HOPE NOT

...thanxxx again for the tunes...shai. ...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0t0EW6z8a0&feature=related ...Needle & the Damage Done...Neil Young: Live... ...not sure how I ended up at this one...but def worth another listen if it's been a while...enough fun for this 2-nite...

Cartoons & a Lullaby for Friends... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSIRxUs3Tzo&feature=related Speedy Gonzalez & Silvestro: Mexican Cat Dance!!! Immigration Man...Graham Nash (Dave Mason: Lead Guitar 'Night Y'All...

Allll-righty then...no worries... (ps- the grammar in your last sentence is like a non-English speaking elephant on my screen...no lo comprendo...) Andiamo...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4SylgJBKDE "Girls in the Garage"...only lp not gettin' moldy in my Pop's basement... & tryin' to have fun...

Never agreed with any REDNECK about anything, which is how I wanna keep it!!! THAT is c-o-l-d...just sayin'... (here's some bad French:) "Eau contraire mon ami"...I find most gov't officials intensely annoying.

something old... The Lyres...at Coney Island High...1998...still having fun... something new to me... The Persian Claws...not having too much fun...

Feeling proud & worried...as a parent, my heart goes out to you...wish you & your son the best... Years back, my son told me he was joining the Marines. Iraq. Honestly, I was shocked, frightened beyond belief...my mind swirled...the thought of losing him was unbearable... I knew I had to put my fear aside & support his choice. I did. He wasn't accepted & he was crushed... Inner conflict of a Mom... *How old am I? I forget...*

The LAST thing Americans want to hear... I happen to agree, change is inevitable, not easily acceptable...empires at the top eventually fall/relinquish their position...many for the same reasons...

Really not trying to be Lt. "PC"...Being the rookie here, trying to express my views & keep my foot outta my mouth... Using "Native American"...Just trying to distinguish/specify between cultures, location, etc. & show respect.

lord_casek...I'm glad this isn't a "Preaching to the Choir" site...&...unless you're a Native American, or maybe a viking, you must have relatives that emigrated to the US seeking a better life. Were they already English speaking? You don't have to answer that, not invading anyone's privacy...still perplexed. My grandparents' immigration histories happened to be polar opposites. Sadly a breeding ground for discrimination...

Haha...I just hate MOST humans!!! Prefer the company of 4-legged furry critters with whiskers. Communication without language can be a relief at times!!! Seriously. Also seriously: Do you feel threatened by those willing to do the work Americans seem to feel is beneath them? Don't you or wouldn't you want your children to have opportunities for a better life? Public assistance is chosen by our citizens over picking produce in the blazing heat, back-breaking physical labor with no union benefits... I wonder if you have a dog...

Perplexed. Why so much animosity toward Mexican and/or other Spanish speaking people? Have you considered the probability that they may not be literate in their own language, making it impossible to read English? Their children are almost always bi-lingual within a short period of time. I am 1/2 Japanese. After being asked: "What are you?" Then it's: "Oh, how interesting...do you speak Japanese?" So sick of this. No one asks Italian, Irish et al if they speak a foreign language. A few years back, I met Kip Fulbeck, author of "100% HAPA"...the word is a Hawaiian term for half. His photo/portraits of multi-ethnic-Asian people include a statement from each person. It was exhilarating to feel part of a community for ONCE. Why this lack of acceptance, anger?

NONE of this should be the American way...Sadly, I doubt you could present any evidence to convince me that the following are untrue: 1. People of Color with low socio-economic status in America receive sub-standard levels of: education, medical care, legal representation. 2. The Elderly in America are largely disenfranchised: allowed to starve & die. BACK TO THE TOPIC OF LIBYA, NATO, Obama & the War Powers Act... Sorry...but did you say you've been watching FOX News??? Found some opposing views to your opinions in "The Dissident Voice"...not necessarily MY perspective, (yet?) just sayin'... 1.http://dissidentvoice.org/2011/05/libya-under-nato-attack/ 2. http://dissidentvoice.org/2011/05/libya-fact-sheet/ I don't believe in the concept of Qaadhafi as a "benevolent dictator"...but do believe we are dis/mis/informed in the western world... I don't see how our (US, NATO, UE) military actions are anything but UNCONSTITUTIONAL. *May have pulled off my 1st post with 2 quotes & 2 articles, although couldn't figure out how to include a snippet from above articles with web addresses...workin' on it..*

SO RIGHT ON POINT!!!angelofdeath ***Oops..I screwed up my post once AGAIN...wanted parts of above quote & my message is missing...sorry...will fix this after I walk the dog...*** you slay me!!!

