ஹைதராபாத்: ராமலிங்க ராஜூ ரூ.7800 கோடி மோசடி செய்ததாக கடந்த ஏப்ரல் மாதம் தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்ட முதல் குற்றப்பத்திரிகையில் கூறப்பட்டிருந்தது.
ஆனால் இப்போது மோசடியின் மதிப்பு கிட்டத்தட்ட இரு மடங்காகிவிட்டது. Read More..

பம்பா: சபரிமலை அய்யப்பன் கோவிலில் கடந்த 10 நாட்களில் மட்டும் ரூ 10 கோடி காணிக்கு குவிந்துள்ளது. இந்த கோயிலின் நடை கடந்த 16 ந் தேதி மண்டல பூஜை விழாவுக்காக திறக்கபட்டது. அன்று முதல் இன்றுவரை சபரிமலை நோக்கி விரதம் இருந்து இருமுடி சுமந்து வரும் பக்தர்களின் கூட்டம் அலைமோதுகிறது. Read More..

புதுடெல்லி: பாபர் மசூதி இடிக்கப்பட்டதற்கு அப்போதைய உத்தரப் பிரதேச பாஜக முதல்வராக இருந்த கல்யாண் சிங், ஆர்எஸ்எஸ் முன்னாள் தலைவர் சுதர்ஷன், உமா பாரதி போன்றவர்கள் தான் முக்கியமான காரணம் என்று லிபரான் கமிஷன் குற்றம் சுமத்தியுள்ளது. Read More..

Early last week, Transportation For America and the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership released a study of the most dangerous streets in the country for pedestrians among areas of at least a million residents. Dallas ranked 13th, which fortunately beat out Houston’s 8th place ranking. Of the top 10 cities, all were located in the deep South. Florida took the bulk of the list by landing all of the top four spots with Orlando ranking most deadly.

According to Anne Canby, executive director of the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership, “Many of these communities were designed after WWII with the automobile in mind…You just don’t have walkable communities.”

The paper states “these deaths typically are labeled “accidents,” and attributed to error on the part of motorist or pedestrian. In fact, however, an overwhelming proportion share a similar factor: They occurred along roadways that were dangerous by design, streets that were engineered for speeding cars and made little or no provision for people on foot, in wheelchairs or on a bicycles.”

Dallas roads are a perfect example of infrastructure that was far overbuilt, and heavily skewed toward moving vehicles as quickly as possible. The number of six lane arterials with speed limits of 40 mph bisecting major residential communities is excessive when given our density. Cities that have double are population make due with roads half the size, and have the byproduct of being more livable, sustainable, and walkable.

    Today, the families of 9/11 victims gathered together to make an emotional appeal for support from fellow Americans.

Led by Debra Burlingame, the sister of Charles Burlingame, the pilot of the hijacked plane that was intentionally flown into The Pentagon, the  “9/11 Never Forget Coalition”  urged all to join them on December 5th at Foley Square in New York at 12 noon for a protest against Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to allow the 5 enemy combatants who admitted to their having a role roll in the events of 9/11, to have a civilian trial.

Along with first responders and elected officials Burlingame made a passionate appeal for all of us to join together and and make it clear that the five madmen who willingly and proudly took part in a conspiracy that killed nearly 3,000 Americans, must be tried in a military tribunal.

Perhaps some of you do not understand how wrong minded the decision for a civilain trial was.   Perhaps the phrase “civilian trial” needs to be explained inorder to fully comprehend the true meaning of what the Obama Administration did here.

Civilian trials are a place where American civilians are allowed to exercise their rights. 

By deciding to have a civilian trial for the 5 enemey terrorists who were caught on the field of battle during combat and confessed their guilt , President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder are essentailly giving the radical Isalmic jihadists more rights than they are allowed or should be allowed.  These 5 mass murderers are not Americans, do not have the rights of Americans, and should not be accorded such rights. 

Ladies and gentlemen have you forgotten that WE ARE AT WAR WITH TERRORISM!

It is not some bumper sticker slogan or an opportunity for liberals to mock the defense of America.  It is real and it is happening right now.

As such, this nation decided, officially, that we are to try those involved in terrorism as war criminals.  By not doing so and by giving the 9/11 Five a civilain trial in place of a military tribunal, we are actually giving the enemy more rights.   Is that what this Administration stands for?  Do they really want to grant the enemy more rights to and in our democracy?  Is this how President Obama intends on conducting this war?

There is absolutely NO REASON why these 5 soldiers of Allah who initially confessed their complictiy in 9/11 and were captured as enemy combatants , should be given rights that are not theirs and granted a forun in n American civilian court of justice.  There are reasons why war criminals are tried in military tribunals.  There are reasons why cases involving the military are tried by the military and those same reasons must be applied here.

 Currently there are 6 navy seals who are facing charges involving a terrorist whom they captured and took in to custody.  The prisoner was brought in with a fat lip.  For this, these 6 seals who eliminated the threat of another terrorist on the field of battle, are beimng charged with abuse and having their lives put on hold as a military tibunal awaits them……a MILITARY TRIBUNAL!.  NOT A CIVILIAN TRIAL!

Now President Obama and Eric Holder are willing to grant the five  9/11, enemy combatant conspirators the right to a civilian trial, but 6 Americans serving their country and combatting terrorism are denied the same right.  Is this logical?  Is there not a stench of deeply hypocritical injustice permeating the atmosphere here?

The justice department and the courts belong to the American people.  They do not belong to the foreign enemies  and  war criminals who are trying to kill us.  For President Obama to allow them access to “our” courts, is a crime in and of itself. 

I urge you to listen Debra Burlingame in the video below and hear her appeal at today’s 9/11 Never Forget press conference.  In it you will be made to see that you are not alone your anger at the President and Atorney General.  You will also come to understand why it is so important for us to stand together, with her, and all those effected by 9/11, to show not just our opposition to the sick decision of the Administration but exactly how angry and offended we are.

