@miabonics

Taste & See That The Lord Is Good!

2010-08-15T11:06:00.004-04:00

This morning I struggled to get out of bed but I had my heart set on coming to church. So I got up, showered, got dressed, made a little stop to 7-11 to get a cold Starbucks drink & some change for my tithes & offerings, and then I arrived to church right in the middle of the praise & worship. Our pastor and co-pastor were away taking some much needed time off, so the guest preacher this morning was the Rev. Dr. Jasmin Schulark from Shiloh Baptist Church in York, Pennsylvania.

She opened the sermon with Psalm 34: 1-8 (KJV)

I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Focusing on the 3rd verse (O magnify the LORD...), Rev. Schulark posed a question: How big is your God? Is your God small and your problems large? Or do you flip that around and tell your problems how big your God is? Our purpose, our job in life is to MAGNIFY the Lord. And when we praise God together we are collectively magnifying Him.

In order to fully understand this text, Rev. Schulark challenges us to understand the context. David wrote this Psalm after he had been through some things and was on the run from Saul. Previously in 1 Samuel, Saul had been appointed as King but David was anointed. We have all been in a situation where it was our turn and not our time, or our time and not our turn. You can be appointed and not anointed, and you can be anointed but not appointed. So although Saul had been appointed, David had been anointed. And when Saul wouldn’t come to battle to fight Goliath, David said "I'll handle it" and he defeated Goliath. When Saul noticed the praise and recognition David was getting he got mad and wanted to kill to him. So David went on the run and ended up in the land that Goliath was from. To protect himself he began acting like a crazy person – but he was not crazy nor was he insane (we know that he was in his right mind b/c he wrote Psalm 34 with each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet). The people drove him away and David went to a cave and while he was in that cave alone he wrote Psalm 34 and the first thing it says: I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES.

Many do not fully understand the power of praise. You see, it's easy to praise God when you have it going on. Or when you have a little money in your pocket. Or when you look good and when you feel good. Or when everything is going alright. Try praising God in the midst of your storm when things aren’t going so well and see if that doesn't change your perspective.

The one thing I love about the Book of Psalm is that it is filled with many emotions.

When I am overwhelmed I can turn to Psalm 61: "Hear my cry O God, attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

When I need to be reminded of my trust & faith in God I recite Psalm 23: "The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want."

When I have to deal with "haters" Psalm 27 let's me know: "The Lord is my light & my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell."

And even when I'm going through I remember the words of David in Psalm 34, no matter what happens "I WILL bless the Lord at ALL times!"

...And Now I'm REALLY Ticked Off!

2010-08-14T09:39:00.004-04:00

By now everyone should have heard the story about the Jet Blue flight attendant who quit his job in a rather unconventional fashion. For those who don't know the story:

Two female passengers on the plane got into an argument over space in the overhead compartments and Steven Slater (the flight attendant) tried to intervene and was hit on the head as one of the passengers was removing her bag from the overhead compartment. Before the plane left Pittsburgh one of the passengers was asked to gate check her bag (I’m guessing because it was probably too big – SN: people like her make me sick trying to carry a huge bag on the plane that is obviously too big to fit into the overhead compartments! But I digress...). After the plane arrived at its destination (New York), the same female passenger who had to check her bag was causing problems again because it wasn’t immediately available. The woman began cussing Slater out calling him all kinds of mfers and whatnot – and argument between the two went on. I guess by that time Slater was probably thinking "the hell with this" because that's when he got on the intercom and said: "Those of you who have shown dignity and respect these last 20 years, thanks for a great ride." This guy then grabs a couple of beers and sends himself out through the emergency slide (I've always wanted to slide down one of those, of course without the emergency need to do so). The rest of the story is history as you know...

There are several shots I can take at this story, so here we go:

1. Take This Job & Shove It!

Johnny Paycheck said it best: "Take this job and shove it! I ain't working here no more!"

My favorite uncle works at a GP (Georgia Pacific) plant but he also runs his own small catering company. He's always told me that the day he reached the profit margin of $1 million with his catering business, he is going to go down to Atlanta in a money green suit, walk up to the executives office and tell each and every one of them to kiss his ass.

I'm sure we've all worked somewhere where the conditions were so stressful, deplorable, and incompatible with our personalities. You come in the office with a smile and leave with blood shot eyes ready to unleash your fury on the first person who says anything to you just to make them feel mad as hell like you (especially if they are in a good mood). The pay is terrible. They complain about all your work (but have you seen the finish product of theirs? Yuck!). After awhile you're just waiting for the day and right moment to say: "f all of ya'll -- I QUIT!"

2. Professional Expectations vs. Employee's Reality

The key to any successful professional environment is making sure that the expectations are consistent with the day-to-day reality that employees are faced with. If you want excellent employees, try to be an excellent manager/supervisor/boss. As many of you know, one of my many jobs is an on-call associate for Macy's. And one of my main issues is that the bar is set entirely too high in terms of what they want you to do but the reciprocity, in terms of what you get back from management (both in-store and corporate), ranks low (I'm sure this is the case for almost ALL retail/department stores). With the budget cuts and economy crawling at a snail pace, it's not hard to visualize the notion that Jet Blue had a list of expectations for their employees but offered little in return...overworked, underpaid, and disrespected, Slater had his "Johnny Paycheck" defining moment. And the very thing that led to the climax of the whole situation was a loud mouth distasteful passenger.

3. The Customer is NOT Always Right

Reflecting on my own employment background working in customer service centers, front desk at hospitals, and retail experience I've came across some very pleasant people from all walks of life. I've also had the unfortunate opportunity of meeting a jerk who wants you to treat them like the sun rises and sets on them. I have been on plenty of plane rides where I have seen people talk to the folks at the gate any kind of way. While understanding that having your flight delayed/canceled or baggage lost would get anyone upset, it's always better to kill them with kindness. MOST people are more open to helping you when you have a positive attitude and an attitude of gratitude. The woman on the flight knew that her bag was too big to fit into the overhead bin, but yet she wanted to make a scene as if somehow it was Slater's fault and to make matters worse Jet Blue probably gave the woman free round-trip tickets for her "troubles." Newsflash you idiotic executives...THE CUSTOMER IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT!

As I close this blog, because it is getting kindly lengthy, I would like to say that it is possible Slater could have handled the situation differently. I'm sure in the moment, he was on a euphoric high but now that he's fallen off his cloud nine and his 15 minutes of fame are drawing to an end, he wants his job back – and you know what Jet Blue had to say about that. Eh, Slater – maybe you can make money doing seminars about how to stick it to the man! (*cue* Jack Black's "School of Rock", lol)

Why Fantasia?

2010-08-11T04:07:00.002-04:00

So ya'll what the hell is going on with Fantasia?! First the news broke about her shacking up with some married man who worked in T-Mobile. *record scratch* You are a "successful" (I use that word lightly) recording artist and you fucking around with a Sales Rep from gotdamn T-Mobile?! You couldn’t get an AT&T or Verizon man...at least they get better phones...but I digress, lol. Now let Tasia tell it – she didn’t know that Antwaun Cook (the T-Mobile Rep) was still married. Well no...she knew he was married, but "he wasn't happy in the marriage." Eh, whatever. So they dated and young, dumb, full of cum Tasia got this fool name tattooed on her. SMH!

Fast forward – Tasia and ol dude broke up. Then they got back together after Fanny brought him a motorcycle. Then apparently they broke up again, but get this, now the dude’s wife, Paula Cook, is officially divorcing him AND is alleging that Tasia & Antwaun got sex tapes. **OOH NOOO SHE DIDN'T!** On top of trying to promote her album she gotta deal with all the stress of this situation – which leads me to the events of August 9th.

On Monday, Tasia's manager found her in her closet passed out...and she was immediately taken to the hospital. She suffered from a drug overdose...but don’t cry her a river..this bit overdosed on aspirin and sleep aids!! ASPIRIN AND SLEEPING PILLS! Good grief. As if this story couldn't get any more sad/comical.

Seriously, I do hope that she gets help...she has a child to raise. And little Zion does not need to see her mother getting caught up in a bunch of bullshit (i.e. dating married men, sex tapes, and Acetaminophen overdose).

Go ahead and comment...

If It Isn't Love

2010-08-01T21:49:00.004-04:00

If you haven't heard by now – Alicia Keys & Kassem "Swizz Beats" Dean are officially married. Eh. Now I'm no "hater" (see my "Pseudo-Hater" blog about my strong dislike for that word) but judging how these two came to be – I would be shocked if they stay together in holy matrimony. Don’t get it twisted, nobody is plotting the downfall of A. Keys but looking at the situation it not hard speculate and come to your own conclusion.

My granny (my favorite person to quote) always told me NEVER build your foundation on sinking sand. A. Keys rushed into a relationship with Swizz – she got pregnant by him and now they are married. With her baby coming she is going to slow down, but he is picking up his schedule with the projects he's working on. They have not had any time to lay down any type of solid foundation – which is needed in any relationship, especially one where you want to spend the rest of your life with that person. Marriage is a contractual agreement, but it is also a sacred vow; moreover, I do not see how a person can marry some one who has: a. cheated on his wife, b. cheated on you with another chick (all while still be married to his wife), c. denies the kid he had with the other chick, d. doesn't pay child support for the other kid, etc. etc. To me that sounds like a man who is just simply not marriage material. The women he was with previously didn't change his habits – so nine times out of ten, you won't be able to change them either.

But I guess in AK's eyes, Swizz can do no wrong. All of his past wrongs don’t matter but honestly she is just going to becoming a poster girl for "When Sticking By Your Dog (Man) Goes Wrong." Her hedonism resulted in another baby for Swizz Beatz and a big a mess that will just open the floodgates of karma to come back and bite her in the ass.

Right now, it is all a romanticized dream. Swizz may have three kids by three women, owe the IRS money, divorce his wife one month and propose the next, and be butt ugly --- Alicia don’t care what nobody says, she's in "love."

I'm not calling AK a homewrecker because honestly, even Mashonda should have know that Swizz could not be trusted when she married him (he was hoe then too). But she knowingly laid down with a married man (no matter how fucked up the marriage was) – I guess some man is better than no man at all. Was she lonely? Did she just want a baby? Who knows. But how you get him, is how you lose him – hopefully a screw or two is tighten in Swizz's head & he'll do right by her…but that might just take some prayer and a miracle.

What do ya'll think?

ILLEGAL Immigrants Taking A Stand?...Reeewind!

2010-07-29T01:13:00.003-04:00

When Arizona's Senate Bill 1070 was passed, I was a staunch opponent. Basically what the bill states (for those of you who haven’t really read it – or don't understand the political mumbo jumbo) is that the police are allowed to challenge the legal residency status of any person who is suspected to be illegally in the United States. In my own opinion the bill allows racial profiling, an issue that African-Americans have dealt with for generations, to be a completely legal action – to be used at the individual police officer's discretion. Many states, businesses, and organizations have united in their efforts to boycott the state of Arizona until the law is reversed. But that is just one piece of the puzzle.

There are many people who come to America seeking a better life than the one they had in their home country. They come with eager hearts, full of ambition, and a pocket full of dreams in hopes that their children will not have to go through what they went through. In most cases, they've come legally – applied for green cards, visas, etc. and eventually after fulfilling all the necessary requirements they became citizens. In other cases, they've come to America illegally. There was a time when I sympathized with families facing deportation because we see how impoverished their communities are back at home – but as I got older I've had a change of heart.

While I do believe that we need to address the issue of immigration in this country – in terms of the application process to become a citizen in this country, I do believe that their still has to be regulations in place to prevent individuals who do not contribute (i.e. pay taxes) from residing within our borders for a long-term period. Paying taxes is a big issue to me because it is our tax dollars that are used to fund social welfare programs to help provide for individuals who cannot otherwise do for themselves.

Another issue that we have with illegal immigration is crime. Not saying that America is a hot bed of political and social politeness – but along with the wave of immigrants coming into the country -- statistics have shown an increase rate of crime. This is an top-priority issue that law enforcement agencies, especially those in the Southwest, have had to deal with more frequently.

Then you have the cheap bastards/companies who employ illegal immigrant for the low-skilled jobs knowing that they can pay them below minimum wage, not worry about providing benefits, or safe working conditions.

Many people also do not think about the impact that illegal immigration has on our federal budget. The Center for Immigration Studies found that in 2002, "when all taxes paid (direct and indirect) and all costs are considered, illegal households created a net fiscal deficit at the federal level of more than $10 billion." This deficit has nothing to do with their unwillingness to work but because of: a. the lack of taxes paid; b. medical expenses; c. social welfare programs (i.e. WIC/Food Stamps), and; d. federal prison & court fees.

