Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Discernment
The attack against U.S. troops in Jordan was cowardly and evil. Regardless of how you feel about U.S. foreign policy, there is absolutely no excuse to murder innocent people unjustly. Now, we know the names of the three victims who are two Sisters and one Brother. Their names are Sgt. William Rivers, Specialist Kennedy Sanders, and Specialist Breonna Moffett. Each of the victims is from the state of Georgia. These attacks during the time of the massive conflict in the Middle East. Israel is fighting Hamas and Iranian-backed militia groups. Iran has denied involved in the murder of three Americans. Each of the victims was assigned to the 718th Engineer Company, a U.S. Army Reserve unit based out of Fort Moore, Georgia. More than 40 people were injured in the attack. No one knows who did the drone strike. Some believe that an Iran-backed militia group is behind the drone strike. Some of the neo-cons and war hawks want President Biden to attack Iran directly. Directly attacking Iran will definitely cause more mayhem in the Middle East too. The neo-cons are reckless with their views which is not shocking. President Biden is planning on a retaliatory response.
The Moms for Liberty organization is declining in its support. The reason is that its policies blatantly promote censorship of books and other subjects. Back when I was in high school, I read many books and learned about many things that were not P.C. These things weren't a threat to a wider society. Moms for Liberty has tried to intimidate many school board areas to promote a far-right agenda. Moms for Liberty even wanted to censor books in public libraries which is fascist. Many parents disagree with Moms for Liberty because they restrict parents' right to allow their children to read books that they desire. Moms for Liberty wants book banning and curriculum changing. Now, we have a scandal with Moms for Liberty being exposed for its hypocrisy. Moms for Liberty's endorsed candidates are losing elections. In other words, people have to be taught the truth about humanity, real American history, and other subjects without whitewashing and without draconian censorship.
House Republicans hold hearings on trying to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas. This is obviously a political stunt made by MAGA Republicans as immigration is a complex issue. The reality is that only a comprehensive immigration policy is necessary to deal with immigration issues. Long ago, America had tons of undocumented immigrants who were European immigrants who came to America from England, Scotland, and other places centuries ago. The Pilgrims didn't have visas or a green card. They just came to New England in boats. Today, people from Africa, Latin America, Asia, and other places of mostly of color are coming into America (for various reasons like escaping persecution, wars, and economic survival) with racists spewing stereotypes and lies about them. Republicans aren't serious. Trump even opposes a bipartisan deal that Biden could sign that deals with immigration issues. We know what works. We have to have a process to deal with asylum seekers as asylum seekers are legal immigrants by definition. We need an easy method of ports of entry where people can be safely processed. We need adequate border security compassionately. We need to stop sending migrants on buses to cities nationwide for vindictive purposes. Also, we need to both have a pathway for citizenship and make sure that Americans here now are treated fairly too. It's not an either/or proposition. We should treat all people with dignity and respect, irrespective of immigration status.
There are many protests made by farmers in France, Germany, and Belgium. The reason is that people are protesting the fuel subsidy cuts as the German government has higher military spending and slashes agricultural subsidies. Farmers have made blockades around Brussels, Liege, and Namur in Belgium. It has been around in the cities of Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille, and other cities in France. Armed vehicles of the French military police were sent around Paris area airports and the critical food distribution center at Rungis. High inflation is in many nations of Europe. Farmers are retiring as little as 400 euros per month. Many workers want to unite in order to address climate change, adequate agricultural processes, and other matters. America has economic issues, but America has the most resilient and strongest economy on Earth at this present moment (with record low African American unemployment, lower inflation, and a large labor participating rate).
We always have to use discernment. Part of that discernment is to reject the agenda of hateful gossip mongers and manosphere types like Corey Holcomb. Corey recently went on a profane rant against his own daughter causing her the b word. Issues with his daughter can be resolved in private without that type of language which isn't a solution. Also, Corey has many co-hosts co-signing nearly his every word. Also, there is the person named Darlene Ortiz (who once dated the rapper Ice T, and Ice T erroneous said that Arrested Development's music was so "slave") who is on the show with a known history of making racist slurs against black people. Ortiz made watermelon jokes (she forgets that watermelon in real life has numerous health benefits) and said the n word constantly (as found in a YouTube video of her saying it). Corey sits there and says nothing but goes along with it because he has self-hatred. Many self-hating black people aren't just the Tommy Sotomayor types or the Jesse Lee Peterson types. Many of them also claim to be for black people but their rhetoric is overtly anti-black (by calling black women 304s, poor shaming people, or calling a black man a simp if he sincerely loves a woman). Therefore, Corey isn't about family, justice for black people, or separating from evil. He is about promoting tensions and seeking a divide in the community for profit which many others do. Darlene Ortiz once said that She’ll Build A Ship & Sell Corey Holcomb Back To Africa which is blatantly racist. Ortiz is like Mike Rappaport. They may hang around with some black people but when push comes to shove, they show their real colors. As for Katt Williams, I was reminded of certain information about him. Katt Williams gave a historic interview with football legend Shannon Sharpe. Shannon Sharpe is one of the greatest NFL players of all time, and Katt Williams is one of the most talented comedians of all time. Katt Williams speaks the truth about some things that go on in the industry. It is true that many comedians sell their soul and compromise their integrity for profit. It is true that the industry exploits people and dehumanizes people in movie or TV roles. The problem with Katt Williams is that he offers no long-term solution to address this problem like confronting the powers that be (the corporate executives fund compromised comedians), allowing those comedians with weaknesses to improve themselves, cultivating a culture of excellence, and dealing with real political issues (like poverty, the environment, voting rights, other economic issues, health care, etc.). It is not enough to criticize people. You must bring solutions to the problem too and inspiration. Also, Katt Williams has contradictions. He claims to be the one who hasn't sold out, but he was caught physically assaulting women for years. He claims to be upstanding (he has done legitimate charity and helped comedians for years), but he constantly disrespects people's physical appearance in a mean fashion (including Ludacris's wife when that man's wife is an innocent woman). It is important to expose all evil people too. Vince McMahon has been sued by a woman accusing him of grotesque actions that I can't mention here. For decades, Vince McMahon has had a long history of using sexist, racist, and xenophobic storylines in the WWE. Vince has been scandal-enveloped for years and decades. Today, tons of people want him to have accountability for his actions. Therefore, to fight evil, we have to take the time to get our lives in check, make amends, and stand firm on the truth.
By Timothy
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Monday, January 29, 2024
Diverse Subjects.
The modern world as we know it wouldn't be as it is without the usage of machines. Any machine deals with mathematics from geometry to calculus. A machine deals with a physical system or device that uses power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. Many machines use artificial devices like engines and motors. There are natural biological macromolecules like molecular machines too. Machines can be driven by animals and people. Some people power machines by natural forces like wind and water. Some people use chemical, thermal, or electrical power to drive machines too. Computers and sensors have many machines that plan movement, develop performance, and use other means as part of mechanical systems. Back in the day, people talked about the major simple machines of lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, wedge, and screw. These simple machines use mechanical advantage or leverage to multiple forces so actions can be efficient. Simple machines use a single applied force to do work against a single load force. Simple machines can be used to make complicated machines like wheels, levers, and pulleys are used in the mechanism of a bicycle. In our modern times, modern machines represent complex systems that deal with structural elements, mechanisms, and control components. Modern machines deal with airplanes, trains, automobiles, boats, airplanes, appliances, farm machinery, factory automation systems, robots, etc. Engineers and scholars use mathematical formulas in utilizing devices and machines and organize principles to create the best ways to make inventions efficient.
The history of Toronto has a long history. Toronto experienced glacial ice throughout the Last Glacial Period, with the glacial ice retreating from the area during the Late Glacial warming period from ca. 13,000 B.C. After the Last Glacial Period, Toronto's waterfront shifted with the growth. There was the contraction of glacial Lake Iroquois. The area witnessed its first human settlers in ca. 9,000 - 8,500 B.C. These settlers traveled large distances in family-sized bands, and sustained themselves on caribou, mammoths, mastodons, and smaller animals in the tundra and Boreal Forest. Many of their archaeological remains lie in present-day Lake Ontario, with the historic coastline of Lake Iroquois situated 20 km. (or 12 miles) south of Toronto during this period. As the climate warmed in 6,000 B.C., the environment of Toronto shifted from a subarctic to a temperate continental climate. The Toronto waterfront also changed dramatically during this period, with erosion from the Scarborough Bluffs accumulating, and rising water levels from Lake Ontario creating a peninsula that would later become the Toronto Islands. First Nations fishing camps were established in the waterways of Toronto as early as 1000 B.C. By 500 AD., there were about 5000 people who lived in each other three major rivers of Toronto (Don, Humber, and Rouge River). As the climate warmed in 6,000 B.C., the environment of Toronto shifted from a subarctic to a temperate continental climate. The Toronto waterfront also changed dramatically during this period, with erosion from the Scarborough Bluffs accumulating, and rising water levels from Lake Ontario creating a peninsula that would later become the Toronto Islands. By 600 A.D., there were new crops in the region like corn, sunflowers, and tobacco.
The introduction of these crops saw large societal shifts in the area; including a change in diet, and the formation of semi-permanent villages, to farm these crops. Many people from semi-permanent villages moved out during parts of the year to hunt, fish, and gather other goods to supplement their farming. In about 900 A.D. there was the earliest known Iroquoian semi-permanent settlement of this nature. Iroquoian villages during this period were located on high, fortified grounds, with access to wetlands and waterways to facilitate hunting, fishing, trade, and military operations. Their villages typically stood in place for around 10 to 20 years, before the inhabitants relocated to a new site. Typically, these villages would cycle through many sites but return to the same areas repeatedly. This lessened the impact on surrounding flora and fauna, allowing hunting and agriculture to be utilized sustainably. Several Iroquoian villages dating back to the 1200s have been excavated in Toronto, including an ossuary in Scarborough. From the 1300s to the 1500s, the Iroquoian inhabitants of the area migrated north of Toronto, joining the developing Huron-Wendat Confederacy. During this period, the Huron-Wendat Confederacy used Toronto as a hinterland for hunting, with the Toronto Passage continuing to see use as a north–south route. The northeast portion of Toronto also held two 14th-century Iroquoian burial mounds, known today as Taber Hill.
Although Europeans did not visit Southern Ontario in the 16th century, European goods had begun to make their way into the region as early as the late-1500s. During the 17th century, nearly half of Southern Ontario's First Nations population was wiped out as a result of the transmission of communicable diseases between Europeans and First Nations groups. The population loss, along with the desire to secure furs for trade, saw the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to the south invade the area and attack the Huron-Wendat Confederacy. The Haudenosaunee ultimately defeated the Huron-Wendat in the mid-1600s, and the Huron-Wendat fled as refugees, were killed or were forcibly adopted into the Haudenosaunee. After the Haudenosaunee secured the region, they established several settlements on the north shore of Lake Ontario. The Seneca (one of the five Haudenosaunee nations), established two settlements in present-day Toronto, Teiaiagon, near the Humber River, and Ganatsekwyagon near the Rouge River. The two communities provided the Haudenosaunee control of the north–south passage in Toronto. Roman Catholic missionaries visited the two settlements in the 1660s and 1670s. The two Seneca settlements were abandoned by 1687.
