WHITE FOLKS LOVE THEIR WEED

There is this new urban MYTH that legalizing marijuana is a good thing for Black Males in regards to their incarceration under the War on Drugs in the US. WAKE-UP PEOPLE ... all this does is move the product into Corporate hands with Government collecting taxes. Marijuana belongs to the STATE. Anyone not in those circles possessing, growing, exchanging, investing, gene splicing, marketing, advertising, scheming and hustling weed will still be incarcerated just like the selling of cigarettes and alcohol.

The Government just needed time to create an official business plan that can be applied State-by-State and enough people dependent upon the product to push it through. Marijuana can be grown in the home as simply as a common Chia Pet product. Like bottled-water .... its all just a Game. Arresting people for weed had become a plan that had exhausted its merit points. The argument that it is for medical reason was not only the keep reason for making marijuana legal but "is" the ultimate smoke screen and not the real reason. When pushed to answer the question, "Are there alternatives to marijuana?" the answer was always, "YES, but ...". Using recreational smokers to push the agenda, the medical industry used it to gain legal access to cornering the market for profit and will flip-the-script to either exclude recreational smokers or become the sole dealers of the product. Already recreational smokers are going to the marijuana centers and being turned away because they don't have a "prescription".

CONDOLENCES FOR WHITNEY HOUSTON

Whitney Houston, who died on February 11, 2012 at the tender age of 48, has sold more than 170 million albums, singles and videos worldwide. She also won 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, and 22 American Music Awards add to this list BET Awards, Soul Train Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Essence Awards and People Choice Awards and you have one of the most recognized artist in America. Guinness World Records  lists Whitney Houston as "the most awarded female artist of all time," with a "total of 425 career awards as of 2010." An impressive music career, one which people would sell their soul to have a small portion of that kind of recognition. A talent recognized all over the world. A mother, a daughter, a sister, a commercial icon. She was all things commercial, perfection in her image but in the end Whitney Houston was mortal, fallible, flawed and known to be a bit of an uber- Diva. Truth of the matter is, she was a Newark, New Jersey Hood-Rat ..... and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. This part of her life is the REAL story we need to see and talk about because the fabricated Clive Davis version, in the end, creates and makes Whitney Houston a tragic character, the Diva who fell from "commercial grace", the artist who couldn't keep it together, the woman who was bright in the light and dark in the privacy of her home the thing of tabloid falter. Disconnected from her roots in image but straight up hardcore in urban attitude and spirit, Whitney Houston carried the burden to be most unlike herself  to the World than being what I call real. They sold a fabricated STANDARD when she existed at a "standard" from the beginning. Although her voice was never a debate, this short haired, nappy-headed, under-weight, runway model wannabe with an occasional PK (Preacher Kid) vs Street Kid complex was always just under the surface of the woman who would be one of the most copied female icons globally. But that don't sell units or at least not back in the days of the 80's. Bottom line, Whitney Houston's death only perpetuate the reality of the modern artist. Extension through dollars and a manipulated sense to connect with an image created by an industry that respects the individual's right to self-implode. Whitney Houston represented, like many other artist, the typical trajectory of modern fame; See, Want, Take, Have and then Loose. Move on.

I am waiting for the millions of condolences to roll through and they will be well deserved but the Realist wants to know one single thing. How? How did Whitney Houston die? That fact will punctuate the true legacy of the icon. We know she struggled with addiction, and emotional issues, stress and weight issues which plays havoc on heart health, fowl play (which is unlikely but the Illuminati conspirators will have a field day with the idea), this is what we wait for and hope for the best that her passing is a natural death. Our recent experience of Michael Jackson's murder under the influence of drug addiction, Amy Winehouse with her drug and alcohol addiction, Don Cornelius' suicide, who wants to hear that their idol died because they were weak in spirit? I know what my expectations are. I pray that I am wrong.

