THE LOUDON AVE. CHRISTIAN CHURCH PRAISE TEAM AND MIND DANCERS
REV. ISSAC SCOTT
MS. NICOLE PAGE
THE MACEDONIA MALE CHORUS
BUBBLE JOHNSON AND THE OMEGA SINGERS, RICHMOND, VA.
MR. GILMORE WARREN, ROCKY MOUNT, VA.
THE VOICES OF WOMEN
THE MOYER BROTHERS
PRYCES, LYNCHBURG, VA.
JUNETEENTH 2011
FREE FOOD, FREE ENTERTAINMENT, A FREE GOOD TIME
JUNE 11, 2011 WASHINGTON PARK ROANOKE, VA. 12 NOON - 6 P.M. (FOOD WILL BE SERVED FROM 12 - 3)
HAVE A WONDERFUL MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
PLEASE REMEMBER THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES SO WE CAN LIVE FREE
WE THE PEOPLE
SEE YOU WEDNESDAY
THE ARTIS BLOG
5/23/11
Let's have a little fun. The following was sent to me by my good friend Barry Campbell. It's all good.
THE MAN RULES
At last a guy has taken the time to write this all down. Finally the guys' side of the story. ( I must admit, it's pretty good.) We always hear " the rules" from the female side. Now here are the rules from the male side. These are our rules!
Please note that these are all numbered "1 " ON PURPOSE!
1. Men are NOT mind readers. ( FIRST & FOREMOST RULE) 1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.
1. Sunday sports is like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.
1. Crying is blackmail.
1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it!
1. YES and NO are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.
1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.
1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become NULL and VOID after 7 Days.
1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.
1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.
1. You can either ask us to do something OR tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it , just do it yourself.
1. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials..
1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.
1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, it is a fruit, not A color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have NO idea what mauve is.
1. If it itches, it WILL be scratched. We do that.
1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.
1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.
1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine. REALLY.
1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as Football or Hockey OR FOOTBALL.
1. You have enough clothes.
1. You have too many shoes.
1. I am in shape. ROUND IS a shape!
1. Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight. But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.
Pass this to as many men as you can to give them a laugh. Pass this to as many women as you can -
to give them a bigger laugh.
WE THE PEOPLE
SEE YOU WEDNESDAY
THE ARTIS BLOG
5/20/11
* I would like to thank my students at the Noel C. Taylor Learning Academy for all of their efforts in preparing and taking the Virginia/U.S. History and World History SOL tests. My students put in a lot of work for these tests. And it paid off.
* Here are my early predictions for the 2012 Presidential and Congressional Elections. President Obama will be re-elected by a comfortable margin, if not a landslide. The Democrats will once again regain both Houses of Congress.
There are several ways this will not happen. The price of gasoline is $6.00 a gallon on Election Day. The unemployment rate is 15% on Election Day. Someone finds some very embarrassing pictures of the President and of Democratic members of Congress. Osama bin Laden rises from the dead. Unless one or more of these things happen in the next year and a half, the Republican Party will be toast in the November, 2012 Elections.
* As I have said before, it is hard to beat an incumbent President running for re-election. And frankly, thanks to the Tea Party, the Republican Party is now a train wreck. Want an example on how bad things are for the Republican Party? Have you noticed that all of the candidates who have a decent chance to defeat President Obama in 2012 have decided not to run against him?
* Want another example on how bad things are for the Republican Party? Have you noticed the lackluster support for those Republicans who have decided to run against President Obama in 2012? I have seen more excitement at a Pittsburg Pirates baseball game with the Pirates losing 20- 0 in the 9'th inning.
* Usually, it is way too early to call a Presidential and/or Congressional Election that is more than a year and a half away. But, in this case, unless something totally unimaginable happens, the 2012 Elections have been decided. It is over. Turn out the lights.
* It is time to shut up about the Osama bin Laden mission. We are talking too much about the results of the mission and as a result are running the risk of letting our enemies know what America knows about the bin-Laden terror network.
* It is time to end all of the posturing and all of the silliness in Congress. It is time to raise the debt ceiling. Enough already.
* This weekend, "Local Colors" takes place in downtown Roanoke, Va. I cannot wait. If you have never been to "Local Colors," you are truly missing an outstanding event.
* I am sorry Republican Bill Cleaveland has decided not to run for re-election in the Virginia House of Delegates. Good man. Good job.
* Just in case the world does come to an end on Saturday evening, as Harold Camping says it will, I will see you in heaven.
