A Simple Request to the G8


2008 is a landmark year in the fight against poverty and disease. The world is halfway to 2015 when the Millennium Goals must be achieved, but Africa is perilously off track. 2008 is also the halfway point between 2005 and 2010 when many promises made by the 'Group of 8' (G8) to Africa must be met such as the commitment to provide an additional $25 billion in effective aid for Africa. The G8 are dangerously behind on these landmark commitments.

In 2008, G8 leaders have the opportunity -- and responsibility -- to put weight behind their words.

I hope that all 'villagers' will sign the online petition that calls upon the G8 to build on recent success in fighting extreme poverty. We want the G8 to deliver their commitments on healthcare, agriculture and education and by helping citizens in developing countries in their efforts to improve governance and fight corruption.

What say u about signing this online petition?

Third Party Challenge to Obama and McCain

Did you see this late-breaking news in your part of the country yet?


Villager for president! What say u?

Bill Clinton to Barack Obama: 'Kiss My Ass'

Bill Clinton is the only person that I ever voted for who actually got elected into the presidency. Ronald Reagan, George H. Bush and George W. Bush each held office without my vote or support. Bill Clinton won the office twice with my vote. As such, he has been a political hero for most of my adult life.

Therefore, I am truly sad to see how bitter he is about Barack Obama's victory over his wife. We're told that Bill Clinton wants Obama to beg for his wholehearted support in the upcoming presidential campaign.

Bill Clinton is having a difficult time understanding that his star within the Democratic Party is setting. The Telegraph says that Clinton's rage is still so great that even loyal allies are shocked by his patronizing attitude to Obama.

In fact, a senior Democrat who worked for Mr Clinton has revealed that he recently told friends Mr Obama could "kiss my ass" in return for his support. The source said, "He's saying he's not going to reach out, that Obama has to come to him. One person told me that Bill said Obama would have to quote kiss my ass close quote, if he wants his support."

A second source said that the former president has kept his distance because he still does not believe Mr Obama can win the election.

For his part, Bill Clinton last week issued a tepid statement, through a spokesman, in which he said he "is obviously committed to doing whatever he can and is asked to do to ensure Senator Obama is the next president of the United States."

It has long been known that Mr Clinton is angry at the way his own reputation was tarnished during the primary battle when several of his comments were interpreted as racist. But his lingering fury has shocked his friends. Another source told the Telegraph: "He has been angry for a while. But everyone thought he would get over it. He hasn't."

Hillary Clinton appears to have accepted the voice of the people. She recognizes that the best chance for her party to retake the White House is to unite with Barack Obama over the next four months of campaigning. Bill Clinton appears to be tone deaf on this matter. Clinton is showing himself to be a mean and petty person ... not a world-class leader. Hopefully his wife or his daughter will help him see the light.

Right now, Clinton appears to be wrong. However, I'm hopeful that we will see more photos in the future of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama standing together. What say u?

Blog Safari #4


Here are some interesting blog posts that we came across while hunting outside of our village recently. I hope you enjoy the knowledge dropped by these enlightened blogs:

Let us know if you come across any remarkable posts that should be shared in our next Blog Safari!

Old School Friday: Jackson 5

The theme for this week's Old School Friday is 'Kid Groups'. At the end of the day, there can only be one. Every other kid group in America is simply a poor shadow of the original kid group that swept into every American home back in the early 1970s ... The Jackson 5.

Take a moment and enjoy this medley of songs from the original Jackson 5 ... Jermaine, Tito, Marlon, Jackie and Michael:



I used to watch the Saturday morning cartoon. The movie 'Willard' was my favorite for many years because of the song, Ben. My afro was long. I was a fan of The Jackson 5 for much of my youth. How about you? What is your favorite memory of this remarkable kid group?

Am I Not Human? Switch Over to Darfur

NOTE: This post should have been posted on the 27th of the month in accordance
with the Am I Not Human? blogging campaign commitment. My apologies for the late submission.
We get tied up in our day-to-day existence and sometimes don't think about others on Mother Earth. That is one of the reasons that I support the 'Am I Not Human?' campaign initiated by the brothers and sisters of the Roots of Humanity blog.

This month I want to invite all villagers to take a moment to think about the atrocities committed in Darfur ... especially as you prepare to watch the 2008 Olympics in August. Truth to tell, I invite you to tell the Olympic sponsors to help end genocide in Darfur.

