Gym Class Heroes: Stereo Hearts ft. Adam Levine: This Black Jew's Music You Have to Listen To

Gym Class Heroes: Stereo Hearts ft. Adam Levine

Past Club Hits:
They Might Be Giants - I Palindrome I
Grandmaster Flash - The Message
Rosh Hashannah Songs
We Shall Overcome
Kirk Franklin - I Smile
The Plastic Ono Band - Give Peace A Chance
Billy Bragg -There Is Power In A Union
Mahilia Jackson - How I Got Over
MC Lyte ft. Missy Elliott - Cold Rock A Party
Madonna - Like a Prayer
LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
Maino - Million Bucks
Star Spangled Banner
Jessie J - Price Tag
Mos Def - Mathematics
Lupe Fiasco - Words I Never Said ft. Skylar Grey
American Anthem - Norah Jones
Dayenu, Coming Home - The Fountainheads Passover Song
Nate Dogg - Oh No
The Maccabeats - Purim Song
Notorious BIG - Big Pappa
Nina Simone - The King of Love is Dead
Debbie Friedman - Alef Bet Vet
OK Go - This Too Shall Pass - Rube Goldberg Machine version
Nas ft. Keri Hilson - Hero
Biz Markie and Jeff Goldblum - Just a Friend
Bob Marley - One Love
Angie Stone - Brotha
Lenny Kravitz - Can't Get You Off My Mind
Jay-Z Death of Autotune
Y-Love and Dov Rosenblatt
2Pac Changes
Nas - I Can
Pete Seeger - Which Side Are You On?

Money in Politics - Excerpt From My Letter to Planet Money

(end of this clip)

Your story on Money in Politics was not quite right, but unfortunately a standard misunderstanding people have about how money in politics work.

I used to actually be a fundraiser for Congressional Democratic candidates. I still work in politics, so I have a certain level of expertise that I think help me understand this issue better.

Yes, money does get you access, but not to the issues people think of as core values such as choice or support for green energy. What you hinted at but did not quite grasp is that with 435 Representatives, 100 Senators, a President plus 50 State Houses, Governor's mansions and judiciaries, there is actually a limited number of financial resources for elected officials. Most of the money that is dolled out is entirely ideological. For example a Democratic House Representative will get money from unions or choice groups because they are likely to believe in those issues. Republicans get more money from CEO's and the Chamber of Commerce because what they believe lines up with those concerns. Even still that money is only given to candidates in swing districts and heads of committees. The rest of the money, most of it, comes from business people, associations and personal contacts in the Congressional District itself. That is where the pressure point of money actually takes place for most elected officials.

Where money is interesting on a more national level is actually on the issues that don't get covered. The issues where the American public are not at the table are where money plays its real role. For example, Communications firms spend more than just about any other industry. That's because the media doesn't cover itself. So for example you will see an issue where Republicans and Democrats agree is on giving Comcast the ability to buy NBC or Verizon to merge with T-Mobile. Opposition to Net Neutrality gets support from the Right Wing and the Congressional Black Caucus because that money flows to everyone in Congress on that issue.

Ironically the movie The Distinguished Gentleman with Eddie Murphy has done one of the best explanations of how money actually works. An issue comes before a Congressperson, and without any money, the lobbyists are able to appeal to the promise of Jobs. Fear of being opposed on a complex issue and not getting the sort of intelligent coverage of that issue by the media makes it hard to take it on. If you succumb to status-quo that lobbyist has money to make it more palatable decision.

The solution is actually simple. You don't need to regulate any money spent by Congressman. Just give them free access to the people's airwaves. Give every person running space on newspapers who get funding from the government as "Newspaper of record," and give them access to the radio airwaves. Equal access for free would take away any need for all the money.

Which gets to the heart of why money is needed in politics. For many local stations, Political Commercials are a primary source of income. So the media NEEDS money in politics.

I hope the next couple of stories on this get better.

Muppet Show - Mahna Mahna: This Black Jew's Music You Have to Listen To

Muppet Show - Mahna Mahna

I have had a really rough week and for rough weeks, this is my happy place.

Past Club Hits:
They Might Be Giants - I Palindrome I
Grandmaster Flash - The Message
Rosh Hashannah Songs
We Shall Overcome
Kirk Franklin - I Smile
The Plastic Ono Band - Give Peace A Chance
Billy Bragg -There Is Power In A Union
Mahilia Jackson - How I Got Over
MC Lyte ft. Missy Elliott - Cold Rock A Party
Madonna - Like a Prayer
LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
Maino - Million Bucks
Star Spangled Banner
Jessie J - Price Tag
Mos Def - Mathematics
Lupe Fiasco - Words I Never Said ft. Skylar Grey
American Anthem - Norah Jones
Dayenu, Coming Home - The Fountainheads Passover Song
Nate Dogg - Oh No
The Maccabeats - Purim Song
Notorious BIG - Big Pappa
Nina Simone - The King of Love is Dead
Debbie Friedman - Alef Bet Vet
OK Go - This Too Shall Pass - Rube Goldberg Machine version
Nas ft. Keri Hilson - Hero
Biz Markie and Jeff Goldblum - Just a Friend
Bob Marley - One Love
Angie Stone - Brotha
Lenny Kravitz - Can't Get You Off My Mind
Jay-Z Death of Autotune
Y-Love and Dov Rosenblatt
2Pac Changes
Nas - I Can
Pete Seeger - Which Side Are You On?

