Street Musician 11/07/2009
  Street Musician Recently, to help pay the bills because the economic situation in my city of Philadelphia is so bad, I have taken to playing on the street. The experience has been enlightening, and for the most part positive. Philadelphia is a 'blue collar' town, and not what one would call a 'cosmopolitan' type city. In fact, it can be quite mean. There is an appreciation of the arts here, but usually it comes with a high price, in terms of tickets and such. You have your Academy of Music, your Kimmel Center, and some other venues where it can be quite expensive to hear excellent music. Of course, whatever rock music that still comes to town is in the vein of a Bruce Springsteen, where tickets start at a ridiculous $100 a piece. But Philadelphia has been a spawning ground for many great musicians, primary in th genre called Jazz. Also, many R & B and a handful of 'rock stars' hail from the city. So it does have a tradition. Unfortunately, in the era of the Internet, with 'free downloads' of music, and the demise of stores where you can actually purchase PHYSICAL albums, CDs and discs, people do not want to pay money for music, unless it is a 'big name' like a Springsteen, or unless one is a subscriber to the Philadelphia Orchestra and the like. There are many, many problems for musicians who wish to work, maybe the biggest being the lack of booking agents, and the whole network that is connected with them. People now stay home for their entertainment with the 'Net', DVDs and the like. But, neccesity is the mother of invention, so when other part time work opportunities fell through, I turned to the tried and true, my guitar. Luckily, I have been in preparation for this for a number of years. I have been doing some solo work, at restaurants and bistros, and have developed a pleasing repetoire that is simply solo guitar. It is a bit tricky, since one has to play the melody, rythmn and harmony at the same time, and IN TIME. Pianists do this naturally, because of the nature of their instrument. Guitarist can do the same, but it takes more work, and a personalized approach. Now, playing on the street, I approach it exactly as I do playing a club or concert. I have a prepared program of songs and pieces, which I organize according to my mood, and according to what vibes I feel from the people on the street. I play many 'cover tunes', meaning songs by other artists. I throw in Pop standards (Beatles, Mamas & Papas, Eagles) and Jazz (Adderly Brothers, Miles Davis, Coltrane) but I arrange them for solo guitar and blend in my personal style, which leans on Indian and Middle-eastern influences. When you hear me on the street, I try to present a 'class act', like you were in a good club. The people seem to like it. The young and the older ones, because the music has a good SOUND, and is geared towar soothing the soul. Since I have worked with many rythmnic elements, I even get compliments from the 'hip-hop' crowd because of the 'funk'. Now, the money you make is hard earned. An average wage for a street musician might be $5-10 an hour. $10 on a good day or night. I also sell CDs to augment the cash flow. It is possible to make, say, $60 for 6 hours work. The problem is finding a good spot, with a reasonable amount of foot traffic, and hopefully, not too much 'white noise' from busses and traffic. In addition, there are harrasment problems: from security guards, store owners and even other street musicians. The Philadelphia Police are usually OK. They have bigger problems to deal with, and most are entertained by the sound. Especially in downtown Philadelphia, there can be competition for 'prime spots' or corners here there is a lot of pedestrian traffic. So, you need to get to spot early, so you don't have to fend off street hustlers or other musicians. This competition and running around can be taxing. I have a friend, a violinist, who has supported himself by street playing for years, but he is rather frazzled by the whole deal, and can get in 'black moods' when you encounter him on the street. It takes a certain mindset to play on the street constantly, and you have to be tough. I have been trying to pick and varie my spots, and to be reasonable in my money hopes. Sometimes you can play for 3 hours and make $5. But, if you have patience, there will come an hour where you can make $25-30 or even more sometimes. What I enjoy most is just the playing for people, and I usually get a great response in terms of appreciative words and reaction, if not in money terms. People will come out of stores and listen and applaud. I like to set up, on a nice day or evening, near an out door cafe or restaurant, where people are relaxing enjoying a meal or a drink. Then, I provide the musical backdrop. After they finish, many people come over and tip you, and sometimes buy a CD. And you can meet the nicest people this way, people who genuinally like what some beautiful music can bring to an othewise ordinary day, or to a concrete jungle. I would say to all that, if you see a street musician, give him something in terms of money. I can sit in a spot and play for two hours. Maybe, on a busy day, 300-400 people will walk by. If each one tipped just 25 CENTS that would earn the musician around $100!. Amazing. But most people are way 'too busy' or cught up talking on their 'self phone' or whatnot. But, you must stop and smell the roses! This is what life is about. I tip my hat to all street musicans and artists, the 'Evangelists' of beauty and humanity.  Hip Hop Frank D on 'Da Philly Tip' 10/24/2009
I was I was inspired to do this 'screed' by a foul mouthed and 'frontin' DJ I heard on radio station WPRB-FM, Princeton University the other night...Every word out of his mouth was a slur or a curse...I was kind of astounded that he just went on and on and the station seemed to be OK with it...I hear this language all the time myself where I live, so I figured a White Boy can speak in the 'vernacular' also...I weaved my rap in with some breaking news about a professional basketball player here in town who just got busted the other night... Man, I grew up watchin' basketball, especially the Philadelphia 76ers...Saw Wilt Chamberlain play, Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham, Doctor J, Moses Malone, all them...And they all had class...I even met Chamberlain after a game in the 76ers 1967 championship series with the San Francisco Warriors...Chamberlain was a complete gentleman...But nowadays in the NBA, you got a group of idiots out there, and they're makin' millions...But they got no Gospel and they got no brain...   