Colored People: A Memoir

This is Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. autobiography which to me is a touchtone of African American life in the 20th century. You could also title it What makes a genius America. I found so many parallels with may own family growing up, despite the fact that he is a bit older that I.

Apparently I am drawn to reading about the lives of great people. Dr. Gates is of course one of the greatest minds of our time.

Hope by Frederick Watt

Think about this painting. I will be featured in a near future blog.

B

in the blog Like Water For Chocolate there are a number of relevant issues from today's political scene. I don't want to add oil to the fire, but to cool it out a bit.

There is a pretty embarrassing open email going around about Rev. Jackson by Mr. Najee Ali; who in my opinion is another paragon of virtue. In it he state the gossip about Rev. Jackson's personal business and historical behavior that we Black folk talk about at family barbeques. We've heard it all before, that's the reason why Sen. Obama's statements on family hit Rev. Jackson so hard.

This is the whole deal in one sentence. Rev. Jackson needs to repents and spend time with his daughter, Mr. Ali should review the behavior of the Hon. Elijah Muhammad, and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. should meet his little half sister.

The "Skee-Wee?" for Mrs. Obama was cute. I wonder did she pledge in college and if not , why not. Maybe AKA snubbed her. Well it seems that AKA has extended honorary status to Mrs. Obama. The rumor is that AKA did this is to have a fellow sister as a potential First Lady of the United States. This is not the first time that that happened because they extended sisterhood to Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt.

The Bible says, "All have sinned and fallen short...". I choose the side of the Bible.

Hotep and God Bless.

This is Cook. She is my wife and Best Friend For Life (BFF).

She emailed me this letter today,

"So this is how you feel about me,

"Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat, or will stay awake just to watch you sleep... wait for the boy who kisses your forehead, who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats, who holds your hand in front of his friends, who thinks you' re just as pretty without makeup on. One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky he is to have YOU... The one who turns to his friends and says, "thats her"....
-Unknown (Website)"

So I emailed her back saying, "How do you know that I am not the unknown. I tell you that stuff all the time."

When I think of my wife, I refer to the Bible,

"(Proverbs 31:10 KJV)  Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

Pro 18:22  Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

(Song of Solomon 4:8 KJV)  Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

(Song of Solomon 4:9 KJV)  Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

(Song of Solomon 4:10 KJV)  How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!

(Song of Solomon 4:11 KJV)  Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

(Song of Solomon 4:12 KJV)  A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

(Song of Solomon 4:13 KJV)  Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,

(Song of Solomon 4:14 KJV)  Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:

(Song of Solomon 4:15 KJV)  A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.

(Song of Solomon 4:16 KJV)  Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits."

I can't say it better than that.

I love you Cook, you are my BFF.

Pastor Joel Olsten of Lakewood Church spun a very funny tale about a group of scientist that approached God one day. They said, "God, we don't need you anymore. We got all kind of technology. We invented cloning, and are about to end hunger in this world." God said, "So you boys think you are just as powerful as I am huh?" All the scientist answered, "yes." So God purposed a wager, "You boys do have a lot of knowledge, but can you make a man out of dirt like I can?" The scientist replied, "With all our new technology I'm sure we can." God reached down and scooped up a handful of dirt and said, " I'll give each of you a crown of gold if you can make a man from a handful of dirt like me." All the scientist answered to God, "Lord, you got a bet." Then they all reached down a scooped up a handful of dirt. God said, "Wait a minute boys! You got to make your own dirt!"

The Bible says, "(Genesis 1:26 KJV)  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

(Genesis 1:27 KJV)  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

(Genesis 1:28 KJV)  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

I have a question. Do you think it is ok with God that man has polluted the water and air? Do you think that it is good to rape the world of all it's natural resources and hunt animals to extinction or near extinction? God loved man so much that he put us in charge of everything in and on this world. And what did we do with this power. We have done everything that we could to destroy this planet and everything in it.

Now I have heard some religious teachers say that global warming is just a unproven theory and that we don't need energy alternatives, because no matter how bad the planet is God will always fit it.

