MediaRap

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T20:10:00.000-08:00

It’s 2010! Happy New Year Everyone!

At the beginning of last year I wrote that I got a very different vibe - "a vibe I didn’t readily recognize.. So I'm thinking it's gonna be a shake-things-up kind of year." That we shouldn't be disheartened because things get shaken up when change is happening. Needless to say, a lot of shaking up went on...

This year, for 2010, the vibe I got is that everything is going to be all right. We've gone through the metamorphosis and a lot of plans, needs and wishes are going to be fulfilled; even those some may consider to be most unlikely. So watch out. We are in for many-a-pleasant Surprises!

I’m also sending a huge, huge shout-out filled with love, happiness and good health to my family, friends, loved ones and the world for 2010 and the years to come.

Consciousness Has Risen!
Here are 12 Moments To A Happier New Year. This Year May We All:

1) Show a little kindness to a stranger - even if it’s just a ‘Hello’.
2) Give a helping hand to someone we typically wouldn’t - even if it’s just to cross the street.
3) Make a little sacrifice - even if it’s just to let someone step in front of us in the coffee line.
4) Be a little more just - even if it’s a refrain from undermining your coworkers, employees or associates.
5) Be a little more genuine - even if its to be truly happy for someone who has achieved something you would want yourself.
6) Be a little more tolerant - even if it’s to take a moment to really try and understand someone else’s views that differs from your own.
7) Be a little more empathetic - even if it’s to simply imagine, without derision, what it is to be in someone else shoes.
8) Make right a wrong - even if it’s just saying ‘I’m sorry’.
9) Be a little stronger - even if it’s just to speak up for someone you observe to be the recipient of discrimination, prejudice or unjust treatment.
10) Be a little wiser - even if it’s simply to pray for guidance in times of confusion.
11) Have a little more hope - even if it’s just to do one thing to make yours or any life a little better.
12) Be a little more loving - even if it’s just to have compassion for those less fortunate or suffering in other parts of the world, and to give someone you care about that extra hug.

As A Result May We All:

Strut a Little Lighter,
Breathe A Little Easier,
Smile a Little More,
Laugh even Heartier,
Be Thankful for the Little Things,
And Make Time to Be Truly Happy!

The 10 Top Healthiest Happiest Nations

2009-09-10T23:28:00.000-07:00

In an effort to uncover the nations that achieve happy lives for their citizens without over-burdening the planet’s resources, Happy Planet chose to measure well-being in terms of long, happy and meaningful lives and what matters to the planet as it relates to our rate of resource consumption. The Index is clear that it “doesn’t reveal the ‘happiest’ country in the world. Rather, it focuses on “the relative efficiency with which nations convert the planet’s natural resources into long and happy lives for their citizens”. Examining life expectancy, life satisfaction and carbon footprint, the Happy Planet Index found Costa Rica, Dominian Republic, and Jamaica held the top three positions on the list.

The report claims that reported high levels of life satisfaction, and “happy life years", helped put Costa Rica at the top of the list. Costa Rica, which is a haven of democracy and peace in turbulent Central America, has taken deliberate steps to reduce its environmental impact. In addition, it has the fifth lowest human poverty index in the developing world.

The report also states that while “the Dominican Republic’s condition is similar to many other countries in the region – a medium score in the Human Development Index, dependence on the USA for trade, relatively high life expectancy given its income levels and, high levels of inequality – unlike many of its neighbors, it manages to achieve a life expectancy of over 70 years with a very small footprint”.

Jamaica presents somewhat of a paradox in that given its economic troubles, high levels of inequality, unemployment and homicide rates, amazingly it has some of the best levels of health among developing countries, a high average life expectancy and a very small ecological footprint. Access to drinkable water - unusual in a country with a GDP per capita one-tenth of that of the United States, the fact that 97% of babies are born with the assistance of skilled health professionals and only 4% are underweight, and the ability to ensure that few people fall in the most extreme poverty bracket (the proportion of people living on under $1.00 US per day is less than in richer countries, such as Costa Rica, Argentina or Turkey) also helped push Jamaica up the list.

