by Leroy Moore/Illin and Chillin

From Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Damon Wayans up
to Dave Chappelle, Black male comedians have given us
a belly full of laughs and brought out some serious
issues in their diverse characters they play dealing
with the Black community. Many are purely fictional
but the stories behind them and the new ground they
broke needs some attention. As a Black disabled
researcher, it hit me, all the male Black comedians
I've mentioned have used disabled characters in their
movies, on stage and on television series. Sometimes
especially, us, Americans, take things a little bite
too serious and can't laugh at our own selves. Yes, I
have to admit many of the characters these Black
comedians take on are not politically correct but damn
they are hella funny if you can laugh at yourself.
Lets go back to the controversial Steve Wonder act on
Saturday Night Live, SNL, by Eddie Murphy. I remember
the media outcry when Murphy did Stevie. When I watch
these old Saturday Night Live episodes, I'm on the
floor holding my gut watching Eddie Murphy rocking
back and forth almost falling off his stomp next to
the piano. I love Stevie but Eddie was so good in
this role. Lets stay with Eddie Murphy. Did his
early years on SNL give him the ideas of his later
disabled characters in Nutty Professor, Bowfinger and
his short lived animated family, The PJs. How did
he do his research in these characters? What about
the social environments surrounding these characters.

In PJs, that took place in an inner city housing
project had many disabled characters. Is this too far
fetch! It'd make you wonder about poverty and
disability in the Black community! Many people didn't
like the PJs but if we can have sitcoms like Friends,
Married With Children and these reality shows why
can't we have some real Black reality? However other
movies like Bowerfinger just plopped a disabled
character in the middle of the movie with very little
plot for just a few laughs.

Toward the end of the king of Black comedy,
Richard Pryor's career, he played a blind man in See
No Evil Hear No Evil. This was a great tag team movie
with his close friend, Gene Wilder. Although the
movie was hysterical it brings up a lot of issues we
face today i.e. how some like the law enforcement,
treat people who are blind and deaf. Although Pryor
and Wilder saw a murder took place nobody including
law enforcement would listen to them, thinking they
couldn't have any knowledge about the case. The issue
of race is another theme that came up in Seeing No
Evil Hearing No Evil. The question, can blind and
deaf people be racist especially when they have to
relay on each other for survival? I recommend you
check out this movie again and go beyond the jokes!
How can we forget all the hoopla when the Wayans'
Brothers came out with In Living Color. The disabled
community nailed Damon Wayans to the wall when he came
out with Handyman, a Black superhero with cerebral
Palsy. This character was hella funny especially when
you found out that Handyman was protecting the rights
of the disabled in his own way.

This was agroundbreaking way to see a Black man with Cerebral
Palsy. I have Cerebral Palsy and I almost bust my
head wide open when I saw Handyman for the first time.
I was also proud to see a Black show tackle this
issue. As many have found out that this character was
not a big stretch for Damon Wayans because of his own
disability. Damon was born with a clubfoot, wore
braces and endured many operations. He went on to
make the comedy Blankman in the mid-nineties, a
regular Black young man living in the inner city that
thinks he has super powers so he tries to save his
hood. In 1999 I was so much inspired by the character
of Handyman that I wrote my own fiction story
entitled: The Battle of the Century: Handyman vs.
Superman. The plot in this short story is two
disabled superheroes, one Black and other White are
called on to save the day.

Today the polite gloves are off with Dave Chappelle.
His first skit on his hot comedy show was
out-of-the-box about a Black blind KKK member. I know
this sounds almost impossible and I thought so too
until I read the background of this character named
Clayton Bigsby. Dave Chappelle in an interview said
Bigsby never knew he was Black. He was raised in an
all white orphanage for the Blind and doctors used to
tell him that everybody in the orphanage including
himself was white. What really sparked my interest is
how Clayton Bigsby came to life. Dave Chappelle's
said in the same interview that his father looks like
he is White but he continues to say he is Black. It
got so bad that during Martin Luther King Days Black
bus rider harassed him because they thought he was
White. So Bigsby goes around with his hood on
preaching how he hates niggers. I have to say Clayton
Bigsby has me on the floor. On a serious tip, it
also shows how hate can boil in anybody if the wrong
people have control over his or her environment. I
know someone will say Leroy how can you laugh at that?
My answer Chappelle is a comedian that deals with
Black issues and as a Black man I can strip away the
laughter and see the serious side of his characters
and I can also laugh at the seriousness of it too.
You have to admit, the examples above are damn funny!

I wonder where are all my Black women comedians
doing their jokes and characters that have
disabilities? It is good to laugh at yourself and it
is also good to have empowering serious roles for
disabled Black characters like movies such as Radio,
Bone Collector and The Water Dance to name a few.
Keep on laughing but also go deeper in these comedies
to sees the connection in today society on the big
screen. it is there!

by Staff Writer

The New Journalism/Poverty Studies Institute of POOR Magazine, one of the few training programs in the country specifically focused on studying, researching, investigating and doing media and art on the root causes of poverty and racism is offering its Summer session

Summer Classes offered;

1)Writing for Activism

2) Resistance Literature and Film

3)Basic Computer Skills -

4) Mentoring/Coaching for Activists

5) Poetry For Social Change

1) WRITING FOR ACTIVISM WORKSHOP

7 WEEKS

COST $85

TUESDAYS 7-930

LEARN TO WRITE FOR PUBLICATIONS IN ACTIVIST VENUES USING FIRST PERSON NARRATIVE AND OTHER CREATIVE WRITING TEQUINES AND ATTEND ANDPARTICIPATE IN ACTIVIST NEWS EVENTS

2) RESISTANCE LITERATURE AND FILM

DISCUSS AND WRITE ABOUT RESISTANCE LIT. AND FILM APPLYING KNOWLEDGE TO CURRENT MEDIA ACTION EVENTS

7 WEEKS

COST $60

THURSDAYS 7-930

3)BASIC COMPUTER SKILLS

EMAIL, WORD PROCESSING, INTERNET SEARCH…

7 WEEKS

COST $50

FRIDAYS 11-12’30

4) Mentoring/Coaching for Activists

SPECIAL ISSUES AROUND WORK AND LIFE
LIFE QUESTIONS (WHY ACTIVISM, WHY CARE )
HOW DO YOU BECOME INVOLVED?

7 WEEKS

COST $100

THURSDAY EVENINGS

5) Poetry and Spoken Word for Social Change

ACTIVISM IN SPOKEN WORD AND POETRY!!! Are you interested in writing poetry that examines social issues and calls for social change? We offer support and experienced critique in small group settings with poets from diverse backgrounds. We will help you develop your skills and your vision. If you’ve never written before, we’ll help get the words flowing. If you’re experienced, we can help you further develop your unique voice. Instructors include activists, published writers/poets and a psychotherapist. All ages, and levels are welcome!

Held at the Poverty Studies Institute at POOR Magazine
in San Francisco

7wks for $95.00

Tuesdays 5:30 -7:00 starting the first week of July Call (415) 863-6306 or email; deeandtiny@poormagazine.org to register-

Classes are facilitated by published media activists with 9 years experience in Bay Area independent media Guest Teachers and scholars at the institute are what POOR calls "poverty scholars" ie people who have experienced poverty and racism first-hand through experiences with homelessness, welfare, incarceration, systems abuse, disability, police harassment, etc.

Groups are small with supportive critique and analysis on students' work and learning process. Students will have opportunities to publish work in small press publications and independent on-line, print and broadcast media
To register call (415) 863-6306 or email; deeandtiny@poormagazine.org

The New Journalism/Poverty Studies Institute is an educational project of POOR Magazine, a grassroots, non-profit arts organization founded in 1996 by a previously homeless, currently at-risk, mother daughter team. POOR provides vocational training, creative arts and literacy education, and advocacy to very low and no income adults and children in the Bay Area, with the goal of deconstructing the margins of class and race oppression. POOR publishes several media projects including an on-line news-service PoorNewsNetwork/PNN dedicated to providing media on issues of poverty and racism, A KPFA radio broadcast of PNN, POOR Press/digital Resistance - a publishing and training project for poor youth and adults and The Po' Poets Project, a poetry and spoken word project.

by Steven Trainor/Special to PNN

Clusters. Sporadic segregation. Homes of deficient housing. Shambled
shacks and dying grass, when will our messiah come. The smooth kiss from
the spirit of the street as she hides behind the cast iron fencing.
Aggravated mugs glare endless into the mirror's of poverty as a mean to end
our woes.

Refusal, defiance. My brothers who tailor the sidewalks carry their burdens
as a smile of ease. Heat. Sweating hunches at the ghetto bower. Here is
the home of wreckage. This is the plan of finacial demise. Here within the
metal street signs and gang graffiti. Comal and Third.

Parks dazzled in Hollywood fashion as young African children stand staring,
wishing to grip their fingers around monkey bars. The camera's expose
stillness. Something unknown to the nature of the HOOD. Hands work
faculties of cleaning. Never gracing the simple pleasures in life. It is
here where we suture our wounds of poverty. A sense of brotherhood only the
projects know.

Sleek skin framed by black hair, catches my guards low. I wish to know her
flesh, she is aware and smiling. A daughter to the same pain as I.
Yearning to touch her skin. Wishing to examine her coils. For she is a
gift to these long drawn days. Sister to the street, mother of the future.

Windows heavily shaded as to not embrace violation. A standard
understanding, unperiled by strangers and residents alike. For he who
comes unknowing shall fall victim to the strife of the block which is
traveled.

Savage. Unrelenting. A constant state of constant awareness. Flowing
movement. Always alive. A place of weakness and strength. There is no
medium. It either is or it is not. There are nothing but crumbling homes
and broken dreams. And a place to rest your head. Comal and Third.

by Tiny and Linda William

The deep sounds of never ending, mind-numbing,headache generating traffic bombarded the weather-beaten glass of the 6 motel (not to be confused with the pricier Motel 6), as I sat with displacement survivor and former Valencia Gardens tenant Linda William.

Driving up highway 80 East I kept referring to my friend and fellow PNN writer's careful directions, " Its sort of near Vallejo" she had said quietly on the phone, the weight of her horrendous dilemma flooding her voice, " I couldn't actually afford a motel in Vallejo, they were too expensive and all the cheap ones were filled" , she concluded wearily

It had been almost two years since Linda took the "sweet deal" offerred by Housing Authority to move out of her long-time residence at Valencia Gardens in San Francisco, Valencia being one of many hundreds of public housing projects in the Bay Area and across the nation labeled "bad" and targeted for "redevelopment" which resulted in the massive displacement of low-income tenants from public housing to essentially "a piece of paper" i.e., these tenants were handed a section 8 voucher and alot of promises of available market rate or privately owned low-income housing projects but ended up, like Linda, homeless, or as those of us in the know say; public housing was better than no housing, "they gave me a section 8 certificate and said I could go anywhere with it, of course I had always had a dream of moving out of the city with my 2 kids and I thought this was my big chance"

As Linda spoke the hairs stood up on the back of my neck, I, too, was relying on a pending section 8 certificate to stabilize the ever unstable housing of myself, my mother and my 9 month old son, but from all the recent reports out of the Bush administration, this "stable housing" might remain a dream.

