Sunday, October 31, 2021
Friday, October 29, 2021
Our Times.
President released his new $1.75 trillion spending package for the Bill Back Better bill. Negotiations have been going on for months. The question is whether the 2 moderate Democrat Senators will support this framework or not. Sinema and Manchin held up negotiations for months. Biden was involved in hours of debating and discussing this issue too. The ball is in the moderates' courts. The progressives did everything correct, and some of them even compromised to leave out legitimate proposals in the bill too. Therefore, we shall see what the future will be. The bill has no paid family leave, no free community college, no expanded Medicare, and it leaves out an important proposal too. There has been spirited talk. There is universal Republican opposition to the whole bill which shows the Republican leadership's moral bankruptcy on issues of helping the general welfare of humanity. The bill deals with education, climate change, and other issues.
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Our Issues in Our Time.
Some bad news is that the Supreme Court unfortunately double down to shield police officers, who commit police brutality, from misconduct lawsuits. The Supreme Court supports qualified immunity. Its impact on federal civil rights lawsuits against law enforcement and detention facility abuses. We know of President Ulysses S. Grant signing into law Title 42 of the United States Code, Section 1983 to enforce the due process and equal protection guarantees embodied in the Fourteenth Amendment. The 14th Amendment promoted due process and federally guaranteed rights to people. On October 18, 2021 at Monday, the Supreme Court dismissed two Section 1983 police brutality suits. It supported qualified immunity which is a judge made doctrine which isn't constitutional. Section 1983 of the Federal Civil Rights Act gives a person the right to due a person in federal court for money damages (if a person is is deprived of a constitutional right). Excessive force done by the police is a violation of the Fourth Amendment's ban on unreasonable seizures causing the Section 1983 liability. The 7th Amendment permits a trial by jury. The legislation that would have banned qualified immunity has not come into fruition. We voted for change not the status quo.
The Virginia race has a huge test on November of 2021. Once again, Youngkin is one some race baiting nonsense, because he opposing critical race theory. He isn't against it for any politically logical reason. He believes in the myth that America is near perfect, and sugarcoating America's real history is necessary for society to move forward. Youngkin is known for his views. There is a dead heat between Mcaulife and Youngkin. We have an unique time in our history. We know of the Republican Party's hypocrisy. GOP Rep. Greene described the White House planning session for Trump's attempted coup for the January 6th objection. Many are calling Greene to be expelled from Congress. I agree with them after an investigation.
The racist Rep. Mo Brooks is trying to deny his role in the 1/6 terrorist attack. Brooks was the one at the hate rally who wanted people to take name and use violence. Brooks lied and claimed that the Democratic Party wants to wage a war on "whites." Also, President Biden rejects Trump's claim of executive privilege, as Trump is trying to end the legal, just House investigation of the 1/6 insurrection. Brooks, who is a Republican, said that he would be produce if his staff was involved in the planning of the January 6th terrorist attack. I agree with Rep. Ted Lieu that Mo Brooks shouldn't be in Congress as defending the terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol on 1/6. We are clear that criminals who nearly ended American democracy as we know it should have accountability. That is why we believe in personal integrity in our existence.
Today is the Birthday of Sister Lynn Toler, and she is now 62 years old. For decades, she has been an American lawyer, a judge, a TV arbitrator, and a television presenter. Her expertise in legal affairs has been incredible, and her life lessons have inspires tons of people in their own various journeys of living life. Columbus, Ohio is the city of her birth. She earned an undergraduate degree in English and American Literature from Harvard College in 1981. She earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1984. During her early career, she served as a sole municipal judge in Cleveland Heights Municipal Court for 8 years after working as an attorney specializing in civil matters. She won her first judicial race by 6 votes at 34 years old. She was a Democratic person. She mentored teenage girls and saved many lives. She served on many boards like The Juvenile Diabetes Board, The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), and The Cleveland Domestic Violence Center. She received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from The Cleveland Domestic Violence Center. From 2001 to 2006, she was an adjunct professor at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio (where she created and taught courses on Civil Rights Law and Women's Rights). She has been on many shows like Divorce Court. She wrote books and loves her husband Eric Mumford along with their 2 sons including 4 stepsons. The family lives in Mesa, Arizona. I wish Sister Judge Lynn Toler more Blessings.
By Timothy
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Kevin Samuels and his Sexism
Petition · Remove Kevin Samuels From ALL Social Media Platforms! · Change.org
Kevin R. Samuels: Anti-dog, sexist | We Need to Talk (medium.com)
How pseudo-love guru Kevin Samuels exploits the vulnerability of Black women (yahoo.com)
Petition · Remove Kevin Samuels from YouTube and Instagram · Change.org
Monday, October 25, 2021
Niaxk 77's New Words.
Nixak*77*
Marvin
a month ago
Seems Matt.D got most offended / his feelings got 'hurt' the most when Dr Egnor suggested Matt's not really a true atheist- Humm...
Matt's & Tyler's ilk just don't get it, it totally inconsistent for atheists to assert there's no such thing as objective moral truth on one, deny events in the Bible [ala the Passover & the Noahtic Flood] even ever happened out one side of their mouth, while making 'moral judgments' about them out the other side of their mouth. DJ.by19 once loud asserted 'God's a 'moral-monster', all while denying God exists & denying there's even a such thing as objective moral truth. Yet he claimed those assertion(s) was / were perfectly 'logical' [NOT!]- WOW!!
Nixak*77*
Gary Whittenberger
2 months ago
From Wikipedia: Lazarus Syndrome: } also known as autoresuscitation after failed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is the spontaneous return of a normal cardiac rhythm after failed attempts at resuscitation. Its occurrence has been noted in medical literature at least 38 times since 1982. It takes its name from Lazarus who, as described in the New Testament, was raised from the dead by Jesus. - Occurrences of the syndrome are extremely rare, and the causes are not well understood...
Cases: Anthony Yahle, 37, in Bellbrook, Ohio, USA, was breathing abnormally at 4 a.m. on 5 August 2013, and could not be woken. After finding that Yahle had no pulse, first responders administered CPR and were able to retrieve a stable-enough heartbeat to transport him to the emergency room. Later that afternoon, he again suffered cardiac arrest for 45 minutes at Kettering Medical Center and was pronounced dead after all efforts to resuscitate him failed. When his son arrived at the hospital to visit his supposed-to-be deceased father, he noticed a heartbeat on the monitor that was still attached to his father. Resuscitation efforts were resumed, and Yahle was successfully revived.
- The Record: Velma Thomas, 59, of Nitro, West Virginia, USA holds the record time for recovering from clinical death. In May 2008, Thomas went into cardiac arrest at her home. Medics were able to establish a faint pulse after eight minutes of CPR. Her heart stopped twice after arriving at the hospital and she was placed on life support. Doctors attempted to lower her body temperature to prevent additional brain injury. She was declared clinically dead for 17 hours after doctors failed to detect brain activity. Her son, Tim Thomas, stated that "her skin had already started hardening, her hands and toes were curling up, they were already drawn". She was taken off life support and funeral arrangements were in progress. However, ten minutes after being taken off life support, she revived and recovered. {
Nixak*77*
Gary Whittenberger
2 months ago
Per you: 'The brain dies... approximately from 0 to 30 minutes since stoppage of the heart and lungs.'
You are aware that there're documented NDE cases where the patient revived well over 30 mins after the heart & lung had 'flat-lined'. In some of these cases the patient was unhooked from life-support & even removed from the ER. In some cases the patient was actually taken to the morgue where they spontaneously 'revived'- HRS after their heart, lungs & brain had 'flat-lined'. The longest such case I know of that's been documented, the patient spontaneously revived 17 - 18 HRS after she was pronounced clinically dead.
You may say ZERO, yet there have been 1000s of documented NDE cases from around the World over the past several decades.
Monday Updates on Late October 2021.
