Thursday, February 28, 2008

Etsian Chanel Kennebrew of Junkprints.com Gets Front Page Love



"The strange thing is that most folks felt that they were obliged to have a 'Black history month agenda' Many schools will put up pictures and icons of things we can all agree were 'essential to the struggle' such as MLK posters (not Marcus Garvey posters). It's very odd to me...funny thing is that I have decided to do something for black history month, I present to you the colored Fountain tee"
-Chanel Kennebrew, Junkprints.com

In time to close out Black History Month, we present the lovely and geniusly witty Chanel Kennebrew who reps socio-political reality on the regular and has landed a spot as Etsy's Featured Seller. We don't often see this kind of diversity on Etsy (partly because there are still only a good 10-15 Etsians of color among the hundreds upon hundreds who aren't, so this deserves to be noted.
Chanel's Colored Fountain Tee is a piece to acquire sooner than later, and is a gem amongst the other strong statements in her repertoire. It says a great deal that needs to be said about our beauty, struggle, and the power of cultural pride for underrepresented groups.

Keep an eye on Chanel, and peep the past Junkprints entry amongst Vintage Underground snapshots of budding or full-grown geniuses like Miss Kennebrew.

Be inspired and show us your light. We've all got one. Damn what 'The Machine' would have you believe'.

Visit Junkprints




Related Flyness:


Saul Williams deemed
Black History Month Honorary Black History Maker
By BlackVoices/AOL
along with 24 other Black History Makers (some of which are extremely questionable...)



Black Voices/aol says: MUSIC - Saul Williams


Fans of the sitcom 'Girlfriends' may know Williams from his role as the boyfriend who wouldn't have sex, but there's much more than meets the eye to the Newburgh-born author, musician and poet. He came to notice from his leading role in the independent film 'Slam.' Widely respected for his spoken word and politically charged prose, Williams maintains his indie streak as one of the first non-maintream artists to offer his album free on the Internet, bypassing record labels.(AOL)


Source


note: We may have given Black Voices-aol some shine here, but aol is not off the hook for their attempts to band with verizon wireless, yahoo, and at&t (we only capitalize names we respect) to name a few with their twisted hopes to make the net a divided place that had "virtual toll booths' called tiers that we would have had to pay more to step through and view ' faster-speeded content'. It's just corrupt. Have you signed the Net Neutrality petition to be sure they know you're not havin' it? You should. Tell all your friends too.

Dope Quote- Muhammad Ali's Recipe for Life

New Joints With Ol' Skool Flavor

Ol Skool Player feat Pete Rock, Pacific Division, Big Noyd, Chen Lo, and the list lovingly goes on...

Enjoy!



PackFM Plucking Daisies



Kutiman feat Karolina




Ace Boogie feat Doodlebug a.k.a Cee Knowledge





Thanks Okayplayer & Soulbounce

Solving The Tasering Problem



By now it's no secret to you or anyone else, that some kind of taser-restricting regulation needs to be implanted to abate the trend we've seen in the death of innocents by taser-happy police officers.
Electronic Village blogged about this at the beginning of the year, raising necessary awareness to the uncomfortable reality we are faced with, especially in the communities where People of Color are concerned.

Even Tank met his fate with the taser
when he asked an officer why he could not proceed in a certain direction recently, according to Soulbounce.

Justice, Just-us or... Powerplay without racial motivation?

Realistically... Tasers are not being used with justice in mind, if the rise in taser-related deaths is any indication. Taser-related deaths have risen to an uncomfortable level with handicapped, epileptic, and other individuals who were truly posing no threat to an officer when they were killed by the unnecessary application of a lethal electrical current.

So the question now becomes: What are we going to do about it?

Will petitioning be enough? Should we march on this, or demand our local officials take action in each of our areas?

Tasers are useless if they will only be used to stand in the place of guns and cause death nonetheless. It is too easy to say 'Oops... The Officer didn't mean it...'

Brainstorming is in order.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update:

Villager has alerted us to the existence of the Tasered While Black blog and suggests we brief ourselves in the use of Force Continuum (see the second link in the above paragraphs for a description provided on his site).

Samsara
has provided links to TaserWatch on Newsvine here, and a petition we can sign.



Thankyou both for your contribution.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Indiefied- Wayna



Wayna's voice is crisp, skilled, and gracefully powerful. I happened upon her site quite by accident, and couldn't leave her profile. You see, I had to hear every song, and though I'm saving my coins for something important, the temptation to pick up her cd right then, was unbearable. This siren brings confident sass, and a classic spin to jazzy HipHop/R&B. She channels Ella's clear control, and Billie's sharp, deliberate phrasing at times, but the power is all Wayna. Others have tried it, few have succeeded. Wayna brings identity to her genre with regal poise, and I'm a believer. Anytime Stevie Wonder's comment about your music is: "Her voice reminds me of Syreeta's...She's incredible." You've arrived.

