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Paradise
Paradise Gray, Jasiri X and Sister Teisha visit an area on the Northside of Pittsburgh, PA, A five minute walk from the David L. Lawrence Convention Center where the G20 was held.
So you think that you live in a “Hole in the wall”?
You aint’ seen nothing yet! This is the Pittsburgh, PA that they did not want visitors at the G20 Summit to see.
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The Universal Zulu Nation gives HONOR and RESPECT to Brother Mr. Magic who was a Giant and Pioneer in the Growth of Hip Hop Radio. A brother who was not scare to challenge what was being played on mainstream radio. A brother who show Love not Hate when it came down to playing all forms of Hip Hop Music on the airwaves. A brother whom gave Hip Hop events so that the artist could have a venue to show their skills and craft for the people who love Hip Hop. A brother who help so many to start a career in Hip Hop as well as to help many artist get a record deal. Many of us in The Universal Zulu Nation knew of this brother before he was name Mr. Magic and watch him grow in the name of Hip Hop. He is due Respect and Honor and he will be truly missed. Mr. Magic May Allah be please with your soul and to your Family, Relatives and Friends many Blissings (not Blessings cause Blessings in Etymology means MArk with Blood) be unto you all.
To all our Brothers and Sisters in Hp Hop Community World Wide or Humans of Earth. The Angel of Death has been claiming many entertainers/artist in the last 3 years. We know we all have to past this life but something is going wrong with All Humans Beings on the planet,especially dealing with our health and what food we eat and the negativity that we all put out to the atmosphere all over Mother Earth.We must make a change for the better of ourselves and Mother Earth. This is no Joke to play with. Your bodies can be of Gods and Goddesses or it can be of the Devil = Hate and Chaos. Which side of The Matrix will you Chose.
Take care of yourselves and May The Supreme Force to whom is called by so many names Bliss and watch out for All of Us on Earth and Beyond.
Love,Truth, Peace, Freedom and Justice
Brother Afrika Bambaataa
The Amen Ra of Universal Hip Hop Culture
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Hip Hop Legends DJ Premier &DJ Nasty Nes offer Up Heartfelt Condolances for Hip Hop Radio Pioneer Mr Magic
I just got the sad news that Mr Magic has passed away this morning (10/3/09) from a heart attack.
Mr Magic has been my mentor & his legendary Hip-Hop show “RAP ATTACK” on NY’s WBLS is THE show that played a BIG influence on my first Hip-Hop show on Seattle’s 1250 KFOX back in the 80’s, including the name for my Hip-Hop show “KCMU RAP ATTACK” from the 90’s to late 2000 & now with www.RapAttackLives.com.
Thank you Mr Magic for being such a positive influence in my Radio & Hip-Hop career. I owe a lot of my success to you because as a teenager I wanted to be just like you.
Here’s what DJ Premier says about the legendary, “MR. MAGIC”:
I WANT TO SEND OUT THE UTMOST RESPECT AND CONDOLENCES TO THE MEMORY OF JOHN RIVAS—-aka MR. MAGIC
HE PASSED AWAY THIS MORNING OF A HEART ATTACK…..
TRUE HIP HOP HEADS KNOW THAT HIS HISTORY IS SO LONG
DUE TO HIM BEING THE FIRST RAP MIXSHOW TO EVER BE ON COMMERCIAL RADIO ON NEW YORK’S WBLS–(107.5) WITH MARLEY MARL AND FLY TY IN 1982-1984…….THEN WENT ON TO WHBI IN OCTOBER OF 1984 AND THEN
BACK TO WBLS in 1985 and WDAS in Philly SIMULTANEOUSLY
HE PAVED THE WAY FOR ALL RADIO STATIONS THAT EVER DID MIXSHOWS AND ALSO SPARKED THE CAREER OF BOOGIE DOWN PRODUCTIONS DUE TO THE DISS HE SHOWED WHEN THEY CAME TO SHOP THEIR DEMO TO HIM AND WAS TURNED AWAY WHICH THEN SPARKED “SOUTH BRONX” AND “THE BRIDGE IS OVER”…….
HE WAS KNOWN FOR HIS DIRECT AND SARCASTIC ATTITUDE ON THE AIR AND EVERY ARTIST WANTED HIS APPROVAL WHEN IT CAME TO BREAKING NEW RECORDS……..HE EVEN HAD SONGS DEDICATED TO HIM BY THE LEGENDARY WHODINI–(“MR. MAGIC’S WAND”) WHICH WAS SURPRISINGLY PRODUCED BY ONE OF MY FAVORITE ARTISTS THOMAS DOLBY…….
SHOUTS OUT TO MARLEY MARL AND FLY TY FOR THE CORRECT INFORMATION ON THIS……
REST IN PEACE MR. MAGIC………….DJ PREMIER
Remembering Mr Magic-Hip Hop Loses It’s Frankie Crocker
by Davey D and Mark Skillz
Today just getting word that one of our Hip Hop pioneers has passed. As I started writing this we’re still trying to officially confirm, but according to what DJ Premier twitted earlier Mr Magic who was best known as being among the first to have a Hip Hop show on a major radio station has passed. Still trying to process all this, because we’ve lost so many people this year. It was just a week or so ago we were mourning the passing of DJ Roc Raida. For us in the Bay Area we lost a longtime KPFA radio colleague and well known activist Gina Hotta. She passed of a heart attack. What we’re hearing w/ Mr Magic he too passed of a heart attack. He was 55 years old.