WE THE PEOPLE
HAVE A NICE WEEKEND
THE ARTIS BLOG
5/18/11
* On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court decided in "Brown v. Board of Education" that our public school systems had to be integrated, “with all deliberate speed.” OnMay 17, 2011, it appears that once again Black children will fail to graduate from high school at alarming and unacceptable rates.
* Through the years I have said that Black children got a better overall education during segregation than they do today. While today's facilities, books, materials and opportunities for Black children are far better now than during segregation, the quality of education Black children received and the accountability that was demanded of Black children in the classroom was greater during segregation than it is today.
* Yes, we have set high standards in American education today. However, we have allowed built excuses as to why those standards cannot be and/or do not have to be met. As a consequence, we have ended up shooting ourselves in the foot when it comes to education our children, especially our Black children. We have created an education system that is based upon too many excuses and not enough demands.
* I am not talking about standardized tests. Standardized tests are nothing but a lucrative racket for the test makers, a game for politicians to say we have "standards in the classroom" and fools gold for those who want to believe that you can accurately measure the quality of education a child receives and a teacher gives by taking one yearly test. I am not talking about No Child Left Behind. NCLB is bad education policy which has done little to improve education. In fact, NCLB has been a disaster for education, an unfunded mandate that has caused many school systems to canablize themselves in an effort to meet NCLB standards.
* I am talking about fixing what is wrong with the American education system. I am talking about having a system that is based on these simple principles. 1) If you do the work, you pass. If you do not do the work you fail. 2) If you can graduate when you are 16, wonderful. If you are 16 and still in the 8’th grade, so be it. 3) You come to school to learn. You do not come to school to act like you do not have any sense. If you come to school and act like you have lost your mind, you will be sent home until you can find it. 4) Some students have a hard life. But, those students still have to get their lessons. They have to get their lessons because education is the key to overcoming the very things that makes a student’s life hard.
* These are the principles Black children followed during segregation. Then, the Black community took the lead in making sure Black children got an education. These are the principles that are not being applied in the American education system today. Black children are suffering because of it.
* Let me be clear. Black kids are not the only ones suffering in the classroom. But, I believe in the old saying that when America has a cold, the Black community has pneumonia. In the case of Black kids and education, our pneumonia is becoming terminal.
* As a teacher I am often asked about Black kids not excelling in the classroom. I give three main answers. 1) The Black community does not demand classroom excellence as we once did. 2) The gangsta’ mentality within the Black community where some Black kids and their families say, "I am Black. I am poor. I am real. I am hard. I do not want school. I do not need school. School is for nerds and White kids. I gotta make that money,” devalues the need for an education for some Black children before those Black children even begin school. 3) Children cannot learn if they do not go to school.
* When you do not make educational demands on children and that is compounded by a gangsta' mentality that often chooses unacceptable behavior and at times criminality and jail over getting an education and legitimate success, is there any wonder why so many Black kids do so poorly in school or do not graduate? Black children are not stupid or dumb. We allow them to be.
* One final note. How serious were Black students about getting an education during segregation? In 1951, Barbara Johns, a Black 16-year-old high school student at Robert Russa Morton High School in Farmville, (Prince Williams County), Va. led a student walkout at her school to protest inferior conditions. Johns’ actions later became part of the "Brown V. Board of Education" case. Thank you Ms. Johns.
WE THE PEOPLE
SEE YOU FRIDAY
THE ARTIS BLOG
5/13/11
* I am a New Coalition Democrat. This is according to a quiz I took by the Pew Research Center.
* What is your political typology? I think you will find the following quiz from the Pew Research Center to be very interesting.
Beyond Red vs. Blue: The 2011 Political Typology A new in-depth analysis of the political landscape, constructed by sorting Americans into cohesive groups, finds attitudes more doctrinaire at both ends of the ideological spectrum even as the center of the spectrum is increasingly diverse.
* New Coalition Democrats represent 10% of of the public. New Coalition Democrate Believe In:
- Strongly pro-government. - Upbeat about the country's ability to solve problems and an individual's ability to get ahead through hard work. - Approve of regulation and environmental protection. - More positive about business than other Democratic-oriented groups. - Generally liberal on racial issues. - Hospitable to immigrants: 78% believe they strengthen society. - Very religious and socially conservative.
* New Coalition Democrats Are:
- 56% are Democrats. - Majority-minority group: 34% white, 30% black and 26% Latino. - About three-in-ten are first or second generation Americans. - 55% have only a high school education or less. - 23% are not registered to vote. - Only 34% read a daily newspaper. - Half are regular volunteers for charity or non-profit groups.
* I pretty much believe in what New Coalition Democrats believe in.
