MOBB Related...

M.O.B.B. SUMMER FEMININE PRODUCTS DRIVE


MOTHERS OF BLACK/ BROWN BABIES IS PREPARING FOR THE SUMMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. ITS OUR GOAL TO PROVIDE FAMILIES WITH NOT ONLY THE EAT HEALTHY EMERGENCY FOOD BOXES, AND THE MOBILE CLOTHES CLOSET, BUT THE HYGIENE KITS AS WELL. WE ARE ASKING ALL M.O.B.B.


SUPPORTERS FOR DONATIONS OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

MAXI PADS
TAMPONS
PANTILINERS
DIVA CUPS
3 PACK COTTON BRIEFS (ALL SIZES)
PAPER BAGS
BABY WIPES
FEMININE SOAP

THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED WOMEN HAVING THEIR MENSES ON THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD THE BASICS THAT WE OFTEN TAKE FOR GRANTED.


PLEASE GIVE WHAT YOU CAN OR MAKE A LOVE DONATION TO OUR PAYPAL, WHICH CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE: www.mobbb.org.


IF YOU CAN'T DO EITHER- WORD OF MOUTH IS THE MOST POWERFUL GIFT. GIVE THANKS FOR YOUR CONTINUAL SUPPORT.


BLESSINGS ABOUND TO YOU AND YOURS,
MOTHERS OF BLACK/BROWN BABIES, LLC.



dr. taj anwar, Kokeb "Stahhr Tha F.E.M.C.E.E.
" Selassie, Kimberly "A Warrior Mamma" Stewart, Khalilah Ali, Frenchi Reyes, Mayaneye & Kiere "Get Right" Story

Real Coppering by Real Coppers?

The Celtic Sage is not the only one dismayed at the forces of Law and Order having lost their direction and is seemingly not the only one railing against closed police stations, call centre prioritisation and policing driven by political correctness and central targets. The middle classes have lost confidence in the police, a stark report has warned. They fear they have been alienated by a service which routinely targets ordinary people rather than serious criminals, simply to fill Government crime quotas. The attitude of some officers has also led to spiralling complaints about neglect of duty and rudeness. The report from the Civitas think-tank says incidents which would once have been ignored are now treated as crimes - including a case of children chalking a pavement.

Its author, journalist Harriet Sergeant, says she was also told of a student being arrested, held for five hours and cautioned for keeping a London Underground lift door open with his foot. The report warns that a generation of young people - the police's favourite soft targets - are being criminalised, putting their future prospects at risk. Some offences being prosecuted are now so minor that senior officers have even begun talks with the U.S. authorities to prevent such a "criminal record" stopping decent citizens obtaining a visa to cross the Atlantic.

One member of the public gave a telling comment;

"I live in an area of central London which the police have effectively abandoned, and despite being a high crime area, we have no CCTV on any of our streets and no community police. When I was the victim of crime, the police told me to move house. As if life is that simple. When I have attempted to report crimes they have told me to phone the council or passed the buck in some other way. However, I have a criminal record due to some extremely petty law enforcement which they were very happy to jump on and resulted in a punishment that far exceeded the crime and has limited my whole life from a work and travel perspective."


Harriet Sergeant

Meanwhile responses to crimes such as burglary are slow and statements given by victims of serious crime are often left lying idle for months, the report warns. An apparent emphasis on motoring crimes is another negative factor. Miss Sergeant warns: “The loss of public confidence is a serious matter. The police cannot police without the backing of society. Without trust and consensus it is very difficult and costly to maintain law and order.”

Her report says: “Complaints against the police have risen, with much of the increase coming from law-abiding, middle-class, middle-aged and retired people who no longer feel the police are on their side.” In 2006-7, there were 29,637 complaints - the most since records began 17 years ago.

Miss Sergeant said this was due in part to the law-abiding middle-classes becoming upset by the “rudeness and behaviour” of officers. The report details how officers are expected to reach a certain number of “sanction detections” a month by charging, cautioning or fining an “offender”. Arresting or fining someone for a trifling offence - such as a child stealing a Mars bar - is a good way of hitting the target and pleasing the Home Office. Amazingly, the chocolate theft ranks as highly as catching a killer. They also have to get their quota of “politically correct” crimes such as harassment, racial and domestic violent often pressurising unwilling complainants. Amazingly the Police Service have to report to the Home Office each month on an arcane set of 86 KPI's (Key Performance Indicators). Somebody should tell the jawless wonders in the Home Office that the key part of KPI is "Key"!

