2016-02-29

His wife of 21 years made him take another woman to dinner. This is priceless.

Story by The Daily Headline

After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, “I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.”

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who had been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my 3 children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.

That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.

“What’s wrong, are you well?” she asked. My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.

“I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you,” I responded. “Just the two of us.”

She thought about it for a moment, and then said, “I would like that very much.”

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an Angel’s. “I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed,” she said, as she got into the car. “They can’t wait to hear about our meeting.”

We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. “It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,” she said. “Then it’s time that you relax and let me return the favor,” I responded.

During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation — nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other’s life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.

“How was your dinner date?” Asked my wife when I got home.

“Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,” I answered.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her. Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place where mother and I had dined. An attached note said: “I paid this bill in advance. I wasn’t sure that I could be there; but nevertheless I paid for two plates — one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me.”

“I love you, son.”

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: “I love you,” and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till “some other time.”

2016-02-26

Ray Charles Tribute: In Performance at the White House tonight on TV One


Ray Charles Tribute: In Performance at the White House tonight on TV One at 9/8c

Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton's Speech interrupted by Black Lives Matter Activists in South Carolina



Story by the Huffington Post
Written by Tyler Tynes

Two Black Lives Matter activists interrupted a private Hillary Clinton fundraising event Wednesday night in Charleston, South Carolina.

Youth activist Ashley Williams demanded that the Democratic presidential candidate account for inconsistencies in her record on race, specifically around comments she made about crime in 1996.

Williams said she and a colleague, whom she did not identify, contributed $500 to attend the Clinton event, which was held at a private residence and was attended by around 100 guests.

Williams said she and her colleague strategically placed themselves at the front of the crowd and waited until Clinton appeared. Speakers introducing Clinton around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday night discussed Walter Scott, the Charleston A.M.E. Church shooting and how Clinton had a strong record of racial justice.

As Clinton spoke to the crowd, Williams stood to her side and held a sign quoting controversial statements Clinton made in 1996 in reference to at-risk youth, when she said "we have to bring them to heel."

Williams said when Clinton paused and looked at her sign, she asked the former secretary of state to apologize to black people for mass incarceration. The mostly white audience yelled at Williams and told her she was being rude, she said.

"I wanted to bring her to confront her own words," Williams told The Huffington Post after the protest, adding, "We did this because we wanted to make sure that black people are paying attention to her record, and we want to know what Hillary we are getting."

Williams said the Secret Service threw her out out of the event.


Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton at a fundraising event in South Carolina interrupted by Black Lives Matter. (Photo: Gerald Herbert AP)

The demonstration comes three days before the South Carolina primary, where turnout from black voters will be key to Clinton clinching the Democratic nomination.

Williams, who is from Charlotte, North Carolina, said she was motivated to protest because policies during President Bill Clinton's administration led to an increase in mass incarceration that mostly affected black communities. She pointed to three-strike federal sentencing laws, the elimination of rehabilitative programs for drug abuse and an emphasis on prison construction as part of the destructive Clinton legacy on crime.

Clinton has distanced herself from these policies and recently issued a detailed agenda on racial justice. But Williams wants more.

“Hillary Clinton has a pattern of throwing the Black community under the bus when it serves her politically," Williams said in a statement before the event. "She called our boys ‘super-predators’ in ’96, then she race-baited when running against Obama in ‘08, now she’s a lifelong civil rights activist. I just want to know which Hillary is running for President, the one from ’96, ’08, or the new Hillary?”

This isn't the first time Clinton has met opposition by activist groups during her campaign. In October 2015, protesters interrupted Clinton in Atlanta while she tried to roll out a plan for criminal justice reform. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has also faced faced protests from Black Lives Matters activists at his events.

HuffPost Pollster shows Clinton with 58 percent in South Carolina, compared with Sanders' 33 percent, heading into the State's Democratic primary.

UPDATE: The Clinton campaign on Thursday sent HuffPost a statement from the candidate touching on her 1996 comments:

In that speech, I was talking about the impact violent crime and vicious drug cartels were having on communities across the country and the particular danger they posed to children and families. Looking back, I shouldn't have used those words, and I wouldn't use them today.

My life’s work has been about lifting up children and young people who’ve been let down by the system or by society. Kids who never got the chance they deserved. And unfortunately today, there are way too many of those kids, especially in African-American communities. We haven’t done right by them. We need to. We need to end the school to prison pipeline and replace it with a cradle-to-college pipeline.

As an advocate, as First Lady, as Senator, I was a champion for children. And my campaign for president is about breaking down the barriers that stand in the way of all kids, so every one of them can live up to their God-given potential.

2016-02-25

Luther Vandross rehearsing song: "Anyone Who Had a Heart"

1986 - Luther Vandross - Rehearsal with Marcus Miller & Nat Adderly Jr

Posted by Danny Brown on Sunday, June 14, 2015


Luther Vandross
Born: April 20, 1951, New York City, NY
Died: July 1, 2005, Edison, NJ
Parents: Mary Ida Vandross, Luther Vandross, Sr.

In the world of contemporary music, there are just a handful of superstars whose first name alone brings instant recognition. Check Aretha, Whitney, Mariah, Diana and Dionne. But when it comes to male vocalists, the list is far shorter. One name towers above the rest in any discussion of Black Male singers whose impact and influence has been unparalleled. Say the name “Luther” and record buyers the world over respond immediately. The fact is, Luther Vandross was, and always will be, the pre-eminent Black Male Vocalist of our time.

In the years since Luther’s passing, one constant has remained to define his life and musical success: the voice. Like any great singer of the past 100 years, Luther Vandross’ voice and distinct singing style led to not only monumental success, but an instant recognition when you hear him singing–through your stereo, car radio, on TV or in a movie. Bing. Frank. Billie. Robeson. Aretha. Diana. Dionne. Whitney. Mariah. Michael. Marvin. Luther. It is rarified company, but indelibly classic and everlasting in the annals of American music and a club in which Luther Vandross’ membership is permanent.

Coupled with that voice was Luther’s unique ability to write and sing about love and the shared emotions we all feel in that search for and enjoyment of love. Love of family, friends, that special someone–all were themes Luther explored with his music regularly, reaching many. Through his songs, for the last two generations Luther Vandross became a staple in the most joyous moments of people’s lives.

At the time of Luther’s death in 2005 following complications from a stroke two years earlier, Luther had been in entertainment for 35 years. From his introduction to the world as a singer on the first season of PBS’s Sesame Street in 1969 to winning four Grammy Awards in 2004, Luther was a permanent and dynamic force in popular music. He crossed boundaries, starting with his earliest success as a background vocalist and arranger for David Bowie, Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, Donna Summer, Carly Simon, Judy Collins, J. Geils Band, Ben E. King, Ringo Starr and Chic. He produced records for Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick and Whitney Houston. He wrote one of the climactic musical numbers (“Everybody Rejoice”) for the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical and Academy Award-nominated film The Wiz. Luther’s reach is extensive enough that CBS Sports has used his rendition of “One Shining Moment” for their coverage of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament since 2003, and Luther performed the National Anthem at Super Bowl XXXI in January 1997 in New Orleans.

Luther was a regular musical performer on the television shows Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show (Johnny Carson and Jay Leno), Rosie O’Donnell, The Arsenio Hall Show, Solid Gold and Soul Train and was a common performer at Washington DC events in the 1990’s, including The People’s Inaugural Celebration, A Gala for the President at Ford’s Theatre, Christmas In Washington and A Capitol Fourth.

Luther also appeared on Hollywood Squares and Family Feud, and tried his hand at acting on TV’s In Living Color, 227, New York Undercover, Beverly Hills 90210 and Touched By An Angel and in the film The Meteor Man. Luther’s songs have appeared in a vast number of movies, and he contributed original songs for sixteen films, including Bustin’ Loose, The Goonies, Ruthless People, Made In Heaven, House Party, Hero, Money Train and Dr. Dolittle 2.

