Random Thoughts Of Cerebral Violence 15.

*****Warning: The Ability For Critical Thinking Required Before Reading This Post. High Levels Of Sarcasm And Bloody Humor Present. May Hurt The Feelings Of The Thin Skinned And The Weak Minded, The Slow Witted Need Not Continue.*****




**** We all know about the tragedy of Haiti and while I was donating money and trying to hunt down relatives I absorbed what ever news came out of there.

One of the stories that came out though gave me reason for pause.

There seemed to be this rush in taking children out of Haiti who were orphans or newly turned orphans.

Now this was going on within a week of the earthquake, and I remember thinking that they were moving faster then needed with that.

I can understand the need to help but this type of rush with out fact checking can do more damage then good.

Haiti to my knowledge does not have a welfare system, no Section 8 for housing, no Food Stamps/EBT for food.

This safety net that is here in this country that allows a mother to keep and care for her children is not present in Haiti.

So a family in Haiti who can not take care of her child has one of two options either give their child to a family who can afford to take care of the child and in return the child becomes a house hold servant, (I remember having a very young "nanny" as a child that was a result of this method) or give the child to an orphanage.

In either case the mother and father are NOT putting up her child for adoption or even giving up rights to the child.

They are just placing them in a place that will give their child the best chance to survive.

So when I hear things like adoption groups and well meaning organizations all of a sudden make a move to make off with a army of Haitian children and use the many having the idea of giving the kids out to adoption alarms flash through my head.

Words like kidnapping and abscond pop into my head and I am reminded of the Aboriginal "Lost Generation".

Now I don't think anything that sinister is meant by these groups to put them in the category of what happened in Australia.

But when your rushing to take kids away from their native land and shipping them them to another country with no ties to their culture, race and roots thus damning them with a life time inferiority complex...........

When you don't even check to see if the child's relatives are alive and can provide care...........

When you make off with kids who make up a large part of the population there by threaten the future existence of the country......

And when you do mess like this........


......taking kids to the Dominican Republic?

Didn't bother to do any research on the historical racial tension between the two nations did you.

When you do thing like this you need to slow the hell down and ask some questions first.

And preferably you ask the people your trying to help.



****Miss America?

Now I admit I don't pay attention to this stuff but when i saw this pic pop up on the computer I couldn't help but wonder how similar the contestants look, even the ones of different races.


I don't want to be the cynic here but.............no....to hell with that that's exactly what I want to be here......exactly what part of America do these women really represent?

How about putting some bald headed chics up there, some fat ones, dreadlocs, pierced mouths, or have some rainbow dyed hair.

Let one of the ladies show how to diffuse a dirty bomb in some dude's under wear while budgeting her check book and slipping on a thong on the talent portion of the show.

Do that for me Miss America.

That way I wont see you as a cookie cut out of some one else's dream.

And another thing the panel of judges included radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, actress Vivica Fox, musician Dave Koz, Miss America 2002 Katie Harman, gymnast Shawn Johnson and former "American Idol" finalist Brooke White.

Now I wasn't expecting a panel of the world's leading scientists and philosophers and what not but...........come the f&@# on y'all couldn't do better then this?

And Rush?

What?

He thinks cause he voted for some black chic he gets a get out of bigot prison pass?

You still cant have a football team bastard.



**** There some people who watch the Superbowl for the game and then you have those watch it for the damn commercials.

I cant lie back in the day the commercials were pretty good.

But it was only a matter of time before someone would take advantage of the millions of viewers to push a political agenda.

In this case a Pro Life ad featuring college football Saint Tim Tebow, (no surprise here) and a gay marriage commercial.

I happen to support both causes but I would rather just be thinking about football at that time.



****My play daughter had her period a few months ago and I was "blessed" with the task of getting her her first pack of pads.

Well her mother is a nasty mutha when she is on and her daughter apparently has inherited that trait......excuse me as I smirk.



Boy to be a fly on the wall in their house.............


*****Do I like the idea of flesh colored underwear?


OF COURSE I DO.

