Chronicle of the Liberator (Paperback)By Ronald T. JonesAugust 15, 2004Iuniverse$12.95Ronald T. Jones’ Chronicle of the Liberator is a thrilling science fiction read. Ronald definitely captured the true essence of a military sci-fi story with this story.Chronicle of the Liberator is about Thomas Richard Jackson, a mild-manner man living a boring life, who breathes the spirit of low self-esteem. One day, during a horrific episode, which highlights his meekness, he is snatched from Earth and transported across the universe onto a ship. There he befriends an alien, Likir, and Likir’s servant, Coowald. Likir tells Thomas that he is destined to save Earth. However to do it, Thomas must assassinate a great and powerful leader of an interstellar empire. Together, in order to build his mind, body and spirit into a warrior, Likir and Coowald train Thomas in military fighting, leadership and strategic planning. Soon after, Likir tests Thomas in a live-fire exercise, which stresses Thomas to the breaking point. The knowledge that he must survive so he can save Earth, fuels him to keep going.Chronicle of the Liberator is a self-awakening story, showing playing it safe in the journey of life isn’t really living. Ronald lightly seeds Thomas’ character with internal and external prominence and like a master, magnificently steers the reader through ebbs, swirls and surges of his growth. Ronald designs a powerful backdrop of believable military campaigns, battles and techniques in which Thomas thrives and eventually leads to his rebirth as a battle-tested combat-forged leader. Watching this unfold in the pages of this book was both enjoyable and heart-wrenching at times.I enjoyed reading the battle scenes and compared the combat strategies to present day teachings. As a military veteran, experience in military planning and strategy, I found this book to be on target. I recommend this book to all sci-fi enthusiasts, but especially those with a penchant for military sci-fi.Malcolm “RAGE” Pettewaywww.ragebooks.nethttp://malpetteway.blogspot.com/http://osguards.com/Read more…
Posted by Bilqis Widjan on December 6, 2009 at 8:30pm
Well besides weilding crochet hooks like they are bop guns, I tend to dabble in dance and poetry. Since this is a share and critique group, I thought I would post my most recent poem on this site... This was written on Saturday...enjoyMorpheusHey, hey mister dream merchantCome from your shadowsWhisper midnight secrets in my earsSpin my bitter reality into a sweet dreamSing sweet lullabies, your ancient hymnsTo soothe my ravaged soul,Silence the cacophony of dayTake the stars in your eyes andHang them from the moonAnd bring illumination to my nightMold the space in my mind until I can traverseThrough space and timeTo places unknown by mere mortalsBut known by you@KLW 12/5/09
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Mr. Bernard Bayard, Instructor of ESL and Bilingual (French) Studies wrote on 12/2/09. “Storms of the Orisha is a riveting cultural expose. Deborah Hendricks is a young African-American woman caught in a whirlpool of ancestral identity crisis. She, like so many others, is in a desperate search to fill a void for self-expression. What she experiences is a constant and tragic struggle between good and evil. Her transcendence to become Adesanya Fayemi Olatunde and giving birth to a divine baby girl, Sikoya brings her nothing but pain, betrayal, and cruel treatment.Storms of the Orisha is a masterpiece carved by the author. He has kept true to cultural aspects and presents them with sincerity and undeniable authenticity. I would recommend, without reservation, this book to anyone interested in learning about cultural diversity within the Afri-centric diaspora.Mr. Oloye Karade is explosive. He writes in a vivid, picturesque, and sometimes bedeviled prose that keeps the reader completely absorbed. The novel keeps you guessing, predicting, and hoping only to be hit with the unexpected (an enjoyable quality of the book).Note: Storms of the Orisha may be purchased at Amazon.com or Seaburn Publishers.com.
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I know this is not technically a sci-fi book but the occult sciences themselves are considered fiction to many.This is my first baby due to come out Summer 2010...Then look for my ScienceFantacy books to follow...Oh I am loving the site...thanks AdminBook ofSacred MetaphysicsCome Back to Her B.O.S.M : The GoddessThe first hands on and practical, Book of Shadows:For the Conscious Modern Black Woman Practicing Metaphysics-By TakayuI ~ Introduction- My Goddess Given Birth Write ~1) Water Magick:Dedicated to Mother Tefnut (learning to flow): Here you get to rediscover whom your inner goddessis as well as heal the wounds of your inner child through journals, positive affirmations, and visualizationbecause this is Your Goddess Given Birth Write. Right!Who is the Goddess?Types of Goddess EnergyHealing your Inner GoddessNurturing Goddess Energy2) Air Magick:Dedicated to Mother Auset (releasing burden): Float on the winds of intuition and knowingwith your sacred sensory perceptions also known as extra sensory perceptions.Clear VisionClear HearingClear Feeling3) Earth Magick:Dedicated to Mother Maat (bringing balance to life): This is what is termed Sacred "Maata Physics" or"Sacred Metaphysics" The science of creating balance in one's life by use of metaphysics.9 attributes of a Sacred Metaphysical SisterColor MagickElemental Magick4) Fire Magick:Dedicated to Mother Bast (finding your passion): Personalized section for your particular herbs, aromas,spells,rituals,goddesses, nurturing practices and your specialized craft. "My Sacred Metaphysics"Goddess Spells and RitualsMy Herbs and AromasMy Sacred CrystalsMy Spells and RitualsMy Sacred GoddessesMy Sacred NurturingII ~Glossary of Metaphysical Terms ~III~References~I.