Change Keep A-Comin'

2012-01-26T12:14:00.001-05:00

2012-01-23T20:18:00.000-05:00

2012-01-21T01:30:00.000-05:00

Thank you for the heartfelt music Ms. Etta James. RIP

2012-01-21T00:18:00.002-05:00

2012-01-20T22:12:00.000-05:00

Classic

2012-01-20T21:27:00.001-05:00

Claire is so fine & sexy!

2012-01-04T00:00:00.001-05:00

36…

2011-12-21T00:28:00.001-05:00

Today is the day I was born 36 years ago. I wanted to do something different for my birthday. I am more than blessed…especially with the people that are in my life……so….instead of being self-consumed like I normally am on my birthday….I wanted to do the opposite and give back…pay it forward. Originally I wanted to volunteer at a homeless shelter for my b-day. I called 15+ shelters and NONE of them needed any help….not even to mop the floors and take out the trash…Most of them were booked with volunteers up until the new year.

Plan B –This one would take a little more effort. Inspired by a friend I went to school with, Christine Perlino Vincent, who did 35+ random acts of kindness on her birthday…..I decided to do the same.

My day started off great. Aiden who makes his way into our room between 6-7 everyday, woke me up around 8 saying, “Wake up Daddy!!! Happy Birthday!!” as he props his head on top of mine.

36 Random (and some not so random) Acts of Kindness

Naturally, my first random act was to call my Mother. My Mother is the world to me and the greatest and I wanted to let her know that on my birthday (the day SHE gave birth to me) and how much I appreciate her…I planned to say a lot and after about 10 words….I could barely talk because I was trying my best not to cry (and not doing a very good job at it)….if you’ve ever met my Mother, you can imagine how I feel about her. She’s consistently given me unconditional love….even when I didn’t deserve it and always has been my biggest supporter. She is the greatest grandmother to our boys and it is no wonder why my boys love her to death and are always dying to see her.
Next, I Donated to the Salvation Army (Bell ringing teenage girl outside of Kroger…you know the ones with the red bells and donation buckets)….after donating, she said, “God bless you.”
Went into to Kroger to buy some Kroger gift cards and some roses to randomly give out. Gave one gift card to the girl ringing the bell and told her, “that was for her…Merry Christmas.” She said, “Wow! That is so sweat. Thank you! God bless you.”
I gave the rose to a lady getting into her car and said, “Merry Christmas”
Went to pay my tag taxes (what a nice b-day present from the gov’t) and this older lady in front of me was having a random convo. with the person in front of her about all the financial hardship she was going through since retiring. Through it all she had a smile on her face and made jokes. She was extremely pleasant and joked w/ the tag employee. As she was leaving, I gave her a Kroger gift card and told her, “Merry Christmas” She smiled and was very appreciative.
When it was my turn to get my tag sticker, I let the lady behind me go instead. She said, “Are you sure?” I said, “Yes.”
The county tag office I go to is the greatest. The staff is so friendly…and I’m never in line for more than 10 minutes. There even is a Christmas tree in there. After I got my sticker, I expressed to the employee how much I appreciate all their kindness every year and how it’s always a pleasant experience getting my tag (minus paying the taxes of course).
I called my Grandmother to thank her for all the support she has given me (including consistently sending both my boys saving bonds…big savings bonds).
I called my Cousin Adrienne, who is Noah’s God Mother and expressed to her how much she means to me and how much I appreciate her. She’s extremely involved in Noah’s life and OFTEN keeps him for the weekend. She’s the greatest and always has been to me since I was a child. She’s more like a sister than a cousin. Her and her husband Rick are the best God parents (as well as Travis/Jewell who are Aiden’s God parents). Aja and I have really been blessed to have the best God parents in the world for our children. We really appreciate that and are thankful.
Zaxby’s is one my my favorite places to eat (Buffalo Chicken Tender Meal). I bought lunch for the person behind me. Thankfully it was only one person…lol.
Donated a toy to a charity.
Donated clothes to a charity.
Saw a taxi cab driver with his wife and two kids going into Kroger. After his family walked in, I slipped him a Kroger gift card and told him…”Merry Christmas….this is X$ off your purchase”. He said, “Thanks bro!”
Gave a single white rose to an older lady getting in her car. She said “Thank you. White is my favorite color flour!”
Saw 3 Homeless people sitting down at a gas station. One lady and 2 men. Gave One man some cash
Gave the other man some cash
Gave the lady some cash and a bouquet of roses…I was thinking, “I bet it’s been a while since she’s gotten roses” (had planned to give the roses out individually….but said F-it…she deserves them all). She was extremely appreciative….and asked me to take of pic of her and her roses:
One of the men told me he had been married for 11 years and his wife’s birthday (who was in the Texaco) is today and he’s going to put the money in her birthday card (which he proceeded to do and seal the envelope). He said, “he didn’t have anything to give her and knew she wanted something to eat for her birthday” Talk about a wife that’s ride or die. I gave him some more cash for himself and told him today was actually my birthday (HOW IRONIC). The lady then said she wanted to share the flowers with the man’s wife and went in to the Texaco to get her. She came out, told me to smell one of the flowers….I did…she then gave me one flower and told me, “happy birthday!” This blew my mind!!!!! Here this lady is with nothing giving me back a rose…and wishing me happy birthday. The lesson I took from this “is take time to smell the flowers and appreciate every little thing in your life.” This random act of kindness was actually given to me. He then gave his wife the card and told her, “happy birthday,”
Picked Aiden up and went to buy some flowers in the Kroger close to where we live. Had the flower lady make 5 separate tulip bouquets. While she was doing that went to the front cashier and purchased a small gift card. Gave it to the flower lady and said, “Merry Christmas.” She was very appreciative.
Gave the salvation army another donation and made Aiden solicit some more donations (I’m just kidding….he just wanted to ring the bell)

21-32. My buddy Aiden helped me with this. He gave a single rose to 12 random ladies (most of them elderly) as they left Kroger and told them, “Merry Christmas”. One lady even gave him back a $1 bill which he put in his piggy bank.

33-34. Gave Aiden and Noah each a gift for being such great sons.

35. Gave Aja a gift and a card as a token of appreciation for all that she does for me and our family. She’s wonderful.

36-40. Gave a small bouquet of tulips to each of the ladies that attended my family gathering at the house for cake and ice cream to celebrate my birthday.

The point of me making a blog post about this is hopefully I will inspire someone like I was inspired to “pay it forward.” The world we live in could always use more random acts of kindness. You never know what someone is going through and what kind of positive affect you can have on them simply by randomly being kind.

3 Stacks

2011-11-07T15:02:00.002-05:00

Andre 3000 breaks down the phenomena of
“wanting what we don’t have”

Niggas that are married
Don't wanna go home.
But we look up to them.
They wish they were us.
They want some new trim.
We lust for some trust.
Now the both of us
are color blind.
'Cause the other side looks greener
which leaves your turf in a Boise state. – Drake: The Real Her

Wale - Chain Music

2011-11-02T21:49:00.006-04:00

Straight Bangah....play up loud ONLY.

Shiiiiiiiiiiit!

2011-10-24T23:56:00.003-04:00

Asking iPhone 4S Siri for Sex and Drugs

2011-10-17T19:16:00.000-04:00

Lupe Rocked This Performance at the 2011 BET Awards

2011-10-12T11:15:00.002-04:00

Loved the performance!!! Love the song. Good music Lupe.

Pill - On Da Korner

2011-10-11T21:58:00.001-04:00

Tales from the Atlanta trap:

Bank Fees

2011-10-11T11:19:00.002-04:00

Another Cancer Vicim: RIP Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T08:59:00.001-04:00

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2011-10-03T11:39:00.007-04:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Let's bring awareness to cancer in general....breast, leukemia, lymphoma, prostate, etc......Too many of my loved ones have been taken out by this disease. I hope a cure is found, environmental causes determined and advances in prevention/treatment made.

R.I.P.
Grandpop

R.I.P.
Uncle Mark

R.I.P.
Jesse

R.I.P.
Aunt Tia

Big KRIT

2011-10-03T11:13:00.007-04:00

This dude is starting to catch my attention. Have not heard a lot of his music...but really feelin' the little I have heard (he raps and produces).

The old T.I. is back!!

LOVE the cinematography of this video:

"The radio don't play the shit I used to love
or maybe I'm just growing up.

I never seen a star on the red rug,
If I wanna see a star, I just look above..."

"Only God can judge..."

2011-09-22T12:55:00.002-04:00

"Mr. police, please try to see, it's a million mothafkas stressin' just like me." This is not the first Troy Davis and won't be the last.....stand up people for injustice......VOTE!!!..and not just for the President...if Sonny Purdue was never elected.....Troy Davis would probably be spared. Make our elected politicians and judges be accountable for the injustices they perpetrate!!

Watch This From Begining to End

2011-09-21T15:57:00.002-04:00

Troy Davis Parole Board

2011-09-21T13:41:00.005-04:00

This is the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles who denyed clemency for Troy Davis. All appointed by former Republican Governor Sonny Perdue:

From left to right:

Roberte "Bob" E. Keller (Former Prosecutor appointed by Republican Governor Perdue).

Albert R. Murray (Tennessean - former Juvenile Justice Commissioner)

James E. Donald (appointed by Republican Governor Perdue)

L. Gale Buckner (native of Chatsworth, Georgia population of 3,500 and appointed by Republican Governor Perdue)

Terry E. Bernard (Republican banker appointed by Republican Governor Perdue).

Last Words to the People

2011-09-21T11:56:00.003-04:00

"I am in a place where execution can only destroy your physical form but because of my faith in God, my family and all of you I have been spiritually free for some time and no matter what happens in the days, weeks to come, this Movement to end the death penalty, to seek true justice, to expose a system that fails to protect the innocent must be accelerated."