This is no joke folks….we are giving the enemies the benefit of the doubt and by placing them in a civilian court, President Obama is declaring that these war criminals who killed almost 3,000 Americans are innocent until proven guilty.  He is also giving the enemy the type of stage that they is usually reserved for the attention that their terrosit attcks afford them.  One of thesze terrorists own defense attorney has warned that the decision to have to try his client is a national security risk.   And do we actually need an expert to tell us that the actual trial and attention that these five jihadist heros will receive, are sure to incite and inspire an enemy reaction that will be anything but helpful to our efforts to combat terrorism.

The following is the press release issued by the 9/11 Never Forget Coalition:

SATURDAY DECEMBER 5 RALLY
IN FOLEY SQUARE:
STOP THE TERROR TRIAL IN NYC!

NEW YORKERS TO ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER:
“WE WILL FIGHT YOU ALL THE WAY!”

What: December 5th rally protesting the NYC based trial of 9/11 conspirators
Where: FOLEY SQUARE, MANHATTAN
When: Saturday, December 5th, 2009 ­ 12:00 noon
Who:

The 9/11 Never Forget Coalition, a diverse group of 9/11 victims, family members, first responders, active and reserve members of the military, veterans, and concerned Americans, is holding December 5th rally protesting the plan to bring the 9/11 terrorist conspirators to trial in New York City.
The Coalition formed to fight the decision of President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder to try the 9/11 co-conspirators in New York City’s federal court, effectively giving war criminals the same rights as American citizens while endangering the safety of all New Yorkers.

Two weeks ago, we sent a letter signed by 300 family members of 9/11 victims to the President, Attorney General and Defense Secretary Robert Gates asking them to reverse course. The letter has now been signed by over 120,000 Americans and is posted at http://www.keepamericasafe.com.

Debra Burlingame, founder of 911 Families for a Safe and Strong America, said “Our rally on Saturday, December 5 will tell Attorney General Eric Holder, President Barack Obama and their supporters in Congress: We will fight you all the way! ”

Costa Rica has many interesting museums, especially in San Jose. Tourist could visit The Golden Museum, located in the Plaza de la Cultura, along with other Museum of the Central Bank, such as the Numismatic Museum and the Art Gallery. There are other museums about the history of the country, such as the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica, the Jade Museum (Museo de Jade), and the Children Museum (Museo de los Niños). On the other hand, there are many art museums and importan galleries, such as the Costa Rican Art Museum, among others.

The Museo del Jade, which real name is Museo del Jade “Marco Fidel Tristán Castro” is an archaeological museum located in San José, Costa Rica. The Museum was founded in 1977 by Fidel Tristán Castro, who was the first president of the INS, that is why the Museum has his name. The museum has a vast collection of pre-Columbian artifacts, such as stone tables (metates), ceramics, ceremonial heads, adzes, and other decorative pieces from 500 BC to 800AD. The Jade room of the museum also displays beautiful translucent jade pendants and other incredible archeological pieces.

The Museo de los Niños (Children’s Museum), is located at the Centro Costarricense de la Ciencia y la Cultura complex in the capital of San José. It contains great interactive displays educating children in various topics from Astronomy, natural planet and ecology to science, human life and communications. Children walk through 39 rooms learning and interacting to discover new interesting information. Visitors can experience a simulated earthquake, make music by dancing on the floor, or see themselves in weird mirrors.

Costa Rica’s most important historical museum was before an army barracks, which was in use while the historical fighting, the civil war of 1948. The National Museum was created by the end of the XIX century, following a liberal project of “order and progress”, trying to save the cultural part of the city. In 1887, former president Mr. Bernardo Soto, created the Museum as a public establishment to deposit, classify, and study natural and artistic products found around the country. Even now, visitors could see hundreds of bullet holes on the turrets at its corners, as they approach the building. The now Museum is a traditional Spanish-style courtyard building, which hosts many displays on Costa Rican history and culture from pre-Columbian times to the present.

Visit Costa Rica

The 1 1/2 million visitors who are lucky enough to explore the many things to do in Beijing during the 2008 Olympics can expect an experience of a lifetime, but the 4 billion who are relegated to their living rooms can still enjoy a virtual tour and get a taste of the Beijing Olympics experience.

So kick back and let’s explore the attractions near some of the Olympic venues.

It’s not often an entire city gets a facelift. But hosting the Olympic Games is a task of epic proportions so Beijing devoted 7 years and $43 billion in changing the face of Beijing! And not just with immense Olympic structures like the “Bird’s Nest” National Stadium but with everything that branched off from them. From immense structures like a new airport and subway lines extended to include 85 more miles to color accents like trees and flowers lining the streets…to the tune of 22 million trees and 40 million flower pots!

GETTING AROUND

So, how does one get around a city of 15 million people? Beijing wanted to ensure that visitors could find their way to the Olympic venues so getting around now will be much easier than it was before. Still, we recommend you start your vacation by booking an airport-to-hotel shuttle. That way, you can relax and enjoy your first introduction to Beijing and leave the driving in the capable hands of someone who knows the city well.

If you’re planning to hit some of the rural areas outside of Beijing as one of the things to do, you’ll probably want to rent a car but count on traffic delays. First time visitors might fare better using the subway system, where all the signs are written in both English & Chinese. A good planning strategy is to take one subway line each day of your visit and make stops along the way.

STARTERS

After you’ve settled into your hotel & adjusted to the time difference, it’s time for discovery. You’ll want to hit the most famous attractions first:

Six miles from the Beijing Olympic Green Hockey Stadium, sits the Forbidden City. For almost five centuries, it served as the home of the Emperor and his household, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government. The complex has 70 structures and more than 9000 rooms with a royal garden behind the palace.

