, langston hughes, yusef kuumonyaka, caroline myss, thich naht hahn, don miguel ruiz, ntozake shange & marianne williamson.
i write bcuz i feel the spirit of asha bandele, julia cameron, angela y. davis, essex hemphill, elisabeth kubler-ross, haki madhubuti, rumi, ivan van-sertima, tim wise & gary zukav.
i write bcuz i feel the spirit of melody beattie, stanley crouch, mari evans, john henrik-clarke, sarah jones, dalai lama, terry mcmillan, pablo nerada, sri swami satchidananda & saul williams.
writing is my passion. walsch says, "passion is everything...when you kill passion, you kill god." i pray those who visit my blog will experience a sense of happiness, a sense of hope, a sense of humanity, a sense of humility & a sense of humor as i (finally) get my black ass back on the blog.
i miss blogging. i started seven years ago not knowing what to expect, how to proceed, if i would commit, who would read, etc. but i was determined to write. about what? my intention was to speak my heart as it opened to the universe. i get inspired to share pieces of my personal journey but more importantly my strong sense of justice compells me to write about various social issues impacting our lives each day.
exploring issues like aids, black cultural politics, community activism, drug addiction, ecology, global poverty, human sex trafficking, mental illness, prison industrial complex, same-sex marriage & white supremacy has challenged my fears, intolerance & woundedness in very painful ways. but still i write.
i write bcuz i feel the spirit of writers...
i write bcuz i feel the spirit of maya angelou, james baldwin, deeepak chopra, michael eric dyson, zora neale hurston, toni morrison, sonia sanchez, alice walker, iyanla vanzant & paramahansa yogananda.
i write bcuz i feel the spirit of mumia abu-jamal, amiri baraka, franz fanon, khalil gibran, bell hooks, june jordan, audre lorde, larry neal, louis reyes rivera & neale diamond walsch.
i write bcuz i feel the spirit of michelle alexander, frances cress welsing, frederick douglass, langston hughes, yusef kuumonyaka, caroline myss, thich naht hahn, don miguel ruiz, ntozake shange & marianne williamson.
i write bcuz i feel the spirit of asha bandele, julia cameron, angela y. davis, essex hemphill, elisabeth kubler-ross, haki madhubuti, rumi, ivan van-sertima, tim wise & gary zukav.
i write bcuz i feel the spirit of melody beattie, stanley crouch, mari evans, john henrik-clarke, sarah jones, dalai lama, terry mcmillan, pablo nerada, sri swami satchidananda & saul williams.
writing is my passion. walsch says, "passion is everything...when you kill passion, you kill god." i pray those who visit my blog will experience a sense of happiness, a sense of hope, a sense of humanity, a sense of humility & a sense of humor as i (finally) get my black ass back on the blog.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Where Is The Justice For Trayvon Martin?
three weeks ago, trayvon martin, an unarmed black teenager, was shot & killed by george zimmerman in sanford, florida. zimmerman, a 28 year-old white, self-appointed neighborhood watch captain, has claimed he acted in self-defense. despite his admittance to the shooting, he has not been arrested or charged with any crime.
just minutes before martin was tragically gunned down, zimmerman called police stating martin "looked suspicious." martin had left a convenience store with a bag of skittles & a can of arizona ice tea. he was walking towards his father's home when zimmerman accosted him.
at the crime scene, sanford police botched their questioning of zimmerman, refused to take the full statement of witnesses & pressured neighbors to side with the shooter. sadly, the state attorney's office has rubber-stamped the police's non-investigation; asserting lack of evidence to support even a manslaughter conviction.
zimmerman got out of his parked car, with a gun in tow, to pursue martin. yet despite being instructed by police not to do so, he continued to follow martin, who was wearing a hoodie on a dark, rainy night. zimmerman proceeded to confront & fatally shoot martin in the chest within minutes.
the case has been compromised from the start. when sanford police arrived on the scene, zimmerman was first approached by a narcotics detective - not a homicide investigator - who apparently peppered him with questions rather than allow him to tell his story without prompting. another officer corrected a witness giving a statement she'd heard martin cry for help before he was shot, telling her she had heard zimmerman instead.
far beyond the questions of professional integrity or the police's disregard for the facts in this case, florida's notorious "shoot first" law takes a shooter's self-defense claim at face value. as such, law enforcement is incentivized to not make arrests in shooting deaths that would lead to murder charges in other states.
moreover, sanford has a history of not prosecuting when the victim is black. in 2010, the white son of a sanford police lieutenant was let go by police after assaulting a homeless black man outside a downtown bar. in 2005, a black teenager was killed by two white security guards, one of them the son of a sanford police officer. the pair were arrested & charged, but a judge later cited lack of evidence & dismissed both cases.
the family of trayvon martin, along with hundreds of thousands of people across the country demand justice. they want the u.s. department of justice to take over the case, arrest martin's killer & launch an independent investigation into the sanford police department's unwillingness to affirm martin's civil rights.
you can sign a petition at: http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/trayvon.
just minutes before martin was tragically gunned down, zimmerman called police stating martin "looked suspicious." martin had left a convenience store with a bag of skittles & a can of arizona ice tea. he was walking towards his father's home when zimmerman accosted him.
at the crime scene, sanford police botched their questioning of zimmerman, refused to take the full statement of witnesses & pressured neighbors to side with the shooter. sadly, the state attorney's office has rubber-stamped the police's non-investigation; asserting lack of evidence to support even a manslaughter conviction.
zimmerman got out of his parked car, with a gun in tow, to pursue martin. yet despite being instructed by police not to do so, he continued to follow martin, who was wearing a hoodie on a dark, rainy night. zimmerman proceeded to confront & fatally shoot martin in the chest within minutes.
the case has been compromised from the start. when sanford police arrived on the scene, zimmerman was first approached by a narcotics detective - not a homicide investigator - who apparently peppered him with questions rather than allow him to tell his story without prompting. another officer corrected a witness giving a statement she'd heard martin cry for help before he was shot, telling her she had heard zimmerman instead.
far beyond the questions of professional integrity or the police's disregard for the facts in this case, florida's notorious "shoot first" law takes a shooter's self-defense claim at face value. as such, law enforcement is incentivized to not make arrests in shooting deaths that would lead to murder charges in other states.
moreover, sanford has a history of not prosecuting when the victim is black. in 2010, the white son of a sanford police lieutenant was let go by police after assaulting a homeless black man outside a downtown bar. in 2005, a black teenager was killed by two white security guards, one of them the son of a sanford police officer. the pair were arrested & charged, but a judge later cited lack of evidence & dismissed both cases.
the family of trayvon martin, along with hundreds of thousands of people across the country demand justice. they want the u.s. department of justice to take over the case, arrest martin's killer & launch an independent investigation into the sanford police department's unwillingness to affirm martin's civil rights.
you can sign a petition at: http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/trayvon.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
My Date With Dental Surgery
a couple of days ago i had dental surgery. this was a new experience for me, as i've never undergone a surgical procedure. i was scheduled for implants on both sides of the bottom part of my teeth. also, i was sedated, again, for the first time. as such, i was required to have an escort take me to & from the hospital. another first for me.
the surgery took place at jacobi hospital in the bronx, which is where i go for primary care. a trusted friend generously accompanied me to my 1:00 pm tuesday appointment. oddly enough, i was unafraid. i felt anxious & nervous, but not scared. in fact, i was ready for the unknown.
my spiritual practice includes daily prayer & regular meditation. a loving god has kindly placed people in my path who humbly shared their experiences with me. i felt neither alone nor unique. i'm proud of myself for the willingness to simply show up & try to be present.
as i was being strapped into the dental chair like a mummy, my body began to tighten up. yes, i was uncomfortable. the iv stung a little but the nurses were pleased with the ease the fluids entered my veins. i felt the numbness take over me. although i enjoyed the sensation i didn't like being powerless over the drugs going through me. after they gave me some gas i was out pretty quickly.
i honestly don't remember the dentist inserting the implants in my mouth. initially i was told the procedure would be about an hour but was later informed it would take "not that long." when i awakened i felt drowsy, sluggish & unpleasant. my mouth was sore & swollen. i could barely finish a sentence & hardly recognized where i was.
eventually, i was given a cold pack, information sheet & prescriptions for pain medication. i took a nap on the crowded & noisy train. when i got home all i wanted to do was sleep. but i stopped at the health food store to get some ice cream, organic yogurt - i dislike yogurt - & soup, because soft foods are recommended for the first couple of days.
its almost 1:00 am thursday & despite my outright defiance, i've tried to follow the suggestions of my dental team. they called me yesterday to make sure i was ok & remind me to come in next week for a follow up. i am so hungry right now. i want to eat something solid but my intention is to do the right thing for the right reason.
...who knew pain could lead to spiritual maturity?
the surgery took place at jacobi hospital in the bronx, which is where i go for primary care. a trusted friend generously accompanied me to my 1:00 pm tuesday appointment. oddly enough, i was unafraid. i felt anxious & nervous, but not scared. in fact, i was ready for the unknown.
my spiritual practice includes daily prayer & regular meditation. a loving god has kindly placed people in my path who humbly shared their experiences with me. i felt neither alone nor unique. i'm proud of myself for the willingness to simply show up & try to be present.
as i was being strapped into the dental chair like a mummy, my body began to tighten up. yes, i was uncomfortable. the iv stung a little but the nurses were pleased with the ease the fluids entered my veins. i felt the numbness take over me. although i enjoyed the sensation i didn't like being powerless over the drugs going through me. after they gave me some gas i was out pretty quickly.
i honestly don't remember the dentist inserting the implants in my mouth. initially i was told the procedure would be about an hour but was later informed it would take "not that long." when i awakened i felt drowsy, sluggish & unpleasant. my mouth was sore & swollen. i could barely finish a sentence & hardly recognized where i was.
eventually, i was given a cold pack, information sheet & prescriptions for pain medication. i took a nap on the crowded & noisy train. when i got home all i wanted to do was sleep. but i stopped at the health food store to get some ice cream, organic yogurt - i dislike yogurt - & soup, because soft foods are recommended for the first couple of days.
its almost 1:00 am thursday & despite my outright defiance, i've tried to follow the suggestions of my dental team. they called me yesterday to make sure i was ok & remind me to come in next week for a follow up. i am so hungry right now. i want to eat something solid but my intention is to do the right thing for the right reason.
...who knew pain could lead to spiritual maturity?