WHOAAA...(*apologies for not including various members' quotes...) What angers me about the US behaving like the "world's police" is how we pick & choose WHO (what country/regime) is violating "human rights"... If the US considers a country a "friend", we look the other way... WE DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT LIBYA...WE CARE ABOUT ECONOMICS. WE CARE ABOUT THEIR NATURAL RESOURCES, OIL..not the people. If we're going to suddenly assist the Libyan rebels fight a tyrant...why wait over 3 decades??? Iraq had no WMD's they have OIL=fuel for our SUV's, not only was George W. an idiot, so are we if we can't admit the truth...Why aren't the NATO allies invading Syria? Yemen? Pakistan-who DOES have nuclear weapons? Saudi Arabia? They're an ally...Never mind that Bin Laden & most of the 9/11 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia!!! Israel continues their Zionist apartheid regime, oh well, only Palestinian Arabs are suffering, not REAL people. Haiti has some of the world's worst poverty, why didn't we hang Papa Doc & Baby Doc Duvalier like Saddam Hussein? Why ignore the military coupe, led by Duvalier's former generals, against Haiti's elected pres. Aristede? Oh, just keep funneling millions of $ there that never reaches the people... I could enumerate, I think my sentiment is obvious... NOBODY on this fucking planet even gave a damn about the Middle East until OIL was discovered... If Libya wasn't OIL rich...we'd ignore this whole situation. What we're protecting in Afghanistan is not human rights, it's the MULTI-NATIONAL pharmaceutical co.'s interests...the whole economy there is heroin driven, from the current Afghan gov't to Al Qaeda terrorists...WTF!!! As the "leaders of the FREE world"...maybe the US has a moral/ethical obligation to defend global human rights...but choosing to help only when our enemies are in violation, SHOULD be unacceptable. Censorship of mainstream media is contributing to mass complacency in this country...Not seeing graphic war photos is keeps Americans' hearts from empathizing or caring...If the media hadn't shown the twin towers fall over & over, the planes, people leaping to their death...would the entire nation have risen up, demanding JUSTICE??? Doubtful. The public outcry to withdraw from Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos was fueled by such images... Terms like: "collateral damage & a billion points of light" make war's suffering & bombing, death & destruction into a video game where we lose touch with reality. As long as we have fuel/energy to drive our cars, heat homes, a/c, electricity...plenty of beer, pizza, sports & porn, etc...WE DON'T SEEM TO CARE what's done behind the scenes. Even if it means depriving millions of their quality of life, turning millions into refugees, orphans... Damn...I swore to myself I'd only post a one paragraph response...and I wish I knew why this reply box is 1/2 the normal size & why it's impossible for ME to add comments from 2 or more members...maybe I should ask my former district rep Anthony Weiner...he knows A LOT about the internet!!!

W-O-W...Thanks to all of you. Fantastic informative read. Everyone has valid points as well... I don't think we've formally declared a war since WWII... No worries...you only have to follow UN charters or NATO or your country's rules if you're a 3rd rate power., once Once our troops go in...they seem to remain...We're still in Germany, Korea, Cuba?... Iraq, Afghanistan.. LIBYA...Qaddafi. Gahdafi...this dictator/ lunatic has been around since before Jimmy Carter was president. Didn't Libya recently sign a mega-million dollar OIL deal with Italy??? OIL OIL MORE OIL War=Economic domination. Or in the case of Afghanistan....poppy fields..90% of the world's raw materials for heroin/morphine. Obama is a huge disappointment...he's continuing the Bush W. agenda...Wooosh...Hey!!! There go our civil rights!!! 5 more years of the Patriot Act...Whoosh!!! More tax breaks for the rich!!! Dammit Barrack...sew your cojones back on & give us at least a sliver of the HOPE you promised!!! More than ever, the Democrats & Republicans are doing the same, just not saying it the same!!! Good night 12oz...posting on this cell phone has caused teporary blindness. My best to all.