After all, in a little over a month, China and the Olympic sponsors will kick off the Beijing Olympics. With your help, we can make sure the world, the sponsors, and specifically China do not forget about the people of Darfur.

I encourage you to learn about a new campaign, 'Switch Over to Darfur,' sponsored by Dream for Darfur, which will help keep the pressure on China and Olympic sponsors leading up to the Games in Beijing.

Click here to check out the new campaign and take the 'Switch Over' pledge.

Earlier this month, advocates held nationwide protests outside the offices of Olympic sponsors that have remained silent about the genocide in Darfur. These events were covered by the Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, and many other media outlets. We believe that the privileges of Olympic sponsorship come with responsibilities. Sponsors are eager for access to China's consumers and have been working to enhance China's image as Olympic host. Sponsors are also associating themselves with all the positive values represented by the Games -- but not working to uphold those values.

When asked to take action for Darfur, 16 out of 19 top Olympic sponsors chose to remain silent.

On the new 'Switch Over' website, you can let the Olympic corporate sponsors know that you intend to ignore companies that ignore Darfur.

Villagers, we have brothers and sisters all over Mother Earth who ask the question, 'Am I Not Human?' Isn't it time that we answer them? What say u?

Solo Review- Severance (2006)



Severance (2006)

Sub-Genre- Horror Comedy



Cast Members of Note- Laura Harris, whom I fondly remember getting naked in The Faculty.



In Attendance- Me...



What's it about?- For those of you that thought this movie is about actress Joan Severance, like I did, you're about to be disappointed. The woman has been naked in 5,233 movies, give or take, and I was all set for a retrospective of her nudity and sex, but no... she's nowhere to be seen!
Sorry Joan, we'll always have Lake Consequence.


Luckily, the movie was good enough to make me forget how upset I was: A bunch of Brit businessmen(and chicks) head into the Hungarian mountains for a team-building weekend (wow, now that's a motivational tool worth never exploring), and they all get their asses kicked by the locals.



Needless to say, that Hungary has it's share of inbred mountain folk just like the deep south does in the U.S.A., although their version is a tad more militant and they carry fully automatic weapons and flamethrowers; also, they're vengeful Russians. The cold war never fully ended, did it!?!?!



So the creepy Russian ex-militants let loose the dogs of war; they send a highly trained attack spider to wreak havoc against the foreigners, but the attempt was foiled; They leave a special pie in the fridge for them, booby-trapped with teeth, but that doesn't do the trick either; soon enough, they resort to good old fashioned methods of mayhem like bear traps and Gymkata to kill the limey invaders. That's right, I said Gymkata!
Try as you may, you just can't kill Hungarian hookers.


I wont ruin the ending here, save to say that two Hungarian hookers save the day. This is why I love whores.



The Good- An overall fun film, that mixes comedy and gore in just the right measure. I was waiting to be pissed off, as I am with most Horror/Comedy hybrids, but the filmmakers and actors alike pull it off and managed to make me smile a wee bit.



I like the mean-spirited feel of the kills; a lot was done tongue in cheek, but they still packed the gore in, and made me wince a few times.



The Bad- Why was there no sex going on here??? Four chicks, two of the hookers, and not one person got any... although all of the killing may have put the kibosh on that...



The Downright Horrendous- That fucking pie; I mean, would you have eaten that?



The Gory- The hunting knife in the ass was the highlight for me, although severed limbs and bloody violence were plentiful. The bear trap was a nasty touch as well.





The Naked- Hungarian hookers trapped in a pit... Need I say more?
I will say no more.


What did we learn?- Finding the right lodge to begin with helps a lot, and saves everyone from being brutally killed. Also, don't mess with Hungarian hookers unless you want to have a fight on your hands!



Rating- B+ This one is worth an own for me, and at least a rent for most of you. It's a good and goofy time that should satisfy the blood hungry among us.



Final Thoughts-
Laura Harris is in this.



Solo Review- Rec (2007)


REC (2007)
Sub-Genre- Epidemic/Viral Zombie

In Attendance- Me...

Cast Members of Note- A bunch of Spanish actors that I can't begin to name. They did real good-like though, real good.

What's it about?- When fearless reporter Angela tags along with a company of Firemen on a routine midnight call, the terror of her big mouth and disregard for anything other than the damn camera filming her begins!

