Thoughts of an Angry Black Man

Some days my mind just won't stop. I think about things that matter....I think about things that are strange...Always searching to understand.

[philliesbiz]

Black Folks Need To Remember

Today, 2023, most young folks have benefited and profited from those that came before them. This wasn't hundreds of years ago. In 1955 one of the greatest singers in our lifetime was jailed just for SINGING to an integrated audience. Take a long look at her expression. She paved the way for you (and all of us). Never forget!

[philliesbiz]

1960’s AM Radio – A Whiter Shade of Pale

In the 60's, AM Radio was either Black or White. You would never hear the Four Tops or the Temptations on White AM Radio. Believe it or not, most White AM Radio did not play or want to play Jimi Hendrix music in the beginning. Sunday was always a quiet day as all Black AM Radio played mostly religious programming until they went off the air. White AM Radio played regular music all day. I still remember hearing Simon and Garfunkel for the first time. I loved the Who, The Guess Who, The Association, The Moody Blues, and more.  I still listen to this music today.

Somewhere in the middle of this “A Whiter Shade of Pale” entered the music scene.  By a guy named Procol Harum.  OK, I of course later learned that Procol Harum was a music group, but this song was being played on AM Black Radio.  I mean come on; how could you not think Procol Harum wasn’t a Black singer?  I loved “A Whiter Shade of Pale” (though never understood it).  How can music this old sound good…no even better than 50 years ago?

Procol Harum was a White band from England in the 1960’s/1970’s.  I’ve no clue if they ever made another song I remember, but “A Whiter Shade of Pale” will go down in my mind as one of the first crossovers tunes ever.  I swear every time I hear it, I hear a Black Man’s voice. And that organ?  White bands just didn’t do music like this!  Gary Brooker was the front man/lead singer for Procol Harum. He passed on February 19, 2022, at 76. Here’s thinking of you Gary.  “We skipped the light fandango, turned cartwheels cross the floor"  

[philliesbiz]

Your 11.11 Minutes of Zen

Now that the workday is coming to an end, time to take a chill pill and get your mind right. I’ve been a fan of Enigma since my nephew introduced me back in the 1980s.  I’m still listening today.  In true Enigma style I offer “Only By Love” by Shinnobu Entsu.  This is the kind of music that takes you deep into your inner being. Be sure to watch the video and listen at the same time.  The video is both haunting and beautiful.  “Words have the power to both destroy…and heal”.

While the entire song keeps me humming and held in a transcendental haze, it’s when the Monks come in with the verse below that sets even higher thoughts of joy that there is something more to this world.

Exa un don roj

Tu paketa tus

No seri asgar

Sisgar

Hoh Gar

Gar

Gar

Gar

Gar

Gar

Some may recognize this as Latin.  I’m not sure what language this is or even if it is a language.  When asked, the composer/artist, Shinnobu Entsu said this: “It is not a language of this world. It should only be understood by the Inner Being that we possess”.

 I'm not a worldly traveled person. I've never left North America in my 69 years on this earth. To read the comments on how this music inspires people from all over the world and commenting in their native language is soul-filling. No doubt that this music is transcendental and speaks to all people, it needs to be heard. Words do have the power to both destroy...and to heal...but those that need to hear this need to LISTEN! Shinnobu Entsu clearly has a message the world leaders need to hear. It's not too late to save this world...indeed save humanity. Not by Guns or War...Only By Love. 

[philliesbiz]

COVID-19 Stimulus Checks: How the U.S. Compares To Other Countries

Some of the figures being thrown around are misleading and other circumstances, including how well the pandemic is contained, are affecting countries' economic responses.

Wallstreet versus Mainstreet and Covid-19: The Dow has been trading in the 30,000 range for over a month and most of the year. This is a record high. I remember when I wrote my first financial piece about the markets years ago when it was in the 6,000 range when it was projected to be in the 6,500-7,000 range by the end of that year. I distinctly remember writing “what a rush”. If I knew then what I know now, I would have put all my available money in a DOW Index Fund and let it ride.

