A dollar and a dream- It’s  a verse that’s so little in characters yet so large in context. When bars like this are dropped, it stimulates a thought and provokes the mind. You see, When one dreams, they dream big am I right? In a country that’s so based on dreams I would hope most of them are big. But what happens when dreaming big comes with a large price tag? What happens when “what you know” is replaced with “who you know?” These questions are not just rhetorical, these are questions that people are actually asking.

These days it seems that those dreams that you pursue can actually turn out to be a nightmare. 

 This past week has made that ‘dollar & dream’ verse all the more relevant. CUNY (City University of New York) trustees voted to authorize a measure that would annually increase tuition through 2015. This vote occurred while about a thousand students marched and protested outside the meeting (held outside a meeting that handles THEIR future, because thats what Democracy is). A measure that would increase tuition by $300 a year till 2015-16 bringing the total to $6, 330 with an additional $500 in extra fees. Just for the hell of it, lets make it an even $7,000 every year for 4 years. When times are hard, when people are struggling and the cost of higher education is almost $30,000 a degree doesn’t sound too appealing. The cruelest part about this is CUNY was actually established as a “Free Academy.” Their exact quote reading “A Free Academy for the purpose of extending the benefits of education gratuitously to persons who have been pupils in the common schools of the city and county of New York.” Well gee, thanks. One question, what happened? This is what made CUNY great, a pillar of free and equal education. Now there are some who may read the prices, compare it to their school, and think its “chump change.”

This is where things get tricky, getting people to understand what this means. 

 In times like these, it isnt “a dollar and a dream” its “a dollar OR a dream.” Being how CUNY once served the inner city population, minorities, and low-income families it is hard to understand how they got to the point where they are now pushing them out. Minorities and inner-city students on average come from homes that make much less than another average American family. When tuition is raised and students of color begin to get shunned out of an Education, the attention is then shifted to inequality. Why are there less Hispanics and African Americans in Corporate America, or in the medical field, or even in politics? It is not a coincidence that there is major inequality in the work force. Fact is, today a college education is a necessity. This vote that was held, further helps the argument that this system directly prevents the progress of the major minority populations through monetary means. So throughout elementary, JR High, and High school we are given mediocre education (somewhat preparing us for further advancement) but now that real education is possible they make it almost impossible to achieve it? Well damn, weren’t we gassed.

 When people look around and see reality, they fail to question how it came to this. 

The American dream is quite the brilliant idea. Give people hope that one day it will happen for them, tell them to dream big, tell them its possible. Feed people hope and no questions are asked. The system wins.

Many people do not question the repercussions of mediocre, followed by expensive, education. We the People are being duped. For those who were able to achieve a Bachelors degree are now faced with a harsh reality of student loans, no jobs, and no ideas. Outside CUNY, the cost for education goes into the hundreds and thousands. Upon graduating students are faced with loans that become  their biggest financial burden. Followed by that burden is another burden that is the lack of jobs for new and even past graduates. These are just real facts…the reality that debt will forever hold us back; it is what I call a modern version of indentured slavery. You ever close your eyes at night and all of a sudden you think about the bills you owe, the money that’s going to be spent, and the lack of income you have? You are not the only one. The American dream for many has become the all American NIGHTMARE.

I guess my point is that by stripping our ability to afford higher education, our continued efforts in progress are all the more stumped. That sky that you think is the limit, just got higher while the ride up there will have you nickel pinching and counting the lint in your pockets.

Someone I respect wrote it best:

 “I don’t know what’s worse, getting mediocre income because you don’t have a college degree or living off mediocre income because your paying back loans due to your degree #catch22” – Kia Valerio

As most of us would say… ‘Now aint that the truth’ 

           Its January 25^th, 2011 the world has their eyes on a nation that finally grew tired of the oppression, the greed, and the isolation that their government had put them through for more than 30 years. Finally, the Egyptian nation stood up, went out and marched, protested, and demanded their country be returned to the rightful owners…THE PEOPLE. It was a time of great pride for the Egyptian people, a time for their voices to be heard. A time for revolution that has come to be known as the “Arab spring.”

 As the world watched and for the first time in too long witnessed true democracy unfold, many of us began to question if that was ever going to happen here; what about us?

