The Wrighter

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:29:00 +0000

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?

This morning

I read the headlines:

Police: Up to 20 people witnessed gang rape
Authorities in Calif. city say nobody did anything to stop attack

No kidding. The article reports about a gang rape and beating of a 15-year-old sophomore girl, that occurred outside during a Homecoming dance at Richmond High School in Richmond, California. The attackers are said to range from 15 to 25. According to reports the girl was on her way to meet her father who was picking her up, when she was invited to drink with a group of her classmates. The girl agrees to have a drink with them when she is attacked, and according to the article as many as 20 PEOPLE watched and did absolutely nothing. She was found naked from the waist down and semi-conscious behind bleachers. They even suggested that some of the witnesses and participants recorded the crime on their cell phones and may have posted it on the internet.

Twenty people may have just watched it go on and then walked away! So many! So heartless, cold and disconnected!

This afternoon

I read that a month ago protesters in Guinea that had gathered at a sports stadium were systematically attacked and raped. According to the BBC, on September 28th, 157 of the protesters died, many of them trampled to death. Watch groups and activists say that because the police blocked the exits and because the rapes (many of them gang rapes by the police) occurred at the same time, they believe there was some type of permission granted to attack and sexually violate these women.

The violation of rape is a life-long mental and emotional scar. It is a vile subhuman act of pure evilness. To know that our teenage boys are capable of doing such a heinous act against one of their classmates is both grotesque and heart breaking. I was so enraged after reading that I wanted to spit (and then go out to Richmond, find them and slit their throats – I don’t care if they are minors).

Then to turn around and read that a government kills 157 of their own people and raped the women! It’s just too much. I’m so angry right now, I’ve given myself a headache.

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:28:00 +0000

Meme Theory: Share This

Last night before heading off for my fantastic adventures in Sleepy Land, I read an intriguing essay titled, Share This about the theory of memes, from a literary magazine, written by Jeff Porter (Antioch Review, Fall 2008, Volume 66, Number 4).

I wasn’t familiar with what a meme was but as it was introduced, I understand it to be a “thing” - a unit of some sort of cultural idea, phrase, jargon, symbol or practice that is passed from the mind of one person to another through various methods of transfer, including (but not limited to-) conversations, trends, rituals, visual and audio medium.

The theory of meme is not a new concept, or a new phenomena. According to Porter, theorists suggest that the mind has been practicing this type of transfer “since the saber tooth tiger.” If this is the case, it means that our minds are built to be copy machines or better yet scanners, that scans info from one mind and copies it to another. For example, a meme was activated when skinny jeans starred as the “it” item of street fashion a couple years back. Or remember when grown women were fighting in the stores over Cabbage Patch Dolls in the 80’s? It’s the reason EVERYONE knows the Happy Birthday song. It’s where urban myths and clichés come from.

As my daughter would say, that’s easy-peasy lemon breezy (another meme in the works here). Porter addresses and incorporates the idea of video swapping on social networks as a gigantic pulsating meme that will lead us to God-knows-where (another cliché, therefore I meme). Giving the site of YouTube as an example of the largest vehicle for memes through privately shot video to allow tiny memes to wiggle through the pinholes in our brains and lay egg to pass on to others. Those weren’t his exact words, I’m kind of paraphrasing here.

Where books were once the portal, in our complex world, memes have abandoned fibrous pages to aggressively pursue high-speed technology. Abandoning language as we simply cut and paste the words of others rather than creating. No longer hand picking and reproducing the words someone else has sweated over and sculpted with their own pen. We click and forward. Our language leaks from our culture with these holes new technology has created. Only the future can show us what will be left.

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:11:00 +0000

Emptying Guantanamo Bay: The Supreme Court Gets Involved

In 2006, five of 22 Chinese Muslims went to Albania and in June of this year, four were sent to Bermuda. The Pacific island nation of Palau has said it would take 12 of the remaining 13, but some of the detainees have expressed concern over their safety because of Palau’s proximity to China.

Go to:The Wrighter to view the video.

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:10:00 +0000

Speaking of genocide…

If any of you out there are near me, there are a couple of events coming up this weekend regarding the Rwandan genocide. On Friday, October 9th, OC for Darfur will be showing “Shake Hands With The Devil” based on the book of almost the same title about Lieutenant General Roméo Dallaire.

Canadian Lieutenant General Roméo Dallaire was tasked by the United Nations with ensuring that peace was maintained in Rwanda , but unsupported by U.N. headquarters and its Security Council far away in New York; Dallaire and his handful of soldiers were incapable of stopping the genocide.

There is also a discussion after the screening, and Carl Wilkens, the only American to stay in Rwanda during the Rwandan genocide in 1994, will be present as well.