Freely we throw spiritual blessings and good journey to Whitney Houston's raised soul. We want to hope that it ascends to Heaven in the loving arms and blissful hands of her Lord and Savior. Personally, I am a bit ambivalent since from personal experience, the Diva, at her height, had spread far and wide her personal brand of praise upon the "Little People" (her words not mine). Although within her tight circles she may have been nice and gentle, there are quite a few disgruntle fans that are existing in a current state of, "Oh well-itis." Those in the know, from the streets of Newark to the boulevards of Beverly Hills know that life with Whitney always came with a touch of ugly and depending on what side of the touch, you either stayed and took it or you had to go and leave her be. The time spent with Bobby Brown only added to the circus that was called the "Whitney and Bobby Show" and we still watched hoping that something would give and the authenticity of her character would surface for the public to connect with. The part that was Hood Real, the personality that the common person, the Little People could relate to, the physical presence where her own person would connect to People, speaking freely without being edited or chased by paparazzi. We got a little bit with Wendy Williams jabbing at her "truth" but it wasn't enough. We never were exposed to the real Whitney, never revealed the packaged wholesome bread and butter of Good, Bad and Ugly. Basically, we never knew Whitney Houston's story, only that which was meticulously controlled, pre-written or re-written.

We were all blessed to have witnessed the natural talent that was Whitney Houston. She loved sharing her gift with the World. The interesting thing about talent shared, is that it is often no different than a simple conversation. There is that "investment" of the listener, that story, the message you begin to tell to enter the psyche of others, the something that can be connected to, the emotion, the emoting, the resolve that we share the same experience. That is the challenge and essence of "talent". If people can't connect with it, the response will be clear; often immediate. Even so much as to faking acceptance until you can move it along for the next story more interesting. We call this "choice". You choose to connect and ultimately share back either in gratitude, applaud, inspiration or equal talent and or conversation in return.The sharing can come from many perspectives, many levels but in the end, the "outcome" is positive because you are invested in the relationship; which is the core of our humanity and the return on our investment. I say all of this to say, or even ask, one thing, "Did we really have that conversation with Whitney Houston?"

Whitney Houston's talent was her connection but it was never her complete or true story? There was always a question about how much of her music was the story of Whitney Houston's life, the "real" Whitney and how much of it was tailored "imagery". For years I watched her development from the girl from the Hood to Diva. Barbie Doll. The hair, the makeup, the dresses and jewelery, it all fit, it was all appropriate for the image but knowing the story NOW and the music THEN, can we really extrapolate from the many songs, some small essence of the woman? Artist like Michael Jackson, Minnie Riperton, Etta James, Phyllis Hyman, Amy Winehouse, James Brown, Rick James, Billie Holiday, Teena Marie all infused their lives into their music. There was no separation. More so for recently passed Michael Jackson, his life an open book for the extreme range of emotions a human being can experience or endure spiritually and social consciously. We knew his pain and his joy from innocence to adulthood because he detailed it like a blind man expressing sound with soul; the essence of R&B. So in his passing, the loss was deep, soulfully lost. The World knew the totality of the loss because we lived Michael and he the people in return. When you listen to any one of the aforementioned artists, at any point of your life, at any point of their life, you related, you emoted, you knew them from pure and shared experience. With Whitney Houston, the connection is external in relationship. The connection between "her" story and "her" music is only surface. Yes her music pulled from the emotion, even inspired to lift oneself up and have courage to live your life with purpose, but was that the Whitney's story or a fraction of the whole? The World around her was everything but internal sharing, unless you knew her personally and or intimately. 

