I recently had the opportunity to record Nelson Mills III who played trumpet on the 1968 #1 hit “The Tighten Up” about his experience. listen to the mp3 of the interview: StoryBehindTheTightenUp Nelson today Nelson back in the day Read More »
By Nick Cooper Illustration by Blake Jones At a time when most progressive causes are losing ground, gay and lesbian struggles to marry and serve openly in the military are scoring huge victories. Full marriage and military service equality were unimaginable only a few years ago and now seem within reach. Bones, a queer anarchist activist in Houston, thinks these two causes are succeeding because, “of all the calls for justice and normalization coming from the queer community, these issues are the least demanding of structural change.” The Accepted and the Left Out “The marriage equality movement appeared late to ... Read More »
Houstonians are outraged that a judge has tossed the case against animal fetish torturer Ashley Nicole Richards. Comments on the article include: - these sick sick piece of garbage scum bags have no place in this world - I sure hope when they get to hell they suffer long and hard I would love to meet up with these little cowards - This bitch needs to star in a snuff video and - THIS BITCH NEEDS TO DIE! So, people are kinda mad, but what about exactly? The torture of animals in general, or the fact this the act of ... Read More »
They don’t seem to mind the rain. Read More »
by Rad RichToday, Texas Southern University in conjunction with the Beijing Jiaotong University in China opened up the The Confucius Institute at Texas Southern University , as a partnership between the two universities.. It will provide opportunities in the Chinese language, culture, business and other fields. Dignitaries from both the Chinese and African American community where on hand to present the opening of the new school, which will be part of the College of Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences, and will offer student exchange programs. Yongli Wang, Deputy Director -General of the HANBAN/Confucius Institute Headquarters China said, “the relationship will deepen and this will help people understand China. It will build trust.” Guyong ... Read More »
by Nick Cooper I heard famous Israel critic and sax player Gilad Atzmon interviewed on the BBC, and he said two things that caught my attention on the air. The first was something I knew he had wrong, “If you are a Gentile, you can not really join a Jewish anti-Zionist cell, because you are not racially qualified.” The second was pure egotism, “No one until now said that I got my facts wrong, that I misquoted anyone, nobody until now. There is not a single critical voice who said Gilad is wrong about something.” Since Jewish Voices for Peace ... Read More »
It’s been a big week in music, and in sports as well. In soccer on Wednesday, the Houston Dynamo playing Santos Laguna in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals at the Estadio Corona, in Torreon, Mexico. Needing only to tie to advance, the Dynamo were not able to overcome Santos who scored their first two goals in the first half. Juan Pablo Rodriquez scored the game opener in the 23 minute with a rebound off the top of the net after he tried to convert the penalty kick. The ball bounced off the top of the crossbar in front of Rodriquez ... Read More »
by Nick Cooper Illustration by Blake Jones One in five adults in Harris County are functionally illiterate. In 2011, Texas (which was already ranked 48th on education spending) hit schools with a double-whammy — cutting the education budget by $5 billion while implementing expensive new testing. Over the past 30 years, the Texas Supreme Court has ruled against these kinds of cuts five times, but legislators keep doing it. Around Texas now, some wealthier districts get over $60,000 more per classroom than some poor districts. Though there is a budget surplus in Texas this year, it won’t go to education. ... Read More »
What kinds of protests have you been to? The most common formula for either night-time or day-time marches is that by the time they get to the parliament, it’s only a matter of time before they get tear gassed and broken up by riot police. (All the marches I’ve been to have been in the center of Athens, though they take place in other cities and even other neighborhoods within the greater Athens-area.) Have any of them turned into riots? Why? Riot-like events often take place nearby. While riot police are busy tear gassing peaceful protesters, others can break store ... Read More »
The pomp and extravagance of the National Basketball Associations’ All-Star Weekend ended Sunday night. The Western Conference beat the Eastern Conference 143 to 138. Chris Paul Of the LA Clippers was named the Most Valuable Player with 20 points and 15 assists. By Monday, the superstars that were in town, the limos driving them, the private parties that millions were spent on, will be gone. NBA Cares left a lasting impact of millions donated to the local community organizations. While the players are known for making millions, and for getting in trouble off the court, some also give back to ... Read More »
