1st Annual Memorial Pig Roast for Madden A. Cordero - please read and donate if you can

There are several causes that I endorse and advocate for, as long-term readers may be aware of. From time to time I like to take the opportunity to mention them and to try to raise funds for them. Today I will do so again.

This time this is a cause closer to home than say Darfur. For those in the central New York State area I invite you to come to, or donate for (even if you are not in New York State or the United States), the 1st Annual Memorial Pig Roast for Madden A. Cordero at Tom’s Tavern in Hagaman New York on October 18th – donation for admission are $10 but you can give more if you want – starting at noon until.



Madden Cordero sadly lived a short life, but was loved greatly in his time here. He had Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome which is a congenital disorder that can be found while the child is in the womb. Sadly, as in this case, it was not. Because this syndrome can be easily missed those born with the affliction often die within the first few days or months, but with quick treatment they can survive. Even with the required surgeries a child with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome will require life long medication and regular check-ups with heart doctors.

In honor of Madden this pig roast will raise money to be donated to the Ronald McDonald House located in Albany.

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) has been around for 35 years. The purpose of RMHC is to help children and their families around the world. The RMHC is more than just toys and games for children as many of us might assume. They provide services that families and children with serious conditions require and could never be expected to be prepared for.

RMHC provided the Cordero family a place to stay, which was 40 minutes away from their home, and close to the hospital in Albany where Madden was being treated. They had the ability to sleep, shower, research the internet on the condition afflicting their child, and a shuttle to and from the hospital – allowing them quick and easy access to the hospital and their child without the worry and cost of taxis, traffic jams, bad directions, fatigue driving, or any other potential delay and complication.

Like at all Ronald McDonald Houses, the only thing families are asked it to provide is a donation, maybe $7/day, if the family can afford it while they stay at the House. Like for the Cordero family this was a simple bit of help in a time of turmoil emotion and difficulty.

While I would hope that no family would ever have to endure any problems in their child’s life, Ronald McDonald House Charities helps those that do have to encounter these unexpected and extreme situations.

The 1st Annual Memorial Pig Roast for Madden A. Cordero will provide food and some drinks for all those that come and make a $10 donation. 100% of the donations, plus the cost of the event will be given to the Ronald McDonald House of Albany.

There will be a 50/50 raffle, and prizes donated by corporations in the area are planned to also be raffled. Again all monies raised will be given 100% directly to the RMHC.

If you would like to donate $10, or more to this cause please contact Mr. Gregg Cordero at 607–797–3783 for further details.

If you own a business and would like to donate a product or service to be raffled to raise funds for Ronald McDonald House of Albany you can also contact Mr. Cordero at the above number.

I know that my readers are compassionate people. As such I will donate all profits from the sale of any item found at my online store, for the month of October, to this Memorial and RMHC. In addition, all donations made to M V Consulting and/or all of its blogs and sites for the month of October will be donated as well. And finally I expect to be at this event, and will personally be making a donation as well.

I thank you for your attention in this matter, and your generosity as well.

Product review: JVC Kaboom Box

Let’s say that you want to listen to some music. Maybe you just moved, or bought a new house. You don’t have a lot of money. But you really want to enjoy your music whether on the radio, CD’s, or on your Ipod. What will you do?

Well you could buy a cheap all in one stereo. But the sound quality of those are abysmal, and at higher volumes the sound quickly becomes distorted. You could get better earphones for your MP3, but they your friends couldn’t enjoy the music. You could outfit your MP3 with speakers, but again the quality is limited, and not nearly full.

The choices on a limited budget is far from thrilling, luxurious, or quality. Unless you own a JVC Kaboom. This is the answer most are looking for.



The Kaboom box starts at about $275, but can be found on the internet (eBay) from reputable sites for about $210. At either price it is affordable and worth every dime. The Kaboom Box RV-NB1 is unique in several ways. It is powerful, compact, portable, and versitle.

The Kaboom Box weighs about 20 lbs. So it’s not exactly light, yet it is very easily moved or taken on the road. You will need about ten D batteries, which will add to the weight, but portable is an option if there is no outlet.