And so it continued. More Arab nations began to rise up and have their voices heard. Europe was not to be left behind. Those English stood up, looked at each other and said “HELL NAH!” and protested in what became known as the “European summer.” Again, we stood back and questioned if that was ever going to happen here, what about us?

Well, what about us? Aren’t we tired of the bullshit also? Aren’t we tired of the corruption, the lies, and all the stealing? It didn’t seem as if there was going to be any sort of uprising, like Americans were going to sit back and watch without being inspired. Inspiration, however stubborn the person is, is a hard feeling to fight. Well, thousands of us took it in and are now saying enough is enough.

IT JUST GOT REAL FOLKS

October 2011, right on time for autumn, right on time to name our season, the American fall. For too long our country has been in the hands of the corporate oligarchs, the greedy Wall Street executives, the corrupt politicians who through their lies and manipulations have lead us to catastrophe. With more than 14 million people unemployed bringing the rate to 9.1%, a poverty rate of 15.1% meaning more than 45 million people living below the poverty line, budget cuts to the most essential sources such as health care and education, it is time we take back what was stolen from us decades ago. The 99% against the 1% a group of people who own 70% of the nation’s financial assets making America the country with the highest inequality in the industrialized world. If the media wants a reason for why we’re protesting, there it is.

This is class warfare and we’re losing

So we’ve taken to the streets, following our Arab and European brothers and sisters and demanding that our voices be heard, demanding what is right. Liberty Square in NYC has become the epicenter of what we hope to make a revolution. Thousands of Americans coming out to show their support to the movement by marching, protesting and peacefully demonstrating what we are tired of. As you walk through liberty square there is a somewhat surreal feeling. Surreal in the fact that this raw form of democracy is being acted out right here at home in NYC the worlds leading financial market. Shit like this you only see on TV. Walking through, you also feel a sense of togetherness, a sense of unity, a sense of love for what the movement represents. One cannot walk through, feel those emotions and not think of the revolutionary spirit that went through those in Egypt and other parts of the world.

        Of course, no revolution is going to happen without the elite trying to fight back. Police brutality along with government shutdowns of some sections of the MTA has been less than surprising. We must remember that the police force is nothing but a branch of the establishment, so naturally the police will defend the interests of the establishment.   They will try and break us, tear us down till we give up. However, the more they attack the more we show up and the more we show up the bigger the movement. The media has not been all that helpful either, portraying the protestors as an uneducated and unfocused group of people who do not know what we are protesting for. One journalist in particular Erin Burnett actually compared our movement to Woodstock…fuckin’ airhead. This is the bourgeois and the proletariat, a classic tale.

Where is Obama in all this? He does not seem to be going against what is happening on Wall Street, saying that this is a reaction to the corporate greed and unfairness that the American people have been facing for decades. It seems though as our brother is letting this ride out, letting it grow to see where it goes. I give it up to him; usually the president will try everything in his power to shut these things down. The President usually will paint us as some radical movement filled with wackos and hippies. I don’t know if it is the upcoming elections or Obama is just tired of the bullshit but it seems as if he is coming around, we just have to wait and see.

So we’ll continue to march and protest till our movement reaches a point they cannot ignore. October 5^th 2011 was nothing to be ignored. New Yorkers came out in record-breaking numbers to march against the corporate oligarchs with the help of major unions such as National Transit Union, United Federation of Teachers, and National Nurses United. Our chants are being heard round the world, our message is strong, and our determination is resilient to every thing. We the people are here to stay and if anyone asks what democracy looks like…well THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE!

Abraham Lincoln, the man with the tall hat, once gave Democracy a simple definition. It involved no textbooks, no long speech, no complex rhetoric…it was a simple, yet powerful, definition

“Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people”

Well shouts to him for keeping it simple! But somewhere in our history that word “democracy” seems to have been a little, well, misconstrued.

Misconstrued? Yes…but forgotten? NEVER.

January 25^th 2011…a day where you need not to know what Democracy is, but you can see what the yearn for Democracy can do. For 18 days we all watched (some of us actually caring enough to understand) and waited to see what the next day will bring as the PEOPLE of Egypt grew tired of the lies, cruelty, and policies of what was the great dictatorship of Egypt. People in the millions marched, protested, and stood their ground as they waited for that fool, also known as President Mubarak, to simply…get the fuck out.