And if I can go off on a tangent for a second...

You cannot possible compare this "diaspora" of immigrants to the forced enslavement of Africans in the Americas centuries ago -- it is simply not the same thing.

Overall, politicians on Capitol Hill are going to have to find some common ground on this issue -- the Arizona bill cannot stand as is but immigration reform is needed. As with all policy decisions, there will always be someone who gets the short end of the deal...such is life & its compromises.

I don't want to write a long drawn out blog on this topic, but I would like to know what you all think about all of this.

America – love it, or leave it. In any case, *in my Usher voice* you better have your papers! lol

Feedback time...

Some Recent News Stories
Immigrants Rally Over Increase In Deportations
87 Immigrants Nabbed In DC, Virginia
Legal Battle Looms Over Arizona Immigration Law

For the love of ... BEER

2010-07-20T02:12:00.006-04:00

...and I'm back like I never left!

Okay I haven't wrote a blog since my post about the child prostitutes in New York, and I’m sure that left you guys some what depressed. But in an attempt to bring a little sunny-side up to my blog – tonight's topic is about a beverage that I have grown very fond of due to my days at the hillbilly scholastic halls of Georgia Southern University --- BEER!

One night I was up on Twitter (@miabonics) and a bruh from Chicago was talking about wanting to try a new beer; I instantly suggested a beer that one of my professors hipped me to: Blue Moon! Then I tweeted a poem to my poetic muse about beer and she suggested that I do this blog. I'm almost certain I was drunk when I made this up...

oh beer how we love thee. from malted barley, wheat, & maize! the lagers, stouts, and ales. i'll even take draught, but rarely ya hear?!

See what I mean? But I digress. Here is a list of my favorite beers...let me repeat that...MY favorite beers...therefore, if you don’t like it (or beer for that matter) *in my HATEthalamew voice* I don't give a shit!

1. Stella Artois
First of all...the bottle/label is a freaking beauty. Second...Belgians make fine beer & this one tops the list.

2. Blue Moon Brewing: Belgian White
This is a wheat ale...but it's a Belgian wheat ale; therefore, it is made a slightly different than some wheat ales (the main thing being that it is unfiltered – this is explains its cloudy color). It's made with white wheat, oats, coriander, and orange peel.

3. Sam Adams: Summer Ale (April – August)
This is also a wheat ale and I've heard some people say they don't like it because of its seemingly overpowering wheat taste. But to me, the citrus-ly notes pair well with the wheat – makes it a perfect summer drink.

4. Sam Adams: Cherry Wheat
As much as I HATE cherries, I actually like this beer...a lot!

5. Blue Moon Brewing: Honey Moon Summer Ale (May – August)
It took awhile for me to like this because it does have a sweet aftertaste. But I think I really enjoy this beer because of its rarity. Not only is it only available in the summer (duh), but they only make small batches of it – so once it's gone, it's gone!

6. Heineken
You know the deal – this is just the typical party beer

Awhile ago a friend put me on to going to breweries and I went to the Crescent City Brewhouse in New Orleans. If you ever go – be sure to sample ALL of their beers (like me ... trust me, they'll happily oblige): Pilsner, Red Stallion, Black Forest, and Weiss Beer. I plan to go to Capital City Brewing Company in D.C. so I’m accepting offers for date night so we can all get white boy wasted. Happy drinking! :-)

P.S. If you didn't know, I'm 1/4 Irish. My great-grandfather's father (last name O'Nery) -- basically, my mother's great-grandfather -- was Irish immigrant who carved out his little piece of the American dream in Richmond, Virginia. Just a little #factaboutMia since we are talking about alcohol & all. ;-)

Very Young Girls

2010-07-08T02:26:00.004-04:00

Thanks to my insomnia I found myself up watching David Schisgall's documentary film about child prostitution and sex trafficking in New York City entitled "Very Young Girls" on Showtime. After watching the film I began thinking about the many females (friends, family, and associate) that I knew who were sexual exploited, who are still being exploited, and I see what it has done to them in terms of their perception of life, love, and self-worth.

I'm sure you've all heard the basic storyline:

Pimp to Girl: You're gonna go out there to that car, ask him if he's a pimp or the police, charge him a price, do what you gotta do and jet.
*30 minutes (or so later)*
Girl: I got $500
Pimp: Hand me the money *counts it*
Girl: Can I get it back?
Pimp: You can't get shit! This is money for me to take care of you. Whatever you need, I'll get – as long as you bring me my money. You're my ho...my moneymaking ho.

Now if this was a Thai, Chinese, Indian, Russian, or Nigerian girl smuggled to the states made to work in some type of brothel she wouldn't be classified as a prostitute – she would be portrayed rightfully as a victim of sexual exploitation & human trafficking. The feds would prosecute her captors and she would be granted protection – as outlined under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. But sadly, many girls who go through the aforementioned scenario are U.S. citizens. And in the states, instead of understanding that many of these girls are forced into this life, these girls are treated like the criminal, not the victim – charged with being a prostitute. My question is – what makes these "international" girls (non-citizens to put it frankly) a victim and these girls from Brooklyn, D.C., Atlanta, Los Angeles, etc. a criminal?

Watching Schisgall's documentary actually brought tears to my eyes because when you listen to those girls tell their story, it really shocking how much they endured at 13, 14, 15 years of age. The documentary also features a nonprofit organization, Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS), which was founded by Rachel Lloyd to help young victims of the sex trade. In the documentary Lloyd mentions the fact that the song "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp" won a Grammy – but that the true reality is that it is hard out here for these young girls who are constantly raped, sold, physically and mentally abused by men who are old enough to be their father.

I remembered when I was about 13 I had an ex-boyfriend of mines who would offer money if I did something for him. Just out of fear of getting caught, I always turned him down. After awhile I guess he got tired of my "faking" ... the last I heard of him, he had been shot & killed. As I got older – I realized that had I said "yes" my life would have probably turned out completely different. I can count on both of my hands young girls that I knew growing up who might have been dealing with issues at home, issues with their self-esteem, issues with their body image, or just wanting someone to love them – and then came along a snake that fed on all those insecurities and turn them out.

Maybe you can relate, maybe you can't. Either way, I hope that you'll peek the documentary and be compelled to speak out.

Related/Mentioned Stuff You NEED To Check Out:

NY Times Blog: A Look At The Harrowing Lives of Child Prostitutes

GEMS: Girls Educational & Mentoring Services

"Very Young Girls" (2007) - Preview

Church Keeps Me Single...Apparently

2010-06-21T20:23:00.006-04:00

Generally I'm okay with opening my mind to other ideas, thoughts, and analysis. The beauty of the human race is that each of us are uniquely created and in a general sense we all look at the world a little differently. However, today I came across a blog that left me a little upset. So I thought well maybe I'm reading it the wrong way, and I shared it via Twitter. Many of my "followers" expressed distaste for the blog and so did some their "followers."

The blog title "The Black Church: How Black Churches Keep African-American Women Single & Lonely" was enough to peek my interest. And the reason I refuse to comment on the author's actual blog is because some of her responses to individuals who refute or disagree with her rubbed me the wrong way – so I'll do what I do best, rant on my own blog page (lol).

First – the reason you should be going to church is to praise, seek, fellowship, and worship God. Your main agenda should not be "I'm going to church to find a husband." And since the author claims that she does not go to church or follow "organized religion" (which is the dumbest term I’ve ever heard), I am going to assume that just maybe (just maaaybe) she didn’t know that.

Second – no REAL pastor is going to tell you that your husband that God has intended for you is going to just plop down in your lap. Just like you had to go out and market yourself to get hired to start your career – you have to market yourself to find a mate, which means having a life outside of church. That is not to say that you act holy & reserved on Sunday and drop it low every other day of the week. But God never said he didn’t want you to enjoy life (if I remember correctly – He said that we shall have life and have it more abundantly).

Third – the author cites an article from the PEW Forum on Religion & Public Life and she attempts to break down what the statistics from the article mean for black women. From reading her blog post and reading the actual article, I find it extremely hard to understand how she came up with those interpretations (yeah, Statistics & Research Methods taught me a little something, something ... lol).

Fourth – if you are lonely & single...nine times out of ten...that's your own doing. If you're foolish enough to believe that if you just pray hard enough God will give you a man when you haven’t done anything - baby girl, I hate to break the news to you but that is simply not the case. That's like believing that if you pray hard enough you'll get an A on that exam when you have not studied. Besides if you read the Bible you would know that very rarely did God just give out stuff to people who were not ready to receive it. If you're foolish enough to take the words of your pastor or any human being for that matter then honey you are just as naïve as they come.

Out of everything else in her blog she does correctly address the fact that there are not a lot of Black women who are leaders in the church – but she does not highlight the fact that their numbers are growing. However, this is NOT a unique situation in this country. She is also right when she states that it's not the building that really defines a church, it's the people and the experience. A lot of traditional (I call them "old timey") churches are all about structure and rules. Because of that, many people nowadays attend churches that follow the charismatic movement – in other words they do everything and allow many things that are not allowed/tolerated in the "old timey" churches.

The blog as a whole seems like a misguided attack against church and religion as a whole -- although the author claims that her intentions are not personal (yeah right).

As for me, when it comes to dating/marriage, I don't consider myself narrow–minded (i.e. my future husband does not have to be Black or even from this country). But the one thing I will NOT compromise is my faith. If he has never set foot in a church, read the Bible, does not pray, or believe the same as I do, then I'm sorry – he is not the one for me.

Anyway – that's the end of my rant. I browsed around to look at some of her other blogs and they all seem to echo the same tone. Now you go read the blog and tell me what you think!

Stuff Mentioned:
How Black Churches Keep African-American Women Single & Lonely
A Religious Portrait of African-Americans (PEW Forum article)

Re: Blog

2010-06-20T23:56:00.002-04:00

I got a comment on Facebook about my previous blogpost ("Eye for an Eye"). Blogger for some reason would not let him post the comment so I am sharing it with you all. He also has a blog in which he discussed the topic of the death penalty, specifically in St. Kitts (eye-opening story by the way). Anyway -- here's what he had to say:

Hey Mia,

I just tried to post the following comment on your blog. I was unsuccessful. Feel free not to post it if you want. Well written blog. I enjoyed reading it.

Cheers,

Richard

My comments:

Well written post. I wrote an essay my freshman year at Howard about the death penalty. It was the only paper I earned an 'A' on from Dr. Bates, who had to be the toughest English professor at HU. There is no justification for the death penalty whatsoever.
Moral: Your essay addresses this.

Economic: The cost of death row is prohibitive.

Justice: How is it justice when it takes so long. This is not justice and more than that all studies done on the subject show that the family of victims are far better off if the case is closed and life imprisonment is the sentence than if the case drags on and execution is a result. The fact that Larry King was interviewing victims relatives over 20+years after the crime illustrates this.

Deterrent: Hardly! States using the death penalty almost all have correspondingly higher crime rates than those without it. This is the best apples-to-apples comparison since comparing different countries introduces socio-economic variables to crime that cloud the comparison.

I wrote a blog about the use of the death penalty in St. Kitts last year (click here to read).It's barbaric and the blood of Ronnie Gardner is on the hands of every Utahan and maybe even every American, including me. That's what I find most problematic.

Having said this, if I had to choose a method for my own execution, without a doubt, I would choose firing squad. My second choice would be guillotine. Quick. Least painful. People criticize the Saudis for beheading people. I think it's horrific but it is probably more humane than lethal injection and definitely more humane than electrocution or the gas chamber.

At the end of the day, we as a society need to figure out what constitutes justice. In the case of Ronnie Gardner, this was not justice. It was a state-sponsored murder.

Continuing ....

Hey Tamia,

I didn't even comment on the disproportionate use of the death penalty for minorities who commited a crime against whites vis-a-vis other situations as well as for poor vis-a-vis wealthy convicts. Ronnie Gardner actually is a compelling example of this. (Look at the guy's upbringing...tough.) I was at Howard during the OJ Simpson trial. I was telling classmates for months before the verdict that he would be exonerated. People didn't buy my arguement which revolved around the premise that Amerika is first and foremost a classist society. Within each class, the society is stratefied into race/gender/etc. Had OJ been rich and white he would never have been tried aka Jean Benet-Ramsey's parents. Had he been poor and white, he would have been convicted and sentenced to life or something like that. Had he been poor and Black or Latino, he would be on death row right now. Using this, I basically thought he would get off regardless of any evidence presented in court. (While I'm not debating the merits of the OJ case, I was merely using it as an example of the classism that exists in Amerika.)