Interestingly, but probably not surprisingly, rich developed nations fared poorly. The Netherlands was the highest placed Western nation at number 43. The United Kingdom placed 74, well behind Germany, Italy and France, but ahead of Japan and Ireland. The USA ranked number 114 out of the 143 countries surveyed.

The report also outlines a “Happy Planet Charter”, which calls for an unprecedented collective and global effort to develop a new concept of human progress, encourages an increase in quality of life that doesn’t impact negatively on the earth and a reduction in consumption in the highest-consuming nations.

Happy Planet Index Top Ten Nations

1. Costa Rica

2. Dominian Republic

3. Jamaica

4. Guetamala

5. Vietnam

6. Colombia

7. Cuba

8. El Salvador

9. Brazil

10. Honduras

Go to the Happy Planet Index for more information and to get the report.

Bits & Bytes

2009-09-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

A few snippets of information about some popular social networking sites:

• Facebook is all about who you know. The average age of Facebook users is 34 old, and women over 50 years of age is the fastest growing group. In the 6 month period ending July 4th, 2009, Facebook saw 513% growth in 55+ age group.

• Twitter is more about what you know. 64% of Twitter users are age 25-54, but it tends to repel the 18-25 year olds, with only 16% of users being under 25 years of age … Go figure.

• MySpace appeals more to musicians and entertainers, and the average age of users is 29 years of age.

• Black Voices was one of the first social networking sites on the scene.

• The Social Networking Conundrum: How is it that people have hundreds, if not thousands, of friends online, yet at the end of a long day end up going to a bar by themselves to have a beer?

Canada Rules On Facebook

2009-09-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

After an investigation that lasted over a year, Canada’s Privacy Commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, rules on how Facebook handles some 12 million (over one-third of the Canada’s population) Canadian users’ private information. This ruling is likely to set global precedent and could possibly benefit Facebook’s 200 million users worldwide, as privacy officials in Europe and Australia have also begun their own investigations.

Rather than go to court, Facebook agreed to work with the privacy department and make some changes. Of major concern was the third-party developer issue. Assistant Privacy Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, stated that "We were alarmed by the lack of adequate safeguards to effectively restrict developers from accessing users' personal information, as well as the information of their online friends". She added that "The notion that some teenager working in a basement halfway around the globe could have access to all of this personal information was unsettling to say the least". The new changes will help prevent applications from accessing personal information of users and their friends without their “express consent”.

The changes include:

• Implementing new controls on the Facebook site to limit the personal information that an estimated one million worldwide developers could access.

• Making it clear to users that there is a difference between ‘deleting’ an account and ‘deactivating’ it.

• The company will permanently delete the personal information of Facebook users who have already deactivated their accounts

Denham said that it will likely take Facebook about a year to make these changes.

New Orleans Today

2009-09-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

Some people take comfort in the thought that there has been ongoing rebuilding of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. However, last week on the 4th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina videographer, Joe Cotten and Allen Kimble takes us back to where the levees broke and on a tour through the one of the most damaged neighborhoods in New Orleans. They shine a light on a topic that have receded to the back of many a minds, and open our eyes to the current conditions of these devastated areas.

Although US President Barack Obama promises to cut through red tape in order to rebuild the levees and floodwalls around New Orleans, and strengthen the barrier islands and wetlands in the region (see article), Allen Kimble states that rebuilding of communities and peoples’ homes have mainly been through the help of volunteers.

A particularly troubling issue that arises in the video is the prospect that people risk losing their homes through the worst kind of gentrification possible. Watch the video below to find out more..

Four Years After Katrina: Where Are The People?

2009-08-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

New Orleans August 29.09
by Thomas Cottenier

Four years after Katrina there is a manifest contradiction in the Gulf Coast areas hit by the hurricane. Tens of thousands of evacuees who are overwhelmingly working-class and African Americans who want to return home, have not been able to do so. At the same time, tens of thousands of houses are vacant. Homelessness and police harassment is rampant in New Orleans and other cities of the Gulf Coast. The Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans is a wasteland and many houses have been washed away. The ones that are still standing are damaged and uninhabited. Why is this? During a visit to New Orleans, Louisiana and Biloxi, Mississippi on the fourth anniversary of Katrina we try to answer this question.