UltravioletUnderground applauds you, Wayna. You've brought essential poise to your craft, and could easily become an icon many craft themselves after.


Visit her Dimension



Related Flyness:

Hazel Black



'The Riddle' is a ridiculously ill groove.
Miss Black is definitely one to keep an eye on...


to be continued...

Behind the Scenes of Blu's 'Blue Collar Worker'


I think I have a crush.
Blu's mind brings out the connected heart doodling in me...

Pt.1


Pt. 2


Pick up the album


Random Flyness:

Have you seen the new cover of Trace?



Trace deserves your subscription.
Thanks for the heads up nOva

Sun Ra- A Joyful Noise

Sun Ra--A Joyful Noise



They say that history repeats itself.
But history is only His Story.
You haven't heard MY story yet.
My story is different from his story.
Because his story repeats itself.
But my story is endless.
It never repeats itself.
Why should it?
A sunset does not repeat itself.
Neither does a sunrise.
Nature never repeats itself.
Why should I repeat myself?
I am not part of the history.
But I am part of the
mystery that is my story.

--Sun Ra, A Joyful Noise

Vegan- Cruelty Free Glue



Thankfully there's a Vegan glue that doesn't depend upon the death of innocent creatures.
It's sturdy, able to handle most projects, and it doesn't cost a fortune.

Click the pic to order your bottle.

Indiefied- The Tracey Fragments



The Tracey Fragments is a masterpiece.
As a character study it grants you access into the internal realm mirrored by the external realm
of a child woman making her way through shadowed terrain inherited from the lines of dreamless and fearful parents. We see the hopelessness, and the fantastical wonder of the rebelling imagination which clings to the curtains of a broken stage Tracey Berkowitz can't seem to escape, no matter how she runs.

Edited with simultaneously running frames, the story is at once original and gripping, especially if you can relate to the suppression of emotions, and experience of being scapegoated by people so hopelessly angry they've withered away into hollow shells.

Ellen Page is stunning as usual (most movies she's appeared in are impossible to turn away from, though the Juno script was so contrived in its eagerness to be 'indie and clever' that I couldn't finish the viewing) and proves to me that she is gifted and can teach all artists a few things where connecting to beingness in a role or other dimension are concerned.

The film is stunning.

Serious accolades to Director Bruce McDonald and Novelist Maureen Medved. Thankyou for this experience and opportunity to open our eyes to the despair we perhaps ignored in ourselves during adolescence, that is plaguing our youth.

imdb

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Pomo Indians Educate The Community With True Historical Accounts of Slavers and Colonizers



Every Underrepresented and Overrepresented group alike needs to uproot the falsehoods relayed in history, and replace them with the seeds of accurate historical truth. Doing just this, Pomo Indians held an open meeting on February 10 in Lakeport, California in the interest of educating the Non-Native population about the bloody history of massacres and slavery carried out against the Pomo and other tribes by colonizers. To add to this inspiration, they also intend to have a street bearing the namesake of a racist settler renamed.


Read More at EmergingMinds


Thankyou BlackNewsJunkie

MadamePepper on Motherland Culture



Much Respect Madame Pepper. We're right there with you and believe our reunification and reestablishment of culture will secure itself sooner than later. Enough is most certainly enough.

Thankyou for sharing your voice and necessary insights. We dig your artistry as well ^_^



We don't need to be sold back our cultural majesty from any culture seeking to profit from it without respect to our rights, and the chemicals in hair and skin care products do make us sick with the buildup of unnecessary toxins (seek periodic detox cleanses and better products). Handmade products have a healthy, natural effect and can be trusted. Essential oils, natural wax (beeswax or the saps of some trees) lemon juice, vinegar, salt baking soda and similar products can take care of all of our cleaning and hygienic needs.



Peep Madame Pepper's dimension

Whole Foods: "We Are Done Using Plastic Bags"



The Whole Foods grocery chain plans to stop offering customers plastic grocery bags, and instead use only recycled paper or reusable bags.

A rising number of governments and retailers are banning plastic bags, or discouraging their use, due to concerns about their environmental impact.

Whole Foods had previously tried to get customers to buy reusable bags, but the concept did not catch on until they began offering them for 99 cents.

Whole Foods officials estimate that the store currently distributes 150 million plastic bags a year.

Plastic bags are typically thrown away after one use, do not break down easily in the environment, fill landfills, and float into trees, rooftops, roadways and oceans.