In the beginning, my paternal ancestors came from 2 locations. These places are in the Eastern Shore of Virginia and at Halifax County, North Carolina. This is common as many people from Hampton Roads, Virginia have ancestors or relatives who originated from North Carolina too. To start, my ancestors from North Carolina came from a man named James D. and a woman named Edney D. Both of them were my 4th great grandparents. They had a child named Alfred D. (b. 1828). He married my 3rd great grandmother named Jennie D. (1820-1919). They had children named Alfred D. (b. 1880), Adam D. (b. 1862), James D. (b. 1863), Daniel D. (b. 1868), and Frank Grant D. (1869-1949). I came from Adam D. who was my 2rd great grandfather. Adam D. had over 10 children. He lived in North Carolina. His first wife was Georganna Tillery or my 2nd great grandmother, and they married in 1886. The children of Adam D. and Georganna Tillery were: Carl D. (1886-1968), Arthur Lawrence D. (1889-1944), Ada (Ettie) D. (1890-1960), Penora D. (b. 1895), Mancy D. (1896-1964), Oren D. (b. 1899), Ily D. (b. 1903), and Leatte D. Williams (b. 1897). Adam D. had many children with Nancy Reynolds (1888-1982. Adam and Nancy Reynolds married at August 12, 1908 at Halifax, North Carolina) whose names are: Paul D. (b. 1910), Alphonso D. (1911-1977), Elvin D. (1914-2002), Sarah D. Lee (1917-2013), James D. (1919-2003), Cleveland D. (1921-1921), Joseph D. (1922-2001), Roberta D. (1925-1926), Geneva D. (1927-2016), Emma Eunice D. (1929-1998), and Carrie Bell D. (1931-1979). Adam had children with Mary Eliza Edmunds (b. 1873. They married at 1905 in Halifax, North Carolina) too whose names are Ethel Lee Edmunds (1909-1983), Ernest Edmunds (b. 1910), Mary Selma Edmunds (b. 1911), and Hattie M. Edmonds (b. 1928).
Nancy Reynolds was the last wife of Adam D., and my father said that he saw her before. My father saw Sarah D. Lee before too. Many of my paternal family stayed in Halifax, North Carolina. Other members of my family migrated from Halifax to Charlotte, North Carolina, the Virginian Eastern Shore, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Florida, and other places of America. This started by the early to mid 20th century. My great grandfather was Carl D. (1886-1968). He married Lizzie Trice (1885-1950) on April 15, 1907 at Halifax, North Carolina. Their children are Linwood D. (1907-1971), Annie Mae D. (1910-1984), Ernestine D. Lee (1911-1994), William McKinley D. (b. 1914), James Curtis D. (1915-1992), Esley D. (1917-2001), Thurman Lee D. (1919-1985), Ollie D. (1920-2004), Levi D. Sr. (1923-2015), and Melson D. (b. 1925). Thurman Lee D. was my grandfather, and she married Effie Sarah Bryant on April 10, 1944 at Northampton County, Virginia (at the Eastern Shore). Their children are Minnie, the late Thomas, the late Effie, and my father. My father and my mother conceived me. Effie Sarah Bryant's ancestors came from George (b. 1815) and Esther Perkins (b. 1816) from the Eastern Shore of Virginia. These parents are my 4th great grandparents. It's a well known fact that I'm related to the Upshur family in the Eastern Shore. It started with George and Esther Perkins' daughter named Carolina Perkins (1862-1927).
The 1870 United States Federal Census mentioned that she lived in Eastville, Northampton County, Virginia being 8 years old and born to the parents of George and Esther Perkins. Caroline Perkins was my late 3rd great grandaunt. She married Henry Upshur (1858-1940) on December 29, 1881 at Northampton County, Virginia (at the Eastern Shore). Their children were Henry Upshur (b. 1883), Messina Upshur (b. 1887), Mayfield Upshur (b. 1888), William Thomas Upshur (1894-1923), Roxyanana Upshur (b. 1895), Corinthia Upshur (B. 1897), Renthy Upshur (b. 1897), Winkie Upshur (b. 1898), Elton Upshur (b. 1900), Virginia Upshur Drummond (1903-1993), and Carrie Upshur (b. 1905). My late 1st cousin Virginia Upshur Drummond was born in Wardtown, Virginia on October 18, 1903. She married Gowans Drummond at Franktown, Virginia on March 25, 1923. The couple had many children who are: Virginia Celestine Leonora Drummond (1924-2013), Maurice G. Drummond (b. 1928), Booker Washington Drummond (1930-1999), Rebecca Drummond (b. 1932), and Evelyn Drummond (B. 1936). These children are my 2nd cousins. My 2nd cousin Virginia Celestine Leonora Drummond (1924-2013) was born on February 1, 1924 at Northampton County, Virginia. She married Tom Bedford Rogan on June 2, 1945 at Norfolk, Virginia. Their children are Thomas Leon Rogan (1946-1990) and Clariesa Lenora Rogan (b. 1950). My 3rd cousin Clariesa Lenora Rogan married Floyd Dawn on February 21, 1980 at Fairfax, Virginia. Their children are Tiana Genese Dawson and Kelly Nicole Dawson (who are my 4th cousins).
The culture of the 1950's was not monolithic regardless of what some believe. It is a time when there were diverse changes and movements going about in America and the world. There was a population boom in American society. Many Americans moved into the Sunbelt, the West Coast, and other locations. Many people moved from the cities into the suburbs. By the 1950's, early deindustralization and declining populations in some large cities developed. The issue is that many black people who wanted to live in the suburbs were restricted from doing so because of structural racism, redlining, and other reasons. The federal government investigated in national highways. The car culture expanded. Harley Earl of the Ford Motor Company promoted cars with chrome that reminded people of jet planes. The evolution of the American economy were more centered on service jobs. Multinational corporations increased its power. Back then, the vast majority of the families in America were nuclear families being promoted on TV, movies, and in educational institutions. There were massive conformity, and a rebellion against that conformity too. Dr. Benjamin Spock's Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Cure was about parents should nurture children from infants to their teen years. New vaccines and antibiotics increased the life expectancy of human beings. Also, there were a renewed religious revival among Billy Graham and people of other denominations. This came during the McCarthy era as many folks (who were progressives, socialists, etc.) were violated of their First Amendment rights because of their political views. Another important part of 1950's culture deals with TV having a central role in culture. TV shows like the Nat King Cole show, I Love Lucy, Ozzie and Harriet, etc. were popular. Since 1952, TV have had massive impact in the Presidential race. Music like rock and roll, R&B, the blues, and jazz dominated the 1950's culture. Rock and Roll came from the Delta from the blues by African Americans. There is no rock and roll without black people. All of the great musicians acknowledge this too. Chuck Berry, Rosetta Sharpe, Little Richard, and other innovators have done rock and roll too. A young Elvis Presley was inspired by B.B. King and other black musicians to expand his career too. B.B. King came from Memphis like Elvis. Tons of teenagers loved rock and roll. Back then, America was a more conservative society, so people even thought that every form of rock and roll was vulgar. Also, the 1950's saw diverse people like African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans, poor people, women, and other minorities promoting their own interests. The fight for liberation existed for thousands of years.
David Riesman and Nathan Glazer wanted people to have their own power to reject conformity. We know about the Beats who wanted to use culture, literature, and music to wanted no massive conformity. The Beatniks wanted peace, joy, and self expression. Also, many black people exposed urban renewal and other oppressive conditions going on. Poverty was a real problem back then and today too. Many people like black people, Latino people, Asian people, and Native Americans made their voices known.
By the early 1960's, Motown dominated the charts. It was soul music that appealed to black people and people of every color. It was created in 1959, and it was headed by Berry Gordy. Gordy worked like an car production line to sign artists and produce hit records. Some of the great musicians of early Motown were The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Mary Wells, The Temptations, and the Marvettes. There were other singers showing their voices like Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Sam Cooke, and The Four Tops. The culture of the early 1960's and the culture of the late 1950's in style and dress. During the 1960's Olympics, Wilma Rudolph and Muhammad Ali won gold in track and boxing respectively. By the 1960's, the start of a massive cultural revolution happened. From women to African Americans, nothing will be the same. More human beings showed their confidence in unprecedented ways. Films like Nothing But a Man exposed the real life racism that black people have faced in America for centuries.
R&B Culture definitely deals with the business of the music industry. The important thing for any musician in any genre is to study contracts, publishing, and other facets of economics. The industry has always been cutthroat and protecting assets and funds is always the responsibility of any artist. Also, R&B culture is involved in advertising, art, dealing with fans, hotel privileges, and the development of businesses. Many businesses, both large and small, use R&B music to sell merchandise, foods, and other services. R&B music is not monolithic or static either. It evolves witness the shifting times. Musicians should inspire younger artists to follow lessons, cultivate their talents, and to grow their gifts. Today, we live in a time where were have old school sounds and new school energy in overall R&B culture.
Chicago is a city with a massive gospel history. Gospel came from folk, jazz, blues, and American spirituals. Thomas Andrew Dorsey worked in gospel during the 20th century. He was born outside of Atlanta, Georgia in a rural town. He moved in South during the first Great Migration of 1919. In 1931, Dorsey, Magnolia Lewis Butts, and Theodore Roosevelt Frye created the first gospel choir in Chicago at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. Dorsey worked at Pilgrim Baptist Church on South Indiana Avenue. He was the director of the Pilgrim gospel choir for almost 60 years. Dorsey helped to use music to inspire many artists. Chicago was the city involved in gospel artists like Mahalia Jackson, Roberta Martin, Sallie Martin, and Kenneth Morris. Chicago is home to many of the largest gospel music publishing houses. The Bowles Music House Inc. is one such music publishing house along with the Martin and Morris Music Studio, Inc. Since 1985, both traditional and contemporary gospel styles have been celebrated each summer during Gospel Fest or Chicago's annual salute to gospel music.
