BOBBEE BEE THE HATER

THE BEST CARTOON ON THE NET"IN THE MIND OF BOBBEE" LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE AND LEARN

2012-01-27T14:39:00.002-05:00

BOBBEE BEE:SHOW ME HOW TO LOVE

2012-01-26T16:18:00.017-05:00

by Jessica Press

When Amy Werner became pregnant, she thought her fairy tale was about to begin. "My husband and I had been best friends fo 11 years-I couldn't wait to be parents, "she says. Cut to five months after the birth of her child, that grueling time before infants fall into a sane schedule:" I thought I was going to kill my amazing husband! I felt a level of resentment I'd never felt before about the fact that my life had changed completely, while his seemed to go on like always."

As confused as Werner may have felt, she's hardly alone, says Terri Orbuch, Ph.D., author of 5 Simple Steps to Take Your Marriage From Good to Great, "I hear this all the time, she notes. "It doesn't mean there's something wrong with your relationship. It just means you're trying to do too much." Another reason for tension: Post-baby, a couple's lifestyle-how much they sleep, how they structure their day -changes drastically, says Harville Hendrix, Ph.D.; author of A Guide for Couples. Add in anixety-triggering pressure to feel positive about parenthood (not to mention sleep deprivation, fluctuating hormones, and reduction in exercise) and it's no wonder you're likely to be seething at each other.
Still, the most important thing you can do for your kids is to work on your relationship. Unfortunately, simply having a date night (that frequently touted, one-size-fits-all solution for all relationship woes) probably won't do the trick. "It can't hurt, but it won't 'fix" things. either," says Dr. Hendrix. What will? Try this advice.

Get a sitter-stat.

You know how it is during the first months after giving birth: There are days when just showering is a big accomplishment. "I felt so unproductive all the time." admits Carrie Turkovich, of Buffalo. "I went from having a a career to doing laundry and washing the dishes-and on days when I couldn't finish that. I projected so much frustration on my husband." Still, she says, she didn't feel entitled to any assistance to free up some of her time: My new job was being a mom, and I felt like I should've been able to handle it on my own."

But putting that kind of pressure on yourself isn't healthy, says New York City marriage therapist Rachel A.Sussman. As hard as it may be to feel justified in leaving our kid with a sitter or at day care, if you're willing to enlist help now and then, you're more likely to feel good and less likely to resent your partner. "Kids grow up healthier when they see their parents being happy and loving each other," Sussman explains. Turkovich's despair led her to that very realization: "Devoting everything to mothering made me start to lose my sense of individuality and my confidence and ability to contribute anything to my relationship. So now, she takes advantage of the local preschool and nearby relatives to get some downtime. "I realized that you can't be a good mom, or have a good relationship, if you give up everything that makes you feel good."

Sneak in some bonding sessions.
The key to relationship satisfaction. Spend quality time with your partner every day, says M.Gary Neuman, author of Connect to Love: The Keys to Transformating Your Relationship. Just ten minutes can make a difference- as long as they're uninterrupted -so there's real payoff to making the most of even those short blocks of time when your child is chilling in his bouncy seat or has finally asleep.
Yes, it tempting to try to use those stretches to attack your to-do list, but you'll feel a greater benefit from taking a few moments to cuddle on the couch with your partner and share your interests and goals.

Take a step back.
"Let dads be dads," says Joshua Coleman, Ph.D, psychologist and author of The Lazy Husband:How to Get Men to Do More Parenting and Housework.
"When men help with housework and child care, women are happier with their relationship." Dr. Obuch points out. "It doesn't have to be a fifty fifty division of labor; if you think it's a fair contribution, that's what matters." Plus, men have a different way of communicating and handling things, a perspective that kids should have.
Buddy up
As stressful as it may feel to leave the house, the relationship will thank you for seeking out a book club, a yoga class, or a new-mom's group. "Mom need understanding, and your partner likely won't satisfy your every need for conversations about parenthood." Having that outlet doesn't just alleviate pressure on your relationship-it creates a chemical change in your brain, Dr.Hendrix explains. "The cortisol level that's been elevated by your frustraton will begin to relax because you're feeling listened to."
Ask for ( and give) plenty of praise.
Studies have proven that gratitude leads to better mental health," Neuman points out. "And moms more than anyone need to feel appreciated." Moms need for you to tell them what great moms they are...."
Also (new moms) must recognize that men often convey affection through action (like putting gas in your car, or shoveling the snow); you don't want to miss how your partner is showing his appreciation, Dr. Orbuch says. Still don't feel the love? You might try complimenting your husband more, which should inspire him to do the same for you.
Finally, don't forget to compliment yourselves as a couple. According to Sussman, this just may be the simplest, most powerful thing you can do for your relationship. Congratulate yourselves for investing physically and emotionally like you never have before in these exilarating, exhausting roles. You might turn to your husband while flipping through baby pics on your iPhone, and say "For two people who had no idea what they were really getting into, wer're doing a great job." Because as parents, we're good at being our children's cheerleaders-but we need to cheer for ourselves too. <>

BOBBEE BEE: WHAT IS LOVE?

2012-01-17T14:47:00.004-05:00

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails...But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7,13

Love is patient, True love is unconditional, that is, it does not depend on the attributes or lack thereof of the person loved, therefore, it is willing to give as much time necessary, and as much space as necessary for that person to grow Love is kind and is not jealous; Love seeks to give others something of benefit for their welfare, and consequently, rejoices when they do benefit.

Love does not brag and is not arrogant, To lift one's self up in reference to others leaves no room for unconditional, graceful love. does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, To act inappropriately, shamefully (morally, especially in the area of sexual purity) is not in accordance with true love. Love never seeks it's own gratificaiton but rather the interests of others. is not provoked, Selfishness seeks to manipulate others by stimulating certain selfish emotions. Love will not do this to others, nor will it let it happen to itself. does not take into account a wrong suffered, Forgivenss. Let it go. Bitterness is the acid. You are the container. Get rid of it or it will kill you. does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

Love does not somehow gloss over things that are going to be hurtful. True love originates from the truth. bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. If love really is unconditional, it will hold any weight, face any doubt, persist through hopelessness, and last any trial Love never fails... If it did, would it be love? But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. Someday, faith will not be needed, for we will see God. Hope will not be needed, for when everything is fulfilled, there is no need for hope. But love, yes, to it there will be no end. If it did, it wouldn't be love. If you like what you are learning, please send comments to lbiass34@yahoo.com

BOBBEE BEE: THE KING-OBAMA CONNECTION

2012-01-17T14:45:00.001-05:00

by Eric D.Graham

NORTH CAROLINA (BASN) -- America needed President Barack Obama.
And still needs him. His election was supposed to unite a divided nation. His unique background…., life.., story, and education, was suppose to be celebrated; not hated.

He was the perfect candidate, at the perfect time in history. He wasn't Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Dick Gregory, Cynthia McKinney, Shirley Chisholm or Allen Keys.

He was Barack Hussein Obama. He was a fresh new face in an old world of politics. He was good-looking, intelligent, and well-spoken. His words and speeches were supposed to inspire and energize a new generation of young people.
And they have.

His election was supposed to give Black people hope in an American government, who historically had enslaved them, beaten them, lynched them, raped them, persecuted them, killed them, terrorized them,imprisoned them, discriminated them, hated them, and denied them… decent housing, proper education, the right to vote, and access to public facilities.
But he was supposed to be more than the President of Black America; he was supposed to be the President of the United States of America.

And he has been..... just that.

As a result, his wife, the would-be future First Lady Michelle Obama was correct during a campaign rally in Milwaukee when she said, "for the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback."

Why? Because the election of her husband was supposed to improve America's relationship with the entire Muslim world which had been damaged by the previous Bush Administration.

His election, in fact, was supposed to improve America's public relation with the rest of the world and remove the Axis of Evil label which had been placed upon it.

Yes. The election of President Obama was supposed to erase 412 years of American Imperialism. This is what they thought. This is what they planned. But America was not quite ready for President Obama. They couldn't get pass the color of his skin. They couldn't get pass his "African” name.

As a result, America has become more racists, more violent, more materialistic, more xenophobic, more conservative, more imperialistic and more hateful.

Now they are burning Korans, attacking Muslims, arresting Mexicans illegally, and assassinating governmental officials.....But in the world of Obama, things like this were not supposed to happen.

The election of President Obama or the election of the first Black President, was suppose to be something magical, where with the wave of a magic wand - racism would come to an end, sexism would come to an end, classism would come to an end, world hunger would no longer exist, war would disappear, unemployment lines would decrease, gas prices would drop to 0.99 cents a gallon, graduation rates would increase, the NCAA would implement a college football playoff system, and everybody would be given a brand new car by Oprah Winfrey.

But this was not the Oprah Winfrey show, this was, and still is America, the greatest country in the world, which was founded on the slaughter of the Native Americans, the enslavement of Africans and the exploitation of the poor.

And the election of one Black man and a few crying voters could not and would not change its racist, violent, and exploitative past.

But the people still believed President Obama. They believed in the CHANGE that he spoke of.....For this reason, many people even felt Obama was the completion of Martin Luther King's dream.
But the Obama-King comparison was inadequate.

It made a great tee-shirt to be sold on the streets of Harlem but it was like comparing apples with oranges.

Martin-Luther King was a preacher. Obama is a politician.
They were direct opposites. Plus, their agendas were totally different.
King wanted to win souls. Obama wanted to win an election.
King wanted to change the people's hearts. Obama want to change the people's vote. King earned a Nobel Peace Prize. But Obama was given one.
With that analogy, King might have even predicted the coming of President Obama when he said,"“Although genuinely popular [Negro] leaders are now emerging, most are selected by white leadership, elevated to position, supplied with resources and inevitably subjected to white control.”

Yes. These were the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Therefore, the election of a black president was not and could not have been what Martin Luther King Jr. saw on the mountain top. Dr. King, in fact, said later that his dream had become a nightmare in a speech delivered in Atlanta, Georgia in 1967.

"In 1963...in Washington, D.C.,...I tried to talk to the nation about a dream that I had had, and I must confess...that not long after talking about that dream I started seeing it turn into a nightmare...just a few weeks after I had talked about it. It was when four beautiful...Negro girls were murdered in a church in Birmingham, Alabama. I watched that dream turn into a nightmare as I moved through the ghettos of the nation and saw black brothers and sisters perishing on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity, and saw the nation doing nothing to grapple with the Negroes' problem of poverty. I saw that dream turn into a nightmare as I watched my black brothers and sisters in the midst of anger and understandable outrage, in the midst of their hurt, in the midst of their disappointment, turn to misguided riots to try to solve that problem. I saw the dream turn into a nightmare as I watched the war in Vietnam escalating....Yes, I am personally the victim of deferred dreams, of blasted hopes."

Yes. Martin Luther King Jr. said he saw his dream become a nightmare.
Yes. King said that he personally was "the victim of deferred dreams, and of blasted hopes."

Oddly, it seemed as if history has repeated itself because the Hope that President Obama promised during his presidential campaign has also been blasted.

But it's not his fault, we can't blame him. Because, as much as President Obama might want to change America, he is simply a "pawn in the political chess game of politics."

Why? Because America does not want to change.

This is why you have seen the Tea Party suddenly rise up. White Nationalism rise up. Sarah Palin rise up. Conservative right-wing talk shows rise up and spread their toxic rhetoric. And that's why you hear slogans like "We want our country back." As a result, we pray for President Obama's protection, we pray for his family, and we pray that our ancestors give him divine wisdom to govern this great nation in the right direction despite all of the death threats and opposition coming from the right, the left, and the center.
So as the country celebrates the legacy of MLK this Monday, I suggest President Obama ponder the wise words of Dr.King.

"Don't let anybody make you think God chose America as his divine messianic force to be a sort of policeman of the whole world. God has a way of standing before the nations with justice and it seems I can hear God saying to America "you are too arrogant, and if you don't change your ways, I will rise up and break the backbone of your power, and I will place it in the hands of a nation that doesn't even know my name. Be still and know that I'm God. Men will beat their swords into plow shafts and their spears into pruning hooks, and nations shall not rise up against nations, neither shall they study war anymore.”."I don't know about you, I ain't going to study war anymore

BOBBEE BEE:WHOSE JOB IS IT?

2012-01-12T16:43:00.000-05:00

THIS is a story about four people named EVERYBODY, SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, AND NOBODY. There was an important job to be done and EVERYBODY was sure SOMEBODY would do it. ANYBODY could have done it, but NOBODY did it. SOMEBODY got angry about that, because it was EVERYBODY'S job. EVERYBODY thought ANYBODY could do it but NOBODY realized that EVERYBODY wouldn't do it. It ended up that EVERYBODY blamed SOMEBODY when NOBODY did what ANYBODY could have done.

BOBBEE BEE:BLACK BABIES ARE BEAUTIFUL (NC-17).Strong Language. Content Maybe Not Suitable for Children.

2011-12-20T14:47:00.012-05:00

Breast is Best

Black mothers are the least likely group to breast-feed, the decision to nurse might raise eyebrows among friends and family and support may need to be sought elsewhere. Many local hospitals are part of the international Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, designed to support a mother's breastfeeding decision. Tell your obstetrician you want to support to help breast-feed within the first hour after your baby is born, and make sure there is a lactation specialist to assist during your stay in the maternity ward. When you get home, check out BlackWomenDoBreastfeed.wordpress.com
Talk, Talk, Talk
Just using Standard English (and minimizing baby talk) from birth gets those synapses crackling. According to Medina, children who were talked to regularly from birth to age 3 had higher IQ scores than 3-year olds whose parents talked to them less. Listen to your tiny baby's coos and gurgles. When she pauses, make eye contact and respond in a complete sentence.

Read, Read, Read
Some of the best award-winning picture books feature beautiful brown babies to delight your own perfect-angel child. Make reading an interactive experience. Point to pictures and identify what you and your child see on the page. Babies, toddlers and preschoolers love to hear their favorites read over and over and over.

31/2 Turn OFF THE TV

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends no television at all in the first two years of life. That includes DVDs marketed as educational. According to Medina, a University of Washington study found that none of the educational DVDs researchers tested improved the vocabularies of infants 17 to 24 months old-and some were actually harmful. For every hour per day the babies watched educational DVDs, they understood six to eight fewer words than babies whose caregivers kept the TV off completely.

Proper Praising
Don't resist the urge to tell your children how smart they are.
Routine
A baby's first job, Media says, is to stay alive; the second is to learn. Routine soothes and calms, enabling the child to focus on figuring out the world around him with confidence. Maintain your baby's routine of meal, nap, bath and bedtimes from earliest infancy, and delight in the adorableness of it all when your toddler starts telling you when "it's puzzle time" or "it's cuddle time."

Respond
The AAP suggests caregivers promptly respond whenever baby cries in the first few months, adding that you cannot spoil your baby by giving him attention, and answering his calls for help will help him cry less overall
Be Social and Go!
Early socialization builds friendships, increase happiness and prepares your growing child for school. Running around the local playground or park nurtures creativity-and will make your baby smarter.
Be Creative
Boosting your young person's creativity is as easy as encouraging as they paint, scribble, shape clay and play dress-up."The greatest pediatric brain-boosting technology in the world is probably a plain cardboard box, a fresh box of crayons, and two hours."

Renew
Learning to self-soothe at night is a big step toward your child eventually achieving that independence, and an attentive caregiver will allow baby to cycle for wakefulness back into deep sleep without too much disruption from an adult, gently and over time.

Playtime is the Right Time
On rainy days when you and the child in your care remain indoors, think fewer toys, more open-ended play: Encourage your young one to make a play plan, such as, "I'm going to build a zoo with blocks and Legos." "Guide" or "coach" make-believe with such language as, "I'm pretending my zookeeper is feeding the bears. What is your zookeeper doing?"

Toys that Teach
When you spend money on toys, think about nesting boxes crawlers can stack and build, beads and laces to develop toddler's fine motor skills and toys that encourage make-believe such as pretend food, tools, animals and dolls for your preschoolers.

Be Easy on Yourself
Take some chill time for you. Stinfil says, if you are the primary caregiver at home, your ability to care for your child is only as good as your ability to care for yourself." So don't worry; relax and enjoy these early years,

Eisa Nefertari Ulen is a former teacher with an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University, and 20 years' experience teaching at every level from Pre-K to college

BOBBEE BEE: TESTING THE TESTIMONY OF TEBOWISM

2011-12-20T09:57:00.010-05:00

NORTH CAROLINA, (BASN)---
by Eric D.Graham

To a population of indigenous people, the thought of a white man with a Bible, who claims God speaks to him and directs his path, should be viewed with extreme caution.

Hear my warning.

And take heed to my words.

Remember, our elders warned us that those who don't know their history, are doomed to repeat it.

Why? Because, religion mixed with a little racism plus a few hours of riotous rhetoric on sports talk radio is a recipe for our mental and spiritual demise.

And when you sprinkle in some white supremacy, a dash of spookism, it becomes a poisonous concoction that can kill the souls of many men, women and children seeking salvation, who dare to sample it.

The Lion and the Hunter

With that said, there is an African proverb, which states "Until the Lion tells his own story, the tale will continue to glorify the hunter.

Let's not forget, as much as we love seeing Tebow praying on bending knee, he walks in the footsteps of past Christian missionaries, who spread their brand of Constantian Christianity throughout the Globe in order to mentality enslave and oppress people of "color".

What do I mean by Constantinian Christianity?

That means the faith of the oppressed became the religion of the oppressor. In other words, Constantine domesticated the one called "Jesus" to the empire. In effect, the empire, now, is using Jesus to push their imperialistic agenda.

For instance, Constantine, who became the emperor of Rome in 306, was convinced that he needed divine assistance before a crucial battle. As a result, while praying, he believed that God sent him a vision of a cross-bearing the inscription "in hoc signo vinces," which meant (in this sign you will be victorious.)

Therefore, Tebow, in the same tradition of Constantine, believes his prayers to God will lead him to victory on the football field.

Tebow, in essence, is no different from these white televangists on television.

In other words, he is Pat Robeson with a football. He is Jim Baker with a helmet. He is Jim Staggart with shoulder pads. He is Joel Osteen in the huddle. He is Jerry Falwell in the locker room. He is Peter Popoff in a shotgun spread offense, trying to sell the league some type of magic handkerchief, miracle water or snake oil.

Honestly, why in the Hell is Peter Popoff on B.E.T anyway. (Sorry, I digress)

Please, don't misinterpret my analysis of Tebow's faith as hatred.
Honestly, I find him to be a positive force on the football field, a great competitor, and an excellent ambassor to the NFL..

But, unfortunately, his love for the one he calls Jesus is being used as a political tool by the Christian Right or better yet the Christian wrong.

As a result, his faith is fueling their limited view of "God."

Now, little Timmy Tebow, no fault of his own, has become a CULT figure in a climate of consumerism to sell jerseys and football tickets.

Football and Religion

For those, who are upset or confused by my strange analogy, try to understand, football is a form of religion, which captures our imagination every Sunday.

Therefore, we (as Black people) must consciously be aware of the propaganda being spun on television and sports programs.

Why? Because, this 24 hour Tebow marathon had little to do with football and more to do with religion.

These myth-makers, in fact, worked tirelessly to paint Tebow as some "Mile High miracle worker "on the field and some type of white Christian superhero, worthy to be worshipped and praised.

Must, I remind you, that during this Tebow-mania, the Florida Family Association, a Tampa Bay group, were leading a campaign urging companies to pull ads from the TLC produced reality TV show called "All-American Muslim, which chronicles the lives of a group of Muslims in Dearborn, Michigan."

Therefore, sport networks like ESPN were playing a dangerous game with all of their foolish debates about divine intervention and fourth quarter comebacks.

Why? Because, thoughts like those were no different than the Manifest Destiny philosophies of the past, which led to the slaughter of millions of Native Americans and the enslaved of African people.

The Theology of Tebow-ism

Unfortunately for the sports world, the Reverend Skip Bayless, whom Charles Barkley labeled the "jackass of journalism" has infected the airwaves with his brand of Tebow-Theology, while confessing his belief in the divine.

His attempt to indoctrinate football fans with Tebowism, has many journalists questioning his objectivity as well as his sanity.

Bayless's blind support for Tebow really has crossed the line.

Now, reporters are forced to defend their faith instead of debating the facts.

With that said, the Bible clearly says "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

Unfortunately for Bayless, spiritually, over the last seven weeks, he has been acting like a "false prophet" with his creepy obsession for Tebow.

But since the sports world along with Bayless wants to make Tebow, the face of holiness and publicly anoint him the athlete of the century.

Let me remind them that 1 John 5:21 it says, "Little children guard yourselves from idols."

Notice that this commandment was given to little children.

Why? Because children can be easily influenced.

American Idol

But, what is the definition of an idol?

An idol is an image of god, used as an object of worship.
Have the people of Denver not made Tim Tebow an image of god and slowly started to worship him?

Some children have even been seen on the sidelines with No. 15 "Jesus" jerseys on.

As the shouting Stephen A. Smith would say, "You are so disrespectful!!"

So, instead of the cheering Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, these devoted Denver Bronco fans are now shouting Tebow, Tebow, Tebow.

Let me repeat, "Little children guard yourselves from idols."

Even though, I am being satirical by using scripture to make my points against Tebow-mania.

There is still a lot truth in my words.

Hence, what is an idol?

An idol is an object of excessive devotion or admiration.

Can we say that Denver fans devotion to Tebow has become excessive?

But how can "little children" guard themselves from idolatry, when America is in the idol-making business.

Hence, shows like American Idol?

Shows like American Idol, in fact, work non-stop to find, design, and create idols that they feel are worthy of worship, which usually fit their narrow view of the world.

This cookie-cutter technique of making idols will be used whether it is a singer, actor, entertainer, politician or athlete.

And in the age of Tebowism, where faith overshadows football, we have a new idol to admire, in their opinion.

DO YOU HAVE FAITH?

To any television producer or sports writer, who believes Tim Tebow's faith is more powerful, more potent and more precious than any other player in the NFL, who puts on a pair of shoulder pads, buckles up his chin strap, and laces up his cleats in order to play this violent game called football, is psychologically disturbed.

Seriously, to single-out, an individual player's faith as the single reason for the victory in the ultimate team sport of football is foolish.

Secondly, to highlight the faith of one white Christian athlete in a league dominated by Black athletes as being somehow superior is insulting.

This type of thinking reinforces those old racist images of Tarzan being the King of Jungle on the Africa continent that Hollywood produced and promoted in the past.

Again, I repeat, my critique of Tebow-mania, has nothing to do with Tebow as a player or as a person. Don't get it twisted, Tebow has been living proof of having the "faith of a mustard seed", especially with all of the criticism he has being getting from many sports analysts, who question his quarterback skills and throwing technique.

Tebow, however, is no different from any other player in the league.

I guarantee, each individual player in the NFL could tell a story about how his faith has guided his career and impacted his life just like Tebow.

With that said, I compare Tebow's faith with that of Muhammad Ali's.