Read More at Dr. Mercola



Some things you can do with plastic bags (when ironed they can make interesting craft material):





Plastic Bag Apron


Instructables Uses For Garbage Bag

One interesting comment at Dr. Mercola came from Loren L. Smith:


The answer my friend is blowing in the wind .....how can we ignore the reality that the real fakers are in Washington (who allow laws that limit solutions). Hemp is more practical and renewable than forests for paper. Hemp improves the soil rather than deplete it. Hemp is a superior source of vegetable protein. Hemp cloth lasts and looks better than cotton, uses less chemicals for cleaning and is better for the human body for health. Hemp seed oilis a wonderful salad oil....tastes better than fish oil, olive oil, or even coconut oil. We the people are supposed to be the government and they the bureaucrats the governed. We must retake our country or lose it. We will suffocate in our chemicals, drown in our plastic, and rot in our fungus.

Senate Votes To Enforce Ban On Torture




We received this gem in the mail:

This afternoon, a bipartisan majority of the Senate voted to ensure that the United States no longer uses interrogation methods it would condemn if used by our enemies against captured Americans.

This is a momentous victory.

Yesterday, we asked you to contact your Senators to ask them to support legislation that will restore dignity and the rule of law to prisoner treatment and interrogation policy by requiring adherence to the Army Field Manual by all U.S. interrogators – including the C.I.A. And thanks to your e-mails and phone calls, we are one step closer to putting an end to policies that allow for torture and official cruelty.

But our work is not over. President Bush is threatening to veto this crucial piece of legislation. You can expect to hear from us soon about what we can do next to make sure that torture and official cruelty are taken off of the table once and for all.

Sincerely,

Sharon Kelly
Campaign Manager
Elect to End Torture 08




Related Info:


We also received this correspondence from the Creators of Loose Change:

WORLD AGAINST WAR I
London to DC (March 15-19 2008)
-Join us for World Against War I, the antiwar protest for the people and
planet.


We are a clandestine organization located within the United States forging an
underground movement for the people. We are deeply affected by the events
following September 11th and the genocide in the Middle east. Our intention is
to disrupt the illegal empire and stop the war machine from functioning from
the inside. We will engage the enemy, take advantage of vulnerabilities and
expose every weakness. We encourage the people to standup and stand strong with
confidence, leadership, and continue organizing against every form of struggle.

The politicians in America will continue to wage war for glory and the pigs
will not stop, until they are jailed for their crimes against humanity.

We call on all free nations of the world, to unite, in our struggle against
tyranny and imperialism.

The u$ government, International Bankers, war profiteering corporations,
along with the president and his administration are guilty.

In just four short years, the people of the united states has murdered over one
million civilians in Iraq. The parties representing the American people during
the genocide, were the DEMOCRAT and REPUBLICAN Parties. The current
Democrat and Republican parties that are campaigning for President were
DIRECTLY involved in these Crimes Against Peace and will continue using the
imperial doctrine.

The military war machine continues to feed off the blood of the innocent ruled
by the wealthy elite majority. They are now continuing to spread more lies
about other countries, breeding hate for the next targets for preemptive
invasion. The American media networks are also guilty of war crimes and crimes
against humanity for their involvement in using advanced propaganda techniques
against the American people.

America's dignity and long standing history has been destroyed forever and the
people will continue to struggle. We must demand an International tribunal for
the entire federal government, media organizations, and all those who
participated in these war crimes.

Rebel States must consider separation from the union to save itself from
slavery by the Federal Reserve dollar.

We the people must use every resource available to save mankind from American
politicians and special interest war profiteering corporations who will
continue to lobby war for profit with the blood of innocent children.

Join us for...
WORLD AGAINST WAR I
MARCH 15-19 2008

jim and the CHANGE team
WE WILL NEVER FORGET, WE WILL NEVER FORGIVE


this message has been sponsored by 0War & LOOSE CHANGE
http://loose-change-911.com

Indiefied-Algebra Blessett's 'Purpose'



February 26 seems to be a popular release date for artists in 2008, but the creme rising to the top comes from the grassier roots bringing inspiration that rises above the usual themes for your conscious growth. One of the albums dropping today is a long anticipated effort coming from Algebra Blessett.

From what's been offered promotionally so far, Algebra's not playing with us. The Kwame produced single Run and Hide is ridiculously dope instant vintage, and comes issued as a choice of two singles Algebra is letting her fans vote on to be released as the first single.

Support Indie art (even on semi-commercial levels). It makes the world a better place.



Visit her dimension



Vote for the next single


Peep the recent
interview with Soulbounce's Butta

Ready for the Nu Amerykah?