Hip Hop Frank D on 'Da Philly Tip' "Wazzup, my niggaz and my wiggaz!...Dis' MC Frank D. givin' you da scoop on da shit happenin' in da community...'s mean, you know what I'm sayin'?...Yo, we gots to stop killin' each other, and do like Michael Vick do, front ,and make that bling!..'s mean, da money be green on both sides, yous and mine, 's wazzup!...Now les jes have a look at some current events in the community and da hood...I see yesterday dat Dionte Christmas of da 76ers was busted cold, by cops on north Broad Steet in Philly, for doin' wierd shit wid da car...AND, when the po-lice stop him, man, he got a .009 under the driver's seat...Now, my niggaz, de boy jes got cut by the 76ers and he probably had some shit on his mind...But see, you gots to be careful 's I'm sayin?...Dis nigga might have been gettin' some heat from some niggaz in da hood, and he pissed 'cause he cut and shit, but why he ridin' wid a gun?...And on top 'o dat, da car belong to his boy Marreese Speights, who also balls for the Sixers...Now, Speights already got da bling, so why he packin' heat in he damn car, and then givin' the car to de young boy Christmas?...Don make no damn sense...Niggaz don' be thinkin in a strategic sense, don' think at all.. .Here go Dionte:  Man, dese niggaz makin big change, but dey actin' like niggaz on da corner, pants down below dey ass, shootin' other young niggaz for bullshit...Man, my jaunt like 'dis: You got da money, you ballin', don' fuck up!...Simple ass shit...Dionte got cut, yeah, but he can go to Europe and shit, make da bling, and live phat, wid European pussy and shit, 'den come back to the NBA...Speights, he givin' himself a headache he din' need...Niggaz, wake de fuck up...Dis about money, no street nigga nonsense!...Dem NBA owners be payin' niggaz good money, but dey don't tolerate dis shit, 'cause it all about BIDNESS!" Marreese Speights below:  COMCAST: My Experience 10/03/2009
  Makin' that 'Bling' for COMCAST COMCAST I recently have been trying to get Internet service at my place of residence, in 'International City', South West Philadelphia PA...After considering a number of options, all bad, including Verizon & CricKet wireless, I decided to go with the beastial COMCAST...Let me describe my experience, in a nutshell. After having spoken with a number of COMCAST installers, who warned me about COMCAST's 'bait & switch' tactics, I made some calls to their 'customer service'. I say 'a number of calls' because when you talk to someone at COMCAST, they are usually either trying to sell you something you don't want or they are clueless...The first call was to a young man, who initially offered me a price of around $50 a month for both the basic cable & the Internet...He had to check my address, and see if the services were available there...I was sure they were, because I have cables running out the walls in all the rooms...Anyway, I tentatively agreed to get the service, and we turned to the details of getting it hooked up...Midway in the conversation, the price went up to $80 a month...I said 'Wait, you just said $50 a month, plus tax, with a $50 hook up fee'...He says, 'I didn't say that'...I say 'Listen, I'm not insane...5 minutes ago you said $50 a month'...He says, 'You must have heard wrong. I never said that'...I say 'OK, goodbye'...One of the technicians I had talked with told me that they do this, and it depends on the customer rep you get...Some are honest, some lie...OK Next day, I try again...This time I get a nice lady named Marsha...She says, 'Sure...$50 a month for cable/net, $50 hook up, no problem'...I say 'Yesterday someone told me $80, and I got pissed'...She just laughed. So, I say OK, and then she tells me to get the account going I have to bring a number of documents to the COMCAST 'security' window on Columbus Blvd...I have to bring a current lease, SS card, driver's license, and proof of address for my last residence...OK. I go to Columbus Blvd. and talk with a nice girl named Charlissa...She make photo copies of my papers, faxes them to COMCAST 'security central' and nicely gives me back my originals and the photocopies...This is Friday before Labor Day...I ask 'How long will this take?'...She says 'We work 365/24/7...72 hours at most'...I say 'OK, good...Will they call me or should I call COMCAST'...She write down her name and gives me a phone number...She says 'They'll call you, but I will be handling the account...Here is my number'. I don't hear anything from them for 4/5 days, so I decide to call this Charlissa...Well, even though it is a (215) phone number, I get COMCAST central calling, and have to listen to a recording of Shaquille O'Neill & Ben Stein talking BS about COMCAST...No Charlissa...So when I finally get through to a rep, I ask 'Can I get my service?'...They say 'It hasn't been cleared by security yet'...I say 'Is there someone I can call at COMCAST security?'...'Well, here's a phone number'...I call the number and get the voice mail of a Maryann...I leave a message. No return call...I call two more times...No call back...After 10 DAYS, out of the blue, I get a call from a garbled voice that says 'This is MMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMM COMCAST calling about your service'....I return the call...No call back...Finally after another week I get a hold of this woman named Michella Marshall...I say 'What about my service?'...She says 'Well, security has cleared you, but it says on the lease blah, blah, blah and you want blah, blah, blah...'...I say 'Forget the lease...Can I get service?'...She says 'Well, sure, do you want to set up an appointment for a tech to hook you up?'...I say 'Yeah'... So we set up an appointment, for a Thursday...'Will you be home between 11 AM & 1 PM?'...'Sure'...At this point it is 20 days since I visited the COMCAST office to start my account. I don't work on Thursdays...So, I get up about 10 AM to be ready for the tech...At 10:45 I go to the bathroom and leave my cell phone downstairs...When I go down, I see I have a voice mail...It is the COMCAST tech...He says 'This is COMCAST...I'm here, where are you at?'...So I call him back and say 'Sorry, I was in the bathroom'...He says 'Oh lord, are you there now?'...I say 'Yeah, it's 11 AM'...He hangs up. The tech knocks on the door...He appears to be a nice African-American young man...I say 'Sorry, I missed your call, I hope I didn't inconvenience you'...He says something and goes out to his truck, parked across the street. When he comes back, I tell him what I had ordered from COMCAST: 2 cable boxes, and two hi-speed modems...He says 'Two modems?...I never heard 'a that!'...I say 'Well, we have a TV downstairs, anda PC, and we have a TV upstairs and a laptop, so we need those connected'...'Man, you can't have two modems!'...'Why?...We have two computers...Customer service said the extra modem would be an additional $3 a month'...'Man, I don't install two modems...My work order says one modem...'sides, if you have two modems, you got to pay another $20 a month to get a feed through that modem'...'That's not what customer service told me'. 'Well, man, I ain't got time for this shit...I got money to make...You holdin' me up'...I say, 'Well, forget it then. Roll...I'll talk to customer service and get another tech out here. I'm not paying for something I didn't order'. At this point, he gets very nervous, and starts sweating. He gets on the phone to his 'supervisor'...He starts whining about 'This guy want two modems and my work order say one...Man, I gots money to make, and he holding me up'...I talk to the supervisor, and the supe starts giving me a line of bullshit...I tell the supe 'Well, then forget it...Let your man roll...I don't want something I didn't order'...I give the phone back to the tech, smile and tell him 'Have a nice day'. I go back inside, pissed and vowing to forget COMCAST...I light a smoke and my cell phone rings...It's a COMCAST customer rep...He says 'Oh, Mr.Dialogue, how are you...Is there a problem with your service?'...I take a sip of cold coffee...'Well, yes...Your service order didn't have what I wanted, and you tech told me he couldn't be bothered with me because he had money to make, so you can cancel my order'...Service Rep: 'Oh wait...That's not right what the tech did...'