Miss Sergeant says performance-related bonuses of between £10,000 and £15,000 a year for police commanders depend partly on reaching such targets. This leads them to put pressure on frontline officers to make arrests for the most minor misdemeanours. Officers said at the end of a month, when there was pressure to hit the target for that period, they would pursue young men as the most likely “offenders”. Offences could include scrawling a name on a bus stop in felt-tip or playing ball games in the street. One officer was so concerned he told his teenage son to be careful at the end of each month.


The pamphlet, parts of which were serialised by the Daily Mail earlier this year, says the police themselves are angry at the way they have to “make fools of themselves”. There were high levels of 'bitterness and frustration' and the targets were 'bitterly resented'. One officer told how he was pressed to charge children playing with a tree with “harassment”. The same offence was used against a drunken student dancing in flowerbeds, who aimed a kick at a flower.

At the cost of £550 per household and rising there are two factors irritating the mugged masses:

1. Coppers chasing targets and looking to fill quotas. This allied with trying to make an impact by running “high visibility” operations which are hugely wasteful of resource but are designed to grab attention and create the appearance of "activity". Result no coppers on the streets, no neighbourhood policing, closed police stations and relying on automated penalising with speed cameras and the like.

2. The Justice Gap. Even when brought to book the retards laugh at the system. They get “community orders” which are laughable and breaches are not followed up, the Probation Service is overworked and can’t follow up as several recent murders and serious crimes have demonstrated, the Prosecution Service (which prioritises on targeting Naomi Campbell!) has 30% of cases failing because of bad paperwork or missing deadlines, fines are not collected from the great unwashed and if they get to Prison they get automatic remission and let out early and the main educational benefit is learn the trade from old lags! Result; there is now very little relationship between Crime and Punishment.

Real Coppering by Real Coppers?

The Celtic Sage is not the only one dismayed at the forces of Law and Order having lost their direction and is seemingly not the only one railing against closed police stations, call centre prioritisation and policing driven by political correctness and central targets. The middle classes have lost confidence in the police, a stark report has warned. They fear they have been alienated by a service which routinely targets ordinary people rather than serious criminals, simply to fill Government crime quotas. The attitude of some officers has also led to spiralling complaints about neglect of duty and rudeness. The report from the Civitas think-tank says incidents which would once have been ignored are now treated as crimes - including a case of children chalking a pavement.

Its author, journalist Harriet Sergeant, says she was also told of a student being arrested, held for five hours and cautioned for keeping a London Underground lift door open with his foot. The report warns that a generation of young people - the police's favourite soft targets - are being criminalised, putting their future prospects at risk. Some offences being prosecuted are now so minor that senior officers have even begun talks with the U.S. authorities to prevent such a "criminal record" stopping decent citizens obtaining a visa to cross the Atlantic.

One member of the public gave a telling comment;

"I live in an area of central London which the police have effectively abandoned, and despite being a high crime area, we have no CCTV on any of our streets and no community police. When I was the victim of crime, the police told me to move house. As if life is that simple. When I have attempted to report crimes they have told me to phone the council or passed the buck in some other way. However, I have a criminal record due to some extremely petty law enforcement which they were very happy to jump on and resulted in a punishment that far exceeded the crime and has limited my whole life from a work and travel perspective."


Harriet Sergeant

Meanwhile responses to crimes such as burglary are slow and statements given by victims of serious crime are often left lying idle for months, the report warns. An apparent emphasis on motoring crimes is another negative factor. Miss Sergeant warns: “The loss of public confidence is a serious matter. The police cannot police without the backing of society. Without trust and consensus it is very difficult and costly to maintain law and order.”

Her report says: “Complaints against the police have risen, with much of the increase coming from law-abiding, middle-class, middle-aged and retired people who no longer feel the police are on their side.” In 2006-7, there were 29,637 complaints - the most since records began 17 years ago.

Miss Sergeant said this was due in part to the law-abiding middle-classes becoming upset by the “rudeness and behaviour” of officers. The report details how officers are expected to reach a certain number of “sanction detections” a month by charging, cautioning or fining an “offender”. Arresting or fining someone for a trifling offence - such as a child stealing a Mars bar - is a good way of hitting the target and pleasing the Home Office. Amazingly, the chocolate theft ranks as highly as catching a killer. They also have to get their quota of “politically correct” crimes such as harassment, racial and domestic violent often pressurising unwilling complainants. Amazingly the Police Service have to report to the Home Office each month on an arcane set of 86 KPI's (Key Performance Indicators). Somebody should tell the jawless wonders in the Home Office that the key part of KPI is "Key"!

