Quotation: Booker T. Washington about oppression

Oppression of the unfortunate makes one weak.

Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) Discuss

 

“The Real McCoy”

“The real McCoy” is an idiom used to mean “the real thing” or “the genuine article,” but who—or what—was McCoy? The origins of the phrase are hazy. It may have originated as a corruption of the Scottish phrase “the real MacKay.” Alternately, it may have been inspired by the infamous Hatfield and McCoy family feud in the late 19th-century US. Still others trace it back to William McCoy, a Prohibition-era rumrunner who reputedly never watered down his liquor. What are other possible explanations? More… Discuss

 

MEASLES-LIKE VIRUS LIKELY BEHIND DOLPHIN DEATHS

Scientists believe they have finally figured out what is causing the extensive dolphin die-off along the US east coast: a measles-like virus. In the past two months, more than 300 bottlenose dolphins have washed up dead or dying on beaches stretching from New York to North Carolina, about 10 times the average for this period. An outbreak of cetacean morbillivirus, which suppresses the immune system and leaves those affected vulnerable to other diseases, is thought to be responsible for the “unusual mortality event,” as it has been designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. More… Discuss

 

This Day in the Yesteryear: LYNCHING OF 14-YEAR-OLD BOY HELPS INSPIRE US CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT (1955)

Lynching of 14-Year-Old Boy Helps Inspire US Civil Rights Movement (1955)

At age 14, African-American Emmett Till was murdered in Mississippi after reportedly whistling at a white woman, Carolyn Bryant, in a grocery store. Her husband and his half-brother beat Till, shot him in the head, and dumped his body in the Tallahatchie River, weighing it down by tying a metal fan around his neck with barbed wire. Till’s body was pulled from the river three days later. What decision made by Till’s mother about her son’s funeral helped bring attention to his brutal murder? More… Discuss

 

This Day in the Yesteryear: PHILIPPINE OPPOSITION LEADER BENIGNO AQUINO, JR., IS ASSASSINATED (1983)

Philippine Opposition Leader Benigno Aquino, Jr., Is Assassinated (1983)

Aquino, leader of the Philippines‘ Liberal Party, was planning to run for president in 1972 when Ferdinand Marcos, the incumbent, declared martial law and had Aquino arrested on inflated charges. Aquino served eight years in prison, at one point demonstrating against his sentence with a 40-day hunger strike. In 1980, he was released to go to the US for heart-bypass surgery. After three years in exile, he returned to the Philippines and was immediately assassinated. Why had Aquino gone back? More… Discuss

 

Today’s Birthday: MARCUS GARVEY (1887)

Marcus Garvey (1887)

Garvey was a Jamaican-born American proponent of black nationalism. His Universal Negro Improvement Association, established in 1914 to promote racial pride, quickly spread in black communities throughout the US, the Caribbean, and Central America, and Garvey became the most influential black leader of the early 1920s, with a following some two million strong. However, his movement foundered after his 1922 indictment for mail fraud. What religious movement considers Garvey one of its prophets? More… Discuss

 

DEAD MAN’S SWITCH

A dead man’s switch is an emergency brake that automatically activates to stop a vehicle or machine in the event that the operator becomes incapacitated. This sort of safety measure became necessary with the advent of electric trains, since they cut the number of required operators down to one, and has become standard in numerous devices, including snowblowers, lawn mowers, and saws. Though developed as a fail-safe, a dead man’s switch can sometimes be a “fail-deadly,” as when built into what? More…Discuss

 

SUPERMAX

Supermax prisons provide long-term, segregated housing for the most dangerous criminals. An early supermax-style prison unit opened in Australia in 1975 but was shuttered after just two years due to human rights concerns. Since then, the supermax model has been adopted by many corrections systems around the globe despite continued criticism. “Unabomber” Theodore Kaczynski and 9-11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui are among the most infamous US supermax inmates. What is everyday life like for them? More… Discuss

 

This Day in the Yesteryear: UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MASSACRE (1966)

University of Texas Massacre (1966)

On August 1, 1966, University of Texas student and former Marine Charles Whitman stabbed his mother and wife to death. He then took an array of firearms to his university’s 307-foot (94-m) clock tower. There, he shot and killed more than a dozen people and wounded at least 30 others before police killed him. In his writings, Whitman expressed regret and confusion over his actions and asked that an autopsy be performed to determine what had caused his behavior. What did the autopsy find? More…