Don't Murder Troy Davis on 9/21/11

2011-09-19T15:12:00.002-04:00

I happen to be against the death penalty for many reasons. No matter your views on capital punishment, I think it's a pretty logical argument that no person should be put to death without physical evidence of guilt (any person can make their mouth say anything). I don't know if Troy Davis is a cop killer or not, but I do know there is too much doubt to put this man to death. Even if you don't agree with my opinion, these are the FACTS and I repeat...these are FACTS...not opinions:

seven of nine key trial witnesses recanted their testimony which pointed to Davis as Officer MacPhail’s murderer. The two remaining nonrecanting witnesses were Sylvester “Red” Coles, who was himself alleged to have been the shooter in affidavits, and Steve Sanders, who identified Davis at trial two years after the incident despite admitting to police immediately following the shooting that he would not be able to recognize the shooter.

Additionally, three affidavits now state that Coles confessed to the killing.

The police had no leads until Coles went to the police station the day after the murder, admitted that he was one of the three individuals involved in the altercation with Larry Young (the homeless guy), and implicated Davis in the MacPhail shooting.
No physical evidence from the crime was retrieved, apart from the bullets and shell casings, which were determined to have come from a .38-caliber pistol. On cross-examination, Coles admitted that he also had a .38 pistol, but stated that he had given it to another man earlier that night (go figure). The Prosecutor himeslf has stated that he would not try this matter as a capital case today. When it comes to death, there should be no room for doubt.

Ain't No More Play in GA - RISE UP FALCONS!

2011-09-19T11:27:00.007-04:00

This if for all you Vick fans.

What's up, Big mouth, Big talk, Big game

And anyone else, that want us, you can trust, it aint no fear
You can talk that in my ear, but it aint shit, 'til you come down here

My nicca fuck what ya say (We Ready!)
Ain't no more play in GA (We Ready!)

I'd Rather Go Blind

2011-09-14T23:02:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Amy Winehouse!

I could really see Amy Winehouse singing this song by Etta James:

Tupac on God and Religion

2011-09-13T17:40:00.002-04:00

Tupac on "5 Percenters" as God, "I don't believe in the brothers I was in jail with. If you God open the gate for me. How the hell do I pop this fkcin gate and get me free up outta here...then I'll be a 5 Percenter for LIFE."

Tupac's 15 Year Death Anniversary

2011-09-13T16:01:00.009-04:00

R.I.P. TO THE GREATEST RAPPER EVER.

So to commemorate Tupac's 15 year death anniversary, the Outlaws announced in an interview they smoked Pac's ashes. Not really sure how I feel about this....I kinda am feelin' it...I think?

Noble was asked point blank if it was true the group rolled the cremated rapper into a joint and smoked him.

“Yes, it is definitely true. Had a little memorial for him with his mum and his family.”

Bandmate E.D.I. said “If you listen to (the song) Black Jesus, Tupac said, "Cremated, last wishes, nigga smoke my ashes!" That was a request he had.”

Added Noble: “We twisted up some of that great granddaddy California Kush and mixed the big hommie with it...he's flowing through our system.”

Translation: They cut open a Blunt cigar, removed the tobacco and filled it with broken down Cannabis sativa mixed with Tupac's ashes and proceeded to smoke it and became one."

T Pain in $1.8 Million Bugatti

2011-09-06T20:26:00.008-04:00

I'm going to start taking my cam wherever I go..You never know what you might see. This was taken w/ my BB. T Pain behind me, stuntin' in the RAIN in a $1.8 million dollar 2008 Bugatti Veyron exiting the highway, turning onto Howell Mill Rd. today.

You have to watch this from start to finish to truly appreciate the car and it's speed:

"I doubt another 5,000 road test will see something to beat it."

Who knew he lived in Atlanta. His $1,320,000 home (WHICH IS HUGE!) in Duluth, Georgia is less than his car. Half a million less. Fact.

2011-08-23T20:48:00.000-04:00

For The Car Lovers

2011-08-17T22:48:00.001-04:00

If I won the lottery, which is possible..lol……This would be my car collection:

This first car would be for babe…hardest Range Rover ever! Flat black right down to the rims (this car is actually Tommy Hilfiger’s son’s car…and you know how sick Tommy Hilfiger’s car collection is).

I’ve always been a Porsche fan….This is what I would pick the kids up from school in.

TVs for the boys.

This would be my fun car….This my date night car:

I would get my Monte Carlo restored to look like this one in tribute to Red. Free Big Red! “When you get more time for sellin dope than murder.” - Jeezy

This has always been my favorite old school. Convertible 1970 Chevelle SS 454 (sn: my Magnum has these same rims…timeless design).

GTO is what started the muscle car craze…gotta have this in your collection. This car is MEAN.

2011-07-30T14:13:00.001-04:00

Long Live Amy Winehouse

2011-07-28T15:10:00.007-04:00

If you really analyze this video....it is sooo autobiographical in so many ways:

I tread a troubled track...

my odds are stacked....

[broken hearted, drug addicted, bulimic]

I'll go back to black

we only said goodbye with words....

I died 100 times...

I go back to black...

life is like a pipe....

and I'm a tiny penny rolling up the walls inside.

[her life spiraling out of control / crack addiction]

We only said goodbye with words.

[long live Amy Winehouse through your music]

Amy Winehouse Quotes

2011-07-25T08:50:00.002-04:00

"I always write autobiographically...always."
"I'm like a black boy in a white girl's body."
"I'm such a loving, maternal person...but alcohol just gets a hold of you."
"(on naming her album Frank) It really means...frank..as in honest"
"There was no other music than jazz, apart from hip hop that I could really grow with...cause there so much stuff around that didn't mean anything"
"It's important for me to challenge myself with the lyric, with the melody, with the chords...the changes...the whole thing about the song."
"I loved Lisa from TLC....Hip hop is like the new jazz."
"My greatest fear is dying without anyone knowing of any contribution that I’ve ever made to creative music...but that's cool now because I've made an album...if i died tomorrow I would still find fulfillment."

Nas to Amy Winehouse...

2011-07-25T08:35:00.001-04:00

Back to Black - Fade to Black

2011-07-25T08:30:00.002-04:00

This is her last concert...
tragic....
sad.....
loved her music and her voice

The video below is ironically her last song performed (this was the first concert of a tour that was canceled after this performance)......chilling lyrics, "You're wondering how you will pay for the way you misbehave. You're wondering now what to do now you know this is the end."......RIP Amy Winehouse.....your music will live on.....fade to black.

Child Abuse

2011-07-14T20:22:00.002-04:00

This really pisses me off that there are some people that talk to their children like this!

Pain: 2Pac vs. Fabolous

2011-07-13T23:52:00.003-04:00

you already know I'm feeling Pac....Fab isn't close to being on his level but I'm diggin' the song.

vs.

"Fantasy is what people want, but reality is what they need." - Lauryn Hill

2011-07-11T19:28:00.010-04:00

No matter what you say about Lauryn Hill, there is NO denying that she has made some beautiful music. The spiritual connection I have with this song is on the same level as some Bob Marley songs. This is on some next level...this is something you have to listen to with no distractions and really feel it from start to finish....It's powerful!

I gotta find peace of mind

I know another cord...

I gotta find peace of mind

See, this what that voice in your head says

When you try to get peace of mind...

I gotta find peace of mind, I gotta find peace of mind

He says it's impossible, but I know it's possible

He says there's no me without him, please help me forget about him

He takes all my energy, trapped in my memory

Constantly holding me, constantly holding me

I need to tell you all, all the pain he's caused, mmmm

I need to tell I'm, I'm undone because, mmmm

He says it's impossible, but I know it's possible

He says it's impossible without him, but I know it's possible

To finally be in love, and know the real meaning of

A lasting relationship, not based on ownership

I trust every part of you, cuz all that I... All that you say you do

You love me despite myself, sometimes I fight myself

I just can't believe that you, would have anything to do

With someone so insecure, someone so immature

Oh you inspire me, to be the higher me

You made my desire pure, you made my desire pure

Just tell me what to say, I can't find the words to say

Please don't be mad with me, I have no identity

All that I've known is gone, all I was building on

I don't wanna walk with you, how do I talk to you

Touch my mouth with your hands, touch my mouth with your hands

Oh I wanna understand, the meaning of your embrace

I know now I have to face, the temptations of my past

Please don't let me disgrace, where my devotion lays

Now that I know the truth, now that it's no excuse

Keeping me from your love, what was I thinking of?

Holding me from your love, what was I thinking of?

You are my peace of mind, that old me is left behind

He says it's impossible, but I know it's possible

He says it's improbable, but I know it's tangeable

He says it's not grabbable, but I know it's haveable

Cuz anything's possible, oh anything is possible

Please come free my mind, please come meet my mind

Can you see my mind, oh

Won't you come free my mind?

Oh I know it's possible

Anything, anything, anything, anything, anything, yeeey

Anything, anything, anything, anything, yeeey

Anything, anything, anything, anything, anything, yeeey

Oh free! Free, free, free your mind

Free, free your mind... free, free your mind

Free, free, free, free your mind

Oh, it's so possible, oh it's so possible

I'm telling you it's possible, I'm telling you it's possible

Free, free... free, free... free, free... get free now

Free, free... free, free, free, free... free, free

You're my peace of mind, that old me is left behind

You're my peace of mind, you're my peace of mind

He's my peace of mind, he's my peace of mind

What a joy it is to be alive

To get another chance, yeah

Everyday's another chance

To get it right this time

Everyday's another chance

Oh what a merciful, merciful, merciful God

Oh what a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful God

SOONER THAN LATER

2011-07-10T14:50:00.000-04:00

The Narrative of My 35th Birthday and the 35 (Random) Acts of Kindness

2011-07-05T21:51:00.002-04:00

I hope my friend does not mind me posting this...but I think this should be shared with the world.....If more people in the world were like this, the world would be a much better place!