The reason so many batteries are needed, and why the weight is high is because this has 52 Watts of total power. Now I know you might wonder how powerful is that. Well to give you an idea, imagine this. At full power you can place this in the basement of a 2 story brick house of decent size, and hear the music in the attic. I kid you not. I own this and at full power I cannot hear my doorbell standing next to the ringer. It’s loud enough that you can have a block party with this, or be heard outside your house with all the doors and windows closed.

But there is an added bonus. This is not just loud, it is clear sound. At full volume the distortion is minimal to the average ear. That is playing rock, or classical, or jazz. And then there is the bass.

The Kaboom Box comes with a Super Bass Exciter and sub-woofer controller. So you can add extreme bass if you wish. At full volume with a bass heavy song you can vibrate everything in a room, even if that room is over 15 feet long. There is no question that everyone out of earshot will know the music you like.

But the Kaboom box also supplies another bonus. It has the ability to play AM/FM radio, CD’s, and has a connection for an iPod MP3 and/or an electric guitar. No let me be clear, when I say Ipod I mean just that. There is no universal connector, so if you have a different MP3 player it won’t work, I tried and the connection is wrong. And if you are old fashioned and own cassette tapes, you are in luck it will play them too.


But if you have the right connection cords you can hook up your Kaboom Box to your computer and run music streaming from the internet through your Box. Which can be huge fun and allow for an awesome collection of music.

Some of the exact stats are as follows:

• 2- 3 3/16" Front Firing Full Range Speakers and 2- 6 5/16" Subwoofers
  
• 15 AM and 30 FM Station Memory
  
• Full Function Remote Control
  
• Width: 27 3/16"
  
• Height: 9 7/16"
  
• Depth: 11 11/16"
  
• 52 Watts Total Power, Bi-Amplified
  
• Active Clear Sound (ACS) to improve clarity for better balance with deep lows
  
• Carrying Strap with Remote Control Holder
  

Full-Range: 6 watts per channel, min. RMS, driven into 4 ohms, from 150Hz to 15kHz; Super Woofer: 20 watts per channel, min. RMS, driven into 4 ohms, at 60Hz

I own a Kaboom Box, and I recommend them to anyone that wants to have quality sound at reasonable prices.

OJ Simpson trial - the joke in Las Vegas continues to be sour

But there was also news to start the week of a less positive nature. Case in point is the OJ Simpson trial. Which I still contend is a kangaroo court, meant simply as a justification to convict OJ for the prior case he was found innocent of over a decade ago.

So far the prosecution has finished its case and the defense has started. And in its first day the defense has proven that the transcript of the audio tape recorded in secret after the events in the hotel room in Vegas is factually incorrect. The transcript has omissions and additions that are completely false or creations of the prosecution.

That further bolsters the view that Michael McClinton is saying whatever he can to avoid jail. McClinton has already plead guilty and made a deal with the prosecution. He claims to have had a gun drawn, and to have given a gun to another alleged accomplice, which he says were known to OJ. Though he never states that OJ observed the guns, just that they were potentially visible.

I make the point about McClinton’s testimony for 3 reasons. He proved that the prosecution transcripts were false, he admits that he failed to mention to police that a gun was present when police first arrested and interrogated him, and because he made a deal so that he may be able to walk away from all the charges with only probation – to be determined after OJ’s trial is done. The first 2 feed the third point. He has every reason to lie or alter facts. Especially if the courts and police want to get a conviction that L.A. was unable to get.

And the fact that no African Americans were allowed on the jury, and that news media contamination of the jury was found to be unimportant, also bolster my point. Of course there is also the fact that the jury was told day one not to consider the L.A. trial and its results in this case; and then the prosecution proceeded to bring up details of that trial.

I’m not saying OJ was or is innocent. But I again say that he was found innocent in L.A. and that the current trial is the means of getting double jeopardy on that case. And some want to believe the legal system is fair for all.

Good news for Ryan Reynolds, Scarlett Johansson, and Marvel

Well a bit of good news is always a nice way to start the week. And to that end is the news that Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson got married. The couple was engaged recently, and thankfully their wedding was not the usual circus of paparazzi and media and rumors that tend to occur these days.