In conversation regarding uber-hyped entertainers and musicians like Whitney Houston, I often ask, how can you say you "love" someone if you didn't know them? It's meant as a , "snap out of it" moment. Her music was great but the constant reminder that her music and person weren't one and the same was hard for people to accept. Still can't. Her music wasn't self created, or self-inspired or self produced. There were others, many "others" in the planning and the Mega machine that is part of the music industry that created the icon known as The Diva; Whitney Houston for 30 years made sure that that image was unshakeable. So unshakeable that in her death, they stand to profit more from the death of the icon than she would have alive. How's that for legacy? This, for me, is where the deviation from artist and person came into play. The simplicity of her character was made complex only because much of what we knew about Whitney, her connection to her church (New Hope Baptist), the fact that she loved HipHop and Rap, the party girl, wearing a good pair of jeans, gossiping and being Church folk-like, etc., we never really saw, The True Whitney Houston. She was a product of Newark, New Jersey and not the  Land of Make Believe. So much of THIS artistry never surfaced and again I ask, how much was this by choice? How much was perpetually her internal/external struggle? There is nothing wrong with being regal, grand or royal but there isn't anything wrong with being common, plain and or "real". People would like to comment, postmortem, how her addiction was a major factor of Whitney Houston's demise or the circles and choices she made, but I believe the catalyst of being un-Whitney had more to do with her conflict of character/image. Take away the existence of "self" and you have no choice but to exist as "other". Thus my lack of shock when she married Bobby Brown. Who else can you be with except someone who is most like "you", to fill the void removed or re-build the "diminished you". I mean just how do you live a double identity on a global stage and keep your sanity being the music industry's Black Barbie doll or the musical voice of the "Post-Civil Rights Movement? Standing on a train platform during rush hour daily is a struggle enough for most so imagine being just that for 30 plus years without pause. How do you live a life of royalty when you know deep down you want to throw back a rum and coke with a side order of sticky-finger ribs, mac and cheese, fried chicken and potato salad. 

I caught an episode on the reality show, Being Bobby Brown where Whitney Houston had gone through one of her "self fulfilling" tirades where she yelled at a group of common people, "Do you know who I am?" Truth of the matter was, they knew who Whitney Houston was but not THAT woman. She wasn't the Whitney Houston created by the World to know but the Hood Rat that was "real" and it wasn't as bad as Reality TV made it out to be. I actually like it. Not so much the ignorance factor but the "real" factor of a woman who could get angry, who could yell, scream, throw things and needing a cigarette and a drink to calm down afterwards. There was no shock and awe at all. Whitney Houston was a human being with personality with a unique perspective, character and opinions. All this, we never heard from the Diva by design. Newark locals knew but the World was absent from the introduction on day one. As those who "thought" they knew Houston's stage media persona with their fantasy connections to the singer, they say that she always knew where she came from but did the World REALLY want to see that? Did they really want to see, hear or even know The Hood Girl from Newark, New Jersey with the voice of an angle and an attitude of Mike Tyson? I doubt that image could sell, "Saving All My Love for You".

Although times have changed in the industry where artist of a particular vain, can and will break out and just "be" themselves (i.e. Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey) and others that took control of their images from the beginning (Madonna, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj). With that change was also a change in music, style, message and in some cases their audience. Early in Whitney's career the fans and critics questioned if she could make that transition. They questioned why Whitney wasn't crossing over into what they all knew were her roots. There seemed to be an absence of Gospel, R&B even a scant degree of HipHop, Jazz and Soul. Her music was inspirationally "safe". As commercially neat and clean as you can get without being "corny" we all knew Whitney was far from CORNY, she was cool people as a regular Hood girl. She was fun as well as deep. This we never got. So when the dark side (which really wasn't dark, just edited) became public, one would hope that a transition of image and clarity, artistic truth and conviction would dominate her comeback. Unfortunately as she began to re-build her career, the machine that is Clive Davis gave us more of the same. I was sadden and even more so, disappointed. 

As the media industry try to find blame and fault to a life that left the World "too soon" highlighting talking points like Bobby Brown, Robin Crawford, her hometown; Newark, New Jersey, the music industry and Clive Davis, her Faith in Christ or the lack thereof when the truth of the matter is, it was all of those things and none of them at the same time. No matter what the catalyst was, be it fate, cosmic design, karma or the act of God, this was who, what, how and why Whitney Houston was to "be", a reality not "too short" or "too long". Thus ends this lesson of life.

Did we love Whitney Houston as an artist? Yes. Do we feel sad for the loss of another icon? Most definitely. Did we know Whitney Houston? Not really. We knew her commercially, we even knew some of her demons but in the end, we never connected to the real artist through her story, no more and no less than we connect with a random person sharing the train seat next to you. The experience is only as personal as the ride to the last stop.

