
SUPERBOWL SURPISE!

Once again MLK Weekend reminds us of the struggle and sacrifices Dr. King endured in order to make a difference in America and the World.
I was thinking about the advances we’ve made towards the realization of King’s “dream”. Certainly there’s plenty of good news to report.
We’ve got plenty of work ahead of us. Dr. King’s dream is certainly an ongoing task, but one the human race is certainly capable of achieving. Each and every one of us possess gifts and talents that can close the gap. From mentoring to tutoring, from funding initiatives that make a difference to voting; this year let’s all find something we can do that will bring positive change wherever we see the need.
We haven’t forgotten you Dr. King. Your “Dream” indeed lives on. Once again MLK Weekend reminds us of the struggle and sacrifices Dr. King endured in order to make a difference in America and the World.
I was thinking about the advances we’ve made towards the realization of King’s “dream”. Certainly there’s plenty of good news to report.
We’ve got plenty of work ahead of us. Dr. King’s dream is certainly an ongoing task, but one the human race is certainly capable of achieving. Each and every one of us possess gifts and talents that can close the gap. From mentoring to tutoring, from funding initiatives that make a difference to voting; this year let’s all find something we can do that will bring positive change wherever we see the need.
We haven’t forgotten you Dr. King. Your “Dream” indeed lives on.
ROLL CALL!
Moving into 2012 we won’t forget great artists who left us in 2011. My mind goes back to last year’s freak Northeast Snowstorm that closed out 2010 coupled with the loss of a Teena Marie, who was still making new music and performing her classics with a passion seldom seen by an artist so many years into the game.
The legends continued to leave us in 2011 faster than we’ve been able to find “new legends” to replace them. Thank God these great artists will live on through their music.
Heavy D-44 Years young and still in his prime, his passing from heart complications due to a blood clot is still hard to accept.
Phoebe Snow-Her song “Poetry Man” summed up a life filled with challenges and the ability to convey them to the World through her music.
Sylvia Robinson-Artist, CEO, Mentor and Pioneer who heard the sounds of the New York City Streets and made sure everyone else took a listen.
Nick Ashford-With his wife Valerie, this “perfect pair wrote and performed music that touched the heart.
Clarence Clemmons-The flamboyant sax virtuoso of Bruce Springsteen’s “E Street Band”
Gil Scott Heron-An Activist who spent his life in pursuit of peace and justice through music.
Amy Winehouse-Super-talented British R&B vocalist unable to escape her demons.
Glady’s Horton (Marvelettes)-Another Motown “voice” gone but not forgotten.
Vesta Williams-A true R&B Diva! Her 1989 Top-5 Hit Congratulations became a women’s anthem.
Nate Dogg-Proved that “Gangta Rap” could still have a “smooth side” as well.
Pine Top Perkins-Born in 1913, he was among the last of the great Blues artists who paved the way for Rock N’ Roll.
With College Football BCS Bowl implications abound on Saturday, November 12th, it’s likely that evening’s Republican Debate may have gone pretty much unnoticed. And I have to admit I too wound up reviewing highlights after football was done for the day.
This time the debate focus was foreign policy and judging from the overall tone for the evening, one can only wonder what a Presidency under Cain, Mitt, Perry or the others would look like.
First off, the common theme appeared to be a sort of a “one size fits all” approach; figure out what Countries are actually “friends” of America, and treat them accordingly. Texas Governor Rick Perry even went so far to suggest that EVERY Nation receiving aid from America should be “wiped out” and put under “review” including long-term U.S. Allies like Israel.
Presidential hopefuls Herman Cain and Michelle Bachmann came out in support of the return of “waterboarding” as a source of getting information from those alleged to be terrorists regardless of whether it’s considered torture or not. Backmann even bizarrely accused the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of running the CIA under the Obama Administration (an apparent jab at the post-Bush belief that alleged terrorists and International criminals must still be afforded basic human rights).
