How The Pied Piper Planked America's Youth.....again

Many can recall The Pied Piper of Hamelin , a children's fairytale about a piper dressed in pied a(multicolored) clothing, leading the children away from the town never to return. .
In the story. the town's children are led astray by a Piper whose melodic melodies causes them to fall under a hypnotic "spell" which leads to their death.











Planking is one the "Pied Pipers" of 2011. Planking refers to the act of lying face down with arms to the sides in unusual public spaces and photographing it to share online. To me,planking is a very painful reminder of a very painful past


According to many, it's just a fun game to play while some call it dangerous. Players of this crazy trend go far and beyond to see who can find the most bizarre place to Plank. The few rules include: The location should also be as public as possible, and as many people as possible should be involved. Some call it dangerous because of the length that people will go to in order to get that "perfect shot" which of course, is worth money.

a>According to news sources, the game was uncovered in September of 2009, when seven doctors and nurses working at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon, England were suspended for playing the lying down game while on duty. Sadly, this was not the first time Plankin had made its way to North America. The last time was on slave ships. My ancestors were packed light sardines on wooden planks. I am really not concerned about the controversy that the "media" has ignited. I just think that planking is a bad idea that brings back haunting memories. If that's not good enough reason to throw this silly game out to sea then perhaps the rising number of deaths and injuries that are taking place as a result of Planking will be sufficient. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43036847/ns/world_news-asia_pacific/t/australia-man-plunges-planking-death/

Happy Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. Most stories of Thanksgiving history start with the harvest celebration of the pilgrims and the indians that took place in the autumn of 1621. Although they did have a three-day feast in celebration of a good harvest, and the local indians did participate, this "first Thanksgiving" was not a holiday, simply a gathering. There is little evidence that this feast of thanks led directly to our modern Thanksgiving Day holiday. Thanksgiving can, however, be traced back to 1863 when Pres. Lincoln became the first president to proclaim Thanksgiving Day. The holiday has been a fixture of late November ever since.
We just finished our Thanksgiving Dinner. As, I type at this computer, with a stuffed belly and satisfied soul I have so much to be thankful for. I am surrounded by the people who are most dear to me, my loved ones. My Father, has taught us once again, what it means to be a true, loving Father. Mom wasn't feeling well, so Dad volunteered to cook the entire spread this year. When he announced to us that he would be cooking, I thought perhaps it was him who wasn't feeling well. Did he really know what he was asking to do? Dad said things would go smoothly...his only request? For his three granddaughthers to spend the night with him to help him cook. As I reflect, on his request I realize that he just wanted to spend extra time with them because he ended up doing the majority of the work. The food was great, the time spent together even better. Dad didn't miss a beat. Everything that Mom normaly cooks, he cooked. (or he ordered)
So, what am I thankful for? Honestly, the simple things make me happy and thankful. A healthy heart that continues to beat even when I am sleep. Children who are healthy and able to learn. I work for a non-profit org. and the individuals that I work with are not able to learn. They are mentally disabled. Clean water to drink. I turn on the tap and the water comes out. Electricity. A lot of my friends that live abroad always tell me how sporatic the electricity can be in their area. The only time my electricity goes out is if I don't pay my bill. Oh and thank God, that I have a job. I like my job. My job makes me feel like I am at least making an impact in someone's world. Good health...I can use my hands to type, my eyes can see clearly, I can hear and speak. I am not in any type of Pain. Thank you, Lord! The list goes on and on....
Well, I have to end this post now. My family is waiting. We have a tradition in our family. To make ourselves feel a bit better we like to take a short walk. We are about to take a walk around the neighborhood. After that we are getting ready to light the fire place and watch the "Wizard of Oz".

shhhh!

