Birds And Skyscrapers

These 2,000 birds didn't survive their migration through downtown Toronto last fall: Tall buildings stopped them cold. At night artificial light draws the birds; during daylight birds see reflections such as trees in windows and fly into them.
one remedy: "Turnoff the lights at night" says Michael Mesure, executive director of the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP), which collected these victims and counted nearly as many dead birds during the spring migration. More than a hundred skyscraper owners in the Toronto area have agreed to minimize their lights. - John L. Eliot

Carter G. Woodson On Leadership

It seems only a reasonable proposition, then, that, if under the present system which produced our leadership in religion, politics, and business we have gone backward toward serfdom or have at least been kept from advancing to real freedom, it is high time to develop a new sort of leadership with a different educational system. - Carter G. Woodson.

Post Materialism

Post-materialism (20th century) politics a theory of the eclipse of material values.
   In the second half of the 20th century, particularly amongst the young, the search for material utility which had underlain both capitalist and communist analyses was replaced by a priority to non-material values: quality of life, culture, the preservation of the environment. The theory has been used to explain the growth environmental or green politics. - Dictionary of Theories by Jennifer Bothamley

Questions For Neil deGrasse Tyson

What are Africa's contributions to science?

Is there a relationship between dark energy, dark matter, and melanin?

Why are adults so stupid when so much information is available?

If you had complete control of an educational institution, and could build it from the ground up, what would it be like?

Is it possible that ET's are living among us?

Does space dust from fallen meteors have an affect on us?

Are you tired of representing a community that is in shambles?

If I wanted to open a science lab in the inner city for urban children would you advise me?

Questions for President Obama

I want to congratulate you President for winning two terms and would like to ask you a some questions.

Would it have been easier to lower the age for medicare and adjust the poverty rate to 2014 dollars than to create Your healthcare plan?
Is it enough for you to be the known for being the first black president?
How do you feel when the children die in the streets of our cities?
Are you angry with black people for killing each other?
Are you afraid of being known as the Marijuana President?
Why do you think that black boys are so far behind?
When your commission on black boys comes back with a report will you implement solutions or just present the findings?

Using Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet has been remade many times directly and indirectly. We often see the lovers on opposite sides fighting to be with each other. Most of the social structures have not changed much in centuries. As a matter of fact we are in a social dark age. When I first read Romeo and Juliet I was in high school. This was during the crack era and I lived in Marcus Garvey Housing. I was able to relate to Romeo and Juliet because we had groups who would war with each other. In our case it was this housing complex versus that housing complex. Many of my neighbors and friends died during this time. A lot of babies were born addicted to drugs. Almost all of these babies grew up with mental blocks or continued to carry on the violence. Last weekend 24 people were shot in New York City, four of them died. Romeo and Juliet also told me what I was starting to suspect, that adults did not have a clue about how to run a free society where we could love who ever we wanted. Romeo and Juliet is one of William Shakespeare's easier plays, but it has a lot to teach  all of us.

More School Means Nothing

Summer school started in New York City on July 1 and will end on August 15. The students are going to school almost all year around. So when I walk up to a young person to ask anything about the subjects taught in school they should be able to give an answer. This is not the case. The more the youth attend school the worse they seem to think. It is not a new reality. The creation of people that cannot think with schools has been happening for at least 50 years. Try to talk to an adult about anything that they say is important to them to see what ideas you get from them. You will have a short conversation. Most people are bodies without minds. If you have no mind the rulers can put into your mind what they need to rule for any given period of time. Send your child to school more often, a private school, or school camp, and it will mean nothing. Dedicate yourself to a system of study so that you can build you mind the same way you build your abs or arms.