On Saturday, October 10th, Carl Wilkens will speak on what he witnessed in Rwanda. According to the Living Ubutu website, as a humanitarian aid worker, Wilkens moved his young family to Rwanda in the spring of 1990 and refused to leave in 1994 when the genocide launched. When thousands of expatriates evacuated and the United Nations pulled out most of its troops, Carl was the only American to remain in the country. Venturing out each day into streets, he worked his way through roadblocks of angry, bloodstained soldiers and civilians armed with machetes and assault rifles in order to bring food, water and medicine to groups of orphans trapped around the city. His actions saved the lives of hundreds.

Friday, October 9 2009
7:00p
Irvine United Congregational Church
4915 Alton Parkway
Irvine, California 92604
Cost:
Free

Saturday, October 10 2009
7:00p
Irvine United Congregational Church
4915 Alton Parkway
Irvine, California 92604
Cost:
Free

For more information go to http://www.livingubuntu.org/

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:15:00 +0000

One of the Most Wanted for Rwandan Genocide - Arrested

Five years ago I wrote a volume of poetry dedicated to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. Just last week, I was casually reviewing my book, Say it! Say Gen-o-cide!! to discern whether it’s content was brilliant enough to submit with an application for a fellowship. Today, before I had the opportunity to scan the website of BBC News, a headline leaped out at me: “Rwanda Queen-Killing Suspect Held.”

According to the report, a former head of intelligence in Rwanda’s army, Idelphonse Nizeyimana, was one of the most wanted suspects in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and has been arrested in Uganda.

In 1994, rumors had spread through word of mouth and hate-radio that the ethnic group called the Hutu were going to decimate another ethnic group called the Tutsi, but many of the country’s citizens didn’t put much weight behind these rumors because the act seemed too outrageous to bare teeth. In April, however, after the country’s Hutu president’s plane was shot out of the sky and crashed into the side of a mountain, it triggered the mass order of Tutsi extermination (along with moderate Hutus), resulting in the heinous killing of nearly 800,000 men women and children. The massacre lasted from April to July, nearly 100 days – the largest genocide in deaths per day, in history.

Recently captured Nizeyimana, according to the article, stands accused of setting up special military units to help carry out the murders. One of these units is said to have killed the Tutsi queen, 80-year-old Queen Rosalie Gicanda, along with several women who took care of her. Nizeyimana is also accused of setting up roadblocks where Tutsi’s were captured before being killed.

Like many Hutus after Tutsi rebels took over in July of ‘94, ending the genocide, Nizeyimana fled Rwanda to the DR Congo and became active in a pro-Hutu rebel army. Last week, according to Ugandan police, he crossed the border into Uganda, headed for Kenya and was arrested in a hotel in Kampala, Uganda’s capitol. He will soon appear before The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, based in Arusha Tanzania.

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:35:00 +0000

When I Snap My Fingers You Will Wake Up Feeling Refreshed And Will Want A New Cell Phone

I’ve had the same cell phone for the last seven years. Does that sound crazy? I won’t buy a new one because I only bought it after my car died on the 101 freeway one night on my way to an engagement party. I was stuck, totally dependent on the kindness of a stranger. After that incident, I decided, for emergency purposes, it would be best if carried one.

The graphics on my phone are clearly outdated. The once metallic looking gadget is now paint-chipped revealing it’s plastic makeup. The flip keyboard is still very cool to me. Super convenient for texting. And of course, it’s prepaid. There have been quite a few folks to voice their opinion about how prepaid phones are a complete waste of money. For most, it most likely is, but for me, since I don’t hand out my number like candy, it’s not really an issue.

I can’t help but take note of all the new phones that are out. Maybe it’s just my imagination but it seems like a new phone model comes out every couple of days. Quite fascinating. The concept of so many cell phone choices was particularly intriguing while I attended a workshop this weekend and during the 20 minute break, noticed about half the attendees there, separating from the pack like scattered electrons, cell phones plastered to their ears.

The next evening I watched Suze Orman blast an aspiring actress of 30 who was $32,000 in debt, claiming banks were unjustly raising the minimum balance and she could not afford to make the required payments. Keep in mind that this woman also put a $4,000 trip to Germany on one of her credit cards. Sitting there watching the financial banter, I wondered if she owned an iphone, or maybe a Samsung Rogue. Suze suggested the teary actress declare bankruptcy, because she was about to drown in her own debt.

I work really hard for my money, just as most people do, and there are a lot of
things that I expect to accomplish. In all actuality, I probably could use a new phone, and I’ll get one, right after I pay off the last of my credit card debt and get settled into my new place (that I haven’t bought yet). The distraction of shiny sparkly new gadgets, to me, reminds me of so many distractions that keep us complacent and entranced in the frivolous drivel and trinkets that bombard our daily living. It sounds very cliché but, I’m waging war against the machine – determined to take back my own mind …and wallet.