To support the buzz of the 'Nu Amerykah' album dropping today peep the video below where Erykah shares some interesting sentiments about her song 'The Healer'. Hopefully there will be more interviews where she shares the gems of wisdom we can all apply to our paths.



Pay attention to the changes taking place in the world. I can dig Miss Badu's observation that the world responds to 'the beat'.

The beat is 'the heartbeat'. It's life, in all the necessary math it is manifested with, and HipHop is built around the sacredness and ecstasy surrounding that beat. This explains why the Global Village reveres it despite perceived cultural barriers. Here's to the lightbearers healing the damage done to our art by the corporate-imposed stereotypes beat into the ground...

Just say 'Yes' to consciousness.




This tv promo sheds light on Miss Badu's awareness of what's going on in 'the system'.
She gets much respect for going there.



Savior's Day may just become the new date to drop a soul album, considering the artists who are also dropping today. Bless them all. A very Happy Birthday Miss Badu. Thankyou for the light.

Related:

It's 'Du Day' at Soulbounce, with all Erykah Related content for Savior's day.

Read Ill Mami's Revelation of Erykah's Tribute to Savior's Day (a holiday celebrated by the Nation of Islam).


Enjoy Soulbounce's Du Day Video Jukebox

Monday, February 25, 2008

Andre 3000's Rebel Gentleman Line: Benjamin Bixby



Andre3000 is a genius.
Seriously, his kind of flyness isn't birthed everyday. Some work for many moons to get in touch with that level of archetypal identity. It's only right he's founded a clothing line that shares the shine with his peoples (hopefully there will be something for the femmes as time goes on).

His clothing line, Benjamin Bixby, is said to have been inspired by images drawn from college football circa 1935, apparently sparked by the flame of a documentary he stumbled across on television one evening. Too slick to half-step, he sketched all of the designs himself for the 70 piece self-funded line. He's inspected the wares at Italian factories and Parisian textile fairs, even taking advice from Ana Wintour who invited him to a Met gala.

Benjamin Bixby, he describes, “is a character who’s kind of like your uncle, or your granddad, and he has a closet full of experiences and clothes, and he’s been around the world.”

Naturally, Benjamin Bixby would be the eccentric traveling uncle (the one with a secret door to the dreamworld behind the grandfather clock in his study).
And don't worry, Andre's still recording. Expect an album from the subcultural titan this fall.

(Apologies on the delay in posting)

-~~~~~~~~~~~*


According to Ny Mag:


That mix of application and instinct carries over to his personal style. It takes a certain serenity to rock the resplendent Bixby outfit he recently wore to a Fashion Week party: wide-brimmed fedora, green waistcoat, buttery brown leather riding boots (“vintage”) that pushed his pants up, jodhpur style. He looked more like a wealthy, eccentric caballero than a thirties jock toff, but then, he wants the line to tell stories. Benjamin Bixby, he says, “is a character who’s kind of like your uncle, or your granddad, and he has a closet full of experiences and clothes, and he’s been around the world.”

He’s worn pretty much everything during his OutKast career, from garish plaid to polka-dotted bow ties to pimp furs to turbans to leopard hats to military gear to golfwear.
Other Benjamin Bixby pieces, like a pink sweater with a giant emblazoned B, continue a long-standing hip-hop fascination with preppy style that includes the nineties appropriation of Tommy Hilfiger and Phat Farm’s urban take on Ralph Lauren. Growing up in Atlanta, Benjamin was part of a “prep crew” at school with noted butler Fonzworth Bentley. “It was all about being a prep. It was about ties and saddle shoes and Guess overalls and stuff like that.”

Tearing pages out of magazines as a kid left Benjamin with a reverence for English style: He fetishizes “timeless” clothes, name-checks old-school brands like Turnbull & Asser, and calls his own style “classic spontaneity” or “rebel gentleman.” What this means, in effect, is doing a little remix.
Here, he’s wearing a Façonnable shirt with Polo khakis and a tie from his new line worn as a belt. “There has to be something inventive about it,” he says. “But not so inventive that it’s a turnoff. So that some of the greats, like Beau Brummell or the Duke of Windsor, would nod and say, ‘Well done.’ Those guys killed it.” Now, that’s hip-hop.




Source

Indiefied- Dwarfstarr



Dwarfstarr is a planet I found while following my heart to UrbAlt's Top 24. It enveloped me in windswept sonic mastery, and filled my anahata with a fierce kind of bliss, grantable only by the genius hearts of gentle masters.

Dwarfstarr has enchanted me, wrapped my auric frame in acoustic bows of light and dark, and left me breathless.

