A Rant Worth Reading!

I couldn't love this guy any more.

http://www.salon.com/2015/04/28/so_exactly_what_kind_of_violence_dont_you_like_actor_jesse_williams_baltimore_rant/

Wolf Blitzer interviews Deray McKesson about violence in Baltimore

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/29/wolf-blitzer-baltimore-protests_n_7168964.html

Righteous Rage

The riots in Baltimore are violent and destructive.  God knows I don't condone the burning, looting and other calamitous acts, but this city, like too many other places in America, has blood on its hands in the way it has treated her citizens, her people.

This video clip speaks volumes to the frustration felt by the folks in the city.

http://www.msnbc.com/the-ed-show/watch/baltimore-resident--enough-is-enough-436036675727

The Baltimore Sun highlighted some of the egregious acts last fall in an article entitled "Undue Force."

The city has paid about $5.7 million since 2011 over lawsuits claiming that police officers brazenly beat up alleged suspects. One hidden cost: The perception that officers are violent can poison the relationship between residents and police.

http://data.baltimoresun.com/news/police-settlements/?mod=e2this&utm_source=This+nightly&utm_campaign=767aced92a-8pm_4_27_154_27_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4b29b52ce6-767aced92a-194575529

Native son, Ta-Nehisi Coates from The Atlantic, has a powerful article about what is happening in his hometown.  It's quoted below.

When nonviolence is preached as an attempt to evade the repercussions of political brutality, it betrays itself. When nonviolence begins halfway through the war with the aggressor calling time out, it exposes itself as a ruse. When nonviolence is preached by the representatives of the state, while the state doles out heaps of violence to its citizens, it reveals itself to be a con.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/04/nonviolence-as-compliance/391640/

Good Dog!

This dog could teach this trick to some guys I know!

http://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/have-you-seen/video/2015/04/27/26364729/

Dr. Funk Himself

I will never forget seeing Parliament / P-Funk / Funkadelic in concert in the 70's when I was in college.

What a freak show that was!

Scores of guys on stage in all manner of get up, the most outrageous of which was the guy who wore only a diaper.

The mastermind behind this psychedelic funk movement was George Clinton, who is now 73 years old!

73!!!

Where does the time go?

Rolling Stone features him in the article below.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/george-clinton-doctor-atomic-20150427

Also, check out this video.  Unfortunately, it does not feature that typical wild dress.

I Love This Monkey!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxlLxMAaK3E

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/26/monkey-drop-kick_n_7148994.html

Sobering

This New York Times article features a mother mourning the loss of her 32 year old son, who for years had drifted, in spite of a degree from Dartmouth.

A quote -

Examinations of the brain of Patrick Risha, 32, at the University of Pittsburgh and Boston University revealed chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or C.T.E., the degenerative disease caused by repeated blows to the head that has been found in the brains of dozens of former football players. C.T.E. has been linked to depression, impulsive actions and short-term memory loss, among other symptoms.

As much as I love football, it's not worth this pain and suffering.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/27/sports/football/patrick-risha-a-son-of-football-calls-his-mother.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column

A Brave Man

I just watched the Diane Sawyer interview with Bruce Jenner, where he discusses, for the first time, that he is transgender and is transitioning to a woman.

For him to go on national television and make this declaration took a mountain of cojones.

But, for him to live a lie for 65 years must have been a mountain of pain, too.

At least now he's free to be himself/herself.

He's fortunate, and I think he recognizes that, that he has a platform from which to speak.

The kid in your neighborhood who is experiencing the same kind of thing, chances are, is not so lucky.

Here's hoping we come to a place in this world where it's OK to be who you are, whatever that is, and whatever it looks like, without fear or retribution.

Nepal - Before & After

Nepal’s Landmarks, Before and After the Earthquake

The earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25 flattened sections of Katmandu’s historic center.APRIL 25, 2015 RELATED ARTICLE

Dharahara Tower

This nine-story structure was built in 1832 on orders from the queen. It was made of bricks about a foot and a half thick, and had recently been reopened to the public. Sightseers could ascend a narrow spiral staircase to a viewing platform around 200 feet above the city.

July 15, 2013

Bal Krishna Thapa Chhetri - July 15, 2013

April 25, 2015

Narendra Shrestha/European Pressphoto Agency

Maju Deval

This temple, built in 1690, is a Unesco World Heritage Site in Durbar Square.