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Louis Reyes Rivera: Rest In Peace Beloved
louis reyes rivera made transition last friday in brooklyn hospital following a brief illness. rivera fully embodied the best of our african selves: activist. artist. critical thinker. editor. essayist. historian. poet. radio host. teacher. union organizer. he was 66 years old.
born & raised in brooklyn on may 19, 1945, rivera was a proud graduate of boys high. he began studying the craft of writing in 1960 & founded the continuing student publication, the paper, at city college of new york. after graduation in 1969, rivera started teaching & his influence as a teacher spanned many generations.
rivera distinguished himself as a professor of african-american culture & history, caribbean history, creative writing, nuyorican literature, pan-african literature, & puerto rican history at such institutions as boricua college, college of new rochelle, hunter college, laguardia college, pratt institute & state university of new york-stony brook, among others.
from 1996-2011, rivera hosted a reading series in brooklyn, first & third sundays jazzoetry & open mic @ sistas' place, where he also conducted various workshops. for many years rivera hosted the engaging radio talk & interview show, "perspectives," on wbai 99.5 fm in new york (streamed at wbai.org/archives).
a cultural icon & political activist, rivera was prominent in the successful struggle for "open enrollment" at city college in 1969. since then he's participated in many progressive movements & activities, including supporting the establishment of the freedom party, which ran candidates in the 2010 new york state election. rivera co-hosted two writers for mumia programs dedicated to freeing long term political prisoner mumia abu-jamal, one in 2007 & the other in 2010.
rivera served as chair of the new york chapter of the national writers union (nwu) since 2004. he was revered by all nwu members who saw him in action in new york & at delegate assemblies. rivera provided leadership on union issues & performed his insightful poetry.
calling himself the janitor of history, rivera is viewed as a living bridge between the african & latino communities. also known as the "dean of nuyorican poetica," he is an internationally recognized literary figure, with translation of his work appearing in italian, latvian, russian & spanish.
rivera published four books, who pays the cost (1978), this one for you (1983), in control of english (1988 & 1992) & scattered scripture (1996), for which he received the 1997 poetry award from the latin american writers institute. he had just completed his epic poem, jazz in jail, & was in the process of preparing it for publication.
rivera was honored with dozens of awards. some include the ccny 125th anniversary medal (1973), a special congressional recognition (1988), a lifetime achievement award (1995) & a new york foundation for the arts fellowship (2003) - each award serves to celebrate his impact & scholarship on contemporary literature.
since 1966, rivera performed at various clubs & jazz festivals. he worked with such bands as ahmed abdullah's diaspora, ebonic tones, the james spaulding ensemble, the sun ra all-stars project & his own band, the jazzoets. last spring rivera was inducted into the brooklyn jazz hall of fame. at his last public appearance on february 11, rivera was the featured poet at the american jazz museum's black history salute to jazz poetry in kansas city, missouri.
over the last 40 years, rivera assisted in the publication of well over 200 books. among them are adal maldonado's portraits of the puerto rican experience (1984), john oliver killens' great black russian (1989), bum rush the page: a def poetry jam (2001), co-edited with tony medina, & the bandana republic (2008).
rivera's essays & poems appeared in numerous publications, including african voices, areyto, boletin (center for puerto rican studies at hunter) & the city sun. several award-winning book collections, including, aloud: live from the nuyorican poets cafe, in defense of mumia, & of sons & lovers, utilized his brilliant work.
rivera once performed on the peabody award-winning hbo show, "def poetry jam." he also completed the translation of clemente solo velez's caballo de palo/broomstick stallion & worked on the collected poems of otto rene castillo of guatemala, por el bien de todos/for the good of all.
he was loved, respected & valued by the african diaspora.
born & raised in brooklyn on may 19, 1945, rivera was a proud graduate of boys high. he began studying the craft of writing in 1960 & founded the continuing student publication, the paper, at city college of new york. after graduation in 1969, rivera started teaching & his influence as a teacher spanned many generations.
rivera distinguished himself as a professor of african-american culture & history, caribbean history, creative writing, nuyorican literature, pan-african literature, & puerto rican history at such institutions as boricua college, college of new rochelle, hunter college, laguardia college, pratt institute & state university of new york-stony brook, among others.
from 1996-2011, rivera hosted a reading series in brooklyn, first & third sundays jazzoetry & open mic @ sistas' place, where he also conducted various workshops. for many years rivera hosted the engaging radio talk & interview show, "perspectives," on wbai 99.5 fm in new york (streamed at wbai.org/archives).
a cultural icon & political activist, rivera was prominent in the successful struggle for "open enrollment" at city college in 1969. since then he's participated in many progressive movements & activities, including supporting the establishment of the freedom party, which ran candidates in the 2010 new york state election. rivera co-hosted two writers for mumia programs dedicated to freeing long term political prisoner mumia abu-jamal, one in 2007 & the other in 2010.
rivera served as chair of the new york chapter of the national writers union (nwu) since 2004. he was revered by all nwu members who saw him in action in new york & at delegate assemblies. rivera provided leadership on union issues & performed his insightful poetry.
calling himself the janitor of history, rivera is viewed as a living bridge between the african & latino communities. also known as the "dean of nuyorican poetica," he is an internationally recognized literary figure, with translation of his work appearing in italian, latvian, russian & spanish.
rivera published four books, who pays the cost (1978), this one for you (1983), in control of english (1988 & 1992) & scattered scripture (1996), for which he received the 1997 poetry award from the latin american writers institute. he had just completed his epic poem, jazz in jail, & was in the process of preparing it for publication.
rivera was honored with dozens of awards. some include the ccny 125th anniversary medal (1973), a special congressional recognition (1988), a lifetime achievement award (1995) & a new york foundation for the arts fellowship (2003) - each award serves to celebrate his impact & scholarship on contemporary literature.
since 1966, rivera performed at various clubs & jazz festivals. he worked with such bands as ahmed abdullah's diaspora, ebonic tones, the james spaulding ensemble, the sun ra all-stars project & his own band, the jazzoets. last spring rivera was inducted into the brooklyn jazz hall of fame. at his last public appearance on february 11, rivera was the featured poet at the american jazz museum's black history salute to jazz poetry in kansas city, missouri.
over the last 40 years, rivera assisted in the publication of well over 200 books. among them are adal maldonado's portraits of the puerto rican experience (1984), john oliver killens' great black russian (1989), bum rush the page: a def poetry jam (2001), co-edited with tony medina, & the bandana republic (2008).
rivera's essays & poems appeared in numerous publications, including african voices, areyto, boletin (center for puerto rican studies at hunter) & the city sun. several award-winning book collections, including, aloud: live from the nuyorican poets cafe, in defense of mumia, & of sons & lovers, utilized his brilliant work.
rivera once performed on the peabody award-winning hbo show, "def poetry jam." he also completed the translation of clemente solo velez's caballo de palo/broomstick stallion & worked on the collected poems of otto rene castillo of guatemala, por el bien de todos/for the good of all.
he was loved, respected & valued by the african diaspora.
Monday, February 27, 2012
NBA All-Star Weekend 2012
the western conference all-stars defeated the eastern conference all-stars 152-149 at the amway center in orlando, florida. the two teams scored 301 points, setting a record for most points in an all-star game. the west led 88-69 at halftime, setting a record for most points by a team at halftime. kevin durant of the oklahoma city thunder was named most valuable player. durant finished with 36 points, seven rebounds, three assists & three steals.
the west thoroughly dominated the game until midway through the third quarter when reigning mvp derrick rose & two-time all-star mvp lebron james got hot. but in the fourth quarter the west rebuilt a 20 point lead with less than eight minutes to go. james & nets guard deron williams hit a couple of three-point field goals in a short span. james set an all-star record with six three-pointers in the game.
james' miami heat teammate, dwayne wade, became the third player in all-star history to record a triple double. the other two players? michael jordan & lebron james. wade had 24 points, 10 rebounds & 10 assists. but with his team down by one, he missed a breakaway layup (on a pass from james) with less than 90 seconds to go. also, both teams combined for 24 three-point field goals: another all-star record.
kobe bryant scored 27 points for the west. bryant set a record for most points in all-star game history with 271. the previous record was held by michael jordan with 262. jordan is majority owner of the charlotte bobcats, who own the worst record in the league. charlotte lost 16 consecutive games this year. the nba lost 16 games this year due to the lockout.
nba all-star saturday night produced other winners as well...
shootings stars: allan houston, landry fields & cappie poindexter, new york.
skills challenge: tony parker, san antonio spurs.
three-point contest: kevin love, minnesota timberwolves.
slam dunk contest: jeremy evans, utah jazz.
the west thoroughly dominated the game until midway through the third quarter when reigning mvp derrick rose & two-time all-star mvp lebron james got hot. but in the fourth quarter the west rebuilt a 20 point lead with less than eight minutes to go. james & nets guard deron williams hit a couple of three-point field goals in a short span. james set an all-star record with six three-pointers in the game.
james' miami heat teammate, dwayne wade, became the third player in all-star history to record a triple double. the other two players? michael jordan & lebron james. wade had 24 points, 10 rebounds & 10 assists. but with his team down by one, he missed a breakaway layup (on a pass from james) with less than 90 seconds to go. also, both teams combined for 24 three-point field goals: another all-star record.
kobe bryant scored 27 points for the west. bryant set a record for most points in all-star game history with 271. the previous record was held by michael jordan with 262. jordan is majority owner of the charlotte bobcats, who own the worst record in the league. charlotte lost 16 consecutive games this year. the nba lost 16 games this year due to the lockout.
nba all-star saturday night produced other winners as well...
shootings stars: allan houston, landry fields & cappie poindexter, new york.
skills challenge: tony parker, san antonio spurs.
three-point contest: kevin love, minnesota timberwolves.
slam dunk contest: jeremy evans, utah jazz.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
My Five Day Fast Was Successful!
today i completed a five day fast. my diet for the last five days consisted solely of fruits, organic juices, organic nuts & water. also, meditation, prayer & rest were prominent in my ongoing quarterly spiritual practice. as a result i feel calm, peaceful & serene.
i started fasting well over a decade ago. my innate curiosity led me to try something i thought could benefit my health. i did not envision fasting as a way of life. i thought it was something i would do once, twice, maybe three times. nothing more, nothing less.
the first time i tried to fast i didn't know what i was doing. my ego, false pride & image would not allow me to ask for help. i heard through the grapevine fasting for three days would be a safe way to start. i didn't know anything about preparing for the fast and/or breaking the fast.
i remember someone telling me the first meal of the day is called breakfast for spiritual purposes. i recall him saying we sleep (meaning rest) before we eat breakfast & rest is an important part of fasting. i'd never thought of this & felt excited about learning something new & potentially valuable.
still, i neglected to ask my friend for guidance in this new venture. i live with a compromised immune system. yet, it didn't occur to consult my primary care physician about fasting. in some ways i was doing this secretively because i wanted the satisfaction of being right.