Using Video Games for Exercise

I often work 80 to 90 hours per week. If I am not filling my time trying to make the world just a little more perfect place, it feels like I am wasting my time. So I fill it with activism for a bunch of issues and activism for my actual work.

It doesn't leave much time for exercise, despite me actually loving to do it. Yes I am a very large Black Jew, but I have always been very active.

If I had copious amounts of free time and a world that treated every human being with the innate dignity of G-d, I would spend all my time hiking and playing sports. I wish I could play Rugby and Football, Hike, Swim, Softball, and my favorite Yoga.

I make time for none of these things. What I found in the absence I think is the future of exercise for a lot of Americans who are all over worked. Gaming Systems, especially as they become fitted with devices to catch our movement and actions, can be used as a means to substitute the gym.

They offer dynamic workouts that keep me interested where videos that simply replay the same thing over and over do not. And they keep track of my progress building and changing to match what I have done.

I have a Wii gaming system (I love you Wii) and these are the games I use to exercise.

EA Sports Active 2 for Wii

This was my favorite as it was like having a hardcore trainer in my house. The only problems with it were it doesn't always pick up real movements and after finishing the 90 day work out, game gets boring.

New U Fitness First Yoga Yes, actual yoga... its a lot of fun as well.

Golds Gym Cardio WorkoutI get to fake Box and by far it gives me the best work out. I end up sweating and feeling my core really worked, and I barely noticed.

If you are pressed for time and have a gaming system, I suggest you give it a try. Of course I always prefer getting out from the TV screen and enjoying nature or getting in front of a real yoga teacher who can place me in the right positions. But without the money and without the time, its a nice way to keep me going during those long weekdays when I get home after 10.

The Fight For Justice is Taking a Step Forward - Step Up, Make a Call

Today the Transgender Civil Rights Bill will possibly be up for a vote in the Massachusetts State House. After 3 years the bill will finally get a fair opportunity to pass.

The bill simply extends civil rights protections, the ones we take for granted, to Transgendered Americans. Just as someone can't fire you, refuse you work, deny housing, education or credit, or suffer harassment or violence against you based on the color of your skin (that includes because you are White), your gender, how much money you make, your choice of partner, it would also say you can't be discriminated against people based on gender expression and self identification.

This simple word addition will transform our relationship to justice, opening Transgendered Bay Staters to be treated with the same rights as the rest of us.

Call your State Representative let them know you support this bill.

MA State House Switchboard (617) 722-2539

What I wrote a few months ago about the Transgender Equal Rights Bill

There's so much beauty in the world, I know it can be intimidating but we should embrace all beautiful forms that people come in. When all people are accepted as full expressions of themselves their beauty is able to be reflected out on our society giving us all the benefit of their fullest love, wisdom and creativity. For people to be who they are meant to be in all the wonderful beautiful colors, forms, sizes and manners that reflect the universal love that is in Jewish tradition referred to as Hashem, we at the very least need to give basic civil rights protection.

One of the ways we in America get us close to realizing the innate humanity of our citizenry is to ensure equality under the law. To realize the dream that everyone be able to “pursue, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” we require that people be judged on the content of their character.

When my great Grandmother was a slave we gave her freedoms and protection to ensure her ability to access freedom. When those failed to bring the equal access we passed more protections to say, we know she looks different, darker, but you need to give her equal access to housing, employment and basic rights; the same access to our society as her lighter counterparts.

When people were being discriminated against because of who they choose to love, we said that’s not right, for our society to be as great as it should be, we should encourage and value love not hate it. We as a Commonwealth said, what is important is that everyone have access to work, live and access services regardless of you love. Our communities are stronger for it.

Now we see (as this video above shows) that people are being beaten, killed, sexually assaulted, discriminated from housing and stopped from unleashing their creative energy in the workforce simply because their gender assignment doesn't fit neatly into a small box we created to differentiate people.

As a Straight Black Man, I am hurt when Transgenedered people are discriminated. Hurt that people I love, are told they are not equal, hurt because I don't get their full expression of themselves in my life. I get a human who first and foremost is trying to cope with a society that sees them as unequal, lesser than. Despite the amazing strength it takes to live with the basic dignity of knowing thyself, even the strongest of people, is shortened a little by carrying our society's hateful burden. In short, I am hurt that loved ones are more likely to be homeless and suicidal simply because they look “different.”

As a religious Jew I believe that we are made in the reflection of the universal love we know as Hashem, I don’t believe that reflection is narrow and small. I believe Hashem to be vast and incomprehensibly beautiful. I believe that Transgendered people are made in that incomprehensible beauty's image. Just as we as a society have come to understand that about my Great Grandmother, Grandmother, Mother and myself, so too must we come to understand that about everyone.

Call Now!