ssshhhhh! We have some dirty secrets here...Sometimes we tend to not talk too much about it because well, our super ego just won't allow it.We want others to think that we are perfect, we do no wrong. Everthings fine over here. But,we are all guilty and in denial. You are guilty, I am guilty. We are guilty of doing nothing about the problem. We are all guilty of not protecting all of our children.
Street kids, child sex trafficking, sex tourism, and mail order brides. What comes to your mind when you hear words like that? What places have you told yourself that inexplicable acts like these only take place in? Where do you tend to think of?Rio de Janeiro? Mumbai? Kenya? Russia? Certainly, not America.
Most of the time when we read or hear about children being sold into prostitution or child sex trafficking we assume that it is in some far off land far far away from our North American shores! Sadly our media, as it so often does, will strategically focus on this issue as if it is something new, or unheard of. Some even take the ridiculous attitude and pretend that it “just doesn’t happen behind our borders.” But, “if walls could talk” as my sweet Mother, would say so many times. “If walls could talk” I am sure that many people would probably be surprised and ashamed of the reality.
It happens here! It happens there! It happens everywhere! Unfortunately until, we can come up with some concrete ways of preventing malicious adults from selling children for sex and severely prosecuting those who do so…then, we have a problem. It’s not an American problem, it’s not an African problem, it’s not an Asian problem….it’s a world problem.
UNICEF estimates that 1,000 to 1,500 Guatemalan babies and children are trafficked each year for adoption by couples in North America and Europe. Girls as young as 13 (mainly from Asia and Eastern Europe) are trafficked as “mail-order brides.” In most cases these girls and women are powerless and isolated and at great risk of violence. Large numbers of children are being trafficked in West and Central Africa, mainly for domestic work but also for sexual exploitation and to work in shops or on farms. Nearly 90 per cent of these trafficked domestic workers are girls.
This is little Shaniya Davis. She was five years old. Yes, I said was. Shaniya was found dead after she had been raped. Her lifeless little body had been tossed to the side of the road after the cruel, heartless predator raped and killed her.For many days volunteers and authorities searched for her.
Her mother, who is now in police custody is facing charges of human trafficking.

September 11....

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T....Find out what it means to me......R-E-S-P-E-C-T...Take care, TCB" are those famous words that Aretha Franklin sang many years ago. Many of us are familiar with the song, right? But, for some reason respect is one of the things missing these days, especially for our President Barack Obama. I don't want start throwing the "race card" around but what is the problem, America? Why are so many people disrespecting the highest office in the US? Some refuse to address him as the President by dropping the title and just calling him, "Obama". Others have been noted as calling him, "Mr. Obama." Earlier this week President Obama addressed our nations school children during school hours. He basically encouraged the children all across America to study, get a good education and take responsibility. He wasn't the first President to do so. Republican presidents Ronald Reagan did in 1981, George H.W. bush in 1991, and George W. Bush did in 2001. Bush senior focused solely on education, while Reagan slipped in a plug for low taxes and the line-item veto, and George W. mentioned the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Yet, some schools chose not to air the president’s educational pep talk because of pressure from parents who don’t like the president’s political positions. Some parents even signed their kids out of school to make sure they did not watch the address.
Not to mention, all the idiots that have been showing up to the townhall meetings on health care with guns! Last night, the townhall attitude showed up once again. GOP Congressman, Joe Wilson disrespected President Obama by yelling out, "you lie" while the president was speaking!

Printed textbooks so yesterday?

I volunteered the other day, at our neighborhood school and was amazed at just how “high-tech” elementary schools have become. For example, you can’t even just walk up and say, “I’m here…I’d like to volunteer.” I don’t think so….A full background and criminal check has to be done and you have to electronically register as a volunteer. In other words, you have to be approved. I like this. This is good thing, when you consider all the pedophiles and would be criminals who lurk around school playgrounds waiting for the opportunity to snatch someone’s pride and joy.
Ok, one of the big changes in America’s classrooms is “The Pledge of Allegiance”. As a child, I can recall one thing that was certain…The Pledge of Allegiance. After the “beginning bell” rung, the teacher would pick someone to lead the class in confirming the pledge. This was an honor for most kids. The entire class would stand, face the American flag, place your right hand over your heart and recite the words:

“I pledge Allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one nation under God, indivisible,
with Liberty and Justice for all.”


Well, now most classrooms in my city, are equipped with television sets. Only for educational purposes, might I add. Many schools have their own news cast (which students operate) After the “beginning bell” of the day, the teachers turn on the TV, the news cast gives the morning announcements for the school. The entire school is silent as they watch their fellow students inform them of the projects, activities and agenda for the school. This will last maybe five minutes or so. At the close of the broadcast, the cast asks the entire school to stand and collectively recite the pledge of allegiance. It’s really an awesome thing to witness. My daughter was chosen as broadcaster and it has really sparked an interest of media in her. She says she wants to go into communication or be a broadcast journalist.

In the state that gave the world Facebook, Google and the iPod, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says forcing California's students to rely on printed textbooks is so yesterday" according to USA today. So, you’ve guessed it folks. Yes, ebooks, and online texts are coming to a school near you.

