There are a few women in my life who mean the world to me. They have taught me great values and showed me love and honesty. There are women in the world who standout to me and make me proud as a human being and as American for what they have accomplished and stood for.
Most of you have never met my mother, she is a great lady. My mom is Charlene Robinson, and she is one tough cookie, but while being tough she is also my rock. When I have needed to cry, she was there for me. When I needed to laugh, she found a way. She can tell from the first two or three words on the phone whether I have a smile on my face or am sad. She knows me through and through and has taught me about love and about kindness and about determination
My grandmother, my soul mate, the rock of rocks, was a formidable woman. This takes nothing from my mother, but my grandmother was my love and my heart. I am tearing up right now thinking about her, remembering her. She taught me about trusting people and giving people the benefit of the doubt. She taught me not to judge people. I love my grandmother so much and miss her so deeply.
(((Gnita)))
My San Antonio mom, my Chacho’s mom, and the mom to many of us here who don’t have our moms close. Let me tell you about Gnita, she is stern and loving at the same time. She will make us laugh and she will share a tear when we need it. She will snap at us when we are wrong, and congratulate us when we succeed. Gnita has 3 children, we call them the biologicals, but she has many kids. The thing I love most about her is that she doesn’t judge, and she loves all people. We recently got together at her house for her birthday, it was a surprise dinner, there were about 15-20 of us there. Before we ate we all stood holding hands to thank God for bringing her into our lives. I looked around and saw the most eclectic group of people. We had black and white, Hispanic and mixed folk. We had fat people, skinny people, gay people, straight people as well as young and old, and we were all there to celebrate this woman, this woman who could bring all these different people together. Tolerance, tolerance is the word. Love you mama.
Though I never got the opportunity to meet her, I have an abiding since of awe and wonder as it relates to Mother Theresa. I am not catholic and don’t know many of the practices or the saints, but I do know that she is a woman who should be canonized as soon as possible. Mother Theresa traveled the world in the name of God to minister to the poorest of the poor and the weakest of the weak. Even as she got older and unable to walk as easily, she did not stop. She loved all people and she gave of herself wholly to the human race. I hope I can match a tenth of her love of people.
Oprah Winfrey is just amazing, she is a force and the world knows it. She is a woman who started out with nothing and worked hard, hard, HARD, to accomplish goals she set for herself. She gives back continuously to all people, not just African Americans, but to everyone. What can you say about a woman that everyone knows and knows about her life? She is one of the women I give enormous respect and admiration to.
These are women who I use as guide and compass for my life and for my interactions with other people I meet. They all offer something special to me as a human being and as a man. That is why I am so glad to be able to add Gnita to the list of women who mean the world to me.
I give much love to all the women in the world how are standing tall and trying to find a way, keep hope alive, and keep trying hard.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Harry Turtledove World War Series
Let me tell you about Harry Turtledove and the World War series. Mr. Turtledove is a really good author. The series that I just recently finished reading left my mind spinning and left my creative juices flowing. HT, as I shall call him, is a master of history and at writing alternate history. That is he takes a specific event or time frame and changes a few facts and continues it along the same path.
To the eight books I have just finished reading. The first series is called the World War series and it takes place in 1942 during World War II. At the height of the German Empire spreading and the Allies not truly coming together, aliens invade. Now your first reaction is probably to laugh or scoff but don’t. HT tells a very intricate story, and you get the points of view of nearly every party fighting. You get the point of view of the Americans, Russians, Germans, English, Chinese, Jews and lastly of the aliens themselves.
Their invasion is based upon faulty surveillance though, not faulty but outdated information. The probe they sent to earth arrived in about the 11th century and showed images of humans riding horse back and carrying spears. On their own planet and the other two worlds they conquered life moved extremely slowly so they expected that to be the case for humans. The aliens were rather shocked and horrified to discover in just about 900 years we had advanced so far having; tanks, rotor planes, submarines and fighting a global war. Having expected an inferior technology less race of beings the conquest fleet left with only so much weaponry. Yet even with their lack of quantity of weapons their tanks are far superior, their planes have jet engines, and ultimately they have nuclear weapons.
Once the aliens revealed themselves and entered the fighting we humans had to learn to put our fights aside and join forces or face enslavement of all of humanity. So we see many unions of groups we would not have seen in real history to fight the aliens. One of the most intriguing aspects is how when the aliens arrive they are so repulsed by what the Nazi’s are doing to Jews that the Jews actually aid the aliens. Many of them saw this as their way to survive and as a way to get back at the Germans who the aliens also now loathed. But later the Jews realizing that they intended to enslave all of humanity turned on the aliens as well.
As we humans are good at doing we fight back and eventually steal, borrow, and barter for the alien technology and use what we adapt to fight back. There is fighting literally on almost every continent of the planet. The aliens could nuke the whole planet and solve a lot of problems but there is a colonization fleet that is 20 years behind and they want to find planet Tosev 3 (earth) intact, habitable, and the people subjugated. But to show their power they do unleash nukes on some cities; Berlin and Washington D.C. to be exact. But once we discover this technology we stand toe to toe and fight with nukes as well. Eventually the U.S., Germany, and Russia win their independence but the aliens get over half the planet and uneasily a peace is reached.
But the colonization fleet is still on its way and bringing millions more aliens to colonize earth.