Detroit have a long history involving gospel music. Back in the 1940's, Oliver Green formed the Detroiters who was one of the most popular gospel groups of their time. During the 1950's, there was a Laura Lee and a young Della Reese to started their gospel careers as the Meditations Singers. They were the premier Detroit based woman gospel group of the era. They had instrumental backing and traditional acapella vocals. Della joined the ranks of the gospel leaders in Detroit. Mattie Moss Clark is believed to be the first to show three party harmony into gospel choral music. In the 1960's, Detroit gospel music had the Reverend C. L. Franklin with his recorded sermons on Chess Records' gospel label. There was the album of spirituals recorded at his New Bethel Baptist Church including the debut of his young daughter, Grammy Award winner Aretha Franklin. Aretha Franklin was a gospel legendary singer too. By the 1980's, Detroit's Winans dynasty of singer existed with CeCe and BeBe Winans including their other relatives. Later, there were J. Moss, Bill Moss Jr., The Clark Sister, Rance Allen Group, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Thomas Whitfield, Bryon Cage, and Fred Hammond. Kierra Sheard-Kelly is another Detroit gospel singer who is the daughter of gospel singer Karen Clark Sheard.
By Timothy
Sunday, October 24, 2021
Black Agenda Report News.
Friday, October 22, 2021
The Past and the Present.
The House voted to recommend contempt for Steve Bannon. We know Bannon to be a Trump supporter, racist, and far right extremist. The Attorney General Garland said that the DOJ will apply facts and the law to Steve Bannon's contempt decision. We must always embrace truth. The truth is that democracy is under threat by extremists who want elections to restrict voting rights. We have the racist Trump launching his own social media network to spew lies. Also, we realize that it isn't just Trump involved in this reactionary anti-democratic movement. We have the Proud Boys, the 3 Percenters, and other extremists who want to destroy the progressive progress in American society. They have made it clear that they hate human diversity, they hate immigration, they hate black people, and they hate truth. There is no other way to put it. Our minds are clear to advocate not just equality but justice. We must have equality and human justice too. That is why we follow real creeds.
Today is an urgent day in American history. Recently, the Senate voted to not support progressive voting rights legislation. The Republicans in leadership are clear to not care for protecting the right to vote for all Americans. Republicans are not the only ones to be blamed here. Moderates are just as guilty as promoting compromise instead of human liberation. We see the Earth burning, the right to vote suppressed by unjust laws in Texas (including Georgia and other states), inequality still here, and our democracy being harmed viciously. This is a time where that archaic filibuster must be eliminated period. Joe Manchin and Sinema are moderate who are silent like usual. Sinema doesn't even want to go on the record to promote universal health care, free community college, and a real infrastructure bill. The Freedom to Vote Act was voted down. It would make election day a holiday, have automatic and same day voting, 2 weeks early voting, empower the FEC, and have a ballot paper trail rule. If voting rights legislation is not passed, the Republican may actually cheat to steal elections in 2022 and 2024. In 1890, the filibuster was used to block legislation to protect the right of black Americans to vote. Now, the filibuster is used against to restrict the right to vote among black people, other people of color, etc. Abolishing the filibuster is necessary.
This time is the 55th year anniversary of the birth of the Black Panther Party of Self Defense. That has been some time. Today, we have new movements for social change all of the time. The Black Panther Party was one of the most revolutionary movements of human history. It was born out of many situations. First, there was the 2 Great Migrations of African Americans from the South to the North, Midwest, and West Coast. The first one was from ca. 1910-1940 and the 2nd one was from ca. 1940-1970. Many black people who came into those regions wanted to escape Jim Crow apartheid. Yet, they witnessed the same police brutality, miseducation, redlining, racial discrimination, and economic oppression as found in the South. Black people worked up North in industrial jobs, the military, etc. There, the Black Panther Party was a group who advocated self defense, and it was on the progressive side of the Black Power movement of the 1960's. They questioned non violence as the sole act to create meaningful change. The truth is that both nonviolence and self-defense are legitimate, powerful methods in causing freedom and justice for all. The BPP was more than about grown men and grown women wearing black clothing, having guns, and saying Power to the People.
They had a philosophy of being against racism and imperialism. They abhorred capitalist exploitation, and it was formed by Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton. Both of them were influenced by the literature and views of Frantz Fanon, Mao, Malcolm X, Robert F. Williams, etc. They viewed the ghetto as a colonized, occupied territory by the powers that be to restrict power from the common people. We know of tons of stories of the Brothers and Sisters in the Black Panther Party who heroically fed children, sent people transportation services to help people, and monitored the police. They wanted to respond to police terrorism and poverty in Oakland, California. It branched out all across America and worldwide from NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, D.C. and to Iowa. Also, this time of 1966 saw the capitalist boon leaving out millions of the poor and workers, disproportionately affecting African Americans. Economic dispossession and oppression influenced the rebellions in the 1960's. The 1963 rebellion in Birmingham, the 1964 one in Harlem, the 1965 on in Watts, etc. showed the world that we are living in a new era of time. The Panthers merged nationalist views and socialist views together.
They were right to oppose the Vietnam War as unjust. Police murder of many Panthers and the FBI targeting them proved that the Black Panthers were one of the major targets of the establishment. Back then, the FBI was headed by the hypocrite J. Edgar Hoover. Hoover supported the FBI COINTELPRO program whose goal was to infiltrate and end progressive, anti-war movements for social change in American society. Hoover didn't want what he called a "Black Messiah" to electrify the black community to end injustice in general. Hoover wanted confusion and disinformation to ruin social causes. That is why FBI agents helped to cause the Huey P. Newton and Eldridge Cleaver divide by the early 1970's. Cleaver later sold out revolutionaries by being a Reagan supporter, loving compromise, and going out to believe in American exceptionalism. They or FBI forces even targeted the SCLC, which is a Christian, nonviolent organization. Young people were definitely inspired by the BPP for its social activism and sense of action to end oppression. Chicago Panther leader Fred Hampton (who said that we won't defeat oppression with black capitalism or white capitalism but with solidarity in socialism) was one leader who helped to do so much good that the Chicago police murdered him and Mark Clark in cold blood. The murder of both Panthers were some of the most wicked, vicious acts of the American government against black human beings. The Chicago police shot 99 shots at the location, and Mark Clark only fired one shot out of a human reflex. The Ten Point Program showed what the Black Panthers have stood for concretely from opposing the military draft to desiring investments in building up the community prodigiously. The Black Panthers used the Free Breakfast Program to feed kids, use transportation services to help people travel, have blood drives to help the sick, form health clinics, and created schools to educate the people. Infiltration, infighting, and other errors caused the BPP to end by 1982. You have to unite the working class and the poor to cause justice without adventurism. The 1960's saw an international upheaval of the working class against the oligarchs. Yet, we learn the lessons of heroic Black Panther members to continue to fight for the goal of total black liberation. The memory of the Black Panthers still remains an important part of the overall black freedom struggle.
The struggle continues, but in the end, we will be victorious.
By Timothy
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
More Developments in late October 2021.
During this time, you can't blame progressives for the legislation delay. The progressives have tried and compromised so much that there are no excuses now. The moderates have not only disgraced themselves by not even wanting federal investments in Medicaid expansion. They have the nerve to cite West Virginia as an excuse to not go into bold policies, but most West Virginians agree with taxes on the super wealthy, fighting climate change, and preserving our voting rights for real. The Freedom to Vote Act must be passed by the Senate. The reconciliation legislation should never be watered down to appease compromisers. It should be a representation of the interests of workers, families, the poor, and all of the people. Manchin has refused to support voting rights legislation that restores pre-clearance. Manchin (who believes in advocating work requirements for the child benefit program which is cruel) believes in codifying the vote ID which is ludicrous. That is why we want an infrastructure law that invests in living wages, healthcare, education, climate justice, roads, bridges, voting rights, democracy in general, and our lives.
