Censorship is to art as lynching is to justice.
~Henry Louis Gates

The first condition of progress is the removal of censorship.
~George Bernard Shaw

What if-
-You were to sing your favorite song then proceed to post it on a video sharing site like YouTube? A: You & your screechy voice may be sued for copyright infringement.
-You used or published a logo or trademark of corporation X and that corporation doesn’t fancy your website (regardless if you intended to use the logo/trademark as a critique or promotional/instructional tool)? A: You and your freedom of expression may be muzzled.
-The  House of Representatives’ Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Senate’s Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) were in existence when Facebook, YouTube or Twitter were created? A: The Internet as we know it (for those of us outside the orb of the 13 countries that censor the Internet) would be drastically different. 

These bills being debated right now, if enacted, would affect a countless number of Internet users who have no idea of intellectual property violations & will  force websites (like this one) to block access to other sites suspected of some vaguely-defined copyright breaches. Are we witnessing the early stages of American Fascism or are we already there? It can (or may have) come like a thief in the night that escapes (has escaped) easy detection.Everything may seem normal on the surface – folks going to work, voting, shopping, etc – but just below the surface, something has changed: We no longer matter in this “democracy” as control of the government of the people, by the people, for the people has shifted to a small and privileged group who rule for the benefit of their wealthy peers and corporate patrons. Be aware. Here is a good infographic of what is at stake here

The silver lining is even if Congress approves the bills, President Barack Obama may decide to veto them.The White House issued a statement over the weekend saying that “we will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cyber-security risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global internet”.

Take action  here or  here.

::MME:: 

- Erich Fromm

OneLove


:::MME:::

(image via to wake/to see)

Your love should never be offered to the mouth of a stranger,
Only to someone
Who has the valor and daring
To cut pieces of their soul off with a knife
Then weave them into a blanket
To protect you.

From birth to death time surrounds us

with its intangible walls.

We fall with the centuries, the years, the minutes.

Is time only a falling, only a wall?

For a moment, sometimes, we see

not with our eyes but with our thoughts

time resting in a pause.

The world half-opens and we glimpse

the immaculate kingdom,

the pure forms, presences

unmoving, floating

on the hour, a river stopped:

truth, beauty, numbers, ideas

and goodness, a word buried

in our century.

A moment without weight or duration,

a moment outside the moment:

thought sees, our eyes think.

~ Octavio Paz

                                                                    OneLove
                                                                   ::::MME:::

So what do you get when your government spends more than any other nation in the world  on health care? You would expect a healthier population with lower rates of disease & access to quality & affordable health care for all. However, as many of you know by now, we’re better off going to Columbia or Barbados to get a higher quality of health care. The politics of health care is complicated, but in a nutshell, if my understanding is correct, it goes something like this: As stated, we (the US population) spend more than anyone else in the world on health care. Each health insurer adds its’ bureaucracy,  outrageous salaries/bonuses, advertising,& profits to the actual cost of providing care. All of  this money is siphoned away from actual health care, but it pays for a  broken system that often makes it harder to receive the care we’ve already goddamn paid for! Health insurers don’t give a crap about us – they’re in it for the money & their primary concern is consequently with the shareholders. These jokers on Capitol Hill – & President Obama’s backtracking on a universal single-payer system – know the costs of siding with the majority of citizens who want a health care system that works – their re-election. 

This documentary is quite disturbing, but it just might save your life I have to give credit to a buddy of mine who runs & maintains a great website (You-Be-Fit) & also to my sister who watches everything she puts into her mouth as if her very life depended on it – & it does!! They have both been instrumental in my growing awareness of my own health.

(Well..bye bye mozarella sticks w/marinara sauce & so long glazed doughnuts w/ shimmering sprinkles – I will miss your enchanting & decadent charms….(sniff)…)


OneLove


:::MME:::

This cut takes me back to when I first came to the USA, fresh off the banana boat & ready for the world! The beat is still infectious & the lyrics timeless. In fact, this has to be one of the few funked-up yet existentially poignant jams to make it to prime time…


“Searching for a destiny that’s mine
There’s another place, another time
Touching many hearts along the way
Hopin’ that I’ll never have to say”


This is nothing but our Ego which is always searching for something somewhere/anywhere as if the present moment is not enough.


“Follow your emotions anywhere
Is it really magic in the air?
Never let your feelings get you down
Open up your eyes and look around”


We all know that following our emotions can be a double-edged sword. If we follow & act upon our darker emotions w/ our Ego at the controls then the consequences can work against us & we end up hurting others. By opening our eyes, waking up and loosening the grip of the Ego, we step closer to the better angels of our nature….The Ego is but an illusion.