Apparently, the fat chick from the Dawn of the Dead remake is back, and is trying to eat people in her quaint little apartment building, so the firemen along with two bumbling cops try to help her, and end up fucking up so bad that everyone ends up screwed. They kill her 24 times to no avail, and finally decide to lock her in a room with a ham, hoping she will choke to death. Does the daring plan work? You'll see...
Though I was kidding, didn't you?

Once bitten, the new infected zombies get really mad and try to eat everyone else; one little girl even tries to eat her mother... creepy little fuck. They start dropping like flies, these Spaniards, until there are only three of them left; thank god the guy with the camera and the loud mouthed twit of a reporter are two of them.

The rest of the movie is a cat and mouse survival type of thing, with the jerk off FEMA team ordering the tenants at gunpoint to remain in the building and await "instructions." If by "Await instructions" they mean "Stay in there and die or we will shoot you ourselves", then they got their point across. Apparently FEMA sucks in Europe too.

I wont spoil the ending here, but trust me when I say that you will poop your pants, and perhaps even the pants of those near you when you see it. (I know I never expected to see Barbara Walters naked with a hammer in this movie.)


The Good- I don't think I've seen an ending as terrifying as this one in a long while. The last 10 minutes absolutely changed the movie for me, and took it to a much creepier place than just your standard "Infected people turning into killer zombie" fare. I loved the twist, and would have like to have seen that premise explored more. I'm hoping Rec 2 will give me what I want!

I don't want to ruin it by saying much more, but suffice it to say that the place where the virus comes from makes me giddy. I want to see an entire movie dedicated to that subject matter.
She looks lost.

REC is definitely frightening in a lot of ways, especially the premise. An unknown virus turning everyone around you into flesh eating madmen, while you're locked in a building with them and cant get out... that makes for some intense moments.

The shaky-cam thing that is so popular in movies lately (Thanks for that one Cloverfield), is a bit distracting, but not to Blair Witch proportions. Once the creepiness begins, you'll barely notice it.

 The Bad- It always drives me crazy in these movies when people wont shut up when they need to be as quiet as possible. I mean, Let's scream, argue while screaming, and scream some more when were fighting for our lives against a bunch of rabid Spaniards! Stupido.

Scream louder, I don't think the demon in the room behind you heard that.

 I still say that if the situation were real, that the camera wouldn't be used as much, and later on in the film, would be shut off completely... then again, if they did that, there wouldn't be a movie, so I digress. Still, the reporter chick didn't need to wheedle her way in front of the camera every chance she got.

The Downright Horrendous- How someone didn't smack the reporter bitch in the face multiple times throughout the movie is beyond me. "Evil is after us, dummy... How about you don't scream!?!?!"

The Gory- A good mix of on screen blood and nastiness, and off screen violence you can hear but cant see. Not a gore fest, but certainly bloody enough.


What did we learn?- Dogs are evil, and not to be trusted.

Rating- B+ The only reason I didn't give this one an A, was that I cant get around the blatantly dumb actions of some of the characters. Other than that, this one is well worth a rent or a buy, but see it either way.

Final Thoughts- It's already being re-made in the U.S., as Quarantine. Look for it in October. Sigh. (*Update- Quarantine was nowhere near as good or effective as REC was.)

[REC] was better.

C.Y.P. Daily #5

C.Y.P. (Crap Your Pants) Daily presents the following creepy bit:



Screw that.

Surrogates Gone Wild * Grover Norquist


Grover Norquist went to the Geraldine Ferraro school of politics. I must admit that I never heard of Grover Norquist before today. He doesn't hang out in many of the same places as people of African descent. It turns out that Grover Norquist is a conservative activist who specializes in promoting an anti-tax agenda.

Anyhow, Norquist dropped by The Times' Washington bureau to give his negative critique of Obama's liberal stances on economic issues and other matters, he termed the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee "John Kerry with a tan."

It appears that John McCain and his surrogates are still struggling with the concept that they are getting beat-down by a person of African descent in this election cycle. Apparently it would make them feel better to think of Barack Obama as a white guy with a tan ... or as Karl Rove recently claimed, as a country club elitist leaning against the wall talking about folks.

Is this all that John McCain and his surrogates can bring to the table? Can John McCain keep the November election from becoming a blowout in favor of Obama? What say u?