Miss Sergeant says performance-related bonuses of between £10,000 and £15,000 a year for police commanders depend partly on reaching such targets. This leads them to put pressure on frontline officers to make arrests for the most minor misdemeanours. Officers said at the end of a month, when there was pressure to hit the target for that period, they would pursue young men as the most likely “offenders”. Offences could include scrawling a name on a bus stop in felt-tip or playing ball games in the street. One officer was so concerned he told his teenage son to be careful at the end of each month.


The pamphlet, parts of which were serialised by the Daily Mail earlier this year, says the police themselves are angry at the way they have to “make fools of themselves”. There were high levels of 'bitterness and frustration' and the targets were 'bitterly resented'. One officer told how he was pressed to charge children playing with a tree with “harassment”. The same offence was used against a drunken student dancing in flowerbeds, who aimed a kick at a flower.

At the cost of £550 per household and rising there are two factors irritating the mugged masses:

1. Coppers chasing targets and looking to fill quotas. This allied with trying to make an impact by running “high visibility” operations which are hugely wasteful of resource but are designed to grab attention and create the appearance of "activity". Result no coppers on the streets, no neighbourhood policing, closed police stations and relying on automated penalising with speed cameras and the like.

2. The Justice Gap. Even when brought to book the retards laugh at the system. They get “community orders” which are laughable and breaches are not followed up, the Probation Service is overworked and can’t follow up as several recent murders and serious crimes have demonstrated, the Prosecution Service (which prioritises on targeting Naomi Campbell!) has 30% of cases failing because of bad paperwork or missing deadlines, fines are not collected from the great unwashed and if they get to Prison they get automatic remission and let out early and the main educational benefit is learn the trade from old lags! Result; there is now very little relationship between Crime and Punishment.

FTP Movement (LA Chapter)

The LA Chapter of The FTP Movement kicked off October 2005 and has been successful at keeping the tradition of the Movement whose National Headquarters is positioned in Atlanta, Georgia. Since the Los Angeles kick-off, FTP has provided food, clothing and personal hygiene products to thousands of Homeless on Skid Row. The Movement has spread throughout California as far south as San Diego and as far north as Oakland.



Support The Efforts of The FTP Movement (Every $1 Counts)

For Info on The FTP Movement in your area go to www.ftpmovement.tk

Save the St. Reatham One!

The St. Reatham One - 29 May 2008

The Celtic Sage has long cast a cold eye on the abusive behaviour of British Airways (BA) and the so called British Airports Authority (BAA) to the cattle (their expression is “self loading cargo”) who have to use their quasi monopolies which have been protected from full competition by cartel behaviour of various sorts. BAA is actually a front for a Spanish brick company called Ferrovial who overpaid with nearly £1 Bn of borrowed money for what it thought was a Cash Cow to find out it neither had the management skills or resources to husband it properly and this Cow would leave messy cow pats everywhere, particularly at the inept opening of Terminal 5 where the feisty Streatham One was caught up in the opening chaos. (http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/03/up-up-and-away-with-baa.html )
BAA has a dominant monopoly on airport capacity in the south of England and British Airways has a dominant position on slots from Heathrow which allows it to charge 30% more for an equivalent Business Class flight to New York than is available from Paris or Amsterdam. Yup, neither BA nor BAA need lessons in how to abuse customers or screw excess profits out of their cartels.

So the Celtic Sage is totally unsurprised at the behaviour of the Plods as the day after BAA reported its first quarterly loss and on the day British Airways announced increased fuel surcharges and that the rest of its flights won’t move to Terminal Five until October (thereby blocking its competitors from moving into Terminal 4) Supermodel Naomi Campbell was today charged with five offences over an alleged air rage incident at Heathrow. The charges, which include three offences of assaulting police, follow an incident last month when she was removed from a flight for Los Angeles after an alleged row over lost luggage.
(http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/04/up-up-and-away-with-baa-no-2.html )

In fact British Airways and BAA were so bad that they have succeeded in generating sympathy for Naomi “Anger Management” Campbell who was led off one of their planes by Police called by BA staff after she paid £6,000 for a First Class fare to Los Angeles and BA lost one of her bags which contained an outfit for a memorial service she was attending.

