The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. Proverbs 4: 18-19

It’s Friday night, just got paid lalala. I can’t remember the rest of the words but I remember hearing that song when I was a little kid, I had no job and I wasn’t going anywhere but I sure could dance in front of the television. I saw something interesting and I just thought I would share it with you. The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. What happened was I read the second line first, where it spoke about the darkness and a person stumbling but not knowing what made them stumble. It made me think about walking through the house at night and tripping over something, you know when you stump your toe. But I still continue to walk in the darkness because the light hurts my eyes. Even though I know I could slip on something, fall over something, I still walk in the dark because it’s easier to figure my way through the darkness not knowing what is ahead then to turn the light on and for a short second and let the light blind me.

I think life is like that, sometimes we feel better walking in the dark because we are afraid of what the light may expose. Think about it the night represents fun, we all like to have fun and act like we don’t have a care in the world. The night also represents sleep, sleep is so comfortable, and rewarding. In our dreams we can often escape all of life’s troubles, for a few hours a night we are free from our day. Which brings me to the day, the day is where the sun shines, waking you up disrupting your sleep, your comfort. The day is where you work, work, work and work. During the day you can bet that your boss will want something from you, that your friends want something from you, it just seems like you’re doing a lot during the day.

Well Righteousness is hard, it’s work and we can be lazy people. It’s hard to do the right thing sometimes, because most people will do the wrong thing and even when you do right you may be wronged. So what’s the point in that, might as well stay in the dark right. I wish it was that easy, no matter how dark the night is there’s a bright day after that. And during that bright day we have some things to face, like ourselves. Our fears, the triumphs and life we wish to lead. We can’t make our most important decisions in the dark so maybe it’s time we start at least trying to live in the light. Peace and Grace be unto you.

If you are on a road to nowhere, find another road.

These allegations have been hovering around Senator John Edwards for quite some time. I’ll admit, he had me fooled. When I heard the rumors I thought to myself, no way would this man have an extra-marital affair on his wife while she is in such a fragile state. John Edward’s wife Elizabeth has been battling cancer for some time now. His reputation is ruined but that’s not the important issue, he lied to the American Public but that’s the norm for politicians so that’s not the important issue.

The problem here is his wife has to stand by his side, standing up for someone who has embarrassed her in front of the whole world. John Edwards issued a statement saying “You cannot beat me up more than I have already beaten up myself. I have been stripped bare and will now work with everything I have to help my family and others who need my help,”. I mean even after the man has been caught red handed, he tries to moralize on the public as if he is not the ione who lied, cheated and created this trouble.

Once again I just feel sorry for the wife, she is the victim here. And the story gets even weirder. The woman with whom he cheated has a child who is said to be fathered by another married man who was a former aide to Edwards as well. These women who have these affairs with these married men, who somehow decide to have a conscience like to be the victims as well. Their not, this woman was sleeping with two married men, and having unprotected sex with both of them at that. Once again my prayers are with Elizabeth because she is the one who loses in all this. John Edwards political career was never going anywhere anyway so he’s not losing much.

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So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2: 6-8

Pardon me on getting this message out so late. First I want to send a sincere apology to all of the teachers I have ever had. I am sorry for talking in your class while you were trying to teach, running in the halls, not handing in my homework and anything else I may have done to upset you. I am so beat and tired today that it is not even funny. I spent most of the day grading papers and working with my students, the highlight was that I got to take one to lunch for being an exceptional student and answering a series of questions correctly. Call it bribery, call it what you want but I need peace and happiness in the class room!

Sorry for the rant, I had all intention to stick with Peter for today’s verse but I found this verse and it spoke to me so I decided to share this instead. It is a common message that we stay and remain faithful to God’s word and his teachings but I appreciated being reminded of others deceptive philosophies. The tongue can be very manipulative and our minds tend to clutch at things that sound appealing to us. Many have done terrible things because they were manipulated into believing what they were doing was right or justified.

