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Democratic citizens have obligations, not just rights

dismantle corporate powerI don’t know why this important US Department of State document is housed on a Taiwanese website. but I like how it lays out the Citizen Responsibilities in a Democracy. Some of the juicier exerpts are:

Citizenship in a democracy requires participation, civility, and even patience.

Democratic citizens recognize that they not only have rights, they have responsibilities. They recognize that democracy requires an investment of time and hard work — a government of the people demands constant vigilance and support by the people. read more

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I’m going to miss Jon Stewart but Noah is looking pretty good

I know you’re going to miss this face as much as I am.Jon Stewart

But after watching this clip I’m looking forward to more of Trevor Noah‘s commentary on The Today Show. Not only does Noah come out of South Africa, the land where everyone rides lions and wears leopard skin suits. But he’s got a cool, straight man presence, very subtle and titillating. And Noah’s biracial – a heritage that was impossible during the days of apartheid, not so very long ago. So this should be a fun adventure. read more

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NJ Court rules insurance co must pay PSEG for Sandy’s damage

downed wires on highway - sandyNew Jersey property insurance holders were fortunate that Superstorm Sandy was downgraded by the National Weather Service to the classification of a post-tropical tornado shortly before it made landfall. Had Sandy been classified as a more severe weather event, insurance companies might have been relieved of much of their obligation to pay on the damage claims that were filed. Courts have made it clear to insurers that they must pay those claims.

But, it has taken until now for the question of whether PSEG’s insurance company must pay for the $500 million damages the energy utility incurred as a result of the storm. The insurer wanted to cap payout at $100 million but on March 23 legal judgement was emphatically entered in favor of the utility: read more

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Politico’s attempt to make fun of Baraka is an utter #fail

Ras BarakaMatt Bonamo tried pretty hard to discredit Ras Baraka in his March 19 Politico Magazine article. He failed, because Ras is good at being good – but not for lack of trying.

Ras with finger alongside noseFirst, look at the photo Mark chose as his lead: why is Baraka’s face contorted, and his finger laid alongside his nose? Only one logical answer: the photo is meant to be demeaning. In the article’s wrap-up, Bonamo quotes Ras using syntactically regional language. Again, why? Why list every one of Booker’s impressive educational credentials and then contrast that with a quote showing Baraka being loose with his grammar? Again, the reason is clear: Bonamo obviously meant to discredit Mayor Baraka. read more

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Newark students – heroes in spite of being deprived of books and food

Support Newark studentsThe Student Heroes of Newark is a phrase coined by Daniel Katz in a Huffington Post article on how Newark, New Jersey students are handling the challenges of being starved by the Christie Administration and Cami Anderson, Newark Schools superintendent for classroom books and even food.

One student explains that there may be four textbooks in a classroom of over 30 children. Another, that there isn’t enough food in the cafeteria for both lunch and breakfast: if the staff serve one meal, they run out of food for the other. Take a look for yourself at this 3 minute video – these young people are powerful advocates and know how to tell their story. read more

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Irish dancing flash mob

Irish folk dancingI love these expressions of pure joy! 40-youth flash mob takes over the Lakeside Shopping Center in Essex and what they do is spellbinding.

Thanks for the share, Judy!

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Blogger Bob Braun rips testing giant Pearson’s privacy invasion practices wide open

Creepy Parson spying on meWith amplification from Diane Ravitch (where you can also read the text of Bob’s original post if his website is still inaccessible), Washington Post, Daily Kos, a growing number of local news portals and now The War Report radio show, Bob Braun has busted wide open the practice of standardized testing giant Pearson Education to spy on and oppress students using Pearson Streamlines Social Media Listening and Monitoring With Tracx. It’s more than shocking.

Bob Braun’s Ledger reported the exclusive story that Pearson is monitoring students’ social media accounts during PARCC testing … and that both Pearson and the NJDOE called for the punishment of a student who had tweeted after taking the test, although school authorities knew – and had reported – that the student did not share any sensitive information. This Watchung Regional High School District Superintendent’s letter was leaked to Braun and started the snowball rolling.

Superintendent Jewett's letter about Pearson

What incensed Diane Ravitch and motivated her to immediately publicize Braun’s March 13 scoop was the Denial of Service (DOS) attack that was launched to disable Braun’s blog while server administrators scrambled to engage protocols to shut the attack down and make the site accessible again. How do we know that the problem was a DOS attack and not simply a lot of interest in reading Braun’s post? Because Braun’s web host contacted him and said so. Braun explains:

Bob Braun’s Ledger is back up but is still very slow. It’s probably easier to get to it through something other than Facebook. Initially, I thought–vainly– the site was acting up because of the number of people reading it. Then I got an email from my webhost saying the site was under a “denial of service” attack.

