Alabama Penal Code 1865-66

The Penal Code of Alabama; Prepared by G W Stone and J W Shepherd.. | Alabama, Geo W. Stone, J. W Shepherd

 57.    Living in adultery or fornication.

    If any man and woman live together in adultery, or fornication, each of them must, on the first conviction of the offense, be fined not less than one hundred dollars and may also be imprisoned in the county jail, or sentenced to hard labor for the county, for not more than six month; on the second conviction for the offense, with the same person, the offender must be fined not less than three hundred dollars, and may be imprisoned in the county jail, or sentenced to hard labor for the county, for not more than twelve months; and on a third, or any subsequent conviction, with the same person, must be imprisoned in the penitentiary, or sentenced to hard labor for the county, for two years.

58.    Bigamy.

    If any person, having a former wife or husband living, marries another, or continues to cohabit with such second husband or wife in this State, he or she must, on conviction, be imprisoned in the penitentiary, or sentenced to hard labor for the county, for not less than two, nor more than five years.

59.    Same; exception.

    The provisions of the last preceding section do not apply to any person, who, prior to such second marriage, had procured a decree, from a court of competent jurisdiction, dissolving his or her former marriage, and allowing him or her the privilege of marrying again; nor to any person who, at the time of such second marriage, did not know that his or her former husband or wife was living, and whose former husband or wife had remained absent from him or her for the last five years preceding such second marriage.

60.    Incest.

    If any man and woman, being within the degree of consanguinity of relationship within which marriages are declared by law to be incestuous and void, and knowing of such consanguinity or relationship, intermarry, or live together in adultery, each of them must, on conviction, be imprisoned in the penitentiary, or sentenced to hard labor for the county, for not less than two, nor more than seven years.

61.    Marriages between white persons and negroes.

    If any white person and any negro, or the descendant of any negro, to the third generation inclusive, though one ancestor of each generation was a white person, intermarry, or live in adultery or fornication with each other, each of them must on conviction, be imprisoned in the penitentiary, or sentenced to hard labor for the county, for not less than two, nor more than seven years.

62.    Same; officer issuing license or performing marriage ceremony.

    Any probate judge, who issues a license for the marriage of any persons who are prohibited by the last preceding section from intermarrying, knowing that they are within the provisions of that section; and any justice of the peace, minister of the gospel, or other person by law authorized to solemnize the rites of matrimony, who performs a marriage ceremony for such persons, knowing that they are within the provisions of said section, must, each on conviction, be fined not less than one hundred, nor more than one thousand dollars; and may also be imprisoned in the county jail, or sentenced to hard labor for the county, for not more than six months.

63.    Crime against nature.

    Any person who commits the crime against nature, either with mankind, or with any beast, must, on conviction, be imprisoned in the penitentiary, or sentenced to hard labor for the county, for not less than two, nor more than ten years.

64.    Attempts to procure abortion.

Any person who willfully administers to any pregnant woman any drug or substance, or uses or employs any instrument or other means to procure her miscarriage, unless the same is necessary to preserve her life, and done for that purpose, must, on conviction, be fined not more than five hundred dollars, and may also be imprisoned in the county jail, or sentenced  to hard labor for the county, for not less than three, nor more than twelve months.

The Attack - Book Review

I came to this book by Algerian author Yasmina Khadra (Mohammed Moulessehoul) after setting aside two other books featuring the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. One was a fictional account written from a biased perspective, and the other was a well-written but lengthy journalist memoir of his days covering the conflict. So, it's no wonder how my third choice turned out to be a charm. It is a well told fictional story about a Palestinian-Israeli surgeon who is a naturalized citizen, whose wife's remains are identified as the suicide bomber that blew up a cafe during a children's party in Tel Aviv. 

The story follows the unbelieving and devastated doctor as he battles through discovering who, what, where, when, and how his humble, homemaker wife could possibly have done what authorities accuse her of doing. It is painful traveling along with the good yet broken doctor as he slowly tries piecing together the puzzle of his beautiful wife's alleged ties to a terrorist attack. As a reader sharing in the doctor's numbing pain and shocking loss, you almost feel him justified in wanting to drown himself in depression. It would take withstanding more shock and pain, along with newly added doses of anger and hatred, before the good doctor embarks on a perilous journey toward discovery of the worse kind.

Captain Moshe: "I, too, was married to a beautiful woman, Dr. Jaafari. She was the pride of my life. It took me seven years to discover that she was hiding from me the most important information a man should have about his wife's fidelity." 

Dr. Jaafari: "My wife had no reason to deceive me."

(excerpt from The Attack by Yasmina Khadra - page 41)

I enjoyed how the author skillfully paints every character you encounter with just enough coloring so you know the type of person being presented. Whether they be relative or stranger, friend or foe, the persons you meet in the book are exactly who they appear to be. It is only one person, the doctor's wife Sihem, whose character alludes you. We never meet her face to face but others, mostly the doctor himself, share their impressions of who she was and who she might have become.