Your turn

Sunday, February 24, 2008

SoulCommune



I have a Myspace account, two actually, and a Zaadz.com (Now known as Gaia.com) account or two as well. Like many of you I've signed up for a number of them but they rarely keep my attention for long. Alot of them seem pretentious and cliquey. Many of them make me feel claustrophobic (I have my own special brand of issues...) and I can only log in when I have alot of time and am in a peaceful place. Fortunately with OpenID, it may be easier for folks to keep track of their friends without having to remember each site. An OpenID portable friends list and web 2.0 content and personal newsfeed that can be used anywhere with the same username and password would be slick as well(hopefully this will come to be sooner than later... I'd develop it if I had the patience to do the coding...).

Not all social networking sites unsettle me though.
Digg.com (though a newsfeed...) for instance makes me feel happy and warm when I'm there (probably because alot of the posters on Digg are sane and desire progressive change), and a new site in town utilizing the fabulous ning.com tehcnology, SoulCommune.com makes me want to check in regularly.

SoulCommune is a splendorous haven 'where the soulful (really do) gather'. The aesthetic is fly, and the vibe is pleasantly quaint, but it's more than the aesthetic that makes members come back to its dimension. SoulCommune actually feels like its name.
It feels like a warm collective soul. You come and go as you please, meeting talented and inspired individuals, perhaps do a bit of networking or sharing of access keys to your own dimensions, blog if you take the notion to and receive a spot on the front page for awhile when you do. You can upload or link to music that embodies your idea of soul (alternative vibes definitely welcome), and post favored images and links. If I'm thinking correctly it allows you to include your Web 2.0 widgets as well. It's a zone that offers most all you could ask for in a social networking site without the gimmick that kills the typical social networking experience. I've been hip to Ning.com for a minute, but this is the first Ning-powered site I've seen that rivals social networking giants and will probably outdo many of them in the areas that count, without trying.

If you see me there throw up a peace sign ^_^


View my page on SoulCommune

Ralph Nader's 'Awaken From Your Slumber'



A Big Thanks to Danielle of ModernMusings.com for the heads up. Your blog is extremely enlightening.


More items of interest from ModernMusings.com

Ralph Nader Myth One

The HipHop Caucas

Related:

http://www.usalone.com/
thank_you_dennis.php

Black News Junkie



There's a new kind of Digg in the net dimension that focuses on news of interest to the Black Diaspora while encouraging collective empowerment. Black News Junkie is a newsfeed that encourages collective contributions and the 'digging' of News stories with a symbolic black fist. This is definitely needed in a society that has largely ignored or trampled the concerns of the Black Community and communities of color in general.

The Afrosphere has proven its power in bringing the Jena 6 to light after Mass Media pretended not to see it, and this served as an inspiration. When we come together and share our experiences, we can act as one to serve the security of our collective interest. We can share information about missing persons in our community who might otherwise have gone unreported, travesties of justice, and let's not forget that we can share the light and beauty taking place on a newsworthy level in "minority" or underrepresented communities. It is just as important.

Black News Junkie, we commend you. Thankyou for providing the Conscious Collective with a news source that includes a large portion of the Underrepresented.




Grazi to Villager for the heads up.

Another interesting tidbit found in the Electronic Village is The Indypendent's Minority Report.

Original Culture Indeed (It's Confirmed- Everyone Came From The Motherland)




WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two big genetic studies confirm theories that modern humans evolved in Africa and then migrated through Europe and Asia to reach the Pacific and Americas.

The two studies also show that Africans have the most diverse DNA, and the fewest potentially harmful genetic mutations.

One of the studies shows European-Americans have more small mutations, while the others show Native Americans, Polynesians and others who populated Australia and Oceania have more big genetic changes.

The studies, published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, paint a picture of a population of humans migrating off the African continent, and then shrinking at some point because of unknown adversity.

Later populations grew and spread from this smaller genetic pool of founder ancestors -- a phenomenon known as a bottleneck.

Populations that remained in Africa kept their genetic diversity -- something seen in many other studies.

"The one thing that I think we cannot say from this study is that any one person's genome is any healthier or evolutionarily fit than another person's genome," said Carlos Bustamante of Cornell University in New York, who worked on one study.

"You have to think of this at the population level," Bustamante said in a telephone interview.

Bustamante's team has been looking at the DNA sequences of 15 African-Americans and 20 European-Americans, examining tiny one-letter changes in the DNA code called single-nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs (pronounced "snips").

FIT OR EXTINCT

They tested these changes to qualify them as benign, or potentially affecting genes, amino acids and eventually proteins in a way that could damage health or make people less "fit" -- in evolutionary terms, less likely to survive and reproduce.

