For my delusional progressive brothers and sisters

Dr. Jill Stein made an appearance last night on The Young Turks. When she broke down her policy positions, I agreed with every single one. She was critical of President Obama and obviously, she's much more progressive in her stances as a representative of The Green Party to our centrist President. She supports a Medicare-for-all system at the moment of conception, ending our occupations overseas by bringing our troops home, supports cracking down on corruption on Wall Street with much stricter regulations where she would nationalize our banks, and ending our drone surveillance programs that have tragically killed innocent civilians. I thought Dr. Stein appeared to be a very affable, personable, and thoughtful individual who has ideas that are desperately needed to shift our narrative and status quo. We need more Dr. Steins out there. Of course, there is a but to this. But.... Here's why:

Let's start with her Medicare-for-all system. Even if passed, we've seen in other European countries how their systems need continual improvement. It's not an end all, be all fix that could happen overnight. Dr. Stein can't sign an executive order for this, since Congress controls the purse. It would have to be approved by Congress. With this said, more than 20 million workers were excluded immediatley following the passage from The Social Security Act of 1935. Dr. Stein seems to believe she could've done better than President Obama with who he had to work with in Congress to pass the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Look who he had. Max Baucus, Democratic Senator from Montana, was the number 1 recipient at the time for campaign contributions from the health insurance industry. Sen. Ben Nelson, known well by my extended family in Nebraska and should just be considered Republican, voted against this. We needed two moderate Republican (endangered) Senators from Maine to pass this bill with 60 votes to avoid another filibuster.

Is this a giveaway to the health insurance industry? Yes. However, this will also save millions and emphasize again, MILLIONS from paying out-of-pocket that could lead them to foreclosing on their homes and possibly living on the streets. It's still imperfect. I consider this an unprecedented civil rights law passed that was long overdue.

Just about every rational American has seen, read, and heard about the mass corruption on Wall Street and has denounced it. To say it's been run like a casino, is an understatement. We've seen a few mid-level executives charged with SEC violations. Yet to this day, no one leader from these major institutions who caused the economic meltdown has faced prosecution. It's tragic and inexcusable. I agree with Dr. Stein on this. The Obama administration receives a failing grade for not being tougher on Wall Street and using a very weak Dodd-Frank bill without reinstating Glass-Stegall that will do little to nothing in the days ahead. However, what's he supposed to do? Money doesn't grow on trees. His #1 campaign donor from 2008 was from what many feel is public enemy number 1, Goldman Sachs. With Obama on numerous occasions denouncing the Citizens United Supreme Court decision to allow unlimited amounts of money to be spent on elections, how else can he compete? One family, the heirs to Wal-Mart, have more net worth (combined six of them) than the bottom 30 percent of American income earners combined. In short, he still needs the banks to get re-elected. Will he go after these guys if re-elected? I'm confident he and the Justice Department will.

Goodbye, Magna Carta. On December 31, 2011, President Obama signed by executive order the controversial National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In this bill, there is a provision that states anyone who is deemed a foreign or domestic terrorist can be indefinitely detained. A federal judge lifted the ban, admonishing it for its unconstitutionality. Unfortunately, another judge reinstated this provision. This was a class action lawsuit brought by several litigants who most notably were Chris Hedges and Noam Chomsky. I also agree with fellow progressives. There should be no excuse for indefinitely detaining anyone without the right to counsel. And yes, if this was under Bush, I would also call it abominable. As I've said, I realize the Justice Department has vigorously defended it, while I will continue to vigorously defend Hedges, Chomsky, and the rest of the plaintiffs. I don't think this one thing should be the deciding factor when we have so many other stark differences between Romney and Obama.

Specifically, let's look at something that coincides with NDAA as the drone strike surveillance program. Many progressives say this is used to indiscriminantly bomb innocent civilians and villages where strikes have already happened. I question who is giving the intelligence and has it been presented as if the people are an imminent threat who had been struck? After reading some articles on this, I've yet to see one answer to that question. Who are the players telling President Obama a strike is needed? O.k. He has these controversial meetings on Tuesdays. What has been said to him? If it was Dr. Stein, I wonder how she would react if say, an individual or group may strike a village and are deemed military and/or enemy combatants from intelligence.

All and all, progressives haven't gotten what they wanted. They blame Obama when they don't see the reality he has worked to build bridges with all Americans opposed to "47 percent of Americans believe they're entitled to everything" from his opponent. In a previous post, here are some things rarely if ever mentioned I'd love to see: re-introduce the Employee Free Choice Act, strengthen unions, introduce teachers' councils as a substitute for school boards, integrate our schools again with a focus on a humanistic philosophy where limited facilitation is provided to empower our youth in learning, high tax for all polluters to move towards clean energy, more investments in clean energy, and reallocating resources to our most vulnearable communities i.e. black urban areas where unemployment for our black brothers and sisters is over 14 percent. After taking several political litmus tests with popular historic and progressive names like Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Dalai Lama, and Mandela showing, the only one to my left was Mandela. Yes, I consider myself a strong progressive but not a fool. And to all those out there who may consider voting for a Rocky Anderson, Ralph Nader, or Dr. Jill Stein, I'd say you're a damn fool thinking Obama and Romney are one in the same. Still, what has been done from the ground up to legitimize these guys as candidates? It seems to be the same response every four years: very little to nothing.



Does our need for self-worth become self-destructive?

