Pro-God, Pro-Human Life, anti-New World Order, Anti-Nefarious Secret Societies, Pro-Civil Liberties, anti-Torture, anti-National ID Card, Pro-Family, Anti-Neo Conservativism, Pro-Net Neutrality, Pro-Home Schooling, Anti-Voting Fraud, Pro-Good Israelis & Pro-Good Palestinians, Anti-Human Trafficking, Pro-Health Freedom, Anti-Codex Alimentarius, Pro-Action, Anti-Bigotry, Pro-9/11 Justice, Anti-Genocide, and Pro-Gun Control. My name is Timothy and I'm from the state of Virginia.
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Saturday, December 31, 2022
Friday, December 30, 2022
The End of 2022.
Soon, 2022 will be gone. This year has been filled with historic times. From the start of 2022, we saw the spread of the pandemic and the start of the unjust, illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia. In Russia, many protesters have been imprisoned for opposing such actions. In America, hearings existed from the House January 6th Committee to find the truth about the insurrection and how deep the coup d'état attempt against democracy existed. In terms of sports, the World Cup, NFL developments, NBA Finals, and other games were abundant. The LA Rams run the Super Bowl, and the Las Vegas Aces won the WNBA Finals too. Also, the 2022 Eugene World Track and Field Championships existed with America winning big along with Jamaican athletes showing excellence in victories too. Pele, Queen Elizabeth, and other famous individuals passed away. A historic blizzard existed this Winter that caused record-cold temperatures in places across America. That was certainly the coldest weather that I've experienced in my life. Trump could be indicted next year. The Midterm elections caused the Democrats to win the Senate and the House only have a slight majority Republican composition. People continue to protest for human rights, political discussions exist, and Elon Musk exploits the First Amendment to give a safe haven to extremists and bigots. 2022 saw pandemic cases go down for the majority of the year with a sudden rise by the end of the year. 2022 was never a dull moment, and life continues. Many legends and other unsung people passed away in 2022, and we honor their legacies. Also, we realize that 2023 certainly gives us an opportunity for us living to do better and be better as human beings.
Wednesday, December 28, 2022
Time is Going Forward.
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott did barbarism by sending migrants in front of Vice President Kamala Harris's home in sub-freezing conditions. This act shows Abbott's cruelty and sacrilege. He claims to be a Christian, but even Yeshua has shown compassion to the sojourner. The sojourner is an old word meaning refugee, migrant, and immigrant. The Golden Rule teaches us to treat our neighbor as ourselves. It doesn't make distinctions or exceptions. He did this act on Christmas Eve, the coldest on record in the Washington, D.C. area. These migrants are mostly from Central and South America including the Caribbean. They were loaded onto three buses and shipped from towns in Texas. It took 36 hours. They were rerouted from New York City due to poor road conditions resulting from the freezing temperatures. Babies and children were among the migrants. They had only T-shirts and light blankets. The migrants faced 10 degrees in temperature. They only had help from local residents and charities. Madhvi Bahl is an organizer with the Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network who helped many of the people in the D.C. area. Abbott forgets that this fascistic assault on migrants is wrong, as migrants are fleeing poverty and violence. The only solution is comprehensive immigration solutions that both show compassion, has the infrastructure, and promotes just laws, not unjust laws.
28 people have died in Buffalo, New York alone in the worst blizzard of the 21st century. Many homes are completely frozen. New York's Erie County has been buried up to 50.3 inches. The recent blizzard is the coldest air I have ever experienced in my lifetime. That is no exaggeration. I have been through extreme cold weather before but not like this. Many human beings have been frozen to death in a disturbing fashion. Southwest is still dealing with massive delays. Investigations are bound to occur to figure out what happened and what ways things can be improved in terms of transportation outcomes. Unsung heroes have saved lives, sent people to the hospital to recieve medical care, and have gone out of their way to rescue people from cars.
Most Americans want something done, but you still have many Republicans and even some moderate Democrats who refuse to support a policing bill, living wages legislations, and protections and extended child tax credits. Doing what is right means a reputation of the philosophy of Trump. Even Mike Pence made the mistake of saying that Trump shouldn't be prosecuted when some of the mob threatened to hang Mike Pence during the January 6th insurrection. As voting rights are under threat in the South and throughout America, there should be a restored voting rights act. Some good news is the growth of unions in American society. Unions historically have helped workers to have weekend off, paid vacations, work breaks, sick leave, paid holidays, child labor bans, safer working conditions, and health care and retirement benefits. That is why antitrust laws and fights against monopoly have benefited any society. We have a war on inflation. Constantly raising interest rates by the Federal Reserve is a mistake, because the majority of the burden of inflation are working class and poor workers. Inflation adjusted wages are stagnant, but we have massive corporate profits among super wealthy corporations (that is why taking on corporate price gouging is important).
Yesterday was the Birthday of Brother John Amos, and he is 83 years old. From Good Times to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, he has tons of experience in acting. He was born in Newark, New Jersey. He grew up in East Orange, New Jersey. By 1958, he graduated from East Orange High School. Amos played in sports like football and boxing. In fact, he was a Golden Gloves boxing champion. He graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in sociology and is qualified to be a social worker. He played for the American Football League's Denver Broncos. He pulled a hamstring, so he played for the Canton Bulldogs and Joliet Explorers of the United Football League. He also played for the Norfolk Neptunes and Wheeling Ironmen of the Continental Football League. After that experience, he acted in Good Times, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, In the House, Martin, Psych, Murder, She Wrote, Touched by an Angel, and other shows. He was in diverse movies like Coming to America, Die Hard 2, Dr. Dolittle 3, etc. By 2020, he was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. He played in the TV series Roots. He loves his 2 children. I wish Brother John Amos more Blessings.
Yesterday was the Birthday of Sister Theresa Randle, and she is 58 years old. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia being one of the best actresses of our generation. When she was young, she studied dance like traditional, modern, jazz, etc. She was involved in comedy too. She came to Beverly Hills High School with a special program for the exceptionally gifted. She graduated from college and worked at the Los Angeles Inner City Cultural Center. She worked in commercials. She was in the George Clinton video of Last Dance in 1983. By 1987, she was in the movie Maid to Order. She was in films like Heart Condition in 1990 with Denzel Washington, Sugar Hill in 1994, and King of New York in 1990. She worked hard in the Bad Boys trilogy and other films like the Natalie Cole biopic in 2000 called Living' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story. She played the singer Natalie Cole. Space Jam had her playing a lead role too. She is married to the hip-hop artist Father MC. I wish Sister Theresa Randle more Blessings.
By Timothy
Tuesday, December 27, 2022
Monday, December 26, 2022
Reflections.
On this time of the year, we acknowledge the history of a person who changed the world forever. Yeshua was born in Bethlehem in Israel. Back then, Israel was occupied by the Roman Empire's imperialistic forces. The Roman Empire has grown through war, pillage, murder, and corruption (after the Roman Republic ended). The oppressed in Israel and in other parts of the Middle East had to pay Rome tribute by taxes. Religious liberties were heavily regulated, and resistance to that oppression was abundant. There were political groups in Israel like the Zealots who wanted justice. Also, theological debates were abundant as found in the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Joseph and Mary raised Yeshua. So, Yeshua lived in a time of massive change. Augustus was the Roman Emperor, and the Edomite Herod Antipas worked to murder John the Baptist because of his spiritual messages. Yeshua's existence is confirmed by the New Testament, Josephus, Tacitus, Polycarp, Irenaeus, Thallus, Mara bar Searpion, even the Talmud, and other sources of importance. Yeshua not only healed people, but he gave parables and profound statements endorsing the separation of church and state, compassion for the poor, and that the Kingdom of God is within you.