So in today’s world with the advent of the internet and some of the most charismatic speakers around people are constantly looking for something to align themselves with. We all are whether we would like to believe it or not. It’s easy to believe that if presented with something that seems out of touch with our upbringing we would reject it. But we all know this is not the case. So today I think of this word as a sign of warning. Beware of all that glitters for it is not gold, and be careful of slick tongues that may attempt to bring you down a path that is neither beneficial to you or in line with the teachings of our Creator. Peace and Grace be unto you!

The eyes of the wise person see through you.

I guess the kid in me is coming out today. I saw this on CNN and I had to post it. Shout out to the Muppet Babies. Miss Piggy and Kermit and Gonzo. All of them gave me a great childhood. I used to watch the tv show, the movies, you name it I was watching it. I even had a little Kermit back in the day, he had a lumberjack vest on but I’m not sure what happened to him. I had him for years, the vest had been gone but now he’s gone too. Sad, just sad. Anyway shout out to the Smithsonian for celebrating the work of Jim Henson, Long Live the Muppets. Check below, I’ve included a clip of their great show!

Bert and Ernie are paying a special visit to the city that helped give birth to the “Sesame Street” gang.

Kermit the Frog will be part of an exhibit, “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World,” at the Smithsonian Institution.

But don’t expect to see the popular puppets strolling around Washington. Their fame and age (they’re sensitive to light) make too much exposure a security risk. Instead, they will be making their home, at least temporarily, in the underground International Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution as part of the exhibit “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World.”

Visitors to the show, which opens Saturday and continues through Oct. 5, will find the Muppets under special lighting, behind glass and closely guarded.

“We consider every single thing in here to be precious,” said project director Deborah Macanic. Technically speaking, they’re all antiques.

It’s a homecoming for Muppets such as Kermit, the piano-playing dog Rowlf and others that first achieved stardom on Washington-area television shows and commercials — long before the success of “The Muppet Show” and “Sesame Street.” Muppets creator Jim Henson grew up in nearby Hyattsville, Maryland, and attended the University of Maryland, where his creative approach began to take shape.

“We’re showing how he went from drawing to a cartoon to a puppet to a moving image,” Macanic said, explaining the exhibit’s themes of visual thinking, storytelling and character development.

Through more than 100 original drawings, cartoons and story boards and about 14 famous Muppets, the exhibit traces Henson’s career as a puppeteer and filmmaker until his death in 1990.

Henson got his television start in 1954, creating a TV show, “Sam and Friends,” for Washington’s NBC station while still in college. Kermit the Frog’s character began developing from this show and later became a superstar.

The exhibit features one of the earliest sketches of Kermit, and a 1970s version of the puppet sits front and center to greet visitors near the entrance of the International Gallery, which is part of the Smithsonian’s Ripley Center.

Kermit was originally conceived as a more abstract reptile character with less defined features. The original puppet was made in 1955 from an old turquoise coat with eyes made from a pingpong ball. Kermit continued to evolve from there to a frog in the 1960s.

“Then Kermit just kind of took over and became the news (reporter) guy with the hat and the trench coat and all that he was by the time he got to Sesame Street,” Macanic said.

The skinny, green frog became the most enduring Muppet character, in part because Jim Henson considered Kermit to be his alter-ego.

Henson’s personality shines through other characters as well, such as the furry, hippie Mahna Mahna who sings scat to a jazz song with two backup singers called the Snowths. The skit debuted in 1969 on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” with Henson performing the gruff voice of Mahna Mahna.

A few days before the exhibit’s opening, the three singers emerged from a wooden storage crate — all in need of a little primping. Josette Cole and Viki Possoff, Smithsonian exhibit registrars, carefully fluffed the pink Snowth puppets and twisted an arm to match a dance pose from a photograph.

“There’s a whole technique to it,” Cole said. “You use a dog brush, for one, and you don’t pull it through the hair because you’ll pull it off. You sort of have to pat it in place.”

Bert and Ernie were unpacked after the Snowths, apparently needing some extra rest after their last public appearance in June in Louisiana.