"Like every other study ... the African-American panel as a whole showed more variation than the European-American panel," Bustamante said.

Then his team did a computer simulation of a bottleneck, and found it predicted this pattern.

Bustamante said it is possible some of the SNPs are beneficial, and he said his team and others should compare the genetic changes they found to known genetic changes linked with diseases.

"I wish we had done that (already)," he admitted.

In the other study, Noah Rosenberg and colleagues at the University of Michigan and the National Institute on Aging analyzed DNA from 485 people around the world.

They looked for three types of genetic variation, including SNPs and larger changes that involve duplications, deletions and repetitions of large segments of DNA.

The patterns they found produced what they call the highest-resolution map yet of human genetic variation.

They also reinforce the idea that humans originated in Africa, then spread into the Middle East, followed by Europe and Asia, the Pacific Islands and finally to the Americas.

"Diversity has been eroded through the migration process," Rosenberg said in a statement.
People of African descent are the most genetically diverse, followed by people from the Middle East, and then Asians and Europeans. Native Americans resemble one another the most on a DNA level.

The study also found it is sometimes possible to trace a person's ancestry to a small group within a geographic region.


Source

Legalize




Improve the economy, promote the medicinal and/or therapeutic use of this natural plant, and overcome the stigma laid upon anything that threatens the status quo's many boxes. Alcoholics have caused far more damage than those who partake of the ganja. Let's be realistic. Marijuana has killed no one. There is not one case. Consider also that it could easily give this country a seriously needed industry. Even Barack isn't opposed to medical marijuana. This country has alot of issues to 'rethink'.


Sign a few petitions:


http://www.petitiononline.com/
Legalize/petition.html


Norml.org

Legalize.com


Some states have legalized small amounts:


http://www.usatoday.com
/news/nation/2005-11-03-pot_x.htm



Research those who claim their spiritual right to utilize Cannabis in their practice
(Some believe Yashua utilized Cannibus in his healings):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Church_of_the_Universe


http://www.cannabisculture.com
/backissues/cc00/community.html



http://seattlepi.nwsource.com
/local/126110_pot11.html


http://www.send2press.com/newswire
/2006-12-1211-004.shtml



Enjoy Peter Tosh's 'Legalize Marijuana'




Discuss

Indiefied- Ra-Re Valverde



Ra-Re Valverde sings with a deliberate and languid ease.
Her voice is made from the thick etherspace of an old genius soul, and her lyrics are very adept wings that carry hallowed vibes from a force we can only be humbly educated by. I can't believe I didn't hear about her until now. Makes no sense that a power of this magnitude hasn't been a major ingredient in the recent fuel of the indie buzz machine.



Nonetheless, her album is available. We don't have to ache in wait. We can support her now, and thank the heavens we've been given the opportunity.




Peep her steelo

Saturday, February 23, 2008

The Curious Bazaar- Etsy Artists of Color



This fabulous collective has come together to represent artists of diverse backgrounds.
Lovelies like UrbanKnit , AnaAya (Mineral Vegan makeup), and Feille can be found there.

Peep the blog and the mission page.

Click the pics to visit some of the fly sellers below



Thanks for the Storque article ^_^







Friday, February 22, 2008

Mumia's Appeal



Mumia Abu-Jamal Loses Bid for Hearing

Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's highest appeals court has rejected a request by convicted killer Mumia Abu-Jamal (moo-MEE'-ah AH'-boo jah-MAHL') for a hearing into his claims that witnesses in his case perjured themselves.

The state Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a unanimous ruling saying the former Black Panther and radio reporter waited too long to file a post-conviction appeal in the matter.

Abu-Jamal was convicted of shooting to death Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981. A federal judge in 2001 overturned Abu-Jamal's death sentence but upheld his conviction.

His case has attracted international notoriety. A separate appeal in the case, regarding claims of racial bias and faulty jury instructions, is pending before the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.




Thankyou Clutch for the news feed

Thursday, February 21, 2008

The Curious Bazaar- Thumbtack Press





If you inhale art and/or create it, Thumbtack Press sells incredible prints, and might feature you, selling gallery quality prints of your work created on bright white stock with an 8 color process involving archival quality inks.
Some seriously mentionable Thumbtack artists are listed below for your perusing pleasure...

*dreamy sigh*

I'll have to get the visuals together and submit.



Ken Wong, Blue


ThumbtackPress As Art Temple

Indiefied- Tekon Kinkurito



Typically anime has turned me off because it doesn't represent authentic Asian likenesses in mostof the 'popular' series our children are exposed to in the West. The characters have been made to appear very European which reeks of colonized, whitewashed mentality. I find this both disappointing and irritating.
Every now and again however, I come across anime that embraces Asian culture enough to convince me that there is some psychologically balanced self-love going on there, that embraces (not worships) outside culture as well.