Blackonomics Million Dollar Club

I shared information with villagers earlier this year about the effort to rejuvenate the Blackonomics Million Dollar Club (BMDC). In fact, I recently created a BMDC Facebook group to support this effort.

Jim Clingman is the brother that created BMDC a few years ago. He recently shared an update on BMDC at recent Bring Black Back conference. His comments are shown in the video below:



There is no cost to join BMDC. Just place your email address on the BMDC mailing list. That list is how BDMC communicates with its members.

I hope that all villagers take a moment to participate in this process. In the meantime, I would love to hear your comments on this idea. What say u?

#13 & #14- Anchor Bay Drive in Classics Vol. 1-

This DVD set has two movies in one; and since A Blade in the Dark is the first of them, they both get reviewed on our way through the A's. (I'll forget to do Macabre if I save it until we get to the M's.)





A Blade in the Dark (1983)

Sub-Genre- Giallo/Slasher



In Attendance- Me, Eryn, Machine, The Vanilla Gorilla, and Nick.



Cast Members of Note- None really, save for Michele Soavi who has had a long career on both sides of the camera; working alongside Argento for many years and directing the masterpiece Dellamorte Dellamore (Cemetery Man.)



What's it about?- Riiiight... Like any one on the planet can just "tell you" what an Italian Horror flick from the late 70's/early 80's is about? Guess what, they can't. Why do men from Tennessee often circumcise themselves by rubbing their peckers against rusty barbed wire fences? Can you tell me that? Oh, but that's different, right? You're all sheep.



So anyways, our little Giallo story begins with three mongoloid children throwing a ball down a creepy staircase into a dark cellar; one of them is transgendered, and the other two nearly gay bash the poor kid to death. The kid runs for his life into the basement, only to be gay bashed to death for real this time, by the creepy killer in the cellar. At least Mr. Murder gives the other two their ball back.



Live your life, Fabrizio; I won't judge you.


We next meet Bruno, the slow witted composer who just moved into a posh villa to finish work on his latest movie score. He soon begins to hear noises around the house and decides to investigate; unfortunately for him, he is hindered by some "slow motion" disease that he got from a hooker in Barcelona. A few hours later, he finally makes it out of the room, and (Slowly) heads downstairs to the biggest basement ever made. He saves a girl, Katia, from a scroach (That's a spider-roach hybrid for those of you who haven't been to Europe), and she asks him for a cigarette.



He forgets she is there, and begins composing; for the record, his big accomplishment was finishing the first half of one song during his entire stay. He plays it over, and over, and over again, prompting a psychotic killer into action... Katia pays for his lack of any sort of enthusiasm ans sense of urgency with her life.



Within ten minutes of all of this happening, another chick randomly pops up in the house, and this time Bruno gets laid. The next morning, he kicks her out because he is very busy working on his half of a song, but is dismayed to find yet another young, sex starved girl show up randomly, only this time outside of the house. He lets her swim and shower, and she too is killed.



For Christ's sake Bruno, can you play more than 10 notes?!?


With the disappearances, some odd phone calls, a slashed nudie picture and his master tape of half of a song destroyed, he wonders if something strange is going on.



I won't ruin the end here, but suffice it to say that more people die, and Bruno never finishes one frigging song.



The Good- Lamberto Bava is the man; Like his father before him (We love you Mario Bava!), The films of Lamberto are true Giallo through and through; Tense, atmospheric, bloody, creepy, confusing and poorly bubbed... a blood soaked treat for us all.



I can see how some people would look at a movie like this and instantly see a cheesy, dated mess... but then those are the horror fans who pay to see The Hitcher Remake and Shutter, and actually enjoy watching the turds. Yes, I'm an elitist prick.



There is so much at work in a movie like this, that it satisfies on different levels, despite it's shortcomings. Italian Horror is about atmosphere and visuals, excessive violence and tension... the price we pay for those heights that these movies usually hit is usually on the back end, and in the form of coherence and lack of sense.



It's worth every minute.



The Bad- This guy... What in the hell is his deal anyways?





The Downright Horrendous- Cross dressing children... when will it end?



The Gory- Plenty O' gore to be had here, from a bloody tennis/baseball, to multiple slashings and stabbings. Stay classy Italy, we love you!





The Naked- A pair of late 70's style A cup pancake boobies... and that's it.



What did we learn?- Scroaches do exist. Also, if you rent a villa in Europe, random slutty chicks will just show up and hang out with you.