...We discuss the matter...We decide that, for now, I will have just one modem and 2 cable boxes, because the tech doesn't have an extra modem on the truck!...The rep tells me that COMCAST will waive the $50 install fee for 'my inconvenience'...I say 'OK'...Service Rep: 'Is the tech still there?'...I look out the door, and the truck is gone...I say 'No'...Service Rep: 'I'll take care of it' and hangs up. Five minutes later, I hear a knock on my door...It's the tech...He's really sweating now...Someone must have reamed his as out on the phone...He brings in the 2 cable moxes and the modem...The he says 'Man, if you woulda just listened to me, I coulda been outa' here by now'...I say 'But you weren't going to install the service I ordered: Do you understand that?'...He just laughed...Anyway, he installed the boxes and the modem...I sak him 'Listen, aren't you supposed to give me an installation disc so that the computers can talk to the modems?'...'No man, we don't have no discs...It'll work: I gotta go...Sign this'...I signed the work order saying he was at the house. Of course neither computer worked, because we needed an INSTALLATION DISC so that the computers could talk to the modem and the remote server...I know a few things about networks, since I have a diploma in network administration and tech support from Chubb Institute...It has taken me another week of talking to various 'technical support' and 'customer service' at COMCAST to get this fact confirmed...The rep I talked to today said 'Didn't the tech install the software needed for your computers to work?'...I said 'No, he was too busy tryin' to make his 'bling'...The customer rep profusely apologized, and said I wouldn't be charged for the extra service call...I await the next tech on this Thursday morning...It has been a month since I mad my first call to COMCAST... But, a happy ending!...This past Thursday, after a MONTH of aggravation, a different service tech came over with an INSTALLATION DISC...When he comes in he sees my computer and says 'Man, I don't think I can work with that system: It's too old, and I build computers mysel!'...I say 'Can you just put the disc in and try it?'...He grunts, but goes along with my wishes...Guess what?...IT WORKS, and now I have the Internet!...I tell the tech to always 'remeber the importance of positive thinking!'...Yeah, well, anyway... Perhaps this was just fate as I have never liked COMCAST from the jump...COMCAST is currently, and has been (for 10 years) in violation of it's license with the FCC by refusing to provide Public Access TV (where anyone can have a show for a nominal fee: COMCAST has already built three small studios for this around the city) because they say it will promote HATE SPEECH! An interesting link: http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Page...your-side.html And an answer as to why COMCAST service is so bad (believe me, I am one of THOUSANDS!): Why?...Why?...Why??!!!!...Because!!!!... Because they can get away with it, and they have a 'kulture' (with a 'k') of sleaze starting with the Roberts family from the top...Now, the fish rots from the head...They are the epitome of the whole global monopoly/swindle game as it is played here...They don't care!!!...They have BILLIONS, they have a captive audience...And another poster made a good point: They hire 'ghetto boys' and 'wiggers' as installation techs, and then put them on a 'sub-contract' basis, where they are rewarded for installations made, not successful installations...Their customer service is spread out in call centers all over North America...I spent 1/2 hour talking to a rep who was based outside of Toronto...She was interesting, telling me about how her pet scorpion stung her that day, and her how she had a new baby and seven cats...But she had no clue about any technical matters, in fact, she tried to sell me a 'service package'...They are all told to SELL YOU SOMETHING...Most Americans are so dumb they will buy anything, anyway...COMCAST has a culture of the fast-shuffle, the double talk...Oh, and check this out...Everybody that calls COMCAST gets a message of 'This is Shaquille O'Neill...and 'This is Ben Stein'...COMCAST offers you the best.....'...Now, if you don't have a COMCAST account, after hearing this message, you get a number of menu options, and if you want to speak to a customer rep, you get the message 'All COMCAST reps are busy right now, please hold for the next available...'...Then music comes on...Then you get another ad that says 'Did you know that COMCAST...'...THEN, the music comes on for about 10 seconds, and you hear a voice that says 'This is COMCAST, can I help you?'...You think it's a real person, because the audio sample is good...Then you hear 'Hey this is Shaq, just kidding ha, ha, ha!!!'.  Shaquille O'Neal & Ben Stein/COMCAST 'The Spotlight' Newspaper: In My Travels 10/03/2009
   PAFA: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts In my travels, I run into many interesting people, and find interesting things. Yesterday, while perusing a stack of used books outside a local 'anarchist club' called the ' A Space', a found a copy of an old newspaper that I was first introduced to years ago, called 'The Spotlight' ('A Space' performs a valuable community service by sending books to prisoners in the PA prison system: Publications considered 'unsuitable' by authorities, or ones that the prisoners are not interested in are left outside their building, and are free to the public). I was first given a copy of this paper by an older man, a security guard I worked with at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where I also worked, in the late 1980s. At the time, I was rather sick of politics, as we were in the latter stages of the Reagan Administration, and anticipated the regime of his successor, George Herbert Walker 'Poppy' Bush. As always, I was immersed in my music, and although I had a keen interest in history, my political awareness was pushed to the side. Anyhow, this gentleman gave me a copy of this 'Spotlight' newspaper, and told me it was very important that I read it. I told him I had little interest in politics, but he insisted. He said 'This country is run by a number of shadowy forces, and they are the ones really in control'. He then mentioned the name of Rockefeller, international bankers and so on. I felt a bit sorry for this gentleman because he seemed very disheartened, and disillusioned with life. So, to make him feel better, I took a copy of the paper, and read some of it when I went home. I was a bit surprised at the content, detailing just the 'conspirators' he talked about, but my interest was piqued a bit. But then I put it aside and went for my guitar. In the intervening years, I never really sought out the 'Spotlight' which was very hard to get anyway, unless one had a subscription. But, events started unfolding that played on my mind. The Bush administration brought Gulf War I, with it's resulting call by Bush for a 'New World Order', and then a serious recession economically. The Clinton years brought myriad scandals and confusion, culminating with the American led NATO attack on Serbia and Kosovo, areas that were of no clear interst to the American people. Cruise missile strikes on Iraq and 'al-Quida' in Sudan. Blowing up of military headquarters in Saudi Arabia. Failed Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in Washington. The Monica Lewinsky affair. Rhe 21st Century brought, of course, the '911 Event' and the ensuing disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with an increasing dominance of US politiKs by Israel and the Jewish lobby. Not to mention the final gutting of the American industrial economy, transforming our country into a 'nation of consumers' and debtors. In the years after 911, I began a serious study of American & global economics and politics, along with economics and history. The main question for me was always: 'Who is really running this show?'