This is a facebook post made by a friend of mine named Christine....this is how she spent her birthday:

For those who asked to about my day. I know that my account is lengthy, but I just couldn't chop anything out! Here it is...

I loved my 35th birthday. It was the first time that I allowed myself to stop thinking of my needs on my birthday. Self-pity and self-centeredness are hard to navigate through. No thanks, don't want them. Not this time. Not this birthday! I don’t know about you, but for me, the big S's only give me unproductive ruminating thoughts that stifle my following actions. I did not want any part of that on this birthday, so I chose to change it!
I wanted a YOU centered birthday instead of a ME centered birthday, so I chose to serve. I wanted a GOD centered birthday instead of a MATERIAL centered birthday, so I chose to act with kindness. I wanted a FAMILY centered birthday so that we all could grow. I wanted something that stretched my boundaries and pulled on my heart strings. I wanted to feel it deeply. I wanted to touch the authentic emotion.
Yes, I planned it out to an extent… so to all of you language purists, my part was not so random. The random part of the action fell upon the person receiving the act of kindness. In turn, their reaction created an uncalculated emotion inside of me. Voila!
So, to all that are interested, I will list the events of yesterday, sequentially. I hope that the deep emotion that I felt during the day is tangible on paper.
Oh… and I forgot to add, being public with my life does not come easily to me. Writing in my Facebook status that I was planning on the 35 Acts of Kindness was a feat of it’s own. The last thing that I want you, the reader, to think is that I am being boastful. Truly, putting myself into the ringer immediately produces sweaty palms and a knotted stomach. But, I’m pushing myself this time. I won’t ever get anything done if I stay inside my box and you won’t ever know about it unless I open my mouth (or click away at the keyboard).

Breakfast in bed for the hubbie with a note of thanks for everything that he has provided for me. I started with the person that is most significant in my life.
Flowers for the kids, a huge hug, thank you, and encouragement for the day.
Flowers delivered to the widow next door.
Cookies and a greeting to the neighbors that live two doors down. We haven’t ever addressed one another before, even though we see each other many times a week. When the family opened the door, they first asked what we were selling. They acted amazed that we were just saying hello. They were very gracious once they understood that our motives were simple and kind!
A treat for the mailman. We were lucky enough to meet him on his route! His smile was the largest out of anyone that we gave to the whole day.
A call to my Dad to thank him for all of the support that he has provided in my life. This act brought on all the tears. As many of you know, my Dad and I have a strained relationship. This may have been the hardest act of the day.
Sent a snail mail letter to an old friend. This was directed to my oldest friend that I love like sister. Super easy to write, but I am generally awful thinking of and performing out these deeds. Mailing things is not my specialty!
Sent another snail mail letter to someone that I have lost contact with. Another hard act to face, but I am hoping that it will be fruitful. I am often filled with self-doubt when I think of all the friends that I have lost contact with. What was it that they did not like about me? But really, when I admit it, I know that I am the worst when it comes to calling someone to say hello. I easily contribute to many of my failed relationships. My box is safe and if you are outside of it I may not communicate often. Down with the box!
Donated clothes to a local shelter. Easily done! This is one that I do often, so I didn’t stretch my self too far!
Provided a friend with one of our material possessions that we don’t use (but it is still in fantastic shape)! Well, really this was Benj’s act of kindness… but I was the middleman! He had a great pair of NEW Dickies jeans just sitting in his closet. We chose the man that we thought most deserved them (and was the coolest) and then delivered!
Gave cookies to a close family friend that helps us out often. This lady also has a mother who recently began living with her due to medical needs. She often takes care of her grandkids (who are my kids good friends). We definitely caught her off guard and I can only hope that she wasn’t too embarrassed that she was still in her robe. But, bottom line is that we love and appreciate her!
Thanks given to the bank tellers with a plate of cookies. I interact with the bank tellers weekly but never say much to them beyond the ordinary hellos.
Struck up a conversation with the cashier at our local food mart after pumping gas. I asked her things that I normally wouldn’t have and I was so surprised at how lovely she was!
Helped folks with their grocery carts. We offered to put them away after unloading. The people loved this, offering many thanks and blessings upon our day.
Handed out single roses in the parking lot. I approached and the roses were readily accepted! Smiles!
Gifted a single rose to the cashier at our grocery store after a purchase. Her reaction was so joyful that I immediately broke into tears… but I was not done in that line…
I turned around and handed a grocery store gift certificate to the person standing behind me in line. Again, I was sobbing and immediately exited the store with my family. I want to be honest with you here. Before performing this act, I caught myself judging the man behind me. I was assessing if he needed the gift certificate or not. He looked well groomed and had nice clothes. His child did, too. I even allowed myself to think that he may take the act the wrong way and take offense. Then, I willed myself to go through with the act AND I was so surprised at his unyielding gratefulness.
Again, provided a store shopper with a gift certificate while they were entering the doors. I also gave this lady a single rose!
Intentionally smiled at others all day!
Provided the corner newsstand man a soda. It gets hot down here in Harlingen!
Dropped off cookies and a rose to our local community garden angel! This woman lives by herself, she immigrated from Mexico (yes, legally you stiff-ies), works as a housecleaner, transports herself daily by bicycle, successfully saved the money to build her own house, etc… I could go on for a long time. She also tends to everyone’s garden at our local community garden. She gives out kindness daily!
Responded to all of my facebook messages and did so when I first viewed them. Ok… another confession time… I am awful at procrastinating when I receive a message. I always think that I can do it later, but what I need to do is show the person the respect and respond quickly. Uggghhh… trudging through deep mud!!!!! This one is hard for me.
Visited one of the sweetest ladies at our church. Cookies distributed! This visit was very beneficial for me. The lady that we visited is a joy to be around and very funny. She was stricken with Polio as a child and has had issues with her health since.
Gave the sweet lady a hug. I am not an innate hugger. It takes some planning on my part to reach out for a hug. Yet, I realize the importance of human touch and how we thrive when we have it. It will be lifelong work for me!
Brought flowers to the local librarians and gave them a verbal list of appreciation. I love our library here. We attend about every 2 weeks, so some librarians even know my kids’ names. I was told that the children’s librarian receives more complaints than compliments. This boggles my mind since most of the programs are FREE.
Provided sodas to three lawn-care workers. We shared and they were more than grateful. Honesty again, I hesitated beforehand. These men looked rough and were the type of people that I usually tiptoe around. My preceding thoughts were proven wrong… again!
A larger than usual tip to the Starbucks drive through attendant!
Coffees and cookies to a local fire station. This one was unusual. The fireman asked why we were giving them the treats and continued by saying that we support them already with our tax money! They did graciously welcome the treats in the end.
Provided a soda for the newspaper girl stationed on the median of one of our major roads.
Taped quarters to the vending machines next to the emergency room at our local hospital. I LOVED this one.
Starbucks coffees given to the sweet labor and delivery nurses. These ladies were the jolliest bunch of people that we came across the whole day. They were eating a cake given to them by a patient that said, “Nurses kick a**!”
A plate of cookies given to a large family in the hospital waiting room. They were very hesitant at first, but then warmed up after a countdown of about 10 seconds.
A gift certificate given to shopper at Lowe’s. I sought out this family and the father was more than gracious.
Roses distributed at a local nursing home. I brought in a bucket full of roses with the intention of giving to a person that does not have many, if any, visitors. When I asked the attending nurse, she directed me to a lady that she described as ‘speaking a lot, but no one listens.’ I gave her a rose and listened. Before I knew it, I was directed into the BINGO room where I had the exact amount of roses per person. I first gave to the ladies and everyone was more than willing to receive. I then approached the 2 men. The first man was reaching out to me before I even got to him. He was mumbling incoherently and as I gave him the rose he said, “Thank you, Mama.” I wasn’t prepared for that uncovered deep emotion and cried the whole way out!
I paid for the order behind me at a fast food drive through window. This was hard to convey to the cashier, but, again, after that 10 second countdown and persistence, she finally understood and smiled. Mission Accomplished!!!!! Wooo-hooo
I left doughnuts and quarters at a local laundromat. The ladies in charge were really confused when I explained what I wanted to do. They automatically assumed that I was selling the doughnuts. It took them at least a minute to shake that idea that I wanted something! Again, once understood they poured out ‘thank yous’!
Flowers left at a friend’s house after swimming with the family.
Yard work for a neighbor.
Cookies to a church member.

And the list continues… I don’t want to stop now! I realize how easy it is to be KIND!

purp

2011-07-01T18:27:00.002-04:00

Planking

2011-07-01T17:39:00.002-04:00

LEDs in Wheels

2011-06-29T21:02:00.002-04:00

Remember when neon lights under the car was the ish...made your car look like it was floating. I wanted some soooooo bad when I first got a car. That was then...this is now: The new trend is LEDs in the wheels. Kinda cool (even though I wouldn't do it now).

Happy Birthday 2Pac

2011-06-16T15:26:00.003-04:00

"We need to change the way we eat, live, and treat each other" -Tupac Shakur

J. Cole - Friday Night Lights

2011-06-08T14:27:00.003-04:00

I know this is old but it's a straight banger. He even did a song with Aaliyah (best friend).

Download Mixtape | Free Mixtapes Provided by DatPiff.com

Happy Birthday Prince

2011-06-07T15:30:00.003-04:00

You Sexy MuthaFucka

Lebron James Post Game 3 Press Conference

2011-06-06T01:26:00.006-04:00

LJ motivating himself by wearing his high school colors....

last time he won a championship was in HS.