We all have empathy in us. At some precise moment where it may be harrowing i.e. war, people will sacrifice themselves for their fellow human beings. My all-time favorite T.V. series was Lost; a captivating show that stirred the imagination where a host of random strangers who were stranded on an island seeking one common goal: How do we get out of here? Each episode showed the best and worst of our human actions.

By far, my favorite character was John Locke (played by Terry O'Quinn and a damn fine actor) who was a man who came from a deeply troubled past, as the viewer came to realize with many other characters. They were all flawed just like us. Before coming to the island, he was a supervisor for a box distribution company. He hated the mundane life, had difficulty settling in relationships, and often in his cubicle prison (same here) at work, he would study maps and show others his passions for safari adventures. His coworkers mocked him for wanting to venture out into the vast unknown, become a survivalist, and use all the skills he learned to be one with nature. Sadly, John was bound to a wheelchair after a heated argument with his father led to John being pushed multiple stories from a balcony onto the ground, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. After surviving a plane crash, he was one of the only survivors who visibly showed a miraculous feat. John could walk again. He could finally be the survivalist and lead a group through the vast wilderness sharing his knowledge with others. He also provided others individually with spiritual and philosophical guidance to overcome those lost moments they couldn't get past in the present. He was a healer.

We're all lost in several snapshots of our lives we wish we could have back. Myself, I wish it had been known by my parents beforehand how a shot said to prevent deadly infections could've also been contaminated with toxins that may have triggered a neurological disorder based on my genetic makeup. I live every day with Asperger's Syndrome. So, I commonly engage with others through awkwardness, being unintentionally blunt, demonstrating difficulties with my motor skills to fit a pin into a small keyhole, and a continous struggle with anxiety and depression. These are all commonly known symptoms that come with this disorder. It's a packaged deal. Take it or leave it. I could sulk in misery each day moping around trying to persuade others to feel sorry for me or do something to create and inspire others around me. I've chosen the latter.

I've had the misfortunes of working in several tough work environments where I was denegrated and humiliated among my peers for failing to understand a concept a superviser had asked me to comprehend. In one of those environments, I worked in what many may consider to be a legalized sweatshop. I look back on those moments and realize those who ostracized me may have been lost in their own moments. Perhaps, they were raised and conditioned differently. They, too, may have struggled with acceptance and a failure to understand what others perceive as simple. Do I look back on these moments? Hell, yes. This is what can happen when you work in a Right to Fire (Right to Hire) state. Bad things can happen to good people who each and every day bring their absolute best only to be told they're not good enough. There's no corrective action or constructive critcism offered. You're just brought into an office with your supervisor and a dopey looking H.R. manager as a witness to be told the litany of reasons why you're fired. This is why I'm adamant about bringing back unions, reintroducing legislation like the Employee Free Choice Act that the late, great Sen. Ted Kennedy co-sponsored, and playing even the most minute role in seeing it one day becomes settled law.

Today, I read a great op-ed written by Rebecca Solnit that was initially posted on TomDispatch and later shared on documentary filmmaker Michael Moore's Facebook page. She shares the same frustrations I do -- continued bullying by our country in areas they don't belong, the murder of innocent civilians that have included women and children from drone strikes, a phony drug war where today more African-Americans are incarcerated than the height of Jim Crow, reckless abandonment for economic development in our most vulnerable communities, continual political system dominated by two parties with corporate interests buying up votes, and a market system that carries the axiom: To the one percent, For the one percent, and By the one percent. With this said, it's understandable and natural who the fall guy is: President Obama.

She eloquently stated in her post, much better than myself, how although we haven't gotten everything we wanted, it's a start to more promising endeavors ahead. We can bicker and complain all we want about not getting everything. We can say we don't live in the utopia we have envisioned. We can act with blatant disregard for what this man has had to confront -- a radical right wing determined to defeat everything he proposes first and serve all of our interests second. Yeah, it's a cruel and unforgiving system. However, we can lose ourselves in those moments we want back or march ahead with our moral strength, courage, and humbled wisdom to continually perfect those mistakes from the past.

Turn off your mainstream t.v. news

Who, what, when, where, why, and how are all commonly posed question terms used for journalism. Each one needs to be answered every time. Next, craft the story in an inverted pyramid format which means sum everything up in the opening paragraph and follow that with details that led to said person, place, thing, or event's impact on a respective community. As a journalism student, journalist, and freelance writer, I was taught this is AP-style writing and warned the first few paragraphs written are the most crucial. Multiple studies revealed how the average reader's attention can quickly become distracted if my story doesn't catch the reader's attention. Are you still with me? Bueller, Bueller...? So, why should I respect a style of writing coming from an organization who overwhelmingly values access over truth?

My heavy set, butch editor called me into her office. It was in and around late July 2005 where I had just come back from an assignment in the unforgiving Georgia oppressive heat and humidity. I was still trying to catch my breath, as I grabbed my pen and notepad. With the glass window enclosed office and grainy brown and black spotted wooden door, I saw her intently looking at her desktop before entering. Without hesitation her face lit up and exclaimed, I just got off the phone and see Rev. Jesse Jackson will be coming here this Sunday. I want you to cover it. Will you be able to do it?

"Yes," I emphatically replied.

"Are you excited?"

"I'm humbled and honored to attend this event."

