COOKIE JAR

Not bad for under $10 bucks...

NoTHiNG DEFINES NOSTALGIA LiKE MUSIC...

[sipping iced coffee]
"I was browsing one day and found a cookie jar!"

• Cookie Jar [cu'kee - jah- r; noun] - a store you're simply delighted to find and liable to shop, browse, read, do whatever, for an extended period of time without blinking; usually reaction is the typical "kid-in-a-candy store" glazed look from the entrance or perhaps the occasional ooh or aah in isle 1.

The antique store is by no means unorthodox. Consequently, they are quite typical if not cliche. Incidentally, such novelty stores fall in sync with today's retro craze. Nonetheless, there is nothing new under our sun and just like our past antique stores will never loose appeal.

So, let me tell you...

I spotted this great, antique book store (aka cookie jar) while cruising thru my local city (Richmond, VA) earlier this week. Out front stood a makeshift book stand which read in bold Sharpee, "ALL BOOKS FOR $1". The store window consisted of crooked, ol' posters plastered into a mural of vintage pics & nick-nacks. Finally, it was a movie pinup portraying old Hollywood, a dusty Wonder Woman figurine, and stacks of paperbacks which lulled me from the red street light to parallel parking at the meter. The store, simply dubbed the 'Antique Bookstore' on Broad Street, is so retro the flashback smacks you from the door or porthole. You name it [lol]. It looks, feels, and smells, much like an untimely attic; it's cramped quarters are wall-to-wall with stuff (comic books, memorabilia, posters, albums, magazine clippings, etc.). Upon entrance you'll find a maze of bookshelves; from fiction to history, to long lost autobiographies. Boxes are filled with timeless LP's and a few scattered chairs meant to pamper any patron's prolonged visit. I recommend the Antique Bookstore to antiquarians, collectors, and anyone fond of vintage Americana who happens to be in the 804 area with a thirst for nostalgia.

FORGETTING PHILIP!

FINALLY,

I and no longer am I a complete hypocrite for doing so! This time, I can talk smack about the tobacco giant, corporate serial killers and back it up because I'VE QUIT! After 9 years smoking, several failed attempts, and God knows how much money wasted, I am proud to shout that I AM CIGARETTE FREE! It's been 3 months since I've stopped using Nicoderm CQ and it feels like a cloud has been lifted from my life. Better skin, breathe, smell, taste, and confidence. I have my life back thanks to my beautiful mother who stuck by me and wouldn't let me give up! Sadly, I almost forgot this simple but great pleasure in life; what it is to breathe. Most of all, I am without addiction.

I AM FREE!

Like anything else in life with will power, the patch works by making those damned nicotine fits tolerable. I tried cold-turkey and it just was not happening lol. My hat goes off to anyone who has. You are a beast lol! Also, it does gets easier by the day. As you start to defy, relying on cigarettes the more & more you hate them. That hate helped fuel my will to stop. I've cussed out a few cigarette packs on my way to redemption. Whatever it takes! Forget Philip! No longer am I a slave to those stupid cancer sticks.

Heart 2 Heart:

I wrote a poem called God's Breath during my battle with cigarettes. I lost my Uncle Curtis due to Lung Cancer & Pneumonia [R.I.P] the same year a friend's father passed away from Emphysema at the golden age of 61. Needless to say, writing it was cathartic. My reason for quitting was simple - I don't want to kill myself... for I'd have hell to pay. Recently, my friend's cousin called. I answered and she blatantly asked, "Which brand of patch did you buy?" Ashley, is a 21 year-old songbird with a passion for music. Her reason for quitting is a lifelong dream of singing professionally. She combed me for advice and sought encouragement. I was more than happy to show her my support. We all need positive affirmations so as an added incentive I decided to frame God's Breath. I gave it to her in hopes that it would keep her on the right path; going strong 'til the finish line. If you are a smoker trying to overcome cigarette addiction, my hope is that you too find that extra bit of encouragement to quit...