If you were around in the late 70s/early 80s then you will clearly understand what Magic meant to Hip Hop. For years he was the pinnacle. When he started out on WHBI, just hearing his show was major. It was a really big deal, because what we were doing in the parks, at rec centers and in our living rooms was insulated. No one else in the world knew what was bubbling up in the Bronx. When Magic got picked up and was added to the line up of commercial station WBLS.. It was major. One of our own had graduated and was on the big stage. Saturday night was what so many of us eagerly looked foward to…Mr Magic with his booming voice gave Hip Hop that importance. He had what they call gravitas. He made you and Hip Hop official. He was a radio announcer not a kid doing college radio. He wasn’t someone shouting into a microphone. He was our Frankie Crocker, who was the legendary DJ and at the time program director for WBLS.
Was just talking to Hip Hop historian and writer Mark Skillz who also grew up on Magic and he noted that Magic laid the ground work for every on air personality that came from the streets and made it to radio. He was always classy even when he was arrogant and he could sure be arrogant at times. He was older than the average listener and fan of rap at that time and could’ve easily been associated with disco or soul music. But he put everything on the line because he really believed in the music. On a couple of occasions he was fired. The most infamous occasion was when he stood up to Frankie Crockerwho as mentioned was a legend in his on right. Crocker wanted to change formats and take rap off the air. Magic stood up to him and refused to change his show and was fired resulting in him returning to his first station WHBI. Skillz added that its important to understand that back then and even recently, people paid to have a show on WHBI. You had to raise money to have a slot on the air.
Magic was important to two different eras of Hip Hop. He was the connection to the pioneering day also known as True School. He was the one that brought us Flash, Mele-Mel, Crash Crew, Sugar Hill, Busy Bee etc. he later became the important gateway to the what we now know as the Golden Era. He was once dubbed Sir Juice as he was the big connection and champion for the Juice Crew. Skill z was sharing memories with Sweet Gee this morning upon hearing the news and was reminded by G that the original Juice Crew was Sal Abbatiello, Sweet Gee, DJ June Bug, Kurtis Blow and Mr Magic aka Sir Juice.Sal who owned the Fever night club brought them all diamond rings. In many ways for long before Diddy, Jay-Z or the Jiggy era came along, Magic and his people personified flashiness within Hip Hop. They were smooth and represented the style of the day.
Skillz was recounting seeing Magic wearing rings on every finger and having gold rope chains. He used to sport a shark skin suit. He was a Hip Hop version of Mr Tee. Back then that was Hip Hop at its finest for better or for worse.
When he got his Rap Attack show on WBLS he was the man. Folks old enough will recall what it meant to record a Mr Magic show. Those cassette tapes got passed all around the world. He was that dude. Interestingly enough Magic followed the important tradition long established by Black radio DJs of being our mouthpiece and Griot of sorts. In many ways he was the face of Hip Hop and our ambassador. He was our connection to the outside world, the corporate world etc. When his show came on, all of New York stopped what they were doing and tuned in. Words are simply inadequate so others reading this will have to add in.
We also recall the role that Magic played in sparking the infamous bridge wars between the Bronx via KRS and BDP and Queens via the Juice Crew. Magic was so important that if he didn’t play your record or publicly rejected you as he did BDP, it wasn’t a thing to easily shake off. I won’t get into along recounting of that tale, but lets just say a lot of careers were born through the BDP vs Juice Crew saga. The attention he garnered help heighten the position of than rival DJ Red Alert who was holding it down and backing BDP on Kiss FM while Magic backed Marley Marlwho was his official deejay along with the Juice Crew as we know them today on WBLS…Also on a side note lets stress the fact that the battle was more like a battle of the bands and not the type of vicious beefs where folks get shot or beaten up. It was competitive, theatrical and capitivating
We also need to remember as Paradise of X-Clan pointed out Mr Magic also gave Whodini their first break .Jalil used to answer the phones to his show. Hence the group’s first song ‘Mr Magic’s Magic Wand.
So many memories its hard to really do justice. .. For those who remember Mr Magic please share.
In closing I’d be wrong not to point out the 800 pound gorilla in the room. I’m talking healthcare. I’m not sure what Magic’s finances or personal situation was, but dying of a heart attack while in your 50s is not a good look and should be a wake up call for us all on a number of levels. One one level is for us to seriously look at how we’re living. Stress and strife are taking its toll. Stress from finances, stress from work, stress from living in dangerous situations silently and suddenly do us in. On another level, many of us have not taken care of ourselves with routine check ups and visits to the doctor to help us avoid such tragedies. We shouldn’t forget as Skillz points out that it was only a few years ago that Magic’s DJ Marley Marl had a heart attack. We also lost Professor Xwho was also around the same age through meningitis. Was it lack of health insurance or bad and fast living? I can’t call it, but all of us need to sit back and ask why we have lost so many people at young ages this year. It hasn’t been shootings its been failing health..