What boggles my mind is how many in minority communities, especially Black and Latino communities, (as well as poor white communities) support the death penalty. It's like a deer supporting hunting season. Huh? That's just another example of how the right-wing has succeeded in getting people to vote against their own interests in the name of religion and religious fanaticism.

I'm glad you enjoyed the blog on St. Kitts. Thanks for posting my comments.

Cheers,

Richard

...what can I say, another person after my own heart! Thanks Richard!

Eye for an Eye vs. Thou Shall Not Kill

2010-06-19T22:44:00.006-04:00

I know some of you have heard the news about the convicted murderer Ronnie Lee Gardener who was executed in Utah via a firing squad. Now without any reference to what he did, I am staunchly against the death penalty for several reasons. For people who support the death penalty, the phrase "eye for an eye" is always tossed around – so let’s start there:

Exodus 21:23-25 (KJV)
"And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe."

Many people interpret the aforementioned scripture in terms of revenge, but the intent of the law of retribution was to ensure that the punishment corresponded to the crime in order to control the punishment inflicted on the guilty one. It is important to note that this law, along with many other levitical laws (as recorded in the Old Testament) were in place BEFORE Jesus Christ. That is not to say that we are to completely disregard the Old Testament (i.e. we still follow the Ten Commandments because when God came to us as Jesus Christ in the New Testament we were instructed to keep all of His commandments), but the traditions/customs that were in place following the exodus out of bondage were no longer necessary. Jesus was sent to earth to save us from ourselves – and He loved us so much that He took the ridicule, He took the abuse, He got on the cross, He died for us, and He rose again. He paid the ultimate price so that we would not have to. From a spiritual standpoint, this is why I do NOT agree with the death penalty. In following the Ten Commandments – God said to us: "Thou shall not kill." Just because Joe Smith killed Jane Doe, does not mean any person, any state, or government has the "right" to extract punishment in the form of taking that person life (execution) as well. Just as Joe Smith will face God's judgment so will everyone else who had a part in his execution. I don’t care if Joe Smith raped 10 girls, sodomized 50 boys, and blew up an airplane. He will be judged by God & God's wrath is greater than anything that we could ever do to Joe Smith. Please don't confuse me with those idiotic Islamic & Right-Wing radicals who preach that God is vengeful because that is simply not true. However, when it is all said & done – each of us will have to stand before God and account for everything that we have done. Are we perfect? Of course not. But does that exclude us from accountability? No.

The second reason I do not agree with the death penalty is from a criminal justice theoretical standpoint it is incredibly faulty & useless. Many states ended the death penalty after various FBI & independent investigations found that there were people on death row who were innocent, convicted with false evidence, and other various unjust circumstances. Look at the state of Illinois: several death row inmates had been found wrongly accused, convicted, and sentenced – a situation which forced the then governor George Ryan to issue a moratorium on capital punishment in 2000. Punishment for crimes should deter would-be criminals and I don't think there is a soul who would argue against the fact that our prison system is not doing a good job in that area. But if deterrence is a goal: some one explain to me why do all the states that happily support the death penalty have high felony murder rates? Obviously your method isn't working. If deterrence is not the goal, doesn't that make you guilty of supporting the very same crime that the prisoner just stood trial for? What makes you better than them?

People have said "what if they kill your parents, friends, loved ones - then what?" Honestly you never know exactly how you are going to react to any situation until it happens to you. But I know one thing, I would have to have it in my heart to forgive them. The one thing that I respected about the Amish community after what happened to those little schoolgirls in Pennsylvania is that as hard as it was for them – they forgave Charles Carl Roberts IV for what he did. They weren’t quick to pass judgment and they didn't allow themselves to hold any animosity to him or his family. Was that easy? I'm sure it wasn't. But in their response to many reporters – they did it because that's what God commanded them to do.

C'mon Son!

2010-06-12T23:47:00.006-04:00

GETDAFUCKOUTTAHEREWITDATBULLSHIT

If you haven't seen any of Ed Lover's videos (*NY voice* C'mon Son!) - you really need to slap yourself & get with the program ... start here (the newest one is #14, so you'll have to backtrack to the beginning).

A Woman's Worth

2010-06-12T23:24:00.005-04:00

I saw a video the other day about a woman named Sara (her real name was Saartje) Baartman. Earlier this week, I had finished reading a book entitled: "Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present" by Harriet Washington which talks the usage of Africans and African American bodies for non-therapeutic, "scientific" studies. Washington also talked about Sara and the terrible life she lived as a "caged subject" – showing off her body to Europeans who had never seen an African woman before.

If you are not aware of the history behind her life -- she was a woman from South Africa who was kidnapped from her home (the video clip said she went to Europe ... but other researchers said that she was taken not of her own free will) only to be but up on the stage to be clamored and laughed at because of how anatomical different she was from the white woman. They came up with a scientific name for her large butt, steatopygia and another scientific name for her what they considered to be an elongated labia, sinus pudoris. They believed that her large breast and elongated labia justified their reasoning that the black woman is oversexed and hypersexual. They called her Hottentot Venus and she was put on display for many many years until she died of disease. The woman narrating the video states that some people call Sara Barrtman the first video vixen...but she didn't willingly choose that profession. Sara Baartman and her story has become the icon of racial inferiority and black female sexuality for many years.

Youtube Clip Narrator: Where is black America? We are on the sidelines cheering because baby girl is no longer a resident of the ghetto. She's riding in Bentleys and Benz draped in furs and diamond and the record label just brought her a phat house. But have we forgotten, massa always kept his main ho in the big house or house of her own as long, as she opened the door when he came knocking. And he will be coming back. It's so sad. Back then we were forced to degrade ourselves to level of being some man's whore. Today we willingly degrade ourselves. We have forgotten our grandmothers pain? Her struggles to carry the burdens so we wouldn't have to? Do you hear the ancestors crying out: 'is this what we died for'!?

I write this blog because there are too many women who do not respect their bodies or know their worth. Long disrespected and un-admired by society at large, black women were not known as possessing ideal Western standards of beauty. Years ago, we were plagued by self-doubt, emotional inferiority, suffering internal conflicts about their sexuality and womanhood. By respecting and loving yourselves, you can let go of the issues, obstacles, negative people, fears, and phobias to bring the love and sensuality you desire into your life. Never permit anybody to limit or restrict you in any way. Black women now have the knowledge and vision to honor their female sexuality, while never taking sensuality and pleasure lightly. Pleasure is a gift and a blessing. It is something that should be cultivated, honored, and respected by a loving and attentive mate. Your body is a temple and you need to be extremely careful about who you allow to commune inside of it.

Material & Spiritual Progress

2010-06-12T22:44:00.001-04:00

"To make our wills obedient to good influences and to avoid evil, is to show the greatest wisdom. In order to follow this aim one must be guided by religion. Progress without religion is just like a life surrounded by unknown perils and can be compared to a body without a soul. Knowing that material and spiritual progress are essential to man, we must ceaselessly work for the equal attainment of both. Only then shall we be able to acquire that absolute inner calm so necessary to our well-being. Whenever conflict arises between material and spiritual values, the conscience plays an important role and anyone who suffers from a guilty conscience is never really free from this problem until he makes peace with himself and his conscience. Discipline of the mind is a basic ingredient of genuine morality and therefore of spiritual strength. Spiritual power is the eternal guide, in this life and the life after, for man ranks supreme among all creatures. Led forward by spiritual power, man can reach the summit destined for him by the Great Creator. Since nobody can interfere in the realm of God we should tolerate and live side by side with those of other faiths. In the mystic traditions of the different religions we have a remarkable unity of spirit. Whatever religion they may profess, they are spiritual kinsmen. While the different religions in their historic forms bind us to limited groups and militate against the development of loyalty to the world community, the mystics have already stood for the fellowship of humanity in harmony with the spirit of the mystics of ages gone by. No one should question the faith of others, for no human being can judge of the ways of God. However wise or however mighty a person may be, he is like a ship without a rudder if he is without God. A rudderless ship is at the mercy of the waves and the wind, drifts wherever they take it and if there arises a whirlwind it is smashed against the rocks and becomes as if it has never existed. It is our firm belief that a soul without Christ is bound to meet with no better fate. The love shown by our God to mankind should constrain all of us who are followers and disciples of Christ, to do all in our power to see to it that the message of salvation is carried to those of our fellows who have not had the benefit of hearing the good news. It is our conviction that all the activities of the children of men, which are not guided by the Spirit and council of God will bear no lasting fruits; they will not be acceptable in the sight of God. It will therefore come to naught as the tower of Babel came to naught. The grace of God is Eternal. Angels in Heaven and the Creation on Earth sing His Praise . We thank the Master of the world Almighty God. Power belongs to God. May God Our Creator, the Helper and Guiding Light of us all grant you His Wisdom that you may bear fruits for His Glory."

His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I

We Used To Be Homies...

2010-06-12T00:08:00.001-04:00

Let me share a story with you:

Jane & Brent have been close friends for several years – his parents adore her, her parents respect him. They consider each other long lost siblings. They protect and stick up for each other. And if anything goes down, they always have each other’s back. Then Brent meets a girl. On the outside, the girl seems to be cool – well with the exception of one thing – she is not okay with the relationship Brent & Jane share. Jane has expressed no desire to ever have more than a friendship with Brent and everyone else knew that as well. But nevertheless, in an effort to please his girlfriend – Brent cut off ties with Jane.

The story was a rather simplified version of a commonly seen series of events. I’ve been there before. One of my male best friends started dating this trick (because that’s exactly what she is) and she told me that he was her man and not mines. So in an effort to keep his steady flow of coochie, he ditched me. Never mind the fact that we had known each other since middle school. Or forget the fact that whenever he was down & out, I was the one who had to listen to him whine, moan, complain, and eventually helped him see it through. Of course there was a time where I may have looked at him differently, but when he began dating ol' girl – I never once disrespected their relationship. So I came to the conclusion that the bit was simply insecure and envious of the fact that while she may be giving up the coochie & wearing the title of "girlfriend" – she could never really take my place in his life. Now I know that sounds petty – but admit it – if the family likes you (the friend) more than they like the girlfriend…that speaks volumes.

So to anyone reading this blog – take a hint: do NOT let anyone come between you and your friends. Because let me tell you this – not everyone will put up with you the way your good friends will. Good friends, and I mean good, true friends are HARD to come by. So if you’re dating someone and they are jealous of the bond that you share with your friends – tell that bit to either a) shut up & deal with it, or b) hit the road jack! This is not to say that you shouldn’t spend time with your new beau, but you should never hang your friends on the self & use them when you feel like - because sooner or later - people are going to get sick & tired of being treated like a clutch.

And "homie" if you're reading this...I hope she's worth it.

Students Wear Klan Uniforms

2010-05-25T12:57:00.000-04:00

(Click here to read the story)

I can see how, in theory, this kind of project could be a good idea. The shock of kids in Klan outfits could be a powerful image, and used to fuel discussions about racism and history. Reading this story made me think about the seminar with Tim Wise at Georgia Southern University back in 2008. The issue of racism in America will NEVER get anywhere until people, specifically White people are willing to discuss and face facts.

Besides what is this concept of racism or race?

In scientific terms race has absolutely nothing to do with skin color. The concept of white was not what Europeans classified themselves as before they came to America -- hell they didn't even like each other. The term "White" came about when you had indenture servants both of European and African decent coming together and making a plan to take down the Elite Europeans. The Elite were outnumbered (like 8-1) and decided that they only way they were going to shut down this little rebellion was DIVIDE & CONQUER. The Elite told the "working class" Europeans that hey "we're going to form a team and we are going to call it White." They gave them a little bit of land and a little more money and even offered jobs -- Fugitive Slave Catchers. Then when the Civil War occurs ... do you think it was the Elite whites who fought and died on the field ... NO ... they sent out the poor lower class whites to fight their battle. Nowadays the so-called Neo-Nazi and Confederate folks want to say that the Civil War was about States Rights. Read the speeches of the legislatures in the states that succeed from the Union -- they wanted to keep their right to own and transport slaves! So instead of getting mad at another Black person who is angry about the Civil War and Slavery, get mad at Old Grandpa and Grandma Wrinkles who sat idly by while people were treated as three-fifths of a man and they were STILL getting tables scraps next to nothing from those in power. But to them ... it was right because it was all white. Ignorance.