In other words, God gives people the power to do great and righteous things via sincerity. Yeshua always talked with the rejected, the poor, the outcast, and other people suffering with a sense of glorious empathy and compassion. His inspirational words are always known by us. Materialism by rejected by him as he sent the money changers out of the Temple and rejected arrogance. His words of wisdom spread fast. In less than 400 years after his death and resurrection, the gospel spread into Asia, Africa, Europe, etc. At a young age, Yeshua taught people in the Temple. He was a prophet who predicted the destruction of the Second Temple years before it happened (in 70 AD). He helped to save the life of a woman about to be stoned. Yeshua did more revolutionary actions like healing someone on the Sabbath and inspiring his apostles to use more peaceful methods in creating solutions. His message (of helping your neighbor, loving family, and growing spiritually) is relevant today with war in Ukraine, the rights of various people being violated worldwide, health disparities, environmental issues, the issues of racism, etc. The Son of the living God sacrificed his life for us. That courage was also shown by the early Christians who suffered lions and death in the Roman Colosseum along with massive persecutions against Christians in many places of the world. After the Son of God's death and resurrection, the world has gone through massive social, cultural, and technological changes over almost 2,000 years later (from the advance of smartphones to Zoom communication). We have to be clear that we love our faith, but we won't use our faith as an excuse to advance persecution, oppression, and evil bigotry against human beings. Justice for everybody is what we stand for.
Happy Holidays.
Being 39 years old is a blessing. In life, you constantly learn new information in a stark fashion. That is why after many years of studying my family tree, I constantly discover new facts about where I come from and the human beings to whom I'm related too. I have shared information about where I came from with many people, both relatives and non-relatives alike. Diversity is a key part of family too. Families are diverse in political views, ages, backgrounds, birthplaces, and other avenues. Yet, we are similar in that we are from the same family, we are all humans, and we all love truth and justice. Recently, I learned about the Navy's first black yeowomen called the Golden Fourteen. These black women were the first black yeowomen to serve in the U.S. Navy which occurred during World War One. Their story has been written by Kelly Miller. One of the people in the Navy were Armelda H. Greene (who enlisted on August 13, 1918), Kathryn Eugenia Boyd (nee Fench), Pocohontas A. Jackson, Fannie A. Foote, Ruth Davis, Olga F. Jones, Sarah Davis, Sarah E. Howard, Marie E. Mitchell, Anna G. Smallwood, Maud C. Williams, Carol E. Washington, Josei B. Washington, and Inez B. McIntosh. My family tree is made up of doctors, educators, military veterans, a fighter in Normandy during WWII, activists, even some celebrities, and other heroic individuals. I have seen a lot of things in my life, and I will continue to see more life in the years and decades in the future, God willing. People learn that life has a purpose. We are more than atoms and molecules. We have intrinsic value, we have intellectual strength, we have emotions, and we have a soul in my opinion. Finding that purpose basically is about following what is right and desiring the joy and happiness that we all seek. We reject bigotry and oppression as these two nefarious evils are antithetical to truth and common sense. We realize how far we have to go when affirmative action, voting rights, and other human rights are threatened. Yet, hope is in the Universe when tons of young people (who are much younger than me) including older folks are sacrificing their time and efforts to help the poor, stand up for the oppressed, and seek solutions in a complex world.
Life can be very exciting. Over the course of a long time, I have learned so much about health and exercise. Yet, we have to expose those who exploit the truth about the benefits of healthy living as an excuse for them to bash body positivity. These haters promote the lie that body positivity is about naivete. No, body positivity is about treating a human being with dignity and respect, regardless of a person's size. You can promote healthy eating, exercise, and positive health culture without dehumanizing plus sized people. That point should always be made clear. Many of these types of haters also got Lizzo's name in their mouths. Lizzo is minding her business, and folks should learn the facts. The fact is that BMI is a myth and the percentage of body fat has nothing to do with BMI. There is article cited on NPR entitled, "Top 10 Reasons Why the FMI is Bogus" on July 4, 2009. He (or the author of the article) wrote the truth that the founder of BMI, who is the Beglian man Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelt, said that it should not be used to include the level of fat percentage in a person. There is no scientific or mathematical evidence to square a person's height involving BMI data. BMI is physiologically wrong as it takes no consideration in relative proportions of bone, muscle, and fat in the body. That is why athletes and other fitness people have a high BMI, because they strong bones and strong muscle tone with low fat. Christian Nordqvist in the article of "Why BMI is inaccurate and misleading" on January 19, 2022 cites the same thing about how BMI is fraudulent. This doesn't mean that we should reject taking our health seriously. We should eat healthy, exercise, and maintain healthy living. Yet, health is not about forcing people to look the same in an monolithic fashion. Health culture is about improving our mind, body, and souls to be content with our diverse humanities, out of a sincere motivation to live a fuller life without body shaming. That point should be emphasized completely. Also, many of the same ones who body sham women and men are some of the same ones who refuse to address food deserts, poverty, economic inequality, racism, discrimination, and other evils that contribute to health complications in the world in the first place. The haters of body positivity reject facts and human decency. They just want to talk hate. On the other hand, we believe in talking about solutions in fighting food deserts in poorer communities, addressing poverty, promoting healthy foods, advancing exercising, and living our lives to uplift human beings, regardless of their background or size. That's us.
I found out that Venisha Deanna Rodgers Doran is my 5th cousin as we share the same ancestor of Zilphy Claud. She married James Melvin Doran Sr. on August 23, 1991 at Portsmouth, Virginia. Her parents are Johnny Nathaniel Whitehead and Gloria Lavern Rodgers (1956-1996). Johnny Nathaniel Whitehead's parents are Johnnie Odie Whitehead Junior (1928-2006) and Lula Queen Britt (1927-2015). Johnnie's parents are Johnnie Odie Whitehead (1893-1942) and Ella M. Joyner (b. 1892). My 3rd cousin's Johnnie Odie Whitehead's parents are James L. Whitehead (b. 1857) and Lula Claud (1869-1928). Lula Claud's parents were George Washington Claud (1849-1923) and Martha Velvin-Furgerson (b. 1830). George Washington Claud's mother was Zilphy Claud (1820-1893).
There are many distant cousins that I didn't know about until late December 2022. This is the research that I have found. I am related to many members of the Branch family and the Pierce family. Here is the story. As many know, my 5th great grandmother Ziply Claud (1820-1893) was a former slave in Southampton County, Virginia. One of her daughters was my 4th great grandaunt named Lydia Claud (b. 1842). She married Willis Sykes in 1867 in Virginia. Later, they had many children who were Philip Sykes (b. 1861), James Sykes (b. 1865), Percy H. Sykes (1872-1948), Mattie Sue Sykes (1874-1942), Louisa A. Sykes (1876-1955), Jennie (Virginia) Sykes (b. 1880), Willie Corean Sykes (1881-1949), Mobie Lee Sykes (1886-1932), and Walter Sykes. My first cousin Mattie Sue Sykes married George Washington Branch (1864-1963) on January 18, 1893 at Southampton County, Virginia. Their children were Raymond Herbert Branch (1894-1973), Marvin George Branch (1895-1982), Mark C. Branch Sr. (1896-1953), Iolia Helen Branch (1900-1971), Alphonso Lee Branch (1901-1996), Willie Clayton Branch (1903-1965), Otis Maryland Branch (1906-1986), James Percell Branch (1909-1996), Jasper Branch, Walter Branch, and Philip Branch. My 2nd cousin Marvin George Branch married Junie D. Copeland (b. 1905) on July 5, 1923 at Virginia. Their daughter was Eleanor L. Branch (1925-2013). My late 3rd cousin Eleanor L. Branch married William H. Pierce (b. 1924). Their children are Caroline Pierce (b. 1944), Paulette Pierce Harris (b. 1945), Howard William Pierce (1947-2007), Harold H. Pierce (1947-1995), and Joyce Pierce (b. 1948). My 4th cousin Harold H. Pierce married Laura Vascones in 1972 at Manhattan, New York City. Their children are my 5th cousins who are: Timothy Howard Pierce Vascones (b. 1970), Caesar Wayne Pierce (b. 1972), and Hilda Laura Pierce Felix (b. 1978). Laura Vascones Pierce's parents are WWII veteran Alberto Vascones (1926-2017) and Tomasa Trinidad Gonzalez. Alberto Vascones came from Puerto Rico. Now you know the truth.