 

This Day In the Yesteryears: MARIE BESNARD CHARGED WITH MULTIPLE MURDERS (1949)

Marie Besnard Charged with Multiple Murders (1949)

Between 1927 and 1947, 13 of Besnard’s family members and friends died under mysterious circumstances, and she became a wealthy woman by inheriting their fortunes. She gave bizarre explanations for some of the deaths, such as claiming that two people had eaten lye they mistook for a dessert. Her second husband remarked that he thought she was poisoning him, prompting the police to investigate his death. When they exhumed his body, they found arsenic. Why was Besnard acquitted of murder charges?More… Discuss

Trayvon Martin Shooting – Zimmerman’s COMPLETE 911 Call, With Audio And Transcript

Trayvon Martin Shooting – Zimmerman’s Complete 911 Call Audio And Transcript
This is the complete 911 call which Zimmerman made to the Sanford police department that night. Along with this audio, is the complete transcript of the 911 call…even the multitude of ambient noises in the background are logged. This transcript speak volumes towards the phycology of the tenseness of that evening. 

This transcript isn’t perfect, but it as complete and comprehensive as a non-professional private citizen can make. If you have any rebuttals, comments, or theories, please make them. There is no sense in being ugly in the commentary as I am only trying to illustrate exactly what was said. This is the only transcript that I know of that identifies the ambient sounds in such great detail. This is an attempt to help you capture the heartbeat of the total situation. 

You may find it necessary to pause the video and go back as sometimes the conversation and the ambient sounds collide. After viewing this, some of you will have a much better understand of the preceding moments leading up the shooting. Many of you will be indifferent, and many of you will try to accuse me of villainizing Zimmerman.

 

Bolivian Men Fight for Good Harvest (at least they fight for harvest, not as gladiators!)

Men and boys from neighboring villages fight each other in Bolivia’s annual Tinku festival. They believe these bouts please the spirits, and the strongest fighter will bring his village a good harvest. Spilled blood is seen as an offering to the spirits.

ST. ISIDORE

In the 4th and 5th centuries, Gothic invaders terrorized the Roman Empire, sacking Rome and establishing a Gothic kingdom in Spain. St. Isidore, archbishop of Seville, set out to convert the various peoples of the Gothic Empire to Christianity, eventually eradicating the Visigoths‘ religion of Arianism. Later hailed by the Church as “the most learned man of the latter ages,” Isidore was the first Christian writer to compose a compendium of universal religious knowledge. What was it called? More… Discuss

from: coalition for sensible safeguards: A letter!

Regs Rock

Groups to Obama today on trade negotiations: trade deal must not be used as way to weaken reg protections

 

tafta-letter-070813

We are staring into the abyss – Godfrey Bloom MEP (There are four (4) parties in the “CONSERVATIVE UK”

Rick Wiles talks to Godfrey Bloom MEP, UKIP (Yorkshire & Lincolnshire), Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) group –http://www.godfreybloommep.co.uk

Source: http://youtu.be/JMRfXLGLQnw (TRUNEWS Rick.Wiles, 59.04)

VISIT THY FATHER AND MOTHER

Filial piety, that is, respecting and caring for one’s parents and ancestors, is a central precept of Confucianism, but cultural shifts in China have reportedly begun to erode this sense of obligation. Cases of elder abuse and neglect appear to be on the rise in China, a trend that dismayed lawmakers are trying to combat with a new law obligating adult children to visit their elderly parents or face possible fines or jail time. The wording of the law is not particularly detailed, leading many to question how and if it will actually be enforced.More… Discuss

Today’s Birthday: HENRY WARD BEECHER (1813)

Henry Ward Beecher (1813)

Beecher became one of the most famous and influential American ministers of his time for his advocacy of an emotional “gospel of love” Christianity. Every important issue of the day was discussed from his pulpit and in his lectures. He was a leader in the antislavery movement, a proponent of women’s suffrage, and an advocate of the theory of evolution. In 1874, however, he became the subject of a sensational adultery trial for an alleged affair with Elizabeth Tilton. What was the verdict? More… Discuss