Tekon Kinkurito is one of these.

With splendidly vivid imagery and a tale that is heartbreaking as well as inspirational without the gratuitous violence that has plagued and pimped modern art in its various forms, Tekon Kinkurito is a transcendental character study that places its main focus on the relationship between two brothers and the destiny of their home, Treasure Town.

There is some violence, but it has a true place in the story, and manages to serve a tale that encourages morality, or at the least, the analysis of good and evil within oneself.

Amazon Unbox has it for 14.99
though you can check zml.com (so much better than Unbox), or any others you might know of for a download.

imdb


Other mentionable anime offerings that transcend colonized boundaries:

Mind Game
(absolutely not for the kids)


Applause for Underrepresented Subculture.

Darfur: A Hell on Earth Update



Thankyou Darfur: A Hell on Earth, for the following update.

(Please see the sidebar for updates via the widget)


The following is a joint statement on China from the ENOUGH Project, the Save Darfur Coalition, STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition, Genocide Intervention Network and Dream for Darfur:

All nations share in the responsibility to do all they can to help bring an end to the genocide in Darfur, and, after five years of conflict, to help bring peace and security to the people of Sudan. China, though, has a special obligation to respond. China also, more than any other government except Khartoum itself, has the ability to help bring peace and security to the people of Sudan.

China’s responsibility and leverage stem from its intricate economic, military, and diplomatic relationship with Sudan. China is Sudan’s largest trade partner, major military provider, and consistent defender of Sudan’s interests in the United Nations.

This responsibility and leverage also stems from its influence in the world, especially this year. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and as acting President when the UNAMID peacekeeping approach was adopted (for which China took much credit), China is uniquely positioned to see that the role of the UN is effective. And as host of the Olympics this year, and thus temporary custodian of the universal values the Olympics represent, such as peace and cooperation, China has a special duty to ensure that the actions it takes worldwide are consistent with those values.

China did take some helpful actions last year, appointing a special envoy to Sudan, providing military engineers in Darfur, helping with the passage of UNAMID. Yet, at the same time, China’s ties to Khartoum grew closer than ever last year, with a doubling in trade just one example.

Of greatest importance, China’s modest helpful steps have not improved conditions on the ground in Darfur. In fact, the humanitarian and security situation has deteriorated dramatically in recent months, and Sudan has obstructed the deployment of UNAMID to such a degree that it is now entirely unclear whether it can ever be successful. Beyond that, China has been silent while Khartoum has resisted implementing key provisions of the North-South peace agreement, provided support to the Ugandan rebel Lord’s Resistance Army, and contributed to the recent attempt to overthrow the Chadian government by arming and supporting Chadian rebels.

The time for patience with Khartoum is long past gone. Ongoing violence in Sudan and the region, and the fate of millions of displaced Darfurians, demand otherwise.

In particular, given the unparalleled influence China has to affect Sudan’s behavior, we will hold China to a “results-based” test. China should use all the influence at its disposal to press the Sudanese government to a) permit the swift, full and effective deployment of UNAMID; b) implement the North-South peace deal and participate constructively in the Darfur peace process; and c) allow the unfettered delivery of humanitarian aid in Darfur and Eastern Chad. China will only pass this test once Sudan has acted accordingly in all three areas.

To move Sudan, behind-the-scenes pressure by China is appropriate, and is consistent with how the Chinese government prefers to operate. But in addition to private pressure, these other steps should also be taken by China to change the approach of Khartoum and move towards peace and security in Darfur. China should:

1. Immediately provide half of the transport helicopters that UNAMID requires, with support from Europe and the United States for maintenance and contracting arrangements.
2. Support punitive measures, such as UN Security Council targeted sanctions, against Khartoum officials, until peace and security for Darfur is achieved. UN targeted sanctions should be imposed immediately against government, rebel, or militia officials who are responsible for undermining UNAMID’s deployment, the North-South peace deal, or regional stability, such as attempting to overthrow the government in neighboring Chad.
3. Verifiably suspend all military cooperation with the Khartoum regime, including weapons transfers, until peace and security for Darfur is achieved.
4. Work with the United States, France, and the United Kingdom in a quartet supporting UN and African Union initiatives in Darfur, Southern Sudan, and Chad. This cooperative work on the peace process needs to be comprehensive. The problems of Darfur, Southern Sudan, and Chad are intertwined, so unless peace is advanced on all of these fronts it will be unlikely to be achieved on any of these fronts.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Dope Quote



"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

-- Harold Whitman/Howard Thurman

Preview Pete Rock's Forthcoming LP



A pioneer in Hip-Hop with numerous classics both Old School and New under his belt, Pete Rock steps to the forefront again with his first release in over four years. Graciously, you're invited to preview the LP 'NY's Finest' slated for availability in your local record store on February 26, like the release of LP's by other living legends Erykah Badu and Janet Jackson. Check his Myspace page.