Ali while knocking out opponents left and right would often "give all praises due to Allah" just as Tebow gives all praises to Jesus Christ after his victories.

And even though, Muhammad Ali believed he was unbeatable due to his faith, he was eventually knocked out by the late-great " Smoking" Joe Frazier.
Just as Muhammad Ali was knocked out, Tebow will eventually be sacked into submission.

And when it happens, the Tebow-Mania will vanish along with the so-called God inspired comebacks and the one-on-one conversations with God on the sidelines.

And then, and only then, can we get back to playing some football.

Amen. If you like what you are reading, send comments to lbiass34@yahoo.com

BOBBEE BEE AND FREDDIE "NO FRIENDS": OBESITY: A WEIGHTY ISSUE FOR CHILDREN

2011-12-12T16:29:00.020-05:00

BOBBEE BEE AND FREDDIE "NO FRIENDS" OBESITY:A WEIGHTY ISSUED FOR CHILDREN

Its not 'cool' to be fat, but that has not prevented an obesity America's youth. Childhood obesity increased from 5 percent in 1964 to about 13 percent in 1994. Today, it is about 20 percent and rising. Reversing the rapid rise in obesity among American children and youth will require a multipronged approach by schools, families, communities, industry, and government that would be as comprehensive and ambitious as national anti-smoking efforts. "We must act now and we must do this as a nation," said Jeffrey Koplan, vice president for academic health affairs, Emory University, Atlanta, and former director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Koplan chaired the committee of 19 experts in child health, nutrition, fitness, and public health who developed the report in response to a request from Congress for an obesity prevention plan based on sound science and the most promising approaches. "Obesity may be a personal issue, but at the same time, families, communities, and corporations all are adversely affected by obesity and all bear responsibility for changing social norms to better promote healthier lifestyles," Koplan added. "We recognize that several of our recommedations challenge entrenched aspects of American life and business, but if we are not willing to make some fundamental shifts in our attitudes and actions, obesity toll on our nations health and well-being will only worsen."
What are factors for the increased obesity we see in children today?
Lifestyle factors are surely to blame. Many young people today follow a very sedentary lifestyle. Leisure time is so often spent watching television and video games, playing computer games, surfing the web, or chatting on the internet. Children, on the average, spend an average of five to six hours a day involved in these sedentary activites. Perhaps it would not matter if they are sufficently active at other times, but most of them are not.

To make matters worse, children are bombarded with well-crafted TV ads from fast-food chains and other purveyors of high-fat, high sugar meals and snacks. A recent study reported that two-to-six years old who watch television are more likely to choose food products advertised on TV than children who do not watch such commericals. These highly effective advertising campaigns, combined with a physically inactive lifestyle, have produced a generation of kids who are at high risk for obesity-associated medical conditions.
Another factor that impinges upon the nutritional quality of a child's diet is the fact that many American families don't eat meals together very often. Children who eat by themselves tend to eat foods high in fat, sugar and salt. Research shows when children eat meals with their parents they eat a more nutritious diet. The search also shows that regular family meals provide order, discipline and emotional security for a child.
Since not all children who eat non-nutritious foods, watch several hours of television daily, and are relatively inactive develop obesity, the search continues for alternative causes. Heredity has recently been shown to influence fatness. In addition, infants born to overweight mothers have been found to be less active and to gain more weight by age three months when compared with infants of normal weight mothers, suggesting a possible inborn drive to conserve energy.

Obesity presents numerous problems for the child. In addition to increasing the risk of obesity in adulthood, childhood obesity is the leading cause of pediatric hypertension, is associated with Type II diabetes mellitus which can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, stroke, limb amputations and blindness. It also lowers self-esteem, and affects relationships with peers. Some authorities feel that social and psychological problems are the most significant consequences of obesity in children. It is a scary prospect for our children but, in many cases, obesity is preventable.
Industry Contributions to Addressing Obesity

The food and beverage industries spend $10 billion to $12 billion annually marketing directly to children and youth. The average child views more than 40,000 TV commericals each year and more than half of TV ads directed at kids promote high-calorie foods and beverages such as candy, snack foods, fast foods, soft drinks, and sweetened breakfast cereals.

In addition, the entertainment industry promotes many products that encourages sedentary behaviors. While research suggests that the cumulative impact of long-term exposure to such advertisements may adversely affects kids eating habits and activity levels, there is insufficient causal evidence that directly links advertising to childhood obesity and that would support calling for a ban on all food and beverage advertising to children. Instead, the committee recommended an approach to the marketing of foods, beverages, and sedentary leisure pursuits to kids that would be similar to that recommended for controlling alcohol advertising.

Given Americans increasing reliance on prepared foods and restuarants for meals and snacks, food packages and restuarant menus or displays should enhance the nutrition information they provide, to help consumers make informed choices, the report says. The Nutrition Facts panels on food and beverages should prominently state the total calorie content for items typically consumed all at once, to dispel confusion created when a package contains more than one serving. Prevention Begins At Home

Parents play the most significant role in prevention of childhood obesity. They can exert a profound influence on their children by promoting healthy foods and an active lifestyle from an early age and serving as role models. Parents can encourage their children to develop a healthy, varied diet by introducing new foods in a persistent but noncoercive fashion. Studies show that repeated exposure to a new food before a child will accept it. In addition, parents should consider smaller portion sizes, encourage children to stop eating when they feel full, and avoid using food as a reward. Parents also should stock their homes with healthy products, particularly fruits and vegetables, to encourage their kids to choose them as snacks. Many concerns have been raised about whether increased consumption of sweetened beverages, such as soft drinks and flavored drinks, is linked to the rise of childhood obesity. By the time they are 14 years old, 52 percent of boys and 32 percent of girls are drinking three or more eight-ounce servings of soda a day. The links between sweetened beverage consumption and BMI are not definitive, the report notes. However, the committee recommened that children be encouraged to avoid sodas and other high-calories, low-nutrient beverages because of concerns about excessive consumption of "empty calories" and displacement of beverages containing fewer calories and more nutrients.

Caregivers can encourage children to make physical activity a regular part of their lives by engaging in active play or sports with them, providing equipment and opportunities, and by cheering on children's active pursuits. In addition, parents should decrease their childrens inactivity by limiting recreational TV viewing as well as video and computer game playing to less than two hours a day. Studies have shown that the prevalance of obesity is highest among kids who watch several hours of television each day or who have TV sets in their bedrooms.

Help For Obese Children
If you are a parent of an overweigh child struggling with obesity, visit www.myoverweightchild.com. They offer you some insights, tips and suggestions to help your child getting in shape, eat healthy and get active.

BOBBEE BEE: I LOVE MY LIFE

2011-12-12T15:15:00.014-05:00

BOBBEE BEE: I LOVE MY LIFE
Life is:
A mystery, Unfold it.
A journey, Walk it.
Painful, Endure it.
Beautiful, See it.
A joke, Laugh at it.
A song, Sing it.
A flower, Smell it.
Wonderful, Enjoy it.
A candle, Light it.
Precious, Don't waste it.
A gift, Open it.
Love, Give it.
Unlimited, Go for it.
Light, Shine in it.

If you like what you are learning, please send comments to lbiass34@yahoo.com

BOBBEE BEE: I AM A BOSS

2011-12-02T14:42:00.008-05:00

BOBBEE BEE: BE A BOSS
1. Initiative
Creating a path even if there is no trail. In other words, be a Trailblazer.
2. Networking
Knowing who knows what they know and connect with them.
3. Self-Management
Be a Self-Made Man. Therefore, don't wait on anyone to legitimize your "greatness."
4. Perspective:
Think Big, even though things look small.
5. Followship:
Check your Ego at the Door. And remember, no one can do it by themselves.
6. Teamwork:
TEAM is an acronym that means T.ogether E.veryone A.chieve M.ore
7. Leadership:
Learn small leadership tactics in a big world of leaders
8. Organizational Savvy:
Using Street Smarts in a Corporate Power Zone
9. Show and Tell:
Persuading Your Audience with the Right Message

BOBBEE BEE: THE WORLD AS IT IS (PG-13) contains strong language

2011-11-21T15:30:00.020-05:00

by Chris Hedges

The unrest in the Middle East, the convulsions in Ivory Coast, the hunger sweeping across failed states such as Somalia, the freak weather patterns and the systematic unraveling of the American empire do not signal a lurch toward freedom and democracy but the catastrophic breakdown of globalization. The world as we know it is coming to an end. And what will follow will not be pleasant or easy.
The bankrupt corporate power elite, who continue to serve the dead ideas of unfettered corporate capitalism, globalization, profligate consumption and an economy dependent on fossil fuels, as well as endless war, have proven incapable of radically shifting course or responding to our altered reality. They react to the great unraveling by pretending it is not happening. They are desperately trying to maintain a doomed system of corporate capitalism. And the worse it gets the more they embrace, and seek to make us embrace, magical thinking.

Dozens of members of Congress in the United States have announced that climate change does not exist and evolution is a hoax. They chant the mantra that the marketplace should determine human behavior, even as the unfettered and unregulated marketplace threw the global economy into a seizure and evaporated some $40 trillion in worldwide wealth. The corporate media retreats as swiftly from reality into endless mini-dramas revolving around celebrities or long discussions about the inane comments of a Donald Trump or a Sarah Palin. The real world – the one imploding in our faces – is ignored.
The deadly convergence of environmental and economic catastrophe is not coincidental.

Corporations turn everything, from human beings to the natural world, into commodities they ruthlessly exploit until exhaustion or death. The race of doom is now between environmental collapse and global economic collapse. Which will get us first? Or will they get us at the same time?
Carbon emissions continue to soar upward, polar ice sheets continue to melt at an alarming rate, hundreds of species are vanishing, fish stocks are being dramatically depleted, droughts and floods are destroying cropland and human habitat across the globe, water sources are being poisoned, and the great human migration from coastlines and deserts has begun. As temperatures continue to rise huge parts of the globe will become uninhabitable. The continued release of large quantities of
methane, some scientists have warned, could actually asphyxiate the human species.

the human species. And accompanying the assault on the ecosystem that sustains human life is the cruelty and stupidity of unchecked corporate capitalism that is creating a global economy of masters and serfs and a world where millions will be unable to survive.
We continue to talk about personalities – Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama or Stephen Harper – although the heads of state and elected officials have become largely irrelevant. Corporate lobbyists write the bills. Lobbyists get them passed. Lobbyists make sure you get the money to be elected. And lobbyists employ you when you get out of office. Those who hold actual power are the tiny elite who manage the corporations. The share of national income of the top 0.1 percent of Americans since 1974 has grown from 2.7 to 12.3 percent. One in six American workers may be without a job. Some 40 million Americans may live in poverty, with tens of millions more living in a category called “near poverty.” Six million people may be forced from their homes in the United States because of foreclosures and bank repossessions. But while the masses suffer, Goldman Sachs, one of the financial firms most responsible for the evaporation of $17 trillion in wages, savings and wealth of small investors and shareholders in the United States, is giddily handing out $17.5 billion in compensation to its managers, including $12.6 million to its CEO, Lloyd Blankfein.

The massive redistribution of wealth happened because lawmakers and public officials were, in essence, hired to permit it to happen. It was not a conspiracy. The process was transparent. It did not require the formation of a new political party or movement. It was the result of inertia by our political and intellectual class, which in the face of expanding corporate power found it personally profitable to facilitate it or look the other way. The armies of lobbyists, who write the legislation, bankroll political campaigns and disseminate propaganda, have been able to short-circuit the electorate.
Our political vocabulary continues to sustain the illusion of participatory democracy. The Democrats and the Liberal Party in Canada offer minor palliatives and a feel-your-pain language to mask the cruelty and goals of the corporate state. Neofeudalism will be cemented into place whether it is delivered by Democrats and the Liberals, who are pushing us there at 60 miles an hour, or by Republicans and the Conservatives, who are barreling toward it at 100 miles an hour.
“By fostering an illusion among the powerless classes that it can make their interests a priority,” Sheldon Wolin writes, “the Democratic Party pacifies and thereby defines the style of an opposition party in an inverted totalitarian system.” The Democrats and the Liberals are always able to offer up a least-worst alternative while, in fact, doing little or nothing to thwart the march toward corporate collectivism.

It is not that the public in the United States does not want a good healthcare system, programs that provide employment, quality public education or an end to Wall Street’s looting of the U.S. Treasury. Most polls suggest Americans do. But it has become impossible for most citizens in these corporate states to find out what is happening in the centers of power. Television news celebrities dutifully present two opposing sides to every issue, although each side is usually lying. The viewer can believe whatever he or she wants to believe. Nothing is actually elucidated or explained. The sound bites by Republicans or Democrats, the Liberals or the Conservatives, are accepted at face value. And once the television lights are turned off, the politicians go back to the business of serving business.
Human history, rather than being a chronicle of freedom and democracy, is characterized by ruthless domination. Our elites have done what all elites do. They have found sophisticated mechanisms to thwart popular aspirations, disenfranchise the working and increasingly the middle class, keep us passive and make us serve their interests. The brief democratic opening in our society in the early 20th century, made possible by radical movements, unions and a vigorous press, has again been shut tight. We were mesmerized by political charades, cheap consumerism, spectacle and magical thinking as we were ruthlessly stripped of power.

food, clean water and basic security are now beyond the reach of half the world’s population. Food prices have risen 61 percent globally since December 2008, according to the International Monetary Fund. The price of wheat has exploded, more than doubling in the last eight months to $8.56 a bushel. When half of your income is spent on food, as it is in countries such as Yemen, Egypt, Tunisia, Somalia and Ivory Coast, price increases of this magnitude bring with them widespread malnutrition and starvation. Food prices in the United States have risen over the past three months at an annualized rate of five percent. There are some 40 million poor in the United States who devote 35 percent of their after-tax incomes to pay for food. As the cost of fossil fuel climbs, as climate change continues to disrupt agricultural production and as populations and unemployment swell, we will find ourselves convulsed in more global and domestic unrest. Food riots and political protests will be frequent, as will malnutrition and starvation. Desperate people employ desperate measures to survive. And the elites will use the surveillance and security state to attempt to crush all forms of popular dissent.

The last people who should be in charge of our food supply or our social and political life, not to mention the welfare of sick children, are corporate capitalists and Wall Street speculators. But none of this is going to change until we turn our backs on the wider society, denounce the orthodoxies peddled in our universities and in the press by corporate apologists and construct our opposition to the corporate state from the ground up. It will not be easy. It will take time. And it will require us to accept the status of social and political pariahs, especially as the lunatic fringe of our political establishment steadily gains power as the crisis mounts. The corporate state has nothing to offer the left or the right but fear. It uses fear to turn the population into passive accomplices. And as long as we remain afraid, or believe that the formal mechanisms of power can actually bring us real reform, nothing will change.
It does not matter, as writers such as John Ralston Saul have pointed out, that every one of globalism’s promises has turned out to be a lie. It does not matter that economic inequality has gotten worse and that most of the world’s wealth has become concentrated in a few hands. It does not matter that the middle class – the beating heart of any democracy – is disappearing and that the rights and wages of the working class have fallen into precipitous decline as labor regulations, protection of our manufacturing base and labor unions have been demolished. It does not matter that corporations have used the destruction of trade barriers as a mechanism for massive tax evasion, a technique that allows conglomerates such as General Electric or Bank of America to avoid paying any taxes. It does not matter that corporations are exploiting and killing the ecosystem for profit. The steady barrage of illusions disseminated by corporate systems of propaganda, in which words are often replaced with music and images, are impervious to truth. Faith in the marketplace replaces for many faith in an omnipresent God. And those who dissent are banished as heretics.

The aim of the corporate state is not to feed, clothe or house the masses but to shift all economic, social and political power and wealth into the hands of the tiny corporate elite. It is to create a world where the heads of corporations make $900,000 an hour and four-job families struggle to survive. The corporate elite achieves its aims of greater and greater profit by weakening and dismantling government agencies and taking over or destroying public institutions. Charter schools, mercenary armies, a for-profit health insurance industry and outsourcing every facet of government work, from clerical tasks to intelligence, feed the corporate beast at our expense. The decimation of labor unions, the twisting of education into mindless vocational training and the slashing of social services leave us ever more enslaved to the whims of corporations. The intrusion of corporations into the public sphere destroys the concept of the common good. It erases the lines between public and private interests. It creates a world that is defined exclusively by naked self-interest.
Many of us are seduced by childish happy talk. Who wants to hear that we are advancing not toward a paradise of happy consumption and personal prosperity but toward disaster? Who wants to confront a future in which the rapacious and greedy appetites of our global elite, who have failed to protect the planet, threaten to produce widespread anarchy, famine, environmental catastrophe, nuclear terrorism and wars for diminishing resources? Who wants to shatter the myth that the human race is evolving morally, that it can continue its giddy plundering of nonrenewable resources and its hedonistic levels of consumption, that capitalist expansion is eternal and will never cease?

Dying civilizations often prefer hope, even absurd hope, to truth. It makes life easier to bear. It lets them turn away from the hard choices ahead to bask in a comforting certitude that God or science or the market will be their salvation. This is why these apologists for globalism continue to find a following. And their systems of propaganda have built a vast, global

Potemkin village to entertain us. The tens of millions of impoverished Americans, whose lives and struggles rarely make it onto television, are invisible. So are most of the world’s billions of poor, crowded into fetid slums. We do not see those who die from drinking contaminated water or being unable to afford medical care. We do not see those being foreclosed from their homes. We do not see the children who go to bed hungry. We busy ourselves with the absurd.

The game is over. We lost. The corporate state will continue its inexorable advance until two-thirds of the nation and the planet is locked into a desperate, permanent underclass. Most of us will struggle to make a living while the Blankfeins and our political elites wallow in the decadence and greed of the Forbidden City and Versailles. These elites do not have a vision. They know only one word: more. They will continue to exploit the nation, the global economy and the ecosystem. And they will use their money to hide in gated compounds when it all implodes. Do not expect them to take care of us when it starts to unravel. We will have to take care of ourselves. We will have to rapidly create small, monastic communities where we can sustain and feed ourselves. It will be up to us to keep alive the intellectual, moral and cultural values the corporate state has attempted to snuff out. It is either that or become drones and serfs in a global corporate dystopia. It is not much of a choice. But at least we still have one.
Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize–winning author and former international correspondent for the New York Times. His latest book is The World As It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress.

BOBBEE BEE: WHAT MAKES A GOOD WEB SITE?

2011-11-04T15:18:00.012-04:00

Bobbee Bee, what makes a good Web site?
Five-Star Evaluation Criteria:

1. ACCURACY -Information correct and valid
• How reliable is the information?
• Are there obivious errors or omissions?
• Is it clear who has responsibility for the accuracy of the content?
• Does the document present logical reasoning for assumptions?
• Are original sources referenced?
• Can you verify references and outside links?
2. Authority-Author/Publisher credentials, review process

• Who is the author of this page?
• Are the author's qualifications clearly stated?
• Is the author separate from the "webmaster"?
• Can the author be contacted for clarification?
• What institution published this? Check the domain name.
• Does the publisher list qualifications or outline a review process?
• Are they reputable?

3. BIAS- purpose of resources, objectivity
• What goals/objective does this resource meet?
• Why was this written?
• For whom?
• How detailed is the information?
• What opinions are expressed?
• Is there disclosure of sponsorship?
• What is the context in which the information is provided?

4. Currency-Recent data, links/content maintained
• Are the dates to indictate:
1.) when it was written?
2.) when it was last updated?
• Is it clear when data was gathered?
• How up-to-date are the links?
• Are there other indications that the information is kept current?

5. Coverage-Depth, uniqueness, scope
• What topics are covered?
• Are they covered in depth?
• Is the resource a work in progress?
• How does this work compare to other words, electronic and print?
• Is the coverage unique?
• Is the information relevant and usefuls?

If you like what you are learning, please send comments to lbiass34@yahoo.com

BOBBEE BEE: THEY HATED DR.KING

2011-10-18T18:57:00.005-04:00

Too often, we are treated to a view of a romanticized Dr. King in order to fit the man and his struggle neatly within the prevailing political and economic power structures in a largely uncritical and non-threatening manner. This portrayal of Dr. King has been mass marketed as an accommodationist figure and is now so pervasive in our schools, media, etc. that it threatens to neutralize and placate the most ambitious, daring and challenging of King's critique along with his struggle to confront and organize against not only racism, but economic exploitation and militarism-imperialism as well. Due to such, SleptOn.com offers "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Struggling Not To Lose Him" as a direct challenge (as he would have it) to the views and practices of those who celebrate a thoroughly pacified legacy of a man who likely would not even be invited to his own birthday celebrations had he been alive today. Given what he stood, fought and died for during his last years, it's reasonable to assume that he wouldnt eagerly embrace opportunities to share a stage with the very folks he would have vigorously opposed. King said the following: "With Selma and the voting rights bill one era of our struggle came to a close and a new era came into being. Now our struggle is for genuine equality, which means economic equality. For we know that it isnt enough to integrate lunch counters. What does it profit a man to be able to eat at an integrated lunch counter if he doesnt earn enough money to buy a hamburger and cup of coffee?" A familiar refrain, as of late, has been Rosa sat, King walked so that he (Obama) could run or some variation thereof. Was that the goal of King's struggle? Thanks to: Glen Ford Brian Jones Robert Jensen Jared Ball Kymone Freeman Adria Crutchfield Gillian Moise.

STEVE JOBS: I AM A TROUBLEMAKER

2011-10-14T10:07:00.009-04:00

Here’s to the crazy ones.
The misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers.
The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules.
And they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things.
They push the human race forward.
While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who think they are crazy enough to change the world…
are the ones who do.

Steve Jobs died on October 5, 2011 following a prolonged battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 56.

FANNIE FOUR EYES AND BOBBEE BEE: STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING NOW!!

2011-10-10T15:24:00.006-04:00

Human Trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery. Victims of human trafficking are subjected to force, fraud, or coercion, for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. Victims are young children, teenagers, men and women.
After drug dealing, human trafficking is tied with the illegal arms industry as the second largest criminal industry in the world today, and it is the fastest growing.

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act 2000 (TVPA) defines "Severe forms of Trafficking in Person as:

Sex Trafficking: the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commerical sex act, in which a commerical sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person forced to perform such an act is under of 18 years ;

Labor Trafficking, on the other hand, is defined as the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

In both forms, the victim is an unwilling participant due to force, fraud, or coercion.

Trafficking Victims

Approximately 600,000 to 800,000 victims annually are trafficked across internationl borders worldwide, according to the US Department to State. These estimates include women, men and children. Victims are generally trafficked into the U.S. from Asia, Central and South America, and Eastern Europe. Many victims trafficked into the United States do not speak and understand English and are therefore isolated and unable to communicate with service providers, law enforcement and others who might be able to help them.

How Victims Are Trafficked

Many victims of trafficking are forced to work in prostitution or sex entertainment. However, trafficking also takes place as labor exploitation, such as domestic servitude, sweatshop factories, or migrant agricultural work. Traffickers use force, fraud and coercion to compel women, men and children to engage in these activities.