"So with that certificate I started the search for housing in Vallejo, Fairfield and Marin, "Linda continued her story unphased by my uh huhs and head nodding, "well whaddya know, I found closed wait lists on almost all the low-income housing units in all of those places and all the rest of the landlords wouldn't even return my calls when I told them I had section 8" As Linda continued to explain how she transferred her certificate to Alameda County hoping for better luck in Oakland, I remembered the hideously classist and racist experience of trying to find an apartment when I told landlords that I was on section 8, "Ohhhhh noooo, I don't think so" they would say, dreams of welfare moms dancing in their collective land-holding heads.

"Eventually, I found a place in the middle of so much gang-mess, that one of my babies almost got shot last month, so I gave up and moved to this motel and now my section 8 worker is telling me that it doesn't matter anyway, cause due to the Bush-inspired cuts they probably won't have any money left in the section 8 program to fund another apartment for me anyway…and I'll end up homeless….." her voice trailed off into sadness and the whoosh of the highway filled the rooms silence

Linda was referring to the very serious cuts that the Section 8 program is facing due to the Bush Adminstrations' cuts to the program of 1.6 billion causing places like New York city to lose millions of dollars for existing section 8 vouchers and Alameda County not having enough money in May to even cover the rents of vouchers already in use.

"and now I hear that people are being offerred more sweet deals by housing authority to move out of the Bayview so rich people like Newsom and his buddies can make big bucks redeveloping the Bayview…."Linda paused to hold back an onslaught of tears, " all I can say to those folks is; Don't be fooled.. Hold onto what you have… Valencia Gardens had its problems, but it was still my home…it was still housing…"

To tell your story of eviction or displacement call PNN at (415) 863-6306 , to get involved in fighting the redevelopment effort of the Bayview call Bianca Henry at Family rights and Dignity (415) 346-3740,

by Staff Writer

Muteado is a youth member at the Po' Poets Project.

"This book was created by the people for the people.

by Virginia Velez/Special to PNN

Before welfare de-form, I did all the right things to get out of poverty as a single mom. Luckily, I only have one child, a very rebellious, independent child. Anyway, I went to college when he was eight. It was the 80's and I worked part-time in the very university I was attending 22 hours a week so I could get health benefits for my child and I. It was a while before the financial aid folks noticed, then they forced me to give up my nice job on campus to take work-study for much less pay and no medical benefits, or I would lose my grants. Luckily, another single mom told me I could get AFDC, at least for Medicaid and food stamps, and I did. I did so well in that Washington state university that I got a fellowship to go to the most elite school in California.

I got there and my son and I immediately started going thru it. I had no shame about being poor, but for my adolescent child living in Palo Alto among the wealthiest people in the world, my condition became shameful. On top of that, I was suffering from depression after a while there. I've recently been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder from the domestic abuse I suffered with my son's father. I could tell back then that my child was turning against me for not having a man to take us out of poverty, as the fairy tales say. The school fellowship couldn't cover the really high rent because the university forced single moms to rent 2-bedrooms on campus even though other students without kids shared one-bedroom apartments on campus. I had to take out loans because I could only get food stamps and Medicaid with work study while I attended fancy-pants Stanford university. Of course, since Clinton, single moms can't even get that, so I was extremely lucky or I'd never have gone to college at all, but it was a struggle even BC (Before Clinton).

My son internalized all society's judgments, and he ran away at 13 and left my poor and blue behind for a brother on campus whom I had befriended primarily to be my son's 'big brother'. This very self-righteous man, who had a new red sporty car instead of a raggedy old station wagon like I had, very eagerly took my son in and immediately applied to be a foster parent, and here came the law. Dummy me called them to ask for a social worker or someone to help me get my son home and work things out. Yup, obviously Stanford had affected my good-South-Bronx-ghetto-child sense. To defend my actions, I'll say that I saw CPS in Seattle actually worked hard to reunite someone I knew who had a coke addiction and almost had her children molested by her boyfriend. I should also say that the main reason that CPS worked so hard to reunite that young mom with her kids was that the mom's sister, who took the kids in, was a lesbian! So yes, it was a stupid move, but I was desperate to get him brought back home, and I thought a runaway was treated as such and they would try to get him to stay home and do therapy, which they seem to do often enough for white single moms, from what I'd seen.

The police, CPS, social workers, all did absolutely nothing. They did not care that it was killing me that my child was with a single man. They did not care that never before had anything been held against me in my caring for my child, alone, for 13 years. They did not care I was sad and depressed from finances, and from having to be around the most selfish, ego-centric, richest and most messed up people in the world, while I worked my butt off in my studies and part-time work. They didn't care that I had never missed my son's ball games or concerts, that I begged and wheedled and finally scrounged up the dough for the child to have a clarinet because I had no credit and couldn't rent him one, that I'd made sure he never had a single cavity in his head, that I put him to bed every night whispering 'you're the best', that no matter how broke I was or how many student loans I had to take out, I kept quality fresh food and juices and never a soda in our refrigerator. They didn't care that my son had a perfect school record, had been in sports and music with only me there for him. They didn't care he was a runaway, so long as a man was willing to take him and help fund their foster care system. As Alexandra Finn wrote for your magazine in "The Big Business of Separating Families", 1/9/04, the system gets lots of dough to take our kids.

Ultimately, that man received more money as a foster dad than I ever would have if I had received AFDC cash aid. I informed AFDC as soon as my child left, and I became ineligible for healthcare or food stamps for myself. The man thankfully did not hurt my child, but he moved over 100 miles from me and then grossly neglected him. My child broke laws, got in trouble, got into gambling and drinking heavily while he was with that man, and I never heard a word about it, and the foster care system never called that man's ability to 'parent' my son into question. My child went from a lifelong honors student to almost not graduating. My child continued his foolishness in college and got in more legal trouble and lost his financial aid, got a record, ended up homeless for months, and is just now recovering from all that.

People get complacent when they have a little money, a little old job, a little bit of legitimacy and security. They, like I did for a hot minute, start thinking the system can actually help them, that they can actually control the system. I am here to tell you - never! Never, ever ask for help from any agency. It's completely pitiful for the moms and kids, but there is absolutely no institution you can trust for any help raising or just keeping your child. Churches can betray you, neighbors, family, friends. Everyone thinks they can do a better job raising your child than your poor butt can, no matter how long you've been doing it and doing it well. I was in the most posh and ultimately worthless university in the west, but I was still poor, a woman of color, and a single mom, and depressed, so in their eyes I was a lousy mother.

You have to pick who you can trust extremely carefully, and stick with folks who truly care about your struggle or hush up! You should never do anything - no partying, no showing any weakness - that can make you fit into their bad-parent label with people you can't trust.

When you feel worn out and blue, only the most trustworthy person can be called upon. Usually this'll be another single mom, or like me, I found a former -foster-child-now-mother at Stanford who I could trust who had been screwed by the system. She saved me from completely losing my mind when I lost my child, and would not let me blame myself though I felt like I'd failed the most important, vital responsibility in my life.

My kid and I are very close now. He's doing lots better, he's a young man and I pray for his maturity and sense of responsibility to settle better in him. When his past caught up with him and he was arrested for failing to appear at hearings for getting busted in college right after he left that man, I called that man who kept pretending my son's future mattered to him, who got paid to take care of him more than a real mother ever would get paid, and he put up not one dime to get him out, though my son had been working and racial profiled when he was stopped and the warrant came up; he had not even gotten into new trouble. I paid my son's bail when he got in trouble because I was working and had credit (now I'm disabled, can't pay it back, and have no income or credit). I helped him get through diversion to clear his record, set him up in my living room until he had work and could pay his way. So, you see how jive people are who say they only have your child's welfare at heart? That damn man has half my student loans and half my lifetime expenses for just necessities and twice my income and 20 times my family support, but he had not one red cent for my son in trouble, and no follow-through to see how he is.

From what I went through, I recommend you single moms gather onto yourselves (before there's trouble, not after!):

1. one good reliable trustworthy single mom friend who is not judgmental and doesn't think CPS is there to help

2. one pro-single-moms therapist to support you if anyone challenges your ability to raise your child, and

3. one pro-single-moms lawyer friend who will fight for you and your kids like a lion.

Bless you powerful struggling women and your children. May you be blessed with friends you can trust if you have no family to rely on.

by tiny/PNN

"Arnold (Schwarzenegger) couldn't take any time out of his busy schedule to meet with any of the students, elders or children , even though he already knew that we were coming many months ahead of time - that's one of the reasons we are fasting", the morning sun jumped in and out of sight behind a huge tree which shaded several large tents in the background as I stood with one of the dedicated young scholaz, 17 year old Berkeley High School student Julia Ibarra, at Oakland City Hall's Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Ms Ibarra continued to detail the roots of the struggle that led to the water only fasting of 1 mother, 2 teachers, 2 students, and 2 community members at the City and State buildings in Oakland , Ca " Before the fast we walked 70 miles over 7 days to meet with the Governor to talk about the serious crisis that faces education and the platform we are demanding; Equity in Education, Fully fund propisition 98 and eliminate the West Contra Costa County Debt"

On this, the 50 th anniversary of Brown versus the Board of Education, the state of education in California is not so much about segragation as it is about institutional racism and classism, i.e., if you are in the right neighborhood with the right tax base ( i.e, middle and upper income folks paying property taxes ) your experience in the public schools is not so bad, you probably have books, maybe an art or science program and some form of specialized Physical Education, but for the rest of us, especially those of us in areas populated by low-income families, education in California is Still Separate, Still Unequal.
And although the 1964 Civil Rights Act declared the that education is a civil and human right in 2004 California ranks 40th in education spending and 1st in prison spending.

"Schools in Richmond don't have soccer club, they have a asthma club, because of the close proximity to Chevron and that's how it is in the Bayview, West Oakland and a lot of poor communities of color across the nation, teacher , poet and activist Cesar Cruz who is also one of the organizers and participants in the fast described the flagrant disparities in education and why they needed to do this fast, " Poor communities have different realities, cause they dump everything on the poor."

" Go to Sacramento, keep fighting and don't let them stop you" On Day 7 of the fast, the amazing civil rights warrior Delores Huerta in the tradition of the United Farm Workers fasts for civil rights, joined the fasters in solidarity, encouraging them to migrate to Sacramento and camp out in front of Schwarzeneggers office until he responds to their demands. In so doing, Ms. Huerta squelched the efforts by (not) strong mayor Jerry Brown and his Oakland Police Department troops to give the fasters trouble in the first few days of their fast. Now the mayor has proclaimed Monday, May 17, Equal Education Day in honor of the fasters.