The author gives a taste of poetic writing with descriptions of the mediterranean weather, evening skies, desert winds and such. He paints a sweeping canvas with authentic landscapes to match the peoples and their land. The doctor's memories of an idyllic childhood, running through orchards and along hills on his grandfather's land, showcase examples of the author's descriptive writing skills. 

The flip side of such beautiful writing includes descriptions of prejudice, oppression, dispossession, and a military occupation that destroys the homes and hopes of a native community. Descriptions of children maneuvering around and through war-torn rubble, avoiding snipers and other deadly instruments of war.

The story shares the beauty of family heritage and tradition while trying desperately to survive the ugliness and devastation of war. There is a message in some of the madness depicted. Without preaching, the story shows what can drive an oppressed people to adopt a "by any means necessary" approach to resistance. 

As readers are driven to question just how well the good doctor knew his wife Sihem, another question comes to mind. How much of his own dignity and heritage had the good doctor sacrificed to become a naturalized Israeli citizen and successful surgeon in Tel Aviv. What is the price of acceptance one pays to live, work, and mingle amongst those who might abhor your naturalized presence and success.  And what price must you pay to return to your homeland and see the devastation and hopelessness, then look your peoples in the eye with a shame that cuts deeper than any scalpel. These are some of the thoughts this brutally honest and insightful story left me with. And I am better informed because of it.

I recommend this novel to anyone looking for a suspenseful, literary read with a poetic touch and brutally, eye-opening revelation. There are children on both sides of this conflict whose lives are blown to bits. We who have survived childhood must make sure all children following us have a chance. 

Give Peace a Chance!

 

Der Fuehrer Book - A Warning!

 

Der Fuehrer (The Fuhrer)

published January 1944

I once owned this book, but I recall its writing being a bit stifling in a somewhat older style. So, I passed it on. Now, my being older and more familiar with history and politics, I would like to give it another chance. The importance of learning from past mistakes of others is partly why. The other reason being the authoritarian politics we are seeing in our current times.

Below is a book review I came across by David Drury. It is a lesson in recognizing the methods used by one of the most atrocious, politically evil, authoritarian dictators to cross the pages of history. The Internet Archive link I've provided at the bottom of this post is where you can find the book for free, in print form as well as read-a-long audio. 

The first few pages read like the "Book of Revelation" warning of things to come. After witnessing all our current 47th president has said and done since taking office earlier the year, it makes you wonder whether he is following the blueprint laid out by this most evil of authoritarian dictators. After all, Hitler emulated Joseph Stalin's revolutionary ruthlessness in eliminating opponents, particularly the old elite.

Great Purge - Wikipedia

Night of the Long Knives - Wikipedia

The Devils' Alliance: Hitler's Pact with Stalin, 1939-1941 – review | History books | The Guardian

What it all shows is authoritarian dictators can and do borrow the methods of other dictators, possibly their enemies, regardless of how cruel, barbaric and heinous the crime. And evil is what evil does!

David Drury
(amazon review)

5.0 out of 5 stars

Fertile Soil for Nazi Seed

Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2016

It has become an internet truism that as an online discussion proceeds forward the probability of someone comparing their opponents to Nazi's or Hitler approaches 1 (Godwin's Rule).

This adage of course gives birth to another (I'll call it
Viam Dimittere Godwin's Rule)... that after the mention of Godwin's Rule in an online discussion, the likelihood of all participants dismissing the comparison as over-reaction also approaches 1 at an ever faster pace than it approached Godwin's Rule.

Thus we are at risk of repeating history by not learning it, which is another truism that people roll their eyes at, thus becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

One of the best experiences for me about 8 years ago in learning about Nazism and Hitler was by reading "Der Fuehrer" which is a first person perspective, published in 1944, of someone who saw Hitler's rise to power. Through this book I learned so very much about:

1) How branding was used (nearly 100 years ago now) to create an iconography and identity for those without it
2) How Hitler used the mistakes of others to gain advantage, ever pragmatic. The rise to power is perhaps more interesting to me than all the other work on Nazism after they were in power, in part because it receives less attention, and also because it informs our ability to not repeat history.
3) How Hitler's movement worked around his weaknesses, and leveraged his strengths, energizing a movement.
4) How so many Germans were complicit in this movement, not fully aware of the depths of depravity they were heading towards, as the frog warmed in the kettle slowly for two decades.
5) How much innuendo and double-speak was used, including denials and misdirection on the treatment of Jews, whereby nothing overtly "scary" to the broader public was offered, and instead the "systematic stuff" was done behind the scenes, only doing just enough to terrify others but make the majority feel safe and powerful.
6) How economic motivators, of those marginalized by global economic forces out of their control, are almost all that is needed to motivate a mob to become a movement. The everyday people (volk) are never more motivated than by the fact that they are poorer this year than last year, or this decade than last decade, or that their children might be poorer than they are now. Simply put,
7) I learned how much of this was just politics. It wasn't like the movies or documentaries... it was just everyday politics in Germany. It was more like watching Meet the Press than Indiana Jones.
8) I also learned how many people thought that Hitler was a bit of a joke--that they were embarrassed by him--and the typical reaction of opponents was not to attack him but to dismiss him. This gave him the room to operate, and in a sense by being dismissed he was always underestimated (inside the Nazi party at first, then inside Germany, then in Europe, then around the world), right up until Nazi Troops took Paris if you think about it.
8) Also, I think that there are parallels between all kinds of other political forces (sometimes over-used as in Godwin's Law), but one I thought of recently when reading The Atlantic Monthly's piece on the "weaponization of social media" was the parallel to ISIS, which did much of the above... In a functional way, ISIS has more parallels to Naziism than other Radical Islam groups, in my opinion.

There are other excellent works on Hitler out there but this one is my personal favorite as it is sort of "stuck in time" on what it was like in Germany in the 20s and 30s. Today, rather than analyzing, myself, on PEOPLE that are "like Hitler" I instead tend to focus much on what Konrad Heiden focused on: the conditions that were present and the way in which they were leveraged to birth a movement that changed the world (for the worse) more quickly than almost any movement in history. Germany in the 20s and 30s was fertile soil for the horrid Nazi seed, and Hitler was the sower.

This is the demon who speaks out of the book.

‘We shall talk with the people on the streets and squares,’ says the demon, ‘and teach them to take the view of political questions which at the moment we require. For what the ruler says to the people spreads through the whole country like wildfire, the voice of the people carries it to all four winds.

‘We’ — the demon always says ‘We’ — ‘shall create unrest, struggle, and hate in the whole of Europe and thence in other continents. We shall at all times be in a position to call forth new disturbances at will, or to restore the old order.

‘Unremittingly we shall poison the relations between the peoples and States of all countries. By envy and hatred, by struggle and warfare, even by spreading hunger, destitution, and plagues, we shall bring all peoples to such a pass that their only escape will lie in total Submission to our domination.

‘We shall stultify, seduce, ruin the youth.

‘We shall not stick at bribery, treachery, treason, as long as they serve the realization of our plans. Our watchword is: force and hypocrisy!

‘In our arsenal we carry a boundless ambition, burning avidity, a ruthless thirst for revenge, relentless hatred. From us emanates the specter of fear, all-embracing terror.’ (from Der Fuehrer page 2)

Der Fuehrer; Hitlers Rise to Power, Konrad Heiden (1944) : Konrad Heiden : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Brazilian President's United Nations Address

 

Pres. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Delivers in U.N. Speech

Brazil’s president says in UN speech that democracy can prevail over ‘would-be autocrats’ | Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva | The Guardian

As much as I would like to proudly include a link to our President of the United States' United Nations Address, I cannot. The U.S. saw its Big Beautiful EmBarrassment perform a rendition of the reality tv show he was fired from for making derogatory statements about Mexican Immigrants in 2015. Not only was his fifty-seven-minute U.N. rant appalling, but it was also full of misinformation, lies, ally-bashing and simply downright crazy. Trump's behavior characterized the exact derogatory remark he recently called Jimmy Kimmel, "A Nut Job!" 

'Your countries are going to hell': Trump bashes United Nations, world leaders in speech - ABC News

The United Nations and entire world got a front row seat to the narcissistic, self-aggrandizing, muddle-minded leader of America. And if they didn't understand what Citizens of the United States have been dealing with since inauguration 2025, they do now. 

The proof in that U.N. address makes it perfectly clear; the leader of the free world is unfit to lead, much less host a primetime reality tv show. At least he was forced to leave television to the professionals. Welcome back Jimmy Kimmel! 

Americans ask the world to join us in rejecting authoritarian leadership worldwide, while strengthening our democratic societies against tyranny and corruption. When a leader's number one directive is to teardown democratic institutions, shakedown countries and/or corporations and go all-out "retribution" against those he views as enemies (real or imagined), there lies the threat to national security. A threat from within.

The world needs more leaders like Brazil's democratic President Lula Da Silva. Leaders who stand up to tyranny with courage, regardless of the size or influence of an opponent. We need those elected representatives who still believe in truth and democracy to stand up for it like their homes and families depend on it. When the house is on fire and there's no fireman on site, do your best to be a fireman! 

"In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man!" - Rabbi Hillel

The last king to rule over America, though he never set foot on her shores, was King George III of England. American patriots ended that reign in 1783. They were courageous men fighting against all odds. And yet they endured through sacrifice and loyalty to "bring forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

No Kings

Raiders Offense? OFFENSIVE!