Beecher became one of the most famous and influential American ministers of his time for his advocacy of an emotional “gospel of love” Christianity. Every important issue of the day was discussed from his pulpit and in his lectures. He was a leader in the antislavery movement, a proponent of women’s suffrage, and an advocate of the theory of evolution. In 1874, however, he became the subject of a sensational adultery trial for an alleged affair with Elizabeth Tilton. What was the verdict? More… Discuss

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ELIZABETHAN AUDIENCES ENTERTAINED BY KIDNAPPED KIDS FORCED ON STAGE

The reign of Queen Elizabeth I saw a brilliant flourishing of the arts, and while this is generally seen as a positive development, some troubling information has emerged that casts a pall on the theatrical community of the day. Some of the child actors performing on the Elizabethan stage were actually victims of legal kidnapping, taken by theater owners exploiting a privilege granted to them by the queen, which allowed them to forcibly recruit children for their troupes.

Today’s Birthday: JOHN HOWARD GRIFFIN (1920)

 

John Howard Griffin (1920)

 

Little Rock, 1959. Rally at state capitol, protesting the integration of Central High School. Protesters carry US flags and signs reading “Race Mixing is Communism” and “Stop the Race Mixing March of the Anti-Christ”. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Griffin was an American author who darkened his white skin with medication and sunlamps in order to experience the racial segregation of the southern US. He described his experiences in his

 

Tanning beds substantially raise risks of skin cancer, including melanoma. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

controversial 1961 book Black Like Me, which details his interactions with others—both white and black—and the problems he encountered while traveling and attempting to meet basic needs. It is often recounted that Griffin died from skin cancer resulting from his efforts to darken his skin. Is it true? More…

 

English: Jim Crow Painted rock on a stone beach, Hunter’s Quay. The name was originally given to racial segregation laws in the United States. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Today’s Birthday: ELIZABETH GARRETT ANDERSON (1836)

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (1836)

Anderson was the first licensed female physician, as well as the first female mayor, in England. Denied admission by many medical schools, she studied privately with physicians before finally earning a license from the Scottish Society of Apothecaries. Largely as a result of her efforts, British examining boards later opened their examinations to women. Anderson championed the idea of medical care by female doctors for female patients. What was her New Hospital for Women later renamed?More… Discuss

 

The Guardian: NSA’s Verizon surveillance – How the White House tramples our constitution

The Guardian: NSA’s Verizon surveillance – How the White House tramples our constitution

This Day in the Yesteryear: FORMER SLAVE ISABELLA BAUMFREE BECOMES SOJOURNER TRUTH (1843)

Former Slave Isabella Baumfree Becomes Sojourner Truth (1843)

Born into slavery in New York, Baumfree had four different masters before escaping with her infant daughter in 1826, one year before the state abolished slavery. She traveled and championed abolition, changing her name in 1843. Her dictated memoirs were published as The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave. In 1851, she delivered what is now known as the “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech at the Women’s Rights Convention. How did the first report of the speech differ from later accounts? More… Discuss

 

Today’s Birthday: MARGARET FULLER (1810) a critic, teacher and woman of letters

Margaret Fuller (1810):  

“Very early, I knew that the  only object in life was to grow.”  Margaret FUller

One of the most influential American literary personalities of her day, Fuller was a critic, teacher, and woman of letters. She was an ardent feminist, and herWoman in the Nineteenth Century is now considered a classic piece of feminist literature. While working in Italy as a foreign correspondent, Fuller met and married a marquis. Exiled for their support of the failed 1848-49 revolution, they sailed for the US with their infant son. What disaster befell them at the end of their voyage? More… Discuss

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Today’s Birthday: WILLIAMINA PATON STEVENS FLEMING (1857) an Astronomer

Williamina Paton Stevens Fleming (1857)

Shortly after Fleming emigrated from Scotland to the US with her husband, their marriage failed. Forced to support herself, she worked as a housekeeper for the director of the Harvard College Observatory, who soon hired her to do clerical work at the observatory. She quickly rose through the ranks and went on to make significant contributions to the field of astronomy—classifying thousands of stars and discovering numerous variable stars and novae. At what age did her formal education end? More… Discuss

 

Democracy Now: Obit for Joan Baez’s Mother

Democracy Now: Obit for Joan Baez’s Mother (click to access report on Democracy Now)

From Democracy Now: Ricin Suspect Released, Decries “Nightmare” Arrest (Guilty until proven innocent!)