~Introduction ~My Goddess Given Birth Write~This personalized sacred book is a delicate blend of Ancient Egypt,Extra Sensory Perceptions and Metaphysics, creating a form of modern day Magick called Sacred Metaphysics. If you do not relate to Egypt by all means call on and express your infinite consciousness with the energy that feels right to you, after all, it is your “Goddess Given Birth Write”. This coin phrase is packed with meaning simply because your Goddess Given Birth Write means that you have the right to re-write your life however you choose. It also means to me personally that I have a right to write. I have the divine right to express infinite consciousness through me in the form of poetry and this book. So, please join me in this journey from Mortal to Sacred Meta-physician.So what exactly is metaphysics? Metaphysics is a branch of science that deals with the nature of reality and states of being or existing or (not existing). According to Metaphysics all is a form of energy in a state of existing: we are energy in a condensed form termed matter. Deep in the core of your being you know why you are existing, the only problem is we are suffering a severe case of amnesia. Do you exist to continually search, yearn, and strive for a particular goal or outcome? Do you exist for a purpose? or are you already the purpose? Does this constant searching open doors to answers of only further formulates more questions, therefore taking you deeper into the " rabbit hole". Are you the door? Are you the key? Did it ever occur to you that you exist simply because you exist. I am that I am. I am, I was, and I always will be a continual flow of energy in a state of existence. Ponder on that statement for a long moment and you will see time stand still. In existing you enable your energy to be free to allow consciousness to flow through you freely by following your intuition and knowing.This book is designed to aid you in knowing again, hearing your inner voice,trusting your intuition and reclaiming your Goddess given birth right. Let's take the word metaphysics and add sacred in front of it and get the following definition that describes all of our ancient sciences into one modernized term called Sacred Metaphysics. The great thing about it is, it can be what ever you feel comfortable with. I present to you Sacred Metaphysics as an alternative for Women who feel trapped in religious indoctrinations and stereotypes and wish to take back control of their spirituality and their Goddess-ness or Goddess Nest a place or sanctuary to develop your goddess qualities.~Who is TAKAYU?~My spiritual or alter ego is, Takayu which means Earth Spirit, was given to me by my spiritual teacher and I attached Bast to it because I feel the energy of this ancient deity guiding my pen, aiding my upliftment and urging me to inspire others to express their infinite consciousness.We all know who we are, however, we have just forgotten. In my awaking, I saw my signs and I used to take them lightly but now I reflect on them and piece them together. I do believe that there are no coincidences or strange occurrences there is meaning in it all. Like the time I found a charm of a cat shortly after I had a dream of Bast the ancient egyptian female cat headed deity, I will elaborate on that later, not to mention the fact that my zodiac sign is Leo and Chinese Astrology is Tiger. Coincidence? I think not, I believe it all has meaning.I was born to a family whose roots are from West Africa, Liberia to be exact, and raised in NJ. I went to catholic school from kindergarten till I graduated from high school. During my childhood years I was strongly attracted to the “supernatural”. I attracted a best friend that I am pretty sure was a witch. I use to visit her and my intuition would tell me the energy was different but, my senses had been so overly pacified I was not fully aware. She use to confide in me about her supernatural experiences and I was the only one who would really be interested and believed her. She showed me pictures of ghosts that were captured on film in her home or her stories of how she felt a tugging at her bed at night. I am not for sure what they were into but I am pretty sure her and her mom were into something metaphysical. I just observed until later on in life.Basically,I learned about my higher senses on my own. I started discovering my intuitive powers when I would loose objects and when frustrated I couldn’t find it, I would feel for it’s energy. This worked most of the time. I also have premonitions from time to time. What my mom would call having a “Good Head” like my Grandmother. I often dream of someone and find out that what I dream is true or comes true. My ancestors communicate with me this way as well. My strongest aspect is mind transference. If I didn’t want someone to bring up a topic I would be sure not to think of it too hard. When I realized I was transferring my thoughts I would just play with it. I tested it many times. For instance this is a fun game to do when you are just out waiting for a bus or something, pick a spot on a person like their head and just focus on it(try not to draw attention to you) and I guarantee at least 8 out of 10 times that person will do something like scratch their head or turn around. They will feel it in some way. I was noticing when I focused on a specific thought that with no doubt someone would mention something pertaining to it. I also know like anything else if you don’t use it you loose it. This is the main reason why alot of people chalk it up as just coincidence. Your intuition and mind power needs to be exercised like everything else. If you stop drawing at kindergarten I doubt that you will be able to produce a artistic masterpiece at age thirty without practice.Anyway, time went on and I became a teenager still questioning things in my mind and egar to experience life, I became a hip hop junkie and even briefly pursued a rapping career due to my passion to share information through music. I got side tracked when an eloquent speaking rough around the edges young man intrigued me with his words of higher learning by showing me many contradiction in the bible. Oh I didn't mention I started to get heavy into Christianity because it was the only spirituality I knew at the time. I then began to study and study, until I realized that the book that had been a foundation for so many years and was happily handed to me as a "life saving tool" had fallacies. I was quite devastated to say the least. I then learned "Right Knowledge" for several years