Force

Force involves the use of rape, beating and confinement to control victims. Forceful violence is used especially during the early stages of victimization, known as the seasoning process, which is used to break victim's resistance to make them easier to control.

Fraud

Fraud often involves false offers of employment. For example, women and children will reply to advertisement s promising jobs as waitresses, maids and dancers in other countries and are then forced into prostitution once they arrive at their destinations.

Coercion

Coercion involves threats of serious harm to, or physical restraint of, victims of trafficking; any scheme, plan or pattern intended to cause victims to believe that failure to perform an act would result in restraint against them; or abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process.

Victims of trafficking are often subjected to debt-bondage, usually in the context of playing off transportation fee into the destination countries. Traffickers often threaten victims with injury or death or the safety of the victim's family back. Traffickers commonly take away the victims' travel documents and isolate them to make escape more difficult.
Victims often do not realize that it is illegal for traffickers to dictate how they have to pay off their debt. In many cases, the victims are trapped into a cycle of debt because they have to pay for all living expenses in addition to the inital transportation expenses. Fines for not meeting daily quotes of services or "bad" behavior are also used by some trafficking operations to increase debt. Most trafficked victims are rarely see the money they are supposedly earning and may not even know the specific amount of their debt. Even if the victims sense that debt-bondage is unjust, it is difficult for them to find help because of language, social, and physical barriers that keep them from obtaining assistance.

Help for Victims of Trafficiking

Prior to the enactment of the TVPA in October 2000, no comprehensive Federal law existed to protect victims of trafficking or to prosecute their traffickers. The law is compehensive in addressing the various ways of combatting trafficking, including prevention, protection and prosecution. It is intended to prevent human trafficking overseas, to increase prosecution of United States and to protect victims and provide

Federal and state assistance to certain victims. Victims of human trafficking who are not U.S.citizens are eligible for a special visa and can receive benefits and services through the TVPA to the same extent as refugees. Victims are trafficking who are U.S. citizens may already be eligible for many benefits due to their citizenship.

If you think you have come in contact with a victim of human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-3737-888 What is the NHTRC’s National Website?

Who Can Call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center?

The NHTRC is equipped to handle calls from all regions of the United States from a wide range of callers including potential trafficking victims, community members, law enforcement agents, medical professionals, legal professionals, researchers, students, and policy-makers. Based on the past history of calls into the national hotline, we know that calls most frequently occur for the purposes of tips about potential trafficking situations, questions about human trafficking, training and technical assistance requests, emergency crisis response situations involving potential victims, and general information about how to get involved in the anti-trafficking movement.

How Does the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Respond to Calls?

The NHTRC is available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year. Urgent requests are processed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Non-urgent requests are processed primarily between the hours of 9am and 9pm EST, Monday through Friday, during an extended business week. If a non-urgent request comes in after 9pm EST, on the weekend, or on a holiday, a message will be taken by the call specialist on duty, and a full-time program staff will respond to the request within one business day or, in the case of holidays, on the next business day. A chart detailing the available services of the NHTRC is available below:
Pictured above is Eric D.Graham, along with Pam Stricklalnd, the founder of the Eastern North Carolina Stop Human Trafficking Now and Katherine Bass during a recent workshop designed to fight Human Trafficking on September 7th 2011 held at the Ed Emory Auditorium in Kenansville, North Carolina. The event was sponsored by the Duplin County Library System, the Duplin County Sheriff's Office, and the Duplin County Cooperative Extension.

BOBBEE BEE: 6 KEYS TO GOOD LEADERSHIP

2011-10-04T13:58:00.004-04:00

6 KEYS TO GOOD LEADERSHIP
by Connie Lindsey

1. Personal Courage
Stand up for something, even if it means standing alone.
2. Practice Excellence
Do every thing with energy and rigor
3. Service to others
The good deeds that you do for others is the rent that you pay to occupying space on far.
4. Lifelong learning
Are you listening or are you waiting to speak 5. Accountability
Own your actions and the impact they have on others
6. Spirit
Connect your soul with your role

If you like what you are learning, please leave a comment at lbiass34@yahoo.com

FANNIE FOUR EYES: YOUNG, BLACK AND AMAZING

2011-09-24T14:28:00.006-04:00

FANNIE FOUR EYES: YOUNG, BLACK AND AMAZING
by Constance C.R.White

1. Ask yourself, What do I want to be doing at 40?
2. Make a plan and work it. You can tweak it along the way.
3. Reach out. You don't have to do it alone. We're here for you.
4. Save a bit every week, even a single dollar.
5. Don't accept negative things others say about you, if they have an observation, tell them to make it constructive.
6. You are responsible for your actions.
7. Video dancer is not a profession.
8. Be aware of the ways pop culture may try to diminish you. Reject them.

9. Be patient with people's shortcomings but not their bad behavior.
10. Know that you can love someone and still walk away.
11. Any job is better than no job. It's not forever. It's merely a stepping stone.
12. Whatever you dream, there's a Black woman who has already done it.
13. You can do it, too.

If you like what you are learning, send a comment to lbiass34@yahoo.com

BOBBEE BEE:NO-NO TO NATO

2011-09-12T19:58:00.035-04:00

By Gerald A. Perreira

Unlike so many ‘Third World' nation-states, Libya, under the leadership of Muammar Gadhafi, has been a surrogate of neither the East nor the West. The first thing that hits you when you step off the plane at Tripoli International Airport is that Libyans are firmly in control of their country. Libya is a power unto herself and Libyans are not taking kindly to NATO's attempts at re-colonization.

What has developed in Libya is a conundrum for NATO. They may have imagined that with such vicious ongoing bombing raids, Gadhafi's forces would have crumbled.
Instead, they have witnessed the opposite. In the face of this all out aggression, over 10,000 bombing raids and into its fifth month, the Libyan patriotic and revolutionary armed forces and the vast majority of Libyans have remained steadfast and loyal, defending their revolution and its leader.

There are even pro-Gadhafi rallies in Benghazi, and constant gun battles between pro-Gadhafi forces and the rebels in Benghazi and Misurata. In villages and towns, reportedly under rebel control, the green flag of the Al Fateh revolution can be seen flying from homes and public buildings. One thing is clear, if Gadhafi did not have mass support he could not be resisting this barbaric onslaught so effectively.

Every day the rebels reveal themselves to be mere surrogates of an imperialist plot to overthrow the Libyan revolution. They cannot call for health-care, housing, free education, subsidized food and a share in the oil wealth because they have all of that.

Residents in areas where the NATO backed rebels are in control, have reported that the rebels are looting stores and removing goods and food at gunpoint. There are also numerous reports of torture, rape and execution of captured pro-Gadhafi soldiers, Black Libyans and migrant workers from neighboring African countries.

The nature of the Benghazi rebels is best illustrated by events that occurred after rebels took control of the mountain village of Qawalish in Western Libya. Many of the villagers were forced to evacuate the area since, according to a report carried on July 10th, in the New York Times:

“All of the shops in the town had been ransacked, several homes were burned, and the town's gas station, in fine condition when Qawalish fell, had been vandalized to the point of being dismantled. In building after building furniture was flipped over, dishes and mirrors shattered, and everything torn apart. Except for a few rebels roaming the streets in cars and trucks, the town was deserted – a shattered, emptied ghost town decorated with broken glass.”
There is no doubt that ‘the Coalition of Demons', as Minister Louis Farrakhan has called them, has realized their grave mistake – if not out in the open, certainly behind closed doors. Having finally understood that the Benghazi rebels are not now, nor would they ever be in a position to take power in Libya, the ‘Coalition of Demons' is crumbling, with major differences surfacing amongst members on how to proceed with this ill-fated mission impossible.

After spending billions of dollars at a time when their economies are in deep crisis and reeling from the cost of years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, Europe and the US are now scrambling for a solution which will allow them to save face.

The truth behind the U.S./NATO war on Libya

The French, who were the driving force behind the invasion of Libya, are now pressing for dialogue with Tripoli. On July 11th, in a report carried in Flash News Today, French Defense Minister, Gerard Longuet stated: “We'll stop the bombing when the Libyans talk to each other and the military forces on all sides return to their barracks. They can talk to each other because we provide the proof that there is no solution by force”.

I wonder sometimes if these people actually hear themselves. No matter what disdainful spin Gerard Longuet tries to put on the situation, he can never convince us that the purpose of this mission was an exercise to prove that this conflict could not be resolved by force.

The truth is that the French, British and Americans, in their arrogance and ignorance, believed that toppling Gadhafi and rolling back the Libyan revolution would be a push over and now they are trying everything to avoid admitting an all out defeat.

In addition to the death and destruction caused by this French, British and US barbaric adventurism, an estimated 150,000 people have been forced to flee Libya, many of them African migrant workers. These refugees, who were working in Libya and supporting their families in other parts of Africa, now find themselves sleeping in parks in Italy and France.

With an estimated 23 million men and women unemployed in Europe, a figure that is expected to increase in the coming months as the capitalist crisis deepens, the situation for these refugees is disastrous.
NATO picked on a country that has experienced a profound political and social revolution for the past 40 plus years. The majority of Libyans only know life in the Jamahiriya and have lived in its dignity, comfort and calm all their lives, causing many of them to perhaps become complacent, taking much of what they had for granted.
However, there is no doubt that their revolutionary spirit has been reignited by NATO's bombs and they are standing behind the Al Fateh revolution. As one female student from Al Fateh University put it, “Libya is our mother and Gadhafi is our father.”

NATO – North Atlantic Terrorist Organization

NATO is a terrorist organization. Originally created to check the spread of Soviet Communism into Western Europe, this European organization has now reinvented itself as an enforcer and defender of White supremacy. On a global crusade, NATO brutally enforces neo-colonialism worldwide under the guise of ‘spreading democracy' and ‘humanitarian intervention'.

Since the onset of colonialism, hundreds of years ago, West Europeans have carried out a policy of genocide and plunder throughout the world. NATO comprises these same old tribes of Europe organized under a modern day umbrella.

Gadhafi – African Hero

Only leaders who are determined to live for their people are prepared to die fortheir people. Young Libyans from the Student Revolutionary Committees in the streets of Tripoli chant ‘Allah, Gadhafi, Libya'. The overwhelming majority of Libyans – young and old – love him. And then there is the massive outpouring of love and support that has come from every corner of the globe, where people, organizations and liberation movements, all of whom have received assistance from him at one time or other, have raised their voices against NATO's unprovoked aggression.
But nowhere is Gadhafi loved more than in Africa. His genuine commitment to our liberation is known to all Africans. African youth support his vision. Rappers have called him ‘African Hero'.

Tuaregs and freedom fighters from all over the continent have joined with the Libyan people to defend Tripoli. The Pan-African movement has been re-energized. It is no accident that it took an attack on the man who said ‘The Black race shall prevail throughout the world', to galvanize the movement which is capable of bringing about the dream of Garvey and Nkrumah, a dream which Muammar Gadhafi has pursued at his own peril.

Tingba Muhammad, in an excellent article in The Final Call, made the following indisputable points:

“Since he came to leadership in that oil-rich nation in 1969, Col. Gadhafi has amassed a record of accomplishment for Black Africa unmatched in modern history.
Using his nation's oil revenues, he has set the exploited former Italian colony firmly on the road to true independence… those who take the time to look past the litany of white lies about Gadhafi will be introduced to a man whose progressive record of accomplishments very well may be unmatched by ANYONE who has ever led a nation in modern times.

‘Wathint Abafazi Wathint Imbokotho' – ‘You Strike a Woman, You Strike a Rock'

The women of Libya are taking a leading role in defending the gains of the revolution. Under the leadership of Muammar Gadhafi they have been able to realize their own emancipation, which is uniquely Libyan and not based on the Eurocentric notions of Western feminism.

They are amongst the most highly educated female population in Africa and the Arab world. They are free to dress with or without the headscarf, because Gadhafi understands that Islam cannot be enforced by a ‘moral police force', harassing and beating people in the streets for not dressing in hijab and not praying on time.
Adhering to the edict articulated by Prophet Muhammad, stating that ‘there can be no compulsion in religion', Gadhafi knows that the only way forward is to raise the consciousness of the people.

What protects the Islamic tradition and way of life in Libya is that their very liberation is derived from the true emancipatory spirit of Islam. They have been able to hold onto their traditions, while shedding the reactionary pre-Islamic residue that permeates so much of the Muslim world. No one is clearer than the women of Libya about what to expect from the backward, al-Qaeda inspired Benghazi counter-revolutionaries, and they are having none of it.

Sarkozy – the Wicked Pied Piper

NATO is arming and fighting alongside al Qaeda in Libya after telling the world for years that al Qaeda is the single largest threat to their national security.

At the same time, they continue to claim that they are fighting al Qaeda in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Somalia. This might seem like a contradictory and confused foreign policy however, it is classical Machiavellian policy at play and nobody plays Machiavellian politics better than Europeans.

War criminal, Henry Kissinger, summed it up many years ago when he said: “We do not have permanent friends or permanent enemies – we only have permanent interests.”

Obama, Cameron, Berlusconi and other European leaders were led on a merry dance by French president and white supremacist, Nicholas Sarkozy.

His real reason for France's frantic move against Libya was his government's embarrassing failure to save their minion, Zinedine Ben Ali in Tunisia, in an election year. We know this man Sarkozy by his actions and his words. He is on record as saying, in true Hegelian spirit, that:

“The tragedy of Africa is that the African man has never really entered history. The African peasant has known only the eternal renewal of time via the endless repetition of the same actions and the same words. In this mentality, where everything always starts over again, there is no place for human adventure or for any idea of progress.” He added: “Africa's problem is that its present is permeated with nostalgia for the paradise of its lost childhood….”

They call it Democracy – we know it as Hypocrisy
Muammar Gadhafi has handed out kalashnikovs to an entire people. Libya is one of maybe only two countries in the world – the other being Cuba – that could arm their people under these circumstances. Why?

Could Sarkozy, Cameron, Obama, or for that matter the Sheikdoms in the Arab world who have lined up against Gadhafi, hand out kalashnikovs like pancakes to their populace under the same circumstances? I think not.

In fact, in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia was called on to invade and brutally suppress the rebellion. The Bahraini ruling family is certainly not arming the people.
When the Saudis brutally suppressed the uprising in Bahrain, not a word was uttered from the ‘international community' – international community being a euphemism for the US and Western Europe. And if a few words were uttered by Hillary Clinton, it was done for the sake of protocol and meant nothing.

Kwame Ture Speaks

The great Pan-African revolutionary, Kwame Ture, was a frequent visitor to Libya. He was a member of the World Mathaba based in Tripoli and a vocal supporter of the Al Fateh revolution. He led a worldwide campaign to break the unjust sanctions placed on Libya in the 90s and worked tirelessly to promote Nkrumah and Gadhafi's vision of a united and truly independent Africa.

He made an interesting point about the double standards that the West applied when dealing with Africa, which is particularly relevant to what is happening in Libya today.

He observed that when sections of society in Europe or the United States disagree, even violently disagree, it is called pluralism and this is said to be a vital ingredient of their democracy.

It is never said that the US is undemocratic because they disagree–on the contrary it is, according to them, what makes it democratic. Our people on the other hand are not allowed to have differences or disagreements. When we do, it is called disunity and dissent, never pluralism.

When revolutionary leaders defend their revolutions against counter-revolutionary uprisings they are called brutal dictators. The contradiction is that throughout the history of the United States, any uprising against America's injustice has always been suppressed violently, and Kwame would remind us that he was one that knew this from personal experience.

The Libyan rebels make up an estimated 2 percent of the entire Libyan population. What is the percentage of people who disagreed with George W. Bush or who now disagree with Barak Obama? In fact, Bush only received 50.7 percent of the US citizens' vote and Obama only 52.9 percent. There is a great deal of dissent there.

In the Green Book, Muammar Gadhafi has this to say:

“Political struggle which culminates in the victory of a candidate obtaining 51 percent of the total votes of the electorate, establishes a dictatorship in the seat of power garbed in the guise of democracy. It is in fact, a dictatorship because 49 percent of the electorate would then be governed by an instrument of government they did not vote for, and which has been imposed upon them. This is the essence of dictatorship…under such systems the people are the victims whose votes are vied for by exploitative competing factions, who dupe the people into political circuses that are outwardly noisy and frantic, but inwardly powerless and irrelevant.”

Western Fallacies

Let us put one fallacy to rest forever – Europeans do not have a monopoly on the theory and practice of democracy. It is not my intention here to enter into what is a huge discussion of what constitutes democracy. Suffice to say, that Western Europe and the US, which continue to this day to brutally enforce their undemocratic systems of colonialism, neo-colonialism and capitalism worldwide, are not in either a moral or historical position to lecture the world on what is or is not democratic.

Those who promote democracy, European and US style, must be aware that the Fathers of the American revolution excluded the indigenous peoples and the captured Africans from their ‘democratic' project. Same with the French revolutionaries, who in 1789 were proclaiming ‘liberty, equality and fraternity', but were not prepared to extend these principles to the captured Africans working their plantations in the Caribbean.

However fallacious the Western notion of democracy may be, the only thing that matters from an African perspective is that the West is prevented from continuing to impose this fallacious notion on us. They can, as far as we are concerned, have whatever political system they choose. The point is, so can we as Africans. This is what we are fighting for – our inalienable right to self-determination – to freely decide our own destiny.

That is what it means to finally throw off the yoke of colonialism and imperialism, and that is what Libya dared to do under the leadership of Muammar Gadhafi. And Gadhafi dared to extend this vision to the entire African continent.

In the words of the Afrocentric intellectual warrior, Dr Molefi Kete Asante:

“The work of the Brother Leader, as he is sometimes called, has been to raise African consciousness to the point that some of the nations on the continent of Africa begin to reject the loyalty they hold for their colonial masters…Gadhafi has proposed that Africa do away with travel restrictions, create a common currency and ease trade tariffs and barriers. This African solidarity is not only a threat to the West – some who identify as Arabs have a difficult time accepting the Africanity promoted by Gadhafi.”

The battle for African self-determination did not start in Libya or with Gadhafi – it is a very long battle stretching back to the earliest incursions into Africa. And it is not the first time that Africans have faced such a sophisticated and deadly European attack – we can look way back at the battle of Isandlwana in 1879, where the arrogant British army, one of the most technologically advanced in the world at that time, was humbled by the Zulu fighters under the leadership of the great African king, Cetshwayo.

What this ‘Coalition of Demons' currently attacking Libya, armed with the most sophisticated weaponry known to humankind, is slowly coming to realize, is that they could well be defeated by the will of the Libyan people armed with their faith, revolutionary consciousness and kalashnikovs.

Fear of a Black Planet

‘Up you mighty race, you can accomplish what you will' – Marcus Garvey
‘The Black race shall prevail throughout the world' – Muammar Gadhafi

This is a defining moment for Africa and Africans all over the world. It is a moment in history that we must seize.

Africans on the continent and throughout the Diaspora were recently given a tiny glimpse of the kind of power that Africa can possess, when Jean Ping, speaking on behalf of the African Union, directed all member states to ignore the ICC's (International Colonial Court) call for Gadhafi's arrest. Jean Ping stated that “the ICC is discriminatory because it only pursues Africans. The Hague-based court ignores crimes committed by Western powers in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan”. Thank you, Jean Ping.

However, it is the African youth on the continent and in the Diaspora that are leading and inspiring us towards true independence. Tendai Wenyika, Deputy General Secretary of the Pan-African Youth Union, addressing the recent AU Heads of State summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea called on African leaders to:
“demand the arrest of the likes of Obama, Cameron and Sarkozy, who through their unprovoked war have violated the supreme tenets of the Nuremburg Principles and committed the crime of all crimes…We call for the suspension of all engagements with NATO, and Africa must begin to strengthen its internal ties, security and trade mechanisms in order for us to prosper.”As I have stated in previous articles, there is nothing that White Power fears more than a united Africa. They know that a united Africa would completely alter the balance of power globally. The well-documented fact is that if Africa stopped the flow of all resources and raw materials to the Western nations for just one week, the United States and Europe would grind to a halt.

In 2007, in Conakry Guinea, Gadhafi made a simple observation to a cheering crowd of thousands:

“Whenever I ask people about Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola people immediately say it's an American or European drink. This is not true. The kola is African. They have taken the cheap raw material from us, they've made it into a drink, and they sell it back to us for a high price. We should be producing it ourselves and selling it to them.”

If only Africa could realize its immense power. Realizing this power is primarily a psychological transition, since the material facts are overwhelmingly clear. Almost every known natural resource needed to run the contemporary industrial economies—such as uranium, gold, copper, cobalt, coltan (for cell phones, video games, laptops), platinum, diamonds, bauxite, and especially large reserves of oil are located in Africa. Azania (South Africa) alone contains half the world's gold reserves. Democratic Republic of Congo contains half of the world's cobalt and 80 percent of the world's known coltan reserves. One quarter of the world's aluminum ore is found in the coastal belt of West Africa and the continent is awash in petroleum reserves.

Time for ‘us' to put sanctions on ‘them'

It is time to stop the flow of these strategic resources to the Western capitals until they meet our demands. Yes, it is time for us to sanction the Western capitals. The Global Pan-African Movement and the African masses are crying out for it – the time is now. Africans everywhere must exert maximum pressure on their leaders to realize this power, as Muammar Gadhafi dared to, or move aside.

But how would we survive if we were to sanction these Western capitals? I can hear the detractors cry. Answer: there are huge emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil who will be only too happy to pick up the slack.
Already this is the West's greatest fear: In an article titled, ‘Wen calls for more Access for Africa', which appeared in 2007 in the Financial Times, W. Wallis and G. Dyer, wrote:
“Western powers real concern is that African States will opt for Chinese deals to free themselves from the punitive conditions of IMF/ World Bank loans and other forms of financial dependence on Europe and the Unites States. As the second largest source of oil in Africa, Angola is now in such a strong position that it is rejecting IMF loans completely. As one consultant put it, with all their oil revenue, they don't need the IMF or the World Bank. They can play the Chinese off the Americans.”

In another article, ‘China and the USA in a new cold war over Africa's oil riches: Darfur? It's the oil, stupid…' William Engdahl points out:

“Today China draws an estimated 30% of its crude oil from Africa. That explains an extraordinary series of diplomatic initiatives which have left Washington furious. China is using no-strings-attached dollar credits to gain access to Africa's vast raw material wealth, leaving Washington's typical control game via the World Bank and IMF out in the cold. Who needs the painful medicine of the IMF when China gives easy terms and builds roads and schools to boot?”
What does all this mean for Africa? Quite simply it means that we now have a choice in trading partners, and although all trading partners drive a hard bargain – some are giving better deals than others.

Black Power – African Power!