* As far as who New Coalition Democrats are, I do not fit the profile. I am not a religious or socially conservative. I support Gay Rights. I support Civil Rights. I am a college graduate. My idea of having a good time is reading something. I vote.
* Still my political views and beliefs are simple.
* America is the greatest country in the history of the world. Our greatest days are still ahead of us.
* Government cannot solve all of our problems. However, government has a responsibility to make sure the system is fair and all unfair barriers that could or would prevent me from achieving the American Dream are dealt with or removed.
* The American Dream is not dead. The way to achieve the American Dream has changed through the years.
* Education and hard work are the keys to success to America. The days of getting a good job while not having an education are over. Not getting an education is committing socioeconomic suicide.
* It is up to the individual to take advantage of the opportunities that are offered to him or her.
* You cannot blame the rich White man for everything. We spend way too much time blaming others for our problems, especially our youth who choose not to get an education and who take pride in being uneducated.
* With the exception of those living in extreme poverty, most, but not all, people who have not achieved the American Dream only have themselves to blame.
* Everyone in America owes a debt to those who paid the ultimate price to make America great.
* Life is not fair. Deal with it.
* God will see you through the worst of times and give you the best of times.
* I am proud to be an American.
WE THE PEOPLE
HAVE A NICE WEEKEND
THE ARTIS BLOG
5/11/11
My good friend, Rosemary Scott sent this to me. I'm still laughing.
>"Judas Asparagus":
>This is amazing and should bring tears of laughter to your eyes. I wonder how often we take for granted that children understand what we are teaching?
>A child was asked to write a book report on the entire Bible. Here is what was written:
>The Children's Bible in a Nutshell.
>In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one,' but I think He must be a lot older than that.
>Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did.
>Then God made the world.
>He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet.
>Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden.....Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars.
>Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel.
>Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.
>One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.
>After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.
>Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston.
>Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable.
>God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include: don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's stuff. Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother.
>One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.
>After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.
>After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore.There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.
>After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New Testament. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')
>During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Republicans.
>Jesus also had twelve opossums.The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.
>Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount.
>But the Republicans and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.
>Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.
>Peace and Blessings to You Today,
>Have a great day.
WE THE PEOPLE
SEE YOU FRIDAY
THE ARTIS BLOG
5/9/11
* The following is from my good friend Fred Fisher in honor of the brave fighting men and women in our military.
TEARS
We offer our tears for all those who defend our country. We offer a tear:
of Sorrow - For those who give up their lives far from home.
of Remorse - For those who sacrifice their health to protect our shores.
of Gratitude - For those who give up their everyday lives to serve our country.
of Empathy - For those who suffer hardships upon returning home.
of Joy - For those who come home to gleeful family and friends.
of Sadness - For all the conflicts and wars - past, present and future.
of Hope - That someday we will shed only happy tears in everlasting Peace.
* Now Al Qaeda says that Osama bin Laden is dead, can we please stop this bin Laden is still alive nonsense?
* Should former President George Bush get any credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden? Yes, for obvious reasons Bush should get some credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden.
* However, Bush should get most, if not all of the blame for America taking almost 10 years to bring Osama bin Laden to justice. We must not forget that the U.S. military could have captured Osama bin Laden at the Battle of Tora Bora in Afghanistan in late 2001. Bush, against the wishes of his military advisors, weakened that effort by moving U.S. special forces troops to Iraq in preparation for the Iraq War. Bush took his eye off of the ball and bin Laden was able to get away until now.
* If Bush and/or his people want credit for the end bin Laden, Bush and his people need to accept the blame for it taking so long to bring bin Laden to justice, as well.
* Was the killing of Osama bin Laden a United States violation of international law? No. America did what it had to do to bring an international criminal, an international terrorist and an international mass murderer to justice.
* Should America be concerned about how Pakistan feels about the bin Laden operation? No. If Pakistan is upset at America over not being involved in the hunt for bin Laden, so what? Pakistan cannot be trusted. Pakistan only has itself to blame. Pakistan needs to get over itself.
* I have little, if any, respect for most of today's gangsta' rappers. Most will do and say anything to make money, including selling out the Black community by promoting their fantasy of so-called Black manhood. Politically, today's gangsta' rappers are cowardly house slaves afraid of their own shadows. This is best illustrated by their refusal to take on Donald Trump.
* Is Donald Trump a racist? Some folks say no. What these folks don't understand is the face of racism has changed over the past 40 years. You see, Donald Trump is not your stereotypical 20'th century racist. Yet, Trump is a classic 21'st century racist. Calling someone a "nigger" is out. Making a false charge that a person of color is not qualified or is somehow un-America or not an American is in.