They Might Be Giants - I Palindrome I: This Black Jew's Music You Have to Listen To

In honor of 11-11-11 one of my favorite They Might Be Giants songs about one of my favorite things, Palindromes. I had to honor 11-11-11 even if its no longer the 11th (although posting it today)

Past Club Hits:
Grandmaster Flash - The Message
Rosh Hashannah Songs
We Shall Overcome
Kirk Franklin - I Smile
The Plastic Ono Band - Give Peace A Chance
Billy Bragg -There Is Power In A Union
Mahilia Jackson - How I Got Over
MC Lyte ft. Missy Elliott - Cold Rock A Party
Madonna - Like a Prayer
LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
Maino - Million Bucks
Star Spangled Banner
Jessie J - Price Tag
Mos Def - Mathematics
Lupe Fiasco - Words I Never Said ft. Skylar Grey
American Anthem - Norah Jones
Dayenu, Coming Home - The Fountainheads Passover Song
Nate Dogg - Oh No
The Maccabeats - Purim Song
Notorious BIG - Big Pappa
Nina Simone - The King of Love is Dead
Debbie Friedman - Alef Bet Vet
OK Go - This Too Shall Pass - Rube Goldberg Machine version
Nas ft. Keri Hilson - Hero
Biz Markie and Jeff Goldblum - Just a Friend
Bob Marley - One Love
Angie Stone - Brotha
Lenny Kravitz - Can't Get You Off My Mind
Jay-Z Death of Autotune
Y-Love and Dov Rosenblatt
2Pac Changes
Nas - I Can
Pete Seeger - Which Side Are You On?

11-11-11 The Night I Can't Forget

I have been debating whether or not to write about what happened to me and more importantly others Friday night. This blog always strives to not be a diary about my life but an exploration of what is actually important. For that reason, despite the incident being person, I put my thoughts below in hopes it furthers a dialogue so desperately needed.

Friday night on my way home from work I saw someone get stabbed. No more than maybe a foot or two away, I saw the face as one child stabbed another. I saw the young man who was stabbed's shock as he realized what had happened and blood started to pour out of his chest soaking the front of his entire shirt. I remember the face of the other child, the look as he no longer had any humanity for himself or the person he was trying to injure.

It's a moment I haven't been able to stop running through my mind since.

via Boston Globe:

A man suffered life-threatening injuries last night when he was stabbed downtown near the Boston Common, police said. Officer James Kenneally, a Boston Police Department spokesman, said the stabbing occurred at about 8:30 p.m. in the area of Temple Place and Tremont Street. The man was taken to Tufts Medical Center, Kenneally said.

I was walking by the fight on the way to take the bus to my car and I remember thinking I should just avoid this and it will run itself out. Then that horrible thought stopped myself instantly, there were so many people around, surely we could break this up by stepping in. I mean children fighting is surely important enough to stop so it didn't escalate beyond everyone's control. So I yelled stop. I saw some people try to pull the kids a part. But it didn't last it kept escalating. There was a moment I thought about just leaving fearful what might happen and wanting the violence to just be over.

But how could anyone walk away as our children were beating the crap our of one another?

Then it happened, as the girls were in the middle of the street beating up this mother of a two year old, a Child thinking himself a man, said "take this nigger," and stabbed a young man in the chest.

At first I thought he just punched him in the stomach, but as I quickly saw the blood spilling out through his shirt and onto the street I realized the worst had happened.

After he was stabbed I made the call to 911, something I admit was much harder then it should have been but I was so nervous and the buttons so small on my Blackberry what was an instant felt a lifetime to get them on the phone.

An EMT who was walking by helped me keep pressure on the wound. I took off my backpack to put my sweater on the wound. And then it was over, the ambulance came the police blocked off the area and we were left with what we saw. I mention this last part I think because I have to hope that our quick action to put pressure on the wound saved this man's life. I need the vanity of this to be true I think to expel some of the guilt for failing to miserably at breaking up the fight. I need it to be true to add some purpose to what still feels like a helpless situation.

Why write about it?

I first remember when the police gathered us to take our statements, that I hadn't noticed the 2 year old in a stroller. But there he was in tears looking up clearly scared and confused. Then the woman who was beaten on the ground told the police that the man stabbed was her husband.

What made me decided to write about this was when she said where she lived. A family homeless shelter.

Poverty is violent. The worry that you don't know where you will live or how you will eat tears at your body. Not to mention that when you don't have a roof over your head, protection from people who prey on other people is hard to come by. I used to work as an intake social worker at a family homeless shelter so seeing a child in tears, a mother and wife sobbing as her husband was fighting for his life hit a tragically comfortable memory.

A child who no longer has any self-worth, a group of children who see no humanity in other people, listless with nothing to do these children who started the fight with this working homeless family are our failed castaways. When a child has given up on himself and everyone else we have to ask, how have we failed? Yes, people make their own decisions, we should hold a person to account. But there is a difference between vengeance and justice. Justice requires self-examination just as these children have failed, we have also failed them.

Not just them, we failed a young family. How have we created a society where a young family can work and not have a place to live is tragic.

Friday was a tragedy I keep reliving. It was our lost humanity on display from the violence to all the people all who stood by and watched it. A moment, I can't stop thinking about.