Whites believe that we all live in the same reality, the same world, and believe the same things about this country. If that were so, how come when Black teenagers get their license to drive the first thing that their parents teach them is when you get stopped by the police you better put your hand on the steering wheel and don't move until you ASK the officer whether you can get or reach for something. Because we as black people have seen the stats and stories of untold Black men AND women assaulted and murdered by the police (Remember Sean Bell?).

The struggles of African-Americans in this country are overtly simplified: Slavery happened, period. Then came the freedom, period. Then the civil rights movement, period. But in reality our story is so much more complicated and complex.
In schools, we are taught WHITE literature, WHITE art, WHITE history -- of course they don't call it that but everything that is WHITE is standardized and taught as the norm. Remember when you read your history books back in grade school? -- black folks probably got ONE paragraph per chapter IF that. And you tell me that it isn't a privilege to be WHITE in America.

In the end I think this assignment was a worthy, provocative assignment; however, it was very poorly executed.

The Sound Off...

2010-03-28T20:35:00.000-04:00

The old me wants to write this blog – raw, uncut, unedited, uncensored. The old me would post his picture (with a few photoshop edits), slander his name, and probably give him a real reason to "fear for his life." But the new me seeks to stray from the old ways of doing things and offer some meaningful words to an individual who seems to be directing all of his energies towards black greek-lettered organizations.

Dislike/disgust/distaste of black greek-lettered organizations is not a new phenomenon; in fact we see this relationship between those who pledged and those who stand against greek organizations painted in movies (i.e. "School Daze"), television shows (i.e. "A Different World"), and music all the time. However this is my issue: if you do not understand something, I would rather you ask questions (*whether you get an open answer is an entirely different matter) than to make up lies to further what seems to be nothing more than an example of self-loathing propaganda.

When I first got on Twitter and saw the trending topic, my initial reaction was "this must be somebody who dropped line or didn’t make it pass intake and they wanna tell the world why they’re mad." But then several friends told me that this student has been on the warpath against black greeks since his Freshmen year – but the climax to all current drama really starts with a forum discussing "Greeks vs. Gangs." Not a very new debate, I even have some non-greek friends who joke about it; however, I’m really curious to know where all the hate comes from. From my understanding, he is staunchly against hazing and he sees greek organizations as gangs because we have colors, hand signs, and calls.

First – hazing, it happens – move on. I don’t mean to sound harsh, but hazing & pledging (yes, there is a difference) are two concepts that are just simply understood – if that’s not something you are down for, it’s quite simple – don’t sign up to join. Second – like any organization/corporation/group of course we are going to have some cultural aspects. Does that make us a gang? Did you have to rob a bank to be greek? Did the big brothers/sisters make you commit some crime against their rival in order to be welcomed as one of them? Unless you belong to Dope Phi Dope (POOOLICE! OOOOOH SH*T! #lilduval, #gorillathrilla), your answer to all of those questions should have been "no."

Black greek organizations, like many black organizations/institutes were started because our founders were initially turned away from white organizations/institutes and they sought to better the conditions of people who had been wholly undermined and underrated by society. If it were not for the Prince Hall Masons/OES, there would be no black greek-lettered organizations (*both of which are based on Christian principles & the bible). If it were not for the black greek-lettered organizations there would be no individuals like: Dr. Dorothy Irene Height, Thurgood Marshall, Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr., Dr. Benjamin E. Mayes, John Lewis, Dr. Mae Jemison and countless others. So before you seek to reach conclusions about who we are – know some facts/history.

It has been said that people fear what they don’t understand; hate what they can’t conquer. While I personally don’t care if you like greek-lettered organizations or not, I would at least hope that instead of spreading foolish stories he would offer some type of intellectual grounds for his arguments. (Sidenote: I refuse to believe that a bunch of greeks approached him in Wal-Mart and threatened him. He can tie that lie up in a bow and sell it to the Office of Greek Life, but I’m not buying it.)

That’s just my 12 cents.

Signed,
A PROUD (and financial/active) MEMBER of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

First Week of Lent

2010-02-25T16:52:00.000-05:00

A Personal Reflection

I haven't posted anything lately, but today's post is going to be really short and straight to the point. During this Lent season I identified some of my own weaknesses that I want to face and today I read something that really jolted me so to speak and I wanted to share it with you all.

Our number one purpose in life should be to please God; everything else is secondary. One way we can please God is by using all of the abilities that he has equipped us with. God is not only pleased when do things like read the bible, go to church, or tithe - but he also gets pleasure from every other detail of our lives (except sin of course). Isaiah 45:9 (CEV) says - Israel, you have no right to argue with your Creator. You are merely a clay pot shaped by a potter.The clay doesn't ask,"Why did you make me this way? Where are the handles?" You will never bring pleasure God pretending to be who you are not or by hiding your true abilities. When we reject any part of ourselves, we are saying that we do not trust God or accept his wisdom. How many of you have been asked: "if you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?" ... I know I have, plenty of times. While the question may seem innocent, we challenge the authority and sovereignty of God when say things like "I wish I could be more like xyz" or something of that nature. So friends, let's accept ourselves and each other for who we are and start living for the pleasure of God.

:)

He Loved Who?

2010-02-19T14:54:00.000-05:00

From Pastor Marquis Boone

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Discover the most precious loving act ever done. God sent His Son to die for you! I know some would say "for who"? Have you ever had a conversation with someone you haven't seen in a long time and the two of you begin to talk and you tell them "you know such and such fell in love with such and such and they got married". The first thing most of the time when the person is in shock is "with who"!!!

The word love is such a loosely used word today that many have really elapsed the accurate meaning of such a powerful four letter word. Some declare it's what you do and others utter its how you act. Whatever you think love is you will never find a love like God's love. God so loved the world that he choose us to give his only begotten Son to. To be chosen is to be one who is the object of choice or of divine favor, an elect person, selected, and preferred for a certain and divine purpose.
An object is something that when viewed stirs a particular emotion, something toward which thought, feeling, or action is directed; it's a cause for attention or concern. When God looks at us it stirs His emotion of Love and compassion. That's why he forgives us and He directs His blessing down upon us.

Why? Because we are the cause for His attention and concern. God's Love is not like man's love; we didn’t have to do anything to earn it. He doesn't take it away from us when we mess up. He's not waiting on us to love Him before He loves us, and His love is unconditional. If you didn't know it already it might shock you but "For God so loved (say your name) that he gave his only begotten Son."

The Father desires to share His love with His people in good times, in bad times, during hard times, within a recession or not. Max Lucado once said: "If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, he'll listen."

That's just how much love God has for you.

No matter what state this devotion finds you in weather happy or sad dwell on God's love it's everywhere. Look at the flowers outside they represents His love, the moon at night and the sun during the day represents His love. The next breath you take represents God's love. Don't walk around saying he couldn't love me after what I did last night but remember He loves you.

Loving God, Loving Others

2010-02-18T15:12:00.000-05:00

From Brenda Gittens

We live in a world today where love, the unselfish loyal concern for others, is not discussed, described, nor displayed enough. But there is discussion, description, and a full display of the opposite of it.

There's war, violence, hate, prejudice and much more we see and hear of everyday. And in the body of Christ, it's not in full operation or production either. There's jealousy, envy, strife, selfishness and much more when we walk in and out of those doors of the "four walls."

We the church are the light of the world, so the love that flows from God into us, should flow out of us, and be more evident and reflective among us. "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (John 13:35).

How can we say that we love God without having the love of the Lord for our sisters and brothers? It can't happen any other way. When we love others, it's also a sign of worship to the Lord. As our love for the Lord continues to develop and grow inside of our hearts, minds, spirits, and souls, we can't help but love one another.

As a Worship Leader, after leading God's people into His presence, I would often remind the people of God, "Now with that same love that you have, turn and show someone else that you love them." Jesus, the True Vine tells us, "I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you." (John 15:12).

1 Corinthians Chapter 13 is what we call the love chapter. It tells us that we can have every gift and tremendous talent there is, but if we don't have love one for another, they wouldn't mean a thing to God, because he calls His people to love each other.

The gift of speaking in tongues would sound like brass used for making a loud sound or like clashing cymbals, just a bunch of noise! We can have the gift of prophecy and know everything about everything and the gift of faith where we could speak to a mountain and tell it, "Get out of my way!" but we have no love, we wouldn't be of any good or help to anybody. We would be absolutely nothing.

This chapter of the word of God is one that we can read over and over and over and then apply it to our lives over and over and over...the greatest of all is love. To love others also means to forgive others. If you love someone, you should be able to forgive them also. That's the kind of love that God has for us. When we say we love God and others, we're also saying that we need one another too.

There's a song that we sing often in our church entitled, "I Need You To Survive." Let this song become a part of you today.

Chasing After You!

2010-02-17T13:07:00.000-05:00

Day One (Ash Wednesday) - Lent 2010

Some of my friends on Twitter were a little confused when they saw people with crosses marked on their foreheads. Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent! The name "Ash Wednesday" comes from the practice of placing ashes from the burned Palm Crosses from last year’s Palm Sunday on the foreheads of individuals as a sign of repentance. There are two bible verses that are relevant to Ash Wednesday:

Genesis 3:19 (NIV) – "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

Mark 1:15 (NIV) – "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

Having said that – the time has come, the season of Lent has begun! In Joel 2:12-14, God says "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments..." and the scripture goes on to say "who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing..."

The season of Lent is not about self. It is all about God. The ulterior motive for your personal sacrifice should not start with you. "If I give up this – God will bless me with that"...while receiving the extras in life are great, I can say with conviction if God doesn’t do anything else for me, I will still praise His name! Look at Job – he had everything: a house, land, lots of livestock, and a family. Satan thought that if Job didn’t have any of those things he would turn from God. What a fool was he! When Satan destroyed the land, took the livestock, and killed the family – Job still in the midst of all of it fell to his knees, praised & worshipped God: "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."

Lent is our time to face ourselves in the wilderness and seek God, deepen our commitment to Him, and solidify our way of life as believers of the Word. God calls to us: "Come back to me, with all of your heart." Regardless of whatever wrongs you have done in life – it doesn’t matter! All we have to do is show up and accept God’s calling.

During this Lenten season, I am focusing on several things:
- my purpose in life, why am I here?
- allowing God to deal with insecurities; getting rid of baggage that is keeping from receiving and being all that God has called me to be
- recognizing and discerning what is and is not beneficial for me – including cutting some people from my life and letting go of anything that is not of God

I'm not "giving up" something because that sounds too much like a punishment and that's not what it's about – I am fasting (Monday-Saturday) and abstaining on Sundays (no meat). Isaiah 58 lays out what God defines as True Fasting and it also reminds us that during this time Jesus is inviting us to a change of heart. Fasting is a tool – for a lack of a better word – that we can use whenever we want to sincerely seek and ask God for something (whatever that might be). But do understand it is not the actual act of fasting that is the focus – by fasting we are clarifying our thinking and our feelings; it purifies us and allows us to pray more deeply.

Lent is also not just about "giving up" something – you can also do things: volunteer with a charity, give more money in your offering to the church, add or increase your prayer/reflection time with God, etc. Again the overall focus is to grow and strengthen your relationship with God.

I am sharing my journey on my blog because I believe that a journey is always better when it is shared. So if you have something to share, by all means post it below or shoot me an e-mail (tamiapowell12@yahoo.com) – true believers do not walk alone.

Before I end this blog, I leave you with seven Psalms that will help you through this Lenten season:
Psalm 6 (A Prayer in Times of Trouble)
Psalm 32 (The Joy of Forgiveness)
Psalm 38 (A Prayer in Times of Trouble)
Psalm 51 (A Prayer for Forgiveness)
Psalm 102 (A Prayer in Times of Trouble)
Psalm 130 (Trusting the Lord in Times of Trouble)
Psalm 143 (A Prayer in Time of Danger)

If you are interested in starting a bible reading plan: www.youversion.com is a GREAT website! They have several bible reading plans that you can choose from - all you have to do is create an account and it will keep track of your progress. You also can keep a journal on the site and post contributions with other members on the site about the bible verses you have read.

I will keep you all in my prayers & may God continue to bless you!

:)

P.S. - This song exemplifies exactly what Lent should be about (one of my favorite Praise songs!)