This is the moment to put all our efforts into the realization of Nkrumah and Gadhafi's grand plan for a United States of Africa. A strong and truly independent Africa, with one government, one defense force and one currency based on our African gold standard as Gadhafi has proposed. Only when we can achieve this level of unity and power, will we be able to take our rightful place in the world. Only then can we say that the time is finally over when Africa must run from one power broker to another to do our bidding. At last we will be able to do our own bidding on our own terms. Backed by a population of 1 billion people, Africa will then be able to make demands that cannot be ignored.

In 2009, at a meeting of the AU in Addis Ababa, Gadhafi, commenting on European and US attitudes to Africa, had this to say: ‘If they do not want to live with us fairly, then they should know it is our planet and they can go to another planet.'
Fair and just is all we are seeking – only the unfair and unjust have anything to fear from a Black planet.

Only when we can achieve this level of unity and power, will we be able to take our rightful place in the world. Only then can we say that the time is finally over when Africa must run from one power broker to another to do our bidding. At last we will be able to do our own bidding on our own terms. Backed by a population of 1 billion people, Africa will then be able to make demands that cannot be ignored.

In 2009, at a meeting of the AU in Addis Ababa, Gadhafi, commenting on European and US attitudes to Africa, had this to say: ‘If they do not want to live with us fairly, then they should know it is our planet and they can go to another planet.'

Fair and just is all we are seeking – only the unfair and unjust have anything to fear from a Black planet.

Gerald A. Perreira is a founding member of the Guyanese organizations, Joint Initiative for Human Advancement and Dignity and Black Consciousness Movement Guyana (BCMG). He lived in Libya for many years, served in the Green March, an international battalion for the defense of the Libyan revolution and was an executive member of the World Mathaba based in Tripoli.

BOBBEE BEE: HONORING THE GREAT BLACK MOTHER

2011-09-05T18:52:00.035-04:00

By Eric D.Graham

NORTH CAROLINA, (BASN)---You'll never see a football game on television without seeing some Black athlete proudly looking into the camera and waving after scoring a touchdown saying "Hi, mom!!"

Why? Because she is the Great Black Mother

Yes. The Great Black Mother. The Mother of Civilization. The Goddess of the Universe. God's Greatest Creation. The Black Woman.

Her near presence has inspired the whole entire world.

Her ability to inspire, in fact, was seen and heard recently during the 2011 NFL Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony on August 6th, in which Richard Dent, Marshall Faulk, Deion Sanders, and Shannon Sharpe all gave praised to the one we all know as the Great Black Mother.

But why do we call her the Great Black Mother? Is this simply a myth or is it reality?

Defining the "greatness"

Besides, what makes her so great?

She is great because she has the ability to make something out of nothing.

Shannon Sharpe tried to explain this during his emotional Hall Of Fame enshirement speech when he described his late-beloved Grandmother.

"See, the guy that did this bust here, he went to school for that. He's trained to bring clay to life with his hands." Sharpe said. “It’s my turn to bring Mary Porter to life with my voice. It's time for me to give Mary Porter a face for all those that don't know who she is.

Despite 14 years in the NFL, three Super Bowl rings, 815 catches, 10,060 yards and 62 touchdowns, Sharpe only wanted the world to know how great his grandmother was and what she meant to him.

By definition, the term "GREAT" is an adjective that means marvelous, high in rank, and in position, noble, proud, accomplished, high-minded, long-continued, and wealthy.

But even this definition, isn't sufficient for the Great Black Mother.

Why? Because between her legs, all of the great prophets, rulers, scientists, doctors, revolutaries, teachers, and even athletes have came and will eventually come.

Yes.

She is the one who gave birth to the one "they" called Jesus, "THE CHRIST".

Yes, the Great Black Mother.

The Shrine of the Black Madonna

She is the one, who is secretly worshipped throughout the globe.

Yes, she is worshipped, revered, and praised.

Even the Pope, himself, kneels down and prays to her in his private chamber.

Yes. She is the Great Black Mother. The Real Madonna, who is blacker than a thousand midnights. She is not the MTV material girl, who tried to hi-jack her name and was shamefully seen kissing Britney Spears for shock-value.

Oh no, she is the true Black Madonna.

Motherhood

And despite her short-comings, we will always be eternally connected to her. Because while in her womb, she cared for us for nine months providing nourishment for our bodies. And when we were born, it was her big breast that we suckled on to grow stronger. And as we grew older, she molded us, shaped us, caressed us, loved us, read to us, sung to us, taught us, and prayed for us. She, in fact, is, in her most righteous state, the closest thing to God, we will ever know.

For the record, I am not trying to paint a perfect picture of Black motherhood. I know there are some bad Black mothers out there due to situations and circumstances in this imperfect world, who have neglected their children, aborted their children, abused their children, and even killed their children.

For these very reasons, I think there should be free parenting classes formulated and offered in order to help a new generation of Black women be better mothers in churches, mosques, hospitals, schools, and community centers throughout the country.

We also need some of those "old school" Black Grandmothers to offer their expertise on how to care for our children, how to encourage our children, how to hold our children, how to raise our children, and how to love our children from a traditional African holistic perspective.

With that said, in front of that large Hall of Fame crowd in Cannon, Ohio, Shannon Sharpe tried to express in his own words, that "old school love" that was given to him by his Grandmother, which propelled him to NFL "greatness."

"What do you say about a person that gives you everything but life?" Sharpe said of his Grandmother Mary Porter.

"How do you start to say thank you, granny, for a woman that raised nine of her kids and your mom's three, and she sacrificed more for her grandkids than she did her own. My grandmother was a very simple woman." he added.

" She didn't want a whole lot. My grandmother wanted to go to church and Sunday school every Sunday. She wanted to be in Bible study every Wednesday. The other days she wanted to be on a fishing creek."

But why was Sharpe's story about his Grandmother so important?

The Love of a Mother

Because as a nation, especially this new generation of young Black parents (myself included), needed to hear about what sacrifice, faith, love, and dedication can accomplish even during times of hardship. We needed to hear a rags to riches story. We needed to hear a good love story.

Why? Because God is love.

And sometimes, we as Black people need to fall in love with ourselves over and over again.

Plus, this new generation of BLACK MOTHERS, needed to hear that despite poverty, hardships, and single motherhood, love conquers all.

Yes. I know this may shock a lot of people but the truth is the truth.

And for this reason only, the scripture tells us to "Honor our mothers...so that our days will be longer."

But unfortunately, we, they, us have failed to follow these simple instructions.

Promoting negative images

And now we see it daily, especially on television, in music videos, reality shows and even in the movies, where our most prized possession-the Black woman is portrayed in such a negative fashion.

Yes, through Hollywood propaganda some of us have grown to hate Black women. As a result, now we only see them as whores, prostitutes, bitches, video vixens, baby-mommas, gold-diggers, strippers, and Basketball wives. Oh yes, Hollywood has given us Big Momma's House, Madea, Tammy, Nene, Omarosa and even Queen Latifah in "Bring The House Down" to laugh at. And even though these subtle images being implanted in our minds seem innocent, they make it easier for us to hate Black women and devalue them.

I know not all images of Black women are negative. But, Hollywood has a history of making Black women look foolish. And in some cases, Black women have made fools out of themselves for fortune and fame.

I know many people may be reading this article in disgust and disappointment. Some of you even may be asking yourself, after all of this, how could I still describe the Black woman as God's greatest creation?

"She is a woman plus she is Black." some may stupidly say.

Others may foolishly say, "The fact that she is Black proves she is cursed. Besides, nobody loves Black women. Not even Black women love Black women."

The Self-Hating Black Woman

In the August 2008 edition of Essence magazine Kierna Mayo addressed this very issue in her well-written article entitled "Black Women Behaving Badly."

"Sociologists point out that each of our lives leaves an imprint on our collective sisterhood; how we treat one another has a ripple effect that extends far beyond the women directly affected." stated Mayo, an Essence contributing writer.

"Ask yourself: Have you ever looked another Black woman up and down? Checked out her clothes, her body, her face, her hair and secretly sized her up as less than you? Have you ever laughed about another Black woman behind her back? Talked about her to your girls? Spilled her secrets? Have you ever had a silent thought, even for a spilt second, wishing failure on a Black woman at the job? Is bitch a regular word in your vocabulary? Whenever that stringer barrels out of your mouth, who is most likely to get stung? Be honest is it a sister?"

These are questions all of us must ask ourselves when dealing with Black women.

Because these are some of the subconscious thoughts creeping out of our minds after watching Black women scream and holler on Jerry Springer. These are some of the thoughts of little Black girls, who secretly watch Maury and see Black women crying and begging Black men to take care of their children. These are some of the thoughts of future Black athletes, who have already decided to date white women exclusively after seeing Black women cursing and fighting on Basketball Wives. (Read my previous article on BASN titled The Topic That Won't Go Away).

Disrespected and Devalued

I know what you are saying, this is just entertainment. You are taking this thing too far. You are examining this thing a little too deeply. Lighten up, a little bit. It is not that serious.

But it is that serious; just consider how First Lady Michelle Obama has been treated despite her education, eloquence, beauty, and grace. Look at all the ugly and racist names she has been called.

Look at how Nafissato Diallo, a hotel maid in Manhattan from Guinea, has been treated by the media after accusing former International Monetary Fund President Dominique Strauss-Khan of sexual assault?

Even without going to trial, the world has already been convinced that she is a liar, a prostitute, and a gold digger.

Why? Because their overall thought process is rooted in white supremacy and black inferiority. In their opinion, they didn't have to look at the facts, or review the evidence. The fact, that she was a Black woman was enough. Besides, why would a rich and powerful man like Strass-Khan want to rape a "filthy" African like Diallo?

While examining the Strauss-Khan Diallo alleged rape case, don't forget the Psychology Today article written by Satoshi Kanazawa entitled "Why are Black Women Less Attractive than Other Women."
Yes, in the White House on Pennsylvania Ave., to the magazines on the newsstands, to the high-definition televisions in Caucasian homes and even in those tall skyscrapers that seem to be touching heaven, the Black woman is disrespected and devalued.

Shamefully Admission

Maybe, this was one reason why Deion Sanders, with tears in his eyes, shamefully admitted as a teenager that he had been ashamed of his mother during his Hall of Fame induction speech.

Sanders said he developed this attitude about his mother after playing for a wealthy, all-white youth football squad called the Fort Meyers Rebels.

"..there is something inside of me, mama, that I never told you." Sanders confessed.

"That I never could admit, and I'm going to share it with all of you... I played for a youth team called the Fort Myers Rebels and they blessed me. They took me all over the country to expose me to things, to expose you to things. Everybody on their team, their parents owned something." Sanders said.

"Their parents were doctors or lawyers or the chief of police. It was that type of organization. Me and one of my friends were the only African-American kids on the team. It was a very affluent team, and I was ashamed of my mama because my mama worked in the hospital.” he said.

“She cleaned up the hospital, and I was ashamed of my mama who sacrificed, who loved me, who protected me, who gave me everything"
Sanders continued to explain how one of his friends mocked him because he saw his mother pushed a cart in the hospital.

"I was ashamed of my mama because one of my friends in high school, he saw her in a hospital one night pushing a cart, and he came back and he clowned me, he ridiculed me and he mocked me because of my mama."

Despite Sanders' shameful admission that he was embarrassed by his mother, she still was his inspiration when he created a character known as Primetime in his dormitory at Florida State that would eventually make him a multi-millionaire.

"I was tired of seeing her (my mama) go to work and come home all tired. I said I'm going to be rich one day.....Sanders said.

"And in my dormitory room at Florida State, I created this image. This thing that you can imagine. You could love him or you could hate him, but he was Primetime."

"I pre-rehearsed the saying because I knew I had the substance. I knew I had the goods. I knew I had the work ethic, but I needed to secure myself enough that my mama would never have to work another day of her life."

Sanders sounding more like a preacher continued to explain how it was his mother who fueled his "greatness" on the football field despite all the naysayers and haters.

"When you're provoking change, there are going to be naysayers. People don't condone what they've never seen. But when you talked about me, media, guess what, behind (me) I saw my mama." Sanders boldly said.

"When you wrote about me, when you naysayed me, when you criticized me, l looked right through your TV and I saw my mama."

"When you told me what I couldn't do, when you told me what I didn't do, when you told me what I would never be, I saw my mama pushing that cart. When you told me I was too small, I wasn't educated enough, I saw my mama because I made a promise."

CELEBRATORY CEREMONY

Yes, what was supposed to be a ceremony to celebrate the career athletic achievements of four of the top football players in the history of the NFL, quickly turned into an award show honoring the GREAT BLACK MOTHER.

It became a reoccurring theme. One player after another expressed their love for the Great Black Mother. The praise for the GREAT BLACK MOTHER, in fact, echoed throughout the entire audience.

"Mom, thank you for your love, for your tough love..." said Marshall Faulk, who lived in the notorious 9th Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana.

"Thanks for teaching us the skills to take care of ourselves. Every person in our family knows how to cook, clean and knows how to wash clothes because of you."

Faulk continued to express his gratitude for his mother's commitment to hard work by explaining how she would work two or three jobs to make sure his brothers always had and how he used her work ethic on the football field to be successful.

"I know, I have your blood, your skin, and even your good-looks. But one thing that I'm most proud of, is acquiring your work ethic. Thank you, for making me the MAN, I am today."

NO NAME HIGHER THAN MOM'S

Even though Faulk's and Sanders’ speeches were excellent, Shannon Sharpe's speech lifted up the spirit of the GREAT BLACK MOTHER higher than any of the 267 names, who had been enshrined in the Hall of Fame. (Read Sharpe's entire speech on BASN)

"The one story I want to leave you with, to tell you why I became this person: When I was 12 years old I told my mom, "Mom, I'm going to have some money one day, and I'm going to buy you a Mercedes, and I did." Sharpe said.

"When I came and I asked my grandmother, what do you want? She always called me her baby. She never called me by my name. I said, "You want me to buy you a car and teach you how to drive? She said, no, son, I don't want that. I said, "Granny, do you want jewelry? She said, son, I want a decent house."

And I'm thinking well, my grandmother wants 7,000, 8,000 square feet. But then I knew my grandmother, knowing her like I know her, after pausing for five or six minutes. I said, "Granny, what is a decent home?" And I remember it like yesterday, and it was 30 plus years ago." Sharpe recalled.

"She said, son, I want a decent home and her words verbatim is: "Son, I want to go to bed one night," and she said, "I want God to let it rain as hard as He possibly can and I want him to let it rain all night long." She said, "I want to wake up and not be wet." That's a decent home for my grandmother. That's all she wanted. For 66 years, my grandmother never went to bed and had it rain and not be wet the next morning. I remember those days of putting those plastic coats on the bed...."

Fighting back the tears, Sharpe continued to reminisce about living in that thousand square foot cinder block home with cement floors and a leaking roof in Glennville, Georgia, which drove him to want a better life.

"I remember putting pots and pans on the floor to catch the rain water. The very pots and pans that we're going to cook in the next day. I remember that. It broke my heart that my grandmother ... she's got two grand boys that are making millions of dollars, and she wanted a house that wouldn't leak. That's all she wanted......" Sharpe said.

"That's what drove Shannon. That's what got me here.....Because everything I've done in my life, I've tried to please you (Mary Porter)."

To be honest, Mary Porter's name will forever be remembered at the Pro Football Hall of Fame along with all of the GREAT BLACK MOTHERS past, present and future, who were honored, will be honored, and had been honored by their sons.

Believe me; they all are extremely proud of you all.

Job well done.

Long live the spirit of the GREAT BLACK MOTHER!!!

Truly, She is worthy of praise.

BOBBEE BEE: SODA VS WATER

2011-08-14T12:46:00.023-04:00

by Eric D.Graham
NORTH CAROLINA (BASN) -- We all remember the "classic" 1979 Coke Cola commercial when Pittsburgh Steeler great “Mean Joe” Greene guzzles down a magic bottle of the devil’s dark colored witches brew.

The ad instantly transformed a big menacing black man into a friendly fella giving the shirt off of his back to a little white kid, who stared in amazement.

Now, that’s a powerful potion. No wonder, they want all of these Black athletes drinking this stuff.

The subliminal suggestion in this "classic" commercial of a little white child conquering the savage beast could even be seen by legendary blues singer Ray Charles.

Or maybe not, because even Ray Charles blindly sold Diet Pepsi in the early 90's coining the slogan "You Got the Right One Baby, Uh-Huh"

OH NO!!!

Because we all know, you will never catch a professional athlete drinking this poisonous concoction on the sideline, at half-time or at the end of the game.

So why do these clever “money-making” marketers continue to place Black athletes in their silly soda commercials and why do athletes pretend like they drink this stuff.

Money is the obvious answer.

Capitalism is the cousin of compromise. Profit over people is the by-product.

Remember Nike's animated attempt to use Penny Hardway's image in the form of a buffoonish cartoon character named “Little Penny” which utilized the annoying voice of Chris Rock to sell sneakers to children?

Little Penny” made some big bucks off selling sneakers by the pool but it didn’t help Hardway's game at all.

Despite "Little Penny's" early retirement, Sprite "borrowed" heavily from the concept to create their character called Miles Thirst to sell sodas to children. The commercials as well as the character were not funny and fizzled out like the soda it tried to sell. Having an animated character is an old tactic used by advertisement agencies.The evil clown, Ronald McDonald is a classic example of using character placement to sell fast food to children.
Notice how McDonald's traps our young Black athletes even before they graduate from high school by sponsoring the infamous McDonald’s High School basketball All-American game.

Now that's gangsta.Over the years, Burger King has tried to steal some of McDonald’s thunder by developing an ever smiling King, who humorously pops up unexpectedly during NFL games intercepting passes and running the ball in the end zone.

Now, Burger King is selling beer and burgers. Now, that's crazy.

I must confess, every time I see this silly commercial, I catch a cramp in my neck that sounds like LeBron James in his first Spite commercial from laughing so hard.

Honestly, as an athlete, I have worked tirelessly trying to convince my two nephews to protect themselves from the temptation of slick television advertisement that puts the sizzle and fizzle of this sugary, syrupy soda over water.

But as a parent it's hard to compete with the soda industry when they have famous "And One" street ballers like Phillip "Hot Sauce" Champion seeking crossover appeal while utilizing his "killer crossover" to the tune of James Brown's Super BAD drinking Mountain Dew after dribbling through a maze of bad guys.

The funny thing about this commercial is for a brief second it reveals that Hot Sauce is actually hallucinating in the middle of the street.

Maybe that's why Hot Sauce was cut from the 2008 And One Street Ball Tour because he was out of shape from drinking too many sodas.

Who's stupid enough to believe that after drinking a bottle of Mountain Dew that he or she could perform these moves anyway?

In the 1990s, Sprite attempted to address this issue by making Grant Hill their spokesperson in their double-talk anti- soda advertisement in which kids, who drunk Sprite thought they could beat Grant Hill one on one.

After those Sprite commercials, I thought the soda industry was making some progress but before I could put down the remote control from dehydration, I saw former Heisman Trophy
winner and New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush getting out ran by a Diet Pepsi soda machine in the 40-yard dash!!!

Try drinking a 64 oz bottle of Diet Pepsi and run a 40 yard dash and see what happens to you? I just caught two cramps in both of my calves and one in my side just thinking about that.

Who drinks Diet Pepsi anyway?

Can a brother get some water around here?

I mean some good ole water. Enough with all this soda stuff.

Hasn’t anyone seen Adam Sandler’s classic comedy movie entitled WATER BOY!!
I need some plain non-carbonated, non-polluted water with no silly logos from Aquafina, Evita, Greyser, Deer Park, Mountain Spring or Donald Trump’s ugly face on the cover.

I need some colorless, tasteless but tasteful water that quiches my thirst not some “new” mango favored “Vitamin” water sold by rapper 50 cent.

Water is absolutely essential to the human body’s survival. A person can live for about a month without food but only a week without water

Water, in fact, increases your metabolism, regulates your appetite, increases your energy level, helps maintain a healthy body, and decreases certain types of cancers which include colon cancer and cancer of the bladder.

Water also reduces joint and backaches, helps to flush out wastes and bacteria, alleviate headaches, and even naturally moisturize the skin.

So put down the soda and drink some water.

OBEY YOUR THIRST. Now that’s a commercial I would love to see.

If you like what you are learning, send your comments to lbiass34@yahoo.com

BOBBEE BEE: THESE ARE THE WARNING SIGNS!! DON'T DO DRUGS

2011-07-30T03:58:00.028-04:00

BOBBEE BEE: THESE ARE THE WARNING SIGNS

1. Changing on the Inside:
I start to feel bad, but I can't figure out what's going wrong.

2. Lying to Myself:

I feel bad. I try to make the bad feeling go away by telling myself that everything's OK, when I know it really isn't. Sometimes I believe My own lies and feel better for a little while. At other times, I know I'm lying, and I feel guilty about it. At still other times I'm confused and I can't tell whether I'm lying to myself or telling the truth.

3. Looking Good to Others:

I want to look good to others, so I hold back on what I'm really thinking or feeling. I start lying and covering up, instead of telling the truth and taking a chance on looking bad. I start playing a role that I think other people will like and accept.

4. Feeling Like No One Wants to Be My Friend:

I want to fit in and have an exciting social life and a lot of good friends, but being clean and sober starts to get in the way.

5. Feeling Romantically Undesirable:

I want to have exciting romantic relationships but I start to feel like this will never happen because I can't drink or use drugs. I start holding back when I'm around people I'm attracted to.

6. Convincing Myself That Adults Can't Help Me

I convince myself that my parents, counselors, and teachers don't really understand me. I stop paying attention to what they're telling me. I start to believe that I'm smarter than they are.
7. Staying Away from Friends Who Can Help
I avoid people who will force me to be honest with myself, and this means staying away from my friends who are clean and sober.

8. Hanging Out With Old Friends Who Can't Help

I feel like being witha my old friends who are drinking and drugging. I convince myself that I can have a good time with them and get my mind off things. They seem to understand and support me. It seems like nobody else does.
9. Feeling Bad That I Can't Party
10. Getting Complusive

I start using complusive behaviors to keep my mind off how uncomfortable I am. Maybe I watch too much TV, I eat too much, gain weight, and then starve myself to try and lose it. Maybe I drink too much coffee or too many soft drinks with caffeine in them. Maybe I smoke too many cigarettes. If I'm into sports, I practice too hard and train too much. If I'm into music, I practice my instrument to lose myself and my problems in my music

11. Acting Out:
I start doing some things that I'm not supposed to be doing but I cover it up and get away with it. This gives me the courage to break bigger rules and to take bigger risks.

12. Crisis Building
Things keep going wrong, I overreact to or mismanage each problem

13. Getting Defensive
When people point out problems that don't want to see, I get defensive, scared, and angry. I blame them for making me feel bad.
14. Avoiding Family Members:
I stop doing things with my family members. I make excuses to stay away from my mother, father, brothers, sisters and other family members. I stop eating meals with my family. I refuse to go to family gatherings. I don't want to get involved in family parties.

15. Getting Lonely:
I start spending more time alone. I usually have good reasons and excuses for staying away from other people.