. Because it became quite apparent that the American President wasn't in charge, not at all. Being an 'old boy' also (Ha!) I also recalled all that happened in the 1960s, primarily the JFK, RFK & MLK assassinations and the disastrous Vietnam War. I was filled with questions. Yesterday, at the 'A Space' I found a pristine copy of 'The Spotlight' newspaper, dated, curiously enough, June 14, 1999 (my birthday!)...I was amazed at the articles included, and reading it, found that it was asking just the questions that today's truth seekers ask every day. Questions that won't be asked (or answered) in the NY Times or Washington Post or on 'mainstream' television news. Here is a sample article. front page: The SPOTLIGHT June 14, 1999 NATO TARGETS SERB CULTURE As of May 30, preliminary accounts estimate that NATO has attacked thousands of sites in Yugoslavia, launching close to 3,000 cruise missiles and dropping more than 10,000 tons of explosives -- all on a country without means to fight back. By Christopher J. Petherick Critics of the war in Yugoslavia dispute NATO officials' claim to a moral imperative driving the war in Kosovo as more and more of NATO's targets appear to be civilian and cultural. "Anyone scrutinizing the unpublished list of targets hit by NATO is left in little doubt that a deliberate terror campaign is being waged against the civilian population of Yugoslavia," wrote John Pilger in The Guardian, a London- based tabloid. In one of the latest events, NATO, staging a predawn attack in downtown Belgrade, "mistakenly" sent a laser-guided missile 500 yards past its target, a Military barracks, slamming into a hospital and killing three civilian patients and one hospital staff member. The hospital's intensive care unit was leveled and the neurological building was severely damaged. The maternity ward and gynecological departments were also damaged, requiring that pregnant mothers and newborns be relocated to other hospitals in the city. The bombing also damaged neighboring homes, including the residences of the Swedish, Norwegian and Spanish ambassadors. Norway and Spain, which are NATO members, had removed embassy officials before the bombings commenced. But the Swedish ambassador, whose home is only 200 beet from the hospital, was still in his house when nine windows and the front door ware blown out. In a rare glimpse of what Yugoslavian citizens face daily, the Swedish ambassador recounted how he and his house guests dove under a table, hiding for cover as the missile exploded a short distance away. NATO missiles hit a bridge crowded with pedestrian traffic, killing at least 11 people and injuring 40 on May 30. The bridge was crowded that morning, because Sunday is traditionally a time when people travel to the markets to do their shopping. LOOK AT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY HAS DONE According to reports, people watched in horror as old women and children were incinerated. "We knew they were going to hit this bridge, we just didn't think it would be in the day when people were traveling across it," one woman lamented. Investigative reporter Mike Blair reported in the May 3 edition of The SPOTLIGHT that as the war dragged on, the U.S. military would be forced to use missiles with "older, less sophisticated guidance systems," resulting in what he predicted to be more "collateral damage." Still others say that NATO policy-makers are deliberately waging "a terror campaign" against the people of Yugoslavia to get them to force their government to acquiesce to NATO terms. Everyday NATO spokesman Jamie Shea and Gen. Wesley Clark assemble the world's journalists and broadcast the day's "upbeat" NATO news: "Serb soldiers breaking ranks and returning home" or "Serbian military machine eroding." Almost gleefully, the media reports on the number of missions NATO planes have flown over the country. The SPOTLIGHT has consistently publicized the "real" story behind NATO's illegal acts, led by U.S. policy makers, in violation of international law. A reliable source in Congress told The SPOTLIGHT that the total damage inflicted by NATO jets upon Yugoslavia so far totals approximately $150 billion* ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now, 'The Spotlight' was founded by one Willis Carto of the "Liberty Lobby', a populist organization variously described by yellow journalists as 'White Nationalist' and 'anti-semitic', two terms hurled about when any criticisms of policies regarding Israel or race relations are openly discussed. We know enough to recognize these smear words as distractions from very real topics under discussion that go against certain agendas. Carto & the Liberty Lobby went through various trials and turmoils, including lawsuits. Other writers and contributors for the paper were Michael Colins Piper, Tom Valentine (who hosted a very popular talk show called 'Radio Free America' in the 1980s-90s and Jim Tucker, watchdog on the notorious Bilderberg Group.'The Spotlight' has since morphed into the AFP (American Free Press) that still covers many of the issues that the Spotlight did. The great free-lance journalist and 911 investigator Christopher Bollyn was a writer for the AFP, but, in his latest wbblog, he has some very interesting things to say about the AFP. Even, and sometimes especially, in the alternative press things may nor be as they appear. It seems that the same 'shadowy forces' that the 'Spotlight' fixed it's beam on, may actually have infiltrated the publication. According to Bollyn: "I later discovered that the newspaper and the organization behind it, the Liberty Lobby, are actually owned by the Jewish leftist lawyer, Mark Lane, and have been since the early 1990s when he bought the assets of Liberty Lobby with some of the $5 million he had been paid by Willis A. Carto in legal fees. I learned this from L.T. Patterson, publisher of Criminal Politics of Cincinnati. Patterson's newsletter is similar to the publications of the Mark Lane's Liberty Lobby, which is what led Lane to sue Patterson in the mid-1990s for some $10 million. Lane, a Zionist Jew, wanted to have a monopoly in the patriotic newspaper business. During the legal process Patterson learned that Lane had acquired the assets of the nearly bankrupt Liberty Lobby in the early 1990s. Manfred Roeder, a German patriot who has been imprisoned often in occupied Germany, told me that such controlled opposition newspapers like National Zeitung are designed to skim the cream off of the nationalist movement. They also serve as outlets of disinformation and have even more sinister purposes." So sometimes, we appear to be living in a 'House of Mirrors' or a 'Fun House' in the words of Iggy Pop. Nevertheless, 'The Spotlight' was a pioneering paper in terms of exposing what is commonly called the 'New World Order', the lies of our own politiKos and military leadership, and the influence of powerful Zionist and other foreign interests on American policies, both foreign and domestic. Whatever 'backroom intrigues' were taking place, and we have quite a cast of characters working here, judging by the fruits, I would say that this unique publication was a pioneering one in many ways, and ahead of it's time. Funny what you run into in your travels: A tired old boy who turns you onto a source of valuable information, and a hard copy of the same laying out on a table on a city street. From Bollyn on 'The Spotlight'/AFP Why Are We Unable to Resist? 'The Spotlight' Archives June 14, 1999 SPOTLIGHT News June 1999 'The Spotlight' News Archive, The SPOTLIGHT by Liberty Lobby 'A Space' The A-Space | anarchist community space PAFA Pennsylvania Academy-Fine Arts  Willis Carto  Mark Lane 911 In a Nutshell 09/16/2009