Mysteries are being revealed constantly. Recently, I found out about a person named Ameerah Salhah Ahmad (b. 1979) who appears to be my maternal 6th cousin as we share the same ancestors as Winifred Woodson-Bozeman (b. 1791) and Burwell Williams, who are my 6th great grandparents. To start, it is time to go backwards chronologically. Ameerah Salah Ahmad has a child named Ramiz. Ameerah Ahmad lives in Massachusetts (like many of my maternal and paternal distant cousins live) and her parents are Nadir S. Ahmad (b. 1979) and Hadiyah Sabreen Ahmad (b. 1953). Her family are black Muslim Americans as Ameerah Ahmad follows Islam too. My 5th cousin Hadiyah Sabreen Ahmad was born on March 1953, and her parents are George Washington Artis (1925-1994) and Julia Mae Newsome (1929-2005). Ameerah's siblings are her brother Salih Ahmad and her sister Balayla Ahmad. The African American Artis family was from Southampton County originally. Many of them moved to Sussex County, Virginia (which is near Suffolk, Virginia). From Sussex County, the Artis family traveled all over America like Petersburg, Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, New York City, and beyond. George Washington Artis and Julia Mae Newsome had the following children: Frances Artis Reed (b. 1949), George Carol Artis (1950-1989), Hadiyah Sabreen Ahmad (b. 1953), Veronic Eliane Artis Clifford (b. 1954), Rose Marie Artis Gupton (b. 1956), Larry Darnell Artis (b. 1958), Doris Jean Artis (b. 1960), Vera Annette Artis (b. 1963), and Sophia Lorraine Artis (b. 1966). The parents of George Washington Artis (1925-1994) or my 4th cousin were William Artis (1894-1956) and Sallie Greene (b. 1900). William Artis's parents were William W. Artis (b. 1862) and Rebecca Mylick (b. 1863). William W. Artis's parents were William Artis and my 1st cousin Indiana Bozeman Crocker (1831-1896). This is proven by many sources. One is the 1880 United Federal Federal Census Document showing William W. Artis being 17 and the son of William Artis and Indiana Artis citing his siblings of Washington Artis, Ben Artis, Clara J. Artis, and George Artis. Also, the Virginia U.S. Marriage Registers document (1853-1935) citied William Walter Artis being married to Rebecca Mylick citing his parents as William and Indiana.
Indiana Bozeman Crocker's parents were Thomas Crocker (1810-1877) and Pasty Williams Crocker (1810-1870). Patsy Williams Crocker's parents were again my 6th grandparents of Winifred Woodson Crocker (b. 1791) and Burwell Williams. Winifred's daughter was Mary Woodson-Williams (1811-1870). Mary Woodson-Williams's daughter was my 4th great grandmother Milly Woodson-Bozeman (1830-1910), and Milly Woodson-Bozeman's daughter was my 3rd great grandmother Susanna Field Hurst-Turner (1862-1949), who was a descendant of the Nottoway Native American people of Southampton County, Virginia. She married Rev. James Thompson Claud to have many children like my 2nd great grandfather Arthur Boss Claud (1891-1974). Arthur Boss Claud's daughter was my great-grandmother Ella Mae Claud (1913-1991). Ella Mae Claud's son was my grandfather Robert, and then Robert and Fannie had my mother. After my mother and my father, I was born.
One of the greatest artists and educators was Lois Mailou Jones. She was a courageous teacher, scholar, and activist. Many people don't know about the unsung artist of Lois Mailou Jones. She was raised in Boston, Massachusetts. Her working-class parents raised her with many legitimate values of hard work, resiliency, and education. She designed many textiles for many New York firms after graduating from Boston's School of Museum of Fine Arts. Lois Mailou Jones lived a life of diversity and being multifaceted. Jones founded the art department at Palmer, she coached basketball, taught folk dancing, and played the piano for Sunday religious services. Howard University (one of the many great Historically Black Colleges and Universities) recruited her in Washington, D.C. to join its art department. For a time, she created children's books that inspired the minds of human beings. Jones never gave up her quest for learning wisdom and teaching people the world over about the beauty of art in general. Later, she trained many future African American artist legends who are Elizabeth Catlett, Sylvia Snowden, and David Driskell. She studied art in Paris and studied diverse African art for years. She loved her Haitian graphic designer husband Louis Vergniaud Pierre-Noel (they married in 1953). At the end of the day, Lois Mailou Jones remains an icon whose powerful contributions have positively changed the world in enumerable ways.
By Timothy
Saturday, January 27, 2024
Friday, January 26, 2024
End of the Week Updates.
Donald Trump briefly testified in the E. Jean Carroll trial. He stands on his deposition. E. Jean Carroll is a writer who won a civil verdict over her claim that Trump sexually assaulted her during the mid-1990s and defamed her when she first publicly accused him. Trump had a tense back-and-forth on the witness stand for a few minutes. Trump has denied all of the allegations. Carroll's lawyers played the tapes from a recent media appearance and a deposition about his personal wealth. The tapes showed when Trump disrespected Carroll and denied knowing the writer. Recently, Texas Governor Abbott's letter claimed that the federal government "broken the compact" between the United States and the States by not fixing the border. That language is from South Carolina's 1860 declaration of secession. Abbott isn't concerned about solving the problem which is why he is sending migrants to many areas without having a comprehensive strategy in solving the issues.
I'm not shocked at Corey Holcomb disrespecting his own daughter. Holcomb's comedy has always been like a shock jock from Chicago. There is a difference between being legitimately politically incorrect and expressing cruelty for the sake of being cruel. I have politically incorrect views on some issues, but I will never call someone out of their names unjustly. His 5150 show is filled with misogyny, hating on people with whom he disagrees, and overexaggerating on many issues. Many people on the Internet and outside of the Internet fear him which is wild to me. We should fear nothing but the Most High. Therefore, the lesson here is that integrity is more than seeking egoism. Corey disagreeing with Dave Chappelle's critique of Kat Williams is interesting. Like I have said, Kat Williams tells the truth on some issues but refuses to expose the real powers that be from large multinational corporations, the people in Davos, Pilgrim Society, and other organizations with worldwide influence. Therefore, it is fine to expose evil. Yet, we have to expose the powers that be by name and advocate real solutions to help people. The gossip-mongering industry has been around for years distracting minds and we have to be on the right side of history.
A fair society has a great education, universal, affordable health care, a progressive tax system, and the promotion plus protection of human rights. Economic inequality must be addressed along with structures of oppression like racism, sexism, xenophobia, ecological problems, etc. Now, the No Labels movement is getting sued by two of its donors who accuse it of a "bait and switch." No Labels is wrong because it has pro-GOP donors and radical centrists who seek to undermine the progressive movement in America. No Labels will blatantly get votes away from Biden. No Labels promote the lie that Trump and Biden are equally extreme. The truth is that Trump is charged with multiple felonies, agitated the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and seeks to be a dictator on day one. This has not been done by Biden. Trump tried to overthrow one election and wants to suspend the U.S. Constitution. Democracy won barely in the 2020 election. No Labels advance pro-Trump results. There is a difference between democracy and fascism. We decide to advocate for democracy 100 percent.
Trump gave a bizarre, angry speech after his New Hampshire primary victory on January 23, 2024. He made multiple lies and lashed out at Nikki Haley because Haley is the last Republican candidate other than Trump running for President. Today, Nikki Haley is campaigning all over South Carolina. In North Charleston, South Carolina, Nikki Haley is presenting her views to the public. It is an uphill battle for her, because of the popularity of Donald Trump. Haley wants to build a coalition of Independent voters and some Republicans in desiring a more positive result. In the last Presidential elections, Republicans had trouble gaining the majority of the popular votes. Haley said that Trump is afraid to debate her. The progressive Black Voters Matters organization is working in South Carolina to rally black voters to support issues that we care about.
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
The Aftermath of the New Hampshire Primary.
The New Hampshire primary has shown a Trump victory. Many Independents and Democrats voted in the Primary. The Republican candidate Nikki Haley gave a speech in New Hampshire desiring to continue in the race. Haley wants to campaign in her home state of South Carolina in presenting her views. Nikki Haley is a conservative Republican who have many views similar to Trump. She also has some disagreements with Trump as well. Haley said that she is the only candidate who can defeat Biden in the 2024 Presidential race. Trump made remarks about Haley questioning her birthplace which was offensive. Haley made the offensive remark that America was never a racist nation. Those, who know history, realize that America's history was filled with racism from slavery to the Jim Crow rules along with the Chinese Exclusion Act. Trump made the false statement that he won New Hampshire in 2016 and 2020 during their Presidential election dates. The Republican's problem is that the MAGA cult has been so pro-Trump that they will submit to his extremism at any cost. Biden's issue is that many in his base disagree with his views on the Gaza conflict wanting a ceasefire. Not to mention that many of us (who are African Americans) don't want to be taken for granted. President Biden is in a new era of his Presidency. One lesson out of life is to never underestimate anyone. Our democracy is in a fragile state at this moment in world history. Regardless, people should vote for democracy as taking a stand against authoritarianism and fascism.
Monday, January 22, 2024
Late January 2024 Historical Events.
The 75th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards was a very historic occurrence. It took place from January 6-7, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presented the awards. We live in a time of an increased emphasis of diverse representation of television shows socially, culturally, ethnically, dialogue wise, and other facets of the human experience. These awards wanted to honor many of the best in artistic and technical achievement in American primetime television programming from June 1, 2022, until May 31, 2023. The awards were delay because of the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes. The show of The Last of Us won 8 awards. Anthony Anderson, the Black-ish star and a professional actor of many shows plus movies, hosted the ceremony for the first time. The show of "Succession" had 27 nominations for its fourth and final season. The show won six Emmys on Monday night. It had the award for outstanding drama series for their time. The actors and actress of Matthew Macfayden, Sarah Snook, and Kieran Culkin earned their Emmys for their performances on Succession. The show called The Bear was honored with six Emmy, including Best Comedy series. The Bear is an FX show that details the life of a restaurant in the city of Chicago. The Netflix show of "Beef" earned five Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology series. Ayo Edibiri won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series found in the show of The Bear. Quinta Brunson won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series found in Abbott Elementary. Abbott Elementary is very popular, because it realistic shows what goes on in elementary school across the United States of America. Jennifer Coolige won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama series for the show of The White Lotus.
Matthew Macfayden won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Succession. Ebon Moss-Bachrach won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for the show of The Bear. Jeremy Allen White won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy series for the show of The Bear. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver won Outstanding Scripted Variety Series (A Black Lady Sketch Show was nominated for the award too). Niecy Nash-Betts won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for the series of Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Niecy Nash-Betts gave a passionate speech to celebrate the women contributors to acting in general. The director Christopher Storer won Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for The Bear, and he won Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the same show too. Other shows having victories are Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series), RuPaul's Drag Race (for Oustanding Reality Competition Program), The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (for Outstanding Vareity Talk Series), Lee Sung Jin (for Outstanding Direcing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for the show Beef), Paul Walter Hauser of Black Bird (for Oustanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie), and Jesse Armstrong (for the show Succession involving Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series).
As we live near the quarter century mark of this new 21st century, we witness a new era of our time. Also, we realize the massive importance of Africa in our lives and our consciousness. Ever since I was a young child, I always took a great interest of the culture and diverse human beings of Africa. Africa is filled with thousands of languages, tons of ethnic groups, a diverse history, and it is the origin of all human life. There are many misconceptions that some people have of Africa. One false misconception is that all of Africa is filled with the stereotypical images of jungles with lax civilization. The truth is that modern technology achievement florish in Africa like next generation laptop computers, light rail, aircraft, smartphone devices, and a new generation of Africans who are dedicated to justice in a forthright, humble fashion. Thousands of years ago, the first humans lived in Africa. They traveled throughout the whole world from the Americas to Anarctica. In that time period, we humans have made inventions, traveled to the Moon and back to Earth, and solved many problems of the globe. Not to mention that Africa is a blessed land with some of the most spiritual people on Earth. Like always, problems exist in Africa, but we have the power to solve these issues with creative thinking along with progressive solutions to those issues. I am an African American, so my black African heritage will always be part of my physical appearance, my DNA, and my overall hertage. Today, the Glory of Africa shines bright for the whole Universe to witness in a brilliant fashion.