But even I know that a televised sporting event is not where you should be wearing it.

Which ticks me off because now I have to give a side eye to Venus Williams for playing stupid and wondering why this was a big deal.

You really need to wonder why this is not a good idea?

Better yet exactly why are you faking showing your ass anyway?

Woman just go ahead and show your ass if your going to.

Don't play about it, be about it.



*****And speaking about not playing around with it.

I'm not sure if I should put this down as a win for people with disabilities or a massive fail for the economy that would force some one to do this.


I'm sorry.....a one legged stripper?

Are times that hard?

Down here in the south the booty club is serious business, so serious that rival clubs regularly engage in guerrilla type war fare with each other from inserting rodents and bugs into rival clubs to get them shut down to actually burning each other down.

Now that I think about it this might not be a sign of hard times but a sign of desperate measures by club managers to get some attention.

Either way,call me crazy if you want but I got to see that.

Seriously now, how many people can say the were in a strip club and got a lap dance from a one legged stripper?

Go ahead......ask around.......I'll wait.......

Just to say you did is worth going.

Good News Tuesday: Helping Hands In Haiti

The news out of Haiti has gotten worst as expected when there is so few resources and the people get more desperate.

But keeping with the Good News Tuesday theme I would like to point out the positives involving Haitians cause I already know the media is going to suspect when reporting the news from the island.



1- Senegal President offers Haitians a home.

PARIS — Senegal's president on Sunday called for Africa to make room for victims of Haiti's earthquake to restart their lives on the continent from where their ancestors were snatched as slaves.

"The repeated calamities that befall Haiti prompt me to propose a radical solution -- to take measures to create somewhere in Africa... the conditions for Haitians to return," President Abdoulaye Wade told France Info radio.

"They did not choose to go to that island," he added, referring to the mass deportation of African slaves to Haiti, then a French colony, from the 16th century.

"It is our duty to recognise their right to come back to the land of their ancestors."

His spokesman Mamadou Bamba Ndiaye gave further details of the proposals.

"If it is just a few people, we will offer them a roof and a patch of land," he told the radio station. "If they come in large numbers, we will give them a whole region."

This a very generous offer from the President of Senegal, I am curious to see how serious is about it and if anyone takes him up on the offer.


2- In the area of athletics...Dominican Miguel Tejada goes to Haiti to help quake victims By David Brown.....

A native of the Dominican Republic, Tejada arrived in Haiti on Sunday, intent on doing whatever possible to help people he calls "brothers."

Tejada told MSNBC he was bringing water, food and — most of all — himself in response to an earthquake that's killing an untold amount and has plunged an entire country into chaos.

"I was in the States when it happened," Tejada said. "They came to my heart and I'm really sorry for what has happened. That's why I came here, to bring some support for the people here."

3- Doctors Remove Concrete From Haitian Girl Brain

One of the first surgeries performed in the big US Navy hospital ship of the coast of Haiti involved the removal of concrete, yes, concrete, from a little Haitian girl's brain.
She is 12 years old and she will be OK

CNN's Sanjay Gupta was the one who performed the brain surgery.

What do you know... A neurosurgeon was needed to perform the operation, and thank God, CNN sent a neurosurgeon to Haiti to report on the earthquake.

"I am a doctor first," Sanjay said a few days ago, "and I am confortable with that."

Keeping the faith.

Haiti

Cant really say much about this, still trying to get info myself.

The Electronic Village has put up a nice post on anyone who would like to help.


Here are organizations that villagers can contact if they want to help the people in Haiti: Haiti Earthquake: How Can You Help?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS USA/MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES (MSF)
333 7th Avenue, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10001-5004
Traditional, yet innovative medical providers spread across the globe.

LE FLAMBEAU FOUNDATION
1172 S. Dixie Highway, #203
Coral Gables, FL 33146
(305) 596-2819
Foundation established by BMDC member, Brother Jean Gervais of Miami, who is also a native of Haiti

OXFAM AMERICA
226 Causeway St., 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02114-2206
Charity devoted to stopping hunger and providing nutrition to communities in crisis.

