COMPOSTMODERN 2008: A WATERSHED EVENT
by Pam Williams

What started as a way to continue the sustainability conversation that began at the AIGADesign Conference 2003 in Vancouver has now become a world-class event and a reference point for the design profession. “Compostmodern ’08,” an interdisciplinary, biennial design conference dedicated to design solutions, was presented by AIGA SF and the Center for Sustainable Design on January 19 at the Academy of Art University in Downtown San Francisco.

The speakers, the energy of the participants, the media interest—all contributed to the success of this daylong conference. Attendees, conference organizers and presenters collectively shared a sense of optimism and a renewed urgency to address sustainability as an everyday practice and mode of thinking rather than a niche way of working. By all accounts, the conference succeeded in harnessing the potential and enthusiasm of its community while reaching new audiences.

Moderator Joel Makower, GreenBiz, set the stage with his opening remarks: “Sustainability is like teenage sex—everybody says they’re doing it but no one really is. And those who are doing it aren’t doing it very well.”

Worldchanging’s Alex Steffen described the roster of speakers as “a bright green, allstar line-up.” And it was, with each speaker contributing real success stories and fresh ideas about sustainability. Steffen also provided compelling new evidence of the urgent need for innovative, sustainable solutions. “We need to stop making stuff,” he said. “The two best things you can do are to not go so many places in your car to get ‘things’—or do not have a car, or share one. And ‘know’ the stories of how your things get to you—or share those things, too.”

Adam Werbach, former Sierra Club president, outlined groundbreaking initiatives currently underway with client Wal-Mart, which the San Francisco Chronicle revealed a week before the conference. “We need leaders,” he said, “and designers are in the sweet spot.”

Looking on the latest military conflict to hit the news in South Ossetia, a small region of Georgia on the southern borders of Russia. Yet again we see the gargantuan misuse of a state military, bought and paid for, off the backs of individual hard labour. One can only imagine the death and carnage that is going on over there. The systematic use of sophisticated modern weaponry still leaves us gaping into a pit of contemporary human barbarity and despair.

Almost predictably, corny expressions of unease regarding this war are emanating from the west. President Bush has demanded that the Russians go no further than South Ossetia in an almost tacit acceptance of the violence inflicted thus far. It’s at these times that governments show their true colours behind their rhetoric. The west of course is only concerned with the oil pipeline that links Azerbaijan to Europe. As a result Russia sees this part of its old territory as an important pawn in its ever growing power regarding the worlds future energy resources. So the west sits on the fence and throws light criticism at the Russians as a means to shrouding their true position on the matter.

Of course the images we see to our left are far worse than we would ever see in Iraq or Afghanistan and are liberally displayed throughout most western newspapers. This is Russia after all, for whom the western press is free to condemn and criticise at will. The cursed hypocrisy of the west is as virulent to see as at any other time before. They use politics as a means to hoodwinking their relevant populaces into believing their stories through vague gestures and sound bites. Now I also include the Georgians in this duplicity, as they are hardly without blood on their hands. As liberal as the west has been in its coverage of Russian aggression, it has shown scant regard to Georgia’s mister minors.

'LET FREEDOM REIGN'

As a result of all this I was left imagining a world free of conflict and unnecessary violence. ‘I have a dream’, a phrase that was used by the late Martin Luther King, was steeped in imagery. That imagery was of a future where oppression would no longer be the norm and that freedom would at last reign. Of course, as most modern anarchists, we always have our doubts regarding the eventual shift in the zeitgeist and no more so than when we see these behemoth governments acting in such a wantonly destructive manner, such as we see in this conflict. Our gut tells us, ‘how on earth do we stop these enormous bullies?’ How and when as individuals do we ever see the moment when we can stand up to these tormentors and face them head on in a fair and equal manner?

Stefan Molyneux wrote a wonderful blog recently regarding the safety of a free state society. It may not answer all the questions regarding personal defence, but it’s by far the broadest and most in depth challenge to the assertion that only a state can protect us militarily. It did of course allow me to dream of a society free of the tyranny of state control and coercion. A place in which voluntaryists would roam with complete protection from any force that felt a need to attack them. A world in which freedom would indeed reign and that culpability would be placed upon the individual or entity that committed any act of violence against them.