Love Me Better Than I Love Myself

2010-02-13T11:21:00.000-05:00

From Bishop Vashti McKenzie
"But as for me, I trust in you." Psalm 55:23
David is entangled in the affairs of his administration. He is caught in the crosshairs of opinions and critics in Psalm 55. He is in the midst of a series of crises and his confidence has him caught in between flight and fight. One day he wants to run away from the problem, but the next day he wants to fight what's going on. He declares that if he had wings like a dove, he would fly away and be at rest.

The brother is having a rough time. David lifts his voice in prayer because his enemies oppress him. The palace is in an uproar. There is trouble in the land. David was also hopping mad because he discovered a friend among his enemies. A former trusted friend blurred the lines of relationship, clothed himself in sheep's clothing, and went undercover disguised as a friend. When the cover was blown, David was served with a burn notice.

Nothing hurts more than when a friend stabs you in the back - someone you trusted, shared secrets with, disclosed things you'd never tell anyone, as well as shared and kept confidences. This friend now stands on the other side of the friendship fence among those who mean you no good.

David was ready to fight. He's angry about the betrayal, and believes the betrayers deserve the death penalty. "Let death seize upon them and them go down quick into hell" (Psalm 55:15). Now you know what was really saying to them, "Y'all go to__________."

Is it just the evil in them? Were they evil or just being used by evil? In the end, it is not the fight, the betrayal; it is not the crises of confidence, wanting to run away; it is his final confession of faith and confidence that speaks to us about God's resolution of the matter.

God answers David's prayer by responding to David's enemies with judgment. When they refused to change, it meant that what they were doing was more important to them than the Lord. This refusal was rejection of God's way of life and rejecting God's plan for life.

The refusal of the divine call to a new creation is aborting the pregnancy that was designed to birth in you, a new power, peace and progress. It is saying "No" to what can help you, and "Yes" to can keep you in a rut.

The key to change is found in the last verse of this Psalm for David as well as you and me "but as for me, I trust in you." (Psalm 55:23) Trust the Lord who loves you too much to leave you the way you are. As good, great, marvelous, exciting, smart, cute, stupendous, brilliant and bright you are - all of us can stand to do better. I do better. You do better. All God's children do better. God could have left David on a hillside keeping his daddy's sheep, but he had something better. God could have left him as a singer of psalms and a composer of hymns, but God had something better. God could have contented David with being a musician and expert on animal husbandry, but God had something better.

God loved David so much that God wanted to develop David's full potential. In order to do that, he had to put David into positions where he was challenged to many choices and decisions. Sometimes he chose right and sometimes he chose wrong, but it was in the choosing that he grew beyond his present capacity. The Lord took him from the pastures and elevated him to the palace; took him from last place to the victory podium; from being the runt or baby of the family to the king of all Israel; from humble beginnings to a noble ending.

He trusted a God who loved him and could see in him what he hadn't seen in himself, a God who loved him too much to let him settle for less. So must we: James and John knew how to fish for fish, but they had to change something to be successful at becoming fishers of men; Zaccheus had to change his cheating ways to be a successful community servant; Mark had to change his tax collecting ways; the woman at the well changed her sleeping arrangements; and Saul had to transition into Paul.

Trust God who loves you too much to leave you the way you are!

Lent 2010

2010-02-12T23:15:00.000-05:00

February 17, 2010 (Ash Wednesday) – April 3, 2010 (Saturday before Easter Sunday)

Every since I've expressed my commitment to observe Lent this year – I have had various conversations and I've gotten a lot of questions about what exactly Lent is. For many people, including myself, Lent is a season of repentance, soul-searching, and reflection (peep Isaiah 58:6). But please don't misunderstand me – Lent is NOT about self-improvement, it is about improving your relationship with God. Many do a combination of giving up something and taking on a spiritual practice that they didn't do before. The important thing is to eliminate or take on a practice with dedication to God in mind. It should feel like a sacrifice, not a punishment.

Generally, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (the seventh Wednesday before Easter). The last day before Lent (i.e. Mardi Gras or Carnival) symbolizes that last day before we enter into the solemnity of Lent. *Interesting fact, the word "carnival" comes from the latin term "farewell to meat" – many people who fast, give up meat through the duration of Lent*

Before Jesus performed miracles, healed the sick, and raised the dead – He spent 40 days & 40 nights in the wilderness. Why? First, to be tempted; second, to meet with the Father; and third to prepare for power. We are at that time of year when we too are invited to test our inner selves and question the notion: "I can take it or I can leave it" – in other words now is the time to face and deal with those habits that make you hard to live with. Lent is about regaining self-control, especially in areas of your life that damaging not only you and others, but more importantly your relationship with God.

For those of you who are observing Lent & the Holy Week (Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday) – I know that it is not the easiest of times; however, I do believe that because our ultimate goal is to draw nearer to God, we must keep each other in prayer and minister to one another. So during the course of Lent I will be posting messages on my blog and hopefully they will be encouraging to you. Having said that, I end with a message from Rev. Ken Collin’s called "Honest to God":

We avoid Lent and Holy Week because it isn't a happy and uplifting time—but to be honest, neither is most of life. Sometimes we come to church all scrubbed up, dressed nicely, with smiles on our faces, and when people ask how we are, we reply that everything is fine and we even boast how wonderful things are—but it is all a lie.

Life is not always uplifting, or wonderful, or pleasant, or joyous—but we have been taught the lie that for spiritual people like us, it must be so. So we become play actors, hypocrites—telling ourselves that by lying, we are having faith, and that if we lie enough, the bad things will fade away, like a dream upon awakening.

But in this we miss the whole point of the incarnation! God became flesh in Jesus Christ. Jesus faced temptation, He suffered hunger and thirst, He suffered the agony of crucifixion. Jesus our God did not face these things so that we would be exempt from them, He faced these things so that we would have dignity in them.

We think ourselves so modern and enlightened when we read of lepers walking through crowds, crying out "Unclean, unclean!" so that others could avoid touching them and thus protect themselves from ritual impurity. We tell ourselves we would do no such thing, but we do the same thing! When a person in our society becomes sad, or depressed, or out of sorts—our modern form of social leprosy—they cry out, "I want to be alone, I want to be alone." In truth, they want company, but they tell people to go away to avoid rejection and to make it easier to restore relationships when they are feeling chipper again. We laugh when we remember the days when people dressed to the nines for church and stayed home when their attire wasn't fancy enough, but we stupidly do the same thing with our emotions. We stay away when our emotions aren’t presentable.

Yet when Jesus came in the flesh and dwelt among us, and suffered hunger and thirst and heat and cold and betrayal and loneliness, and finally also pain and agony and death upon the cross, He gave dignity to His little ones who suffer. He gave dignity to us! Everyone avoids a sad person, except Jesus Himself who is much acquainted with sorrow. Jesus was the only person who gave the demoniac of the Gadarenes his dignity, the only one who could exorcise him. Jesus faced the man who lived in a cemetery, naked and screaming all day and night and calmed his spirit and healed his soul. How can you think that this same Jesus would be repelled by your pessimism or your cynicism or your sadness or your grief? How could a man who seeks the company of demoniacs be repelled by you?

The people of this world believe in the power of positive thinking and in happiness, and in believing these things, they are very shrewd. For people of this world have only the present moment, and if they are unhappy in it, they have lost something. But we who are Christians can endure unhappiness and sadness and loneliness and backstabbing and betrayal and friendlessness and poverty and hunger and thirst; we can face mourning and grief and even death, because Jesus faced all those things. As Christians, we know that Jesus’ suffering was His way to glory, and his Crucifixion was the door to His Resurrection. We know that He ascended on high and sits, alive and well, at the right hand of His Father, where He rules over all things. We can face our own crucifixions in life, because we know that we will share in His Resurrection on the Last Day!

On Palm Sunday, there were crowds who cheered Jesus as the King, but where were all those fair-weather friends when Jesus prayed in agony on Gethsemane, and where were they when He hung upon the cross?

Therefore, let us show that we as Christians are not just Jesus’ groupies, we are His friends. Let us be bold to join Him, fasting in the wilderness for forty days during Lent; let us be bold to pray with Him in the garden on Maundy Thursday, let us fearlessly stand at the foot of His cross on Good Friday, so that we may witness His Resurrection and His Ascension, and join in His triumphant reign. And on that Last Day, when Jesus brushes away the groupies, let us be among His true friends, whom He welcomes into His glory.

:)

No Pain, No Gain

2010-02-04T20:16:00.000-05:00

Ya'll remember this song?:

My last blog focused on understanding that God has a plan for all of us but here's the part that many of fail to understand - in order to get something, we have to go through something. We've all heard the story from the bible when Jesus and the disciples were out at sea and a storm was rocking the boat and Jesus stood up and said "Peace, Be Still." The second time the disciples were caught in a storm and Jesus was on land, the disciples found themselves in what seemed to be an impossible situation. And without saying on word, Jesus walked on the water and calmed the seas.

Sometimes in life we find ourselves rowing against the currents of our own personal storms. And it seems like no matter how hard we try to press on the storm continues to keep us from going forward. And just when we felt like giving up and throwing in the towel - God stepped in. We are always going to have some struggles in life and each one is going to be more challenging than the previous one. The lessons that you were taught in your previous storm are to help prepare you to face the next one. That's why I don't understand why people get so stressed out about their circumstances - if God brought you through the last tribulation - He will bring you through this one. 1 Peter 5:10 says: "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

God's motivation for surfacing the destructive parts of us is so we will face them and cooperate as He uproots and heals them. In the meantime we have to be obedient. Obedience to God in a difficult situation will ultimately bear fruit, even though it might immediately cause hardship. Going through those hardships require patience - patience to wait which does not come from suffering long for what we lack but from sitting long in what we have.

The message: No Pain, No Gain

I Give Myself Away

2010-02-03T19:42:00.000-05:00

Today I was at work and my manager started an interesting conversation about Beyonce at the Grammy's. Ironically it was the same conversation that I had on Twitter with some of my Tweeps (Miabonics) but she was discussing how Beyonce has come so far but she was disappointed when she didn't acknowledge God in her acceptance speech. Now that may seem like a small/miniscule thing to some people - but for those of who watched Beyonce from Destiny's Child back in 1998 (yes it's been that long)she always thanked God for her success. Now I don't know if it has anything to do with Jay-Z (I know a lot of you are about to start rambling about the Illuminati, lol) but who knows.

The reason I bring this up is because I've seen so many people who have let their success go to their head and that stubborn pride that comes with it becomes their downfall. What many people don't realize is that everything that we see on this earth is only temporary - all of the material things of this world that people tend to covet, pale in comparison to what God has in store for us later. Let's have church for a minute (yes, I'm about to get a little deep so bear with me)...

One of my favorite bible verses comes from Jeremiah 29:11 and it says: "For I know the plans I have for you, 'declares the LORD,' plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." My personal conviction is that when God supplies us with different things in life He is testing us. I also believe when you are blessed with certain things you do have a choice in how you decide to utilize those things. However, if you should decide that, well, maybe you don't want to do it God's way, I can promise you this - there is no high, like the MOST high. What I mean is this: if you read that bible verse from Jeremiah, God says that he has plans for us - but you have to understand that many of us are doing some stuff, involved in some stuff, harboring some stuff that is keeping us from receiving ALL of the things that God wants to give us.

My "lifestyle change" (because I hate the term/concept of New Year's Resolution) is to work on getting rid of all of those things that are blocking me and keeping me from fulfilling the purpose that God has for me.

What does this have to do with Beyonce? Well one of the things that stand in the way of many people being all that God has called them to be, including individuals who have experienced some success, is this little called pride. In the book of 2 Chronicles (chapter 26 to be exact) there is a story about a King named Uzziah. In the beginning he sought God for everything and through it all God provided for him and gave him success. But then King Uzziah became too powerful and he let the fame go to his head and the story goes that he was afflicted with leprosy. I've seen a lot of African-American entertainers, businessmen/women, etc. who have been blessed with so much and yet at the height of their careers they don't even utter a single "thank you." I don't know about you, but even though my success may not seem as "great" as some one like Beyonce - I do know that I didn't get it by myself and it was ONLY God that got me to where I am today (*interject with your own praise break*).

I could go on and on but my message for tonight's blog is simply this - the chains of life begin to break when we are willing to believe we are who God says we are and when we learn to be victorious in the face of challenges by surrendering our lives to God, not by gritting our teeth and trying harder. So friends I dare you to give yourself away to Him.