LJ's camaro.....doesn't get much harder than this

Memorial Day - Freed Slaves Started This Holiday in Remembrance of Fallen Union Soldiers

2011-05-30T14:09:00.003-04:00

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, which was first recorded to have been observed by Freedmen (freed enslaved southern blacks) in Charleston, South Carolina in 1865, at the Washington Race Course, to remember the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War. Today, what is now known as Memorial Day, commemorates all U.S. Service Members who died while in military service. The recognition of the fallen was then enacted under the name Memorial Day by an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic — to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War. Over time, it was extended after World War I to honor all Americans who have died in all wars.

Memorial Day often marks the start of the summer vacation season, and Labor Day its end.

Begun as a ritual of remembrance and reconciliation after the Civil War, by the early 20th century, Memorial Day was an occasion for more general expressions of memory, as ordinary people visited the graves of their deceased relatives, whether they had served in the military or not. It also became a long weekend increasingly devoted to shopping, family get-togethers, fireworks, trips to the beach, and national media events such as the Indianapolis 500 auto race, held since 1911 on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

R.I.P. Gil-Scott Heron

2011-05-28T15:29:00.007-04:00

"Idiot Box"

The Television Will Not Be Revolutionized.

Idiot boxes of the world unite! To fight off the effects of intelligence, replace smart quotes with fart jokes, substitute sense with scenes from Martin, let the baby's bathe in that glow and learn all manner of things they don't really need to know!

The Television Will Not Be Revolutionized!

Channel the content of some rambling nonsense deep into the annals of yo' subconscious, deprogram and depress chasing some televised success, be them, that, they and those be everything but in control,

The Television Will Not Be Revolutionized!

Small claims Court drama, teenage baby mamas, Osama watching Osama, Celebrity Endorsed indoor saunas, the perfectly cooked piraña and other cannonfodder for you to ponder, all at the speed of imitations of life while the smoke of war gets inhaled thru the peace pipes, be still my beating heart and scare my brain from thinking thoughts as i sit intoxicated by the delights, sarcasm and 3 strikes thrown by my favorite pitcher in a sound surrounded, 3 dimensional, high death, full color mixture, wholly unsocializing and completely uncensored,

The Television Will Not Be Revolutionized!

By this one-eyed monster most of the world was raised, and by this hero most of the world was saved, and to this master most of the world is slaves, it factors your fears with actors and cheers from a live studio audience pushing you to engage in a heroic act of thoughtlessness for the grand prize of a little bread, fleeting fame in the circus and every thought in yo head,

The Television Will Not Be Revolutionized!

"Ain't no changing me" said my flat screen TV, No More Che's to the rescue, or Black Panthers to correct you, just coaxial cables and satellite signals to connect you to a world that doesn't really look like it does on TV, where everything is much shorter, fatter, uglier and in disorder, where u have to do it now because there are no digital recorders where if the present gets boring you can just fast forward,

The Television Will Not Be Revolutionized!

So there will be no revolution, or paradoxically ironic televised public execution of the entire worldwide televising institution, there wont even be a celebritized, televised trial of old baby blue, cuz you see my dear friends the television will not be revolutionized but what about the revolution that should taking place inside......................of you?

By Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jaco in Dedication to that guiding light of a human being Gil-Scott Heron

Judgement Day

2011-05-21T00:00:00.001-04:00

POSTERIZED!!!!

2011-05-16T17:08:00.002-04:00

I'm actually going for Miami.....but DAYUMMMMMM!! Ole boy did two of the baddest dunks this year in 1 game and posterized D. Wade.

I Love My Family!

2011-05-09T22:06:00.003-04:00

came home...babe greeted me at the door with a kiss from those juicy, wonderful lips.... holding baby boy.....baby boy reached for daddy...carried him up the steps....and aiden was waiting for me at the top...yelling, "daddy!! daddy!!".....#Life'sGreatPleasures

Front (food) Page News!

2011-05-05T22:38:00.000-04:00

Did Pakistan know Bin Laden was there?

2011-05-04T13:14:00.006-04:00

$20 BILLION given by the US gov't to Pakistan since 9/11. $160 Million of your tax dollars to fund Pakistan schools (so they will be our friends) while we make budget cut backs in Atlanta Public Schools.

This is sooo true. Start watching at 1:38...lol

BHO killed OBL

2011-05-02T14:16:00.008-04:00

Meet Team Six, the killers of Osama Bin Laden. They are the best of the best of Navy Seals. The United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), commonly known as DEVGRU and informally by its former name SEAL Team Six (ST6). There is no application. Members are chosen. Officially, the team's name is classified and not available to the public, technically there is no team 6. A Tier-One counter-terrorism force similar to the Army's elusive Delta group, Team 6's mission rarely make it to paper much less the newspaper. They exist outside military protocol, engage in operations that are at the highest level of classification and often outside the boundaries of international law. To maintain plausible deniability in case they are caught, records of black operations are rarely, if ever, kept.

The claim had been made by one former Team member that in one year SEAL Team Six fired more rounds of ammunition than the entire U.S. Marine Corps. SEAL Team Six/DEVGRU has lost several operators during training, including parachute accidents and close-quarters battle training accidents, but this is necessary in order to make training realistic.

Art

2011-04-29T15:09:00.001-04:00

Princess Diana Ring For Sale

2011-04-28T11:57:00.005-04:00

This commercial came on TV last night!!! Initially, I thought it was a documentary about the wedding....I was comically surprised to find out it was a commercial...LOL. Please don't confuse the legit "Royal Historical Society" with the American trademarked "British Royal Society" which is not a society at all and trademarked by "As Seen on TV."

youtube comment (LOL):

Hahahaha this commercial is hilarious!
Comes with a certificate of authenticity: Yep, it's a ring! We have proof!
Comes with a HINGED velveteen box. Mother of god, a hinge! I'll cherish it forever!
Was $119.00 but our marketing director's conscience literally burst out of his forehead and threatened to kill us all if we didn't mark it down to $19.90. It was still a tough call.
Oh man, funniest commercial ever.

good music....another dope freestyle...aka improvisation

2011-04-21T14:04:00.002-04:00

420...4:20....4/20

2011-04-20T13:34:00.006-04:00

One of my favorite Pac songs (let me change the lyrics on this to..."times goes by puffin' on LOUD, hoping that it gets me high...gotta a nicca goin' crazy":

Excuse while a light my spliff....oh God, I've got to take a lift...

i can only imagine...

2011-04-18T21:19:00.002-04:00

Catching up on some work....playoffs in the background....found an old hard drive and listening to this song: It's very deep and probably something people never really give a lot of true, uninterrupted thought to until death is obviously close. Even though life is a constant struggle...and I'm not EXACTLY where I need to be....working to get there and I pray that I be the man God wants me to be..and hope and work for the day that I earn the right to die and I CAN ONLY IMAGINE....

Hush Little Baby...

2011-04-18T11:43:00.006-04:00

I'm one of those fathers that barely remembers nursery rhymes so I end of making up the words...baby boy (Noah) is home sick today....trying to get him to go to sleep (he's super tired) so I sung him this alternate:

Hush, little baby, don't say a word,
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

And if that mockingbird don't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you some bling bling.

And if that bling bling cost too much cash,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass.

And if that looking glass gets broke,
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat.

And if that billy goat don't pull,
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull.

And if that cart and bull turn over,
Papa's gonna buy you a Range Rover.

And if that Range Rover won't start.
Papa's gonna to buy you and horse and cart.

And if that horse and cart fall down,
Papa's going to turn that frown into a smile.

Hush lil' baby don't you cry,
Papa's going kiss your tears from your eyes.

SN: Why do babies fight so hard that they end up crying because they don't want to go to sleep when their lil' body is exhausted?......"I mean come on Noah....you can barely keep your eyes open......go to sleep baby boy...you'll feel much better when you wake up."

at the farm...

2011-04-16T21:21:00.003-04:00

What is a Sherwani?

2011-04-13T09:49:00.006-04:00

Told you'll I was serious about arranging my boys marriages. Just converted Aiden to Hindu...lol...j/k....Today was International day at Aiden's school so we decided to dress the Prince as a Prince of India w/ authentic threads.

More pics on his blog...

Not totally sure, but I think he's wearing a Sherwani....

A sherwani is a long garment which resembles an Achkan and it is very popular among men in South-Asia. A sherwani signifies the rich traditional fashion style of India as it is a traditional outfit of Indian men. It signifies elegance and style. A scarf is also used which is draped over one or both the shoulders.

The sherwani signified dignity and etiquette of the nobility and it used to be the court dress of the nobles of Turkish and Persian origin. In India, the sherwani is worn on formal occasions and it is the national dress of Pakistan for men. A sherwani carries a regal feel.

Sherwanis look elegant as they fuse the best of both the eastern and the western styling. A sherwani is a typical attire of the North Indian and the Punjabi weddings.

Hawks vs. Heat

2011-04-13T09:12:00.004-04:00

Too bad the Hawks lost....

it was a good game...

we still had fun...

double date night at the game:

Hinrich looks like he has good position....this ended in a dunk.

Another one that ended in a dunk....

Lebron laughing at us after a dunk....

playing the Hawks should not be this fun.