July 2014

Anna Nadgrodkiewicz/sandstoneandamber.com - July 2014

April 25, 2015

Narendra Shrestha/European Pressphoto Agency

I did not see the first monument, but I took a picture of the second one.  

It's below, taken from another side.

Degrees of Chaos

When I first arrived in the UAE, I thought things were chaotic:

Folks bum rushing counters;

People rarely waiting in lines to be served;

And . . .

The most frustrating of all - no addresses.

However, since I've traveled to many points far and wide, I've discovered there are degrees of chaos.

I've been to places with few paved streets, where addresses would be a luxury.

So, each time I return home (to the UAE) from my travels, I'm always grateful to be coming back to an orderly, efficiently run country.

What used to bother me, doesn't phase me anymore.

It's all relative.

I've thought about this a lot since my last trip to Nepal, where the infrastructure, on it's best days, was sorely lacking.

It saddens me beyond measure to see the reports of the death and destruction from the earthquake yesterday, but seeing the precarious way many of the buildings were standing, it comes as no surprise many of them crumbled.

My heart aches for the Nepalese people.

But . . .

I'm also eternally grateful for the systems we have in place in America (that many people complain about - checks and balances making sure that buildings are built to code, for example) that helps to keep us safe.  Believe me when I say I have a much greater appreciation for this than I ever had when I was in the US and took all of this for granted.

So, let's all say a prayer for those hurting, and a prayer of thanksgiving for all of the things we have to be grateful for.

3 Strikes and You're In: San Quentin Baseball

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/24/san-quentin-baseball_n_7137280.html

The Backwards Brain Bicycle - Smarter Every Day 133

H/T Forrest

The Little Machine That Could

From The Huffington Post - 

This Pint-Sized Washing Machine Is Perfect For Small Spaces -- And Great For The Planet

For people who don't have the space for a washer and dryer, or for those who lack access to private laundry facilities, one tiny machine is stepping up in a big way.

Meet the Drumi, a sustainable, miniature washing machine on the way from household design company Yirego. It's basically like a salad spinner for your clothes.

The Drumi is foot-powered, and can clean about three days' worth of personal undergarments and shirts in about 5 minutes. It uses approximately 2 gallons of water per load and only a little soap, which according to Yirego is 80 percent less water and detergent than what's required by regular washing machines.

With 40 percent of the Drumi made from recyclable materials, there isn't a washing machine quite like it on the market. Watch how it works:





This machine was designed for people who usually go to laundromats, and should come in handy for who live in a compact urban homes or can't afford a traditional washer and dryer. Though it isn't intended to entirely eliminate laundromat outings or the use of a regular washing machine, it can replace frequent trips and multiple loads and help reduce a user's carbon footprint.

Yirego told The Huffington Post that the Drumi will retail for a promotional price of $129 until April 23, after which it will retail for $169. The product will officially hit the market this summer, but the company is currently accepting pre-orders from Canadian and US residents. Happy pedaling!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/21/drumi-washing-machine_n_7100020.html

No Strippers Please!

From Salon & The Wall Street Journal - 

China Says Please Stop Hiring Funeral Strippers 

• ARTICLE
• COMMENTS (11)

• ENTERTAINMENT

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A screenshot of the saucy funeral in Hebei that attracted attention earlier this year.

 

Weibo

In China, friends and family of the deceased may have to do without a special form of funereal entertainment: strippers.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Culture on Thursday, the government plans to work closely with the police to eliminate such performances, which are held with the goal of drawing more mourners.

Pictures of a funeral in the city of Handan in northern Hebei province last month showed a dancer removing her bra as assembled parents and children watched. They were widely circulated online, prompting much opprobrium. In its Thursday statement, the Ministry of Culture cited “obscene” performances in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu, as well as in Handan, and pledged to crack down on such lascivious last rites.

In the Handan incident earlier this year, the ministry said, six performers had arrived to offer an erotic dance at the funeral of an elderly resident. Investigators were dispatched and the performance was found to have violated public security regulations, with the person responsible for the performing troupe in question detained administratively for 15 days and fined 70,000 yuan (about $11,300), the statement said. The government condemned such performances for corrupting the social atmosphere.