One of the most important stories now is the North American largest container port backlog. About 200,000 shipping containers remain on ships off the coast of Los Angeles. This is related to the pandemic related gridlock that has harmed supply chains all across America. There are about 2 weeks of work sitting in the sea. If nothing is done quickly, shipping of supplies like toys and other supplies could be delayed for months. That is why the White House desiring the port to have a 24/7 operating schedule. Another problem is how there is a shortage of cargo owners using the terminals. There is a shortage of truck drivers to handle the work. Truck drivers are major workers who bring in cargo globally. The Port of LA is open now. We have more demand too. Americans spend more money on goods. Imported goods have increased over the years too. Ports being congested have been caused by a higher demand for goods and commodities as the global economy is recovering from the pandemic. Prices are going up for consumers, shipping costs have increased, and ships or containers are limited. These are the reasons for this backlog crisis.
Days ago, some sad news is that a son of Harlem, NYC passed away. His name is Colin Luther Powell. He was raised in the Bronx, NYC. For a time, he fought the pandemic virus, Parkinson's, and a weakened immune system. For decades, he has been a leader in conflicts globally. Also, he had a loving wife that stood by him every step of the way. A woman always will bring out the best in society. Colin Powell was the first black American to be the Secretary of State. He was a diplomat and worked alongside his friend and successor Condoleezza Rice. By merit and courage, he rose up the military ranks to be a 4 star general. By 1989, he was the Commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command. Powell expressed regrets over making false arguments in the United Nations that led ultimately to the disastrous Iraq War. Volunteering and public service were part of his personal philosophies that he advocated daily in his life. Hardwork, love of country, and a sense of purpose characterize his journey as well. He was one of the many moderate Republicans who criticized far right extremists like Donald Trump. After the 1/6 insurrection against democracy by terrorists, Colin Powell left the Republican Party forever which he had every right to do. Powell supported the Biden Presidency. Condolences are sent to his family and friends. He was one of the most prominent men of the 20th and 21st centuries.
RIP Colin Powell.
Days ago was the Birthday of Brother Wyclef Jean, and he is now 52 years old. He was born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti. He is one of the greatest entertainers of our generation. He was raised in a religious household. Later, Wyclef worked with the world famous Fugees with Pras and the legendary Lauryn Hill. They had the Score which was one of the most best selling albums of all time. Wyclef Jean had his solo album of the Carnival in 1997 that had the song of 'Gone till November." he had more albums with songs like 911 ft. Mary J. Blige, etc. She worked with Destiny's Child, etc. He won 3 Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe Award nomination for his musical work. He moved into Brooklyn, NYC, and lived in East Orange plus Newark, New Jersey. He loved his wife Marie Claudinette, a designer of Fusha. They have a daughter together. Wyclef Jean is certainly an icon of music.
Now, the Chicago Sky is the team that won their first franchise WNBA championship in 2021. It is a historic time. Candace Parker celebrated with her teammates and family in an emotional celebration. The WNBA concluded its 25th anniversary season. Its viewership has increased from last year. The Chicago Sky defeated the Mercury with the score of 80-74. Also, Sky guard Kahleah Copper won the 2021 Finals MVP by averaging 17 points and 5.5 rebounds in the series. Candace Parker (who is a forward) finished the game with 16 points and team high 13 rebounds. The WNBA viewership has increased by 51% as compared to the 2020 regular season. Candace Parker mentioned Kobe and his daughter Gianni as giving her inspirational in her victory at her hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Chicago has it first professional championship in a major sports team since the year of 1998. Thousands of fans were with them on their team parade up Michigan Avenue. Courtney Vandersloot and other players were in a jubilant mood. Thousands of people have came to join in the festival.
By Timothy.
Monday, October 18, 2021
Late October 2021 Updates.
STEM has always been part of everyday human life for thousands of years. From the Sumerians creating the wheel to the many African American inventors of the modern age, STEM has changed the world in a myriad of ways. The way we turn on a vehicle with our keys, the way that electricity flows in a home, and the way how space travel is possible deals with discoveries and inventions. Back to basis, human history is filled with developing more simplistic tools to advanced computerized systems. One of the most important technological inventions are the computer and the iPhone that have changed the whole world for years. In the time frame of the thousands of years of human history, a diverse assortments of events happened. During ancient times, after the Ice Age, there was the Neolithic agricultural revolutions causing crops being domesticated. Later, there was the Bronze and Iron Ages that saw the Great Pyramids of ancient Egypt, other architectural marvels, and the growth of modern medicine that has helped human lives. During the centuries after the birth of Jesus Christ, there has been even more mathematical, engineering, science, and other technological discoveries like the finding of DNA to the mapping of the whole human genetic code. One of the most unsung scientists was George Washington Carver. He was a great scientist who aided in nutrition of farm families. He developed many recipes dealing with peanuts, etc. Another chemist named Percy Lavon Julian made chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants. Lonnie George Johnson is an engineer who invented the Super Soaker water gun. One of the greatest STEM leaders of all time was the late Dr. Annie J. Easley (1933-2011). She was a computer scientist, mathematician, and rocket scientist. She worked for the Glenn Research Center of NASA, and she was one of the first African Americans to work at NASA. Birmingham, Alabama was the place of her birth, and she was an expert in computer engineering. She loved to ski too. So, we remember the past, so the present and the future can be better. That's our creed in living our lives.
On this Hispanic Heritage Month (during October of 2021), it is important to celebrate Afro-Latino leaders. One Afro-Latino leader is Maria Isabel Urrutia. She was an Olympic athlete. Also, she was the first person to win gold for Columbia at the Summer Olympic Games. She was a politician at the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia. She was born in March 25, 1965 at Candelaria, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. She was involved in the shot put, discus, and weightlifter. She has fought for black people, women, and other marginalized people in the nation of Colombia for years. Miriam Jimenez Roman wrote a book entitled The Afro-Latino Reader: History and Culture in the United States. She leads the Afro Latino Forum that helps to raise awareness of Afro-Latinos in America. Jose Celso Barbosa was a physician, sociologist, and politician. He was one of the first Afro-Puerto Rican to have a medical degree in America. He was the executive cabinet under Puerto Rican Governor Charles H. Allen. He joined the Puerto Rican Senate, he fought for statehood. He also formed El Tiempo or the island's first bilingual newspaper. Afro-Latino Sylvia de Villard is from San Juan, Puerto Rico. She has been an actress, dancer, and activist. She studied at Fisk University in Tennessee. Her ballet group was called Africa House. Her Afro-Boricua El Coqui Theater. It is one of the greatest Afro-Latino institutions in the world. del Villard fought anti-black racism along with Carmen Belen Richardson. Julia de Burgos celebrated her Blackness in one poem and her activism work. Arturo Schomburg is a well known Afro-Latino scholar who helped to form the Schomburg Center in Harlem (that celebrated African American culture and cultures from all over the black African Diaspora).
This year of 2021 is now the 75th year anniversary of the NBA (the National Basketball Association). It was born on June 6, 1946 at New York City. It went from a small league to have now of 30 teams (including one in Canada), and one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States of America plus Canada. For decades, it has featured some of the best players in basketball players in history. It has included many activists who stood up for racial and social justice long before it became popular. One example is that Bill Russell fought for civil rights in America during the 1960's. Bill Russell is one of the top 5 greatest players of all time in my opinion. Its original name was the Basketball Association of America (BAA). It later changed its name to the NBA on August 3, 1949, after merging with the competing National Basketball League (NBL). NBA Players now including some of the highest paid athletes by average in terms of their national income. During the early years of the NBA, it was found in large arenas, small gyms, and a mix of large including small cities. The teams, during the early years, were found in the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia Warriors, Syracuse Nationals, etc. The Pistons moved from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Detroit in 1957. The first person of color in the NBA was the Japanese-American Wataru Misaka during the 1947-48 season. He played for the New York Knicks. The first black African American player was Harold Hunter, who played for the Washington Capitol in 1950. Later, more black players came into the NBA like Chuck Cooper, Nathaneile Clifton, and Earl Lloyd. One of the leading centers of the early days was George Mikan, who won 5 NBA Championships. He was part of the Minneapolis Lakers being the league's first dynasties.