Killer Mike: Freestyle Champion

2011-04-12T22:57:00.000-04:00

Killer Mike....very underrated...I always liked him.....this is a true off the dome...freestyle (very rare in today's rap game).

oh wow...straight banger

2011-04-12T22:56:00.001-04:00

2011-04-11T11:27:00.004-04:00

Listening to this as I work. I love Drake's verse:

I talk slicker than a pimp from Augusta
Who just had his linen suit dry-cleaned, bitches, what’s up witcha?
I hate callin’ the women bitches, but the bitches love it
I took some sense and made a nickel of it
I’m urgin’ all daughters to kiss they mothers
With those lips that all that lipstick covers
You’re never too grown up to miss and hug her
And girls countin’ on me to be there like missin’ rubbers
I’m on some Marvin Gaye shit, a bunch of distant lovers
This ain’t the life that I’m used to
Reintroduced to people I’ve been introduced to
Did you forget me?
Or are you too scared to tell me that you met me
And fear that I won’t remember
I wish you could still accept me for me
I miss Memphis, Tennessee, my cousins, my dad
The simplistic beauty that all of them Southerners have
I’m halfway across the world with dozens of bags
Feelin’ like all four members of Color Me Badd
In one nigga, amazing shit
I got that Courtney Love for you, that crazy shit
I don’t drink every bottle I own, I be agin’ shit
And I got them wedding ring flows, that engagin’ shit
Which one of y’all got fleets on your key chains?
The seats for these Heat games?
I really think you stare at yourself and you see things
La Familia, I’ve been inducted and instructed
To stunt on these niggas we don’t really fuck wit
Fuck is up?
Havin’ lunch and debatin’ Ferrari prices
23 and goin’ through a midlife crisis
But trust me, I still deliver like a midwife
And no, I’m not sayin’ I’m the nicest, I just live like it
Uh, it take a certain type of man to teach
To be far from hood, but to understand the streets
I never threw away that paper with my Grammy speech
Because I haven’t hit the pinnacles I plan to reach
Yeah, you gotta own it if you want it
Kisses all on her body, she tells me live in the moment
And, baby, I’ll never forget none of that
Girl, I told you I was coming back

Bad Azz Kids

2011-04-05T18:49:00.010-04:00

This is the reason we charge $1 for anyone who cusses at the house in front of the boys (surprisingly there are a lot of offenders). These boys have the southern cuss word vernacular down to a tee! I have to admit.....this video is a guilty pleasure of mine and is hilarious to me. It's sad that these boys cuss and carry on the way they do, but on the other hand a lot can be learned from them. If more grown men handled their differences this way instead of pulling out guns, missiles & bombs, the world would be a much better place. Also take note that "lil' shit-talker" took his well deserved ass whoopin' like a man and kept it movin'..... "get yo trippin' ass on" LOL.

And to all the shit talkers......."the loudest one in the room is the weakest one in the room." - American Gangster

Arranged Marriage

2011-04-04T12:21:00.001-04:00

If you love your children,
arrange their marriage.

Jin now makes gospel music vs. Angels

2011-03-31T21:00:00.006-04:00

Remember Jin from Freestyle Fridays on 106 and Park who was signed to Ruff Ryders? He is a Beast! Well now he is a Christian rapper and still NICE.

Love this song...and I love this beat...hope it gets some radio play:

"Dear God I wonder can you save me? /

The more it makes sense, the more they claim I'm crazy."

VS.

"Lord forgive me I'm a sinner/

oatmeal in the winter....

Love EVERYTHING about this video....

watch it in 480 full screen (click here)

Brandy vs. Usher

2011-03-25T14:32:00.002-04:00

vs.

New Edition - Is This The End vs. Jealous Girl

2011-03-25T14:30:00.002-04:00

Having a big sister, I couldn't help but like New Edition growing up (it's all she played). These are two of my favorites:

Herb vs. Biggie

2011-03-07T21:33:00.006-05:00

Was jammin' to this as I attempted to cook (w/ the help of babe) this evening:

1979 vs. 1997

Dude Has Heart

2011-03-01T00:30:00.003-05:00

I was searching Flickr for an image for some graphic design and stumbled across this atomically correct tat....dude has heart.

J Is For Junkie

2011-02-25T13:27:00.007-05:00

I received this Ad in my email today. Would love to have attended the viewing, but I'm going out of town. Back in my school days, I worked at a valet at a strip club downtown and got to know the J's in the area very well. You would be surprised at how phenomenal a lot of them are, the stories they have to tell and how much you can learn from an addict.

Crack is a HORRIBLE drug. I once candidly asked an addict (after she offering me head for $5), "What kind of high [from crack] will make you disrespect yourself for such little money? " Her response was, "NEVER try crack! I have lost my soul and everything else to crack. The high is amazing but it only last 15 MINUTES....and as soon as those 15 minutes are up, you are willing to do ANYTHING....to get another $5 ($5 ready-rock) to get that 15 min. high again."

Crack addiction is a serious, potentially fatal disease with no cure! As Whitney Houston so eloquently stated, "Crack is whack!" This film looks very interesting.

Yung LA

2011-02-21T22:24:00.004-05:00

Yung LA has officially lost his mind.....this dude parted ways with Grand Hustle...unsigned and gets Alley Boys Record Co.'s logo tattooed on his face (and the logo is a DUCK....who wants to be like a duck?). This dude was obviously high in the video not currently realizing he is unsigned (maybe he was hallucinating? - and furthermore you have to be super, duper high to say a tattoo feels like a massage.....hell nawwww). As Alley boy tweeted, "I don't know what drug make niggaz do dumd shit." Is Yung LA signed with Da Mob?!”--Fuck NO! (and alley boy actually disses him on his latest mixtape)

"It's hard enough for real niggaz to get in. That would go against everything I stand for. #DTE"

(I know this dude woke up the next morning w/ the worst hang over wondering what happened last night...i'm mad at his tattoo artist for doing it.)

Yung LA used to be the man....some drugs you need to never touch

Gas prices rising as protests spread in Mideast, N. Africa

2011-02-21T22:00:00.002-05:00

Protests across the Mideast and North Africa have sparked concern in the oil market (raising gas prices over CONCERNS). Friday's closing price of $86.20 on the New York Mercantile Exchange was 20 cents higher than a week earlier. However, experts say there have been no disruptions in oil supply.
[Ain't that some bs!]

Libya Revolution

2011-02-21T21:48:00.011-05:00

Statements like this make you appreciate being an American more. Glad to be an American and not have to wake up to this asshole pointing the finger at me saying:

Seif al-Islam said his father is in the country and backed by the army. "We will fight to the last minute, until the LAST BULLET!"

"We are NOT Tunisia and Egypt!"

“Instead of weeping over 84 dead people (actually 200-800), we will weep over hundreds of thousands of dead,” Saif al-Islam Qaddafi said on state television. “Blood will flow. RIVERS OF BLOOD WILL FLOW in all the cities of Libya!”

BTW Kadafi has shut down the Internet and blocked all outgoing/incoming international calls.....and not letting the media in as he gets ready to mass murder.

Miguel - Sure Thing

2011-02-21T14:29:00.001-05:00

Alley Boy

2011-02-15T14:01:00.005-05:00

While a lot of rappers glorify drug dealing (Rick Ross, Jeezy, etc...).....they don't paint a balanced picture and show you the negative...like being locked up......Alley Boy is real in every way:

"I seen niccas pray to beat a court case,
60 years, my lil partna spit in the judge's face.
I talk reality, rappers lying about whipping pot [making crack in a pot]
But they don't talk about that trafficking charge that nicca got."

"Make sure a nicca pray today cause one day's going to be the last day,
with my routine...chasing this green could be the fast way."

Alley Boy

2011-02-05T13:57:00.007-05:00

I just happen to stumble across this mixtape; "Alley Boy - Purgatory". Never heard of him. Started listening to it and could not turn it off. Turns out he's from East side of the A. Maybe that's why I like it so much....Dude is nice! He may be the next big thing out of Atlanta and the return of "story rap"...but then again he may be too alley, for the masses. He's never released an album but just signed a 50/50 deal with Atlantic.

These are a few of my favorites:

Rick Ross - Devil In A New Dress

2011-01-28T00:56:00.002-05:00

Moving Like Bernie Dance

2011-01-20T11:34:00.003-05:00

This dance originated on the west coast (I think). I LIKE IT!! I can't wait until my sons get bigger and they can teach me all the latest dances..lol

In case you're wondering why this dance looks so funny and crazy: It's based on the old movie "Weekend at Bernie's."

Remember this?

LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL

2011-01-17T12:55:00.011-05:00

If you have never read this, please do. This letter demonstrates the moral, intellectual depth of MLK.

This response to a published statement by eight fellow clergymen from Alabama (Bishop C. C. J. Carpenter, Bishop Joseph A. Durick, Rabbi Hilton L. Grafman, Bishop Paul Hardin, Bishop Holan B. Harmon, the Reverend George M. Murray. the Reverend Edward V. Ramage and the Reverend Earl Stallings) was composed under somewhat constricting circumstance. Begun on the margins of the newspaper in which the statement appeared while I was in jail, the letter was continued on scraps of writing paper supplied by a friendly Negro trusty, and concluded on a pad my attorneys were eventually permitted to leave me.

LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL
April 16, 1963

MY DEAR FELLOW CLERGYMEN:

While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statements in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.

I think I should indicate why I am here In Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against "outsiders coming in." I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Frequently we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates. Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct-action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise. So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here I am here because I have organizational ties here.

But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.

Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.

You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city's white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative.

In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action. We have gone through all of these steps in Birmingham. There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community. Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. These are the hard, brutal facts of the case. On the basis of these conditions, Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers. But the latter consistently refused to engage in good-faith negotiation.

Then, last September, came the opportunity to talk with leaders of Birmingham's economic community. In the course of the negotiations, certain promises were made by the merchants --- for example, to remove the stores humiliating racial signs. On the basis of these promises, the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and the leaders of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights agreed to a moratorium on all demonstrations. As the weeks and months went by, we realized that we were the victims of a broken promise. A few signs, briefly removed, returned; the others remained.

As in so many past experiences, our hopes had been blasted, and the shadow of deep disappointment settled upon us. We had no alternative except to prepare for direct action, whereby we would present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local and the national community. Mindful of the difficulties involved, we decided to undertake a process of self-purification. We began a series of workshops on nonviolence, and we repeatedly asked ourselves : "Are you able to accept blows without retaliating?" "Are you able to endure the ordeal of jail?" We decided to schedule our direct-action program for the Easter season, realizing that except for Christmas, this is the main shopping period of the year. Knowing that a strong economic withdrawal program would be the by-product of direct action, we felt that this would be the best time to bring pressure to bear on the merchants for the needed change.