Wallstreet does not feel nor care about Covid-19. Since the pandemic, let’s say January 2020, the DOW was at/near 28,000-29,000. There were a few ups and downs, but today, some 11 months later, it’s still hovering around the 30,000 mark. So virtually no change…. indeed an uptick. Those with money and corporations have profited wildly during this time and are profiting more daily. Two stocks debuted yesterday. Door Dash which sold for $80.00/share during the IPO ended the day at over $180.00/share. That means if you had 200 shares of Door Dash at the IPO-$16,000.00 on Wednesday, by Wednesday night, you now had $36,000.00 in your account. If you had 1,000 shares - $80,000.00, you now have $180,000.00 IN ONE DAY. Air BNB did the same thing on the same day. The ABNB IPO was near $68.00/share. On Wednesday, it got as high as $155.00/share. I’ll let you do the math on this one. Any guess who obtained these gains? Yep, those very same people that were given tax breaks, rub shoulders with your elected politicians, and the corporations that pay little to no taxes. Just one thing you need to remember, for the shares to reach these prices…SOMEBODY IS BUYING THESE SHARES. So, everyone that missed out at the IPO still thinks there is money to be made here.

Meanwhile, those on Mainstreet that are hardest hit by Covid-19 get pummeled every day. Loss of Jobs, Loss of kid’s education, Loss of 401-K’s/savings, Food Insecurity, Evictions, Death from Covid-19, and who knows what else. Your money and your tax dollars fuel the expansion of Wallstreet, but you don’t share in any of the profits. At best, you get a job, but as soon as they feel their profits sinking, you no longer have that. So that is where we are today. The Rich get Richer…The Poor gets Poorer.

Congress is now fighting over a stimulus bill. Just keep in mind that YOU are of no real concern to them. A $400.00, $600.00, or even a $1200.00 one-time payment does what? People have stopped paying rent months ago, cars have been repossessed, credit cards maxed out, and families are in food lines. 2021 will see evictions worse than the housing crisis in 2008-2009. In case you haven’t already figured this out…THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT SAVE YOU. You need to start TODAY making contingency plans on how to protect your families and survive. Other countries that are just as hard hit have taken a different approach to deal with Covid-19 and their citizens. Some pay 80% of that person's salary if they were laid off….during the entire crisis. Some pay up to $1400.00 EVERY TWO WEEKS. You can debate if this is comparing apples to oranges in how each country deals with this crisis and its citizens, but there is doubt that America falls way behind most as it relates to everyday citizens. Of special note, check out what British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said after he caught and survived Covid-19 and how it affected him/his decisions going forward. It would have been wonderful to see a similar reaction from our leaders.

[philliesbiz]

U.S. Special Operations Forces Deployed to 149 Countries in 2017

“We don’t know exactly where we’re at in the world, militarily, and what we’re doing,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in October 2017. That was in the wake of the combat deaths of four members of the Special Operations forces in the West African...

Why They Hate Us. You often hear politicians claim they hate us for our freedom or US exceptionalism. Americans, well at least some if not most, have an idea that the US is the best country in the world. We are the most powerful in terms of military, the best in terms of finance, and think most every other country needs to look to America as an example of what their country should become. Americans laugh at third world countries and we often use the term “Banana Republics” to describe others. We cringe at how they live, the religions they observe, what they eat, and more.

America is the first to comment about how other nations treat their citizens while doing the same thing to aggregate citizens here in the US. We limit the scientist, inventors, and engineers from other countries (mostly because of their ethnicity) though it’s these same people that are responsible or behind many of the US Corporations that operate internationally and form a substantial employment base for US Citizens. We send our trash to other countries…yes literally trash in shipping containers so we don’t have to deal with it. We make allies of countries (Japan, Germany, and more) in which we have fought wars that cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of American lives, while we ignore the pain and suffering in other countries. But worst and most hypocritical of all, we seem to think that we know best for how other countries should operate. So, is any of this why they hate us?

The United Nations counts about 251 Countries in the World. The US recognizes about 195. Most Americans are aware that the US is engaged in armed conflicts in a few countries mainly Iraq and Afghanistan. US Soldiers are dying every day in these countries, but worst yet, their families are under even more stress here at home. However, that is another story. So, of these 251 UN-recognized countries, most Americans can name 2 to maybe 5 we are actively engaged. WRONG! At any given time, US Special Forces have/are engaged in 149 (+/-) countries. Congress just passed a $741 Billion Defense Spending Bill. I’ve no clue where any of this money is going…and likely you nor many of the 335 members of Congress that voted for the bill knows either. No doubt, my guess is that a good portion of this spending will be to continue military engagement in these 149 (+/-) countries.