Hip Hop pioneer Kurtis Blow reminded us that Mr Magic put a record Its a rare gem and it has him rapping. Its called “Its a Better Way’
RIP Mr Magic
Something to Ponder
-Davey D-
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25 Joints to get U Through the Day #13-Stand Up and Be Heard
by Davey D
Breakdown FM-25 Joints to get U Through the Day #13-Click to Hear
Highlights of this weeks show come courtesy of Brother Ali and his new album US which is pure butter. It starts off with Chuck D of Public Enemyplaying the role of a preacher. In this show we do a little remix and take you straight to an incredibly deep song about abuse. Ali is intense and music matches his mood. It’s good to see and hear artists ‘go there’ and show that such vulnerability.
Our favorite Detroit based rapper Invincible hits us over the head with her song ‘Ropes’ as does Sim City out of Washington DC with their nice joint called ‘Remembering Geneva’. These are two artists who we should be paying close attention to. They are refreshing, have socially relevant content and bangin’ beats.. Nuff said.
Wanna know who is popping in the Bay Area… peep my boy Jern Eye, He has a new album out called ‘Vision’ is off the chain. The song we featured, ‘Who’s to Say’ underscores my point. Its melodic, thoughtful and on point. Also holding it down from the Bay are San Jose based artists, Apakalips ‘K.I.M.’ and Kung Fu Vampire w/ Spice 1 ‘No Thang’ . Mt Network aka D’Labrie‘Catch Me’ like Jern Eye reps the expanding flava of Oakland.
MV Bill is an artist we should all know
One last artist not to sleep on hails from Brazil. Here is unknown in many circles. Down there artists like Mos Def will open up for him as he’ll easily pack a stadium to come hear him play.. MV Bill is hands down the man.. If you don’t know him.. Look him up. Google him.
Snoop and Ja Rule know him-Why? becuase he has major juice and respect in the hoods down there and was the one who stepped to them and let them know it wasn’t cool to just be rolling through his country shooting videos of the women and not building with the people in the favillas. He let them know that many Brazil is more than just ass and tits and while it’s true that there are beautiful women, they should be careful about falling into the role of exploiter. He noted that many people look up to them and admire them and that they should come to the hood and not be on some 5 star Hollywood trip and afraid to come see the people who make them. Am I not beautiful to?, was the question he raised. MV Bill is no joke…
MTV found this out the hard way, when they came to town to shoot a three day concert several years ago. Naturally they wanted and needed MV Bill who agreed to perform under two conditions. 1-They include local acts on the line up. 2– MTV lower the prices to the tickets so local people from the favilla could attend. As it was explained to me, there was a refusal to lower the prices, MV Bill put the word out and the three day festival got condensed with many refusing to roll with the music network. We will be rocking an interview we did with MV in the next couple of weeks. Smart, articulate, down to earth, hood, independent and Hip Hop to the fullest Get familiar with MV Bill
Enjoy this weeks 25 Joints….
25 Joints to Get U Through the Day #13
01-Brother Ali w/ Chuck D ‘Brothers and Sisters’ (Minneapolis-New York)
02-Brother Ali ‘Babygirl'(Minneapolis)
03-Mystic ‘Beautiful Restistance’ (Bay Area-Oakland)
04-Invincible ‘Ropes’ (Detroit)
05-Zion I w/ Brother Ali ‘Caged Bird’ (Oakland-Minneapolis)
06-Sunspot Jonz ‘Dip Down’ (Bay Area/ LA)
07-Sim City w/ Maimouna Yousef ‘Remembering Geneva’ (Washington DC)
08-Jazzy Jeff w/Jean Grae ‘Supa Jean’ (New York)
09-Jern Eye ‘Who’s to Say’ (Bay Area-Oakland)
10-Arab Summit ‘Camouflage’ (Iraq/ Palestine)
11-Euphrates ‘I Told You So’ (Iraq/ Montreal)
12-Cunninlyngst ‘America Loves Gangstas’ (Kentucky)
13-Maria Isa w/Killa Capone ‘Street Politics’ (Minneapolis)
14-MV Bill ‘So Deus Pode Me Julgar’ (Brazil)
15-Deuce Eclipse‘Que Se Meuva’ (Bay Area -Oakland)
16-Wax Tailor ‘No Pity’ (France)
17-Chali 2Na ‘Graff Time’ (Los Angeles)
18-Fort Minor w/ Lupe Fiasco & Ghostface Killah ‘Spray Point’ (LA/Chicago/ NY)
19-Bas 1 ‘Preacher #3’ (Bay Area-Oakland)
20-Apakalips ‘K.I.M.’ (Bay Area-San Jose)
21-Kellee Maize ‘Marching to the Revolution’ (Pittsburgh)
22-D’Labrie ‘Catch Me’ (Bay Area-Oakland)
23-Kung Fu Vampire w/ Spice 1 ‘No Thang’ (Bay Area-San Jose/Hayward)
24-J Ross Parelli ‘Music’ (Reno)
25-J Dub w/ Zumbi “For Your Love’ (Bay Area-Oakland)
26-Capital Tax w/ Simone Nia Rae ‘Baby’ (Bay Area -Oakland)
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Texas Secession: Should Black and Brown Folks Jump on Board?
by Davey D
source: The Southern Shift
I always find this concept of Texas secession interesting. I especially find it interesting when I see and hear the way it’s being framed. Words like ‘Freedom’ ‘Independence’ and ‘Oppression’ are used suggesting that it’s a noble endeavor and not something sinister. Some find the conversation compelling when it focuses on our main two parties Republicans and Democrats being a thorn in our collective sides that needs to be done away with. There’s lots of tough talk from secessionist about dissatisfaction with the Federal government which is very relatable when one looks at high unemployment rates, Wall Street Bankers getting bailed out, mismanaged wars and no Universal healthcare. All of this makes a secession argument intriguing.