Teresa Lorraine Hicks (b. 1976) is my 4th cousin, and we share the same ancestor of my 4th great grandparents Morefield Hurst Turner (1827-1918) and Miley Woodson Bozeman (1830-1910). My 4th great grandparents' daughter was Josephine T. Hurst (1868-1929), who was my 3rd great-grandaunt. Josephine T. Hurst married Kenneth Sykes on December 5, 1888 at Southampton County, Virginia. Their daughter was Annie Bell Sykes (1892-1987). She married John Stanley Everett (b. 1892). They had many children who were: James Madison Everett (1918-1981), Ethel Lee Everett Goodwin (1919-2007), Joe Anderson Everett (1921-2000), Georganna Everett (b. 1922), Thelma Laurene Everett (b. 1924), Timothy Everett (1925-2015), Theodore Everett (1926-2012), Dorothy Louise Everett (b. 1929), Inez Ruby Everett Midley (1930-2016), Lucy Everett (b. 1932), and Christine Elizabeth Everett Garrison (1933-2006). Thelma Laurence Everett married Ralph R. Hicks Sr. (1923-1988) on January 18, 1949 at Suffolk, Virginia. Their children are Ralph Roosevelt Hicks Jr. (1949-1971), Dwight Darnell Hicks (b. 1950), and Anita Laurine Hick (b. 1953). These are my 3rd cousins. Dwight Hicks lived in many places like New Mexico. He married Kayong Hae Hicks (b. 1952), and their child is Teresa Lorraine Hicks (b. 1976). Teresa Lorraine Hicks is a very accomplished person. Her hometown is Las Cruces, New Mexico, and she lives in Camp Springs, Maryland. She graduated from Las Cruces High School at Las Cruces, New Mexico in May 1995. Teresa Hicks is an MPA and is a survey statistician at the U.S. Census Bureau. MPA stands for Master of Public Administration. She earned her New Mexico State University B.A. in sociology. She was in the NMSU Pride Marching Band and won the Distinguished Black Scholar Award. She has a Townson University of the Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Corrections. She went to the George Washington University School of Business and the Walden University (where she earned her MPA).
A new year of 2023 is upon us. The previous year of 2022 is the fastest year that I have ever experienced in my life. It has been a year filled with successes like progressive laws being passed and setbacks like the U.S. Supreme Court promoting some of the most reactionary, nefarious decisions in a generation. The Ukraine war is one of the major international events of 2022. This started in February of 2022 when Russia used a preemptive invasion of Ukraine, which is a sovereign nation. Proponents of the Russian invasion of Ukraine unjustly talk about NATO. NATO is not perfect, but 2 wrongs don't make a right. It is wrong for Russia to target hospitals, apartment buildings, and other civilian locations in Ukraine. It is wrong for Russian governmental forces to lock up innocent Russian protesters in Russia. It is unjust for Russia to commit overt war crimes in Ukraine, including destroying electrical services in Ukraine. That is why we have to stand up and speak for Ukraine to be a democratic, independent nation. In the United States of America, many of us saw the coldest temperatures of our lives in late December 2022. The December winter storms caused the deaths of at least 26 people with thousands of people lacking power. In Buffalo, New York alone, there was 43 inches of now fell on Christmas morning. Where I was from (in Virginia), it was 14 degrees on Christmas Eve morning with a wind chill if 3 degrees. Donald Trump has been thoroughly exposed and could face charges in 2023 for his treasonous attempted coup d'etat against the American government, but some want to underestimate Ron DeSantis. No one should underestimate him as DeSantis is just as bigoted as Trump is. The difference is that Ron DeSantis is more slick and sophisticated. He exploits social issues as an excuse to bash progressive policies. Trump is a notorious racist, sexist, and xenophobe. He had a Mar A Lago dinner with the anti-Semite Kanye West and the white racist Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes. Trump didn't apologize for this meeting at all. Kanye has praised Hitler, and many people don't know that according to Trump's ex-wife Ivana Trump that Donald Trump had collection of Hitler's speeches in his bed side table in the 1980's. Trump asked his chief of Staff John Kelly why the U.S. military brass didn't have total obedience to him like the German generals under the Third Reich. At the end of the day, there is no other solution but a reconstruction of society, a radical redistribution of wealth, and a revolutionary change in society to make sure that justice for all is made for a reality.
By Timothy
Friday, December 23, 2022
The Winter Storm and Other News.
The snowstorm across America is real. From the south to the Midwest and Mountain West, temperatures have declined on a massive scale. Parts of Wyoming have seen a decline in temperature to 70 degrees. About 3,000 flights have been canceled which disrupts holiday travel. Denver and Chicago experienced many flight cancellations too. Bus services are disrupted from Denver to Cleveland. We know of the high winds coming to the Northeast and other places. High snow and extreme temperatures definitely are interrelated with the reality of climate change. Climate change consists of erratic weather and extreme temperatures during the course of the four seasons of the year. That is why we all need to be careful in our everyday lives.
Thursday, December 22, 2022
Wednesday, December 21, 2022
New Times.
On December 19, 2022, there is a new historic moment here in America. The January 6th Committee is done with its meetings and recommends criminal charges against Donald Trump and some of his allies. This is the first time in American history that a former American President caused a federal committee to desire the DOJ charge him with felony charges in dealing with trying to overthrow a legal election. All members of the public meeting voted to send a referral of at least four criminal charges against Trump. The committee has released an executive summary of its final report after approving it in Monday's meeting. The full report will come out on Wednesday, marking the end of the panel's large probe into the terrorist insurrection against the U.S. Capitol (on January 6th, 2021). Right now, the DOJ special counsel investigation is already examining Trump in its extensive probe into the events of January 6th. Many officers who defended the Capitol on January 6 sat in the front row during the committee meeting. Their names are former U.S. Capitol Police Sergeant Aquilino Gonell, Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges, former Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, and USCP Officer Harry Dunn. Donald Trump refused to send federal National Guard troops to stop the violence for hours. He watched TV in the White House.
The executive summary report warns that if Donald Trump isn't held responsible for his corrupt, abhorrent actions involving the 2020 election, then doing nothing may threaten the viability of the American Republic. We live in precarious times having the biggest threat to our democracy since the American Civil War. It's that serious. We have an increased amount of hate crimes unparalleled since decades ago, threats against elected officials, and far-right MAGA cultists trying to eliminate basic human rights. The committee panel had more than 1,000 interviews and issued many subpoenas and court battles to get thousands of documents. The Department of Justice (DOJ) must approve criminal referrals if Trump is to be officially charged with various crimes. Liz Cheney is right to mention that no man who acted like Trump did in response to the January 6th insurrection should run for future office. Trump must be held accountable for his criminal actions and treason against America. Hope Hicks said that Trump refused to tell his supporters to be nonviolent. The January 6th committee referred Trump to the DOJ for obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to make a false statement, and inciting, assisting, or aiding/comforting an insurrection.
The Netflix Harry and Meghan documentary is what we (from the States) have been saying from the rooftops. Isn't ironic that they have more support from us American than many from the UK. The truth is that the Royals have a long history of racism, colonialism, and other injustices. In the modern age, Harry and Meghan gave their honest accounts of some in the media harassing him, racism, sexism, and other evils. The curtain being revealed shows us how far we have to go in defeating injustice. Racism is a global phenomenon. It isn't just found in America. Some of the media in the UK have some of the most vicious attacks on Meghan Merkle. They aren't lying, because we have images and pictures from many tabloids using vicious personal invective against Meghan Merkle.
Former Texas officer has been sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison for the killing of Atatiana Jefferson in her home. Jefferson died in 2019. Aaron Dean is the name of the officer, and he is 38 years old. Jefferson was only 28 years old when she was murdered by Dean. Jefferson did nothing wrong. She only wanted to play a video game with her relative. The defense attorneys made up the lie that Dean fired his weapon in the mode of self-defense. Dean said that Jefferson pointed a gun at him. The truth is that there was no evidence that he saw a gun in the woman's hand before he fired at her. Jefferson's 11-year-old nephew (who was with her at the home) said that he didn't see her raise a gun to the window. Jefferson's life mattered.