Not to mention, school lunch for most little tikes has gone already cyber? Once upon a time, when I was a child your mother either packed your lunch in a brown paper bag. On the days that Mommy did not want to pack our lunch she would give us 40cents in an envelope to give to our teacher. Our teacher would forward the money to the cafeteria worker who was in charge of lunch accounts. The 40 cents would cover the entire lunch which most of the time included: a meat, vegetable, fruit, milk, bread and cheese.


Now days, children have online lunch accounts…the parents may deposit the lunch
money for the child up to one day or the entire year via online. A perk to this is the parents have 24hour access to their child’s account so when the funds are low…well, you know it’s time to deposit that lunch money! The kids all know their individual account numbers so very rarely is any currency passed. Oh, and please don’t forget that there is also an a la carte menu for the “picky”. But, please don’t think that there is no standard in all of this.

notes: Meals served under the National School Lunch Program must, by federal law, meet nutrition guidelines based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. No more than 30% of calories can come from fat and less than 10% from saturated fat. School lunches provide one-third of the Recommended Dietary Allowances of protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium and calories.

In North Carolina, 96 percent of schools have increased fresh fruit and 86 percent of schools have increased fresh vegetables. There are usually a number of fruit and vegetables selections available each day. These may be canned, frozen, fresh or dried. There is an emphasis on dark green, deep yellow or orange fruits or vegetables, and items that are not fried. More legumes (dried peas and beans) are also being introduced.
http://www.nutritionnc.com/ResourcesForSchools/pdf/schoolMealsPromoKit/FactSheets/themythofschoolmeals.pdf

End of a modern day dynasty...

Today our nation bid the final farewell to one of our beloved, Senator Edward Moore Kennedy. He was known to many Americans by different names depending on the audience. Some of us knew him as simply "Ted" or "Teddy" Kennedy. Others note him for being the youngest and the last of the Kennedy brothers. "The baby of the family" is how my grandmother describes him. Personally, even before his final days of battling brain cancer I demanded that my children know of this great man. "You need to know who this is," I told them as I read excerpts about him to my girls. "Of the white Americans who did the most to help the advancement of civil rights, Ted Kennedy would be on the short list. He may even be at the top of it," said Douglas Brinkley, a history professor at Rice University. "He wasn't just for civil rights in the sense of the movement, but for dignity rights for all people."To others he was known as the "Lion of the Senate". Respected amongst most of his peers, during the eulogy, even our President called him " "a champion for those who had none, the soul of the Democratic party and the lion of the United States Senate."
Senator Ted Kennedy held his position in the U.S. Senate for more than four decades. Kennedy was considered one of the most effective legislators of the past few decades, especially in his ability to cross party lines to get legislation passed. He had major roles in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act, the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act and the Kennedy-Hatch law of 1997. In 1994, Kennedy was instrumental in helping the Clinton administration with its plan to overhaul health care. In 2001, Kennedy worked with President Bush to enact the No Child Left Behind Act. He later complained publicly that he had been hoodwinked, because the legislation did not include funding to pay for its requirements. Kennedy voted against the Iraq war, in 2003. He fought for comprehensive health care alongside the nation's first black president, Barack Obama. In fact, Kennedy, an early supporter of Obama's presidential campaign, seemingly handed the torch down to Obama before the "Super Tuesday" Democratic primaries by likening the senator from Illinois to his brother, the late president, John F. Kennedy. I can recall on that Tuesday, the laughter of my father when as we watched the senator endorse Obama. "That's it, if Ted has put his stamp on it, that's all he needs," he said. It was somewhat true, senator Kennedy held a lot of weight in the senate. It will be very hard to replace him. Rest in peace, Sir.

California blues....