It is now 27-10 midway through the third quarter. The Commanders are smothering Geno Smith and the Raiders offense like barbecue sauce on some ribs. Coach Pete Carroll tossed his signature chewing gum just before half-time, as if to get the bad taste out of his mouth. And here we are in the second half with the taste getting worse. It ain't pretty.

Where is the running game? Where is any semblance of a blocking offensive line? Where are the tight end targets? What happened to making adjustments to take advantage of blitzing defenders? Who is running the offense at this point, it can't be the mastermind Chip Kelly can it?

Yes Raider Nation. Unfortunately, last Monday Night's loss to the Chargers was no fluke. It was actually a premiere of things to come. And here we are, hopeless in a season that seems all but over before it has really begun. Maybe chalk it up to rebuilding, with a team trying to get in synch with its parts. Sure the defense is decent, but we know how ineffective a tired defense being on the field too much can lead to.

I love my Raiders. Love'em like a favorite child. But damn it gets extremely hard watching them go through what is hopefully just growing pangs. 

In the time it took to write the above paragraphs the Commanders have added a touchdown to their lead. The NFL Redzone has become my broadcast of choice as I refuse to watch one more silver and black blunder today. It's so damn hard being a Raiders fan.

Win, Lose or Tie!

Score (end of 3rd Qtr)

Raiders 10

Commanders 34

England "warm-heartedly" Greets U.S. President

 

People let me tell you 'bout my best friend,

He's a warm hearted person who'll love me to the end.

People let me tell you bout my best friend,

He's a one boy cuddly toy, my up, my down, my pride and joy.

People let me tell you 'bout him he's so much fun.

Whether we're talkin' man to man or whether we're talkin' son to son.

Cause he's my best friend.

Yeah he's my best friend.

Trump and Epstein images projected onto Windsor Castle alongside Prince Andrew ahead of state visit

It was a friendship that spanned three different decades. To Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein was a “terrific guy”. Epstein believed himself to be Trump’s “closest friend”, and praised the future president as “charming”.

“I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy,” Trump told New York magazine in 2002. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.” - The Guardian

Crawford Def. Canelo (Undisputed)

 

Terence 'Bud' Crawford makes history with victory over Canelo Alvarez 

The smaller, older boxer took on and took down the younger, stronger boxer. And it was a legendary night for boxing champion Terence 'Bud' Crawford from Omaha, Nebraska.

The super middleweight championship fight was mostly a feeling-out fight through the early rounds. Canelo would land mostly body shots while Crawford got in mostly head shots. It seemed to be pretty even until around the sixth round, where Crawford seemed to outwork and perhaps outland Canelo.

A Canelo headbutt in the ninth didn't draw blood on Crawford as he appeared to convincingly win all rounds from then on. Crawford got more relaxed as the fight went on, and it seemed Canelo got more and more frustrated and disgusted with himself.

Canelo still shows power, and it was almost as if you were watching and waiting for a Canelo power punch to connect and turn the fight completely in his favor. But the big punch never landed, in part due to the skillful footwork, defense, ingenuity, and mental toughness of Crawford.

Terence Crawford is a Smart, Strategical warrior who I believe has solidified himself as one of the greats of this boxing era. He moved up two weight classes for this fight. And while Canelo might have been the more proven champion coming in, Crawford proved he is and should have always been on the same championship-level radar as Canelo. 

Boxing owes Terence Crawford an apology for not featuring him in more championship, big purse events throughout his career. But tonight, we boxing fans are just excited to see this 37-year-old warrior display his championship skills in front of a record 70,482 spectators at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium. It broke the record of 29,214 set in 1982 (Holmes vs Cooney).

Terence Crawford becomes the first (male) four-division world champion in boxing history. Shout out to Claressa Shields. 

I hope the stadium is prepped and ready for my Raiders (1-0) season opener there on Monday Night Football against the rival Chargers (1-0). Maybe the Raiders can take some tips from Crawford and out gameplan and outwork the Jim Harbaugh led Chargers, neutralizing their offense while cutting them down to size. Can't Wait!

Congratulations Terence Crawford on an impressive, Undisputed championship victory!

Winner by Unanimous Decision

Judges Scorecard

116-112

115-113

115-113

Round-by-round: Crawford tops Canelo, makes boxing history - ESPN

Former boxing world champion Ricky Hatton dies at 46 - ESPN

The Gun's Eulogy by Frederick Joseph

 

Author/Poet Frederick Joseph has written an incredible poetic justice piece on gun violence and the irony of one of its latest victims.

I did not know of this latest gun victim's advocacy for preserving the second amendment. He is quoted as saying, "Gun deaths are an unfortunate but acceptable cost of preserving Second Amendment rights."