Days ago was the Birthday of the late Steve Biko. Steve Biko was a South African freedom fighter who believed in opposing apartheid. He gave speeches, created institutions, and developed ideologies that wanted a free South Africa along with advancing Black Consciousness. By the 1960's and 1970's, he was very active in standing up for justice. Biko wanted independent black power to be used as a means to seek freedom. Universal suffrage was his aim. He promoted the Black People's Convention or the BPC in 1972 to promote Black Consciousness ideas among the wider population. Racists were jealous of his intellectual power. That is why state security officers arrested him and beat him to death in 1977. His funeral was held by over 20,000 people. His life has been celebrated and remembered in the movie Cry Freedom in 1987, based on the 1978 biography by his friend Donald Woods. Steve Biko helped to spark the minds of anti-apartheid activists and was part of the many black African intellectuals who stirred up the world to fight against oppression in general.
Rest in Power Brother Steve Biko.
By Timothy
Monday, December 19, 2022
San Diego and Family Tree Facts.
In the beginning, Native Americans first lived in San Diego. There was the La Jolla complex (known as the Shell Midden people). These human beings lived in the region between 8,000 B.C. and 1,000 A.D. There was the Kumyaay period of time, which lasted from 1000 A.D. to the 1770's. There were Yuman groups migrating from the east and settling in the area. These people were the Kumeyaay who made villages in the area. There was the village of Cosoy (Kosa'aay) which was the Kumeyaay village that the future settlement of San Diego would stem from in today's Old Town. Other villages would be: Other villages include Nipaquay (Mission Valley), Choyas (Barrio Logan), Utay (Otay Mesa), Jamo (Pacific Beach), Onap (San Clemente Canyon), Ystagua (Sorrento Valley), and Melijo (Tijuana River Valley). The Kumeyaaay in San Diego back then spoke 2 different dialects of the kumeyaay language. North of the San Diego River, the Kumeyaay spoke the Ipai dialect, which included the villages of Nipaquay, Jamo, Onap, Ystagua, and Ahmukatlatl. South of the San Diego River, the Kumeyaay spoke the Tiipai dialect, which was spoken in the villages of Kosa'aay, Choyas, Utay, and Melijo. The first European, to visit the region in San Deigo, was Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542. His landing is re-enacted every year at the Cabrillo Festival sponsored by Cabrillo National Monument, but it did not lead to the establishment of a settlement.
The bay and the area of present-day San Diego were given their current name sixty years later by Sebastián Vizcaíno when he was mapping the coastline of Alta California for Spain in 1602. Vizcaino was a merchant who hoped to establish prosperous colonies. After holding the first Catholic service conducted on California soil on the feast day of San Diego de Alcala, (also the patron saint of his flagship), he renamed the bay. He left 10 days and was enthusiastic about its safe harbor, friendly people, and promising potential as a successful colony. Despite his enthusiasm, the Spanish were unconvinced. It would be another 167 years before colonization started. In 1769, Gaspar de Portolà and his expedition founded the Presidio of San Diego (military post) above the village of Cosoy, and on July 16, Franciscan friars Junípero Serra, Juan Viscaino and Fernando Parron raised and 'blessed a cross', establishing the first mission in upper Las Californias, Mission San Diego de Alcala. Colonists began arriving in 1774. In the following year the Kumeyaay indigenous people rebelled against the Spanish, which resulted in the deaths of a priest and two others and burned the mission. Serra organized the rebuilding, and a fire-proof adobe and tile-roofed structure was completed in 1780. By 1797 the mission had become the largest in California, with a population of more than 1,400 presumably converted Native American "Mission Indians" relocated to and associated with it. The tile-roofed adobe structure was destroyed by an 1803 earthquake but replaced by a third church in 1813.
In 1804, the Province of Las Californias split between the provinces of Alta California and Baja California, with San Diego being governed by Alta California from the regional capital in Monterey. Later, by 1821, Mexico defeated the Spanish forces in the Mexican War of Independence and created the Province of Alta California. The San Diego Mission was secularized and shut down in 1834. The land was sold off. 432 residents petitioned the governor to form a pueblo. Juan Maria Osuna was elected the first alcalde ("municipal magistrate"), defeating Pío Pico in the vote. Beyond the town, Mexican land grants expanded the number of California ranchos that modestly added to the local economy.
The original town of San Diego was located at the foot of Presidio Hill, in the area which is now Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. The location was not ideal, being several miles away from navigable water. Imported goods and exports (primarily tallow and hides) had to be carried over the La Playa Trail to the anchorages in Point Loma. This arrangement was suitable only for a very small town. In 1830, the population was about 600. In 1834 the presidio was described as "in a most ruinous state, apart from one side, in which the commandant lived, with his family. There were only two guns, one of which was spiked, and the other had no carriage. Twelve half-clothed and half-starved-looking fellows composed the garrison, and they, it was said, had not a musket apiece." The settlement composed about forty brown huts and three or four larger, whitewashed ones belonging to the gentry.
In 1836, the Alta California and Baja California territories merged as the Department of Las Californias as part of the reforms made under Las Siete Leyes formalized under then President Antonio López de Santa Anna. San Diego was losing its population by the 1830's. The Kumeyaay Native Americans had tensions with the Mexican government. Between 1836 and 1842, ranchos were abandoned as the Kumeyaay pillaged the countryside, with an initial attack on El Cajon in 1836 and Tijuana falling into Kumeyaay hands in 1839.
San Diego was first attacked circa 1836–1837 when a Mexican expedition to rescue two hostages failed and a large force of Kumeyaay launched an attack on the town but were caught off guard when an armed merchant vessel, Alert, docked on the bay fired upon the Kumeyaay warriors forcing the Kumeyaay to retreat. Sir Edward Belcher of the British Navy on board the HMS Sulphur on its way to fight in the First Opium War in Qing China, docked in San Diego Bay in October of 1839 and noted that it would appear that San Diego would soon be taken by the Native Americans or another nation.
In June 1842, it culminated in a Kumeyaay raid on San Diego in an attempt to expel the Mexican settlers, after doing so to the Californios in the surrounding rancho countryside. While the siege failed, the Kumeyaay managed to control much of the south, east, and most of the north of the settlement, with the town becoming dependent on sea access to maintain connections to the rest of Mexico. Together with Quechan resistance in the east, the Kumeyaay cut off Alta California from all land routes to the rest of the Mexican republic between the Colorado River and the Pacific Ocean up until the Mexican-American War, further threatening Mexican control of the southern Alta California coast
During the Mexican-American War, control of the city changed three times. The United States forces once took control in July 1846. Later, Californio forces controlled. By November 1846, Americans controlled San Diego permanently with help from the USS Congress. The Americans met the Mexican and Californio armies in the Battle of San Pasqual in December and were defeated, making it the only American defeat in the war. Following events near San Gabriel in early January 1847, peace returned to California. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo caused much of Mexico to go into American hands. The residents of California became U.S. citizens as California was part of the Union in 1850. San Diego was incorporated on March 27 as a city. It was part of San Deigo County. San Diego had the Tax Rebellion of 1851. The Cupeno and Kumeyaay rebelled against people wanting authorities to pay a $600 tax on properties. In 1850, with California being admitted into the Union, William Heath Davis, an American-Hawaiian pioneer, envisioned a thriving city on the bay and spent $60,000 to develop a 160-acre subdivision which included the city's streets, Pantoja Park, a warehouse, a wharf at the foot of today's Market Street, and ten New England saltbox houses shipped in from Maine. It was completed by August 1851 but was seldom used. In 1853, the steamer Los Angeles collided with the wharf. The damage was never repaired. Unused and poorly built, the damage was not worth fixing. Davis tried unsuccessfully to sell it. Finally, in 1862, the Army destroyed it, using timbers for firewood. San Deigo gradually grew to have railroads and a storm port system. Its downtown developed further. In 1906 the San Diego and Arizona Railway of John D. Spreckels was built to provide San Diego with a direct transcontinental rail link to the east by connecting with the Southern Pacific Railroad lines in El Centro, California. It became the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway. In 1933, the Spreckels heirs sold it to the Southern Pacific Railroad.