An overwhelming sense of sadness fills me now, not just for the poor innocent lives being destroyed through this current conflict. Indeed I feel a sadness that grows from my yearning for such a society, for which I am sure I'm unlikely to experience within my lifetime. However I am quite sure it is a vision of a future, whether near or far, that will at some dawn be seen as the only possible future worth having.

-------------------------
"No limit on what can be achieved, if no one demands the credit." Jonathan Felts - White House Political Affairs Director 08/07/2008 , "Show up and Follow up", "Grass roots efforts key to politics", and "Keep focus on the prize"
---end comments + famous slogans embraced by Jonathan Felts on C-Span ------

(Update 7/11/080
Topstockblog is recovering after a drunk incident with the police.

     In the early Sunday morning hours of August 3rd 2007,  Topstockblog was beaten and tortured by the police.  Topstockblog has suffered a terrible tragedy.  The police singling out black man for arrest. Police had inn-appropriately pushed an African American man into a large front restaurant window, and then arrested the man.  The black man had attempted to break up a scuffle. Topstockblog hopes in the end more good comes from this incident, than bad.  I apologize to the officers involved, the police deparment, my family, friends, readers, and the world alike.

Police have so much potential and a record number of current initiatives set up to meet community needs.
  Check out this community needs oriented national police program.  Unfortunately underlying issues like danger, money, corruption, and lack of education make the battle up hill for society.  Learning from the past is a fundamental skill that needs to be developed. 

    America will rise to the challenge to meet needs with alot of hard work.  In Albany, New York $10,000 has been allocated to buy guns already exhanged for cash offers in the community.   Coverage of these important events in the community are clearly part of the solution. n in hopes to help the future of tomorrow.   With my understanding of numbers I share that some actions/events in life are exponential.    

     Stun gun military justice by police is a problem that needs to be immediately addressed.   Topstockblog was tasered innappropriately before, and after being placed into the police car.   Then tasered again at the police station.   I have physical, and mental problems from the  incident.  Clear limits on Tasering need to be set.  Topstockblog would suggest banning all tasers.  If not or maybe more appropriately all polic activity needs to taped on camera.  posture for police to take.   Police departments around the nation have no limits on taser use in most cases.  I applaud those law enforcement agencies that have incorporated limits on TASR use, and limit the number of times a person could be tasered.   One never knows how they will respond to being tasered.  I was not on my medicine Paxil, and obviously needed it.  I have only one adrenal gland after my other adrenal gland was accidentally removed in surgery on March 7th 2008. 3rd degree skin burns, blistering, permanent to date burning right side of body in particular my right hand. My brain is fried in part.  I hope to rehabilitate my body, and mind.  To forgive those who have tresspassed against Topstockblog. Topstockblog can now be plugged in, and run on electricity is a nice benefit...lol   My arrest involves the use of military justice rather than the current legal system prescribed by law.   I resisted this military style of the police, and was unable to establish reasonable boundaries with the arresting police officers.  The police officers chose to stun me instead of cuffing me after I was detained at the start.  I was secured on the ground with my right arm under a 45 degree angle behind my back.  Instead my head was pinned with full military force of my detainee's foot on the corner of the curb.  I was beaten, tortured, and hoped for dead.  Muhammad is not ready to meet Iblais the angel rejected from heaven for his free will acknowledged by all scholarly and religious historical documents.  I have so much more good to do on earth and in the parallel world.  I am facing 2 felonies and four counts of misdeamenors. The newspapers have retracted the online link to the story. Hope to share any republished links.
Topstockblog hopes to give up his gun rights, and encourage others to work with the community, educational system, legal system, and police to solve complex problems. The legal system has long stood to help me become the successful person I am today. I thank every one who has been a positive influence in my life.

 
Topstockblog encourages people to invest in the community, and meet complex needs.  Whiling shorting some TASR stock, and bring attention to this underexposed problem of taser abuse around the world. I am also looking at camera's abilities to prevent problems like this in the future.
Any weapon that sets police up to be judge, jury, and executioner is an evil weapon.  Having been the victim of this abuse.  Topstockblog is speaking out against police violence with tasers', and police violence in general.   Check out this murder with a taser by police.
Police intimidation, and murder are all too real a threat in communities around the world. Happy to pay the price so you don't have to.  Please learn more about your community needs, and find thoughtful ways to fix the problem. 

