RIP Howard Zinn

Howard Zinn, an author, teacher and political activist whose book “A People’s History of the United States” became a million-selling leftist alternative to mainstream texts, died Wednesday in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 87 and lived in Auburndale, Mass. Published in 1980 with little promotion and a first printing of 5,000, “A People’s History” was, fittingly, a people’s best-seller, attracting a wide audience through word of mouth and reaching 1 million sales in 2003.

The cause of death was a heart attack, his daughter Myla Kabat-Zinn said. 

The New York Times

I was introduced to Howard Zinn a few months ago. A co-worker of mine told me about Zinn's political and historical ideologies and I was impressed. I read Zinn's memoir You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train in about a week. I would have finished it sooner, but work was keeping me busy. You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train is probably the best book I have ever read. Zinn lived a long and impactful life. His involvement in the Civil Rights Movement alone makes him an extraordinarily influential person. I don't agree with everything Dr. Zinn has said or written, but I have the utmost respect for the man. His passion, dedication, and revolutionary spirit will be sorely missed.

They'll look you in the eyes and  stone you
Then turn and disown you
Don't let it take the fight outta you
They'll walk all over your name
Till they find someone else to blame
Don't let it take the fight outta you 

RIP Teddy Pendergrass 3/6/50 - 1/13/10

Legendary singer Teddy Pendergrass, dead after a long illness at age 59, spent his last 28 years in a wheelchair, left to wonder what life might have been like had a car crash not completely altered his destiny.

Before the crash, Pendergrass was one of the most electric and successful figures in music. He established a new era of R&B with an explosive, raw voice that symbolized masculinity, passion and the joys and sorrow of romance in songs such as "Close the Door," "It Don't Hurt Now," "Love T.K.O." and other hits that have since become classics.

USA Today

Teddy Pendergrass is the man. His voice immediately grabs the your attention and it demands that you pay attention to the message it carries. I love rap music like a brother, but I have more R&B music from the 60's, 70's, and 80's on my hard drive. I think that musicians during the aforementioned time periods had more respect for their craft. When music with a message is combined with live instrumentation, the results are timeless. Teddy Pendergrass' music falls into the timeless category. Although he has passed on, his music and influence on other musicians will never disappear.

Hard Times in Haiti

Haitians piled bodies along the devastated streets of their capital Wednesday after the strongest earthquake hit the poor Caribbean nation in more than 200 years crushed thousands of structures, from schools and shacks to the National Palace and the U.N. peacekeeping headquarters. Untold numbers were still trapped.

The devastation was so complete that it seemed likely the death toll from Tuesday afternoon's magnitude-7.0 quake would run into the thousands. France's foreign minister said the head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission was apparently among the dead.

International Red Cross spokesman Paul Conneally said an estimated 3 million people may have been affected by the quake and that it would take a day or two for a clear picture of the damage to emerge.

Yahoo News

I have a number of Haitian friends who have family members that live in Haiti. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone being affected by this tragedy. It must be nerve racking to not hear from loved ones who reside in an area hit by a natural disaster. The only thing worse is getting a call that says your loved one(s) didn't survive the cataclysmic event. I want to contact those friends to show that I empathize with their situation, but I don't want to over step my bounds or create an awkward situation. I know that some people prefer to be left alone to deal with tough situations. Hopefully, I can help them in some way, shape, or form.

A large percentage of the Haitian residents live in poverty. I am thankful that I have most of the things I need and some of the things I want.

You may not have a car at all
But remember brothers and sisters
You can still stand tall
Just be thankful for what you've got

RIP Ted Kennedy (8/22/1932 – 8/25/2009)

My thoughts and prayers are with the Kennedy family. The world lost a great man today. A man who selflessly dedicated his time to helping the American people. He presence on the Hill and in our communities will definitely be missed.