Museum workers are becoming experts in Muppet care as the exhibit makes a three-year tour. After the show in Washington, the Muppets will travel to Atlanta, Georgia; Orlando, Florida and five other cities through early 2011. The Smithsonian’s experts escort their Muppet treasures by tractor-trailer, tending to them at each stop.

The exhibit anchors a Muppet-themed summer of events at the Smithsonian and elsewhere in the Washington area. Through much of July and August, the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, Maryland, will host the film series “Muppets, Music and Magic: Jim Henson’s Legacy” as a tribute to Henson’s work. There will also be programs on puppetry and free Podcast tours.

The only thing missing from the Muppet festival may be the elegant Miss Piggy, who aggressively flirted with Kermit. Miss Piggy will show up in film only, but her puppet isn’t available. Apparently, the materials used to create Miss Piggy weren’t as sturdy for travel as Kermit’s, said Karen Falk, an archivist with The Jim Henson Co. who curated the exhibit.

“As you might expect,” said Falk, “she’s more sensitive.”

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc-4KFxSD4Q

Man I tell you, living in Technology world, you have to watch what you say! I mean every other week we are hearing people’s personal phone conversations, voicemails, sound bytes from closed affairs. So in the words of T.I. “Watch what you say” Brother Jackson!

I hear the infamous Bill O’Reilly will air Jackson’s comments later on this evening, I will find the youtube link and then post the comments. But let’s be serious Jesse Jackson was probably ticked off like every other black man that Barack Obama used Father’s Day as the day that he would condemn the absence of fatherhood in the black community. Black men all over the nation are irate about this because quite frankly they do not see Barack addressing other issues head on that deal with the black population.

He was not very vocal about Jena 6, his remarks were watered down when he spoke of the Sean Bell incident, he was absent from the State of the Black Union; so people feel that Obama does not have the right to condemn black fathers and not look to condemn the absence of fatherhood as a whole across racial lines. I mean that has been his strong point thus far so black men across the country were angered by Barack’s statement.

It’s not that I disagree with Obama’s statements about irresponsible fathers or that I feel he should have addressed all absentee fathers. My issue with the speech was highlighting the negative which is already known. It’s like the bad child in the classroom, they get more attention than the students who actually do their work further making those “good” students feel under-appreciated. The same can be said for fathers like mine who work two jobs to provide for their families. Men who provide for their families should be honored on father’s day and less emphasis placed on the dead beat dad’s. Let’s lift up the brothers who are doing the right thing. Maybe our selfless praise of these men will inspire the men who are not effectively handling the business of their children as fathers.

For the rest of this story click here

UPDATE: HERE IS THE CLIP

UMM Jesse “I wanna Cut His Nuts Off” umm yea I’ll let you all be the judge!

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”- Ephesians 3:20-21

Do not say that you do not have time for God. The busiest of men will have the most leisure, and the laziest will always be short of time, for the former utilizes time and the latter only wastes it. If you really want God, you will find time for Him. - Hinduism

I’ve said many times that I respect people of all faiths and I admire the passion and faith that resides within people who live spiritual lives no matter what their affiliation. Often on my website I quote members of other religious affiliations but I have always wanted to show here in the pardon me message how similar the teachings of these different religions can be. Today I included words from the Hindu culture, Islamic faith and my own faith of Christianity. The messages are so similar in nature in that they ask us to love God, to make time for God and honor his words.

Upon further study you see that the more spiritual members of these different faiths look to their word to live peaceful, love-filled lives and seek to help one another. At this very moment a friend of mine who shares a different spiritual background is ministering to me about the works of God. She could very well be the brother or sister next you in church who is praying for you but she is not because she follows the Hindu faith. Does that mean she does not have a true connection with God. Earlier today I was reading 2 Timothy and Paul was speaking of false teachings and people who will hold so fast to religion and doctrine and not the holy spirit and how this was not the way. This made me think of a question I asked a mentor of mine. I said “do you believe that Muslims are not God’s children, that people of other faiths are damned. I asked could it be possible that we all are praying to the same God and calling him different names”.