For almost 25 years, from 1981 to 2005, Luther dominated the American R&B music charts like no other artist before or since. In that span Luther released eight #1 R&B albums, seven #1 R&B singles and another five Top 20 R&B singles. He achieved crossover status with eight Billboard Top 10 albums, including reaching #1 with 2003’s Dance With My Father; and another five Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 singles.

From 1981 to 1996, Luther Vandross released 11 consecutive platinum/double platinum albums on CBS/Sony’s Epic Records label; and at the time of his passing in 2005, 13 of Luther’s 14 studio albums had gone Platinum or multi-platinum.

Luther’s success was not confined to the United States, with record sales of over 40 million worldwide since 1981, including four Top 10 UK albums (one #1). In March 1989, Luther Vandross was the first male artist to sell out 10 consecutive live shows at London’s Wembley Arena.

Overall, Luther received 31 Grammy Award nominations, winning eight times. Additionally, Luther won eight American Music Awards, including Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist seven times.

Throughout his distinguished career, Luther Vandross was active in charitable causes with the United Negro College Fund and the NY Chapter of the American Diabetes Association, in addition to performing at numerous charity concerts, most notably Michael Jackson’s Heal The World concerts in the 1990’s. Luther also contributed “The Christmas Song” to the A Very Special Christmas 2 record released in 1992 to benefit the Special Olympics.

Luther Vandross was a musical master whose style has influenced an entire generation of today’s vocalists. His distinctive brand of satin smooth vocal magic moved international audiences and continues to touch people to this day.

Bio from: http://www.luthervandross.com/


Links:
http://www.today.com/popculture/luther-vandross-dies-age-54-2D80555816
http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/62200/luther-vandross-dies-at-54
https://www.facebook.com/luthervandross/
http://www.last.fm/music/Luther+Vandross

2016-02-24

Meet President Obama's Nominee for Librarian of Congress


"Michelle and I have known Dr. Hayden for a long time since her days working at the Chicago Public Library, and her dedication to learning and education is unparalleled.

More recently, she's devoted her career to modernizing libraries so that everyone can participate in today's digital culture. She's been hard at work revitalizing Baltimore’s library system as the CEO of Enoch Pratt Free Library, updating its technology and raising money to fund essential improvements. Under her leadership, the Pratt library has become the largest provider of public-access computers in Maryland.

As Librarian of Congress, she'll work in close partnership with Congress, support the copyright office that serves our nation’s creative communities, and explore new ways to share the information housed within our library through innovative technologies.

And I know she'll be a good steward for the important role that libraries play in our communities. Last year, during the unrest in Baltimore, Dr. Hayden and the library’s staff kept the doors of the Pratt open as a beacon for the community.

Finally, she'd be the first woman and the first African American to hold the position -- both of which are long overdue.
So I hope you'll take a couple minutes to watch this video and meet Carla for yourself.
I have no doubt she'll make a fantastic Librarian of Congress."

President Barack Obama

Congressman Cummings Commends Michigan's State Funding for Flint Water Bills, But Calls for More Action



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jennifer Werner
February 23, 2016
(202) 226-5181

Cummings Commends State Funding for Flint
Water Bills, But Calls for More Action


Washington, DC (Feb. 23, 2016)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement in response to the Michigan Senate’s approval of a bill that will provide $30 million in state funding to help pay for water bills for Flint Residents:

“This legislation is a welcome, but obvious first step for Flint residents paying for water they can’t even drink or use. Flint residents are suffering because of a disaster caused by their own government, and the state must do more to help them, including providing more health services to children exposed to lead and rebuilding the state’s infrastructure. We also need to get a complete picture of how this crisis happened and hold those responsible for these decisions.”

Black History: 10 Years ago, Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery speaks at Coretta Scott King's funeral


"We know now there were no weapons of mass destruction over there [standing ovation]... but Coretta knew and we know that there are weapons of misdirection right down here. Millions without health insurance. Poverty aounds. For war billions more but no more for the poor." - Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery, at the Coretta Scott King funeral. King's funeral was attended by Four United States Presidents

2016-02-22

Panel discuss extending President Barack Obama's Presidency to three terms

On Saturday morning just before Gymnastics, My Dranbaby found out that our President Barack Obama was no longer going to be our President!!! He has been her President all of her life and Yes her birthday is also on AUGUST 4!!!! My poor baby!!!

Posted by Caprina D Harris on Monday, February 15, 2016

2016-02-19

Black History Moment: Muhammad Ali talks about what gave him the strength to win his first World Heavyweight Boxing Championship against Sonny Liston


Muhammad Ali speaking in 1964 on what drives him.


Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) wins his first Heavyweight Boxing Championship against then-Champion Sonny Liston.


Ali again becomes World Heavyweight Boxing Champion defeating then-Heavyweight Champ George Foreman in 1974.

Smokey Robinson's Birthday - Born on this day, February 19th., in 1940


Smokey Robinson speaks of his writing and on what makes a hit song.

Motown Legend William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr.
Singer-Songwriter, Record Producer, and Former Record Executive

Born: February 19, 1940 (age 76), Detroit, MI

Spouse: Frances Glandney (m. 2004), Claudette Rogers Robinson (m. 1959–1986)

Children: Berry William Borope Robinson, Trey Robinson, Tamla Claudette Robinson
___________________________________-

Bio from Smokey Robinson's website
Link: http://www.smokeyrobinson.com/

Once pronounced by Bob Dylan as America’s “greatest living poet,” acclaimed singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson’s career spans over 4 decades of hits. He has received numerous awards including the Grammy Living Legend Award, NARAS Lifetime Achievement Award, Honorary Doctorate (Howard University), Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts Award from the President of the United States. He has also been inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame.

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Robinson founded The Miracles while still in high school. The group was Berry Gordy’s first vocal group, and it was at Robinson’s suggestion that Gordy started the Motown Record dynasty. Their single of Robinson’s “Shop Around” became Motown’s first #1 hit on the R&B singles chart. In the years following, Robinson continued to pen hits for the group including “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me,” “Ooo Baby Baby,” “The Tracks of My Tears,” “Going to a Go-Go,” “More Love,” “Tears of a Clown” (co-written with Stevie Wonder), and “I Second That Emotion.”

The Miracles dominated the R&B scene throughout the 1960’s and early 70’s and Robinson became Vice President of Motown Records serving as in-house producer, talent scout and songwriter.

In addition to writing hits for the Miracles, Robinson wrote and produced hits for other Motown greats including The Temptations, Mary Wells, Brenda Holloway, Marvin Gaye and others. “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” “My Girl,” “Get Ready,” “You Beat Me to the Punch,” “Don’t Mess with Bill,” “Ain’t That Peculiar,” and “My Guy” are just a few of his songwriting triumphs during those years.

John Lennon of The Beatles made countless remarks regarding Robinson’s influence on his music. The Beatles had recorded Robinson and The Miracles’ “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me” in 1963 and in 1982 another popular British group, The Rolling Stones covered the Robinson and the Miracles’ hit “Going To A Go-Go.”

He later turned to a solo career where he continued his tradition of hitmaking with “Just to See Her,” “Quiet Storm,” “Cruisin’,” and “Being with You,” among others.

He remained Vice President of Motown records until the sale of the company, shaping the label’s success with friend and mentor Berry Gordy. Following his tenure at Motown, he continued his impressive touring career and released several successful solo albums.

During the course of his 50-year career in music, Robinson has accumulated more than 4,000 songs to his credit and continues to thrill sold-out audiences around the world with his high tenor voice, impeccable timing, and profound sense of lyric.

Never resting on his laurels, Smokey Robinson remains a beloved icon in our musical heritage.

2016-02-18

Black History: ABC Names its First African American President - Channing Dungey


ABC Entertainment New President Channing Dungey

Story by Shadow and Act

Ben Sherwood, co-chairman, Disney Media Networks and President, Disney|ABC Television Group, today announced that Channing Dungey has been named President, ABC Entertainment, succeeding Paul Lee, who has decided to step down as President, ABC Entertainment Group. Ms. Dungey, who was instrumental in the development and success of such hits as "Scandal," "Criminal Minds," "How to Get Away with Murder," "Quantico," "Army Wives" and "Once Upon A Time," will now report directly to Mr. Sherwood. In addition, Patrick Moran, executive vice president, ABC Studios, will continue to oversee day-to-day operations, and report directly to Mr. Sherwood.