Action: Read Mind Programming: From Persuasion and Brainwashing, to Self-Help and Practical Metaphysics by Eldon Taylor

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:24:00 +0000

It's been awhile, I know. But rest assured, I have not been sitting on my hands. I've been writing like a mad-wrighter trying to submit into various competitions (so far I've submitted to 16 since April).

Although I've been checking and re-checking my expenses since I left the nest, this recession has me scouring my brain and the internet for more ways to save and leverage my money. Just when I think I've mastered my budget, KERPLUNK. My car starts coughing and asks for a pen to write it's last will and testament. So what did I do? In July, I took advantage of the CARS Program (Cash for Clunkers) and buy a brand new car. Everyone asks if I'm excited about my sparkling new ride - it's the first new car I've ever owned. But right now all I see is a crinkle in my budget. My excitement is snuffed out by a car payment I didn't want.

As folks say, it is what it is. At least I have reliable transportation. So it's back to the drawing board...searching for more ways to maximize by budget without touching the plastic. Today, while reading my favorite newsletter, Early To Rise, I came across this short essay by Michael Masterson, a celebrated business guru. His message is not profound, but it's more like a cool breeze in a stuffy room. With all the mass manipulation, it's nice to be reminded that sound logic is not crazy.

More from Masterson...
Since When Is Saving Money a Bad Thing?
The recession is turning Americans into penny pinchers. Seven out of 10 of us are cutting expenses, a Gallup poll says. And we spend only 86 percent of what we used to.

Just about every mainstream publication I read -- including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times -- says this is a bad thing. But they are wrong.

The point they make is that if Americans cut back on spending and save more, new cars will stay on lots. Contractors will lose jobs. Lawn services will be let go. And stores will go out of business.

So what's wrong with that?

The fundamental reason for the financial mess we are in is that we have been spending more money than we have. Consumers have been doing it. Businesses have been doing it. And the banks and institutions that hold our money have been gambling it away.

The press wants us to believe that trillions of dollars have mysteriously disappeared from our economy because of this lack of spending. But that wealth never existed in the first place. It was an accounting fraud. The land, the buildings, the machinery, and our human capital, however, do still exist.

When your business is losing money, you cut expenses and work harder. When families run over their budgets, they do the same thing. So why should it be different with an economy? It's not.

Spending more now will only make things worse. But if you take care of yourself, you will be doing more for the economy than the government could ever do.

So work more. Save more. Take on an extra job. Start a side business. And spend less money.

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:03:00 +0000

Henry Louis Gates,Jr. Arrested Last Week

This morning I read that Black scholar and Harvard professor, Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested at his Cambridge home for disorderly conduct last week. According to a report from The Times, police were called by a neighbor that reported seeing two Black men with backpacks breaking into a house. What the neighbor really saw were Gates and a colleague returning from a trip to China and applying a bit of shoulder force to the door because it was jammed.

It is reported that when police arrived, Gates was not so compliant when asked to see his identification. According to ABC News, Gates allegedly responded to the officer's request for identification by shouting, "Why, because I am a black man in America?" and then called him a racist. Maybe Gates was tired from that 18 hour trip from China and perhaps a little peeved with the door giving him so much trouble – because it really doesn’t sound like he needed to go down that road. And maybe the officer didn’t know who he was or didn’t care and perhaps he got a little indignant with Gates’ alleged hollering, but it doesn’t seem like a necessary action to arrest a man in his own house for disorderly conduct either right?

I’m sorry I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit when I read that it was written in the police report that Gates initially refused to provide identification, but then showed his Harvard University card. The sergeant again asked him to step outside and Gates allegedly responded, "Yeah, I'll speak with your mama outside."

According to Gates’ Harvard colleague, and attorney, Charles Ogletree, the events happened a little differently. According to TheRoot.com, Gates showed his identification right away when the responding officer asked for it, asked the officer why he was there, and when the officer explained about the call, Gates explained that he lived there and was a faculty member at Harvard. Ogletree states he then went to the kitchen to retrieve his id to prove it. He gave the officer both his Harvard ID and his Massachusetts driver’s license, but when asked for the officer’s badge number, he was ignored. According to Ogletree, throughout the entire exchange, Gates repeatedly asked the officer for his badge number and was ignored. Instead, the officer turned and left the kitchen without ever indicating that Gates was being charged, but it was only when Gates followed him outside that the officer say "Thank you for accommodating my earlier request," and then placed Gates under arrest, handcuffing the professor on his own front porch, the lawyer said.

I’m not sure which story is closer to the truth, but it was reported today that Massachusetts authorities dropped the disorderly conduct charges, calling Gates’ arrest last week "regrettable and unfortunate."