Sometimes I really miss California. I miss the variety of people from all different cultures and backgrounds. I grew up in Long Beach, California. A beach city that is bursting with different nationalities and cultures. Although there have been racial tensions amongst groups of local gangs in the past, Long Beach is basically one big blended family. For example, my Godfather is Latino, his wife?Caucasian. My childhood best friends were: Japanese, Samoan, African American and Filipino. All of the schools that I attended in Long Beach included people from many different parts of the globe.
I miss being able to drive to Las Vegas for the weekend. Its only a 4 hour drive.
I miss seeing the fog roll off the ocean just about every morning. I miss being able to ride my bike down to the shore. By the way...the shore is the Pacific Ocean. I miss camping out at the beach all nite beside a bonfire...(sigh)
I really miss hanging out at the beach at night beside a bonfire while waiting for the grunions to run!A summer evening is a perfect time to have a SoCal experience. If there is anything that is uniquely Southern Californian, then this phenomenon just might personify it. Picture yourself on one of Cali's beaches - at night - with a few dozen other people. The tide is high and the waves are rolling pretty far up the sand line. Suddenlly, as a wave recedes, you spot hundreds of silvery things, wiggling on the sand. Then, just as quickly, the next wave rolls in, then out, and with it the silvery spectres. Yep, you are witnessing a famous California grunion run. from March through September, one of the most remarkable life cycles in the sea is completed when the California grunion comes ashore to spawn.
According to the California Department of Fish and Game, as if this behavior were not strange enough, grunion make these excursions only on particular nights, and with such regularity that the time of their arrival on the beach can be predicted a year in advance. This phenomenon can be seen on many beaches in southern California. Shortly after high tide, on certain nights, sections of these beaches sometimes are covered with thousands of grunion depositing their eggs in the sand. Hence, the popularity of both grunion watching and grunion hunting.
I miss the stores, restaurants and other attractions that stay open all night. Here most of the places close around nine or ten. I recall the many times my brother and I would sneak out the house for a quick run to the AM/PM mini market. A 24 hour store that was stocked with all sorts of foods to curve any appetite. According to their website, they've sold over 18,000,000 hot dogs...That’s more than enough hot dogs to build a railroad through the state of Washington. Over 1,000 tons of hamburgers were sold, which is enough meat to feed a small country somewhere.
But, the South is not all that unbearable or I otherwise would've moved back to Cali years ago. I have lived here for sixteen years now and have only been back to LB once. Maybe its time to visit family & friends?

A few semesters back I took an African American Literature course. The text that we used was called, The Norton Anthology of African American Literature Vol.2. The editor? Henry Louis Gates Jr. I had become very familiar with Gates way before the course or even recent events. I remember as a teenager reading about him....oh yes, he was....one of Time magazine's "25 Most Influential Americans" in 1997. Holder of 50 honorary degrees, acclaimed historian, Harvard professor and PBS documentarian.Many may recall in 2006-2007 many African American celebrities such as: Oprah Winfrey,Morgan Freeman, Chris Rock, Tina Turner, Don Cheadle, Tom Joyner and Maya Angelou and many more traced their roots by DNA. Well, Gates was the host and mastermind.
(now fast forward to July 2009) My friend called me and told me to turn to CNN. To my disbelief I see photos of a handcuffed Gates. According to the NPR, On July 16, Cambridge police responded to a call that two black males with backpacks were breaking in to a two-story home near the Harvard campus. By the time police arrived, Gates was already inside his home. He refused to step outside to speak with the police. Eventually, Gates showed some identification and, according to the police report, began yelling at an officer. Gates was handcuffed and led away.
When one of America's most prominent black intellectuals winds up in handcuffs, it's not just another episode of profiling — something is terribly wrong. We are not where we used to be, but we have a long bumpy road to travel.If this man can be taken away by police officers from the porch of his own home, what does it say about the treatment that average blacks can expect in 2009?

HAPPY 4TH!

As I write this post I can actually hear the sounds of fireworks exploding through the air. This will go on all night! I'm not complaining. I should be used to it by now because this has been the routine in most American cities during this time of year for as long as I can remember. Matter of fact, I can recall my mother and father taking us to see the fireworks in Long Beach at the Queen Mary.(Quick history lesson:) The Queen Mary is a ship that was bigger, faster and more powerful than her predecessor the ship Titanic. The RMS Queen Mary lived a long life that included 1,001 successful Atlantic crossings. During World War II, she carried troops across the Atlantic and afterward, she ferried war brides and children to the United States and Canada and then returned to service as a transatlantic cruise ship. She now rests in the Long Beach, California harbor, converted into a hotel and tourist attraction.
Those were great memories. Can you imagine...we lived 11 blocks from the shore? So, all of our celebrations and festivites revolved around the water.
Now, that I live on the east coast some things have changed but not really when it comes to the 4th of July. The rockets and "black cats" are still sounding off. Tomorrow most people will attend large gatherings in someone's backyard or the park.
Hotdogs, hamburgers, ribs, steaks, and just about every edible thing will find its place on the grill. (lol) Kids will be running and screaming enjoying themselves under the blazing sun. Someone will start a water balloon fight. Adults will somehow or another find a reason to do the "electric slide" while the older folks just look on with amazement...or is it pity? And as soon as the sun sets?.. we all will make our way to see the "big firework show" that's usually downtown. For the past couple of years, the traffic downtown is so heavy that we normally find a side street and either sit on top of our truck or make the walk to be a better view. Whatever ends up happening I am sure that it will make a great July 4th, 2009!