i always felt ashamed of my body. i was a skinny kid with a funny last name - just like obama. i never learned how to cook for myself. when the females in my family told me to get out of the kitchen i complied with relief. moreover, healthy eating was not part of our family practice. at all.
my basic four food groups were grease, sugar, pork & chocolate. more was never enough. i thought food would make me socially acceptable. i was wrong. i became addicted to fast food. fast food is slow suicide. these old, useless patterns damaged my emotional, physical & spiritual well-being. i realized something had to give.
i thought fasting would solve my unresolved issues with food. although i don't look like it, i have a weight problem...i can't wait to eat. i eat when i feel angry, bored, depressed, lonely, sad, etc. certain foods give me a false sense of comfort. i needed new coping skills & unbeknowst to me, fasting would become my salvation.
instead of eating meat at night, i indulged in popcorn, potato chips, pretzels & trail mix. don't ask why. at the time, it seemed better than kfc, mcdonald's or white castle. i didn't tell anyone what i was doing. after three days of this i rewarded myself with popeye's chicken. don't asky why.
popeye's had me calling ralph in the bathroom. i got sick. pain has a unique way of getting your attention, unless you continue to stay in denial. ashamed, embarrassed & frustrated i took a risk & asked someone for help. a woman at the health food store gave me some simple suggestions. an associate of mine loaned me his book on spiritual waste. i had a series of colonics for the first time.
i fasted for three days, seven days, ten days & once, during a hot summer, 14 days. although it was not my intention i lost 30 pounds in 14 days. i went from 200 pounds to 170 pounds; not like luther, but the weight loss was noticeable. over a period of time i decided to fast every 90 days.
five day fasts build self-discipline, improve my conscious contact with god & reaffirm a passionate desire for self-love. i try to avoid stressful people & toxic situations. i welcome the opportunity to serve my wounded temple. most importantly, i feel good about myself because i'm invested in the liberation of my body, mind & spirit.
i started fasting well over a decade ago. my innate curiosity led me to try something i thought could benefit my health. i did not envision fasting as a way of life. i thought it was something i would do once, twice, maybe three times. nothing more, nothing less.
the first time i tried to fast i didn't know what i was doing. my ego, false pride & image would not allow me to ask for help. i heard through the grapevine fasting for three days would be a safe way to start. i didn't know anything about preparing for the fast and/or breaking the fast.
i remember someone telling me the first meal of the day is called breakfast for spiritual purposes. i recall him saying we sleep (meaning rest) before we eat breakfast & rest is an important part of fasting. i'd never thought of this & felt excited about learning something new & potentially valuable.
still, i neglected to ask my friend for guidance in this new venture. i live with a compromised immune system. yet, it didn't occur to consult my primary care physician about fasting. in some ways i was doing this secretively because i wanted the satisfaction of being right.
i always felt ashamed of my body. i was a skinny kid with a funny last name - just like obama. i never learned how to cook for myself. when the females in my family told me to get out of the kitchen i complied with relief. moreover, healthy eating was not part of our family practice. at all.
my basic four food groups were grease, sugar, pork & chocolate. more was never enough. i thought food would make me socially acceptable. i was wrong. i became addicted to fast food. fast food is slow suicide. these old, useless patterns damaged my emotional, physical & spiritual well-being. i realized something had to give.
i thought fasting would solve my unresolved issues with food. although i don't look like it, i have a weight problem...i can't wait to eat. i eat when i feel angry, bored, depressed, lonely, sad, etc. certain foods give me a false sense of comfort. i needed new coping skills & unbeknowst to me, fasting would become my salvation.
instead of eating meat at night, i indulged in popcorn, potato chips, pretzels & trail mix. don't ask why. at the time, it seemed better than kfc, mcdonald's or white castle. i didn't tell anyone what i was doing. after three days of this i rewarded myself with popeye's chicken. don't asky why.
popeye's had me calling ralph in the bathroom. i got sick. pain has a unique way of getting your attention, unless you continue to stay in denial. ashamed, embarrassed & frustrated i took a risk & asked someone for help. a woman at the health food store gave me some simple suggestions. an associate of mine loaned me his book on spiritual waste. i had a series of colonics for the first time.
i fasted for three days, seven days, ten days & once, during a hot summer, 14 days. although it was not my intention i lost 30 pounds in 14 days. i went from 200 pounds to 170 pounds; not like luther, but the weight loss was noticeable. over a period of time i decided to fast every 90 days.
five day fasts build self-discipline, improve my conscious contact with god & reaffirm a passionate desire for self-love. i try to avoid stressful people & toxic situations. i welcome the opportunity to serve my wounded temple. most importantly, i feel good about myself because i'm invested in the liberation of my body, mind & spirit.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Whitney Houston Dies Suddenly At 48
whitney houston was found dead in her room at the beverly hilton hotel last night. her publicist, kristen foster, said the the cause of death is unknown. beverly hills police lieutenant mark rosen said, "there were no obvious signs of any criminal intent." the findings of an autopsy are scheduled to be released monday. she was 48.
houston was at the hotel preparing for the clive davis pre-grammy party. she will be humbly remembered in a tribute by jenifer hudson, organizers said. houston was at rehearsals for the show thursday coaching singers brandy & monica, according to a person at the event who is not authorized to speak publicly about it. the person said houston look disheveled, was sweating profusely, as liquor & cigarettes could be smelled on her breath.
at her peak, houston was one of the world's top selling artists. from the mid-80's to the late 90's she sold over 170 million albums, singles & videos. her first album in 1985, whitney houston, charted several number one hits, among them, saving all my love for you - culminating in her first of six grammy awards. her seven consecutive number one singles was a first by any artist in the record industry.
as a model, in 1981, houston became the first black female to grace the cover of seventeen magazine. she sang backup for chaka khan, jermaine jackson & many other artists. but she was discovered by her mentor, arista records producer clive davis. davis first heard her perform around this time. he once told good morning america, "the time that i first saw her singing in her mother's act in a club...it was such a stunning impact. to hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song, i mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine."
houston transitioned into films as her career gained international notoriety. she starred in, the bodyguard, whose soundtrack won a grammy. her #1 single from the film, i will always love you, was a cover of an obscure dolly parton track - it is her signature song; a song people all over the world could hear & feel her majesty, power & range. she also co-starred in the preacher's wife & waiting to exhale
her 1992 marriage to new edition singer bobby brown was fraught with alcohol, drug use, erratic public behavior & rumored infidelities. people blamed brown's influence on houston yet we later learned she struggled with addiction, seeking treatment on more than once occasion. her abuse of alcohol, cocaine, marijuana & pills ravaged her quintessential voice, subsequently curtailing her amazing career for a few years.
in her infamous 2002 interview with abc's diane sawyer on good morning america, houston said, "the biggest devil is me. i'm either my best friend or my worst enemy." aretha franklin, houston's godmother, said she was stunned. "i just can't talk about it now. its so stunning & unbelievable. i couldn't believe what i was reading coming across the screen," said franklin, in a prepared statement.
houston was born august 9, 1963 in newark, new jersey. the daughter of legendary gospel artist cissy houston & cousin to 60's pop icon dionne warwick, houston was destined for musical greatness. she grew up singing at the new hope baptist church in newark. outside the church on a fence post, one of her sympathy cards read, "to the greatest songstress ever."
although houston became a global superstar, she had her critics. some folks in the black community felt she neglected her cultural roots to appease white audiences with pop songs. she was even booed during the 1989 soul train awards. during a 1996 interview with katie couric, houston said, "sometimes it gets down to that, you know? you're not black enough for them. i don't know. you're not r&b enough. you're very pop. the white audience has taken you away from them."
houston influenced such diverse female artists as mary j. blige, mariah carey, christina aguilera, jazmine sullivan & kelly clarkson. in 2009, she reunited with davis & released her long-awaited cd, i look to you, with a modicum of success. she sat down for a candid two-day, one-on-one interview with oprah the same year. among other issues discussed, she admitted she no longer uses crack, marijuana or pills, but drinks socially. she also reaffirmed her faith in god, family & loved ones.
in her last interview, houston talked about working with american idol sensation jordin sparks in a sequel to the movie, sparkle. she performed a duet with kelly price at a pre-grammy event thursday, yes, jesus loves me. houston was scheduled to appear at davis' annual pre-grammy event saturday night before we learned of her tragic death. a moment of silence was called & tony bennett sang in her honor.
the spirit of her incredible legacy will undoubtedly live on.
houston was at the hotel preparing for the clive davis pre-grammy party. she will be humbly remembered in a tribute by jenifer hudson, organizers said. houston was at rehearsals for the show thursday coaching singers brandy & monica, according to a person at the event who is not authorized to speak publicly about it. the person said houston look disheveled, was sweating profusely, as liquor & cigarettes could be smelled on her breath.
at her peak, houston was one of the world's top selling artists. from the mid-80's to the late 90's she sold over 170 million albums, singles & videos. her first album in 1985, whitney houston, charted several number one hits, among them, saving all my love for you - culminating in her first of six grammy awards. her seven consecutive number one singles was a first by any artist in the record industry.
as a model, in 1981, houston became the first black female to grace the cover of seventeen magazine. she sang backup for chaka khan, jermaine jackson & many other artists. but she was discovered by her mentor, arista records producer clive davis. davis first heard her perform around this time. he once told good morning america, "the time that i first saw her singing in her mother's act in a club...it was such a stunning impact. to hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song, i mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine."
houston transitioned into films as her career gained international notoriety. she starred in, the bodyguard, whose soundtrack won a grammy. her #1 single from the film, i will always love you, was a cover of an obscure dolly parton track - it is her signature song; a song people all over the world could hear & feel her majesty, power & range. she also co-starred in the preacher's wife & waiting to exhale
her 1992 marriage to new edition singer bobby brown was fraught with alcohol, drug use, erratic public behavior & rumored infidelities. people blamed brown's influence on houston yet we later learned she struggled with addiction, seeking treatment on more than once occasion. her abuse of alcohol, cocaine, marijuana & pills ravaged her quintessential voice, subsequently curtailing her amazing career for a few years.
in her infamous 2002 interview with abc's diane sawyer on good morning america, houston said, "the biggest devil is me. i'm either my best friend or my worst enemy." aretha franklin, houston's godmother, said she was stunned. "i just can't talk about it now. its so stunning & unbelievable. i couldn't believe what i was reading coming across the screen," said franklin, in a prepared statement.
houston was born august 9, 1963 in newark, new jersey. the daughter of legendary gospel artist cissy houston & cousin to 60's pop icon dionne warwick, houston was destined for musical greatness. she grew up singing at the new hope baptist church in newark. outside the church on a fence post, one of her sympathy cards read, "to the greatest songstress ever."
although houston became a global superstar, she had her critics. some folks in the black community felt she neglected her cultural roots to appease white audiences with pop songs. she was even booed during the 1989 soul train awards. during a 1996 interview with katie couric, houston said, "sometimes it gets down to that, you know? you're not black enough for them. i don't know. you're not r&b enough. you're very pop. the white audience has taken you away from them."
houston influenced such diverse female artists as mary j. blige, mariah carey, christina aguilera, jazmine sullivan & kelly clarkson. in 2009, she reunited with davis & released her long-awaited cd, i look to you, with a modicum of success. she sat down for a candid two-day, one-on-one interview with oprah the same year. among other issues discussed, she admitted she no longer uses crack, marijuana or pills, but drinks socially. she also reaffirmed her faith in god, family & loved ones.
in her last interview, houston talked about working with american idol sensation jordin sparks in a sequel to the movie, sparkle. she performed a duet with kelly price at a pre-grammy event thursday, yes, jesus loves me. houston was scheduled to appear at davis' annual pre-grammy event saturday night before we learned of her tragic death. a moment of silence was called & tony bennett sang in her honor.
the spirit of her incredible legacy will undoubtedly live on.