In making the announcement, Mr. Sherwood said, "Channing is a gifted leader and a proven magnet for top creative talent, with an impressive record of developing compelling, breakthrough programming that resonates with viewers." He continued, "We thank Paul for his many accomplishments at ABC and his devotion to the ABC brand, and we wish him continued success in the future."

Ms. Dungey added, "I'm thrilled and humbled that Ben has entrusted me with this tremendous opportunity. And I am truly grateful to Paul for being a valued mentor and friend. I've had the great honor of working alongside the talented team at ABC for many years and look forward to starting this exciting new chapter with them."

Prior to this announcement, Ms. Dungey was executive vice president, Drama Development, Movies & Miniseries, ABC Entertainment Group. In this position she oversaw the development and production of all drama pilots, movies & miniseries and the launch of new series for ABC Entertainment.

Series Ms. Dungey has developed and launched include "Scandal," "Quantico," "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," "How to Get Away with Murder," "American Crime," "Once Upon A Time," "Secrets and Lies" and "Nashville." Prior, she was senior vice president, Drama Development, ABC Entertainment Group, since June 2009.

Previously Ms. Dungey was vice president, Drama Development, ABC Studios. In that role she was responsible for the development and acquisition of drama programming for the studio. Her slate of programming included the award-winning and critically acclaimed ABC show "Private Practice," CBS's long-running drama "Criminal Minds," the CW's "Reaper" and Lifetime's highest-rated series, "Army Wives." Ms. Dungey joined ABC Studios in the summer of 2004.

Ms. Dungey began her successful career in entertainment as a development assistant for Davis Entertainment at 20th Century Fox. She then became story editor at Steamroller Productions, where she worked on the development and production of such films as "Under Siege" and "On Deadly Ground." Following that, she joined Warner Bros. as a production executive, where she helped develop and supervise a diverse range of commercially successful, critically acclaimed films, including "Bridges of Madison County," "Heat," "The Matrix," "Twister," "Devil's Advocate," "City of Angels," "Conspiracy Theory," "Rosewood," "Space Jam" and "Practical Magic."

In the spring of 1998 Ms. Dungey became senior vice president at film production company Material, which was responsible for 2000's "Red Planet," as well as 2002's remake of H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine." After being named president in 2001, Ms. Dungey co-produced "Queen of the Damned," "Showtime," starring Robert De Niro, Eddie Murphy and Rene Russo and "The Big Bounce."

Ms. Dungey, who graduated magna cum laude from UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television, is a founding member and current board member of Step Up, a national non-profit membership organization dedicated to helping girls from under-resourced communities fulfill their potential by empowering them to become confident, college-bound, career-focused, and ready to join the next generation of professional women. She also teaches a graduate level course in Television Development at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television.

President Obama’s Supreme Court Nomination


The confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice is a solemn responsibility that the President and the Senate share under the U.S. Constitution. It is not a political opportunity that reflects “left” or “right,” Democrat or Republican. It’s a serious obligation to make sure that an indisputably qualified person of integrity is nominated and confirmed to sit on the highest court in the land.

2016-02-17

African-American History: The Atlantic Slave Trade in Two Minutes - 315 years and 20,528 voyages

Story by Slate
Written by Andrew Kahn and Jamelle Bouie

Link to animated two-minutes of 315 years, and 20.5-thousand voyages:
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_history_of_american_slavery/2015/06/animated_interactive_of_the_history_of_the_atlantic_slave_trade.html?wpsrc=sh_all_dt_tw_top

Usually, when we say “American slavery” or the “American slave trade,” we mean the American colonies or, later, the United States. But as we discussed in Episode 2 of Slate’s History of American Slavery Academy, relative to the entire slave trade, North America was a bit player. From the trade’s beginning in the 16th century to its conclusion in the 19th, slave merchants brought the vast majority of enslaved Africans to two places: the Caribbean and Brazil. Of the more than 10 million enslaved Africans to eventually reach the Western Hemisphere, just 388,747—less than 4 percent of the total—came to North America. This was dwarfed by the 1.3 million brought to Spanish Central America, the 4 million brought to British, French, Dutch, and Danish holdings in the Caribbean, and the 4.8 million brought to Brazil.

This interactive, designed and built by Slate’s Andrew Kahn, gives you a sense of the scale of the trans-Atlantic slave trade across time, as well as the flow of transport and eventual destinations. The dots—which represent individual slave ships—also correspond to the size of each voyage. The larger the dot, the more enslaved people on board. And if you pause the map and click on a dot, you’ll learn about the ship’s flag—was it British? Portuguese? French?—its origin point, its destination, and its history in the slave trade. The interactive animates more than 20,000 voyages cataloged in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database. (We excluded voyages for which there is incomplete or vague information in the database.) The graph at the bottom accumulates statistics based on the raw data used in the interactive and, again, only represents a portion of the actual slave trade—about one-half of the number of enslaved Africans who actually were transported away from the continent.

There are a few trends worth noting. As the first European states with a major presence in the New World, Portugal and Spain dominate the opening century of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, sending hundreds of thousands of enslaved people to their holdings in Central and South America and the Caribbean. The Portuguese role doesn’t wane and increases through the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, as Portugal brings millions of enslaved Africans to the Americas.

In the 1700s, however, Spanish transport diminishes and is replaced (and exceeded) by British, French, Dutch, and—by the end of the century—American activity. This hundred years—from approximately 1725 to 1825—is also the high-water mark of the slave trade, as Europeans send more than 7.2 million people to forced labor, disease, and death in the New World. For a time during this period, British transport even exceeds Portugal’s.

In the final decades of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Portugal reclaims its status as the leading slavers, sending 1.3 million people to the Western Hemisphere, and mostly to Brazil. Spain also returns as a leading nation in the slave trade, sending 400,000 to the West. The rest of the European nations, by contrast, have largely ended their roles in the trade.

By the conclusion of the trans-Atlantic slave trade at the end of the 19th century, Europeans had enslaved and transported more than 12.5 million Africans. At least 2 million, historians estimate, didn’t survive the journey.

Read more:
1. The Slaves that Time Forgot: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/12/27/1265498/-The-slaves-that-time-forgot
2. Irish Slaves - "The Convenient Myth": https://www.opendemocracy.net/beyondslavery/liam-hogan/%E2%80%98irish-slaves%E2%80%99-convenient-myth

2016-02-16

R&B Singer Vanity (from1980's Group "Vanity 6") is dead at age 57


Vanity - born Denise Katrina Matthews - lead singer for Vanity 6 and collaborated with Prince has died (Photo: Ron Wolfson/Getty)

Story by Rolling Stone Magazine
Written by Kory Grow

Vanity (born Denise Katrina Matthews), an R&B singer that came on the scene as Prince's protege', eventually leading the multi-hit group Vanity 6, has died in a hospital in Fremont, California on Monday. She was 57. Singer had been battling kidney failure and abdominal illness.