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:22:00 +0000

MJ v. Sony

I'm sorry, I just got off the phone with my friend Lisa who, like me has created new work dedicated to Michael Jackson. She wrote an ebook you should take a look at titled, "Michael Jackson: El's Seventh of the Nine Requiem" Please check it out when you get a moment. It is from this ebook I was able to view this video of MJ speaking out against Sony in a very clear and firm manner. It gave me a new respect for him. I love it!

Please see for yourself.

(2002 Speech)

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:05:00 +0000

I Guess I Really Though He Was Invincible. This Is My Dedication...

I couldn't just simply write an article this time. He deserved more.

Listen for yourself...

Such a tortured soul...at least he has found some peace.

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:56:00 +0000

Messin' Round With A Nut!

I've been so worn out these last few weeks that when I go down for the evening, I hear someone in the distance yelling, "TIMBER!!"

Enough about me. I ran across an ETR article that I found both interesting and disturbing. It's short and sweet and to the point, so take a gander and do your homework. You can also let me know what you think.

Nuts: From Natural Treasure to Man-Made Trash

By Kelley Herring

Nuts are undoubtedly one of the healthiest foods you can eat. Research shows that nut noshers have the slimmest waistlines and a significantly lower risk of heart disease.

But the benefits don't end there. Nuts are packed with life-essential minerals, including magnesium and selenium. And they are a concentrated source of brain-nourishing and blood-sugar-balancing fats.

Still, manufacturers have found a way to meddle with the nut and muck up Mother Nature. In fact, the "Diamond" brand has been turning treasure into trash by adding genetically modified corn oil and BHT to its walnuts, hazelnuts, and other naturally pure tree nuts.

Protected by their shells, nuts are a relatively "clean" plant food - unadulterated by pesticide toxins - even when grown conventionally. But add corn oil - which is high in inflammatory omega-6 fats as well as being genetically modified almost 90 percent of the time - and you've completely changed their lipid profile and biochemical nature.

Corn oil itself is a preservative, but Diamond adds BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) to ensure shelf stability. BHT prevents oxidation. It is used to preserve food odor, color, and flavor. It is banned in Australia, Japan, Romania, and Sweden due to its carcinogenic activity. In the United States, BHT is prohibited only in infant formula.

Avoid inflammatory corn oil and carcinogenic BHT by reading the labels before you buy. You'll be pleasantly surprised to find that many inexpensive brands of nuts are free of these unnecessary additives. They contain only one simple ingredient: "nuts."

Just take a few moments to pick the treasure... and leave the trash.

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:57:00 +0000

The BIG Balance

The business complex where I work is a little odd and a lot inconvenient because the bathrooms are not in the office suites but outside in shared space (which we are required to lock upon entering and exiting). What I’ve noticed is that folks have no problem keeping the lights off while they are using the facility. I have no problem with that, as long as they don’t have a problem with me turning them on when I walk in.

I started wondering if this behavior had to do with the lack of effort on their part, or was it for the greater good of conserving energy? Did they keep their televisions off when they were in other rooms? Did they unplug their toasters and cell phone chargers when they weren’t using them? If this was the case, I say, GOOD FOR THEM!

But then I had a second thought that this may not be the case. They could very well be the type of people who kept a cell phone plan when they didn’t own a business but were heavily in debt. Or the people who drove new Lexuses and lived in one bedroom apartments. Or have their homes go into foreclosure rather than renting out their guest bedrooms.

This is a very interesting (and scary) time where we have to decide on how to balance our daily necessities and desires with environment conservation. What I am becoming critically aware of are my own contradictions, like spending $4 on coffee, but trying to save 20 cents on trash bags. It’s making me think a bit more – projecting, even how a decision of die-hard conservation affects my own freedom. Today I just threw out a big stack of legal documents, but I recycle plastic bottles…None of this is as simple as it seems.

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:35:00 +0000

Kelly Herring, a contributor to my favorite newsletter ETR, and founder of Healing Gourmet, dropped a little gem about organic food and it's prevention of breast cancer and a thought we might like to consider when buying food grown in other countries. Enjoy!

We've long lauded the benefits of choosing organic foods over those that are conventionally grown. Not only do organic foods taste better, they are higher in nutrients and free from metabolism-disrupting chemicals.

And it turns out that "eating organic" is especially important for children. One example: A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that women who were exposed to relatively high levels of DDT prior to mid-adolescence were five times more likely to develop breast cancer than women with lower exposures when they were young.

While DDT was banned in the U.S. in 1972, unfortunately we're not safe from its negative effects. DDT is still used in other counties (including Mexico) on crops that are imported into the U.S. and end up on our plates.

Local farmers' markets and your own backyard offer affordable options to keep the poison off your plate and protect your children's future health.