Rating- B For its time and for what it was, it's a solid flick. I'd recommend renting it before buying though, as it may not be everyone's cup of tea.

Final Thoughts- Nick made a good point during this one: "What the fuck?" He's only 13 folks, and he already hits it dead on.







Macabre (1980)

Sub-Genre- Italian Horror



In Attendance- Me, Eryn, The Vanilla Gorilla, and Nick.



Cast Members of Note- Stanko Molnar... Come on, the guys name is stanko!



What's it about?- Love. Yep, it's about love.



...A 10 year old sisters love for her 4 year old brother (Ages approximate), and the bathtub that she drowns him in while her mother is out whoring. Is anything sweeter?



...The love of a woman (The one out whoring) and a man, even after a traffic accident kills him and severs his head from his body. That doesn't stop the lovemaking... no way. Passion will not be denied.



...The love of a blind man (Blindy we'll call him) and his ancient mother, who still loves to bathe him... slowly, with a hard bar of soap... Sadly, she dies because she's 103 years old, so no more baths... Blindy quickly falls in love with the whore who still loves a dead guy, and accepts her in all of her bat shit crazy splendor.



Love drives her to kill her other kid, mentally abuse the blind guy, and make love to a severed head. Really.
Told you so.


The Good- The best thing about Macabre, is that it's a disturbing flick that will make you feel like you need a shower afterward.



It's not the best example of early 80's Italian horror, but it has it's good points; the bathtub scene, the creepy daughter, and the end.



The Bad- About halfway through this one I would have taken a "Screaming Seagull" from someone if they would have stopped the movie. Maybe even an "Alabama Hot Pocket."



The Downright Horrendous- Seriously mom, he's like 30 years old, he can bathe himself. Drop the soap! Now!



The Gory- The, um... "sex" scene towards the end is fairly gross... as is whats in the freezer. Other than that, Macabre is light on the blood.



The Naked- A little bit of cheesecake, but it was more creepy than it was hot.
Stanko and Stanky.


What did we learn?- Kids are evil. Also, getting head can have more than one meaning, and sometimes at once. Also, severed head breathe, fly, and bite. Yep.



Rating- C- Effective enough, but a rough ride. Rent it before committing to the buy.



Final Thoughts- That little bitch was creepy!
Creepy little bitch.



Blog Safari #3

Here are some interesting blog posts that we came across while hunting outside of our village recently. I hope you enjoy the knowledge dropped by these enlightened blogs:

Let us know if you come across any remarkable posts that should be shared in our next Blog Safari!

Tasered Pregnant Woman Found 'Not Guilty'

We have some great new information to share with villagers on the seven-months pregnant woman tasered by police in Trotwood OH last year. A jury in western Ohio found 33-year old Valreca Redden not guilty of resisting arrest and obstruction of official business.

Trotwood police officer Michael Wilmer showed remarkably poor judgement during confrontation that last November when Redden came to the police department to see about giving up her one-year-old son. An investigative police report said Redden refused to answer questions about herself and the boy and disobeyed Wilmer's order not to leave.

The jury spent less than three hours in deliberation before telling the Trotwood police department that they were wrong. Wilmer was a probationary police officer in the Dayton suburb. He was fired the following month for unrelated reasons.

Hopefully this verdict will allow Mr. Redden to continue on the road to a blessed and positive life for herself and her children.

Solo Review- The Happening.... UGH!

I didn't even want to do this review, but if my warning can save even one person, then it was all worth it. If you don't believe me, and think I'm being snarky with what follows, just watch the movie. I really mean that. No pictures, no attempted humor, all you'll find below is the review. UGH!

The Happening
Sub-Genre- Nature Attacks

In Attendance- Me... Unfortunately.

Cast Members of Note- Why was Mark Wahlberg in this? Also, John Leguizamo and Zooey Deschanel? Shame on them.

What's it about?- Plants hate us as much as M. Night loves himself; that means immeasurably.

M.Night Shaymalananan is so clever! Wanna know why come? Because of these clever things he slips into the movie; he gives us the witty play on words "Kiladelphia." Instead of Philadelphia, get it!?!

He makes mood rings an indicator of danger; He schools us about 435 times how plants react to human stimulus and do stuff; math riddles calm hysterical people down during a "Happening"; plants, trees and grass can communicate with each other; wind is really scary; plants release co-transporters in the air; this movie makes little sense.