By 1954, the NBA introduced the 24 second shot clock in order to encourage shooting and discourage stalling. If the clock ends, and one team fails to make a shot, the ball is given to the other team. The rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics in 1957. He took the league by storm. The guard in the Celtics was Bob Cousy, and the coach of the team during the start was Red Auerbach. They led the Boston Celtics to win 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons. The center Wilt Chamberlain entered the league with the Warriors in 1959. He was a dominant individual star of the 1960's being one of the top 5 best NBA players in history. Wilt Chamberlain has the single game record in scoring being 100 points in a game and rebounding (being 55 rebounds in one game). Russell's rivalry with Chamberlain became one of the greatest rivalries in the history of American team sports. The 1960's was a time dominated by the Celtics and other players from other teams too. One of the greatest players during the 1960's and 1970's was Oscar Robertson. Oscar Robertson was an outstanding NBA player who can play defense and offense including Elgin Baylor. Elgin Baylor's creativity influenced the creative offensive displays of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James. The Celtics won in 1968 and in 1969. The League evolved. By the end of the 1960's, the Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles, the Phiadelphia Warriors moved to San Francisco, the Syracuse Nationals became the Philadelphia 76ers, and the St. Louis Hawks moved into Atlanta. By the late 1960's and 1970's, the rival ABA league existed. The ABA was the American Basketball Association that had more freedom and had just as much great talent as the NBA. The NBA later saw Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rick Barry, and others. Rick Barry also came into the ABA too. ABA stars were like Julius Erving of the Virginia Squires. Jerry West of the NBA was the picture on the logo of the league too. The ABA merged with the NBA by the 1977 season. The 1970's saw excellent players like Jabbar, Dave Cowens, Erving, Elvin Hayes, Walt Frazier, Moses Malone, Artis Gimore, George Gervin, Dan Issel, and Pete Maravich.
The popularity of the NBA soared by 1979 to 1998. The three point field goal was added to the NBA in 1979. In 1979, the rookies of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird joined the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics respectively. They changed the game forever. The NBA increased in its growth and support. Both players faced each other in the 1979 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game. They played against each other in 3 NBA Finals (1984, 1985, and 1987). Magic won 5 NBA titles, and Bird won 3 NBA titles. Then, you have Isaiah Thomas who played for the Detroit Pistons, and he was born in Chicago. In 1984, David Stern became the NBA commissioner. He was the best in history helping to grow the league internationally not just nationally. In 1984, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olujawon, and other legends were in the league. Michael Jordan had an immediate impact when he came into the league. Michael Jordan struggled in the beginning, and later, he became the greatest NBA player of all time with his courage, scoring, defending, and all around leadership. The league grew in 1988 and 1989 into Charlotte, Miami, Orlando, and Minnesota. In 1989 and 1990, the Detroit Pistons won 2 NBA Titles with Isaiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, Bill Laimbeer, and other playing in the team. Chuck Daly was the coach. Most of the 1990's was dominated by the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan as the team leader. The Bulls back then was coached by Phil Jackson. The Bulls won 2 3 peats from 1991-1998. Hakeem Olajuwon and other players won back to back titles with the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995. The international growth of the NBA happened with the 1992 Olympic basketball Dream Team. It had Michael Jordan, Bird, Magic, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Charles Barkley, and NCAA payer Christian Laettner. The Dream Team was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 11 of its players and 3 coaches were elected to the Hall of Fame as individuals. In 1995, there were the Raptors and the Vancouver Grizzlies. In 1996, the Women's National Basketball Association of the WNBA was born with support from the NBA. Michael Jordan retired on top in 1998 for his 2nd time after he won his 6th NBA Championship.
A 1998 lockout shortened the 1998-1999 season. The Spurs from San Antonio won their championship in 1999 with David Robinson and Tim Duncan. The Western Conference dominated the league after Michael Jordan left the Bulls.Phil Jackson led the Lakers and Gregg Popovich led the San Antonio Spurs to have 10 titles in the 21st century. By 2000, Shaq and Kobe Bryant won 3 straight NBA Titles from 2000 to 2002. The Spurs beat the Nets in 2003. The Pistons won the NBA Championship in 2004. After the violence on November 2004, the league changed its policies by limiting the sale of alcohol, increasing security, and having stricter rules. The fight was between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons. In 2005, the Spurs won the title, and the Miami Heat won it in 2006. In this time, Lebron James was in the league. From early won, Lebron James would be another all-time great. IN 2007, the Spurs beat Lebron and the Cavs. In 2008, the Celtics beat the Lakes in the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant used that defeat as motivation to win back to back Championships in 2009 and 2010. This was after the USA Redeem Team winning gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing. The new Big Three of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade helped to win championships in 2012 and 2013. In 2011, Drik Nowitzki won it for the Dallas Mavericks. LeBron James came back to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014. By this time, there was the Golden State Warriors with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson being leaders of that team. The Warriors had the best record in league history with 73-9 in 2016. In 2016, LeBron won his championship with the Cavaliers to overcome a 3-1 deficit. In 2017 and 2018, Kevin Durant used his skills to win the Finals against the Cavaliers. The Toronto Raptors beat the Warriors in 2019 with Kawhi Leonard winning another title. The pandemic was in the 2019-2020 season. Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus early on. The 2020 Finals between the LA Lakers and the Miami Heat ended with Lebron James and the Lakers winning another title. In 2021, the Minnesota Bucs won their first championship in a long time with Giannis as the MVP. The NBA Cares program helps to promote social responsibility in addressing social issues worldwide. Now, the NBA is here and still strong after 75 years.
Saturday, October 16, 2021
Friday, October 15, 2021
Friday Developments.
Politically, all eyes are on Virginia. Virginia has been one major center of American culture for numerous reasons. I'm a black Virginian, and Mcauliffe and Youngkin are running for the Governor of Virginia. Youngkin can't have it both ways. He can't show reactionary views in private and then claim to be above it all. He has refused to condemn Trump completely. He has refused to advocate for an increase of a minimum wage, and he has stated that he is against progressive policies in many cases. I voted early today, and it is obvious who I voted for. This is one of the most important Virginia gubernatorial elections in American history. Voting is more than a human right. It's certainly a great responsibility to defend our freedoms. Early voting is one of the most pro-democratic actions that anyone can make. Also, we have voting rights legislation in Congress that must be passed. At the end of the day, universal health care, universal pre-K, environmental protections, racial justice, and economic justice are creeds that we accept wholeheartedly.
Right now, Trump has increased his hold on the Republican Party. Back in the day, there were moderate or liberal Republicans like Abraham Lincoln and Jackie Robinson for a time. Yet, even Jackie Robinson got so disgusted with racist Goldwater supporters in the 1964 RNC at San Francisco that he voted for Johnson in 1964 and Humphrey in 1968. So, the GOP has totally been so far right that they are off the cliff. They are trying to use legislative deception and other tactics in order to eliminate legal elections, eliminate voting rights protections, and decrease the social safety net.
Days ago was the Birthday of the late icon of Brother Dick Gregory. For decades, he fought for civil rights, human rights, and black liberation. His commentaries on politics, social issues, and on health certainly has assisted multiple generations of human beings. From his comedy routines exposing racism to his protests against the Vietnam War, Gregory has been on the front-lines of numerous causes. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He played many sports at Sumner High School like running. Gregory was involved in the Army. He moved into Chicago to work on his professional comedy career. He loved his wife and their 11 children. Gregory gave a keynote address for Black History Month a Bryn Mawr College on February 28, 2013 to never accept injustice.
Rest in Power Brother Dick Gregory.
If you love 1980's music, you know about this artist. She is Sister Karyn White, and it was her Birthday days ago. She is now 55 years old, and she was born in Los Angeles. For years, she was involved in R&B, soul, and new jack swing. She sang in the church choir and worked as a backing singer. Her first album was called Karyn White in 1988. Her famous songs are The Way You Love Me, Secret Rendezvous, and Superwoman. Love Saw It with Babyface was a No. 1 R&B hit. Karyn White always have a love affair with the art of musical expression. The late 1980's and the 1990's had many underrated singers too like Pebbles, Jody Watley, Phyllis Hyman, Sade, Janet Jackson, Chaka Khan, Regina Belle, Angela Bofill, Irene Cara, and Stephanie Mills.
In 1991, her 2nd album was Ritual of Love. The songs were produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. There was the hit single called Romantic in the album too. In 1994, she released Make Him Do Right. She started a family in 1999, and she continued to make music in the 21st century. In March 2012, Karyn White released the album of Carpe Diem with songs like Sista, Sista and Unbreakable. She has her own interior design and real estate business. She lives in Rocklin, California. People to this day remember her powerful voice, her charisma, and her compassionate spirit. I wish Sister Karyn White more blessings.
By Timothy
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Culture, Politics, and Democracy.
This year is the 5th year anniversary of the NMAAHC or the National Museum of African American History and Culture. I remembered when it was opened to the public just like yesterday in 2016. I was in my early 30s when it happened. It took over 1 century and many people sacrificing so much for that occurrence to happen. My African American people have been through so much, and that museum is one of many great museums who celebrate the power, beauty, and resiliency of black Americans. We, who are black Americans, survived the most brutal mistreatment in human history to be teachers, doctors, lawyers, judges, activists, architects, athletes, musicians, artists, and other great contributors to society. Also, there is a new exhibit called Make Good The Promises: Reconstruction and its Legacies. This is about how Reconstruction have many historical firsts for black Americans in political power, and the racist far right backlash that ended it to bring in even more Jim Crow apartheid. During these times, we have to stand up and speak up for our human rights. Our human rights are not up for negotiation. They are inborn from God. Our right to advance our own Blackness on our terms without apology is part of our creed. Part of this creed is to also love the black African Diaspora, as we are part of the same human family which originated from Africa.