The singer's health had worsened in recent months. Four months ago, she launched a GoFundMe campaign to pay for medical bills. On it, she revealed she was diagnosed with sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis, which causes a blockage of the small bowel. She'd asked for $50,000 but raised less than $7,000.
With her titular trio, Vanity - born January 4th, 1959, in Niagara Falls, Ontario — gave pop and R&B a sexually charged makeover in the early Eighties. Vanity 6's Prince-composed 1982 single, the funky, synthy "Nasty Girl," reached the top spot of Billboard's dance chart and the Top 10 of the R&B chart. As a solo artist, she scored more pop hits in the mid-Eighties, including "Pretty Mess," "Mechanical Emotion" and "Under the Influence."
Matthews, who began her career as a model, met Prince backstage at the American Music Awards in 1980, and the pair soon sparked both a romantic and creative relationship. "He wanted me to call myself 'Vagina,'" she told People in 1984. "He said people would know me nationwide. I said, 'No kidding.'" She sang backup on "Free," a track off his 1982 album 1999. That same year, she made her debut as a lead singer with Vanity 6 on the trio's self-titled LP, whose track list comprised many songs written by Prince, including the singles "Nasty Girl" and "Drive Me Wild." She also appeared both solo and with Vanity 6 on the Time's What Time Is It? LP, another record primarily written by Prince. Matthews broke away from Prince in 1984, telling People, "I needed one person to love me, and he needed more." She had been slated to co-star in Purple Rain but backed out at the end of the relationship, prompting Prince to begin working with a new protégé, Apollonia Kotero, and put her in charge of her own Vanity-styled girl group, Apollonia 6. Prince later used the sound of Vanity moaning, which he'd recorded in the Eighties, for his Come track "Orgasm" in 1994. "I put the sexual image of me in my music," she told The Associated Press in 1985. "My music is very sexual, so you could say I'm just putting all of me out there." Throughout the Eighties and Nineties, Vanity began acting in movies and TV shows, including 1985's "The Last Dragon" and 1988's "Action Jackson".

In the mid-Nineties, Vanity became a born-again Christian, which eventually led her to evangelism. She would go on to write the memoir "Blame It on Vanity" about her experiences, and she led her own Pure Heart Ministries in Fremont, Ca.

In an interview with Rolling Stone last year, Vanity expressed remorse for her wild ways. "I don't listen to my old music of Vanity's unless I have to hear it playing in a mall or something place like that," she said. "I sing to Jesus for Jesus now. This gives me pure joy ... worship! I apologize profusely to those I have offended deeply a million times over."

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2016/02/16/prince-protege-denise-vanity-matthews-dies-age-57/80443008/#

2016-02-15

2016 NBA Slam Dunk Contest - Championship Round: AARON GORDON vs. ZACH LaVINE


2016 NBA Slam Dunk Contest - Championship Round: AARON GORDON vs. ZACH LaVINE

Wilt Chamberlain - Most Dominant Player in NBA History




2016-02-13

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia found dead in Texas

Story by CBS News
Witten by Rebecca Kaplan

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead Saturday, CBS News has confirmed. A spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals said he appeared to die of natural causes.

According to the San Antonio News-Express, which was first to report his death, Scalia was found dead in his room at a West Texas resort.

Scalia, 79, was one of the staunchest conservative members of the court. He was nominated in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan and is the longest-serving member on the court.

He championed the philosophy of "orginalism," meaning he interprets the Constitution according to what he believes the original authors intended over 200 years ago.

In a 2008 interview with "60 Minutes," he told correspondent Lesley Stahl that he believes the Constitution is an "enduring" document he wants to defend.
"It's what did the words mean to the people who ratified the Bill of Rights or who ratified the Constitution," Scalia said.

"But you do admit that values change? We do adapt. We move," Stahl asked.

"That's fine," he answered. "And so do laws change. Because values change, legislatures abolish the death penalty, permit same-sex marriage if they want, abolish laws against homosexual conduct. That's how the change in a society occurs. Society doesn't change through a Constitution."

In a statement on behalf of the Supreme Court and retired Justices, Chief Justice John Roberts called Scalia, "an extraordinary individual and jurist, admired and treasured by his colleagues."

"His passing is a great loss to the Court and the country he so loyally served. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Maureen and his family," he added.

Scalia's replacement to the court would be President Obama's third nomination. He previously nominated Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. But CBS News Chief Legal Correspondent Jan Crawford said it is unclear whether the Republican-held Senate will entertain a nomination from Mr. Obama or wait for a new president to be elected this November.

"It could be very unlikely that President Obama that will get that nomination," Crawford said. "This court could remain with eight justices until the next president takes office. I think that's very unclear what will happen."

"This vote will change the balance of the Supreme Court if a liberal is nominated," she added.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, one of the 2016 presidential candidates, said the responsibility should fall to the next President.

2016-02-12

Cummings Issues Statement on Hearing with Michigan Governor SNYDER on Flint Water Crisis



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jennifer Werner
February 12, 2016
(202) 226-5181

Cummings Issues Statement on
Hearing with Governor Snyder
on Flint Water Crisis

Washington, DC (Feb, 12, 2016)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement after the Chairman announced a hearing with Michigan Governor Rick Snyder to examine the Flint water crisis:

“I sincerely thank Chairman Chaffetz for agreeing to Democrats’ repeated request for Governor Snyder’s testimony. However, contrary to Governor Snyder’s recent claim that he requested this ‘opportunity to testify,’ the reality is that he is finally bowing to mounting public pressure to answer questions before Congress about the central and critical role his administration played in this man-made disaster. Unfortunately, Governor Snyder has failed to provide a single document in response to our request last month, despite today’s deadline and his multiple promises of accountability. It is critical for the Committee to have access to these documents before Governor Snyder testifies in order to do a thorough and complete investigation. If he continues to obstruct our investigation in this way, we may have to consider alternative measures to obtain the information he is withholding.”

The announcement of Snyder’s upcoming testimony came one day after Cummings wrote an op-ed in the Detroit Free Press entitled, “What does accountability mean to Snyder?”
Op-Ed: http://www.freep.com/story/opinion/contributors/2016/02/11/us-rep-elijah-cummings-what-does-accountability-mean-snyder/80232846/

On January 29, 2016, Cummings and Rep. Brenda Lawrence sent a letter to Snyder seeking key documents relating to this crisis. Although the deadline for production was today, Snyder has remained silent and has not provided any documents in response to this request.
Letter: http://democrats.oversight.house.gov/news/press-releases/cummings-and-lawrence-request-documents-and-answers-from-michigan-governor-on

The request from Cummings and Lawrence sought documents the Governor has not released previously, including e-mails from 2013, when his own appointee signed off on the decision to use water from the Flint River.

On February 3, 2016, all 18 Democratic Committee Members sent a letter to Chaffetz officially invoking their right under House rules to demand a minority day of hearings with Governor Snyder and three key emergency managers he appointed.
Letter: http://democrats.oversight.house.gov/news/press-releases/all-oversight-committee-democrats-invoke-house-rules-to-demand-testimony-from

Black History Moment: "Free Angela Davis"


Angela Davis speaks


A conversation with Angela Davis

The NFL did not let this advertisement air on the ‘Super Bowl’ last Sunday


The NFL’s rules state that no activism ads are allowed during the Super Bowl. http://omeleto.com/221212/

Why Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill Will Make Christian History in Cuba Tomorrow


Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill

ISIS persecution of Christians prompts first meeting between Catholic and Orthodox Primates since 1054.

Story by Christianity Today
Written by Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra

For the first time since the Christian church split into West and East in 1054 over issues of papal authority and the source of the Holy Spirit, a Roman Catholic pope and the heavyweight of the Eastern Orthodox Church will sit down together.

Pope Francis will meet with Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill for several hours tomorrow in a neutral location: Cuba's Havana airport. The two will end the meeting by signing a joint declaration, according to the official announcement.

The Russian church contains the majority of the world’s 260 million Orthodox Christians.

“This meeting of the primates of the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, after a long preparation, will be the first in history and will mark an important stage in relations between the two churches,” the announcement said. “The Holy See and the Moscow Patriarchate hope that it will also be a sign of hope for all people of good will.”

While the two historic halves of the church disagree on many matters, such as the Russian handling of Christians in the Ukraine and Catholic attempts to evangelize Orthodox members, the violence against Christians in the Middle East was compelling enough to persuade Kirill to consent to a meeting that Francis has pursued.

“Although many problems in relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church remain unresolved, the protection of Christians in the Middle East against the genocide is a challenge that requires urgent united efforts,” said Vladimir Legoida, spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church. “The exodus of Christians from the Middle East and North Africa [MENA] countries is a catastrophe for the whole world.”

Catholic and Orthodox Christians have a roughly equal presence in the MENA region, according to the Pew Research Center.

Francis’s ecumenism has previously included the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, as well as multiple overtures to Protestants. To good effect: a LifeWay Research survey found nearly 2 in 5 American Protestant pastors (37%) said Francis had a positive impact on their opinion of the Catholic Church, while more than 3 in 5 said they saw the pope as their brother in Christ (63%).