PARTNERS IN HEALTH
P.O. Box 845578
Boston, MA 02284-5578
NGO run by Paul Farmer providing health resources to Haiti since 1985.

SAVE THE CHILDREN
Haiti Earthquake Children in Emergency Fund
54 Wilton Road
Westport, CT 06880
Children-focused relief agency with a special earthquake fund.

THE SALVATION ARMY
615 Slaters Lane; P.O. Box 269
Alexandria, VA 22313
Church-based coordinator of health and family services.

U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF
125 Maiden Lane
New York, N.Y. 10038
Charity specifically targeting children—providing educational materials, food, water and medicine.

WORLD VISION
Haiti Earthquake Relief
P.O. Box 9716
Federal Way, Wash. 98063-9716

YELE HAITI
Text 'YELE' to '501501' to donate $5
Charity operated by Wyclef Jean



Peace.

Good News Tuesday: Noramie F. Jasmin

Noramie F Jasmin is the first female mayor of Spring Valley NY:


Noramie Festa Jasmin, previously a trustee and deputy mayor of Spring Valley, was sworn in as mayor on Monday December 7, 2009, and she is the first woman to hold the title of "Mayor of Spring Valley NY" since the incorporation of the village in 1902.



I used to stay in Spring Valley as a kid, nothing much to it but I have memories of the place so I threw it up here.

Congratulations to her.

Good News Tuesday:CEO of Dodge Car Brand, Chrysler Group LLC Ralph Gilles

First let me say that there certain brands I just wont support.

I do not do Nike despite how good their product is cause I don't like their business practice.

I don't do Starbucks cause they are HIGHLY overrated with their coffee.

And with the exception of Chevy trucks I do not do American cars, just not reliable, I do not care how cheap the parts are I should not have to be seeing a mechanic in less than a year for major work and I damn sure shouldn't have to buy special equipment to work on it my self.

Why the hell should I have to flip the engine to change spark plugs?

And the bottom of the barrel of American brands are Chrysler, Dodge and that despicable Pontiac.

In case of the first two, I don't know how those brands are still in business, after earlier this year, I thought they were done for.

But in a move that might just save their butts the company put in place some one who actually knows how to design cars, Ralph Gilles.


From Black Entreprenuers:

Ralph V. Gilles was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, Dodge Car Brand, Chrysler Group LLC, October 2009, with full profit and loss responsibility for the Dodge car product portfolio. He continues to lead Product Design as Senior Vice President, a position he was named to in June 2009.

Previously, he was named Vice President – Design on Sept. 1, 2008.

Since first joining the former Chrysler Corporation in 1992 as a designer, Gilles has put his extensive academic background in industrial design and business administration to use, holding various positions within the company, including:

2009, President and Chief Executive Officer, Dodge Car Brand, and Senior Vice President – Product Design, Chrysler Group LLC
2009, Senior Vice President – Product Design
2008, Vice President – Design, Chrysler LLC
2006, Vice President – Jeep®/Truck, Color and Trim Studios, and Specialty Vehicles, Chrysler Group, DaimlerChrysler
2005, Director – Truck Exterior/Interior Design Studio
2001, Director – Design Office, Large Car Studio, Family Vehicles
1999, Senior Manager – Design Office, Studio 3
1998, Manager – Design Office, Jeep Interiors, Chrysler Corporation
1992, Designer – Design Office
Gilles is extremely active inside and outside the company. He serves as the Executive Sponsor of the Chrysler African American Network (CAAN) in addition to playing a leading role with The Chrysler Global Diversity Council. He also serves on the Boards of The Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Mich. and The Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital Regional Medical Center in Pontiac, Mich. At his alma mater, The College for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit, Gilles serves on The Advisory Board of The School of Industrial Design and on The CCS Capital Committee.

The man has a long hard road ahead of him trying to make cars that appeal to the public as well as break the perception of American automotive incompetence.

But you got to start some where.


I don't know how much pull he really has but besides making a good car he should look into going electric.