I journey with my dad, Jo, and Allen Kimble to the Lower Ninth Ward, the heart of the African American community in New Orleans. "You can see that houses are still empty. Allen explains, “the reason is that people were taken away and they were put all over the country in faraway places and then they set up barriers so that people could not come back. All kinds of barriers. Most people cannot afford to come back". In the Lower Ninth Ward less over 80% of the families who lived there have not been able to return to their homes.

Didn’t the federal government provide funds for the reconstruction of houses? "Yes", says Allen, but the stipulation is "the government will say well you get a loan, you repair your house and then we will give you some monies, but most people don’t have that kind of money to do that." Allen says that "almost all the work that has been done, has been through a series of volunteers. These volunteers come into the city and they offer themselves and they work for the people for nothing. So most progress that you see has not been because of government involvement. It’s been because of volunteerism".

It is remarkable that nobody seems to know where the missing people are today. Some are homeless under bridges and on the streets. According to Allen, there is no registry of the displaced families. He adds that the authorities would rather have the neighborhood cleared and sold to developers. He goes on to state that "this sort of thing will allow them to change the political realties of the city. New Orleans was predominantly a democratic region, but the shift of balance of the political situation has to do with the number of people, and so many people are away now and have not returned. So it is a way of shifting the political balance".

As we journey pass the many empty houses, Allen reflects that every house has a story and that "every now and then we still hear a report where they find a dead body in a house. Four years later..". As we come upon his mother’s house, holding back emotion, he tells us the story of that house in the Katrina video. Most of the houses are now boarded up and surrounded by chest-high weeds. Some houses have "Not for Sale" and "Do not Bulldoze" signs. Allen says, "There is an ordinance that if you let your grass stay like this for certain amounts of time, they charge you maybe a couple of hundred dollars a day and pretty soon the people will lose their property because they are not here and able to cut their grass. The fines will build up to maybe 300 or 400 dollars per day. And eventually you cannot pay the fines. Someone else come pay the fines and they become the owners of your property The sad thing about it is that a lot of people who are investors are coming through and you know they have money and a lot of them will be buying properties. They are investors and speculators so they’re actually benefiting from other people's misery."

A little choked-up and clearing his throat, Allen concludes sharply: "You know, worst than not helping the people, you know, to actually make it difficult…that’s sinful. It’s one thing if you don’t help, but then when you make it difficult for people to get things done…that’s really sad".

On our journey, we also attend a commemoration event at the Bethel Church in Biloxi, Mississippi. Attendance is low, less than fifty people, but all of them have been fighting for four years to defend the right of the evacuees to return. They are organized in a coalition, the STEPS Coalition for South Mississippi Gulf Coast Recovery.

"Our primary goal is to continue to mobilize the community" says James Crowell, the chair of the Human Rights Committee of the STEPS Coalition and the president of the NAACP of Biloxi. Serious charges resound in the church. "We have recreated the unfairness in society" says Scott Williams of the Back Bay Mission. "It is two societies. The people who got the money feel very proud and the people in this room know better, know that there is unfairness and a misuse of funds. Most of the money was given to people who already had insurance. Another amount was given to insurers, to utilities and only a small amount to lower income owners. Renters haven’t gotten nothing, landlords to repair have gotten very little. So renters who depend on landlords can't get back in".

The number of homeless in the Mississippi Gulf Coast area has tripled since hurricane Katrina struck. At the same time, empty houses are for rent at prices people in the area cannot afford. Scott Williams says: "Today over 1.5 billion has been spent on wealthier people, only a tiny amount of 200 million has been spent on poor people. Between 2006 and 2008, the State reallocated over $800 million away from housing towards other purposes. We demand to restore the remaining disaster money to replace lower income housing and housing for the homeless and only use the remaining money for other projects. And second, to do it quicker than has been done so far. We are four years after and it is time to move it faster".