Unfortunately, a gun has now claimed the life of one who had gone to great lengths to defend its place in society.

The piece written about this man's tragic end by senseless gun violence kind of reminds me of that James Brown "King Heroin" song, where Heroin is talking, telling the masses who he is and what he is capable of. It's a warning to stay off drugs. 

What better warning to society about gun violence than to hear a cold, unempathetic firearm cheer on the violence and destructive nature it spreads in society. It seems, by its own confession, that the gun seeks out advocates who praise it as the instrument of "victory by obliteration."

I am not an advocate for violence of any kind. I try my darndest to not harbor hate in my heart towards anyone or any living thing.  I am a believer in an Almighty God; therefore, I pray for all victims of violence as well as those advocating violence. I pray God will enter the hearts of all mankind, especially impressionable youth who are looking for direction, and guide them toward accepting all mankind (love) and uplifting our human condition through new, innovative means. 

I pray we as a civilization might finally bury the prejudices that come with divisive ethnic, national and tribal-like supremacy theories. Old hatreds, greed and violence are hard addictions to overcome, but we must learn and strive to be better than those who came before us. Or, as the old saying goes, "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana

Our fight should be against disease, hunger, natural disasters and such. We should try preserving the good advancements of mankind while doing away with the bad inheritance of hate. The ruins of civilizations past, due to mankind warring with one another are reminders of the destructive nature of violence. It is not the world that man's destructive behavior will destroy, only the people in it.

'I Could ... Shoot Somebody, And I Wouldn't Lose Any Voters'

- Donald Trump, U.S. Presidential Candidate (2016)

The Gun's Eulogy

by Frederick Joseph

Honoring 9/11 - Prayers for Sanctuary : Safety : Peace : Comfort : Hope

 

Remembering September 11 | National Geographic Kids

Federal Judge Restores Democracy to Los Angeles

 

A U.S. District Judge has ruled the Trump Administration broke the law by deploying National Guard troops.

United States Constitution survives authoritarian challenge. 

For Now!

Story by Gabe Whisnant

California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has responded after a federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration broke the law by deploying National Guard troops to Southern California during immigration enforcement operations and related protests.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco stopped short of ordering the troops' immediate removal but said his ruling would take effect Friday, September 12. Breyer is the younger brother of Stephen Breyer, who served as a Supreme Court justice from 1994 to 2022.

The ruling blocks the Trump administration from "deploying, ordering, instructing, training, or using the National Guard currently deployed in California, and any military troops heretofore deployed in California, to execute the laws, including but not limited to engaging in arrests, apprehensions, searches, seizures, security patrols, traffic control, crowd control, riot control, evidence collection, interrogation, or acting as informants."

Newsom said in a statement, "Today, the court sided with democracy and the Constitution. No president is a king — not even Trump — and no president can trample a state's power to protect its people. As the court today ruled, Trump is breaking the law by 'creating a national police force with the President as its chief.' That's exactly what we've been warning about for months. There is no rampant lawlessness in California, and in fact, crime rates are higher in Republican-led states."

Why It Matters

The ruling comes as Trump has discussed deploying the National Guard to various Democratic-led cities, including Chicago, Baltimore and New York, citing concerns about violent crime in the cities. However, crime statistics show that many Republican-run states and cities have equal, or higher, rates of crime.

Trump has already deployed the National Guard in Washington, D.C., in addition to placing the city's police department under federal control.

"President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have stated their intention to call National Guard troops into federal service in other cities across the country—including Oakland and San Francisco, here in the Northern District of California—thus creating a national police force with the President as its chief," Breyer wrote in his ruling.

What To Know

In June, Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed an emergency request asking the court to block Trump and the Department of Defense from expanding the current mission of federalized Cal Guard personnel and Marines.

The governor's office said the soldiers were ordered to "engage in unlawful civilian law enforcement activities in communities across the region."

Roughly 4,000 National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines were deployed to Los Angeles in early June to deal with protests over immigration enforcement, despite objections from local and state officials.

What is the Posse Comitatus Act?

The Posse Comitatus Act is a law passed in 1878 that limits the use of federal military personnel. Breyer said the Trump administration violated the law in its deployment of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles.

"Because Defendants' alleged violations of the Posse Comitatus Act include allegations that Task Force 51 troops have engaged in law enforcement—a domain traditionally within the state's control—California has suffered an injury that gives it standing to challenge those violations," Breyer wrote.

What People Are Saying

California Governor Gavin Newsom, in a statement: "Trump's attempt to use federal troops as his personal police force is illegal, authoritarian, and must be stopped in every courtroom across this country."

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, in a ruling: "Los Angeles was the first U.S. city where President Trump and Secretary Hegseth deployed troops, but not the last."

What Happens Next

Breyer's ruling is scheduled to go into effect on Friday, September 12, which could give the Trump administration time to appeal the ruling.