OneLove

:::MME:::

There is absolutely no reason in this day & age for people to be so ridiculously ignorant. When I say ignorant, I am not implying that one needs a degree or certifications to escape that pejorative label as some of  the most ignorant people I’ve ever met have college/post-graduate degrees. Ignorance to me implies a shutting off of one’s critical faculties in order to maintain a degree of cognitive coherence & harmony. It’s too disturbing to consider contrary viewpoints for some so instead of considering the challenges head-on (& possibly reformulating their position(s)), it’s easier to remain in some unlit, dusty corner where other like-minded mice dwell. That’s how I think of the Tea Party supporters. They’re not totally to blame as this video demonstrates, but the level of gullibility/unquestioning acceptance of propaganda truly astounds. The notion of being skeptical & verifying the facts for oneself seems to escape this tiresome but potentially dangerous group. Remember: Hitler had a nation under his spell during Germany’s worst atrocities – beware the power of propaganda & damn it – think for yourselves!!

OneLove


:::MME:::

                                       (excerpt from: The Last Rites of the Bokononist Faith)

I have a feeling that my boat

has struck, down there in the depths,

against a great thing.

.

And nothing

happens! Nothing… Silence… Waves…

.

-Nothing happens? Or has everything happened,

and are we standing now, quietly, in the new life?

.

~ Juan Ramon Jimenez

(This piece reaches deep….I think everyone can feel what he’s trying to convey here. Jimenez himself describes the process of wording the sublimely indescribable: ““Inner poetry eludes words. When one wishes to express something profound, one does not express it in jingles. In my first period I used adjectives, later the adjectives became substantives. Literary artistry is constant suffering for the poet; one doubts the exactness of words, their ability to express what we feel within us. We strive to find that spirited asset, the inner essence.”….Beautiful!!)


OneLove


:::MME:::

Very interesting interview….

Sona Jobarteh is quite an exceptional talent. The selections above are from her latest release Fasiya which I will upload soon & add to this post as a playlist. Check out this review which highlights this CD beautifully. Also listen to the music she did for the movie Motherland here.

OneLove


:::MME:::

I found this interview of noted author & activist Chris Hedges. quite interesting…He speaks deeply on varied subjects, from the fall of empires to spirituality to the role of Oprah Winfrey in a decaying society. I had to take a second & third listen throughout this interview as his insights are quite profound.

Absorb & reflect….

OneLove


:::MME:::

OneLove


:::MME:::

(saul williams – pedagogue)

(Stay alert good people..)


OneLove


:::MME:::

“A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.” ~Oscar Wilde

 As 2011 draws to a close, I shudder at the depth & magnitude of what has happened/is happening to our society/world & what may await us in the year(s) to come. On a personal level, I am thankful for being here right now – breathing, thriving  & forever hoping – and pray that we can all escape the vortex of turmoil, greed, manipulation for power and possession & avarice. It’s hard for me to be optimistic about what’s going on in the world right now, but I will remain a prisoner of hope. I end the year & begin the new on the wise words of the great Uruguayan writer/poet, Eduardo Galeano. In many ways, his vision of a better world in this poem prefigured the countless souls the world over who dare challenge the madness of our condition :-

 The Right To Dream (slightly abridged)

OneLove

:::MME:::

http://grooveshark.com/widget.swf

Also check out the following Xmas selections by St. Lucia’s own, Ronald Boo Hinkson & The Tru-Tones:
http://grooveshark.com/widget.swf

Aah yes….Given that I am away from the warm, festive delights of my beautiful island of St. Lucia this season, I chose the above poem by St Lucia’s very own Nobel Laureate, Derek Walcott, out of a sense of deep nostalgia. This is primarily a poem about the nature of belonging. The Christmas season embodies this need to belong to something bigger than oneself (God, family, land…). Not to downplay the beauty of snow and the warmth of being inside with loved ones or playing outside in the snow, this poem highlights the power of the Caribbean sea/land on one’s soul. For Walcott, and I would gather for many people of Caribbean descent, there is a strong contrast between spending Christmas in a cold Northern metropolis & spending it in the wild freedom of an island’s landscape surrounded by childhood friends & family. Of course, Walcott’s genius frames this contrast in the most beautiful way that few can imitate. 