16. Getting Depressed:
I get so depressed that I can't do the things I normally do. I feel life isn't worth living, and sometimes I think about killing myself or relapsing as a way to end the depression. I stop eating right. I can't get started or get anything done.

17. Getting Immobilized:
I can't seem to get started or make myself do what I know I need to do. I stop following a daily routine.

18. Losing Control

I start doing things that violate my values, hurt me, and hurt those I love. As a result, I start losing respect for myself. I find excuses to miss counseling and self-help group meetings. I cut classes and push other people away by ignoring them, getting angry with them, criticizing them, or putting them down. I get so isolated that it seems like there's no one I can turn to for help. I start to feel sorry for myself and use self-pity to get attention. I feel ashamed and guilty. I know that I'm out of control, but I keep lying, using denial, and making excuses for my behavior. I feel trapped by the pain and start to believe that I'll never be able to manage my life. I see only three possible ways out-insanity, suicide or relapse.
19. Thinking about Relapse:
I want to escape, I start to think that having a relapse will help me solve my problems and feel better. Things seem so bad that I start to think I might as well relapse because things couldn't get worse. I try to convince myself that I can use alcohol and drugs socially without losing control or having serious problems

20. Relapse
I try to solve my problems and feel better by using alcohol or drugs. Although I rationalize my behavior, deep inside I know that alcohol and drugs won't work and will hurt me in the long run. I start using and try to control my behavior. I feel myself losing control and get disappointed because the alcohol and drugs aren't doing for me what I thought they would. My relapse spirals out of control, creating serious problems with my life and health. The problems keep getting worse until I realize that I need help and decide to try recovery one more time.
Developed by Terence T.Gorski: The Adolescent Relapse Warning Sign List

BOBBEE BEE'S QUEST FOR HAPPINESS

2011-07-18T14:46:00.014-04:00

The Happiness Quest
by Michelle Burford

Inhale, exhale

Get cozy in a comfortable chair, close your eyes, and breathe in through your nose for five seconds, then slowly exhale through your mouth. Can't spare the full 15 minutes? Just five minutes of intentional breathing is enough to release tension from our bodies and lower blood pressure.
Savor other people's happiness

"Happiness is contagious," says Lama Choyin Rangdrol, an African-American teacher of Tibetan Buddhism. "Celebrate other people's joy and accomplishments as though they are your own. Join the party of happiness as a way of jump-starting and maintaining your own happiness."

Turn off the small screen

Your television is one of the biggest joy stealers. A 2008 University of Maryland study showed that the unhapppiest people watch six or more hours of television each day. Not only does the barrage of advertising leave you yearning for things you don't have, but the time spent cradling the remote robs you of simple everyday experiences that can tip your happy meter. Instead of sitting on the sofa watching other folks having fun, go out and find your own. Even an activity as simple as putting on your shoes ande going for an afternoon stroll is a step in the right direction. Even better, take a class in something you love or join a group that will force you to engage in an enjoyable activity outside your home consistently.

Forget the gym, head for the outdoors

A good mood may be only minutes away, but you're going to have to leave the house to get it. According to researchers at England's University of Essex, light exercise done in a natural environment such as a park, outside by a lake or even in the backyard-elevated both mood and self-esteem in participants. The best news? You don't need to work out for hours to reap the rewards.

Give what you can
When you're broke, it might seem counterintutive that offering a hand-or even a couple of dollars-can lift your spirits.

Retreat
Stepping away from your everyday can help you gain perspective by giving you the me time you need to relax and refocus. Think quiet countrysides or serene beaches, not clubs and bars. The idea is to be in a place that allows you to tune in to yourself. Can't manage to swing the next flight to Jamaica? Take a day off from work for a home retreat. "Carve out a period to do absolutely nothing."
Star in your own music video

Go a head and pump up the volume, preferably while using your hairbrush as a mic or belting out your best shower solo. Better yet-get up and dance. Whether you choose to Zumba or simpyly to bust a move in your living room, you'll experience an immediate lift. That's because activities like singing and dancing power up your mood by boosting the level of the feel good hormone serotonin in your brain.

Declare your love

Experts say the single greatest predictor of joy is also one of the simplest: building and maintaining strong bonds with family and friends. Call up three people and tell them how much you love them, then go ahead and explain exactly what you so enjoy about their presence in your life.

Pray

That's right. You can pray yourself happy. According to 2006 Pew Research report, a spiritual practice even an occasional one, can reset your mood. When we surrender our problems to a higher power, we free ourselves from an enormous emotional weight.

Pack your personal happiness kit
"You know that you're going to hava a down day at some point," says Bonnie St.John's, author of How Strong Women Pray and Live Your Joy. "Why not prepare a first aid kit for your emotions? Fill a box or a bag with things that you know will cheer you up."

Squeeze in your Z's
"Tired people are unhappy people." says professor and clinical psychologist Dr.Angela Neil-Barnett of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. "A lack of sleep places individuals at higher risk for depression and anxiety." So make sure you get eight to nine hours of shut-eye each night. For tips visit http://www.sleepbetter.org/

Create thinking space
When you finally take on that mile-high stack of papers you've been avoiding, your sense of accomplishment will send up the needle on you joy-o-meter. Set an alarm to do just five minutes of work at a time. For decluttering ideas browse www.flylady.net

Do only the next necessary thing
Some of our unhappiness from reviewing events we can't go back and fix, or worrying about what might befall us next year. Stop bracing for the worst and just do what is in front of you today. As writer Mark Twain once noted: "I've lived through some terrible things in my life-some of which actually happened."

If you like what you are learning,please send comments to lbiass34@yahoo.com

BOBBEE BEE DON'T HATE JUST GRADUATE

2011-06-20T15:25:00.013-04:00

Graduation is it a beginning, ending, or a stop along the way?

Graduation is a beginning of life as a young adult, of new friendships, of higher education or a fulfilling occupation.

Graduation may also bring endings to familiar surroundings and comfortable
routines, to old friendships; a setting aside of childlike fears and second hand ideas. Perhaps, graduation is a significant stop along the way, a preparatory pause, a fork in the road, a step on life's ladder. Indeed, the word itself means a gradual transition a time to remember the past, to ponder the present and to dream to the future.

Graduation are all of these things but just be glad you graduated

If you like what you are learning, please send comments to lbiass34@yahoo.com

BOBBEE BEE:WE NEED FATHERS TO STEP UP

2011-06-09T17:52:00.013-04:00

WE NEED FATHERS TO STEP UP
by President Barack Obama

As the Father of two young girls who have shown such poise, humor, and patience in the unconventional life into which they have been thrust, I mark this Father's Day-our first in the White House-with a deep sense of gratitude. One of the greatest benefits of being President is that I now live right above the office. I see my girls off to school nearly every morning and have dinner with them nearly every night. It is a welcome change after so many years out on the campaign trail and commuting between Chicago and Capitol Hill.

But I observe this Father's Day not just as a father grateful to be present in my daughters' lives but also as a son who grew up without a father in my own life. My father left my family when I was 2 years old, and I knew him mainly from the letters he wrote and the stories my family told. And while I was lucky to have two wonderful grandparents who poured everything they had into helping my mother raise my sister and me, I still felt the weight of his absence throughout my childhood.
In many ways, I came to understand the importance of fatherhood through its absence-both in my life and in the lives of others. I came to understand that the hole a man leaves when he abandons his responsibility to his children is one that no government can fill. We can do everything possible to provide good jobs and good schools and safe streets for our kids, but it will never be enough to fully make up the difference.

That's is why we need fathers to step up, to realize that their jobs does not end at conception; that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child but the courage to raise one.

As fathers, we need to be involved in our children's lives not just when it's convenient or easy, and not just when they're doing well-but when it's difficult and thankless, and they're struggling. That is when they need us most.
And it's not enough to just be physically present. Too often, especially during tough economic times like these, we are emotionally absent: distracted, consumed by what's happening in our lives, worried about keeping our jobs and paying our bills, unsure if we'll be able to give our kids the same opportunites we had.
Our children can tell. They know when we're not fully there. And that disengagement sends a clear message-whether we mean it or not-about where among our priorities they fall.So we need to step out of our own heads and tune in. We need to turn off television and start talking with our kids, and listening to them, and understanding what's going on in their lives.

We need to set limits and expectations. We need to replace that video game with a book and make sure that homework gets done. We need to say to our daughters,Don't ever let images on TV tell you what you are worth, because I expect you to dream without limit and reach for your goals. We need to tell our sons, Those songs on the radio may glorify violence but in our house, we find glory in achievement, self-respect, and hard work.
We need to realize that we are our children's first and best teachers. When we are selfish or inconsiderate, when we mistreat our wives or girlfriends, when we cut corners or fail to control our tempers, our children learn from that-and it's no surprise when we see those behaviors in our schools or on our streets.
But it also works the other way around. When we work hard, treat others with respect, spend within our means, and contribute to our communities, those are the lessons our children learn.
And that is what so many fathers are doing every day-coaching soccer and Little League, going to those school assemblies and parent-teacher conferences, scrimping and saving and working that extra shift so their kids can go to college. They are fulfilling their most Fundamental duty as fathers: to show their children, by example, the kind of people they want them to become.
It is rarely easy. There are plenty of days of struggle and heartaches when, despite our best efforts, we fail to live up to our responsibilities. I know I have been an imperfect father. I know I have made mistakes. I have lost count of all the times, over the years, when the demands of work have taken me from the duties of fatherhood. There were many days out on the campaign trail when I felt like my family was a million miles away, and I knew I was missing moments of my daughters' lives that I'd never get back. It is a loss I will never fully accept.

On this Father's Day, I am recommitting myself to that work, to those duties that all parents share: to build a foundation for our children's dreams, to give them the love and support they need to fulfill them, and to stick with them the whole way through, no matter what doubts we may feel or difficulties we may face. That is my prayer for all of us this Father's Day; and that is my hope for this nation in the months and years ahead.

If you like what you are learning, please send comments to lbiass34@yahoo.com

BOBBEE BEE:12 THINGS I LEARNED

2011-06-06T09:32:00.000-04:00

BOBBEE BEE says that he has learned 12 things you need to know in 2009.
1. I've learned that HATRED is like acid. It destroys the vessel that holds it.
2. I've learned that if love isn't taught in the home it's diffcult to learn it anywhere else.
3. I've learned that marriages are meant to last a lifetime. When they don't, all the world suffers.

4. I've learned that regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow are twin thieves that rob us in the moment.

5. I've learned that fame is written in ice and eventually the sun comes out.

6. I've learned that to get the right answer; you have to ask the right question.

7. I've learned that about 90% of the things that happen to me are good and only 10% are bad. To be happy, I just have to focus on the 90%.

8. I've learned to keep looking ahead. There are still so many good books to read. Sunsets to see, friends to visit, and old dogs to take walks with.

9. I've learned that you shouldn't do anything that wouldn't make your mother proud.

10.I've learned that if love isn't taught in the home it's difficult to learn it anywhere else.

11. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. To learn more about Bobbee Bee and to in order a copy of the book e-mail lbiass34@yahoo.com

BOBBEE BEE: 12 VALUABLE VALUES

2011-05-20T09:48:00.023-04:00

BOBBEE BEE 12 VALUABLE VALUES

1.The value of time.
2. The success of perseverance.
3. The pleasure of working.
4. The dignity of simplicity.
5. The worth of character.
6. The power of kindness.
7. The influence of example.
8. The obligation of duty.
9. The wisdom of economy.
10.The virtue of patience.
11.The improvement of talent.
12.The joy of originating.

If you like what you are learning, send your comments lbiass34@yahoo.com

BOBBEE BEE: OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD

2011-05-12T15:07:00.039-04:00

NORTH CAROLINA--(BASN)
by Eric D.Graham
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant, and time to pluck up that which is planted. A time to kill, and a time to heal, a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silent, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.' Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

While the world celebrated Prince Charles and Kate Middleton's fairy tale wedding at Westminster Abbey, politicians laughed at the recent White House Correspondent dinner.

While Columbia, SC danced to the songs and tunes of Grammy-award winning R&B singer Usher during his OMG Tour, the future faces of the NFL embraced Commissioner Roger Goodell during the 2011 NFL Draft as the lockout continued to linger in the air.

While the nation mourned the deaths of people, who lost their lives due to tornadoes that blew across the South and Donald Trump questioned the U.S. citizenship of President Obama, the government of the United States of America secretly plotted and planned the death of Osama bin Laden.

And then it happened.

The newspaper headlines read, "The Head of the Snake Has Finally Been Cut-off.'"

Ironically, the President's announcement, which stated that the accused master-mind behind 9/11 had been killed, occurred during "Celebrity Apprentice, right before Trump was about to fire someone in the boardroom.

Unjustified Justice

"On nights like this one, we can say to those families, who lost loved ones due to Al Qaeda's terror, justice has been done." proclaimed President Obama.

Tariq Ali, author of The Obama Syndrome and Clash of Fundamentalism, however, disagreed with the President's usage of the word "justice," especially when addressing the recent assassination of Osama bin Laden.

"One word not to describe this (the killing of bin Laden) is justice" Ali told reporter Lauryn Flanders of Grit TV.

"This is the justice of vigilantes. This is lynch mob justice. Had the United States seriously been concerned with justice, they would have taken him alive.....put him on trial...and let the world know he was guilty. This is the way justice is normally carried about" Ali explained.

"Justice is not carried about by behaving like terrorists. And if the aim of the operation was to show us state terror is more powerful than individual terrorist.....we already knew that."

Despite Ali's critique, after the President's speech, the world went on a tweeter frenzy!!

Truth by deception

"May Day! May Day! Osama bin Laden is dead. He was shot in the head by special ops forces.

And then given a proper Muslim burial where his body was cleansed and wrapped in white linen and buried in the Arabian Sea.

After hearing this story, I recalled a quote by American journalist Walter Lippmann, who said, "The news and the truth are not the same thing."

Lipperman's quote, expressed my feelings exactly.

But whether I believed the entire military version of Bin Laden's assassination was irrelevant.

Because according to radio talk show host Michael Rivero,"History is a joke played by the victors …in front of an audience that dares not to laugh."

This was especially true after hearing that bin Laden, who many considered to be a CIA operative, was allegedly found living in what reporters called a mansion in a Pakistani suburbs near a military base.

While many questioned America's shoot and kill operation, the violent details of bin Laden's assassination and the DNA analysis, former Director of the CIA’s Counterterrorist Center, Cofer Black, revealed America's true mentality in Jeremy Schaill's book Blackwater:The Rise of the World 's Most Powerful Mercenary Army when he was quoted as saying:
" I don't want bin Laden and his thugs captured, I want them dead....They must be killed. I want to see photos of their heads on pikes." he told covert CIA operatives Gary Schroen. “I want bin Laden's head shipped back in a box filled with dry ice. I want to be able to show bin Laden's head to the President.... Take a machete, and whack off his head, and you'll get a bucketful of DNA, so you can see it and test it. It beats lugging the whole body back!" Yes, this was the inflammatory language used by the US government after 9/11, and the gruesome "reality" Osama bin Laden faced last Sunday on the day of his potential demise.

Ritualistic and Conspiratorial View

Let's not forget, however, that this clandestine operation occurred one day after NATO dropped bombs on Muhammar Gadhafi's son Saif al Arab's home, which reportedly killed him and three of Gadhafi's grandsons.

And almost ritualistically, bin Laden’s death was announced on May1st, which was the exact date that Adolph Hitler's death was announced 66 years ago. Strangely, in both cases, however, neither of their bodies were found.

With no body of evidence, I find it interesting that people believe bin Laden is dead, but still think that President Obama is not a U.S. citizen. In other words, where's the proof?

"It was him..." confirmed President Obama during the upcoming interview on 60 minutes.

"There is no doubt that we killed Osama bin Laden.

Even though, government officials are debating whether to release photos of bin Laden's bloody corpse, many people feel this is the only way to stop conspiracy theories from spreading over the internet. Others, however, use the logic that if the US could show the body of President Kennedy after he was assassinated then why not bin Laden’s?

Despite these different viewpoints, Americans, however, must remember how past photos of US soldiers grinning over the dead bodies of Afghani civilians, prisoners being tortured at Abu Ghraib, as well as the recent burning of The Holy Quran by Florida pastor Terry Porter worsen tensions between the US and other Islamic nations.

"It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody shot in the head are not floating around....as a propaganda tool." the President pointed out.

Code Name Controversy

As Americans continue to debate the president's decision to publish pictures of bin Laden’s body, many Native American tribes and organization were infuriated by the Navy Seal's code word used to identify him and shouted before his eventual assassination.

Shockingly, bin Laden code name was Germiono. (This is another reason, I think bin Laden's assassination was a ritualistic or symbolic killing.)

Loretta Tuell, staff and chief counsel for the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, said it is inappropriate to link Geronimo, whom she called "one of the greatest Native American heroes" with one of the most hated enemies of the United States, according to the Associated Press.

"These inappropriate uses of Native American icons and cultures are prevalent throughout our society and the impact to Native and non-Native children are devastating" said Tuell, a member of the Nez Perce tribe, who grew up on the tribe's reservation in Idaho.

Despite the Native American's outrage over the code name controversy, truefully, they shouldn't be surprised. Let's not forget, the US Military Apache and Blackhawk helicopters used to slaughter people in Somalia as well as in Iraqi.

Besides, all of our beloved freedom fighters past, present or future will always be considered terrorists in the mind of the US government.

Whether it is Germiono, Sitting Bull, Nat Turner, Denmark Vesey, Gabriel Prosser, Leonard Peltier, Shaka Zulu, The Black Panther Party, Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Malcolm X, or even that little Palestinian child throwing rocks at an Israeli tank.

In other words, despite all of its advanced military technology, historically, the US schizophrenic foreign policy has always been based on a cowboy versus Indian philosophy, where the cowboys are perceived as the good guys and the Native Americans or people of color are considered savages, who need to be civilized, baptized, and eventually killed.

Whether those people are the Vietnamese, Japanese, Mexicans, Native Americans, Africans, Palestinians or Iraqis.

And like the early cowboy versus Indian movies produced by Hollywood, nine out of ten times, the people watching them always cheered the slaughter of the Indians, even in the movie "Avatar."

Celebration and Adulation

Therefore, I wasn't surprised when I saw Americans celebrating in the streets after hearing the news of bin Laden's death, as if it was a Final Four or Super Bowl victory.

For example, there were cheers and chants of "USA, USA, USA" from US citizens outside the White House, on the college campuses, and during the Philadelphia Phillies versus the New York Mets baseball game.

This sign of approval for the death of bin Laden, in fact, proved former National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice's theory that "we (US) need a common enemy to unite us."

This display of unity for bin Laden's assassination was seen and heard even in the voice of Chicago Blackhawks Jim Cornelison when he belted out the National Anthem until his face was "bloody" red with passion before the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls Eastern Conference Semi-Finals playoff game Monday night at the United Center in Chicago as the fans cheered enthusiastically.

America's jubilation and enthusiasm for its military power and presence overseas, however, is a part of its patriotic upbringing and history.

Pride and Patriotism

According to Feminist Emma Goldman, "we Americans claim to be a peace loving people. We hate bloodshed; we are opposed to violence. Yet we go into spasms of joy over possibility of projecting dynamite bombs from flying machines upon helpless citizens."

Goldman goes on to say that "Conceit, arrogance, and egotism are essentials of patriotism. ...and the powers (government) know that the people are like children whose despair, sorrow, and tears can be turned into joy with a little toy.

And unfortunately, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Marines represent the people's toys in the form of bombs, tanks, planes, AK-47's, and M-16's.

Despite this military milestone against "terror", which was considered a "Great Day for America", there are several important questions that must be answered and pondered?

Questions to ponder

Does the killing of bin Laden provide a sense of relief, sense of satisfaction, and closure for the people affected by 9/11? Does this latest military action guarantee the election of President Obama in 2012 and validate his presidency amongst the Tea Party, and the Republican Party?
Is Pakistan, now, considered an enemy to the United States, even though they possess nuclear weapons? And does the death of bin Laden make us a safer nation?
Because philosophically, every action; requires an equal and opposite reaction.

Violence begets Violence

In other words, militarily, violence begets more violence. As a result, the reported death of bin Laden, could, in fact, cause more terrorist attacks in America and unrest in the "so-called Middle East" amongst his loyal followers and supporters, who seek to revenge his death, even though most Muslims despised him and his worldwide acts of violence as well as his Islamic ideology.

"When will people step back and look at the calculus of things." said investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill on the news program Democracy Now!

"Are we creating new enemies by killing a handful of people in these operations, where civilians are also killed?

Unfortunately, Scahill is correct in his assessment.

Hopefully, President Obama, in the midnight hour, will ponder the words in the Book of Ecclesiastes in Chapter 10 versus 18 which says:” Wisdom is better than weapons of war...as he deals with the uprising in Libya and the ousting Libyan leader Mohammar Gadfahi as well as other conflicts throughout the world.

BOBBBEE BEE: 10 COMMANDMENTS OF SUCCESS

2011-05-11T15:10:00.000-04:00

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF SUCCESS

1.WORK HARD: Hard work is the best investment a man can make.
2.STUDY HARD: Knowledge enables a man to work more intelligently and effectively.
3.HAVE INITATIVE: Ruts often deepen into graves.
4.LOVE YOUR WORK: Then you will find pleasure in mastering it.
5.BE EXACT: Slipshod methods bring slipshod results.
6.HAVE THE SPIRIT OF CONQUEST: Thus you can successfully battle and overcome difficulties.
7.CULTIVATE PERSONALITY: Personality is to a man what perfume is to the flower.
8.HELP AND SHARE WITH OTHERS: The real test of business greatness lies in giving opportunity to others.

9.BE DEMOCRATIC: Unless you feel right toward your fellow men, you can never be a successful leader of men.
10.IN ALL THINGS DO YOUR REPORT: The man who has done his best has done everything. The man who has done less than his best has done nothing.

by Charles M. Schwab

BOBBEE BEE: WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

2011-05-08T02:41:00.014-04:00

BOBBEE BEE: WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

A message every adult should read because children are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.....

When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that a sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things

I saw when you thought I wasn't looking....."

If you like what you are learning, please send comments to lbiass34@yahoo.com

BOBBEE BEE AND KADDAFI

2011-04-27T15:26:00.058-04:00

by Gerald A. Perreira

• A coalition of Crusaders, as Qaddafi described them, including the US, Britain, France, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Spain and Canada, have begun an all out military assault against Libya. Using what Libya claims is an invalid and illegal UN resolution as a pretext, the coalition is pounding the Libyan defense forces with a military might that has not been seen since the Gulf war.

The real and illegal goal of what has been called Operation “Odyssey Dawn” is “regime change.” A replay of the nightmarish Gulf war scenario, the plan is clear: to disable Libya's defense ability, and to arm and strengthen the reactionary conglomerate of rebel forces in Benghazi, in the hope that this rag tag bunch will roll back, once and for all, the Libyan revolution.