As the sounds of Hip Hop scholarship filled the morning air, Cesar Cruz spoke thewords of resistance that summed up this crucial fight, " We're migrating the fight up California , we'll be at Richmond High School tonite, and then off to Sacramento cause poor children fight these conditions every day, us fasting for eight days is nothing, so we're gonna go on til we see changes…. as long as it takes"

UPDATE**********************

The Fasters Have Reached a Historic Agreement with
Governor Schwarzenegger

Governor Schwarzenegger has singed a law called the
Daucher Bill that would help the poorest district
including Compton, West Contra Costa Unified, any
school district with major loans, changing their
interest from 5.7% to 1.7%.

Through the work of Jackie Goldberg's office, any
school district that is in any loan trouble, their
loan will be put off 2 years until Prop 98 funds kick
in. This means that, for example, none of the
libraries in West Contra Costa School District will
not have to close.

After the 70 mile march and 26 day fast the Governor
has agreed to come to Richmond to meet with the
students and everyone who marched at Downer Elementary
in October. This time he has agreed to come meet with
them in their home after shunning them in Sacramento
after their march.

We have gotten the Governor to really crumble, they
rarely give in to protest, said Cesar Cruz on his
25th day of fasting. They thank Dolores Huerta for
all the work and teaching that she did to make this
amazing victory possible.

For more on this struggle go to www.march4education.org.

by Job B.

Indifference/Roads End

Its been a long, strange, frustrating trip at PM.

As for women I’m finding out that whatever rules they make up they will also change as it begins not working.

Like the 3 day phone call rule after dance bar clubbing for men to call on the same night or next day shows the woman desperation on his part.

But the rule stops working when many ladies are called not either the ladies compare notes and freeze the guy out or a few will break to rule to call back so it seems all a guy needs to call so many women after a night or a day after that at least a few will answer and ignore the rules because rules are made to adjusted, bent, fixed,or broken the repaired.

The slavering,visibly horny guy is anathema to most straight women its not that don’t like men it’s the way men mentally drool over them as animals slobber over food they begin to show marked indifference you know the "showing or feigning of it beats the emotion of hate because that still shows feeling.

You the old saying fake something long enough an it becomes true.

The rage women have about men is all out in the open and all men guilty or innocent are subject to it.

I can play the indifferent to actually see, talk to women in short clipped answers looking directly into their eyes an not at their varying shapes as they see generic men.

At first its difficult to be as cold blooded, emotionally dead as women are want to be when freezing out males my knack is remembering what I was like before the girls and women flooded my hormones and have continued of to wash over me ever since.

Now no matter the size, shape, plain,pretty,ugly, or drop dead gorgeous there’s less physical and mental excitement as I see or talk to women are comfortable with me as a eunuch in a harem.

It feels good not be look down on and talked to so I guess what women want is every right afforded men without all the backlash.

I may have to leave Poor Magazine for City College or go directly to a state run Therapeutic Massage as a hedge in a nebulous writing or singing career stalls.

Oh yes,I’ll learn voice while studying piano on my with DVD’s or video tapes.

Its been mostly fun but after a time its time to go and have someone else have the benefits of what PM has to offer.
If my PC at home begins working I may open up a website,web cam,
and really try dating on line like I could never do at work.

I’d like to travel to the South of New Zealand, Australia,all over Europe, see Mecca and Africa, Philippines,learn to fly/jump from a plain, paraglide/surf and if I make enough money to buy a house for my mother while sending my sister-in-law and brother some money.

Lastly visit Legal Brothel for extensive expensive oralogy and deep penetration lessons.

"O-S" I’ve learned a little but to really be expert at it must learn from either Lesbian who enjoy men on the side or exclusive Lesbian who are hetro curious. This would be for my upcoming 50th birthday.

Or I can have more modest birthday bash at a Massage business on Bush Street now I don’t know whether that will be before or after eating with a dear friend she would not like herself being before or after either event so I’ll have a lovely dinner with her and in a day or so visit the business on Bush.

I’ve never had a message before and since I may have a career in it so I might as well experience what I’ll be doing and once does not tell the tale there should be regular visits.

As for legal brothels in Nevada I may have to live there for a few months or a year to really get all the benefits and hard won knowledge these women have earned so the least I can do is be a regular student of the erotic arts.

I hope to find a job either on City College Campus or somewhere with less demanding work. I don’t know what happens after poor Magazine Inc.

However its past time for me to live and maybe some newspaper or radio will hire me to give advice but at this point everything is in flux but I know this has to done I just want to transition to a newer freer life change is always difficult but if it wasn’t so we would learn nothing from it and its time for me get up, dust myself to learn and work.

This is not my last column but its telescoping down to where there will be a last column and I hope my replacement has a better fit than I and will enjoy their work her much better.

Now its time go to being work on my exiting POOR Magazine.

br>Donations C/0 Poor Magazine

1448 Pine Street #205

San Francisco, CA 94103

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Joe B.

Women,Men& Others Things

I have a few female friends young and old and I’ve seen parts of our socioeconomic/sexual dynamics in action.

In dance/bar clubs ladies rule,invited in free while men pay,have a free drink or two from the bar or men buy them.

Straight women can dance among themselves while men huddle in dark corners watching,waiting yet we know if straight men do this dance with each other without the slightest hint gayness guess who’d would feel threatened?

Yes,women who’ve come to shake their thangs lookin’ stunning and in no way interested in interacting with men drooling over them.

That’s the part I don’t understand women get dressed to the max, revealing outfits to been seen so if men are there for a psychological ego boost that dressing for women just doesn’t cut the way men especially straight men characteristically can.

However it’s one way complimentary in that few men unless they are gorgeous with pleasing musculature,a car,and long green are complimented to there face.

Our world changes slowly too slowly half if it is our (men’s) fault but the other may be our so called better halves who.

Women still are low on the scale economic and physical freedoms but their compensations are awareness,time,and perception.

Awareness that not all men are slow to change though the majority are.

Time: women have more time to grow expand beyond our societies limited scope.

Men,slowed by themselves and societal pressures to conform as women.

Funny how men as they slowly change women begin to want them to go slightly back to older ways yet want to retain their own new freedoms.

Let’s see,expanded psychological sexual freedoms for them but money,car,work,and slight fashion improvements for us.

Men will be fully free as women themselves aim to be,equally not as interested in females as they say they are of us because ultimately equality cuts both ways women cannot have it all if men are still trapped in gender roles women want them to be.

As more men change how they treat themselves, others,and women it seems women want retro men again of course slightly updated.

Remember the ’60,70’s 80’s and 90’s male changed because women pushed them to it.

At first men resented the changes but as the millennium shifts men began and continued changing on their own.I believe the constant "Men are dogs,Wrong,Biological Misfits not worth their time,let’s love our own sex."pronouncements

These Statements are strong,bold,life affirming its just that they forget the other side of the coin like it or not women are half a sex no better,no worse.

Gay men countered that and as for hard wired straight men as I know that war can bind band-of-brother’s in close non sexual ways far more meaningful than gay bar esthetic. Nothing wrong with it its just war bonds men gay or straight like few situations can.

Constant rejection if not aimed at men individually but as a group does nothing than convince most straight men that women truly don’t know their own minds,what they want,need,and as convenient change their minds while men if they were equally flexible would be considered wishy washy or wimps.

Women,with double standards working in their favor chose to keep them as long as certain societal norms aids women such as men paying to enter,buy drinks,be economically better off, wife not husband battering and rape (Yes,rare but it happens when either an mature woman and young boy or of equal age with a woman wielding garden sheers, knife, or gun threatening bodily harm forcing sex).

Sounds funny? Then you, have a bigger,stronger, female grope and grab your balls as her friends watch,tell me what fun it is.

From all the jokes women say about how men are just there,do little to help the world, neglecting that they are as equally criminal in their ways.

Tell a boy of 11 and girls 14 and older out to rape a kid because there horny,lonely,likes or hates the boy.

Who is most likely to be the rapist in this scenario? YOUNG BOY’S CAN,ARE RAPED BY GIRLS, WOMEN.

REMEMBER WOMEN MATURE MENTALLY,PHYSICALLY FASTER THAN BOYS.

As women and society boasts,well this too is what happens to some young boys,young girls aren’t the only ones damaged by have sex or sex being forced on them at too young an age.

But our society says boys,men can only be raped by other men untrue girls,women,older or with weapon can get away with rape more quietly than men and though much less than women the trauma is as devastating and women can report few boys or men feel they can and that society will see as a snickering joke.

Men,straight men are really one if not the last to leave their mental constraints and it seems no matter how hard we try to please women they will never be satisfied and always be angry us as the past continues to recede.

What we men can do is as women have done in the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s to find our own worth away from fem anti-male value judgements,there are reasons why we Isolate ourselves sometimes.

Reasons why fishing, hunting,sweat lodge,gyms, and mountainous outdoors call us.

Ok, women have proved they can do everything better,as the saying goes "It takes a woman to do a man’s job" Great now that you’ve competed,won against in competitions you know how shallow and false the whole thing is.

Ladies never understood being by ourselves in the wilderness or the neighborhood gym was never about pure competition with our fellow men some of it yes but most was about seeing how we do against ourselves not you.

Personally when I go weights or swim I really don’t care how pretty the women are inside I’m their to improve myself and if I get a date that’s gravy.

Don’t care if body building woman is stronger than me if I’m to straining place a weight back up on the bar and a stronger more experience woman spots me that’s good for me and later when stronger I can spot her.

I don’t compete with women because win or lose I as a man lose either way while women for just stepping up to the plate (baseball term) she’s praised either way while I’m condemned either way and that’s a double standard women don’t mind because it’s a woman’s win-win societal standard.

As men find themselves slowly as with women not needing,wanting them as much addicts need their fix it seems women are panicking wanting men to revert into updated better dressed strong, silent types.

Women may not need us but in their hearts still want us they want us to listen,not argue,and like a preverbal gingerbread, snowman (perfect man) books.

Their perfect men are nice,don’t argue and if they do their heads can be bitten off."

Yes,it’s a joke but its has a bit of truth that men are so confused about women’s motives they won’t say or do anything to be in view of scorn.

To late guys say nothing or talk either way we are slammed because they’ll go for our privates, or weakest points to take advantage of. The size matters – doesn’t matter crap. Guys, use what ‘ya got to your greatest advantage that means the brain. Your brain the largest hidden sexual organ there is.

If women play the game let ‘em you don’t have to they’re able to get it whenever they can they say but guys where the other half we’re the ones with the attachment. If men are so rotten and bad why do lesbian use battery operated phallic shaped objects and fruit especially when their tongues are suppose to the end all be all of lesbian sex obviously banana’s, cucumbers, flowing water, and phallic shaped objects are in place of… could It be male dumb sticks?

I strayed from "The Gigolo Thing" maybe that’s a subject woman,current or retired gigolo men can broach other than I but I’d like to get tips from either gigolo’s or women who’ve rented their services what made them chose them and if… well I don’t have the looks or body but I’m curious anyway – to have a gigolo’s knowledge get and use it for free.

I don’t think I’d ever be paid for sex more like I would be the one paying.