One of the important events of the Civil Rights Movement and the overall black freedom struggle was the 1964 Freedom Summer Project. It was a movement that was after the 1963 Birmingham Movement and before the Selma movement of 1965. It was near the end of the old school era of the civil rights movement filled with organization, planning, set backs, and lessons learned. Freedom Summer isn't known by many human beings, but I know about its history including other people. The goal of Freedom Summer was very clear to be a volunteer campaign (among black people and people of every color) to register as many African American voters as possible in the state of Mississippi. The ultimate goal was the abolishment of Jim Crow apartheid in America to make freedom and justice for all a clear reality. The project was a large undertaking being organized by the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO), which is a coalition of the Mississippi branches of the four major civil rights organizations (who are SNCC, CORE, NAACP, and SCLC). The vast majority of the organizers and powerbase of Freedom Summer obviously came from SNCC (the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee). In fact, SNCC Field Secretary and co-director of COFO Bob Moses directed the Summer Project. Bob Moses was a civil rights leader who promote mathematics in the community too with his Algebra Program along with opposing the Vietnam War during the early 1960's. The fundamental base of support for Freedom Summer was the thousands of African Americans with our churches, organizations, and homes to help people in Mississippi. Many non-black people sacrificed their lives to be involved in Freedom Summer too. Freedom Summer faced a far-right reactionary racist backlash by racists using extreme violence, murder, bombing of churches, kidnappings, and torture of black people and many non-black people too. Freedom Summer inspired the federal government to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Freedom Summer was a nonviolent effort, and the movement wanted African Americans in Mississippi to register to vote, have a new political party, and learn about real history and politics in newly formed Freedom Schools.
Freedom Summer was planned as early as late 1963. After the 1963 March on Washington, Mississippi was on the minds of many people. John Lewis or the Chairperson of SNCC during that time criticized the federal government for failing to protect the civil rights of Mississippi residents. The Director of SNCC Bob Moses proposed a Mississippi voter registration project to the SNCC executive committee by September 1963. The meeting lasted from September 6-9, 1963, being the origin of the Freedom Summer campaign. The meeting is discussed in Atlanta to have debates on voter registration vs. sit-ins and boycotts. By November 4, 1963, there is the Freedom Vote 1963. This was when more than 80,000 people have mock elections to refute the white racist lie that black Americans didn't want to vote. Dozens of white volunteers from Standford and Yale Universities came to help. There was press coverage of the effort that caused some to want to use white volunteers to cause the nation to focus on the injustices in Mississippi. Later, there was the four-day staff meeting in Greenville, Mississippi where SNCC debates brought 1,000 northern students to Mississippi during the next summer. Many staff are opposed to this idea in fearing that it will undermine local black leadership. No decision is made during that meeting. There is the December 15, 1963, meeting at Jackson, Mississippi. COFO appointed Bob Moses its project director for voter registration and Dave Dennis assistant program director. During the December 31, 1963 SNCC Executive Committee Meetings, leaders finally endorse a Mississippi Summer Project for 1964 including large numbers of northern white volunteers.
The planning continues. COFO on January 16, 1964 proposed challenging the right of any all-white delegation to represent Mississippi at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) to be held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in August 1964. By January 22, 1964, there was the Hattiesburg Freedom Day when COFO helped 150 black residents of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, attempt to register to vote on 'Freedom Day.' Clergy from around the country assemble to support them. By January 31, the local NAACP organizer Louis Allen of Liberty, Mississippi was shot and killed because of his support of voter registration efforts. This caused the remaining COFO leaders to support the Freedom Summer Project. COFO authorized the Freedom Summer Project by February 9, 1964. They want a large number of volunteers to help with the effort to make the federal government to pass voting rights legislation. By February 28, there was the Canton Freedom Day rally. This was in Canton, Mississippi when COFO helped more than 300 black citizens to line up at the county courthouse to register to vote. There was no violence. They were guarded by the police with shotguns and tear gas. It is the state's largest voter registration attempt up to that time. Later, SNCC promotes a brochure about the movement in a 8 page fundraising brochure. So, the action of advertising and organization continues like COFO showing a one page press released on March 30, 1964. From March to April 1964, volunteers are invited to work in Mississippi for the Freedom Summer movement. During this time, COFO appealed to local black residents for help in hosting and supporting volunteers. COFO assign volunteers at various sites.
The enemies of democracy respond to these developments by the Mississippi legsilature passing new laws to that restrict picketing and leafleting and expand police authority to intervene. On April 12, 1964, COFO announced black candidates to enter the Mississippi Democratic Party nominating process and, knowing they'll be excluded, also run in a parallel 'Freedom Vote' in November. COFO interview volunteers who want to come to Mississippi to help with voter registration or teach in Freedom School. The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party was created at the convention in Jackson, Mississippi by April 26, 1964. As expected, black residents are barred from participating in the Mississippi Democratic Party's local meetings to choose candidates and convention delegates. They hold parallel Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) meetings and choose their own.
SNCC recruiters didn't want volunteers with a John Brown complex. That means that SNCC leaders didn't want volunteers to think that it's their job to save Mississippi black Americans but to work with local leadership to develop the grassroots movement. SNCC is all about grassroots organizing and building as mentioned by Ella Baker (who is the Mother of SNCC).
By May 5, Freedom Summer Project volunteers are confirmed by recieving acceptance letters (and how to prepare for their roles in Freedom Summer). The volunteers are trained at Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio, sponsored by the National Council of Churches. The first group attends workshops until June 20. A second session runs June 21-28. One turning point of Freedom Summer was on June 21, 1964. This was when 3 Freedom Summer Project workers, whose named are James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Mickey Schwerner left the Ohio training a day early are reported missing. They had gone to Longdale, Mississippi, to investigate the bombing of Mt. Zion Church, which had offered to host a Freedom School. They were arrested in Philadelphia, Mississippi, on their way back to the COFO office in Meridian, and were never heard from again. Now, we know that they were murdered by racists.
By June 29, 1964, we see the Freedom Summer project established. There are about 500 volunteers and staff at 25 locations around the state in the start. Later, more than 1,000 out-of-state volunteers participated in Freedom Summer alongside thousands of black Mississippians. Volunteers were the among the most educated of their generation, who came from the best universities from the biggest states, mostly from cities in the North (e.g., Chicago, New York City, Detroit, Cleveland, etc.) and West (e.g., Berkeley, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, etc.), usually were rich, 90 percent were white. About half of them were Jewish. Though SNCC's committee agreed to recruit only one hundred white students for the project in December 1963, white civil rights leaders such as Allard Lowenstein went on and recruited a much larger number of white volunteers, to bring more attention. Two one-week orientation sessions for the volunteers were held at Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio (now part of Miami University), from June 14 to June 27, after Berea College backed out of hosting the sessions due to alumni pressure against it. Organizers focused on Mississippi because it had the lowest percentage of any state in the country of African Americans registered to vote, and they constituted more than one-third of the population. In 1962 only 6.7% of eligible black voters were registered. Back then, Southern states had poll taxes and literary tests to deprive black Americans the right to vote.
More than 100 volunteer doctors, nurses, psychologists, medical students and other medical professionals from the Medical Committee for Human Rights (MCHR) provided emergency care for volunteers and local activists, taught health education classes, and advocated improvements in Mississippi's segregated health system. Volunteer lawyers from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund Inc ("Ink Fund"), National Lawyers Guild, Lawyer's Constitutional Defense Committee (LCDC) an arm of the ACLU, and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCR) provided free legal services — handling arrests, freedom of speech, voter registration and other matters.
The Commission on Religion and Race (CORR), an endeavor of the National Council of Churches (NCC), brought Christian and Jewish clergy and divinity students to Mississippi to support the work of the Summer Project. In addition to offering traditional religious support to volunteers and activists, the ministers and rabbis engaged in voting rights protests at courthouses, recruited voter applicants and accompanied them to register, taught in Freedom Schools, and performed office and other support functions.
Violence against the movement continued. Racists did drive by shooting, throw Molotov cocktails at host homes, and the state and local government abused people (by arson, beatings, evictions, firings, murder, spying, and other types of intimidation). The Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission spied on people and worked with the police, the Klan, and the White's Citizens' Council to use terrorism against black people. By Late June, there are more than 40 incidents of harassment and violence occur around the state during the last two weeks in June. By July 1, 1964, Mississippi has had five bombings, four murders, and numerous shootings of civil rights workers. The Society Hill Baptist Church was bombed on September 20, 1964, because it was one site of the Freedom School. In 1964, 36 black churches were bombed in Mississippi alone. The First Freedom Schools open up on July 2, 1964. It was located in the cities of Clarksdale, Holly Springs, and Vicksburg in Mississippi. The 1964 Civil Rights Act was signed on July 2, 1964, banning discrimination involving public accommodations. Martin Luther King visits the Mississippi cities of Jackson and Vicksburg to show his support for the Freedom Summer Project on July 22, 1964. On August 4, 1964, the bodies of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner are found buried in an earthen dam on a farm outside Philadelphia, Mississippi. Local police had released the three young men to the Ku Klux Klan, who tortured and murdered them before burning their car and hiding their bodies. Freedom Summer brought awareness to the oppression found in the South although not many black people were registered to vote during that time.
Approximately fifty Freedom libraries were established throughout Mississippi. These libraries provided library services and literacy guidance for many African Americans, some who had never had access to libraries before. Freedom Libraries ranged in size from a few hundred volumes to more than 20,000. The Freedom Libraries operated on small budgets and were usually run by volunteers. Some libraries were housed in newly constructed facilities while others were located in abandoned buildings. Freedom Houses helped to house volunteers in Mississippi.
By August 1964, the Mississippi state convention in Jackson, Mississippi, elects delegates to attend the Democratic National Convention (DNC) to be held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in August 1964. They hope to unseat the all-white delegation sent by the mainstream Mississippi Democratic Party. A statewide Freedom School convention is held in Meridian, Mississippi. Students from around the state review the summer's accomplishments and draft resolutions by August 8. By August 22, 1964, the Democratic National Convention was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, delegates from the Mississippi Democratic Freedom Party challenge the right of delegates from the segregated mainstream Mississippi Democratic Party to represent the state. Their testimony about conditions in Mississippi is broadcast on national television and hundreds of supporters demonstrate outside the convention hall. Democratic National Convention (DNC) officials reject their challenge and they are not seated. Fannie Lou Hamer gave an passionate speech to condemn the political establishment in depriving black people the right to vote and economic rights in Mississippi in national television. After this incident, SNCC increasingly goes outside of the political establishment in seeking justice for all. In McComb, Mississippi, nine black homes, churches, and businesses are fire bombed over the course of three weeks from August to September 1964. The Freedom Schools operated on a basis of close interaction and mutual trust between teachers and students. The core curriculum focused on basic literacy and arithmetic, black history and current status, political processes, civil rights, and the freedom movement. The content varied from place to place and day to day according to the questions and interests of the students.
Entertainer and civil rights supporter Harry Belafonte took the exhausted Freedom Summer leaders to Africa. For some of the Africans, it is the first time they see black people in leadership positions in government and the professions. The trip helps the project leaders connect their work to the struggles of the African black liberation movement and energizes them for further work upon their return to the United States. This happened in September 1964. There was the Freedom Vote held on October 31. The reason is because most black Mississippians have not been allowed to vote in the official election, Freedom Summer Project leaders organize the 1964 'Freedom Vote.' This parallel election is held from October 31 through November 2, 1964, during which more than 68,000 people cast their votes. This proves to political leaders that African Americans will be an important constituency to address after the barriers to their participation have fallen. Lyndon Baines Johnson won re-elected by November 3, 1964, and white racists win Mississippi's five congressional seats. MFDP challenges the right of the five white congressional representatives elected in November to take their seats, on the grounds that blacks were systematically excluded from voting. After nine months of legal and political wrangling, the U.S. House of Representatives rejects the challenge in September 1965. By January 16, 1965, the FBI indicted 18 murder suspects of the murders of Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner. Local officials immediately drop all charges but, under federal pressure, the men are re-charged the next month. Seven are found guilty when legal proceedings end in 1967. By August 6, 1965, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and other civil rights leaders were there when the signing took place. The Voting Rights Act bans discriminatory registration provisions and empowered the federal government to send its own registrars to local courthouses to make sure the law is obeyed. Freedom Summer made the national news media to deal with the rights of black voters in the Deep South and the dangers faced by black civil rights workers. It also inspired more self-defense units like the Deacons of Defense to protect people from racists. It set up the foundation for Selma voting rights movement of 1965 and the Black Power movement of 1966. Many veterans of Freedom Summer would work in the anti-war, women's rights, and other liberation movements like Heather Booth, Marshall Ganz, and Mario Savio. After the summer, Heather Booth returned to Illinois, where she became a founder of the Chicago Women's Liberation Union and later the Midwest Academy. Marshall Ganz returned to California, where he worked for many years on the staff of the United Farm Workers. He later taught organizing strategies. In 2008 he played a crucial role in organizing Barack Obama's field staff for the campaign. Mario Savio returned to the University of California, Berkeley, where he became a leader of the Free Speech Movement. At the end of the Day, the Freedom Summer experience caused a huge growth of the Civil Rights Movement. Black people have been a huge anchor of the overall freedom rights movement in general.