Extended info is available here


For a limited time, buy NY's Finest at any FYE stores and get a FREE bonus DVD featuring Kanye West, Pharrell, Timberland, DJ Premier, 9th Wonder, ?uestlove and more.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Indiefied- Keke Palmer



Bouncing back from a disgusting experience with a record company who thought they could force Keke Palmer and her parents to reduce her presence to that of a sexualized songstress, the elegant young actress spreads her wings in the forthcoming movie 'Comeback'.

We hope we will enjoy her musicianship in the future as well, with another album, released this time by a company that respects the Palmer family and the youth of Underrepresented culture.


Visit her site to help support her first album (to the chagrin of a record company who tried to punish her for not sexualizing her act, by underpublicizing it).


Thanks Cocoa Lounge



Related site

227 Duffield Street



Click the flyer for more info.

Monday, February 18, 2008

The 1 Second Film



Our lovely global village is doing fabulous things with the collective supporting technology that is the internet. For instance, aspiring film producers can now get their foot in the door with an inspiring grassroots project that turns its nose up at the elitist model that has made it so difficult for film work to be obtained.

Supporting their 1 sec film that will have over an hour of credits running containing the names of its supporters as well as celeb spots, grants you an opportunity to become involved as a producer by donating.

For more information visit the headquarters of their lovely collective genius

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Indiefied- Pacific Division 'Clutch TV snippet feat. Blu' and 'Woman Problems'



Their sound is appreciable, and the content isn't your average 'imitated nonsense' despite what the video initially seems to be themed around. Worth a peek.





Thanks for the word, Okayplayer and Clutch

Indiefied- YMCK



Normally I would overlook heavily digitized sounds in favor of jazzed out tracks with
a breakbeat, prized vocals or illuminating lyrics, but YMCK dazzle with their signature brand of Vintage Video Game honoring J-pop.

Zone out to this.




Enjoy their levels
~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Purple Mag Submission Guidelines




About:

Purple Magazine and UltravioletUnderground.com are part of a non-profit effort to provide independent thinkers with content from Modern Mythic Underrepresented Culture/Indie Artists, Grassroots efforts and Metaphysical/Green-centered Holistic thinking.
We publish in complimentary .pdf form at least bi-annually (but usually issue 4-6 issues annually of various sizes and mag dept. themes) and usually 2-3 times weekly in blog form, during easeful publishing seasons, offering an option to purchase an archive print issue after digital releases.



Submission guidelines

...and general info for Purple Mag have been updated. Click the notepad image below for a large view, and check the back of our most recent issues
(@issuu.com )for updates, and additionally announced categories, themed issues or Purple Mag experiments in the plans. Please email purplemag at gmail.com for any additional intel.

Click the image above to enlarge complete updated guidelines published issue 9.5.


important note: Intentions for multiple submissions of any pieces, should be mentioned upon submission, and acceptance at the latest, to avoid potential conflicts with schedules between publishers. If we're not informed of multiple submissions, especially for our themed publications you've created work for (intended as debuts), your submission may be excerpted, or may not be utilized.
Communication is very important for publication planning, and promotions.

Review note: [Critical] Reviews aren't guaranteed.
General features may be guaranteed if you contact us by email, and your work is appropriate for the readership.

Compilations, Mixtapes, and Webisodes are planned for a return. Contact us if you've ethers or imaging to extend.

Co-promotion and Sponsorship:
Our readership is composed of glowing domes ranging from age 13 to 50, due to a focus on creative intellect that adopts innuendo when there's a message aimed at older readers. Purple is a magazine that readers can leave on their kitchen tables without worrying about the teens in the house flipping through it, in an age that's largely forgotten them.
For almost a decade now we've seen an alarming decline in the awareness of the youth that are plugged into the media that is released. It's completely possible to celebrate the flyer aspects of underground culture that dance in their subtle applause of the fantastic, grassroots/DIY, and herbivorous realms of awareness for underrepresented peoples, in a fashion that everyone can appreciate.
If you're interested in discussing co-promotion (articles by indie artists&indie merchants focusing on their specialties, style shoots, etc), or Sponsorship we can be reached @ purplemag@gmail.com (please also cc. HuemindFantastic@tumblr.com)

Submit for our HuemindFantastic satellite here.