hoto by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
“The truth only hurts when you want to believe a lie.”
- Jennifer McVey
- Jennifer McVey
 “They won’t regret it, because regret is rare. They’ll find a way to explain what happened and blame somebody. That is the general pattern when things go wrong and people are afraid.” - Daniel Kahneman, psychologist and Nobel Laureate We stand with the Nigerian protestors fighting for their lives, futures, and freedom. End SARS, which is used to brutalize people who speak against the government and any random people they want, and get rid of the hopelessly corrupt government. Get these evil Cluster B Personality Disorder'd creatures OUT of ALL world governments. Give the Nigerians a government they deserve. God bless you and protect you, protestors and Nigeria.  Photo by Josh Marshall on Unsplash "The trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool."
- Stephen King  Photo courtesy of Zak Elley and Unsplash "Conscience is our unerring judge until we finally stifle it."
- Honore de Balzac  photo courtesy of stocksnap.io / Angelina Litvin "When something important is going on, silence is a lie."
- A. M. Rosenthal  Image by Marie Sjödin from Pixabay "You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist."
- Indira Gandhi "Please, I can't breathe."
- Last words of George Floyd, killed by the unchecked violent tendencies of 4 policemen. after they stopped him for using a possibly counterfeit bill (which was later found to be normal, legal tender). This is definitely not the first time police have overstepped the thin blue line they are supposed to uphold between humanity and hate. I support good police officers, as I support good people. And I fully support good police officers doing their best in difficult circumstances. George Floyd's murder was neither of those. Evil cannot be uprooted if we refuse to address it at it's base, where it sprouts. Hating someone, disregarding someone, disrespecting someone because of their skin color is an archaic notion that somehow very much still holds sway with some people even today. It's not everyone. It's not most people. But any is too many. Police departments, as well as other professions, particularly those that wield power over others *MUST* start proactively psychologically scanning for psychopathy, sociopathy and Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It would weed many of the bloodthirsty monsters out of their ranks and allow the honorable ones to do their jobs honestly. But this is about Black people, so lets keep the spotlight there. Personally, Black culture permeates my earliest memories. As a toddler, I was sure I'd grow up to marry Michael Jackson, the man whose singing captivated me (we didn't have cable, so I didn't see his videos until much later). I'd play "Beat It" over and over in the early a.m., to scare away the ghosts and monsters I pictured in our dark brown curtains. I'd dance and dance and dance until my parents woke up, hours later. That time alone, transported away from circumstances I couldn't fathom at that age with Michael's music, is one of my happiest childhood memories. "Doesn't matter if you're black or white", the chorus from "Black or White," off the Dangerous album, has never resonated better. Then, naturally, came Janet, to whose music I danced in a school talent show. Next, were Kriss Kross and Queen Latifah, as hip hop entered the mainstream. Later, came En Vogue, who addressed racism decades ago with "Free Your Mind", which remains one of the best songs of all time, with its direct lyrical refrain "Before you can read me you gotta learn how to see me, I said Free your mind and the rest will follow Be color blind, don't be so shallow. Free your mind and the rest will follow Be color blind, don't be so shallow" Followed by Aaliyah (RIP), whose beats in "Are You That Somebody" and dancing in "Try Again" piqued creative curiosity. Then, TLC, the R&B/hip hop girl group (who is *still* going strong, despite the death of Left Eye [RIP]), Seal, Missy Elliot, with her genius lyrics and daring production and video choices, Michelle N'DeChello, Sade, Zap