But men aren’t perfect gingerbread/snowmen to be cast aside they can build perfect men by cloning and genetic manipulation which is feasible or deal with men as they improve like they are.

We are stumbling in the dark as they and like them Men hold up the other half of the sky.


Donations C/0 Poor Magazine

1448 Pine Street #205

San Francisco,CA 94103

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by tiny

My friends lived next door

Until the Bulldozers came

My uncle lived down the block

until the bulldozers came

My Auntie lived upstairs

Until the Bulldozers came

I lived in my house all my life

Until the Bulldozers came

And then we didn't live

Anywhere

A poem by Lydia 10 years old , houseless youth from The Houzin' Project, Words, Art and Resources on Eviction, Displacement and Homelessness by POOR Magazine

"I am a single parent who is currently homeless, or what is called marginally housed, I am bouncing from family to family, pillar to post in order to survive" Lisa Cooper, resplendent in baby blue velour, cafe au lait skin shimmering in the end of the day glow addressed a crowd of over 200 powerful poor folks, organizers and advocates gathered at the first stop on a march and community speak-out held last Monday to bring attention to the abandoned or surplus n property that exists in the over-priced, under-housed city that is San Francisco, well-known for its seemingly unsolveable "homeless problem" or as those of us who are or have been homeless, its relentless targeting and harassment of houseless folks for just that, being houseless.

"If we were able as a community to run a property like this," Lisa's voice lifted above the afternoon wind as she pointed to the brown-black emptyness that was a cavernous government building located at 525 Golden Gate, "we could establish job training programs that would get us a living wage and on-site child care facilities so we can take care of our own children, but to do all this it takes us working collaboratively, coming together, raising our voice…"

The Surplus Property Campaign was formed by a diverse coalition of community and religious groups in December of 2003 to investigate city-owned surplus property properties for the development of low-cost housing. To date, the campaign has identified 30 properties owned by the city and County of San Francisco that have been declared vacant, surplus or underutilized that are suitable for housing development. Under current zoning these sites could yield between 750-1000 units of affordable and supportive housing.

BOOOM BOOM BOOM BOOOMbobobobobobdumddddd….. Our march was serenaded by the live rythems of the percussionists; Que Banda as we took off to the next location.; two empty lots on Gough between Polk and Van Ness.

"We are hoping to build a supportive housing unit on both of these lots, " Randal, one of the organizers from the grassroots housing group, Right To A Roof who along with long-time housing activist, James Tracy , Board Supervisor Chris Daly, a newly formed coalition of religious groups called the San Francisco Organizing Project and several other dedicated folks organized this campaign addressed the crowd, " this housing would be for foster children transitioned to nothing but homelessness, people who have struggled with substance abuse, mental illness, people who don't necessarily know what "normal" is"

On May 12, 2004 following the power of the voices heard at the march on that late Monday afternoon. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed the Surplus Property Legislation 9 to 1, Tony Hall being the only one against it. The bill sponsored by Supervisor Chris Daly approved the use of 15 vacant properties for the develop ment of housing. Although the legislation originally covered 40 surplus properties it was amended so that 25 locations were referred back to committee for further discussion .

Although this was a huge victory for real solutions to homelessness , i.e., HOUSING ,the organizers will continue to fight for the other 25 locations , because, like many of the currently houseless marchers chanted ; There are no surplus people - just surplus Property … and we all have the right to a roof!!!!!

To get a copy of The Houzin Project , click on the POOR Press button or call 415-863-6306

by Joe. B

Young-Old? What The…?

Folks,I’ve been writing my column for over five years and it comes to me that maybe because of my lack of tech knowledge and some e-Spam keeps people from sending emails to me in all that time except for the head of the DOE Fund in New York City.

N.Y.C. hasn’t been my stomping grounds since 1968 other than a few visits for new years and a funeral my apple senses isn’t as sharp except when I really get pissed off at political shenanigans happening up in the washed white house up in Washington.

My rapid approach to the big 50 is a milestone of sorts considering I’ve almost drowned in Orchard Beach at 4 or 5 years old, was the strange kid making stories for the fun of it, and later when much in my mid to late 20’s was in a deep depression,thoughts of suicide was a daily spike in my brain itching as it bored into me deeper.

Low paid, highly technical work,job burnout and being homelessness when a serial killer stalked alleys and train yards both I had been around or slept adds to one already stressed personality.

Surving that,moving to San Francisco as a last ditch effort did safe my life.

From General Assistance,Work Fare to my current long term employment as office manager (my employer’s and interns would call mangler ) and at one time my writing was so off-wall- weird and sexually explicit that I ended up with there female editors that was incase my two employers didn’t spot my editorials.

Its been a great run with bumpy exchanges by employee, friend, worker. That still confuses me.

Had to books published and have been to the Great American Music Hall and herstoric Women’s Building.

Of most of the interns Poor Magazine has helped through its doors at 255 9th Street off Folsom and Mission Streets.

Then to 1448 Polk and Pine St. are young girls and women a few boys and young men but the girls and women stayed longer (sorry guys but its true we didn’t last as long) but I like the scent estrogen more than testosterone and they are for more easier to get along with.

Always a gentlemen, it made me feel whole having feminine faces, bodies, around asking questions, giving answers and feeling trusted and if I did say a few off color remarks I was put my place quickly, firmly, and tactfully by them.

One particular women at the time had so horrendous a past and present that when she trusted me enough to confide I felt ashamed of my own gripes I haven’t faced death as many times as she and her spirit is made of much sturdier stuff that song By Alice Cooper "Only Women Bleed" is on mark that my own problems seemed petty.

I still griped but it gets less and less instead I just do what needs doing like venturing to Hotel Utah which will have its 2nd rebirth Monday, 22nd. 8 pm, Its where I do my poems, comedy skits, and have yet to sing Acapella in front of people.

What to do on for half a century on earth? My first plan was going to Nevada where they have legal brothel’s
for complete oral lessons and only oral that would be a great gift for myself its not selfish and I’m improving on a learned skill.

Option two is taking a dear friend out to brunch or dinner and I pay, she said she’d buy an alcoholic drink since I should brace myself for the mental/physical change of a the big 5 0.

Lastly, getting massage from one or more lovely ladies with myself stripped at their mercy and if I get stiff one its not as if they’ve not seen any before but for me I’ll just have bare the embarrassment of being healthy and male.

As for sky/para-surfing, ice climbing, flying/jumping out of a plane, or being chased by bulls in Pamplona, Spain or any of an assorted way of showing zest for life and mortality.

Its strange the stuff I didn’t do as a youth that made me an odd ball outcast like not smoking, drinking, doing any drugs, have sex in safe sex wise instead of reckless way(ok, except for an occasion when a sister picked me up in her car, drove me to her home for a long heated session.

I chock it down to having a body perceived as made for "Strenuous Exercise." I may have lots of dates but when I am given chance I’ve learned wait, look, listen, and keep mouth shut. As I see it now all I need to is keep brain and ‘bod trim, strong, in working condition with a job/career conducive to it and enjoy the benefits and always wanting to a Masseur but no time, money, or organized at the time but now everything has crystallized and besides I didn’t

That young former intern I talked to about the Nevada thing suggested a less expensive way to celebrate and for that I thank her from tip of my toes, bottom of my heart, and soul.

Of course now that I think on it I would have to show in my medical records that I’m both HIV/AIDS negative after that let the varying lessons from experienced ladies commence.

An advantage of being fifty is no peer pressure, lots of stored arcane knowledge, both younger and older women look better, and any young women from 22 to 35 I can imagine as jail bait but won’t be arrested for. I’m also thinking about cloning body in parts and not in a single unit but really as parts so as not have a "whole human being with consciousness and a soul.

Legal or illegal on some off short hidden base of operations so my extended life continues until immortality replaces life extended cloning stop gap technologies.

The only addiction I have is for living but if I have give it up well then one must join the wheel of life and play the game one more time.

Any questions ask away you might learn something.


Donations C/0 Poor Magazine

1448 Pine Street #205

San Francisco, CA 94103

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Joe B.

Aging,Good&Bad

Good news people,just rented a P.O. Box so if readers want to send slow mail or send email by slow mail they can.

As for the(women only) sending nude or scantily clad photo’s of themselves I have one answer for them… Please make sure they are color copies and not your only great sexy photo of you that you have.

Nearly two weeks past I was invited to the first I.S.F.[Idriss Stelly Foundation] named in honor of Mrs. Mesha Monge- Idrzarry son who at age 22 was executed by nine S.F.P.D. in the Metreon movie theater.

48 shots on June 13, 2001 nearly three years ago.

For her and Mrs. Sandra Juanita Cooper who's Mesha’s best friend and as near a second mother to Idriss as her child was close to a sibling.

Out of this heart crushing tragedy a mother, friends,and those who knew Mr. Idriss Stelly and parents of slain children formed a foundation to combat police preying on youth and adults."NO PIGS IN THE HOOD"

When I went to 4921 3rd. Street in Hunter’s Point on Sunday Feb. 21, 2 pm.

I had nearly forgotten how Mesha looked after the first few months of her son’s death.

Though she won a $500,000 wrongful death against the Police department at the time she was so pale,had lost so much weight that I feared between her deep inconsolable grief she she might succumb from it. Hosted by B.V.H.P. Sista’s Ms. Sandra-juanita Cooper/Mesha Monge – Irigarry

I didn’t know how strong her heart,spirit was or that from her friends and the Hunter’s Point Community rallied behind her and in the sharing of other parent’s losses of children enabled and may have strengthened Mesha’s own resolve not to give in but fight back not only for her son but also for other son’s, daughter’s,father’s, mother’s,and friends taken cruelly from friends and loved ones.

Vegitarian,meat eater’s food abounded songs, speeches,I cannot name all who are there but it was great enveloping of love spilling about a determined,strong,firm, justice,for fallen and still threatened community by an occupying force called the San Francisco Police Department.

Also I met an engaging gentleman also of BVHP Community Radio 103.3 FM. Sunday,6 pm – 8pm.

Now,I don’t know how I could be on that show with my pitiful grumbling about the odd twists of fate befalling us all but I must try and hope my voice lends strength to others in the beleaguered HP community.

Of age and learning.

At this late date in my life I’m sort of glad I didn’t get married and maybe women saw that steering away or using as extra sweat exercise.

An though I talk about lesbian and straight women as two sides of coin I know from each one I’ve learned valuable lessons from letting my guard down though not completely to listening (sometimes I’m still in solution mode) but its getting better and that at times women just want to be heard and not necessarily solve their problems.

Being on lots of adult rated dating sights wasn’t part of my job so I’ll have to continue that at home.

An online persona of mine is "clitluvguy"yeah, just what reader’s are thinking "a sick user/screen name."

But as I’ve said in a few chat rooms I was being as honest as I can but found out later it’s the online equivalent of a smoky dance club bars with people in not on their best behavior at least packaged as a pleasing image.