The alleged incident occurred on a BA flight which was due to leave for Los Angeles from Terminal 5 on 3 April. Ms Campbell will appear at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on 20 June, the Crown Prosecution Service said. Her lawyer, Simon Nicholls said she was "bitterly disappointed" to learn she will be prosecuted. He told reporters: "She respects that decision and she hopes this matter is dealt with expeditiously."

The British Airways "First Experience" 3 April 2008

The CPS said Ms Campbell has been charged with three counts of assaulting a constable, which carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a fine of up to £5,000. She also faces one count of disorderly conduct likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, which is punishable by a fine of up to £2,500, and two counts of using threatening, abusive words or behaviour towards cabin crew, which comes with a maximum penalty of £1,000.

Moments later, the Crown Prosecution Service formally announced the charges in a statement, saying: "The CPS has authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Naomi Campbell with five offences in relation to incidents that occurred on a stationary aircraft and within Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport, London, on 3 April 2008. "Ms Campbell has today been charged with three offences of assaulting a constable, one offence of disorderly conduct likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress and one offence of using threatening, abusive words or behaviour to cabin crew. "These are summary offences which can only be tried at a magistrates' court."

The alleged incident occurred after the supermodel was told by staff in the first-class cabin that one her bags had been lost. They told her that she would have to leave the flight, causing Campbell to allegedly respond with an angry tirade which led to police being called. Reports claimed she had yelled "a***holes. You are all a***holes" at police and described BA staff as "bloody fools" as she allegedly lashed out verbally and physically. Female staff reportedly collapsed in tears as the incident escalated. After armed officers arrived, she was eventually taken off the plane in handcuffs. Although there has been no official confirmation, BA is understood to have imposed a lifetime ban on Campbell.

Well there are two issues hear where you may feel we should be supporting the Streatham One as an unlikely martyr figure for passenger rights and protection of passengers from an expensive publicly funded Constabulary (You know the one you don’t see on the streets, who don’t respond to burglaries, who replaced Police Stations with call centres, etc;) which has abandoned its statutory independence to become attack dogs for an abusive Transport Industry.

1. Why did the Police (armed officers no less) feel they had to become involved in a civil dispute between a customer who paid £6,000 for a service and an inept airline which failed abysmally to deliver the promised service to Naomi Campbell. Now Naomi is feisty and the Celtic Sage is aware of her reputation with Irish lads (take a bow Adam Clayton from U2!) but did she really put burly armed Constables in flak jackets waving handcuffs and pepper sprays in fear? And exactly who was being harassed having paid a premium rate to get to Los Angeles for a memorial service (Note; generally, people are only buried / cremated once) to be told by the airline that SHE would have to leave the plane because THEY had lost a bag (Indeed they lost thousands of bags) SHE had entrusted to THEM for safe keeping!

We wuz scared, Your Honour!

Why do the Police feel able to use draconian security legislation applying to airports to intimidate passengers who simply want to go from A to B?

2. Why are ALL airline customers at such a disadvantage when airlines use unfair contract terms to ignore the clear contract to get them and their luggage from A to B. Here is what BA’s website promises all who pay through the nose for their “First Experience.”

• Effortless travel
• A queue-less, personalised and stress free environment to check in your baggage
• Choice and control
• “Your secluded “demi-cabin” guarantees space and privacy
• Continue relaxing within our arrivals lounge
• Our specially trained First crew will provide you with a discreet yet attentive service, ensuring that all your personal needs are taken care of.

Well you couldn’t make it up could you; you don’t need to be a Naomi Campbell to feel harassed at the gap between the marketing guff and the reality. Perhaps the St. Reatham One should consider suing British Airways for what the law terms “unjust enrichment” by promising a service it clearly was in no position to deliver. Just as she won a legal precedent against the media over privacy maybe she can now establish another legal precedent;that merely by buying an airline ticket and entering an airport we do not agree to abandon our Civil Rights and our Consumer Rights. It is worth noting that since Naomi was harassed and abused on the 3rd April 2008 the MD of Heathrow Airport and the two British Airways Directors most closely involved in the T5 Fiasco have been sacked and BA have confirmed tha 19,000 bags have been lost permanently. Strangely, the only person arrested as a result of the fiasco has neen Naomi Campbell. Surely it can't be a case of the PLODs and the Crown Prosecution Service translating the "Public Interest" into desperately seeking publicity? This is much of what passes for Policing and the Justice System in the UK today; High Visibility; Zero Substance.