Sunday, October 10, 2021
Monday News in Early October of 2021.
We don't live in ordinary times. We live in an unique era of world history where our democracy in America plus in other places of the world is hugely fragile. In America, there is a large oil spill in California along with debates about the debt ceiling. Germany recently voted for a new Prime Minister in their own country. In Brazil, a far right wing President is doing nothing to address the massive police brutality against Afro-Brazilians in favellas and in other locations of Brazil. The Republican Party now is more extreme than it was during the 1/6 seditious insurrection against the United States Capitol building. Many GOP free market fundamentalists believe in the myth that we can't afford the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill, but the United States has given $7 trillion to for profit defense contractors since 9/11. The truth is that Heathcare, education, and Social Security are never entitlements regardless of what West Virginian Senator Joe Manchin has said. They are fundamental human rights that allow fellow human beings to have a great, dignified life. These social safety net programs enhance our democracy thoroughly. It is blatantly wrong for America to have 40 years of wage stagnation (involving how CEO pay has skyrocketed since 1978, but the minimum wage is just $7.25 for over 10 years), and some folks refuse to allow people to have $15 an hour as a minimum wage. Police brutality must end, as Congress refuses to pass real policing legislation to end racist policing practices. This has been done by many far right Republicans who care more for the preservation of qualified immunity than the sanctity of black human lives. The massive hatred of immigration done by white racists and Hoteps (they are more alike ideologically than some would like to admit) is all part of nativism, bigotry, and corporate greed.
In this Fall of 2021, we still believe in the Dream unequivocally. The Bill Back Better Plan should not be watered down for the purpose of placating Republican extremists or Democratic moderates who care more for token "bipartsanship" than freedom plus justice for all. Manchin and Sinema are clear on where they stand. They stand for DLC, centrist talking points. They stand for compromise and believing in the lie that we must water down our message when the vast majority of the American people are in support of what we stand for (like universal pre-K, infrastructure investments, and addressing climate change issues). Physical and social infrastructure policies make America better, and we need powerful legislation that can make that reality turn into fruition. The cacophony of propaganda of price tags (as advanced by certain factions of Big Pharma and many billionaire elitists) are refuted on how the super wealthy in many cases pay little to no federal income taxes. This is a time of choice. We choose to help the elderly to have vision, dental, and hearing services. We desire paid family and medical leave. We desire a permanent child tax credit to fight poverty. We desire free community college for working class people of every color. That is what we mean when we advocate for a social infrastructure bill.
During the 21st century, STEM inventions and discoveries in general grew into new heights of magnificence. In the year of 2000, Sony developed the first prototypes for the Blu-ray optical disc format. The first prototype player was released in 2004. In 2001, there was the first draft of the Human Genome Project being published. The Human Genome Project is the international scientific project that identify the base pairs of human DNA (and map all of the gens of the human genome from a physical and functional standpoint. It was the world's largest collaborative project). It lasted from 1990 to April 14, 2003. Level "complete genome" was done by May of 2021. It was funded via the National Institute of Health plus many groups globally. Grid cells in the brain are discovered by Edvard Moser and May-Britt Moser.
By 2007, it was a year when history changed forever. I remember using cell phones before 2007, but the cell phones now are more advanced than computers from the 90s times 10. The year of 2007 is when Apple released the original iPhone. It was the brainchild of Steve Jobs, one of the innovator technology leaders of all time. The iPhone wasn't the first smartphone, but it was the first smartphone that popularized the touchscreen focused format. June 29, 2007 was when it was first released. It has a 3 axis acceleromter, proximity sensors, ambient light sensor, microphone, and headset controls. It change the game. Time magazine named the IPhone as the Invention of the Year in 2007. In 2008, Satoshi Nakamoto developed the first blockchain that helps with economic development. In 2010, the first solar sail based spacecrat called IKAROS was launched by Japan. In 2010, there was the first synthetic organism (or Mycoplasma Laboratorium being created by the J. Craig Venter Institute. Also in 2010, ASML released its first prototype of an extreme ultraviolet lithography machine. In 2019, IBM launched IBM Q System One or the first integrated quantum computing system for commercial use. By 2019, there are the first ever image of a black hole being captured. It used eight different telescopes taking simultaneous pictures, time with extremely precise atomic clocks. In 2020, the first RNA vaccine was approved by the FDA. It was co-developed by Pfizer and BioNTeach for COVID-19. In 2020, NASA and SOFIA (the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) found about 12 oz. of surface water in one of the moon's largest visible craters. We see more discoveries and inventions along the way.
In the realm of STEM films, you have to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Katherine Johnson. She was not only a history maker. She was one of the greatest mathematicians in human history. She lived from August 26, 1918 to February 24, 2020. Her parents were Joylette Roberta (Lowe) and Joshua McKinley Coleman. She was also the youngest of four children. Ever since she was young, she always had the gift to excel at mathematical abilities.
She helped NASA to find the calculations of orbital mechanics. Her story is found in the movie Hidden Figures starring Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae, Octavia Spencer, Mahershala Ali, Kevin Parsons, Jim Parsons, and other actors and actresses. Dr. Johnson's worked help to make U.S. crewed spaceflights very successful. She worked for NASA for 33 years, and she could master complex manual calculations. As one of the first African American women to work as a NASA scientist, she was an icon. She was born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, and she lived in Newport News, Virginia before her transition. Newport News is in the 757 at Hampton Roads, Virginia. I'm from the 757 too. Johnson's work included calculating trajectories, launch windows, and emergency return paths for Project Mercury spaceflights, including those for astronauts Alan Shepard, the first American in space, and John Glenn, the first American in orbit, and rendezvous paths for the Apollo Lunar Module and command module on flights to the Moon. Her calculations were also essential to the beginning of the Space Shuttle program, and she worked on plans for a mission to Mars. In 2015, President Barack Obama awarded Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2016, she was presented with the Silver Snoopy Award by NASA astronaut Leland D. Melvin and a NASA Group Achievement Award. In 2019, Johnson was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress. In 2021, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame posthumously.
One of the biggest mysteries is about Mandy Claud Stephenson. She is my 3rd cousin who was born on October 20, 1939. On October 10, 2021, I found out tons of information about Mandy Stephenson and her descendants. This is the first time in my life when I learned so much about Mandy Stephenson. I found out more about Mandy's descendants too, because on my Ancestry.com web page, it said that I'm related to a woman named Brittney Yvonne Stephenson Jackson (b. March 1989). She is my 5th cousin. Since Brittney Jackson is related to the African American Claud family, then she is related to me. First, Mandy P. Claud recently celebrated her 80th birthday on October 20, 2019. I found out that Brittney is Mandys granddaughter. Mandy's parents were Persie Booker T. Washington Claud (b. 1900) and Mandy Turner (1903-1982). Persie Claud's parents are Frank Thomas Claud (1861-1948) and Elizabeth Whitehead (b. 1868). Frank T. Claud is the direct descendant of my 5th grandmother Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). Mandy P. Claud moved from Southampton into New York City as a product of the Great Migration. Many black Americans moved into the North and other places of America in order to gain more economic opportunities and a better standard of living in general. Mandy married a man named Joseph McCoy Stephenson Sr. (1929-1973) at New York City o 1951. Later, they had many children like Martin L. Stephenson, Debbie Stephenson Harris (b. 1959), and Joseph M. Stephenson Jr. (b. 1960). Joseph M. Stephenson Jr. was born and raised at Brooklyn, NYC. Later, my 4th cousin Joseph M. Stephenson Jr. married Chanda Chalaine Cook-Stephenson (b. 1961) at Pierce, Washington state on May 25, 1985. The couple had 5 daughters who are my 5th cousins. Their names are Brittney Yvonne Stephenson Jackson (b. 1989. She married Toron Malik Jackson), Jordan Chalaine Stephenson (b. 1991. She married Roderick Spruel), Cayla Nicole Stephenson (b. 1992), Amanda M. Stephenson (b. 1997), and Alyssa Joi Stephenson (b. 2000). Joseph McCoy Stephenson Sr. was a brave man who passed away on June 13, 1973 at only 44 years old from Lupus. Joseph Stephenson Sr.'s daughter Debbie Stephenson Harris studied at SUNY Empire State College, the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and she was born in Brooklyn, NYC. That is why she is an advocate for the freedom of black people.