Then it occurred to us that Birmingham's mayoralty election was coming up in March, and we speedily decided to postpone action until after election day. When we discovered that the Commissioner of Public Safety, Eugene "Bull" Connor, had piled up enough votes to be in the run-off we decided again to postpone action until the day after the run-off so that the demonstrations could not be used to cloud the issues. Like many others, we waited to see Mr. Connor defeated, and to this end we endured postponement after postponement. Having aided in this community need, we felt that our direct-action program could be delayed no longer.

You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?" You are quite right in calling, for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks to so dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent-resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word "tension." I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.

The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. I therefore concur with you in your call for negotiation. Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than dialogue.

One of the basic points in your statement is that the action that I and my associates have taken .in Birmingham is untimely. Some have asked: "Why didn't you give the new city administration time to act?" The only answer that I can give to this query is that the new Birmingham administration must be prodded about as much as the outgoing one, before it will act. We are sadly mistaken if we feel that the election of Albert Boutwell as mayor. will bring the millennium to Birmingham. While Mr. Boutwell is a much more gentle person than Mr. Connor, they are both segregationists, dedicated to maintenance of the status quo. I have hope that Mr. Boutwell will be reasonable enough to see the futility of massive resistance to desegregation. But he will not see this without pressure from devotees of civil rights. My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture; but, as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups tend to be more immoral than individuals.

We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct-action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."

We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we stiff creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging dark of segregation to say, "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?"; when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading "white" and "colored"; when your first name becomes "nigger," your middle name becomes "boy" (however old you are) and your last name becomes "John," and your wife and mother are never given the respected title "Mrs."; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you go forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness" then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.

You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws. This is certainly a legitimate concern. Since we so diligently urge people to obey the Supreme Court's decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools, at first glance it may seem rather paradoxical for us consciously to break laws. One may want to ask: "How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?" The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that "an unjust law is no law at all"

Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. Segregation, to use the terminology of the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, substitutes an "I-it" relationship for an "I-thou" relationship and ends up relegating persons to the status of things. Hence segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and awful. Paul Tillich said that sin is separation. Is not segregation an existential expression 'of man's tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness? Thus it is that I can urge men to obey the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court, for it is morally right; and I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances, for they are morally wrong.

Let us consider a more concrete example of just and unjust laws. An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal. By the same token, a just law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal.

Let me give another explanation. A law is unjust if it is inflicted on a minority that, as a result of being denied the right to vote, had no part in enacting or devising the law. Who can say that the legislature of Alabama which set up that state's segregation laws was democratically elected? Throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties in which, even though Negroes constitute a majority of the population, not a single Negro is registered. Can any law enacted under such circumstances be considered democratically structured?

Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application. For instance, I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. Now, there is nothing wrong in having an ordinance which requires a permit for a parade. But such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest.

I hope you are able to ace the distinction I am trying to point out. In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist. That would lead to anarchy. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.

Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire. To a degree, academic freedom is a reality today because Socrates practiced civil disobedience. In our own nation, the Boston Tea Party represented a massive act of civil disobedience.

We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws.

I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.

I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fan in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress. I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that the present tension in the South is a necessary phase of the transition from an obnoxious negative peace, in which the Negro passively accepted his unjust plight, to a substantive and positive peace, in which all men will respect the dignity and worth of human personality. Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. We bring it out in the open, where it can be seen and dealt with. Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with an its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured.

In your statement you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But is this a logical assertion? Isn't this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery? Isn't this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical inquiries precipitated the act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock? Isn't this like condemning Jesus because his unique God-consciousness and never-ceasing devotion to God's will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion? We must come to see that, as the federal courts have consistently affirmed, it is wrong to urge an individual to cease his efforts to gain his basic constitutional rights because the quest may precipitate violence. Society must protect the robbed and punish the robber.

I had also hoped that the white moderate would reject the myth concerning time in relation to the struggle for freedom. I have just received a letter from a white brother in Texas. He writes: "All Christians know that the colored people will receive equal rights eventually, but it is possible that you are in too great a religious hurry. It has taken Christianity almost two thousand years to accomplish what it has. The teachings of Christ take time to come to earth." Such an attitude stems from a tragic misconception of time, from the strangely rational notion that there is something in the very flow of time that will inevitably cure all ills. Actually, time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this 'hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right. Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy and transform our pending national elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity.

You speak of our activity in Birmingham as extreme. At fist I was rather disappointed that fellow clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist. I began thinking about the fact that stand in the middle of two opposing forces in the Negro community. One is a force of complacency, made up in part of Negroes who, as a result of long years of oppression, are so drained of self-respect and a sense of "somebodiness" that they have adjusted to segregation; and in part of a few middle class Negroes who, because of a degree of academic and economic security and because in some ways they profit by segregation, have become insensitive to the problems of the masses. The other force is one of bitterness and hatred, and it comes perilously close to advocating violence. It is expressed in the various black nationalist groups that are springing up across the nation, the largest and best-known being Elijah Muhammad's Muslim movement. Nourished by the Negro's frustration over the continued existence of racial discrimination, this movement is made up of people who have lost faith in America, who have absolutely repudiated Christianity, and who have concluded that the white man is an incorrigible "devil."

I have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need emulate neither the "do-nothingism" of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the black nationalist. For there is the more excellent way of love and nonviolent protest. I am grateful to God that, through the influence of the Negro church, the way of nonviolence became an integral part of our struggle.

If this philosophy had not emerged, by now many streets of the South would, I am convinced, be flowing with blood. And I am further convinced that if our white brothers dismiss as "rabble-rousers" and "outside agitators" those of us who employ nonviolent direct action, and if they refuse to support our nonviolent efforts, millions of Negroes will, out of frustration and despair, seek solace and security in black-nationalist ideologies a development that would inevitably lead to a frightening racial nightmare.

Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom, and something without has reminded him that it can be gained. Consciously or unconsciously, he has been caught up by the Zeitgeist, and with his black brothers of Africa and his brown and yellow brothers of Asia, South America and the Caribbean, the United States Negro is moving with a sense of great urgency toward the promised land of racial justice. If one recognizes this vital urge that has engulfed the Negro community, one should readily understand why public demonstrations are taking place. The Negro has many pent-up resentments and latent frustrations, and he must release them. So let him march; let him make prayer pilgrimages to the city hall; let him go on freedom rides--and try to understand why he must do so. If his repressed emotions are not released in nonviolent ways, they will seek expression through violence; this is not a threat but a fact of history. So I have not said to my people: "Get rid of your discontent." Rather, I have tried to say that this normal and healthy discontent can be channeled into the creative outlet of nonviolent direct action. And now this approach is being termed extremist.

But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Was not Amos an extremist for justice: "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Was not Martin Luther an extremist: "Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God." And John Bunyan: "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience." And Abraham Lincoln: "This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." And Thomas Jefferson: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal ..." So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime---the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.

I had hoped that the white moderate would see this need. Perhaps I was too optimistic; perhaps I expected too much. I suppose I should have realized that few members of the oppressor race can understand the deep groans and passionate yearnings of the oppressed race, and still fewer have the vision to see that injustice must be rooted out by strong, persistent and determined action. I am thankful, however, that some of our white brothers in the South have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it. They are still too few in quantity, but they are big in quality. Some---such as Ralph McGill, Lillian Smith, Harry Golden, James McBride Dabbs, Ann Braden and Sarah Patton Boyle---have written about our struggle in eloquent and prophetic terms. Others have marched with us down nameless streets of the South. They have languished in filthy, roach-infested jails, suffering the abuse and brutality of policemen who view them as "dirty nigger lovers." Unlike so many of their moderate brothers and sisters, they have recognized the urgency of the moment and sensed the need for powerful "action" antidotes to combat the disease of segregation.

Let me take note of my other major disappointment. I have been so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership. Of course, there are some notable exceptions. I am not unmindful of the fact that each of you has taken some significant stands on this issue. I commend you, Reverend Stallings, for your Christian stand on this past Sunday, in welcoming Negroes to your worship service on a non segregated basis. I commend the Catholic leaders of this state for integrating Spring Hill College several years ago.

But despite these notable exceptions, I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed with the church. I do not say this as one of those negative .critics who can always find. something wrong with the church. I say this as a minister of the gospel, who loves the church; who was nurtured in its bosom; who has been sustained by its spiritual blessings and who will remain true to it as long as the cord of Rio shall lengthen.

When I was suddenly catapulted into the leadership of the bus protest in Montgomery, Alabama, a few years ago, I felt we would be supported by the white church felt that the white ministers, priests and rabbis of the South would be among our strongest allies. Instead, some have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leader era; an too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained-glass windows.

In spite of my shattered dreams, I came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership of this community would see the justice of our cause and, with deep moral concern, would serve as the channel through which our just grievances could reach the power structure. I had hoped that each of you would understand. But again I have been disappointed.

I have heard numerous southern religious leaders admonish their worshipers to comply with a desegregation decision because it is the law, but I have longed to hear white ministers declare: "Follow this decree because integration is morally right and because the Negro is your brother." In the midst of blatant injustices inflicted upon the Negro, I have watched white churchmen stand on the sideline and mouth pious. irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities. In the midst of a mighty struggle to rid our nation of racial and economic injustice, I have heard many ministers say: "Those are social issues, with which the gospel has no real concern." And I have watched many churches commit themselves to a completely other worldly religion which makes a strange, on Biblical distinction between body and soul, between the sacred and the secular.