The Forbidden City sits on the north side of Tiananmen Square, the largest public square on Earth, covering more than 100 acres. It’s the founding site of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949 and is considered the most iconic location in China.

MUSEUMS

Check out the route of the Olympic Subway Line and make stops along the way. Not only will you discover museums near the National Indoor Stadium, like the China National Film Museum, but also shops and restaurants within walking distance. The museum is an extensive 63-acre museum devoted to film. It houses an IMAX theater and numerous exhibition halls, with 20 hosting permanent collections. Detailing the work of 450 filmmakers, 1500 films, and 4300 stills, it actually offers more things to do than can be covered in one day.

PARKS AND GARDENS

Near the National Stadium, sits Bei Hai Park: Originally built in the days of Kublai Khan, this park was used for recreation by the emperors of post-Kublai Khan dynasties. Famous features include the Nine-Dragon Screen, the Five-Dragon Pavilion and the White Dagoba, a memorial to a visit by the Dalai Lama in 1651.

Another noteworthy park is Eight Sites Park, with the chance to see eight temples and pagodas along the path to the top of the hill.

For those interested in China’s history, check out Stone Scripture Hill in the Shi Jing District. A total of more than 1000 volumes of Buddhist scriptures were carved and housed in the nine caves here in an attempt to preserve Buddhism when it was abolished the second time.

For months we’ve heard about Beijing, little tidbits to whet your appetite. Now it’s burst upon the scene with pomp & circumstance, starting with the Opening Ceremony Extravaganza on 8-08-08. I have my feet planted firmly on California soil but will thoroughly enjoy visiting Beijing virtually. And someday, when I visit Beijing in person, I’ll already know which places I want to see and what things to do there.

I’m honestly feeling like a productivity powerhouse right now.

Today consisted mainly of Drama rehearsals, both for my graded piece at the start of 2010, but also for a small musical I’m participating in. That made me feel good, because I’ve done a damn lot today. Plus the 5000 words towards my NaNoWriMo novel I’ve done in between acting. Did I not mention that?!

I – to my horror – realised that I need to write 3000 words per DAY in order to complete this, but I figured, if I can do 5000 words in about two hours, then why not dedicate two hours for the rest of the month, each day, and work on the novel. It’ll be done in no time.

Especially because everything is getting a lot more exciting now. Granted everything – and I do mean everything – will change when December comes to edit the novel, but for now I’m happy to say that this is a good first draft. First drafts being one of my many weaknesses.

Today I want to share a short passage I’ve only just written. The main character has been kidnapped by the main antagonist, and is an undisclosed location, trying to deal with the situation and the revelations he has been presented with.

‘I want to save you! I want to free us all! We never had a choice, not once in our lives. They get in early, before we have minds of our own. The Voices infect us, and we can’t resist. You know it’s true. You’ll be running around after them until you die.’

What had started off as rage now seemed to have developed into tears of a madman. The flicker of candle light reflected off the Dark man’s sparkling tears, which wiped away a certain amount of dirt from his unclean face, leaving a thin trail of natural skin.

The emotions of the Dark man seemed to be being washed away by this flood of sudden emotion. He seemed so passionate about his opinion, and as much as Tobias fought a small part of his brain, he agreed with his enemy.

Tobias knew with a very small but very significant part of his brain, that the Dark man was partly right. Tobias had never had a choice, and would never again.

I don’t think I’ll be writing any more tonight. As much as I want to get to 40,000 before I hit the sack, I’m incredibly tired, and have been working hard all day. Surely I’ve earned some sleep.

Today was supposed to be the day I get to 40,000 but I think that if I write an equal amount tomorrow as I did today, I can get ahead before it’s over. I’m on 38,000 now – I think – and so 4000 words should be possible. Tomorrow is a lot less of a cramped day.

I’ll probably post when I hit 45,000, but if not, I’ll see you at 50,000! Wish me luck.

In Jacksonville, Arkansas, the city council has approved $18 million in bonding authority for a series of projects to rehabilitate its aging sewer system.

Headlines
A break in a 36-inch water main in Arlington, Virginia has caused traffic delays and flooded some basements.

At a recent public meeting, the Allegheny County (Penn.) Regional Sanitary Sewer Authority estimated that it will cost “several billion” dollars to fix the region’s aging sewer systems.

Stimulus Spotlight
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the selection of $117.3 million in water and environmental project loans and grants that are being funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for rural water projects.  The funding will support 31 water and wastewater projects in 17 states.

In Illinois, after months of waiting, the city of Spring Valley will receive nearly $5 million in stimulus funding for the three water and sewer projects. The funding is a no-interest loan which includes forgiveness for 25 percent of the loan. The city will have 20 years to repay the balance.

Sewer Rate News
Athens Borough, Pennsylvania
Columbus, Ohio
Lima, Ohio
Mapleton, Utah

we are consistently bombarded with stories of fear and terror in the media. yet all of it is in vain if there isn’t a call to action.

this short-film represents a glowing example of a call to action. in this case, it was for nuclear disarmament, but it really can be applied to any cause.

Dr. Helen Caldicott gives a powerful lecture that starts with describing the medical effects and societal consequences of an atomic war, which, she argues, would not be a “war” but more accurately, “extermination”.. then she leads into what she has personally done to help save lives, and then urges the audience to do their own part.

the final few minutes of this film are extremely powerful in its expression of love and passion. it is a truly inspiring Oscar-winning film.

click on the image below to watch the film from the National Film Board’s website for free.

Documentary on Bush’s Military Service

“Documentary filmmaker and longtime Michael Moore collaborator Meghan O’Hara is currently working on a feature-length documentary about George W. Bush’s military service in the Texas Air National Guard,” reports the New York Observer.

Holbrooke Goes Skiing

Just as President Obama’s new Aghanistan policy is set to be unveiled next week, Ben Smith reports Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke has left for a ski vacation.