You would think that by at least the 10^th day he would’ve gotten the hint that maybe the people of Egypt really didn’t want him. It’s kind of like when you want to kick someone out of a party yet they refuse and the only thing left to do is throw the leftover beer cans and chicken wings at them. I’ve heard of standing your ground but this cat just didn’t get it! So the world waited, until seconds after he announced his resignation that the cheers of Egyptians were heard across the world, louder than any freedom ring in history giving them a new start in what a real revolution has brought; actual change. 30 years of being shitted on, the people of Egypt’s yearn for Democracy led them to one of the biggest Revolutions in history…NOW THAT’S WHAT THE FUCK IM TALKING ABOUT!

MEANWHILE, somewhere south in the United States (like Texas -__-) there’s a conversation between two idiots who happen to be married:

Bob- “Oh gosh, its unsightly, Martha look at these Muslims they have gone completely insane”

Martha- “Oh my lord, they have no self control. Well Bob thank god we’re American because nothing like that will ever happen here. GOD BLESS US”

*sigh* It seems like Martha is right when she says it will never happen here. I mean, when we have idiots like Bob and Martha living in and unfortunately running our country, Revolution seems highly unlikely.

I’m neither lying nor exaggerating when I say that Americans HAVE to be the most brainwashed population in the world. You can ask a regular Joe what democracy is and he’ll 9 times out of 10 say “well its what we have right here in America” *hands gold star to Joe* GOOD JOB, dumbass.

Yes, we have freedoms and rights that I, and I can say all, are grateful for. I wouldn’t even be able to write this blog in some other countries, hell I probably wouldn’t even be able to think it!

Listen, I am not mad that I’m American. Thank god I was born here and nowhere else where the actual effects of American Policies are felt- i.e. Haiti.

But, do we really have a full democracy? Lets face it, we really can not go outside and start a mass protest without being bombed with tear gas or beaten with nightsticks. As Americans we’re taught that going against any American policy is both a sign of being unpatriotic or even worse a COMMUNIST. Oh the horror, to believe that everyone should be economically equal-that’s just…its just blasphemous!

Before you guys throw me into to the guillotine, look up communism. I am not a communist (I’m more of a socialist) but the belief of communism is set on good ideas of everyone living equally with social welfare and such. God forbid right?

We have long past the days where the power was in the people’s hands and not the owners of Exxon, Wal-Mart, and Chase. We no longer live in a country where the people get not only what they want but also what they need.

Unlike the people of Egypt, Americans have yet to pass the mark of being angry at the long list of things wrong such as:

Unemployment

Poverty

Low wages with high costs of living

Expensive education/bad education

No healthcare

High gas prices

I mean I can list the problems for days but are things ever going to be done? It seems like the real people of the US have lost their voice in fear. Fear that they wont be heard or fear that they’ll be heard and punished…or worse ignored.

As I watched Obama congratulate the Egyptians in their major victory, the cynist in me thought of what was happening behind the scenes. What was the US going to do to make sure we put in another person who is pro- capitalism and pussy enough to listen to our idiotic ideas? This revolution is yet another loss for America believe it or not. With Egypt being our biggest ally outside of Israel, America has lost a major power player and has lost another “friend” in our continued efforts to satisfy our Empire needs. #Ohwell get over it.

Maybe, just maybe, we can set aside our pride and look at Egypt as an inspiration. Maybe we can look at Egyptians as a people who we should follow and look up to…maybe I’m just a dreamer.

I live for the day where a peaceful revolution takes place in the US. Where people finally get up and say “ENOUGH WITH THE BULLSHIT” and rally out to bring change. (Lets just hope Martha&Bob stay home and shut the fuck up…dumb idiots)

THE REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT IS A STRONG ONE AND THE PEOPLE SHALL NEVER BE UNDERESTIMATED.

My hopes?

That next stop will be Algiers, Palestine, every country in Africa, every country in Latin America, until we bring it home right here. Let the revolution continue!