URBAN LEGEND

Can you find him? Well, TMZ claims to have caught him out, on the town. Apparently, Pac's pleased as punch to be an infamous ghost. Besides, if he actually is alive no one would actually believe it. It's said that the best place to hide is in plain view and Tupac sightings are more frequent than our flying foreign friend Marvin the Martian. According to TMZ, Tupac Shakur was spotted "playing dead" in a NOLA nightclub; chillin' by the bar on Bourbon Street. For the sake of argument... if homeboy is alive I would be more surprised than dumbfounded. There were many inconsistencies behind his death & burial. God and the Government both work in mysterious ways. At any rate, I must say this particular spotting has an unusual paradox in light of the others. Specifically, if you're seeking ghosts, antiquated secrets, or people & places with a mysterious past; well, New Orleans is one of the first places you'd look. This photo is eerily close to Tupac's likeness. Dead or alive... the blatant irony is that the man is an Urban Legend in every sense of the term. Tupac Shakur is more alive "dead" than he ever was living. Go figure.

LAST OF A DYING BREED

Rap Artist Jason Phillips aka Jadakiss is blowing his Last Kiss to the music industry. All I can say is what a finale...

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

http://www.jadakiss.com/

A BIG OPENING FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

Dear Cheryl,

When it comes to issues plaguing Black and low-income communities, a White senator from the South is the last person we'd expect to go out on a limb and sound the alarm. Senator Jim Webb from Virginia just did exactly that when he boldly called out the over-imprisonment of Black folks and the serious problems with our prison system. Most importantly, he's demanding big changes. [1]

Now it's up to us to seize the moment and create the pressure necessary to achieve true reform.
The first step is publicly thanking Senator Webb. Our praise will show other politicians that when they take risks and step out on critical issues like prison reform, we will have their backs. It will also show that everyday people stand with Webb and are serious about this issue. Please join us, and ask your friends and family to do the same: http://colorofchange.org/webb/

In recent years, politicians have lacked the courage to create meaningful prison reform. They've been paralyzed by the fear of being branded as "soft on crime." They've been held hostage by prison guard unions and industry lobbies. And the communities most affected--Black and low-income communities--have had a hard time getting a seat at the table and making our voices heard.

Our country has a clear problem. With just 5% of the world's population, America holds nearly 25% of the world's reported prison population. Our prison population has quadrupled since 1984, and most of the increase comes from people being imprisoned for drug offenses--mostly minor and nonviolent. [2]

Despite the fact that there is no statistical difference in drug use between different racial groups, harsh drug laws have had a devastating, disproportionate effect on Black communities. While only 12% of the U.S. population is African-American, Black people make up 37% of those arrested on drug charges, 59% of those convicted, and 74% of all drug offenders sentenced to prison. [3]

It's surprising and encouraging that someone like Senator Webb is speaking out in this way. Webb is a White politician from Virginia, a Southern "law-and-order" state that has abolished parole and executed more people than any state besides Texas.4 He has nothing to gain politically from this--it's an act of true conviction.

By eloquently making the case for reform and calling for a National Criminal Justice Commission, Webb has created a major opening to address these issues. And it comes at a time when there are increasing signs the country is ready for reform. New York's governor and state legislature just struck a deal to reform the state's "Rockefeller drug laws"--some of the harshest laws in the country, and a great example of the failed status quo. [5]

A panel of federal judges has just told California it must reduce its prison population by a third to alleviate the torturous conditions stemming from overcrowding. [6] And at the same time that more people are recognizing the deep injustices in our system, the economic crisis is forcing elected officials at all levels of government to realize they can't afford to keep directing so many taxpayer dollars toward law enforcement, jails, and prisons. [7]

We need to make the most of this moment. Take a minute to thank Senator Jim Webb for his courageous stand and support his call for a meaningful commission. And when you do, please ask your friends and family to do the same: http://colorofchange.org/webb/

Thanks and Peace,
James, Gabriel, Clarissa, William, Dani, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team

April 9th, 2009

References:
1. "Senator Jim Webb's Floor Speech to Introduce 'The National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009'," 3-26-2009 http://tinyurl.com/chxaup
2. "Why we must fix our prisons," Parade, 3-29-2009 http://www.parade.com/news/2009/03/why-we-must-fix-our-prisons.html
3. See reference 2
4. "Webb Sets His Sights On Prison Reform," Washington Post, 12-29-2008 http://tinyurl.com/8mgyf2
5. "More on Albany's Rockefeller Drug Law Reform," Village Voice, 3-27-2009 http://tinyurl.com/da2xlw
6. "Court Orders California to Cut Prison Population," New York Times, 2-9-2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/us/10prison.html
7. "A Different Drug Czar Signals Shift Away From Emphasis On Punishment," Hartford Courant, 3-22-2009 http://tinyurl.com/c36ubb