 

From Democracy Now – Ricin Suspect Released, Decries ‘Nightmare’ Arrest (guilty until Proven Innocent) (Click to access report)

 

From Democracy Now – Ohio Teacher Fired…After Mother’s OBIT INCLUDES LESBIAN PARTNER?+ I’ll Never fall in love again

From Democracy Now – Ohio Teacher Fired…After Mother’s OBIT INCLUDES LESBIAN PARTNER. (click to access) 

Published on Aug 7, 2012

from the 1970 album THE CARPENTERS – CLOSE TO YOU – created at http://animoto.com

STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS (1950) an orator

Stephen A. Douglas (1950)

Short and heavyset, Douglas was dubbed “the Little Giant” for his oratorical skill. In 1858, he engaged in a number of widely publicized debates with Abraham Lincoln in a close contest for the Senate seat in Illinois. The Democrats nominated Douglas for president in 1860, but a splinter group of Southerners chose a different nominee, which divided the Democratic vote and gave the presidency to Lincoln. What extraordinary gesture was Douglas said to have offered at Lincoln’s inauguration in 1861? More…Discuss

 

Today’s Birthday: JAMES MCCUNE SMITH (1813) an MD and pharmacist

James McCune Smith (1813)

Smith was the first African American to obtain a medical degree and operate a pharmacy in the US. Denied admission to American colleges due to racial discrimination, he studied in Scotland, obtaining a series of degrees. After returning to New York, he became the first professionally trained black physician in the country. He wrote forcefully against common misconceptions and false notions about race, science, and medicine and once used statistics to refute what argument about slaves? More… Discuss

This Day in the Yesteryear: THE WPA IS ESTABLISHED (1935) Will we have to wait till 2035 for a new deal?

The WPA Is Established (1935)

Part of US President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal program, the Works Progress—later Projects—Administration aimed to stimulate the economy during the Great Depression and preserve the skills and self-respect of unemployed persons by providing them useful work. By the time it was terminated in 1943, the WPA had employed 8.5 million people and funded the construction of roads, buildings, bridges, parks, and airports—as well as the production of art. What did critics pejoratively call the WPA? More… Discuss

Published on Apr 17, 2012

As President Roosevelt presides over the creation of new federal agencies to combat the effects of the Depression, nowhere is the effect of new public works projects more apparent than in Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia‘s New York City. Though FDR, the American aristocrat, and LaGuardia, the son of immigrants, are unlikely partners, together they expand and redefine the role of government in people’s lives.

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MURDERING MEDICS—ICU TEAM SUSPECTED OF THE UNTHINKABLE

One of the fundamental principles of medicine is “first do no harm,” but a Brazilian intensive care unit doctor and her team stand accused of doing precisely the opposite. The doctor faces charges of aggravated first degree murder for allegedly ending the lives of seven of her patients in order to free up bed space in the unit and is being investigated for her role in as many as 300 deaths. Seven other members of her medical team—three doctors, three nurses, and a physiotherapist—are also alleged to have taken part in the killings. More… Discuss

 

Twitter vs. WordPress.com Settings_ choice forbidden on WordPress.com

Published on Mar 27, 2013

Twitter vs. WordPress.com Settings_ choice forbidden on WordPress.com

Please forgive the few shortcomings, I did not make a script for this video, but I needed to publish this for its very important issues, governing individual freedom of choice, including freedom of association corollary to which, equally or even more important is the freedom of not being associated with, I call that Freedom of disassociation, still a personal choice!
I love blogging at WordPress and hope to be Allowed to do so, regardless of my personal views!

I hope you enjoy the video!

 

This Day in the yesteryear: JACK KEVORKIAN CONVICTED OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER (1999)

Jack Kevorkian Convicted of Second-Degree Murder (1999)

By 1998, Dr. Jack Kevorkian had been prosecuted numerous times—without being convicted—for the deaths of terminally ill patients whose suicides he had admittedly assisted. However, after the TV program 60 Minutes aired a videotape of him administering a lethal injection to a man who was too physically debilitated to commit suicide on his own, Kevorkian was charged with murder. He chose to defend himself in court and was convicted. He was paroled eight years later under what conditions? More… Discuss