The pope preached the “ecumenism of blood” at an evangelical seminary in the Central African Republic in December.

“God makes no distinctions between those who suffer,” he said. “I have often called this the ecumenism of blood. All our communities suffer indiscriminately as a result of injustice and the blind hatred unleashed by the devil.”

Recent studies show that Islamist extremism is the church’s greatest threat, with the number of Christian martyrs almost doubling from 4,344 in 2014 to more than 7,000 in 2015.

Preaching unity in the face of martyrdom is not a new a message for Francis. Last July, he cited the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians by Islamic extremists.

“When those who hate Jesus Christ kill a Christian, before killing him, they don’t ask, ‘Are you Lutheran, or Orthodox, or Evangelical or Baptist or Methodist?’” he said. “If the enemy unites us in death, who are we to divide ourselves in life?”

The Orthodox church has previously reached out to Protestants, and some evangelicals hoped Kirill’s rise to the patriarchy of the ascendant Russian church in 2009 might improve ecumenical relations. But since Russia’s annexation of Crimea, religious freedom in the region has been curtailed. More than 1,100 religious communities that were recognized under Ukrainian law are no longer allowed under Russian law, and authorities are threatening all religions outside the Russian Orthodox Church, the US State Department reported in October.

Relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Kiev Patriarchate have also frayed.

CT's past coverage of Eastern Orthodoxy includes how it lost two bridges to evangelicals in 2012, a 2011 interview with Metropolitan Hilarion on Orthodoxy offering evangelicals more than an olive branch, and whether the 21st century will be the Orthodox century.

Iran 1979: A Revolution that Shook the World. Celebrating its 35th anniversary, Iran's Islamic Revolution Shocked the World and Redrew the Map of Global Alliances.


The storming of the US Embassy in Iran in 1979 was the start of decades of enmity between the two countries [EPA]

Story by Al-Jazeera
Written by D. Parvaz

The Middle East and North Africa continue to roil in the aftermath of popular uprisings - revolutions that continue to shape Libya, Tunisia and Egypt after the fall of the strongmen running the show.

How the autocratic/theocratic dust settles remains to be seen, but the one revolution in the region that signalled an indisputable sea change was Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, whose 35th anniversary will be celebrated on February 11.

Just how major was the impact of the revolution that saw the ouster of Iran's king, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and the instalment of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic?

To start with, anyone puzzling over the close relationship between Hezbollah and the Syrian regime needs to look no further than Iran and its role in that arena over the past decades.

"The emergence of Hezbollah in Lebanon, the moral boost provided to Shia forces in Iraq, the regional cold war against Saudi Arabia and Israel, lending an Islamic flavour to the anti-imperialist, anti-American sentiment in the Middle East, and inadvertently widening the Sunni-Shia cleavage, are for me the most important by-products of the Iranian revolution," said Mehrzad Boroujerdi, professor of political science at Syracuse University, when asked for the top five geopolitical events set off by the Iranian revolution.

Regional Heavyweight is Born

Aside from ridding the country of the monarchy, Iran's revolution also set off a series of events that triggered several conflicts in the region, starting with Iraq's attack on Iran.

"Everything played itself out. There was no way that the spirit of the revolution would have fizzled out inside Iran nor the eagerness of the people for revolutionary change could have been dampened," said Haleh Esfandiari director of the Woodrow Wilson Middle East Program in Washington, DC.

"But then there was Saddam Hussein's invasion of Iran in 1980, which, ironically, strengthened the revolution and fed Iranians the determination to carry the revolution outside Iran's borders," said Esfandiari.

With time, the Islamic Republic's influence reached far and wide.

"Iran's creation of Hezbollah in Lebanon altered Lebanese politics forever, and opened a second front against Israeli ambitions, which had not been imagined," said New-York-based journalist Hooman Majd.

"So undoubtedly Iran has gained influence and strength, and as a nation with an ideology independent of East and West, has to now be considered in any Middle Eastern issues. That in itself is a change in global geopolitics, where before the fall of communism you had an East-versus-West scenario everywhere, including the Middle East, with players lining up on either side, and now you have Iran in the mix."

Had the revolution not taken place, "We'd be looking at a different Middle East," said Gary Sick, former National Security Council analyst on Iran and a professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.

"Basically, the Iranian revolution was an enormous shock to the system, especially in the Persian Gulf… The fact that you had this power coming in with really revolutionary objectives, including an objective to try and overthrow the monarchies - they don't talk about that any more - that scared them to death," said Sick.

That fear set in motion conflicts and alliances that, 35 years later, still shape the region.

For example, Iraq's attack on Iran not only rallied the population around Khomeini, but also served to galvanise a network of those who opposed the Islamic Republic.

"And the Arab world's support of Saddam all the way through, and Saddam's attack, and the spread of that war through the Persian Gulf, and the oil lines in particular, gradually drew the United States into the Middle East," added Sick.

And this too had its consequences: It invited the US as a major military force into the region.

New Geopolitical Chessboard

Even to those who weren't tracking regional changes, the hostage crisis - where revolutionaries took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days in the barricaded US embassy in Tehran - signalled the start of major hostilities between the US, its allies, and Iran, resulting in, among other things, decades of sanctions.

"It is fair to say that Washington was beginning to get worried about the anti-status-quo messages of the Iranian revolution even before the hostages were taken, but the hostage crisis was a game-changer," said Boroujerdi.

The sanctions that for decades jeopardised Iran's economy and wreaked havoc with the world's oil markets can be traced to the hostage crisis.

"The American political class has never recovered from the shock and humiliation of the hostage crisis. It cast Iran as the face of evil in many American hearts," said journalist Stephen Kinzer, author of several books on US-Middle East relations.

"This anger is the main reason why the US has been so unrelentingly hostile to Iran over three decades," said Kinzer.

Beyond the anger and humiliation, Majd said one of the seismic results of the Iranian revolution was that it forced the US into building a military presence in the region.

"Up until the Iranian revolution, the United States had been very reluctant, under [President] Jimmy Carter, to create a base in the Middle East... The revolution changed their calculus," said Majd.

And how.

The US had almost no military presence in the Gulf area until about 1986. Now it has a base in almost every country in the region.

"[Increased US military presence] started with the Iran-Iraq war, and stepped up when Saddam Hussein made the incredibly stupid mistake to invade Kuwait in 1989, and that drew the United States in a major way and we never stopped maintaining our presence there," said Sick.

The US troops he drew into the region, said Sick, ultimately played a role when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003.

"The irony, in turn, is that the United States invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan eliminated Iran's two biggest rivals in the region [the Taliban and Saddam Hussein] and left Iran as the most important player, which is why the Arabs are so scared. And yeah, all that started with the revolution."

Arab Spring legacy?

So far, there is no indication that any of the uprisings in the Arab countries will follow the Iranian model, even though, as Boroujerdi puts its, "The lasting impact of the Iranian revolution was the empowerment of Islamic groups which could now begin to envision themselves as rulers, rather than merely the opposition."

Esfandiari rejects any assertion that Iran has become a model for other revolutions in the region.

"What Iran did was give a lot of inspiration to the people on the streets for three decades before the Arab Spring started… because the Islamic Republic stood up to the United States and stood up to Israel, and doesn't shy away from expressing its views, over the years, on Saudi Arabia, on Jordan, on the Persian Gulf countries," she told Al Jazeera.

But things changed after the Iranian government's harsh crackdowns on the opposition Green Movement in wake of the disputed 2009 presidential elections, which saw Mahmoud Ahmadinejad take his second term in office.

"I think after 2009, this changed among the people. I think the people in the region who watched the brutal suppression on the streets of Iran were taken aback and changed their minds.

"After that, nobody wanted to imitate Iran."

From Revolution to 'Evolution'

Looking at the ever-shifting sands in Iran, it is only logical to wonder if the constant struggle to define the Islamic Republic means what started decades ago is still rolling towards either a more moderate or conservative state.