I wish the 2 of them the best. I hope that they can have a marriage like that of Paul Newman and his wife Joan Woodard.

In more potentially good news Marvel Comics is moving forward with their movie empire. With the success of the Incredible Hulk, and Iron Man (to say nothing of the success found in Spiderman’s and the X-Men’s 3 films) Marvel closed a deal top have Paramount distribute 5 of its next films. Those films will include the sequel to Iron Man, a film on Captain America, The Avengers and Thor.

Now I am happy to see that Iron Man will not only get a sequel, which we knew would be coming, but that Marvel is looking to get one of it’s biggest titles out – Captain America - even though they recently murdered him. It is interesting that in a time of war, and national conflicted emotions over these wars, Marvel has decided to highlight a character that was created by war and symbolizes the absolute belief that America is the greatest good in a bad world. Captain America is hardly a liberal, and considering how liberal Hollywood is their choice stands out.

Thor though is a movie I expect will do poorly. He just isn’t an interesting character by himself. Norse god, ancient misogynistic beliefs, and macho pig might all be terms that would easily describe him. And those are all elements that would prevent his acceptance by a wide portion of the movie audience. But given the right script and actor anything is possible. Though I think this will rank right up with the first Hulk movie.

Also a potential letdown is the choice of The Avengers. This team of super heroes could be like the first X-Men movie, and be good. But more likely is the failure of the movie and its ultimate similarity to the Fantastic Four movies. There are too many characters, with too many abilities to describe to an audience that has no clue about any of that. There is no theme that drives the plot for movie-goers without necessitating a big back-story. It’s just too much all at once. And most of the members of the Avengers just aren’t interesting enough.

The big secret may be that the 5th choice of Marvel will likely be the SHIELD movie. There have been 2 prior versions of Nick Fury so far, both have been abysmal. But they say the 3rd time is the charm. This could be the film that breaks Marvel’s back, or guarantees that future scriptwriters will give up on new ideas altogether.

Actually what am I saying? There really haven’t been any new ideas in Hollywood for almost a decade. Virtually every movie made in that time has been a retread of a book, comic book, television show or prior movie. Looking forward we have more Batman, Watchmen, Sin City, video games, television shows and such on the horizon. It’s really a shame that Hollywood has lost the last few brain cells they had.

Still I am looking forward to the Watchmen, Iron Man 2, Captain America, and HALO.

Beware of Dr. Horowitz - lies and mistreatments for profit

I ran across something that really had me wondering. A cure for AIDS, malaria, and infectious disease. This wasn’t something that hit the major news media, nor most of the minor media outlets. So I have my questions about it.

If there is a cure for AIDS and other diseases plaguing the world you would expect that it would be on every cable channel and across the internet. But it may be the nature of this “cure” that is the problem. It is essentially a natural cure and not some drug created in a major pharmaceutical think tank. And it is currently being tested in Africa.

Now the article that I learned of UPCOSH™, short for Uniform Picoscaler Concentrated Oligodynamic Silver Hydrosol, reads like an advertisement better suited for an infomercial than a scientific report. Still that does not mean it is false. But the video of this product reinforces the infomercial aspect and leaves me concerned for those that may look at this as some kind of super cure for their ailments.



So I looked up the man behind this product, Dr. Leonard Horowitz. And what I found was very interesting.

Dr. Horowitz is a dentist. Not a genetist or a doctor of any applied medicine. He writes books about conspiracy theories. And he makes money from websites selling hollistic medicine. His crediential are weak at best. Which does not help his current claims, as did his claim of having a cure for SARS.

Dr. Horowitz has had several of his websites close. Each of the defunct sites promoted a “cure” for various maladies in the world. Most were related to his cure for SARS which he continues to sell under various names and formulas today. None have been proven to be effective.

He also has an eye for being very promotional. He is noted for releasing a press release that highlights a book he wrote and it’s connection to the Will Smith film I AM LEGEND. The manner of the press release made it seem the film was at least in part based on his book, which is false. In fact, and noted carefully in the press release (made by Dr. Horowitz himself), his book was used in a scene in the film and that was all.