Homemade Hair Recipes

2010-02-02T23:27:00.000-05:00

So I've been on this natural kick - well more so really reading the labels of hair products. And some of the stuff that we put in our heads is just down right grotesque (same thing can be applied to foods - but I'm a fat kid so I won't go there - lol!). But anyway, here is a list of some of the things I make and use for my hair. There's no way I can tell you if it works; they work for me - it might not work for you. Just experiment! Let me know how it works out ...

Egg & Honey
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of plain yogurt
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon of almond oil

mix ingredients and apply to hair. let it sit for 30 minutes (i would recommend using a plastic cap, not a heating cap)

got dry hair? don't waste your money on hot oil treatments that you can make yourself!
Olive Oil Treatment
1/4 to 1/2 cup of Olive Oil (depending on the length of your hair)
plastic cap or plastic grocery bag (it's country/hood, but it works!)

warm the oil in the microwave (be careful not to make it too hot). i recommend putting it in a spray bottle and spritzing it on the hair but you can use your fingers if you like. once you have applied the oil put on your cap or plastic bag. i'm not a big fan of a heating cap - but if it works for you, then by all means use. let the oil sit in your hair for at least 30 minutes but no longer than an hour.

some people do the hot oil treatment after they shampoo their hair, and some people do it before. if you choose to do it before: before you rinse the oil out, apply the shampoo directly to your hair and slowly add water as you lather. if you choose to use the oil after you've already shampoo make sure you completely rinse all of the oil out.

Hair Clarifier
2 cups of warm water
1/2 cup of lemon juice

mix and pour over head. let it sit for 10 minutes. rinse and then condition/style as usual. this recipe is good if you are trying to "refresh" your hair - however if you have used heavy products/oil - shampoo your hair instead.

Mayo Conditioner - i know what you're thinking, "that stinks" but ... trust me follow these steps:

after you've shampoo'd and rinsed, apply 1/2 cup of mayo to your hair. let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. rinse and shampoo lightly and rinse with an apple cider vinegar and water solution (1 oz of apple cider vinegar and 1 quart of water) OR you can add a half peeled and mashed avocado to the mayo - mix it with your hands until it's a consistent green color and smooth onto your hair and follow the same steps as mentioned.

Tropical Conditioner
1 peeled and mashed avocado
1 cup of coconut milk

combine mashed avocado with coconut milk in a small bowl. Heat in microwave for 30-45 seconds. stir and massage mixture into hair. cover hair with plastic cap for 15 minutes. shampoo & rinse out.

formspring.me

2010-01-13T22:20:00.001-05:00

Ask me anything >>> http://formspring.me/miabonics

I Blog On Tumblr, too.

2009-10-19T16:47:00.000-04:00

I found another really cool blog site > tumblr.
Don't worry, I won't neglect this blog; however tumblr let's me audio record blogs (which I think is pretty cool). So check it out! >> MiaBonics Tumblr Page

P.S. - I'm going to start posting audio blogs about relevant topics as well and as soon as funds permit it, I'll transfer on over to Skype and U-Stream (although I don't think the world is ready for my style of talk shows, lol).

Ciao!

Exposing Oprah - Don't Drink The Kool-Aid

2009-10-02T02:25:00.001-04:00

So today was participating in a U-Stream discussion with some friends and somebody mentioned Oprah. I haven't been a huge fan of Oprah and I was shocked to see how many people were uninformed about Oprah.

A couple of years ago on her show, Oprah had a panel of people talking about religion and she said, "there was more than one way to Heaven" … in other words Jesus is not the only way. Out of all those people in the audience, only one woman stood up to Oprah and told her that there is ONLY ONE way and that is through Jesus – and Oprah backs out of the discussion.

Oprah is now a part of this movement called "A New Earth/Age" with a guy named Eckhart Tolle that says that Jesus did not come here to die for us and that there is no such thing as sin; therefore, we do not need a savior. In 2008 Oprah began teaching a year-long course on her XM station called "A Course in Miracles." Not only that but there are also current "New Age" web courses in which individuals can sign up to learn about the teachings in Tolle's book "A New Earth: Awakening Your Life's Purpose." They have approximately 25+ million followers and they attend mass trances (instead of church service) in which they meditate with one another.

A friend of mines said it quite plainly – Oprah is leading souls to hell. Oprah and her follies are pushing this message that God is whoever we want Him to be and that is not true – the reality is that God does exist but we have continued to push Him away. Oprah is literally deceiving millions of people. Have you been deceived?

If there was another way to God, then why did Jesus have to die on the cross? The Bible clearly says that we fall short of God’s glory and we continue to break God’s law and because of that there was a price to be paid. Jesus was wounded for OUR transgressions, bruised for OUR iniquities … He paid the cost for OUR sins. The reality is that there is no other way, and that the only way to God is through Jesus. I'm no holy roller, but Jesus CLEARLY said in Matthew 24:10-11: "At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people." I'm sorry but I'm not going to sugarcoat this – anybody who claims to be a Christian and speaks any other gospel that is not of God … they are speaking the gospel of the enemy. I don't care if Oprah is your favorite talk show host, I don't care about all the good things she has done – she is connected to these godless people who have put a stronghold on her mind. I know people make jokes about Oprah selling out to the White audience, but I see it on a deeper level – she has sold her soul for a few dollars more to spread this message.

All I can say is that I am thankful that I had grandparents and parents who kept me in the church and raised me to know that God is REAL and the Bible is REAL. If you don't know the Word, if you don't know Jesus…YOU WILL BE FOOLED. These New Age folks are bringing in new ministers and leaders and if you don't have the spirit of discernment and you can't look at them and see that they are telling you something wrong because you don't know what the Bible says for yourself you are going to be fooled. I know I'm probably rambling right now but I just had to get this off my chest and share this conversation with ya'll. Here is a clip that exposes Oprah's church: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4LLwkgmqA

September 11

2009-09-11T13:03:00.000-04:00

Like everyone else, I can remember exactly what I was doing on that fateful day. Like everyone else my first initial reactions was shock and my thoughts were clouded by fear. But once I regained my sense of intelligence, the attacks and the government's response left me with more questions than answers. I urge people to stop mourning and simply remembering the dead. Seek justice. Seek answers. Even today as some of the classified documents from the Bush Administration are now being declassified -- one has to pause and see that the events of September 11th, as Rev. J. Wright said, as the chickens coming home to roost. It's just a damn shame that 3,000 innocent people had to lose their lives in the line of fire.

For years our government has found it necessary to create a situation in which war would result in order to take control of a said country and its resources. We have also deemed it necessary to go into countries where the elections were otherwise fair (i.e. Nicaragua's general elections 1984) and fund insurgency groups to stage a coup d'état (look up the story of Patrice Lumumba - first legally elected Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo).

We send men and women overseas to fight a war against terrorism but American, particular African-Americans and Native Americans have suffered terrorism at the hands of various groups and government policies for decades.

History 101:
- Andrew Jackson expelled Native Americans from their lands with the Indian Removal Act of 1830
- Ku Klux Klan (born out of the members of the defeated Confederate army), unchallenged, terrorized the African-American community from the start of the Reconstruction period well into the 21st century
- Charles Whitman, a former Marine, decides to do some target practice at the University of Texas
- The FBI/J. Edgar Hoover sponsor a little something called COINTELPRO to infiltrate and destroy numerous people who threaten and challenged the government in regards to its treatment of people of color
- Motivated by Waco & Ruby Ridge - Timothy McVeigh destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building (I'm not saying his actions were lamentable or justifiable, in a way I understand his need to seek vengeance -- but not at the cost of other people's lives)

This list could go on and on but my point is simple - terrorist attacks on our country have been perpetrated for years by American citizens, not some foreign cell or group of religious maniacs.

I know some of my friends who will argue with me tooth & nail about 9/11 begin a terrorist attack but won't admit that what happen in New Orleans in August 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was terrorism American-style.

I could type for days & days - but this type of conversation is better with a group of people. So feel free to hit me up.

As I do every September 11th, I leave you all with a link to read a poem by Emanuel Ortiz entitled "A Moment of Silence" >> http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/Peace/silence.html

Tamia's Yummy Almond Vanilla Granolas!

2009-08-26T00:59:00.000-04:00

So I was bored and hungry. Bad combination. I had told myself that I was going to cut back on junk foods so what's a girl to do?! Then -- *idea* -- I decided to make granola bars. It's so easy, a caveman could do it. Just gather your ingredients...

follow these steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. You have two options > you can buy the oats already toasted, spread them in a baking dish and heat them in the oven

> or can you toast your own - mix 2 cups of oats, 3/4 cup wheat germ, 3/4 sunflower seeds, 1 cup peanuts (crushed) oast them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that they don’t get burned

3. Meanwhile, prepare a seperate baking dish (about 11 x 13 inches) for your granola by lining it with waxed paper lightly sprayed with a nonstick spray. Set aside.

4. Put 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup honey, 4 tablespoons of butter, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, and 2 pinches of salt into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.

*before*

*after*

5. Take your toasted grains/oats out the oven, mix everything together in a large bowl (the grains, the liquid “glue,” and if you desire dried fruit -- about 8oz). Oh, and turn off your oven, because you’re finished with it now.

6.After you've mixed it well, dump your granola mixture into your prepared baking dish.

7.Spread out the mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula. Now fold over the sides of the waxed paper or add a sheet on top, and PRESS HARD all over the granola. Basically what you want to do is compact it together so that your bars won’t fall apart when you cut them.

8. Let sit for 2-3hrs until completely cooled.

9. *3hrs later* Unwrap your granola, put it on a cookie sheet and cut however you like!

Of course, you can mix up the recipe. I plan to add flax seeds and more honey next time to make them stickier -- but you can make your granola however you want -- nutless, fruitless, crunchy, sticky, etc. Ooooh the possibilities! lol.

Let me know if you decide to make some -- tell me how they come out! :-)

Police Accountability & Trust: Changing the Perception of Police in African-American Communities

2009-08-17T13:54:00.000-04:00

That justice is a blind goddess
Is a thing to which we black are wise
Her bandages hides two festering sores
That once perhaps were eyes

Langston Hughes, Justice, 1923

Today's blog focuses on a discussion not new to public administrators or the criminal justice system – police accountability. Even after the civil rights movement there have been a number of incidents that have lead people to question whether the police are really there to serve and protect. I have continuously stressed that once police departments begin to hold their own accountable, especially in cases of criminal liability, trust can be restored and better community relations can be fostered.

I'm not sure if any of you are familiar with the shooting of Oscar Grant III, but this is the story: According to NBC’s news affiliate in Oakland, on New Year’s day Bay Area Transit police responded to a call regarding a brief melee. Oakland resident Oscar Grant III was pointed out as one of the individuals involved in the incident and was handcuffed by the officers while they sorted out the situation. From this point on there are different accounts of what happened (from Officer Mehserle version of events and the eyewitnesses on the train) but one thing is clear – while Grant was lying faced down, Officer Johannes Mehserle shot him in the back. After the incident Alameda County (Oakland) Deputy District Attorney John Creighton announced that the state would be charging Mehserle with first degree murder along with several other felony charges and if found guilty he would spend the rest of his natural life in prison. For some this case demonstrates that everyone, even those charged with upholding the law will have to take responsibility for their actions when they break the law; however, having seen the verdict in the Sean Bell case, many African-Americans are not so quick to proclaim that justice will be served.

In the African-American community there has also been an air of social cynicism - the great divide between Blacks and the police can be traced back to the Reconstruction period and since that time African-Americans have faced bias and prejudice treatment from public officials in various capacities. The current interest in police accountability as it relates to the African-American community was initiating addressed on a smaller scale during the civil rights movement. The late 1960s gave rise to the black power movement which sought to "challenge the traditional relationship between public bureaucracy and its citizen-clients." During this time period, specifically in the summer of 1967 a number of riots broke out across the country. It was then that a report was released in 1968 - Report of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, more commonly called the Kerner Commission Report. In this report it was concluded that the continuation of segregate policies and poverty, which was created by "white society," created a destructive and tense "black society" – the riots was just an explosion of a pressure cooker whose lid had been kept on too long. They also listed three major grievances: (1) police practice (first level of intensity), (2) ineffectiveness of the political structure and grievance mechanism, and (3) discriminatory administration of justice.

In order for police to utilize their discretion to do their job efficiently and effectively there has to be cooperation from the public, in turn, the public has to feel like the police are a legitimate part of their community that they can trust – accountability measures that work can satisfy both sides of this equation. While most police departments have internal affairs acting as the keeper of justice many feel like this creates a situation where the fox is guarding the hen house. And that is simply not going to work because "for discipline to be meaningful, it must be real."

