Though U.S. President Barack Obama decided not participate in today’s scheduled celebrated events in the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, it is my sincere hope, there he will remember, even a little bit of what happened then, a lesson in liberty which is priceless. The next stop is the DMZ in North/South Korea.
Here’s a three part clip (in audio) of the late great former U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s trip to the Berlin Wall back in May 1987. May his spirit be smiling above of what was accomplished in 20 years since the fall of the wall. Though to this day, it is amazing that those who are left of centre, seem to take repulsion in this man. A mystery to me. Yes, I understand he wasn’t perfect but he was the right man at the right time in world events. He was a man who believed in free societies and free markets go together and didn’t feel a need to be bashful, shy or ashamed to lead the way when people from other countries were gasping for such freedom. His trip to the Berlin Wall, a year and half before it’s, was absolutely no exception.
It’s the borg collective approach to race and politics.
You are black,
Resistance is futile.
You were born to serve us
You will think as a collective not as an individual.
You will champion our causes whether you agree with them or not,
You will defend Democrats with fierce loyalty, and you won’t question what they say as being a lie, half true or true.
If you don’t follow these rules, you will be ostracized from the black collective.
In all seriousness. This is what happens when 90% of blacks support one party, it is just to be expected that all blacks support that are encountered support it was well.
—The controversial, hard-right Republican Tyrone of the blog, Wake Up Black America, bluntly (and rightly) describes the brutal monolithic mindset in African American politics and the consequences of blacks who dare to challenge it.
Amazing what you realize when you lost something. Last week me and my friend finally agreed to see the Michael Jackson documentary “This Is It”. Two thumbs up of course. This past Tuesday, I had to take the day off from work to get dental surgery (dentist’s orders that I needed to relax), well I tried shopping at Zellers (after the surgery) and I seen the CD album of “This Is It”. Had to get it. It was on sale for $16.99. Yes, in Michael Jackson’s lifetime during his later works (since the 80’s) , I did not understand his eccentricities (and like the rest of the others had a need to satirize it, sometimes harshly) and yes, I was deeply angered at him for the controversy he faced in the early ’90’s which finally resurfaced again in the ’00’s. Rabbi Boteach, Michael’s spiritual advisor was equally frustrated with him at times and had to make a difficult decision to end their relationship because he felt the relationship was in stages of becoming an unhealthy one. No one can argue that Michael Jackson was truly a complex personality but I would also argue in addition that he was one of our genius musicians of our time. He, along with the Beatles will have their music remembered not only for decades but for centuries—along with Mozart and Beethoven. In the movie “This Is It”, Michael was sure a “hard-ass perfectionist” but he got the job done. He knew HOW a concert was to be run. He was bold, innovative and not afraid of creativity to be creative, utilitarianism be damned—you need to see the clips of “Smooth Criminal” and “The Way You Make Me Feel” in the movie to get an idea of what I’m talking about. Absolute perfection! Many have known that I have been critical of the music of past 20 years (the 90’s and especially this ending decade of the 2000’s). The 2000’s have not produced anyone whom I can think of to rival Michael Jackson (music-wise, of course). Yes the 2000s will be remember for producing “the boy bands” and “pop tart”. Nothing will be remembered for the music. Will today’s young musicians ever a learn a thing from Michael Jackson? One friend posted to me recently, ”I do not think today[']s music stars will ever get it. To me, the sound is comparable to consumption of Big Macs. Not much orginiality…just the same old tired rubbish that todays generation seem to accept[.]” I cannot disagree. On the other hand, I am hoping the 2010s (which is beginning less than two months from now) will be revolutionary and radically different. Mind you kids who were born in 2000 onward will be teenagers in 2013, their tastes WILL be different than the Yers. I only pray, hope and have good dose of eternal optomism that there tastes will not only be different but very good. In Canada, “This Is It” the CD is number 1 in sales. Are the seeds being planted for the 2010s by this? I sure hope so.
Also along with my newfound postem-mortem respect for Michael Jackson,I strongly appreciated that in the movie during the clip for The Earth Song, that he recognized human beings as an essential, integral and important part of the environment. Unlike certain radical environmentalists, they believe human beings are a malignant cancer to the environment. The less humans OR even NO humans would be great is the mentality of some these radical environmentalists. At least the late great Michael Jackson, was in the category of a “mainstream environmentalist” and this I truly give thanks.
I encourage all, interested in very good music, creativity and imagination in action to see the “This Is It” movie before the American Thanksgiving weekend and most definately get the CD to remember how music should be done.