DRINKING SECOND HAND DRUGS

Two weeks ago I was talking about Honey Bees. A week before that I was avoiding getting into yet ANOTHER Beef Recall debate in the United States. Last year I asked people in my community where the CHICKEN from KFC, Church’s Chicken, Wendy’s, McDonalds and Popeye’s came from and if it was part of the poultry that missed the chicken viral check that affected millions of Americans? As my part of informing people that you are what you eat, I stressed the importance of drinking water to flush our bodies daily. Knowing that tap water was suspect and bottle water that much more, I am not too surprised that AMERICAN’S WATER is polluted. What I wasn’t ready for is the over polluting of bio-chemical and pharmaceuticals and how no one was pro-active enough or even cared to TEST for it.

Knowing that when we pass on, our bodies go back to the EARTH, as it should, I know that recently reported in National Geographic, our bodies hold hundreds of toxins collected in our everyday lives. From the dozens of chemicals in body soap, the chemicals in our clothing, the cooking pans that we use, the plastics and coloring holding our food fresh, the artificial and bio-generated ingredients within our food, the exhausts from cars, buses, planes, and the list can go on. With the announcement of pharmaceuticals in our drinking water; tap and bottled, the theme, “THE POISONING AMERICA” even more real.

Just in April of 2006 we had a public report of Benzene in Soft Drinks and how the EPA’s response was simply that the amounts within were acceptable. According to the properties of Benzene and its long-term affects, we find that this chemical in soft drinks is “an organic chemical compound that is a colorless and flammable liquid. The US Department of Health and Human Services classifies benzene as a human carcinogen. Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene in the air can cause leukemia. It can also damage the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and depress the immune system.”

Also, the EPA’s public response was the following:

Benzene in our drinking water should not exceed 5 parts per billion.

If the levels of benzene exceed 5 ppb, the applicable water company has to notify the public via newspapers, radio, TV and other means. Additional actions, such as providing alternative drinking water supplies, may be required to prevent serious risks to public health.

To Add:

In 1990, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) learned that certain soft drinks marketed to children contain two ingredients that can mix in the soda to form the toxic carcinogen benzene. The Agency didn't tell the public, but instead merely asked companies to voluntarily change their formulas to eliminate the problem.

So this much we know so far. Fast-forward to today and the Breaking News, more chemicals in the water system to add with the Benzene we just got kicked in the head with. These new additives in our tap water are pharmaceutical residue from medicines and medicine cabinets with body aches, infections, anti-biotics, mood stabilizers, seizures, high blood pressure; hormones for menopause; the active ingredient in a popular sedative, depression and caffeine flowing freely. The problem is, it isn’t medical facilities and chemical processing plants doing the dumping, it would seem we are dropping the muck into the sewage systems that we purge from our systems. The most common drugs we are excreting are:

1. Caffeine - considered the most commonly used psychoactive drug in the world
2. Carbamazepine - used to treat seizures and nerve pain such as trigeminal neuralgia
3. Codeine - relief of moderate pain, cough suppression, sedation, respiratory depression
4. Cotinine - metabolite (byproduct) of nicotine
5. Dehydronifedipine – residual byproducts and their metabolites in the body found in (such as plasma, serum or urine)
6. Diphenhydramine - an antihistamine, relieves red, irritated, itchy, watery eyes; sneezing; and runny nose caused by hay fever, allergies, and the common cold
7. Sulfathiazole - used to be a common oral and topical antimicrobial also as an effective and safe treatment for many bacterial, fungal and protozoan infestations in the aquarium
8. Amoxicilin - used to treat infections caused by bacteria, ear infections, bladder infections
9. Azithromycin - used to treat certain infections caused by bacteria, such as bronchitis; pneumonia; sexually transmitted diseases (STD)
10. Diclofenac - used for the treatment of inflammation and pain caused by arthritis
11. Prednisone - used to treat allergic disorders, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis and arthritis
12. Tetracycline - used for infections including respiratory tract infections due to Hemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, or Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
13. Acetaminophen – Tylenol; a drug used to relieve pain and reduce fever.
14. Meprobamate - used in the treatment of anxiety
15. Sulfamethoxazole - used for the treatment of malaria, conjunctivitis, toxoplasmosis and urinary tract infections
16. Phenytoin - an anticonvulsant drug which can be useful in the treatment of epilepsy
17. Ibuprofen - (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin, Medipren) a drug used for the management of mild to moderate pain, fever, and inflammation
18. Estradiol - a drug prescribed for the treatment of symptoms associated with menopause
19. Monensin - The Food and Drug Administration approved drug for increased milk production in dairy cows
20. Naproxen - (Aleve, Naprosyn, Anaprox, Naprelan) a drug used for the management of mild to moderate pain, fever, and inflammation