It became a major problem, especially around 9/11 that there were very few interpreters who spoke different Arabic dialects. We, the CIA, NSA...had tons of "chatter" & no one to read it!!! That is plain ridiculous. Twisted. These idiots "intelligence". Fantastic. That film stuck with me too. Truly, I cannot watch war movies. The few I have, haunt me. It's possible to criticize your country's policies & still be a true citizen. It's our duty not to be complacent. The long arm of the law is gettin mighty stretched out...;) xxx

Yes, foreign language study is a requirement in public school curriculum today. It's more about the grammar & verb tenses than true speaking the tongue. I'm pretty sure English is studied elsewhere (outta the US) by most university-bound students. Hell, maybe high school students too. The almighty dollar $$$ speaks English. A new law just passed today in South Carolina. It's a "profiling" immigrants bullshit law too...now law enforcement, can stop someone on a minor traffic offense & check their immigration status. You can legally be harassed & deported because you look like "them". Anyone who hires an illegal "alien" can also be prosecuted. If the misinformed sheep that seem to be proliferating lately, think that our quality of life could continue without under-the-table "cooly" wages paid to non-english speaking workers...be real. Even the filthy rich here (US) hire foreign nationals as nanny's for their kids. It's slave labor. But best believe, these immigrants' kids will become professionals. These parents kill themselves for the sake of their childrens' future. The Chinese laundry guy by me was a biology professor in China. He prob works 80-100 hrs a week. Learning language is way hard for adults. After the age of 7, our ability to assimilate language dissipates. Children can easily become bilingual while their parents may never. M'lord_casek..not sure what irked you so much.

If I'd gotten some sleep, maybe I'd have realized your UK location!!! Meanwhile, I messed up trying to download a profile pic...the friggin laptop froze. Then, one of my 9 cats spilled my coffee 2x, then my water...now he's on top of the fridge wreckin something else...so funny these critters. The co-directors of Urban both studied at Oxford, they own a townhouse in London. They're a husband & wife team. I'm sittin here thinkin you're on the other side of BK!!! For some reason, always thought 12oz was a BK deal...or at least outta NYC. Lucky you & the fam. I thought England was awesome...Ireland too. (*their food's better, sorry...) Who needs food with all the great ale??? Waiting for a water delivery...I look like shit. UGH. Downloaded some music & destroyed the computer settings. How? Not a clue. (Obama is in South Africa...he's meeting the icon NELSON MANDELA...Barrack-sew your cojones back on!!! Obama=Disappointment...a black Reagan/Bush we have now.) SORRY...went off-topic. Delete this if you wanna...can't find my edit button... Maybe in time, I'll figure out what all the creative posting options are...can barely get a post out before I screw something up. As an artist, shoulda been a lil colorful here.

Truth be told...Decyferon. Had many crumby jobs myself...it can begin to look bleak... Urban Academy has an almost 100% graduation rate, all college-bound too. Most of the students have been unsuccessful/unhappy/lost in larger schools. Urban has a diverse, small population, 85-100 students. Every kid must volunteer at a "community service" one afternoon each week. (I know, com/ser reminds one of punishment). This gives them a chance to develop a resume, helps with college admissions...helps inner growth...There are grants allowing for purchase of 1st year college textbooks, creative arts grants that allowed me to design & supervise the construction of a darkroom. There's a video documentary course. I could elaborate...but, you get the jist... Before Urban Academy had it's own home, the co-directors started programs in HS's around NYC. In 1985, I was asked to join their team "The Inquiry Demonstration Project". Erasmus Hall HS in East Flatbush BK was the 2nd most violent school in NY at the time. I was asked if I'd teach a graffiti art/photography class in the Inquiry project. Unbelievable, right? I am still friends with many of my "kids" in that class...(the graff class is an entire story/never-ending mission for another time!!!) I am still friends with most of my kids from that class (& others...) Best believe I am proud of my kids!!! Wayne-graduated from Pratt...now has his own web design co., 3 kids, wife, great guy. Rudy-overcame a lot...now a father of 3 boys, we have a strong bond, he's a wonderful, hard-working, creative man...we were big influences in each other's lives. "Shaggy" Orville Richard Burrell- a platinum selling recording artist today!!! Came from Jamaica, WI with his Mom, lived in a one room apt. NOW he has a mansion ion Kingston next to the prime minister's place. (Plus homes in FLA, LI...) Can you (anyone) believe this shit??? He got discovered singing on the street in Flatbush...he served 2 tours in Desert Storm as a marine, in the midst of his music career too. Orville is a down-to-earth soul...Mr. Luva-Luva!!! We put a rap show together at EHall in '86...of course, there was a R-I-O-T. Yep. I said R-I-O-T. I thought I was gonna die. Leida-lives in Texas now. has a good job with Sprint. David-a graphic designer, totally amazing work. Unfortunately, one of our crew, David, "STRIDER" was shot & paralyzed in DC. Later he died from lead poisoning...from the bullets. F'd up. Some kids are MIA. I'll keep searching though. Please, don't even go there!!! You're apologizing for your honesty!!! Obviously, my new tag should be "RANT", unless it's taken.. I am sorry you have regrets...HOPEfully, they won't stick around. Just when I think my life's not worth shit...one of my "kids" (yeah, 40 yr old kids) will turn my whole being around. My son went to Urban too...I was shocked he chose a HS where he'd be in one or more of my art classes every day!!! Damn...I better post this before some crazy shit happens again... Thanks for giving me a place to be. Always, HOPE ;) xxx