Brent Cox of the ACLU of Mississippi says they rather put the money in casinos and businesses than in affordable housing; but they don’t want homeless to wander around the city either. According to Cox, there is a link to the increase in police brutality after Katrina. "One of the problems that we have is the way the police treat people here. After Katrina police had a license to harass people in a way they didn't before Katrina and they said they were doing it for safety; that they where circling around to pick up the bad elements. So they stopped people in their cars, they searched their cars, they demanded their identification and if they don't have it, they were sometimes taken to jail. There are no shelters, and police arrest people for sleeping in public places and sometimes even to be seen in public places, for sitting on a park bench, for being on a public beach. They make them pay fines; they arrest them and take them to jail telling that they have to be indoors but they have no indoors to go to. They want to be a city with no homeless people".

In New Orleans and in Biloxi we heard the same story: People are not coming back because they are not wanted. Brent Cox concludes: "But rights don’t stem from having a home or owning property, it's to be a human, so we call it human rights. So the STEPS Coalition here on the coast is forcing the government to recognize human beings have human rights and they are going to respect those human rights or we are going to protest, we can sue the government if necessary. We are going to force the government to protect the human rights of people along the coast".

< >

You can find out more information, get involved or help the victims of Hurricane Katrina by contacting any of the organizations mentioned, or contact the Federal Government to let them know your views and what they can do.

ACLU
Back Bay Mission
NAACP
STEPS Coalition

Williamses Wins Wimbledon!

2009-07-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Serena Williams beats her sister, Venus Williams, at Wimbledon today 7-6 (3), 6-2. This third win at Wimbledon gives her an 11th Grand Slam title and places her one shy of Billie Jean King, and sixth on the all-time women’s list.

Venus won the the last two Wimbledon championships and came into this match with a 20-match winning streak. She also won 17 of those matches in straight sets, including her win in the finals last year against Serena.

The Williams sisters also won the women's doubles title at Wimbledon, beating Australians Sam Stosur and Rennae Stubbs 7-6 (4), 6-4. This is the second year in a row that the American sisters have won the women’s double’s at Wimbledon.

Michael Jackson: An Icon Gone

2009-07-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

Oh so rare, a light so bright comes along that spans boarders and cultures; and in the collective, it stands apart while simultaneously pulls us together.

We never really understand true genius, often wrapped in eccentricities, so we resign ourselves to mind-wrenching inquiries of hypotheses and analyses that merely gives rise to more questions and no answers; no resolutions.

And when that light is gone,
We all feel it.
We wonder why,
Something’s missing
As another star twinkles in the sky.

Michael Jackson's Last Rehearsal
Less than 48 hours before he passed.

Spike Lee also directed two versions of They Don't Care About Us video from MJ's 1995 HIStory album. Below is the controversial, yet powerful version that still manages to connect with current times and the man himself. You can find the other version online.

Want to reminisce or see more MJ? Youtube has dedicated an entire channel to MJ entitled His Music Will Live Forever.

Videos

2009-04-16T23:51:00.000-07:00

On Katrina's 4th anniversary, Jo Cott and Allen Kimble takes us on a tour through the one of the most damaged neighborhoods in New Orleans.

The Trailer The Government Doesn't Want You To See!

That's why it's not on TV...Sacha Noam Baron Cohen, if you're out there, please contact me for where to send the cheque.

Someone recently said, "If I have an opinion and ten people tell me I'm wrong, I'm gonna change it". I immediately found too many loopholes in this logic...

Never Judge...

Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent
Need I say more...

Collaborative Poetry

2009-01-07T16:16:00.000-08:00

Poetry can be quite subjective and in the final analysis, both writer and reader are complicit in its creation. The poetic experience can be somewhat likened to a Gestalt shift, but able to allow a multitude of perceptions and interpretations.

Below is an actual conversation that took place between two people when an author sent a draft of the following poem to an individual for feedback. Well, let's just say the ensuing 'conversation' turned out to be somewhat poetic.

----------------------------------

No More Time

No more time for mortal games
Life's too serious to be ashamed
Forget the riddles and the clues
The hues are bright
It's you for who

Join our forces
Collect names
A time for reckon
No more games

No more leisurely debates about states
No more oppression
No more recession
No more either/or
No more poor

Know what's in store
Cause it's the same
For those who rule, who aim and maim
The universe is ready
No more games

No time to love and breakup
To shatter hearts and makeup
To fight and confront plights
To wrangle and rant
To seethe and plant

No time to ruminate in memories of little feet
Wet upon green dewy grass or dry n' warm soft sand
No time to treasure tiny smiles or hold an old hand
No time for tomorrows and dreams that are grand
No time to build a better place n' land…

Begin again
The stars' cohesive clink
No sense to think
Before we glint

A natural flow of communal glow
Like rain
Here not to wow or put on a show
No more time for game.