People, these are the most common of the drugs found across America. In the State of Pennsylvania, the total count, SO FAR, is 56 different drugs within drinking water and household taps. To build upon this reality, the same water that we think we avoid because of this, is found in our store bought BOTTLED WATER. Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, you can’t avoid drinking SECOND HAND DRUGS even if you purchase it at the local supermarket. So what do you do?

This is the SPIN:

“As in other cities, human health risks from trace pharmaceuticals are uncertain, since concentrations in New York source waters are way below medical doses and undergo dilution as they mix with fresh water en route to the city”

Now that might sound like the politically correct thing to say BUT didn’t Heath Ledger just die from a combination of drug? I mean the interaction of drugs in his system did contribute to his Overdose/Death. So what would a long drown out, low-level build of these drugs do to our body functions in combination? Low levels of cyanide or lead will still kill just as a full does would; its all a principle of time.

There are too many questions to ask and far too many people to point to for answers and blame. This goes far beyond the actions of demanding CLEANER WATER STANDARD. It goes beyond politics and accountability. This goes beyond becoming more knowledgeable and conscious of what we put in out bodies. Although you can put a spiritual SPIN on this by infusing it into a Newer, more modern 10 Commandments for a People, the truth and causality still isn't clear as to where the problem of over-abundance of medical toxins lies. The truth is, these contaminates are the residuals of a Drug Addicted Nation, a sickly nation tied to those medicines manufactured in labs, the FDA and the lack of SERIOUS oversight from the EPA. We can also blame out perpetual ignorance to exercise our Common Sense on things that matter about our health and environment.

Our dependency on the Government (ERA and FDA) dictating to a sleeping country what is the “required minimum” of requirements and what is safe thus quelling our nervousness about that we put into our bodies or should know. How can people who work out, eat right, get plenty of sleep and declare they are healthy when daily he or she is consuming 56 or more residual drugs over the years? Add that to whatever toxins already within the air and the skin’s contact with the physical world and you still wonder why or how a person can get cancers or unique ailments that would normally be reserved for an elderly person or someone living in a Third World Country?

So let me leave you with this bit of information, since we know that America’s Tap Water is tainted as much as our Bottled Water that comes from many of our Tap Water Sources, there are other water sources that can be looked upon as alternatives. Just to also drop KNOWLEDGE, some of these sources can be just as tainted, if they are close areas near civilization, dumping, high altitude pollutions, and under group seepage. So before you decide to jump ship and swear off water for LIFE, you need to know what other water sources are out there for an informed decision and better health.

Types of waters

Bottled water is regulated as a food product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Bottled water companies must adhere to the FDA's Quality Standards, Standards of Identity (Labeling Regulations) and Good Manufacturing Practices and requires beverage companies to label their waters to define where the water came from and if it's been purified or carbonated. Bottled water can be classified with terms such as “purified,” “spring,” “sterile” and “artesian” (or “artesian well” water). All bottled water sold in the United States (whether imported or domestic) must meet all of the same regulations. Here are the classifications:

Artesian water

Artesian well, Bottled water from a well that taps a confined aquifer (a water-bearing underground layer of rock or sand) in which the water level stands at some height above the top of the aquifer.

Drinking water

Drinking water is another name for bottled water. Accordingly, drinking water is water that is sold for human consumption in sanitary containers and contains no added sweeteners or chemical additives (other than flavors, extracts or essences). It must be calorie-free and sugar-free. Flavors, extracts or essences (such as lemon-lime) may be added to drinking water, but they must comprise less than one-percent-by-weight of the final product or the product will be considered a soft drink. Drinking water may be sodium-free or contain very low amounts of sodium.