  Entertainment purposes, and education.

I'm not nearly so sure that's true.  Hell, I'm not even sure the two things have anything to do with each other.  Obuhbuhbuh could be elected and America could still be racially intolerant.  Buying into the racism be-gone! magic and mystery of the Obama hype is largely dependent on the magician's tricks of misdirection and smoke and mirrors.

I don't think it's any secret that the anniversaries of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech and the assertion by Robert Kennedy in 1968 that a black man would be president within 40 years are strong motivators for the powers that be to promote a black candidate this year.  I'm also pretty sure that the substance of the candidate chosen as well as the substance of the civil rights struggle that both American martyrs championed is not nearly as important as the exploitation of the symbolism attached to them is.

Martin Luther King delivered his famous speech in 1963, forty five years ago.  Most Americans are familiar with the eloquence with which he expressed his dreams, most Americans are equally unaware that the speech was not primarily about dreams, but frustration.  According to CNN Interactive, among many other sources, President Kennedy was not  exactly gung-ho about effectively addressing black concerns.

In the first two years of his term, President John F. Kennedy made no decisive actions to assist the Civil Rights Movement. However, in 1963, protests became increasingly confrontational as Birmingham, Alabama's police commissioner, Eugene "Bull" Connor, crushed a nonviolent protest with extreme force. And in June 1963, Alabama Gov. George Wallace refused to allow two black students to enter the University of Alabama. Kennedy used the National Guard to ensure the safety of the students and proposed a Civil Rights Bill to Congress a week after he made the following televised address on June 11, 1963.

The Civil Rights Act won congressional approval in 1964 as a memorial to Kennedy.

Dr. King began his now-famous speech of August 23, 1963 with a reminder that the "Negro" was still not free 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation.  He railed against the America that had, in his words, "given the Negro a bad check," he refused to believe that the "bank of justice was bankrupt," he demanded immediate payment:

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

This was a speech, not about dreams, but about stark reality.  The reality a that white man of that period had also tried to expose, by becoming black, like me.  John Howard Griffin was a white journalist from Texas, who traveled through the Jim Crow south for six weeks as a black man.  He subjected himself to ultra-violet treatments and anti-vitiligo medication that darkened his skin and after cutting and dyeing his hair, he found himself being subjected to the same shameful treatment blacks of the day faced.  Sepia Magazine, a black publication, sponsored the project and printed a series of articles documenting Griffin's experiences in 1959.  In 1961 Griffin turned his notes into a book, Black Like Me, and a film was made in 1964.

Much has been made of Robert Kennedy's remarks in a speech about race relations broadcast via Voice of America. As the story goes, supposedly RFK said in May of 1968 that a black man would be president within forty years.  However, in researching that quote, I have come across conflicting evidence.  This website, snopes.com asserts that the original quote was "30 to 40 years" and was made in May of 1961, not May of 1968. Either way, May of 2008 has come and gone without a black president being elected.  Suffice it to say, that like much of the narrative surrounding the "first viable black candidate for president" (if you don't count Jesse Jackson) the story owes it's magic more to p.r. than absolute truth.

We all remember images of Dr. King leading marches and protests...who could forget images like this:

or this:

I'm sure we will all be reminded of the King's great actions but at the same time MLK is being lauded, the protesters of today will be corralled and fenced off like cattle. Apparently the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King's peaceful and meaningful protests will not be celebrated during the convention. Instead of witnessing this:

we will witness this:

and this:

How willingly do you think Dr. King would have gone into one of these free speech corrals?

The Democrats criticized the Bush administration for their free speech zone actions and now they have taken another page from the Republican play book.
It's getting harder and harder to tell the two parties apart.

I think maybe Dr. King would be ashamed of the Democratic Party.

On another note, my good buddy Nivay (who recently picked up a sexy blue WRX) noted that both of us have "leveled up" in many different facets of our lives. I've always thought of this Sri Lankan with dreads as a peer of mine because we both have come from far places to end up in Berkeley. In fact, he asked me if I was sick of Berkeley yet, and I quickly said, "No." "Good," he said. We plan to take a trip akin to a recent movie called Into the Wild minus the dying. But since we're designers we'll roll like ballers, two cars plus the best mobile home out there.