The government has been trying to fight the country’s funereal stripper scourge for some time now. In 2006, the state-run broadcaster China Central Television’s leading investigative news show Jiaodian Fangtan aired an exposé on the practice of scantily clad women making appearances at memorial services in Donghai in eastern China’s Jiangsu province.

The point of inviting strippers, some of whom performed with snakes, was to attract large crowds to the deceased’s funeral – seen as a harbinger of good fortune in the afterlife. “It’s to give them face,” one villager explained. “Otherwise no one would come.

CCTV found about a dozen funeral performance troupes offering such services in every village in the county, putting on as many as 20 shows a month at a rate of 2,000 yuan ($322) a pop.

“This has severely polluted the local cultural life,” CCTV intoned at the time, marveling at the sight of one women gyrating out of her clothes mere steps from a photo of the deceased. “These troupes only care about money. As for whether it’s legal, or proper, or what effect it has on local customs, they don’t think much about it.”

The mainland isn’t alone in its preference for the practice: similar ensemble performances are also popular in Taiwan – as National Geographic documented in 2012, with stilettoed, short-skirted women dancing graveside. The practice there dates back decades.

– Te-Ping Chen and Josh Chin

http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/04/23/chinese-government-says-please-stop-hiring-funeral-strippers/

A Shoe That Grows With the Child

From Upworthy - 

He met dozens of kids who didn't have shoes. So he invented 5 pairs in 1.

 Curator: Franchesca Ramsey

It's not every day that you run into an invention so genius it makes you say, "Why the heck didn't I think of that?" Well meet the shoe that's set to help millions of barefoot children worldwide by growing with them. 

Shoes are hard to come by for too many children living in developing countries.

When most people think of children in poverty, hunger is usually the first thing that comes to mind. But for many children in the developing world, even the most basic clothing items can be hard to come by. While working in Nairobi, Kenya, inventor Kenton Lee was struck by how many young children were barefoot, their feet covered in scrapes and sores. But sores aren't the only consequences of going barefoot. 

And while some kids go without shoes, others wear shoes that are too small.

Lee saw them wearing makeshift foot coverings from scraps of cardboard. But what struck him was how many kids had repurposed old shoes that were too small by cutting them open to fit as their feet grew. 

And while these repurposed shoes are no doubt creative, they're only marginally better than going barefoot. But seeing how these shoes had been transformed to fit growing feet highlighted yet another obvious but unavoidable problem. When kids grow out of their donated shoes, they're just going to need another pair. This is when the lightbulb went off for Lee. What if there was a shoe that could adjust and expand for growing feet? Enter "The Shoe That Grows."

Lee invented a shoe that can be adjusted up to five times and lasts for five years.

After a successful crowdfunding campaign in 2011, Lee and his team at Because International were able to produce 2,000 shoes and provide them free of cost to kids in need in Nairobi. In April 2015, Because International started another campaign to raise funds for the next round of production, in hopes of getting 5,000 more shoes out to kids around the world. Take a look at the video below to learn more about this amazing company's journey and how you can help. 

Because International is in the final stretch of their crowdfunding campaign to produce 5,000 of these incredible growing shoes for children in need. You can donate to their cause at www.crowdrise.com/TheShoe.

Magic Afro Puffs

From The Root - 

7-Year-Old Creates Afro-Puff Superhero Comic Book and Wins Big

Natalie McGriff took her creation, The Adventures of Moxie Girl, a comic book about a black girl whose curly hair has magical powers, to a crowdfunding festival and walked away with more than $16,000.

BY: STEPHEN A. CROCKETT JR.

Posted: April 22 2015 9:06 AM

 

Natalie McGriff, 7, stands next to an image of her comic book, The Adventures of Moxie Girl, which won over $16,000 at One Spark, a crowdfunding festival in Jacksonville, Fla.   WBLS SCREENSHOT

The odds were stacked against Moxie Girl, but she had already saved the Jacksonville Public Libraries from a wild group of hungry monsters, so beating out 530 entries to win more than $16,000 for her creator would be easy, right?

Well, that's what happened after 7-year-old Natalie McGriff took her creation, The Adventures of Moxie Girl—a comic book about a black girl who hates her hair until she uses a magical shampoo that turns her curls into superfighting Afro puffs—to One Spark, a huge crowdfunding festival in Jacksonville, Fla. One Spark attendees pay an entrance fee and then vote on how the money should be dispersed.

According to the New Pittsburgh Courier, Moxie Girl was created after Natalie's mother noticed her daughter having hair-esteem issues.  

