Day: July 18, 2012

AFRICAN HISTORY LOST FOREVER: Militants Destroy Historic Sites

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One of Africa’s most celebrated historic sites is being destroyed by religious extremists in Mali, West Africa. Many consider Africa to have been a land devoid of history and literacy. This mythology was conjured by early colonialists, desperate to justify their abduction of Africans and their lands. Standing tall, in defiance of those lies, was the great African University near Timbuktu. Timbuktu once housed some of the largest book collections and libraries on earth. 2/3 of the entire world’s gold supply traversed the deserts of Africa and passed through Timbuktu. The Djinguereber Mosque, is built in a uniquely African style with Adobe. It has stood for nearly 700 years. At one time, 25,000 students at a time would study mathematics, religion, advanced astronomy, medicine, dentistry, poetry and rhetoric. It may seem difficult to believe but African Scholars were once revered for their intellect and the University at Timbuktu was a world wide hub of intellectual thought. And now, that incredible legacy, which defied french domination and colonialism is in the process of being destroyed by Militants in West Africa’s, Mali. The militants are angered by the long history of prominence of the Sufi sect of Islam-which is a unique, mystical form of islam that incorporates music, dancing and has always found a friendly reception among Africans that seemed uniquely attracted to the less restrictive and dogmatic form of islam. They have recently decided to literally bulldoze ancient shrines, tombs and mosques dedicated to Sufi Saints and ancient African royalty. The gun men, held tourists and the remaining residents at bay with gun fire as they destroyed what remains of Ancient Africa’s intellectual heritage.

Africa has experienced several phases of destruction to the ruins that prove its long history of grand empires and intellectual history. The last involved Egypt, which built the Aswan Dam, which flooded the rich archeological sites of Ancient Nubian Kush. Nubia was once one of the world’s largest empires. Fields of Nubian Built pyramids were destroyed and the descendants of Nubian culture were relocated as the flood waters washed over their homes.

If the militants succeed, the remnants of Africa’s most enduring, literate cultures will be obliterated from record.

REPUBLICANS LAUNCH MOST DANGEROUS ATTACK YET: Against Obama

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The GOP has leveled a stunning array of attacks against the current President of the United States. Some of these attacks have bordered on racist. There was at first, the birther conspiracy; the idea that President Obama wasn’t born in the United States. Then there was the idea that the President was a secret Muslim. Despite all of the acrimony caused by these attacks, none of these arguments are as dangerous as a recent attack from the RNC-(Republican National Committee)- Chairman.

The RNC-Chairman Reince Priebus recently declared that Mitt Romney must be elected in order to “Save America”.”Our Way Of Life” is at stake, said the RNC Chairman. Now many may wonder why this attack is worse then the racially charged attacks of Rush Limbaugh or the unhinged accusations of Michelle Bachman. The answer is simple. Buried within this attack is an implicit call to violence. Priebus is not the first Republican to claim that America will not survive if Barack Obama is re-elected. The claim has become common place among republicans. Consider the implications of this charge, especially in the minds of voters that may not be entirely grounded (so to speak). If America is not going to survive if Obama is elected again, then what should be done-if he is re-elected?

The GOP has lost touch with a fundamental tenant of Democracy and life in America. As a rule, Your Political Party Must Lose-at times. And You Must Be Willing To Accept That Loss. You cannot or should not whip your supporters into such a frenzy that your followers cannot accept the loss. By suggesting that the entire American experiment will come to an end if Obama wins, he is raising the stakes on the election to such a degree, in the minds of his supporters, that-should they fail, his supporters will be unable to accept their defeat. When we consider the considerable GOP efforts to portray Obama as foreign and intrinsically un-American, we can see that they have dehumanized and delegitimized the President; making the prospect of violence even more probable. When these disturbing seeds finally bare fruit, we will see that the GOP’s most dangerous attack on the President, will have disturbing consequences for our nation.