and raised my consciousness to a great degree. During the beginning of the Millennium that same period I acquired a Clinical Laboratory Degree as well as Certification as a Natural Health Consultant enabling me to give Online Herbal Advise for several years under the name Herbalists Takkiyah on www.allexperts.com . I continued to enjoy delving into many metaphysical topics, until, I had an inspiration to create a sacred sisterhood for conscious black women, out of a desire to build with my sacred sisters. This inspiration came out of my growth from religion to metaphysics and occult sciences. However, that idea did not come to realization till several years later when I ran into an online social network provider called www.NING.com which enabled me to connect and create Sacred Metaphysical Sisters.I soon came to realize that I possess my own reality of thinking. There is no absolute reality ,you see, we create it on a daily basis as you think it you create it. It is very much like writing a virtual book where you are the main actress. This is the thought I like to call "Writing your Destiny and Living it" We each are little universes, you being the sun and your thoughts are different planets, so constantly revolving around you are the gravitational pulls of these thought planets. Any moment you start thinking different you change the atmosphere of your universe for better or worst. With these realizations I accepted that all religions and schools of thoughts are planets that you visit and remaining in only one keeps you in a "box" or traps you in that particular universe of thoughts; unlike dealing in Sacred Metaphysics you adhere to the metaphysical laws of the universal mind also known as the All or Mass Consciousness and start creating at will your own reality. It sounds very simple in theory,however, it takes time,patience and practice to re-wire your brain but it can be done.Regardless of my conscious awareness, my West African roots couldn’t teach me much by way of Metaphysics, my family is also predominately Christian and that was not considered "normal" to believe in metaphysical occurrences unless “God” created it. My parents made it quite clear that anything other than Christianity was “Evil”. Some religious fanatics feel they have been given the unalienable rights to decide why you choose to be born. My soul yearned for more, for answers that were apparently not being answered by Christianity. I questioned and was labeled everything from a devil to an anti-Christ by those closest to me. Why? Simply because what had be forced fed to me was not digesting well? I was nauseated by the food poisoning and my soul was seeking a cure. This was the same if not worst than being physically restrained and not allowed to grow. But little do they know you can't keep an ancestry hidden that is encoded and encrypted in your DNA waiting to be unlocked only by YOU!! It was not until I learned to KNOW that my true Goddess self began to unfold. I urge you to allow your true goddess selves to unfold as you read this book; reawaken her because our elevation depends on coming back to her B.O.S.M
The Age of the New Politics: 2010 MARKS THE TRUE BEGINNING OF A NEW PROGRESSIVE POLITICS IN THE THAT IS AT THE SAME TIME INTELLIGENT, MUSCULAR, EMPATHETIC AND DOMINATING THE COURSE OF OUR COUNTRY. ARE YOU ON BOARD WITHN THE NEW PROGRESSIVISM? ARE YOU READY TO LEAD IN THE 21ST CENTURY?The New Military Policy - How our overall military policy is the prototype for the new Progressive ideal.The New Social Policy - Healthcare and jobs; how the new Progressive policy supports stability and expansion.The Policies on Crime - The execution of Bobby Woods - When a person's IQ is significantly below average, should they be subject to the death penalty? How does the New Progressive policy deal with gray area crime prevention and protection of human rights?Join us Saturday Night at 9pm CST on In Like Flynn at 718/508-9683 to share your thoughts on this issue or join us in the Chat Room. We'll talk war, policy and what this all means in the grand scheme of things.
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Landisium curaBy: William LandisThe plant Landisium cura was an annual plant native to the West African island of Madagascar. The plantwas known for its ability to cure the common cold. The plant produced extremely high amounts ofvitamins C and D which have been proven to combat the common cold. It survived in the gently acidic highorganic matter soils of the Madagascar tropical rainforest.Landisium Cura commonly known as the “Cure Cold” plant was discovered on an expedition into junglesof Madagascar in which members of the expedition were taken captive by a tribe with limited contact tocivilization. Much of the expedition was slaughtered in ritual sacrifice until they came upon a member ofthe expedition who had contracted the cold before leaving for the trip. The tribe’s witch doctor made a teafrom the Common Cold plant and gave it to the sick man. The very next day the sick man was feelingbetter and the witch doctor then proceeded to sacrifice the man to the tribe’s goddess of good medicineTylenolarius.The last remaining members of the expedition were able to escape from the murderous, and primitive tribeby going to tribal airport, and booking the next flight to JFK international airport. With them they took asmany specimens of the plant as they could gather, and in respect to their deceased friends they sold themiracle plant to the highest bidder, and got paid beyond their wildest dreams.The pharmaceutical company then set up locations in Madagascar to procure more of the miracle plants.In the process they wiped out the primitive tribe that the expedition had encountered, and all the peacefultribes in the area, and overthrowing the government in a bloody coup that sent the country into a decadeof civil war.The pharmaceutical company then proceeded to produce a herbicide that would wipe out all Landisiumcura plants because it deemed it would not be profitable for the company to produce a cure for thecommon cold but a treatment. They succeeded in doing so, and also wiping out much of the flora andfauna of the island as an “unforeseen” consequence.