Today secessionists claim that their motivation is not racism. They emphatically claim an increasingly Browner and Blacker Texas is not their main reason to secede. They want freedom from Oppression. Ok I’ll buy that – we all want that type of relief. Now my question is will a Republic of Texas change the flawed political dynamics of the other 49 states and strive to be a true Democracy? Will a Republic of Texas have a government that is a true representation that is reflective of the population? For example, will there be proportional representation ensuring all Texans to have voice and a seat at the table or will it be winner take all? In short will the Republic of Texas be for the people by the people? After all, the reason to secede centers around a Federal government that is unresponsive. The ROT should ideally change this, right? We will no longer have to worry about a federal government that spends our money in all the wrong places. We will no longer have to worry about a federal government that doesn’t listen to the peoples true wants and needs. I can completely understand the frustrations one has with the Feds. I can assure you, those sentiments are not exclusive to the ‘good’ folks behind the ‘Texas Nationalist Movement’. Lots of folks feel that way. Lots of Black folks, lots of Brown folks.
I recall during the height of the Black Power movements, in the 60s and 70s groups like the Nation of Islam (then known as the Black Muslims) along with others called for a nation within a nation. It was a type of secession of sorts. Leaders felt like the Democrats and Republicans were morally corrupt. They felt the Federal government was a sham and ideally things would get better if the nation’s Black population could take over the states they tilled the land for as slaves and call it a day. Freedom from oppression was the guiding force. Black folks were looking to get their 40 Acres and mule as promised by the Feds. Perhaps this will happen under the Republic of Texas. Broken promises shall be honored right?
As we now know all that nation within a nation talk was met with swift and ultimately destructive response from our federal government. FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, under the leadership of Texan Lyndon Baines Johnson, did ‘name checks’ on opponents and ran a vicious Cointel-pro campaigns to dismantle the Black Panthers, derail the Civil Rights Movement led by Martin Luther King and make any talk of a nation within a nation sound utterly ridiculous.
There are many Chicano’s here in Texas who can recall the heights of the Chicano Movement where issues like Land Grants were front and center and people were seeking ways to get back ancenstral lands that were stolen. I believe there’s quite a bit of ‘property’ in Texas that folks may be looking to get back. Will that at least be discussed in the Republic of Texas? After all Chicanos and many indegenous folks have major beef with the Federal government who they feel behaved in an extremely undemocratic fashion. They can tell you story after story of broken promises, broken treaties, and unscrupulous land grabs. One should be able to safely assume that within a strong independent Texas such atrocities will not take place. The goal of having honesty within our government is one of the reasons to secede.
The Republic of Texas… Is this an opportunity for ALL the people in Texas (Black, Brown, Red, Yellow, Young, old ) to have the wrongs of the past corrected? Is the Republic of Texas intending to be a true Democracy or is all this talk of a Free and Independent Texas just a sham conducted by some disgruntled people with its core goal to grab land and resources?
Something to Ponder
-Davey D-
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An exclusive interview with Daniel Miller, President of The Texas Nationalist Movement
Source: Cypress Times Article
Over the past few weeks The Cypress Times has carried several opinion pieces in our Op/Ed Section from supporters of the Texas Nationalist Movement. The Texas Nationalist Movement supports Texas secession, and the establishment of a free and independent Texas.
These op/ed pieces have garnered an amazing amount of attention and have resulted in some very, let’s call it lively, commentary. One of the themes repeated often in the negative commentary is that the Texas Nationalist Movement is motivated by racism and a hate specifically for Barack Obama. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the TNM is not an Obama thing. It’s not a Democrat thing. It’s not a GOP thing. It’s a freedom thing.
The TNM was formed way before anyone outside of Chicago, and a few domestic terrorists, had ever heard the name, Barack Obama. Most people in the U.S. back then thought ACORN was just a nut long cherished by squirrels and that Socialism was something that happened in ridiculous places like France.
The truth is that George W. Bush was the Governor of Texas when TNM launched its initiative to say “Adios” to the United States of America. So, it’s really not an Obama thing, okay.
“We’re non-partisan with people from all walks of life,” Texas Nationalist Movement, President Daniel Miller told me in a recent interview. Truth be told, the TNM hasn’t much use for those now running the DNC, nor the GOP.
“Our organization rejects these dividing lines which are artificial. Both major parties fundamentally engage in the same activity,” Miller says. He also adds, “We (TNM) railed against Bush and the Patriot Act, too.”
So, if the Texas Nationalist Movement isn’t about party politics, what is it about? Party politics after all are what makes our Government go round. It’s about the two party system, right? Wrong.
IT’S A FREEDOM THING –
“It’s about people who agree with individual freedom and liberty not putting trust in government,’ Miller says. “How long can people be disenfranchised from government before they say let’s do our own thing. You saw it in the American Revolution and in Texas history.”
Miller goes on to describe the U.S. Government as “overbearing, oppressive, unwielding and unresponsive.”
I think that pretty well covers it.
THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS –
I have to admit as a fifth generation Texan the notion of Texas pulling up stakes and saying, “See Ya” to the U.S. has always fascinated me. I’ve always thought of Texas secession as a romantic expression of the individualism and ruggedness of the people of Texas. I see us Texans tipping our collective Stetsons and riding off into the sunset of independence never again to be bothered by those foreigners on the other side of the river. You know, the Red River. However, I never really considered it. Should we really consider it now?
How’s that hope and change working out for you? That phrase is getting a lot of action these days. For that matter how was it working out for you before the change, when George Bush pushed for the first stimulus package and ignored the security of our borders? Have you really seen a change, or is it more of the same?
When the Dems are in office the GOP is complaining, when the GOP is in office the Dems are complaining. Are they really all alike? I make no judgment call here, I’m just asking.
The questions really become:
Are we (the people) okay with how things are? Can we change those things given the current system? If the answer is no, what next?
“People eventually say I don’t want to be a part of this anymore,” says Miller. “Secession, independence or autonomy come into play. It has played out across the globe for thousands of years.”
What would a Republic of Texas look like? Is that bunch in Austin any more trustworthy than the bunch in DC? The thing to look at, according to Miller, is the Texas Constitution. Specifically,
Article 1, Section 2 which reads as follows:
“INHERENT POLITICAL POWER; REPUBLICAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit. The faith of the people of Texas stands pledged to the preservation of a republican form of government, and, subject to this limitation only, they have at all times the inalienable right to alter, reform or abolish their government in such manner as they may think expedient.”
The Texas Constitution leaves little wiggle room on this matter. It is less open for broad interpretation than the U.S. Constitution. Isn’t that where we began to get in trouble in the first place? All of that broad interpretation.
CAN IT BE DONE?
Can Texas secede, and become a free Republic once more? Miller says “Yes” and perhaps sooner than anyone thinks. Miller believes that the secession movement has the support of between 2.2 million and 6 million Texans. That’s a broad range and Miller understands that. The range is due to how the numbers were extrapolated from several sources and polls. Either way it’s a big number. It is a number that makes the TNM a formidable force in Texas politics.
Miller believes the issue of Secession will be addressed in “a rapid fashion” during the next legislative session (2011) or perhaps sooner, once the Governor’s race has ended.
Miller also says, in the context of the current political climate in America, “I think by the time we get to a vote, Texas independence wins by a landslide.”
WHY NOW? WHY WOULD THE PEOPLE BE READY FOR SUCH A DRASTIC MOVE? –
Miller explains that the U.S. Government has moved America in the wrong direction for over 20 years.
“Incrementalism is where it’s all going. They’ve incrementally moved us so far that now they’re emboldened to take bigger steps because they have less distance to go.” Miller adds, “For 20 years we’ve been asleep and now the noose is around the neck.”
Miller realizes that secession is not the first thought your average citizen has in terms of fighting back. He sees what is happening with Townhall Meetings, and TEA Party gatherings, but still believes Secession is the right move for Texas and Texans.
“People will exhaust all the usual opposition first. But they’ve (the Federal Govt.) taken the position that they know what’s best for us,” says Miller. Then he reminds me of the Texas Constitution, Article 1, Section 2. It’s about the people!
HOW WOULD IT WORK?
Secession is not spelled out in the U.S. Constitution, it is an inferred right, according to Miller who also says that the Declaration of Independence makes it plain as to how it all works.
When the colonies declared independence, each “state” seceded from England to form a new union. It would occur much the same now. If the issue is put in front of the people of Texas and they vote to secede, then Texas will declare independence from the U.S. The Governor and the Legislature will hold a convention to call for articles of secession and to negotiate a settlement with the U.S.
If the U.S. Government were to ignore those articles of secession, then Texas could declare unilateral independence.
I asked Mr. Miller what a new Texas would look like geographically. Since it is well known that Texas gave up a good deal of real estate when it joined the U.S., his answer surprised me. Daniel Miller says the better question might be, what would the United States look like?
“Without Texas, the U.S. ought to think about its viability,” says Miller.
Mr. Miller believes strongly that when Texas secedes, others will follow. There are other secession movements underway in the U.S. today in states like Vermont and Wisconsin as an example.
CAN TEXAS SURVIVE?
The Secession “nay-sayers” are quick to point out that Texas would lose a ton of Federal money if it were no longer a part of the United States.
Mr. Miller says, “For years now every dollar we (Texas) send to DC is declining in terms of what we get back. In the past 30 years Texas has never gotten back what it sends to the Federal government.”
I shared with Mr. Miller that some of the nastier (and therefore not published) commentary we’ve received at The Cypress Times regarding Secession calls the members of the TNM racists, again asserting that it’s an Obama thing. Can a nation of racists flourish?
“We take exception to that,” Miller says. “Our members are Hispanic, Asian, Black. All power is inherent in the people. Tyranny doesn’t discriminate and freedom shouldn’t either.”
WHAT NEXT?
Miller says that the Texas Nationalist Movement needs, “All Texans who believe in independent rights and principles to stand with us in order to see Texas independent and to reserve those freedoms.”
The Texas Nationalist Movement needs to grow. In order to grow they need people. “It takes money to reach people,” says Miller.
“We are engaged at a very personal grass roots level.” The plan is to organize and mobilize.