So overall I comne to this conclusion.

Dr. Horowitz is a modern day snake oil salesman. He is profiting off of the fears of the public, and the desire of many to use natural means to cure harsh and deadly ailments. He has no credibility, and any item he promotes should be viewed with high levels of doubt and incredulity.

There may well be many products that will provide natural cures to various ailments that beset people across the world. I believe that virtually ever ailment has a natural antidote, remedy, or prevention. And I believe there are many credible scientists and doctors that are investigating and presenting these cures to the benefit of millions or perhaps billions in the world. But Dr. Horowitz is not among them.

I would love to find that credible international agencies and institutions agree with a cure promoted by Dr. Horowitz or some other opportunist. Because even a broken clock is right twice a day. But at this point I cannot say this has happened. And I disapprove of con-artists profiting off of the hopes and needs of ill people.

Dr. Horowitz, in my opinion, hurts those seeking natural cures, and the industry that seeks to create those cures. He is of the lowest class of slime, as I understand him, because of what he is doing. I feel he has violated his oath to do no harm, for no reason beyond greed – and that is sickening.

In the past snake oil salesman would be tarred and feathered. Today, because of the internet and infomercials many make millions. So I can only say please be cautious and aware. If this post has saved anyone the heartache or pain a false cure can bring, I am glad.

And if this huckster and formenr dentist can provide authoritative proof of his cures I invite him to do so. Otherwise I hope that he slithers under a rock and is never heard from again. Until then I say to Dr. Horowitz, Ne Pizdie [it’s russian].

Electric motorcycles - a good idea or just an eco-dream

With gasoline prices still high, and crude oil prices still fluctuating everyone is looking to motorcycles for greater fuel efficiency. Not my top reason to own a motorcycle but a reason none the less. But there are some eco-fanatical people that think this is not enough. Thus the idea of electric motorcycles was born.

News is out that Honda is looking to create a line of hybrid motorcycles that will be available by 2011 or so. The issue is creating engines that will fit the frame of a motorcycle. Honda believe it can miniaturize the engines used in cars, and create an even more efficient motorcycle.

Interesting but I have to wonder, how will it look and will it be able to ride?

Well that meant I wanted to go out to Youtube,and Google, to see if anyone had made electric or hybrid motorcycles yet. And I found several. Here is one that can do 75 miles an hour.



It looks like a bike, and seems to ride like one as well. Though it sounds like a child’s wind-up toy or a remote controlled toy. And the sound is part of the pleasure of riding a motorcycle. Of course the joy of a motorcycle is not part of the reason why some are looking for electric or hybrid motorcycles.

So what are the pros and cons of this new development?

Pros include:

• Significantly lower cost to run than gasoline. It is estimated it cost ¼ the cost of gasoline to run.
  
• Very quiet
  
• No exhaust fumes since there is not combustion parts (electric only)
  
• You can charge up at home
  
• Reduced or remove the need for oil changes and similar forms of maintenance
  
• Can drive in enclosed spaces without danger from emissions
  

Cons include:

• Very quiet (hey I like the way motorcycles sound)
  
• Short range compared to gasoline
  
• Extended recharge time
  
• Top speed is massively reduced
  
• Battery power fluctuates based on weather (less power in cold weather as an example)
  
• If you run out of power you may not be able to recharge the engine (notice there aren’t too many outlets in the middle of any downtown area)
  

That all says nothing of things like if you are driving, and other cars and trucks can’t hear you on the road and they don’t see you, well you can imagine what they will do. Or the fact that to buy an electric motorcycle is far more than the equivalent power regular motorcycle. And the question of parts is unknown. Where to get them, cost to install (and ease of installation), time to get the parts, ect.

I look at the video, and I see how an electric motorcycle could look like a bike. In the video I see how it could drive like a bike. Mostly. But I’m not sure it has the feel of a bike. And that makes me hesitant.