A few minutes later after being provided instructions for showing a press pass and how a photo for the story should be done with an action shot i.e. snap a photo when the Rev is shaking someone's hand (ended up being the photo), thoughts began wildly racing in seemingly every direction. Am I dreaming this? What did I do to deserve it? How should I approach a guy who many consider to be an icon? He's a former Democratic Presidential candidate who won the state of Michigan, stood alongside Martin Luther King Jr. to help pave the way for civil rights... How should I cover this and not offend him? Wait. Go back. How should I cover this and not WORRY ABOUT offending him? That was the problem.

On a muggy Sunday evening, I arrived at the historic church wearing a damn pair of slacks and buttoned up shirt and tie. I looked handsome but always prefer comfort. Is this the right place, I asked myself as I only saw a few people walking towards the church. I walked up a small set of concrete steps, opened one of the large, brown wooden doors, and saw a congregation of people in the atrium. Immediately, a burly man asked in a gruff tone, "You with the press?"

"Yes. I'm with the (said newspaper I worked at)," I quickly responded, wanting to bypass the plebian and move on to the big dawg himself.

"Come with me."

Hmmm. This wasn't the most pleasant reception, and frankly, the guy looks more suited for being a henchman in a mob than working for a formidable civil rights leader. He led me to the back of the church and said, "Wait in here. He should be here shortly."

There were a few other reporters quietly sitting in chairs next to a comfortable appearing cushion couch in front of a small window. Through the blinds, I darted my eyes to see if he arrived. Alright. Let's go. I still want to get back to playing a MLB game on my PS2, I thought to myself.

"He's already been to a few other places," one reporter said to another.

"Yeah. I can imagine he'll be tired when he gets here," the other responded.

Finally, the Rev arrived. After a few minutes, he shook the hand of an elderly woman. Snap. Click. Snap. Click. I took a few photos and was immediately attracted to how one came out. About 15 minutes passed before myself and the other reporters followed him inside the small room.

I was still awe-struck. He quickly began going into his spiel for the purpose of why he was there: provide awareness to all races and creeds to emphasize the importance of voting and the community's support to help Congress pass the Reauthorization of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. I could see the fatigue in his eyes. Out of respect, I didn't want to ask him that one question that lingered in my mind: How can you support the quality and improvement of life while disrespecting the decsion Terri Schiavo and her husband made to end her suffering? Yes. He might've had one of his mob-like guys take me out of the room and bar me from the event. However, that's a legit question.

"President Bush keeps saying, 'Don't worry, be happy,'" as he was referring to the unprovoked U.S. occupation in Iraq where no evidence for weapons of mass destruction were ever found. He continued, "Tom Delay is on a mission in Texas to redistrict his entire state...." 

About five minutes were used for questions. Predominantly, they were asked by a reporter from one of the state's largest newspapers. I tapped my foot impatiently. This guy was essentially throwing him softball questions pertaining to raising awareness for one's rights to vote and how to engage communities in knowing their rights to vote. The Rev stood up, invited us to watch different speeches by himself and other community leaders, and sluggishly walked out of the room and into the church.

This turned into more of a spectacle than anything else. There were a few, quick witty jabs rightfully directed at President Bush for being an abject failure. The rest was gospel singing, asking who in the audience hadn't registered yet to vote, having a few who raised their hands, approach the altar to sign up and become registered, and acknowledging the huge wealth disparity between a hotel worker in Chicago making several dollars more an hour than one in Atlanta with high ranking members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in attendance. So, what's changed?

Closing the rally, the Rev looked straight at me after making another snarky comment. "Print that in The Telegraph." Hahaha. Let's all poke fun at the white guy (one of three white people in the audience) who you all believe had ancestors who enslaved yours. Nope. First, I didn't work for that newspaper. Second, I empathize and understand after more than 400 years of enslavement by colonials that in general black people have a lot of justified resentment towards white people. Finally, some of my ancestors didn't come here for sport either despite them not being shackled and in chains. Yeah, the Rev pissed me off but ultimatley, it was my reluctance for job security reasons and awe-struck in a celebrity's presence not to ask the few questions that should've been raised. Today, I can honestly say along with many others in the black community that Rev. Jesse Jackson along with Rev. Al Sharpton are merely showmen. Where's a camera? They haven't seen one that they've shied away from.

About a month later, the paper fired me. There were heaven forbid a few mistakes I made that the dopey editor overlooked. Isn't that her job? No. I'm supposed to be perfect. Also, I didn't quite fit in with the newsroom, considering it seemed they all had known each other for years. Finally, I pissed off a well-known local by taking a Conservative position on how ridiculous it was for her to persistently interrupt a meeting held by a regional development authority official for planning a project that wouldn't take place at the earliest for another five years along a historic river area. Oh, well.

I was grateful for all the experiences I had along the way. Specifically, I was proud of a weekly feature I did on a senior citizen, comparing and contrasting how life was back in say the '20s to life today, and the contributions they all made to their family, friends, and neighbors. I was humbled to be at another event hosted by a summer youth group that featured one of the big tobacco whisteblowers from Philip Morris and on another occasion, meeting with an odd, mad scientist appearing man who developed foot inserts for those severely stricken with arthritis and well-renowned athletes. It was incredible watching before and after videos of some of his clients who could barely muster movement with their walkers to completely walking on their own with ease. In the end, yes, I selfishly look back on those moments speaking one-on-one with people and recognizing how much more in common we all have than we give ourselves credit for.

A few years later, my passion for writing and journalism returned. Ironically, one article that I accepted initially began as "Why do black people vote Democrat?" I had to negotiate with the paper's editor to change it to why young people, minorities, and low income vote Democrat (refused to accept a racially divisive headline and obvious answer on why a disadvantage and once enslaved race voted Democrat). So, I went to an event hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network at an Augusta church.