Land that I love...

Tonight, July 3rd...I was listening to NPR's "Tell Me More" with host,Michel Martin on the way to work. In commemoration of Independence Day (July 4th) she did a interview, called Meditations On Freedom: From Oppression To Liberty. After the show I began to think about what freedom and living in this country means to me... Anyone who knows me knows that (sometimes) I tend to be a bit vocal the mistakes of my country. But, for the record I need to make it very clear that I love this country. Although, many people have the choice of choosing their homeland, somehow or another this land chose me...(and I am greatful in an odd way...its kind've hard to explain) I'm not going to turn this into a negative note about my country because with all of its past and current faux pas...I love my country. I am very proud to be an American. We have alot of freedom here. I appreciate the opportunity to live in such a place as this. From talking to many of my friends from other countries I think sometimes we, Americans tend to take our freedoms for granted. We have the freedom to do just about anything...well, any logical thing. I guess it all depends on your definition of logical. We have so many rights and laws that lately its been a bit confusing and contradictive. Some laws are absolutely necessary to hold together the fabric of a decent society. Some you might think are necessary, but aren’t on the books at all. Here's one-"A man who was caught driving naked was let go because there was no law against such behavior, according to Jacksonville.com...Police simply ordered him to put on some clothes, get back behind the wheel and drive home. They had to let him go because no law prohibits driving naked." But, nothings perfect. As, I told my neice the other day the beautiful thing about America is that not only is it a place for everyone but also the "Checks and Balances" of the US keep order and democracy in place. (most of the time) So,
Happy 4th! Happy Birthday America!!!

the traditional American family is gone!

Today if you ask many Americans to give you their definition of the traditional family in America you will receive many different responses. Most likely, the answers that you will receive are as colorful and diverse as the multitude of populace that currently lives within the United States. Just as there is not one single example of the “so-called typical American”, there is not one single example of the “so-called typical American family”. America, the “melting pot” has a vast number of people from different nationalities, cultures, and values as a result her families come in a variety of assortment. The traditional American family, as defined some fifty a year ago is becoming a thing of the past.
According to the US Census, half a century ago, the description of the typical American family included two married parents: a father, a mother and 2.3 children. Most American families of the past were clearly a male husband, a female wife, and their biological children. More often than not, these families shared the same ethnicity, culture and shared the same religious affiliations and beliefs. Today’s American family is quite the opposite.
Today more couples are choosing to cohabitate rather than enter matrimony. The choice to co-habitation is a common thing in today’s times. It seems that everyone is doing it!
Research now finds that cohabitation can no longer be seen as a single social phenomenon where hormones drive lustful young adults to shack-up. Instead, widely diverse populations, from teenagers to seniors, live together, as an experiment in building an intimate relationship. Even many celebrities have opted out of marriage and into co-habitation. Oprah, Brad, Angelina and LeBron are just a few of the high profile celebrities that cohabitate.
Like families headed by heterosexual parents, lesbian and gay parents and their children are diverse groups. Currently, there is a great divide amongst Americans concerning the idea of same sex marriage.
There are families headed by single parents. Families that include grandparents raising their grandchildren because the parents are absent. There are transcultural, transracial, biracial, interracial families. Families without children, families that adopt children. The list goes on & on because the spectrum is so broad.
In the middle of the same sex argument unfolds another voice. Yet, many Americans will agree that a family is defined as a unit of people who care about each other regardless of race, gender, culture or biological ties. The fading traditional American family has been replaced by the blended family.Stepfamilies, also known as blended families, are more of a norm now than ever.
At least one-third of all children in the U.S. will be part of a stepfamily before they reach age 18. Research defines blended families as a family in which one or both partners have been married before. A vast number of American families are blended in some form or another form. American citizens come from different backgrounds, colors, genders, cultures and beliefs as a result her families are just as dissimilar. The traditional American family has become a thing of the past. Would someone please tell me if there is a such thing as a traditonal family?
What's the family structure like where you live?