NEW PHOTOS OF BABY BLUE

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Baby Blue Ivy hasn’t truly been seen since her birth photos were released. Most of the paparazzi have been greeted by a variety of full length blankets, draping the child when ever Baby Blue has been seen in public. But now photos have surfaced that are purported to be the young toddler. If you haven’t seen the growing Baby Blue, enjoy!

MITT ROMNEY DECLARES OBAMA: “Foreign To Us”

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Mitt Romney’s candidacy for President has suffered significant blows this week as the Obama administration continued to press the Romney camp for disclosures of the candidates Taxes. The requests have dogged the Romney campaign, leading some to conclude that he was hiding his taxes out of fear that they might reveal unflattering information concerning his substantial wealth. Some have suggested that, in light of Romney’s current astonishingly low, 15% tax rate, that there may have been years in which Romney paid, absolutely no taxes.  Yesterday his campaign lashed out with a series of race based attacks on his opponent, President Obama. Early in the day, John Sununu, one of Mitt Romney’s surrogates, blasted the President for his past drug use. He even declared that he wished the President, “Would learn how to be an American”. The attacks were based on a line of attack developed by Rush Limbaugh. Romney himself, got in on the action by suggesting that the President’s administration bore a striking resemblance to the governments of foreign nations. Romney declared, “The course we’re on right now is foreign to us. It changes America”. 

The attacks build upon a steady theme of birtherism in the Republican Party and a basic mistrust of the President. Romney has shown no desire to distance himself from the King Of Birtherism, Donald Trump. He has recently held fund raisers with “The Donald” and effectively wrapped himself in the full embrace of those that are advocates of the theory. Obama, as a foreigner- or Obama-at minimum foreign in his mindset and approach to governance- has been the basis of many republican attacks. It is unlikely that there will be a Sista Soulja moment for Mitt Romney, in which he chastises his own supporters for these attacks. Mitt Romney has effectively sanctioned these attacks, by participating in them.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES: And Receives Awful Reviews

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Are you looking forward to seeing the Dark Knight Rises? Critics would like to throw cold water on your enthusiasm. The Dark Knight, they uniformly declare, is awful! They are doing all they can to halt the tide of movie goers lining up to see the film. The Dark Knight Rises, they argue, is an over worked piece of campy trash!

The Chicago Tribune warns fans of the previous, Heath Ledger driven film, “nothing in the new film, , meets or exceeds the crises of  The Dark Knight“. “What worked beautifully in “The Dark Knight” seems overworked and almost ridiculously grim in “The Dark Knight Rises”. Ultimately, they conclude that “The Dark Knight Rises,” makes “The Dark Knight” look like “Dora the Explorer” and is more of a 164-minute anxiety disorder than a movie”.

What we have noticed about the reviews of the Dark Knight is that they all uniformly confess that the movie is not dull. Their objections seem to center on the notion that the film is ham handed; that the Dark Knight Rises is tasteless in it’s use of exciting elements like explosions and violence. They seem to be arguing that the movie is simply overdone!

These are the kinds of reviews that one might want to ignore. Sometime’s reviewers are a bit snooty. They have a need to pan, perfectly enjoyable films to prove that they have selective visual palettes. We have all had the experience of going to see a film that the critics have panned. You are left in a total state of confusion, as you find yourself thoroughly enjoying a film that “the authorities” have dissed. You might even start asking yourself if there is something wrong with your taste level. It is fair to say that there is a big difference between the  attributes that critics look for in the films that they like and the traits that average movie goers look for in evaluating films.

The Dark Knight Rises may not be great cinema. It may not be an enduring work of epic- art but-from the reviews we’ve read-it should be exciting and appeal to the tastes of most viewers!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO NELSON MANDELA

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Today is Nelson Mandela’s Birthday. The great African leader is celebrating 94 years of life and 67 years of service to the world and specifically to his battered continent. In fact, today is also MANDELA DAY-which is a project spearheaded by the Nelson Mandela Foundation. On Mandela Day, we are encouraged to celebrate the great leader’s birthday by dedicating 67 minutes to community service. The 67 minutes are in honor of Mandela’s 67 years of service.

In honor of MANDELA DAY-Worthy Readers-commit to some form of community service!