I walked into the event, feeling somewhat out of place like I did several years ago when I went to meet with Rev. Jesse Jackson. After a few minutes aimlessly walking to find a place to sit, a jovial, burly set man smiled and waved for me to join him. He introduced himself as the head of the Network's Washington, D.C. chapter. This event was focused on how George W. Bush changed the narrative for our bad economy, continued neglect for addressing economic needs in urban, heavily populated black communities, and continued occupation in Iraq by attacking homosexual Americans.

"People say we're militant, but we're not militant," Terry (can't recall his last name) said while leaning forward in a softer tone of voice.

Why would he mention "militant?" I jokingly responded, "Is it Fox News? They seem to think anyone's militant who isn't a Conservative."

He went on with his interpretation of the Bible. I respectfully disagreed with him when he mentioned the well known verse out of Leviticus, "Man shall not lieth with another man." Without taking away from the event, I challenged him on this notion and why their organization who many feel speaks for the black community would take a discriminatory position of their own.

He spent a few minutes defending his reasoning before finally succumbing to saying, "Do I adhere fully to the Bible? No," adding "Coretta Scott King supports equal rights for all." O.k. That's Dr. King's wife who if alive today, I'm sure Dr. King wouldn't support your position either.

Rev. Sharpton provided an equally amusing and witty speech to the one Rev. Jackson gave several years ago. However, his speech was greatly overshadowed by another minister who had two doctorate degrees and delivered one of the best speeches I've heard to this day. It mirrored Dr. King's Beyond Vietnam speech, provided clarity on the status of our society as a whole, and ultimately, what we needed to all do to better ourselves. Sharpton mainly did his usual Fox News and Bush bashing speeches (not to say there was anything wrong with either but suggestions, ideas, and action at the end of the day are all that matter).

The presentation ended. I respectfully asked for a business card from the gentleman who graciously offered for me to sit with him. He declined and quickly walked away. Why? I didn't think I pressed him that hard on their organization's hypocrisy, but they seemed to want to have it both ways -- liberate our group while discriminating against another because our interpretation of the Bible says so.

After covering the event, speaking to a few of the area's prominent Democrats, and spending several more hours of research, the content flow didn't meet the editor's expectations. This was the second attempt. The last time, the editor said it would be too divisive and cause too much controversy within the community. Strike three, I'm out. What? The story was canned and moved on to another assignment that to this day has been the one I've been most proud of crafting -- possible autism/vaccine injury connection. This was the most personal since my brother at the age of nine was diagnosed with severe autism.

I spoke with a grandmother, who was the main subject in the story along with her grandson to get started. Initially, I brushed off what she said: mercury in vaccines. Really? Other toxins like antifreeze and aluminum are also used as additives. Get outta' here. Yet, I looked at her intense stare and occasionally with swift, frantic-like movements her pointing to all the research she has done. Papers could've been stacked up to the ceiling, as they were neatly stacked in boxes. A three-shelved bookcase featured mainly books on autism.

She was extremely hospitable. I briefly interacted with her grandson and his friend he brought over. By the end of the interview, she handed me a book that transformed my thinking even more -- Evidence of Harm by a contributing health and science writer for The New York Times, David Kirby. Curious by the book's title, I wanted to begin reading it right away.

After I left her apartment, I flipped the book to the back cover and was alarmed by one statistic: 1 in 10,000 Americans were diagnosed with autism in 1987. Today, it's 1 in 150 (actually, that number today is closer to 1 in 100). Amazing and truly startling to see in only an 18 year span the numbers of kids being diagnosed have risen astronomically like that.

I read the book in a couple of days. There were some profoundly disturbing things in it starting with parents who said after early detections and extensive treatment and therapy programs that included chelation therapy, biomedical treatments, and glutein and starch free diets, their children literally were cured. One lady mentioned lives right here in Atlanta and was a significant source in the book.

Time after time, the CDC reported this phrase in their vaccine-autism link findings "no evidence of harm," adding there may be slight redness and swelling at the injection site. However, they slipped up a few times, most notably in a joint article sent to Congress in 1999. There have also been other instances where they've gone further and admitted that vaccines can lead to injury.

After it was published, I was surprised to see an immediate rebuttal to the piece by the Director of the National Immunication Coalition in San Francisco. He said the article was highly sensationalized and two sources I used who are vaccine researchers basically didn't know what they were doing. How did this piece ever reach this guy? Did someone in the local area tip him off? It's not exactly a New England Journal of Medicine or Time Magazine here. Perhaps, that's to be expected when power feels threatened.

I was agnostic and to this day, still believe there simply needs to be a balance in how an infant to toddler age is administered vaccines. However, it's proven to be unnecessary to administer Hep-B shots when an infant just comes out of the womb unless the mother has it or they're already having sex at one or two days old. I highly doubt the latter.

Today, I'm glad I sparingly write for a publication that might catch my attention and myself, theirs. Those questions I sought to address would still be forbidden or deemed too controversial today. When covering an economic development meeting where its only concern is bringing in new business and money, all questions pertaining to it are off limits. First, these meetings were very painful to observe since most time is spent using official speak and repeating several times what has already been covered. Second, this is the heart of any community or city's growth. Without new business, communities could die. So, it's an ultra-conservative, neoliberal mindset these guys on the board have. Finally, myself and other writers had their works heavily edited by the head of the development authority. In one article, I questioned him and my editor for why an old business in town may have levels of lead that could lead to lead poisoning. I was assured the EPA had already said the levels were too low for that type of exposure. So, just take him at his word when children who play in a field may not know better, eat grass, and uhoh, said child gets sick? That could've been a story and today, it would be handled the same way.