Chanda Chalaine Cook-Stephenson's parents are Sigmund L. Cook (1930-1993) and Norma Mae Yvonne Mills (1932-2011). Sigmund L. Cook was born in Lecomte, Louisiana, and he passed on April 17, 1993. He lived in Tacoma, Washington for 33 years. He attended schools in Louisiana. Also, he was a U.S. Army veteran who served in Korea and Vietnam. His 3 daughters are Adrienne M. Cook from Seattle, Chanda C. Stephenson from Maryland, and their son Sigmund kyle Cook. His sister is Evelyn C. Strickland of Bastrop, Louisiana. His brothers are Lonnie Cook of Stockton, California and Robert F. Cook of Edgard, Louisiana. Now, I know the truth about more of my genealogy. Also, on my father's side, there was another Ancestry.com recent relative who showed up whose name is my 3rd name of Cecily Danielle Gary. We share the same ancestor of Adam D. Her parents are Alama Loretta D. Corbin (b. 1959) and Dennis Floyd Gary (b. 1962). Alma Loretta D. Corbin's parents are Arthur D. Jr. (1919-1993) and Alma Virginia Douglas (1926-2013). The parents of Arthur D. Jr. was Arthur Lawrence D. (1889-1944) and Alvania Staton (1895-1996). Arthur Lawrence D.'s parents are Adam D. (b. 1862) and Georganna Tillery D. (1868-1954). Cecily Danielle Gary graduated from Tallwood High School in 2007, studied at culinary arts schools, and worked at Walt Disney World at Orlando, Florida for years. She is from Virginia Beach, Virginia.
For thousands of years, we have seen the power of music. Out of every genre of music, gospel music remains extremely potent in inspiring change in the live of human beings. Involving black culture, it has been anchor for so many generations to organize plans for justice, to express our love for God, and to praise the beauty of life in general. The common myth of gospel is that it's outdated or has no relevant in today's society. You can refute that lie by showing many rebuttals. The first is that human beings of every background and creed love gospel music. Second, gospel music have shown songs about many topics including issues of social justice. Third, gospel music still thrives today being expressed by human beings of every color who sincerely want souls to be transformed in service in Almighty God. They are disagreements on the composition of gospel and how gospel ought to be presented to the masses of the people. Yet, we are in unison in making the point the extremely talented gospel music is to stay permanently. Songs done by the Caravans, the Staple Singers, Kirk Franklin, Donald Malloy, Aretha Franklin, CeCe Winans, Shirley Caesar, Sinach, Albertine Walker, Fred Hammon, and Kierra Sheard make up realize that life has a purpose. We are more than just atoms and molecules moving around. We have a mind, body, and spirit that make us a thinking human being with the power to glorify God. One of the best ways to glorify God is to help our neighbors, show compassion, and standing up for justice. When we see black Haitian migrants being oppressed by xenophobes, then we express our solidarity with our Haitian Brothers and Sisters (as human rights including the right of asylum must be defended worldwide, not just in one nation). As a black American, it is the right thing to do. I can't close my comments without mentioning Mahalia Jackson. Mahalia Jackson was not only the greatest gospel singer of all time. She was the greatest singer of all time in my opinion. She represents the long history of gospel music in its ups and downs. She worked with civil rights leaders like Dr. King, and she stood up for her own human dignity constantly. She remains the icon of music.
Yesterday is the first time that I heard of Louise Patterson. She lived to be 97 as she passed way in 1999. For decades, she has been one of the most unsung black revolutionaries in history. She worked side by side with Paul Robeson, Dr. W.E.B. DuBois, her husband William L. Patterson, and other great leaders of our time. She lived her life to fight for equality and justice. She passed away in New York City on August 27, 1999. At a gala birthday party for her in New York in 1980, Frank Chapman, then the Executive Director of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression said, "She has seen the trials and tribulations of our century not as an observer but as a participant." Louise Patterson was born in 1902 in Chicago, and she was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. University of California is the location where she graduated from at Berkeley in 1923 with a degree in economics. She was one of the first African American women to have graduated there. Her husband, William L. Patterson, was the person who wrote his autobiography called "The Man Who Cried Genocide." He said that they first met Louise at an NAACP meeting in the Oakland Auditorium in 1919. They were students back then. She taught school in Arkansas and taught at the Hampton Institute in the 757 area at Virginia. She was a delegate to the World Conference Against Racism and Anti-Semitism in Paris in 1930, as was her husband.
She moved to NYC to join the Harlem Renaissance movement. She discussed politics in a group called "The Vanguard." They talked about Marxism and theater plus dance concerts. Many participants included the progressive Langston Hughes and the libertarian Zora Neale Hurston. She was a literary secretary for both legendary writers. Louise knew the legendary black author Dorothy West, and West was part of the Harlem Renaissance too. She was a friend to Congressional leader Adam Clayton Powell and Benjamin Davis. Louise Patterson was a great organizer and orator. She fought to save the Scottsboro Nine (who were black youth who were false accused of rape in Alabama). Louise married William L. Patterson, and Paul Robeson was a guest at the wedding. She was part of defending workers' rights as the Illinois State President of the International Workers Order (IWO). She spoke out against Hitler's fascism in NYC and Chicago along with leading large street rallies. She visited the Soviet Union and Spain to defend the Spanish Republic (against the fascism of Franco). She was a leader of the Council of African Affairs with Robeson and Du Bois. Louise worked with Lena Horne too to fund-raise money for the Abraham Lincoln School (that helped black workers). Louise and her husband signed the We Charge Genocide document accusing the U.S. government of crimes against genocide against African American human beings. Robeson delivered the petition to the United Nations in New York and William L. Patterson delivered it to the U.N. then meeting in Paris in 1951. he helped organize the 1949 Peekskill concerts for Paul Robeson attacked by fascist-like goons. She also organized Robeson's nationwide concert tour of Black communities after he was blacklisted.
In 1970, she served as chair of the New York Committee to Free Angela Davis. After Angela Davis was freed from prison, Louise continued to work with the National Alliance until her retirement. She had a daughter named Dr. Mary Louise Patterson, 2 grandchildren, and a great grandson. Louise Patterson was ahead of her time in helping human beings to stand up for liberation. Her legacy is still strong and will continue forever. Rest in Power Sister Louise Patterson.
During this Fall 2021 season, we are not naive. We have many challenges in the world from racial injustice, economic injustice, and the harm done by the coronavirus. The coronavirus caused 19,630 children in America to lose a primary caregiver, another 22,007 children lost a secondary caregiver like a grandparent who was living in the home. This is about over 150,000 children being left behind because of a dangerous virus. Also, Los Angeles has required proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to enter indoor restaurants, shopping centers, movie theaters, hair and nail salons, and other indoor venues. There has been a huge debate on vaccine mandates. There should be a balance. We want our civil liberties maintained without authoritarianism. Yet, we have a medical emergency still going on in America. So, I believe that it is reasonable to have safety measures that are meant to save human lives, especially where tons of people congregate. In that sense, you can help people move on with their own lives, as we don't want to witness the chaos found in 2020. No one wants massive closures of buildings, and the best way to stop that from happening is to have various mandates to defeat the coronavirus once and for all. You have extremists now who are threatening parents, school teachers, and business owners who are masked or promote mandates. That is wrong. Many of the same ones who call medical mandates tyrannical are the same ones silent on police brutality (as one sheriff of California's Riverside County defended his brief membership in the extremist, terrorist group of the Oath Keepers militia in 2014), silent on environmental issues, silent on imperialistic wars of aggression, silent on racism, silent on economic oppression, and silent on gender oppression or any other form of oppression too. Therefore, I believe in civil liberties and freedom, but I don't believe in a virus harming human lives either. Also, we have to address the pernicious housing crisis in America too. Many people are homeless, can't pay rent, or struggle to find housing. That is why new investments in developing housing via infrastructure legislation is very important to advocate.
By Timothy
Friday, October 08, 2021
The Economy and Other Issues.
There is a huge California oil spill. It is certainly causing mayhem in many regions of the Pacific. Many people are calling for an independent investigation to find the causes of it. There is a 13 inch tear in a pipe that was probably the source of the oil spill in general. The massive oil spill has damaged beaches and harmed wildlife. It has spewed up to 144,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean. Right now, dead fish are on the shore of beaches. The pipeline is 17 miles long and it's 41 years old. One preliminary reports said that the partial tear could have been a product of an anchor hooking the pipeline. Investigators are researching pipelines, maintenance plus inspection records, and other facts. The beach in Newport Beach, California is stained with oil. The Coast Guard and the Orange County Sheriff are deployed to find the truth. The line is operated by Amplify Energy Corporation. This tragedy represents one story after another proving once again that laissez faire capitalism doesn't work to enrich the general welfare of the people collectively.