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Posted by Anne Gray on November 30, 2009 at 3:00pm
My fiance and I are running for TAFF, the Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund. As a fundraiser for the fund, we got together with our fellow candidate, Frank Wu, and organized a few auctions for the fan fund.I asked a number of authors I know to donate "Tuclerizations" to the auction - to offer to use the name of the fan who wins the auction in an upcoming novel or short story. I am very excited that Nalo Hopkinson is one of the authors who agreed to donate to this. I hope lots of people bid and pass the word on so it gets attention.The auction is here.
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Hey BSFS Fam:Immortal has been converted into several types of e-books on smashwords, and is available for purchase. Here's the link: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ValjeanneJeffersAnd if anybody needs help getting their book through "the meatgrinder" (conversion process) I'll be happy to share my knowledge -- limited though it may be (smile).
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African American actress Dorothy Dandridge also became a casualty of the so-called "Problem Era" (1940s-1950s). Like Hazel Scott, Dorothy Dandridge came to Hollywood with a successful singing career behind her. But she desperately wanted to be film star. By the age of 42, she would be dead.One of Dandriges's best know roles is that of "Carmen" in the Black screen opera Carmen Jones (1954). A flamboyant, passionate siren Carmen seduces Harry Belafonte and, after getting him into serious trouble, goes away with another man (Leab, 1975; p. 203).Obviously though Carmen Jones was marketed as new and daring it was really only a reworking of the myth of the Black woman as Jezebel, dressed up in a shiny new package. As the great James Baldwin observed, the movie, "leaned very heavily on a certain lack of inhibition taken to be typical of Negros" (Leab, 1975; p. 201).Just consider Carmen's opening musical number, which she sings while wearing as sexy an outfit as the production code would allow:Love ain't nobody's angel childAnd he won't pay any mind to you...You go for me and I'm tabooBut if you're hard to get, I go for youAnd if I do than you are through... (Leab, 1975; p. 206).Let's stop here for a minute and consider, if love's not an angel than what is she (he)? And why is Carmen taboo? The message of Carmen Jones, of all films with this type of symbolism, is that when one pursues love and sexual passion, one is courting disaster. This is the control mechanism of our culture --the mechanism that functions to keep men and women apart. At odds. At one another's throats.When I first sat down to watch Carmen Jones I thought: "How bad can this be?" Believe me, it's that bad. The acting is marvelous, as is the music, but Carmen is the lover from hell. She annouces in song that as soon as a man falls in love with her she loses interest: "once I got you...I go my way." (Carmen Jones, 1954). This alone is bad enough, but Carmen does more to "Joe" (Harry Belafonte) than seduce him and leave him. She convinces him to desert his military post, breaks up his engagment, and destroys his chances of ever going to pilot school.If controlling a "roaring sexy woman" (Woods, 1975) was the ultimate in male fantasy then the double crossing sexpot was that fantasy turned nightmare -- the nightmare of the incredible, insatiable man-eating p---y, and of male powerlessness: a nightmare that was played out again, again in Hollywood's dreamland.Copyright Valjeanne Jeffers-Thompson 1997, 2009 all rights reserved
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Passion leads inevitably to murder:it cannot be extricated from death.Passion will destroy domestic security,just as surely as domesticity will smotherit. There is no possibility of union, nohaving it both ways. One must chose.Either/or. Passion or home (Conlon, 1988; p.153).Passion is death. Or so said mainstream media during the 1980s. This why film characters were not allowedto enjoy sex without paying for it -- often with their lives.This is the virgin-whore mythology at work: the censorship of passion and sexual love in our culture. This is what is used to control both men and women -- to keep them ever pursing the nymph that can never be captured. And this censorship unites with racism and sexism to keep us apart from one another.There were many films this during the 1980 -- films like A Married Man, in which a mistress (whore) murders her lover's wife (virgin).Yet this mythic beast had many other disguises as it twirled its tenacles through our culture. One such guise was the beauty backlash (Wolf, 1991). The media has always used the fear of ugliness to control women. But during the 1980s, beauty became a national obssession. Popular culture taught women that to feel loved, sexual, to have a man, to have an orgasm they had to be beautiful: so said videos, films and magazines while cosmetic revenues soared.For men the attack was different:When aimed at men it's effect is useful inkeeping them from finding peace insexual love. The fleeting chimera ofthe airbrushed centerfold, alwaysreceding before him keeps the manalways in pursuit, unable to focus onthe beauty of the woman -- known, lined,familiar -- who hands him the paperevery morning (Wolf, 1991; p. 145).Copyright Valjeanne Jeffers-Thompson 1997, 2009 all rights reserved