  WTC Building 7  I am writing this 'inspired' by a 'Letter to the Editor' that appeared in my local newspaper, the Philadelphia Daily News, on Tuesday September 16, 2009. The letter was in reference to the '911 Event' and went something like this: "Any American who can possibly think that our own government was involved in such a dastardly and treacherous act is insane, etc, etc, etc," The letter ended with "God Bless America". Well, God is not blessing America because we now worship the false god named 'Mammon' or money. But what really got me is this example of how many AmeriKans are still in denial about what really happened on that day, who was involved, and why. AmeiKa is in a final stage of addiction, with the accompanying denial. How does an addict know that he is in trouble? The drug becomes harder and harder to get, or the quality suffers, or he can't find a reliable dealer. Or he runs out of money to purchase the drug. All of these things can lead to the shock of withdrawl, but usually the addict is in heavy denial, still trying to procure the drug, until he experiences one too many shocks. A this time the addict may seek help, and confront the truth of his addiction and deception. If he doesn't he will remain enslaved, and his life and the lives of those close to him will fall into ruin. Now, what is the truth of 'who did 911?' The truth is it was a combination of criminal forces, the main ones being our own government, in partnership with global Zionist money/political interests. When a mega-event of destruction like this occurs, the question that must be asked is simple 'Qui bono?' or 'Who benefits?' The Serbian journalist Dejan Lucic writes that 'If you can't understand the politics, then follow the money, and the political situation will come into focus'. We were fed the lie that 'Arab terrorists' committed this crime. But how did Arabs or Muslims benefit in any way? They didn't. The result of this act was the invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, resulting in, in Iraq, the destruction of the most prosperous and advanced secular Arab society in the Middle Easy, and in Afghanistan, simply more fragmentation of an already fragmented tribal culture, with the spread of chaos into neighboring Pakistan. Not to mention the hundreds of thousand of innocent Arabs and Muslims killed by the murderous attacks of American & Zionist forces on their countries. No benefit to Arabs or Muslims. So 'Qui bono?' The US government, under the control of a group of hardcore Zionist 'neo-cons' had been plotting a strategy for 'A Clean Break in the Middle East' for about 5-10 years prior to the event. But, in their own words 'the only thing that would persuade Americans to go along with such a radical plan (creating a 'Greater Israel' that would have regional hegemony and the permanent establishment of US bases in the region to act as 'policemen') would be a 'new Pearl Harbor'. Well, we got one. Here the politics is clear. As far as money, this is more complex, because the money aspect of the 'event' goes back a decade, involving the looting of the American treasury, and the funneling of money to Zionist operations. On September 10, 2001, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced that over $2 TRILLION as missing from the US DOD budget accounting. He gave no explanation of where this money went. This was the day before the event. Sounds like a major story. But we know what happened the next day, so this 'big' story almost unnoticed. Now, who controlled the purse strings at the DOD for many years?. Who wrote the checks? Dual Israeli/American citizen Rabbi Dov Zakheim. Dov Zakheim was never asked to give testimony about this money. In the short term, there was much stock manipulation that took place during the 911 'event'. Short selling of stocks involving American Airlines for one. Small potatoes. There were TONS of financial records destroyed in the WTC, including many belonging to the CIA/Zionist money laundry AIG, whose records were kept on the exact floors where the planes hit. Another example ws the WorldCom tele-communications records. WorldCom was in the process of bankruptcy, so conveniently all records relating to this case were destroyed. The financial firm Cantor-Fitzgerald, involved in all kinds of 'derivatives' schemes and possibly involved with huge amounts of counterfeit US Treasury bonds deals also was blown away. Thee are just a few examples. And, of course, Mr. Larry Silverstein. Mr. Silverstein bought the WTC complex in early 2001, having the mortgage for said deal arranged by the Blackstone Group, Henry Kissinger's hedge fund. GMAC finance also was involved, and has since been cleaned out by elements connected to NY's Bank Leumi and Israel Discount Bank. Mr.Silverstein took out a special 'terrorism rider' in his insurance policy for the WTC, and when the complex was destroyed, he claimed that since there were TWO attacks (planes hitting each tower' he should be paid twice. The insurance rated the ACV (Actual Cash Value) of the WTC at some $3.5 billion. After some haggling, Mr.Silverstein was paid some $6 billion for the demolition of both towers. Then, we have the question of asbestos removal. To come up to code, the State of NY was requiring the owner of the WTC to do asbestos removal in the twin towers. Cost of said asbestos removal? Rough estimate $3 billion. So why remove asbestos for $3 billion when the wTC can be blown to bits for a few million and you can collect insurance for $6 billion? The US government itself, through the agencies of the FED and other criminal elements, has been engaging in fraud and counterfeiting in regards to Treasury bonds and other securities for quite some time. Many of these records, and records of the US FBI, CIA and other internal organs were stored in WTC 7, the former Salomon Brothers building. All these records were destroyed when WTC 7 collapsed into it's 'own footprint' never having been hit by any planes. Same with the Pentagon. What section of the Pentagon was 'struck by an airliner'. The accounting department, where DOD financial records would have been kept. How the buildings were brought down is a subject for the debate, the best guesses being by a composite of 'super-thermate' sprayed and placed in the towers, on various floors and concentrated at the base columns. The notion that 