Let me tell you a true story. I wanted to buy my only son Micheal a nice watch, because I like watches. I saved up about 3 month to buy him a real nice watch. You should have seen his face when I gave him this "Buck Rogers" looking thing. He ran off to shown the thing off to all his friends. Well, about two weeks later I found that watch under some books in his room with the crystal cracked and the band snapped. I nearly cried. What was I crying for? It was his watch. He could do whatever wanted to do with it after I gave it to him, right?

When God looks at this planet do you think he cries? God made this world for us to enjoy. He did not give it to us to mess all over it. So the next time you see corporations raping the planet and treating it like it's their own private juke yard, or you see somebody cruising along in an empty SUV, using all that gas and spouting out all that exhaust; just remember that nobody has the right by power or money to misuse this world. This world belongs to God and He left us all in charge. And God is coming back soon for us to explain our actions.

'

 Rick Taylor is in a situation that everyon can learn from. 

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Former Landlord is a Crook!

I wanted to blog about this for two reasons:

a) Therapeutics

b) Public shame

 

I moved to the Seattle area a year ago and thought it better to rent for a year until the housing prices went down.  So a fellow Microsoft employee rented one of his homes to me.  Worked out great, at first.  Sure I had to pay for a cleaning service to clean up--and I had to do some cleaning outside from trash, but it was no big deal.  He put in a patio in the back yard which looked OK, except the excess bricks and wooden pallets were left.  Even after emails to have him have the contractors clean up did no good.  I paid for the removal which cost almost $300.  Other than those incidents most things were fine.

When the opportunity came to move I needed to break the lease almost a full year early.  He suggested three options:

1) Find a responsible subtenant to take over the lease.

2) Transfer the responsibility to a good property management company, who would take care of all the nitty-gritty details from marketing to upkeep of the home.

3) reach a settlement to mutually void the reminder of the lease term for a fraction of the remaining total rent. one-third of the remaining rent is what he asked (~$10K)

 

So I found a tenant, paid for the background check and application fee and the landlord accepted it.  What transpired immediately following was when the truth about his nature came out.

The new tenant wanted to pay less than the rent.  It was an amount that I found comfortable paying for a year, so we wrote up a contract between us that had me paying him the difference every month.  The landlord requested a copy of this contract; for some unknown reason but we gave him a copy out of courtesy.  The new tenant asked for some things to be done to the house which the landlord agreed to do.  The thing was:  he wouldn't commit to a date to have it done.  His excuse was that he needed to get quotes; but I had already done that for him.  I received FOUR WRITTEN quotes and told both the new tenant and the landlord that they could agree to one of them.

The next issue was that that he now wanted a contract with the new tenant.  The new tenant objected.  Technically the landlord could collect twice having two lease agreements with two separate parties.  The landlord agreed to terminate the lease agreement with me and signed the addendum (with witnesses present).  So now that the lease agreement terminated, according to the contract (AND Washington State Law RCW 59.18.270) he must, within 14 days, return the full deposit OR a letter outlining why a part of it was retained.

After multiple emails and phone calls I send a nasty email to him.  He calls me and says that he couldn't respond because he was "offsite" so he couldn't respond.  That sounded like an excuse my kids would give.  Even an email that told me he was offsite would have been sufficient but he chose to totally ignore me and use being offsite as an excuse.  sheesh.

Then he hangs up on me.  He calls back and apologizes for hanging up (I'm thinking someone came into his office and he needed privacy.  I let it go.  As the conversation continues he says that I already received the deposit from the new resident.  He said that I admitted to receiving it from him.  This was totally untrue and I'm wondering what dope he's smoking.  And even if I *had*, it would have been a deal between the new tenant and myself--something that did not concern *him*.   He calls me a crook.  I ask him why he thinks I am a crook and he hangs up on me.  I haven't been hung up on since Junior High...ok maybe High School.

I'm thinking about calling his manager and telling him what type of employee he has.  I am really not wanting to go the legal route as I would have to go back to Washington....sigh...what a punk he is.

Friends, if you are ever in this situation, alway consult the county and state "Landlord Tenant" statues and have an attorney review your situation as to how you should proceed. Also have your attorney advise you about going to a 3rd party (in this case the landlord's manager); because it may constitute "defamation" on your part. Not good. And lastly, never rent from a co-worker, friend, or family member(including parents, siblings, and children).