He replied to me that many of God’s people may very well be practicing in a different fashion than we are. He also said something to the effect that many who say they are God’s people are in fact not and will be judged on judgment day accordingly. I sat and I reflected on what he said, and today I am taking a step towards loving God’s people, all of God’s people no matter what race, religion or cultural background. Ask yourself this “are you God’s people because you call yourself a Christian or a Muslim or are you a child of God because you follow his commands and teachings while you spend your time here on earth? Peace and Grace be unto you!

The sun can give heat and light to the whole world, but he cannot do so when the clouds shut out his rays. When egotism veils the heart, God cannot shine upon you.

What it means to be a NIGGER

A few weeks back as I sat and watched the red carpet section of the Grammy’s I saw my fellow Virgo grace the camera with his wife donning a t-shirt that said “NIGGER”. Wait a minute rewind that back, I saw Nasir Jones better known as “Nas” and a group of supporters of different ethnicities in NIGGER Fashion. This is clearly a sign that the times have changed, television has become so liberal when I was a child they would have blurred out the image to say the least. Nas was interviewed about his “message”, there were no censors over the word and things went relatively normal. I mentioned earlier that Nas is a Virgo because they are the thinkers of the zodiac and very strategic in their movements, so maybe Nas is titling his album NIGGER and grappling after the publicity that it is causing so that we can have intelligent discourses like the one we are about to have.

Wait one second, before you lose interest in fear that I am about take you on a historical voyage enduring the plight of black people and the socialization of the term Nigger and how we need to accept it to empower ourselves, I promise you I will not. This is not the typical discussion of whether this is a term of endearment or mental slavery. But to understand what I am interested in the concept of the term nigger we must first look to one of the great writers of the Harlem Renaissance, James Baldwin.

Baldwin says, “What white people have to do is try to find out in their own hearts why it was necessary to have a nigger in the first place. Because I’m not a nigger, I’m a man! But if you think I’m a nigger it means you need it. If I’m not the nigger here and you, the white people invented him then you’ve got to find out why?”

Baldwin paints us such a vivid picture when he speaks about the system needing a nigger. You see the term nigger is about an institutionalized inferiority complex. The system, those proponents of white supremacy need a nigger to belittle, they need a nigger to make themselves feel better than because they lack self-esteem. The nigger is needed in order to perpetuate systems of control, a hierarchy within this great land from sea to shining sea. Unfortunately today the term nigger has become synonymous with black people. However this is not the case, this is not the fate of black people; this has been the position of various ethnic groups in America. I will chronicle the stories of three niggers who have been bastardized by a system of oppression and blatant racism in this country without ever painting the picture of a black face!

If you are of Middle Eastern decent, or even look like you could possibly be of the Islamic faith after 9/11, I regret to inform you but the United States has declared you a NIGGER! Your rights were stripped from you; you became the victims of police brutality, random searches and seizure, and you are always pulled aside at the airport for more questioning. Why is this; because you fit the “description”, you look suspicious? But none of this is true; it is merely the pigment of your skin and the religious affiliation that you are suspected of practicing which garners you such attention. You watch your faith and belief system ridiculed daily on television, you have become the butt of all jokes. You’re fearful when your children go to school because other children will torment them; forgive them for they know not what they do. You came to this country with hopes of reaching the American dream however you are now living the American nightmare! The ultimate insult is no longer to be black but it is to be Muslim. Your beautiful, peaceful culture has been tainted by slander; you are now judged by the few who make it tough for the many. Welcome!