The webhost itself then suspended the site to stop the attacks and to give it time to repair the problem and install fixes to prevent future attacks. It seems to have come back up–for now–but clearly someone wanted it down. I’m flattered. And I am so grateful to all of those I know and do not know who sent messages of support and got around the siege by posting PDFs of the original blog. Ironically, I have not been a vocal anti-PARCC or anti-Common Core voice. But the idea that a global corporation and a state agency would cooperate to entrap children in their schemes chills me to my very old bones. What makes it worse is the indifference of the mainstream media and, of course, the thuggery represented by trying to destroy what was a very straight news story. I know distinctly what side I’m on now. Stop the corporate spies and their collaboration with government. Refuse the test. I do not believe in conspiracy theories but I do believe in conspiracies and this is one helluva big one.

Discontent with Pearson is growing and hard questions are increasingly being directed at state governments that support and fund them. On 04 March 2015, Eric Kiefer of the Patch reported a protest by

…a coalition of education, labor and community advocates (protested) the $83 million tax break the corporate giant received from the NJ Economic Development Authority (NJ EDA) for moving 628 employees from Bergen County to Hudson County.

NJ Working Families points out that those $83M dollars were spent for nothing, as after the move Pearson took 600 jobs to New York City.

This afternoon at 5pm EST on Sun 15 March 2015, you can catch Braun on air with Dr. James Miller of the War Report discussing the dawning revelation of Pearson as the Orwellian Big Brother in American public education.

What can we do to fight back?

  • Tweet with the hashtag #PeepingPearson
  • Contact Pearson directly; and State and Federal Departments of Education – because (as Daily Kos points out) this is being done WITH THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND APPROVAL
  • Contact local news outlets
  • Talk about it!
  • Share the reports

    • read more

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    Yale sponsors 1st African Arts & Culture Festival

    Africa Salon at Yale
    Africa Salon, Yale’s first annual contemporary African arts and culture festival — featuring some of today’s top artists from the continent and diaspora — will take place on Friday and Saturday, March 27 and 28.

    Hosted by the Yale Africa Initiative, the interactive event will include a series of panels, readings, exhibits, and performances.

    The event will open on Friday evening with a panel moderated by Michael Veal, professor of music and African American studies. Saturday’s events will include a series of panels — each accompanied by a performance or visual presentation — highlighting key artists and their work in contemporary African literature, visual art, film, music, fashion, and dance. At each panel, faculty and students who are producing artistic work on Africa will be featured.

    A free-to-the-public concert will held at Battel Chapel, located at 400 College Street, New Haven. Other events take place at the Afro-American Cultural Center, 211 Park St. Registration is $20 for the public and $10 for students.

    View the full schedule and register for Africa Salon at africasalon.org. More information about the festival at YaleNews.

    Thanks for the share Kevin Blythe Sampson

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    Uptown Funk is good! – in both original & viola flavors

    Uptown Funk!Uptown Funk song & video are just plain good. And Brother Jeremy Green does it up nice on viola too. Here’s the original by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars.

    But for now to see Jeremy Green’s version on viola, you need to visit I Love Being Black’s Facebook Page:
    (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_GB/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));Post by I Love Being Black.

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    New federal sign regulations drive change on the Garden State Parkway

    exit shuffle at GSP woodbridge
    On the GSP, New Exit 41 opens in Atlantic City area today to provide direct access to Jimmie Leeds Road. Until now, Motorists have accessed the road by driving through the AC service area.

    And in a few days, Woodbridge area drivers in the low 130s will get a bit of an exit shuffle on either side of the highway. NJ.com’s @LarryHiggs explains:

    What’s changing? On the northbound parkway, Exit 131 will become Exit 132, Feeney said. On the southbound parkway, Exit 131 will become Exit 132 and Exit 131A will become Exit 131, Feeney said.

    Southbound drivers also will have to get used to a new sign and a new sign color. The destination on the overhead sign for the new Exit 131 will change from “Metropark” to “Wood Avenue South.” The sign color will change from blue to the tradition exit sign green, he said. read more

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    Footballer Striker has harsh words for SAE Frat

    SAE Frat gets closedU of Oklahama footballer Striker posted a furious Snapchat rebuttal to SAE fraternity’s racist chant.

    Politics USA posted this transcript:

    “You’re the same mother f*ckers telling us racism don’t exist… f*ck you phony-ass, fraud-ass b*tches. I’m so mother f*cking fierce right now, SAE you’ve f*cked it up for all white fraternities. The same mother f*ckers sitting out here giving us hugs … telling us you really love us. F*ck you!”