“Holbrooke’s absence seems to confirm what has been whispered for months: That he has not occupied the central role on Afghanistan strategy that he had once been expected to take, and that although — or perhaps because — he’s maintained his strong relationship with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, his relationship with the White House leaves something to be desired.”

Feingold Leads Thompson in Possible Match Up

A new Public Policy Polling survey in Wisconsin finds Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) safely in front of former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) in a U.S. Senate match up, 50% to 41%.

The problem for Thompson: “Wisconsin voters don’t really like him anymore. 45% have an unfavorable opinion of him to just 38% who view Thompson positively.”

However, this finding conflicts with a poll released early last month that showed Thompson edging Feingold.

Fenty Faces Uphill Fight for Re-Election

A new Clarus Research poll in Washington, D.C. finds that Mayor Adrian Fenty (D) could have a tough fight for a second term. Just 34% of voters want to see Fenty re-elected in 2010, while 53% said they want somebody new.

In a hypothetical two-way Democratic primary, Council Chairman Vincent Gray beats Fenty, 41% to 37%.

Gillibrand Faces Tough Race

A new Zogby IVR poll finds Rudy Giuliani (R) just edging Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) in a potential 2010 match up, 45% to 43%.

In another potential match-up, Gillibrand holds a slight lead over former Gov. George Pataki (R), 43% to 38%.

If they were to face off in a Republican primary, likely voters would pick Giuliani over Pataki, 72% to 28%.

Santorum Will Campaign in South Carolina

Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) is headed to South Carolina next month for a two-day campaign swing, according to The Hotline.

Santorum has been “openly toying” with a presidential run in 2012 and “acknowledged that a trip to Iowa in September was designed to gin up interest in his own political future.”

Said Santorum: “When you give a speech in either Iowa or New Hampshire, as a Republican or a Democrat, people pay attention.”

Why Are Republicans So Fixated on Reagan?

First Read: “The Cold War ended some 20 years ago… Income-tax rates are at historically low levels… And does anyone remember what a “Contra” is? It’s a lot like how it took Democrats generations to kick their Kennedy and FDR habits. Can the GOP keep playing the Reagan card in a world that’s changed so much since his presidency? Did you know that the youngest person to have cast a ballot for Reagan in 1984 is now 43 years old? And that, by 2012, that person will be 46?”

“It’s amazing what everyone in the conservative movement now applies to Reagan. As we and others have pointed out, Reagan himself might not have passed this purity test when he was governor of California or even president (remember his tax increases, the deficits he racked up, and his amnesty for illegal immigrants?). A Bush has run for president FOUR of the last SIX presidential elections, and yet that name apparently is now a four-letter word with GOP activists. They need someone else to rally around. So in the absence of someone currently, the gravitation is Reagan. We get it on one level. But the nostalgia doomed the Democrats for years because the hardest thing to do in politics is look favorable against a ghost. It can’t be done.”

Palin Has Big First Week

Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue sold 700,000 copies — a number that includes pre-orders — in its first week of release, the AP reports.

“Few nonfiction books have debuted so well. In 2004, Bill Clinton’s My Life sold more than 900,000 copies in its first week.”

Obama’s First State Dinner

“The most sought-after invitation in Washington — for tonight’s state dinner for the prime minister of India, the first state dinner hosted by President Obama and First Lady Michelle — arrived in the mail a little over a week ago,” Politics Daily reports.

“But no one is complaining about the short notice. Some 400 guests are expected for the party, the most elaborate entertaining the First Couple have done to date.”

ABC News says “the complete guest list, under lock and key until this afternoon, will be scrutinized once it is released later today for celebrity figures and big donors perhaps being repaid for campaign support by receiving the golden ticket.”

Nonetheless, the Washington Times reports that top Republican lawmakers were not invited.

Tough Position for Democrats on Health Care

Nate Silver: “I don’t particularly expect a boost in the Democrats’ numbers if they pass a health care bill: the plan, after all, has become somewhat unpopular. Their numbers might even get a little worse. But I’d expect a larger drop in their numbers if they fail to pass health care. Then, you’re getting something close to the worst of both worlds: the people who don’t like health care are still going to blame you for making the effort, but the people who do like the plan will become despondent and wonder what the whole point of electing Democrats to the Congress was in the first place.”

Turmoil at the RNC

Politico: “Trevor Francis, communications director of the Republican National Committee, abruptly resigned Monday, and two Republican strategists familiar with the situation said he was pushed out because Chairman Michael Steele didn’t feel he was getting enough credit for the GOP’s electoral success earlier this month.”

Schwarzenegger Picks Lawmaker as His Number Two

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), “risking a confirmation fight, announced Monday that he will appoint Republican state Sen. Abel Maldonado to fill the vacant lieutenant governor’s job,” the Sacramento Bee reports.

Schwarzenegger unveiled his pick during a taping of the Jay Leno Show.

Maldonado “has been one of the Republican governor’s few GOP allies in the Legislature. He provided a key vote this year to help push through tax increases and a budget plan over the objections of most Republican lawmakers.”

His appointment to the slot left open by the election of John Garamendi (D) to Congress earlier this month “presents an interesting dilemma for the Democratic-controlled Legislature and Republican lawmakers who want the seat themselves.”

President to Announce Afghanistan Policy

President Obama is expected to address the nation next Tuesday night to announce his new Afghanistan policy. McClatchy says the plan will send an additional 34,000 troops.

Obama held a two-hour war council meeting last night to finalize his thinking.

Ben Smith notes the White House “has told the story of the long Afghan deliberations in part through a series of Flickr images, released after each meeting.”

“The latest symbolism: Budget Director Peter Orszag is now in the picture, second from the right, his presence signaling growing concerns on the Hill and in the White House about the cost of the war, and/or a new avenue of pushback against Pentagon requests.”

