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Tim Wise: Imagine If The Tea Party Was Black

Here’s an interesting and provocative post by our friend, Tim Wise.

What if the Tea Party was Black? Would they get away with half the stunts they’ve pulled at rallies?

“Imagine if the Tea Party Was Black” – Tim Wise

Let’s play a game, shall we?

The name of the game is called “Imagine.” The way it’s played is simple: we’ll envision recent happenings in the news, but then change them up a bit. Instead of envisioning white people as the main actors in the scenes we’ll conjure – the ones who are driving the action – we’ll envision black folks or other people of color instead. The object of the game is to imagine the public reaction to the events or incidents, if the main actors were of color, rather than white. Whoever gains the most insight into the workings of race in America, at the end of the game, wins.

So let’s begin.

Imagine that hundreds of black protesters were to descend upon Washington DC and Northern Virginia, just a few miles from the Capitol and White House, armed with AK-47s, assorted handguns, and ammunition. And imagine that some of these protesters —the black protesters — spoke of the need for political revolution, and possibly even armed conflict in the event that laws they didn’t like were enforced by the government? Would these protester — these black protesters with guns — be seen as brave defenders of the Second Amendment, or would they be viewed by most whites as a danger to the republic? What if they were Arab-Americans? Because, after all, that’s what happened recently when white gun enthusiasts descended upon the nation’s capital, arms in hand, and verbally announced their readiness to make war on the country’s political leaders if the need arose. Continue reading

Love TKO: RIP – Teddy Pendergrass

Now Playing: Love TKO – Nadir’s Distorted Soul Live at Memphis Smoke

Teddy Pendergrass was a giant among men. An amazing singer, and charismatic performer, he provided even greater inspiration when he returned to music making and performing after a tragic car accident left him paralyzed. His strength and courage is an example to all of us as we deal with whatever trials and tribulations come into our lives.

Rest in Peace, Teddy. We love you and will miss you.

“Love TKO” is my favorite Teddy song, and one of my favorite songs period. I’ve been performing it for years, always doing my best to live up to Teddy’s powerful vocals. I’ve never quite made it, but I sure have fun making the attempt.

In tribute to Mr. Pendergrass: Love TKO – Nadir’s Distorted Soul Live at Memphis Smoke
Click to Listen/Right-Click to Download and Share

“Sing along if you know the words!”

Why Music is Like an Addiction…and Why I Will Never Quit

Check out Nadir’s guest blog on GetSigned.com

My name is Nadir, and I’m an addict. I’ve been addicted to playing music for a very long time. And being addicted to music is like being addicted to crack.

Okay. I’ll confess. I’ve never smoked crack.

But the rush of being onstage… When I’ve got the mic in my hand, and the band is killing it, I am high. At that very moment I am completely myself. Not acting or posing for the crowd, but telling my story, singing from the depths of my soul. There’s nothing like it except…

Read the Rest of the Article HERE

What is Nu Soul? – Nadir Explains on GrokMusic.com

What in the world is “Nu Soul”? Is it the same as “Neo Soul”? How is it different from regular old “Soul”?

Great questions, and Nadir helps clear up the confusion in a series of articles for GrokMusic.com.


Anthony Hamilton – “Charlene”

GrokMusic.com guides you to new music by bringing together the best of technology and human driven content filtering, with the help of:

  1. The GrokMusic GPS. With either the GrokMusicMap or SuggestArtists both built on the preferences of hundreds of thousands of users like you – users are able to chart their own course to find music they love.
  2. Reviews and articles from experienced music fans and industry insiders.
  3. Hand-selected, recommended samples by genre, immediately available for purchase via Amazon.com or iTunes.
The publishers of GrokMusic asked Nadir to offer its viewers a primer to Nu Soul/Neo Soul music, and he kicked the facts with a quick history lesson and some suggested listening. Continue reading

Drowning in the Politics of Torture

Now playing:
Guantanamo by Nadir’s Distorted Soul

Let’s make this torture debate absolutely clear:  I’ve got cousins, a good friend and a nephew who are all in the military.  If any of them was captured on the battlefield and tortured, I would want the lower level interrogators who committed the act to be prosecuted and convicted of war crimes.  I would want the high level officials who authorized the use of illegal methods (not enhanced interrogation – TORTURE) to be prosecuted and convicted of war crimes.

This is not politics.  This is justice.

As mainstream media talking heads like Joe Scarborough and John Meachum do their best to dissuade the public from demanding that Attorney General Eric Holder do the right thing, the rest of us should not lose sight of the principles that are supposed to be  the foundation of this nation: that all men – including alleged Islamic radicals, prisoners of war, members of Congress and US presidents – are ALL created equal, should enjoy the same rights and deserve the same punishment for their crimes.

How is this debatable?  The law is the law, right?

Well, apparently not in the United States. Continue reading

Ron Paul Weighs in on Somalia

Jesse Benton of Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty forwards this statement from the former presidential candidate.

In light of the danger American ships face, and with the Obama Administration now considering military action against pirates in Somalia, I thought you might enjoy Dr. Paul’s new video on the subject.

He argues that:

1) Intervention in the regional has added to the instability the breeds pirates

2) The United States should consider a constitutional approach to the situation, such as Marque and Reprisal, where shipping companies are allowed to defend themselves.

3) The U.S. should not take this as an opportunity to expand overseas military spending the Middle East.