It's been a while since my last post because I have been so busy with school exams. The semester is basically over! I am so excited because as you all know, I will be headed for Ghana in July. (the last week) Despite my dear mother's concern, the "swine flu hype" has not deterred my focus at all. Honestly, I am not really convinced its as bad as its being played out in the media. People really amaze me ...a few hundred people get the flu and thousands are covering their faces with blue masks, but millions of people die from AIDS yet people still refuse to wear condoms.Other news in the U.S. that has grabbed my attention is Oprah Winfrey and KFC. (Kentucky Fried Chicken).
Oprah Winfrey decided to buy dinner for the entire U.S so it seemed. She agreed to promote KFC coupons to the public.Here's how it works: A coupon for a 2 peice meal was made available exclusively through Oprah Winfrey's website, oprah.com. The coupon could be downloaded anytime durina a 24hour period on Wednesday, May 6. The coupons are redeemable through May 19 excluding Mothers' Day.
The coupons entitled the bearer to a free 2 piece grilled chicken meal, with two sides and a biscuit. Now thats really nice of Oprah to do such a thing. But, I am bit disappointed because the people who really need a free dinner most likely wont get it. I'm thinking that perhaps it would have been more thoughtful to feed some of the thousands of homeless people that live in the US. If you really think about it, the average homeless person does not have internet access so there is no way that they could "download" this coupon.Maybe I am being too criticalI realize that this was a nice gesture, but my goodness there are thousands of children in America that go to bed hungry almost everynight. So why in the world would you throw free meals to people who are not starving?Maybe its just me. But in my little mind, this is crazy! Please someone tell me the logic in this...tax break is all I can come up with to justify this. To make matters worse there have been riots and fights over the coupons running out.

"April, oh April"

Some years ago I watched the movie,Sometimes in April.
In April 1994, one of the most heinous genocides in world history began in the African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of 100 days, close to one million people were killed in a terrifying purge by Hutu nationalists against their Tutsi countrymen. The main character describes how the month of April makes him sad because of the cruel evnts that he faced during this month. I am beginning to to dislike the month of April also.
We have a saying, "April showers brings May flowers." Could this mean after all the tears that April has brought us...May will be more promising? I sure hope that May will be more joyous!
Today is the 21st day of April...not been alot of raindrops...only tear drops. Although April brings warmer weather, beautiful scenes of azaleas, daffoldils and roses amongst layers of thick green grass, there is a sadness in the air. Perhaps this sadness is felt from heart to heart because of April. The beginning of April was "okay" for me. But, as we draw close to its end, it seems like bad news and tragic reminders just keep coming.
A co-worker was in a bad vehicle accident. A family friend died in another vehicle accident. (other events have happend which I won't discuss out of respect to those who are bereaving) It's just one thing after the other!

Here is a list of wars that began in April:
The American Revolution (04/18/1775)
The American Civil War (04/1861)
The Bosnian War (04/1992)
The Rwandan Genocide (04/1994)
The Armenian Genocide (04/24/1914)

Other tragic events in April include:
President Abraham Lincoln's assassination (04/14/1865)
The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake 04/18/1906)
The sinking of the RMS Titanic (04/14/1912)
Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination (04/04/1968)
Chernobyl nuclear accident (04/26/1986)
The 1992 Los Angeles Riots after the Rodney King verdict (04/29/1992)
The bloody end to the Branch Davidian siege in Waco, Texas (04/19/1993)
Qana Massacre in Lebanon (04/18/1996)
The Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, Australia (04/28/1996)

April also brings commemorations focusing on those who died and also those who survived the Holocaust are remembered and honored.

What started out as a handful of people blogging about their anger over federal spending — the bailouts, the $787 billion stimulus package and Obama's budget — has grown into scores of so-called tea parties across the country. You may have received an email about this or perhaps seen them on Facebook.
Some people are upset with President Obama's 787-billion-dollar anti-recession stimulus package. The controversial package has created quite a hot brew across the states. So, those who oppose the President's solution to the financial mess that this country is in, are protesting, colonial style.
From coast-to-coast demonstrations against Obama's big-spending economic stimulus package are taking place. This comes just in time for the day that is also the deadline for filing federal income tax returns. (April 15)
The rallies take their names from the Boston Tea Party, the 1773 event in which colonists dumped tea into the Boston Harbor to protest taxes imposed by the British monarchy. I guess that is how many people today feel about government spending policies that have racked up trillions of dollars in debt.
Others are sending tea bags to the White House. The send-a-tea-bag idea was inspired Mindy McAlindon, a home-schooling mother of three from Tennessee. She promised to mail a tea bag to the White House for $5—with 20 percent earmarked for charity. McAlindon said she had sold 1,030 teabags as of Monday, April 13.
Others are selling tea party T-shirts, bumper stickers and, of course, tea mugs.
Taxdayteaparty.com boasts a YouTube video that ends with a shot of a blonde girl wearing a T-shirt with the slogan: "Obama, get your hands out of my piggy bank!"