I want to hear and feel my bike. I want to be sure I have the extra power I might need on a bike. I don’t want to have to constantly be working out the math on how far I can go, based on what speed I am at. I don’t want to be stuck somewhere, push the bike 1 or 2 or 5 miles to a station and realize I can’t recharge it. I don’t want to have to wait an hour, or longer, as the bike recharges in potentially a bad place or during an emergency.

The concept is interesting. The reality is questionable to me. But in a mere couple of years reality will be in showrooms and on the streets.

But if you have an electric motorcycle now, I’d love to hear what you think of it.

If you use meatitarian, read this

Have you seen this Wendy’s television commercial?



The term “meatitarian” has been sweeping the nation. I know this because I was recently called one. Just to be clear, I hate vegetables. All of them. In a good year I might eat 1 salad, of just lettuce or plain spinach, or maybe a few in a can of soup. So to be clear I love to have meat in each meal. Or just meat as a meal. A good steak is fine all by itself, and sliced pepreroni is a great for a snack food. (potatoes are perhaps the only exception)

Thus I understand where the reasoning comes from in calling me a “meatitarian”. But the only thing I get from the commercial and the term is the unbridled idiocy of those using the term.

Seriously, are some people so dumb as to not understand that a word for this already exists? It’s called carnivore. So anyone using this word created by Wendy’s might as well just scream out loud “I am a lemming! I have trouble adding 1+1. And I run with scissors in my hand on wet floors!”

There really is no way to insult someone’s intelligence after they have uttered this term in a sentence. You just can’t reach lower than they have. Even Don King has better validation for the imaginative concoctions and combinations he utters as words in English. I really just can’t drown out the voice in my head that wants to choke such a person with a spoon (another term belonging to gowks – and yes I had to look up that word myself).

Perhaps I should look at this from a different perspective. Maybe a more British take on this will help. Only a complete plank would use such a term. The use is gobshite.

I think I’ve been very clear here, but for those that think this is a great word and useful (they are out there) I will be even more blunt. You are obviously the product of a defective gene pool, please do a favor to the human race and never procreate.

Now in reflecting on the matter, a friend brought up a great observation. Vegetarians are just herbivores. It’s the same kind of dumb, recessive gene, make up a term because you can’t read the actual word logic. And I have to say that this is correct.

Why is vegetarian good then? Who cares. Nobody cares what those emaciated, odd colored, odd smelling, too healthy to live, 2-legged cows call themselves.

But for the sake of being fair I looked up the definition and etymology of vegetarian. In fact the 2nd definition of vegetarian is herbivore. And they are those that eat fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts (which I personally think you have to be to not eat meat – and I’ve had an ex that proves it).

The words seems to have first appeared in 1839, is noted to be the irregular formation from vegetable (n.) + -arian, as in agrarian, etc. It’s popularity and use came from "… largely due to the formation of the Vegetarian Society in Ramsgate in 1847." This society believed that the word they created, vegetarian, was from the Latin 'vegetus' meaning 'lively' (which is how these early vegetarians claimed their diet made them feel).

Now in 1839 the word OK was first used. Belgium became a kingdom that year. The first state passed a law allowing women to own property, modern rubber was first created, and the first Opium War starts. In general people were uneducated and stupid enough to not realize that a vegetarian is just a herbivore. And the term just stuck as did the idea of eating grass as a meal.

I seriously hope this trend dies, because as dumb as Americans are joked around the world to be, this term proves it.

Full video of the McCain - Obama Presidential debate

The following is the full video of the Sept 26, 2008 Presidential debate of Senator McCain and Senator Obama.

I believe that it is imperative that every American listen to exactly what each candidate said, and plans for America if they become President. My comments and in-depth analysis will be up shortly. In addition I will be providing a copy of the complete transcript of the entire debate.

I hope that this information helps each of you to come to a decision on who you wish to vote for. Because no matter whom you choose, your vote is vital to get the best person possible in the White House, and we can only get that if everyone makes an informed vote.

More information about coverage of all aspects of the Presidential election can be found at VASS.

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

Hollywood legend Paul Newman passes at 83

There is sad news in Hollywood today. Paul Newman has died at the age of 83.