And as for the Court appearance I look forward to the evidence of a lardy armed copper in flak jacket “Well your honour, I looked at this tall, unarmed, Jamaican IC3 with a loud voice, funny accent, threatening big hair and larger than average lips and I immediately felt apprehensive for my safety. I have been off sick with diagnosed Post Naomi Stress Syndrome (PNSS) ever since and have taken to beating my wife more than normal and messing up my overtime claim.” Hopefully Lenny Henry will be in court gathering material for his next sketch! It's an opportunity too good to miss Lenny!

All together now, FREE THE ST. REATHAM ONE!!

Save the St. Reatham One!

The St. Reatham One - 29 May 2008

The Celtic Sage has long cast a cold eye on the abusive behaviour of British Airways (BA) and the so called British Airports Authority (BAA) to the cattle (their expression is “self loading cargo”) who have to use their quasi monopolies which have been protected from full competition by cartel behaviour of various sorts. BAA is actually a front for a Spanish brick company called Ferrovial who overpaid with nearly £1 Bn of borrowed money for what it thought was a Cash Cow to find out it neither had the management skills or resources to husband it properly and this Cow would leave messy cow pats everywhere, particularly at the inept opening of Terminal 5 where the feisty Streatham One was caught up in the opening chaos. (http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/03/up-up-and-away-with-baa.html )
BAA has a dominant monopoly on airport capacity in the south of England and British Airways has a dominant position on slots from Heathrow which allows it to charge 30% more for an equivalent Business Class flight to New York than is available from Paris or Amsterdam. Yup, neither BA nor BAA need lessons in how to abuse customers or screw excess profits out of their cartels.

So the Celtic Sage is totally unsurprised at the behaviour of the Plods as the day after BAA reported its first quarterly loss and on the day British Airways announced increased fuel surcharges and that the rest of its flights won’t move to Terminal Five until October (thereby blocking its competitors from moving into Terminal 4) Supermodel Naomi Campbell was today charged with five offences over an alleged air rage incident at Heathrow. The charges, which include three offences of assaulting police, follow an incident last month when she was removed from a flight for Los Angeles after an alleged row over lost luggage.
(http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/04/up-up-and-away-with-baa-no-2.html )

In fact British Airways and BAA were so bad that they have succeeded in generating sympathy for Naomi “Anger Management” Campbell who was led off one of their planes by Police called by BA staff after she paid £6,000 for a First Class fare to Los Angeles and BA lost one of her bags which contained an outfit for a memorial service she was attending.

The alleged incident occurred on a BA flight which was due to leave for Los Angeles from Terminal 5 on 3 April. Ms Campbell will appear at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on 20 June, the Crown Prosecution Service said. Her lawyer, Simon Nicholls said she was "bitterly disappointed" to learn she will be prosecuted. He told reporters: "She respects that decision and she hopes this matter is dealt with expeditiously."

The British Airways "First Experience" 3 April 2008

The CPS said Ms Campbell has been charged with three counts of assaulting a constable, which carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a fine of up to £5,000. She also faces one count of disorderly conduct likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, which is punishable by a fine of up to £2,500, and two counts of using threatening, abusive words or behaviour towards cabin crew, which comes with a maximum penalty of £1,000.

Moments later, the Crown Prosecution Service formally announced the charges in a statement, saying: "The CPS has authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Naomi Campbell with five offences in relation to incidents that occurred on a stationary aircraft and within Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport, London, on 3 April 2008. "Ms Campbell has today been charged with three offences of assaulting a constable, one offence of disorderly conduct likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress and one offence of using threatening, abusive words or behaviour to cabin crew. "These are summary offences which can only be tried at a magistrates' court."

The alleged incident occurred after the supermodel was told by staff in the first-class cabin that one her bags had been lost. They told her that she would have to leave the flight, causing Campbell to allegedly respond with an angry tirade which led to police being called. Reports claimed she had yelled "a***holes. You are all a***holes" at police and described BA staff as "bloody fools" as she allegedly lashed out verbally and physically. Female staff reportedly collapsed in tears as the incident escalated. After armed officers arrived, she was eventually taken off the plane in handcuffs. Although there has been no official confirmation, BA is understood to have imposed a lifetime ban on Campbell.

Well there are two issues hear where you may feel we should be supporting the Streatham One as an unlikely martyr figure for passenger rights and protection of passengers from an expensive publicly funded Constabulary (You know the one you don’t see on the streets, who don’t respond to burglaries, who replaced Police Stations with call centres, etc;) which has abandoned its statutory independence to become attack dogs for an abusive Transport Industry.