Sunday, February 05, 2012
New York Giants Win Super Bowl XLVI
the new york giants defeated the new england patriots 21-17 to win super bowl 46. the giants thrilling victory made them the fifth team to win four or more super bowls. giants quarterback eli manning completed 30 of 40 passes for 296 yards & a touchdown, earning him his second most valuable player award. manning is the 11th quarterback to win multiple vince lombardi trophies.
eli manning is now the fifth player to win two super bowl mvp's. he did not turn the ball over. he engineered a nine play, 88-yard drive with less than four minutes to go in the game. the giants have won seven consecutive postseason games - all on the road or at neutral sites. at age 65, the giants' tom coughlin becomes the oldest coach to win a super bowl.
the giants come from behind triumph was spurred by the relentless attack of their defensive front four. justin tuck had two sacks & pro bowler jason pierre-paul pressured patriots quarterback tom brady, especially in the 4th quarter. this was their second super bowl win over new england in four years. they destroyed the patriots' hopes of an undefeated season in 2008 with a last-minute 4th quarter manning touchdown pass to plaxico burress.
the new york offense featured standout performances from several players. wide receiver hakeem nicks caught 10 passes for 109 yards. wide receiver mario manningham caught five passes for 73 yards, including three key receptions (for 56 yards) during their final drive. running back ahmad bradshaw ran 17 times for 72 yards, scoring the winning touchdown with less than a minute to go in the game.
pats' head coach bill belichick & brady set a super bowl record for a coach/qb duo by appearing in their fifth title game. the two have three victories & two losses. all of their championship games were decided by four points or less.
brady completed 27 of 41 passes for 276 yards, two touchdowns & one interception. in the first half, he set a super bowl record with 16 consecutive completions. the game ended with brady throwing a hail-mary from midfield with five seconds left, nearly tipped by the giants defenders to pro bowl tight end rob grankowski. new england has made seven super bowl appearances. their record is 3-4.
eli manning is now the fifth player to win two super bowl mvp's. he did not turn the ball over. he engineered a nine play, 88-yard drive with less than four minutes to go in the game. the giants have won seven consecutive postseason games - all on the road or at neutral sites. at age 65, the giants' tom coughlin becomes the oldest coach to win a super bowl.
the giants come from behind triumph was spurred by the relentless attack of their defensive front four. justin tuck had two sacks & pro bowler jason pierre-paul pressured patriots quarterback tom brady, especially in the 4th quarter. this was their second super bowl win over new england in four years. they destroyed the patriots' hopes of an undefeated season in 2008 with a last-minute 4th quarter manning touchdown pass to plaxico burress.
the new york offense featured standout performances from several players. wide receiver hakeem nicks caught 10 passes for 109 yards. wide receiver mario manningham caught five passes for 73 yards, including three key receptions (for 56 yards) during their final drive. running back ahmad bradshaw ran 17 times for 72 yards, scoring the winning touchdown with less than a minute to go in the game.
pats' head coach bill belichick & brady set a super bowl record for a coach/qb duo by appearing in their fifth title game. the two have three victories & two losses. all of their championship games were decided by four points or less.
brady completed 27 of 41 passes for 276 yards, two touchdowns & one interception. in the first half, he set a super bowl record with 16 consecutive completions. the game ended with brady throwing a hail-mary from midfield with five seconds left, nearly tipped by the giants defenders to pro bowl tight end rob grankowski. new england has made seven super bowl appearances. their record is 3-4.
Thursday, February 02, 2012
The Legacy of Don Cornelius Lives On in the Spirit of Soul Train Fans Everywhere
don cornelius died early wednesday of an apparent suicide. cornelius was a cultural icon who executive produced & hosted soul train, the popular television show which lessened racial barriers & nationalized black culture. soul train revolutionized dance, fashion & music in its own unique way. long before video music box, mtv, vh1 & bet, there was soul train.
officers responding to a report of a shooting found cornelius at his mulholland drive home around 4:00 am, police said. he was pronounced dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, said los angeles county assistant chief coroner ed winter. he was 75.
"i am shocked & deeply saddened at the sudden passing of my friend, colleague & business partner don cornelius. don was a visionary pioneer & a giant in our business. before mtv there was soul train, that will be the great legacy of don cornelius. his contributions to television, music & our culture as a whole will never be matched. my heart goes out to don's family & loved ones," said quincy jones.
the rev. al sharpton said he was shocked & grief-stricken. "i have known him since i was 19 years old & james brown had me speak on soul train, "the civil rights activist said in a statement from new york. sharpton continued, "he brought soul music & dance to the world in a way that it had never been shown & he was a cultural game changer on a global level."
soul train began in 1970 as a local program in a small studio in chicago, hosted by clinton ghent. the show moved to los angeles a year later & aired nationally until 2006. soul train introduced television audiences to such legendary artists as james brown, aretha franklin, marvn gaye, the jackson five, gladys knight & the pips, diana ross & stevie wonder.
soul train was one of the first shows to showcase african-americans prominently, bringing the best r&b, soul & later, hip hop acts to television. in a 2006 interview with the associated press cornelius said, "there was not programming that targeted any particular ethnicity. i'm trying to use euphemisms here, trying to avoid saying there was no television for black folks, which they knew was for them."
the show was well-known for its trademark opening of an animated chugging train. but it was not, however, an immediate success for cornelius, an ex-disc jockey with a baritone rumble & cool persona. only a handful of stations initially were receptive. said cornelius, "when we rolled it out, there were only eight takers. which was somewhere between a little disappointing & a whole lot disappointing."
what exactly were some of the reasons given for television stations not willing to pick up the show? cornelius continued, "there was just, we don't want it. we pass," he said, with race going unmentioned. "no one was blatant enough to say that."
the growing audience reaction, coupled with the high-powered talent from the show attracted people from all walks of life. soul train eventually began to feature popular white artists like david bowie, elton john, teena marie, gino vanelli & the average white band. ironically, cornelius admitted he was no fan of rap. yet he welcomed artists like kurtis blow, ll cool j, public enemy, run d-m-c & grandmaster flash & the furious five.
soul train always featured a dance line, the highlight of each production. teens pranced & strutted their way between two lines of dancers awaiting their time to shine. today, the soul train dance line is a part of american culture. barbeques, family reunions, house parties & wedding anniversaries are just some of the events where a soul train dance line will transcend age, class, faith & race.
cornelius was inducted into the broadcasting & cable hall of fame in 1995. he also has a star on the hollywood walk of fame. cornelius remained grateful to the musicians who made soul train their destination for the best in black music. he said, "i figured as long as the music stayed hot & important & good, that there would always be a reason for soul train."
in 1993 cornelius stepped down as host of soul train. the series spawned a franchise which includes the soul train music awards, the soul train lady of soul awards & the soul train christmas starfest. the awards returned to the air in 2009 after a two-year hiatus. last year's awards were held november 27, with earth, wind & fire receiving the legend award.
officers responding to a report of a shooting found cornelius at his mulholland drive home around 4:00 am, police said. he was pronounced dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, said los angeles county assistant chief coroner ed winter. he was 75.
"i am shocked & deeply saddened at the sudden passing of my friend, colleague & business partner don cornelius. don was a visionary pioneer & a giant in our business. before mtv there was soul train, that will be the great legacy of don cornelius. his contributions to television, music & our culture as a whole will never be matched. my heart goes out to don's family & loved ones," said quincy jones.
the rev. al sharpton said he was shocked & grief-stricken. "i have known him since i was 19 years old & james brown had me speak on soul train, "the civil rights activist said in a statement from new york. sharpton continued, "he brought soul music & dance to the world in a way that it had never been shown & he was a cultural game changer on a global level."
soul train began in 1970 as a local program in a small studio in chicago, hosted by clinton ghent. the show moved to los angeles a year later & aired nationally until 2006. soul train introduced television audiences to such legendary artists as james brown, aretha franklin, marvn gaye, the jackson five, gladys knight & the pips, diana ross & stevie wonder.
soul train was one of the first shows to showcase african-americans prominently, bringing the best r&b, soul & later, hip hop acts to television. in a 2006 interview with the associated press cornelius said, "there was not programming that targeted any particular ethnicity. i'm trying to use euphemisms here, trying to avoid saying there was no television for black folks, which they knew was for them."
the show was well-known for its trademark opening of an animated chugging train. but it was not, however, an immediate success for cornelius, an ex-disc jockey with a baritone rumble & cool persona. only a handful of stations initially were receptive. said cornelius, "when we rolled it out, there were only eight takers. which was somewhere between a little disappointing & a whole lot disappointing."
what exactly were some of the reasons given for television stations not willing to pick up the show? cornelius continued, "there was just, we don't want it. we pass," he said, with race going unmentioned. "no one was blatant enough to say that."
the growing audience reaction, coupled with the high-powered talent from the show attracted people from all walks of life. soul train eventually began to feature popular white artists like david bowie, elton john, teena marie, gino vanelli & the average white band. ironically, cornelius admitted he was no fan of rap. yet he welcomed artists like kurtis blow, ll cool j, public enemy, run d-m-c & grandmaster flash & the furious five.
soul train always featured a dance line, the highlight of each production. teens pranced & strutted their way between two lines of dancers awaiting their time to shine. today, the soul train dance line is a part of american culture. barbeques, family reunions, house parties & wedding anniversaries are just some of the events where a soul train dance line will transcend age, class, faith & race.
cornelius was inducted into the broadcasting & cable hall of fame in 1995. he also has a star on the hollywood walk of fame. cornelius remained grateful to the musicians who made soul train their destination for the best in black music. he said, "i figured as long as the music stayed hot & important & good, that there would always be a reason for soul train."
in 1993 cornelius stepped down as host of soul train. the series spawned a franchise which includes the soul train music awards, the soul train lady of soul awards & the soul train christmas starfest. the awards returned to the air in 2009 after a two-year hiatus. last year's awards were held november 27, with earth, wind & fire receiving the legend award.