"No, I don't believe this revolution is yet complete. The formation of a theocracy was both novel and anachronistic, and it will take more time for its ramifications to play themselves out," said Boroujerdi.

"The revolution has upgraded the level of political sophistication of the citizenry and it has given birth to new institutions that are still in their early stages. Iranian politics has become 'real' as a result of the revolution and this permanency has become the new 'normal', which we need to get used to," he added.

Sick said Iran's revolution is unusual in that it has gone from a revolution to an evolution - "that is, from ultra-radical positions that they took in the first two, three or four years to a much more moderate, pragmatic position. With this recent agreement on the nuclear issue... this is their effort to become a normal country that actually participates in the world", said Sick.

"But look... revolutions take a long time. They change things, they throw things up in the air - and then things begin to settle and you never know how it's going to settle and how things will work themselves out."

No Mystery why Democratic Presidential Candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton Trek to Sharpton


Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders in Harlem with Rev. Al Sharpton

Political Analyst and Monday Co-Host on "Keeping it Real with Al Sharpton's" Nationally Syndicated Radio Show, Earl Ofari Hutchinson, will discuss Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton and the Black Vote on Monday, February 15. Sharpton show at 1:15 PM EST (10:15 AM PST).

Commentary by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

Democratic Presidential Candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton trek to a meeting with the Reverend Al Sharpton for two reasons. The first is Sharpton himself. President Obama paid absolutely no heed to the ritualistic Anti-Sharpton name calling by the assorted menagerie of "Right Wing Talk Show hosts, Pundits, and Unreconstructed Bigots" who take giddy delight in spinning the line that he is an ego driven, media hogging race baiting agitator and opportunist who will jump on any cause to get some TV face time. He’s their favorite racial punching bag in part because of who many perceive him to be and the influence that he has on the street with many blacks, Latinos, the poor and community activists. This is a constituency that no liberal or moderate Democrat, least of all Sanders and Clinton, can afford to ignore or alienate.

Sharpton's appeal is his media pull and image. The lines between the two are hopelessly blurred. A sound bite, photo-op, rock star and Hollywood celebrity allure can mean as much if not more in determining a candidate's political fate than what they have to say about global warming, the deficit, Syria, the Middle East conflicts, Russia and North Korea, campaign reform, or Wall Street domination, or even health care reform.

The two Democratic presidential contenders by no means are the first politicians in need of a boost to turn to the Rev Al. Black politicians, and various Democratic candidates have leaped over themselves to get mug shots, endorsements, and a spot on the dais at the National Action Network's confabs. At times, even some Republicans have saber rattled fence sitting white voters with the dread of Sharpton.

This is not to say that he is the consummate political king or queen maker. But that doesn't much matter in the glare of the cameras. A beaming President Obama standing before a bank of TV cameras with Sharpton at his side shows for the moment that the man who many love and many more love to hate is in his camp. For Sharpton it showed that he was important enough for Obama to want him in his camp.

The other reason Sanders went to Harlem to meet Sharpton and Clinton met with him too is not brain surgeon stuff. It can be summed up in three words: the black vote. From virtually day one of each candidate’s campaign, the black vote has never been far from their calculation. Clinton has a long memory. She knows that South Carolina is as New Hampshire and Iowa an early primary state. Black voters make up the majority of Democratic voters there, and in the 2008 battle with then Democratic rival Obama, her campaign came unglued there.

This time around she’s spent countless days courting any and every black Democratic official she can to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Sanders after establishing himself as a real contender has moved quickly to try and make up ground with black voters in the state. South Carolina is no anomaly. Blacks make up either the majority or near majority of the Democratic vote in several other Southern states and those states’ primaries will follow close on the heels of South Carolina. A big win in these states will do much to seal the nomination for either one.

Beyond the immediate importance of the black vote this election go around, the black vote has been the Democrats' trump card in every election for the past half century, win or lose. Black voters have been so reliable, maybe too reliable, that Democrats have been repeatedly rapped for plantationism; that is for taking the black vote for granted and offering little tangible benefits in return for their unyielding support. If black voters had not turned the Democratic primaries in 2008 into a virtual holy crusade for Obama, and if Obama had not openly in the South Carolina primary and subtly in primaries thereafter stoked the black vote, he would have been just another failed Democratic presidential candidate. The fight for the White House then may well have been between 2008 GOP presidential candidate John McCain and Clinton.

This bears heavily on a brutal racial political reality. The emergence of Trump and Cruz as real threats to grab the GOP presidential nomination, their thinly disguised anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim and anti-woman pandering, the droves of ultra-conservatives, and evangelicals that buy this line, and their stoking the fury of lower income blue collar white workers disillusioned, disgusted and hostile toward government, have made the black vote loom bigger still in the Democrat’s 2016 calculus. There's little margin of error with this vote. Clinton or Sanders needs a reasonable facsimile of the November 2008 black vote outpour to win the White House, save as many Democratic seats as possible, and serve as a partial shield against the extreme peril that a Cruz or Trump triumph would pose to everything from a total right-wing takeover of the Supreme Court to a gut of the Affordable Care Act.

That horrific prospect is more than enough to speed any Democratic presidential candidate to trek to anyone who can help make sure that doesn’t happen. In this case, that someone happens again to be Sharpton.
____________________________________

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His latest book is Trump and the GOP: Race Baiting to the White House (Amazon Kindle) He is a frequent MSNBC contributor. He is an associate editor of New America Media. He is a weekly co-host of the Al Sharpton Show on Radio One. He is the host of the weekly Hutchinson Report on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles and the Pacifica Network

2016-02-11

Bernie Sanders loses New Hampshire's delegate count, despite winning the Vote count by a 20 percent margin over Hillary Clinton

Story by US Uncut
Written by Hugh Wharton

You may have heard of superdelegates before today, but you may not have realized how antithetical the idea is to democracy itself until now.

Bernie Sanders took 60% of the popular vote among the Democratic race on Tuesday, but because of the delegate process, Bernie Sanders will leave with a minimum of 13 delegates, but very likely 15. At the same time, challenger Hillary Clinton (who lost by more than a 20-point margin among the electorate) also walks away with 15.

So how does that work?

To break it down, New Hampshire has 24 “pledged” delegates determined by the vote, of which Sanders won 13 and Clinton won 9. However, the state also put forward 8 “Super-Delegates,” who are insiders in the State’s Democratic Party who are free to vote how they choose. Six of these are already pledged to Clinton, with the other two remaining undecided, meaning Sanders can only (at best) tie with Clinton, despite his commanding lead.

In the national race, Clinton already has 394 delegates out of a total of 4,763, compared to only 42 for Bernie Sanders. Of those pledged to Clinton, 360 are Super-Delegates, whereas Sanders has only picked up 8 in this category. 2,382 total delegates are needed to win the party’s nomination.

Read more: http://usuncut.com/news/the-dnc-superdelegates-just-screwed-over-bernie-sanders-and-spit-in-the-faces-of-voters/

2016-02-10

Flint, Michigan's Own Filmmaker/Activist Michael Moore Hospitalized In NYC Intensive Care Unit

Filmmaker/Activist Michael Moore has been seen everywhere lately, whether it be campaigning for Bernie Sanders or speaking out about the Flint water crisis. It seems all this running around has taken it’s toll on Moore, who was hospitalized on Sunday with pneumonia.

From his hospital bed, Moore posted this on Facebook:


"‘I’m writing this to all of you today (Thurs) from the Intensive Care Unit at a hospital in New York City. Unfortunately, I’ve come down with pneumonia. Between running all over the place lately promoting my new movie (WHERE TO INVADE NEXT), plus going to Flint to help the people of my hometown, plus jumping in to support Senator Sanders, plus doing a dozen other things — well, I read somewhere you can’t burn it at both ends, and if u do, it’s best not to do so in the winter nor anywhere near a place full of toxic water!

The truth is, I’ve actually been in the ICU since Sunday night. Let’s just say things didn’t look good Sunday night. But thanks to a combination of good doctors, decent hospital food and 2nd-term Obamacare, I’m doing much better the last couple of days — so much so that I’m being discharged later today. I’m to return home and rest for the coming days. All appearances for the rest of this week have been canceled.