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This charming composition is an example of Rap songs that became popular during the late 80s:Now do we love them 'hos?Hell naw!Why is that?Because you're Snoop Doggy DogAnd you never gave a f**k about a b**ch'Cause to you b***ches ain't s**t but 'hos and tricksBig Pimpin Snoop Doggy DogHence if political commentary was made, Black women were not active participants. They were window dressing -- like the cigars Rappers smoked, the gold wathces they wore and the cars they drove.Can the devaluation of Black women be separated from the media's attack upon all women? Can the Rap's glorification of Black-on-Black violence be separated from the escalation of crime in the African American community? I maintain that Rap is the figure against popular culture's background.Having said thus, I will say that Rap is controlled and censored by a music industry that gets to say which musician's tracks gets played most often (something my son Toussaint explained as "heavy rotation") or if they get played at all. And there are positive Hip Hop artists out there who stubbornly refuse to be bought out -- artists like NAS, Common and K-OS.Yet one cannot ignore the participation of various musicians in the cultural brainwashing of their own people, and I am reminded that during slavery there were slaves who sold out their own brothers and sisters. You feel me knocking?Copyright Valjeanne Jeffers-Thompson 1997, 2009
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Okay. First things first, this post is going to include a big phat SPOILER. So this is your official SPOILER alert. If you don't want to hear about the ending of this movie, stop reading, go away, get out of here now! After this however, abandon all ye hope! So...moving on...Saw this flick over the Thankstaking holidays, part of family ritual and my Pops loves this kind of thing. Wasn't going to see it because I just thought it'd be a silly blockbuster--even though the apocalyptic scenes looked great. But, I gotta admit, this flick wasn't so bad. As far as science goes--not to mention anthropology (butchering Mayan belief systems)--it was laughable. And the heroes defy the odds of imminent destruction so often they are evolutionary wonders. But, perhaps it won me over because I was surprised that they had a black character of depth (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who plays a scientist--not a military guy or the sidekick, but the actual brainiac. Yes there was a typical black president at the end-of-the-world (a running theme in Hollywood) but even he was given a differing role. What did annoy me about the movie was that except for the Chinese and Japanese, no other country populated mostly by people of color made the survival list. Even when they're saving "humanity's culture," it's the Mona Lisa and Michaelango's David that you see--nada else I can remember. There's an explanation for this a bit at the end, which fits nicely into the plot, that it's mostly the wealthy (and hence wealthy nations) that get to select who lives or dies. The "poor South" or "Third World," where most of humanity lives, is left to die in the massive upheaval--even if some of them are the smartest people on the planet, as is shown through a graphic scene in India. As for Africa--in what has become typical for these flicks, the entire continent does a disappearing act. Who doesn't remember Independence Day, when Africa is represented by two half-nude Maasai children walking through tall grass, to gaze at the wreckage of alien ships, not a hint of modernity about them. So just when I thought about the only thing directly from Africa in this flick would be the elephants and giraffes to be preserved aboard the "arks" with the fortunate few of humanity, the ending leaves a surprise.The only continent left on Earth is...Africa. And as the film ends, and pans away, the several hundred thousand survivors of the apocalypse are seen heading towards it, to begin anew. Following The Day After Tommorrow, where the survivors of the "First World" are sent scurrying to live in dependency on their once scorned neighbors of the global south, this is the second apocalyptic flick with this theme.So here's my question--what the heck happened to Africa? Was there upheaval there too? Was it "wiped clean" of it's inhabitants so that others could come settle? That's a disturbing thought rife with colonialist sentiment. But then I recall, the images they showed of the continent had familar swaths of green, which would be vegetation that could not have survived the floods that consumed the rest of the planet. So does this mean Africa went mostly untouched? Did most of its population and culture and ecosystems survive? And will the continent now have to contend with the arrival of the most recent colonizers of what is left of the industrial world? That'd make for a heck of a sequel--"2013- The Scramble for Africa." Fanfaction anyone?Your thoughts if you got em'...
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"The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house." Audre Lorde ( from Yearning bell hooks,1991)Hip Hop was born during one of the many nadirs of the modern Black experience, just as the Spirituals were born during slavery. During the mid-70s through the 1980s as Reganomics took hold the rage, pain and frustration of Urban American gave birth to Rap. "When you're all wrapped up and frustrated you gotta try and get it out..." (Jazzmatazz, 1993).Certainly this was not unique to the Black experience. During slavery African Americans sang Sprituals: the code of the Underground Railroad. And Black Folks created the Blues: the cultural mother of Jazz, R & B and Rock n' Roll. This Blues homespace spoke through the powerful, throbbing Mississippi voice of Muddy Waters declaring manhood in an age where all Black men were "boys" and women "gals."Sitting on the outsideJust me 'n my mateI made the moonCome up two hours lateWhatn' that a man?Mannish Boy Muddy WatersFrom these roots, Rap evolved as the voice of the poor, the outsider, the imprisoned and built a homespace in America's urban ghettos. It is this voice one hears in Queen Latifah's rhythms-- the voice of a Sister standing her ground in a society where women of color have always been third best.The ladies will kick it, the rhythm is wickedThose who don't know how to be pros get evictedA woman can bear you, break you, make you...Ladies First, Queen Latifah (Tricia Rose Black Noise 1994)It is this voice one hears in GURU's vivid portrait of povety and crime in New York City.This is a New York Transit thingDon't wear too much gold and hide your diamond ringsAnd don't smile at anyoneCause people out here