San Diego grew to 148,000 from 1900 to 1930. San Diego was called the Gibraltar of the Pacific because America used its strategic location to help get Guam, the Philippines for a time, and Hawaii. The opening of the Panama Canal helped supplies and other shipments to travel into San Deigo. It evolved into a major location for naval, marine, and air bases (as advocated by Congressman William Kettnew). The Navy developed greatly during World War I in America. By the time the Marine Base and Naval Training Center opened in the early 1920s, the Navy had built seven bases in San Diego at a cost of $20 million, with another $17 million in the pipeline. The city's 'culture of accommodation' determined the way the city would grow for the next several decades and created a military-urban complex rather than a tourist and health resort. With the reduction in naval spending after 1990, the Chamber turned its focus to tourism and conventions. San Diego had a great harbor and the weather; it seemed poised to become a world-class metropolis. Military institutions are all over the San Diego area. We have Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton near San Diego, the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, etc. By the early 1990's, twenty percent of the San Diego region's economy was dependent on defense spending.
Many people in the early 20th Century Progressive Movement were founded in San Diego. Many people wanted to eliminate corporate rule and bossism. Progressive Republicans resented the political power of the Southern Pacific Railroad and the role of "Boss" Charles Hardy. Reformers organized and fought back beginning with the 1905 municipal election. In 1906, they formed the Roosevelt Republican Club, and in 1907 reformers backed a Nonpartisan League. Led by Edgar Luce, George Marston, and Ed Fletcher, the Roosevelt Republican Club became the Lincoln-Roosevelt Republican League. The mayoral election of 1909 marked a sweeping victory for the League, as did the 1910 election of Hiram Johnson as governor.
In 1912, City Council restrictions on soapbox oratories led to the San Diego free speech fight, a confrontation between the Industrial Workers of the World on the one side and law enforcement and vigilantes on the other.
Marston was defeated for mayor in 1913 (against Charles F. O'Neall) and again in 1917 (against Louis J. Wilde). The 1917 race in particular was a classic growth-vs.-beautification debate. Marston argued for better city planning with more open space and grand boulevards; Wilde argued for more business development. Wilde called his opponent "Geranium George", painting Marston as unfriendly to business. Wilde's campaign slogan was "More Smokestacks", and during the campaign, he drew a great smokestack belching smoke on a truck through the city streets. The phrase "smokestacks vs. geraniums" is still used in San Diego to characterize this type of debate between environmentalists and growth advocates. San Diego hosted world fairs and had a strong tuna fishing industry. There is a strong philanthropy history in San Diego too.
For example, wealthy heiress Ellen Browning Scripps underwrote many public facilities in La Jolla, was a key supporter of the fledgling San Diego Zoo, and together with her brother E. W. Scripps established the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Another notable philanthropist of this era was George Marston, businessman, and owner of Marston's Department Store. Wanting to see Balboa Park become a grand city park like those in other cities, he hired architect John Nolen on two occasions, in 1908 and 1926, to develop a master plan for the park. In 1907 he bought Presidio Hill, the site of the original Presidio of San Diego, which had fallen into ruins. Recognizing its importance as the site of the first European settlement in California, he developed it into a park (planned by Nolen) with his own funds and built the Serra Museum (designed by architect William Templeton Johnson). In 1929, he donated the park to the city, which still owns and operates it; it is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. San Diego did much better than other parts of the country during the Great Depression. By the end of the Great Depression, San Diego's population grew 38 percent from 210,000 to 290,000 people. Its naval services grew. There were plants being formed and aircraft developing at a rapid pace. World War II brought prosperity to the city. San Diego had 340,000 people during WWII. The San Diego Aqueduct was created to give fresh water to people including the military. Navy and Marine facilities help to win the war effort during WWII. Tourism and universities increased in San Diego. The University of California and San Diego State University are some of the most prominent universities in America.
Japanese Americans, Filipino Americans, and other Asian American communities have a huge role in forming businesses and other institutions in San Diego. The Asian Pacific Thematic Historic District celebrates this history. San Diego saw the unjust internment of Japanese Americans too. Many racists wanted to shut down Asian businesses during this time. Up through the 1950s the downtown area was a focus of civic and cultural life, featuring elegant hotels like the U.S. Grant and the El Cortez, as well as Marston's, an upscale department store. During the 1970s that focus shifted to Mission Valley with its modern shopping centers. The hotels fell into disrepair, Marston's closed, and the downtown area developed a seedy reputation. The transformation of the downtown areas from a zone of poverty and poor housing to a major tourist attraction with large numbers of jobs began in 1968 with the creation of the Centre City Development Corporation. Its urban renewal project focused on the Gaslamp Quarter beginning in 1968, with the goal of making the area a national historic district and bringing upper- and middle-class tourists and suburban residents to downtown San Diego. Since the 1980s the city has seen the opening of the former Horton Plaza shopping center, the revival of the Gaslamp Quarter, and the construction of the San Diego Convention Center. In recent decades, there has been controversy action of gentrification. There was the development of Petco Park. 30,000 people live in downtown San Deigo. There is Hillcrest neighborhood development. San Deigo annexed many areas too. In 1972, San Diego was the city of the 1972 Republican National COnvention. It was held again in 1996 at the San Diego Convention Center. The largest annual convention held in San Diego is San Diego Comic-Con International, founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention in 1970. According to Forbes, it is the "largest convention of its kind in the world." In our time, San Diego is very much diverse ethnically, and there is nothing wrong with that. Diversity is part of our strength as Americans.
As the Cold War ended, the military shrank and so did defense spending. San Diego has since become a center of the emerging biotech industry and is home to telecommunications giant Qualcomm. San Diego had also grown in the tourism industry with the popularity of attractions such as the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld San Diego, and Legoland California in Carlsbad.
There are a lot of mysteries about Zilphy Claud's daughter Bettie Claud (b. 1848). My 4th great grandaunt Bettie Claud was born in Virginia. She was married to a man named Charles Rogers. The couple had the 2 daughters of Maggie Rogers (1870-1913) and Zilphia Ann Rogers (1871-1925). The 1880 United States Federal Census showed the name of Zilphy Claud being 60 years old, Bettie Claud Rogers (Zilphy's daughter) being 32, Carter Claud (Zilphy's son) being 28, Maggie Rogers (Bettie's daughter) being 12, and Zilphia Rogers (who is Bettie's other daughter) being 9. Later, Bettie Rogers lived in Portsmouth, Virginia as documented by the 1910 Federal United States Census. Bettie's daughter Zilphia Ann Rogers or my 1st cousin married Robert Crocker on December 12, 1888, in Southampton County, Virginia. The couple had one daughter named Lillie Crocker (b. 1890). Her 2nd husband was James Henry Broadmax. The couple married on September 9, 1895, in Portsmouth, Virginia. Their first daughter as a couple was Sallie Broadnax Morgan. She lived from December 1896 to April 28, 1927. She was married to Charles H. Morgan. Zilphia Ann Rogers and James Henry Broadmax's son was Percey Lewis Broadmax (1897-1957. Percy married Holland Broadmax). Zilphia Ann Rogers' 3rd husband was Joseph Daniel Askew (1872-1959). Their 3 children were Joseph W. Askew (1899-1959), Jane Askew (1904-1925), and Margaret Christian Askew (1913-1958). My 2nd cousin Margaret Christian Askew married Melton Harmon Gallop (1911-1962) first (on November 6, 1933, in Portsmouth, Virginia) The couple had the daughter of Jacqueline Christine Gallop (b. 1934). Margaret Askew later married Louis Berry Hayes (b. 1909) on September 10, 1948, in Detroit, Michigan.