Once Marky Mark screams "Get scientific, douche bag!" at himself, seriously, he figures it all out; Stay ahead of the wind, and stay in a big group , and the plants cant kill us. The wind chase is on! Luckily, it cant catch 20 milling city folk, because obviously wind is slow.

Marky Mark finds a little tree in the den of a farmhouse they hide out in and says the following (looking terrified all the while); "Hello? My name is Elliot Moore, I'm just going to talk in a very positive manner, giving off good vibes... were just here to use the bathroom, I hope that's ok." The tree turns out to be plastic. Wow, that's funny... almost as funny as 9 year old cancer patients with aids being mauled by lions. Less funny even.

So now they decide that they have to stay away from large groups of people... whatever. At least they find a radio tied to a fence in the middle of nowhere. Then during another inane speech and delivery by Marky, Zooey delivers the most ironic line of the movie; "Are you joking?" That part was actually perfect.

The ending is about as anti climactic as it gets, and it sucks ass as much as the rest did.

The Good- It ended.

The Bad- The worst part of this whole mess is that the guy, M. Night of course, thinks that he is making social commentary, and teaching us something. He also thinks he is relevant.

The Downright Horrendous- The script. The acting. The premise. The plot. I'm seriously wondering if Shaymalananan made this movie as a joke, or if he has seriously gone insane. I'm being serious.

What did we learn?- That this sucked worse than his last two movies.

Rating- F uck you M. Night Shayamalanananan.

Final Thoughts- Fuck M. Night Shaymalananan, right in his ass.

Manic Monday: Night


Morgen established 'Night' as the theme for Manic Monday this week. I decided to go back to my Manic Monday roots and find an afrocentric twist to the weekly word. In this case, I simply looked to one of America's best poets ... Langston Hughes. He wrote a poem called, Night Funeral in Harlem. I hope you enjoy the flow...


Night funeral
In Harlem:

Where did they get
Them two fine cars?

Insurance man, he did not pay--
His insurance lapsed the other day--
Yet they got a satin box
for his head to lay.

Night funeral
In Harlem:

Who was it sent
That wreath of flowers?

Them flowers came
from that poor boy's friends--
They'll want flowers, too,
When they meet their ends.

Night funeral
in Harlem:

Who preached that
Black boy to his grave?

Old preacher man
Preached that boy away--
Charged Five Dollars
His girl friend had to pay.

Night funeral
In Harlem:

When it was all over
And the lid shut on his head
and the organ had done played
and the last prayers been said
and six pallbearers
Carried him out for dead
And off down Lenox Avenue
That long black hearse done sped,
The street light
At his corner
Shined just like a tear--
That boy that they was mournin'
Was so dear, so dear
To them folks that brought the flowers,
To that girl who paid the preacher man--
It was all their tears that made
That poor boy's
Funeral grand.

Night funeral
In Harlem.

Electronic Village Milestone: 700 Posts!

Recently, a reporter asked me if I would be willing to go to jail as a result of my work as a blogger. My answer was 'No'. I consider my blog to be a hobby at this point. I don't consider a hobby worthy of prison time.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I realized this weekend that our Electronic Village just passed the 700-post milestone. We began on this blogging journey about 550 days ago on January 13, 2007. Can a hobby survive the 700-post milestone?

We have talked about our blogging milestones in the past:
Sometimes it is difficult to keep up this blog. Part of my problem may be that I'm now operating two other blogs, BDPA in the News and BDPA Foundation. Also, I support a number of other blogging efforts to grow the influence of Black bloggers in the afrosphere via groups like The AfroSpear and a new Facebook group.

Villagers, you honor me by taking time from your day to read our blog, either in person or via RSS feed. I suspect that our blog is reaching a point where I need to make a decision about continuing the hobby or trying to take this to the next level.

I am very interested in hearing from villagers on what they would like to see from this blog.

What would you like to see more? What would you like to see less? What were your original reasons for becoming a villager?

This is an open thread for your comments, critique and suggestions. We want to improve this blog and we need your feedback to do so. What say u?

Sunday Inspirations: Prayer for Flood-Filled Days

Prayer for Flood-filled Days
by Rabbi Paul J. Kipnes

Our God and God of our fathers and mothers,
The flood waters came, wreaking havoc upon our cities, our homes,
our rescue workers, our sense of security, And we turn to You for comfort and support.