• This is not the first imperialist attempt to lynch Qaddafi and bring Libya to its knees. In 1986, the US falsely accused Libya of the bombing of a discotheque in Berlin and Reagan attempted to assassinate Qaddafi, by bombing the Bab al-Azizia compound in Tripoli where he was housed, killing Qaddafi's daughter and over one hundred Libyans. Next, Libya was falsely accused of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing as an excuse for initiating sanctions, in order to economically cripple the revolution.

• Not the first time Britain and al Qaeda have collaborated on Libya

• In 1996, British intelligence employed the services of an al Qaeda cell inside Libya, paying them a huge fee to assassinate Muammar Qaddafi. A grenade was lobbed at Qaddafi as he walked among a crowd in his hometown, Sirte. He was saved by one of his bodyguards, who threw herself on the grenade.
• Former MI5 operative David Shayler revealed that while he was working on the Libya desk in the mid 90s, British secret service personnel were collaborating with the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, which is connected to one of Osama bin Laden’s trusted lieutenants.
• Muammar Qaddafi and the Libyan revolutionary forces were the first to issue an arrest warrant for Osama bin Laden. They have spent years trying to warn the world about the very serious threat posed by these Islamic deviants. According to Shayler, western intelligence turned a deaf ear to Libya's warnings because they were actually working with the al Qaeda group inside Libya, to bring down Qaddafi and the Libyan revolution.
• “In the mid 90s, British secret service personnel were collaborating with the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.”

• Anas al Libi was a member of the Libyan al-Qaeda cell. He remains on the US government’s most wanted list, with a reward of $25 million for his capture, and is wanted for his involvement in the African embassy bombings. al Libi was with bin Laden in Sudan before the al Qaeda leader returned to Afghanistan in 1996.

• Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, despite being a high-level al Qaeda operative, al Libi
• was given political asylum in Britain and lived in Manchester until May of 2000.

• Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)

• The claims by Qaddafi and the Libyan revolutionary forces that the rebels in Benghazi are inspired by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the serious threat this poses, not only to Libya but to the entire region, are once again falling on deaf ears, just as David Shayler said they did back in the mid 90s. Why? Because once again, British intelligence forces, among others, are clearly in collaboration with the rebels in Benghazi - those referred to all over Libya as the 'bearded ones', who have close ties to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

• The evidence for this is overwhelming. As revealed by Shayler, the British have a long standing relationship with the al Qaeda affiliated Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, based inside Libya. The British also have an historical relationship with the Wahhabi/Salafi brand of Islam, espoused today by Ikhwan al Muslimeen (Mulsim Brotherhood) and their offshoots, including al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

• A Battle with a Long History

• In 1744, an alliance was formed between the founder of Wahhabism, Muhammad ibn Abdal-Wahhab and the ruthless tribal leader, Muhammad ibn Saud, whose descendants rule Saudi Arabia up to today. This reactionary brand of Islam was the perfect theological foundation for the colonial creation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Wahhabism remains the official Islamic tendency in Saudi Arabia up till today. In 1915, the British entered into a treaty with the murderous House of Saud, protecting their lands and supplying them with weaponry, as part of the colonial project to establish the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. At the same time, the British did everything they could to help the Wahhabist doctrine to flourish, recognizing it as the perfect ideological tool to further their imperialist objectives. Some scholars have argued that the British actually helped to create Wahhabism.

• Imagine, today, the British are calling on the descendants of Muhammad ibn Saud, the current Saudi regime, and their present day army of Wahhabis in the form of al Qaeda, to join in a medieval crusade to crush a bastion of revolutionary Islam, which is present day Libya. And the contradictions verify this. We have to wonder why a Saudi government official can say on BBC that “to allow the people to choose their own government is a very bad thing”, and why, with all the Western outcry about women's rights in the Muslim world, the Saudi regime, which does not even allow women to vote or drive motorcars, is never questioned. Instead they are the ones that the Americans, British, and French are calling on to join them in the destruction of Libya which has liberated women and struggled to bring real democracy to its people.

• As early as the mid 19th century, Wahhabi fundamentalism was imported into Benghazi by the reactionary and feudal Senussi fraternity. The influence of this tendency has been passed on from generation to generation, and Benghazi has been the center for those who have consistently opposed the liberatory Islam articulated by Qaddafi and implemented by the Libyan revolution.

• The Muslims of Benghazi, who embrace the same ideology as al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and have done for the last hundred years or more, have been reinvigorated in the last few years by AQIM's presence on Libya's borders. There is a renewed interest in the possibility of achieving the stated goal of AQIM, which is the establishment of an Wahhabi Islamic Emirate in the Maghreb, stretching over the entire North African region. When we understand the history of this region, we realize why the imperialists have not gone out of their way to find Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri and how and why these reactionary forces and doctrines are actually encouraged by western powers.

• To understand Qaddafi's current claims about al Qaeda in the Maghreb, we have to understand both the history of this current battle and also the present day chapter: how al Qaeda affiliated organizations operate in the region in 2011. There is a deliberate attempt to misguide the uninformed with the suggestion that Qaddafi is throwing up a simplistic image of Osama bin Laden directing the rebellion in Benghazi from a cave somewhere, as a scare tactic. Nothing could be further from the truth.

• “We must understand how al Qaeda affiliated organizations operate in the region in 2011.”
• Qaddafi is well aware of the reactionary aims of Wahhabism and understands only too well their modus operandi in the region. Being affiliated to al Qaeda does not mean that each cell refers to an al Qaeda central command. Rather, al Qaeda is a Wahhabi/Salafi ideological movement and it has reinvigorated Salafi movements and cells worldwide. The term Salafi simply refers to a contemporary strain of Wahhabism.

• If there remains any skepticism regarding Qaddafi's claims, let us turn to the Washington based think tank, the Council on Foreign Relations, which gives us a description of AQIM's operations in the region.

• On their official website they state:

• “Terrorist activity in North Africa has been reinvigorated in the last few years by a local Algerian Islamist group turned pan-Maghreb jihadi organization: al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). A Sunni group that previously called itself the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), the organization has taken responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks in the region, declared its intention to attack Western targets, and sent a squad of jihadis to Iraq. Experts believe these actions suggest widening ambitions within the group's leadership, now pursuing a more global, sophisticated, and better-financed direction. Long categorized as part of a strictly domestic insurgency against Algeria's military government, AQIM claims to be the local franchise operation for al Qaeda, a worrying development for a region that has been relatively peaceful since the bloody Algerian civil war of the 1990s drew to a close. European officials are taking AQIM's international threats seriously and are worried about the growing number of Europe-based cells.”
• The Struggle Continues

• This current battle in Benghazi is not new in Libya. For many years, the revolutionary forces have been struggling to keep this feudal, reactionary brand of Islam in check.

• On February 24th, 2011, at the very outset of the Benghazi rebellion, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb posted the following statement on the al Qaeda affiliated al Fajr website: "We declare our support for the legitimate demands of the Libyan revolution. We assert to our people in Libya that we are with you and will not let you down, God willing. We will give everything we have to support you, with God's grace."

• A few days after this statement was issued by AQIM, al Libi resurfaced. The same al Libi exposed by David Shayler as an al Qaeda operative working inside Libya back in the 90s. Now a top al Qaeda commander based in Afghanistan, he urged his countrymen to overthrow Muammar Qaddafi's regime and establish Islamic rule. Al Libi, a pseudonym that means 'the Libyan' in Arabic, said in a video, produced by As-Sahab, the media wing of al Qaeda, that “it would bring shame to the Libyan people if the strongman (Qaddafi) were allowed to die a peaceful death”.

• Al Qaeda and Drugs in the Maghreb

• Libya's revolutionary forces have also made continual references to the fact that there are drug problems in the region and that many of the young people are affected. Once again, this claim was scoffed at by Western media and analysts, who are ill informed about what is actually taking place on the ground.

• As recently as November 2010, Moroccan police detained 34 people with ties to al Qaeda in the Islamic Mahgreb, attempting to move 1,300 pounds of cocaine through the country.

• Moroccan Interior Minister, Taieb Cherquaoui said "We are dealing with an apparent coordination and collaboration between drug traffickers and terrorists linked to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.”

• He added that the leader of AQIM's drug ring was detained in Mali, and he stated that the international drug peddling ring involved local Moroccan drug traffickers, who were collaborating with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, as well as cartels in Latin America.

• Until recently, Moroccan authorities have been able to keep the actions of al Qaeda inside Morocco at bay. The drug activity, however, has now revealed the extremist organization's growing network, and the interior minister expressed “the urgent need for the Sahel countries to collaborate to secure their territories and to fight the group's expansion.”

• Tragically, the “coalition of crusaders” has seen fit to pound Qaddafi's defense installations, thereby preventing Libya from being able to challenge AQIM's expansion into their sovereign territory.

• In a further development on this front, the Wahhabi spiritual leader of Ikhwan al Muslimeen, Egyptian cleric, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, issued a fatwa stating that any Libyan soldier who can shoot dead embattled leader Muammar Qaddafi should do so "to rid Libya of him."

• Qaradawi is a neo-feudalist, who has defended the practice of female genital mutilation, called for the death penalty to be applied to those who leave Islam and advocates separate systems of law for different classes of citizens. Such are the views of those who are opposing Muammar Qaddafi.

• “Qaddafi stated clearly that the destabilization of Libya's eastern cities was being inspired and assisted by al Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb.”

• In a letter to Barak al Hussein Obama and in a separate letter to Sarkozy, Cameron and Banki Moon hours before the coalition launched its first military strikes, Qaddafi stated clearly that the destabilization of Libya's eastern cities was being inspired and assisted by al Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb, and he invited member states of the coalition to come to Libya and confirm this reality for themselves.

• Of course, just as the war in Iraq was not about establishing the truth regarding weapons of mass destruction, this war against Libya was not about discovering the truth of events on the ground or verifying Qaddafi's claims. When we understand the historical and present day facts, we realize that the crusader coalition is well aware of exactly who they are fighting and who they are supporting. In fact, that is why they were in such a hurry to act – to prevent any international fact finding mission which would verify Qaddafi's claims for the world to see.

• In the letter to Obama, Qaddafi asked him if al Qaeda was occupying American cities what Obama would do so that he (Qaddafi) could follow his lead. All to no avail, because Qaddafi has been demonised to the point of being inhuman and therefore not requiring even the courtesy of a response. Named by US media as the Castro of the Middle East there is only one aim – remove him by any means necessary.

• Why?

• In contrast to the Wahhabis and the neo-colonial regimes in the region, Qaddafi is a revolutionary leader who has consistently opposed western hegemony in the Arab and African World. Libya's revolution has, for the past three decades, assisted liberation movements all over the world struggling against neo-colonialism and imperialism.

• Libya's oil resources are of course a factor. We know for sure that control of oil resources is a top priority for the the US and Europe. but even more worrying for the imperialists is Qaddafi's call for a United States of Africa – with one government, one army and one currency.

• Not surprisingly, the actions taken against Qaddafi and Libya are in stark contrast to western inaction with regard to events on the ground in other countries in the region such as Yemen, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, where protesters are being shot in the streets. In the case of Bahrain, protesters are being brutally suppressed with the assistance of invading Saudi ground forces and in Saudi Arabia itself, the regime has told its people that “anyone who raises a finger against the Saudi monarchy will have their finger cut off!.”

• The so-called international community can barely name their long time partner in crime, Saudi Arabia, in their pronouncements, such is their support for this most undemocratic of regimes. In fact, far from condemning the actions of these governments, the Crusading coalition is frantically trying to get some of these same Arab countries to actively join the military operation against Libya so that this whole thing does not look like another US and European led aggression.

• Are we going to hear impassioned pleas regarding the aspirations of the people of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia? Are the US, Britain and France going to launch attacks on Yemen and Bahrain to assist the uprisings there to achieve regime change. I don't think so.

• Arab League legitimizes Crusade

• The Arab League endorsed this imperialist attack on Libyan soil despite the nightmare of Iraq, where the number of civilian deaths has now reached one and a half million. It is an honor for Qaddafi to have no support among this league of bloated imperialist surrogates. At a recent meeting, he told them, prophetically it now seems, that they should be ashamed of themselves, having sat by and watched the US hang the entire leadership of the Iraqi Arab Ba'ath regime. It should be noted that although there were serious ideological and political differences between Qaddafi and Saddam Hussein, Libya took a principled position regarding hostile external aggression against Iraq. A few days ago, the National Leadership of the Arab Ba'ath Socialist Party issued a statement expressing solidarity with the revolutionary forces of Libya.

• The Arab League has been consistently embarrassed by Qaddafi's outspoken criticism of their double standards and hypocrisy with regard to Palestine, Iraq and a host of other issues, they are terrified by Qaddafi's revolutionary Islam, and are contemptuous of Black Africa and Qaddafi's attempts to bring about African-Arab unity.

• Recently, when Qaddafi urged Libyans to intermarry with Africans, following the example of Prophet Muhammad himself, who encouraged intermarriage between races, Libyan and Arab contempt for Black Africans re-surfaced. Extremely few fair skinned Arabs would sanction the marriage of their daughters to a Black African. Rarely do fair skinned Libyans marry Black Libyans. Their disdain for Black people runs deep.

• “The Arab League are terrified by Qaddafi's revolutionary Islam, and are contemptuous of Black Africa and Qaddafi's attempts to bring about African-Arab unity.”

• In fact, across other Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and the Gulf States, the horror stories emerging regarding the mistreatment of African domestic servants is reminiscent of the kind of treatment meted out to Black people during the days of chattel slavery. So a project for the development and unification of all of Africa, uniting, on equal terms, the 'Arab' north with Black Africa, is not close to the hearts of many fair skinned Arabs. Qaddafi is an exception to the rule.

• In his book “Islam and the Third Universal Theory: The Religious Thought of Muammar Qaddafi,” the respected Muslim scholar, Mahmoud Ayoub, states that:

• “he (Qaddafi) wishes to follow the example of the Prophet who fought with such determination against oppression and inequality in society that Bilal, the Black slave, became equal with his master Umayyah. He sees his own mission and the task of the
• Libyan revolution as having the same motivations and goal for modern Muslim society. The basic aim of the Green Book is to present in general and contemporary terms the ideals of justice and equality which Qaddafi sees in the Qur'an and the life of the Prophet and his community.”

• And what of Libya's African neighbors?

• 'A Million Man March'

• Already an estimated 16,000 African freedom fighters (not mercenaries as the BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera would have us believe) have poured into Libya from the Congo, Guinea, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Niger, Chad, Mauritania, Southern Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia and Burkina Faso to fight to the death for the Libyan revolution and Brother Muammar Al Qaddafi.

• According to an official in northern Mali, hundreds of young Tuaregs from Mali and Niger are also among the African fighters, "We’re very worried", said Assalat Ag Abdou Salam, president of the Regional Assembly of Kidal, "These young people are moving in droves to Libya. It’s very dangerous for us because whether Qaddafi wins or falls the impact will be felt in our region."

• We are witnessing a Pan-African unity on the ground that we have never seen before. Who is this man and this revolution that has the moral authority and power to draw an army of Africans from every corner of the continent?

• One Tripoli resident answered with the following statement: “Qaddafi is our Che Guevara, and for Libyans and many people around the world, he is a symbol of freedom and democracy.”

• “An estimated 16,000 African freedom fighters have poured into Libya.”

• He explained that the West does not understand Libya and the age old tribal and religious battles that are being waged, and pointed out, that even if Qaddafi was to leave Libya, these armed gangs and tribes would fight till judgment day. He added that it is Qaddafi who has tried for the last 40 years to overcome these age old conflicts and the backwardness that accompanies them, and build real democracy, through a system of people's congresses and popular committees.

• He finished by saying that “the West does not know this man but that they would surely come to know who he is now.”

• The Pan-Africanism we are finally witnessing is not the ivory tower academic brand, which has been viewed as relatively harmless and ineffective by the imperialists, but a grassroots Pan-Africanism - bottom up - which has given birth to the continent's first Pan-African army, willing to lay down their lives for a revolution and a leader that they love and to whom they owe a great deal.
• Many of these fighters and liberation movements have received education, military training and assistance from Libya when they were battling imperialist backed despotic regimes in their own countries, and now they are determined to defend the man and country who stood by them in their darkest hour. This attack on Libya has serious repercussions for the entire African continent.

• The Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania (South Africa) travelled to Libya to meet with Qaddafi face to face and express their support and solidarity. They issued a statement expressing “their support to Qaddafi, who had been crucial to the PAC during the days of apartheid in South Africa.”

“We have a long cooperation with Qaddafi himself and Libya. Our cadres were trained in Libya by Qaddafi and a friend is a friend no matter what,” said the party’s spokesman,
• Mzwanele Nyhontso.

• Qaddafi has been a friend to all oppressed peoples throughout the world. There is hardly a liberation movement that has not been helped in some way by Qaddafi and Libya over the past three decades. He is our friend and brother and let's hope everyone is clear on who our enemies are.

• The Emperor is naked - what's new?

• Of course, imperialist maneuvers and crusades similar to this current one have been on going for centuries. In more recent times, from Vietnam to Iraq, we have seen the same scenario played out based on a litany of lies. So what is different this time around?
• Certainly not the lying part – they are still weaving their usual web of lies. The African freedom fighter Kwame Ture, who had close ties with the Libyan revolution, warned us that “the imperialists don't just lie sometimes, they lie all the time.”

• What is different is that things are changing for the imperialists as the world plunges deeper and deeper into chaos, and their ability to influence affairs worldwide is diminishing rapidly. In the midst of rebellions all over the Arab world, what is clear is that fewer and fewer people give a damn what the US and Europe thinks. So they saw fit to take desperate measures in an attempt to regain some political hegemony and limit the demise of their strategic influence in the region.

• Even as Mussa Kussa, the Libyan Foreign Minister, announced a cease fire and the Libyan authorities determination to accept the UN resolution and utilize it in a positive way, the French and British were in a frenzy, trying to get international support for military strikes against the Libyan forces. We have witnessed their war mongering before, however, they were quite literally foaming at the bit this time.

• “The imperialists will become more and more desperate in their attempts to regain their influence.”

• Such a frenzy can only be understood against a backdrop of their dwindling ability to dominate. Even in the economic sphere, their power is decreasing, as China, India and Brazil emerge as vital new trading partners in Africa and South America. In the words of Kwame Nkrumah, “Neo-colonialism is not a sign of imperialism’s strength, but rather of its last hideous gasp”.

• In 2011, the imperialists have brought the world to the brink of disaster. At an economic summit, at the outset of the current ongoing global capitalist crisis, former president of Brazil, Lula da Silva, publicly told the gathering that “the credit crunch was the fault of white, blue-eyed people.”

As the capitalist crisis worsens, and the world plunges deeper and deeper into chaos, the imperialists will become more and more desperate in their attempts to regain their influence and direct events worldwide as they are used to doing. Events which they are increasingly incapable of comprehending – not only because of the speed at which these events are occurring, but also because of the complexity of the events and the paradigm shifts taking place, that are, quite simply, far outside their western imagination.

• Furthermore, they have lost all credibility as the Iraq and Afghanistan debacles continue. The Emperor is naked, and the hypocrisy of the Empire has become so transparent, that even the least informed observers are finally realizing that something is horribly wrong.

• A Last Hideous Gasp?

• Imperialism is experiencing its “last hideous gasp” and it is imperative for progressive and revolutionary movements worldwide to seize this moment and to oppose this current assault with all of our collective strength. Those who still struggle to see the wood from the trees remain enablers of the continued enslavement of our people. As Pan-Africanists we need to come together as never before to defend this brother and the Libyan Al Fateh revolution.

• Sadly, the African Union has become another impotent international body with a neo-colonial mindset, due to the fact that unfortunately, a number of member states are still imperialist facilitators. The Pan-Africanist scholar, Chinweizu, calls these facilitaors of imperialism “leaders in Africa,” because, as he points out, they are not “African leaders.”

• Despite this, the African Union, under the guidance of progressive members, have managed to take a principled stand on Libya. In a statement issued by the AU Peace and Security Council, headed by Zimbabwe, they unanimously opposed any foreign military intervention and recognised the unity and territorial sovereignty of the North African State of Libya. The statement went on to call for “an urgent African action for the immediate cessation of all hostilities.”

• How good and how pleasant it would be, before God and man...

Muammar Qaddafi has a vision for Africa - a United States of Africa - with one government, one army and one currency. Of course, if this were to happen, it would shift the balance of power globally. The well documented fact is that if Africa stopped the flow of all African resources and raw materials to the western nations for just one week – the United States and Europe would grind to a halt – they are that dependent on Africa and are therefore determined to maintain their ability to control events on the continent.

• Control over Africa’s affairs has always been a priority for the imperialist project. As Minister Louis Farrakhan pointed out many years ago at a conference in Libya, “Europe and the US cannot go forward into the new century without unfettered access to the vast natural resources of Africa” and he added that “Qaddafi is one who stands in their way.”

• If they cannot maintain control, then at least they must try to maintain Africa's divisions, thereby ensuring it is always in a position of weakness. African unity and true independence is something white supremacy, in all of its manifestations – capitalism, imperialism and neo-colonialism - will oppose with all its might.

• When Sarkozy the clown, to quote Saif Qaddafi, made his ridiculous pronouncement recognizing the rag tag conglomerate of reactionaries in Benghazi as the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people, and Hillarity rushed to meet with the “Libyan opposition,” the sinister imperialist plot began to unfold. Their mission was certainly not to “protect innocent civilians.” They had from the outset, very clearly chosen a side and now, as they bombard the Libyan revolutionary forces we know without any doubt, whose side they are on.

• “If they cannot maintain control, then at least they must try to maintain Africa's divisions.”

• Their plot further unraveled, when a Dutch helicopter, carrying Dutch marines on some kind of sabotage/espionage mission was captured right inside Libyan territory. The Dutch government finally acknowledged that its warship, the Tromp, was offshore in the sea off Sirte and the captured helicopter had lifted-off from there. If the rebellion in Benghazi was, as the media has reported, “a spontaneous rebellion, like others in the region,” then the Dutch were surprisingly well prepared. Actually, it would have been impossible for them to arrive so swiftly at the scene, and so they had to have had prior knowledge of what was taking place. It is now crystal clear that this rebellion in Benghazi was an orchestrated attempt, supported by foreign sources, to use the events taking place across North Africa as a cover for the overthrow of the Libyan revolution.

. And then there was William Hague’s brazen landing of the British SAS personnel inside Libyan territory to make contact with the al Qaeda inspired rebels. Of course it is no surprise that the British and al Qaeda are on the same side – as noted above they have been collaborating to destroy Libya for a very long time. Reactionaries inevitably end up dovetailing, and a partnership with the imperialists is after all where al Qaeda had its beginnings: as a US instrument in the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan. George Bush Senior had close ties with the Taliban, and Ronald Reagan poured millions of dollars into assisting the Jihadists in Afghanistan, the forerunners of al Qaeda, which means 'the base', and refers to a data base of Mujahideen from numerous countries, compiled with the help of the CIA.

