The Black Informant

Turning up the heat

I found this article in the LA Times this morning…

Failing their own
Jonah Goldberg
March 30, 2006
Los Angeles Times

I’M THINKING of a cabal of radical legislators who don’t reflect the views of average Americans or even the interests of their own constituents. They use wedge issues, play the race card and push their party to the ideological extreme. They collude with outside activists, many of whom use religion as a Trojan horse for a radical political agenda.
Sound like those perennial paladins of villainy, the congressional GOP? Guess again. This is the Congressional Black Caucus.

The caucus lives in a fantasy in which it is the “conscience of the Congress.” Immune to the sort of scrutiny that many other groups receive, it has benefited from the soft bigotry of low expectations for decades. (more…)

Black history is everybody’s history…to use

First, the news…

GLAD and LMF reach out to African American community
Ethan Jacobs

“As part of their campaign to win marriage rights in Connecticut, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) and the grassroots coalition Love Makes a Family (LMF) have hired the Rev. John Selders to do outreach efforts to the state’s African American faith communities in support of marriage equality. Selders said his primary goal is to convince African American faith communities that the struggle for LGBT rights and specifically for marriage equality falls squarely within the black church’s long history of advocating for social justice.” (more…)

Okay, to the point–

If someone wants to be gay, then let them be. As I have discussed on this site in the More »

French youth find it hard to wean

After battling over an hour with an unusual slow connection, I was finally able to find a good article that explains the ongoing protests in France:

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At issue: a new law pushed through in the wee hours of Feb. 9 by the government of Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin that aims to reduce youth unemployment by making it easier for companies to lay off workers under the age of 26 during their first two years on the job.
While that sounds counter-intuitive, French business leaders have long complained that the country’s strict worker protections discourage them from hiring more. Villepin, seeking to reduce the nation’s double-digit youth unemployment, proposed an approach that he thought would lower the risk of taking on young workers. More »

Hmmmmm…

Los Angeles is a very Liberal city, but don’t take my word for it:

Los Angeles, CA is an extremely liberal city. Venice beach is a true liberal hangout where you will find that virtually every activity under the sun by anyone is permitted. Go down to Santa Monica, the bastion of economic liberalism, and you will see inexpensive rent control apartments right next to condos worth a fortune. The labor movement is alive and well at the Los Angeles/Long Beach port right adjacent to million dollar homes. A few miles north on Pacific Coast Highway is Malibu, home of the stars and studio executives–all very very liberal. West Hollywoods liberalism is balanced by the San Fernando Valley. Have fun in L.A., but remember to bring your car….for NO ONE WALKS IN L.A…..not even the liberals (Turn Left: The home of Liberalism on the web–www.tunleft.com)

> Conservatives/Republicans represent the rich portion of society 

L.A. County Has Most Millionaires In Nation

“Los Angeles County is home to about 262,800 millionaires — the most in any county nationwide — (more…)

>What about the poor?

There are enough homeless people in Los Angeles to fill the Kodak Theatre, home of tonight’s Academy Awards ceremony, 26 times over. For one night, Los Angeles is the capital of glamour and style, but it is the capital of homelessness every day of the year. (more…)

…and the beat goes on in the world of rhetoric.

More on ILLEGAL Immigration

From the White House (full .pdf file here)
The Third Element Is Creating A New Temporary Worker Program That Would Not Provide Amnesty. A temporary worker program would make the system more rational, orderly, and secure by providing a legal way to match willing foreign workers with willing American employers to fill jobs that no American is willing to do. Workers would be able to register for legal status on a temporary basis. If workers decided to apply for citizenship, they would have to get in line. This program would help meet the demands of our growing economy and allow honest workers to provide for their families while respecting the law.

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Living out here in SoCal, this issue is a hot one. After giving this issue a lot of thought and listening to the input of others across the media landscape, these questions come to mind: More »

Renewing their vows

Black couples renew vows to make statement
By Norm Parish
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Sunday, Mar. 26 2006

Wearing their Sunday best, Willie and Jane Wallace slowly marched along a
red-carpeted aisle before proudly stating their devotion to one another. But
they weren’t the only couple who retook the plunge Sunday at St. Peter AME
Church in St. Louis.

They were among 26 couples who restated their marriage vows as part of National
Black Marriage Day. The Wallaces were married 57 years ago. More »

Taking a closer look at the CBC: James E. Clyburn (D-SC)

The Honorable James E. Clyburn
South Carolina, 6th District
U.S. House of Representatives
2135 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-3315

Opensecrets.org data

Followthemoney.org data

Project Vote Smart data (click here for full list–excerpted below)

Abortion Issues

2005  Representative Clyburn supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 100 percent in 2005.

2004  Representative Clyburn supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 100 percent in 2004.

2003-2004  Representative Clyburn supported the interests of the National Right to Life Committee 9 percent in 2003-2004. More »

The sweetness of American milk

First, the news…

Latin leaders balk at US ‘wall’

By Danna Harman | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
NOGALES, MEXICO – Some envision a wall. Others, a fence - or even a “virtual” fence of cameras, lighting, and sensors along the US-Mexican border. Whatever form it will take, the US is discussing, planning, and, in some places, already building it - much to the fury and frustration of neighbors south of the border.