The Texas Nationalist Movement is hard at work holding meetings in various regions and is planning a 3-Day Conference in March.
The Texas Independence Conference will be the first of its kind. The TNM will have special speakers and guests from Texas and from the outside.
To learn more about The Texas Nationalist Movement, or to join their cause visit their website at http://www.texasnationalist.com/
Black Eyed Peas’ Apl.de.Ap Asks Fans To Support Philippines Relief Effort
Source: Baller Status
Black Eyed Peas member, Apl.de.Ap, is asking fans of the group to support a relief effort for the Philippine islands, which was devastated over the weekend by Typhoon Ketsana.
Over the weekend, the typhoon dropped a month’s worth of rain on the northern part of the country, leaving 80% of its capital, Manilla, and surrounding areas underwater. So far, it’s reportedly caused $30 million in damages and took the lives of over 240 people.
Apl, a Filipino-American who was born in the Philippines before coming to the U.S at the age of 11, has launched a campaign to help raise money to help his native country.
“My heart is broken to see so many of my Filipino brothers and sisters hurt by this disaster,” Apl wrote on his website. “We must all bond together and move forward to restore the city we hold dear.”
Apl is asking fans and supporters to donate money to the Apl Foundation, via his website JeepneyMusic.com, to help aid Filipinos in wake of the flood.
The typhoon is responsible for the most devastating flooding in the Philippines in over 40 years. While most of the flood waters have receded in most areas, a majority of the city’s medical centers have been destroyed and the risk of contracting waterborne diseases has increased dramatically.
Locals are blaming government officials for neglecting to properly prepare for the typhoon, since it was well-known that Manila is susceptible to flooding.
To help you can donate to Apl’s Foundation at JeepneyMusic.com, or check out the list of ways below, thanks to the Huffington Post:
• Google has compiled an extremely helpful list of emergency numbers and groups in the Philippines who are accepting donations. It also includes a broad view of the map displayed below.
• Help the UN World Food Programme by making a donation. This program identifies families in specific need of aid. Just $18 provides a family with rice for two weeks. This is the most critical and immediate way you can make an impact.
• UNICEF has already provided $143,000 worth of relief to affected children in the region. You can call 1-800-4UNICEF or donate via their Philippines Floods page.
• Call the Philippine Consulate General at 646-4620 or the Filipino Community of Guam President Alex Gagaring at 483-2539. They can tell you how you can help and where to send donation checks.
• The Pacific Daily News of Guam recommends writing a donation check to the Filipino Community of Guam — put “Calamity Fund” in the memo line.
• Filipino blogger Manuel L. Quezon III has compiled an impressive list of ways people can help, both locally and internationally.
• Plain and simple — donate to the International Red Cross and help them continue to put relief workers on the ground in the Philippines.
• Donate via Catholic Relief Services online or call 1-877-HELP-CRS
Jasiri X and Paradise of X-Clanare two of my favorite cats in the world. First, they are dedicated to the cause of trying to uplift our folks. Two, they stay grinding. Meaning they are constantly looking for new ways to educate, entertain and enlighten. Three, they and the rest of the One Hood crew stick together like family.. When I went to Pittsburgh I saw how they were keeping the essence of Hip Hop together, by taken whatever situation that was tossed to them and flipping it..
On Friday Sept 25th, we found ourselves unable to join the G-20 protest march because of police barricades. Instead of sitting around and complaining, Paradise and his crew member Sherman took their cameras and decided to make the thousands of police that were on hand a backdrop for a music video. It certainly caught the police off guard , but it made perfect sense. Its our tax payer money and our streets. Might as well put that 18 million bucks to good use..
The song says it all ‘The Only Color that Matters is Green’ . Enjoy the video..
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Booooo to Max Baucus, Boo to Bill Nelson and Boo to all other spineless Democrats who voted to get rid of the public option. Yes we knew this was gonna happen. Yes, we know they are on the take-all that lobbying money was hard to resist.. Yes, we know , we know, but booo to them anyway. Well I guess all we can do is sit back and watch the movie..as we watch people vote against their interests..
D
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/health/policy/30health.html?_r=2
WASHINGTON — After a half-day of animated debate, the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday rejected efforts by liberal Democrats to add a government-run health insurance plan to major health care legislation, dealing the first official setback to an idea that many Democrats, including President Obama, say they support.
All of the other versions of the health care legislation advancing in Congress — a bill approved by the Senate health committee and a trio of bills in the House — include some version of the government-run plan, or public option.
But the Finance Committee chairman, Senator Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana, long ago removed it from his proposal because of stiff opposition from Republicans who call the public plan a step toward “socialized medicine.”
The committee on Tuesday afternoon voted, 15 to 8, to reject an amendment proposed by Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, Democrat of West Virginia, to add a public option called the Community Choice Health Plan, an outcome that underscored the lack of support for a government plan among many Democrats.
Mr. Baucus voted no, as did Senators Thomas R. Carper of Delaware, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, , and Bill Nelson of Florida, joining all 10 Republicans in opposition.
Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, who voted in favor of the proposal, said supporters of the public option would keep on fighting. He has offered a separate amendment to establish such an option.
“We are going to keep at this and at this and at this until we succeed, because we believe in it so strongly,” he said.