I sincerely wish you all a safe, deeply meditative & enjoyable Christmas season and an auspicious 2012. 


OneLove


::::MME::::

http://grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf

(I understand that Grooveshark cannot play in some countries, so here is a link to this masterpiece)

 I was thinking
I want to do away with
the Technology Section of the newspaper
All talk of new-fangled/bigger/faster thingamajigs
I want the world to slow down
                                    look around
                                          take notice
To who’s standing /living /breathing /struggling
Right next to you 
And i know this sounds like a naive old-fashioned pipe dream 
But I just can’t stand how machines move forward
                      while people stand still

Are cell phones gonna bring about world peace?
Or stop the negative shit that happens in the street?
I realize we cannot escape or halt technological advance
But can we balance humanity with machinery?
Can we find a way to talk /to see /to spend time with each other
                         face to face
                        voice to voice
                        heart to heart
With no gadgets as the middlemen?

Can we find that…find …balance between machinery and humanty?
Can we……can we……can we…….find that… find… find balance
Between machinery and humanity?

Can we……???


OneLove


:::MME:::

I became a fan of Christopher Hitchens when I first picked up a copy of The Nation many moons ago (in the Minority Report bi-weekly column). The thing I discovered about Hitchens quite early, judging from his writings, was that he didn’t give a f*** about what people thought–he said what he meant/meant what he said. That was something I had a problem with earlier as I didn’t know where to place him. In one moment he was my intellectual hero when he tore into Henry Kissinger & aligned himself with another hero, the late great Edward Said, and in another moment I wanted to kick his ass for trashing Noam Chomsky, supporting Bush’s foreign policy & pretending to know all that there was to know about religion (his over-reliance on pure reason in matters that can barely be explained by it, was deeply flawed & contradictory, in my view). Years later, it dawned on me that I was doing what most of us tend to do: idealizing & categorizing. The thing is, the people we most admire tend to disappoint (i.e they don’t live up to the image we have constructed)& the ideas which we hold on to so tightly, frequently unravel with new information, re-imagination, observation, revelation–i.e, they turn to dust. Hitchens’ independent thinking, which raged across the ideological spectrum, & his enmity towards people who were convinced of their absolute certainty, were exemplary.I may not have agreed with a lot of what he uttered/wrote (much of it quite crude & condescending)  , but I grudgingly respected his gumption which is sorely lacking in journalism that brims with the spineless, the complacent & the disingenuous. Below are some of my favorite quotes from Hitchens:

  ….& a video tribute to the irksome wit…

OneLove


:::MME:::

   The global economic crisis serves these ends, as whatever remaining wealth the middle class holds is in the process of being eliminated, and as the crisis progresses, the middle classes of the world will suffer, while a great percentage of lower classes of the world, poverty-stricken even prior to the crisis, will suffer the greatest, most probably leading to a massive reduction in population levels, particularly in the “underdeveloped” or “Third World” states.”

Andrew Gavin Marshall  

(The growing evidence:  

Best of Me:



Both of these excellent pieces are taken from Anthony Hamilton’s latest release, Back To Love, which is quite a soulful, well-crafted product. Of all the cuts on this superb CD, “Pray For Me” & “Best of Me” stand out. The former (co-produced by Babyface), exposes a man’s vulnerability to temptation & his deep, post-booty call remorse which prompts him to ask God to set things right again: “Thought I was something, really something/in the end who knew I’d end up with nothing? I was frontin’, truly, frontin’/Girl I really can’t be mad I had it coming.” This is grown folk music at its best! In my view, Anthony Hamilton is a cut above most R&B crooners in that instead of boasting about what he can do to the ladies after wining & dining them at the most expensive spots then taking them back to his yacht or suite (& possibly having them leave before the sun comes up), he sings of pain, disappointments, doubts & honest efforts to make a relationship work, and if the effort fails, absorbing the loss & moving on – that’s real. He has that old soul vibe a la Major Harris or Bobby Womack which makes him stand out in a field of crowing balladeers who like to think of themselves as God’s Gift to Women (they need to just quit). This brother keeps things sensible/believable & brutally sincere. Get the CD–Its’ well worth it!