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:09:00 +0000

Family of Assailants of Turkish Wedding Massacre Flee for Their Lives

According to recent news reports, relatives of the eight people charged with the involvement in the killing of 44 people at a wedding in south-east Turkey have fled their homes in fear for their lives.

“Even though we are innocent, they (the villagers) are accusing us. If the gendarmes were not there, they would kill us. We are not safe, we have to leave,” said one of the villagers.

The attack took place at a wedding in the village of Bilge Koyu in the Mardin province. It is estimated that 200 guests were in attendance. Ferhat Ozen, deputy governor of Mardin Province, said the assailants stormed into the house where attendees had gathered, and fired automatic weapons and threw hand grenades.

Among those killed were the bride, the groom, his parents and four-year-old sister; along with six other children and 15 other women (three of them were pregnant). Some of the guests hid under dead bodies until the attackers left. BBC reported that the Turkish government has said that the attack on Monday was a result of feud involving two families that goes back about 20 years.

Seventy children in the village lost one or both parents in the massacre and are receiving psychological treatment for trauma.

It was reported that 12 families, totally more than 100 people loaded their belongings under guard on Wednesday and left Bilge Koyu out of fear of revenge attacks.

According to AFP, Turkish officials discovered that the weapons used in the Bilge Koyu wedding massacre were issued by the state, and that several suspects were members of the “Village Guards,” a militia force set up in 1984, comprised of local Kurds armed and paid by the government to help fight Kurdish rebels.

The Village Guards have been successful in dispelling rebel activity, however, they have also been accused of illegal activity such as drug smuggling, rape, kidnapping and murder. Human rights advocates have long called for the disbandment of the 70,000-strong force, arguing that they abuse their status.

On Tuesday, according to BBC, villagers said that the assailants were members of the Celebi family who wanted the bride, Sevgi Celebi to marry one of her relatives.

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:16:00 +0000

Over the weekend I thought I’d let my hair down and splurge a little on a movie, so after my daughter’s drumming lesson, we headed over to the $1 movies and saw Confessions of a Shopaholic (based off the books by Sophie Kinsella). Yeah, I know, it’s not usually my type of movie, but it was the next thing playing by the time we got there, and honestly, I couldn’t beat the price.

As you can guess by the title, the movie is about a shopaholic who gets laid off from her job and incidentally lands a job as a journalist at finance magazine. Although she gets her own column called “The Girl In The Green Scarf,” the main character, Rebecca Bloomwood (played by Isla Fisher) doesn’t know the darndest thing about finance as she is up to her eyeballs in debt. However she fakes it pretty well, that is until a slinky pesky debt collector named Derek Smeath (played by Robert Stanton) stalks her both over the phone and in person until he completely humiliates her at the height of the movie. She loses the trust of her boss (played by Hugh Dancy) and her best friend (played by Krysten Ritter) but of course, she’s not finished… she’s there girl in the green scarf…DUH. I hope I didn’t give too much of it away.

I expected to roll my eyes at this movie and shake my cynical head at it’s stupidity, but I couldn’t. It was actually a pretty good flick – especially for $1.50. I’m going to tell you this and I swear I’ll kick your teeth in if you tell anyone, but in one part of the movie I actually got all misty and choked up! Darn that PMS!

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:06:00 +0000

Today, I received a letter from my daughter’s school principle addressing concerns about the much publicized and seemingly little understood Swine Flu.

“Although we are all concerned about the Swine Flu, we ask our families to remain calm, as no cases of the Swine Flu have been reported in (our) County at this time.” The PDF letter stated in closing. I just tilted my head and sighed.

Panicky parents can’t really be faulted at the moment I suppose, because after being inundated with televised images of mask-wearing Mexican residents, and the media frenzy whipping up hysteria like a meringue, about the flu and the constant count of the people who have contracted it. As I am writing this, it is reported that there have been 10 cases found in California; two in Kansas; 45 in New York City; one in Ohio; and six in Texas. Out of the 306 million US residents, 64 people have this strain of flu.

While Mexico speculates 149 deaths caused by the Swine Flu, none have been confirmed for the US – yet. There is an investigation for two Los Angeles area deaths, as authorities believe it may be linked to the virus. This information peaked my interest and I became interested in how many deaths were caused by last season’s flu. So I went to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and this is what they said:

“Exact numbers of how many people died from flu this season cannot be determined. Flu-associated deaths (which have laboratory confirmed influenza), are only a nationally notifiable condition among children; however not all pediatric influenza deaths may be detected and reported and there is no requirement to report adult deaths from influenza. In addition, many people who die from flu complications are not tested, or they seek medical care later in their illness when flu can no longer be detected from respiratory samples. However, CDC tracks pneumonia and influenza (P&I) deaths through the 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System. This system collects information each week on the total number of death certificates filed in each of the 122 participating cities and the number of death certificates with pneumonia or influenza listed as a cause of death. The 122 Cities Mortality Reporting system helps gauge the severity of a flu season compared with other years. However, only a proportion of all P&I deaths are influenza-related and, as noted, most flu deaths are not lab confirmed. Thus, this system does not allow for an estimation of the number of deaths, only the relative severity among different influenza seasons. For the 2007-08 season, the proportion of deaths due to pneumonia and influenza was higher than the previous two years, but was similar to the 2004-05 season.”