Advocates of a public plan say it would provide crucial competition for private insurers and that the larger goals of the legislation, to extend coverage to more than 30 million uninsured Americans and to slow the steep rise in health care costs, cannot be achieved without it.
The debate came as the Finance Committee resumed debate over the health care bill after a three-day weekend because of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement.
After the vote on Mr. Rockefeller’s proposal, Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, was scheduled to put forward his own public option amendment and it, too, was expected to be defeated.
In the emotionally charged debate, Mr. Rockefeller railed against the practices of private insurers, who he suggested were largely preying on a defenseless American public. “They’re getting away with terrible things,” he said.
But Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the senior Republican on the Finance Committee, stepped in to voice his party’s fierce opposition to the idea of government-run insurance.
“A government run plan will ultimately force private insurers out of business,” Mr. Grassley said, adding that supporters of the public option were trying to open a back door toward a fully government-run, or single-payer, health system like those in Canada or England.
“Public option is a step toward a completely government run plan that they are hoping for,” Mr. Grassley said.
And he rejected assertions by Democrats, including Mr. Rockefeller, that the public plan would compete fairly because it would have to follow the same rules as private insurers.
“The federal government will not only be running the plan, it will also be running the market in which it competes with the private plans and that doesn’t sound like a level playing field to me,” Mr. Grassley said.
Democrats quickly rose up to answer the charges, including Mr. Schumer, who challenged Mr. Grassley to spell out his views on Medicare, the government insurance plan for Americans over age 65 and for the disabled.
“I just want to know what you think of Medicare, which is a much more government-run program,” Mr. Schumer said.
“I think that Medicare is part of the social fabric of America just like Social Security is,” Mr. Grassley said. “To say that I support it is not to say that it’s the best system that it could be.”
“But it is a government-run plan,” Mr. Schumer shot back.
Mr. Grassley, a veteran Senate debater, insisted that Medicare did not pose a threat to the private insurance industry. “It’s not easy to undo a Medicare plan without also hurting a lot of private initiatives that are coupled with it,” he said.
Mr. Schumer pounced. “You are supportive of Medicare,” he said. “I just don’t understand the difference. That’s a government-run plan and the main knock you have made on Senator Rockefeller’s amendment, and I am sure on mine, is that it’s government-run.”
The efforts by Mr. Rockefeller and Mr. Schumer to add a public plan to the bill were really just a dress rehearsal for a fuller battle that will play out on the Senate floor in the weeks ahead.
Senate Democratic leaders, however, do not believe there will be sufficient support to add the public option to the bill.
Aides to the majority leader, Senator Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada, say that he will not include a provision for the public option when he combines the measures coming out of the finance and health committees.
Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Schumer and other supporters of a government-run plan will bring floor amendments trying once again to add it to the legislation.
And even when the debate over the public option is taken up on the Senate floor, most likely it will not be finished.
There is wider support for a government-run insurance plan in the House, where the Democratic caucus is more liberal. And if the House bill includes a public option, as Speaker Nancy Pelosi has indicated, the issue will ultimately be decided in a conference proceedings to reconcile the Senate and House bills.
As an alternative, Mr. Baucus included in his bill a proposal to create private, nonprofit health insurance cooperatives to compete with private insurers.
The Congressional Budget Office has questioned whether the cooperatives would really have much effect. And there are Democrats and Republicans on the Finance Committee who have proposed amendments that would strip the cooperative provisions.
The main architect of that proposal, Senator Kent Conrad, Democrat of North Dakota, said during the committee debate that it would provide “strong not for profit competition to the private insurers.” But he warned that hospitals in his home state would be devastated by Mr. Rockefeller’s proposal, which would initially tie the public plan’s payment rates to the rates paid by Medicare.
Many hospitals, doctors and other health care providers say Medicare rates are too low.
Mr. Conrad urged his colleagues to consider his alternative,. “We have gotten locked in a very sterile debate ,” he said.
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Everyone is talking about the arrest of ‘famed’ director Roman Polanski as he entered Switzerland the other day to attend an award show where he was being honored. He was arrested for being a fugitive on the run from the United States and is likely to be sent back to face charges for drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl 30 years ago. Polanski is best known for directing films like ‘Chinatown’ and ‘Rosemary’s Baby’. After he fled the country, he continued to shine by directing films like The Pianist which won him a couple of Academy Awards, the Ninth Gate and Tess to name a few.
Personally I shed no tears for Polanski. The crime he committed was heinous crime where there is no forgiveness. As far as I’m concerned our government along with the rich and powerful in Hollywood gave Polanski a pass. He was given a wink and a nod when he fled to France. People somehow found a way to humanize him and make him a sympathetic figure of sorts by noting how his beloved wife Sharon Tate was killed by Charles Manson. Hence him raping a 13 year old was somehow a result of that trauma.
For me, its hard not to look at Polanski supposedly escaping the US Justice system while that same justice system managed to track down and persecute Black Panthers and others who were part of the freedom struggle, all over the world. It didn’t matter if any of those figures had experienced personal tragedies like seeing a loved one shot and killed by police. It didn’t matter that they themselves had been traumatized by oppression. At the time Polanski committed this rape, Panthers were being mercilessly hunted down by the FBI via their destructive cointel-pro program which among other things instructed agents to run all sorts psychological mind games on their BP targets.