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
The Origins of Black History Month
black history month, also known as african heritage month, is a time to appreciate, celebrate, reflect & rejoice in the magnanimous beauty & unparalleled brilliance of the motherland. in acknowledging africa's extraordinary contributions to global society, we honor all members of the afrikan diaspora. let us begin by taking in an-depth look at just how this unique cultural phenomenon came to be.
in the early 1900's, omega psi phi, one of the oldest african-american fraternities, first celebrated the achievements of black people on february 12, abraham lincoln's birthday. later, in 1916, dr. carter g. woodson, an honorary member of omega psi phi, convinced the association for the study of negro life & history - an organization he started - to sponsor "negro history week." his aim? to reach a larger, more diverse audience.
dr. woodson began the annual celebration in 1926 to increase awareness of & interest in black history among both blacks & whites. he diligently distributed promotional brochures & pamphlets to various state boards of education, elementary & secondary schools, colleges, universities, women's clubs, white scholarly journals, black newspapers & periodicals: implementing ways to document truth.
unequivocally accepted as the founder of this, now, national movement & observance, dr. woodson comes from humble beginnings. he was born to parents who had been enslaved & were illiterate. as an adolescent he worked in the west virginia coalmines to support his family; as a result, he started school later than most children yet he earned a high school diploma with honors. his motto in life was "it is never too late to learn."
dr. woodson continued his education at harvard university where he received his master's & ph.d. he later studied at the prestigious sorbonne in paris, france. while developing as a scholar he recognized a disturbing pattern in history & literature books. he was convinced africans were intentionally omitted from history, &, if they were mentioned at all, it was done only to advance the culturally oppressive myths (read: lies) about africa & her people: imparting, by default, to europeans a false sense of superiority & to africans a fatal sense of inferiority.
for example, the african ancestry of alexander pushkin, noted father of russian literature, is peculiarly "blacked-out" from standard history texts. pushkin was castigated for embracing his heritage. another literary giant of african descent, alexander dumas, spent most of his life in france. dumas once publicly stated, "when i discovered i was black, i was determined to act so that men should be beneath my skin."
in germany, the word "mohr" means black. in english, however, that same word is spelled: moor. one of the world's most honored & treasured musicians is a man of african origin. we know him in america as ludwig van beethoven; in germany, he is referred to as "the blackamoor." beethoven is also known in other countries as "the black spaniard."
contrary to past belief & contemporary misconception, february was not "given" to blacks by guilt-ridden whites because it's the shortest month of the year. dr. woodson consciously chose the second week in february to memorialize the birthdays of lincoln, & more significantly, abolitionist & freedom fighter, frederick douglass. in the early 1970's, dr. woodson's vision was extended throughout the entire month of february. moreover, the use of the noun "black," which symbolized power, pride & purpose, was ceremoniously added to the title.
today, dr. woodson is generally best known for his groundbreaking book, "the miseducation of the negro." he wanted black history affirmed everywhere it is researched: on every continent & in every culture. just like marcus garvey, maya angelou, malcolm x & queen mother moore, dr. woodson clearly understood the power accurate history has on a people's collective self-determination, self-value & self-worth.
february 1 is the first day of african heritage month. comedian paul mooney calls black people, "stolen africans." however you identify yourself, all god's children can share dr. woodson's third eye this month & every day of our lives. how? we can honor our ancestors, cultivate our spirit, express our creativity & treat our brothers & sisters with the love & compassion they so richly deserve. ache alafiani.
in the early 1900's, omega psi phi, one of the oldest african-american fraternities, first celebrated the achievements of black people on february 12, abraham lincoln's birthday. later, in 1916, dr. carter g. woodson, an honorary member of omega psi phi, convinced the association for the study of negro life & history - an organization he started - to sponsor "negro history week." his aim? to reach a larger, more diverse audience.
dr. woodson began the annual celebration in 1926 to increase awareness of & interest in black history among both blacks & whites. he diligently distributed promotional brochures & pamphlets to various state boards of education, elementary & secondary schools, colleges, universities, women's clubs, white scholarly journals, black newspapers & periodicals: implementing ways to document truth.
unequivocally accepted as the founder of this, now, national movement & observance, dr. woodson comes from humble beginnings. he was born to parents who had been enslaved & were illiterate. as an adolescent he worked in the west virginia coalmines to support his family; as a result, he started school later than most children yet he earned a high school diploma with honors. his motto in life was "it is never too late to learn."
dr. woodson continued his education at harvard university where he received his master's & ph.d. he later studied at the prestigious sorbonne in paris, france. while developing as a scholar he recognized a disturbing pattern in history & literature books. he was convinced africans were intentionally omitted from history, &, if they were mentioned at all, it was done only to advance the culturally oppressive myths (read: lies) about africa & her people: imparting, by default, to europeans a false sense of superiority & to africans a fatal sense of inferiority.
for example, the african ancestry of alexander pushkin, noted father of russian literature, is peculiarly "blacked-out" from standard history texts. pushkin was castigated for embracing his heritage. another literary giant of african descent, alexander dumas, spent most of his life in france. dumas once publicly stated, "when i discovered i was black, i was determined to act so that men should be beneath my skin."
in germany, the word "mohr" means black. in english, however, that same word is spelled: moor. one of the world's most honored & treasured musicians is a man of african origin. we know him in america as ludwig van beethoven; in germany, he is referred to as "the blackamoor." beethoven is also known in other countries as "the black spaniard."
contrary to past belief & contemporary misconception, february was not "given" to blacks by guilt-ridden whites because it's the shortest month of the year. dr. woodson consciously chose the second week in february to memorialize the birthdays of lincoln, & more significantly, abolitionist & freedom fighter, frederick douglass. in the early 1970's, dr. woodson's vision was extended throughout the entire month of february. moreover, the use of the noun "black," which symbolized power, pride & purpose, was ceremoniously added to the title.
today, dr. woodson is generally best known for his groundbreaking book, "the miseducation of the negro." he wanted black history affirmed everywhere it is researched: on every continent & in every culture. just like marcus garvey, maya angelou, malcolm x & queen mother moore, dr. woodson clearly understood the power accurate history has on a people's collective self-determination, self-value & self-worth.
february 1 is the first day of african heritage month. comedian paul mooney calls black people, "stolen africans." however you identify yourself, all god's children can share dr. woodson's third eye this month & every day of our lives. how? we can honor our ancestors, cultivate our spirit, express our creativity & treat our brothers & sisters with the love & compassion they so richly deserve. ache alafiani.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Novak Djokovic & Victoria Azarenka Win 2012 Australian Open Singles Titles
world #1 novak djokovic of serbia defeated world #2 rafael nadal of spain 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 to win the 2012 australian open men's singles title. the thrilling match was the longest men's final of the open era, lasting five hours & 53 minutes. djokovic becomes the fourth player in history to win four titles in five majors. he now has five career major singles titles. dubiously, nadal became the first player to lose three straight major finals.
djokovic's historic victory was his third consecutive major, all against nadal, continuing his dominance over the passionate lefty. djokovic has beaten nadal seven times in a row, all in finals. ironically, this was the first five-set encounter in their growing rivalry. either player has won the last eight majors. nadal currently holds a 16-14 lifetime edge, but the gap is closing quicker than djokovic's foot speed.
victoria azarenka of belarus destroyed maria sharapova of russia 6-3, 6-0 to capture the 2012 australian open women's singles crown. azarenka's stunning victory, her first career major singles title, also catapulted the fiery 22 year-old to the #1 ranking on the wta tour. despite her one-sided loss, sharapova moves to the #3 spot on the wta tour.
azarenka was one of six women with an equal opportunity to dethrone caroline wozniacki of denmark as the #1 player when the tournament began. the others were petra kvitova, sharapova, li na, samantha stosur & agnieszka radwanska. wozniacki lost in the quarterfinals to defending champion kim clisters of belgium, who azarenka beat in three tough sets in the semi-finals. sharapova beat kvitova in the semis, a rematch of their 2011 wimbledon final, won by kvitova, who remains #2.
djokovic's historic victory was his third consecutive major, all against nadal, continuing his dominance over the passionate lefty. djokovic has beaten nadal seven times in a row, all in finals. ironically, this was the first five-set encounter in their growing rivalry. either player has won the last eight majors. nadal currently holds a 16-14 lifetime edge, but the gap is closing quicker than djokovic's foot speed.
victoria azarenka of belarus destroyed maria sharapova of russia 6-3, 6-0 to capture the 2012 australian open women's singles crown. azarenka's stunning victory, her first career major singles title, also catapulted the fiery 22 year-old to the #1 ranking on the wta tour. despite her one-sided loss, sharapova moves to the #3 spot on the wta tour.
azarenka was one of six women with an equal opportunity to dethrone caroline wozniacki of denmark as the #1 player when the tournament began. the others were petra kvitova, sharapova, li na, samantha stosur & agnieszka radwanska. wozniacki lost in the quarterfinals to defending champion kim clisters of belgium, who azarenka beat in three tough sets in the semi-finals. sharapova beat kvitova in the semis, a rematch of their 2011 wimbledon final, won by kvitova, who remains #2.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Justice Department Expanded Definition of Rape Includes Men & Transgendered Women
the u.s. justice department announced they are expanding its 85-year definition of rape to include attacks against both men & transgendered women. as such, any non consensual penetration, no matter the gender of the attacker or victim, will now constitute rape.
according to a release from the white house & the department of justice, "rape will now be defined as penetration, no matter how slight, of the anus or vagina with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ or another person, without the consent of the victim."
attorney general eric holder announced the changes to the uniform crime report's definition of rape. the justice department says this will better reflect state criminal codes & updated definitions of sexual penetration. the new definition will lead to a more comprehensive nationwide statistical reporting.
said holder, "these long overdue updates to the definition of rape will help ensure justice for those whose lives have been devastated by sexual violence & reflect the department of justice's commitment to standing with rape victims." the attorney general continued, "this new, more inclusive definition will provide us with a more accurate understanding of the scope & volume of these crimes."
an fbi advisory panel recently recommended revisions to the historic definition, which was established in 1927. that law defined rape as the "carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly & against her will." expressed in solely heterosexual constructs, the law meant rape only happened when a man forcibly penetrated a woman through her vagina.
according to a release from the white house & the department of justice, "rape will now be defined as penetration, no matter how slight, of the anus or vagina with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ or another person, without the consent of the victim."
attorney general eric holder announced the changes to the uniform crime report's definition of rape. the justice department says this will better reflect state criminal codes & updated definitions of sexual penetration. the new definition will lead to a more comprehensive nationwide statistical reporting.
said holder, "these long overdue updates to the definition of rape will help ensure justice for those whose lives have been devastated by sexual violence & reflect the department of justice's commitment to standing with rape victims." the attorney general continued, "this new, more inclusive definition will provide us with a more accurate understanding of the scope & volume of these crimes."
an fbi advisory panel recently recommended revisions to the historic definition, which was established in 1927. that law defined rape as the "carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly & against her will." expressed in solely heterosexual constructs, the law meant rape only happened when a man forcibly penetrated a woman through her vagina.
