Wode Maya makes such great travel vlogs and he has really opened my eyes when it comes to showing Africa. Not too long ago, he went to Somaliland of all places. Not Somalia (despite this area being inside the mainland), but Somaliland. This non-recognized country is apparently very stable and safe to visit. I’ve heard of the name before in passing from different videos I’ve watched, but I was unaware of what it looked like. Not going to lie, I thought it would be super chaotic and dangerous given the grave issues with pirates, crime, and terrorism like mainland Somalia, but apparently this piece of land doesn’t have those problems. Seeing the money exchange guy leaving to go pray and coming back to see his wares untouched was mind blowing. You couldn’t even do that in an American suburb, for crying out loud (relax, I would never try to steal someone’s stuff). It was fascinating seeing this part of Africa that you never see in the media and Wode Maya’s adventures really show. He has other videos with him talking to locals and businessmen which I also recommend seeing.
I just needed to see something positive for my own mental health and I hope you enjoy this video, too.
Tag Archives: YouTube
No special prosecutor when it comes to Breonna Taylor’s murder? They aren’t even TRYING to let justice reign!
So some legal people have shut down the opportunity for there to be a special independent prosecutor for the Breonna Taylor case? My blood is boiling hearing about this. I know they wouldn’t try that if Black cops gunned down a white woman in cold blood. They’d be wearing orange jump suits by now or possibly get the electric chair if the races were reversed. Of course, the sellout of the century Daniel Cameron isn’t going to be involved for obvious reasons.
This is so unbelievable, but I’m sadly not surprised given the state of how the injustice system works in America which is a shame. No, just because a different president is going to take office next month won’t change anything about this situation. Breonna Taylor was straight up murdered and the charges were only for a shot up wall for “wanton endangerment” compared to a woman who was killed even though she and her boyfriend had nothing to do with some drug-based criminals. This shouldn’t have happened.
See, I didn’t ignore the Breonna Taylor case or any other stories of racial injustice even though I haven’t posted on here as much recently.
Breonna, you didn’t deserve this…
Some things that made me smile a bit very recently
I’ve been feeling anxious and sometimes depressed over the past few days, but there have been some little things to make me a bit better. This isn’t some major post, but just some things that I found to be interesting.
Snarky Puppy:
I heard of this band when I binge watched/listened some Tiny Desk Concerts while doing some online work. They are certainly talented and I’ve been checking out more of their music recently. Fans of jazz, funk, jam bands or just instrumental music in general should definitely check them out. I’m also going to reference a certain meme…Snarky Puppy isn’t a real puppy. Bonus points if you know that reference.
Cameo:
Some of you know I’ve been on a bit of a funk trip recently. I’ve known about Cameo for a long time even though they were big before I was born. Yes, I only knew them for “Word Up” for the longest time, but I realized that they have so many other good songs or how some R&B and rap songs that came out during my childhood sampled their music. Listening to this song did spark a memory because the “strawberry, raspberry…” line was sampled in Mariah Carey’s song “Loverboy” back in the early 00s. However, I prefer the original version of “Candy”.
TK Cooper Vs. Chuck Mambo in a social distancing pro wrestling match:
The indie pro wrestling scene has been hurting due to the virus, so some of them are doing funny and creative things with their talents. Exhibit A: The Social Distancing Match. Samoan-New Zealander wrestler TK Cooper and British wrestler Chuck Mambo have a YouTube show and tag team called Escaping the Midcard. Since they can’t be in an arena let alone be less than 6 feet apart, they choreographed a match in their respective homes by themselves and edited the footage to make it look like they’re hitting each other. The results are hilarious! Also, Eddie Dennis makes a cameo. It’s not meant to be serious, but I’m sure people might find it to be at least a little bit funny.
I hope you’re doing okay, everyone!
So I’ve been on a jazz kick recently…Here’s Stanley Clarke.
I used to listen to some jazz when I was a kid mainly because my mom would usually have the jazz station on (RIP WNUA 95.5) whenever she would drive me somewhere. I had a long hiatus of sorts during my teens as I listened to a bunch of indie rock, metal, J-pop and punk during my teens and early college years. My tastes have certainly changed since then as I’ve been getting into avant-garde stuff, African music, funk and back into jazz.