Life keeps on existing. I want to mention about the culture and essence of Toronto for a long time. Canada has a rich history that should be explained to the masses of the people. Being 40 years old now is certainly a blessing and an opportunity to write more of the truth. Toronto is a city with a unique history and legacy. It has millions of people being one of the most diverse of multicultural cities in the world during the 21st century. Toronto is also home to some of the most prominent, famous people in the world from celebrities, musicians, artists, architects, engineering, inventors, etc. With a population of almost 3 million human beings, Toronto is the most populous city of Canada (in the province of Ontario) and the fourth most populous city in the great continent of North America. Toronto, as a name, came from (linguistically) from the Mohawk word called taronto (the name of a channel between Lakes Simcoe and Couchiching). Also, it is important to realize that Toronto is an epicenter of an enormous amount of cultural institutions like festival (including Carnival), public events, entertainment districts, sports locations, national historic sites, and it's a city that attracts over 43 million tourists each year. As a technology hub, Toronto is a massively growing as a tech city indeed.
Creativity is certainly synonymous with human intellectual power. Fashion is so common among the human consciousness that we experience it in everyday of our lives. From baby clothes to the clothing found among elderly human beings, fashion represents a major part of our human identities. It can inspire us in working out or it can make us be aware of the diverse cultures of the world in a crisp fashion. Subsequently, fashion is not just ubiquitous involving wardrobe. It is found in cultures worldwide too. When cheerleaders celebrate scores, fashion is in abundance. When there are Olympic champions on stage (like Allyson Felix and Carmelita Jeter during the 2012 London Summer Olympics), their country's flags and apparel outline how much they love the gift of athletics too. Widespread, encompassing items like footwear, cosmetics, accessories, jewelry, pants, dresses, shirts, coats, and other manner of clothing are enriched by the multifaceted composition of fashion culture. Fashion designers of all colors and backgrounds (like Ann Lowe, Patrick Kelly, June Ambrose, etc.) have brought their genius to present unique forms of patterns, innovations, and a sense of purpose to develop society in general. There is a business side to fashion. In the fashion atmosphere, people readily deal with corporations, contracts, copyright laws, inventory, property rights, modeling deals, and other economic components of fashion. One secret to great fashion doesn't just deal with a specific background of an item but the small components of an item's exterior like a different design or color (that can make the item more powerful in its cosmology). The journey continues, it is precisely the time to investigate more of how the Universe functions.
Sunday, January 21, 2024
Saturday, January 20, 2024
Friday, January 19, 2024
Late January 2024 News.
There are new tensions between President Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu. The issue is that the Biden administration wants Israel to accelerate a plan to have a 2-state solution in the future. Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, refuses to have a 2-state solution. Netanyahu is a far-right extremist who allows illegal settlements in the West Bank, massive bombings of areas in Gaza causing massive civilian causalities and supporting fascists like Orban of Hungary. Blinken of the Biden administration has been strident to promote both the truth about the evil nature of Hamas and the mass deaths of Palestinians in the Middle East being very horrendous. The conflict in the Middle East is very complex. Multiple things are true. Jewish people indeed lived in the Middle East continuously for over 3,000 years. It is also true that Arabic people lived in the Middle East for thousands of years too. The Nakba against Palestinians was indeed evil, wrong, and unjust. It is also true that every single Jewish person in Israel didn't collectively steal land as Jewish people were in Israel in the Ottoman Empire days and prior. There were Jewish people in the days of the Crusades almost 1,000 years ago. Therefore, the only solution is a viable 2 state solution, an end to occupation in the West Bank and Gaza, and a real reconstruction of the region.
Conservative Supreme Court Justices consider weakening federal agency power. This means that many Justices want to weaken federal rules to help protect the environment when many judges don't know about fisheries or other aspects of the environment. Many in the far right want to eliminate all of the progressive blessings that existed in the previous 20th century like voting rights, environmental protections, civil rights, housing rights, the rights of women, immigrant rights, and other rights. Some extremists want to strip the power of federal agencies to give the power to lifetime appointed judges. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson doesn't want judges to be uber legislators. The court is about interpreting the law not making any law that it desires by fiat. There is a separation of powers as cited by Montesquieu for a reason.
Donald Trump acted unhinged during the E. Jean Carroll defamation case. The judge said that he would move Trump out of the courtroom if he continued in his antics. E. Jean Carroll is accusing Trump of defamation over Trump's sexual assault allegations. Last year, the jury found that Trump sexually assaulted Carroll and defamed her in his 2022 statements. Judge Lewis Kaplan said that the verdict will carry over to his defamation trial, so the trial will be limited to damages. E. Jean Carroll testified that she received threats over her testimony and story. When she testified, Trump interrupted and said that it is a witch hunt which caused the judge to condemn him for his outbursts. Carroll has accused Trump of raping her years ago. Carroll has been cross-examined by the defense. Trump's character is truly repugnant by his actions.
There is more news going about. The IRS recently collected more than $500 million in back taxes from delinquent millionaires. That means that to this day, some super-wealthy people refuse to pay their fair share of taxation. In 2023 alone, the world's wealthiest families became $1.5 trillion richer. The GOP is so extreme that a Senate comprehensive immigration bill is rejected by MAGA House Republicans. This is part of xenophobia in some far-right people believing in the lies that undocumented immigrants are terrorists, every immigrant is taking American jobs, and they are ruining America. We know that the unemployment rate is below 4 percent at a historic level. America's homicide rate has been massively declining since 2022. The murder rate is down in Baltimore and other cities of America now. Trump is using language that Hitler used to bash immigrants.
Yesterday was the Birthday of Sister Angela Winbush, and she is 69 years old. Angela Winbush is one of the most underrated artists of R&B music. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri to be involved in R&B, soul, gospel, and new jack swing genres of music. From her early childhood, she sang in the church like many icons of music have done. A middle-class area of St. Louis is the location where she grew up. She studied architecture at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Then, she sang in the church with gospel legend Richard Smallwood. Later, she was in a group called "Hot Tea." She changed her major to music education and made a demo in 1977. She sang backing vocalist in Stevie Wonder's group Wonderlove. She was part of the group Rene & Angela. Rene is the singer Rene Moore. They had the albums of Rene and Angela in 1980 and Wall to Wall in 1982 including Rise in 1983. One of their hit songs were I Love You More and My First Love. Moore and Winbush wrote and produced four songs for Janet Jackson's 1982 self-titled debut album like Young Love. Angela Winbush's debut solo album was Sharp. It has the hit of Angel in 1987 showing her four-octave range. She wrote songs for more artists like Sheena Easton. The Real Thing was Winbush's 2nd solo album. It has hits like It's the Real Thing, No More Tears, and Lay Your Troubles Down. By the 1990's Angela Winbush worked with The Isley Brothers and other people. Angela Winbush can play the piano, the keyboard, and is a songwriter, arranger, producer, and session musician. Angela Winbush, Karyn White, Stephanie Mills, Jody Watley, and other R&B singers of their generation were very influential in music in general. Angela Winbush has her faith in God and has overcome ovarian cancer. I wish Sister Angela Winbush more Blessings.
By Timothy
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
The Aftermath of the 2024 GOP Iowa Primary.
The results of the Iowa Caucus are here. Donald Trump won the primary by a large margin. This is part of his campaign to try to win the Republican nomination. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis won second place, and the former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley finished a close third place. Trump gave his victory speech in which he called DeSantis, Haley, and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy very smart and very capable people (congratulating their performances in the race). Trump won 51.0 percent of the vote, Desantis had 21.2 percent, Haley had 19.1 percent, and Ramaswamy had 7.7 percent. After the Iowa Caucus, Ramaswamy said that he was out of the race and endorsed Trump for the Presidency. Trump won because Iowa had a large Trump base of voters and many Evangelicals (i.e. 53 percent of white Evangelicals supported Trump) falsely believed that Trump is a strict follower of morality and integrity. So, right now, the race is dominated by three Republican candidates. Asa Hutchinson has recently ended his Presidential campaign too.
Haley gave a speech supporting the myth that Trump and Biden are more in common than you think. Biden passed progressive legislation dealing with poverty, infrastructure development, hate crimes, and saving lives by cutting health care costs which is unprecedented since the Great Society era of the 1960's. Trump made Muslim bans, called terrorists in the U.S. Capitol hostages, and showed hatred of progressives. They are not the same. Haley omits those legal investigations and indictments over Trump's corruption are about promoting accountability, not vendettas. Haley and DeSantis have promised to continue with their campaigns. Now, the next caucus is in New Hampshire and Haley is hoping to make a better result as New Hampshire is a more libertarian and moderate state than Iowa.
The court case ends in the E. Jean Carroll Case. Also, we know that the Biden administration has 40,000 projects going on in America now. We have our infrastructure being rebuilt. The crime rates in Baltimore, New York City, and other cities are going down. We have policies from Biden fighting for clean air, safe water, and clean energy. Conversely, Trump was President from 2017 to 2021, he had the worst job record of any President in a century, he praised dictators and authoritarians, Trump adviser Peter Navarro faces prison after losing his appeal in the contempt of Congress case, and his party has losing elections for many years now. You have to comment on people who disappoint you. RFK Jr. disappointed me, and he rationalized the Kennedy administration's illegal surveillance of Dr. King citing concerns about his associations with alleged communists. First, Levison left the communist party by 1960. Even if Levinson remained a communist, we have the First Amendment right to believe in what we want to. Dr. King was not a Republican, and he wasn't a communist. Dr. King sympathized with the views of democratic socialism. So, people should embrace real information instead of deception.
Nikki Haley is wrong again and said America was never a racist country. This is why Haley may not be worse than Trump, but Nikki Haley is still the wrong choice for the Presidency. Anyone who knows history realizes that racism is heavily found in American history then and now (like slavery, gentrification, Jim Crow, police brutality, housing discrimination, etc.). Haley responded to MSNBC's Joy Reid's comments on whether Haley could win the GOP nomination as a woman of color. That is a fair question from Reid. Racism is found in the early Constitution citing black slaves as 3/5 of a human. Therefore, this shows that the colorblind views of Haley are not only historically inaccurate but dangerous in the age of how historical revisionism is promoted in Florida and other states of America. Her saying that America has never been a racist country omits that Washington and Jefferson were racists who believed in the lie of black intellectual inferiority. This doesn't mean that everything in America is bad, but it does mean that heroic Americans have fought to improve America in trying to rid of injustice. Therefore, the far right's agenda is not only historical revisionism but overt anti-Blackness which is evil and offensive.