Purified water

Water that has been produced by distillation, de-ionization, reverse osmosis or other suitable processes and that meets the definition of purified water in the United States Pharmacopoeia (pharmacological code) may be labeled as purified bottled water. Other suitable product names for bottled water treated by one of the above processes may include "distilled water" if it is produced by distillation, "de-ionized water" if the water is produced by de-ionization, or "reverse osmosis water" if the process used is reverse osmosis. Alternatively "_____________ drinking water" can be used with the blank being filled in with one of the terms defined in this paragraph (e.g. "purified drinking water" or "distilled drinking water"). These waters are taken primarily from metropolitan water sources, run through mammoth commercial filters, and purified with chlorine, detritus, and other items inappropriate for drinking water. You may have seen vending machines outside of your supermarket that allows you to fill your own bottle for 25 or 50 cents; this is the water and process that is used and is from metropolitan sources or even the tap adjacent to the machine’s location. They are excellent to cook with when tap water quality is an issue.

Mineral water

Waters containing not less than 250 parts per million total dissolved solids may be labeled as mineral water. Mineral water is distinguished from other types of bottled water by its constant level and relative proportions of mineral and trace elements at the point of emergence from the source. No minerals can be added.

The naturally occurring minerals and trace elements in mineral waters are considered by many to be excellent for health and digestion. Typically, these include iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, silica, chromium, lithium, and copper. While these are healthful, the value of mineral waters versus spring waters is still debated. Available from both domestic and international sources, the prices vary tremendously based on packaging and location.

Spring water

These are waters derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth. Spring water must be collected only at the spring or through a borehole tapping the underground formation finding the spring. Spring water collected with the use of an external force (in other words, a pump) must be from the same underground stratum as the spring and must have all the physical properties, before treatment, and be of the same composition and quality as the water that flows naturally to the surface of the earth. Available from both domestic and international sources, spring waters are ideal for everyday drinking as well as to make coffee, tea, or foods in which the quality of the water is a critical ingredient. Prices vary considerably based both on geographic location and packaging.

Sparkling water

Water, which after treatment and possible replacement with carbon dioxide, contains the same amount of carbon dioxide that it had at emergence from the source. (An important note: soda water, seltzer water and tonic water are not considered bottled waters. They are regulated separately, may contain sugar and calories, and by law, are considered soft drinks.)

Carbonated water

The bubbles in these waters can help ease digestion, and are available from both domestic and international sources. Some have slight flavorings added such as citrus, but taste even better plain or with a slice of fresh lime or lemon. If burping is an issue, avoid them, but otherwise, they are excellent to drink after meals as a digestive. Some are heavy in sodium, so those with hypertension or sodium restrictions should drink them only occasionally.

Flavored waters

These may be compared to soda pop, but infinitely lighter in flavor and absolutely lighter in sugars and sweeteners. They give just a hint of flavors like citrus or berries, have either no or modest amounts of sweeteners from high fructose corn syrup to sugars or honey. They are likely not to be completely calorie-free, but are modest in carbohydrates and calories when consumed sparingly.

Waters with healthful additives These waters contain everything from additional minerals, vitamins, and other ingredients that make these more a health drink than “just water.” If this is the only way to get your spouse to drink water, great; otherwise, it’s a very expensive way to get your H2O; and in some cases the packaging and the labeling can be misleading. Remember that most Americans do not have vitamin deficiencies and buying waters to add vitamins to your diet might be little more than a waste of money.

Distilled water

These waters are mineral-free, so they’ re perfect for curling irons, clothes irons and steamers, humidifiers, and any appliance that requires water. By using distilled waters, you can avoid the mineral muck that often clogs up appliances. Some people view distilled waters as good to drink because it is so pure, but naturally occurring minerals in waters are actually good for you.

Tap water

Many municipal water supplies, such as New York City, boast water that is as tasty and pure as the most expensive bottled varieties. By law, municipal water supplies must supply its customers a chemical analysis of their water composition. If you haven’t received yours, contact your local water supply. (Many now post their analysis on their Web sites.)

Water filters

Consumers can filter their municipal water by attaching a commercial filter to the tap, using a pitcher with a carbon filter in it, or buying refrigerators with built-in filters that make both filtered ice and filtered water. These are very good, but be sure to change the filters as recommended.