I wanted not to have any bars to anyone who was real and online really dating that’s why the intimate pink or red dot is always filled because it my true wants of down to earth,real flesh on flesh safe sex skin meshing.

And if readers still don’t know who I am just think of a certain story lines or online literary cyber sex.

I did enjoy mixing real and false in the Boudoir.

I was new,and at times antagonistic with an acid wit and foul mouth with a scientific bent.

I never updated simply because I didn’t have enough money and also I was at work.

I’ll say this, there was something fresh injected on that and other online dating sites.

So if you know who I was or am on your site maybe some of you can snail or email me sometimes there is one of you that writes semi regularly who’s son I hope and pray is doing and feeling better,I don’t know if that’s the case so I still pray just in case.

I’m about to turn the big 5 – 0 but its not as big a deal for the fact that many times I should’ve of died from almost drowning as a child in New York’s Orchard Beach,silly risk taking roof jumping,hopping backs of bus bumpers,or being mistaken for some gang group.

I can still be shot, stabbed, for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As for dance clubs I think a slower,slightly older group will be safer and less rejection because when one is younger we’re so into looks,cars, presentation,and image its very hard to separate flash,style,and image from subtle,quiet,real.

A beer at a table, unhurried conversation, and time for all the subtleties mature adults can command for steady or one night stands.

I’m sure mature elder adult men and women take more time and half less worries than 20 or 30 some-things finding feeling their way around.

So readers,of on line date sites,I mean meet‘n mate folks for real flesh encounters not cyber cam games.

PS My new PO Box below PM donations.

So send me something. Questions,Photo’s women(color) or whatever
you think and if I can email you back.

(I’ve only had one person’s feed back by email.Come on(Are You… Chicken?

Donations C/0 Poor Magazine

1448 Pine Street #205

San Francisco, CA 94103



For Joe only my snail mail:
PO Box 1230 #204
Market St.
San Francisco, CA 94102

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Leroy Moore/Illin &Chillin

From Hip-Hop to Gospel to Rock to Soul to World
Jazz to Spoken Word, local artists, musicians, and
poets of color with disabilities are holding the mic
captive while shocking the local artistic arena.

From Lotus, a Philadelphia Rock\Funk band whose led singer,
Bird Williams, is a short person to the up
in coming Chicago's Paraplegic MC with his new CD
single Pieces of Dreams are blowing up the stage. We
can't forget the first ever spoken word CD, Until, by
a deaf poet from Boston, Ayisha Knight. The list is
endless but nine times out of ten I can't find the
above artists CDs at record stores! Why is that? Is
the music industry not willing to take on disabled
artists especially disabled artists of color? It is
striking how the music industry has the same practice
as the publishing arena when it comes to authors with
disabilities especially us of color, invisible.

The music industry has its door crack open for
certain artists with disabilities i.e. blind artists
like in blues, jazz, soul, country and now Hip Hop
with Tony Touch but artists with other disabilities
especially physical disabilities can't fit through the
little crack. The music industry is a carbon copy of
the publishing world! In the publishing world the
door is slightly cracked more but mostly only to the
medical system, universities and stars like
Christopher Reeves. However with every industry there
is an underground, independent labels, small presses or
do-it-yourself productions which most of the disabled
artists I mentioned and will talk about have gone this
rout. This is a mixed bag! Although I'm excited that
I found out about people like Rob DA Noize Temple,
the first disabled song writer\producer on Jive
records, I still have to special order his music.
He is the longest standing, well known disabled
producer in the music industry today. It is awful
that I had to search the internet to find his work and
like I mentioned above, most of the times I can't find
their work including his in local music stores!
Please don't bring up spoken word to your local
record store! Many times they don't have a spoken
word section but if they do it is very small.

In2003, Ayisha Knight made history by being the first
deaf poet to put her poetry to music on a CD entitled,
Until, performed by her friends. How did I know about
her? I was very lucky to have a mutual friend that
knew Knight and also doing research on the internet
about her work. How did I get her CD? I got her CD
by emailing her. Knight's CD is a spoken word CD with
hip-hop and soul music in the background. Knight used
to live in Berkeley, CA. Now she resides in Boston,
Mass. Her CD, Until, speaks about being Jewish,
Black, Deaf, and a lesbian and other issues young
women face in our society i.e. rape, body image and
becoming an independent woman who shares her love,
strengths and flaws with a commune of women, men,
youth, gays and lesbians. I checked in all record
stores and they didn't even have her in the computer.
Get this hot, groovy, finger popping CD by checking
out her website www.ayishaknight.com.

The same story is repeated from many upcoming
disabled artists in the local music arena from the
East to West Coast and in other places in the US. So
come on and feel our rhythm as I describe some
incredible CDs by the hottest local disabled
musicians, singers, rappers and poets of color today!
If you want the real deal, go to your local record
store and tell them to order these artists CDs or surf
the artists website or call them directly.

I'm so proud that Avotcja, music junkie, DJ on
KPFA & KPOO radio stations in the San Francisco Bay
Area, has accomplished what her fans and I have been
asking for and that is a CD of her poetry with the
international flavor of her band, Modupue. If you
haven't seen Avotcja & Modupue, well you haven't
lived. It's like being on a jazz cruise around the
world; you 'll hear music from all parts of the world
in one place. To help her band make more CDs go to
their performances. You can get in touch with her by
calling KPFA 94.1 FM radio station in Berkeley at
(510) 848-6767or KPOO radio station in San Francisco
at (415) 346-5373.

During Christmas holiday of 2003, I had the
opportunity to meet Bird Williams AKA Bird in New
Jersey. After talking about my poetry, Bird gave me
his CD entitled Knock A Wall Out. Bird is the lead
singer of a band called Lotus. Bird has a voice like
a humming bird on a Spring day. He gave me a little
piece on what he can do and I was blown away. This
strong and instrument like rhythm flew out of his
mouth and wrapped around my ears. Lotus mixes it up
with everything soul, hard rock jazz-fusion and
hip-hop. You name it Lotus can do it! Go to their
website at www.lotusband.net and if you're in Philly
catch them live.

They say Gospel is the music that keeps you
grounded and can put you on a higher plane all at the
same time. Well Michael Manning, a brother with a
disability that have been release from jail on bogus
charges after four years teamed up with Tanaj Perry to
return to his passion, music. Michael wrote in one
letter to me that, he wants to educate his people
through the music he writes and produced. With the
gorgeous soulful voice of Tanaj Perry, Michael returns
to the studio to assist on their debut album, The
Calling. Come fly with the hip-hop soulful holygost
on their album, The Calling. Michael Manning is from
Pennsylvania. Email Michael Manning at
www.justice4mike@pnpa.net and help them with
distribution and promotion of their CD. What a bag of
treats, The Calling, that is. This CD's hip-hop &
soulful gospel made my spirit dance beside me. This
album will be out later this year.

The whistling in the Chicago air is not the wind,
it is the tornado that Tony Green aka The Paraplegic
MC has been whipping up with his single, Pieces of
Dreams. I had the chance to speak to Paraplegic MC
and he told me he has been writing and rapping for
more than 15 years and his father said that, he is
really good! I'm waiting for his CD. In August last
year Paraplegic MC was interviewed by abc7chicago.com.
By bumping into this article online I had a chance to
talk to Tony and will receive his CD. Thank god for
the internet! Drop him a line at
medoxx@ameritech.net. He is looking for distributor
and agent.

Lets stay on this Hip-Hop thang! Hip-hop has
been blowing up everywhere in urban areas, the
suburbs, in the political arena, in the publishing
arena and in the media. Hip Hp has become more
diverse with women MCs, White, Latino and yes, Chinese
rappers but once again disabled MCs, rappers and DJs
are missing from this diversity. Like Blues, gospel
and jazz blind musicians are the first ones to enjoy
recognition and Hip Hop is no difference! The success
of Tony Touch and KRS One DJ is another example how
the door of hip-hop is only slightly open to blind
artists. Leave it to the underground to blow the
doors off its hinges! I would like to see the
Paraplegic MC in Chicago connect with the thumbin
sounds and lyrics of Fezo da Madone aka Keith Jones, a
one man rapper, producer and DJ of Boston, Mass.
Fezo has been making music and rapping for years.
Although he has Cerebral Palsy, Fezo is truly a
hip-hop head and dope producer. He writes all of his
rhythms and mixes his beats and sounds with his feet.
Yes with his feet!! His first album, Who is Leon
Soze? dropped on his own label, SeoulSpitahz
Entertainment. I'll be receiving this album soon but
from his website, www.dasoultoucha.com it says that
Who is Leon Soze? speaks on Fezo's life experiences
of being a Black disabled man. He is working on his
second album, Here I AM expected out on July 12th
2004. Fezo also talked about how hard it is to break
into hip-hop and also said that many have told him
that hip-hop is not ready for a hip-hop artists in a
wheelchair. He told me over the phone. Fezo and I
talked about our goals for our artistic talents and
the future of other disabled musicians. Something is
cooking in our rhythmic kitchen! Watch out because we
are cooking up something for all of us.
As I'm a researcher, I can't let a good topic
just slip between my fingers, so once again I turned
to google to find a long time producer, songwriter and
keyboard musician of Noizemozis, Rob Da Noize
Temple. The title of his article was the medicine to
my invisibility in the artist arena. The title of
this article says it like it is, Where are the
Disabled Musicians in the Music Industry?You see,
Rob Da Noize Temple, has only one arm. He has
played keyboards for more than thirty years. This man
has been around and he had a number one international
hit, Free, However in this article Rob Da Noize
Temple makes it clear the discrimination he faced in
the musical industry because of his physical
disability being called names to negativity of well
known artists toward him. He sends out a call for
disabled musicians to contact him so he and others can
work together to do a CD featuring disabled musicians
and to support each other. His email address is
Noize53@aol.com Listen to his music at:

http://www.ofmbsite.com/ofmbsite/noismos.

Once again I took the name of his band,
Noizemozis, his hit song, Free, to four different
record stores and nobody had this record or his recent
CD, Peace Thang. The only thing left for me to do was
to contact Rob Da Noize Temple. Hopefully soon I'll
receive his CDs in the mail. Thank god I'm a
researcher and resourceful if I wasn't I wouldn't have
known of these talented people I mentioned and would
never hear and feel their incredible music and
rhythm!! What can you do? Go to your local record
stores and demand that they carry these artists and if
you are in their area, go to their concerts. It is
called SUPPORT! Music industry, watch out, we're
coming kicking in your doors!!!!!!!!!!

by Joe B.

Longevity Race

While contemplating my first fifty years on earth I also wondered will my delayed youth,learning to slow,reverse,and otherwise intervene in my personal life span what will happen in the next 10 to 20 years hence?

Between the temporary stoppage of Gay Marriage, Meteors floating about ready to deep impact earth,the flooding of the eastern and western seaboard,and future impact of therapeutic and recent process of cloned embryo’s and nanotechnology science,plus a few so called leaders in the white house what do you folks think upper most on my mind?

The ground hasn’t opened up to swallow so called sinners of same sex marriage.