For Mitt Romney, this debate continued his week-long rhetoric that a vote for a President Obama in 2012 was a vote for Iran to have nuclear weapons. But while several candidates mentioned the possibility of war with Iran, no one had any definitive ideas on curtailing Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
As for the bizarre (and no I’m not talking about his alleged behavior towards women); Herman Cain said he believed President Obama allowed the Arab Spring to “go on too long”! Cain was referring to the uprisings around the Middle East including the one ending Egypt’s 30 plus year reign of Hosni Mubarak. This is truly ironic given the Republican mantra or spreading “democracy” even to the point of “meddling” in the affairs of Countries that pose no threat to the free World. Newt Gingrich seemed to echo Cain stating the Obama Administration’s unwillingness to fight to keep Mubarak in Power made it look as if; (The United States)..”will abandon you in a heartbeat if they feel like it”.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard enough. The truth is, foreign policy isn’t black or white, it’s most often “gray”. Foreign policy isn’t “common sense governing” as Herman Cain likes to use as one of his buzz phrases. Foreign policy decisions require a lot of thought, careful planning, and most of all, the EXPERIENCE of traveling abroad frequently and we’re not talking about vacation destinations like Jamaica, Cancun, the wine growing regions of Italy, the beaches of Southern France and Hawaii.
Today we live in a vast Universe where being bi-lingual, educated, informed and a good listener, are all vitals keys to success. When candidates like Mr. Cain try and make us believe creating jobs and securing our Country have little or nothing to do with Foreign Policy, I smell a “dumb-down” a mile away!
Thanks to our increasingly “wired” World, we’re all connected. Whether it’s China’s frequently questioned trade agreements, the resignation of Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Libya’s revolution or Greece’s debt; their issues ultimately become ours. And we need a President, House and Senate with experience, skills, morals, education and a willingness to engage our World head-on; even when the results of our actions and decisions may not be fully known for many years to come.
Give me a James Baldwin, Bobby Kennedy, Dorothy Height, Jimmy Carter, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Winston Churchill, Mary McLeod Bethune. Albert Einstein, Frederick Douglas, and yes I said it, BARAK OBAMA any day over Herman Cain, Sarah Palin or anyone else who jumps in front of us saying we need “simple”, “common sense” or a “State’s Rights” answer to everything. Knowledge is STILL power and anyone who tells you they can run our Nation without it is pretty much trying to convince you it’s “cool to be ignorant”.
That doesn’t pass the smell test with me.
The following is a copy of a press release sent to me from Congressman Charles Rangel
August 29, 2011
RANGEL: WE REMEMBER HURRICANE KATRINA
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Charles Rangel issued the following statement in remembrance of the 6th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, August 28, 2011:
“This past weekend, we saw President Barack Obama, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, FEMA Director Craig Fugate, and NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg lead millions of people into safety as Hurricane Irene hit whirled through the East Coast and New York City. Thanks to their leadership America was able to mitigate potential catastrophe by applying the important lessons we have learned from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Even as we celebrate the successful response of our government to Hurricane Irene, America cannot forget that tragic day on August 28, 2005 when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, tearing through homes, businesses, schools, and neighborhoods and leaving behind a massive trail of destruction in its wake.
We saw the nation come together prepare for Irene. We will come together to repair the damages it has caused. As we emerge from the experience and continue our daily lives, we will also stand stronger in support of the people in New Orleans who have lost their livelihoods and loved ones from the trauma caused by Hurricane Katrina. We will never forget you.”
Skip Dillard: This is a well written message reminding us of a city and people still feeling the effects of a hurricane long gone.
The passing of Nick Ashford on August 22nd at 70-years-old brings back memories of the days of great songwriting from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s that artists built their careers on.
Over the past several weeks we’ve seen it all come to a head. A last minute “debt ceiling” agreement is reached, only to have Standard And Poor’s, downgrade it’s own Nation’s credit rating. MTA says it needs to now “DOUBLE” the fees we pay at our bridges, tunnels along with commuter transit in order to maintain our region’s “infrastructure”. And, it goes on and on.
Something’s got to give. Commuting in to work every morning, there seems to be no shortage of newly released Porche Sedans, Audi A7’s/A8’s, AMG Mercedes and 7 Series BMW’s passing the bus I take to the station. And there’s not a weekend where I look in the real estate section of the Times and don’t see pics of someone’s recently purchased 15 million dollar Manhattan Apartment or Brooklyn Brownstone. Fact is there are many people living far beyond the average our wildest dreams and it’s not only America. In the UK, a British designed Super-Yacht was just completed adorned with 100 tons of GOLD (not making this up, just Google)! This beyond-luxury boat is listed for sale at over 4 Billion Dollars! And, a recent article in the Washington Post reviewed a new over the top hotel in IRAN of all places that features an ice-cream dessert in one of it’s penthouse restaurants adorned in “edible gold” for $250.00 per person.