This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.

Update 09/02/25 1:31 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.

Democracy Now! | Democracy Now!

Raider Nation Comes Alive!

 

This is the year, Raider Nation. This is our hour. This is our time to show up and show out. 

We are one week away from the Raiders taking the field to begin their trek towards a championship. Sure, the odds are against them to win it all. But the odds, the league, and all the haters are always against our beloved Raiders, so what's new.

What's new is us. We come into the 2025 season sporting a new head coach who's been to the mountain top and won. We are also sporting a new beast-mode running back itching to prove his mettle in the NFL. We got a new quarterback ready and able to lead our offense toward greatness, and a defense led by our fearless leader #98, mutha frickin Madd Maxx Crosby. 

The Art of Robert McFetridge

If you ask me, I say our chances of reaching the mountaintop of NFL football this season are as good as any. Even better. Who the hell is hungrier than us? Screw KC!

And it all begins next Sunday, Football Sunday, Commitment to Excellence Sunday dammit!

We who wear silver & black don't back down from the challenge to compete. We don't wait to fight another day. We go full throttle until the end-of-game whistle sounds. Then and only then, Win, Lose, or Tie, do we assess where we stand, care to the wounded and evaluate our game plan strategy moving forward.

So, Raider Nation, I ask YOU:

Do You Feel Like I Do?

DO YOU FEEL LIKE I DO?

DO YOU FEEL, DO YOU FEEL

DO YOU FEEL LIKE I DO?

Frampton Comes Alive!

Woke up this morning with a wine glass in my hand
Whose wine? What wine?
Where the hell did I dine?
Must have been a dream
I don't believe where I've been
Come on, let's do it again

Do you, you feel like I do?
Do you, you feel like I do?

My friend got busted just the other day
They said, "Don't walk, don't walk, don't walk away"
Drove him to a taxi
Bent the boot, hit the back
Had to play some music otherwise he'd just crack

Do you, you feel like I do?
Do you, you feel like I do?
Yeah, do you, you feel like I do?
Do you, you feel like I do?

Champagne for breakfast with a Sherman in my hand
Part hope part ales never fails
Must have been a dream
I don't believe where I've been
Come on, we're gonna do it again

Do you, you feel like I do?
Do you, you feel like I do?

Do you feel
Do you feel like I do?
Do you feel, do you feel
Do you feel like I do?
Do you feel, do you feel
Do you feel like I do?
Do you feel, do you feel
Do you feel like we do?
Like I do?

Asian American Anna May Wong

 

What Was Anna May Wong's Legacy as the First Chinese American Film Star? | The New York Historical

Anna May Wong - Hollywood Histories

Anna May Wong and “The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong” - The TV Professor

Anna Mae Wong 

(January 3, 1905 - February 3, 1961)

note: also see Chinese Actress Ruan Lingyu

The Goddess | HD Restored Colorized | The Best Silent Film of China's Golden Age of Cinema |1934 神女 - YouTube

Amazon.com: Center Stage [Blu-ray] : Maggie Cheung, Han Chin, Carina Lau, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Stanley Kwan: Movies & TV

Lost and Found: Beacon's Black Community 1850 - 1930

Lost and Found

Beacon's Black Community

1850 - 1930

Author Dan W. Pruitt has done a community proud in researching and shining a light on past accomplishments and contributions of a Black village and its main employer, a brickyard.

Reading this book was a true treat. Anyone who loves not just Black history, but American history, will enjoy its well-researched, chronological narrative. Maybe I am biased, being a descendant of some of the folks mentioned. But I find narratives like this help bridge a gap in my understanding of the rough times and discriminatory practices my peoples somehow survived. It also shows the love and comradery of families that made up an isolated and disenfranchised community. Brockway, New York. 

The story of Brockway is a story of migration driven by industry and economic opportunity. It is peopled with southern black men and women who traveled north to settle in this little New York enclave with hopes of building a better life for them and their children. Brickmaking was hard work. But these men were conditioned to hard manual labor from generations of working the southern agricultural fields. 

What they likely were not expecting was the frigid climate along with bouts of hardship and poverty due to low pay and economic crisis such as the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed. And yet these humble black folks found ways to adapt, overcome, provide for their families and answer the call of military duty and such when its country came calling. All at a time when America's "separate but equal" doctrine perpetuated a system of racial inequality and discrimination that lasted for decades. For blacks it was a time where the saying "one becomes what one's society allows them to be" applies. Although mostly poor, this Black community thrived in family love, lasting friendships and communal responsibility. 

What I took away from reading this engaging book is not that strong efforts were likely made to keep these peoples and their stories from ever rising to the top, but how the strength and fighting spirit of such peoples cannot be hidden, brushed aside or silenced when it continues to beat in the hearts of their descendants. For even out of a pot of poverty and oppression, the cream rises to the top.