Friday, January 06, 2012
Deportation of U.S. Teenager to Colombia Latest Failure of Immigration System
the family of a dallas, texas teenager, jakadrien turner, is demanding answers after she was deported to colombia, despite the fact that she's a u.s. citizen who doesn't speak spanish.
turner, a 15 year-old african-american runaway, was living in houston when she was arrested for shoplifting in the spring of last year. she gave police a fake name belonging to a 22 year-old undocumented immigrant from colombia with warrants for her arrest.
the immigration & customs enforcement agency (ice) reportedly discovered turner's fingerprints did not match those of the colombia nattional's, yet deported her anyway. "the country has no idea that we have a rogue police force. that police force is called ice," says ralph isenberg, a dallas businessman who advocates for immigrants.
dallas reverend peter johnson, a longtime civil rights advocate who has worked with the turner family, echoes isenberg's sentiments. said johnson, "i'm hoping that black america - who have a history of understanding the destruction of our families, because of what slavery has done to our families - will at some point wake up & understand that the problem of immigrants is something we can not ignore."
jacqueline stevens, a political science professor at northwestern university, recently published an exhaustive report on u.s. citizens who have been detained & deported. she says deportation is only the latest example of a failed immigration system.
turner has been in bogota, colombia since april 2011. it is only now, after tireless efforts of her grandmother, are we hearing about this horrific story. as such, president obama's immigration & deportation polices have come under intense media scrutiny, particularly so in, this, an election year.
according to pew research center, almost 60% of latinos oppose the obama administration's deportation policies. while republicans claim democrats are "soft" on immigration, the obama administration has deported 30% more undocumented immigrants annually than during the second term of george w. bush.
despite such cultural dissatisfaction with obama's deportation policies, polling doesn't show the latino vote is in jeopardy with the personable commander-in-chief. obama still beats his performance among latino voters when compared to his share of that electorate in 2008. also, there are one million more registered latino voters than there were four years ago.
with republicans focused on securing the border & democrats focused on a path to citizenship, the immigration debate for policy priority remains ongoing. while deportations may not be a deciding factor on who occupies the white house, the issue will get a lot of attention in the coming weeks. the naacp & the cbc have called upon the obama administration to help assist in the immediate release & return of jakadrien turner from colombia.
turner, a 15 year-old african-american runaway, was living in houston when she was arrested for shoplifting in the spring of last year. she gave police a fake name belonging to a 22 year-old undocumented immigrant from colombia with warrants for her arrest.
the immigration & customs enforcement agency (ice) reportedly discovered turner's fingerprints did not match those of the colombia nattional's, yet deported her anyway. "the country has no idea that we have a rogue police force. that police force is called ice," says ralph isenberg, a dallas businessman who advocates for immigrants.
dallas reverend peter johnson, a longtime civil rights advocate who has worked with the turner family, echoes isenberg's sentiments. said johnson, "i'm hoping that black america - who have a history of understanding the destruction of our families, because of what slavery has done to our families - will at some point wake up & understand that the problem of immigrants is something we can not ignore."
jacqueline stevens, a political science professor at northwestern university, recently published an exhaustive report on u.s. citizens who have been detained & deported. she says deportation is only the latest example of a failed immigration system.
turner has been in bogota, colombia since april 2011. it is only now, after tireless efforts of her grandmother, are we hearing about this horrific story. as such, president obama's immigration & deportation polices have come under intense media scrutiny, particularly so in, this, an election year.
according to pew research center, almost 60% of latinos oppose the obama administration's deportation policies. while republicans claim democrats are "soft" on immigration, the obama administration has deported 30% more undocumented immigrants annually than during the second term of george w. bush.
despite such cultural dissatisfaction with obama's deportation policies, polling doesn't show the latino vote is in jeopardy with the personable commander-in-chief. obama still beats his performance among latino voters when compared to his share of that electorate in 2008. also, there are one million more registered latino voters than there were four years ago.
with republicans focused on securing the border & democrats focused on a path to citizenship, the immigration debate for policy priority remains ongoing. while deportations may not be a deciding factor on who occupies the white house, the issue will get a lot of attention in the coming weeks. the naacp & the cbc have called upon the obama administration to help assist in the immediate release & return of jakadrien turner from colombia.
Romney Narrowly Wins Iowa GOP Caucus
winning by just eight votes, mitt romney narrowly defeated former pennsylvania senator & tea party-backed rick santorum for the gop presidential nomination. the former massachusetts governor's shockingly slim victory was the closest iowa republican caucus in history.
both romney & santorum received 25 percent of the votes, while representative ron paul of texas placed third with 21 percent of the votes. former house speaker newt gingrich placed fourth, followed by texas governor rick perry, who then announced he is going back to texas to reassess his faltering campaign. perry received 10 percent of the vote, despite spending more money than any of the candidates.
representaive michelle bachmann of minnesota, who won the iowa straw poll in august, placed a distant sixth. bachmann summarily ended her presidential aspirations at a press conference, admitting, "the people of iowa have spoken." former utah governor john huntsman finished seventh.
said democracy now journalist & host amy goodman, "the 2012 presidential election promises to be long, contentious, extremely expensive & perhaps more negative than any in history."
both romney & santorum received 25 percent of the votes, while representative ron paul of texas placed third with 21 percent of the votes. former house speaker newt gingrich placed fourth, followed by texas governor rick perry, who then announced he is going back to texas to reassess his faltering campaign. perry received 10 percent of the vote, despite spending more money than any of the candidates.
representaive michelle bachmann of minnesota, who won the iowa straw poll in august, placed a distant sixth. bachmann summarily ended her presidential aspirations at a press conference, admitting, "the people of iowa have spoken." former utah governor john huntsman finished seventh.
said democracy now journalist & host amy goodman, "the 2012 presidential election promises to be long, contentious, extremely expensive & perhaps more negative than any in history."
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Barry Bonds Sentenced with House Arrest, Probation and Community Service
former major league baseball superstar barry bonds was sentenced last week to 30 days of house arrest, two years of probation, 250 hours of community service & $4,100 in fines & court costs after he was found guilty of obstructing justice in august. u.s. district judge susan illston presided over bonds' controversial case.
bonds doesn't have to worry about spending his holy-days being trapped inside his two-acre beverly hills home as his sentence was stayed, pending an appeal unlikely to be heard for at least a year. prosecutors wanted bonds to serve 15 months behind bars.
during the 2003 bay area laboratory co-operative (balco) investigation, bonds attempted to mislead the grand jury by purposely answering questions about steroids with rambling non-sequiturs. the government - as well as the media - went after bonds for eight years. he became the face of the steroids era in baseball.
bonds is the 11th person convicted in the ongoing steroids investigation & was the government's biggest target. unlike fellow steroid abusers like sammy sosa & mark mcguire, bonds not only lied under oath, he was also chasing baseball's most prestigious record - hank aaron's all-time home run record of 755. bonds retired in 2007 with 762 homers, a number some baseball purists acknowledge with a hypothetical asterisk.
after years of denial & dishonesty, mcguire came clean in 2010. he admitted using steroids throughout the 90's during the peak of his career with the st. louis cardinals. the year before his guilty admission - which was not under oath in front of a grand jury - the cardinals hired him as their hitting coach. mcguire had been out of the spotlight long enough for fans & his former team to forgive him. st. louis won the world series in october.
bonds kept a low profile the past four years, yet his philanthropic efforts are rarely reported in the media. most notably, the 47 year-old husband & father has been a vocal advocate of bryan stow, the giants fan whom was brutally beaten outside dodger stadium in march. bonds paid for the college education of stow's two children & recently filmed a psa to help his cause.
judge illston was aware of & impressed with bonds' service for charitable issues. in fact, she cited his anonymous goodwill as one of the reasons he didn't receive the jail time sought venomously by the prosecution. said illston, "the thing that was striking to me was that most of that was done out of the public eye & privately."
baseball has a long list of talented players (jason giambi, rafael palmiero, andy pettite, manny ramirez, garry sheffield, i.e.) whose steroid use will undoubtedly hinder their chances at going to cooperstown. but only bonds had the unquestionable hall of fame credentials - before the dark cloud of suspicion began to follow his every waking move.
bonds was arguably the best player in the 90's. he hit 30 or more homers every year except 1991. he won the national league mvp award three times. with his blinged out diamond cross earring dangling from his left ear & his short, compact swing, bonds was the epitome of swag: long before the term became popular & culturally relevant. he was a 14 time all-star who won several gold gloves yet will probably go down in history as a man unfaithful to a sport which honors its heroes.
bonds doesn't have to worry about spending his holy-days being trapped inside his two-acre beverly hills home as his sentence was stayed, pending an appeal unlikely to be heard for at least a year. prosecutors wanted bonds to serve 15 months behind bars.
during the 2003 bay area laboratory co-operative (balco) investigation, bonds attempted to mislead the grand jury by purposely answering questions about steroids with rambling non-sequiturs. the government - as well as the media - went after bonds for eight years. he became the face of the steroids era in baseball.
bonds is the 11th person convicted in the ongoing steroids investigation & was the government's biggest target. unlike fellow steroid abusers like sammy sosa & mark mcguire, bonds not only lied under oath, he was also chasing baseball's most prestigious record - hank aaron's all-time home run record of 755. bonds retired in 2007 with 762 homers, a number some baseball purists acknowledge with a hypothetical asterisk.
after years of denial & dishonesty, mcguire came clean in 2010. he admitted using steroids throughout the 90's during the peak of his career with the st. louis cardinals. the year before his guilty admission - which was not under oath in front of a grand jury - the cardinals hired him as their hitting coach. mcguire had been out of the spotlight long enough for fans & his former team to forgive him. st. louis won the world series in october.
bonds kept a low profile the past four years, yet his philanthropic efforts are rarely reported in the media. most notably, the 47 year-old husband & father has been a vocal advocate of bryan stow, the giants fan whom was brutally beaten outside dodger stadium in march. bonds paid for the college education of stow's two children & recently filmed a psa to help his cause.