Let’s use our logical minds for a sec and think about the effects this frenzy will cause. I’m not saying to ignore what’s going on or stop washing your hands or covering your mouth when you cough and sneeze like they recommend ( WHICH YOU SHOULD BE DOING ANYWAY). All I’m asking, is for us all to take a deep breath – even if you’re wearing a mask, keep an eye on what’s going on, and stop freaking out because that’s what they WANT you to do. Take care of yourself.

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:58:00 +0000

Think of the Potential... or Disadvantage...

This was sent to me a couple of weeks ago, so I apologize for taking so long to forward it. There is so much information to cover, so many thoughts and ideas that it can be overwhelming at times. No excuses. Please watch this video. If you're getting this message in your email, come to my blog site (http://kobina.blogspot.com) and view the video. Certain things you just have to see for yourself...

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:41:00 +0000

Medical Maggots

This is just a tidbit I gleaned from a newsletter I subscribe to called ETR (Early To Rise). This information is not news to me, and you may have heard a little about it before as well, but I still find it fascinating. If you get this blog through your email you might want to pass this along. Or not.

From ETR:

It might sound like something out of the Middle Ages, but it turns out that maggots - yes, icky little fly larvae - are being used to treat hard-to-heal leg ulcers. The maggots feast on the dead tissue surrounding the infection, promoting the growth of healthy cells. And according to University of York researchers, the maggot therapy is as effective as hydrogel dressings, the standard treatment for leg ulcers.

The researchers don't advocate using maggots in every case, but consider them to be a good alternative when hyrdogel dressings are not available. Meanwhile, they are conducting further research into using them to prepare wounds for surgery.

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:40:00 +0000

I don't usually write about people at work as a general rule. I already get enough grief from my family (whom I don’t even name) but today I’m about to break my rule. That’s what Anita Baker says they're made for right?

A scientist from Iran has recently joined our company. I won’t even give her a fake name because it’s really not that serious. She’s a sweet woman, very kind, very funny, and a little shy – not with me, but with the owner of the company. One day last week, she and I were talking about her previous job and she was relaying to me how different races in the scientific community reacted to certain situation. Now normally, this type of conversation would be considered taboo, but our company is so small, I think she felt extremely comfortable with me – enough to say exactly what was on her mind, like talking to a friend. I don’t think she knows I blog.

She spoke a few times about Americans and how when they are given an order to do something from their superiors, they don’t argue, they just do it because they know it’s their job. She talked about her previous manager and how she didn’t fight for her to stay at the company she was laid off from, because he’s an American and not a fighter. All kinds of light bulbs started coming on in my head as you can imagine.

My first thought was, as comfortable as she was telling me this, she obviously didn’t see me as an American. It sort of reminded me of the Vietnamese woman at the donut shop who asked me if my daughter’s father was American – which I’m pretty sure translates to: is he White – because I’m Black and therefore cannot be seen as American (sarcasm).

I also thought about her view of Americans. My coworker saw them as passive and robotic. I thought about that heavily for a few days because it intrigued me. We like to think of ourselves as fighters, but the truth is, we don’t fight all that hard, do we? Sure we protest about things every once in a while, but look at all the freedoms that have been taken away. What have we done about it? My coworker was not trying to insult me, she wasn’t saying anything out of malice, she was simply relaying a story to me from her point of view. It was eye opening about how she viewed us…even though she didn’t seem to be talking about me.

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:43:00 +0000

I just received an email from Obama’s people – Organizing For America – and they want me to call my elected representative to let them know that I support “a budget that tackles the long-term challenges to our prosperity.” Nice wording. The problem is I don’t support the generation of funds that decreases the value of my IRA. I can’t call it, it hasn’t been laid out for me how this monumental spending will create new jobs. I have a little homework to do.

According to this handy-dandy note, “In just 24 hours, Congress will begin voting on President Obama's budget. It's a big test not only for President Obama, but for our entire movement.”

Regardless of my position, this is my recommendation, take a second and contact your elected representative (whether you actually voted for them or not) and give them an earful of what you think, be it in favor or out of favor of the budget. Part of the problem, I suspect, is that not enough care to find out what’s going on. It requires a lot more effort on our parts and a lot more understanding of the structures set up around us, and we just want to be left alone to our small world.

This is no longer enough. It hasn’t been for a long while, and is part of the reason we have found ourselves in this current predicament.