Over the years we’ve seen local prosecutors be granted all sorts of resources to go after these freedom fighters 30 years after the fact even though the crimes they were accused of were highly disputable and in many instances dubious. Perhaps government officials should’ve spent time and energy offering million dollar bounties for his return the way they did Asaata Shakur. Perhaps time should’ve been spent securing Congressional proclamations of condemnation or making his extradition to the US a precondition to a normalized or improved relationship between us and France. We seem to have no problem insisting on such things at tax payer expense when it came to seeking out Black and Brown folks fighting against injustice heaped upon our communities.
Roman Polanski
What I find most disturbing is that after all these years what may have triggered Polanski’s arrest was him criticizing and accusing the LA District attorney’s office of gross misconduct. From the way it sounds, it appears that all it took to go after and finally get a seemingly untouchable Polanski arrested was a bruised ego. For 30 years the US Justice system could not grab hold of Polanski because he was hiding out in the south of France or the Swiss Alps. Suddenly he raises his voice against the state and they found a way to get him. Swiss Alps be damned.
This saga spells out a couple of things. Lesson #1– speak out against the state rightly or wrongly, and it is likely to hit back. There are lots of freedom fighters languishing in jails as political prisoners who clearly understand this lesson.
Lesson #2-, which I hope did not go over everybody’s head, is understanding the full scope and wide breadth of discretion that prosecutors seem to have when it comes to tackling crime. From what I can tell, there are no new laws in Switzerland that just sprung up allowing Polanski to finally be arrested. They were always in place, but for some reason even though Polanski had been to Zurich numerous times and even had a nice home over there, our government, in particular the LA district attorney just didn’t seem to have the political will or wherewithal to bring Polanski, a man who raped a 13-year-old to justice. That speaks volumes.
Y’all should marinate on that for a while. While you do that, ask yourself why the Pookies and Ray Rays of our community are doing 10 year bids after vigoriously being persecuted for non-violent crimes and drug addictions and white collar criminals who pillage and plunder you into taking substances are still free except for handful. Think about that while our prosecutors can’t find ways to bring brutalizing cops to justice but will suspend your license and issue an arrest warrant that they will hungrily pursue for unpaid tickets.
Yes, we know there are double standards, but we should not dismiss them and say ‘Oh well that’s how they be’ or ‘Oh well that’s how they do us-what else is knew?‘. My point here is that we should be well aware that there is lots of latitude and hence this should embolden us to fight even harder for people’s freedoms and to fight even harder to bring those who egregiously wronged us to justice. It should be more than obvious that no prosecutor’s hands are tied when it comes to doing what they feel needs to be done.
With that being said, we should also look at the contradictions within Hollywood. Here’s a town that is infamous for social persecutions and ostracization of ‘wrong doers’ and people who stepped on the wrong toes. Everyone knows that there are simply certain buttons you don’t push and certain people you don’t piss off least you suffer serious social and economic consequences. Hollywood is small town and stepping on toes is easy to do with dire consequences, unless you’re Roman Polanski who raped a 13-year-old..Now, call someone a pejorative name like ‘Faggot’ as did actor Isiah Washington and you can find yourself banished with your peers loudly condemning you. Not only will they condemn, many might not even work with you.
Unless your name is Mel Gibson and you are titan in your own right, you best not even think about saying or doing anything that is deemed anti-Semitic. You are likely to not be receiving any Academy Awards. You are likely not to be praised and forget about getting funding for your next film.
When you are a Polanski, you can get your esteemed colleagues coming to your aid petitioning the Swiss government and even Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for your immediate release. You can have your fellow colleagues likes actress Debra Winger go before the world and declare your persecution and date with justice is a Philistine-like act.
When your a Polanski you can be spared a Bill O’reilly like tirade or a Glenn Beck tea party inspired witch hunt. Be Van Jones and curse at a Republican and its gloves our off and the pressure won’t let up until you leave town. Be Roman Polanski and we won’t have deep investigations trying to connect the dots..
Woody Allen
And lets not get it twisted, Polanski not the only one who has done wrong or has raised serious questions in this regard. We still show love and admiration for film director Woody Allen, even though he was accused by his former partner Mia Farrow of molesting her seven year old daughter and as we all know he eventually wound up marrying his ‘step daughter’ Soon-Yi Previn. Allen is still admired and held up as being a pillar in the film industry.
I was tempted to ask the rhetorical question would any of us work for a director who raped a 13-year-old girl? Would any of us work for someone who was accused of molestation and married his step daughter? I was gonna ask that until I remembered many of us would have no qualms in embracing Polanski and Allen. We would embrace them the same way we embrace accused molester R. Kelly. You remember him, the guy who sings those dope songs like ‘Still I can Fly’ and ‘Step in the Name of Love’ ? You remember R.Kelly the guy who somehow beat the charges levied against him, but there was no denying it was him in an underground widely watched x-rated video getting kinky and peeing on an underage girl? But hell if we can love Elvis Presley who was with Priscilla at 14 and Jerry Lee Lewis who was with his cousin when she was 13, I guess why trip off Polanski, Allen and R Kelly right? Our tolerance of such actions and activities says a lot about us as a society…At the very least it says we talk a good game about loving our children, but at the end of the day we do very little to protect them, especially if there’s money to be made.
Aaaah yes..ya gotta love the contradictions in us all….
Something to ponder
-Davey D-