• Many Battlefronts
• In addition to the battle between “true religion and false religion” to paraphrase the Muslim revolutionary thinker, Ali Shariati, there is another major battlefront in Libya. It is the battle between Black Africans and those fair skinned 'Arab settlers', who embrace a “separatist” stance, refusing to acknowledge their African heritage, and who want little to do with the Pan-African project although they are on the African continent. As noted above, these 'Arabs' look upon black people with utter contempt and disdain. They definitely do not share Qaddafi's vision of a united Africa and resent the resources of Libya being used to assist projects towards this end throughout the continent.

• It has been well documented that the Libyan rebels are committing crimes against humanity. There have been “African hunts” in rebel held territory. Black workers, students and refugees have been detained, raped and executed - some of them were led into the desert and stabbed to death. Even Black Libyans have been targeted, and many of them have been abducted by armed rebels and are being held in secret locations. These are the forces that the imperialists are racing to support. There has been a deafening silence from the so-called international community and western media regarding these well documented “African Hunts” and the massacre of Black Africans by the rebels. • “Black workers, students and refugees have been detained, raped and executed.”

• From Washington, France and London, they continue their attempts to demonise Muammar Qaddafi with their lies. But the truth is that he is a revolutionary and a freedom fighter, who has assisted almost every struggle for liberation over the past three decades, and worked tirelessly, day and night, to facilitate African advancement and unification. At the same time, the revolution he has led, has taken Libya from the status of being the poorest country in the world to a country that has attained the highest standard of living in Africa. The “weapons of mass deception” assembled by the Crusaders can never succeed in portraying him as a ruthless dictator - an enemy of humanity? Let us heed the warning of the great revolutionary, Al Hajj Malik Al Shabazz, better known as Malcolm X:

“The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power because they control the minds of the masses.”

• As I write this article, Qaddafi is addressing the world. He is defiant, preparing Libyans for a long war and assuring the crusaders that they will never get their hands on Libya and its resources. Meanwhile, the coalition of Crusaders and their Arab enablers are starting to show some signs of strain.

• I am reminded of Qaddafi's words in 1986, when Reagan bombed his residence,

• “They may hit us with long range missiles and aircrafts – this is expected, but they will never stay. This land is too hot for their feet.”

• Gerald A. Perreira has lived in Libya for many years. He served in the Green March, an international battalion for the defense of the Libyan revolution and was an executive member of the World Mathaba based in Tripoli. He can be contacted at mojadi94@gmail.com

BOBBEE BEE: MEDITATE NOT MEDICATE

2011-04-27T14:33:00.005-04:00

MEDITATION TECHNIQUES FROM BOBBEE BEE

1. Concentration
Meditative technique that directs the mind to a single focus, such as on the breath or a mantra.
2. Mindfulness
Teaches an evenhanded, accepting awareness of whatever arises in the senses
3. Movement
Heightens awareness of the sensations of movement, such as in walking or Tai Chi

4. Visualization
Generates a mental image, from simple crosses or a single square of color to complex symbols such a sthe elaborate mandalas of Tibetan Buddhism
5. Lovingkindness
Cultivates a positive mood or beneficent outlook through the contemplation of such feelings as compassion for all people

6. Transformation
Seeks solace or the solution to specific problems by turning negative emotions into positive energies.

BOBBEE BEE: THE FEMINIZATION OF THE BLACK MALE IMAGE

2011-04-18T16:09:00.022-04:00

"You've been hoodwinked. You've been had. You've been took. You've been led astray, led amok. You’ve been bamboozled." -- Denzel Washington in "Malcolm X".

by Eric D.Graham

NORTH CAROLINA (BASN) -- Historically Hollywood has always portrayed Black people in a negative light on television and in the movies. Movie director Spike Lee tried to show us this in his satirical film "Bamboozled" in 2000 which was about a modern televised minstrel show featuring black actors donning black face makeup. By definition bamboozled means to deceive or get the better of (someone) by trickery or flattery. Well, I hate to say it. But we have been bamboozled once again. Because instead of black-face makeup, today it's lipstick, fake breasts, flowery dresses and high heel shoes. That's right, the new black-face in Hollywood is dressing Black men in drag. I heard Minister Farrakhan state once, and I am paraphrasing "that when you put a Black Man in a dress you castrate him mentally."
But despite that, Wesley Snipes dressed in drag in the movie "To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything" in 2004. And Ving Rhames did it in "Holiday Heart" in 2000. And let's not talk about what he did in Pulp Fiction. Flip Wilson's 1970 cigarette smoking , wise-talking character, Geraldine, however probably is the most famous Black male drag queen. But due to his so-called success, other comedians, oddly enough followed suit or should I say "followed dress" to have themselves humiliated by Hollywood for cheap laughs and a few dollars. For instance, Arsenio Hall put on a wig and lipstick and blew kisses at his best friend Eddie Murphy in "Coming to America".
Not to be topped by Hall, Murphy himself dressed in drag in "Nutty Professor I and II" as well as in the movie "Norbit". After Murphy, Martin Lawrence played a female character named Sheneneh in his hit TV sitcom in 1992 before stepping in some panty hose with some fake boobs and a blonde wig for the movie "Big Momma's House" in 2000 which he played a FBI agent. White folks laughed so hard, they made a sequel. The Wayans Brothers also destroyed the image of the Black male when they posed as white women in their movie "White Chicks" in 2004. Surprisingly, they, like Martin in Big Mamma's House, were FBI agents. Damn, this is starting to sound like a conspiracy theory on some cross-dressing J.Edgar Hover type-stuff. Cointelpro is still in effect. Comedian David Chappelle tried to warn us about this on the Oprah Winfrey Show, but everybody thought he was crazy. Oddly, cross-dressing comedians seem to be Holly-weird's sacred cash-cow cause newly multi-millionaire born-again Christian Tyler Perry continues the trend because he has black churches marching to the slaughterhouse like sheep in order to see his gospel plays and movies as he has taken his loud-mouth, gun-toting character Madea from the Chitlin circuit to the red carpet. I also heard "through the grapevine" that Jamie Foxx and Martin Lawrence plan to both dress in drag in an-upcoming movie in which Foxx plays the female character Wanda, he made popular on the comedy show In Living Color in the late 90's while Lawrence will play his female character Sheneneh. The feminization of the Black male image has not only taken place in Hollywood but it has also taken place in the sports area as well. Everybody is familiar with the famous Washington Redskins cross-dressing, beer drinking HOGS. But to you recall the ridiculous photo of Ricky Williams in a wedding dress pretending to marry Mike Dikita in ESPN The Magazine. After analyzing the picture, Williams was obvious the woman in the relationship. Not to be out-done by Williams' Hollywood honeymoon, Dennis Rodman -- aka the RuPaul of Basketball -- sported his all white wedding gown in New York city in order to sell his book. But I bet (no puns attended) you don't remember when UNLV Runnin' Rebels bad boy Larry Johnson, even with his signature gold tooth in his mouth, put on a wig and an ugly dress and dunked a basketball, in order to sell some cheap basketball sneakers. The famous Grand-MA-MA ad was a success. But I know, LJ regrets that he ever did it, now. This, however, isn't some HOMOPHOBIC RANT!! And I'm not having a Tim Hardaway moment. I'm just keeping it one hundred percent real. I know, some people maybe saying I'm overacting but this is a serious issue. Where is the dignity and integrity that we as men pledged to display and have at the Million Man March in 1996.

And furthermore, do you think Malcolm X, Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael), or Marcus Garvey would have ever put on a dress for the delight of some white advertisement executives or Hollywood movie producers? As I said before, "when you put a black man in a dress, you castrate that man in the eyes of the world." Remember historically, the United States has never wanted the world to see a strong, independent Black man, who they didn't control, create, or manufacture. Besides, "A picture is worth a thousand words" but how can we as Black men be taken seriously or respected when the world sees us a women? So what if President Barack Obama decided to address the Nation or the U.N. with a wig, lipstick, a red dress and a pair of high heel shoes on? What would we think or say? Wouldn't the United States be considered the laughing stock of the world? You can decide that for yourselves. But honestly, do you want a drag queen leading the country, I guess we will have to ask Rudy Giuliani in 2012 when he runs for President again. Didn't the Mayan Calender say the world is coming to an end in 2012! Because just recently, just when you thought it couldn't get any stranger, former boxing heavyweight champion, Evander Holyfield continued the mental massacre of the the black male image when he put on a dress for Taco Bell. Why in the hell would you wear a dress to sell some nasty Tacos from Taco Bell!! I know, you may need the money to pay for your mortgage and pay child support and the country is in the worst recession in US history but come on Holyfield, you are suppose to be a "good Christian."

Plus, I thought Bishop Eddie Wrong (oops) I mean, Bishop Eddie Long taught you better. Remember the scripture from Deuteronomy 22:5 that plainly states "neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are an abomination (disgusting) unto the Lord your God."

That's plain and simple, but maybe Holyfield has been hit in the head too many times and needs to retire from boxing. I mean, the boxing community almost lost it's mind when they saw Oscar De La Hoya with fish net black pantie hoes on which we found out later was photo-shopped.

As you can see, the cross-dressing phenomenal has many actors, comedians and even politicians hiding cheap WalMart dresses in their closets but has it tip-toed across the street in six inch heels into the locker rooms of Major League Baseball, America's favorite past times. Shockingly, even Barry Bonds shamefully stepped up to the plate with a dress on while being accused of taking steroids during his home-run crusade to brake Hank Aaron's record. Bonds, in fact, collapsed to the peer pressure and put on a wig and some "pumps" for his ESPN reality show.
Miss Halle Berry, I mean, Mr. Barry Lamar Bonds can deny taking steroids, but he can't deny making a fool out of himself by putting on a dress. I guess Barry was taking advice from the Cuban-born home run bomber Jose Canseco, who has also put on lip stick and a bikini to the delight of Holly-weird and reality show producers. But the reality is, this has become a real ugly trend. As my grandmother used to say, "it must be something in the water" because even ex-Miami Hurricane defensive tackle Dwayne Johnson aka "DA ROCK" aka the People's Champ danced with the devil in drag on Saturday Night Live. Not once, but twice. And now, he is in pink leotards as the Tooth Fairy. Mr. Johnson also played a gay character in the movie BE COOL that starred Andre' 3000 of the rap group Outcast, who is known to sport a blonde wig or two and John Travolta, who played a woman in Hairspray.

As you can see, this wig-wearing, cross-dressing s*** is getting out of control. But if anymore Black professional athletes, actors, or politicians, who are thinking about putting some high heel shoes on, it is definitely not cool and it doesn't help the image of the Black males, regardless of what RuPaul said. That goes for you too Carl Lewis. There is no exception to the rules. So, if you are going to be a man, be a man. And I'm sorry Steve Harvey. I wish you must success on your new book, but I am not acting like a lady. That's some bull***, player. Why can't I just be a strong Black Man? Now that would be cool.

BOBBEE BEE:LOVE YOURSELF!!

2011-04-11T12:12:00.013-04:00

Forgive Yourself

You have never done anything wrong. Now you can forgive yourself for ever beliving that you did. Oh by the way, everyone else you have ever encountered is as innocent of wronging as you.

Trust Yourself Because you are unique and divine expression of God (known by whatever name you are comfortable with) you are worthy and can be trusted, because you really know what to do.

Support Yourself You deserve a kind word, a good thought, a loving gesture every now and then, so give them to yourself.

Honor Yourself Stop criticizing, judging, and second guessing what you feel and who you are!

Fortify Yourself Get lots of rest. Eat good healthy foods! Spend some quiet time alone with you. And don't forget to have some fun!

Commit Yourself Take some part of each day and use it to take one step toward accomplishing a daily, weekly, or monthly goal! Love Yourself You are the one that the world is waiting for! You are so precious to life, you must make it a high priority to let you know you are loved and needed.

If you like what you are learning, please send your comments to lbiass34@yahoo.com

BOBBEE BEE: THE NEW BLACK FACE OF IMPERIALISM

2011-04-04T15:28:00.034-04:00

By Eric D.Graham

According to former CIA official John Stockwell, History is the history of war---of leaders of countries finding reasons and rationals to send the young people off to fight. Not surprisingly, history has repeated itself once again. But this time, the United States government has successfully put a Black face on Western Imperialism as they continue their quest for world domination. During the Bush Administration, this was accomplished by utilizing the military credibility of Secretary of Defense Colin Powell and the brilliance of National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice to justify their illegal invasion in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Liberation. Now with the "selection" of President Obama along with the UN Ambassador Susan Rice, the United States is preparing to go to war with Libya at the cost of $300 million a week along with NATO forces in order to oust Col. Muhammar Gaddafi.

The case against Gaddafi, unlike, Saddam Hussein, does not involve Weapons of Mass Destruction but it does involve deception. Historian and author Howard Zinn confirms this when he says, "The modern liberal state....often uses deception to gain its ends---not so much deception of the foreign enemy, but of its own citizens, who have been taught to trust their leaders." Gerald A. Perreira, who served in the Green March, an international battalion for the defense of the Libyan revolution, claims that "in 1996, British intelligence employed the services of an al Qaeda cell inside Libya, paying them a huge fee to assassinate Muammar Qaddafi. A grenade was lobbed at Qaddafi as he walked among a crowd in his hometown, Sirte. He was saved by one of his bodyguards, who threw herself on the grenade."

With all of these acts of espionage, potential backdoor bribes, daily death threats, golden handshakes and silver bullets, President Obama finds himself handcuffed to America's foreign policy and lust for oil. As a result, now, he, like actor Samuel L.Jackson, must decide whether or not he is capable of doing the "Unthinkable." This difficult decision will probably turn the hairs on Obama's head from black to gray, his smooth brown-skin to a wrinkled raisin with worry, and his peaceful dreams into restless nights. "I do alot of praying. Absolutely, every night before I go to bed. I am praying I am making the best possible decisions..." President Obama told Diane Sawyer on ABC Nightly News. Unfortunately, all of the idealism that got Obama elected has been thrown out the window as the reality of Washington's wicked warmongers knock at the front door of the White House with their guns drawn and their fingers already on the trigger. In effect, Obama is now dropping bombs in Libya like Ronald Wilson Reagan did 1986, when he bombed the Bab al-Azizia compound in Tripoli, killing Qaddafi's daughter and over one hundred Libyans.

Obama, in fact, is starting to sound and act a lot like George W. Bush as skillful speech writers cleverly craft his words to meet the United States' agenda. Deep down, however, I know his heart has been blackened not by cigarette smoke but by the wicked words of war scrolling down his teleprompter as he tries to justify America's military intervention in Africa.

According to Rep.Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, President Obama has no constitutional authority to wage war against Libya and has ignored Article 1 section 8, the War Powers Act as well as the UN mandate. Let's not forget, Obama did promise us change. But unfortunately, I think Washington has changed him, changed his outlook on politics, and changed his view of the world. ...

According to John Perkins, an ex-Economic Hitman and author of the Hoodwinked, many times political leaders change their campaign promises due to pressure coming from hidden forces within the government. "Somebody that looks like me walks in their office, and he says look Mister President, I am here to congratulate you on being President....he then says in this pocket I have a couple 100 million dollars for you and your family if you play the game our way, and in this pocket I have a gun to shoot you with if you decide to pursue your campaign promises. The decision is yours...” Perkins explained. "But I want to remind you, remember Salvador Allende , Omar Torrijos, Patrice Lumumba,......remember, remember...And these Presidents all know what happened to those people when they went up against the corporate Corporarcy." Perkins said.

"They either died or get taking out of office."

Even though Perkins used this deadly tactic against foreign leaders overseas, many people believe this same strategy has been used here in the America, and currently still is being used today. Yes. We are living in troubling times and the "Military Industrial Complex" is in full effect. And according to former CIA official and author John Stockwell "Enemies are necessary for the wheels of the U.S. military machine to turn."

Currently, we are seeing the wheels of this well-oiled machine turning in Libya as the United States have made Muhammar Gaddafi the new-enemy of the western world. Yes. The United States of America needs a boogey man larking in the darkness of the sub-conscious minds of its citizens to be successful. And to be truthful, if there wasn't a boogey man, they would create one or manufacture one....in the form of Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad...”

This psychological military tactic of creating an enemy is used because a War on Terror can't be accomplished. It's too broad a concept to be destroyed. It's like the War on Drugs or the War on Poverty. As a result, the United States has to put a face on the problem in order to make it tangible or real.

Therefore, once the government puts a face on the problem, the problem, systematically, can be solved by capturing or assassinating the bad guy. In essence, the American people then will believe the issue at hand disappears or is eliminated.

It's a Machiavelli foreign policy practice but as former US Senator Hiram Johnson said "The first casualty of war is truth. And to be truthful, the Government lies.

Therefore, Manuel Noriega became the face of drugs in the late 80's, Fidel Castro the face of Communism, Saddam Hussein because the face of a "mushroom cloud" over America, Bin Laden became the face of Terrorism after 9/11, Ahmadinejad became the face of "Israel's destruction.." and now Mohammar Gaddafi has become the new face of "evil."

Despite all of these USA military mug shots implanted in the brains of the masses and broadcasted over the airwaves, the people must remember that all U.S. military intervention overseas and abroad is always done in order to maintain the global status quo whether this is justified in terms of fighting drugs, fighting terrorism, containing “rogue states,” opposing “Islamic fundamentalism,” or containing China.”

In other words, the ends justify the means, regardless of what political officials suggest. Therefore, the US latest military missions are not about the protection of Libyan civilians, the liberation of women in Afghanistan, the potential rise of an evil dictator, or its loyalty to Israel. It is all about oil.

Now, let's see if I am lying or if they are telling the truth. "I wouldn't place too much emphasis on (oil) with the US's role there (in Libya) but I do think that it is a consideration for the French and others in Europe" said Jeremy Scahill, investigative journalist and author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army. "Because most of the oil produced by Libya exported goes to European markets, so, certainly, we should question whether that's a motive for France."

BOBBEE BEE:SEVEN WAYS TO TAP INTO YOUR HIGHER SELF

2011-03-28T15:17:00.021-04:00

1.The Practice of Paying Attention Spend 20 minutes observing a patch of Earth outdoors. Observe what lives there. Think or how it came to be and what it takes for it to survive.

2.The Practice of Encountering Others "The harddest spiritual work in the world is to love your neighbor as your self-to encounter them not as someone you can use, change, fix, help or save, but as someone who can spring you from the prison of yourself if you will allow it...to entertain the possibility that this is one of the faces of God.

3.The Practice of Living with Purpose Show your gratitude for being alive through contributing to some common good, whether it is via a vocation you love or volunteer work. "Give your stuff away. Share your food. Be the first to say "I am sorry."

4.The Practice of Saying No Say no for one

whole day; to more work, to shopping, to the Internet. Use the time you gain to pay attention.

5.The Practice of Doing Without Go without power for a day. Light candles. Dry laundry on a clothesline. Sleep by the fire. Feel your heart swell with gratitude when the sun comes up.

6.The Practice of Creativity Create something. Paint, write, cook, dance or plant a garden. "Find the creativity, and you will find yourself experiencing the mystical presence of the transcendent, in the most simple and available way.

7.The Practice of Dreaming Write down dreams and pay attention to recurring symbols. Honor them as a divine opportunity. Ideas come from authors Barbara Brown Taylor and J.Pittman McGee

BOBBEE BEE: TEACH THEM WELL

2011-03-07T15:25:00.013-05:00

If a child lives with CRITICISM, he will learn to CONDEMN If a child lives with FEAR, he learns to HATE.

If a child lives with PITY, he learns to feel SORRY for himself.

If a child lives with PRAISE, he learns to be APPRECIATIVE.

If a child lives with ACCEPTANCE, he learns to LOVE If a child lives with HONESTY; he learns TRUTH

If a child lives with SINCERITY; he learns to have FAITH If a child lives with LOVE; he learns that the world is a wonderful place in which to live. Children are fast learners. Let's be PATIENT AND TEACH THEM WELL.

If you like what you are learning please contact me at lbiass34@yahoo.com

BOBBEE BEE: REVOLUTIONARY MINDSET (contains strong language may not be suitable for children)

2011-03-04T15:07:00.024-05:00

By Eric D.Graham

According to Gandhi, "First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win. This phrase is prophetic as we see revolution spread throughout Africa and the "so-called Arab world."

And we know that, Revolution is contagious.

And it "spreads like a virus"; according to former presidential candidate Senator John McCain until it consumes the whole entire world. Why? Because Revolution burns inside the souls of the oppressed until it explodes. It is constantly discussed by the despised and the rejected and debated in dark allies by the out casted and the unemployed. It is even pondered and prayed for by the poor, plotted and planned by political activists, philosophized by professors in classrooms, and prophesied by preachers in religious circles until the right moment in time when the people collectively decide to change their reality and their lives. During this campaign for change, the revolutionary slogan is a simple one regardless of religion, color, or creed.

It is the "The People United Will Never Be Defeated."

This slogan sparked the revolution in Tunisia, who casted out its president, Zine al-Abedine Ben Ali, who fled to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The overthrowing of the unpopular Tunisian government, in effect, set off a chain of protests in the streets of Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, Algeria, Iran, Bahrain, Sudan, and Gabon and even in Madison, Wisconsin.
For those involved in these acts of revolution, however must not let their revolutions be high jacked by the United States government or Israel.

Why? Because democracy, itself, is a frightening concept especially for America, whose so-called founding fathers while writing its Constitution, were oppressing and enslaving Blacks and later denying them along with women, the right to vote.

Matter of fact, George Washington along with Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Martin van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James Polk, Zachary Taylor, James Buchanan, Andrew Jackson, and Ulysses S.Grant all owned slaves at one point in their lives while claiming "freedom, liberty and justice for all."

As a result, America's political system is and has been hypocritical and corrupt from conception, which leads one to question America's arrogant involvement with establishing democracy in other parts of the world.

Let's not forget that... Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Therefore, as quick as one evil dictator disappears, the United States of America, with the help of the CIA, will create another political puppet to replace them.

Former CIA official and author John Stockwell, supports this theory when he said..."it is the function of the CIA to keep the world unstable...(and) the CIA has been running thousands of operations over the years...there have been about 3,000 major covert operations and over 10,000 minor operations...all designed to disrupt, destabilize, or modify the activities of other countries...But they are all illegal and they all disrupt the normal functioning, often the democratic functioning, of other societies.."

But why would the United States want to cause disruption in other countries and influence the political process?

According to author Richard Barnet, "the United States supports right-wing dictatorships in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East ....because these are the rulers who have tied their personal political destiny to the fortunes of the American corporations in their countries.... Therefore, the United States has a strong economic interest in keeping such men from coming to power or arranging for their removal if they do." (Whether it’s Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, the Shah in Iran, or the Saudi Family in Saudi Arabia.)
Barnet goes on to say that "America, like Great Britain before her, is now the great defender of the Status Quo. She has committed herself against revolution and radical change in the underdeveloped world because independent government would destroy the world economic and political system, which assures the United States its disproportionate share of economic and political power.....America's preeminent wealth depends upon keeping things in the underdeveloped world much as they are, allowing change and modernization to proceed only in a controlled, orderly and nonthreatening way."