Now let’s imagine that each state (50) in the US is a separate country. France is conducting military engagement in Ohio, Russia is conducting military engagement in Arizona, and Japan is conducting military engagement in Maine, New Jersey, Texas, and North Dakota. As an American, would you be OK with any of this? The US is engaged in 149 (+/-) of 251 countries. According to my math, that’s nearly 60% of the world. Any of this shining a light on why the world really hates us?

[philliesbiz]

'Trying To Prove Something:' A WWII Vet Remembers His All-Black Battalion

On National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, Robert Madison, a 97-year-old World War II veteran, recalls his time in battle. He fought in the then-segregated Army as an intelligence officer.

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day: Pearl Harbor is a U.S. naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii, that was the scene of a devastating surprise attack by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941. This was an unprovoked attack on America that resulted in the complete destruction of many US Ships, Planes and cost 2,400 Americans their lives. At 12:30 p.m. on December 8, 1941, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt stood before Congress and gave what is now known as his "Day of Infamy" or "Pearl Harbor" speech.

Infamy. What a strange word. I bet most Americans today have never used this word in any letter, email, or conversation in their lifetime. I never really knew what the word even meant. I thought it meant infamous. Close...but no cigar. So how does a day of infamy in American and US Military history goes largely unrecognized in 2020? I didn't see it discussed on any of the news channels I watch, nor was it mentioned on my local news. I didn't see much if anything on any of the websites or social media sites I follow. Funny how I can't remember what I got for Christmas 5 years ago, but I remember this date every year even though this happened 10 years before I was even born and affected no one in my family that I'm aware of.

African-Americans despite serving brilliantly in most if not every war effort up to and including this time were still being forced into support roles (washing dishes, cleaning latrines, etc...). Check out this story about Robert Madison, a 97-year-old World War II veteran. Robert was a student at Howard University at the time but left school to join the Army. After the war, Robert went back to what he loved...Architecture. He was part of the company that designed the Cleveland Browns Stadium and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Be sure to listen to the 2-minute interview at the top of the article page.

[philliesbiz]

Trump Is Killing People on His Way Out of the White House

The president’s definition of “law and order” is a bloody one.

The Death Penalty. I'm not really sure how I feel about this. I like to think that I'm so evolved that taking the life of even a guilty person is not right. At the same time, I've not had a child or another close family member murdered in some gruesome and senseless act. I know folks have a religious view on this, but I'm more practical to see it for what it is. We each make life or death decisions every day. Some we are proud of....and I'm guessing some you may not. Some so minuscule you didn't even think about doing it. Like why did you stomp that spider to death rather than catch him and release him back outside?

Anyway, just so you haven't forgotten, Trump and Barr are still in office. Much like rushing the supreme court nomination days before an election, Trump is still pushing for things he thinks benefits him. He is doing everything he can to pretend he is somehow owed a presidency while doing everything he can to burn down everything in America that doesn't bend to his twisted sense of Americanism. So what's the rush to proceed with executions weeks before you leave office? Is this just more part of his shit show to prove he is the law and order president and what does Barr get out of this?

I don't know what these people did to be on death row, and I'm sure most might even agree that they should be executed. But what's the rush? Why not grant clemency for 40 days to provide the new president/administration time to review the cases?

[philliesbiz]

If I hear one more person call out someone as sheep or a group of folks sheeple...I ask WTF do you think you are? You want to show us how badass or different you are? Run a red light in ongoing rush hour traffic. Pull up next to a police car and burn rubber from a stop sign. Don't pay your car insurance and tell DMV you don't believe you should or need it. The next time you buy gas or groceries, tell the clerk you're not paying sales tax or any of the other assorted taxes. Go to court and call the judge an A-Hole. I bet you won't! The fact is, we are ALL sheeple. We all do and follow rules, familial patterns, and societal norms. Just because you like Def Leppard and I like Simon and Garfunkel does not make one of us any better, smarter, or likable to the other. We are all entitled to follow whatever religion, political party, newscast, or beliefs. In case you need a reminder, isn't this what makes America great? You buying into the whole calling other people sheeple....MAKES YOU A SHEEP!