Comingling relationships only muddles the water and generally ends up like Rick's situation. Gifted knowledge is better than the purchased kind. Hotep and God Bless you.

Anthony Bourdain

I admit it. When I first picked up this book, I thought that I was getting some tips, techniques, and maybe recipes from one of my favorite chefs. What I got was a reason to tell the next person who tells me, "You need to open a restaurant." to shut up; because they don't know what they are talking about.

Yes I can cook and love to cook; but Anthony Bordain describes the most insane world that I have ever heard of. Why would someone want to get all that culinary training and be subjected to and environment akin to a pirate ship. Anthony Bordain likes it that way.

He shares his life with you, his childhood, even his life as a functioning drug addict; all the time becoming one of the most well known, well traveled, and creative chef in the world today.

This book takes you to the place where food is created, before it even gets to the restaurant. The mind of a chef is created by his whole life experience. Like some great person once said,"A great artist is born by his pain." I believe that. I have a greater respect for the time I spend at a restaurant waiting for my order to appear before me. The eating of a well conceived meal is an experience like going to the theater. It is a team effort by a group of artist, one patron (or plate) at a time. The chef is a player coach that, manages, sets the tone, and pinch hits for the team.

So if you get impatient while waiting for your meal, or shorts the customary 20% tip for good service or 25% for great service, try McDonalds. That's all you deserve. This book let me discover that eating a great meal at a great restaurant, is like viewing Van Gouge's Violets at a great art museum, or hearing jazz at a club. It is human interaction on an intimate level. You are allowing someone to created art to be ingested by you, hoping that you will be satisfied. I hope that you will notice the adventure.

 Shades of Glory, the Negro Leagues and the history of African- Americans Baseball

Every American should recognize the names Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Jackie Robinson, and Roy Campanella. At least if they are baseball fans. We should even be somewhat familiar with the history of the Baseball's Negro Leagues. Teams like the Chicago American Giants, The Homestead Grays, and The Kansas City Monarchs. Lets face it, the only person to hit a baseball out of Yankee Stadium was not Babe Ruth, but by Josh Gibson of the Grays. When Ty Cobb was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame he said that the hall would not be complete until Grant "Home-run" Johnson of the Negro Leagues is included.

There are many things that inspired me in this book, but the one thing that sticks out in my mind is that Jackie Robinson was not the first African American to play major league baseball. That distinction goes to a pair of brothers in 1884 in Toledo Ohio. They were Moses and Welday Walker.

Being from Chicago, I would be remiss if I did not mention Andrew "Rube" Foster of the Chicago American Giants. This was the man that made the Negro Leagues profitable. He was a great baseball player in his own right; but he also proved to be a great businessman. He founded the Giants and the League that birthed the first Negro league World Series. Although the Giants fell short and did not play in the series, Chicago did host at the old Cominski Park on 35th and Wentworth. I know that area well.

African Americans baseball team owner did lots of things to promote the league and Negro baseball. Many teams did barnstorming tours. Like in the film, Bingo Long and the Traveling Allstars and Motor Kings. No one was better at it than the Indianapolis Clowns. They had an act like the Harlem Globetrotters of basketball; and they play real baseball as great as any other team. They had woman players like Connie Morgan and midget players like Ralph "Spec" Bebop who was known as a tactical genius.

One tactic that the Negro League players would use to attempt breaking into the majors was posing as a Native American or a Latin if your shin was light enough. Many Latin player and teams played in the Negro Leagues. The Cuban Giants was a very popular team to the extent that the use of the name had to be litigated resulting in 4 different  teams using variation of the Cuban Giants name. 

This book is not only for the African American baseball fans interested in history; but for every baseball fan who does not want the true history of the "American Pastime" to be cheap.

MySpace for Paul Rodgers, AKA Paulgoodness, AKA Zander56

Now that I am 52; 62 or even 72 don't seem so bad. I got a too fine wife, great kids and grand-kids. I got everything in life that is really important. But that is the thing isn't it? Knowing what is really important.