* SOL testing begins this week in the Roanoke, Va. Public School System. Please feel free to use the links provided on the "SCHOOL DAYS" page of JeffArtis.com. There you can take practice SOL tests from past years for all subjects and all grades.
WE THE PEOPLE
SEE YOU WEDNESDAY
THE ARTIS BLOG
5/4/11
* Osama bin Laden is gone. He is dead. Bin Laden is where he is supposed to be, in hell, where all devils go after they are killed.
* No, I'm not happy the devil is dead. I am damn happy the devil is dead. I am proud of being an American. Justice has been served.
* I am reminded of what I was told many years ago. "Don't spit into the wind. Don't tug on Superman's cape. Don't mess with the USA." You can knock America down. You can put a thumb in America's eye. But, America will always recover. And when America does recover, watch out.
* Some will say it's about time. Not me. I have learned that there are times when justice is slow. There are times when waiting for justice is like watching paint dry. That's just the way it is. Life is not scripted like a 60 minute drama or a 90 minute movie where everything ends nice and tidy.
* But, I have also learned that when justice is finally achieved, justice is as sweet as honey. And the wait for justice to be served is always well worth it.
* There was nothing wrong with the Navy SEAL operation that killed the devil. As far as I am concerned, the operation went perfectly well, including the devil's burial at sea afterward. The devil got what he deserved. The devil got what he was asking for. The devil was served justice, whether he was unarmed or not.
* Some say we should not celebrate the killing of the devil, Osama bin Laden. I disagree. We should always celebrate when good defeats evil.
* Still, let's not get silly. Al-Qaida is not dead. President Obama has not automatically won re-election in the 2012 Presidential Election. We should not take foreign aid away from Pakistan which would allow it to become a bigger pain in the butt then it already is.
* After the events of the weekend, we should celebrate. We should celebrate having a President who put the best interest of America and the American people above politics. President Obama put his Presidency on the line with such a daring mission. Imagine how the Obama Presidency would have been viewed if this mission would have failed? We should celebrate justice being served, not only for the events of 9/11, but for the events of the past 20 years involving the Osama bin Laden terror network. We should celebrate the Navy SEAL team who made America proud.
* Yes, in spite of what some people may say, we should celebrate. We should be happy the devil is dead.
WE THE PEOPLE
SEE YOU FRIDAY
THE ARTIS BLOG
5/2/11
JUNETEENTH 2011, FREE FOOD, FREE ENTERTAINMENT, A FREE GOOD TIME
On Saturday, June 11, 2011, the Roanoke, Va. SCLC will be holding its annual Juneteenth Celebration. "JUNETEENTH 2011" will be held from 12 noon until 6 P.M. at Washington Park in Roanoke, Va. Thanks to our wonderful co-sponsors, WalMart, Pepsi, Frito Lay, Heiner's Bakery and Little Debbie and the City of Roanoke, Va., food at this event will be served from 12 noon until 3 P.M. Musical and entertainment groups, including those from the Roanoke City Public School System, will be performing from 12 noon until 6 P.M. As with every SCLC Juneteenth Celebration, everything at this event is free to the general public, food included.
Now in our 5'th year, the Roanoke, Va. SCLC Juneteenth Celebration is now the largest Juneteenth celebration in Virginia. To our knowledge it is the largest Juneteenth celebration of its type in the United States. Last year, over 3,000 people came to "JUNETEENTH 2010," where we served over 2,000 plates of food with entertainment while collecting canned goods for the SW Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank. A contribution of food was also given to The Rescue Mission. We will be collecting canned goods and food for these two organizations again this year.
As always the Roanoke SCLC will be providing community education at "JUNETEENTH 2011." Businesses, government organizations, community organizations and social organizations can up a display at "JUNETEENTH 2011" to educate the community about what they do and to let the community know what services they have to offer. There is no charge for setting up a display.
All SCLC Juneteenth Celebrations are part of the SCLC gang prevention program. "JUNETEENTH 2011" is an event where young people can come to meet positive role models, elected officials, appointed officials and others from the community. It is our hope that by meeting these positive role models, the youth or Roanoke will be less likely to get involved with gangs and/or other negative behavior.
The Roanoke SCLC would like to extend you an invitation to you to attend and/or to participate in "JUNETEENTH 2011." Please feel free to contact me regarding this upcoming event. You can either E-mail me at jeff@jeffartis.com or juneteenth@jeffartis.com. You can use the form posted above or posted on the "JUNETEENTH 2011" page of JeffArtis.com. You may also call me at (540)355-4118. I hope to see you there.
"JUNETEENTH 2011, FREE FOOD, FREE ENTERTAINMENT, A FREE GOOD TIME."