judge illston was aware of & impressed with bonds' service for charitable issues. in fact, she cited his anonymous goodwill as one of the reasons he didn't receive the jail time sought venomously by the prosecution. said illston, "the thing that was striking to me was that most of that was done out of the public eye & privately."
baseball has a long list of talented players (jason giambi, rafael palmiero, andy pettite, manny ramirez, garry sheffield, i.e.) whose steroid use will undoubtedly hinder their chances at going to cooperstown. but only bonds had the unquestionable hall of fame credentials - before the dark cloud of suspicion began to follow his every waking move.
bonds was arguably the best player in the 90's. he hit 30 or more homers every year except 1991. he won the national league mvp award three times. with his blinged out diamond cross earring dangling from his left ear & his short, compact swing, bonds was the epitome of swag: long before the term became popular & culturally relevant. he was a 14 time all-star who won several gold gloves yet will probably go down in history as a man unfaithful to a sport which honors its heroes.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Mumia Abu-Jamal Will Not Be Executed
prosecutors have called off their 30-year battle to execute former black panther mumia abu-jamal for allegedly murdering a white, male police officer, putting to an end the racially charged case that became a major battleground in the fight over the death penalty.
flanked by maureen faulkner, the widow of police officer daniel faulkner, philadelphia district attorney seth williams announced his decision wednesday, just two days short of the 30th anniversary of the killing. he said continuing to seek the death penalty would open the case to "an unknowable number of years" of appeals.
said williams, "there's never been any doubt in my mind that mumia abu-jamal shot & killed officer faulkner. i believe that the appropriate sentence was handed down by a jury of his peers in 1982." williams, the city's first black district attorney continued, "while abu-jamal will no longer be facing the death penalty, he will remain behind bars for the rest of his life, & that is where he belongs."
abu-jamal was convicted of fatally shooting faulkner dec 9, 1981. he was sentenced to death after his trial the following year. abu-jamal, who has been incarcerated in a pennsylvania prison over 29 years, has garnered worldwide support from those who believe he was & continues to be victimized by a racially biased justice system.
the writings & radio broadcasts of abu-jamal from death row made him a cause celebre & the subject of numerous books & movies. his 1995 book, "live from death row," describes prison life & calls the justice system racist & ruled by political expediency. the one-time journalist, reaped global support from the "free mumia" movement. hundreds of vocal supporters & death penalty opponents regularly attend court hearings in his case, even though abu-jamal is rarely entitled to be present.
the conviction was upheld through years of legal appeals. but a federal appeals court ordered a new sentence hearing after ruling the instructions given to the jury were potentially misleading. the u.s. supreme court declined to weigh in on the case in october, forcing prosecutors to decide if they wanted to again pursue the death penalty through a new sentencing hearing or accept a life sentence.
williams said he reached the decision to drop the death penalty bid with the blessing of maureen faulkner, who said another sentencing hearing would be just the beginning of another long, arduous appeals process. "another penalty proceeding would open the case to the repetition of the state appeals process & an unknowable number of years of federal review again, even if he were successful," williams said. he also said after nearly three decades some witnesses have died, or are otherwise unreliable.
widener university law professor judith ritter, who represented abu-jamal, applauded the decision. "there is no question that justice is served when a death sentence from a misinformed jury is overturned. 30 years later, the district attorney's decision not to seek a new death sentence also furthers the interests of justice," said ritter.
according to trial testimony, abu-jamal saw his brother scuffle with the young patrolman during a 4:00 am traffic stop in 1981 & ran toward the scene. police found abu-jamal wounded from a round from faulkner's gun. faulkner, shot several times, was killed. a .38-caliber revolver registered to abu-jamal was found at the scene with five spent shell casings.
maureen faulkner continues trying to remain visible to ensure her slain husband is not forgotten. they were 25 year-old newlyweds when he died. wednesday she said, "my family & i have endured a three-decade ordeal at the hands of mumia abu-jamal, his attorneys & his supporters, who in many cases never even took the time to educate themselves about the case before lending their names, giving their support & advocating for his freedom. all of this has taken an unimaginable physical, emotional & financial toll on each of us."
abu-jamal, born wesley cook, turned 58 earlier this year. his message resonated particularly on college campuses & in the movie & music industries - actors mike farrell & tim robbins were among dozens of luminaries who used a new york times ad to advocate for a new trial. the beastie boys played a concert to raise money for abu-jamal's defense fund.
over the years, abu-jamal has fearlessly & steadfastly challenged the lily-white makeup of the jury, instructions given to jurors & the statements of eyewitnesses. he also alleges ineffective counsel, racism by the trial judge & another man confessed to the crime.
but maureen faulkner railed against what she called the justice system's "dirty little secret" - the difficulty of putting condemned killers to death. since the u.s. supreme court restored the death penalty in 1976, pennsylvania has put to death three people; each of those individuals willingly gave up on their appeals.
faulkner lashed out at the judges who overturned abu-jamal's death sentence, calling them "dishonest cowards," whom, she said oppose the death penalty. "the disgusting reality with the death penalty in pennsylvania is that the fix is in before the hearing even begins," she says. faulkner also vowed to fight anyone who tries to extract special treatment for abu-jamal, advocating instead he now be moved to the general population.
she said, "i will not stand by & see him coddled, as he has been in the past. & i am heartened that he will be taken from the protective cloister he has been living in all those years & begin living among his own kind - the thugs & common criminals that infest our prisons."
both sides have events planned to commemorate faulkner's death & abu-jamal's subsequent arrest. faulkner, williams & others involved in the prosecution will gather in suburban philadelphia to mark the anniversary this week for a screening of the anti-mumia documentary by philly filmmaker tigre hill. supporters of abu-jamal, including princeton professor cornel west, planned a symposium friday at the national constitution center for the man they call an "innocent revolutionary & celebrated journalist."
south african archbishop desmond tutu said, "when the south african constitutonal court was set up after the end of the apartheid regime, one of its first acts was to abolish the death penalty. for three decades, mumia has been held in a windowless, bathroom-sized cell & denied any physical contact with his family or members of his community. this is in violation of the u.s.'s own constitution. now that it is clear that mumia should never have been on death row, justice will not be served by relegating him to prison for the rest of his life - yet another form of death sentence."
flanked by maureen faulkner, the widow of police officer daniel faulkner, philadelphia district attorney seth williams announced his decision wednesday, just two days short of the 30th anniversary of the killing. he said continuing to seek the death penalty would open the case to "an unknowable number of years" of appeals.
said williams, "there's never been any doubt in my mind that mumia abu-jamal shot & killed officer faulkner. i believe that the appropriate sentence was handed down by a jury of his peers in 1982." williams, the city's first black district attorney continued, "while abu-jamal will no longer be facing the death penalty, he will remain behind bars for the rest of his life, & that is where he belongs."
abu-jamal was convicted of fatally shooting faulkner dec 9, 1981. he was sentenced to death after his trial the following year. abu-jamal, who has been incarcerated in a pennsylvania prison over 29 years, has garnered worldwide support from those who believe he was & continues to be victimized by a racially biased justice system.
the writings & radio broadcasts of abu-jamal from death row made him a cause celebre & the subject of numerous books & movies. his 1995 book, "live from death row," describes prison life & calls the justice system racist & ruled by political expediency. the one-time journalist, reaped global support from the "free mumia" movement. hundreds of vocal supporters & death penalty opponents regularly attend court hearings in his case, even though abu-jamal is rarely entitled to be present.
the conviction was upheld through years of legal appeals. but a federal appeals court ordered a new sentence hearing after ruling the instructions given to the jury were potentially misleading. the u.s. supreme court declined to weigh in on the case in october, forcing prosecutors to decide if they wanted to again pursue the death penalty through a new sentencing hearing or accept a life sentence.
williams said he reached the decision to drop the death penalty bid with the blessing of maureen faulkner, who said another sentencing hearing would be just the beginning of another long, arduous appeals process. "another penalty proceeding would open the case to the repetition of the state appeals process & an unknowable number of years of federal review again, even if he were successful," williams said. he also said after nearly three decades some witnesses have died, or are otherwise unreliable.
widener university law professor judith ritter, who represented abu-jamal, applauded the decision. "there is no question that justice is served when a death sentence from a misinformed jury is overturned. 30 years later, the district attorney's decision not to seek a new death sentence also furthers the interests of justice," said ritter.
according to trial testimony, abu-jamal saw his brother scuffle with the young patrolman during a 4:00 am traffic stop in 1981 & ran toward the scene. police found abu-jamal wounded from a round from faulkner's gun. faulkner, shot several times, was killed. a .38-caliber revolver registered to abu-jamal was found at the scene with five spent shell casings.
maureen faulkner continues trying to remain visible to ensure her slain husband is not forgotten. they were 25 year-old newlyweds when he died. wednesday she said, "my family & i have endured a three-decade ordeal at the hands of mumia abu-jamal, his attorneys & his supporters, who in many cases never even took the time to educate themselves about the case before lending their names, giving their support & advocating for his freedom. all of this has taken an unimaginable physical, emotional & financial toll on each of us."
abu-jamal, born wesley cook, turned 58 earlier this year. his message resonated particularly on college campuses & in the movie & music industries - actors mike farrell & tim robbins were among dozens of luminaries who used a new york times ad to advocate for a new trial. the beastie boys played a concert to raise money for abu-jamal's defense fund.
over the years, abu-jamal has fearlessly & steadfastly challenged the lily-white makeup of the jury, instructions given to jurors & the statements of eyewitnesses. he also alleges ineffective counsel, racism by the trial judge & another man confessed to the crime.
but maureen faulkner railed against what she called the justice system's "dirty little secret" - the difficulty of putting condemned killers to death. since the u.s. supreme court restored the death penalty in 1976, pennsylvania has put to death three people; each of those individuals willingly gave up on their appeals.
faulkner lashed out at the judges who overturned abu-jamal's death sentence, calling them "dishonest cowards," whom, she said oppose the death penalty. "the disgusting reality with the death penalty in pennsylvania is that the fix is in before the hearing even begins," she says. faulkner also vowed to fight anyone who tries to extract special treatment for abu-jamal, advocating instead he now be moved to the general population.
she said, "i will not stand by & see him coddled, as he has been in the past. & i am heartened that he will be taken from the protective cloister he has been living in all those years & begin living among his own kind - the thugs & common criminals that infest our prisons."
both sides have events planned to commemorate faulkner's death & abu-jamal's subsequent arrest. faulkner, williams & others involved in the prosecution will gather in suburban philadelphia to mark the anniversary this week for a screening of the anti-mumia documentary by philly filmmaker tigre hill. supporters of abu-jamal, including princeton professor cornel west, planned a symposium friday at the national constitution center for the man they call an "innocent revolutionary & celebrated journalist."
south african archbishop desmond tutu said, "when the south african constitutonal court was set up after the end of the apartheid regime, one of its first acts was to abolish the death penalty. for three decades, mumia has been held in a windowless, bathroom-sized cell & denied any physical contact with his family or members of his community. this is in violation of the u.s.'s own constitution. now that it is clear that mumia should never have been on death row, justice will not be served by relegating him to prison for the rest of his life - yet another form of death sentence."