I was only in this field a brief time but still feel passionate about it, knowing I can never go back to the subservient racket it has become since the Vietnam War. The marketplace is responsible for answering to the press and not the other way around. Today, thanks to corporate messaging where companies and advertisers spend lengthy times using psychologists and sociologists to tap into our biggest fears to categorize what they're selling as a norm, it's accepted. This is why stories focusing on tragedies and macabre (car accidents with mangled vehicles on front pages) sell the most. The average reader has become conditioned.

Moving forward, I don't know what's in your local community. From experience, newspapers hate it when you hound them about covering a story. If they continually refuse to cover it, write a letter to the editor in a nearby competing publication to get your point across. If nobody covers it, start up your own blog and begin writing about your observations and experiences. We've learned over the past year some of the most revealing stories have come from handheld cell phone videos.

Our biggest problem is trying to teach all of the old dogs new tricks. We've become accustomed to reality T.V., video games, cell phones, talk radio, talk T.V., and the Internet. That's fine. Collectively, we can become something much greater. We all consume individually to some extent. Ideas always have a way of coming together at some point to benefit all of us. I recommend turning off the ad nausuem coverage of this upcoming election year filled with the usual GOP and/or Democrat rhetoric regurgitated and turning on truly independent-minded journalists like Amy Goodman with DemocracyNow!, Julian Assange, Matt Taibi with Rolling Stone, and Jeremy Scahil at The Nation magazine to find out what's truly going on around us. I'm sure I'm leaving out too many, but those are good for starters

 

Power of One Audience Member

One day, the sky is blue, sun's rays are glistening on the concrete, and dogwoods are in bloom, as I walk inside an office building's two large glass doors. Behind an oval-shaped, marble counter is an attractive, 30s-something woman who smiles and waves when I enter. I wave back and walk into the plant. Inside the plant, I walk down a row of conveyor belts where each individual stops for a moment to acknowledge me as I acknowledge them back with the same friendly wave and smile. It's different this time, though.

There's no dress code where I'm required to wear a shirt and tie or a collared shirt with khakis. We come as we are with truly one mission in mind: service our customers and vendors to the absolute best of our abilities. Why is this day different? We all have an equal ownership with our firm.

It can't be sold to the highest bidder. We signed a contract. When any changes or adaptations arise, we all vote and  the majority wins out. We all earn a comfortable living wage where we can also spend adequate time away from work with friends and family along with a few weeks set aside to travelling. We sacrifice for each other. This is a small part of a broader vision for how I want to see the world around me.

Where do we begin? The late, great comedian George Carlin once said in a stand-up how politicans always say they're worried about our children's education, emphasizing the silliness when the regurgitated rhetoric comes out with things like, "We've got to invest in our kids' futures, more money in education, computers in classrooms, and improving test scores." It always sounds good and resonates. What do we have to do to make sure our kids will be fine? Each and every time, the solutions still produce the same end results -- a conditioned disregard for those who are perceived different and/or inferior. It's a byproduct of a capitalist society that tells us your wealth and/or status is ultimately all that matters.

Inevitably, divisions amongst each other transpire. We scoff at the slightest notion we're not worthy or unwelcome when it comes to access to an event, obtaining the latest and greatest product produced, place we want to visit than the next person, and how we're perceived on the hierarchal pyramid from entry level worker to CEO. This notion has been passed on from generation to generation since the beginning of civilizations.

Last night, I saw the 1999 blockbuster film Fight Club for the first time in years. The film's overriding theme is based on one man's inner conflict within a society where capatilist messaging surrounds him (and all of us)and how he is disillusioned by it. There is one quote from the film that resonated from the charismatic, anarchist character, "You don't own your possessions. Your possessions own you." Albeit all the silly explosions, fights taking place in a basement, and vandalism acts to businesses, I like this statement as a launching pad for putting down the distracting devices in exchange for interacting better with one another.

As someone who seriously considered teaching and choosing the wrong age group (middle school age), I was disillusioned during my student teaching by how distracted today's kids are. This is no exaggeration. Each day I walked into a given classroom before starting the class with the latest lesson, students were talking about what they had seen on T.V. last night, what's the latest on the big rap artist of the time, how far a friend made it on a recent X-Box game, and more outrageous, a kid no more than 12 texting on a cell phone. I'd respectfully in a gruff, loud tone (had to repeat myself a few times) ask for everyone to settle down and get started. There will be time to talk after class. Unfortunately, any given lesson was often disrupted by a few students who seemingly couldn't sit still for more than five minutes without wiggling in his or her chair. I could see that yearning to release energy. What's happened?

Physical education wasn't offered. You're kidding, I thought to myself. This is the time in these kids' lives when they're growing into their bodies faster than at any other point in their natural life span. So, kids were larger in size than I remembered when I was in school and more were taking some kind of medication for anxiety and/or Attendtion Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). Legislators felt physical education was a drain on the economy, so it was cut a few years before I got there. And why? It's all for the wealthy to continue receiving their tax breaks. Nothing to see here in the classrooms. I'd say the capitalist messaging has done a damn good job convincing everyone it's o.k. to have a deficit on the backs of practically... well, everyone except a small few. When it has happened in other countries, we've called it fascism.