Wordless Wednesday: Art Appreciation Orville Bulman

"La Maison de Joi" 1975





"Ansonia" 1953





"Street Dance" 1953





"Le Cavalier Fier" 1961

Good News Tuesday: Wyclef Jean & Timberland Haiti Reforestation

Growing up in New York there was some these that was just mandatory if you were a true black man.

You had to know how to play ball.

You had to have a ball cap.

You had to be arrogant as hell.

You have to have a PhD in smack talking.

But most of all you had to have at least one pair of Timbs.

And if it was just one pair it had to be the standard honey wheat.



It was part of the New York uniform, anything else was looked down upon, that included those high end brands like the Polo boots.


Or the ones that targeted the urban market like Lugz.


They had to be Timbs, didn't matter that the company didn't want black men wearing their boots for what ever reason.

That just gave us the green light to steal their shit, but get it we would.

But that was back in the day, today it is rare to see Timbs on the streets, I have no idea why, I stopped buying them awhile ago for no specific reason so I am just now hearing about the decline in quality and it not being stylish any more.

But after reading this I am hoping for a come back.

From Haitian Internet:

The Timberland company and Haitian Hip Hop Singer Wyclef Jean are teaming up for a new collection of Timberland boots called "Timberland Earthkeepers Yele Haiti boots."



That's not all, The Timberland Earthkeeper line of will also include closing designed by children in Haiti. I watch a video of wake of himself promoting the new timberland yearly Haiti earth keeper line


Timberland Earthkeepers Yele Haiti boots We'll be available for men and women and kids.

For every pair of these boots sold, Timberland will donate $2 to the Yele Haiti foundation to support reforestation in Haiti.


The Timberland Earthkeepers Yele Haiti boots will be Available in the United States in November 2010 and globally by February 2010.

Now the cynic in me is saying this is the move of a company trying to slide it's way back into a market they took for granted a long time ago.

But this is a case were ends do justify the means, Haiti has a serious deforestaion problem that has contributed to flooding during hurricane season.

So this time I put away my side eye and give props to the Timberland and wyclef for giving a fuck.

Good News Tuesday: Haiti HOPE International

As seen at Movie Lakay.....

Haiti HOPE International from Nic McLean on Vimeo.

This is a documentary created for HOPE International to show how microfinance enterprise is working to fight poverty and change the lives of people in Haiti. It was directed by Nic McLean and shot on a Panasonic HVX200 and a Nikon D90. Music is by Josh Garrels, Jessica McLean, Chad Farran & Justin Werner.

Haiti HOPE International


I will say this as a sidenote, never trust a missionary man.

Good News Tuesday: Haitian Author Edwidge Danticat wins the Genius Award.

Wikipedia:
Danticat was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. When she was two years old, her father André immigrated to New York from Haiti, to be followed two years later by her mother Rose. This left Danticat and her younger brother Eliab to be raised by her aunt and uncle. Although her formal education in Haiti was in French, she spoke Haitian Kréyòl at home.


Miami Herald:
An award-winning author who was born in Haiti, Danticat, 40, learned she had just won the biggest honor of her career: the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation `Genius Award,' which carries a $500,000 ``no strings attached'' prize.

Wikipedia:
The MacArthur Fellows Program or MacArthur Fellowship (nicknamed the Genius Award) is an award given by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation each year to typically 20 to 40 United States citizens or residents, of any age and working in any field, who "show exceptional merit and promise for continued and enhanced creative work."

According to the Foundation's website, "the fellowship is not a reward for past accomplishment, but rather an investment in a person's originality, insight, and potential." The current amount of the award is $500,000, paid as quarterly installments over five years. As of 2007[update], there have been 756 recipients who have received a total of more than $350 million.



Now who says nothing good comes out of Florida;)


UPDATE,

Now I have been saying to stop treating FOX News like a legitimate news stations for awhile now because there not, there a bunch of Right Wing instigators.

And last week the President did just that, and Fox cried bloody murder about it.

(See Here)

Well it looks like their own partners in crime are realizing that.