OneLove


:::MME:::

At Carnegie Hall, gospel singer Wintley Phipps delivers perhaps the most powerful rendition of Amazing Grace ever recorded. He says, “A lot of people don’t realize that just about all Negro spirituals are written on the black notes of the piano. Probably the most famous on this slave scale was written by John Newton, who used to be the captain of a slave ship, and many believe he heard this melody that sounds very much like a West African sorrow chant. And it has a haunting, haunting plaintive quality to it that reaches past your arrogance, past your pride, and it speaks to that part of you that’s in bondage. And we feel it. We feel it. It’s just one of the most amazing melodies in all of human history.” After sharing the noteworthy history of the song, Mr. Phipps delivers a stirring performance that brings the audience to its feet!(Source)


This is not only a powerful rendition of one of the most beautiful hymns in gospel music, it is a music history course as well. Wintley Phipps does a masterful job & the audience is transfixed by his delivery. Every religion I have read about has its dark spots and bright spots. What I love most about the Christian tradition is the expressive love & joy of its faithful followers, especially in the sphere of music. 


Lest we forget the trajectory of how this country (the United States) came to be, it is always good to revisit the past in order to make sense of what is going on today. This country was built on the blood, sweat & tears of slaves under the most cruel, dehumanizing circumstances. It is truly a miracle that out of this bloomed the most beautiful music that the world has ever heard.Most of the music we hear today is rooted in the style, rhythm and soul of the enslaved Africans. Plantation owners thought the singing helped the slaves to be more productive. so they allowed it. Unbeknownst to them, their singing & hums were plaintive cries of an unbroken spirit, yearning for relief, praying for freedom.

Although they came from different regions & understood little of each others language, customs, etc, the enslaved were able to channel their emotions/spirits through song/chant. Even when the white missionaries attempted to break them by corrupting the Christian faith for the purposes of nation-building, the slaves creatively worked around this by morphing the church hymns they were taught into their native chanting rhythms–out of this came the first American music, the Negro Spiritual.This led to the Blues, Jazz, Rock, R&B, Pop, Hip Hop & Modern Gospel (which has brought the evolution of American music full circle back to the Negro spirituals) We owe an incalculable debt to the unbroken spirit of the enslaved, chanting for release…Knowing this history allows us to experience the fullness of our humanity & connectedness. Wintley Phipps aptly demonstrated this point in the above clip.
 
Cnntinuing along the theme of music which expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent (Victor Hugo), the movie Amistad had some brilliant moments that seemed to capture what it must have been like for our dehumanized brothers & sisters. A few scenes, like the journey through the Middle Passage  and the court scene  left a powerful visual impression on many, especially on the descendents of the African slaves. The score to this movie was equally as impressive in resurrecting ancient memories of our collective unconscious..the psychic wounds still run deep….Take a listen & join me in honoring the spirits of our ancestors…




http://assets.mixpod.com/swf/mp3/mixpod.swf?myid=83436156&path=2011/07/04

OneLove


:::MME:::

The movement of people combating the status quo all over the world is an inspiring chapter in our collective consciousness/evolution. As the saying by William Cullen Bryant goes –

(More details here.…here…..here….here..& here)

Stay awake!

OneLove

:::MME:::

The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception, the one who lies with sincerity
-Andre Gide 

Fake people are a pain in the ass. To go through all the motions of fakin’ the funk is such a colossal waste of time & energy–why do it at all? Fundamentally, I think some people are this way because of some unreconciled anxiety, fear, denial or monstrous delusion. Thankfully, many of us have Bullshit Detectors that can discern real folk from fake-ass gumps. (Wouldn’t it be great if we could side-step social mores & back-slap the shit out of the plastic-smilin’ poseurs?) There are fakes around every corner, so here’s my shortlist of how to spot ‘em:

(1) The fake ones hate your success–Watch their body language when you report on some good news that benefited you.

(2) If they smile a bit too wide or laugh a little too hard, be cautious.  Of course, it’s possible that they may be showing the world how good they think they look when they smile (maybe their teeth just got cleaned) or they’re flirting with the person behind you.  

(3) If they appear to display a subtle, malicious joy in your misery–like if you lost your job–realize that they may find comfort in thinking that they may be doing relatively better than you financially & feel somewhat above you.

(4) If you notice a pattern of folks always coming around when they want something or when they get into a jam, it’s likely that you’re being used. The minute they’re back on their feet, you probably won’t hear from them in a while…What gets to me about folks like this is they often lack gratitude.

(5) If they’re always complaining/gossiping about something/someone, chances are they’re just seeking an echo chamber for their miserable lives. If you find yourself mirroring their repulsive behavior by gossiping/complaining more when around them, you need to check yourself & hold your peace. 

(6) If they encourage you to do dumb shit – perhaps with the intention of talking about you behind your back – chances are they don’t have your best interests in mind.