Dear Don Bowen,  

First, let me say we have lots to be grateful and appreciative for and I acknowledge that! It is so good to know that you have risen to the Directorship of the National Urban League. Surely, the hard work you did for our office here in Fort Lauderdale had a lot to do with this commendable promotion on your behalf.  

I contacted you by phone at the suggestion of Karriem Edwards. I thank you for taking my call and for your response to the email I sent with information on my books and workshops on Women in Jazz and Blues.  

I see an opportunity to bring to the national arena something of great value and would appreciate the opportunity to dialogue with Dr. Hal Smith, VP of Education and Youth Development, if you would be so kind as to arrange that connection.  

Actually, I visited the Urban League office in Las Vegas a couple of months ago and three women there were very interested in my books and workshops. However I haven’t heard any more from them. Here, in Fort Lauderdale, I have not been in touch with anyone from the Urban League, but would be happy to sit down with anyone you could introduce me to.
I realize that we’re in a very tight economic environment and people are more concerned with everyday needs than with the Arts. But it is the Arts that enable people to, first, forget about the hard times and, second, develop their own creativity to overcome obstacles they face, personally and in business.  

Once we understand that taking Music and Art out of school and paying parents to feed their children Ritalin to counteract Attention Deficiency Disorder, which is a direct result of NOT learning how to access their creativity, we will honor artists by engaging them to develop and implement programs and workshops like the ones I’ve presented to you. Available at this link – www.fyicomminc.com/workshops.htm  

The Urban League’s Statement is as follows:  

Our Strategy – The National Urban League employs a five-point approach to provide economic empowerment, educational opportunities and the guarantee of civil rights for African Americans.

As the founder of Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc. and a 38-year veteran of the Performing Arts, I am fully aware of the benefits musicians reap from musical studies, most importantly, discipline, dedication and ability to make a living from something they love to do, not to mention the opportunity to travel to foreign shores as Ambassors of Peace, where they are appreciated by people of varying cultures and backgrounds.

Education and Youth Empowerment ensures the education of all children by providing access to early childhood literacy, after-care programs and college scholarships.

My personal experience within the education system includes sharing the stories of Women in Jazz and Blues with thousands of children in Florida, New York, Georgia, China, Japan and Europe. In 1997, 1998 and 2000, I was the recipient of nearly $15,000 in Student Enrichment in the Arts grants (SEAS), through Broward County Schools.

Right now, I’m working on our organization’s directory listing and a grant proposal for the Broward Cultural Arts Council to take our programs into the schools and after-care programs in 2010.

In the past 12 years, I’ve presented at several colleges, including FAU, FIU, MDCC, BCC, NOVA SE and York College, where I’ve been scheduled to return on March 4, 2010. This one-hour presentation is fully-documented in photographs and videos on my websites: www.wijsf.org, www.joancartwright.com and www.fyicomminc.com.

Each time we bring the story of Women in Jazz and Blues to students, we receive positive feedback from them, their teachers, principals and parents. This is why we work to continue bringing this program to schools and events to the community. See our concert series at www.floridajazznetwork.com

Economic Empowerment invests in the financial literacy and employability of adults through job training, homeownership and entrepreneurship.

Every professional musician and artist is an entrepreneur that can enhance the learning process of adults and children they come in contact with. Musicians must learn how to be financially stable, especially in economic times like these. What music and art teach the artist is that they have a gift that they are responsible for sharing with others and that compensation is certainly forthcoming.

Personally, I’ve retired from the music business three times (1996, 1999, 2001) and I’ve returned, purely on the basis that music is my God-given talent that I MUST share with the world. It is the “talent” that I must use for the good of all. I must not bury it, take it for granted or squander it. See The Parable of the Ten Talents

I believe I understand that, now, and I am determined to help others recognize the value of African American music, art and culture. My book, A History of African-Amerian Jazz and Blues expands on why so many African-Americans have not reaped financial benefits of their artistic production. It’s tied up with cultural politics and I believe this book qualifies as required reading for every African-American man, woman and child. The book contains interviews with jazz greats Quincy Jones, Dewey Redman (father of Joshua), Lester Bowie (Chicago Art Ensemble) and Sandy Patton (Vocal Instructor, Swiss Jazz School). If we neglect to understand the value and importance of our cultural production, the dominant society will continue to be the only benefactor of it’s fruits, i.e., record companies, publishers, promoters and distributors.

Blues and Jazz are “the only original American art forms” and have been designated by Congress as a National Treasure! See the attached letter from First Lady Michelle Obama, indicating that we have been in touch with her regarding our organization.

Health and Quality of Life Empowerment promotes community wellness through a focus on prevention, including fitness, healthy eating and access to affordable healthcare.

This President’s highest priority has been health care reform. My contention is that happiness is the greatest cure for ill health. Music and Art are at the top of the list of conditions that cause happiness. I could write a treatise on this. This video sent to me earlier in the week speaks volumes about the healing properties of music. 

Patrick plays! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xwCG0Ey2Mg

Civic Engagement and Leadership Empowerment encourages all people to take an active role to improve quality of life through participation in community service projects and public policy initiatives.

There can be no doubt that musical events unite a community, if only for one hour. You live in New York City. Have you been to the Jazzmobiles, during the summer, attended by thousands of New Yorkers? I was 19, when I attended some of the first concerts in 1968-70. At Grant’s Tomb, circa 1984, I performed with some of the greatest living jazz artists, including Frank Foster, Frank Wes and George Coleman. This experience led me to where I am as a jazz artist, today. Since then, hundreds of young musicians have been influenced by these concerts and by the education program developed by this organization. www.jazzmobile.org – It is our mission to continue this legacy with WOMEN IN JAZZ SOUTH FLORIDA, INC. – www.wijsf.org
 

Civil Rights and Racial Justice Empowerment guarantees equal participation in all facets of American society through proactive public policies and community-based programs.