I found more information about my family tree in January of 2024. I was looking at my Ancestry.com family tree and found out that a woman named Jessica Reid-Myrick (b. 1981) was looking at it. She is married to my 5th cousin Jesse Junius Myrick II (we share the same ancestors as my 6th great-grandparents of Burwell Williams and Winifred Woodson-Bozeman). Burwell Williams and Winifred Woodson-Bozeman (b. 1791) had a child named John Burwell Williams (b. 1815). John Burwell Williams married a woman named Mary, and their child was Lucy Alice Williams (1875-1964). Lucy Alice Williams was born in November 1875 and married Ridley Worrell (b. 1874) in Southampton County, Virginia on January 19, 1896. One of their children was Louis Worrell (1908-1984), and Louis Worrell married Lilian Johnson (b. 1911) One of their children was Thomas Theodore Worrell (1935-2017). Thomas Theodore Worrell married Margaret Elizabeth Kello, and their children are Etta Juanita Worrell (b. 1957), Bervin Theodore Worrell (b. 1958), and Deborah Signora Worrell (b. 1959). The son of Etta Juanita Worrell and Jesse Junius Myrick (b. 1953) is Jesse Junius Myrick II (b. 1981. He married Jessica Reid-Myrick). My 4th cousin Deborah Signora Worrell married Clifton Jeffrey Irving (1961-2013) and their daughter is Kimberly Dineens Irving (b. 1989). Kimberly Dineens Irving married Keenan Girad Felder.
By Timothy
Monday, January 15, 2024
Remembering the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Many decades ago, there was born a human being who changed history. He was not wealthy, and he was hated by many reactionary forces, but his impact on society was monumental. He was the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the song of a preacher (Dr. Martin Luther King Sr.) and a great mother (Alberta Williams King). He was trained in Christian teachings when he was young. Dr. King played sports, traveled to places for speech competitions, and went to college when he was 15 years old. He had an extraordinary oratory ability that moved the souls of people. Later, he was educated in many univerisities about theology, sociology, and philosophy (like the views of Hegel). He earned a Divinity degree and was part of the church in Montgomery, Alabama by the early 1950's. This was the time of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. He was a reluctant leader who at first didn't want to be part of the movement. Yet, he was advised by many men and women to be involved as the church historically have been at the forefront of socially conscious movements. It is imnportant to note that one man didn't head the Civil Rights Movement in America as the alte Ella Baker has said. The Civil Rights Movements was headed in an egalitarian coalition of men, women, and children who were tired of oppression and desired true freedom for black people. Dr. King worked hard in giving speeches, supporting carpools, and risked his life. His home was bombed, and he inspired the crowd to not use violence in retailiation. His wife, Coretta Scott King stood by Dr. King's side. Coretta Scott King also was a lifelong activist who supported peace campaigns, fought racism, and agreed with nonviolence as a way of life just like her husband. Dr. King had a gun in his house, and Bayard Rustin convinced him to get the gun away to follow nonviolence. Later, the black community of Montgomery, Alabama won to end Jim Crow apartheid involving buses. This victory came after the tragedy murder of Emmett Till. Dr. King used the SCLC (or the Southern Christian Leadership Conference) to show speeches, invest in political development, fund voter registration drives, and use other means to eliminate Jim Crow from the world. By the late 1950's, Dr. King spoke at a March on Washington D.C. to combat injustice. By the early 1960's, Dr. King struggled in Albany, Georgia because of Sheriff Pritchett using slick tactics. SNCC (or the Southern Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) rose up and some in SNCC viewed Dr. King as outdated, but as we shall we Dr. King was ahead of his time in his views. Later, Dr. King and his advisers went to Birmingham, Alabama.
The movement of 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama was the first turning point of the early civil rights movement. Birminghama was a heavily segregated city with bombings, murders, rapes, and other evil inflicted against black Americans. Therefore, Dr. King went there with civil rights leaders to fight back against oppression. Rev. Shuttlesworth was already in the city standing up for freedom. Birmingham was a victory in the end, but it cost a lot. During the campaign, racist police officers sent dogs and water hoses against innocent men, women, and children. That was one of the most evil displays of racist brutality in history. There were mass demonstrations, massive arrests (children were arrested for protesting in Birmingham too), and Dr. King was arrested in the time too. Dr. King wrote a note called The Letter from the Birmingham Jail to refute moderate clergymen who wanted an end to demonstrations in the streets to oppose racism. Dr. King wrote in the letter that unjust laws are no laws at all, and the Nazis did evil legally. So, Jewish people and others in Nazi Germany had the right to resist those unjust laws in Nazi Germany decades ago. So, the essence of Dr. King's argument is that oppressed people should never wait for freedom as freedom is an inborn right not based on the parts of a clock. The letter listed the indignants of black people in America from being cursed at and calling grown black men "boy" by racists. These evils should end. Later, Dr. King spoke about his Dream at the 1963 March on Washington. It was a massive speech. The I Have a Dream speech was not just about equality. Dr. King, in that speech, condemn American oppression against black people, he condemned police brutality, he condemned economic oppression, and he condemned the status quo. He desired a progressive plan to solve problems. The crowd cheered making Dr. King the most famous black civil rights leader in that time. J. Edgar Hoover after that speech infensified his efforts to illegally monitor Dr. King. Hoover had a hatred of progressives, and he was a stone cold hypocrite for claiming to be for freedom but using tactics that are against the concept of democratic freedom. Then, another horrendeous tradegy happened. It was the murder of four innocent black girls at Birmingham Baptist Church. These girls just wanted to worship and celebrate God. Their lives were gone by cowardly people, and Dr. King gave the eulogy. Tht event shows the murderous nature of racism. In 1964, Dr. King worked in St. Augustine, Florida to demand civil rights, he won the Nobel Peace Prize, and the Civil Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon Baines Johnson.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was one of the greatest laws in human history. By the time of 1964, rebellions grew in NYC and other cities of America. Malcolm X shooked Dr. King's hands, and times were changing fast. The summer of 1964 saw Freedom Summer, when people of all colors worked in Mississippi to demand voting rights and equality for black people. Three civil rights workers were murdered during Freedom Summer too. Fannie Lou Hamer opposed racists in the Democratic party in Mississippi during the 1964 National Democratic Convention. LBJ defeated Goldwater in the Presidential election of 1964. By early 1965, There was the Selma voting rights movement. The Selma movement was the peak of the old school version of the Civil Rights Movement, because it was when support among many colors were strong, it was highly organized, and it had set plans plus goals. The Selma movement had men, women, and children to protest for voting rights. Many people were assaulted on the bridge which was called Bloody Sunday. Dr. King came back and turned back. Later, Dr. King and others fully came back to march over the bridge to the Alabama capitol to protest for freedom. This resulted in the 1965 Voting Rights Act that was signed by LBJ. In recent years, the Voting Rights Act has been gutted by the Supreme Court in disgraceful ways. In 1965, the Watts rebellion in Los Angeles happened. It was shocked for many, but not for black Los Angeles residents back then. For years, black people in LA suffered racism, gentrification, police brutality, and other forms of economic oppression. This angered exploited with buildings burned, the National Guard called, and many people killed or arrested. Dr. King came to Los Angeles to speak and he was booed, which was shocking during that time. Later, Dr. King later knew that people booed him, because they were impatient with the slow progress of the civil rights movement when the same conditions of oppression existed in the Midwest, the North, and the West Coast (where in many places legal segregation was banned legally but de facto segregation remained). Dr. King condemned the destruction of innocent property in a rebellion, but he said that a riot was the language of the unheard. That means that a riot represents the neglect of society to hear the cries of the oppressed. By 1965, there was a split in the civil rights movement. Many white people in the movement shifted into the anti-war movement specificially, and some of them falsely believed that equality was won. Many black people in the movement went into the Black Power movement, the anti-war movement, and other movements. Dr. King was touring the nation to figure what was next on his agenda. By 1965, he publicly condmened the Vietnam War. This caused LBJ to cause a meeting with Dr. King to try to stop him from making anti-war statements, especially in public. In 1966, Dr. King went into Chicago.
The 1966 Chicago movement was done by Dr. King, Al Raby, and other men and women to address the conditions of black people in the North and Midwest. Chicago had over 1 million black people. Dr. King wanted to see if his nonviolent resistant movement would work in Chicago. He faced opposition not only by racists, far right people, and the political establishment like Mayor Daley. He faced opposition from moderate black leaders, because they wanted him to stay out of the city. Back then, many Northerners and Midwesterners hypocritically condemned racism and oppression in general in the South, but sugarcoated the injustices happening in their own backyards (as Dr. King has said). Dr. King struggled in Chicago by being hit with a rock, seing thousands of racists wanting to attack protestors, and witnessing overt racism beyond what he has seen in the Deep South. Chicago ended with a statement of demands, and Chicago opened Dr. King's eyes that this problem is not just about Jim Crow apartheid. It's about the whole structure of capitalist society that permits massive wealth for the few and massive economic complications for the many. In 1966, in private, Dr. King advocated democratic socialism in order to solve poverty. This view angered Hoover and the FBI as they knew what Dr. King wanted via wiretaps. By the end of 1966, Dr. King grew his criticism of the Vietnam War. By January 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. courageously gave strong opposition to the Vietnam War. He was in Jamaica and saw images of kids and babies being harmed by napalm (as shown in Ramparts magazine), and Dr. King became emotional. He said that some in the press were hypocritical to praise him opposing Bull Connor with nonviolence but condemned him when he promotes nonviolence in Vietnam. His speech in the Riverside Baptist Church in New York City in April 4, 1967 marked a new chapter of his life. In that church, his Riverside speech gave total opposition to the Vietnam because: it is against international law, it strips resources from programs to help Americans end poverty, the war can end with a peaceful negotiation, and the war is morally wrong. He was opposed by the corporate media from TIME to the New York Times. His funding was cut. LBJ hated his views, and Dr. King struggled to gain money, except by his close friends and supporters. Dr. King had a nuisanced view of Black Power seeing that it was right to advocate black economic and political power. Dr. King just didn't want a slogan to be promoted alone and he rejected separatism. Dr. King fought for civil rights in Wisconsin, California, London, and other places in the world. Dr. King live to see the Six Day War. Dr. King agreed with Israel's right to exist, but he wanted a Marshall Plan to help Arabic people, including Palestinian people. He wanted the land Israel took via the Six Day War to return back to the Arabic people. He also condemned anti-Semitism. Dr. King spoke at Geneva, Switzerland too. By 1968, Dr. King supported the Poor People's Campaign.
The Poor People's Campaign was inspired by Mary Edelman. The movement wanted billions of dollars (i.e. $30 billion) to end poverty, build homes for working class/poor people, have a guaranteed annual income, and and a commitment to full employment. This plan wanted to be an extension of the Great Society programs. It was opposed by many moderate civil rights leaders and the far right. While this was going on, Memphis santiation workers protested in a strike after 2 black men were crushed by a garbage machine in early 1968. Dr. King went to Memphis to stand up for black Memphis santiation workers as all labor had dignity. He led a march and the provocateurs (possibly paid by the FBI) disrupted the march causing choas. Dr. King promised to promote a non-violent march. He faced an injunction as Dr. King felt violated his First Amendment rights. He worked hard to try to duplicate a march. During a stormy night in Memphis, Dr. King gave his prophetic I Have Been to the Mountaintop speech. In that speech, Dr. King said that he would be happy if he lived a little longer after the half century mark of the 20th century. Dr. King called for economic boycotts, building black owned institutions, and a continued strike by the Memphis sanitation workers to make economic justice a reality. He was cheered when he was finished. He met Lucretia Ward, Georgia Davis, and his brother A.D. King after the I Have Been to the Mountaintop speech. Dr. King talked with the Invaders, Andrew Young, and other people. Later, Dr. King watched over a balcony talking about dinner on April 4, 1968. He was shot by a gunman at 6 pm. This caused sadness, outrage, and anger over his unjust assassination. Dr. King's death caused rebellions in over 100 cities being the largest rebellions since the American Civil War. Later, a funeral happened in multiple placed. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy about nonviolence, peace, and justice remains part of our thinking to this day. No human is perfect, and we realize that Dr. King was not perfect. Yet, he was right to oppose the Vietnam War, he was right to support voting rights, he was right to advocate reparations for African Americans, and he was right that we want justice to roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. On this Dr. King holiday, we believe of being of service to help our neighbors, vote, advocate for freedom, and believe in the Dream wholeheartedly.