Fire has not consumed anyone and even the HIV/AIDS virus though still alive and killing is being slowly beaten back by people acting more responsible and protective of themselves and their partners.

White House is the most worrying because if our leaders are riding on horseback going back to fossil and coal fuel instead taming nuclear and alternative energies.

The last thing worrying me is same sex marriages.

It may cause ideological,moral,and ethical considerations but its coming and it won’t be stopped by scared homophobic senators,an un-elected though selected president so freaked he’s willing to amend the constitution to make outlaw same sex unions.

The church,well institutions as these are here to keep order and stabilize society which is good except they become impediments to necessary change then they become problems to a society outgrowing dogmatic or outmoded concepts.

Being of roman catholic faith myself with nuns in their bat like outfits which I thought they turned into bats and sucked blood from bad little boys and girls.

Priests seem to be there with the sign of the cross telling you avoid girls while the nuns told girls avoid boys no wonder catholic girls were both angry and horny when they found they were set up by both parent and catholic church.

Getting back to Therapeutic and cloning Embryos make it possible not only to clone a human but also to avoid ethical concerns by bypassing creation a human for spare parts as in an old science fiction flick.
"The Clonus Horror where clones are created spare parts for their human hosts.

"The Clones" two films showing the mostly dark mechanisms of cloning in individual and or a government’s hands.

"Clone Master,a 1978 film is a bio chemist (Pat Hindle using replica’s (clones) of himself to thwart the planned destruction of a top- secret cloning project.

In creating clones of himself they quickly are human to him as they from the moment of full grown birth show they are exactly alike but different in personality.

Ms. Robyn Douglass plays love interest of the bio chemist helping her natural nurturing instincts turned on as she and boyfriend assist the clones in their birthing process.

Venerable Ralph Bellamy plays a wise scientist who at first doubts former students success until he’s breaking the law helping clones to survive government shut down of the project.

The clones are scatters using telepathy to contact their creator/father/ brother telling them of success and failure.

One is caught by police "Father they have my prints they think I’m you."

"Father my eyes,my vision is going

Father,I met a girl I think I’m in love, she wants to marry me."

The films ends with their creator and girlfriend going looking after them.

I think is was suppose to be a pilot where in every episode a clone dies.

I think the original move can be shown on the SCI Fi Channel and a new updated series can be based on it with surviving clones with families and even one or two clones creating younger versions of themselves.

Thanks to E!Online Movie Facts for information freely given.

I mention the three films just to say we’ve come a long way from science fiction to science fact.

I for one want to have cloning in my life so I can have a longer life but that doesn’t mean I’ll make a human then take his parts for me NO!

I want to separate parts grown for me from brain stem,veins,nerves, blood vessels,to other parts separated from each so as not to be human and cause him/her pain as they die just give me the parts un-whole and when that technology is perfected cloned parts minus human clone will make the "Do clones have souls?" mute.

Eggs that become embryos then grow into humans have souls are unique in themselves and are every bit as human no matter how they were created.

Reader’s you may have problems with cloning and other life saving,death, delaying sciences.

But if your child, mother,father,sister, brother,wife,has a chance to be safe, the lives made healthier,longer our you yourself would you deny them the chance?

That’s my question to all my readers out there, give the choice it the science was out here,how would you use it?


Donations C/0 Poor Magazine

1448 Pine Street #205

San Francisco,CA 94103

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Joe B.

Pre 5–0 And Counting

Ok,maybe calling readers chicken went a bit far but what do you expect from a columnist after near non stop writing for six years?

As for on liner’s guessing who I am,seeing my photo if included it as part of my profile; well you know what my problems was bad image,mouth slightly covered with gapped teeth.

Its been rocky a PM mainly because I’ve a lousy office manager with bad manners toward PC’s, phones,combo copy/fax machines,and CD players.

It seems the mostly female interns see through my rough exterior black- gray sparse middle of my bald spot head psychically know they are not objects for ogling because when they or anyone be they young or mature boys,men or girls,young women or mature ones they are serious about being here and always had my deep respect for going Poor Magazine’s rigorous programs.

Most of the boys and young men for some reason drifted away whether it was family,personal,jobs or finding a new job maybe some other crisis suddenly arose guys seemed to leave quicker than women.

Women on the other hand (I hate to say it guys) were more determined to get through the programs, study,sacrifice,and drink in all the knowledge that equal Co creators of POOR Magazine Inc. has to impart.

After a few months being surrounded by more estrogen than testosterone it became natural to listen a little more than be my regular problem solving,solution orientated self.

Women confide,ask questions,not really wanting answers but exploring options and somewhere in their way answers are found.

One such woman said "Joseph has a big ass."

I didn’t know my real was so obvious however looking back in past photo’s I see my wide can I guess those are genes from my mother’s side now I’m wondering how many women saw my backside and like wide distribution of my fleshy ass?

Being to lazy as a youngster to get into drugs,drinking,pills, glue, rock concerts or even sex until my late teens I missed the sped up aging process many of my contemporaries now show signs of.

Did go relearn dance, go to dance club/bars and begin drinking because one of the busy interns loved to dance but didn’t want to be alone doing it so she drags me along its almost as if she corrupted me when I began to drink beer so as to fit in it’s a two glass or bottle limit so I’m a light social drinker.

I’ve always been disconnected with the in group from way back in grade school on through high school and some Jr. College.

Now that I am entering decade 5 more and more I must follow my own path which includes life extension,cryonics,and eventual immortality.

Death is a given but a longer fuller life that’s what I want experience and I’ve always felt live as open ended though certain rules must be followed as in make few enemies,keep learning,if love and marriage is not in my near future then live a long, slow,intelligent, sensuous,soulful life as long as one possibly can.

Feeling,acting younger than middle ages of the past is a difficult thing because it use to be those few freaks whom aging somehow slowed now there are others older, healthier,adults,a few of them act their age,stay home,take their medicines, slowly vegetate into death,others like myself cannot keep still,take classes,are bio-logically young yet chronologically doesn’t follow a straight line to the grave guess I’ll re read those Age Wave Books over again.

Between Korea’s embryo cloning,life extended knowledge exploding all the old then death as normal rules do you think I feeling younger than I’m suppose to will just let nature and time have their way?

They’ve already had their way chronologically it just biologically I’m better off.

If one can be chronologically 70 yet look and feel biologically 45 or 30 guess what? Chronological time is wiped out,it’s biological that’s important.

If we can delay,slow, retard,stop,or reverse biological time itself then no matter what anyone’s chronological clock say is moot.

A hypothetical example: A woman,man,girl,or boy has genes,blood, chemistry,that slows their aging so that each decade they only age four months it means it takes 30 years for this individual to age one whole year.

Its not immortality only an extended life span.

That’s hypothetical now but we’re learning enough to begin influencing gene expression to turn on and off may be inserting or replacing good genes for bad or even having longer lasting artificial genes.

Does this mean people born with artificially created genes are still human?

Lots of questions like the above will be asked and not all of them or their answers will come from youthful college, university,or undergraduate students but many youthful minded elders and though traditionally youth does replace age we’re entering a twilight area where youth and age converge, and being elderly isn’t automatically mean old and slow and youth isn’t automatically quick and nimble.

Politics will be shaken up by age quakes as age and youth blend who knows instead of dance clubs separated by age they might combine creating the ultimate breakdown of youthful aged,with first youth where many May December might not end as is usually thought as elders out think,out live, out love,showing outsized capacities that experience and time can only know.

Snail or email me. What’s your views,inform me.


Snail or Email Joe at:

PO Box 1230 #204

Market St.

San Francisco, CA 94102

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Dee Gray/COURTWATCH

PNN first interviewed Rebecca Armistad in 2002 when she had taught herself to be a paralegal so she and her son could launch a lawsuit against Child Protective Services for taking her three children out of her home and into foster care custody 14 years ago. Parents and children who have dealt personally with CPS, The foster Care system, and the welfare department understand that these systems feed off low and no-income youth and families, as there is a monetary incentive for CPS for taking children away from families and therefore these are "Closed" systems, i.e., almost impossible to fight, that is why we believe Rebecca is a poverty hero and should be a model to all parents who feel overwhelmed by these systems. Dee and Tiny interviewed Rebecca in May of 2004 (A. stands for Armistad, T for Tiny, D for Dee)

PNN; Rebecca can you give our readers a brief summary about what the lawsuit is about;

A: "The lawsuit is about Paul suing the C. P. S. [Child Protective Services] social workers in San Francisco County and Santa Clara County for having them taking him away from me illegally. That's the first legal issue in our lawsuit, the second legal lawsuit issue has to do with the illegal raid at Juan's house in East San Jose where we lived and where I got custody of Paul at."

T: "Right, I got that, and then lastly the defendants that you keep referring to are in fact Child Protective Services Workers?"

A: "Right, and we've got over twelve defendants."

T: "And are they named Child Protective Services Worker's?"

A: "Oh, yeah like Richard Wong, CPS Social Worker from Santa Clara County, who works for the Department of Social Services-Oh yeah."

T: "Ok great, These people, are they still in the department after all these years?"

A: "Yeah, they are still Social Workers."

D: "I was wondering, you went to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals…"

A: "Well let me finish the story." After we filed the summons and complaint and the defendants were served the defendants tried telling us no they were not served properly - Which is Bullshit! It was a outright lie, they were just trying to get out of a lawsuit. So what I did was I got really upset with the Feds … Federal Judge, Jeremy Fogul? took over the case from James Ware. They reassigned the case from James Ware to Jeremy Fogul. Now Jeremy Fogul is the presiding judge over our case.
Well, that's… the first thing I didn't like, the second thing I didn't like was that our defendants claimed that they were not properly served and they only answered the summons and complaint after the fact after I filed the default judgement."

D: "Ok."

A: "So I filed the default judgement… like I don't know remember which month it was let's see, we're going back over two years - man; so let's say September."

D: "Ok."

A: "So we we're suppose to back in court with our defendants like September and October of 2000 and I didn't show up in court because I got fed up with them."
So the Judge made his ruling based on the fact that Paul and I didn't show up in court."
So we filed the default judgement it was denied by the United States District Court Clerk and then he went and asked Judge Jeremy Fogul, they showed the default judgement they must of went up in arms - you know what that means…? I we were granted the default judgement they would owe us $25 million dollars!

T: "Right."

D: "A-huh."

A: And we would win the lawsuit, well Judge Jeremy Fogul didn't want that to happen because he's on their side. You have to look at the Judge as being for the state, being for the federal government."

T: "You have any history on this Fogul dude."

A: "Yeah, he's suppose to be one of the most liberal judges on the Federal Bench here in San Jose California."

T: "Oh."

A: "We're not talking about the Federal bench in San Francisco, we're talking about the federal bench in San Francisco."

T: "Gotcha'."

A: "We're talking about the federal… who sits on the federal bench in the San Jose
District, United States District Court. These are the men, some of them, and one of them is United States District Judge, Jeremy, Folgul."