The author's chronicling of the untold Brockway story before, during, and after his family's arrival, is testament to the unconquerable spirit of a people who have not surrendered to past injustices nor current gentrification. As long as stories are being told of once predominantly Black communities succeeding in spite of challenging environments and unequal incomes, their legacy of pushing onward toward accomplishing and contributing great things to society will feed those marginalized today who continue the struggle against injustice and unequal practices.  It's their fighting spirit and love of community that lives on.

Bravo Dan!

Chuck Mangione Joins Land of Make Believe

 

Land Of Make Believe (Live At The Hollywood Bowl / 1978)

I saw Chuck Mangione live at a concert my oldest sister gifted me with many years ago. The experience of seeing this extraordinary and passionate musician, wearing his trademark hat and playing his magical flugelhorn was electrifying. He played with a joyful love for music and life. The man and his horn seemed as if they had merged into one spirit.

I will never forget the love I had for my big sister at that moment as I turned to look up at her in the concert hall with Chuck playing away. I suppose I was beaming because she hugged me as if to say, "I know, I feel it too and it's intoxicating," the music along with the shared moment.

And so it was, with my big sister at my side and Chuck Mangione giving us an unforgettable evening of music, that I discovered the magic of seeing, hearing, and feeling the harmonious convergence of a live performance. And it was intoxicating!

Upon hearing the passing of this musical legend today, I became filled with the wonderful memories and incredible music I was blessed to experience in my youth. And I owe as much to Chuck and other great musicians as I do to those family members and friends who introduced me to what music can bring to a soul who is open to its magic.

Life is truly a song that one must sing, play and/or dance to, right up until the final note vibrates its beautiful melody into your ear and settling on your heart.

Thank you, Chuck, for sharing what it means to be alive and feeling it!

Chuck Mangione

1940 - 2025

Chuck's Biography - Mangione Magic

Chuck Mangione - Feels So Good (Nana's Journey Into Song, March 8th, 1979)

Dominoes Donald Byrd

The Harafish - Book Review

The Harafish

by Naguib Mahfouz

This author writes like no other. In very short paragraph-chapters he gives readers everything a good story requires. Mahfouz is a poet, and yet he holds back from making his stories overly imaginary and surreal. His stories fully express everyday encounters people experience in life. And he does it with such flair.

The story "The Harafish" is an epic, multigenerational tale that takes place mostly in this one Egyptian alley (neighborhood). The people and their relationships are in constant motion, entangling themselves into what makes them a surviving community. Nothing stays the same as time moves on, babies are born and the old die off. Of note is how quickly time passes in this story. A child can age thirty to fifty years just as quickly as an old man can take his last breath and depart. It only takes a few pages for anything to occur in the alley. And yet nothing is left to rot. 

What I personally like about reading "The Harafish" is I can stop and start my reading with little effort before getting wrapped up in the ongoings of the alley once more. The older names sometimes dimmer with the passing of generations, but the new names are so active and vivid that they keep refreshing the story. It's like having a built-in floor cleaner, constantly coming through and buffing away remnants of waste from previous tenants.  Yes, the story always seems to refresh itself. Never boring and always offering something new while occasionally reflecting on the old. I like it.

A theme in this story is family member disappearance, while others arrive to eventually carry on family character traits and tradition. It is a battle between good and evil within a family and community. Between these two extremes lie "The Harafish." and all that comes and goes and comes once more into the alley.

pg236. She was struck forcibly by the idea that a woman's weakness is her emotions; and that her relationships with men should be rational and calculated. (Zahira, a most beautiful young woman realizes every woman should be Rational and Calculating in their relationships with men)

I found the sixth of the ten tales most striking in its telling of the life and character of Zahira. Wow, what an end to a tale. You saw it coming and yet you raced on through paragraph after paragraph, hoping to see the oncoming destruction right down to the dark, smoldering smoke and cinders left in a pile for all in the alley to see. A woman driven wicked by her own beauty and desires.

If only her mother had not arranged her marriage as a child.

If only she had found contentment with being the wife of a baker.

If only she weren't so beautiful.

Beauty cannot co-exist with power and money. They will somehow destroy her beauty and leave behind an ugly pile of rubble. Zahira had become rich and powerful, but the beauty that helped her acquire all this was the same perpetrator who sealed her fate.

Zahira became Irrational and Miscalculated her relationships with men. The tale warns us of this behavior in women earlier.

"A woman must be rational and calculated in her relationships with men."

Oh yes! Of all the tales I had read up to that point, Zahira's gripped me the strongest. It is an episode I will long remember for its power in showing the connections between beauty and tragedy in life.

pg405. The first Ashur had relied on his own strength, while he had made the harafish into an invincible force. His ancestor had been carried away by his passion; he would stand firm like the ancient wall. No, he repeated firmly. That was his sweetest victory: his victory over himself.