LONG LIVE DEMOCRACY

We all can remember November 4^th, 2008. To some, it was their most proud moment. To some, that day was life changing. To many, it was the day they thought would change the country into something they never dreamed of. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I woke up, got dressed, and made sure I had my ‘OBAMA 2008’ pin ready to go vote for the first time in the presidential elections. DAMN, I was proud that day because for the first time ever I felt like I was part of something that was bigger than me. Part of a historic change that for many, felt years past due. So we sat there and waited, waited as each state was counted and as each person’s vote was heard. Once Ohio’s mind was made up it was pretty clear as to where the election were headed, and I felt this jolt of excitement and relief. Till this day, the very moment he was declared the winner, I can say might be one of the highlights of my life. CHANGE, actual change came to America.

Am I here to talk about how peachy it all is? Well, I’m pretty sure you know I’m not.

*skips to today* Obama, you have some explaining to do! *ricky voice*

With the majority support of the people, a majority of Democrats in the House and Senate, and positive momentum it felt like Obama was unstoppable. *sigh* if only he remembered to grab his balls off the campaign trail before stepping into the White House…

Where do I begin? …I’m going to make some sort of analogy to further explain my feelings. America is like that dumb girl in a relationship who just doesn’t get it. The man (the president in this case) continues to cheat, lie, etc. and the girl continues to believe and accept his mistakes. WE ALL KNOW ONE GIRL LIKE THAT! We call that “a dumb bitch.” Well that’s kind of how we are. We go through these men expecting something different, something better, yet in the end we just get only one thing, FUCKED.

Obama’s first mistake? Ummm him choosing the same exact staff that put us into this economic mess in the first place! Not saying that America’s economic system hasn’t been fucked since day one but these cats are really the ones who took it out of control. Right wing, wall street type men who know how to move numbers and push money around to make it seem like we’re doing better, when in reality THEY’RE doing better we’re just the ones who they’re screwing. Now, according to Obama, no man is above the law and no one should go unpunished. Well, what did he do to all those who are responsible for war crimes? (Bush, Cheney, Rice etc) Ok ok, expected.

What wasn’t expected was the military coup that happened in Honduras just months after Obama’s inauguration. So no, Obama did not plan it, chances are it was planned months before he was elected BUT he did not stop it NOR did he force it to end. That for me was where I began to lose it for him.

Obama, for the first time was looking typical to me.

Can I just tell you what his main problem is? When you guys read this some may think, “well duhh, he has to!” but in fact that’s what is causing his failures. Obama’s problem is that he is trying to work with people who WILL NEVER, I REPEAT WILL NEVER give him the time of day. Most republicans are in it for the money, the power. NOT saying democrats are any different but these cats play a whole different ball game. A part of me gives credit to republicans; they have some balls for real. BUT who is Obama kidding? They will never want to help him just because they do not want to see him succeed for the simple fact that if he does they will never see the inside of the oval office again. Playing the centrist is not getting you anywhere, and frankly it’s making you, Obama, look like a pussy.

Now, a lot of people maybe reading this and thinking of all the things he has done like health care for example or strengthening our economy with tax cuts and such. Let me explain something to you, trying to fix a wound with the same tools you caused the wound with will never work. Its like putting band aids on a cut that needs stitches, how long is that going to work? CAPITALISM WILL NEVER WORK FOR US! When I say US I mean the PEOPLE. It’s a system where corporations rule, the rich get richer, and the poor dive even more into poverty. Whichever company makes the most money rules, and they will do anything to get to the top. People, are of no value and government has no power. Our friends in the banks, insurance companies, and especially the oil companies, are the ones who are running our shit, don’t be fooled. By Obama making deals with these companies shows that his rhetoric does not match his style. The healthcare law that he got through, although a step up has no government option, is still profit motivated, and still in the hands of insurance companies. To me, that is not a real healthcare change. The bailout…actually I going to leave that alone, that was just fucked up in too many ways to explain.

You see, real change to me is making this country into a place where wealth and power is from the bottom up.  A place where the people have an actual say, where it is not a privilege to have healthcare but a right.