My 3rd cousin Jacqueline Christine Gallop (who is a direct descendant of Zilphy Claud) married George Stanley Crump (1931-2017) on September 26, 1953 in Portsmouth, Virginia. They had many children who are my 4th cousins. Their names are: Arnita Yvonne Crump (1957-2012), George Stanley Crump II (1959-2007), and Daniel A. Crump (1960-1960). Arnita Yvonne Crump married the spouse of Abrah Mathews. Her son is Arthur Craig. The former husband of Jacqueline Christine Gallop, who was George Stanley Crump Sr., lived from September 20, 1931, to March 28, 2017. He graduated from I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth and from Norfolk State University. George Stanley Crump II or my 4th cousin played for the New England Patriots. He passed away from a pulmonary embolism. George Stanley Crump II (who played football for East Carolina) had 2 daughters who are Angelica Nicole Crump (b. July 4, 1991) and Christina Ariel Crump (b. October 1993). The mother of Angelica and Christina Crump is Jacqueline McRae Crump McKinley. Years ago, Angelica Crump was a great teenage athlete playing volleyball. Angelica played for coach Brooke Kline when she was at Chamblee Charter High School. She led the state of Georgia with 635 kills in volleyball in 2008. In college, she was the 2013 American Volleyball Player of the Week. She played at Central Florida University and professionally at Strabag VC FTVS Uk Bratislava. Angelica Crump is an Atlanta native, and today she is a grown woman who is a textile designer at Eddie Baur (in Seattle, Washington. She is an expert in fashion designer). So, my 5th cousins of Angelica Nicole Crump and Christina Ariel Crump share the same ancestor of Zilphy Claud with me. Both of them had the father of George Crump II, his mother was Jacqueline Christine Gallop, Jacqueline's mother was Margaret Christain Askew, Margaret Christain Askew's mother was Zilphia Ann Rogers, Zilphia Ann Rogers's mother was Bettie Claud, and Bettie Claud's mother was my 5th great grandmother Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). Therefore, everything comes to a full circle indeed.
By Timothy
Friday, December 16, 2022
Late December 2022 Updates.
President Joe Biden has released JFK documents. These documents deal with Lee Harvey Oswald and other people. The National Archives organization is to release more than 10,000 documents on the JFK assassination. Previously, the records released were very much redacted. Some believe that the CIA is hesitant in released all of the documents because some feel that the CIA knew much more about Oswald's activities before JFK was murdered. Some thousands of documents are withheld. In 1992, a Congressional law said that JFK documents should be released. The records show Lee Harvey Oswald and his time in Mexico City. Some documents are hidden like information from CIA agent George Joannides and a covert Cuba-related program he ran that came into contact with Lee Harvey Oswald less than four months before Kennedy was shot. To this day, the vast majority of Americans support the view that the assassination of President John Kennedy was a product of a conspiracy.
The CIA trying to redact information without showing all of the records pertaining to the time period is very suspicious. We know that President Kennedy supported Algerian independence and other African independence movements. JFK supported Indonesian independence, support federal civil rights legislation, supported a socialist Italian party in Italy, and desired to eliminate Operation Northwoods. President John F. Kennedy criticized the CIA's covert programs in the world too, even threatening to break up the CIA into a thousand pieces. Not to mention that JFK refused to invade Cuba and just before his death, planned to have meetings with Cuba to establish some type of detente. So, far-right members of the military-industrial complex had hostility toward the policies of President John F. Kennedy.
Russian State TV emails have encouraged the use of Tucker Carlson clips to spin the war in Ukraine. It is no secret that Carlon has praised Putin, made racist comments about Tiffany Cross and believes in the lie of the replacement theory. MAGA far-right extremists readily have given statements to support Russia, because many of them promote the far-right agenda of Putin. Putin is not a progressive person. Putin led an unjust, illegal invasion of Ukraine because he believes in the myth that Ukraine belongs to Russia. Also, Putin made policies that violate freedom of speech, religious liberty rights, and suppression of press rights. That is why many Russian protesters, who protested against the Putin regime, have been arrested and violated their liberties. Many racist MAGA people want a white ethnic-fascist state in America, and they use Putin as a template in promoting their abhorrent agenda.
Something in my intuition compelled me to mention information about Brazil. Bolsonaro is the far-right extremist who lost the 2022 Brazilian election. Recently, Bolsonaro supporters tried to storm the police headquarters in a January 6-style rampage. This comes about Lula having her election victory in Brazil. These far-right terrorists torched cars and buses. They wanted to storm the federal police headquarters. Inacio Lula da Silva will be inaugurated in January of 2023. Far-right terrorists were arrested for trying to incite violence. These extremists wore the yellow Brazil shirt to support Jair Bolsonaro's extremist views. Brasilia has suffered a lot from these evil people. They have destroyed buildings and signposts. They have used rubbish bins and gas canisters as weapons. These Bolsonaro-supporting cowards will not prevail. Real progressive policies will make Brazil a better place with Lula as the real President of Brazil on January 1, 2023.
Now, Karen Bass is the new mayor of Los Angeles. She is about to call on an emergency on the homelessness issue in Los Angeles. We wish her the best. I saw her in person at USC back in 2019 in LA before. She gave a stirring speech. Also, I realize that this was a historic moment when she ran for the election. Vice President Kamala Harris swore her in to make her officially the first black woman mayor of Los Angeles. Karen Bass defeated many candidates by her own merit and by hard work. Now, it's back to business with over 40,000 people in the Los Angeles area living in homelessness. “Today, too many Angelenos have no choice but to crowd multiple families into one home, and to work multiple jobs just to barely pay rent,” Bass said. “Tragically, our city has earned the shameful crown as being home to the most crowded neighborhoods in the nation – Pico Union, South L.A., East L.A., the East Valley,” she added. “And Angelenos, we know our mission – we must build housing in every neighborhood.” When Bass takes office, the four largest cities in the US will all have Black mayors – that includes Eric Adams of New York City, Lori Lightfoot of Chicago, and Sylvester Turner of Houston.
Thursday, December 15, 2022
Studies on Living Longer.
Exercise more than recommended amounts for longest life, study says | CNN
Daily Exercise Linked to Living Longer (aarp.org)
Exercise more than recommended amounts for longest life, study says | CNN
Eat better, live longer - Harvard Health
Ultra-processed foods linked to cognitive decline, dementia (nypost.com)
Diet may help preserve cognitive function | National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Eating These Foods Can Keep Your Brain Sharp, Study Shows — Eat This Not That
Cognitive Health and Older Adults | National Institute on Aging (nih.gov)
Healthy habits can lengthen life | National Institutes of Health (NIH)
6 Ways the Mediterranean Diet Helps You Live Longer | EatingWell
Mediterranean diet gives longer life, Swedish study suggests -- ScienceDaily
Mediterranean diet linked to longer life | News | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Exercise To Live Longer | Benefits of Exercise On Aging | Allina Health
Can exercise extend your life? - Harvard Health
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
Being 39 Years Old Starting Days ago.
It is a blessing to live in the world in seeing another day. I am thankful for the Happy Birthday wishes days ago from many people here. This is the end of my 30's (as I am 39 years old), and I witness the start of middle age (as I am an older Millennial). In our time, we see almost a quarter century of this stirring 21st century. People like me have been blessed to live in both the 20th and 21st centuries. Additionally, we see the new generation of Generation Z growing and advancing their legacies in their own lives. Also, during this time of the year, we should send great appreciation to unsung human beings using almsgiving in helping their neighbors, folks who are opposing oppression, and key people standing up for justice heroically. We live in transformative times when we could possibly see affirmative action as we know it to be gone by the Supreme Court unfortunately in 2023. We will witness the 2024 Olympics arising in Paris, and the 2024 Presidential election. Also, we have hope. The truth is that tons of righteous people are in the world who love truth, who want to encourage others to reach their highest potentials, and who believe in the creed that our ancestors lived and died for. Life is about making choices and seeing that our purpose isn't just about benefiting ourselves. It is truly about being a beacon of light and using earnest diligence to help others to be on the path of altruistic freedom. I have learned many things in my life, and I will continue to learn on topics ranging from health, STEM, spirituality, music, and other realms of culture. I certainly appreciate the words from my relatives, great religious fitness experts, community leaders, workers, and other people here.