(Know and conquer Thyself. Ashur learned from stories of his ancestors' things to avoid in life if he were to be a great leader. Even greater than his al-Nagi namesake who began it all.)

pg406. He squatted on the ground, lulled by his feeling of contentment and the pleasant air. One of those rare moments of existence when a pure light glows. When body, mind, time and place are all in harmony.

And the voices sang:

Last night they relieved me of all my sorrows

In the darkness they gave me the water of life.

A Wonderful Story. Not just a great story well written, but one in which its assemblage and linking of each short chapter as you read onward is uniquely genius.

I had read this author's "Midaq Alley" many years ago while traveling across country via Amtrak. This story and style brought back to me that wonderful first discovery of his writing. My only little gripe might be in similar names confusing me at times when returning to the book, but never enough to completely lose me for any length of time.

I am so glad this book chose me off the shelf. What an amazing epic of short stories weaved into a family historical saga. 5 stars

Born December 12, 1911, Naguib Mahfouz was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature.

The Nobel Prize in Literature 1988 was awarded to Naguib Mahfouz "who, through works rich in nuance - now clear-sightedly realistic, now evocatively ambiguous - has formed an Arabian narrative art that applies to all mankind"

Man of Gamaliya | The New Yorker

The Lord is My Shepherd - Canada Lee

 

Canada Lee recites "The Lord's Prayer" in the 1944 movie "Lifeboat"

Former jockey and boxer Canada Lee was one of the most talented actors of his generation, but he appeared in only five films before his death at the age of 45. He was also a musician and stage actor. You can read more about his fascinating life here: Canada Lee (1907-1952) | BlackPast.org

I have always been moved by this segment of the classic Hitchcock movie "Lifeboat." Something about the feeling he put into the recital of "The Lord's Prayer" made it feel as if he were praying for more than just rescue from the unforgiving sea. His character, nicknamed "charcoal" by another character, was the only person of color on the lifeboat. And although there were obviously some racist undertones directed toward him, "he maintained a dignity and rational presence throughout the film."

Years ago, I read a very interesting book about him titled "Becoming Something: The Story of Canada Lee." The book was a very enlightening read with lots of American history from the era written into the story. I came away from the book with the impression Canada Lee would have been successful at whatever career chosen in life. But for the era of segregation and stereotype casting racial roles in movies, the name Canada Lee would likely be remembered as an iconic leading man from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Unfortunately, it was McCarthyism/The "Red Scare against communism which led to his blacklisting and acting demise.

McCarthyism, named after Senator Joseph McCarthy, refers to the period of intense anti-communist suspicion and accusations in the United States during the Cold War era. It was characterized by accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason, often without sufficient evidence, and the persecution of individuals and groups suspected of communist sympathies. This period, also known as the Red Scare, involved public figures like McCarthy using unsubstantiated claims and intimidation tactics to target perceived enemies, particularly within the government and entertainment industry. 

"inside dust jacket flap"

Imagine an actor as familiar to audiences as Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, and Morgan Freeman are today - who is then virtually deleted from cultural history. Such is the story of Canada Lee. Among the most respected black actors of the 1940's and a passionate civil rights activist, Lee was reduced to a footnote in the history of the McCarthy era, and his death was one of a handful directly attributed to the blacklist.

Born in Harlem in 1907, Lee was a Depression-era Renaissance man, reinventing himself numerous times during one of our country's darkest periods: a musical prodigy on violin and piano, he made his concert debut at New York's prestigious Aeolian Hall at eleven; by thirteen he had become a successful jockey; in his teens, a pro boxer; and in  his twenties, a leading contender for the national welterweight title, until an unlucky blow to the head cost him the sight in one eye and his fighting career. After wandering into auditions for the Federal Theatre Project's Negro Unit, Lee took up acting and shot to stardom in Orson Welle's Broadway production of Native Son. He later appeared in such films as Alfred Hitchcock's classic Lifeboat and the original Cry, the Beloved Country with a young Sidney Poitier.

But Lee's meteoric rise to fame was followed by a devastating fall from grace. Labeled a Communist by the FBI and the House Un-American Activities Committee as early as 1943, Lee was pilloried during the notorious spy trial of Judith Coplon in 1949, and his career was ultimately destroyed when his longtime friend Ed Sullivan denounced him in his nationally syndicated column. Lee died in 1952, forty-five and penniless, a heartbroken victim of a dangerous and conflicted time. Now, after nearly a decade of research, Mona Z. Smith revives the legacy of a man who was perhaps the blacklist's most tragic victim.

Canada Lee - IMDb

Cry, The Beloved Country (1951)

Lost Boundaries [1949]

ALFRED HITCHCOCK - The Silver Screen Oasis