like to travel with handgunsTransit Ride GURUYet during the late 1980s, Rap began to mutate from a movement fueled love of Hip Hop to a multimillion dollar industry moved by love of the almighty dollar. And as the music industry took notice of Hip Hop's money making power, rappers became less concerned with speaking the voice of social commentary and more concerned with who's the biggest gangster, who has the biggest gun and the most money. Hip Hop devolved and Black women's voices were both silenced and distorted.Mainstream media is notorious for it's sexist imagery -- scantily clothed women are used to sell everything from chocolate candy to automobiles. Thus Rap only mirrors popular culture. Yet I doubt that there has ever been a movement in the history of America, except during slavery and Reconstruction to rival Rap's debasement of Black women. We have been looked upon as whores, b-----es, golddiggers etc. with no other value than as sexual commodities by Black men -- we, women of color, who already struggle in nation that renders Black and Brown women at best invisible (Pope, 1991-1992).Copyright Valjeanne Jeffers-Thompson 1997, 2009 all rights reserved
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I do not know the power of my handI do not know the power of my black handI sit stumped in the conviction that I am powerless,tolerate ceilings that make me bendmy godly mind stoops, my ambition is crippledI do not know the power of my handI see my children stuntedmy young men slaughtered...I see the power over my life and death inanother man's hands and sometimesI shake my wooly head and wonderLord have mercy!What would it be like...to be free?Excerpt from When I Know the Power of My Hand, Lance Jeffers1974There are a few things about this era, my favorite era, that must be said before I move on. The 1950s through the early 1970s were a time in which people were willing to speak out, to fight, for what they believed in --hell they were willing to die for their beliefs. America was watching and she was listening.But this was also an age beset with hypocrisy and self-righteousness. Peoples of Color were encouraged to ignore their own problems, to look back on history with rose colored glasses.We seek to learn from history. One of the biggest mistakes we can make as we journey through the 21th century is to deceive ourselves that all of our problems are from some place outside our own communities -- outside of ourselves. We have to be secure enough to clean house, no matter who happens to be looking on. Growth, real growth, engenders self-discovery and change.From 1964 through 1968 Black folks took their rage to the streets, President Johnson commissioned a study of this "problem" and the myth of the Black Matriarchy was born.Copyright Valjeanne Jeffers-Thompson 1997, 2009 all rights reserved
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Posted by Geoff Thorne on November 27, 2009 at 12:30pm
Here's what folks are already saying about the first issue of PRODIGAL: EGG OF FIRST LIGHT
"Exotic locations, earth-shattering stakes, dialogue you wish you'd written, heroic bad-assery, and a macguffin to die for. Larger than life villains versus equally outsized heroes. This is the stuff we're talking about when we talk about action-adventure." - DWAYNE MCDUFFIE (JLU, BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE, MILESTONE)
A hidden monastery.A group of chanting monks.A pack of kill crazy ninjas.A secret, powerful prize worth killing any number of men for.And a pair of heroes on the case.All elements that would go into making the perfect action flick.Or what you experience in the first eight pages of Prodigal, written by Geoffrey Thorne, drawn by Todd Harris, and coming soon from Ape Entertainment...To go any further into describing the tale would ruin the readers’ opportunity to discover this world and these new heroes for themselves. What can be said is that the writer and artist presented a thrilling ride in the opening 24 pages of a double sized first issue that left this reviewer wanting more.Our heroine and hero bring to this reviewer’s mind such classic pairs as Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy or Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd in the easy way writer Thorne turns the dialogue between Ms. Jacinto and Mr. Lennox in a cross between a ballet and a fifteen round bout worth of Ali and Frazier...Full article at COMICS WAITING ROOM. COM
Todd Harris knows how to tell stories with pictures. PRODIGAL is an adrenaline rush of babes, bullets and blood. A blast to look at and read. - SCOTT STEWART (director of PRIEST and LEGION)
Geoffrey Thorne is a sci-fi writer who also dabbles in comics. Us Star Trek fans know him for some of the Trek novels and short stories he’s written, the most recent one beingwww.amazon.com');" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Star Trek Titan: Sword of Damocles, so I can attest to his skill as a writer. The link takes you to a preview of the entire book, and from what I can tell, it’s not bad. Light action-adventure, lively dialogue, very good art. Pretty straightforward. Let’s see how it does. RICH WATSON - POP CULTURE SHOCK. COMFLAT OUT GREAT. I love it. Wish most of the books I paid for this week were that good. - REGINALD HUDLIN - (Black Panther, Boomerang)See for yourself what all the fuss is about!PRINTABLEORDER FORMON THE LAST PAGE!!Read more…
I've been "away" for a while, primarily because an internet glitch prevented me from connecting with BSFS or any of my other ning groups. Thankfully, the problem has been fixed, and you'll be seeing a lot more activity from me here in the future.As far as news goes, I've recently finished the first draft of my second volume of Dossouye's adventures. Now, it's polishing time.Also, I've just posted a blog entry about Dossouye's war-bull, Gbo, at my website, www.charlessaunderswriter.com. To see it, click on "Blog," and then "Buffaloed."I continue to be amazed by how fast this group is growing, and by the impressive talent that the membership represents. You make me really proud.