As a public administrator, regardless of the capacity, whether it’s a city manager or emergency dispatcher, the success of our work depends heavily on the trust bestowed on us from the public. In the African-American community, that trust has been eroded because there is a sense that police officers are not held accountable for their actions – especially when the officer’s misconduct is committed against them. The need for accountability is not unique to law enforcement nor is it a new area of study. However, in terms of perceptions that African-Americans have about the social institutions in this country – the lack of redress and justice carried, in regards to their complaints of police misconduct, puts a damper on the police ability to do their jobs because of the feeling that they cannot be trusted. Once law enforcement agencies begin to hold their employees accountable for their actions, the police department can be seen as legitimate, trust can be restored, and a positive relationship with the community can be fostered. What I believe criminal justice administrators and law enforcement employees will find is that when the citizens that you serve are confident in what you do the less you have to worry about grievances and civil disorders – show the community that you take them seriously and that you value their feedback.

do you KNOW your history?

2009-08-13T14:07:00.000-04:00

Lords of the Revolution...

2009-08-13T01:43:00.001-04:00

First - special shout owt to my LS K-Slim who put me on to this showing cause I had not heard about it, and I'm usually up on stuff like this -- I'm slipping, lol. :-)

Today I watched a documentary on VH1 called "Lords of the Revolution" which talked about the Black Panther Party and the Black Power Movement. I was already familiar with the history of the party and the movement because I wrote an extensive research paper about it when I was in the 10th grade and in the 11th grade.

*Sidebar -- it was through this research project that I learned about COINTELPRO and it is the basis of why I will NEVER work for the FBI (as a lot of people have been suggesting me to apply since they are hiring); paycheck or not, there are just some things I am unwilling to sell my soul for -- but I digress...*

Studying the Black Panther Party and the Black Power Movement is probably what inspired me more than anything to be the type of person I am when it comes to race relations, politics, and social equality. Even with President Obama in office, I feel like we still need that fire, that energy that people like Huey Newton, Bobby Seale, Eldridge & Kathleen Cleaver, Fred Hampton, Angela Davis, Assata Shakur, Mumia Abu-Jamal, and countless other revolutionaries had. You have to understand that there are still people in America who never wanted to see us out of slavery and now that we are through with that phase, there are some people who will do whatever they have to, to keep us under their will and whim -- even if that means killing some of us. If you look at the "downfall" of the Black Panther Party it was orchestrated by the FBI under the rule of the homo-fascist J. Edgar Hoover -- everything from the "beef" between the Black Panther Party & the US Organization to Huey's drug use and Eldridge's alignment with the right-wing -- it was all fueled by the aggressive, racist, and unconstitutional tactics of our federal government. And you wonder why folks say "off the pigs!" or "f-- the police!" ?

This past semester in my Administration of Justice course at GSU, my final project was focused on Police Accountability and Trust -- the gist of my argument was that until law enforcement -- be it local, state, regional, federal -- take responsibility and hold their officers accountable, the African-American community will NOT trust them. If we cannot trust you, then you are going to have a hell of a hard job trying to do your job because no one is going to cooperate with you. When we hear stories about African-Americans being harassed or brutally attacked by the cops, most of us get our hopes up thinking that there is going to be some great knight that will ride in and save the day. But the reality is that most of these cops are handled by internal affairs and when it does make it to court - they are found not-guilty (remember the Sean Bell case?).

I bring all of this up because recently a rapper in Florida was sentenced to two-years for writing a "cop killer" song (http://www.bvblackspin.com/2009/08/10/rapper-cop-killing-song/?icid=main|htmlws-bv|dl3|link2|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bvblackspin.com%2F2009%2F08%2F10%2Frapper-cop-killing-song%2F). It baffles me because we have people making songs about killing people everyday and yet a man makes a song about an experience he had with two cops harassing him and he gets jail time? Slim Shady talked about killing is mom (and seeing that he was hooked on drugs, it's very possible that he would have done it) -- but he didn't go to jail. Not even concerning what the song is about but what happened to free speech.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Man ... what do ya'll think about all of this?

You think you know a guy...

2009-08-12T23:22:00.000-04:00

So I'm bored and I wanted to type another one. No you don't have to do one too. Please don't whine & gripe about me typing something that might be seemingly irrelevant to you, just shut up & read it. :-)

Anyway -- facts about moi:

1. I learned how to drive on the NASCAR race track of the DMV (I-495) so excuse me if I get road rage over people who don't know how to merge, drive in the correct lane (get out my left lane if you doing the speed limit), or people who do not use their blinker.

2. I have anger-management problems. It's more of a secret cause I've learned how to control it -- but when I do get mad...oh boy.

3. I'm overly organized and overly neat. Ask any of my friends, linesisters, roommates -- I clean ALL the time and everything has its place. Messy rooms do something to my nerves. I have all sorts of planners and journals filled up with "to-do" lists.

4. I have alcoholics on both sides of my family -- this probably explains my tolerance level.

5. I am not an outdoor/adventure type of person -- the wild, the woods, mountains, etc. etc. is NOT for me. The closest thing to outdoors activity that I have done was the Luray Caverns in VA. LeaderShape was a BIG adjustment for me because it was out in the woods ... in a cabin. Man that was the HARDEST week of my life.

6. I think the DC area has the best men on this side of the Mississippi. All of my past boyfriends were from some part of the DMV -- except one and he was from the Bronx. I don't attract southern men -- am I not docile enough? Just kidding.

7. I'm generally nice. Where people get this misconception that I'm mean baffles me. Maybe it's my facial expressions -- I'm usually mugging apparently.

8. I like to sleep. REALLY sleep. I'll wake up -- look around and go right back to sleep. So if you want me to do something with you -- it's in your best interest to ask me the day before so I can set my alarm otherwise I'm going to hibernate.

9. I love to read! I am currently reading two books (for pleasure) - "Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism" by James W. Loewen & "Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present" by Harriet A. Washington

10. I HATE reptiles. I'm struggling to understand why the hell would you want to own something that carries Salmonella. That's right -- in case you didn't know -- ALL reptiles carry Salmonella. It's nothing contagious to them but its lethal in humans. Besides reptiles are some god-ugly creatures. *shivers*

11. I love tattoos. I plan to be tatted up pretty soon! I'll probably get five more.

12. I love makeup - specifically eye shadows, eyeliners, mascara, lip stuff (gloss, glass, color). I'm starting to try out concealers and foundation ... it's not that bad, you just gotta match your complexion and apply lightly.

13. I don't see myself getting married because I'm much too bossy and stubborn -- but who knows.

14. I've been celibate since December 2006. It has been a self-examination journey. Do I struggle with it -- sure. But all and all it's worth it. Jill Scott wrote a poem called "Nothing is for Nothing" and in it she says:

"A prostitute/Selling my soul for emotionally gain/Struggling not to be the third generation of lonely women in my family/Struggling to gain/But gaining nothing but confusion, frustration, illusion, and emptiness/Cause there was no love/Just empty condom wrappers on the floors to discarded like me" ...

I think while some women claim they "love" sex -- they are just doing it because it happens to be what the men they are dealing with values about them. As for me, the "old" me is dead & gone ... the me that I am now is ...

"The me who must have love and give it/The me who brings more to the table than good look and a wet hole/The me that is confident and intelligent and filled to the brim with respect for me"

Damn ... I said I wasn't going to get deep on this one. Oh well...

15. I LOVE THE REDSKINS! Where the hell did all these fake Steeler fans come from? Oh yeah, the same place all the fake ass Giants fans came from. Go sit down somewhere.

15. I love ice cream but I'm lactose intolerant like a mfker! Lordy.

16. I love organic food/drinks.

17. I love men with dreads. Oh la la ...

18. I have an extra sensitive nose -- so if you're funky -- STAY BACK! I will hurt your feelings.

19. Martin was the best damn show on television for years. Next to The Wire (minus wack ass Season 2 about the Docks) of course

20. Jelly Belly Jelly Beans are a God-sent!

What Really Grinds My Gears...

2009-08-12T23:08:00.000-04:00

So me and my jump off ... I mean ... my friend Nika (lol!) decided instead of writing randoms or what we like why not tell people what is just God-awfully annoying, irritating, nerve racking, etc. etc. So without further ado, you know what really grinds my gears...

1. When people won't pop that zit on their forehead.

2. When people don't properly blend their makeup. Why is the green eyeshadow just sitting there with no type of relationship with the gold you applied below it ... get a blending brush people!

3. People who get on the bus in the morning and KNOW they did not take a shower or even bother to brush their teeth -- but have the indignation to be TALKING and moving all kinda ways -- shut up and keep still Funk Bot!

4. All these men folk who want a "Michelle Obama" but got the potential of Tyrone Biggums. Get it together.

5. Females who get the weave but won't get a perm. Boo -- you don't have naturally straight hair, so stop trying to blend in the Yaki Straight/Wavy No. 5 when you're nappy like me.

6. Men -- just because Pharell, Lil Wayne, or any other Pop artist rocks Skinny Jeans or "Manty-Hose" does NOT mean you get a pass to do so as well. Especially when you are well-endowed or plump -- just stop, for the sake of humanity -- JUST STOP!

7. People who walk up and down the street/pedestrian and talk EXTRA loud. Don't nobody care that Ray and em got in a fight or that you need a fill-in. Shut the hell UP.

8. People who create this whole new personality on Facebook, Myspace & Twitter. Gigabyte Gangstas, faux e-Celebrities, and Megapixel Thieves are not things you should wish to be remembered as.

9. People who can't be themselves period. The clothes, the money, the friends, the Letters should NOT make the person -- the person should MAKE them.

10. Grills. Pearly Whites are so much more visually pleasing.

11. Nightgown T-shirts -- "make ya mama proud and take that thing two sizes down"

12. Folk over 21+ who still say stuff like "Men ain't shit" or "These females ain't shit" -- grow the hell up.

13. Sentences that start off with "Don't tell nobody I told you" ... because following it, is generally some rumor and hearsay.

14. Holier than thou Christians -- you know them folks who will tell you everything that is wrong with your life but their own house is on fire.

15. Dudes that always talk about "stacks on deck" but stay at they mama's house and don't even have a job...

16. Folks who are constantly talking bout "SWAG"...swagg-tastic, swaggerific, etc. I mean, damn, y'all really know how to beat a dead horse.

17. Folks that call YOUR phone and the first thing outta their mouth is "who dis?"...ummm, you called ME, right?

18. People who constantly stare but say nothing. Get the nerve to say something.

A Video Dedicated To My Sorors

2009-07-20T13:21:00.000-04:00

Since I've started my internship in the sticks, 75% of the time - I am without internet or cable. So with a hell of a lot of time on my hands, I created this little photo-video blog. Enjoy!

An Attitude of Gratitude

2009-05-31T14:22:00.000-04:00

“I just thank God first for everything. Sometimes I pray when I really feel I need God to help me with something. God is my homeboy. Jesus is my homeboy.” – Queen Latifah

Most of us were raised, to say “thank you” when someone gave us something. Besides being good manners, it has a spiritual connotation. Gratitude can transform an overwhelming storm of disappointments, delays, interruptions, losses, and conflicts into a calm sky of possibility and serenity. Gratitude can make all things right. Gratitude is a key of wisdom into the mysteries of the past, a beacon of understanding into the confusion of the present, a perfect map for the trip into the future. Gratitude will make us be thankful for all of our blessings. When we ask why should we be grateful, just look around at all the good things our lives contain and know that any of the terrible roadblocks cannot block your goals when you are grateful.

D.C. HIV/AIDS & The Black Population

2009-03-16T12:59:00.001-04:00

Good Afternoon - I come to bring you news that some of you already knew, but just needed confirmation: D.C. HIV/AIDS rates is higher than some countries in West Africa. I repeat -- the HIV/AIDS rate in D.C. is up to par with countries like Kenya and Uganda.

So what does that mean? It means that 2,984 residents per every 100,000 over the age of 12 -- or 15,120 -- according to the 2008 epidemiology report by the District's HIV/AIDS office are infected.

I'm in the process of reading a book by Harriett Washington, entitled "Medical Apartheid:The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present" which addresses a wide range variety of gruesome tales regarding the treatment of blacks in various medical experiments. In the 1980s, for instance, virtually no African Americans were used in trials of the HIV inhibitor AZT. When the drug came into widespread use in 1991, the Food and Drug Administration had scant research on blacks and erroneously reported that it was not effective for black patients. If more blacks had been included in the original studies, Washington wonders, "would the number of HIV-infected African Americans be lower today?"