It's just that simple.

I just love Good News Tuesday!

What Im Rockin: Black Dada "Im A Zoe"

Im a Zoe, what else can I say.

Wordless Wednesday:Art Appreciation

Le Negre Marron by Albert Mangones

What I am Rockin: BelO

BelO-Jasmine


Giving yall some new new, or rather some new new to you so you can free you mind, cause the radio stations got it on lock.

What I want to see: The Price for sugar

This documentary profiles the courageous Father Christopher Hartley, a Spanish priest who travels to the Dominican Republic to stop a modern-day slavery operation. Thousands of Haitian men are forced to work in inhumane conditions to harvest sugar cane for obscenely rich sugar barons. Standing up in the face of multiple death threats, Father Hartley bravely teaches these dispossessed workers to stand up for themselves and improve their lives.





The more you think things change the more they stay the same.

News from Planet "Duh Really?" 2: Slavery as a Theme Park.

Lol, you heard about this one?

Stirring news from Planet "Duh Really?"

http://www.racialicious.com/2008/01/07/amusement-park-allows-visitors-to-be-slave-for-a-day/
An American couple based in Haiti want to open a park called Memory Village to educate people about slavery (thanks Tricia):

Visitors to Memory Village would decide whether they wanted to be spectators or participants during a twelve-hour day. The latter would receive traditional African clothing and then be mock-kidnapped from their homelands, shackled, chained and forced to march to the slave ship (resting on a real stream), where they’d be piled in as cargo for the crossing of the Atlantic. Once the ship reached the New World, the participants would be brought to market and sold, then broken down in the quarantine and put to work out on the plantation. Near the end of the day, a slave rebellion would start, a rebellion that would eventually lead to the establishment of Haiti.


Mean while back on planet Earth.

Man I got to say this one tickled me silly.

I wonder If I could get a job as a plantation owner?

Thing is I am surprised no one tried this before.

First you can not recreate slavery.

Not the devastated African villages, broken families, torture, rape, murder, loss freedom, the number done on the mind that till this day effects black people world wide.

Nope, can not repeat that Mike Tyson kicking your babies in their baby nuts wont make you feel that pain.

You cant recreate a race war which is basically what happened in Haiti, a royal rumble of colors.

Or the consequences that resulted from a little country standing up to the than Imperial powers, that still effects them today.

So what exactly would whites get out of this I do not know, relief from misplaced guilt about the way they treated the black door man maybe?

But hell, I like a joke like the next man and I have an appreciation for a good huslte when I see one.

If they want to pay for it, and lord knows the brothas and sistas in Haiti could use the cash, than sell it.

China's Helping Hand.

I am always wary when I hear super power nations lending poor nations a helping hand.
China is flexing it's international muscle for reasons ranging from good PR, obtaing natural resources, shoring up UN votes ect, ect, like any good ol 1st world nation would. There all in the Middle East Africa and the Americas, in some shape or fashion. A lot of this is help is tied into the idea by the Chinese goverment that Tiawan should not be recognized as a sorveign nation but instead a state of China, (Haiti at one time has recogized taiwan as a independt nation).

This excerpt of an article written on the matter was taken from the Haitian Times website.







Chief Praises China’s Contribution To Haiti’s Stability Haitian Times News WiresU.N. Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Jean-Marie Guehenno on Tuesday praised China’s “important contribution” to ending the crisis and promoting stability in Haiti.

Guehenno called upon the China Peacekeeping Police Training Center in Langfang, which is in northern Hebei Province, where a 125-member riot police team has been trained for a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti. The team displayed its skills for the U.N. official, including combat skills, search techniques, hostage rescue, VIP protection and crowd control.


Praising their performance, Guehenno said that he was “very impressed” by the high-level skills and professionalism of the Chinese riot police. He expressed confidence that they would make an important contribution to promoting peace in Haiti and helping people.

The team, China’s sixth deployment to Haiti, is scheduled to leave in December. Over the past four months, they were trained in languages, shooting, driving and combat skills, and received high recognition from U.N. officials.......