By Timothy
Sunday, January 14, 2024
Saturday, January 13, 2024
Friday, January 12, 2024
Conflicts in the World.
The debate between Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis talked about social issues, foreign policy matters, education, health care, and other issues. The common theme in that debate is that each of them accused the other candidate of either lying or misinterpreting their political positions. Donald Trump held his own town hall discussion on FOX News (which is a pro-Trump biased network). The truth is that Nikki Haley wants to put a more compassionate conservative face, but her views are very far right. Ron DeSantis is overt in his extremism, his book bans policies, and his pro-MAGA agenda from him being Governor to him being a GOP candidate. The Haley and DeSantis debate (which took place on CNN) was very personal as both of them accused each other of lying because they want to get more votes in trying to win primary caucuses. The debate didn't mention information on Trump's anti-democratic actions and indictments. Fundamentally, DeSantis and Haley desire a massive change but it's a change that is the opposite of the progressive blessings that many take for granted in American society.
The International Court of Justice will hear arguments against Israel for allegations of genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention. Supporters of Israel abhor this charge (calling it a blood libel) and many defenders of Palestinians love this policy. These proceedings were initiated by South Africa in a formal complaint that was filed on December 29, 2023. South Africa said that the onslaught of Israeli armed forces against the civilian population of Gaza was genocidal in charity because they said it was carried out to destroy in whole or in part a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. The ICJ complaint has 84 pages of densely spaced text with 574 footnotes. Over 21,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, and over 1,200 Israelis have been killed in the conflict too. The complaint said that Israel laid waste to vast areas of Gaza destroying over 355,000 homes. South Africa accused Israel of targeting courts, libraries, religious sites, schools, housing records, graveyards, etc. Nissim Vaturi of the Knesset said that he wants to erase the Gaza Strip from the face of the Earth. Giora Eiland, an Israeli Army Reservist major general said that he wants to create a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Biden administration's John Kirby said that the South African complaint is meritless, and without basis in fact. What is the truth? You can look at Gaza now to see the truth. The truth is self-evident. What Hamas did to Israelis was evil, deplorable, and disgusting. What the Palestinians are suffering in Gaza in the West with massive bombings, occupation, and land displacements is evil too.
John Pilger, one of the most anti-war journalists in modern history has passed away. He was one of the first journalists to expose the Vietnam War as blatantly neo-colonialism and criminal. His documentary of The Quiet Mutiny was shown in 1970. It showed young working-class people with no desire to kill Vietnamese people and were hostile to the U.S. government and their commanders. The documentary won seven awards. This documentary was taboo in America back in 1970. Pilger made more films about the Vietnam War exposing the sham character of the 1973 Paris Peace Accords. Pilger reported on the U.S. funding and arming of death squads targeting popular movements including the Sandinistas in Nicaragua. Pilger defended Assange for the WikiLeaks exposure of U.S. war crimes and human rights violations under the guise of "the war on terror." Pilger exposed Internet censorship.
There are closing arguments that were made in the Trump civil fraud trial. The New York State Attorney General Letitia James gave her statements after 5 pm. EST on Thursday after the closing arguments ended. She said that the personal attacks against her by Trump don't bother her. She said that the evidence is here that Trump inflated numbers and committed massive financial fraud. The New York state Attorney General said that no one is above the law, despite power and wealth. The New York State Attorney left after giving a brief statement because she felt confident that the jury would decide in her favor. Trump said that the case was a witch hunt before the judge cut him off. New York Attorney Letitia James is seeking $370 million in damages to bar Trump from doing business in the state. She accuses Trump and his adult sons including his company of defrauding banks and insurance companies by inflating the value of Trump's assets. The case dealt with intent and the details of the financial issues.
Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to nine federal charges for being accused of failing to pay more than 1 million in taxes and filing fraudulent forms with the IRS. The federal judge will set the trial in June 2024. Hunter Biden appeared in court in Los Angeles, California. Special Counsel David Weiss is bringing up the case, and this is the 2nd criminal case has brought against Hunter Biden. Many Republicans are exploiting this case to try to target the President for revenge after Trump experienced impeachment twice. There are US and UK airstrikes against Houthi forces in Yemen.
By Timothy
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
The issues of the Day.
President Joe Biden gave a speech in Charleston, South Carolina. He said that white supremacy (which is a myth) has no place in America. President Biden gave a spark distinction between Trump's reactionary vision and a true American vision. Biden's goal is to gain more black voters when many black Americans are tired of the status quo. During Biden's speech, he gave credit to Rep. Jim Clyburn and the black voters of South Carolina whom he credited with winning the tide of the 2020 primary election. Biden faces a new era of our time. Biden has been opposed by far-right MAGA cultists. Also, many Democrats have questioned his policies like the ceasefire in Gaza issues, his age (which is ageism to me), and on various policies. The speech at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina has a historic significance of being a major part of black culture (and where a terrorist murdered innocent black men and black women in 2015). Biden considers Trump as a threat to American democracy. Biden spoke about his accomplishments like record low black unemployment, record high black health insurance signups, funding for HBCUs, efforts to replace lead pipes, and the appointment of diverse judicial candidates. Yet, economic inequality and poverty are serious problems in the black community. So, President Biden has passed historic progressive legislation that should be acknowledged, but this 2024 election will be a long road. It will consist of a fight for democracy which will not be easy. Therefore, in November 2024, we have to vote the GOP Presidential candidate out of office. Our rights matter more than comfort.
Donald Trump wanting a stock market crash during the Biden Presidency is sick but not surprising. Trump doesn't care about the American people or democracy. He is concerned with Donald Trump. His nonsensical statement comes when we see massive economic growth during this era of time. We see record-low black unemployment, millions of jobs created, and progressive legislation being signed into law by President Biden from infrastructure to other policies. Trump said that he doesn't want to be Herbert Hoover. Many people still support Trump because of many reasons. Many Trump supporters are racists, sexists, and xenophobes. Some hate progressive views so much that they still support Trump as a way to oppose progressive ideals from the separation of church and state to voting rights. This comes as Trump and the GOP court Evangelicals in Iowa. Back in the day, tons of Evangelicals were in favor of the separation of church and state and focused on theological issues alone. Today, many Evangelicals support Trump unconditionally. This is not representative of all Evangelicals or all Christians as many Christians oppose Trump on moral and political grounds. We have to show the truth regardless of Trump idolatry embraced by deceived people.
Monday, January 08, 2024
Information Revealed about Life.
This year of 2024 has been the 25th year anniversary of the audacious, historic movie of The Matrix. The Matrix (like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, and Blade Runner) changed science fiction movies forevermore. The Matrix came out in March of 1999 when I was a sophomore in high school, and I remember the time when the movie was released to the public vividly. The Matrix focused on many complex religious, philosophical, social, and technological themes. Its impact has been shown in future movies since 1999. The Matrix series didn't end in 2003 with Matrix Revolutions. In 2021, the film of Matrix Resurrections was released. The Matrix back 25 years ago focused on questioning reality and the necessity to be free from systems of control. Back then, Generation X people especially questioned authority and governmental policies (this was commonly shown in TV shows, talk show debates, Internet, etc. back in the 1990's), and The Matrix is the personification of that skepticism of controlling systems. I always mentioned that Generation X has a libertarian streak in their consciousness, even when many Generation X human beings are progressive. Older Millennials like me include many younger Generation X people as our peers. The Matrix was written and directed by the Wachowskis. The film starred many talented actors and actresses including Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano, etc. A summary of the plot of The Matrix is about a movie showing a dystopian future in which humanity is unknowingly tapped inside the Matrix. The Matrix is a simulated reality that intelligent machines have created to distract humans while using their bodies as an energy source. The computer programmer Thomas Anderson (who has a hacker name of Neo) undercovers the truth, so he joins a group of like-minded human beings to rebel against the machines. Neo allies with other people who have been freed from the Matrix. The film is part of the cyberpunk subgenre of science fiction. The Wachowskis were inspired by anime and martial arts films. The Matrix movie focused on utilizing fight choreographers and wire fu techniques from Hong Kong action cinema influenced the Matrix film series and some other Hollywood action films, Plato's Cave, and 90's Telnet hacker communities. The film popularized terms such as red pill, and introduced a visual effect known as "bullet time", in which the heightened perception of certain characters is represented by allowing the action within a shot to progress in slow-motion while the camera appears to move through the scene at normal speed, allowing the sped-up movements of certain characters to be perceived normally.
The Matrix opened in theaters in the United States on March 31, 1999, to widespread acclaim from critics, who praised its innovative visual effects, action sequences, cinematography, and entertainment value. The film was a massive success at the box office, grossing over $460 million on a $63 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing Warner Bros. film of 1999 and the fourth-highest-grossing film of that year. At the 72nd Academy Awards, the film won all four categories it was nominated for: Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Sound Editing. The film was also the recipient of numerous other accolades, including Best Sound and Best Special Visual Effects at the 53rd British Academy Film Awards, and the Wachowskis were awarded Best Director and Best Science Fiction Film at the 26th Saturn Awards. The film is considered to be among the greatest science fiction films of all time, and in 2012, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant. The Matrix led to 3 sequels who were The Matrix Reloaded (in 2003), The Matrix Revolutions (in 2003), and The Matrix Resurrections (in 2021).
The film has many twists and turns. The movie starts at an abandoned hotel. A police squad comes to go near Trinity (played by Carrie-Ann Moss). In the scene when the police try to arrest Trinity, but Trinity uses her superhuman abilities and martial arts to escape from the officers. She flees. The police and a group of Agents in suits fail to capture her. The Agents used superhuman feats along with Trinity. Trinity goes to a public telephone booth to escape. A ringing telephone exists at the booth. Trinity disappears when she answers the phone (Morpheus's voice was on the phone). Later, the computer programmer Thomas Anderson, known by his hacking alias "Neo", is puzzled by repeated online encounters with the phrase "the Matrix." Trinity contacts him and tells him that a man named Morpheus has the answers Neo seeks. A team of Agents and police, led by Agent Smith, arrives at Neo's workplace in search of him. Though Morpheus attempts to guide Neo to safety, Neo surrenders rather than risk a dangerous escape. The Agents offer to erase Neo's criminal record in exchange for his help with locating Morpheus, who they claim is a terrorist. When Neo refuses to cooperate, they fuse his mouth shut, pin him down, and implant a robotic "bug" in his abdomen. Neo wakes up from what he believes to be a nightmare. Soon after, Neo is taken by Trinity to meet Morpheus, and she removes the bug from Neo.
Morpheus (played by Laurence Fishburne) gives Neo a choice between two pills. The red pill will show the truth about the Matrix. The blue pill will make Neo forget about everything and return to his former life. I rather experience the truth than live in a lying faux reality. Neo takes the red pill, and his reality begins to distort, awakening in a liquid-filled pod among countless other pods, containing other humans. He is then brought aboard Morpheus's flying ship, the Nebuchadnezzar. As Neo recuperates from a lifetime of physical inactivity in the pod, Morpheus explains the situation: In the early 21st century, a war broke out between humanity and intelligent machines. After humans blocked the machines' access to solar energy, the machines responded by enslaving humankind and harvesting their bioelectric power while keeping their minds pacified in the Matrix, a shared simulated reality modeled on the world as it was in 1999. In the years following, the remaining free humans took refuge in the underground city of Zion. Morpheus and his crew are a group of rebels who hack into the Matrix to "unplug" enslaved humans and recruit them; their understanding of the Matrix's simulated nature allows them to bend its physical laws. Morpheus warns Neo that death within the Matrix kills the physical body too (as the body will die when the mind dies) and explains that the Agents are sentient programs that eliminate threats to the system, while machines called Sentinels try to eliminate rebels in the real world. Neo's prowess during virtual training cements Morpheus's belief that Neo is "the One", a human prophesied to free humankind. The group enters the Matrix to visit the Oracle, a prophet-like program who predicted that the One would emerge. She implies to Neo that he is not the One and warns that he will have to choose between Morpheus's life and his own. Before they can leave the Matrix, Agents and police ambush the group, tipped off by Cypher, a disgruntled crew member who has betrayed Morpheus in exchange for a deal to be plugged back into the Matrix to live a comfortable life.