Even if you don’t know your current position on the budget, contact your representative anyway, and find out their position on it and why, and how this will affect you. Give it some thought, and then call back with your own perspective – you’re new position. If you don’t do anything else proactive this week, this month even, this should be the one thing you take an interest in, because you are NOT free – regardless of what the American motto would have you believe.

Lead, by taking action.

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:11:00 +0000

A Few Days In September

It always makes me kind of sad when I see an intriguing movie and discover later that a lot of folks just didn't get it and then totally slam it. You know what that means? Of course you do. It means that a lot of people who actually would love it, will totally miss out on a gem because they listened to someone who couldn't wrap their minds around new concepts. (Sigh)

I said all of that, because over the hectic weekend I managed to squeeze in a foreign movie called A Few Days in September, directed by French-Argentinean director Santiago Amigorena.

It's dubbed an international thriller, where a secret agent (Juliette Binoche) tries to unite two step-siblings (Sara Forestier and Tom Riley) with their fugitive father (Nick Nolte) a former CIA operative, but run into trouble when the father's ex-partner (John Turturro) stalks the agent and syblings to get to the father to permenately terminate their ties. No one has seen the father in years, which makes him all the more enigmatic. This is the first time the daughter and step-son meet (both grown but still referred to as children). And while the agent, daughter and step-son are trying to shake the psychotic hitman, an uncomfortable tension grows between the half-syblings as they flee to Venice to finally see Daddy again and get the answers they need because everyone seems to be looking for him.

The movie is pretty artsy and quirky to be so political. It clearly has a message, rather overt which can be a little annoying but you can't take it personal. There are a few scenes that seem to be without a point, but maybe I just missed it. However despite some of the hiccups, it is telling the audience something that is bigger than this movie and bigger than than the microcosmic lives of people all over the globe. Of course most people will probably dismiss it as just being part of the writer's imagination. There is one line in the movie that alludes to the point, and it happens when the step-son asks the agent what his step-father REALLY did for a living. The daughter interrupts by telling him that her father negotiates for those on the opposite path of diplomacy. He doesn't get it, so she explains. Diplomacy is a policy to create peace, and the opposite would be a policy to create war.

Please check out this movie for yourself, and ignore the reviews.

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:44:00 +0000

DYNAMIC DUO COLLABORATES ON: “A CRIME AND A SIMPLIFICATION OF SOMETHING SUBLIME”

Tustin, CA and Farmington Hills, MI – Poets, Kobina Wright and LB Lacey celebrate the release of their third collaborative work with A Crime And A Simplification of Something Sublime; an exciting and sometimes humorous book of nuler poetry with original art illustrated by the authors.

A Crime And A Simplification of Something Sublime is the first volume that introduces the nuler style, which pours out an overwhelmingly expansive title sequence followed by an extremely short and pithy poem that bends from the tone of the title to an opposing inflection.

The book, A Crime And A Simplification of Something Sublime evolved from the hatching of the nuler style after Lacey and Wright worked diligently along with Chicago poet, Pam Osbey and other artists on a deeply personal and uplifting audio spoken word cd titled, “Food: The Pakoli Project.”

Lacey is the CEO of SOULutions For Dynamic Living, a company dedicated to helping people live an empowered and authentic life despite their ethnic, education or socio-economic background. She is a contributing author featured in Chicken Soup for the African American Woman’s Soul and Gumbo for the Soul. Lacey is also the co-author of 100 Words of Wisdom for Women, a motivational and directive book for therapeutic journaling.

Wright is the founder of LAPOE (Let’s All Protect Our Environment), a company dedicated to replenishing the planet through vintage and reclaimed handbags by promoting replanting and recycling, while donating a percentage of the proceeds to The GREEN Foundation, and a percentage to help entrepreneurs in developing countries. She is also the creator of the Hodaoa-Anibo language; The Hodaoa-Anibo Dictionary; and author of Say It! Say Gen-O-Cide!! – a volume of poetry dedicated to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

This volume of nuler poetry is available through Dramatic Pause Publishing and Amazon.com. Available February 2009.

Dramatic Pause
P.O. Box 1894
Tustin, CA 92781
rogue@dramaticpause.net
Contact: Media Relations

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:00:00 +0000

The Cold Case of the Phantom Dollar

I don’t have a fist full of regrets in my life, but right now, I do have one. I wish that I would have paid more attention when I took economics in college, because maybe then, I’d have a better grasp of what craziness is being shoveled out, and encoded in front of my face.

A week ago I had a brief conversation with one of my friends from the Netherlands about the global recession we are apparently experiencing. She believes that this is all a purposeful ploy to retard finances - to keep people from expanding their own wealth. We discussed the mystery of our phantom money. Surely if one area is loosing money it has to go somewhere else… but where. WHERE IS ALL OF THIS MONEY GOING?