If Barnett statement is true, America will only support those so-called revolutions which they feel will benefit them financially and condemn those that threaten them politically.

"America is today the leader of a world-wide anti-revolutionary movement in the defense of vested interests." said British historian Arnold Toynbee.

"She now stands for what Rome stood for. Rome consistently supported the rich against the poor in all foreign communities that fell under her sway; and, since the poor, so far, have always and everywhere been far more numerous than the rich, Rome's policy made for inequality, for injustice, and for the least happiness of the greatest."

As a result, the people of Yemen, Libya, and Egypt, must protect themselves from media progranda.

Because as author William Blum of Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Interventions since World War II brilliantly stated, "Propaganda is to democracy what violence is to dictatorship.

Therefore, the corporate-controlled media will view their uprisings in the "so-called Middle East" and Africa through the lens of American self-interest and through the prism of Israel and will see the protesters rallying in the streets as terrorists, jihadists, extremists and radicals.

Yes, perception is reality.

It’s just like the Doublespeak spoken of in George Orwell's book 1984, which famously reads War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery and Ignorance is Strength.

And to the unlearned masses filled with blind flurry and American patriotism, who sit in front of their idiot boxes or televisions, watching misleading edited video footage, and 15 minute sound bites, along with paranoid political pundits on Fox News, could be manipulated into hating the people instead of the government in which they are trying to overthrow.

This could be easily accomplished by demonizing the demonstrators, exaggerating the political protest as a potential threat to national security, faking a diplomatic effort through speeches, humanitarian aid, handshakes, and by establishing a pretext for war.

For instance, in Libya, currently, the United States has reopened the old case against Mohmmar Gadfahi and Pan Am Flight 103, in which 270 people were killed when an airplane exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton even said that the current Obama administration is considering prosecuting Gaddafi for the Pan Am bombing. But isn't it ironic, however, during the uprisings in the "so-called Arab World" and in Africa that former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is promoting his new book "Known and Unknown: A Memoir" and former President George W.Bush is petalling his new book entitled Decision Points while being accused of violating U.S. and international law when he authorized torture, including the water boarding of detainees during his administration.

If you like what you are learning please contact us at lbiass34@yahoo.com

BOBBEE BEE: SAGGIN AIN'T COOL

2011-02-25T14:24:00.017-05:00

by Judge Greg Mathis

We've all seen young Black men wearing white T-shirts and jeans sagging so low that their underwear was on display for all too see. And we've all shaken our heads and wondered what they were thinking, coming outside dressed like that.

The sad truth is that they probably weren't thinking. They are simply emulating popular fashion, not knowing the trend's origin or understanding the potential social and personal consequences of blindly following the masses.

The saggin' pants trend started in prison. Inmates, not allowed to have belts, wear their pants slung low. Once home, they continued the practice. Young boys in their neighborhoods took the look as their own. The trend grew and is immensely popular in both urban and suburban areas; many White teens now wear their pants dropping below their butts.

Emulating prisoners, or any other group, without understanding what you're doing is dangerous. For young Black men, the trend is especially self-destructive. Copying prisoners can contribute to a prisoner's mentality. Already our young men refer to a prison stint as a state-paid "vacation" or time away at "school." Prison is not luxurious and education received there will not serve the inmate well once he returns home. Prison has become, for many, an unfortunate rite of passage. Instead of fighting against the odds, too many of our boys are embracing the street mentality. They must understand that prison is nothing more than modern-day slavery. Inmates in some U.S. prisons produce products sold on the open market. They receive just $1 a day while the large corporations that run the prison makes millions.

For many of our youth, glorifying the ghetto life and gangsta culture is the modus operandi for "keeping it real." The reality is that there is no glory in living in poverty, going to prison. being killed young or contracting a sexually transmitted disease, all frequent consequences of the thug culture. The current generation of young Blacks is one of the most talented we've ever seen. We repeatedly have proven that we can rise above obstacles. Unfortunately, too many of our youth

are still trapped in a mind-set that ultimately puts them at competitive disadvantage against those who are more privileged. While privileged youth may listen to gangsta rap and mimic some of its culture, at the end of the day, they return to superior schools, economically stable households and most of them attend college. Poor youth don't have the option of taking a detour into self-destruction. When they decide to change directions and recapture their potential for success the privileged youth has captured the opportunity.

One proposed solution is to outlaw saggin' pants, as did the town in Georgia. A better approach might be to embrace, educate and challenge our youth on why they should avoid fads and fashions that would be disrespectful to themselves and their community. We should inform them that saggin' , when spelled backwards, describes the type of the person they don't want to be.

We must be consistent, however; we cannot criticize our boys for wearing their pants low when our girls-and some grown women-are wearing low-rise jeans cut so low that the top of their thongs peek out. That particular style has its roots in prostitution, and the pole-dancing exercise rage comes from strippers. As a community, we must be consistent in what, who and how we criticize and encourage our young peopleIf you like what you are learning please contact E.Graham at mailto:lbiass34@yahoo.com

Bobbee Bee: Freedom and Mental Health

2011-01-26T14:03:00.036-05:00

By Marc Lamont Hill

Mental health or lack thereof is at the root of a lot of society's ails.
Last week, while celebrating his first NBA championship, Ron Artest made a different kind of history within the Black community. During his post-game interview, the mercurial Los Angeles Lakers star gave a public shout-out to his psychiatrist, whom he credited for helping him successfully navigate the pressures of playing on one of the biggest stages in professional sports. In doing so, as Mychal Denzel Smith brilliantly points out in his recent essay, Artest may have created new space within the public sphere for discussing Black mental health without fear and shame.

The need for reshaping and reinvigorating the public conversation on Black mental health could not come a moment sooner. Despite comprising only 12 percent of the United States population, Black people represent more than 25 percent of the nation’s mental health needs. Over the past 30 years, Black male suicide rates have climbed by more than 200 percent. The depression rate among Black women is 50 percent higher than their white counterparts. Rates of somatization — the emergence of physical illness related to mental health — occur at a rate of 15 percent among both Blacks and women, as opposed to 9 percent among Whites.

The rising mental health needs among Black people are further compounded by the continued lack of mental health service utilization within the community. While only one-third of all Americans receive care for mental illness, Blacks remain statistically less likely to access proper mental health services than other racial groups.

These numbers suggest that the Black community is in the midst of a full-fledged mental health crisis.
Social misery

Although it is necessary to shake the cultural stigmas that enable the current crisis— the view that mental health maintenance is anti-Black, anti-masculine, and anti-Christian— such work must be accompanied by an equally engaged effort to address the structural issues that compromise Black mental health. We must begin to spotlight the connection between mental health and other social problems plaguing the Black community. We must understand the

collective power of social, cultural and institutional forces in producing, intensifying, and concealing the unique mental health issues confronted by Blacks in the United States.

While all racial and ethnic groups suffer from mental health issues, Blacks are a particularly high-risk population due to their overrepresentation in contexts of social misery. Currently, Blacks account for 40 percent of the country’s homeless population and nearly 50 percent of the prison population. Black children represent nearly 50 percent of all foster care and adoption cases. Additionally, almost 25 percent of Black youth are exposed to enough violence to meet the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder. These conditions not only play a direct role in producing and exacerbating mental illnesses, they also create new levels of social marginalization and isolation that further distance vulnerable populations from the services that they need.
Poverty's affect on mental health

Black mental health is further compromised by economic inequality. While 16 percent of the nation is uninsured, nearly 1 in 4 Blacks live without health insurance, thereby making it difficult to access appropriate mental health services. Blacks with health insurance still have average employer based coverage rates of only 50 percent, compared to 70 percent for their White counterparts. These conditions, combined with the disproportionate absence of living wages within the Black community, make mental health services financially nonviable for many Blacks.

While economically disadvantaged Blacks have access to government-run mental health resources, individuals often have to navigate an extremely bureaucratic and fragmented maze of mental health services. Those who ultimately receive services often do not obtain them through

the actual health care system, but through agencies like public schools, welfare offices, and the court system— none of which have the appropriate resources. As a result, many poor Blacks receive uncoordinated, inconsistent, and ineffective levels of care that ultimately discourage them from utilizing the system.

Many of those in prison suffer from mental illness

In addition to poverty, the impact of the prison industrial complex on the current Black mental health crisis cannot be overstated. Beginning with President Reagan’s aggressive efforts to close mental hospitals and cut off federal aid to community mental health programs in the 1980s, the United States has witnessed a dramatic increase in its homeless population. Concurrent with this neo-liberal assault on the welfare state, neo-conservative lawmakers successfully aimed to criminalize ostensibly anti-social behaviors like panhandling, public drinking,
and public urination, all of which are routinely linked to mental illness.

As with nearly all criminal justice matters in the United States, arrests, convictions, and sentencing for these offenses are disproportionately assigned to poor Blacks and Latinos.) As a result, many individuals who would have previously been under medical supervision for their mental illnesses (including drug addiction) are now chattel within the for-profit prison industry.

The Department of Justice reports that nearly 16 percent of all prisoners are mentally ill. Also, many states, such as New York, have literally transformed mental health facilities into prisons, as well as devoted billions of dollars to the construction of criminal psychiatric wings within existing prisons. In addition to being fundamentally immoral, the incarceration of the mentally ill is largely ineffective, as federal and state prisons routinely fail to even identify, much less support or treat its mentally ill patients. As a result, many prisoners fail to comply with prison rules and norms, thereby subjecting them to further punishment, social isolation, and abuse from both authorities and other prisoners. Many ultimately finish their prison sentences and re-enter the world with intensified illnesses due to prison trauma, making them a greater danger to society and themselves.

Historical context

Further complicating the Black mental health crisis is the deep and troubling relationship between Blacks, mental health institutions, and the State. Since slavery, the American scientific establishment has functioned as an ideological apparatus of White supremacy by advancing and normalizing claims of Black moral, physical, and intellectual inferiority. As a result, the last four centuries have witnessed the production of deeply racist beliefs and practices that justify the abuse, exploitation, and institutionalization of “flawed” and “diseased” Black bodies.
Early American studies of mental illness, which have since been soundly dismissed by the scientific community for their methodological biases, suggested Blacks were more biologically inclined toward severe mental illness than Whites. Pseudoscientific terms like drapetomania were developed to classify runaway slaves as mentally insane for “abandoning service.” Scientific reports even falsified 1840 Census data on lunacy rates in the North to suggest that freedom was literally driving Blacks crazy. In the 1960s, terms like “protest psychosis” were developed by psychologists to categorize civil rights activists as insane.

By using mental illness to justify the denial of full humanity, freedom, and citizenship to Blacks, as well as ascribe mental pathology to those who operate against the interests of the White supremacist capitalist State, the American medical establishment has engendered a healthy and persistent distrust among Black communities.

The relationship between Blacks and mental health institutions is further undermined by contemporary acts of intended and unintended structural racism. In 2010, Blacks continue to be misdiagnosed with schizophrenia— a condition that has become increasingly imbued with violent and dehumanizing connotations since it became a “Black disease” in the middle of the 20th century— more than other affective disorders. In response, Blacks receive anti-depressant medication at a rate of 27 percent as opposed to 44 percent of Whites. When receiving the same medication, Blacks are statistically more likely to receive versions with more dangerous side effects. In addition, American mental health workers (only 4 percent of whom are Black) regularly ignore the role of racism, white supremacy, and the structural effects of poverty on the mental health of Black people.
Over the past four centuries, Blacks have fought to end economic exploitation and access to quality schools, jobs, and housing. As we continue to advance our struggle for full citizenship, we must also recognize the relationship between freedom and mental health. By examining the ways that mental health has been weaponized against Black communities by the State, we are able to develop a more informed and insightful analysis of social injustice. By understanding the social barriers to quality mental health, we are better equipped to effectively fight for justice and equality. Most importantly, by reimagining mental health as both a human necessity and a right of citizenship, we can begin our journey toward building the type society, communities, and individuals that we desperately need.

Marc Lamont Hill is Associate Professor of Education at Columbia University.

BOBBEE BEE: LOVE MORE; FIGHT LESS

2010-12-16T13:52:00.017-05:00

by Creflo Dollar

Many couples begin their marriages eager to live the fairy tale they've read about, watched on the big screen, or listened to while dancing to their favorite love songs. Movies, books, and songs can paint a picture of martial bliss that has very little to do with REALITY.

In REALITY, when a couple says "I do" and attempts to live out their fairy tale of a happily-ever-after marriage,it isn't long before REALITY sets in, and they realize life is not a fairy tale. It takes a tremendous amount of work and effort, by both parties, to achieve martial bliss.

In the midst of counseling sessions, I have discovered that many married couples have never received instruction in conflict resolution strategies, they resort to settling their differences by fighting. Here are four fighting styles to avoid with dealing with conflicts or problems.

FOUR IMPROPER FIGHTING STYLES
The Eskimo Style

In this case, one or both spouses freeze up after an argument and ignore the situation altogether, hoping time will take care of it. They withdraw emotionally and nurse their wounds. This is more commonly known as the silent treatment. As a result, one or both parties become bitter because a mutual resolution is not reached.
The Cowboy Style
This is the "shoot 'em up an' leave 'em for dead!" style. In the heat of passion, couples tend to say things they do not mean, words can hurt, causing a lot of damage to a marriage and severely limiting any chances of reconciling differences.

The Houdini Style
When conflict arise, one or both parties become escape artists. He or she does not like conflict and will avoid it as much as possible. Rather than face an issue head-on, this individual will just leave. Often this spouse will turn to destructive behaviors such as drinking, excessive shopping, sitting in front of the television for hours, or overeating. He or she will do whatever it takes to avoid dealing with the situation.
The World Boxing Association Style
Here we have one or both parties handling conflicts with their fists. He or she may begin to deal with an issue rationally, but anger often takes over, and the individual becomes physicallly abusive. This spouse may be an abuser who is in need of counseling. No matter what situation you may face as a couple, realize that fighting is not the best wayy to resolve conflict. Pray about it and seek God's wisdom in every circumstance.

From Winning in Troubled Times: God's Solutions For Victory Over Life's Toughest Challenges by Dr.Creflo Dollar

BOBBEE BEE: We Some Cool People

2010-10-14T15:43:00.020-04:00

NORTH CAROLINA (BASN) --As a collective whole, Black people are the coolest people on the planet.

Our coolness, in fact has shaped and transformed the whole entire world in every endeavor whether it’s in the field of politics, education, religion, sports or entertainment.
The essence of this coolness however seems to be embodied mostly in the Black athlete. Whether it's the NBA's projected No. 1 overall pick John Wall, boxer Floyd Mayweather, former NFL superstar Eddie George, WNBA star Candace Parker, sports reporter Stephen A. Smith, boxer Laila Ali, Pittsburgh Steelers' head coach Mike Tomlin, or track star Usain Bolt.

The coolness is all the same.The term cool, however has been replaced by the word swag or swagger by this new generation of young people. I guess, the word cool wasn't cool enough. But when you see it, you want to be it.

Because I remember when I was five-years old and my kindergarten teacher asked me, "What do you want to be when you grow-up?

My answer was short and to the point.I want to be cool........

I mean Billy Dee Williams cool....Nat King Cole cool...Denzel Washington cool.....Harry Belafonte' cool ....Puff Daddy cool....Jay-Z cool....LL Cool J.... cool.....

Now, that's cool. But what did it mean to be cool? I had to know the answer.
And the only person, who knew all the answers, was my Grandma.

So, I asked her..."Nanny, what does being cool mean?

With her big, purple church-hat tilted coolly to the side like Dr. Dorothy Height, my Grandma coolly said, "Coolness ain't nothin' but God, baby.

Because you can see that coolness...In the way we walk. The way we talk. The way we sing. The way we rap. The way we dance. The way we dress. The way we play. The way we pray. The way we preach. The way we teach. The way we work. The way we worship. The way we laugh. The way we cry. The way we love..... In the way we make love and the way we show love.

Man, we are some cool people.

But some people try to restrain our coolness. Hate our coolness. Envy our coolness. Handcuff our coolness. Lock up our coolness. Abuse our coolness. Kill our coolness. But, they can never obtain our coolness.

See, they sit in big boardrooms.

And study our coolness. Try to interpret our coolness. Copy our coolness. Manufacture our coolness. Steal our coolness. Sell our coolness. But they can never destroy our coolness.
Because coolness is in our hair, in our skin, in our eyes, in our thighs, in our hips, in our lips, in our kiss, in our hug, in our heart, and in our soul.

Coolness, in fact, is a scientific substance that flows through our veins. It is encoded in our DNA.

Man...........we are some cool "ass" people. Because, everything we do is cool.

Tiger Woods made golf cool. Serena and Venus made tennis cool. Muhammad Ali made boxing cool. Cheryl Miller made female basketball cool. Shani Davis made speed skating cool. Flo Joe made running cool. Earl the "Pearl" made going to a Black College cool.

Big House Gaines made Winston-Salem State cool. Dr.J made the Slam Dunk cool. Kareem Abdul Jabber made the sky-hook cool. Magic made the Lakers cool. Allen Iverson made the NBA cool. Skip to My Lou made street ball cool and Michael Jordan is just plain cool.

Man, don't you know, we are just cool as hell!!

Because, Jackie Robinson made Major League Baseball cool. Buck O' Neil made the Negro League cool. Chris Webber and Jalen Rose made wearing long basketball shorts cool.

John Thompson made coaching college basketball cool. Coach Tony Dungy made winning cool. Jim Brown made football cool. Walter Payton made jumping over the crowd cool and Deion Sanders made the NFL cool.

Man, we are cooler too than cold...

Because Martin Luther King Jr. made protesting cool. Jesse Jackson made preaching cool. The Black Panthers made being too Black too Cool. Elijah Muhammad made righteousness cool. Malcolm X made learning cool. Farrakhan made being a Black man cool and Dr.Khalid was cooler than cool.
And President Obama even made being the President of the United States cool.

Why? Because......We are some cool people.

But being cool, Ain't nothin' but God baby.

BOBBEE BEE CHOOSE LIFE!!!!

2010-10-14T15:07:00.025-04:00

Not long ago, suicide and African Americans were almost never mentioned in the same breath. Despite confronting challenges from slavery to Jim Crow to structural racism, blacks rarely took their own lives. It was a positive health disparity. Until now.

There is alarming evidence that the suicide rate for young African-American men is escalating, and just as much evidence of how ill-equipped America's health-care system is to handle it.

From 1980 to 1995, the suicide rate for black adolescents rose from 5.6 per 100,000 of the population to 13 per 100,000, according to recent research by Clare Xanthos, a health services research specialist. For young black men, these changes represent a doubling of the suicide rate, making it the third leading cause of death among that demographic.

If the trend continues, it could ripple through black communities, increasing the number of children who grow up fatherless, further burdening African-American women who will have

fewer partners to help them raise families. Clearly, it is a complex problem that is directly related to the life experiences of young African-American men. While the suicide rate for young black men has risen, the suicide rate for black women remains among the lowest of any demographic. So why are young black men killing themselves? Young black males live in some of the most-difficult circumstances in our society; the data show that black men go to jail, drop out of school and are victims of crime at rates far higher than their white counterparts. Moreover, young black males are more likely to live in more challenging family environments. Sixty-eight percent of all black households are single-parent households—pointing to an absence of male role models for young boys.

The combination of family stress, violence in their communities and the discrimination they face is taking a toll. Some mental health specialists argue that the rates may even be higher. Dr. Alvin Poussaint, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, says that "death-by-cop" incidents should be counted as suicides. He believes that some despondent young men intentionally break the law so someone else will kill them.

"How many young men who put themselves in situations where it's very likely that they're going to get shot to death are actually committing suicide?" Poussaint asked in a recent interview on National Public Radio. "There is such a thing as what we call victim-precipitated homicide, which is suicide. The most classic example would be suicide by cop."

This rising suicide tide can impact black middle-class teenagers in white suburbs, as well as those in inner-city neighborhoods. In fact, Xanthos argues that black youths living in white communities often face the trauma of not relating to their white neighbors and also feeling estranged from blacks from poorer, urban settings. Certainly, the suicide of James Dungy, the 18-year-old son of Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, underscored that suicide can strike the rich and poor.
What's clear is that black communities, health-care professionals and public-health officials must mobilize to meet the challenges presented by this problem.
The stigma on mental illness in the black communities is so great that obvious signs are frequently ignored, even by close family members and friends. The first step must come from parents and friends recognizing the behavior patterns that indicate a problem, and then working to get help. And public-health programs, such as Medicaid, must make it easier for young black men to get the counseling and treatment they need.
Even at that point, other problems develop including the lack of black therapists, counselors and psychiatrists to help these patients. Just 4 percent of the nation's psychiatrists, 3 percent of the psychologists and 7 percent of social workers, are black.

The problems weighing on many black youths are created by racism along with the other tensions that they face in everyday life. In these instances, an African-American counselor or physician may be more likely to reach a solution. Xanthos also issues a call for "bicultural'' training for young black males, teaching survival skills to black men about how to live in a white society. Such training would better prepare black youths for integration into schools and workplaces that are predominantly white, while also preparing them to confront and overcome the discrimination they are likely to face in American society.

Henrie M. Treadwell, Ph.D. is associate director of development at the National Center for Primary Care of Morehouse School of Medicine. He is also director of Community Voices, a non-profit working to improve health services and health-care access, for all Americans.

First of all...

If the person is actively suicidal, get help immediately. Call your local crisis service or the police, or take the person to the emergency room of your local hospital. Do not leave the person alone.

If the person has attempted suicide and needs medical attention, call 9-1-1 or your local emergency services number.

The following are suggestions for helping someone who is suicidal:

Ask the person - "Are you thinking of suicide?" Ask them if they have a plan and if they have the means. Asking someone if they are suicidal will not make them suicidal. Most likely they will be relieved that you have asked. Experts believe that most people are ambivalent about their wish to die.

Listen actively to what the person is saying to you. Remain calm and do not judge what you are being told. Do not advise the person not to feel the way they are.
Reassure the person that there is help for their problems and reassure them that they are not "bad" or "stupid" because they are thinking about suicide.
Help the person break down their problem(s) into more manageable pieces. It is easier to deal with one problem at a time. Emphasize that there are ways other than suicide to solve problems. Help the person to explore these options, for example, ask them what else they could do to change their situation.

Offer to investigate counselling services.

Do not agree to keep the person's suicidal thoughts or plans a secret. Helping someone who is suicidal can be very stressful. Get help - ask family members and friends for their assistance and to share the responsibility.

Suggest that the person see a doctor for a complete physical. Although there are many things that family and friends can do to help, there may be underlying medical problems that require professional intervention. Your doctor can also refer patients to a psychiatrist, if necessary. Try to get the person to see a trained counselor. Do not be surprised if the person refuses to go to a counselor - but be persistent. There are many types of caregivers for the suicidal. If the person will not go to a psychologist, or a psychiatrist, suggest, for example, they talk to a clergyperson, a guidance counselor or a teacher.