D: "Yeah, but didn't you actually go to the San Francisco's Ninth District Court of Appeals?"

T: "Wait a minute on that, hold on, the defendant responded to the lawsuit after the fact after the fact that we filed the default judgement. Check this out. I did not like the judge's decision we were suppose to court, we didn't show up, the defendant showed up, the lawyer for the defendant showed up, and Judge Jeremy Fogul out right, just out right denied Paul's lawsuit on both legal issues." When we already had informal propos standing to sue on the second legal issue they gave us that right to sue on the second legal issue. Then he (Judge) turns around and denies the whole lawsuit.
I got pissed off and I filed an appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal telling the Ninth Circuit Court that what this judge had done was illegal and does he have a right to deny a default judgement when it was filed in a timely manner.

So what happened was the Ninth Circuit Court in December/January of 2003 or somewhere in there they made a ruling on Judge Fogul's behalf and they threw out and just-just totally disregarded the lawsuit altogether and they made a ruling on Judge Fogul's behalf and they favored his decision." So Boy, I got even more pissed and I filed and appeal the United States Supreme Court." And that's where the case is right now."

D: "Ok, but you know what, when you called us, when you called us you said were very unsure and your friends and your family encouraged you to file with the United Supreme Court because, apparently you said it was very hard, very laborious, and very detailed a thing to you have to do…"

A: "Yes."

D: " I was very distraught and depressed and I didn't think I could do it but I got so much encouragement that I ended up doing it."

D: " And you have no representation, your just doing on your own?"

T: "How did you teach yourself to do that Rebecca?"

A: "Once you’re a Paralegal and you know how to work on cases it just Federal Law is not that much more difficult that State Law as a matter of fact I think federal law is easier."

D: "Why have you not been able to get any representation?"

A: "Everybody wants $25,000 - $50,000 to take the case, come one I don't have that kind of money."

D: " Right."

A: "That's why we can't find a lawyer they all want $25,000 to $50,000 dollars down."

D: "Have you talked to any civil rights attorneys about this?"

A: "Oh yeah, Anthony Boscovitch is civil right attorney in San Jose - he called us. He said please bring down the copies of all the work that you filed so far I want to look at your lawsuit. "That Son Of A Bitch" He asked to see the case almost six months ago and he never, he still hasn't called us to talk about the case, to have Paul and I to come into his office to discuss what going to happen; he just wants to find out what the United States Supreme Court is gonna do."
Well, let me you what's gonna happen - if there's a God in heaven and I've been a Christian all my life, if there truly is a God we will get a favorable decision. But if there isn't a real truly a true God in the heaven's then this whole thing's gonna go away that's my feeling on it because I'm very spiritual and I just stand on the ground that if there is a God the United States Supreme Court - they will make a favorable ruling for us.

In other words what they' re gonna rule is they'll either going to remand the case back time to the trial level and tell Judge Fogul that he has to hear our case because we have merit to the case. The defendants are saying Bullshit, Paul doesn't have a merit case to the lawsuit - throw it out, throw it out, that's what their saying that my son has no merit to the lawsuit."

D: "This is the lawsuit in his behalf?"

A: "Right, my name is nowhere on the lawsuit-and I'm not even a plaintive, this is my son's lawsuit for him and is brother's and sister's and sister Christina and Robert."

D: "Right, Can you just quickly describe what that lawsuit is that your trying to get heard."

A: "This is the lawsuit where Paul is suing the C. P. S. Social Workers for taking him away from me when he was four years old. That's the first legal issue. Now they went and raided my house before I we could file the lawsuit - you know what that did that opened up the doors for a second cause of action to be put in our main lawsuit. You think we're gonna let these people get away with raiding our house illegally without a search warrant? Come on we're not gonna let them get away with that.
What happened to us at Juan's house in 2001 we added that to Paul's lawsuit, and it was never suppose to be this way. We're not suppose to have two legal issues to our lawsuit its only suppose to be Paul suing the C. P. S. workers but look what they went and did.

They went and Fucked with us, they went and Fucked with me after I got all my kids out of the child welfare system, So because they went and Fucked with me, I threw in the other legal issue. That they raided our house illegally, they did not have a search warrant to come in, and we're suing in federal court, we're suing the office of the public. Now this the second state run agency that we are suing is called The Office of the Public Guardian And Conservator's. That's the proper name and they are another bunch of filthy bums. The umbrella of that agency is The Department of Social Services. There's two agencies' that work under the guise of The Department of Social Services. It’s the C. P. S. Child Protective Services Social Workers and the second state run agency is called The Office of The Public Guardian And Conservator's.
And that's what the public doesn't realize. The American people out here don't know that those two agencies are run by and through under the guise of The Department of Social Services."

D: "So you're hoping that will end up back in …"

D: "Now who will handle the trial?"

A: "If the United States Supreme Court Justices make a favorable ruling in Paul's Case and they remand the case back down to the federal courts that's where we have to go back into court to prove our merit, to prove that they damaged my children, and they did what they did illegally then we can have a trial on the merits of the case - are you understanding me now?"

D: "Yeah."

A: "Ok, so that's how this is going and its already being PU'd and we're not even at a trial level you see what bullshit you have to go through you see how long this shit takes."

D: "Yeah, I do and I'm so impressed with your perseverance that's the most interesting thing when you aren’t even a lawyer." You haven't had that kind of training, You taught yourself all of this?"

A: "Oh, I know."

D: "Taught yourself all of this."

A: "I know."

T: "You know what I did Monday, April the 5th we had to mail all the… The United Supreme Court wrote Paul a letter and said you made one error you have to correct it by April the 18th . So we corrected the error that we made and we sent everything back over to United States Supreme Court on Monday, April the 5th . My cousin, was with me, my cousin Benny Berraza? He served our defendants, I was able to get this paperwork back in the mail back over to Washington D. C., The United States Supreme Court. I anointed… because I'm a lay Chaplain with my church, I have the power to use anointing oil-and to lay hands.

D: "A-huh."
So I laid hands on the documents, on all the documents before we mailed them out."
And I sprinkled anointing oil over my documents!"

T: "Right On, Whatever it takes."

A: "So God's hands upon this case, if there really is a God, we're gonna get a favorable decision.

T: "Alright."

A: "That's what I mean, because I'm really losing ground in my Christianity, I don't go to church anymore, I'm very unhappy with the Catholic Church and what's been going on in the news about the molestation with the children, and I'm losing ground in the area of my spirituality. I'm being drained-pray for me, So I really need people to pray for me-please keep me in prayer."

D: "What exactly is your legal training?"

A: "I'm a Paralegal, but if you understand the court system, the court system is a process, and it’s a process of basically a lot of paperwork.

T: "Right."

A: "That's what it is, that's why the judges and everybody is screaming about all these case coming into the court house and now they don't have enough judges to hear all the cases and that's why they ended up in federal court, they ended up with a Federal Case Management Conference - Settlement Conference that you can go to. They initiated that about ten years or fifteen years ago because the court were just being overwhelmed with all these lawsuits. So now you have case management settlement conference, that you go to before you actually start your trial level and most people settle out of court and they never even see the courtroom in a trial level."

T: "Right, and I just want to say Rebecca that we gotta stop pretty quick - cause we got to get off the phone but the one thing is and let you got back to sleep but the one thing is-you’re an inspiration to hundreds and hundreds of mothers and fathers. I think you know that, everytime we put your story out on P N N we get like so many responses-so really…"

D: "Well anyway the main thing is when will you'll know… you don't when the Supreme Court…"

A: "The Supreme Court takes anywhere from 30 to 90 days to make a decision, so we just mailed everything back April the 5th so we're looking at May, June, July the 5th . "

D: "We'll do a continuation follow up after we find out what happens with that.
But its just really impressive that you've done and stuck with this and gone all the way through with it."

A: "I know its really a miracle."

D: "I can hardly believe it, its so proactive, Its really wonderful - Ok, Rebecca."

T: "Ok, bye."

A: "Ok, God bless you all.

To read Rebecca's first interview paste the following link into your web browser
http://www.poormagazine.org/index.cfm?L1=news&category=5&story=780

by tiny and Dee/PoorNewsNetwork

Light red acryllic carpet fibers rose like steam in the sun strokes that filled the empty lobby of the Trinity Plaza Apartments

It was the summer of 1989, the week after the Bay Area rose up and broke itself in half. My mother and I were barely surviving in Oakland at the time. I had just turned 18 and we were selling art on the street to eat, smarting from a recent eviction and living in a cheap motel at 32.00 a day trying desperately to save money for an apartment. The earthquake took away what little "market" there was in Berkeley for our goofy sold out-no longer art-product and the only way we had a chance to survive at all was if we were able to "set-up" an unlicensed vending booth in the City. So every day delicately wedged between the shattered ruins of consumerism dee and tiny stood forelornly, like charlie brown in the rain, hoping someone would buy even one of our silly t-shirts, so we could eat lunch and put away a couple of bucks toward our homefulness .

One day as I emerged from the civic center bart station i needed to use a bathroom so i snuck into the vast red carpeted lobby of Trinity plaza apartments, with its huge plate glass windows untouched by any earthquake damage - as i did i noticed the sign - Apartments - fully furnished - reasonable prices - available daily, weekly, monthly. I ran back to my mom to tell her the good news, we would move in - this would be cheaper cause we could avoid bart and then we could even work on the union square streets more.

"this place wasn't even damaged by the earthquake", Elizabeth Glover, retired schoolteacher and 15 year resident of the Trinity Plaza Apartments told us in her beautiful teacherly diction. It was almost fifteen years later, and as PoorNewsNEtwork reporters and activist "sup-porters" my mother and I were sitting with the tenants of the Trinity in a tenants meeting discussing the terms of an offer they had just recived from their landlord Angelo SanGiancomo.

On April 7th of 2003 400 residents of the Trinity Plaza Apartments received a letter from Sangiacomo stating that he was seeking a demolition permit and would be evicting all of the tenants so he could demolish their units and build five new condo towers at that site.

From that point on the tenants who were primarily working class elders, youth, immigrants, families and disabled folks began to organize to fight this landlord who was notorious for his horrendous treatment of tenants in other buildings . As well, because there are several trinity plaza tenants who are elders of color –this eviction effort is reminiscent of the I-hotel demolitions that displaced over 5000 asian/pacific islanders from their homes in the 70's

"Once they tell you to leave it puts you under an enormous amount of stress", Ms Glover, a very dignified African-American elder was relating the situation that the tenants have been facing since last year.
The Trinity is very convenient for disabled people like myself, there is a store downstairs, a restaurant and elevators that work"

Dee asked Ms Glover what the community at the Trinity was like. "it is a wonderful community of folks ranging in age from babies to seniors with disabilities and a truly multi-cultural group of people" Her statements were proven even in the little meeting - which quickly filled up with African-AMericans, asian and filipinos, latino, white and Native Americans.