Needless to say, in addition to being a bummer health-wise (and I’m trying out a new thing this week by putting that, my health, first), this is a huge loss to my efforts in leading up to the release of my new movie next Friday. I was supposed to be in LA tonight (Thurs) to be on Conan, and tomorrow night I was making my return after two years to the Bill Maher show on HBO (and thank you, Erin Brockovich, for going on in my place to talk about the situation in Flint!).

Since I mentioned my predicament earlier today on Twitter and Facebook (or perhaps you heard about it in the media), many of you have sent me very nice well wishes (thank you!) and have asked if there’s anything you could do to help me. Actually, there is.

I have to be honest, with my absence this week (and probably into next), I’m now worried about my film’s release. I can’t fly, I have to recover, and in one week (February 12th) this great movie I’ve put so much of my life into is going to open in theaters — with little or no assistance from me. So, would it be OK to enlist your help in a sort of quickly cobbled-together “army” of grassroots foot soldiers, wherein you could pitch in where you live (and on socila media) to let people know about my movie? I could post some ideas tomorrow of things you and your friends could do.

I know this seems a bit unorthodox, and I’ve never seen a request like this made before by a director (then again, I could just be on the wrong drugs), but this is the age of social media and we’re all trying lots of new ways to do things, aren’t we? So why not just appoint each of you as the local PR person for WHERE TO INVADE NEXT, seeing how I can’t make it there in person? This will take a HUGE burden off me and give the movie a chance to be seen by millions.

My other problem is that the distributor hired to release the film is a new start-up company still in formation (the company doesn’t even have a name yet). So their plan all along was essentially to have me do most of the work by running back and forth across the country doing interviews and screenings. Naturally, I loved this plan, but none of us stopped to think what would happen if… I got pneumonia! So, they’re doing their best now (these are the brave people who worked on the release of the Edward Snowden documentary, “Citizen Four”). If a few thousand of you suddenly became champions and spokespeople for the film, then maybe I/we can pull this off. I would be forever in your debt.

I do need to get some sleep, so I’ll sign off for now. Check back with me tomorrow (Friday) for further updates and ideas. Thanks for offering to help. Stay warm, drink plenty of fluids, and let’s get back to our nightly walks!’

Best,
Michael

New Hampshire Primary Results

New Hampshire Primary Results

Republicans


Trump (won)
Delegates: 10
Vote%: 35.3%

Kasich
Delegates: 3
Vote%: 15.8%

Cruz
Delegates: 2
Vote%: 11.7%

Bush
Delegates: 2
Vote%: 11.0%

________________________

Democrats

Sanders (won)
Delegates: 13
Vote%: 60.3%

Clinton
Delegates: 9
Vote: 38.0%

2016-02-09

President Obama’s Last Budget, and Last Budget Battle With Congress

Story by New York Times
Written by Jackie Calmes

WASHINGTON — President Obama on Tuesday sent his final annual budget proposal to a hostile Republican-led Congress, seeking $19 billion for a broad new cybersecurity initiative and rejecting the lame-duck label as he declared that his plan “is about looking forward.”

The budget for fiscal year 2017, which starts Oct. 1, would top $4 trillion, although only about one-quarter of that is the so-called discretionary spending for domestic and military programs that the president and Congress dicker over each year. The rest is for mandatory spending, chiefly interest on the federal debt and the Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits that are expanding as the population ages.

The deficit would increase in this fiscal year to $616 billion from $438 billion last year, the budget projects, in part because of myriad tax cuts that Mr. Obama and Congress agreed in December to make permanent. That would make this year’s shortfall equal to 3.3 percent of the economy’s output, or gross domestic product, up from 2.5 percent. That exceeds the 3 percent threshold that economists consider sustainable for a growing economy.

In fiscal 2017 — which begins in October and is covered by Mr. Obama’s spending and tax proposals, including a $10-a-barrel fee on oil — the deficit would dip again for a couple years but then begin increasing again, mainly because of the costs for aging Americans’ retirement and health care. But the administration says annual deficits would remain below 3 percent of the gross domestic product through the decade to 2026.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/10/us/politics/obama-budget-cybersecurity-congress.html?_r=0

2016-02-08

Chloe' JoAnn Tanter


* Chloe' JoAnn Tanter
* Daughter of my son Kirk Tanter Jr. and his wife Paula Tanter
* Born: Today February 8th., 2016 at 12Noon Eastern
* Weight: 7 Pounds 8.2 Ounces
* Birthplace: Germantown, Maryland

2016-02-05

The President Honors the Golden State Warriors, 2015 NBA Champions


On February 4, 2016, President Obama congratulated the Golden State Warriors, the 2015 NBA champions, at the White House.

2016-02-04

Bio/Songs/Interviews from the late Maurice White and "Earth, Wind, and Fire"


Interview #1 with Maurice White and his brother Verdine White

Singer, songwriter, producer and drummer Maurice "Reese" White was born on December 19, 1941, in Memphis, Tennessee. After studying at the Chicago Conservatory of Music, he found work in 1963 as a session drummer for Chess Records. Four years later, he began playing with the Ramsey Lewis Trio. In 1969, he formed his own band in Chicago, which was called the Salty Peppers.
Earth, Wind & Fire

After a move to Los Angeles, White renamed his band as Earth, Wind & Fire (the name was a nod to his astrological chart, which had no water signs). He also invited his younger brother, bassist Verdine, to join the group. When their first albums didn't break out, White shuffled the band's members. Newcomers included singer Philip Bailey and keyboardist Larry Dunn; soon guitarist Al McKay became a bandmate as well.


Song: Shining Star - Earth, Wind, and Fire

Along with its revamped membership—only White and Verdine were holdovers from the group's first incarnation—Earth, Wind & Fire's music changed. The band began mixing jazz, R&B, funk, soul and pop music. They also used African sounds, such as White playing the kalimba (an African thumb piano). With a new style and a new record label, Earth, Wind & Fire's album Head to the Sky (1973) sold more than 500,000 copies. The group proceeded to put out a succession of gold and platinum albums throughout the 1970s and early '80s.


Song: That's the Way of the World - Earth, Wind, and Fire

Many of the band's hit songs were ones that White helped compose, such as "Shining Star," "September" and "Let's Groove." White won six Grammys with Earth, Wind & Fire, and received an award of his own for arranging "Got To Get You Into My Life." As a musician and vocalist, White also participated in the group's spectacular concerts, which featured exotic touches such as pyramids and disappearing acts.


Interview #2 with Maurice White

Though he spent time on outside projects—such as an album for Deniece Williams—White remained with Earth, Wind & Fire until the band took a four-year break from 1983 to 1987. After reuniting, White toured with the group until 1995. Though he stopped touring, he continued to work with Earth, Wind & Fire as a producer and songwriter. He was also with the band for its 2000 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.


Song: Greatest Hits Performances (Live) - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: Live in Barcelona Part One - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: Live in Barcelona Part Two - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: Live in Barcelona Part Three (Kalimba) - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: Live in Barcelona Parth Four - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: Live in Rotterdam Part One - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: Live in Rotterdam Part Two - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: Where have all the Flowers Gone - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: Kalimba Story - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: World is a Masquerade - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: Evil by Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: Keep your Head to the Sky - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: Devotion - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: Sun Goddess - Ramsey Lewis featuring Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: Fantasy - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: Can't Hide Love - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: After the Love is Gone - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: Reasons - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: Boogie Wonderland - Earth, Wind, and Fire, and the Emotions


Song: September - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Song: Let's Groove - Earth, Wind, and Fire


Album: All n All - Earth, Wind, and Fire

Maurice White, Earth, Wind & Fire Singer and Co-Founder, Dead at 74

Hello,

Welcome to mauricewhite.com, my official web site http://www.mauricewhite.com/start.html.
I want to personally thank you for visiting my site.

For over three decades, I have been creating music- music that I hope has touched you in a special way.
At mauricewhite.com, I share some of my life's work and highlights with you.