Hvae a gerat wekened evreyone!  :-)

Dr Martin Luther King Jr

Originally uploaded by diana.bracy

This image uses a palette that look so realistic. When I look at it, it seems like he's in the room. It took about 60 hours to complete and I used 9 colors. The medium is fabric, fusible and a tricot backing. When the lights are dimmed, you can really see the dimensions and the colors seem to recede in the background. The picture looks so real!

Stand away from your computer screen to get the better view. It measures 13 1/2" x 18".

clicca sull'immagine per l'ingrandimento

Han lærte os, at vi allesammen skal huske at drømme, og at vi skal huske at have visioner, ellers sker der ingen forandring, så fortsætter den samfundsudvikling vi vi protesterer over og kæmper imod, blandt andet på venstrefløjen af dansk politik i disse år.

Protester og kritik må og skal følges af visioner og nye mulige veje.

Der skal flere drømme og flere drømmere til, det var en del af Martin Luther Kings drøm, at vi allesammen skal turde at drømme vores drømme om et bedre samfund, og ikke mindst tro på at vi kan være med til at omsætte dem, drømmene, til bæredygtige visioner, til gavn for os alle.

Jeg har en vision , og den vision har jeg nu fundet mod til at nedfælde i sin foreløbige ordlyd, her i dette indlæg. Det gør jeg, velvidende at jeg hermed som minimum bevæger mig i periferien af jantelovens strafzone. Det er en risiko jeg må løbe.  Jeg er nemlig oprigtigt af den overbevisning at en implementering af visionen i praksis, vil kunne skabe grobund for en værdig, varm og bæredygtig forvaltning.

Min vision der er opstået efter mange års professionel kontakt med og en stor mængde faglig og empirisk viden om velfærdssamfundet danmark, som det udspiller sig via den offentlige forvaltning. Den handler om at vi som samfund skal skabe en værdig, varm og levende offentlig forvaltning. Det er en vision med afsæt i videnskabelig, faglig og personlig viden og mange års erfaringer.

Det er en vision som i modsætning til en drøm, kan omsættes til virkelighed, endda med økonomisk gevinst til følge, og til stor gavn for såvel borgere, som nærmiljø og samfund, aktuelt og på sigt.

Her er min vision :

Min vision består forenklet sagt, af 2 hovedreformer som efter min overbevisning tilsammen danner et solidt, effektivt og dynamisk fundament for en bæredygtig, værdig og varm offentlig forvaltning, nemlig :

1) Der indføres et enstrengssystem i modsætning til det nuværende multistrengssystem

Vision:

Der indføres et enstrengssystem, hvor hver borger har en socialrådgiver som tovholder der vejleder borgeren igennem sagen, fra start til slut, med støtte og specialviden fra videnscentre som VISO og lignende. Alle socialrådgivere skal være både inde i forvaltningen og ude i det egentlige lokalmiljø, som en naturlig del af deres virke. Supervision, efter - og videreuddannelse skal være en selvfølgelig del af forvaltningernes virksomhedsplan. Der skal bygges broer mellem studie og praksis - f.eks ved at indføre bisidderkorps på de sociale højskoler, hvor studerende under supervision og faglig støtte fra lærerkollegiet lærer at forholde sig til, forvalte og se praksis både fra systemets og fra borgerens side af. Professionshøjskolerne skal samtidigt tilføres tilstrækkelige midler, der bør indføres mødepligt, og uddannelsens indhold af jura og juridisk metode i teori og praksis bør optimeres markant.

Der genetableres et Socialministerium, idet et specifikt og målrettet fokus på det sociale område som overordnet indsatsfelt, er nødvendig såfremt vi reelt ønsker at løse de dynamiske sociale problemer som samfundets borgere rammes af, på en effektiv og helhedsorienteret, forebyggende måde.

Alle borgere tilbydes en bisidder i deres sag, såfremt de har haft en sag i mere end 3 måneder i kommunen. Denne bisidder er borgerens advokat i sagen og garant for, at de forvaltningsretlige og socialretlige regler overholdes og efterleves.