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*Always like combining speculative fiction & politics--two of my favorite things. Wrote this review/analysis originally back in 2007, but since there's word they're making a sequel for 300 (why gods!?! why?!?), thought it'd be relevant anyway...
written March 2007So I saw 300 last week. Driven by action, the movie had enough blood and battle to dazzle the senses and up testosterone levels. As cinematography it was a visual CGI masterpiece—though one might ask when and where reliance on computer generated imagery enhances or devalues a movie. The acting was tolerable—not like Ghostrider where I wanted to gnaw off my left leg rather than sit through the excruciating dialogue. As plots go, it was mediocre— not bad but not exactly filled with complex intrigue. Syriana or Babel this movie was not. Noble Greeks fight scary Persians to Alamo type finish. Freedom. Honor. Glory. The End. But my anticipation of 300 was only partly based on my expectations of it as a film.300 is based on the Frank Miller graphic novel of the same name, and is a retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae between Spartan Greeks and the Persian Empire in the 5th Century BC. I read the comic back in 1998, and found it fascinating—yet discomforting. The story itself is a surreal fantasy. And though the film's director Zack Snyder makes the grandiose claims that "the events are 90 percent accurate," I hardly expected it to be factual. So that these Spartans fight bare-chested with CGI enhanced abdomens straight out of Chippendales, instead of in breastplates as would have been common, wasn't really of consequence to me. I took it for Hollywood cosmetic to sell tickets—and maybe even reach that coveted gay male audience. I was more concerned with the changes to the movie—and before that the comic—that had deeper meaning, and give us an interesting mirror into the society we live in.The SpartansIn 300 there is much celebration of Sparta—the Greek city-state known well for its warrior cult, who pose as the heroes of the film. But these are not the Spartans of history; they are instead, something else. For instance, though it's alluded that Spartans were known for killing infants who may have been born with defects or bad omens (this might be a physical deformity or a birth mark), this ritual infanticide is toned down to ambiguity. While the harsh life of a Spartan male, who endures years of brutality to become a warrior, is portrayed, it too is softened and made noble—in its own way. In the movie Spartan boys are forced out into the wild and must face fierce animals, not becoming a true warrior until they kill one. In reality however, Spartan youths didn't go out and kill animals to prove their worth. They actually had to go out and kill a slave—a Helot, fellow Greeks of nearby Lakonia and Messenia conquered and reduced to bondage by Sparta's "free" militaristic elite.Perhaps because this sounds too much like a modern gang initiation rite (and the comparison certainly fits), it is altered for the viewing audience. As told by the film, slavery is absent in Spartan society—and is something only their enemies practice. This sanitizing of Spartan history may be because in 300, there is much made about Sparta being a land of "freedom." In fact, this is the central theme of the story—the entire reason for the war against Persia. These Spartans are even mildly homophobic, laughingly scoffing at homosexuality among their fellow Athenian Greeks. This is ironic, as ritualized homosexual liaisons among Spartan boys in training was both common and obligatory at the time. In the film Spartan women are not altogether equal, but gender relations have an air of egalitarianism hard to find in the historical record.The reality, that Sparta was actually a slave society that conquered fellow Greeks, practiced state sponsored eugenics, and was run by a patriarchal male-dominated military oligarchy who maintained their power through force and violence, is radically altered—as it would no doubt clash with the cries for liberty and the "new era of freedom" Spartans boast of repeatedly throughout the film. Altogether, Spartan culture is re-arranged to fit modern (mostly American) ideas on democracy, masculinity, sexuality and gender. And this is necessary not merely to glorify Sparta, but to make certain they were seen as different from their enemies as ever.The PersiansOne of the first things I noticed when I read Frank Miller's 300, was the main villain of his story—the Persian King Xerxes. He was black—a towering bald giant with earrings in his ears and face and nose, like a brown-skinned Michael Clarke Duncan merged with Dennis Rodman. More than a few of Xerxes soldiers and generals were also black. I found that odd, because the historical Xerxes was Persian—modern day Iran. While the Persian Empire was certainly massive and assimilated all sorts of people, its black population was probably nowhere near that pronounced. And there are enough depictions of Xerxes to not mistake him for the average brother. So why make Xerxes a black giant?Frank Miller's version of the Battle of Thermopylae took its cue from age-old western notions of Orientalism—a Western perception of the East as alien, inferior and yet menacing. The Persia of 300 is the opposite of the Greeks, the opposite of the Occidental West: a fantastical imagining of the mysterious East, both exotic and frightening, with bizarre peoples and customs, ruled by superstition and tyrants. Most of all the "Orient" is dangerous, and holds the power to destroy the West if it isn't controlled or beaten back. For Miller, Xerxes as a Persian wasn't enough to embody this dark symbolism. He had to be transformed into a more threatening figure—one that only blackness seemed able to conjure up. The movie version changed this somewhat. Xerxes is no longer black. He is however still a giant, garbed in a speedo and decked out in about two tons of bling—from earrings to body chains. As opposed to the hyper-masculine Spartans of the film, Xerxes is effeminate, foppish and a gender-bending sexual deviant. His army is either dark and faceless, or horribly monstrous—and, as we are told, all slaves whipped into the service of their tyrannical god-king.But like Sparta, this depiction of Xerxes and the Persian Empire has more to do with modern western—and especially American—imagination than reality. The actual Xerxes of history probably dressed little different than many of his Greek enemies, though much better—in velvet robes or tunics, as Persia was an opulent kingdom. As far as his rule went, while he was probably not someone you'd elect to the local city council, for a monarch of an Empire of his time, he and the other Achaemenid kings of Persia