(7) If you discover that what you told Person X in private somehow boomerangs and slaps you upside the head a few months later when someone you rarely speak to repeats what you had stated, then Person X needs to be dismissed.

(8) Observe how people look at other people they know when they’re not looking -  the truth is in the eyes. How many of us have caught people at sporting events, meetings, etc cold-staring at a person sitting close to them, but when that person turned around to speak to them, the gaze shifted lightning-quick to one of acceptance & friendliness? The acting is Oscar-worthy.

(9)  If folks don’t honor their word & offer no apology, your best bet is to hold them at a distance as you’re being taken for granted.

(10) Fake ones oftentimes contradict themselves trying to please the whole damn world.  In their quest to be liked/valued/included, they talk out their ass. Like many (not all) politicians, they have no redeeming qualities. 

(11) Fake ones are always trying to keep up with the Joneses like their life depended on it. Even if they don’t have shit, they will act like they do just to give a ‘good impression’. 

(12) If you’re speaking to someone & he/she is staring at you with a glazed-over look, either he/she is not listening (maybe you’re boring to them) or they’re thinking of the next clever thing to say. It’s highly probable that your opinion is being ignored. 

These are just a few observations I culled from my own experiences–I am sure there are many more tell-tale signs of detecting the fake ones , but the bottom-line is to never let your guard down & risk becoming fake yourself. Speak your truth as clearly & honestly as you can, and if you find that difficult to do, simply hold your peace.


OneLove


:::MME:::

http://grooveshark.com/widget.swf<!–
(Not included is one of their most explosive pieces, Wild Goose Chase, with the memorable lines:

… wild goose chase

A plastic nation…):

)

Like Bob Marley & The Wailers & Third World, Steel Pulse occupied the upper stratosphere of the Caribbean music universe in the ’70s – ’80s. Their distinctive sound incited not only the urge to move something, but also kindled the flames of righteous indignation with their eclectic fusion of politically conscious & soul-stirring/love-infused vibes…..Nuff said..Have a great roots-rockin’ weekend, good people!

OneLove

:::MME::: 

This is a dazzling 3D journey through a tiny slice of what is known about the Universe. After looking at this, you have to feel that we are one lucky bunch! Out of the vastness of space, you are but one person among 7 billion people, on one planet among 8 planets, in one star system among 100 billion star systems, in one galaxy among 100 billion galaxies….An Earth-like planet was found recently just outside our solar system & it is highly likely that it harbors some form of life. It’s extremely unlikely that we are the only planet with life & will one day come face to face with something we’ve always suspected (hopefully they won’t look like this).


OneLove


:::MME::::

Freedom is a voice….That’s the term I associate with the legendary Bobby Mcferrin. His whole aspect, like that of Alice Walker, Sade, Dalai Lama & Youssou N’Dour, speaks of freedom and its’ manifestations- power, a sound mind, spiritual boldness, curiosity & imaginative flights to uncharted territory.  In our collective memory, Mcferrin is hitched to his only blockbuster hit, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”, which is a shame as he has done so much more. A couple of years ago, Mcferrin lent his voice & expertise to the World Science Festival’s Notes and Neurons: In Search of the Common Chorus & one writer, on the anniversary of his “Don’t Worry..” hit, broke the song down to its neuropsychological components which was quite interesting. Here are some more great compositions that you may have missed….

http://grooveshark.com/widget.swf<!–

OneLove


:::MME:::

This film is both tragic & beautiful for obvious reasons. The following poem is from an Afghan poet writing in the imagined voice of a 10 year old girl from Kandahar reflecting on 10 years of U.S./NATO warfare in Afghanistan:


Who says this must be so?
Who cares that this is so?
I shudder that the raids and bombs
have made us less than human.
I wish to go to our deserted schools
to understand why we are like this.

Another local explosion,
more international lies.
Our global problem is that
guns impose greater force
than common sense
or vision, which tells me
that my mother’s world is crashing.


It’s crazy what is happening to the people of Afghanistan–the United States continues to afflict them with vile maneuvers to control their resources, perpetuate violence as a justification for maintaining its operating bases, three major bases, the building of a U.S. Embassy designed to become the largest in the world, and three major prisons/unspecified number of detention sites. What a shame that our economic system has to continue to maintain itself on the blood, sweat, tears and resources of others with such reckless impunity. Call it imperialism, neocolonialism or the sorrows of empire–I call it just plain evil.


OneLove


:::MME:::