Forklaring:

Den offentlige forvaltning er blevet så specialiseret og detailorienteret at der kort sagt mangler overblik, helhedssyn og mulighed for at løse den kerneopgave som oprindeligt var forvaltningens mål, nemlig at forebygge, afhjælpe og standse sociale problematikker. Socialrådgivere og andre frontmedarbejdere har så snævert og ensidigt et indblik i hver sin enkle detalje i sagen, at det er yderst vanskeligt at praktisere hverken helhedssyn, anerkendelse eller at målrette en indsats.  Oveni dette forringes den generalistuddannelse som socialrådgiverne har fået på professionshøjskolerne, markant af den tiltagende specialisering. Samtidigt er fagets mellemmenneskelige og professionelle faglige socialpsykologiske redskaber og kompetencer i fare for at forsvinde i praksisfeltet, idet socialrådgivere i praksis efterhånden som følge af beskæftigelsesindsatsens tyngde i den sociale lovgivning,  overvejende er arbejdsløsheds - og beskæftigelsesrettede i deres virke.

2) Lovgivningen skilles ad og forenkles

Vision :

Beskæftigelse og sociale problemer skilles ad i lovgivning såvel som forvaltning. Der indføres lovgivning med fokus med løsning af faktiske sociale problemer uafhængigt af den gældende beskæftigelseslovgivning, men derimod med afsæt i faktiske, dynamiske og individuelle behov og muligheder for løsninger.

Der bør gives tillid til kommuner,  socialrådgivere og andre frontmedarbejdere, til at de er professionelle og dygtige nok til at danne sig et tidligt og helhedsorienteret blik over borgernes individuelle og mangeartede problemkomplekser, og ikke mindst at de er i stand til at iværksætte en effektiv og målrettet indsats med afsæt i fagets faktiske vidensfelt, og ikke kortsigtet enkeltsagspolitik

Forklaring :

Den sociale lovgivning er i dag i hovedtræk splittet op i 3 hovedlove + de forvaltningsretlige love. Disse love er henholdsvis Serviceloven, Aktivloven og Beskæftigelsesindsatsloven. Hertil kommer en stor del smålove og særlove, lov om sygedagpenge osv.

For at få hjælp i henhold til Serviceloven skal man være syg, handicappet eller barn/ung med trivsels/ omsorgsproblematikker.

For at få hjælp i henhold til aktivloven skal man være uforskyldt arbejdsløs og uden penge på lommen. Man skal ydermere stille sig til rådighed for og underlægges beskæftigelsesindsatslovens bestemmelser. Dette gør sig gældende for stort set samtlige borgere i systemet med undtagelse af førtidspensionister (indtil videre....et lovforslag fornylig afslørede at man vil tidsbegrænse førtidspensioner fremover). Det er ikke muligt at løse sociale problemer i kasser og gøre beskæftigelse til det eneste instrument kommunerne har, til at løse de problematikker som deres borgere har.

Økonomiske fordele :

En afbureaukratisering vil frisætte en markant mængde resourcer, til at sikre at den specifikke sociale opgave løses så tidligt, effektivt og helhedsorienteret som muligt.

Dette vil selvsagt være til gavn for alle parter, såvel som for samfundsudviklingen på sigt. Resultatet er utvivlsomt færre udgifter pr. borger i kommunerne, samtidigt med at der  tages værdigt, varmt og helhedsorienteret vare på de dynamiske sociale problematikker som borgerne individuelt og kollektivt erfarer manifesterer sig, i deres liv.

En forenkling af overførselsindkomssystemet vill ydermere i sig selv kunne frisætte rigtigt mange ressourcer i kommunerne, og herudover er der faktorer som mindre sygefravær, større effektivitet og færre sociale problemer i kommunen på sigt, som alle taler for, at der må en markant forenkling af den offentlige forvaltnings strukturer, organisation og virke til, hvis udviklingen skal vendes for velfærdssamfundet Danmark.

Juridiske fordele :

Et enstrengssystem skærper uden tvivl retssikkerheden for såvel borgere som socialrådgivere, samtidigt med at de forvaltningsretlige og faglige grundprincipper sikres i fagets faktiske praksis. Borgerens retssikkerhed skærpes idet kun en socialrådgiver har kendskab til sagens fulde præmisser og nuancer. En egentlig Sociallov med sigte på at løse sociale dynamiske og unikke problematikker vil kunne bane vejen for en effektiv, tidlig og direkte indsats.