Rewind the clocks back before the Civil Rights Era, after the Red Scare, where if you were communist you were a nigger. No I am speaking of World War II, a defining moment in this country’s history where we joined forces with our allies overseas and toppled the Axis Powers who viciously slaughtered those of the Jewish faith and anyone else in their quest for world domination. Let us look into our backyard at today’s most successful minority, looked upon as intelligent, reserved, model citizens of this great nation; the Asian. Yes in 1942 here in America the Japanese were considered NIGGERS! Stripped of their land, businesses, and personal possessions, some 120,000 Japanese Americans were forced into relocation centers in the interiors of the country. Placed in prison camps with little to no food to eat, cramped living quarters for large families were just some of the conditions the Japanese had to experience. Propaganda spread through the media about the Japs as they were called, “good riddance to the spy’s and traitors”, these were some of the messages about the people who had only a few years prior been trying to assimilate into American culture. They too were in search of the roads paved of gold. White farmers benefited with the Japanese farmers gone, they were then able to take over their profit share and make more revenue for themselves. Even the Supreme Court of the United States permitted this racist behavior citing this exclusion did not violate the constitution arguing “it is permissible to curtail the civil rights of a racial group when there is a “pressing public necessity.” So much for Justice!

Who discovered America? Oh yes I remember we have a beautiful holiday in this country named after none other than Americas most beautiful thief, rapist, and oppressor among other names. Yes I am speaking of Columbus, when we discuss the concept of the nigger we have to speak about our beloved Columbus. You see the Indian; wait a minute what am I saying, Native Americans is the correct term because this is their native land. When we think of all the horrific things done to black people during chattel slavery our bodies quiver with fear. However, we forget that the Native American watched his woman be raped, and his family die from sickness brought by the Europeans. He watched his people become addicted to substances, his name was changed, and not just his name but also his ethnicity. To this day we call Native Americans Indians because of a mistake that an idiot made. We keep this mistake going forth, Native Americans call themselves Indians even; similar to how African Americans call themselves nigger, they have embraced the term. Last but certainly not least the Native American was robbed of his land and certainly his culture. The history that they created prior to imperialism has long been erased and they are forced to live on reservations of land and lay dependent on the powers that be. Americas first experimentation with this Nigger concept was and is still in fact the Native American!

So many Niggers over the years, and I use this term loosely for this piece in hopes to articulate the construction of an underclass. That is what it is to be a nigger. Similar to the Untouchables in India, the term nigger is rooted in not only a need for superiority but a mindset entrenched in socio-economic slavery. The ability to legally strip people of the inalienable rights that our Constitution provides for them speaks not only to a power struggle but a constant reminder of who the boss is and what can happen if the system was ever to be questioned. The term Nigger, the concentration camps, the nooses, all of these symbols are objectifiable and measurable elements of what it means to be inferior but deeper than inferiority one must know their place. You see in 2050 the white majority will actually be the minority yet they need not worry because the hegemony and institutionalized racism have made all of the niggers fearful and afraid to jolt the status quo. Nigger is a term of fear; it’s a bastardizing moment in an ethnicities history that emotionally, physically, and mentally scars the people. This fear that is instilled takes over the mind yet keeps the body, the nigger is still used for their talents but their mind will never forget that moment and how much they never want to experience such a moment again.

Malcolm X once said “If you are a citizen, why do you have to fight for your civil rights, if you’re fighting for your civil rights that means you’re not a citizen”. Niggers are not citizens, at least for the time in which they are apart of the social construct of the term. That is why the Supreme Court allowed the Japanese to be placed in internment camps, that is why we allow our media and public officials of the law to bastardize the Islamic faith. That is why Native Americans are still relegated to plots of land on reservations in a country that they once owned and were illegally dispossessed of this land. So next tie you hear the term NIGGER, or you go out and purchase the upcoming album NIGGER by Nas, be aware that this term has nothing to do with a specific group of people and more to do with a concept of how to control different groups of people. How to make one fearful, and how to make another group feel superior thus always limiting the power of one and expanding upon the power of the other.