Mama, having the privilege of seeing underground rap battlers from Detroit and Cleveland, the fantastic live shows of the Nappy Roots, The Roots and UK rock band Skunk Anansie, one of best, tightest bands ever fronted by Skin, one of the best frontpeople of all time (she is 48 friggin' years old in this live performance!). Comedians Chris Rock, Steve Harvey, Dave Chapelle, Key & Peele retaught us the truths of life. The Fresh Prince of Bel Aire was the most consistently funny show on TV. I could go on and on. But I shouldn't have to. Because black history is all our history too. Black inventors gave us closed circuit security & home security systems, the first supercomputer, the world’s first effective gas masks and more. Black people are our coworkers, bosses, teachers, students, caregivers, doctors, lawyers, neighbors, friends and families. They are us. We are them. We learn and grow from each other in this exchange called life. We are all human, and Black lives matter. If you're able, please considering to one of the very worthy causes below to keep fighting the good fight against systemic racial and economic injustice. (I am not linking to the George Floyd Memorial Fund because they have far surpassed their fundraising goal and I'm not linking to the bail funds because all the ones I checked were only a Paypal link without any verification for where the money was going and to whom. I'm sure most are legitimate, but since I can't verify them for certain, I didn't feel I should share them here.): Rebuild the Hood: Revitalizing distressed communities via investment in small business and real estate Coded By Kids: Provides kids 8-18 from underrepresented groups software development, digital design, computer science, and tech startup-focused entrepreneurship education programs My Block, My Hood, My City: provides underprivileged youth with an awareness of the world and opportunities beyond their neighborhood. They take students on explorations focused on STEM, Arts & Culture, Citizenry & Volunteerism, Health, Community Development, Culinary Arts, and Entrepreneurism. "Just because you're different doesn't mean you should be treated differently, because we're all human beings." - Arion, "Caught in Providence" Colorado Springs, Colorado Doctor's Office Asking Help From Public In Making Masks God Friended Me is on tomorrow (Sunday), on CBS, at 8:00 pm ET.
Catch up on season 1 on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon and YouTube. "God Friended Me is an uplifting drama about an outspoken atheist whose life is turned upside-down when he receives a friend request on social media from "God" and unwittingly becomes an agent of change in the lives and destinies of others around him. Miles Finer is intelligent, hopeful, and optimistic, but he doesn’t believe in God. This puts him at odds with his father, Reverend Arthur Finer, who recently decided to leave his longtime position as a preacher at Harlem's Trinity Church and propose to his girlfriend, Trish, a music store owner who helped Arthur rekindle his love of jazz. Miles feels he's found his purpose in life hosting a podcast where he's free to speak his mind, but that changes when he receives the ultimate friend request. After repeated pokes by "God," Miles' curiosity takes over, and he accepts the request and follows the signs to journalist Cara Bloom. Brought together by the God Account, the two find themselves investigating "God's" friend suggestions and inadvertently helping others in need. Joining them on their journey are Miles' supportive sister, Ali, a doctoral psych student by day and bartender by night, and his best friend, Rakesh, a sometime hacker who joins Miles and Cara's search for the source behind the enigmatic account. Miles is set on getting to the bottom of what he believes is an elaborate hoax, but in the meantime he'll play along and, in the process, change his life forever." -from CBS.com  Photo by Bernard on Unsplash "We often refuse to accept an idea merely because the tone of voice in which it has been expressed is unsympathetic to us." - Friedrich Nietzsche God Friended Me is on tomorrow (Sunday), on CBS, at 8:00 pm ET.