Marjorie Taylor Greene has crossed the line with her evil statements. Recently, she told a crowd that if she had organized the January 6 terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol, she would have the terrorists armed and they would have "won." She spoke at a New York Young Republican Club. She spoke of praising the white nationalist racist Steve Bannon. Greene then said that she was been sarcastic and denied any involvement in the January 6th terrorist attack. Greene's comments trivialize the event and cause pain to the victims of that terrorist action too. Greene lied and called the event just a "riot." Many terrorists at the U.S. Capitol had weapons like bats and poles. Many carried guns. One person had two load handguns and has been sentenced to five years in prison. The White House has condemned Greene's comments rightfully as violent rhetoric and was a slap in the face to the law enforcement and families who lost loved ones defending the U.S. Capitol that day. You don't joke about wanting terrorists to be armed at the U.S. Capitol.
The third year of the COVID-19 pandemic is coming to an end. The pandemic is not over. The pandemic killed more than 250,000 Americans so far in 2022 alone. This is higher than the total U.S. battlefield deaths in any single year of WWI or WWII. Recently, deaths and hospitalizations have increased after months of slowing down. The majority of the deaths of the pandemic are people over 65 years old in America. That is why infrastructure, and a plan are necessary to successfully fight back against the pandemic. We have an increase in the flu and RSV too among children and adults alike. The government, after far right-wing pressure and protests, eliminated all remaining federal measures to stop the spread of the disease many months ago. There is no contact tracing system in America now. A recent study showed that the COVID-19 vaccine saved 3.2 American lives. You have to care about human life and happiness. Part of that is using policies to eradicate disease, not token measures that only mask the situation.
There is a report of the Meadows texts showing new insights into the far-right effort to overturn the 2020 election. Meadows exchanged texts with at least 34 Republican members of Congress. This proves that extremists were so zealous in promoting the great election lie, that they want to influence the DOJ to try to steal the 2020 election. This conspiracy failed, but investigators want to find more people involved in the plot beyond just Trump (although Trump is complicit in the plot as one of the worst Presidents in American history). Trump's new legal situation is a new era. He could be very well indicted on many charges in 2023 or in 2024. We know the corruption of the Republicans who promoted the election lie. That is why many of them wanted pardons because they knew that what they did was wrong. Trump is being investigated in Georgia, New York state, and other locations. Special counsel Jack Smith is going fast in his investigations about Trump. Time is of the essence for a cogent investigation and accountability sent to those involved in the plot to steal the election and the theft of classified documents.
Days ago was the Birthday of Sister Mo'Nique, and she is 55 years old. For decades, she has been an actress, comedian, and TV personality. She stood up against the establishment and won a battle to express her views on black people owning their institutions. She won an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award. She was born in Woodlawn, Baltimore County, Maryland. She is the youngest of four children. She attended Morgan State University. She graduated from the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland in 1987. Later, she worked in comedy at the downtown Baltimore Comedy Factory Outlet. She was on shows like The Parkers from 1999 to 2004. Also, she was on comedy shows and she had her own show. She won battles, and the world realizes what she had to go through in achieving her goals. I wish Sister Mo'Nique more Blessings.
By Timothy
Monday, December 12, 2022
Legacies.
2010 started with Serena Williams losing to Elena Dementieva in Sydney. At the Australian Open, Serena Williams was the defending champion in both singles and doubles. She reached the final and defeated Justine Henin, who had just recently come out of retirement. Serena Williams earned her twelfth Grand Slam singles title in 2010. In the doubles, Serena and Venus Williams successfully defended their title by defeating Cara Black and Liezel Huber in the finals. For the new few events, Serena Williams withdrew to deal with a leg injury. She returned at the Rome Master and lost to Jelena Jankovic in the semifinals. At Madrid, she fell to Nadia Petrova in the third round, but she partnered with Venus to win the doubles title. Williams's next tournament was Wimbledon, where she defeated Russian Vera Zvonareva in the final without facing a break point and breaking the serve of Zvonareva three times. Serena did not lose a set in the tournament.
After the match, Martina Navratilova said that Serena Williams is in the top five of all the women's tennis players in all of history, which she said that "it's not just about how many Slams you win or how many tournaments you win—it's just your game overall. And she's got all the goods." Serena was the defending champion in doubles with her sister Venus, winning the last two years. They lost in the quarterfinals to Elena Vesnina and Zvonareva. In Munich on July 7, Williams stepped on broken glass while in a restaurant, and the injury caused her to miss the rest of the year. Williams ended the year ranked No. 4 in singles after six tournaments, and No. 11 in doubles after four tournaments. On March 2, 2011, she confirmed that she had suffered a hematoma and a pulmonary embolism. Everything changed from 2011 to 2013 when Serena Williams reached a new level of dominance. By 2012, she won her fourth U.S. Open singles title and her 15th career Grand Slam title overall beating Azarenka in the final. Serena Williams was named International Tennis Federation World Champion in 2012. She worked with Venus Williams to win their fifth Wimbledon doubles title and their 13th grand slam doubles title. They defended their 2012 Olympic doubles titles. They are the only tennis players to win four gold medals. In 2013, she won her fifth U.S. Open title. Serena Williams became the oldest U.S. Open champion in the Open Era and pushed her career prize past $50 million. By 2013, she was ranked No. 1 in the world for the third time being the oldest No. 1 player in WTA history. She earned Both Best Female Athlete and Best Female Tennis Player awards at the 2013 ESPY Awards. By December of 2013, Serena Williams received the Associated Press 2013 Female Athlete of the Year award, her third AP award after 2002 and 2009. Only Chris Evert and Babe Didrikson (one of the greatest athletes in human history) were the women chosen more than Serena Williams.
From 2014 to 2015, Serena Williams made more successful. She defended her title at Brisbane International by defeating No. 2 Victoria Azarenka in the final. She won the Miami Open in 2014. She won her U.S. Open singles titles in 2014 too. By 2015, Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova for the 16th conservative time to claim her 6th Australian Open singles title and her 19th career Grand Slam singles title. This victory made Williams surpass both Evert and Navratilova for the 2nd most Grand Slam titles won in the Open Era. Serena Williams is the only player in history to win all four Grand Slams at least once after having turned 30 years old. She had her second Serena Slam in 2015. She was number one in 2016. In 2016, Serena Williams defeated Angelique Kerber in a rematch at Wimbledon. She equaled Steffi Graf's record of 22 Grand Slams in the Pen Era. This was her 71st career WTA title overall. She won her 6th Wimbledon doubles title and 14th doubles Grand Slam title overall. In 2017, she won her 8th Australian Open final defeating her sister, Venus That was her 23rd Grand Slam singles title, surpassing Steffi Graf's Open record of 22. This was the first time in the Open Era those 2 players aged 35 or older had competed in the final of a Grand Slam tournament. She was No. 1 in ranking in 2017. Also, on April 19, 2017, Serena Williams said that she was 20 weeks pregnant and would miss the remainder of the season. She might have been 8 to 9 weeks pregnant when she won the Australian Open. Her daughter was born on September 1, 2017 whose name is Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.
From 2018 to 2022, Serena Williams competed hard. She lost to a new start Naomi Osaka of Japan in 2018. By 2020, Serena Williams won her first singles title as a mother at the 2020 ASB Classic, defeating Jessica Pegulas in the final. She worked with Caroline Wozniacki in the doubles tournament but lost to Asia Muhammad and Taylor Townsend. Serena Williams is the first woman in the professional era with at least one title in the four decades of the 1990's, the 2000's, the 2010's, and the 2020's. THAT MEANS THAT SERENA WILLIAMS IS THE GOAT. Serena Williams was the first player in history to reach the semifinals of the Grand slam and U.S. Open in the four decades of the 1990's, the 2000's, the 2010's, and the 2020's. By May of 2021 in the Italian Open, Serena Williams played her 1000th match of her career. By early 2022, she promoted the film King Richardd about her father and her sisters. She was at the 94th Academy Awards. By August 2022, Serena Williams wrote for Cogue that she wants to evolve away from tennis. Serena Williams wants to grow her family, work on her venture capital firm, and spend more time with her family. Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff said that they are inspired by Serena Williams. Today, Serena William is that icon of sports and culture that tons of people admire worldwide.