There is a belief within the African-American, that AIDS, like Crack-Cocaine, was intentionally distributed to destroy the community, and considering the forced sterilization of black women (what civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hammer plaintively called her “Mississippi appendectomy”), and the "Tuskegee Experiment" -- the urban myth is not hard to believe.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it is completely our government's fault that the HIV/AIDS rates are increasing -- but I do believe that there needs to be some accountability on their part -- especially in D.C. because before the new director came into office, the city government in D.C. placed little emphasis on the need for research and treatment.

When it boils down to individuals, it pisses me off that people do NOT wear condoms. It is 2009 -- they have condoms to meet everyone's needs, from latex-free, ribbed, thin, flavored, etc. etc., so you have NO excuse as to why you do NOT wrap it up! The report found that the highest transmission between men to men and I don't know if there is a perception that if you have anal sex you can't get infected -- but I would have to assume that's the case because many heterosexual individuals believe that as well. Now the limitation to the study is that it does not address or "classify" those married men who label themselves as "heterosexual" but are having sex outside of marriage with other men. So now you are faced with an increased rate of women getting infected by their husbands. We cannot continuously blame the white man for our ignorant behavior and lifestyle choices.

What can we do?

First - Get tested and know your status. I don't care if you're married, only had sex with that one person for years -- I don't give a shit -- get TESTED people and know your status. I'm negative, what are you?

Second - Use protection EVERY single time. I have had to cuss out so many men that I was dealing with because they wanted to raw-dog -- um hell naw. "I mean, you the only girl I'm dealing with" -- ladies and gentlemen if you ever meet anyone who wants you to take chances with your life, run like hell. I don't care how long you two have been dating -- safe sex is always the best sex. Not only are you protecting yourself from diseases, you are helping to decrease your chances of getting that "I'm late" text.

Third - Educate! Remember those little NBC commercials ... "the more you know"? Well I'm an advocate of educating the masses and share knowledge, so hopefully you've learned something new.

I Love Being Black...

2009-03-16T03:01:00.001-04:00

I was cleaning out some my listings on You Tube -- and I came across my FAVORITE clip. Check it out:

The Blowguard

2009-03-16T00:04:00.001-04:00

So I'm constantly trying to find new information to share with folks, and thanks to this nut I know (who shall remain nameless), I've learned of a new device that I'm sure ALL men who find pleasure in fellatio and ALL women who enjoy cunnilingus will drop to their knees thank God for --- ladies and gentlemen, I give you the instrument that takes the "job" out of "blow job": The Blowguard!

Check it out: http://blowguard.com/home.html

Essentially what it is, is a small flexible silicone tray (think of the flouride tray from the dentist -- but smaller) that has a vibrating bullet -- slide it in and BAM! There is a video on the site -- but I'll warn you, it's like a brief porno, but hey how else can you display how the thing works.

Personally -- this thing is REVOLUTIONARY! Everyone who was ever terrible at fellatio or cunnilingus will now be a pro.

Colon Cleanse & Healthy Vaginas

2009-03-10T17:20:00.001-04:00

*Disclaimer -- this note may be graphic to some of you, but hell I figure if you can talk about sex all day, you should be able to talk about healthy colons too.*

It's been quite sometime since I've wrote a blog/note and since I'm on this whole growing spiritually, mentally, intellectually, and physically -- I thought I share my thoughts with you all.

Me and a good friend of mines were talking about natural treatments and whatnot and the topic of colon cleanses and enemas came up. Now I have to address this because I am a little alarmed to know that some people go a week or so without having a bowel movement. What the crap!?

Now there are many definitions of what a normal bowel movement is -- some people go once every day or three times a day -- however lacking a bowel movement AT LEAST once a week is not a good sign. There is no rule for frequency of bowel movements, but the general range is from 3 times a day to 3 times a week. Less than 3 movements a week may indicate constipation, and more than 3 watery stools a day could indicate diarrhea.

In females we have to be even more alert and cautious because lack of bowel movement and unchecked colons result in build up toxins that disrupt the natural flora balance in the colon as well as the vagina. (Basically -- you're lack of #2's is probably why you are walking around smelling like a plate of microwaved sardines.)

I know some of you are thinking "O.M.G. -- what can I do to promote a healthy colon" -- and I have a answer just for you -- a colon cleanse. Trust me, it's not as disgusting as it sounds -- it will probably just look disgusting in your porcelain.

First you cleanse your colon with herbal dietary fiber to clean out all the toxic plaque and debris accumulated over the years (I have a site with photos of this, but it is not for those with weak stomachs). You also have to continue to keep the colon clean with the continued use of fiber (Psyllium husks is the world's best forms of fiber for human consumption, and you can get it anywhere).

While cleansing the colon, you need to replenish the good bacteria that protects healthy flora balance, and cleanse the liver with herbal extracts like silymarin.

Finally, with the use of detoxifying herbs, amino acids, vitamins and minerals, you detoxify heavy metals, like lead and mercury, and other toxins from the body.

Recently, I started using Dr. Natura's Colonix Program which is the BEST colon cleansing program on the market. It is a fiber-based colon cleanser and some people, including my good friend, lost 15lbs in one month using it. The thing that you may not like about the program is the high price. It may be a bit much for some people, but if you're looking for quality, then Colonix is for you. 3 months of cleansing will heal almost anyone. The pictures on the site truly are disgusting, but we need to realize that our colons are filled with toxins as a result of a lifetime of poor diet, and lifestyle. These toxins eventually circulate back to our bloodstream leading to toxic diseases (this includes acne, candida, arthritis).

To compliment this program I also drink Wu-Yi Cleansing Tea (available at GNC) in the morning. Along with this program and my new exercise regime, my personal goal is to drop 80lbs by my 24th birthday (December 9, 2009). I know it sounds like a lot -- but with my last chest pain scare I have to get my health on track, ya dig?

I do not use enemas because I personally do not have a problem in terms of having a bowel movements, but enemas are also good for those of you who do engage in anal sex because it clears the anal cavity. Of course you should also include safe sex practices (i.e. -- you can switch from the vagina to anal with the same condom, but do not go from the butt back into the vagina -- this spreads bacteria into the vagina).

Hopefully you've learned something new -- I'll be back with more notes on how to take care of yourself in 2009. Peace!

Much Ado About Nothing: Rick Warren

2009-01-02T15:39:00.001-05:00

Disclaimer: For those of you who know me, you know that usually my opinions probably do not line up with yours – I still love you. Seriously, please do not take this post the wrong way. And feel free to comment! We can have an educated discussion without being hateful, hurtful, or just plain rude.

For a while I've paid little attention to the entire debacle about Rick Warren for good reasons – it's really not one of the most important things that we need to be worried about (i.e. housing crisis, lack of jobs for recent college graduates, urban gentrification, etc.). But I watched the 20/20 interview with Rick Warren a couple of weeks ago and he seems like an okay guy to me. After doing a little research on the arguments against Rick Warren, here’s what I've came up with…

I respect Obama for selecting Rick Warren to give the invocation because he is showing his willingness to work with individuals who might not necessarily agree with him – that's the kind of president we need. We've witness for eight years what can happen when you line up with folks who are nothing but afraid of you or think like you (i.e. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Gonzales, Yoo). Warren represents a section of America who simply do not believe that homosexuality is right and rightfully so, they are entitled to feel that way. Obama is reaching out to evangelicals and other conservatives who actually wanted Mike Huckabee or John McCain to be president, he is demonstrating that he is a man of courage and not afraid to make difficult decisions even when his liberal colleagues rank against him.

Do I agree with everything Warren says? No. Does he make valid points? Yes.

Just like with Abortion and the Death Penalty, I do not agree with homosexuality. I wouldn't have an abortion myself, but I wouldn't chastise anyone who does. I don't agree with the Death Penalty because it's nothing but a "legalized" form of murder. And I don't agree with homosexuality, but I have countless friends who are gay and I love them just the same.

I don't live anyone else life but my own, and I'm human just like you, so who am I to act "holier than thou" and judge anyone's life choices. I don't have to necessarily accept it, but I can be tolerant to it and respect you as a person. I don't have to agree with what you do in order to be friends with you (this is probably where people get the definition of tolerance mixed up with acceptance – they are two entirely different concepts). From what I've read, Warren seems tolerant of gays (kind of a "love the sinner but hate the sin" situation) but as far as accepting a marriage union between them, he's against it.

The arguments against Warren is founded on his staunch opposition to gay marriage but wait a minute maybe some of you are forgetting that neither Obama nor Biden support gay marriage. Matter of fact BOTH of them have stated numerous times that marriage is between a man and a woman. They believe that gays should be entitled the same rights (i.e. adopting, health care, etc.) but both men stopped short of agreeing to gay marriage.

I've recently heard that Rick Warren will be speaking at Ebenezer Baptist for MLK Day and many gay coalitions are opposed to it. From what I understand, Obama addressed the congregation last year and spoke about homophobia in the black community: "we have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them." And with Rick Warren speaking this year, some feel that this is a back step for the black community. I disagree.

Once again this is a case of tolerance vs. acceptance. Just because someone disagrees with your sexual orientation doesn't necessarily make them homophobic. My father doesn't agree with interracial marriage, does that mean he's racist? No, of course not. Dr. King preached about racial equality and tolerance. He didn’t say that people had to "like" and frolicking through the gardens with African-Americans, but simply that African-Americans should be granted the same basic rights as a citizen of this country regardless of their race. If you want to use MLK message in this context, it would be a message of tolerance to gays in the community – but like most southern preachers – I don't necessarily think MLK would "accept" homosexuality. But that's just my opinion.

I know individuals are still hanging on to hope that America will genuinely honor diversity but I think we still have a long way to go. As for Rick Warren – let the man invocate the name of Jesus. If ask me Obama should have picked Rev. Wright (yeah, I said it).

"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye. We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards (9/11). America's chickens are coming home to roost." – Rev. Jeremiah Wright (truth straight from the pulpit if I ever heard it)

Jah Bless.

Embracing Change & Getting Things Done...

2009-01-01T19:55:00.001-05:00

“I have changed over the years because I have struggled to understand and change the world. People who question change cannot really be trying to do this. How can you be in the world and your ideas over the years remain the same?” – Amiri Baraka

As we enter and welcome a new year, I felt that it was appropriate to write about change. Everything must change. It’s the only constant in our life. Sometimes facing the inevitable change, you listen to the small voice inside you, your intuition, which is plugged into the wavelength of God. Like most folks, change can take you by surprise and is not usually welcomed. However, if you embrace the arrival of change, you can always ride it out and grow through the temporary challenge of it, unafraid and resourceful. As the noted poet Baraka says, change can transform your life in thought and deed. Open your heart to change and let it seep into your being deeper and deeper for a true overhaul. The old things feel comfortable to us like a favorite jacket. But it may be time to give it up. Change can be stressful, yet the transition to the new and fresh can be very rewarding and positive.

As the year progresses do not procrastinate and fall victim to laziness. If something needs to get done, just do it! Everyone has an excuse for putting things off. Life happens. Events such as gossiping with friends, shopping, or watching one of your “stories” in the afternoon can prevent you from doing something necessary or crucial. It’s not the achievement of a task or project that could make you laugh or fill you with pride, but the process of doing it, going into action, that can make your day worthwhile. As the elders used to say, “Don’t put off something until tomorrow that you could do today.” In a life, when the work gets done, achievements and accomplishments mount up and the value of your time on earth only gets better and better.

I've learned that getting things done is really not that complicated, it takes the simple will inside you to basically just get up and do it. It may be something small but it's a contribution, if you see a piece of trash in the middle of your room on the floor, you can choose to pick it up, or leave it where it is, but the same changing power you have over that piece of trash, in the little environment that is your room, is the same power you have over the massive environment we call this world. You can choose to make a plan, come up with steps to reach that plan, and watch your plan unfold, or you can stay a crumpled up piece of trash in the center of a room.

Marcus Garvey once said: "I repeat that God created you masters of your own destiny. I trust that you will so live today as to realize that you are masters of your own destiny, masters of your fate; if there is anything you want in this world, it is for you to strike out with confidence and faith in self and reach for it, because God has created it for your happiness wheresoever you may find it in nature. Nature is bountiful, nature is resourceful and nature is willing to obey the command of man, man is the sovereign lord, man who is supposed to hold dominion and take possession of this great world of ours." Welcome 2009 with open arms and make it your mission to achieve your goals, dreams, and the impossible.

Jah Bless.