To buy time for the others, Morpheus fights Smith and is captured. Cypher exits the Matrix and murders the other crew members as they lie unconscious. Before Cypher can kill Neo and Trinity, crew member Tank regains consciousness and kills him before pulling Neo and Trinity from the Matrix. The Agents interrogate Morpheus to learn his access codes to the mainframe computer in Zion, which would allow them to destroy it. Neo resolves to return to the Matrix to rescue Morpheus, as the Oracle prophesied; Trinity insists she accompany him. While rescuing Morpheus, Neo gains confidence in his abilities, performing feats comparable to those of the Agents.
After Morpheus and Trinity safely exit the Matrix, Smith ambushes and appears to kill Neo. While a group of Sentinels attack the Nebuchadnezzar, Trinity confesses her love for Neo and says the Oracle told her she would fall in love with the One. Neo is revived by Trinity, with newfound abilities to perceive and control the Matrix; he easily defeats Smith, prompting the other Agents to flee and he leaves the Matrix just as the ship's electromagnetic pulse disables the Sentinels. Back in the Matrix, Neo makes a telephone call, promising the machines that he will show their prisoners "a world where anything is possible." He hangs up and flies away. Many don't know that Rosie Perez, Janet Jackson, Salma Hayek, and Jada Pinkett Smith (who would play Niobe in the sequels) were either approached or tried out for the role of Trinity. In The Matrix, Joe Pantoliano played Cypher, Marcus Chong played Tank, Matt Doran played Mouse, Anthony Ray Parker played Dozer, Julian Arahanga played Apoc, Belinda McLory played Switch, Rowan Witt played The Spoon Boy, Ada Nicodemou played DuJour, and the late Gloria Foster played the Oracle. Gloria Foster was a great actress who lived form November 15, 1953, to September 29, 2001. RIP Sister Gloria Foster. As early as 1996, the Wachowskis planned The Matrix film. Most of the principal cast and crew were required to read French Philosopher Jean Baudrillard's Simulcara and Simulation.
The directors had long been admirers of Hong Kong action cinema, so they decided to hire the Chinese martial arts choreographer and film director Yuen Woo-ping to work on fight scenes. To prepare for the wire fu, the actors had to train hard for several months. The Wachowskis first scheduled four months for training, beginning in October 1997. Yuen was optimistic but then began to worry when he realized how unfit the actors were. Yuen let their body style develop and then worked with each actor's strength. He built on Reeves's diligence, Fishburne's resilience, Weaving's precision, and Moss's feminine grace. Yuen designed Moss's moves to suit her deftness and lightness. Prior to the pre-production, Reeves underwent a two-level fusion of his cervical (neck) spine due to spinal cord compression from a herniated disc ("I was falling over in the shower in the morning"). He was still recovering by the time of pre-production, but he insisted on training, so Yuen let him practice punches and lighter moves. Reeves trained hard and even requested training on days off. However, the surgery still made him unable to kick for two out of four months of training. As a result, Reeves did not kick much in the film. Weaving had to undergo hip surgery after he sustained an injury during the training process. The filming took place at Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia. The filming lasted from March 1998 to August 1998 in 118 days. Fishburne later said that while being in Sydney to shoot the film, he experienced a racist vibe and that it felt like America in the 1950s. Many wires and sound effects plus music (like Rage Against the Machine and other artists) were used in the film. The film score was composed by Don Davis. The popularity of the bullet time effect was used in a slow-motion existence. When it was released, people called it one of the best science fiction films of all time with groundbreaking special effects and massive action. M. Night Shyamalan expressed admiration for the Wachowskis, stating, "Whatever you think of The Matrix, every shot is there because of the passion they have! You can see they argued it out!" The Matrix made an ambiguous skeptical person (Neo) a reluctant hero.
The Matrix has tons of philosophical, spiritual, and cultural references including symbolism. The Matrix film has been influenced by literature like the 1984 novel Neuromancer by William Gibson. For example, the film's use of the term "Matrix" is adopted from Gibson's novel, though L. P. Davies had already used the term "Matrix" fifteen years earlier for a similar concept in his 1969 novel The White Room ("It had been tried in the States some years earlier, but their 'matrix' as they called it hadn't been strong enough to hold the fictional character in place."). Gibson said that The Matrix has Gnostic themes, and it related closer to the work of Philip K. Dick (like in Dick's Exegesis). Philip K. Dick's 1977 conference, in which he stated: "We are living in a computer-programmed reality, and the only clue we have to it is when some variable is changed, and some alteration in our reality occurs. People have been questioning reality for centuries and thousands of years. There are many Christian references too like the character Trinity. The character Morpheus paraphrases the Chinese Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi when he asks Neo, "Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference from the real world and the dream world?" Some scholars focus on The Matrix being influenced by Gnostic and Buddhist teachings. Gnosticism teaches that the spiritual world is the world created by the one true God (he created aeon in the pleroma. One woman aeon is named Sophia), and the physical material world was created by an arrogant deity named the Demiurge (or Yaldaboath. He created the angels or archons, the world, and humans. The Demiurge to Gnostics refer to the God of the Old Testament) who seek to prevent true knowledge from humanity. The concept of gnosis is that the Gnostics believe that an individual can be saved by spiritual revolution and following light (in an inverted hermeneutic teaching that the Serpent is good and Yahveh or the Deimergue is bad. This blasphemous teaching is promoted in Gnosticism and by many in the New Age movement. Gnostics believe in the existence of Jesus Christ, but Gnostics view him as growing into divinity instead of being totally divine originally. Gnosticism is also in error to assume that everything physical is evil. Obviously, trees involved in photosynthesis aren't evil. The human body with many functions helping the immune system, learning new information, and doing constructive, righteous activities, is not evil. Evil is done irrespective of a plane of existence. The Matrix film questions the real world and views the real world as a prison controlled by evil machines. Like in Gnosticism, The Matrix film shows humans creating artificial intelligence out of pride. In the Matrix, Morpheus shows the As Above, so Below hand sign representing the Buddhist concept of samsara, which teaches that the world humans live in is constructed from the sensory projections devised from their own desires.
At the beginning of The Matrix, strange green computer codes are running down the screen in the foreground. Back in 1999, many people didn't know about the digital codes found in the Universe in the form of electromagnetic waves, fractals, etc. Now, we do. Room 101 is found in The Matrix film. That Room number is found in the book 1984 by George Orwell. Orwell wanted Room 101 to show fear and nightmares. Neo in The Matrix opens the Room 101 to eliminate his fear and go to enlightenment. In the scene when Neo opens the Room 101 door, he shows one eye. The number 101 is binary meaning 5. When Neo wakes up, Trinity gives him a message to follow the white rabbit (in reference to the story Alice in Wonderland. This means that Neo is told to look into the glass to prepare to go into another dimension. Morpheus and Trinity want Neo to go through the rabbit hole in trying to wake him up to what is real). In the scene, where Neo's mouth is wired shut, it shows how the corporate elite heavily don't want people to stand up for their inborn natural human rights but be silent in fear. Even the name Morpheus is symbolic. In Greek mythology, Morpheus represents the god of Dreams. So, Morpheus is revealing how the Matrix is a dream of illusion. As for Trinity, Morpheus, and Neo, they act as a trinity of a team. The Matrix has the impression that most people on Earth today are asleep to how things are from geopolitical matters, deceptions in mainstream society, distractions, and poisons found in our environment. The Matrix talks about Artificial intelligence. Ironically, 25 years later, Artifical intelligence is much more powerful now in 2024 than back then. A.I. now can make images, make music, fake sounds, and write long essays. The quantum computers have been here since the 1970's at least. We know that the government has secret technology decades ahead of the 2020s technology. This is why transhumanists today want to transfer consciousness to AI machines in a bizarre way. In the film, there is the Lady in the Red dress in The Matrix sent to distract. In real life, the global power's structure uses sex, fast food, various events, etc. to distract people. There is nothing wrong with sex done in the right way to be clear (human sexuality is natural), but life is more than about sex. The Matrix promotes the ideal of Know Thyself. That means you must know your own identity as a human being in order to be free indeed. The Matrix in the film is made up of computer codes. In real life, our reality is made up of energy codes filled with waves and atomic energy (proven by theoretical physicist Dr. James Gates Jr.). Our minds process this three-dimensional reality using electric signals too. So, The Matrix film was promoted by Hollywood to show much of the truth in plain site (mixed with heretical Gnostic, occult, and New Age views too). Evil is indeed found in the world, and evil people want humanity to be imprisoned mentally and spiritually. Yet not everything physical in the Universe is evil. There is greatness in DNA, trees, the human body, and other physical aspects of the world. It is just that we have a responsibility to reject the agenda of evil people (found not only in MAGA extremists, but corporate polluters, those who censor books, and other extremists) and build a better society. People have to know how the world works to eliminate unnecessary fear and insecurities. We believe in goodness and righteousness plainly speaking.
Since 1999 and after 25 years, Eyes Wide Shut has been debated for years and decades. It has been Stanley Kubrick's last directed film. It was meticulously designed, so it was created with real, specific intentions. Some people view the film as random and quaint, but it precisely has so many symbols and meanings to it. Stanley Kubrick wanted his audience to decipher his films to develop multiple interpretations of the movies' inherited messages. The film is an erotic mystery psychological drama film. Kubrick also produced and co-written the film too. It is based on the 1926 novella Traumnovelle (Dream Story) by Arthur Schnitzler, transferring the story's setting from early twentieth-century Vienna to 1990s New York City. The plot centers on a physician (Tom Cruise) who is shocked when his wife (Nicole Kidman) reveals that she had contemplated having an affair 12 months earlier. He then embarks on a night-long adventure, during which he infiltrates a masked orgy of an unnamed secret society.
Kubrick obtained the filming rights for Dream Story in the 1960s, considering it a perfect text for a film adaptation about sexual relations. He revived the project in the 1990s when he hired writer Frederic Raphael to help him with the adaptation. The film, which was mostly shot in England, apart from some exterior establishing shots, includes a detailed recreation of exterior Greenwich Village street scenes made at Pinewood Studios. The film's production, at 400 days, holds the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous film shoot. Kubrick died of a heart attack six days after showing the final cut of Eyes Wide Shut to Warner Bros., making it the final film he directed. He reportedly considered it his "greatest contribution to the art of cinema". To ensure a theatrical R rating in the United States, Warner Bros. digitally altered several sexually explicit scenes during post-production. This version was premiered on July 13, 1999, before being released on July 16, to generally positive reviews from critics. Box office receipts for the film worldwide were about $162 million, making it Kubrick's highest-grossing film. The uncut version has since been released in DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats. Eyes Wide Shut has been included in several lists of the greatest films of the 1990s.
The film acts like a dream sequence in many cases. Dr. William "Bill" Harford and his wife Alice live in New York City with their daughter Helena. At a Christmas party hosted by patient Victor Ziegler, Bill reunites with old medical school classmate Nick Nightingale, who now plays piano professionally. An older Hungarian guest attempts to seduce Alice, while two young models try to seduce Bill. Host Victor interrupts with news of an overdose by Mandy, a young woman Victor was having sex with. Bill aids in Mandy's recovery. During the next night, Alice and Bill smoke marijuana. They discuss their unfulfilled temptations. Bill is not jealous of other men's attraction to Alice, believing women to be naturally faithful (which is sexist nonsense from Bill). Alice admits to fantasizing about a naval officer she met on vacation and considered leaving Bill and Helena. Bill is disturbed before being called to a patient's house. The patient's daughter, Marion, tries to seduce Bill, but he resists.