'jet fuel' and 'fire' caused the collapse has been dismissed as nonesense by engineers and experts. Never has a large steel framed and cored building ever been brought down by fire. Another possible mechanism could have been a '4th generation' nuclear device, probably using pure hydrogen' that would not have acted with the tremendous explosive force of primitive hydrogen bombs, but with more concentrated force and little lingering radiation. We must also remember that Dov Zakhein, check signer at the DOD/Pentagon. also had the blueprints for the whole WTC complex since 1994, through his involvement with the 1993 WTC bombing. His company was SPC/TriData. Zakheim also had a company that specialized in computerized remote contol of large airplanes. There is a ton of documentation detailing the involvement of all these criminal elements in the '911 event'. Journalists Christopher Bollyn and Jerry Mazza are two of the best. But the evidence is voluminous. Remember, in order to have a Grand Jury hand down an indictment, an overwhelming amount of 'circumstantial evidence' is more than sufficient. The hard evidence was all destroyed and removed by the US Government & FEMA, under the watchful eye of the traitor Rudy Guiliani, former US Presidential candidate & NYC mayor. So, there you have it, in a nutshell. A rather big nutshell, I admit. In order to hold all the evidence and documentation regarding US/Israeli complicity in this case would require at last a small library. This is just a webblog. My advice to AmeriKa? Get off the hard drugs, and open yourself to the truth. It will hurt initially, but in the long run you will have a good chance for survival. Jerry Mazza on Dov Zakheim Dov Zakeim part I by Jerry Mazza - Gordon Wagner - Open Salon Dov Zakheim part II by Jerry Mazza - Gordon Wagner - Open Salon Christopher Bollyn BOLLYN.COM The 'Second 911' : September 2008 Electronic Run on American Banks September 11th, 2008–America's Economic 9/11? « The Ugly Truth ' Lullaby Time in AmeriKa 09/12/2009
  It is lullaby time in AmeriKa. The children have all gone to sleep, soothed by the sweet sounds of a hypnotizing melody. But the dreams are troubled. Why? Because the serpent was the creature singing the lullaby. We are also in a type of a lull here, as far as events go. Nothing really big to report. Just a continuation of the process of 'transformation' of a once relatively conscious and optimistic people into a nation dominated by the false god of Mammon and those high priests of the same false god. News? The US is still in Afghanistan for no discernible reason. Of course our alien puppeteers have their reasons for us being there, but there is no reason at all for the American people. Our men and women killed every day, along with innocent Afghans who pose no threat to us. Our men guard opium fields that will supply the raw materials for the heroin that will corrupt Western societies. They also stand guard for the money power of the Rothschild family and their Israeli managers who wish to claim the oil and resources from Central Asia for themselves. What do we get out of it? A footnote in history as another 'great power' who will eventually be thrown out in a vain attempt at 'taming' these fiercely independent people. At home we have the puppet President who goes on and on about 'universal health care' and 'health reform', as if anything will rally change for the benefit of our people. The only change will be that our money will go into the pockets of a few consolidated insurance 'providers' who will tack on an extra 30-40% to the cost of any medical procedure. Kind of like what we have now, except it will be like the bank bailout, with the small 'middle-men' getting the boot, and the 'chosen few' replacing them. The country still suffers from the effects of an insane immigration policy. Immigrants flood in, as more and more Americans lose jobs. Today, I notarized some papers for a young man from Trinidad, here on a 'green card', a young man of about 23-24. He works for a 'non-profit' in my area and makes about 3 TIMES what I earn in a year. Lastly, the 'sub-mentality' process continues with the destruction of all higher culture and aspiration, AmeriKan Kulture having been reduced to the level of an 'underclass reality show' in the greater part. Art? Please, go listen to a rap 'artist' or watch some mindless video. I can't even enjoy a football game anymore, since the sport is completely controlled by Las Vegas and alien corporate interests. Anyway, watching television will simple cause you brain damage. Some of us are not asleep. We are very awake and aware of what is going on. But what can we do? It seems as if we are doomed to be victims of the fates. But at least, as long as we keep our eyes open, we may be able to prevent ourselves from falling into a terrifying nightmare. Life is indeed a battlefield. So, we will take it one day at a time, and remember that the adversary doesn't sleep much; hardly at all. Great Guitarists of the Last Century: Part 2 09/07/2009
The first part of this series primarily featured electric guitarists who pioneered in the jazz & rock genres. The exception was Django Reinhardt, the French 'Gypsy Jazz' guitarist who took up the electric instrument late in his career and was able to translate his unique style from the acoustic instrument. Part 2 will feature a bit more of the great acoustic innovators..........................................Frank Dialogue  Davey Graham, British pioneer of the acoustic guitar...Incredible technique, playing bass lines, chords & melody simultaneously...Influenced such greats as Bert Jansch, John Renbourne & Jimmy Page...Wrote the classic 'Anji'...Best album 'The Guitar Player'...Mixed folk, jazz, raga & blues.  Carlos Santana, probably my personal favorite for drawing the emotional 'cry' out of the electric guitar...Still going strong, incredible player...Best album: 'Moonflower' from the late 70s featuring both Carlos & his band at an all time peak...Best recorded version of the beautiful 'Europa' & climaxes with the ultimate in Latin fusion/rock, the incredible 'Savor/Touissant L'Overture'.  The amazing Brazilian guitarist, Bola Sete ('Seven Ball'), real name Djalma de Andrade...Played nylon string exclusively, and was a master of samba, bosa nova, blues & jazz....Great album: 'Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival'...Super rythmic.  Jimmy Page, 'session man' on many early UK rock tracks, Yardbird, pioneer of tape delay, the 'e-bow' and other effects, excellent acoustic & 12-string player, used many alternative tunings & founder and producer of Led Zepplin...Sometimes maligned, but his guitar playing was ground breaking in many ways.  John Abercrombie, one of the most interesting & intelligent of late century jazz players...First noted for his beautiful track 'Timeless' in collaboration with Jan Hammer & Jack DeJohnette...Best album, the brilliant 'Gateway 2' w/ DeJohnette & Dave Holland no longer available...For new listeners, there is an excellent anthology on ECM Records...Also a wonderful acoustic player, especially in collaboration w/ Ralph Towner.  Ralph Towner, acoustic guitarist, nylon & steel string...Founder of the group Oregon, and a pioneer in modern 'chamber jazz'...Especially notable for his use of extended and open harmonies in his playing & composition.      