The legacy of Sister Serena Williams is extremely monumental. With her accomplishments alone, Serena Williams is easily the best woman tennis player of all time. She is also one of the greatest athletes of all time too. In 2017, BBC Sport users picked her as the greatest women tennis player of the Open Era. BBC presenter and former French Open Champion Sue Barker said, "Serena is the greatest because this era is so much more competitive than previous eras. The pace she generates her serve is without question the greatest ever combined with her movement and her power, and she pushes her opponents constantly on the back foot." By 2018, a Tennis.com panel selected Serena Williams as the greatest woman tennis player of all time. In 2018, Federer said that Serena Williams has the best case for the Greatest of All Time in tennis, whether man or woman. In 2022, John McEnroe said that Serena Williams is an icon and the GOAT of GOATs. Serena Williams and Venus Williams also worked to promote pay equity in tennis and helped to increase diversity in the sport. There were black icons in tennis for decades, but the Williams Sisters promoted that diverse representation to the next level. Now, we see a more diverse group of tennis-playing athletes at the professional level. That is why Sloane Stephens (former U.S. Open Champion), Coco Gauff (a French Open finalist), and Naomi Osaka (a four-time Grand Slam champion) have thanked Serena Williams and Venus Williams for playing tennis in general. Serena Williams' involvement in social activism, philanthropy, fashion, and helping to expand the power of human expression are blessings. She refutes the old lie that femininity is not related to strength. Femininity is diverse and is definitely related to strength indeed.
There is the story of Mary Rosalyn Spurlock that must be shown too. She was my late 3rd cousin. She was born on April 11, 1942, in Suffolk, Virginia. She passed away on July 10, 2017. She was a direct descendant of my 5th grandmother Zilphy Claud. She married Leavell E. Ricks Jr. (1940-2001), Their 2 children are my 4th cousins who are David Keith Ricks (b. 1961) and Derek Leavell Ricks Sr. (b. 1963). Mary Rosalyn Spurlock's grandsons are Derek Leavell Ricks Jr. (b. 1990. His parents are Derek Leavell Ricks Sr. and Diahnn Renee Ricks. Diahann was born in 1966) and Demetrius. Mary Spurlock Rick's siblings are Thomas Lawrence McGlore Spurlock Jr. (1938-2018), Larry Nelson Spurlock (b. 1952-2020. Larry's daughter is Angel Edwards from the Washington, D.C. area), and Kenneth Stuart Spurlock Sr. (1940-2020). My late 3rd cousin Kenneth Stuart Spurlock Sr. married Shirley Odessa Greene (b. 1938) on June 13, 1961, in Suffolk, Virginia. Their child is Kenneth Stuart Spurlock Jr. (b. 1961). The couple of Kenneth and Shirley Spurlock divorced on July 13, 1966, in Suffolk, Virginia. So, Mary Rosalyn Spurlock's father was Lawrence McGlore Spurlock (1917-1996). Mary's grandmother was Mary Lee Williams (1890-1938). Mary's great grandmother was Adaline Hill (1862-1930). Mary's 2nd great grandfather was Tom Hill (1838-1915), and her 2nd great grandmother was Sarah Claud. Mary's 3rd great grandmother was Zilphy Claud (1820-1893).
Sunday, December 11, 2022
Saturday, December 10, 2022
Friday, December 09, 2022
End of the Week News.
Some breaking news is that Brittney Griner is going home to America from Russian detention. Her unjust prison sentence is now over. Many people are shocked that this day would come, but this is great news to see Griner free from her bondage in Russia. Her family and fans supported her every step of the way. When one person suffers an injustice, it's an attack on all of us. This deal involved a swap for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout. What is not good news is that Paul Whelan remains in prison. Whelan should be free. Paul Whelan is an American man who was wrongfully detained according to the U.S. State Department. So, this battle for freedom is not over, but we take solace and celebrate the release of Brittney Griner. Griner landed in San Antonio so authorities can go to a program to adjust to normal life in America.
Many Republicans are complaining about the Rev. Raphael Warnock's victory against Hershel Walker. The truth is that Republicans in general, not just Trump, are blamed for the Walker loss. Laura Ingraham of FOX News complaining is typical. For years, she has been a neo-conservative who supported the Iraq War and supported Trump. Now, she wants to complain about an extremist named Walker losing a Georgia election. At the end of the day, they should have known from the beginning what Trump (who is a sexist, racist, xenophobe, and far-right extremist) is about. You can't run on nothing, except for bigotry and distraction, and then expect to win an election. You have to run on something to help people's health, education, voting rights, economic rights, environmental rights, and human rights in general. Therefore, we have to realize that commonsense matters. To change people's lives, you have to advocate for living wages, stand up for real history to be taught in schools (that doesn't sugarcoat history), go about promoting an expansion of health care services, grow investments and infrastructure, and preserve basic human rights inherit for all people.
A far-right coup in Germany has been foiled by German authorities. The plot included Qanon cultists and other extremists. This plot has similarities to the January 6th plot too. This is one of the largest raids in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. It took place on Wednesday. This raid involved about 3,000 officers from the special police forces. They stormed 137 locations in 11 federal states, and they arrested 25 people during the morning. 27 more people are being investigated. The people arrested are said to be involved in a terrorist organization that was created at the end of November 2021. Many of those arrested were wealthy, influential people like Prince Reuss Heinrich XIII (who has been charged as the ringleader). Reuss was a Frankfurt real estate agent and a descendant of the Thuringian noble family who ruled the Vogtland region for 700 years. Many military people, a lawyer, a doctor, a pilot, a classical tenor, etc. were arrested. These terrorists wanted to have a coup. They wanted to go to the German Bundestag or federal parliament to try to overthrow the government of Germany. With the crisis of capitalism, many elites are going towards far-right authoritarianism as found in Italy, America, and other nations. That is why people are fighting back against imperialism including economic exploitation.
Recently, Janis Gaye passed away at 66 years old. She was the 2nd wife of Marvin Gaye, and the mother of the actress of Nona Gaye. Janis Gaye lived in Rhode Island at the time of her transition. Her life was filled with love and joy for her child and her grandchild. Always a spokeswoman for musical excellence, Janis Gaye was a singer, author, manager, and stylist. She was constantly at work to try to make the world more prodigiously better. Her grandson is Nolan Pentz. She was the daughter of the musician Slim Gaillard. Janis Gaye also managed the acting career of Nan Gaye, who had roles in The Matrix, Ali, Crash, Blood and Bone, and other films. Marvin Gaye dedicated many songs to Janis. Also, Janis Gaye helped to set up Marvin Gaye's wardrobe. She has a sister who is Shawnn Monteiro, and her brother is Mark Gaillard. I send condolences to her family and friends.
Rest in Power Sister Janis Gaye.
Recently, on Ancestry.com, I found another maternal distant 4th cousin named Carrie Denise Spurlock Burton (b. 1972). I knew that she was a maternal relative because now Ancestry.com can divide matches based on parents now. Parent 1 is my paternal relatives, and Parent 2 is my maternal relatives. Carrie Burton's parents are Roland Junius Spurlock (1944-2016) and Andrea J. Spurlock (b. 1948). Roland Junius Spurlock's parents (or Carrie's grandparents on her father's side) are Robert Spurlock Jr. (1911-1979) and Hannah Louise Yates (1924-1993). Robert Spurlock Jr.'s parents are Robert Spurlock (b. 1888) and Mary Lee Williams (1890-1938). Mary Lee Williams' parents are John Henry Williams (1857-1921. He was a descendant of African and Nottoway peoples) and Adaline Hill (1862-1930). My 3rd great grandaunt Adeline Hill's parents are Sarah Claud (1842-1892) and Tom Hill (1838-1915). Tom Hill was a freeman and Sarah Claud was born a slave (at the Rose Hill plantation) in Southampton County, Virginia. My 4th great-grandmother Sarah Claud's mother was Zilphy Claud or my 5th great-grandmother. That is why Carrie Burton (who has a lot of family in the state of Delaware and other places in America) has shared matches among me with members of the Claud, as both of us are blood relatives of the African American Claud family.
By Timothy