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Hershey School Refuses To Admit HIV-Positive Male Teenager
the milton hershey school was founded by the chocolate tycoon as a school that "nurtures & educates children in social & financial need to lead fulfilling & productive lives." sadly, that fulfillment won't be realized by a 13 year-old honor student from delaware county who's hiv-positive.
...is this how we celebrate world aids day?
in an exclusive interview with nbc philadelphia's denise nakano, the disheartened boy said, "i feel no other teenager should go through this, being denied just because they have hiv." his lawyer filed a discrimination suit in u.s. district court alleging the school "violated multiple anti-discrimination laws," by not admitting him due to his hiv+ health status.
the lawsuit was filed under a pseudonym. the boy & his mother requested their identities not be revealed. the school doesn't deny why they rejected him; furthermore, they petitioned to have the court review the case. the school released a statement wednesday; part of which stated, "in order to protect our children in this unique environment, we cannot accommodate the needs of students with chronic communicable diseases that pose a direct threat to the health & safety of others."
ronda goldfein from the aids law project is representing the boy & his mother in the federal discrimination lawsuit. goldfein says, "if you have a school that's open to the public, it's open to the public. if you have a student that has a particular need & requests assistance, then you accommodate. you don't simply say, we don't like you, we don't like your diagnosis, you can't come here."
the boy's mother said, "it makes me angry, like really, really angry, because they don't understand how great he is." the teenager has lived with hiv all of his life but doesn't feel hiv defines him. he excels in school, is active in sports & was learning to speak two foreign languages. he hoped hershey - a cost-free, private boarding school for children from low-income families - would advance his education.
"they didn't look at whether my client presented any threat, they just said 13 year-old boy with hiv, oh no, that's too dangerous," said goldfein. the lawsuit calls for the school to both admit the fun-loving student & give unspecified monetary damages. said the boy, "i think that it was wrong to put me through emotional distress."
...is this how we celebrate world aids day?
in an exclusive interview with nbc philadelphia's denise nakano, the disheartened boy said, "i feel no other teenager should go through this, being denied just because they have hiv." his lawyer filed a discrimination suit in u.s. district court alleging the school "violated multiple anti-discrimination laws," by not admitting him due to his hiv+ health status.
the lawsuit was filed under a pseudonym. the boy & his mother requested their identities not be revealed. the school doesn't deny why they rejected him; furthermore, they petitioned to have the court review the case. the school released a statement wednesday; part of which stated, "in order to protect our children in this unique environment, we cannot accommodate the needs of students with chronic communicable diseases that pose a direct threat to the health & safety of others."
ronda goldfein from the aids law project is representing the boy & his mother in the federal discrimination lawsuit. goldfein says, "if you have a school that's open to the public, it's open to the public. if you have a student that has a particular need & requests assistance, then you accommodate. you don't simply say, we don't like you, we don't like your diagnosis, you can't come here."
the boy's mother said, "it makes me angry, like really, really angry, because they don't understand how great he is." the teenager has lived with hiv all of his life but doesn't feel hiv defines him. he excels in school, is active in sports & was learning to speak two foreign languages. he hoped hershey - a cost-free, private boarding school for children from low-income families - would advance his education.
"they didn't look at whether my client presented any threat, they just said 13 year-old boy with hiv, oh no, that's too dangerous," said goldfein. the lawsuit calls for the school to both admit the fun-loving student & give unspecified monetary damages. said the boy, "i think that it was wrong to put me through emotional distress."
Saturday, November 26, 2011
NBA Players and Owners Reach Tentative Agreement for 2011-2012 Season
nba players & owners reached a tentative agreement early saturday to end the 149-day lockout with the intention of opening the delayed 2011-2012 season on christmas day. neither side provided many specifics but said the only words players & fans wanted to hear. "we want to play basketball," said nba comissioner david stern.
after a secret meeting earlier this week, both sides negotiated more than 15 hours friday to try & save the season. this handshake deal, however, still must be ratified by the players & the owners. stern said it was "subject to a variety of approvals & very complex machinations, but we're optimistic that all will come to pass & that the nba season will begin december 25."
barring a change in scheduling, the season will open with a triple header. the new york knicks will host the boston celtics, followed by the miami heat at the dallas mavericks & finally, the chicago bulls versus the los angeles lakers. president obama, after finishing a basketball game at fort mcnair in washington, gave a thumbs-up when told of the settlement. "all i feel right now is finally," said dwayne wade.
the league plans a 66-game season & aims to open training camps december 9. ironically, just 12 days after talks broke down, stern declared the nba could be headed to a "nuclear winter." the all-star game is scheduled to be held in orlando, yet no date was finalized. union executive director billy hunter said, "we thought it was in both of our interest to try to reach a resolution & save the game & to be able to provide the kind of superb entertainment the nba historically has provided."
a majority on each side is needed to approve the agreement. the nba needs votes from 15 of 29 owners. the nba owns the new orleans hornets. stern said the labor relations committee plans to discuss the agreement later saturday & expects them to endorse it & recommend to the full board. the union needs a simple majority from its 430-plus members. but their process is a bit more complicated.
the players dissolved the union november 14. they must drop their anti-trust lawsuit in minnesota & re-form the the union before voting on the deal. also, because the union disbanded, a new collective bargaining agreement can be completed only once the union re-forms. drug testing & other issues still must be negotiated between the league & the players. said stern, "we're very pleased we've come this far...there's still a lot of work to do."
participating in the talks for the league were stern, deputy commissioner adam silver, san antonio spurs owner & chairman of the labor relations committee peter holt, along with attorneys rick buchanan & dan rube. the players were represented by hunter, president derek fisher, vice president maurice evans, attorney ron klempner & economist kevin murphy.
the owners locked out the players july 1. both sides spent arduous months battling over division revenues & other changes owners wanted in a new collective bargaining agreement. they said they lost hundreds of millions of dollars in each year of the former deal, ratified in 2005. they wanted a system where big-market teams wouldn't have the ability to outspend their smaller counterparts. the players fought those changes, not wanting to see any teams taken out of the market when they become free agents.
said silver, "this was not an easy agreement for anyone. the owners came in having suffered substantial losses & feeling the system wasn't working fairly across all teams. i certainly know the players had strong views about expectations in terms of what they should be getting from the system. it required a lot of compromise from both parties' part & i think that's what we saw today."
stern opined despite some "bumps" friday evening, "the greater good required us to knock ourselves out & come to this tentative understanding." he denied litigation was a factor in accelerating a deal, but things happened quickly after the players filed a suit which could have won them $6 billion in damages if the court ruled the lockout was illegal.
"for us the litigation is something that has to be dealt with," stern said. "it was not the reason for the settlement. the reason for the settlement was we've got fans, we've got players who would like to play & we've got people who are dependent on us. and its always been our goal to reach a deal that was fair to both sides & get us playing as soon as possible, but that took a little time." this was the second shortened season in nba history. the 1998-99 lockout reduced the season to 50 games.
after a secret meeting earlier this week, both sides negotiated more than 15 hours friday to try & save the season. this handshake deal, however, still must be ratified by the players & the owners. stern said it was "subject to a variety of approvals & very complex machinations, but we're optimistic that all will come to pass & that the nba season will begin december 25."
barring a change in scheduling, the season will open with a triple header. the new york knicks will host the boston celtics, followed by the miami heat at the dallas mavericks & finally, the chicago bulls versus the los angeles lakers. president obama, after finishing a basketball game at fort mcnair in washington, gave a thumbs-up when told of the settlement. "all i feel right now is finally," said dwayne wade.
the league plans a 66-game season & aims to open training camps december 9. ironically, just 12 days after talks broke down, stern declared the nba could be headed to a "nuclear winter." the all-star game is scheduled to be held in orlando, yet no date was finalized. union executive director billy hunter said, "we thought it was in both of our interest to try to reach a resolution & save the game & to be able to provide the kind of superb entertainment the nba historically has provided."
a majority on each side is needed to approve the agreement. the nba needs votes from 15 of 29 owners. the nba owns the new orleans hornets. stern said the labor relations committee plans to discuss the agreement later saturday & expects them to endorse it & recommend to the full board. the union needs a simple majority from its 430-plus members. but their process is a bit more complicated.
the players dissolved the union november 14. they must drop their anti-trust lawsuit in minnesota & re-form the the union before voting on the deal. also, because the union disbanded, a new collective bargaining agreement can be completed only once the union re-forms. drug testing & other issues still must be negotiated between the league & the players. said stern, "we're very pleased we've come this far...there's still a lot of work to do."
participating in the talks for the league were stern, deputy commissioner adam silver, san antonio spurs owner & chairman of the labor relations committee peter holt, along with attorneys rick buchanan & dan rube. the players were represented by hunter, president derek fisher, vice president maurice evans, attorney ron klempner & economist kevin murphy.
the owners locked out the players july 1. both sides spent arduous months battling over division revenues & other changes owners wanted in a new collective bargaining agreement. they said they lost hundreds of millions of dollars in each year of the former deal, ratified in 2005. they wanted a system where big-market teams wouldn't have the ability to outspend their smaller counterparts. the players fought those changes, not wanting to see any teams taken out of the market when they become free agents.
said silver, "this was not an easy agreement for anyone. the owners came in having suffered substantial losses & feeling the system wasn't working fairly across all teams. i certainly know the players had strong views about expectations in terms of what they should be getting from the system. it required a lot of compromise from both parties' part & i think that's what we saw today."
stern opined despite some "bumps" friday evening, "the greater good required us to knock ourselves out & come to this tentative understanding." he denied litigation was a factor in accelerating a deal, but things happened quickly after the players filed a suit which could have won them $6 billion in damages if the court ruled the lockout was illegal.
"for us the litigation is something that has to be dealt with," stern said. "it was not the reason for the settlement. the reason for the settlement was we've got fans, we've got players who would like to play & we've got people who are dependent on us. and its always been our goal to reach a deal that was fair to both sides & get us playing as soon as possible, but that took a little time." this was the second shortened season in nba history. the 1998-99 lockout reduced the season to 50 games.
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