The impact that Blues and Jazz artists have had on the global society is undeniable. This truth fills many books about musicians like Ella Fitzgerald, Mary Lou Williams, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and so many more who traveled to foreign lands as representatives of the American people and, African-American people in particular, bringing unmeasureable joy, despite obstacles they faced as people of color in the United States, under Jim Crow Laws declaring them less than whole persons. They were applauded on other continents and abused at home. But that didn’t stop them from being the messengers of peace, hope, love and community that they were born to be. Their stories must continue to be told to urban children, children in the suburbs and on farms, where many of them came from. Our organization serves that purpose and we trust that the National Urban League recognizes the value and importance of that work.

I ask that you calendar our Women in Jazz Presentations on Thursday, March 4, 2010 at York College and Friday, March 5, at the Langston Hughes Library in Queens. I’ll continue to send you notices with additional performances in the NY area and exact times, if that is not an imposition. Perhaps, you would be willing to share these dates with others you know who value the music and musicians we present.

In the meantime, please connect me with Dr. Hal Smith so that we can explore the possibilities of a partnership.

All the best,

Love and music,

Joan Cartwright

Founder & Executive Director

Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc.

2801 S. Oakland Forest Drive

Suite 103

Oakland Park, FL 33309

954-740-3398

wijsf@yahoo.com

divajc47@yahoo.com

Diva JC

• www.wijsf.com
• www.blogtalkradio.com/musicwoman
• www.fyicomminc.com

Joan – I looked at the links below and want to commend you for your continued growth and for your efforts to expose young people to music and the arts.  You may or may not know that the National Urban League is an intermediary organization with 100 affiliates throughout the country.   Our affiliates are our direct-service delivery mechanism and each affiiates operates as its own separate and independent not for profit organization.  Approximately 5-10% of affiliates programming is directed and funded at the national level while most of it is conceived and funded locally.  As such, we do not have any national programs which involve music or the arts directly.   Nevertheless, I have asked  Dr. Hal Smith, our VP of Education and Youth Development to review your materials to determine if there are any opportunities to collaborate with you and for us to utilize the services which you provide.   We do conduct a national youth conference each year, and perhaps this venue might provide an opportunity to work with you.   Another strategy which you might want to pursue is to work directly with one of more of our local affiliates.  While we could recommend you to them, I would not suggest this approach as frankly they get too much from us already and it probably would “get lost” in the traffic.  Have you had any conversations with any of the local – South Florida affiliates?  If not, that might be a good place to start and I could facilitate the introduction, if needed.  Honestly, the chances of connecting the dots with a local affiliate are greater and this is probably an easier path to take than looking for a national type program or engagement.  I will let you know what Hal Smith suggests.  Let me know if you have tried to work with some of our local affiliates or if this is something you wish to pursue.  Happy Thanksgiving – it was good hearing from you.  Don

From: Joan Cartwright [mailto:divajc47@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, November 23, 2009 6:21 PM
To: Donald Bowen
Subject: Joan Cartwright’s Books and Workshops

Don,

Thanks for taking my call this evening.

It was great to hear your voice and I trust your work there is very fulfilling.

Here’s the link to my books and workshops.

www.fyicomminc.com/books.html

www.fyicomminc.com/workshops.htm

My goal is to teach and bring awareness about the lives, contributions and joy brought to the global society by musicians who have made a difference no matter what circumstances they had to overcome. – Diva JC  

I would appreciated being on your list of artists who bring education to programs for urban children.

Let me know if you need anything else to make this happen.

I’ll be in NYC on March 4 at York College.

Will send more info as needed.

All the best in your endeavors at the National Urban League!

Joan Cartwright

954-740-3398

• www.wijsf.com
• www.blogtalkradio.com/musicwoman
• www.fyicomminc.com

Never mind The Weather Instead of pulling your hair out at the state of the awful weather, or the fact your wallet is really hurting in this horrible climate, financial or climatic, just get hold of your ‘Genie’ and let her find your family an economically friendly day of fun for you all. Don’t know about Genie? Well then just check her out a genie tutorial for free at geniesearcher.com will get you going! Here are 5 differing solutions for a family day out, so in fact you can add your own ideas as well, and then just get going on them for at least a week’s cheap holiday or roll through them again making alterations as you go for a couple of weeks, so get going – enjoy!

Instead of tearing your hair out at the state of the bad weather, or the fact your wallet is really hurting in this horrible climate, just grab your ‘Genie’ and let her find your family an economically friendly holiday of fun for you all. Don’t know about Genie? Well then, check her out and get a genie tutorial for free at geniesearcher.com!

Here are 5 different solutions for a family day out, and adding your own ideas as well, you can just get going on them for at least a week’s cheap holiday, so get going – have fun!

Fun Day 1: Museums or Stately Homes. Whatever the weather, be it rainy or a scorcher, this is a great time to treat yourselves to visiting a National Gallery Museum (take your sketch pads), Country House or Stately home. All of them are educational and fascinating to explore. If you use your imagination, you can dream up inter-family competitions on what you see as you expand your knowledge.

You will be surprised what sticks when it’s not a forced lesson! There are plenty of museum choices, such as art, natural history, aquarium, motoring, steam, flying and nautical museums, just to name a few. You might even try several museums in a day if they are all small.

Contrary to popular belief, these places are not boring and you can certainly find something of interest for the entire family. As far as Stately Homes go, well of course, here in the UK, we are very fortunate to have a very large selection, and it will be money well spent to become a member of the National Trust, because then, for one annual fee you can visit as many as you wish, nationwide, free of charge.

Then of course, you could also buy a Family Annual Membership and join the English Heritage, visiting the many national sites of interest, including many castles and homes, also as many times as you like free of further charges.