One of the chief goals of mauricewhite.com is to be the definitive place for accurate and reliable information about me.
You will find some interesting facts, observations and enlightening features about me also.
I hope you will find mauricewhite.com a valuable resource.

Please browse through my site and have fun.

There is a lot to discover.
So, stay logged on!

Peace,
Maurice
http://www.mauricewhite.com/start.html

Story below by Rolling Stone
Written by Kory Grow

Earth, Wind and Fire vocalist and co-founder Maurice White died in his sleep in Los Angeles on Wednesday evening. A rep for the band confirmed his passing to Rolling Stone. He was 74.

The singer had been battling Parkinson's disease since 1992, according to TMZ. His health had reportedly deteriorated in recent months. Because of the disease, he had not toured with the pioneering soul and R&B group since 1994. He nevertheless remained active on the business side of the group.

"My brother, hero and best friend Maurice White passed away peacefully last night in his sleep," White's brother and bandmate Verdine wrote in a statement. "While the world has lost another great musician and legend, our family asks that our privacy is respected as we start what will be a very difficult and life changing transition in our lives. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes."

"The light is he, shining on you and me," the band added on Twitter.

White, who formed the group with Verdine in 1969, helped innovate a lush, eclectic style with Earth, Wind and Fire that drew inspiration from funk, jazz, R&B and Latin music – as well as Sly Stone and James Brown – for a unique sound that set the tone for soul music in the Seventies. The springy, elastic soul-pop of "Shining Star," which White co-wrote, earned them their first Number One, and paved the way for hits like the joyful "Sing a Song," the percussive and brassy "September," their swinging cover of the Beatles' "Got to Get You Into My Life" and the robotic disco of "Let's Groove." Rolling Stone included the group's sweetly smooth 1975 single, "That's the Way of the World," on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Earth, Wind and Fire have sold more than 90 million albums around the world, according to The Associated Press. Several of their albums went multiplatinum, including 1975's That's the Way of the World, the following year's Spirit and 1977's All 'n' All. They won six Grammys over the course of their career. In 2000, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The group will be honored with a lifetime achievement award later this month at the Grammys, along with Run-DMC and Herbie Hancock.

Maurice White was born in Memphis on December 19th, 1941, the son of a doctor and grandson of a New Orleans honky-tonk pianist. He moved to Chicago with his family and sang gospel from a young age. He attended the Chicago Conservatory of Music in the mid Sixties and served as a session drummer at Chess Records, where he cut records with Muddy Waters, the Impressions and Billy Stewart. In the late Sixties, he played in the Ramsay Lewis Trio, where he learned kalimba, the African thumb piano which would become a big part of Earth, Wind and Fire's sound.

White formed the first lineup of Earth, Wind and Fire with Verdine – who sang, played bass and performed percussion – in Los Angeles, naming the group after the elements on his astrological chart. Over the years, White would sing and play the kalimba, drums and produce. They signed to Capitol and put out two albums, and they didn't garner much attention until he brought younger musicians into the lineup. Things changed with Head to the Sky, their 1973 release. It went gold and began a long streak of hits. That's the Way of the World, the soundtrack to a Harvey Keitel flick that featured the group, contained "Shining Star," which won them a Grammy, and propelled the band into arenas, where they put on elaborate, striking stage shows. By 1978, they were asked to appear in the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band, where they debuted their hit Beatles cover.

"We had a strong leader," Verdine told The Telegraph in 2013. "We really looked up to Maurice. ... You have to understand that we were 21 years old when we started our journey with Earth, Wind and Fire and Maurice was 31, and so he had done a lot more things than we had. Maurice was interested in establishing a credibility of a different morality about musicians and their lifestyles. So we were into healthy food, meditation, taking vitamins, reading philosophical books, being students of life."

Throughout the Seventies, White also started a career as a producer, working with the Emotions, Ramsey Lewis and Deniece Williams. He released a solo album, Maurice White, in 1985 and made a hit out his cover of "Stand by Me."

"Being joyful and positive was the whole objective of our group," White once said, according to SongwriterUniverse. "Our goal was to reach all the people and to keep a universal atmosphere – to create positive energy. All of our songs had that positive energy. To create uplifting music was the objective."

Flint Michigan Water Crisis US House of Representative Oversight Committee Hearing this morning in Washington DC. Maryland Congressman Rep. Elijah Cummings questioning...

Wooooooo..... He spit fire!!! Watch This!!!

Posted by Duane A. Johnson on Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Maryland Congressman Rep. Elijah Cummings questioning at Water Crisis Hearing in Washington DC

A Magic Johnson Highlight Reel

Magic Johnson Career Mix HD

Posted by Black Mamba on Sunday, January 3, 2016
A Magic Johnson Highlight Reel

Radio One Files $1.3M Contract-Breach Suit

Story by Inside Radio

Radio One has filed a breach of contract suit in federal court claiming an ad agency stiffed the broadcaster on more than $1.3 million in advertising that ran on its radio stations.

Filed in U.S District Court for the Northeastern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, the suit claims that Direct Media Power Inc. contracted with Radio One to buy about $2 million in commercial airtime for its clients. Radio One says it aired the spots as specified but DMPI shortchanged the broadcaster by the aforementioned amount.

Illinois-based DMPI claims to be the largest broadcast pay-per-call media agency in the nation.

According to the complaint, on June 12, 2013, DMPI COO David DeFranzo signed a confidential credit application with Radio One to purchase airtime. Deal terms stipulated that payments were due 30 days from the invoice date and that DMPI would pay collection costs and legal fees incurred by Radio One if payment wasn’t made in a reasonable period. DMPI immediately began purchasing radio airtime from Radio One to resell to its clients, the suit alleges.

It then claims that Radio One invoiced the agency monthly for its media purchases, which were paid in full until September 2014. The trouble began that October; through the following 12-month period, DMPI bought $1.9 million in airtime from Radio One, the suit says, and the broadcaster issued invoices the month following each purchase. Radio One says it aired the spots for DMPI’s clients, but received only $526,871 of $1.9 million owed. Radio One agreed to $18,821 in billing adjustments for November and December 2015, which still puts the agency on the hook for $1.36 million.

The broadcaster says it has demanded its money but DMPI has refused to pay the balance. The suit, which requests a trial by jury, seeks payment of the balance due, plus interest and collection costs, including legal fees and expenses.

2016-02-03

Boko Haram Burns Kids Alive in Nigeria, 86 Dead



Story by ABC News/AP
Written by Ismail Alfa and Haruna Umar

DALORI, Nigeria

A survivor hidden in a tree says he watched Boko Haram extremists firebomb huts and heard the screams of children burning to death, among 86 people officials say died in the latest attack by Nigeria's homegrown Islamic extremists.

Scores of charred corpses and bodies with bullet wounds littered the streets from Saturday night's attack on Dalori village and two nearby camps housing 25,000 refugees, according to survivors and soldiers at the scene just 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram and the biggest city in Nigeria's northeast.

The shooting, burning and explosions from three suicide bombers continued for nearly four hours in the unprotected area, survivor Alamin Bakura said, weeping on a telephone call to The Associated Press. He said several of his family members were killed or wounded.

The violence continued as three female suicide bombers blew up among people who managed to flee to neighboring Gamori village, killing many people, according to a soldier at the scene who insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to journalists.



Troops arrived at Dalori around 8:40 p.m. Saturday but were unable to overcome the attackers, who were better armed, said soldiers who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press. The Boko Haram fighters only retreated after reinforcements arrived with heavier weapons, they said.

Journalists visited the carnage Sunday and spoke to survivors who complained it had taken too long for help to arrive from nearby Maiduguri, the military headquarters of the fight to curb Boko Haram. They said they fear another attack.

Eighty-six bodies were collected by Sunday afternoon, according to Mohammed Kanar, area coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency. Another 62 people are being treated for burns, said Abba Musa of the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri.

Boko Haram has been attacking soft targets, increasingly with suicide bombers, since the military last year drove them out of towns and villages in northeastern Nigeria.

The 6-year Islamic uprising has killed about 20,000 people and driven 2.5 million from their homes.