When the news shuts off

When the news shuts off
All the problems of the world fade away
No more thinking about
Blacks vs. browns and the war in LA
Dead mothers and sons
Resting back in Iraq
When the news shuts off
We’re not worried about that

When the news shuts off
All the problems of the world fade away
Remember hurricane Katrina
Oh I guess now all them people are ok
But I know that they’re not
But unfortunately this breaking news report
Isn’t about them and its not about you
It’s about the news and what sells to me and you
And what sells is only destruction
Framed as truth through blatant lies
I was a media major
Trust I see through their disguise

When the news shuts off
All the problems of the world fade away
Genocide what
In Darfur
NO WAY
Well why not ced
There’s people there dying everyday
I say no way
Because the news won’t tell me
And we the people
Of this united states
Love it
You know why
Because it doesn’t affect our day
Well turn the corporate news off
Turn your consciousness light on
It’s not a black or white thing
We’re all weathered through the storm

So when the news turns off
You’ve already been informed
That action is now
The news is for entertainment …. later on

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. Psalm 34: 15-20

Heaven!!!!!!! Talking bout heaven right here on earth. Stairway to heaven!!! Come on get ya shower sing on. You didn’t know I was in select chorus did you! Yessir, I was supposed to get the solo in 7th grade but they felt bad for another student. Alright I may be stretching the truth but I think I was supposed to get a solo. But here I am singing this oldie but goodie sending out this late message. Today’s C is the counselor. Often when we think of counselors we imagine that someone has a problem, that things are bad. However it may just be that a second opinion can make a world of difference.

None of us are meant to live this life alone and I am thankful for those in my life who I would call a counselor. Whether they are listening while I vent during tough times or just opening my eyes to something even greater during good times these people are essential because they help us grow. We get counsel from the Lord through prayer. His counsel may not come through your SPEAKERBOXX however it may come in the form of other people who were sent to guide you a certain way. It may come through a gut feeling or what have you. The point is the Lord is our redeemer, our ever present counselor. In fact I have found myself at times shying away from counsel because I was scared of what it would bring. All that does is cause more confusion within my spirit. I am thankful for the counselors in my life, as I’m sure you are too. Peace and Grace be unto you!

To be without a friend is to be poor indeed.

This piece comes to us from an intelligent young brother who is concerned about not only himself but the world around him. With a critical eye, he looks at the Sean Bell situation from the perspective that he too is Sean Bell. We must continue to encourage our youth to be brave and valiant in their efforts to speak out about injustices and to challenge the status quo. I AM VERY HAPPY TO SHARE THIS GENTLEMEN’S WORK WITH YOU.

THE CASKET

This casket I’m in.. Old and tarnished..

Made just for me…

Sun creeping away. My eyes now at the ends of my fingerprints..

The walls weak from holding my mass.

Patruly, pipe tobacco and camphor ripping my nostrils, leaking from these old worn out walls the stifling smell whispers to me..

Remember those old guys you used to call pop, uncle, grandpa..

Dead and gone…

Soon u might be comin’ along.

The world u livin in is da world they got killed in.

Life taken; stolen, buried and rewritten…

Jumped out he had a gun.  50 shots den he is done..

Blood spillin’ on dees brown hands screaming peace. Holding, white flags in the air.. Waving, screaming, PEACE..

Life taken stolen buried and rewritten..

See dis casket dat u in…. its drowned in da system.

Submerged in…. bleach, washing away the truth..

In waters subjective enough to leave not one speck of brown skin above it..

Suffocating……

Your head only sinks.

Ever wonder why the water is so black.

Can’t see past your brother. Your sister your pops.  ©ÙzzØ we all trapped in dis casket.. Dis one big box..

Tags tatted on da walls.. Olu  A.k.a…….

But what does your Aka stand for when I might not breathe another day.

What does your aka stand for in this casket of marked men?

Your aka is just a joke to them.

Its like smearing I’m a loser on a wall to them.

A marked man can’t speak.

And u are marked man. So pleaze believe.

Dat Ur word. Is powerful. If only in numbers.

If life gives u lemons den u have to make limes.

©ÙzzØ a marked mans words… Don’t fit between the lines.

A marked mans words don’t fit into the system.

©ÙzzØ a marked mans words come from a different tradition.

Pleaze listen cuzz a man will never be forgiven.

For changing a system. Dat da whole globe is livin’ in.

Oludare Bernard