The Individual’s Response:

What inspired you to this end?
Or, shall I find the answer within.
I find delight in your ebb and flow
But enlightenment?

No.
Not that it's not there,
So far a field you are, that the rest don't dare.
You must shout from that distance for us to hear.
Let clarity in black and white replace colorful metaphor
Or come close to my intellect
Then you may whisper sweet nothings.

The Author's Reply to the Reponse:

Twas the inevitable that stirred me
Yes! Look inside and you will see
But how can thee delight in my ebb and flow
Yet turn thine eye to what I show?
I see,

For glee, thy prefer simplicity
Then for all I shout, thou shan’t hear me.
So for all to see, from skies to fields
I draw rainbows of imagery
Plus, it makes no sense to whisper sweet nothings
For thou choose deaf over intellect.

Poetry in Motion

2009-01-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

Beams of inspiration

Poetry in motion

Advancing on

Blistering, scorching deserts

Deserted worlds.

Refreshingly cool,

Rushes of water

For the thirsty and famined.

Ode to a time,

Genetic memories

Long forgotten

Crying out!

Now recalled.

Natures’ awaken

Hope

Change

Possibilities

Of what we can achieve

What we are meant to be.

The Race: Part 3

2008-11-21T22:24:00.000-08:00

I didn’t expect racism to magically disappear the day after the US election, but it was really disheartening to read an Associated Press article stating that the election caused “hundreds” of hate threats and crimes. This included “cross burnings, school children chanting "assassinate Obama", black figures hung from nooses, racial epithets scrawled on homes and cars” and more (ABC news). stories like this and the one about the group that planned to murder 102 African Americans and attack Obama (ABC news blotter) causes one to wonder if any progress in race relations had been made at all over the years, or is it always going to be one step forward, two steps back? This is not to say that people should give up on efforts to improve race relations and eliminate racism - but more to highlight just how difficult it can be to do so and that there are forces working just as hard to undermine any progress being made.

There is a saying that the difference between racism in Canada and the United States is that “in Canada they don’t care how close you get, as long as you don’t get too high; and in the US they don’t care how high you get as long as you don’t get to close”. In other words, on one hand, minorities are welcomed to dinner but it’s unlikely they’ll get that promotion. On the other hand, one can attain the most important position in the US, but still ain’t welcomed to break bread in some homes. Reinforcing this notion is the fact that in comparison to African Canadians in Canada more African Americans hold key positions in the US corporate and political world. Furthermore, US based companies that promote minorities to upper management and executive positions in the US, do not appear to enforce such practices to the same extent in their Canadian operations. Ironically, Canada and particularly Toronto, has been touted as the multicultural “vegetable bowl” to the US’ “melting pot”. It is often argued or assumed that increased multiculturalism and, in some circles, even assimilation indicates a more tolerant and thus, less racist society. However, aside from all the hype, looking at how culturally diverse a society is or to what degree a society engages in assimilation may not be reliable ways of gauging the extent of racism in a society.

The Race: Part 2

2008-11-18T16:21:00.000-08:00

Issues of race are not going to be solved overnight. This battle has been going on a long, long, long time. Part of the reason why this war is so difficult to win is that the enemy is capable of appearing 'invisible' or going virtually undetected; essentially a denial of presence while still affecting situations, relations and outcomes. It isn’t new to talk about racism, but it was always somewhat taboo to point out when there's a 600-pound elephant in the room. Such actions were made even more taboo by the invention of the concept “playing the race card”; a construct designed to instantly negate and decapitate any dialogue about race and racism in every context (I won’t digress too much by going into a linguistic - semantic, semiotic or cybernetic - decoding of that construct).