I left some clips from youtube below. Some of my favourites I have here is “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” (I dare Britney to remake this and do better) and “Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)”. These two songs are on the “This Is It” album. Enjoy everybody!
I saw this on TMZ.com last night which showed from a video clip that had former Fresh Prince of Bel Air alumni Alfonzo Ribeiro perfroming at a concert and declaring his love for “white chicks” (well hey, he was married to one). Some in cyberspace were definately POed at his statement and I say lighten up. Nothing was mentioned about degrading black women, he just said white chicks turned him on. It’s a free country, it’s his preference, so leave it be. It’s not the end of the world. Hey, I too like white chicks myself. Yes, there is something about blondes that do turn me on too. At the same time I love my sistas and I am not going to participate in this “who do you REALLY like” or in other words an “either/or” game. I just love my woman of all ethnicities equally and differently and just leave it at that. Some won’t leave it at that need to get a REAL life! Alfronzo was just having a good ol’ time doing some rock and roll, rapping 80’s style (and that’s the way it should be) and nothing else should be read into that.
On the U.S.’s NPR (National Public Radio, the PBS of radio actually), there was a segment that middle class black students in high school are falling behind their white counterparts. These middle class black kids, need to be told that they should be proud of their parent’s hard-earned, hard-won achievements and they should not feel ashamed of walking in their parents footsteps. Also, I wish to see this collectivist nonsense of what is “authentically black” violently stabbed right in the belly Tarantino-style (yes I am speaking explicit metaphor), which has been the severest impediment to African-Americans and Canadians alike and for black kids to continue this silly and small minded tradition is just another twisted guarentee to the primrose to oblivion. Trust me, I will write a fiery rant about that so-called “authentic blackness” but for now I want to locate to NPR’s segment about this disturbing trend here. May the crisis begin and may the solution win triumphantly.
While I don’t agree with all of what the National Post has to say some of the time, I am glad that the newspaper has found a way to stay alive. For it to fold up and die would be another chaulk up one for the left-of-centre media that is ever so pervasive in Canada and in the United States. The National Post challenges the “ungenerous orthodoxy” of the media left and challenges them really good. I know it is a rough time for all newspapers on this continent and I, for one, am greatly disturbed by it. A free society NEEDS a free press and it is essential that newspapers make people think and frankly I don’t believe they need to dumb things down to soundbites in a proudly nanasecond culture. I dare newspapers in themselves to be “countercultural” in the sense to inspire our intellectual awakenings where the cultural is more than ever before against the mind. I believe the National Post and many other papers have a role in this. I hope the internet will be essential in reforming how we read newspapers. Read on canoe.com on their plan to survive after all.
”Should we be serving capitalism, or we should be using capitalism to serve the quality of life [for]the people?”
—Asks Michael Maiello is the Editor of Markets and Intelligent Investing for Forbes Magazine on TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin on October 28th.
This was City TV Toronto’s sign on and sign off song “People’s City” by songwritter Tommy Ambrose (who also did Global TV’s jingle too! This guy really got around doing two songs for two stations! I knew it was the same voice!). By the way, he turns 71 come Monday! This past September, City TV Toronto turned 37 (wow! The station has less than years before it turns 40, I got less than three months! Yikes!) Think of it, back in ‘72, Toronto Mayor Miller was still 12 (going on 13 in late December), Prime Minister Stephen Harper was already 13 and still living in Toronto going to middle school in Etobicoke! Dalton McGuinty was also a teenager at 16! Former Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader (and hopefully mayoral candidate for the second time) John Tory was sweet 18, off to U of T while at the same time have a job at CFTR (which is now 680 News) and it’s counterpart CHFI. Current Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak was 4 going on 5 in November! Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath was approximately 9 years old. For those who wonder how old I was when City TV was born, I was over 2 1/2 years old! I even remember my dad playing the song People’s City on the record player in the living room at 8 Lanark Avenue near Eglinton. I was probably 2 1/2 or 3 when he played it. I showed you a clip from a short movie about Ontario in 1942 and showed how Toronto looked at that time. Now you will see an ever changing Toronto thirty years later and for some who can reminisce the good memories about “Toronto the Good”. I hope the 2010’s will see resurrection of that. Some will say I’m dreaming but I am just being the eternal optomist and damn proud of it.
NOTE: The CN Tower for most of the Canadian lurkers know was completed in it’s entirety in 1976 and you will see the completed CN Tower in the clip. I’m still convinced that most of the pictures were in ‘72, but of course, like anything else has it’s edits and further additions. Enjoy anyway!
Stephen, Ben, Rachael and Laureen.Coming to a Canadian neighbourhood soon.