OMG...I just lost the WHOLE FRIGGIN REPLY!!! It was really good too... OK, DAMMIT...let me regroup. I'll brb & re-write the WHOLE deal... (*Decyferon...it wasn't even an evil rant!!!)

Funny/snobby? that we expect EVERYONE to speak English!! I had to study a foreign language (Spanish) in JHS, HS, college...still can't have a real bilingual conversation, unless I've had some champagne...for some reason, it really helps. I think in Sweden, people can speak like 4/5 languages. A lotta Europeans speak French...but in France, they pin you right away as"Non-French". I wish I could've learned Japanese growing up. There weren't many Japanese people in NY back then...now my Dad pretty much forgot everything. My cousins in Hawaii all speak it though. Well, it (Spanish) did get me my 1st teaching position...at Erasmus Hall...the principal asked me 3 questions in "Espanol", I got 2 wrong & he hired me to start the next day...go figure. Crazy teaching a foreign language you DON'T speak...actually, I was OK with level 1. But level 3??? Horrible. The students felt sorry for me, struggling. Some kids just got to BK from PR...wow. They'd just look at me, like: Que??? I tried my best...the class bought me a xmas gift for being so pathetic!!! People seem to feel threatened by ESL...guess the lousy economy makes some (OK, "WhItE" folks) fearful, suspicious & angry with newly arrived "invaders"...such a joke!!! Immigrants are what this country is about. Sometimes, I just don't know...

Yeah, you're in a much more practical mindset than I am tonight... The handling of $ would work out if we inspire young folks to THINK...to look at the world with a critical eye, deduce what's right...from the nonsense. Urban Academy is an example of what education COULD be...it takes immense dedication & love... I've seen a successful learning environment...& the worst of the worst...Teaching is a calling, you give with no expectations of any kinda reciprocity. When I discovered this person, "Balance's"post,...it was especially heartwarming... The love my former "kids" have shown me is worth more than I can say...I got back more than heaven coulda rained down on me!!! Now...I hope this future teacher will get in touch/respond too... Best to ya 12oz...I soooo appreciate your words... I'll get ta doin somethin more "practical" now...;) xxx Lata...

I understand !@#$%...it's tricky, these "life lessons"... THANK YOU for taking time to respond... Those elements: handling money, etc...those come with experience...Now please, don't take my rant for a personal attack...at least you CARE...My frustration/anger/bitterness is directed toward the "mainstream" bullshit people sign on to... How can young people be expected to even graduate, or continue their learning process with the fucked up racist/biased system we have now? 60% of black & latino young men drop out...then what? Yeah, they're balancing their commissary $ in Rikers? We spend more $ to incarcerate...little to educate...WTF??? I've remained friends with students from 1984-2004...They give me HOPE...when I have NONE. As usual, I already regret my words...I initially wanted to be a seed of inspiration...sorry for spitting out my bitter heart...;X... I'll pass by here later when I'm nicer...(?)

Surprised & pleased when I found this thread...so many things I'd like to write that may help you...just gonna put a coupla things out there for now... I was a NYC public high school teacher for 20 years...Believe it or not, there ARE alternative programs that WORK...for students & staff. Check out: "Urban Academy HS" in Manhattan...in one word? AMAZING!!! Book:"Teaching as a Subversive Activity" CCE: Center for Collaborative Education I"ll keep this post brief, my health has me totally vexed right now... Please feel free to pm me on 12oz...I'd like to help/inspire. Our "kids" need someone like you!!! You can change the system from within... *to the idiot who said: 1940s Germany...you remind me of someone in another forum who's a jerk as well.*