On the other side of the income gap; our public schools continue to lay off teachers. Once proudly employed people from Newark, New Jersey to Baltimore Maryland struggle to find work. Food banks in our region continue to see record numbers of un-employed and under-employed added to their already swollen ranks. And banks struggle just to keep up with the paperwork for the number of homes and condos they’re attempting to foreclose on.
It’s tragic and hard to fathom that as bad as things appear these days that many companies continue to report record profits, pay record bonuses to top executives, while those that make it all possible share in none of that success.
The good news is people are fighting back.
This August in Wisconsin, voters went to the polls in historic elections to “recall” politicians from top to bottom that worked to cripple the power of unions in their State. And, if you can’t get support for a problem with your Verizon internet or smart phone service, it may be due to the fact that 45,000 Verizon employees are out on strike.
It’s more important that ever that we blog, march, write/call our politicians and unite to ensure not only we, but our children have a chance at the basic human rights and opportunities our parents and ancestors fought so tirelessly to obtain for us. I believe these times, as Jesus Spoke of in Luke 11 is our, “Knock At Midnight”. Just when we were content in our existence, comes a time where we ALL have to speak out. We can no longer believe others will look out for our best interest.
Let’s raise our voices (and votes) in unison! It’s time to get back on track!
We eat a lot in America. In fact we eat so much the rest of the world is taking notice.
As a young child in Queens we were welcomed to our new apartment by a friendly Jewish family who lived upstairs. We’d share meals during each others Holidays and I well remember watching our meals prepared by hand from appetizer to desert. And there were generous servings of veggies and a starch or two to offset the meat. While there was plenty of fast food, it was more of a “sometimes” thing. And I have to admit, I appreciated that juicy burger every couple of weeks.
In the mid-70’s when we moved to North Carolina the difference in food and eating were immediately noticeable. There was more food for dinner (it was cheaper but less variety was available), fried foods were the norm and fast foods played a much larger role than we experienced in New York. And during Holidays it was not uncommon to find four meats on the dinner table in which three of them came from various parts of the pig!
Flash forward to 2011 and we seem to be eating more than ever. In fact, Americans throw away more food in a day than most people in many Countries consume in a week. We super-size everything from our morning coffee to our evening meals. America has an eating problem and it’s getting worse.
A Canadian physician Dr. Kevin Patterson, recently published a book called “Consumption” inspired in part by his work in an emergency combat hospital in Afghanistan. In the book Patterson describes his experience operating on persons of various cultures.
“Typical Afghan civilians and soldiers would have been 140 pounds or so as adults. And when we operated on them, what we were aware of was the absence of any fat or any adipose tissue underneath the skin,” Patterson says. “Of course, when we operated on Canadians or Americans or Europeans, what was normal was to have most of the organs encased in fat. It had a visceral potency to it when you could see it directly there.”
Dr. Patterson also goes on to note that many diseases such as type II diabetes didn’t exist 70 or 80 years ago. He blames their rise directly from obesity, especially the accumulation of “abdominal fat”.
What’s frightening is people of other Countries are beginning to emulate our eating habits with results that are causing concern. The magazine “New African” recently reported on Countries with emerging middle-class populations including Nigeria and South Africa. In these and other emerging economies people are shunning their “indigenous” millets and grains for imported rice from places like China. This is becoming a problem in many areas because the local foods contain properties that build up resistance to regional diseases. By importing foods, they’re actually opening themselves up to illnesses that would normally not affect them. And with “meat” a sign of status, Africans are consuming more flesh with their meals than at any time in their history. This has ushered in high blood pressure, gout and other ailments that were formally rare in many areas of the African Diaspora.
It should not take our President and his wife to beg us to eat and feed our children better. In researching my own eating habits and talking with those who study eating as it relates to our health there are a few pointers everyone seems to agree on.
*Lower your portions (eating less is the hardest part but pushing away from the table is important).
*Eat more raw and lightly cooked veggies.
*Your serving of meat should be no bigger than your first (provided you have a normal sized hand).
*Make fried foods and deserts a “sometimes” treat.
*Cut your salt intake and remove the salt-shaker from your table today!
*Limit alcohol consumption. (if you must, red wine or sangria are the healthiest).
*Exercise daily even if it’s just a walk. You can join a gym but your eating habits must change as well or your results will be limited.
*As grandma used to say; “the whiter the bread the quicker you’re dead”. More whole wheat and grains including your pastas, pancakes, etc will make a difference.
I can’t stand the thought of losing another friend or colleague to a stoke or heart attack in their 30’s. It’s time we get this eating problem under control (yours truly included).