I have traveled the length and breadth of Alabama, Mississippi and all the other southern states. On sweltering summer days and crisp autumn mornings I have looked at the South's beautiful churches with their lofty spires pointing heavenward. I have beheld the impressive outlines of her massive religious-education buildings. Over and over I have found myself asking: "What kind of people worship here? Who is their God? Where were their voices when the lips of Governor Barnett dripped with words of interposition and nullification? Where were they when Governor Wallace gave a clarion call for defiance and hatred? Where were their voices of support when bruised and weary Negro men and women decided to rise from the dark dungeons of complacency to the bright hills of creative protest?"

Yes, these questions are still in my mind. In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the church. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. Yes, I love the church. How could I do otherwise? l am in the rather unique position of being the son, the grandson and the great-grandson of preachers. Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists.

There was a time when the church was very powerful in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being "disturbers of the peace" and "outside agitators"' But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were "a colony of heaven," called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God intoxicated to be "astronomically intimidated." By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide. and gladiatorial contests.

Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Par from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent and often even vocal sanction of things as they are.

But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it vi lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust.

Perhaps I have once again been too optimistic. Is organized religion too inextricably bound to the status quo to save our nation and the world? Perhaps I must turn my faith to the inner spiritual church, the church within the church, as the true ecclesia and the hope of the world. But again I am thankful to God that some noble souls from the ranks of organized religion have broken loose from the paralyzing chains of conformity and joined us as active partners in the struggle for freedom, They have left their secure congregations and walked the streets of Albany, Georgia, with us. They have gone down the highways of the South on tortuous rides for freedom. Yes, they have gone to jai with us. Some have been dismissed from their churches, have lost the support of their bishops and fellow ministers. But they have acted in the faith that right defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. Their witness has been the spiritual salt that has preserved the true meaning of the gospel in these troubled times. They have carved a tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of disappointment.

I hope the church as a whole will meet the challenge of this decisive hour. But even if the church does not come to the aid of justice, I have no despair about the future. I have no fear about the outcome of our struggle in Birmingham, even if our motives are at present misunderstood. We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham, ham and all over the nation, because the goal of America k freedom. Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with America's destiny. Before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson etched the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence across the pages of history, we were here. For more than two centuries our forebears labored in this country without wages; they made cotton king; they built the homes of their masters while suffering gross injustice and shameful humiliation-and yet out of a bottomless vitality they continued to thrive and develop. If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands.

Before closing I feel impelled to mention one other point in your statement that has troubled me profoundly. You warmly commended the Birmingham police force for keeping "order" and "preventing violence." I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes. I doubt that you would so quickly commend the policemen if you were to observe their ugly and inhumane treatment of Negroes here in the city jail; if you were to watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if you were to see them slap and kick old Negro men and young boys; if you were to observe them, as they did on two occasions, refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together. I cannot join you in your praise of the Birmingham police department.

It is true that the police have exercised a degree of discipline in handing the demonstrators. In this sense they have conducted themselves rather "nonviolently" in public. But for what purpose? To preserve the evil system of segregation. Over the past few years I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek. I have tried to make clear that it is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends. But now I must affirm that it is just as wrong, or perhaps even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends. Perhaps Mr. Connor and his policemen have been rather nonviolent in public, as was Chief Pritchett in Albany, Georgia but they have used the moral means of nonviolence to maintain the immoral end of racial injustice. As T. S. Eliot has said: "The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason."

I wish you had commended the Negro sit-inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation. One day the South will recognize its real heroes. There will be the James Merediths, with the noble sense of purpose that enables them to face jeering and hostile mobs, and with the agonizing loneliness that characterizes the life of the pioneer. There will be the old, oppressed, battered Negro women, symbolized in a seventy-two-year-old woman in Montgomery, Alabama, who rose up with a sense of dignity and with her people decided not to ride segregated buses, and who responded with ungrammatical profundity to one who inquired about her weariness: "My feets is tired, but my soul is at rest." There will be the young high school and college students, the young ministers of the gospel and a host of their elders, courageously and nonviolently sitting in at lunch counters and willingly going to jail for conscience' sake. One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters, they were in reality standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judaeo-Christian heritage, thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

Never before have I written so long a letter. I'm afraid it is much too long to take your precious time. I can assure you that it would have been much shorter if I had been writing from a comfortable desk, but what else can one do when he is alone in a narrow jail cell, other than write long letters, think long thoughts and pray long prayers?

If I have said anything in this letter that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. If I have said anything that understates the truth and indicates my having a patience that allows me to settle for anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me.

I hope this letter finds you strong in the faith. I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil rights leader but as a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.

Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood,

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Ok. These are probably the best uniforms in college football.

2011-01-10T22:05:00.007-05:00

Love the carbon fiber.

Ride or Die Chick

2011-01-07T21:47:00.013-05:00

Many people wonder why TIP is with Tiny. I don't. People say she looks like Ms. Piggy. Everything that glitter ain't gold...and beauty is only skin deep. The best, most important things in life have nothing to do with physical characteristic and more to do with phenomenons like loyalty and love. Tiny defines a "ride or die"chick. Yea, yea...it's easy to ride for someone that's a multimillionaire. What most people don't know is TI was with Tiny when he was broke. They have been together before he released his first album. As MLK poetically stated, "The ultimate measure of a man [or woman] is not where he [or she] stands in moments of comfort and conveniences, but where he [or she] stands at times of challenge and controversy." The type of love they have for each other has NOTHING to do with his bank account or fame. That's what defines a ride or die chick. She's going to be with him no matter what....good or bad....broke or paid....till death do you part.....ride or die....they BEEN married (way before they said, "I do.").

LATEST NEWS:
T.I.'s wife Tiny confirms ... the two were in a room together during regular visiting hours at Arkansas State Prison when Tiny made like Michael Jackson ... and beat it.

According to prison guidelines, inmates are allowed to kiss and embrace at the beginning and at the end of a visit as well as hold hands -- but "the inmate’s hands must remain in plain view of Visiting Room staff at all times."

Tiny tells us T.I. was immediately reprimanded and sent to a "Special Housing Unit" -- which consists of more security and less freedom.

Tiny says she hasn't spoken to T.I. since the incident.

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

FUCK DA POLICE!

So Ted Bundy can conceive a child in prison....but TIP, a married man, can't get a jacked off by his wife???? FUCK DA POLICE!

Art in Motion

2010-12-20T09:00:00.005-05:00

This will probably go down in history

as one of the most amazing sports photographs ever taken:

(D. Wade knew history was about to be photographed
as you can see from the pic)

After the Heat win the Championship this year,

this photograph will be on the same level as this one:

Here is how it went down:

This is how the photographer got the shot:

According to Morry Gash, the man who snapped the shot, James' dunk was to be the sole focus of the photo.

That is until Dwyane Wade comes flying into the picture ... and made it picture perfect.

Gash, who has been an Associated Press photographer in Milwaukee for 15 years, was set up on the north baseline of the Bradley Center in Milwaukee on Dec. 6 with his Canon EOS 1D Mark IV focused squarely on James flying toward the hoop.

"The camera I was shooting with was a longer lens," Gash said. "I was following the ball and I was on LeBron."

So, how did Wade making like a 747 appear in that shot if Gash had the camera in his hands following James? The answer lay at Gash's feet.

There by Gash's toes was his Canon EOS 5D Mark II, a camera outfitted with a wider-angle lens, synced to fire by radio remote control when he took pictures with the camera he held in his hand. As the play developed, Gash clicked off four or five shots narrowly focusing on James. At the time, he knew he had LeBron, but Gash didn't have an inkling Wade had entered the foreground approximately three to four feet in front of the photographer.

Keen-eyed observers watching the game could see Wade go out of frame on the left of the screen with his arms extended.

"To be honest," Gash said, "I had no idea Dwyane Wade even did that."

Yet, when Gash went to his computer near courtside to transmit back to the AP the photos from both cameras, he got quite the surprise.

"The handheld stuff was OK," Gash said. "I thought it was going to be better than it was. So when I saw the remote, I was stunned.

"Had I known that Wade had done that, I'd have been less surprised to see it. But I was quite pleased."

As were others. Gash said he received "a bunch of nice notes saying they enjoyed the picture." SBNation blogger and former FanHouse editor Tom Ziller called it the photo of the year. And because of the shot's composition, some thought the image was too perfect and that it had been Photoshopped. But it wasn't. The image came about like most great journalism, photo or otherwise: it was borne of excellent planning sprinkled with a little luck.

The beauty of the photo also lay in its subtext. Miami Heat, the league's most talked about team, finally having fun after a rougher-than-expected 9-8 start. This is the synergy between James' athleticism and Wade's electricity leaving defenders, in this case five deer carcasses, in their wake.

There is no denying, however, that Gash captured something special, regardless of how one feels about the Heat, with that Canon 5D Mark II at his feet.

"It's the greatest job in the world covering history," Gash said. "I get to see things firsthand. Any time people can remember, it makes it that much better."

Sprint's 4G is not "true" 4G

2010-12-14T23:19:00.003-05:00

I was all excited about Sprint deploying the first 4G network, considering I've been with Sprint for over 10 years (nextel->sprint). After further research, I discovered Sprint was lying.

Why does Sprint claim to have a 4G network when it's technically nothing more than a faster 3G network? Sprint is using false advertising to mislead buyers. According to the ITU, not a single carrier in the US currently meets the global standard for an accepted 4G network.

To break it down simply (the 4G standard is actually VERY complicated).

True 4G must provide 100 Mbps peak (high)

Sprint's made up "4G" provides 10 Mbps peak (high)

The difference between Sprint's "4G" and TRUE 4G is 900%!

Become a Vegan

2010-12-04T16:13:00.004-05:00

LEGALIZE it.

Don't criticize it.