To eat or not to eat?

We've had a few issues with certain foods that have been imported into the US. Matter of fact, we've even had some issues with foods that were not imported but produced on our own soil. Poisonous food contaminants and bacterial infestations made its way to our grocery stores and onto our plates. As a result, many consumers wanted to know more about where exactly their food came from. March 16, 2009 a new law requiring all food labels to include the country of origin went into place. (COOL) labeling is its name. It stands for Country of Origin Label.
The new food safety law requires food labels to include point of origin for fresh meats, some fruits, vegetables, and various other foods. This is all "good and dandy" as my mother would say. Yet, I have another suggestion for the US Food & Drug
How about a label for cloned foods?

"The FDA sided with the scientists who have researched the issue, saying that meat and milk from cloned animals are "as safe to eat as food from conventionally bred animals. But, shouldn't be a personal choice whether or not you decided to eat a burger from cloned beef? As part of its ruling, the FDA decided not to require labels. What many Americans don't realize is that cloned meats have already made its way to our markets. (You don't know, because they aren't labeled as such) But several states are taking the opposite tack. At least 13 bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the country -- including California, Tennessee, New Jersey, and Kentucky -- that call for words or symbols alerting shoppers to the presence of cloned foods."
This is enough to make me want to become a vegetarian. The FDA states that cloned foods are safe too eat...but, shouldn't this be a choice. Would you (knowingly) eat food that was cloned?

Global Year in Review!

40 acres and a mule? Keep it!

Reconstruction began before the American Civil War ended. A few weeks after Union General William T. Sherman concluded his march to the sea in Savannah, he met with twenty black men, including the Reverend Garrison Frazier, to discuss how to deal with tens of thousands of freed blacks who had left inland plantations and followed Sherman's forces to the coast. Frazier was asked, "What should we do with all these refugees?" He replied that the "best way we can take care of ourselves is to have land." Sherman responded with Special Field Order 15 to deliver "forty acres and a mule" to each freed slave.

That was over 100 hundred years ago. Today many African Americans have wondered what ever became of the “40 acres and a mule Promise” to our ancestors. With the assassination of Lincoln at the end of the war, Andrew Johnson, ordered the confiscated lands returned to their former owners. According to many historians, African Americans had to go back to work and be landless . . . and rightless . . . plantation laborers.

Now fast-forward to November 4, 2008. As many African Americans watched and listened to the latest poll results, our hearts raced with anticipation. We wondered if it were all possible for what we were seeing and hearing to be really true. Yes, we had followed the campaign with all of its turbulent flights. We watched the accusations fly. We watched and listened to the insults and yet we still wondered…is this a dream or reality? Could the 44th President of the United States be a black man?

Trust me this is not about just color. Its about acceptance. Its about being part of the United States of America. Finally, this marks our acceptance. After the Civil War, millions of formerly enslaved African Americans hoped to join the larger society as full and equal citizens. Although some white Americans welcomed them, others used people’s ignorance, racism, and self-interest to sustain and spread racial divisions. By 1900, new laws and old customs in the North and the South had created a segregated society that condemned Americans of color to second-class citizenship.

The world marveled at this achievement. Many people rejoiced with laughter. Some even did the “happy dance” for hours into the morning. Then there were those of us who could only shed tears. I am one of them. Although, I have never experienced being watered down with a fire hose, or participated in any “sit ins”. Honestly, I have only read about Black Codes and Jim Crowe. As a child, I can recall the fear that would overtake my body as I listened to the elders in my family reminiscence about the many times they witnessed the Klu Klux Klan march. Its very astonishing that my family is only four generations away from slavery. So, as the broadcasters announced the new President Elect my mind went back to the “40acres and a mule promise.” “You know what? I thought…they can keep the 40acres and a mule…we just took 50 states and the Whitehouse!