Fun Day 2: Country Fairs, County Shows, Festivals. You really should visit Festivals, Country Fairs and County Shows. In your area, try one this year. Finding many different things to do, you will get plenty of fresh air and exercise which will greatly help with your own well being. Usually there is food and entertainment, along with exhibitions of clay pigeon shooting or learning to cast a fly to improve your fishing, plus many other things to see. Being these shows are country based, on the whole, you get the chance to see all the magnificent farm animals at their best, on display for all to see and often touch, which really helps children to understand and appreciate them more in their own right.

Sometimes you will find such things as artists showing their original work in many shapes and forms, engineering hobbies, garden equipment and/or plants displays and many stands/booths with interesting trinkets, wood carvings, saddlers, hot tubs, emporiums of everything and much more. Mostly, these are all very inexpensive days out, where you have heaps of fun and never know what you are going to find.

Fun Day 3: National Parks or small local Parks. Many people live in cities where there are all different types of theme parks, but they have never gone to see them. There are many types of parks, including amusement parks, water parks, aquariums and garden parks; you can even take your dog to a dog park! Maybe you are one of the fortunate ones who has a National Park on your doorstep with all that this can offer.

All of these are wonderful places to take your family, but you have to check, as some can be expensive if big rides are involved, but with a little local research before you start, you can find inexpensive parks which can have many things to see and do.

Fun Day 4: A Trip to the Beach or the Lake. Many people forget that there is a beach or a lake nearby which can bring hours of fun. Some ocean beaches have rock pools where you might find some interesting sea life – something for the children to get excited about, and of course there is always beach fishing.

Some lakes will have a place for you to swim and/or fish.

Wherever there is water, the chance of water-sports is a possibility, so make sure your family is kitted out with safety in mind. These are all great places for exploration, and sometimes you can even find a spot that isn’t too populated.

Fun Day 5: Picnics The nice thing about picnics is that they can be enjoyed anywhere. In the old days, before we had technology to get in the way, many families would just get in the car and drive off to a favourite location.

Along the way – to stay within the family budget, they would often take a picnic lunch so they wouldn’t need to stop at a restaurant. These times are still great for bonding with your family. Picnics have the great advantage of not only being pleasant, but convenient also, because you choose when and where you eat, plus of course saving you a small fortune, as it’s economically sound and can be easily done on all your days out.

Having family fun doesn’t have to cost an ‘An Arm and a Leg’, and it can be very interesting to see what happens using your own home as a base while you bring in the changes daily, venturing forth into the great unknown!

Of course, if you are staying away from home, all of these cost effective days will work wherever you are.

I wish you all Happy Days…

Copyright (c) 2008 Mervyn Rees

    I wish I could take credit for this little gem but it comes to POLITICS 24/7  from our great conservative compatriots at PatriotRoom.com.   

But more than that, I wish I were the creative individual that came up with the snappy play on words and use of imagery that makes the product that Patriot Room brought to our attention a must have for anyone concerned with the direction our country is being taken in.

From Patriot Room:

T-shirt of the day: Hope is Fading Fast

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2009-11-24 11:13:00

For the record, we are not affiliated with the company selling the shirts. But we certainly wish we were, because they are gonna sell a pile of these.

I think this is just great!

But I will tell you now, a look behind the maker and distributor of this shirt, “The Propagandist” and “Freshjive”, tells me that I won’t be parting with any of my money for their profit.

The two outfits seem to be a little out there in their perceptions.  For them “Hope Is Fading Fast” because they see President Obama as being just like President Bush, and for them, hope is fading fast” because the liberal messiah is not as liberal as they “hoped” for.  

So……. sorry, but my dough goes for that which is made in America (whatever is still made in America) and to those who are not trying to promote anarchy or socialism.

But in this great capitalist, democracy of ours,  perhaps a knockoff is in the works? I am pretty sure that President Obama has not yet patented the word he used to describe himself and his ascendency to the presidency, “Hope”.  I am also sure that ”Freshjive” and ”The Propagandist” have not patented or gotten their own copywrite on the already, Associated Press copywritten  image that artist  Shepherd Fairey stole inorder to paint his iconic emblem of the presidential campaign, in the first place.     I see no reason why others can’t make similar, shirts, keyword “similar”.

 If I could only find all of my old silk screening accessories, I’d be on it like on white on rice. 

Now if Mike Steele could start worrying more about fundraising for the RNC than the credit he wants and the press he is seeking, he’d be having “similar” shirts made up and sold to bring in some additional profits for next year’s midterm elections  (see story here).

But since Mike Steele is  busy firing RNC staffers because he feels they haven’t done enough to get him the press that gives him all the credit for the recent Republican successes in the ‘09 election cycle, I wont be counting on that.  So I am looking into my own version of “Hope Is Fading Fast”.  Perhaps one that has the POLITICS 24/7 logo on the back.   If I can work that one out, as a Republican, with whatever profit there is, I will donate half to the 2010 campaigns of the most deserving candidates and as a proud pro-capitalist American , keep the other half for myself.

Anyone want to make it a joint venture?  All conservative backers can contact  me, Kempite, at LiberalsRlosers@aol.com.  Let’s make a deal!

Health Care can be reformed by offering not a public option, but a single payer option. To me its very simple, all those uninsured, or those who are tired of paying high premiums, or those small businesses who can’t afford premiums demanded by the Insurance Manopoly, should be afforded the option of purchasing a pre-medicare policy through Medicare for those between the ages of 21 and 64. Their premium will be much less than the current market and they will be exempt from medicare payroll deductions. This will help put medicare in the black. For those who choose to stay with their current insurance plans must continue to pay into the medicare trust through payroll reductions. I guarantee this will bring private insurance premiums down.

Those individuals and families who can’t afford full premiums will be accepted based upon income levels related to the poverty level. Most of the political oposition will of course call this socialism, I like to call it humanitarianism. Caring for those less fortunate is not socialism.

