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"McConnell yesterday called on Democrats to "renounce ramming it through" by reconciliation. But Republicans use it extensively when it suits their purpose. They used it in 1996 to end welfare as we know it. McConnell had no problem voting for that historic legislation when Republicans were 'ramming it through.' "
Dear friends,
If President Obama adds in a public option, before doing the reconciliation thing, I’ll be pleasantly surprised. However, as someone who teaches ordinary people how to fight for a living (for the past two decades-plus), frankly, I feel that just like his predecessors Bush and Clinton, President Obama lacks the kind of personality that will make him “fight back” against big business (his sponsors). We’ll see.
Still, without the public option, no bill will help tens of millions of Americans, although it will, probably, help those who currently have employer-based health insurance, whether they remain on their jobs or not.
Ultimately, in our market-driven, possession-oriented society, citizens, generally-speaking, always seem to find themselves in a “survival mode” where everyone is looking out for himself or herself and no one is concerned about the next person. Therefore, at least to me, what’s happening is: the majority of people in this country will only be concerned about themselves and will not care that the aforementioned tens of millions of their fellows remain uninsured. It’s all so very sad.
Nevertheless, on the link below, Elmer Smith of the Philadelphia Daily News delivers what amounts to the most courageously informative piece about the health care debate that I've seen lately.
One Love,
G. Djata Bumpua
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20100226_Elmer_Smith__Health_care_won_t_get_fixed_on_TV.html
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"Through ice and mud, rain and biting cold, through the worst winter in recent memory, they walked 135 miles for health-care reform. "
Dear friends,
While most of the mainstream media are concentrating on the rumble in our miscreant-laden US Congress over health care reform, there are others who are fighting for the right for all US citizens to have affordable health care.
On the link below, veteran columnist Annette John-Hall of the Philadelphia Inquirer provides some close-up interacting with real warriors for "freedom, justice, and equality". Cheers!
G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/20100226_Annette_John-Hall__Parade_of_anger_over_health-care_mess.html
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"After the disingenuous maneuver that made him “acting president,” Goodluck Jonathan appears in danger of wasting his opportunity to lead – and also wasting Nigerians’ time."
"Jonathan’s burden"
by Okey Ndibe
After the disingenuous maneuver that made him “acting president,” Goodluck Jonathan appears in danger of wasting his opportunity to lead – and also wasting Nigerians’ time.
Since his investiture, Jonathan’s calendar has been taken up with courtesy visits by former heads of state as well various delegations, including so-called traditional rulers.
One hopes that he understands the gravity of the burden he must discharge, if he is to be worth his hire. If he fancies that he and Nigerians have time for some ceremonial interlude, then he hardly grasps the depths of Nigeria’s desperation.
Jonathan had better make a polite but firm statement asking those who wish to pay a visit to hold off. He ought to tell the horde of professional well-wishers that he has a job to do for long-suffering Nigerians, and that he needs to get to it with alacrity.
Nigerians did not agitate all over the world these past two months against Umaru Yar’Adua’s facile idea of offshore governance so that Jonathan could take over and host an endless stream of “royal fathers” pledging their loyalty and support. No, Nigerians wanted somebody to take up the full-time job of fixing their rutted roads, improving power supply, solving the problem of fuel shortage, combating sectarian violence and its concomitant high casualty, and sending bills to the National Assembly to address a plethora of issues, from electoral reform through job creation to adequate funding for education and health.
Nigerians know as much as Jonathan that the hangers-on who profited from Yar’Adua’s moribund “presidency” do not wish him well. They are, it is safe to assume, regrouping even now to torpedo his “acting presidency.” But Jonathan’s handlers must tell him that the way to silence these foes is not by looking over his shoulder or even by garnering a long register of big-name supporters. His safest bet is to set to roll up his sleeves and apply himself to the task of working to change the lot of the generality of Nigerians.
In doing so, he must recognize his own limitations. One, he doesn’t have a lot of time; better, then, to get cracking immediately. Two, it’s unrealistic, even counterproductive, to take on a long menu of challenges at once. He should focus on a few critical sectors that are likely to have widespread impact. His wife’s arrests several years ago on corruption charges are already serious deficits. He should both rein in his wife’s materialistic impulses and steer clear of any impeachable conduct himself.
Above all, Jonathan ought to take a hard, honest look at himself. If he doesn’t have the mettle to work for Nigerians, he should avert a looming personal and national disaster by relinquishing the crown of “acting president.”
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"Love lives forever" --
Stevie Wonder
McKinley ArmstrongTeacher/Maker of Giants
Jenice Armstrongaward-winning journalist
Dear friends,
We all come into this world - going out. We forget that, while we're here "caught up in the throes", as it were. Nevertheless, recently, a very dear friend of mine, Jen Armstrong of the Philadelphia Daily News, lost her father. Her work appears on this blog, at times. In any case, on the link below, Jen not only shows immeasurable appreciation for her Dad, but she also urges us to show our gratitude to so many other great Black fathers. Cheers!