I know some people who were on top of the world five years ago, are ready to leap off the roof today. One home was not enough. You had to have two. Designer clothes, fast sports cars; speaking of cars, you can hardly sell your Hummer, new or used today. Only the ones who have found the secrete to life have some security in this world.

God loves me. And that is the secrete. He loves me so much that he sent is son to become my brother by dying on the cross for me. The best part is that he is coming back for me. I am not afraid to live or die, because I know God is waiting for me on high.

The Bible says, "(John 3:16 KJV)  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

That's the best present that I have ever received and now I give it to you. With Christ there is always hope in the world. Nothing is impossible and life is great. And if I don't see another birthday, I hope to see you later, on high.

Hotep and God Bless you.

For help look up this link.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

  This is fresh bread from http://sienna-soul-desert-cafe.spaces.live.com/recent/

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on the drive to México City

 

everything she sees gives her cause for delight:

monster cactus

peasant women

a zone-tailed hawk in flight

 

everything she views is a source of joy:

colonial buildings

Mexican soldiers

a giggling baby boy

 

everything she looks at makes her grin or exclaim:

the metrobus

the mountains

old men playing a chess game

 

enthusiasm she cannot help but feel

it’s her joy at being alive

confirmation

her new life is real

 

copyright © 2008 Sienna Soul

 

In Defense of Food

"Eat food, Eat Less, Mostly Plants" is the mantra that Michael Pollan is stating in this book. We in the west, especially in the US are getting fatter and sicker. This book explains why and what we can do about it. It is easier to understand and implement changes to save your life than you may think. The Bible states that, "...we are beautifully and wonderfully made..."; this book proves that by showing that if make some beneficial changes, gradually your body can heal itself.

Today is Lise's 12th birthday and I thank God for every second that she has been in my life. Her mother and I wake every morning To "Good Morning" from her. She is a joy to our life.

Lise I love you and "Happy Birthday!" May God continue to bless and keep you. And I look forward to all the wonderful things that he will bring into the world through you.

Hugs and Kisses.

Dad

  This is another excellent post originally on Iris's Place

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US Preparing For War Against Iran?

A question was once asked:  will the Bush Adminstration leave peacefully?  According to this article, they are planning to leave a train-wreck for the next president to clean up.  A report in the New Yorker by the best investigative journalist of all time (in my opinion), Seymour Hersh.

Seymour Hersh

Bush steps up covert action against Iran

By Anne Penketh, Diplomatic Editor
Monday, 30 June 2008

The Bush administration has been expanding covert activities in Iran under a secret directive in the hope of toppling the country's Islamic rulers, according to a report in The New Yorker which highlights opposition to military strikes.

The magazine reveals that congressional leaders agreed to a request from President George Bush late last year for $400m (£200m) for measures described in a "presidential finding", a highly classified document which must be issued when a covert intelligence operation gets under way.

However, Democratic leaders appear to be troubled by the escalation of the cross-border activities inside Iran, particularly the authorisation of lethal force by US special forces as they pursue "high value targets", which do not appear to be covered by the finding, the investigative journalist Seymour Hersh reports.

The finding focused on undermining Iran's nuclear programme "and trying to undermine the government through regime change," by working with opposition groups inside Iran and by "passing money".

Clandestine activities by the US against Iran are not new, but the scale and the scope of the operations, involving the CIA and the Joint Special Operations Command, have now been expanded, according to current and former officials quoted by Hersh.

"Senior Democrats in Congress told me that they had concerns about the possibility that their understanding of what the new operations entail differs from the White House's," the article says.

At a time when Israeli officials and experts have been raising the prospect of a military strike against Iran before it fully masters the technology of enriching uranium to weapons grade, The New Yorker also highlighted resistance by the US military to bombing Iran. "The Joint Chiefs of Staff, whose chairman is Admiral Mike Mullen, were 'pushing back very hard' against White House pressure to undertake a military strike against Iran," the article says.

Related Articles:

Military action against Iran would backfire on Israel, report warns

Adrian Hamilton: Forget any idea of a military strike on Iran

Opposition to military action against Iran