1. Why did the Police (armed officers no less) feel they had to become involved in a civil dispute between a customer who paid £6,000 for a service and an inept airline which failed abysmally to deliver the promised service to Naomi Campbell. Now Naomi is feisty and the Celtic Sage is aware of her reputation with Irish lads (take a bow Adam Clayton from U2!) but did she really put burly armed Constables in flak jackets waving handcuffs and pepper sprays in fear? And exactly who was being harassed having paid a premium rate to get to Los Angeles for a memorial service (Note; generally, people are only buried / cremated once) to be told by the airline that SHE would have to leave the plane because THEY had lost a bag (Indeed they lost thousands of bags) SHE had entrusted to THEM for safe keeping!

We wuz scared, Your Honour!

Why do the Police feel able to use draconian security legislation applying to airports to intimidate passengers who simply want to go from A to B?

2. Why are ALL airline customers at such a disadvantage when airlines use unfair contract terms to ignore the clear contract to get them and their luggage from A to B. Here is what BA’s website promises all who pay through the nose for their “First Experience.”

• Effortless travel
• A queue-less, personalised and stress free environment to check in your baggage
• Choice and control
• “Your secluded “demi-cabin” guarantees space and privacy
• Continue relaxing within our arrivals lounge
• Our specially trained First crew will provide you with a discreet yet attentive service, ensuring that all your personal needs are taken care of.

Well you couldn’t make it up could you; you don’t need to be a Naomi Campbell to feel harassed at the gap between the marketing guff and the reality. Perhaps the St. Reatham One should consider suing British Airways for what the law terms “unjust enrichment” by promising a service it clearly was in no position to deliver. Just as she won a legal precedent against the media over privacy maybe she can now establish another legal precedent;that merely by buying an airline ticket and entering an airport we do not agree to abandon our Civil Rights and our Consumer Rights. It is worth noting that since Naomi was harassed and abused on the 3rd April 2008 the MD of Heathrow Airport and the two British Airways Directors most closely involved in the T5 Fiasco have been sacked and BA have confirmed tha 19,000 bags have been lost permanently. Strangely, the only person arrested as a result of the fiasco has neen Naomi Campbell. Surely it can't be a case of the PLODs and the Crown Prosecution Service translating the "Public Interest" into desperately seeking publicity? This is much of what passes for Policing and the Justice System in the UK today; High Visibility; Zero Substance.

And as for the Court appearance I look forward to the evidence of a lardy armed copper in flak jacket “Well your honour, I looked at this tall, unarmed, Jamaican IC3 with a loud voice, funny accent, threatening big hair and larger than average lips and I immediately felt apprehensive for my safety. I have been off sick with diagnosed Post Naomi Stress Syndrome (PNSS) ever since and have taken to beating my wife more than normal and messing up my overtime claim.” Hopefully Lenny Henry will be in court gathering material for his next sketch! It's an opportunity too good to miss Lenny!

All together now, FREE THE ST. REATHAM ONE!!

Nasty Nas, Huh?

By Iyapiphany


half-man, half-amazing/cause in my physical I can express through song/delete stress like Motrin/then extend strong/I drink Moet with Medusa/give her shotguns inhale/from the spliff that I lifted in hell/
It ain't hard to tell… Nas.

One of the dopest emcees to emerge from the new school of hip-hop, resurrecting the East Coast's reputation for producing the illest, most prolific rappers in the country, in New York language, the planet, now has me scratching my head and questioning whether or not I'll ever purchase another one of his albums (cd).

I understand the pressure of a career that demands one stay relevant and adaptable to appeal to the palate of an ever-changing fan base, however, that is no excuse for professional irresponsibility and communal disregard. Unfortunately this was exactly what I experienced on May 18, 2008 at 5:30pm while listening to Hot 97's DJ Envy interviewing Nas about the new album, Ni##@. (Which I have heard is being changed, thank goodness, as of this writing.) Trust and believe I understand all about swag. There is no way an emcee can approach a mic without it and expect to be considered valid. It isn't going to happen. The swag of course must be accompanied by skill and an ease of delivery that belies any doubt that may be part of the emcees internal experience. Nas has consistently delivered on these counts, whether the song was "OchiWali" or "I Can". We may have been confused about his stances or if he had one, but he sounded convicted, so we gave him passes on the basis of his unquestionable lyricism and breadth of seeming knowledge. There are times however, when passes have to be revoked. This is one of those times.