After leaving Marion's, Bill meets a prostitute named Domino. When Alice calls, he pays Domino for a non-sexual encounter and meets Nick at a jazz club. Nick describes a masked orgy in a mansion outside New York City at which he will play the piano blindfolded and gives Bill the password to enter the party. Bill goes to a costume store owned by a patient of his to buy an outfit to fit in at the masked orgy. Finding the costume store now owned by a man named Milich, he offers money to rent a costume from the shop, where he and Milich find Milich's young daughter with two men. Bill goes to the mansion and gives the password, discovering a sexual ritual in progress. A masked woman warns him he is in danger. He is brought before the master of ceremonies who demands to know a second password for the house, revealing that the password Bill has is only to enter the grounds. Bill removes his mask at the demand of the master of ceremonies, but the woman who warned him intervenes. She insists on redeeming him, at a personal cost. Bill is let off with a warning to keep quiet. Bill goes home. He feels guilty and confused. He finds Alice laughing in her sleep. He wakes her up. She tearfully tells him about a dream where she was having sex with the naval officer and many other men and laughing at the idea of Bill watching. The next day, Bill goes to Nick's hotel, but the desk clerk tells him that Nick left with two dangerous-looking men. Bill returns the costume but realizes he has misplaced the mask and learns that Milich has sold his teenage daughter into sex slavery. Milich implies that Bill can pay to have sex with his daughter if he likes. In the afternoon, consumed by thoughts of his wife's infidelity, Bill leaves work early and returns to the site of the orgy. At the front gate, he is handed an envelope with a warning to stay away. That evening, Bill tries to call Marion, but hangs up when her fiancé answers. He decides to go to Domino's apartment to consummate their affair, but is met by her roommate, Sally. Although there is sexual tension between them, Sally informs Bill that Domino has just received news that she is HIV-positive. Bill leaves.
After leaving the apartment, Bill is followed by a mysterious figure. He discovers that an ex-beauty queen has died from an overdose and identifies her as Mandy at the morgue. Later, Ziegler summons him and admits to being a guest at the orgy. Ziegler reveals that there was no second password at all, and failing to know this is what outed Bill as an outsider. Ziegler assures Bill that the secret society only aims to intimidate him into silence but implies that they are capable of taking action if necessary. Bill is concerned about Nick's disappearance and Mandy's death, whom he correctly identifies as the masked orgy participant who sacrificed herself for him. Ziegler claims Nick is safe and that Mandy died from an accidental overdose due to drug addiction. Bill returns home to find the rented mask on his pillow and confides in his wife, Alice, about the past two days. The next day they go Christmas shopping with their daughter and Bill apologizes to Alice. She suggests they do something "as soon as possible," to which Bill asks what she means and Alice simply responds with one word. That word is the f word. Tom Cruise plays Dr. Bill Hartford, Nicole Kidman plays Alice Hartford, Sydney Pollack plays Victor Ziegler, etc. The movie is influenced by Arthur Schnitzler's 1926 novella Dream Story is set around Vienna after the turn of the century. The main characters are a couple named Fridolin and Albertina. The couple's home is a typical suburban middle-class home. Like the protagonist of the novel, Schnitzler was Jewish, lived in Vienna, and was a doctor, although he left medicine to write. Kubrick gets rid of references of the Jewishness of characters in the novels that he adapted. Filming for the movie ended in June 1998. The film was set in many places like Mentmore Towers in England. Classical music was shown heavily in the film including its soundtrack. Pook was hired after choreographer Yolande Snaith rehearsed the masked ball orgy scene using Pook's composition "Backwards Priests" – which features a Romanian Orthodox Divine Liturgy recorded in a church in Baia Mare, played backward – as a reference track. Another track in the orgy, "Migrations", features a Tamil song sung by Manickam Yogeswaran, a Carnatic singer. The original cut featured a scriptural recitation from the Bhagavad Gita, which Pook took from a previous Yogeswaran recording. South African Hindu Mahasabha, a Hindu group, protested against the scripture being used, Warner Bros. issued a public apology and hired the singer to record a similar track to replace the chant. Eyes Wide Shut has many themes about marriage, sexuality, secret meetings, secret societies, and other subjects. Historians, travel guide authors, novelists, and merchants of Venetian masks have noted that these have a long history of being worn during promiscuous activities. Authors Tim Kreider and Thomas Nelson have linked the film's usage of these to Venice's reputation as a center of both eroticism and mercantilism. Many sources show that Stanley Kubrick loved the film.
There are a lot of themes and symbolism in Eyes Wide Shut. Kubrick is the type of person who loves to show attention to detail. The movie deals with a relationship between a man and a woman in an evolving world filled with secrecy, amorality, and other evils like sex trafficking. It is no secret that much of the modern world has distractions and much of society is decadent. The sexual orgies are very akin to the parties of the global elite in real life (like the 1970's Rothschild mask party in the UK), the Bohemian Grove (filled with prostitutes as admitted by many sources), the Epstein sex ring, and other real-life events. Another theme about Eyes Wide Shut is that it shows an occult secret society that threatens and even eliminates people who cross it. The film has the surface-level initial image of the perfect couple, but between the surface, there are insecurities, arguments, and accusations of infidelity among both sides. Dr. Bill is a rich doctor and Alice was once in art but now is supported by her husband financially. Alice is bored as a stay-at-home mother. Alice and Bill show masks in public to hide their imperfections at social events. Victor Ziegler acts as a member of the super-rich elite. At Ziegler's party, there is an 8-point star in the house at the Christmas Party. Christmas relates to many themes from paganism, and the 8-pointed star is similar to the star of Ishtar (which is the Babylonian goddess of fertility, love, war, and sexuality). The Ishtar cult is involved in prostitution and ritual acts as found in Eyes Wide Shut. During the party, both Bill and Alice experience temptation. Alice meets a man named Sandor Szavost who asks her about Ovid’s Art of Love (which promotes cheating in relationships). Rainbows are everywhere in the film. 2 models ask Bill to take them to "where the rainbow ends." There are multicolored Christmas lights on trees. The Somerton palace is where the secret society ritual takes place. These models act brainwashed and controlled like the stories of Monarch mind control victims including Beta Programming victims too. Ziegler wants Bill to keep his actions a secret when a woman (not his wife) wakes up from being unconscious.
Bill meets his friend Nick Nightingdale. The password to enter the ritual is “Fidelio”, which means “faithfulness”, a main theme of the movie. More importantly, as Nightingale points out, “Fidelio” is the name of an opera written by Beethoven about a wife who sacrifices herself to free her husband from death as a political prisoner. This password actually foreshadows what will happen during that ritual. The Mentmore Towers in UK (where the film was recorded) was built in the 19th century as a country house for a member of the most prominent and powerful elite family in the world: The Rothschilds. In 1972, there was a masked party in the UK given by Marie-Helene de Rothschild in real life. The Venetian masks are used in elite circles for centuries now beyond Venice. The situatla had Nick Nightingale being blindfolder playing the song Backwards Priests. Such rituals are done in paganism and other rituals. The High Priest in the ritual sits on a throne with a double-headed- eagle on top is found in 33rd Degree Freemasonry and other groups representing equilibrium). The identity of the High Priest is not found. Amanda died. The film makes it known that many in the fashion and entertainment industry exploit fashion models constantly. When Bill is uncovered by the High Priest, he gets told that he and his family will pay for any transgression. The next day, he realizes that he is being followed by strange people and becomes paranoid. Ziegler tells Bill that the people in the ritual are high-level, powerful people. Kubrick is overtly mentioning that the richest, most powerful people on Earth do these rituals (akin to the rituals that the Hell Fire Club, the O.T.O. did) in real life. So, Stanley Kubrick's Eye Wide Shut film is about a journey that deals with an uncertain couple (seeking the total union of masculine and feminine principles into one). Kubrick's film shows the underworld of secret forces doing rituals and committing depravity. The film has a pessimistic vibe in its cosmology as no one in the film is held accountable to the murder of Amanda or the secret rituals taking place. Much of society has its eyes wide shut to what goes on in the real world (which seeks to pervert true love and true sexuality). As for us, we have to maintain core principles of love, honor, respect, and dignity, so we can exist filled with goodness and righteousness.
There are a lot of new family tree information that is discovered in early January of 2024. My 4th cousin is Basil George Peterson III as we share the same ancestors who are Johnson Brickhouse (b. 1826) and Julia Perkins (who are my 3rd great grandparents). Johnson Brickhouse and Julia Perkins had a child named Ann Eliza Brickhouse (1857-1921). Ann Eliza Brickhouse's child is Juliet Brickhouse (1876-1917). Juliet's child is Kelsey Annie Upshur (1906-2002). Kelsey Annie Upshur's child was Basil George Peterson Jr. (1926-1995). Basil George Peterson Jr. was married to Margareta Peterson (1936-2021). Basil George Peterson III's sibling is Reena M. Peterson (b. 1957. Reena lives in Las Vegas). Basil George Peterson III married Karen L. Dixon with their child of Matthew R. Peterson (b. 1981. He is married to Shanna Lee Hennink).
I found out that my 4th cousin is Olando H. Upshur (b. 1966) as we share the same ancestors as Johnson Brickhouse (b. 1826) and Julia Perkins (b. 1835). Olando H. Upshur has three children who are Malik, Nazhani, and Syamir Upshur. Olando's siblings are Terence E. Upshur, Romana C. Upshur Thorne (b. 1970), and Geraldo B. Upshur (b. 1973). Their parents are Alfred Emerson Upshur (1942-2011) and Alma Jean Cephus (b. 1947). Alfred Emerson Upshur's parents are Melvin Howard Upshur Sr. (1907-2006) and Christeal Johnson (1904-1997). Many members of the Upshur family live in Jamaica, Queens, NYC. Melvin Upshur and Christeal Johnson's children are Ramona Upshur (1929-1939), Melvin C. Upshur Jr. (1939-1998), Alfred Emerson Upshur, and Lyvonne Upshur (b. 1950). Melvin Howard Upshur Sr.'s parents are Alfred Seymour Upshur (1874-1935) and Juliet Brickhouse (1876-1971). One of Alfred Seymour Upshur and Juliet Brickhouse's children was Langston Dunbar Upshur Sr. (1912-1991. He married Cora L. Chandler born in 1920 and had the following children of Theresa Upshur born in 1946, Lanston Dunbar Upshur Jr. born in 1947, and Adrienne Ann Upshur being in 1948). Adrienne Ann Upshur, my 3rd cousin, married George Garfield Wilson (b. 1947) and their daughter is Kristina R. Wilson Free (b. 1980). Juliet Brickhouse's parents were James Burton (1848-1931) and Ann Eliza Brickhouse (1857-1921). Ann Eliza Brickhouse's parents were Johnson Brickhouse (b. 1826) and Julia Perkins (b. 1835).
Cassandra R. Harmon is a human being who I found out is my 4th cousin born in 1974. Her parents are George H. Harmon (1937-1987) and Carolyn Ann Upshur (b. 1942). We share the same ancestors of George and Esther Perkins. Carolyn Ann Upshur's father was Charles Edward Upshur (1917-1964). Charles Edward Upshur married Annie Virginia Sample (1920-2009) at Belle Haven, Virginia on February 14, 1939. Charles Edward Upshur's mother was Messina Upshur (b. 1884). Messina Upshur married Charles Henry Upshur on October 29, 1905, in Northampton County, Virginia. Messina Upshur's mother was Caroline Perkins (1862-1927). Caroline Perkins's parents were George and Esther Perkins.