"I decided to help Natalie write this book because she was having self-esteem issues regarding her hair and she hated to read," Angie Nixon said in a statement viewed by the Courier. "She now realizes how powerful and awesome her hair is and that in order for her to write a cool book, she needs to read more books and learn different words."

In the end, the hero prevailed and Moxie Girledged out the competition, beating the closest competitor by a mere three votes.

Good wins again.

Who Knew???

From The New York Times & photography

SONY GAVE AN OCTOPUS AT A NEW ZEALAND AQUARIUM A CAMERA; TRAINS IT TO PHOTOGRAPH TOURISTS

April 10, 2015 · Tiffany Mueller 42 Comments  

Rambo firing the red shutter release with a tentacle.

Octopuses are pretty wondrous animals with all those legs and insanely astute critical thinking skills. It’s actually not surprising at all an animal trainer working at Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium in New Zealand, was able to train an octopus to take photos. In fact, it only took “Rambo” the octopus three attempts to understand how the process works.

Now, Rambo charges a cool $2 for a visitor to her tank to sit for a portrait taken by the octographer. The small donation goes directly to the aquarium to help offset expenses. But, if you’re looking to have Rambo take your photo, be sure to check her hours first, as the aquarium says she’s on a light work schedule.

Take a look:

“When we first tried to get her to take a photo, it only took three attempts for her to understand the process. That’s faster than a dog. Actually it’s faster than a human in some instances.” Mark Vette, trainer

In front of her tank, there’s a backdrop where visitors can pose for their photos. It appears these children on a school trip to the aquarium thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

The camera, a Sony DSC-TX30, was secured into a custom made housing to mount onto Rambo’s tank. The campaign was sponsored by Sony to help show how durable their camera is and to raise awareness of octopuses high level of intelligence.

Really???

From Slate - 

Tampa Police Target Black Bicyclists

By Daniel Politi

These cyclists in Tampa are unlikely to be stopped.

Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/GettyImages

Tampa police seem to have an obsession with cyclists, writing 2,504 bike tickets over the past three years. And looking at the data it would seem blacks are particularly bad bicyclists, receiving eight out of every 10 tickets, according to an investigation by the Tampa Bay Times, even though they make up about a quarter of the city’s population. Analyzing the tickets awarded to bicyclists, the newspaper concludes that “Tampa police are targeting poor, black neighborhoods with obscure subsections of a Florida statute that outlaws things most people have tried on a bike, like riding with no light or carrying a friend on the handlebars.”

These violations are used as an excuse to stop and question bicyclists, with a particular focus on high-crime neighborhoods. Although the police say bike stops are part of a crime prevention strategy, the vast majority of tickets did not include arrests. And when they did, it was usually for a small amount of drugs or a misdemeanor, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The paper notes the actions are hardly a coincidence:

Internal police department records show a sustained effort to encourage bike stops as a means to reduce more serious crimes.

Officers get yearly "productivity reports," calculating, in part, how many tickets they give. One personnel file detailed a "red grid patrol" in which officers are encouraged to "engage and identify offenders through street checks, bike stops and traffic stops."

In another file, a supervisor told a new officer he should learn rarely used traffic statutes. The fact that he wasn't familiar with them was noted as a "significant weakness" in his 2012 performance review. The next year, the new officer impressed his bosses with his "dramatic increase" in "self-initiated activity."

Even if the stop doesn’t lead to a ticket it is often still a humiliating experience.

"It's always the light, or to run your VIN number," 31-year-old Anthony Gilbert said. “ ‘Let's have your ID. Just stand in front of my cruiser.’ Now, you're being humiliated. Your friend’s riding by. Your reverend might be riding by. Now, you've got to go to church. The pastor's going to be like, ‘What happened, son?’ ”

Amazing Images!

Click on each photograph and drag your mouse slowly from left to right and you'll see the images change from what they were in 1914 to what they looked like in 2014.

Absolutely amazing!

http://interactive.guim.co.uk/embed/2014/apr/image-opacity-slider-master/index.html?ww2-dday

H/T Forrest

We Fly, Too

I stumbled on these travel websites created by folks of color.

They're worth checking out.

http://www.browngirlsfly.com

http://blackgirlstraveltoo.com

http://www.brooklyntraveladdict.com

http://travelnoire.com