DJ Envy questioned Mr. Jones about the title of his album. Nas responded that he received criticism from the elders in regard to this and that the elders didn't understand that today's youth have it harder than they (the elders) did. What?! I was thoroughly confounded. How? No one under the age of 40 knows what it is to have a cross burned on their lawn, nor have to get off of the sidewalk to walk in the dirt street because white folks needed the space nor be denied the right to vote nor have their choice of vocation nor love interest. If he meant something else, he didn't say so. Envy also asked him about his long time relationship with 50 Cent. Nas laughed and said, "You talkin' 'bout that song. You wanna know who Biter about." He went on to say that 50 Cent is in a lot of pain and ..."that brother's crazy I ain't saying he bite tables or nuttin' like that but he be wildin'. That's why I ain't git in his ass, but if he ready, he could come see me." I was at Black woman arched eyebrow mode by this time. DJ Envy said something else but I would be performing a major disservice by even pretending to have heard what because I was thoroughly riveted by Nas' statements. At this point, Mr. Jones went on an expletive rampage, and very quickly all that could be heard was feedback and a hurried music choice. I waited for Envy to come back on the radio but that took a moment. When he did return he did an interview with TierraMarie, played her new song, played more music and spoke to TLC's Chilli. Nas was not mentioned. It was as though he hadn't ever been on the radio.

I stood in my kitchen, shocked and amazed. I quickly called my beau, who is quite familiar with the inner workings of hip-hop and relayed the aforementioned occurrence to him. He asked me a few quick questions about the station and what was going on and we hung up. I was aghast. Not so much by the arrogance in Nas' statements but because it was incredibly clear that this man did not think about the impact of his words, and if he did, he disregarded any advice his better judgment might have steered him toward. Questions that immediately came to my mind were:

How high is he?

Was he aware of how many people were listening?

Why would he dare put Hot 97's license in jeopardy (FCC is always listening)?

Was he holding some kind of grudge against someone? The most lingering however was this one:

Why would Nas, of all people go out like that?

One thing I always admired about Nas was his ability to think and not be typical. Another thing I admired was his ability to be emotional through his work but not have the need to be overtly antagonistic toward those he took issue with. I thought he had a basic respect for his peers; those of us who have grown up to and with him. My expectation was that he would take up the banner of adult, a grown up or as my Caribbeans like to say, a big man.

No, it isn't that I am prudish or too bourgeois to appreciate the colloquialisms of urban, inner-city descendants. My favorite emcee is Ghostface Killah (who understands Ghost?) I will love NY emcees 'til the day I die. There are however, codes of behavior that we-people over the age of 27-need to exhibit to our peers and certainly to the children and youth that look to us as examples of who to be and become. If one doesn't want to be a role model and uses that as an excuse, it doesn't matter, they still are. Evidence, you seek? Look at the generation of young people who have little to no fear of authority, feel no personal responsibility to promote life in the community, much less the world they live in, and the every continuing disruption of Black marriage, love and family. THEY LEARNED THOSE BEHAVIORS FROM US! My point is simple, Nas KNOWS better.

At this stage in the game, he could demonstrate that there are ways to move that are just as effective in communicating a point that shows displeasure or irreverence without being crass and vulgar. While we are all responsible for our choices, what is being chosen? His last album was called, HIP HOP IS DEAD. That title leads me to think he was displeased with the direction of the music and culture that many of us found comfort and definition in. Our secret places to vent, express, teach and reveal the inner truths that many of us were too afraid to speak aloud. We, the socio-economically disadvantaged youth from female headed, single-parent homes who would grow up to be nothing more than usurpers of federal and state funded programs meant to maintain our subsistence found credence in our "street disciples". As one from amongst us, how then does he behave in a manner that undermines his hard work and the influence he's garnered that has spanned across social, economic and educational strata? No Nas, this is not good. My children's Nana has always said, "When you know better, you do better." That cursing tirade did not just affect me. Other working, educated, intellectual, former backpack, conscious folk are also questioning Nas' devotion to both craft and culture. The prevailing thought and statement has become, "I'm not buying that. It may be something I download." In the act of not giving a damn, was that his intention?


Iyapiphany is an educator and training specialist, currently residing in New York. She is also an essayist and performance poet. "Intentionally Black" and dedicated to her life, in the words of her oldest son, "She loves being Black," Iyapiphany has made it her personal mission to understand the movements of Black men and the necessities of Black women to better help in the facilitation of BlackLove and the restoration of The Black Family. In addition, Iyapiphany is a columnist for the Contraband publication.