Help us to differentiate between floods of destruction and down-pouring of Your love and comfort.

We know that waters can destroy.
In a world decimated many times before, having been submerged in waters from the Florida hurricanes, the Asian tsunami, and ... each of Biblical proportions, we remember the destructive abilities of these flood waters.

Recalling now that the world, though filled with Your Glory,
is not equal to Your flawlessness,
we strive desperately, sometimes without success,
to move beyond the impulse to blame You.
Keep us far from apocalyptic thoughts,
for we know that You ask us to care for each other,
an awesome responsibility.

We also know that we can seek You in the waters. We recall Your Loving Hand, guiding us in our infancy:

From a barren rock, You brought forth water to quench our thirst,

In the midst of a journey through the wilderness, You showed Miriam a myriad of wells which healed our parched throats, You guided us through Yam Suf, the Red Sea, moving us past destruction toward new life and new beginnings.

Through Your love, we found our way.

Be with us now, during these deluged days.

Draw us close to those harmed by these waters, hearing their
cries, responding to their needs.

Lead us to support those who will fix the cities,
care for the displaced, who bring healing to those suffering.

Though our attention spans seem so short, may we
be slow to forget those who were in danger.

Please bring a warm wind and hot sun from the heavenly realms to help dry up the flood waters.

And may we all embrace at least one lesson spoken aloud by so many who -- facing the floods -- rushed to pack up their valuables:

That memories of love and of time spent with family and friends are priceless, holy and sacred.
This can never be taken away.

As we rush to meet the challenge of living in this
imperfect world of ours, May we slow down enough to cherish those who are truly valuable -- holy -- to us.

Blessed are You, O God, who differentiates between the truly Valuable and everything else.


Road Kill T-Shirt Sells Racist Anti-Obama T-Shirts

Drumbeats from Black Political Thought showed us that racist feelings in our nation continue to run strong. Check out these racist t-shirts being sold on 'Road Kill T-Shirts' website.


Difficult to argue that racism isn't alive and well when you see folks selling t-shirts that show KKK members chasing presidential candidate Barack Obama or feature swinging nooses.

Road Kill T-Shirts tried to distance themselves from the racist t-shirts on their website. “We recently hired a freelancer to create designs and post them on our site,” wrote Mike from Road Kill T-Shirts. “We have teams of them and, unfortunately, these were put up in the last couple of days without approval. While the site can be edgy…I can guarantee you this is not the type of stuff we approve of.”

Villagers, we need to keep our eyes on the look-out for this type of racist nonsense over the next five months. When we see it ... we must call it ... and it must be stopped. That is my thought. What say u?

Mapping the Life of El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (Malcolm X)


I admire El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (Malcolm X) and the impact that he had on people of African descent. As such, I was pleased to see a Malcolm X exhibit on Second Life.

Drumbeats from Black Threads told us about the efforts of Moraine Valley Community College to analyze this autobiography in detail. The students of this community college map the life of Malcolm X, in geographic terms, based on the information provided in his autobiography.

Alex Haley’s The Autobiography of Malcolm X is at once inspirational, controversial, and historic. It is a novel that has had far-reaching success selling millions of copies and influencing Americans of all races and creeds.



This “autobiography” relates the life story of Civil Rights leader Malcolm X, who came of age in the segregated America of the 1940s and 1950s. He embraced religion while in prison and sought to free his people “by any means necessary.” By the end of his life, Malcolm X was one of the most prominent African American leaders. While on a journey to Mecca, he began to preach a more inclusive ideology that emphasized cooperation and understanding. The Autobiography of Malcolm X provides a valuable glimpse of America. More importantly, it is the story of one man rising up against oppression and learning, through his own experiences, how America might redeem itself.

Villagers have shared thoughts on the birth and death of Malcolm X in the past. I would love to hear from you again today. What is your lasting memory of El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (Malcolm X)?

Why Won't Robert Mugabe Get Out of the Race?


Many of us think that John McCain is simply too old to be President. Yet there is a guy much older than McCain who won't get out of the race for president in Zimbabwe. At 84, he's destroyed his country and his legacy. Why won't Mugabe get out of the race?