I’ve been listening to the classics and more modern stuff with composers, bands, and organ trios of all things.
Wow was I not aware of Stanley Clarke back then?
I randomly looked for bass solos on YouTube and found this video of this legendary bass player just tearing it up with an upright bass. This blew my mind and I listened to some of his discography and his superband SMV with Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten.
It’s been awesome getting into jazz again. Maybe I can improve as a musician to play some of that kind of music.
Lisa Cabrera tells like it is: A More Diverse America Is Safer Too
[WARNING: Video contains strong language]
I was checking out this news commentary from YouTuber Lisa Cabrera and I just had to share it on my blog. This destroys so many lies in the mainstream media. When New York’s police department didn’t police the black communities as much, crime actually went DOWN!
But wait, mainstream media says black and brown communities do all the crime and need to be locked up or gunned down, right?
WRONG!
This is awesome news and it proves me right how so many of these unjust cases involve escalated situations, fabricated stories, false accusations, and trying to feed into the prison-industrial complex. How is it that most nonwhite prisoners are there for nonviolent offenses like drug possession (assuming if they did it)? This only proves how unjust the American justice system is and how it’s color coded. Would they profile and brutalize the Caucasian communities especially if they’re in affluent areas? I don’t think so. Lisa also brought up great parallels with Black Wall Street and Rosewood with how they were wealthy black neighborhoods that had negligible crime at best.
Seriously, screw bigotry. I want there to be equal justice.
Video courtesy of Lisa Cabrera.
“Accept responsibility for what happened.” My thoughts on a D. L. Hughley video.
I haven’t paid attention to D. L. Hughley since The Hughleys show back in the day. I knew he did some TV work long after that, but I wasn’t familiar with his current show. He made commentary about a New Hampshire politician named Werner Horn who said that “Owning slaves doesn’t make you a racist.”
Let that sentence sink in. This wasn’t a politician from 1819, but from 2019. This Horn ignoramus doubles down by saying that race had nothing to do with slavery, but for business and taking care of one’s family. DO I EVEN NEED TO EXPLAIN HOW STUPID AND FALLACIOUS IT IS?
There are people who are defending the indefensible which greatly disturbs me. If it wasn’t about race, then why did they enslave other White people in America? No, the Transatlantic slave trade was a money maker for so many companies and everyone knows it. No, the White people who did work in the fields (mainly the Irish at the time) weren’t slaves, they were indentured servants which isn’t the same thing, so don’t bring up that false equivalency.
What disturbs me even more is that more people aren’t calling out that Werner Horn devil for his racist and denial-loaded comment. D. L. Hughley brings up great points about that issue in this video.
I had to get this off my chest after discovering this clip.
This video is used under fair use laws and is property of D. L. Hughley and TV One.
The saddest PSA I’ve ever seen in my life.
I’ve heard about this video that’s been making the rounds. I would like to give a shout-out to Jill Dennison for her post on this and related subjects.
Sandy Hook Promised dropped this video which is very timely and relevant since school started not too long ago. I won’t spoil what happens in the video, but let’s say it starts like a normal back-to-school supplies commercial before the content gets EXTREMELY deconstructive and inverted which would be an understatement. I remember seeing that Evan video last year, and this tops that video by far. This is the reality of America where kids have to deal with lockdown drills and by getting bulletproof backpacks or transparent backpacks for school.
Do you see students in Canada, Japan, or even Ethiopia having to worry about this in their day-to-day school lives?
I’m glad this video has been getting lots of attention as it is a mirror on our society in America. I hope the politicians on both political sides of the spectrum see this and do something about these atrocities.
Isn’t it a shame that these politicians would rather have their own children or grandchildren slaughtered than to curb mass shootings?
Korisa’s Significant List Trailer
Some of you may have remembered me mentioning my friend Korisa a while ago. Yesterday, she started a YouTube channel where she’s doing a project called The Significant List. It’s a really cool idea and I want you to hear it from her in this video. I’m stoked that this project is going to be a reality. Also, I did the ukulele music at the end of the video. Seriously, please check out Korisa Madayag’s work.
Ospreyshire's Realm 