Top to bottom : 'Fiddler on the Roof': Jeffrey Lurie, Eagles Owner; Joe Banner, Eagles Bean Counter/Rasputin; Andy Reid, Eagles Coach; Michael Vick holding puppy. The Philadelphia Eagles shocked the sports world this week by signing convicted felon Michale Vick, former quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. Vick spent 18 months in Leavenworth fed prison for running dog fighting rings, and engaging in 'illegal' gambling activities. Some of Vick's boys down in Virginia also slaughtered some of the fighting pups when they outlived their usefulness. The Amerikan nation cried in outrage. The Amerikan nation that has accepted the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Afghans with nary a whimper. This week, my hometown Philadelphia Eagles signed Vick to a one year contract, worth $1.5 million, with an option year that could pay $5 million. Fans were shocked, because the Philadelphia Eagles are a team that puts on a facade of only wanting 'character' players. Yet here they sign a convicted felon, a 'dog murderer' and 'public enemy #1'. Many fans were expectedly outraged. In reality, the Eagles 'ownership team' of Jeffrey Lurie and Joe Banner, two bullshit artists as shifty as they come, made a brilliant move. I will explain, then I will talk a bit about Vick and dog fighting in general. In recent months, the Philadelphia Eagles have been forced off of the 'media' front page in the city by our World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies have become 'numero uno' in the city. Philadelphia fans embraced the Phils because of their exciting play, blue collar work ethic, the down home character of Phils manager Charlie Manuel, and a number of brilliant baseball moves by new GM Rueben Amara Jr. Philadelphia fans have never liked or trusted Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, or his chief henchman Joe Banner because of their stingy and lying ways, their perceived mistreatment of certain players, and their enormous profiteering. Lurie bought the Eagles for approximately $185 million, but now the Eagles have an estimated worth of nearly $1.5 BILLION. They have a license to 'print money' and have never shown, for all their talk, a real commitment to win a championship. Coach Andy Reid, a rather arrogant character, has never been a fan favorite either. Quarterback Donovan McNabb, an outstanding player, has taken his share of criticism also for the Eagles inability to win a Super Bowl. So, what to do? Well, the Eagles made some good aquisitions in the off season, including draft choices and free agents, but their training camp ha been plagued by injured players, while the Phillies keep winning, making good moves, and stay on the 'front page' of both print and audio/visual media. So, they sign Michael Vick, 'Public Enemy #1' for his dog fighting and slaughtering activities, and announce that they will be th ones to 'give him a second chance'. Lurie has enlisted the support of the Pennsylvania Humane Society (doubless with a large donation), and various politically correct personages, and has testified that 'Michael Vick is truly remorseful and is a changed man'. Perhaps. 18 months in Leavenworth will give a man time to reflect. Losing most of your fortune to lawyer's fees and losing all your endorsement deals will also cause some 'reflection'. Coach Reid, whose two sons have been arrested for drug trafficking, heroin use, and threatening motorists on a highway with a gun, is all in favor of this. He says 'This is America. We make mistakes'. This is quite true. Immediately, the Eagles become 'front page' again. The local big sports radio station, WIP (owned by CBS), has played the Vick thing to the max. They say 'it is the number one story in town' and maybe the world. The newspapers have a field day. Advertising revenue goes up, people buy more papers. And of course gambling revenue will increase, Las Vegas will make money. Please remember the NFL and Las Vegas are like 'Siamese Twins'. They are 'hand-in-glove' The Eagles White fans have generally been outraged. This foundation of their fan base is mostly suburban and corporate, and of course to maintain political correctness, how could one support an athlete who killed 'man's best friend' in a brutal and careless manner? But of course they are all Idol worshippers and will never put their money where their mouth is by giving up their season tickets. In fact, they will be buying their children Michael Vick jerseys in a month or so. These are the same White hypocrites who turned a blind eye to our destruction of Iraq and dope control operation in Afghanistan. You can slaughter people, especially when they are 'Muslim terrorists' with impunity, but kill a dog, and you go to hell. This is the state of White America today. The Blacks take a more realistic attitute, because their reality is often a bit more harsh. Most African-Americans I talk to figure that, well, Vick did fuck up, but he did his time, so let him have a job. A man's got to eat, right?The fact that Vick is Black, a 'target of persecution' and an exciting athlete just simplifies things. Lurie and Banner certainly though all this out, strategically, and now they again play us like a fiddle. AmeriKans are addicted to spectacles, like the ancient Romans, and most 'civilizations' for that matter, and 'moral misgivings' will give way to the 'just win baby' attitude and the love of the spectacle. Believe me, the Eagles get a nice cut as regards to merchandising fees for all those Michael Vick jerseys that will be sold. And all the controversy: well, controversy makes money for everyone involved. As far as Vick himself, he will say anything so that he can get paid. Simple as that. But, in fairness, he did 'do his time' so he should have the right to make a living from his skill. How well he will do depends on his attitude, conditioning and how the coaching staff uses him. Now, on dogfighting. In the US and Mexico, dog fighting is brutal and results in the death of dogs, either during the fight, by more often by the owners and handlers, who shoot, drown or eliminate them like dead meat. These practices occur due to the increasingly pagan nature of North AmeriKan kulture. Young males who grow up doing their killing 'virtually' through video games are highly suceptible to this mindset. Also, the brutal 'sub-mentality' of ghetto kulture, where human life is cheap makes this type of 'sport' acceptable. Although most Americans are under the impression that dog fighting is strictly a 'black thang', fighting 'pups' has always been popular among the American 'redneck' class, especially in the South. Many Chicanos love it too. In other cultures it is a little different. In Russia, dog fighting is very popular, and a great variety of dogs are used for fighting. From the videos, and websites I have seen, the practice is nowhere near as brutal there: If a dog is injured in a match, the owner withdraws the dog, and does not kill him or torture him. It could be different if 'mafia' organizations are involved, and if large numbers of dogs are bred for fighting purposes. In Japan, dog fighting takes on an almost 'samurai' quality. There is a special Japanese dog, white furred and quite large, that is used exclusively for fighting. The dog fights take place in a space that resembles a boxing wring more than the 'pits' that are use in AmeriKa. There is a referee, and if one dog sustains even a slight injury, the match is ended, with the other dog declared the winner. It is highly regulated, and there are trophies and the like given out for the best dogs and their owners. There is no brutality at all. So, we must keep all this in some perspective. While brutality to an innocent animal is horrible, let us not put an animal life above a human life because of some 'guilt' or hysteria. In the specific case of Vick, he should be given a second chance. In the case of Lurie/Banner and the Eagles, they are slick, and made an almost Obama style move, simultaneously generating publicity, 'giving a man a second chance' (compassion), showing 'sensitivity' by 'consulting' animal rights groups, and increasing revenues by aquiring the NFL's most 'notorious' and 'exciting' offender. Like I said, they play us like a fiddle, the sound of the violin soars... Idol Worship 07/29/2009