G. Djata Bumpus
ttp://www.philly.com/dailynews/features/20100224_Jenice_Armstrong__Here_s_to_a_great_Dad.html
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"...the whole Tiger Woods “infidelity” story, is, as usual, a mass expression of personal inadequacy..."
Dear friends,
Panic fear is an old term used by certain psychologists to describe sudden frantic behavior by an individual who, for whatever reason(s), has ceased to feel emotional ties with any particular group, of whatever size, to which s/he has been connected, and is only concerned about his or her own well-being. This happens with soldiers who desert their units during war, parents who abandon their families, or people who stampede out of a movie theater or an amusement park, due to a perceived danger.
Tiger Woods experienced such a moment, a few months back, when he ran out of his house and jumped into his car, leaving begind his wife and children, along with his mother and mother-in-law.
Initially, that moment of panic led to him crashing his “hog”. However, the insatiable greed of the government- and corporate-controlled media turned the unfortunate, private incident into a “story”.
Yet, this whole mess regarding Tiger Woods’ “sex-capades” , at least to me, is a laugh a minute. After all, how is his behavior different than most men around the world who can afford to be that way? Besides, the same people pointing fingers are doing the same thing as Woods has been doing, no matter how many married women, naively, believe that their husbands are somehow different.
And what about Woods’ choice of women? In fact, perhaps, even more importantly, what about his father’s choice of women? Really.
Also, did Tiger think of doing all of this on his own, or does his behavior reflect the typical kind of cultural value judgments of someone who is part of a sexist, racist, possession-oriented, market-driven society where all economic/social relations are based upon power and sexual greed?
Moreover, American citizens swear that they have their own ideas, when, in reality, most folks are simply parroting what has been super-imposed on their minds by the various cultural institutions of education, religion, and information.
Worse yet, it is essential to the rulers of any civilization to make sure that citizens’ ideas are fairly homogenous. This, of course, helps keep down protest (and, in the US, a Homeland Security Act and The Patriot Act serve to guarantee the legitimacy of those wielding power just mentioned).
Ultimately, all of this adds up to the group (or herd) mind versus the mind of the individual. On the link below is an interesting piece by Sandy Banks of the Los Angeles Times that, at least to me, reveals how the whole Tiger Woods “infidelity” story, is, as usual, a mass expression of personal inadequacy, as folks try to come to grips with the realization that they understand so little about that to which they claim, as well as, why they must constantly attempt to assuage their consciences by finding humor in their own here-to-mentioned inadequacies.
Finally, I distinctly remember hearing, back in 2009, that soon after the inauguration of Barack Obama, Tiger Woods, for the first time, identified himself as “African American”. To be sure, such a claim was troublesome to many of the people who call themselves “white”. Even worse, the son of an African American, he is being said to only be ¼ African American. Huh? Additionally, his mother, a Southeast Asian woman, from whom he has inherited half of his bloodline, apparently, from what I’ve witnessed over the years, has no great love for African Americans, as Tiger’s father Earl obviously didn’t either. Still, Tiger’s alleged disclaiming of the idiotic moniker “Caublanasian”, and, therefore, his partial “whiteness”, was too much for the pathetic females who claim to have bedded with him, and many of his fans, as well as his corporate sponsors. Nonetheless, no matter what he calls himself, one thing is for sure: Tiger Woods now knows what it’s like to be a Black man. Eh?
Cheers!
G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-banks20-2010feb20,0,5293316.column
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"...the magazine's first Black Women of Achievement Award winner…Women who have made – and are continuing to make their marks in Connecticut and beyond…"
Hartford Magazine marked Black History Month by honoring Nicki Mathis as one of the magazine’s first Black Women of Achievement Award winner’s…Women who have made – and are continuing to make their marks in Connecticut and beyond…These women, who serve Greater Hartford in so many important ways, are a credit to our community. Hopefully their stories will serve as an inspiration to other members of their own generations, and to the young women who will follow in their footsteps.
Wednesday, 24 February
NMAAJazz on Better Connecticut TV Show,
WFSB/CBS Channel 3, 10am w/Dawn Dumas, Jr. Ortiz, Paulette, Lynn Tracey
Rocky Hill/Hartford, CT
* Sunday 28 Feb 5 – 7pm
Nicki w/Lynn Tracey/
Something Cool Distil
270 Worthington St,
Springfield, MA 01103
413.737-5557 no cover
Hartford Stage Marketing Department selected Nicki to be a part of their photographic Motherhood Out Loud media marketing campaign 2010.
~ Thank you for supporting our legacy, global jazz, and for sharing performance news with jazz lovers, family, friends and colleagues ~
Bookings: matchbook.org/ArtistProfile1.aspx?ProfileId=741
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jKR0c0qK_w&feature=related
Warm Wishes - Much Success - Hope for Haiti, New Orleans/Gulf coast
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"McConnell yesterday called on Democrats to "renounce ramming it through" by reconciliation. But Republicans use it extensively when it suits their purpose. They used it in 1996 to end welfare as we know it. McConnell had no problem voting for that historic legislation when Republicans were 'ramming it through.' "