Charlayne Hunter-Gault wrote an excellent article on this topic over on The Root:

Zimbabwe will hold a run-off election on June 27. Presidential contender Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader, insists that he and his party have already won. But Robert Mugabe, the wily leader of the ruling ZANU-PF party refused to accept the results and in time—an unprecedented long time—the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission agreed that neither presidential candidate had gotten the necessary majority to declare himself the winner. But throughout the contested campaign and prolonged announcement of the results, one question keeps coming up:

What makes Mugabe run?

Robert Gabriel Mugabe is older than John McCain. Eighty four, to be exact. His country, as well as his struggle legacy is in tatters and the era of the Big Man all across Africa is drawing to a close as new rules of the African road call for an end to the era of president for life, and a growing number of African leaders are answering the call.

Click here for the rest of the story
We don't discuss very much about Africa here in America. I am reminded of my need to rejuvenate my Alkebulan Journey blog-post series. In the meantime, I would be interested in your thoughts about what is taking place in Zimbabwe. What say u?

The Ruins (2008)



The Ruins (2008)

Sub-Genre- Teen Terror



In Attendance- Me...



Cast Members of Note- Jena Malone (YUM), The kid who played Iceman in X-men, The kid who played in the Black Donnelly's, and Laura Ramsey (She's naked in this.)



What's it about?- A group of college students are partying it up in Mexico; you know, hookers, tequila, donkey shows... When on the last day before heading home, they come up with an awesome idea; let's go into the jungle, alone, sporting hangovers, working off of a hand drawn crappy map, and explore an old Mayan temple. Even though the grizzled old cab driver, Chachi, tells them "That place no good", they ignore his broken-English advice and head off to their impending doom.



Yes, all Mexicans do look like this guy.


Things go well right up to the point when they arrive at the ruined temple, and a whole mess of local bandito's show up behind them and force them onto the temple at gunpoint. As long as they don't come down, they wont be killed... because the locals are scared to come near the cursed place. They try at one point screaming "INS!" and "Immigration!", which doesn't work since their already in Mexico; not even a last ditch attempt at trickery involving a boom box and a wicked group karaoke version of "Rico Suave" by Gerardo will buy them their freedom. Might as well go inside, since their trapped, right?



Oh, Gerardo, we miss you.


Chaos ensues pretty quickly for the poor kids, and its nothing but crazy plant life and exploratory surgery from then on out.



I don't want to ruin too much of what happens once they realize they're screwed, but suffice it to say that some Ortho would have come in handy.



The Good- I had low expectations going into this one, and I'm happy to say I was pleasantly surprised. What a disturbing little flick! This movie is nothing less than a vicious, disturbing, unflinching little ass kicking (on us, of course), and it delivers on all levels.



I absolutely bought into this movie from start to finish, and although there were a few minor "WTF are you doing" moments, they were few and far between. The feeling of dread, coupled with the unknown terror waiting in the dark for the characters was enough to make me feel the creep a little bit.



The big one for me was the characters; I didn't hate the dumb teen party-goers like I normally do; I actually wanted them to live. That's a pretty big thing for me. Sure they party and make some bad choices, but for once I didn't scream at the screen, or cheer for the "bad guy"! I liked them! ARGH! Just let me have my little moment here please.



Jena Malone; always good.


Jena Malone and Laura Ramsey are both hot as hell... and great actresses to boot. Jonathan Tucker, who is always on point in my opinion, was solid here once again. I'm still pissed that NBC canceled his show, The Black Donnellys; what a great one that was. Shawn Ashmore was good too... I'll always see him as Bobby Drake from X-men, but the kid can act.



The Bad- Why didn't they use fire?



The Downright Horrendous- Fuck you if you think you're lowering me down that dark assed hole alone. No, no, no!





The Gory- Nasty, nasty blood and gore here; The surgery scene alone does it for me. Wow, the shit they show in that scene... very uncomfortable.



The Naked- Laura Ramsey does a quick, but great nudie shot. Check Out the animated GIF in the GIF section (Adults only!)
Good lord.


What did we learn?- When in a foreign country, stay at the damn resort. Also, don't ever trust Mayan locals; they pretty much just want to kill you.



Rating- A I'm as surprised as anyone that I'm giving a movie like this an A rating, but dammit if it didn't deserve it. Gore, tension, dread... it's all here. You should check it out. Grab the Unrated version though, as some of the gore is trimmed on the theatrical.



Final Thoughts-



Good God is she ever cute.



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