Ultimately, I parted ways with the public education system. There were a few other factors I considered. First, the parents I called about their kids' ongoing discipline problems acted indifferent. At most, they'd say, "Ooh, when he gets home, I'm gonna' whoop that child." It came across like these parents were more concerned about how their kids' actions would reflect on how people viewed them opposed to genuine concern for the child's academics. Others sounded tired. One literally said if you just encourage him, he won't act out anymore. Nope. That didn't happen.

Collegiality was another issue. It felt like I was surrounded by giddy adolescents who were meant to be my professional colleagues but were just too excited to see each other every day in the hallways. They couldn't wait to talk about their zumba class or what new furnishings they're going to place in their dining rooms. I was the third wheel shadowing the teacher who couldn't wait to exit stage left whenever that inevitable meeting with the same colleague would come up again.

Some of the other teachers expressed how they've been there awhile and just waiting for the day to become an administrator -- vice principal, principal, etc by working on a continuing education degree. The kids coming in each year were more and more out of control was the typical response. Really? The same could be said for the teachers. When you tried to engage with them, they seemed more interested in talking about what happened on last night's mind numbing Survivor episode. These aren't exactly your parents' teachers.

What was most disheartening was the feeling of being a babysitter each and every day. Yes, I had terrible classroom management. That was my downfall. I didn't envision having to play the role of a military drill instructor to just maintain a comfortable silence. It had been my outlook to pick apart what was in those bland textbooks. What did we just read that still affects all of us today? It was an integral, real life model where students engaged and shared their ideas I strived to see. I wanted to somehow be a part of a transformational model where teaching to a test was an afterthought. The prime purpose would be centered on each individual and what each one has to offer. Highlight those strengths and have them continue improving upon them. Unfortunately, it was a far cry from the raucous, easily distracted environment I walked into each day. Teachers only cared about what they were told by a bunch of housewives who sat on a school board and designed the curriculum. They merely followed it. I refused to accept this reality but knew there was nothing as one individual I could do to change it.

Recently, I read Finland ranks as one of the highest performers in the world for its education -- top five in every category which include reading, languages, science, and math. How did it get there? For one, there is complete integration in its public schools -- rich and poor commonly attend one school and the majority of both classes want it that way. Second, they don't teach to the test. Third, teachers are much better paid, respected, and trained to adapt to different learning skills each student possesses. Finally, each student's strengths are recognized and encouraged to pursue for the workplace at a younger age. This humanistic philosophy (emphasizes self-discovery learning and limited facilitation for students) where students are given more autonomy and limited facilitation in their development was what I had wanted to implement. What's stopping us from doing this? Clearly, we've shown how teaching to the test has bumped us out of being one of the top performing countries in the world to somewhere in the teens for just about every subject. It hasn't worked.

While I'm sure many of our parents taught us to respect our elders and authority figures, I've learned there are specific circumstances where disobedience is needed. This is where the 99 percent nonviolent, peaceful Political Action Committee has been introdued. While it's unclear where it originated whether it be an essay from an economist with 99 percent in the article's title to an anti-corporate Canadian ad agency Adbusters, it's ebbed and flowed. Others cite inspiration from revolutions happening in the Middle East known as The Arab Spring where it's most notorious revolution successfully had a tyrannical dictator removed in Egypt.

It's discouraging to see this concept seemingly hasn't affected minorities and hard hit communities to join. After attending a few protest rallies, the audience is overwhelmingly young and white. Why haven't more leaders from the Civil Rights movement come on board? Why has there been little to no impact on legislation from the federal to local level that has had a positive effect for the 99 percent?

Moving forward, it's understandable a movement like this may take years before significant change is achieved. My concern is that it might eventually succumb to hopelessness and eventually become a small fringe movement. There are many reasons why we've yet to see more people getting involved -- they face those same distractions of modern day technology that those students and teachers I was around perceived as everything that will fill their voids. Old habits die hard.

When I attended a MoveOn.org screening for the Academy Award winning film Inside job, one of the attendees said, "I feel like I can only control what's going on around my block." Well, that's a start. Anytime I write, I'm grateful one individual takes the time to read what I've had to say. Never underestimate that impact. One individual can pass on ideas read to another then another.... Eventually, those who work to protect the mass murderers who represent the 1 percent turn against them, put down their arms, and join the rest of the 99 percent that will one day force them to change their business as usual approaches. We've learned capitalism and democracy can no longer co-exist. I think just about all of us choose the latter. It's just an ongoing struggle to achieve it and break the status quo we've accepted for far too long.

Paranormal Entity: The best supernatural horror film since The Entity

I had one unexplainable experience when I was a teenager living in Omaha -- 14 or 15 at the time, I think. There was a lucid dream where I was inside a church. A very tall, elderly bald-headed man wearing an all-white robe was serving communion. My body began trembling, as I was amid a single file line slowly approaching the altar. All movements were very slow and deliberate. What terrified me about this man I didn't know. It was like I was possessed and had lost all control. Suddenly, I woke up.

I blinked my eyes a few times and looked to my right where my two white painted closet doors were. Illuminated by a street lamp post across the street that's light seeped through the closed blinds, it was one of the only things visible. O.k. I'm back in my bedroom. Suddenly, I saw something at my door that was wide open. It was the same very tall, elderly bald-headed man clad in his all-white robe I just saw in my dream at my doorway. Immediately, I sat up and pressed my back against the head board. In complete disbelief, I rubbed my eyes. Go away. Please, just go away. After I opened my eyes again, I looked to see if he was still there. Gone.