    Idol Worship The Ten Commandments are not very popular in The USA currently. In fact, among the general poplulation they don't exist. Corruption has reached a such a degree in our culture that any kind of morality has been displaced by what can be called 'relativism', i.e. 'Whatever you can get away with'. One of the most overlooked Commandments is Commandment Number Two: "You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I The Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love Me and keep My Commandments." This is the commandment against Idol worship. Now, taken to the extreme, some would interpret this as a condemnation against any kind of photograph or image. And for those who believe the only commandment is 'Do As Thou Wilt', this commandment/warning will have no meaning. But the Commandment is not given to violate a sense of logic or reason. Photographs, films, even 'imagery' such as X-rays or MRIs can not only provide enjoyment, but be helpful in helping to overcome certain disabilities or injuries. But this is not the meaning. The caution is against the worship of inanimate objects, or representations of human beings or, indeed the worship of anything that is the creation of human magination, elevating these things above the living God. It is a caution against the worship of what is dead. We know that even as Moses was descending from Mt.Sinai, the Israelites had already built an idol they were bowing down to, and were engaging in an orgy of revelry in worship of this 'god'. Moses was so disgusted by this behavior, he smashed the tablets in frustration and anger, being confronted with this human desire to worship that which is dead. Whether one views the Biblical story as an allegory or as an historical fact, the truth of the event remains. Humans fall prey to their own vain imaginations, and seek to elevate their fancies to the highest level. Today, in the 21st Century, nothing has fundamentally changed with the great masses. The Idol Worship has merely morphed into a more intricate pattern, fueled by the world wide reach of technologies. We, of course have heard the terms 'matinee idols' or 'movie idols/stars' for many years, with the advent of film, Hollywood, television and advertising. The thread of moden and popular musics has brought us 'rock satrs' and 'pop idols'. Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with a love or appreciation of film, music, theatre, painting or any kind of art form, as these forms are a natural outgrowth of man's creativw spirit. As God created us in His likeness, so man has the ability to create artifacts and objects of beauty. The problem comes when we begin to worship the creation, and fail to recognize that all is the gift of the ultimate Creator, working through us. The advent of modern technologies, however, has led man into the abyss of his own worse tendencies. Mechanism such as the Internet, video and especially the visually oriented mediums contain a certain amount of what can be considered 'magic'. We fall under the sorcerer's spell, and we begin to worship a mechanism. God is a Person, not a mechanism; any worship of mechanisms is a worship of the dead. We now have the specter of 'virtual reality' i.e a worship of images that look real and can be manipulated, as a substitute for 'actual life'. Again, this is a sorcere's spell and the worship of what is dead. The result os such immersion in 'virtual reality' is a deadining of the human spirit. We have soldiers using 'virtual technology' to carry out mass murder, murder that is detached and imperson, just a 'video game'. We have children watching and playing video games that allow the manipulation of 'human looking' figures instead of learning socialization skills by real human contacts. We have parents who find it 'easier' to occupy their children's time with these technological tools, instead of spending actual time teaching their children. This is a further result of Idol Worship, in the form of the worship of money and 'things', consumerism, which again is a worship of something that is dead. The 'worshipping' of human beings because of their looks, power or charisma is as old as the human race itself, but with the spread of the new technologies, this form of spell casting is multiplied exponentially and becomes a force of mind control. The recent Michael Jackson death and the events after it, with many glorifying him as a 'god' is a good example. Some might object to this term, but the evidence is certainly all around us. There is an 'American Idol' television show. We watch the omnipresent cell phone user, who is so wrapped up in this tiny toy that makes sounds and noises that they detach themselves from any kind of 'actual reality'. Have you ever almost been hit by a car whose driver was yapping on the cell phone to the point where they forgot where they were? Even worse, the cell phone can now produce images, often time so small that the user can be seen straining their eyes just to see these tiny pictures that appear like magic. While these phones and the Internet itself can be used as wonderful tools for communication, they are also 'hypnotizers'. In conclusion, we see that this Second Commandment, one that is often overlooked, is actually a serious warning against something that is very real. Whether we worship gods made of gold, paper or silicon and electronics, we worship something that is dead. And, if we believe that God created us in His own image, we can understand His jealousy. Do we not get jealous when we are rejected for 'the latest thing' in some cases a person, or when we are pushed to the side for motives of material gain?. Yes we do. He does also. But His anger is quite beyond the scope of our understanding, and when we provoke Him, we are entering a very dangerous 'no man's land'. Whether it be the worship of money or the fascination with the 'spider's web' like powers of 'virtual reality', we are playing with forces that pose spiritual dangers. Better for us to turn back to the One who gives Life, than to glorify what is dead. Wisdom is found in finding a balance. Peace to you all. An Inquiring Boy Talks to God 07/12/2009
 An inquiring boy was talking with God one day... | AuthorFrank Dialogue is a musician/composer and 'skilled labourer'...he is also a student of history, having observed the many changes & 'events' that have taken place in America since the late 1960s.  ArchivesNovember 2009 CategoriesAll  |
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