To the eight books I have just finished reading. The first series is called the World War series and it takes place in 1942 during World War II. At the height of the German Empire spreading and the Allies not truly coming together, aliens invade. Now your first reaction is probably to laugh or scoff but don’t. HT tells a very intricate story, and you get the points of view of nearly every party fighting. You get the point of view of the Americans, Russians, Germans, English, Chinese, Jews and lastly of the aliens themselves.
Their invasion is based upon faulty surveillance though, not faulty but outdated information. The probe they sent to earth arrived in about the 11th century and showed images of humans riding horse back and carrying spears. On their own planet and the other two worlds they conquered life moved extremely slowly so they expected that to be the case for humans. The aliens were rather shocked and horrified to discover in just about 900 years we had advanced so far having; tanks, rotor planes, submarines and fighting a global war. Having expected an inferior technology less race of beings the conquest fleet left with only so much weaponry. Yet even with their lack of quantity of weapons their tanks are far superior, their planes have jet engines, and ultimately they have nuclear weapons.
Once the aliens revealed themselves and entered the fighting we humans had to learn to put our fights aside and join forces or face enslavement of all of humanity. So we see many unions of groups we would not have seen in real history to fight the aliens. One of the most intriguing aspects is how when the aliens arrive they are so repulsed by what the Nazi’s are doing to Jews that the Jews actually aid the aliens. Many of them saw this as their way to survive and as a way to get back at the Germans who the aliens also now loathed. But later the Jews realizing that they intended to enslave all of humanity turned on the aliens as well.
As we humans are good at doing we fight back and eventually steal, borrow, and barter for the alien technology and use what we adapt to fight back. There is fighting literally on almost every continent of the planet. The aliens could nuke the whole planet and solve a lot of problems but there is a colonization fleet that is 20 years behind and they want to find planet Tosev 3 (earth) intact, habitable, and the people subjugated. But to show their power they do unleash nukes on some cities; Berlin and Washington D.C. to be exact. But once we discover this technology we stand toe to toe and fight with nukes as well. Eventually the U.S., Germany, and Russia win their independence but the aliens get over half the planet and uneasily a peace is reached.
But the colonization fleet is still on its way and bringing millions more aliens to colonize earth.
Genarlow Wilson Update
I am so happy that Genarlow Wilson has finally been freed. Some people will say that it shows the justice system works if given a chance, I say that is bull. This boy who is now a man was used and abused by our legal system. This case showed that there are many flaws and problems in our court system. We so blindly let legislatures set mandatory minimums, as far as sentences go, and they tie judges’ hands when good common since should prevail. It is sad that Genarlow had to sit in jail and had to have is case heard by the Georgia Supreme Court to win his freedom. And though he is free, he is still guilty of the charges against him; his conviction was not over thrown. No, he was released because it was deemed his punishment was cruel and unusual.
This is one of those times where I truly believe a presidential pardon, would have been and still could be appropriate. Again here is a young man who now has to try to rebuild his life and move and hope that others will move on as well. It would tremendous for him to be able to apply to colleges and they know that he has the weight of the president to keep him from failing.
What I mean by that is that if George Bush pardoned him that would be a cause to action. This was not a dumb kid or a thug he was a star athlete and he was a very good student. He would understand that presidential pardons carry responsibility; that you had better succeed. And I believe that Genarlow would be up to that challenge.
Of course that is one mans humble opinion. We have seen repeatedly that that man serving in the White House is not prone to doing what is right, but what looks politically right.
As I said at the beginning, I am truly happy that he is free and hope he will find success and true happiness in the future.
This is one of those times where I truly believe a presidential pardon, would have been and still could be appropriate. Again here is a young man who now has to try to rebuild his life and move and hope that others will move on as well. It would tremendous for him to be able to apply to colleges and they know that he has the weight of the president to keep him from failing.
What I mean by that is that if George Bush pardoned him that would be a cause to action. This was not a dumb kid or a thug he was a star athlete and he was a very good student. He would understand that presidential pardons carry responsibility; that you had better succeed. And I believe that Genarlow would be up to that challenge.
Of course that is one mans humble opinion. We have seen repeatedly that that man serving in the White House is not prone to doing what is right, but what looks politically right.
As I said at the beginning, I am truly happy that he is free and hope he will find success and true happiness in the future.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Happy Birthday Requila
I have a beautiful niece, named Requila Shavonne Dezmonique Robinson. I miss my niece very much, and today is her birthday, she is 19 now. About a year ago or more I got in touch with her and her mom, but lost touch with them after my email was highjacked. My stupid fault, I didn't write down all the information Tammy, her mom, gave me.
My niece is tall and beautiful, her family lives in the area of Lafayette, Louisiana. I want to just drive out there and head to the last place she worked and start searching for her, but that would be wrong. I don't want to intrude on her life but I just want to know her and let her know she is loved and missed.
Here she is:
Dez or Tammy if you read this blog please send me an email at my new email bjvance35@hotmail.com or message me here. Know that I love you both and miss you both very dearly.
Family always gets my unconditional love.
My niece is tall and beautiful, her family lives in the area of Lafayette, Louisiana. I want to just drive out there and head to the last place she worked and start searching for her, but that would be wrong. I don't want to intrude on her life but I just want to know her and let her know she is loved and missed.
Here she is:
Dez or Tammy if you read this blog please send me an email at my new email bjvance35@hotmail.com or message me here. Know that I love you both and miss you both very dearly.
Family always gets my unconditional love.
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