Fordele for Borgerne :

En socialrådgiver som rådgiver, fortrolig og forvalter i sagen vil optimere borgerens indflydelse på og inddragelse i sagen, samtidigt med at borgeren får mulighed for at blive set og hørt helhedsorienteret og individuelt, og ikke mindst få den hjælp som der er behov og mulighed for.

Mange borgere farer vild i regeljunglen, skiftende socalrådgivere, afdelinger og så videre. Dette vil et enstrengssystem afhjælpe effeektivt.

Fordele for lokalmiljøet :

I lokalmiljøet vil tilstedeværelsen af socialrådgivere udfylde flere funktioner. Det sociale arbejdes felt og socialrådgiveren (hjælpen) gøres tilgængeligt og velkendt. Socialrådgiverne vil ydermere kunne udgøre en tiltrængt holdbar bro mellem frivillige og offentlige danmark.

Socialrådgivere i lokalmiljøet kan have en forebyggende funktion, og bla give anonyme råd og vejledning.

Erhvervslivet og andre interessanter i lokalområdet vil kunne inddrages i arbejdet og opmuntres til social ansvarlighed .

Fordele for socialrådgiverne

Socialrådgiverfagets kerneværdier - og kompetencer bringes i fokus og gøres til redskab for en udnyttelse af den høje faglighed, med henblik på at hjælpe borgerne med deres unikke sociale problematikker.

Via et enstrenget system med en forenklet lovgivning og større handlefrihed, gøres symbolsk interaktionisme mulig i det læringsteoretiske felt som den offentlige forvaltning qua sit overordnede mål, til stadighed i et vist omfang, må og skal være.

Jeg drømmer om et varmt, værdigt og levende system. Det er den vision jeg har for fremtidens forvaltning. Hvad drømmer du om ?

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

Mamma Mia!'s plot is quite easy: Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) is 20 years old and is about to get married on a beautiful island off Greece. There are no problems at all--the groom, Sky (Dominic Cooper), is good; the mother, Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep), is good; the friends (and the mother's friends) are all good; the neighborhood is good--except for the father whom she never met. One day, she finds her mother's diary that she kept when she was pregnant with Sophie. Our bride-to-be finds out that there are three potential fathers: Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), Harry Bright (Colin Firth), and Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgard) and has decided to secretly invite them all to the island, thinking that she would be able to "feel" who her father is once she sets her eyes on him. But another problem arises: she cannot tell who is it! So with the wedding just a night away and all possible fathers assuring their presence at Sophie's wedding, will there ever be a wedding? What if her mother finds out that she invited all three of them? And will she finally fill in the emptiness within her? What a big mess Sophie has done indeed!

This movie got me smiling from start to finish! The overall feel is so bright, I could still feel it even after leaving the theater. The dance numbers remind me of old-school musical numbers where the actors would form a line and dance around the set (i.e., the Dancing Queen number). The music revived my love for Abba songs--those songs that we used to dance or sing to in school, like Dancing Queen, Chiquitita, I Have A Dream, Thank You For The Music, and of course, Mamma Mia!

I was a bit thrown off by Meryl Streep's acting. It was kind of over the board, but I guess the character required her to portray someone adventurous but childlike. Well, I just didn't like it much. I was, on the other hand, attracted to Amanda Seyfried. She had beautiful eyes, a bright smile, and great curly blonde hair! Just perfect! :P

I'm glad the filming took place in the genuine outdoors (unlike other movie musicals where filming is within a studio). I got to see the beautiful islands of Greece! I never thought it was that gorgeous! The last time I saw the same scenes in a film was in The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants (which, by the way has a sequel coming up!). The place resembled mine, only without the sea. I was so attracted to the sights that I'm thinking of going there someday (why does it seem like I have actually been IN the movie?)! :)

Mas acho que já não vou crescer muito mais... :(

(Não tenho tido nada de interessante para escrever por aqui, não há muita imaginação, para variar... Por isso só há destes posts sem nenhum conteúdo de jeito.)

In a Town Hall meeting today in Georgia, Barack Obama excited the youth of America by telling them that it is "far fetched" for them to have dreams and recommended learning another language instead.