He gave me the will to be free
Purpose to live His reality
Hey, and I found myself never alone
Chances came to make me strong
To step right up and be a man
'Cause you need faith to understand
So we're saying for you to hear
Keep your head in faith's atmosphere

The Untimely Passing of Steve McNair

Married ex-NFL superstar Steve McNair -- who was found shot to death next to the body of his girlfriend -- had promised her he would get a divorce, her sister has revealed. But there's no known record of the former Tennessee Titan filing for a divorce from his wife, Mechelle. The quarterback was shot twice in the head and twice in the chest, an autopsy showed, and his death has formally been ruled a homicide. His girlfriend, Sahel Kazemi, had a single gunshot wound to her head.

McNair, 36, had vowed to Kazemi, 20, that his marriage "was going to be finished, the whole divorce was going to be done, two weeks from yesterday," her sister, Sepideh Salmani, told The Tennessean newspaper. Cops yesterday described evidence supporting the theory of a murder-suicide with Kazemi as the killer -- but police refused to rule out other theories about the bloody scene at the Nashville love-shack condo McNair rented with a pal.

The autopsy showed McNair, whose body was found on a sofa Saturday afternoon, was shot four times with a semiautomatic pistol, said police spokesman Don Aaron.

Source

I remember the first time I saw Steve McNair play. He led his Alcorn State team to the I-AA playoffs where they faced the Youngstown State Penguins. His team kept it close for awhile, but it eventually lost to a very good YSU squad. As a kid growing up in the South, I looked up to McNair because he overcame so many obstacles to gain national recognition. McNair grew up poor and attended a small historically Black institution. Nevertheless, he always gave 100 percent when he was on the field and he played lots of games against doctor's orders. His competitive spirit prompted him to do anything, within the rules, to get the job done. You have to admire a man who demonstrates that level of dedication to his craft.

My heart dropped when I heard about his violent death. I heard the news while I was watching television with my little brothers. They are too young to understand the gravity of McNair's passing, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. I was going to write about his death sooner, but I didn't want to post anything until all the facts came out. Sadly, it appears that my worst assumptions are true. Like many professional athletes, McNair had a young mistress. McNair and his wife may have had an "understanding", but that information hasn't been released to the public. McNair's actions were wrong, but he didn't deserve to die.

"Love Don't Love Nobody" by The Spinners sets the mood for this story. Love is and will always be indiscriminate. It can make you feel invincible one day and suicidal the next. My heart goes out to McNair's wife, his four sons, and the family of his mistress.

Sometimes a girl
Will come and go
You reach for love
But life won't let ya know
That in the end
You'll still be lovin her
But then shes gone
You're all alone

RIP Michael Joseph Jackson 8/29/1958 – 6/25/2009

Entertainer Michael Jackson died after being taken to a hospital on Thursday having suffered cardiac arrest, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner's office. Paramedics took Jackson, 50, from his west Los Angeles home Thursday afternoon to UCLA Medical Center, where a team of physicians attempted to resuscitate him for more than an hour, said brother Jermaine Jackson. He said the famed singer was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. PT.

An autopsy is scheduled Friday, he said. Results are expected Friday afternoon, according to Lt. Fred Corral of the Los Angeles coroner's office, who also said Jackson was unresponsive when he arrived at the hospital.

Law enforcement officials said the Los Angeles Police Department Robbery-Homicide Division opened an investigation into Jackson's death. They stressed there is no evidence of criminal wrongdoing but that they would conduct interviews with family members and friends.

Source

The world lost a luminary and a legend yesterday when Michael Jackson passed away. I know MJ had some health issues, but I never thought he would die at 50. His influence can be found in almost every male R&B/Pop star that entered the music business after him. He opened his wallet and donated millions to humanitarian efforts. Unfortunately, his life outside of music wasn't as positive. The pedophilia accusations and his money issues have made headlines for the last decade or so. It saddens me to see television and radio personalities trashing MJ's name on the day of his death. You would think those people would at least wait a few days before they pissed on his memory. I guess there will always be people out there who like to focus on the negative.

I accidentally locked my keys in my car yesterday. As I waited for the AAA guy to come, a friend of mine told me that the King of Pop passed away. I didn't believe it at first, but his death was confirmed by the LA Times a few minutes later. "Wanna Be Starting Something" was booming out of car that passed me and I couldn't help but think about all the amazing music MJ made in his career. He will be missed.