Last Tuesday Obama gave his State of the Union address. Healthcare, the economy, & the wars were pretty much the main topics. Unfortunately for Obama, I do not fall for the beautifully spoken speeches that “move” us anymore. STOP THE BULLSHIT WITH YOUR ELOQUENCY AND JUST GIVE IT TO ME RAW *pause*.  He did not give a solution to those who are suffering now nor did he give us anything different that was really going to bring this nation into a new beginning. It was the same old rhetoric.

Beautifully spoken yes, but different? Nope.

Then he said something that made me go WTF? He called on our schools to open the doors to the military once again. Meaning he wants colleges to let military officials scout on campus. Some of you may find this harmless but why is Obama trying to grow our military before building more hospitals, schools, and homes? Secure our people’s essential needs before all this other fuckery.

“Would you rather BUSH instead??” I get this question all the time AND THE ANSWER IS “HELL NO.” I JUST WANT THE OBAMA I WAS PROMISED!

I feel Obama knows what the right thing to do is, he’s not stupid and his life before politics shows that he can connect and has connected with the people and their problems. He has just been sucked into the politics of Washington, which makes him a disappointment in my eyes…Do I want to see him out of office?

I JUST WANT CHANGE.

He spits the truth. Just listen & learn…

Take yourself back about two and half years, its 2008, we’re in the most heated and exciting political campaign that the US has had in decades; Obama and Clinton are fighting for that one spot to represent…. Do yah remember that? I mean you had to give respect to Hillary off the strength of her political gangster. Obama did not fall short either; the kid in the game stepped up and took the gold. BUT what am I talking about here? Lets get into some detail and maybe you will understand where Im going. There was a long period of time in that campaign where things went off focus, where things got a little ugly. HILLARY&OBAMA getting at each other in head to head combat. Remind you of something? Kind of like the gentlemen (and some females) in Hip-hop. Let me explain further…

I mentioned above that when Clinton and Obama were in the middle of their campaingTITION they lost focus, focus on what really matters at the end of the day. Maybe I look at music a different way, some can even say I think about it too much but I’m one to say that hip-hop has gone down the same path as political campaigns. One artist trying to top another “getting at each other” “bodying” “killing” each other in what they call “the game.” I, and I can speak for many, question when and how the direction of Hip-hop took this route.

There was a time when Hip-hop spoke about something. Some spoke about their days in the hood, others on the black struggle, and some on their come-up. It was less back then, less ego and more confidence. Rappers today have lost what it means to say they are the best. Like in political campaigns, the ‘competitors’ often want to prove they deserve the title in the way of attacking one another, rather than focusing on the issues. I pointed this particular election out because of all the issues we’re face these days, being how the recession has taken a huge toll on Americans. How does this relate to Hip-hop? Well, isn’t music (especially hip-hop) supposed to teach us something?

This movement started in the late 70s, a time where things were beginning to really take a turn downwards; the crack era, reaganomics, and poverty were at their prime. During this struggle, a movement was born, Hip-hop.

A music focusing on the social struggles, the culture, and the attitudes of black America Hip-hop was the new movement in music and it started right here in NYC, the Bronx.

“DON’T PUSH ME CUZ IM CLOSE TO THE EDGE, IM TRYING NOT TO LOSE MY HEAD” songs like Grandmaster Flash’s “The message” and Run DMC’s “Its like that” added flavor, ‘hippness’ to their lyrical genius and their realistic messages. Artists like them spoke about the struggles of what the people who are listening to them go through, struggles that are ignored in what we call today’s “hot music.” We had the pleasure of listening to artists like Nas, historical rapper…B.I.G, a realist…and TUPAC, a revolutionary. Where did people like them disappear? Rappers whose pens hit the paper with meaning, giving their words a message with relevance. Words that actually said something that made you think and even question what kind of world we live in.

BUT Like Mrs. Clinton herself, rapperstoday have lost the point of why they stepped in the game in the first place.

Lets skip to today, the bling-bling, the benjamins movement…a group of rappers that have yet to teach society anything but what clubs are poppin, what drinks get you fucked up, and how much money makes them successful. The sad part is that some of these rappers have the potential to actually bring Hip-hop back from what many people call the dead. Some actually have. Kanye West has recently delivered probably one of the best Hip-hop albums in years. Disagree, but I honestly believe people will be thanking that album later.