Obama stuck with common stereotypes in the African American world during his speech, insulted the entire black youth community and placed the predominately black crowd under the notion that black students only want to become basketball players and rappers.

Aside from the fact that Obama is misguided when he thinks that all black students want to become ball players and rappers, he gave in to the stereotype and acknowledged that he thought the stereotype was in fact truth. Why does Obama think all of the black youth want to become basketball players and not scientists or politicans?

To quote the Senator, “You can’t find a job unless you are a really, really good basketball player. Which most of you brothers are not. I know you think you are. But you’re not. You are overrated in your own mind. You will not play in the NBA. You are probably not that good a rapper. Maybe you are the next Little Wayne, but probably not. In which case you need to stay in school.”

In any regard, whatever happened to the notion that if you put your mind to something you can achieve it? Why is Obama telling these kids not to follow their dreams and instead asking them to learn another language? Students are certainly capable of both following their dreams and staying in school.

Obama is misguided and out of touch with society, he has to get a grip on the world around him.

Even Jesse Jackson agrees that children should be able to dream.  He is famously quoted as saying, “No one should negotiate their dreams. Dreams must be free to fly high. No government, no legislature, has a right to limit your dreams. You should never agree to surrender your dreams.”

The poem starts out a little bit shaky, maybe even a little corny, but the second half is what makes it really worth reading.  A Jimi Hendrix song reference (Castles Made of Sand) never hurts either.  Anyway, here it is:

Where the mountains touch the skyWhere poets DREAM, where eagles fly A secret place above the crowds Just beneath marshmallow clouds Lift your eyes to a snowy peak And see the soon- to- be we seek Whisper DREAMS and let them rise To the mountains old and wise Climbers climb, it's time to try Where the mountains touch the sky Take me there. Oh take me now Someway, Someday, Somewhere, Somehow Where the ocean meets the sky Where mermaid dance and seagulls fly A place in DREAMS I know so well The sea inside a single shell Far across the living sea A pale blue possibility Beyond the castles made of sand Tomorrow in a small child's hand Only DREAMERS need apply Where the ocean meets the sky Take me there. Oh take me now Someway, Someday, Somewhere, Somehow Where the forests reach the sky Men are equal and doves still fly No thorns of war, a perfect rose This is where the green grass grows Out beyond the crystal stream Like Dr. King I have a DREAM Imagine such a goal in sight For red and yellow, black and white Whisper now, let the DREAM begin It's time to trust the truth within This is where we seek and find A gift in being colorblind Dream on Dreamers, hopes are high Where the forests reach the sky Take me there. Oh take me now Someway, Someday, Somewhere, Somehow Now, listen close, the future calls "Build your bridges and tear down walls!" For time has taught and so it seems Realities are born of DREAMS

Bem, um grande sonho que eu tenho, mas que sei que não passa disso, era saber cantar. Adorava mesmo saber cantar bem. Eu canto horrivelmente mal, mas adoro música, ouço muita música e todos os dias. Mas infelizmente nunca vou saber cantar... o que é uma pena.

Este é o meu 1º sonho, os outros escreve-os em próximos posts! :)

All those who listen to Westlife might know of their popular song, "I have a dream...."

Sometimes I wonder whether life is really as positive and as colorful as described in the song. Do our beliefs really have the potential to conquer any damn thing in this world? Is life really as easy as this....that we get anything that we wish for....that all are dreams are born to be fulfilled....that all desires that originate in our hearts set to reach their destination...

I used to think, all dreams get fulfilled. But its not so. Some remain buried in the heart forever....not to be forgotten but to remind us that at some point of the time when we had the control of our life, we never took it. We let ourselves to be carried away with the flow and now we look back and regret that life is not what we wanted it to be!!!

What remains back are shadows of the past that keep on haunting...

If you have the strength to fight back, perhaps its never too late. Now may be the time to get up and set things right. What never manifested when there was a time for it, perhaps can return on different time-lines. There was afterall, never a WRONG time to do the RIGHT thing!

It's how we feel within ourselves----

I HAVE a dream   OR

I HAD a dream

GENRE: BREAKBEAT

Here is a work in progress, a electronic breaks track feat. vocals of Martin Luther King

Gyre - Rise Up, Live Up, To The Trip Up

Martin Luther King "I have a dream"