When you think about it, it seems that this should be as simple as first grade mathematics, right? If I have three apples and I give Nan two, how many apples will I have? How many apples will Nan have? Did Nan eat those two apples behind my back, because by all accounts, she should still have two if I only have one – because gosh darn it, I didn’t want to give her the two in the first place!

So I’m asking a favor on behalf of all of the hard working people who want to bring down the hammer on those trying to usurp world control through finance and deceit; please explain to me where all the money went!

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:10:00 +0000

"Don't Let Liberal Media Tell You What to Think" - The Bumper Sticker

This morning after dropping my daughter off at school, I noticed that one of the parents driving in front of me had a bright green bumper sticker that read,

“Don’t let liberal media tell you what to think.”

I kind of smiled at the sticker, then I frowned. I thought, then should we let conservative media tell us what to think? I got their point, and even agreed with it, I just had an issue with the wording.

Part of the reason I advocate turning off the television is because I believe, as many others, that television is a form of hypnosis. Not only does it tell you what to think, but also how to think. It engages you in such a way that persuades you to believe that you are wrong to think any other way. Even beyond that, I believe it’s a great distraction, keeping you from doing great things – making great contributions to the world. However, media is not just television, it encompasses a plethora of devices such as radio (not just talk radio, but music as well); newspapers, magazines, billboards, podcasts, internet, and email.

Just look at all the forces you have to contend with! Yet it is easier to fight to have your own opinion when you know the reason why you have the opinion. As a child, we form much of our beliefs around the beliefs of our parents. I know that my daughter has adopted many of my beliefs because I explain to her at great length why I have them. I’m sure not to make blanket statements (like that is just stupid because it’s stupid) so that she knows exactly where my head is. Sure I know that when she adopts them as her own she will most likely regurgitate my reasons, but at least she is armed with reasons.

As adults we make up our own minds about what is and isn’t and what should and should not be about many things, but not always everything. When my daughter watches television, she has a habit of looking at me when something is said or something happens. She told me that she does this because she wants to see my reaction so she’ll know how to react. Media, it seems, is the parent we look back at to see what reaction we should have. Of course, those in the media eat that up. If they can control how you think, they can manipulate you and in essence, control you.

“Don’t let (any) media tell you what to think.”

noreply@blogger.com (K. Wright) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:11:00 +0000

Obama's Inaugural Speech

Text of President Barack Obama's inaugural address on Tuesday, as prepared for delivery and released by the Presidential Inaugural Committee.

OBAMA: My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it)."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Links for 2009-01-07 [del.icio.us]

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:00:00 PST

Half Nelson on Pessimism
Today I read an article by an English educated entrepreneur, originally from Hong Kong, Sir David Tang. The title was, “Optimism is the Cure for the Downturn.” According to Tang, pessimism is self-fulfilling and depression has become an epidemic born out of the global economic woes by people who have become resigned to the belief that they are in deep trouble and go around telling everyone else that they are in deep trouble too.

Links for 2008-12-30 [del.icio.us]

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:00 PST

Yusuf Resigned Because He Failed....Hmmm....
In his speech broadcasted on national radio, according to BBC, Yusuf said, “When I took power I pledged three things. If I was unable to fulfill my duty I will resign.

Links for 2008-12-16 [del.icio.us]

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:00:00 PST

Bush Shoe-Thrower: Beaten or Not Beaten – Someone is Lying
There have been two days of rallies across Iraq, calling for the release of 28-year-old Arab journalist, Mutadar al-Zaidi, who threw both of his shoes at President Bush during a press conference, and shouted, “This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog.”

Links for 2008-12-15 [del.icio.us]

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:00:00 PST

A Woman's Best Friend
I share this story because I feel that it is imperative that women have a jump starter in their vehicle, charged and ready to go at all times. This little gem has saved me on more than one occasion, and this morning, if I hadn’t had it, I’d have to depend on the kindness of strangers, which is not always guaranteed to be timely.

Links for 2008-12-11 [del.icio.us]

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:00:00 PST

Television: Shut That Darn Thing OFF!!
If this isn’t enough to get you, at least, thinking about your television usage and the world you live in, then I’m afraid you might already be brain dead. I’m so sorry.

Links for 2008-12-10 [del.icio.us]

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 PST

La Poe Needs Your Help With Fashion Theme
To add another element on our already exciting new event, we decided to base the fashion show on a theme; however we’re plum out of ideas at the moment.

Links for 2008-12-08 [del.icio.us]

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:00:00 PST

The Coin Purse Advisor #1
It's all about making your pennies stretch as far as they can go now and in the spirit of thriftiness, La Poe would like to help you out by giving you two thrift points in regards to stuffing your face.