Canesha decided to join me in watching Paranormal Entity last night. On Saturday, I saw it for the first time. There were a few details I missed from my first viewing. After watching the film, she agreed this was much better than the low budget blockbuster, Paranormal Activity.

First, the viewer won't be lulled to sleep by the obligatory, "This is our bathroom." (camera holder walks a few steps). "This is our closet." (opens and closes the closet door). O.k. We get it. You're just an average couple showing off some random two-story ranch house that looks like hundreds of others. Why try to sell me on it? Get to the point. Whenever you see a nonsensical news story about a murder that has no impact on our daily lives, do you ever see the anchor person as he or she is approaching the home where the murder took place? No. The anchor is shown in front of the house where you see the yellow tape in the background along with one or two random cops going in and out of the shot.

Yes, there were a few moments of quirky small talk caputured, but they weren't nearly as painful as the numerous times they happened in the Paranormal Activity films where it seemed you were so excited to see an object move. This film wasted no time playing the alleged actual 911 call made by the main character, 20s-something Thomas Finley. He was sobbing on the phone before he burst into screams, "They're all dead." This is where some viewers and critics said a plot void occurred. If someone is hysterical and rightfully irrational, how can someone else say what was blurted out didn't fit the events that followed?

This film was similarly shot and formatted like Paranormal Activity. Cameras on tripods film events that transpire in the mother and sister's room along with the den. And yes, it's formatted the same in how there is a sequential buildup i.e. Night One 1:07 a.m. The events were more provocative throughout. You see (text) and hear the recording of the 911 call, so that inevitably resonated. Just what happened that led to the hysterical phone call with two people ending up dead?

Ironically or not, the term "Manro" is seen in this film. This was also the last name of Barbara Hershey's character in The Entity portraying the real life character of Doris Bither which was one of the most famous subjects of paranormal activity ever recorded. Manro is a Germanic term that means nightmare.

At the end of the film, the screen goes to black. Several seconds go by before seeing the disclaimer that all events portrayed are fictitious... any resemblance is purely coincidental... So, this leads one to believe it's fake. However, it's misleading and confusing. There is a mugshot of Thomas Finley out of Clearwater, FL. The film states it has received actual footage from the police department where Finley filmed what was happening in the home. Whether or not it was fake, we were impressed.

The first time I saw this I needed to keep the kitchen light on. And after Canesha saw it, she had that same feeling. I began listening to her how paranormal activities are possible.

It made sense. She said entities form out of energy. Some are much more powerful than others. Typically, she said it takes over a person or persons who are weak -- depressed, substance abuser, etc. She compared it to a microwave:

"We don't see the waves but know it can heat something up. If we have something like that (microwaves) exist through energy, why shouldn't we believe an energy force (entity) we can't see exists?"

Groupthink, The Thought Police, and Future Article in Need to be Published for the 99%

In 2004, the documentary The Corporation was released and featured in some indie film houses and later, through the now obsolete video rental stores and Netflix. It paints a broad portrait on how the corporation is structured, its mindset, and how information is filtered and tightly controlled with a unifying message. In short, this is the film of all films for why we're seeing a building movement of protests worldwide who are uniting to stop the wealth disparity.

Consumer capitalism's funadmental core message is simple: You're not o.k. and never will be o.k. There is this mythical, imaginary image given to you for how one day you could live like -- the 1 percent. And what's worse, this land is just down the road from where you live. The messages are fragmented -- anything from purchasing a reverse mortgage in conniving someone to believing they could earn money on their homes which usually the opposite occurs to an expedient, convenient way to earn a degree and become employed right away with plenty of time to spend with the family. So, how is the message created and who is behind it?

For the most part, psychologists and sociologists work to provide a better understanding and way of life for diverse individuals. However, there are many who abuse this profession for their personal gain. Corporations hire these people to begin the messaging process. What will visually attract someone the most? Who are you targeting? What is the most effective means to make someone feel insecure? And finally, how can someone be convinced what I'm selling is a necessity? Inevitably, ideas float around based on these types of questions and they ultimately end up in front of our faces, enticing us to live a lifestyle beyond our means.

The corporate stamped message is delivered to the masses. This is when it spreads like wildfire. Unknowingly, people begin a word-of-mouth process, convincing themselves they need what was just offered. Someone purchases from the message, creating envy among others. Profits begin to soar, as people rush to keep up with "The Joneses." It's everything from the free new toy in the cereal box on the bottom shelves at grocery stores where they're easily accessible to children to the latest cell phone device packaged with the fastest download speeds for all Internet, applications, and games features (I guess making a phone call is not what a cell phone is intended to do nowadays).