Man Down vs. I Shot the Sheriff

2010-11-30T09:30:00.001-05:00

Rihanna took it back to her roots and I love it.....kind of reminds me of Bob Marley's, "I shot the sheriff" which I also love

120GB Flash Drive

2010-11-30T09:29:00.000-05:00

I'm impressed with how the flash drive (thumb drive, memory stick, jump drive or whatever else you want to call it) technology has developed. LaCie's new thumb drive is HUGE (120GB), FAST (3.0 USB, 260MB/s) and the size of a pack of gum. Once the price drops ($475) and the memory increases a little more, you can start using these to clone your hard drive...boot from the drive wherever you go....and viola!

Kanye West Creates a Masterpiece with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

2010-11-30T09:28:00.003-05:00

Kanye West: "the songs are 7, 8 minutes long....How do you review a song when Rick Ross comes in 6 minutes after a guitar solo?.....for us to juxtapose and crash the guitar sounds with synthesizer sounds with autotunes with strings with cellos with classic Broadway melodies....with amazing raps...with poetry...that's what this art form [is]....these are like paintings...especially for this album."

Scientist WARN Airport Naked Body Scanners May Cause CANCER

2010-11-17T12:22:00.008-05:00

More often then not, doctors have NO idea what causes cancer in their patients...Go figure? The environment we create and the things we subject ourselves to is causing cancer. Your privacy rights are being violated either way you look at it....Might as well refuse the scan and opt for the groin groping violation instead, and live.

"...statistically someone is going to get skin cancer from these X-rays," Dr Michael Love, who runs an X-ray lab at the department of biophysics and biophysical chemistry at Johns Hopkins University school of medicine, told AFP.

We know X-rays are hazardous but we have a situation at the airports where people are so eager to fly that they will risk their lives in this manner," he said.

A group of scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) raised concerns about the "potential serious health risks" from the scanners in a letter sent to the White House Office of Science and Technology in April.

"We still don't know the beam intensity or other details of their classified system,"

My thoughts...I've witnessed first hand how amazing a dog's sense of smell is. Dogs can smell 10,000 times better than humans. Why not just train dogs to smell bombs instead of spending $640 Million of gov't money on scanners?

El Debarge....For The Old School Lovers...

2010-11-02T00:29:00.006-04:00

I HAD SOOOO MUCH FUN AT THE EL DEBARGE CONCERT......

"I Like It"...probably my favorite El Debarge song...

My man is so cool he doesn't even have to wipe his own sweat!

Frank Ski of V103 and creator of "doo doo brown" waits to pick up a friend.....stay tuned....

For the car lovers: Yes he has THE Porsche option of powder coated wheels to match the exterior paint....and yes the interior matches the brake calipers. I'm not really a fan of white cars (reminds me of crash dummy cars and work trucks), however everything seems to compliment each other perfectly right down to the black top matching the black low profile tires.

Well, well...lookie here....ex mayor of Atlanta.....also ex federal convict (and self-proclaimed champagne addict).... Bill Campbell....in case you forgot, CLICK HERE

Thinking of a master plan....

Dr. J.....the inspiration of Jordan and Kobe's game...(and arguably the inspiration of modern day professional basketball)...don't get it twisted! We ran into him at Straights (owned by Luda) after the concert.

Mr. Julius Erving - Hall of Fame NBA player
notice the game in the background....

TI reports to Slavery

2010-11-01T23:59:00.010-04:00

Today TI, or rather TIP, once again, entered Prison....To all the people that have something negative to say about him having possession of a drug (for her personal consumption) that was once legal and prescribed by physicians, TIP has this to say to you (sn: I'm one of those people...I think it's very unfortunate he couldn't keep his nose clean for the benefit of himself, his family, and especially for the benefit of other people charged with a similar crimes considering his original sentence was a new program the gov't was trying out...oh well...it's his life, not mine.)

You can look me in my eyes, see I'm ready for whatever
Anythang don't kill me, make me better

Take my freedom for the moment but it ain't fo-ever
I got the spirit of a god, heart of a dope dealer
I'm a king....

If it make you feel better, picture me over and done with
Punk bitch, come with all the gossip you can come with
Small thang to a giant, I can overcome this
Jail, I don' done this,
rap I'm just havin' fun with
I could be a local joker, never have one hit.

If God with me, who could be against me sucka?
Can't make me suffer, just make me tougher

"Stuggle. Another sign that God loves you." -Lupe Fiasco

Kanye's "Runaway"

2010-10-25T14:04:00.030-04:00

Wow...Kanye really pushed the envelope. I'm loving the creative depth of this film. This will probably be studied in film classes of the future. A masterpiece. I have my own interpretation, but would love to know Kanye's REAL thought process for the imagery (plus I probably need to be on that "loud", watching in full screen HD to really understand it). There are a lot of religious/symbolic/historical references. Just like most art, it can be interpreted a million different ways. My favorite scene is when he's jammin' on the drum machine...make that beautiful bird dance Ye. I like the way the music builds and of course I appreciate when the violins kick in (I love to see a musician really get into their music...especially when it's hot)....5:56 mark

This is an awesome shot!
no makeup or hair did....just natural God given beauty

For the car lovers...
He's driving a '93 Tatra MTX V8 in the film. Tatra stopped making cars in 1999 (they now make very large trucks) and was the first car producer in central Europe, founded in 1850. The company is in the Czech Republic (the same place the film was shot). The car is a mid-engined RWD that uses a bespoke 3.9 litre V8 and goes from 0-60 in 5.7 seconds with a top speed of 153mph. The 4 speed manual pushed out only 220bhp at 6500rpm. Not really the type of numbers you think of when it comes to a super car, however still a very valuable car considering only 4 were made.

For the Audio/Video Lovers....

The TV in the film is a state of the art legendary Bang & Olufsen. Another masterpiece. MSRP $5400. This B&O BeoVision 8 40" TV came out this past summer.

BeoVision 8

The perfect balance
"There are many abbreviations to keep track of when it comes to modern televisions. LCD, HDMI, DVB, Full HD… No wonder that many people prefer to remember just one: B&O."

This is an ideal home studio.

2010-10-25T00:20:00.002-04:00

The Greatest Basketball Player of All Time...Forever

2010-10-21T16:17:00.003-04:00

NBA bans shoes designed to increase vertical leap

2010-10-20T15:02:00.007-04:00

Obviously these shoes work...

Athletic Propulsion Labs’ $300 Concept 1 shoe implements a spring-based system which increase vertical leap. The company is the brainchild of 23-year-old twin brother, Adam and Ryan Goldston, who are former walk-ons for USCs basketball team.

We were brought up in and around the athletic footwear industry. Our dad was a top executive at Reebok, L.A. Gear, and worked with Converse as well. Our dad helped work on the Reebok's Pump and Energy Return System (ERS). When he worked for L.A. Gear he was responsible for the lighted shoes. We were the first ones that tested the L.A. Gear Lights. It was because of us that the lights for the little kids moved from the back of the shoe to the side of the shoe because my dad brought us back some samples and we were walking around the house and we couldn’t see our lights. (I find it interesting that one twin has long hair and the other short...one has a beard and the other has no hair on his face)

The NBA however released a statement on Tuesday that bans the use of the shoes. “Under league rules, players may not wear any shoe during a game that creates an undue competitive advantage,” the NBA said.

30% of the NBA's rookie class expressed interest in the shoes prior to the NBA testing and subsequent banning of the shoes.

I just ordered a pair for Aiden (he starts basketball in a year)...ha ha (click here to view APL's website)

There is beauty in simplicity...

2010-10-19T19:20:00.003-04:00

Makes me want to take piano lessons.

Change Keep A-Comin'

Thank you for the heartfelt music Ms. Etta James. RIP

Classic

36…

3 Stacks

Wale - Chain Music

Shiiiiiiiiiiit!

Asking iPhone 4S Siri for Sex and Drugs

Lupe Rocked This Performance at the 2011 BET Awards

Pill - On Da Korner

Bank Fees

Another Cancer Vicim: RIP Steve Jobs

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Big KRIT

"Only God can judge..."

Watch This From Begining to End

Troy Davis Parole Board

Last Words to the People

Don't Murder Troy Davis on 9/21/11

Ain't No More Play in GA - RISE UP FALCONS!

I'd Rather Go Blind

Tupac on God and Religion

Tupac's 15 Year Death Anniversary

T Pain in $1.8 Million Bugatti

For The Car Lovers

Long Live Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse Quotes

Nas to Amy Winehouse...

Back to Black - Fade to Black

Child Abuse

Pain: 2Pac vs. Fabolous

"Fantasy is what people want, but reality is what they need." - Lauryn Hill

SOONER THAN LATER

The Narrative of My 35th Birthday and the 35 (Random) Acts of Kindness

purp

Planking

LEDs in Wheels

Happy Birthday 2Pac

J. Cole - Friday Night Lights

Happy Birthday Prince

Lebron James Post Game 3 Press Conference

Memorial Day - Freed Slaves Started This Holiday in Remembrance of Fallen Union Soldiers

R.I.P. Gil-Scott Heron

Judgement Day

POSTERIZED!!!!

I Love My Family!

Front (food) Page News!

Did Pakistan know Bin Laden was there?

BHO killed OBL

Art

Princess Diana Ring For Sale

good music....another dope freestyle...aka improvisation

420...4:20....4/20

i can only imagine...

Hush Little Baby...

at the farm...

What is a Sherwani?

Hawks vs. Heat

Killer Mike: Freestyle Champion

oh wow...straight banger

Bad Azz Kids

Arranged Marriage

Jin now makes gospel music vs. Angels

Brandy vs. Usher

New Edition - Is This The End vs. Jealous Girl

Herb vs. Biggie

Dude Has Heart

J Is For Junkie

Yung LA

Gas prices rising as protests spread in Mideast, N. Africa

Libya Revolution

Miguel - Sure Thing

Alley Boy

Alley Boy

Rick Ross - Devil In A New Dress

Moving Like Bernie Dance

LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL

LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAILApril 16, 1963

Ok. These are probably the best uniforms in college football.

Ride or Die Chick

LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL
April 16, 1963