Paul Newman was a great actor, and had been in entertainment since the 1950’s, made 50 films, was on television and performed in the theater. He was of a generation that could act in all the formats, not just one that most today do.

He is known for phenomenal performances in films like Cool Hand Luke, The Sting (a favorite), The Hustler (another favorite), and The Color of Money. He was so good that he was nominated for 10 Oscars over his career, and he won one and received 2 honorary Oscar Awards.

He worked with some of the greatest directors and actors in the entertainment business. The list includes: Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, the Coen brothers, Lauren Bacall, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Forest Whitaker, Jackie Gleason, George C. Scott, and Robert Redford.

Newman was also an accomplished race car driver. A passion that he pursued for decades. He was able to turn professional in 1977. He took second place in the grueling Le Mans Race in ‘79 and 5th place in Daytona in ’77.

Newman was also a charitable man. One of the most noted celebrity charitable contributors he gave for the causes he believed in most, children, though his Newman’s Own multi-million dollar food company is noted as having given over $175 million to charities. The company took no profits, all the money made was given away – name another celebrity or entertainer that has done something similar.

He also created the Scott Newman Foundation, after the death of his only son due to drugs. The foundation financed the production of anti-drug films for children.

And it must be noted that Paul Newman was married for 50 years, one of the longest Hollywood marriages. He was not seen in the various paparazzi magazines, nor was he known for scandals. He was a quiet man, of good humor and respect.

Like many in his generation, Newman served in the Navy during World War II. After the war he studied at Yale, and was part of the famed Actor’s Studio in New York City.

Newman is survived by his wife, five children, two grandsons and his older brother Arthur.

Movie Preview: The Soloist

Movies are the pictures of stories in our minds brought to life. They can be inspirational, or allow us to escape our daily lives. They can also be boring, and waste our time. Great stories and great actors often can combine with solid direction to provide a film that can withstand the test of time. To those films that achieve the greatest of these accomplishments an award, the Oscar, is presented (though sometimes Hollywood politics interfere with what and who actually wins). I believe that The Soloist may be of that kind of caliber.



In just watching that video clip I feel you have to be moved. If the film is only half as good as the whispers and the trailer infer then this is an Oscar worthy movie.

Some movies inspire our lives, and sometimes life inspires a movie. In this case we have the latter. Real men that have embodied the best parts of the human condition. And to portray that this film has combined 2 of the best actors in this generation.

There is no question that Robert Downey Jr. is a great actor. He has been able to portray drug addicts to comic book super heroes with a sense of honesty and credibility so consistently that you can believe each was not just a character but him in his daily life. He has the almost unseen ability to add to each film he is in and make it better with his presence.

Jamie Foxx has come into his own in the acting world. He has astounded many that could not see his potential back in his days on the television show Livin Color. He has been able to perform along side some of the best (Al Pacino) and most popular (Tom Cruise) and hold his own to say the least. He is only now starting to get the respect and roles a leading man of his caliber deserves.

Both of these men have been able to convey the lives of great people to the world. Downey in Chaplin, Foxx in Ray. They gave a piece of themselves and the results were riveting experiences that you could not take your eyes away from. So when I see that these great talents are working together, again taking true lives and presenting them in a larger than life format while rooting it in the essence of life we all live, I get excited.



I have only one fear about this film at the moment. I believe that if I am correct, and the trailer is what it is supposed to be – a tease – then we are looking at the hands down Oscar winner for the year. The fear then is that both Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx will both be nominated for the Best Actor award, and I cannot imagine choosing between the 2.

If I have to guess, and I am correct in what I have postulated, then I have to say that Robert Downey Jr. wins. Not because he is better, or that either actor is not at the best of their performances, but because of Hollywood politics. Because Jamie Foxx has won an Oscar already, and Downey has not, he gets the nod this time. If I am right, or wrong, I cannot say that I will be disappointed as both are deserving.

I’ve said a lot in favor of this film. I am a harsh critic and can often tell if a film is worthy of watching or not just by the trailer. Not everyone will agree with me, but I’ve noticed that the box office’s tend to match my feelings. So I am not fearful that if you see this film you will not be mislead. But either way I will review the film in November when it comes out and give you my honest opinion, even if it means I need to eat crow.