The People vs. The Thought Police

Around 1 a.m. a few days ago, protesters camped out in tents at Zucotti Park in New York City were abruptly interrupted by a policeman on a megaphone demanding everyone leave immediately. Take all belongings with you. Many had little to no time to react. Police set up barricades, dressed like storm troopers with heavy-duty bullet proof gear and shields over their faces waving batons, stormed into the park. Video footage shows the New York City Police Department senselessly beating individuals who were trying to move to a less congested area to those who were simply sitting on the grass saying their encroachment is wrong. After the chaos subsided, all the tents and personal belongings were tossed into dump trucks and likely sent to the nearest landfill despite claims people could pick up their items with verifiable state issued IDs at the santiation department's office.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg effectively united and reignited what was recently reported as a fractured community in Zucotti Park. Many were becoming frustrated with how donated funds were being dispersed. Some believed their demands were being ignored, while others continued receiving first dibbs. Now, all those who had their differences are likely to be more focused and determined to renounce the mayor's bogus claims that too much violence and sanitation concerns were reasons for staging a military stealth-like operation overnight. More support and even greater numbers coming out to protest will certainly be encouraging to see, but we can expect to see more resistance from officials.

The irony is this: The U.S. supports the resignation of Syrian President Bashaar al-Assad for the horrific actions he has had his military impose on the Syrian people -- actions that have resulted in numerous civilian casualties who are simply exercising their universal right to protest. We now see what our so-called blind allegiance to symbols like our flag have done to us. Whenever unpopular speech arises that questions and/or challenges the status quo, authoritative figures will inflict harm. This isn't just a U.S. problem right now. It has occurred throughout our violent history.

Adbusters, a Canadian ad agency who promotes anti-consumer messages, helped to form the Occupy Wall Street movement. We've already seen some great acts of humanity: sheltering and feeding localities homeless population, providing medical care at the encampment that doesn't require a referral or an outrageous co-pay, and most importantly, building solidarity and community with one another. This certainly is a movement in the right direction where perhaps one day, stereotypes about what we wear, the color of our skin, how our hair looks, and political correctness dictated by established institutions will erode away.

Future article idea

My girlfriend is experiencing the same frustrations I went through for 13 months -- finding a job. In this day and age of outsourcing, we typically view it as jobs being shipped overseas. There's another outsourcing problem we face -- staffing and temp agencies. Less and less employers in the Atlanta area are hiring for permanent, full-time employment. More and more staffing agencies are used as vendors to help companies trim costs on employee pay and costs of benefits. This is a growing epidemic, as Georgia was one of seven states to lose jobs in 2010. In the meantime, the Georgia General Assembly seems to feel issues like putting "In God We Trust" on all license plates and eliminating immigrant workers from doing what very little to any would do is more important than doing one thing -- presenting a jobs bill. To date, there has been none issued by Republicans at the state level along with the national level.

I would like to explore just how many of this area's top employers use these staffing agencies. How many of this area's workforce, particularly top employers like Home Depot where she worked before they saw it wasn't in their budget to hire her on permanently with the company, use these fly-by-night staffing agencies? What is the staffing agency's selection process? Is it based on merit or like everywhere else, on who someone there knows? How much of an economic impact have these agencies had on this area and state? All these questions really express the frustration all of us in the 99 percent continue to experience.

Is the recent uprising after 'The Arab Spring' about more than just class warfare?

Since 2001, we've seen more and more tax cuts passed that've greatly contributed to an unprecedented wealth disparity. The "Occupy" movement started in New York City and now has made a global impact. Naturally, independent observers and critics have questioned the organized efforts, claiming there isn't a goal or coherent message. The message is very clear: End the corporate crime and corrupt influence that has directly impacted so many lives. As former progressive Congressman Alan Grayson has repeated, There hasn't been one arrest made or trial conducted over those who continue to rig the financial game.

Yesterday, the United States along with the United Kingdom, were the only two nations who voted against accepting Palestine as a member of UNESCO, a humanitarian arm of the United Nations. State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland dodged a direct question posed by a reporter. She was asked what "serious harm" has Palestine done that has outweighed its good to the global community. Nuland continued to persistently say the United States supports Palestine, but she never directly answered what "serious harm" the state has done. This vote should come as no surprise.

Each year, the U.S. and Israel have a strong business relationship worth billions for the U.S. in arms supplies for Israeli defense. Since Israel's independence and despite our mainstream press reporting, it has perpetrated numerous hostile aggressive actions in Palestine. The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated areas on the planet. So, who shoulders the blame?

The Oligarchy and Oligopoly System

Political dissident Noam Chomsky said democracy always comes at the expense of others. So, one can argue Israel's democracy comes at the expense of the Palestinian people. And our democracy also comes at the expense of the Palestinians. Are we truly looking after this region's best interests or our own? It appears the defense contractors and our Pentagon have the gold and make the golden rule.

The "Occupy" movement has inspired many to come out and have their voices heard -- voices silent for too long by those with deep, deep pockets. Oligopolies like the financial industry are being targeted for criminal behavior -- setting up a manipulative system that will vastly enrich their own pockets at the expense of others; others who have had their homes foreclosed on by shady mortgage practices, going bankrupt from health care bills, long-term unemployed who view themselves as useless to society, and unions who ask for a fair shake at the bargaining table where they can still retire with dignity and security.

Canesha and I have been to a General Assemby and marched to Capitol Hill with Occupy Atlanta. Both events were peaceful. We heard stories from individuals who have personally experienced the aforementioned effects from our olygarchy structure. The message is clear: We want democracy for all and not to the corporations, for the corporations, and by the corporations.

Many of us have been through hellish times, but we shouldn't discount all those times we've had with those who truly love and support us. Canesha and I have had unique journeys. Famed author Paulo Coelho wrote: "We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows their own pain and renunciation. It's one thing to think you're on the right path, but it's another to think yours is the only path." We seemingly have too few in high places who feel their path is the only one. If you can't get on that path, then you will be stripped bare.