I took my baby to the doctor
With a fever, but nothing he found
By the time this hit the street
They said she had a breakdown
Someone's always tryin' to start my baby cryin'
Talkin', quealin', lyin'
Sayin' you just wanna be startin' somethin'

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day everyone. Please take the time to remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country. I know criticize a lot of things that happen in this country, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. This country is beautiful...

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain
America America
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea

Murder Suicides

Troy Ryan Bellar, 34, used a high-powered rifle with a scope to shoot his 31-year-old wife, Wendy, when she tried to leave their home, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Two of the couple's children -- 5-month-old Zack and 7-year-old Ryan -- also were killed, but a 13-year-old got away, with the father chasing and firing after him, officials said.

"It is beyond my understanding why a man would shoot and kill his 5-month-old baby boy, his 7-year-old baby boy, try to kill his 13-year-old son, shoot his wife and then turn the gun on himself," said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. "There is no explanation for that."

The shootings happened in Lakeland, Florida, just east of Tampa. When the shooting began, the couple's son, Nathan, ran out of the house and down the street -- with his dad chasing him through the garage and firing several shots, authorities said. Nathan was unhurt and will be placed with family members.

Source

These are trying times. Lots of people are losing their jobs, their homes, and their minds. I understand that some people need to do things outside of the norm to deal with their problems. Usually, I don't knock what the next man does to get by. Killing your family, however, is not on the list of acceptable ways to handle tough situations. Recently, a man in Middleton, MD murdered his family and committed suicide. In January, a man in California did the same thing. I always ask myself, "What is that bad?"

A man is supposed to be the head of his household. He is supposed to provide for his family financially, emotionally, and in every other capacity. He is supposed to lead by example and be the metaphorical rock that his wife and kids can lean on. Killing your family is the ultimate bitch move. The suicide following the homicides proves that the murderer wasn't even man enough to be held accountable for his actions. I have no idea how a father can look his children in their faces and kill them.

Millie Jackson has a song called "A Child of God (It's Hard To Believe), which is about the trifling ways some people live. Millie sings that she can't believe those people are children of God. I can't believe it either.

I know a man
Who curses his brother
I know a man
Who thinks of no other
Always chasing after money
Thinks a poor man is funny
It's hard, hard to believe he's a child of God

RIP Ernie Barnes (July 15, 1938 – April 27, 2009)

Ernie Barnes, a former professional football player who became a successful figurative painter, known for depictions of athletes and ordinary people whose muscled, elongated forms express physical and spiritual struggles, died Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 70. His death was caused by complications of a rare blood disorder, according to his longtime assistant, Luz Rodriguez.

His style, which critics have described as neo-Mannerist, became familiar to a prime-time television audience in the mid-1970s when producer Norman Lear hired Barnes to "ghost" the paintings by the Jimmie Walker character "J.J." in the groundbreaking African American sitcom "Good Times." As the backdrop for the show's closing credits, Lear used Barnes' 1971 painting "Sugar Shack," his most famous work. Singer Marvin Gaye later adapted the painting as the cover art for his 1976 album, "I Want You."

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers, who was close to Barnes during the last decade of his life, said the artist often spoke of wanting to educate people through his art.

Source

The world lost a luminary on April 27th with the passing of Ernie Barnes. He was a great athlete, an innovative artist, and a Bull City native. I am not an art aficionado, but I am very familiar with Barnes's "Sugar Shack" painting. I think every member of my family has had a copy of that painting in their homes at one point in time. I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I didn't know more about this man's artistic contributions. His signature style is awe inspiring and I feel a little cheated that I wasn't exposed to more of it at a younger age. Unfortunately, Black history and the arts are rarely taught in most public schools. It is my hope that this blog entry encourages you to learn more about this man's work. As stated in the article, Barnes inspired the cover of Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" album. "After the Dance" is my favorite track on that LP.

I want you
You want me
So why don't we
Get together after the dance