What a way to spend your birthday! Krystal Ball, one of two Democrats seeking to take on Republican incumbent Rob Wittman, appeared this morning on MSNBC’s “Morning Meeting.” Happy birthday, Krystal!

The following is a list of all the supposed scientists and journalists who have perpetrated or abetted the largest scientific fraud ever:

Ammann, Caspar, Researcher at National Center for Atmospheric Research

Briffa, Keith, Researcher at University of East Anglia

Foster, Grant,  American Association of Variable Star Observers

Hansen, James, Goddard Institute for Space Studies

Jones, Phil, Professor at University of East Anglia

Mann, Michael, Professor of Meteorology at Pennsylvania State University

Osborn, Tim, Researcher at University of East Anglia

Overpeck, Jonathon, Co-director of the Institute for Environment and Society at the University of Arizona

Revkin, Andy, New York Times

Santer, Ben, Researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Schmidt, Gavin, Goddard Institute for Space Studies

Wigley, Tom, Researcher at National Center for Atmospheric Research

The sixteenth arrondissement is situated on the Right Bank of the Seine River in western Paris. This arrondissement boasts the famous chestnut tree lined Avenue Foch, the widest street in Paris, and lots and lots of embassies. If you’re starting to think it’s one of the richest corners of the city, you’re absolutely right. Its land area is about 6.3 square miles (16.3 square kilometers) but if you exclude the Bois de Boulogne the size drops in half to 3 square miles (about 7.8 square kilometers). Its population numbers just over one hundred sixty thousand and the district hosts over one hundred thousand jobs. This is the only arrondissement to merit two postal codes, both considered exclusive.

Passy is in the northern part of the district. It was once a village and served as home away from home to Benjamin Franklin for many years. Here in 1782 he printed a pamphlet “A Project for Perpetual Peace” which presented his vision for a permanent peace in Europe. Despite his inability to predict the future, Parisians have honored him with a rue Franklin. You may want to visit the Cimetiere de Passy (Passy Cemetery) burial grounds for the painter Edouard Manet and the composer Claude Debussy. It is the only cemetery in Paris to have a heated waiting-room. Perhaps that’s why it was once “the place” in Paris to be buried. If you go make sure to see the retaining wall memorial to soldiers who fell in World War I. Another Passy site of interest is the house where the famous writer Honore de Balzac lived and wrote.

The Parc des Princes (Princes’ Park) is a football stadium with just a bit less than fifty thousand seats. It was France’s national stadium until the much bigger Stade de France was built in the working class suburb of St-Denis. The stadium was designed in 1972 by Roger Taillibert who also designed the Montreal Olympic Stadium for the 1976 Olympics. The Parc des Princes area was a hunting preserve for the royal family name during the Eighteenth Century but the neighborhood went to pot. There is something about this site that attracts stadiums (stadia for purists); the first one went up in 1897 and the second in 1932. Until 1967 the Parc marked the end of the Tour de France bicycle race, the most famous such race in the world. There are plans afoot to increase the seating capacity to a whopping one hundred fourteen thousand.

Lycee Janson de Sailly is generally considered as one of the best lycees (roughly high schools) in France. It is the biggest such institution in France with 3200 students whose age ranges from 11 to 20. The founder, a Parisian lawyer named Monsieur Janson de Sailly discovered that his wife had a lover, disinherited her, and left his entire fortune to the State. This chauvinist insisted that the monies be used to establish an excellent high school for boys only, but eventually girls were accepted. The lycee was built in the 1880s as the first Republican lycee in France but ended up attracting many students coming from Parisian high society.

Janson’s motto was Pour la Patrie, par le livre et par l’epee (For the Homeland, by the book and by the sword). Many of its students pursued a military career, often in the colonies. In 1944 hundreds joined the French Free Forces, fought German divisions in Alsace, and entered Germany with Patton’s forces in 1945. Janson’s students often end up at France’s most prestigious post-secondary institutions, the equivalent of Ivy League schools.

The Musee Guimet (Guimet Museum) boasts one of the largest collections of Asian art outside Asia. It also has a magnificent collection of pieces from Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. The Musee de la Contrefacon (Counterfeiting Museum) was established in 1951 by the Union des Fabricants, an organization of manufacturers. It currently exhibits several hundred items, pairing each original piece with its counterfeit. The Musee Marmottan-Monet features a collection of some one hundred Impressionist works by Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

The Trocadero lies across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower. The French won the Battle of Trocadero in 1823 protecting the autocratic Spanish King Ferdinand VII. Forty some years later they honored this victory by renaming the square called Place du Roi de Rome (i.e., Place of the King of Rome). The following year, the Palais de Trocadero (Trocadero Palace) was built on the site as the centerpiece of a world’s fair celebrating France’s recovery from its defeat in the Franco-Prussian war, The Palace was built like a concert hall in mixed Moorish and Byzantine style with a large aquarium occupying the lower level. For the Exposition Internationale (World’s Fair) of 1937 the old Palais du Trocadero was demolished and replaced by the modernist Palais de Chaillot. The complex includes several museums: the Musee national de la Marine (Naval Museum), the ethnological Musee de l’Homme (Museum of Man), and the Musee national des Monuments francais (National Museum of French Monuments) as well as the Theatre national de Chaillot (Chaillot National Theater). At the Palais de Chaillot the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The esplanade was renamed the esplanade des droits de l’homme (esplanade of human rights). And since then human rights…

Of course you don’t want to visit Paris without sampling fine French wine and food. In my article I Love French Wine and Food – A Province Bandol I reviewed such a wine and suggested a sample menu: Start with Caviar d’Aubergines (Egglant Puree). As your second course savor Poisson aux Herbes de Provence (Fish with Provence Herbs). And as dessert indulge yourself with Tarte aux Noix (Walnut and Honey Tart). Your Parisian sommelier (wine steward) will be happy to suggest appropriate wines to accompany each course.