He raises some interesting points.   Your thoughts?

The Other Side of Somalia’s Story

We’ve heard a lot about Somalia in the mainstream press over the last couple of weeks with talk of pirates near the Horn of Africa, and mortar shells being lobbed at US Congressmen.  But a different side of the story has emerged in the independent media.

Somalia is one of the poorest nations on earth, but with ships carrying 20 percent of the world’s oil supply sailing near its waters, the country is of great strategic importance to an oil addicted global society.  Because there is no central government, different warring factions have struggled for control of Somalia, its territories and most importantly its coastline for nearly 20 years.

Johann Hari tells us We’re Being Lied To About Pirates in the Independent UK.  He reveals a different story about life in Somalia, and the motives for some of the people who are labeled “pirates”.

In 1991, the government of Somalia collapsed. Its nine million people have been teetering on starvation ever since – and the ugliest forces in the Western world have seen this as a great opportunity to steal the country’s food supply and dump our nuclear waste in their seas.

Yes: nuclear waste. As soon as the government was gone, mysterious European ships started appearing off the coast of Somalia, dumping vast barrels into the ocean. The coastal population began to sicken. At first they suffered strange rashes, nausea and malformed babies. Then, after the 2005 tsunami, hundreds of the dumped and leaking barrels washed up on shore. People began to suffer from radiation sickness, and more than 300 died.

Read the rest of Hari’s article HERE.

Somalian rapper Knaan offers some additional insight into the lives of everyday Somalians in this multi-part interview with our friend, Davey D.

Knaan Talks about Somali pirates &terrorists pt1

Continue reading

The Mis-Education System: Schools Suck On Purpose

NOW PLAYING:
Conspiracy (featuring Rev) [explicit lyrics]
from Distorted Soul 2.0

“When you control a man’s thinking you do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder.  He will find his ‘proper place’ and will stay in it.  You do not need to send him to the back door.  He will go without being told.  In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit.  His education makes it necessary.” – Carter G. Woodson from The Miseducation of The Negro

Our friends at Playahata.com reposted this blog by Patrick Grimm of Zionist Watch which first appeared on News From The West.  Despite the obviously racist and Anti-Semetic views of News From the West, AND the lack of documentation available for the information in this particular post, the article raises some interesting points that are timely in light of Barack Obama’s recent education policy speech.

According to Grimm the failures of the U.S. education system are not only systemic, they are intentional.  Many of us have wondered why the supposedly “educated” people who run our schools would have developed such a mind-numbing, creativity-draining learning process.  Furthermore, why do they keep using it when there is so much evidence that it doesn’t work?  The answer?  It’s all on purpose.

Let’s face it.  School is boring and stupid.  They don’t really teach you what you want or need to know to make a living.  Those of us who have grown into educated, scholarly people have done so most often in spite of our schooling rather than as a result of it.

Our public schools especially are designed to emulate an manufacturing facility, and the schools themselves are factories.  They use an assembly line process to manufacture docile, unambitious workers who are ready to go straight from secondary school to the plant floor.  Is there any wonder that in a world where knowledge of technology and science – not to mention creativity and critical thinking – are nearly essential, the United States lags behind?

Read the post below.  We’ll have discussion afterward, and yes, there will be a quiz.

The Educational System Was Designed to Keep Us Uneducated and Docile Continue reading

The Great Disruption, Deception, Dismay?


NOW PLAYING:
Workin’ For the Man
(Badmitten’s Workin’ Overtime Mix)

We can’t even pretend that the current global crisis isn’t real – we’ve been suffering a harsh reality in Michigan for a long time – but, much of the insanity that is going on could be lessened if we could manage a lot less greed and a little more common sense. Over lunch yesterday, my friend, Carmen (not her real name) relayed a story that offers a striking example.

Last fall Carmen was laid off from her job at Ford after 22 years of service. Like many others, she’s had trouble finding a new job, and for now is surviving on her severance package and work as a freelance creative.

In an effort to be responsible, Carmen called her credit union to refinance her mortgage. She’s only four years away from paying off the house she and her ex-husband bought years ago. Her hope was to negotiate a lower payment so she can keep her home for as long as possible. She recognizes that she has an obligation to pay, and wants to handle the situation while it’s manageable.

The loan officer told Carmen there is nothing they can do for her. Why? They can’t refinance and lower her payments because she doesn’t have a job.

Has the world gone crazy or what?
Continue reading

Investigate Bush War Crimes Next

NOW PLAYING:

Nadir & Rev – Is That What You Wanted?!
DJ Butterface Casio Funk Radio Edit

With the International Criminal Court’s unprecedented warrant for sitting Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, the stage is set for the indictment of George W. Bush for war crimes.  The Bush administration is unapologetic about their violations of US and international laws.   But according to the Associated Press:

The prospect of the court ever trying Bush is considered extremely remote, however.

The US Government does not recognise the court and the only other way Bush could be investigated is if the Security Council were to order it, something unlikely to happen with Washington a veto-wielding permanent member.  – AP

Senator Patrick Leahy has called for a Truth & Reconciliation Commission so we can learn exactly what happened during the eight years of Bush’s presidency.

I couldn’t agree more.  The president has admitted to spying on U.S. citizens, and torturing prisoners who are being held without charge.  If those are the crimes they will confess, can you imagine what they AREN’T telling us about?

Continue reading

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