OUR WHITE HOUSE: LOOKING IN, LOOKING OUT
The NCBLA previews its innovative American history literacy project at Children's Literature New England's 2008 Colloquy!

Saturday, May 10, 2008; Essex, New York
Apple blossoms, emerald meadows, and the glistening waters of Lake Champlain provided the dramatic backdrop. NCBLA Vice-President Steven Kellogg's studio barn, filled with American antiques and distinctive folk art, provided the historic venue. And the gifted faculty and attendees of Children's Literature New England 2008 Colloquy, The Opening Page, could not have been a more perfect or appreciative audience for the unveiling of Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, the NCBLA's upcoming book, an extraordinary publication that uses the White House and the presidency as its unifying theme to tell the story of America.


After a sun drenched ride across Lake Champlain via the historic Charlotte/Essex ferry, CLNE participants were welcomed to illustrator Steven Kellogg's Blockhouse Farm. In Steven's barn, every nook and cranny a visual feast, participants were invited into his studio where they were able to see his work in progress as well as original art for his forthcoming books. Attendees were then able to pull up a chair and dive into preview copies of Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, provided by the NCBLA's publisher, Candlewick Press. Candlewick Press also generously donated the afternoon refreshments.

Later, Gregory Maguire and Steven Kellogg welcomed all to the afternoon's presentation.
NCBLA president Mary Brigid Barrett shared the news that the NCBLA will start construction on a companion website for Our White House, www.ourwhitehouse.org, that will not only expand the historical content of the book, but will also give adults the ideas and tools they need to get young people excited about our nation's rich history and cultural heritage. The NCBLA is most grateful to The National Endowment for the Humanities which has awarded the NCBLA a $25,000 grant to help build the Our White House educational outreach website.

A number of Our White House book contributors were present and read from their work. (Not one of the 108 contributors to Our White House have received any monetary reimbursement for their work.) The book begins with a beautiful poetic metaphor written by Gregory Maguire, which he read aloud to the attentive audience. Speaking in the voice of a British soldier, Susan Cooper shared the story of the burning of the White House in 1812. Marguerite Davol, read her piece about wild Andrew Jackson, written from Davy Crockett's perspective. Katherine Paterson revealed the evolution of the White House press corps, and she also read an excerpt from Natalie Babbitt's wonderfully wry examination of Ohio's prestigious position as the birthplace of multiple presidents. M.T. Anderson shared White House ghost stories. Virginia Euwer Wollf spoke of President's Taft's great love of music. Jeannine Atkins read from her piece on Woodrow Wilson and his work to establish a League of Nations. White House pets were covered by Steven Kellogg. Barbara Harrison, a Kennedy scholar, gave us a peek into the Kennedy White House. Brian Selznick read an excerpt from Jefferson's Monstrous Bones written by Barbara Kerley, and shared his illustration of that piece. And, Lynda Johnson Robb brought down the house, reading her humorous essay about the room she occupied in the White House when her father was president.

Children's Literature New England gave the NCBLA a unique opportunity to share their new publication with a group of caring, committed, and knowledgeable teachers, librarians, and children's literature aficionados. The NCBLA is thrilled to have had the launch of Our White House; Looking In, Looking Out with a readership that understands the underlying reason and need for a book that creatively addresses both literacy and historical literacy challenges.

Here are some thoughts from our board about the day. We invite those who were present to share their's!

From Gregory Maguire:
America's informal national anthem rings true once more. Oh--beautiful!--for spacious skies... . Abreast the sweep of Lake Champlain, with the old mountains of New York and Vermont ringing the horizon, one remembers that an original impulse of patriotism is the love of the beauty of one's land. No better a setting, with fruit trees in blossom above sloping lawns, to launch Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. And a few stray children hanging from tree limbs and racing across the fields, making the land, and the future, their own....

From Susan Cooper:
As for favorite memories of our Launch, I think mine is the sight of Lynda Robb, with CLNE laurel wreath round her hat, standing on Steven's beautiful blossoming hillside describing how she learned that two deaths and an autopsy (Lincoln's) had taken place in her childhood bedroom at the White House.

From Katherine Paterson:
Another favorite memory was Marguerite Davol being Davy Crockett talking about his old friend Andy Jackson. She was so obviously thrilled to be a part of the book and celebration and did such a super job of presenting her piece.

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