were not precisely the tyrants of Hollywood depiction. They actually instituted what some have called one of the earliest declarations of Human Rights, detailing religious tolerance and (albeit limited) expressions of personal freedom. They even debated the merits of democracy, though choosing against it. Now don't get me wrong. Kings like Xerxes were undoubtedly conquerors, and were no nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize. By our standards, his empire would be unilateralist, rapaciously imperialist and ignore many aspects of international law. But Persian rulers also allowed their territories to have limited independence, demanding only tribute and conscript soldiers. And in what is probably one of the greatest ironies that the movie manages to reverse, under the Achaemenids, for religious reasons, slavery was nominally opposed—though by no means non-existent. This is at least a step-up from Sparta, where the enslavement of fellow Greeks was not a topic up for debate. In the end Xerxes and his fellow rulers were not saints, but neither were they the bloodthirsty tyrants of 300.The Battle of ThermopylaeCentered on the famed Battle of Thermopylae, 300 depicts fantastic fight scenes—as endless hordes of Persians bash themselves against Spartan soldiers who skillfully hold them off. For Frank Miller's graphic novel and the movie, 300 Spartans led by their king Leonidas hold off 1 million Persians. In reality, the Persians probably numbered between 60,000 to 120,000. The Greeks were actually a force of 7,000—some 4,000 of which were killed—whose success was based mostly on better bronze weapons and a tactical strategy of utilizing the natural landscape. While it's true that fellow Greeks abandoned the Spartans in the final battle, some 700 remained and also fought to the end. As for the Athenian navy who kept Persia occupied at sea and unable to deploy their full might, these Greeks are wholly absent from 300. The movie instead is certain to give the full glory only to the 300 super-manly Spartan soldiers (not those wimpy "gay" Athenian sailor boys), who in death achieve a cinematic display of quasi-Judeo-Christian sainthood. The undignified beheading of Leonidas and the eventual burning of Athens with the Greeks scurrying away in fright before the Persian forces, is erased from Hollywood-created history, to be sure our Spartan heroes are able to keep their manliness intact.Just a Movie?So in the end, what's the point of all this? 300 is just a movie after all, and before that a comic book. It's not history—even if it's director tries to pass it off as such to his audience. It's a story. And it doesn't have to follow the facts. If we're looking for historical accuracy, we'd be better off sticking to a classroom. Films are sold to us as entertainment, not lessons. But at the same time, like any work of art, we would be remiss to leave it at that. Films reflect our culture, our values, our perceptions, what we think of as normal or perverse, right or wrong, good or bad. And they can reinforce larger societal thoughts we take for granted. That Hollywood alters history isn't particularly surprising or even relevant. But how that history is altered, what history is altered and why the altering takes place can reveal a great deal.The Battle of Thermopylae has long been more than just an ancient event, a comic book or a movie, in modern western imagination. European colonisers and conquerors often portrayed themselves similar to the Spartans, facing hordes of usually darker-skinned enemies—be they Native American Sioux, East Indians or Afghans. In 1964, using the Battle of Thermopylae as partial inspiration, the popular movie Zulu depicted several British soldiers who make a last stand against hordes of fierce African warriors. (Curiously, no one seemed to catch the irony that these latter-day Europeans, unlike the Spartans, were the invaders.) In this way, an ancient battle was changed to not only support European colonialism and the "white man's burden," but also the claimed physical and moral superiority of western civilization, as opposed to the savage multitudes of the East.Some have accused 300 of being intentional propaganda, portraying the modern West (embodied by the Spartans) as noble freedom fighters and Iran (Xerxes and the Persians) as dangerous threats to freedom and democracy. The film even comes equipped with a local Spartan anti-war movement, who in the end are corrupted or weak and ineffectual. In Iran, the movie has caused an uproar—with protests against what are seen as negative and even racist portrayals of their beloved ancient Persia. Many Iranians even charge 300 is a precursor to a US invasion. Paranoia? Certainly. But given current US threats against Iran, coupled with daily images of US bombs caving in homes in next-door Iraq, those fears aren't merely plucked out of thin air.Still, I don't think that's the case. I doubt Frank Miller or this movie rendition has anything to do with current US foreign policy maneuvers. This isn't 24—where Jack Bauer's torture acts were literally tied to the Bush White House. And the average American may not even know Persia is one-in-the-same with modern Iran—though hordes of veiled and monstrous enemies from "that" part of the world might serve the purpose just as equally. Rather, what 300 portray are common images of ourselves—or how we would like to see ourselves—with themes of masculinity, whiteness, freedom and moral virtue. And in order to create that image, a foil is needed—darker in both skin and deed, threatening and powerful, but at the same time able to be overcome if we just show the courage to do so. It is Orientalism—part of a long history of western perceptions of the "other," made exotic to fit our ideas of how different "they" are from "us." On some level these perceptions help define "us"—as it previously helped generations of conquerors and colonizers—by defining "them." In that sense Frank Miller's 300 is not dangerous new propaganda. Rather, it's the same old propaganda—just more entertaining.
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Tonight on the Wicked Wednesday show we'll be reading an excerpt from Zane's upcoming release "Total Eclipse of the Heart" then Saturday Night at 9pm CST join Penelope and Otto for the "In Like Flynn " show where we tackle the sticky issue of whether cleanliness is close to sexiness!
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Tonight on the Wicked Wednesday show we'll be reading an excerpt from Zane's upcoming release "Total Eclipse of the Heart" then Saturday Night at 9pm CST join Penelope and Otto for the "In Like Flynn " show where we tackle the sticky issue of whether cleanliness is close to sexiness!
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