In My Name - Will.i.am, celebrites, dignitaries, and you around the world

I realize that over the last couple of weeks the main issue facing the nation has been the bailout of the financial markets, and the mortgage crisis that spurred it. But that is hardly the only thing that has been happening in the world, or this nation.

While the major news media has been forecasting bail out deal after bailout deal, which keeps getting denied by various Senators and Representatives, and predicting what might or might not happen if the deal does or does not get done they have forgotten to cover celebrities, entertainers, and dignitaries that are reminding the world of the promises made to end poverty and combat disease.

In 2000 world leaders came together in the United Nations to create the Millennium Development Goals. The promise was to end poverty in the world, reduce those afflicted by pr the potential of diseases like Malaria and AIDS, increase access to healthcare, and improve the opportunity and quality of education by 2015. We are now halfway to that date, and far too many nations have forgotten about the promise they made. But concerned people have not.

Will.i.am has been in the forefront of multiple celebrities, entertainers, and world dignitaries and Youtube in generating attention to the promise made by our leaders. For 2 days he and Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Scarlett Johansson, Annie Lennox, John Legend, Wyclef Jean, Fergie, Angelique Kidjo, Kristin Davis, Elle Macpherson and many others, not to mention organizations including GCAP, Oxfam International, Save the Children and Comic Relief, have joined together to create the new channel on Youtube called “in my name”.

On this channel you the public and citizenry of the world have the opportunity to introduce yourself, your nation, and your message to the leaders of the world and your country to live up to the promises they made in 2000. Youtube will be accepting your videos, or video pettion if you prefer, until November 1st. At that point Will.i.am will be taking the best videos and mashing-up to form a single video set to the new song In My Name (dedicated to this cause) that will be presented to the entire United Nations.

We can only hope that world leaders will be moved by this expression of international care and attention. We must demand that moved or not, world leaders act as they have promised us they will. I am reminded of a line from a great movie you may have seen (and if you didn’t go see it) called V for Vendetta

“People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.”

The fear in this case is that we, the people have not forgotten what was promised on our behalf, nor those that are in need. That we hold the true power our Governments use, and determine how that power should be used.

The major media may not care that so many across the world remember the promises made, but I like many others do. And I believe that me must be held to our words. Because the world is not a varying number of individual countries but in the end just a collection of people, and none deserve to live in poverty or with sickness or in hunger.

VH1’s Top 100 of rap music celebrates the positives of the genre

I just noticed something that really caught my attention. VH1 has compiled a list of the top 100 rap music songs. Now that is something that I am sure will create huge debate.

The main question is the importance of groups at the start of rap, the empowerment movement in rap (which was sadly short lived), and the gangsta rap genre that has now become the redundant and endless form that dominates music videos and radio. I for one have no love of gangsta rap, nor the performers that populate the genre.

In it’s birth rap was a celebration of joy. The earliest songs, which I recall from my youth, were not that long ago, just about 29 years now. They were about enjoying friends and good times. The groove was infectious and lead to the growth of the fledgling music format.

But like all things rap grew up. In fact it did so with a speed and determination. By the mid 1980’s until 1992 rap had a meaning. Not all rap, but a good portion of it. There was a pride in the Black community and it was reflected in the music. The music was an oral declaration of unity and progress. This too was reflected in the music videos of the art form, if you were lucky enough to spot one on television.

The first 13 years that rap music existed it was called a fad by mainstream music. It was viewed as a joke. It was diminished and tossed aside by the entire music industry, even though music executives would not dare to stop making the highly lucrative music. But throughout this time rap music was also something that the White masses of the nation neither understood nor craved.

Then there was N.W.A. and the music industry executives found what they had been waiting for. A guttural base expression of African Americans as impoverished, uneducated, violent criminals waiting to be unleashed upon the nation.

I realize, now and then, that N.W.A. was expressing yet another face of what many African Americans experience everyday in America. I understand that they were crying out about the less than