“ALL I DO IS WIN WIN WIN NO MATTA WHAT, GOT MONEY ON MY MIND I CAN NEVER GET ENOUGH”

The ego’s of these rappers, trying to out rhyme one another has seriously gone to their head. “It is not about lyrics anymore, its about a hot beat and a catchy hook”- Eminem. Yup, the man said it best. Granted its what people want to hear, but when have people (especially Americans) ever known what the difference is between WANT and NEED. Nowadays, struggle seems to be on the mind of many with a recession worse than what we’ve had in years you would think Hip-hop would be going back to its roots. Unemployment lines need to embraced by lyricists, and attitudes of the people need to find its way back into the mind on Hip-hop artists.

A follower of mine put it best…

@HIPPIESPARADISE RT @SharminUltra Nas taught you history. Mos Def taught you reality. What did Drake teach you, besides  what drinks to pour?<••interesting

*Lights, Puffs*…you know, people nowadays have a problem with the vices of others. You know the people not minding their own business. Smoking for example is a problem for many. People always come to me and say “you have a smoking problem” my response is and will always be “no, you have a problem with my smoking.” Ladies and gentleman, the topic of marijuana…

“Steven why do you smoke so much?” if it was as easy as me saying, “because I feel like it” then I would not be writing this post. They want a full on investigative report, an explanation from a pothead. I first start off by saying “you need to relax, back up, and not fuck up my high so I can explain more clearly” OK, first off if you’re a person who is somewhat educated you know weed is a naturally growing plant, something that has been part of this earth for centuries, something that maybe even our great ancestors enjoyed. So if you know that PLEASE DON’T COMPARE this shit to things like heroin, coke, or meth PLEASE! If you do then I don’t know if I should tell you to continue reading this or tell you to kick rocks. HERES THE TRUTH for those who have yet to try it or have strong opinions on it; weed is NOT addictive, NOT an illicit drug, NOT harmful, and NOT that serious. Let me dumb it down…really, anything can be addictive right? Sex can be addictive, doesn’t mean that it is. Porn can be addictive, doesn’t mean that it is. EATING can be addictive, doesn’t mean that it is. If you’re a pothead and get physical withdrawal symptoms then I suggest u call your budd man and tell him to give you an explanation as to what he’s selling you, cause it sure as hell aint weed. Weed also is not like crack where chemicals are added to it for it to have an effect. Harmful? Not at all. If u can name someone who has died or developed a serious condition because of weed then I will just shut down my blog and be on my merry way. FACT IS, its harmless.

So what happens you ask?

Well, first you get cotton mouth (nothing a Arizona wont fix). Super hungry (I’ve don’ ate 3 meals in an hour, real talk) HORNY (fuck around and you and your bff might be fuckin by the end of the night) but when has sex ever hurt anybody? Then you might knock out for about 12hrs straight…yup HUNGRY, HORNY, SLEEPY #that is all. I mean the thoughts can consume you and laughter might make you piss yourself but other than that, you good. Now for the potheads this might seem obvious but for others it’s a little difficult to comprehend.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN????

Well, what about them? The other day I tweeted about how I would handle pot and my kids. People had different opinions, some agree, others not so much.

Listen, I’m not one to neither glorify nor promote. Weed isn’t for everyone. Some can’t handle it, nor can they balance the lifestyle. Some even get sucked into the pothead lifestyle (no work, no school, no money JUST smoking pot; no bueno)

My kids will be educated on what it really is, rather than let a teacher teach them and feed them bullshit. Education is KEY people. No smoking under the age of 18(I started at 17) but I just cant risk them smoking throughout high school and fucking up. Once you, the parent, is in control then you can manage where he/she goes with their life. Making marijuana deviant in the eyes of your children will definitely make them do it behind your back, which too much of your surprise is much worse.

KIDS, say no until your ready we don’t need idiots giving potheads a bad name.

Oh and for those of you who think it’s a gateway drug, well I been smoking for 5 years and not once did I want to upgrade. WE DON’T all of a sudden wake up and go “hmmm I think I might try some heroin today” C’mon guys, stop believing that bullshit.

So, until I’m proven otherwise IMA SMOKE ON BITCHES!!!