Nevertheless, one promising observation I noted during the 2008 US election was that this was the first time I’ve seen mainstream media really tackle, openly discuss and debate race and racism without appearing to be ‘walking on glass’ or compelled to do due diligence. I’m not referring to the occasional timid glance at the 600-pound elephant taking a dump in the corner, but an outright acknowledgement accompanied by the courage to ask ‘what is that beast doing there?’. I hope open, rational discourse about race and racism will continue and become more a part of the mainstream dialogue, because without out it there will be no increased awareness and understanding of this terrible, multifaceted and complex disorder (believe it or not, it’s not all black and white) - and without comprehension there can be no effective cures.

The Race: Part 1

2008-11-18T12:56:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to be in grant park on the November 4, 2008 US election night. I have to say it was truly Amaaaaaaazing! I’ve never seen anything like it - people were everywhere, seas of people. Over 200,000 people filled grant park and thousands more poured into the surrounding streets. People were singing and chanting "Obama, Obama, Obama"! People ventured to Chicago from all over the world! I can't tell you how wonderful it was to see Barack Obama win the election and give his acceptance speech. The following day I went with a friend to Hyde Park (Obama's neighborhood) and everyone was talking about the election!

I’ll admit, for months I’ve been on a steady diet of the US election and related issues, which includes following the election, watching debates, debating the debates (now would that be a meta-debate?), constantly talking about the election to anyone unwillingly willing to listen, writing blogs and even poetry about the election, and then finally attending election night at grant park! To see Barack Obama win was exhilarating beyond expression. There really was a feeling in the energy that night that we had crossed a bridge of which there is no return - and in the anticipation of what lay ahead was the distinct feeling of hope and positive change. I experienced a new emotion and I slowly savored it like a fine aged-old drink, as I savor it now with the hope that it never ends.

My preoccupation with the campaign pales in comparison to levels of fixation displayed by thousands of Obama addicts. They comprise an e-mail list with contact information for 10 million people, and 3 million donors and 1.5 million active volunteers. No wonder the opposition is ranting and raving that Obama has built an epic army that awaits his every bidding and is at his disposal to carryout his “socialist” agenda.

On our way to grant park the night of the election, a friend I was with ran into some of his friends. They were video taping interviews with people on the street and one of the questions they asked was whether people thought this election would help to improve race relations in America. As we walked on, I commented that on a macro level electing Obama will send a huge message to America and the world that the majority of voters saw fit to look beyond race and elect the person they feel is best for the job. However, on a more complex micro-level, on the individual level we may see a different (or the same old) story.

Classifieds

2008-07-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

Need Help! But, Can’t Afford Big Agency Fees.

Recession-proof your needs. Highly versatile professionals available to work on almost any project. Able to work virtually or travel for work; and ready to help ease your workload on any of the following related projects.

• Writing
• Research
• Communications
• Media
• Marketing
• Public Relations
• Administration
• Project Management

Contact MR for more information.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Advertise on MediaRap.
Contact us for more information.

Advertise on MediaRap

2008-07-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Please contact us for more information about placing ads.

Listed below are examples available ad types and sizes.
Please note that we may support other ad types and sizes as well.

Full Page Ads or Advertorials that links from the Home page are also available.

The following ad sizes may be placed on the Home page or in the Classifieds section:

• Banner (468 x 60)

• Button (125x125)

• Half Banner (234x60)

• Small Rectangle (180x150)

• Vertical Banner (120 x 240)

• Small Square (200 x 200)

• Square (250 x 250)

• Medium Rectangle (300 x 250)

• Large Rectangle (336 x 280)

About MediaRap

2008-07-07T10:57:00.000-07:00

MediaRap is an agora of news, opinions, views and hues. Et les laments d'un info junkie.

MediaRap also covers topics on culture, media, politics, technology, and yes, even the 'mundane'!

In this collective, collaboration of consciousness YOUR views count! So post your comments, send your feedback, and feel free to contribute to our micro-level think tank.

"Everything we do is communication and, as such, beings are voyeuristic, fascinatingly complex creatures that impel a closer look."

Contact Us

2007-07-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

Thank You

2007-07-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

Your message has been delivered. Thanks for contacting MediaRap.

Back To Home Page