As Mexican President Vicente Fox prepares to meet Thursday with President Bush and Canada’s new prime minister More »

Taking ground in the real estate market

African-Americans gain ground in sales locally, nationally

By GARY T. PAKULSKI
BLADE BUSINESS WRITER

HOMES have always been sweet for Tammy Armstrong.
As a child pedalling down the streets of Toledo’s Old West End, she loved glancing through windows into the stately mansions with their marble floors and brightly lit rooms.
So it’s not surprising that, as an adult, she found her way into real estate. “I was always fascinated by houses,” said the 42-year-old mother of three who is with Whittington Group Realty. More »

1st Black Graduate Joins Elite Group (Washington Post)

By Nelson Hernandez
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 26, 2006; Page C06

When Wesley Brown first walked through the gates of the U.S. Naval Academy in 1945, a solitary black man in an all-white school, he hardly could have imagined that more than 60 years later, hundreds of people would pay him tribute by breaking ground on a building bearing his name.
Back then, he was simply interested in surviving. If the torrid Annapolis summer, the punishing physical exercise and the demands of a rigorous course of study were not enough, Brown also had to deal with the torments inflicted by bigoted upperclassmen who wanted him to fail.  (more…)

Add one cup of drama and stir

Now were back to calling them “refugees”

From CNN:

DALLAS, Texas (AP) — Young Hurricane Katrina refugees living in Texas scored considerably worse on a statewide standardized exam than Texas children, and thousands of them could be held back.

Up next,

DALLAS, Texas (AP) — Young black slaves living in Texas scored considerably worse on a statewide standardized exam than Texas children, and thousands of them could be held back.

In case you’re wondering…

Refugee - One who flees in search of refuge, as in times of war, political oppression, or religious persecution.

 

Two more of our babies are missing (3-26-06)

QUADREVION HENNING (Left) & PURVIS PARKER (Right) More »

Are you in a cult?

Forget those images of zombie-looking people who wear black robes and stand around a candle-lit pentagram, the behavior patterns of a cult can be seen in many religions. Does this mean that all religions are actually cults? Of course not, but if you see the following behavioral patterns in your church, mosque, synagogue, or any regular spiritual/religious gathering, you could very well be a part of a cult and not even know it. More »

The dangers of overcooking

Have you ever wondered the best way to eat food - raw, slightly cooked, moderately cooked or well done? Do you know that the way you prepare food can determine whether you can get all of the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids and simple sugars from your food? Although all of the nutrients might be in the food, if the food is cooked incorrectly the food will not digest and metabolize optimally. The nutrients become less available to the body.
There is enough evidence to show that the more food is cooked, the more difficult it is to digest and metabolize. The higher the temperature that food is cooked, the longer it stays in the gut. This makes it more difficult for the food to absorb and work on a cellular level where it needs to work.  (more from “How Cooked is Too Cooked?”)

Consumer tips 4 U

Website: www.chefmoz.org

What is it about?: Restaurant directory run by volunteer editors (a feature that I really like) ; part of the Open Directory Project. Solicits public submissions of restaurant entries and reviews. More »

Abdul Rahman is only a small piece of a larger issue

While mainstream media and many Republican politicians are responding to this issue regarding an Afghan man who is facing the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity, the long trend of Islamic persecution towards Christians is something that has been going on for a long time. Bring this fact up to some people and they will quickly remind you of the Crusades (a war between the Catholic church and Islam–big difference). Bring this issue up to black Muslims here in the states and you are almost sure to see a shift of topic in the conversation within the next breath. More »

Program that unites Blacks and Jews

WJZ) African-American students from St. Frances Academy in East Baltimore and students from Beth Tfiloh High School, in Pikesville, have come together to share their cultures.
On Wednesday, as part of an exchange program called BLEWS, sophomores from both schools met at Beth Tfiloh to learn about Purim, a Jewish holiday. Later, all students went to St. Frances, where they shared laughs while working in the community garden. They also spent part of the day learning how to make mosaics. (more…)

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The relationship between Blacks and Jews is one that has a very long history. It has only been recently that this relationship has hit some “bumps” (mainly here in the US). When I get the time, I will do a brief overview of this relationship through the years.

Speechless!

Bling Bling Barbie

Finally, the hydrogen-powered car is ready for production

MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - BMW intends to start serial production of a hydrogen-burning 7-Series executive car within two years, the world’s largest premium automaker said on Tuesday.
“We will present such a vehicle to the public in less than two years,” a spokesman said, confirming media reports. BMW had said last year its hydrogen-fuelled cars, which emit only water vapour, would make their debut in 2010.
BMW intends to build a few hundred such cars at first. They will be able to switch between burning standard gasoline and hydrogen so that drivers will not be left stranded while the infrastructure to deliver hydrogen is built up.  (more…)

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The only unfortunate thing here is that it will be a good while before this vehicle is affordable and hydrogen stations are accessible. If you think that oil companies are going to just give into this technology, think again. Bureaucracy we see to it that this technology does not fully enter the mainstream anytime soon.

The “Widowhood effect”

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Research has long shown that older adults face a higher risk of death soon after losing a spouse. But a new study suggests that while the phenomenon affects white spouses, the same is not true of black spouses.
In an analysis of data on more than 400,000 older married couples in the U.S., researchers found that the death of a spouse appeared to substantially increase a white person’s risk of dying — particularly in the months shortly after the loss. More »