The Senate report showed how close the coup from Trump was made. There are new details about how Donald Trump wanted to put pressure on the DOJ at least 9 times to try to steal the 2020 election. Trump has been so evil in his conduct that some Republicans have left the party. Donald Trump also fired one person, because this person proved that there was no massive voter election fraud in the state of Georgia during the 2020 election. Georgia went blue for the first time in a long time. We realize what the truth is. The truth is that the 2020 election is the most fair election in American history. The truth is that Trump's far right coup attempt failed, but we have to be always vigilant to defend our democratic institutions wholeheartedly. Now, one Trump attorney wants Trump aids to defy the January 6 investigation's subpoena. Trump doesn't want to cooperate with the 1/6 investigation citing executive privilege. He does this, because he is afraid of the truth. Defying subpoenas could cause a person to go to prison or face massive fines. We know now that the Senate Judiciary Committee report proved that Trump wanted to use the DOJ to subvert 2020 election results.
This deceiver Joe Manchin said that progressives want an entitlement society. That is not the case. The super wealthy have a real entitlement society of having record tax breaks and paying no federal income taxes in many cases. The super wealthy have oil allowances and legacies that cause them to have massive influence in political and economic affairs in the globe. A strong social safety net is never some entitlement society. People work to earn Medicare and Social Security benefits. The government providing for the people is truly compassionate. The U.S. Congress passing legislation to help the poor, to help immigrants, to help the elderly, and other members of the human family outlines the purpose of government. Government's purpose is not you are all on your own without justice. True government promotes the general welfare to advance justice. Most Americans believe in an infrastructure bill and a human infrastructure bill dealing with pre-K being universal and other investments in our society. People are entitled to health care, housing, education, and justice period. So, Manchin proves once again that moderation is a wrong philosophy.
Sage Steele finally apologized to ESPN for criticizing the vaccine mandate. She talked with far right extremist Jay Cutler. Jay Cutler was a former NFL quarterback. This is the same Sage Steele who praised Candace Owens (who said that white people forcing Native Americans to embrace culture and calling Native people cannibals). Then, Sage Steele criticized Barack Obama for choosing black on the U.S. Census calling it "fascinating" and "his father wasn't there in his life" (when it isn't her right to judge how Obama choose to define himself. The actions of his father has nothing to do with how Obama decides to define himself at all, so Steele was trying to use a cheap shot hypocritically claiming to be persecuted for her political views. Yet, she mocks others' identities and political views). ESPN took light criticism to Steele in compared to them criticizing Jemele Hill of Hill calling Trump a white supremacist (which he is). Steele was angry over immigration protests, she accused black colleagues of blocking her from a conversation of race, and she criticized Colin Kaepernick for his anti-racism knell protests. Sage praising Candace Owens doesn't shock me. Owens is the same person who spews anti-black statements for years. I don't agree with Owens' views or agenda.
There is a meeting of Senate Democrats about the McConnell token offer. The GOP is playing a dangerous game in trying to delay votes on the debt ceiling, as a default on the debt would be catastrophic for America. Such a default would harm school lunches, harm Social Security, and end money sent to many military troops. We have lives at stake literally. The GOP is a retrograde party, and it's extremism is as plain to see. The Republican Party is more extreme now than the day of the 1/6 insurrection. It's an extremist party with allies of far right militias, climate deniers, racists, anti-Semities, and liars who deny the election of 2020. We have massive obstruction done by extremists. The debt ceiling deal should exist in a progressive fashion. The majority of the American people are on our side. We shall see what the Biden administration will do as he is open to reform the filibuster (as the filibuster is an archaic, anti-democratic measure which has historically tried to stop voting plus civil rights legislation). The Senate debt ceiling test vote has been delayed until recently when it was passed by the Senate.
By Timothy
Wednesday, October 06, 2021
Against the Censorship Agenda.
President Joe Biden met with progressives to deal with the vote of infrastructure and other spending proposals. The progressives has nothing to do the moderate Democrat obstructionists. The important part of this situation is that the bill will help mothers, roads, bridges, families in general, other infrastructure, and other parts of American society. Biden criticized Republicans for playing dangerous games with the economy. The Republicans hypocritically talk about the debt, but they encourage massive billions of dollars in tax breaks for the super wealthy. There has been billions of dollars in an increase of the defense budget, and the Republicans are silent on that. Yet, they complain about spending money to help fellow citizens in America domestically. The myth going around is that there is no money or revenue to help America via investments. We have the resources to build up this country into the 21st century fully. We just have to incorporate the will in making sure that these just policies are enacted by Congress.
Protecting our voting rights is always paramount. The problem isn't just laws that have voter suppression provisions in them. It is also about how the people, who count the vote, can be manipulated to cheat in future elections against progressive human beings. Gerrymandering is ever commonplace. There was the memo made by a Trump lawyer that wanted to allow Trump to stay in office. This lawyer is called John Eastman. He is an extremist. Donald Trump elevated far right voices in trying to stay in power. We were so close in witnessing an American far right coup in American society. Pence came back after the 1/6 insurrection to confirm the results of the insurrection. That is why we have to learn the facts, advocate for federal voting right legislation, and to speak our minds regardless of the censorship agenda promoted by some. Our freedom matters, and we don't need to be politically correct in speaking our minds.
President Joe Biden has promoted his infrastructure bill in Howell, Michigan. He said that many of the super wealthy pay no federal income taxes, but most Americans do. He wants Congress to reach a deal to pass an infrastructure bill in Washington, D.C. It is obvious that the status quo doesn't work. This speech was indirectly in reference to 2 Senators who stubbornly refuse to support progressive laws. Biden said that America must invest in itself to show the world that democracy works. It is hypocritical of moderates to yell about spending, but they are silent on the massive tax cuts that expand the deficits. The majority of Americans support the infrastructure bill too. This isn't some unpopular proposal. Not to mention that we have to deal with the debt ceiling situation rather soon. If it is not rectified, then the U.S. economy could face a large recession. No one wants another terrible recession found back in 2020, 2008, or in 1929.
Mike Pence is saying the lie that the media is using January 6 to demean Trump supporters and voters. The reality is that the January 6 terrorists wanted to hang Pence which is wrong. Later, Pence still supported Trump and his supporters. He is the epitome of a coward hiding behind his faith as an excuse to support Trump. His faith has nothing to do with Trump's abhorrent actions. It is against his faith for Trump to curse peaceful protesters, to brag about abusing women, to allow immigrants to be placed in cages, and to outright lie about the 2020 election results. These acts that Trump has done are sacrilegious by also holding the Bible as a prop after the police forced peaceful protesters out of a vicinity in 2020. It takes some nerve to exploit God as an excuse to defend terrorists and seditionists. Terrorists attacked the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2020, and these traitors should be legally held accountable for their actions. Therefore, Mike Pence should wake up and see that the Trump administration is the worst administration of our generation.
The elephant in the room deals with the recent testimony about Facebook to Congress. Internal documents from Facebook prove that many young people feel social anxiety and pain from the unrealistic expectations from Facebook, Instagram, etc. I think changes should be made, and Facebook should have accountability for its wrongdoings. The corporate media is half right on this issue. They are right that we should reject misinformation and hatred advanced in the Internet. No one here believes in overt lies being glamorized anywhere in the media. We believe in growing the self esteem of human beings, loving wisdom, and advancing justice. The corporate media is wrong is advocating in many cases some overt censorship to combat this. In Youtube, I write many comments. Some of my comments are banned, even when my comments have no vulgarity or profanity in them. The corporate media is not reporting on the widespread censorship of innocent people in the Internet at all because of the obvious reason. So, this censorship agenda is real. It is not fake. The corporate media hypocritically talks about honor and respect, but it is a historical fact that the super wealthy fund the corporate media to promote neoliberalism, the status quo, imperialistic wars of aggression against sovereign countries, and capitalist propaganda. One example is how the CIA decades ago infiltrated the media via Operation Mockingbird. Another example is how many in the media demonized Bernie Sanders' campaign as near Marxist when Sanders is a neo-New Deal Democrat. Another example is the overt far right bias of FOX News. So, we should be careful not to use the blatant imperfections of Facebook (including some in Facebook sugarcoating hate speech which I don't agree with) as an excuse to advance group think. Passionate rejection of oppression is not divisiveness. It's commonsense.
By Timothy