Catch up on season 1 on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon and YouTube. "God Friended Me is an uplifting drama about an outspoken atheist whose life is turned upside-down when he receives a friend request on social media from "God" and unwittingly becomes an agent of change in the lives and destinies of others around him. Miles Finer is intelligent, hopeful, and optimistic, but he doesn’t believe in God. This puts him at odds with his father, Reverend Arthur Finer, who recently decided to leave his longtime position as a preacher at Harlem's Trinity Church and propose to his girlfriend, Trish, a music store owner who helped Arthur rekindle his love of jazz. Miles feels he's found his purpose in life hosting a podcast where he's free to speak his mind, but that changes when he receives the ultimate friend request. After repeated pokes by "God," Miles' curiosity takes over, and he accepts the request and follows the signs to journalist Cara Bloom. Brought together by the God Account, the two find themselves investigating "God's" friend suggestions and inadvertently helping others in need. Joining them on their journey are Miles' supportive sister, Ali, a doctoral psych student by day and bartender by night, and his best friend, Rakesh, a sometime hacker who joins Miles and Cara's search for the source behind the enigmatic account. Miles is set on getting to the bottom of what he believes is an elaborate hoax, but in the meantime he'll play along and, in the process, change his life forever." -from CBS.com  Photo by Luis Galvez on Unsplash “Tears are one of the wonders that manifest God’s greatness: they ooze out of the eyes to bear off the pain when it gets unbearable. They wash away the painful memories, and keep our hearts from drowning in the ocean of dark emotions: if not for them this world would be full of bitter obnoxious people.” - Anurag Shrivastava, The Web of Karma Two Additional Things Below: 1) I received this a couple days ago. It's a notice of a Free the Uyghurs Gathering this Monday against the Chinese Community government's inhumane treatment of its own Uighur citizens. I am enclosing the email we received from Avaaz, a global organization that takes stands to pressure governments and people to do the right thing in regards to a myriad of issue: torture, false imprisonment, animal cruelty, genocide, ivory trading and many other issues. If you live in Istanbul, Turkey; Beirut, Lebanon; London, England; New York City, New York, (USA) or San Francisco, California (USA), I humbly urge you to take the time to stand with the Uighur community and send the Chinese government the clear message that such mistreatment of anyone will not be tolerated. (Again, as always, this is a stance against the Chinese Communist government, not the Chinese people. And in no way is this a defense of any racism directed at any Chinese person due to the Coronavirus.) Details below: Dear Lovely Avaazers, I feel so grateful to be part of a community with people who are standing up for the Uyghur people. While most of the world’s governments have remained silent, we are speaking up for the Uyghurs. That is why I am excited to invite you to have a conversation in person with a brave Uyghur woman. This Monday, March 2nd we will gather to talk with her, and to hear about her personal journey to activism on behalf of Uyghur people around the world. This Gathering is for all of us to reflect and share together - on how we wish to work for those 1 million Uyghurs who have been brutally detained and brainwashed, and the many more whose entire culture is being systematically erased. And to engage directly with a woman whose family is amongst that one million. Together, we will dive into the heart, bravery, and resilience that is required of us all as we work to protect essential human rights in China and around the world. If you feel called to this purpose, I look forward to gathering with you on March 2. Free the Uyghurs Gathering Monday, 2 March 8:00 pm TRT (Istanbul) 7:00 pm EET (Beirut) 5:00 pm GMT (London) 12:00 pm EST (New York) 9:00 am PST (San Francisco) Click to RSVP to the Gathering I look forward to seeing and connecting with you in this Gathering. May it further connect all of us as one humanity working to promote the rights of those most oppressed. With hope and determination, Andrew and the whole Avaaz team 2) God Friended Me God Friended Me is on tomorrow (Sunday), on CBS, at 8:00 pm ET.
Catch up on season 1 on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon and YouTube. "God Friended Me is an uplifting drama about an outspoken atheist whose life is turned upside-down when he receives a friend request on social media from "God" and unwittingly becomes an agent of change in the lives and destinies of others around him. Miles Finer is intelligent, hopeful, and optimistic, but he doesn’t believe in God. This puts him at odds with his father, Reverend Arthur Finer, who recently decided to leave his longtime position as a preacher at Harlem's Trinity Church and propose to his girlfriend, Trish, a music store owner who helped Arthur rekindle his love of jazz. Miles feels he's found his purpose in life hosting a podcast where he's free to speak his mind, but that changes when he receives the ultimate friend request. After repeated pokes by "God," Miles' curiosity takes over, and he accepts the request and follows the signs to journalist Cara Bloom. Brought together by the God Account, the two find themselves investigating "God's" friend suggestions and inadvertently helping others in need. Joining them on their journey are Miles' supportive sister, Ali, a doctoral psych student by day and bartender by night, and his best friend, Rakesh, a sometime hacker who joins Miles and Cara's search for the source behind the enigmatic account. Miles is set on getting to the bottom of what he believes is an elaborate hoax, but in the meantime he'll play along and, in the process, change his life forever." -from CBS.com |
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