"I don't want to move, this is my home", Sally Ramone, 11 year trinity resident, Native American elder, war veteran and San Francisco City employee spoke to us about the difficulty of living in a buidling that would be undergoing massive construction. As of this meeting the landlord had made an offer to the tenants which the tenant advocates who were present at the meeting characterized as "somewhat of a victory" against this very powerful well-connected landlord. Sangiancomo had offered to only let the tenants live in the building while the construction was in progress and then give them apartments in the new building. Although this sounded good on paper there was no clear discussion of comparability -ie the specifics about what kind of units the tenants would be getting in the new building, as well, the new units would not be subject to rent control because they would be so new. They recieved this offer, the advocates said, because of their effective resistance

Throughout the struggle of the last year, the tenants and their advocates lobbyied the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to change the loophole in the law that allow landlords like San Giancomo permits to demolish. From that effort an anti-demolition ordinance was born. This legislation would protect sound housing in buildings with 20 or more units from demolition and preserve existing rent controlled housing for all San Franciscans, including those at the Trinity Plaza. This legislation would have passed except that our new landlord-friendly mayor Gavin Newsom vetoed it, perhaps because Newsom recieved over 15,000 in campaign contributions from Sangiancomo's family. District 8 supervisor Bevan Dufty has waffled on the issue and is now the deciding vote needed to override the veto.

"San Giancomo attempted the same eviction in the 80's and only because of the strong organizing by tenants it was halted, In a follow-up call to Sam Dodge, from the SRO Collaborative, one of many tenant advocacy groups involved in this effort , including SF tenants union, Housing Rights Committee and many more. He continued, "That's why we need to get this legislation on the books" If people want to help, they should contact Bevan Dufty's office and ask him to support the Anti-Demolition ordinance"

One month after the earthquake, my mother and I moved in to apartment 215 at the Trinity Plaza Apartments- replete with a faded gold couch, chipping end tables, a few pieces of silverware, dishes, linens and the lobby with its glitterring Las vegas chandliers, big plate glass windows and
bright red carpets perpetually floating in the morning sun

Contact Bevan Dufty to urge him to support the anti-demolition ordinance at 415 554-6968. For more journalism on issues of poverty and racism by people who experience it first-hand go on-line to www.poormagazine.org

by Joe B.

The Near 50 Guy Again

Yes,it’s a few months away and I should shut my hole about it right?

That makes sense in a perfect world but we ain’t ‘livin in a poifect world folks.

Women had the 27-30 or more years old-unmarried= old maid without marriage or having male friends at all was between slim and none although there were exceptions its also few and in-between in the mid ¡6th to early 20th centuries.

(its conjecture on my part but I’m sure there are statistics for those wishing to know more about single women,men, marriage,divorce,widow and widower’s.

While men didn’t have that particular problem but still as now died earlier but our compensation was the control of young girls and women’s lives I most aspects of their lives either as fathers,boy friends,husbands,even as son’s treating women as the dim,weaker sex roles foisted upon them.

For many it was "the good old days" when men held dominion most males used that power meanly, often to women’s detriment.

We treated emotion, physical pain as intangibles to conquer.

Many a strong man died from hidden medical ills, dangerous working conditions,or in conflicts with other men and war thrives on the blood of youth then mostly young and male.

Gone and good riddance to those supposed good days.

Recently we men have gone through our own numbers of dread.

From 30’s to our own dreaded 40 marks and fitful to fabulous 50’s which I may have confused with the "Fabulous 1950’s decade.

One way young men may have bypassed these thresh hole passages is to have an even more traumatic experience at younger ages.
My belief is youthful men and women of world War-2, Korea, Desert Storm, Shield, or the current supposedly ended IRAQ middle eastern battle. (historically call a police action and not a war though American’s and Koreans died in war like clashes.)

In these conflicts youth comes age under fire, death-from-above,
strafed by bullets,sniped at,and hand to hand combat.

All of this makes impressions on young minds of how short, bloody, fleeting,life really is and how some survive,many die that afterwards most of the young seasoned warriors – those mustered out never wanting to see war again but need to lead complete anonymous lives, or seeks out a more adventurous life.

When young men,women go through their baptism of fire they are changed in ways friends,loved ones, family,and lovers can never,dimly understand.

Only those who’ve shared with them or others from past conflicts know what inner turmoil,fear, exhilaration,horror,or sadness of lost friends and the cost of taking orders,honoring the fallen,and wounded in body,mind or both means.

After that everyday is a blessing or living on borrowed time.

Numbers of age mean little for surviving war, cruise ship,train, airplane,car crashes, kidnapping,car-jacking, drive by shootings,armed robbery on the streets,or serious life threatening illnesses.

Women and men are now living a little longer, age is a number that can impede or be a freeing sensation.

A women’s greatest empowerment seems to be when reaching their early ‘30’s and ‘40’s especially in the 40’s past child bearing,years and though hot flashes,bloating, (water retention) and knowing their cycles of months,days,of moons.

They know their strengths,weaknesses and have experience with men and need not worry about pregnancy and can purely enjoy sex without second guessing themselves knowing their own power.

Women don’t need wars, conflict,their own bodies are battle fields,their complex biological functioning more than anything are micro wars in miniature they must constantly battle with is it no wonder that men seem like children in their petty daily lives.

As a black male entering young middle age I wish to travel,learn, and mostly have lots of safe sex if marriage is in not in my future being a single long lived, experienced male may one day have the equivalent of cool as we live longer to find youth as an extension of healthy living maybe regain youthful vigor.

Our perceptions of youth,old age,are changing rapidly and I would like to have friends of all ages,backgrounds,feel comfortable in anyplace they and not feeling out of place because age or lack of years who know I might have to create Club Age Neutral from 18 to 95 of course being chronologically 95 can the equivalent to 35 to 45 year olds and they closer to 25!

Its going to be weird for a while but I’m getting use to not falling apart and learning to re-youth myself.

I’ll explain that next time folks.


Any questions, answers, give ‘em up people.


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by Leroy Moore/REvolutionary poet and activist

There has been a terrible trend on how police and politicians’ policies treat our activists who are elderly! During the so called good times of the 90’s in the San Francisco Bay area gentrification hit and many elders were kicked out of their homes under the San Francisco Ellis Act i.e. Grace Wells. And during the anti-war rallies of 2003 protesters who were elderly from, Florida to New York to San Francisco, were physically abused or placed in jail by police including elderly nuns. Three Dominican nuns, Sisters Ardeth Platte, Carol Gilbert and Jackie Marie Hudson is serving six to eight years because they protest against US nuclear weapons in 1993.

The US is not the only one who is trying to silence their elderly activists. The arrest and police brutality of Zing Dilin of China, who is the leader of the Tiananmen Mothers, an activist group for the families of those killed in the Tiananmen Square massacre is another example. Although two of the Tiananmen Mother were release from jail, according to New York base Human Rights of China organization Zing Dilin has not been released. And how police arrested Annette Auguste, an elder Haitian singer and leader of the Lavalas activist movement in Port-au-Prince, Haiti for no reason. The pattern continued with the death of May Molina in police custody on May 27th, 2004 in Chicago, Molina, who was a long time activist against police brutality and the prison system especially those who were wrongfully convicted, was an elder Latina and disabled. All over the world police are trying to silence our activists who are elderly once and for all!

Why is the state trying to silence our activists who are elderly? The reason why, is that the state, police and certain politicians know that the elderly are a treasure of knowledge of what happen, what works, how to organize and have inside information on the system from local policies to international affairs. Some don’t want our elderly activists to pass down their knowledge to the next generation. Some see them as a threat to the system because they know where the wholes are and where the system is weak. I really think that some people in authority roles are shocked on how many elders are a part and play a key role in many grassroots movements form police brutality, local progressive political campaigns to the anti war movement. Many people in power have a common vision of the elderly and that is churchgoers, bingo players, golf players and knitting. This stereotypical vision doesn’t give the police and politicians the right to take away their homes, physically abuse them at rallies and drag them off to police stations where they are not given the medical care they need!

During the 2003 anti-war rally the number one issue came up over and over again in planning meeting of people of color against the war was the issue of elderly protesters who couldn’t keep up with everybody and didn’t feel save at the end where police were waiting. I am reminded of a friend who is a deaf Native American activist who was tipped out of his wheelchair by a San Francisco police officer during the anti-war rally in San Francisco of 2003. According to Napal Daily News of Florida & Associated Press in November of 2003, Miami police abused demonstrators at a protest of the Free Trade Area of the Americas. One of the members of Alliance for the Retired, Bentley Killmon said "he was trying to get back to the buses provided by the Alliance for Retired Americans when police pushed him to the ground, arrested him and handcuffed him for 12 hour."

I wonder what would the Gray Panthers and their founder, Maggie Kuhn, say about what is going on with activists who are elderly? The Gray Panthers (whose motto is "Age and Youth in Action") has and continue to work on issues that affect people of ALL ages and welcome and encourage members of any age. Margot Smith, Co-Convener of the East Bay chapter of the Gray Panthers puts it like this. "The police are cracking down on everyone who exercises their right of free speech, including the elderly. We must stand up for our rights against the Ashcrofts and others who would turn us into a frightened populace, fearful of overturning their rule. Even more oppressive is their cruel treatment of the elders, denying them medications and home health care through their cuts to services. They are spending our tax money on war and tax cuts, and deliberately cutting the social advances that we have fought so hard for over the last 70 years. Just as Reagan wore down the Russians with the arms race, Bush is wearing down our entitlements with the new arms race. We must stand up for our rights now!" To get involved with the Gray Panthers email Margot Smith at GrayPanthersBerk@aol.com.

Justice Riding on Four Wheels & Brown Fists

(For May Molina)

Activist in Action that was May Molina

Kept police & prisons

In checked

Turning over wrongful convictions

Target on her chest

She drove between institutionalize bullets

in her wheelchair

Like Harriet Tubman, Molina led her people to freedom

Out of the prison system

And into an activist revolution

Help started an organization

For Families of the wrongly convicted & victims of

police brutality

Her community, supporters and family

Demands answers about her death in police custody

Although she had diabetes police refused medical care

Thanks to police & mainstream media her background has

been smeared

While the names of officers are invisible

Seems like we've been here, Cammerin Boyd in San Fran,

Annette Auguste in Haiti

Hey Homeland security, am I next in line?

Cause like May Molina, I'm outspoken about systematic

oppression

I can see Molina wheeling up to the mic

at the Chicago Police Board

my Latina disabled sister

your spirit has traveled from Chicago to San Francisco

to clear my vision and to rededicate my life to your

mission

Time to bring attention

to how the black & blue

abuse their authority

onto my brothers and sisters with disabilities

Forget about internal investigation

Open up politicians & police's closets all around the

world to the public

The community & family is the Juror & the Judge

And we have our progressive, ethnic and activist media

Mother May Molina, your wish has come true

Judgement day is here

The power structure is crumbling

and Justice is riding on four wheels & Brown fists!

By Leroy F. Moore Jr.

Revolutionary Love! Rest in Peace Molina

by Leroy Moore/Illin and Chillin

Mainstream media paints the picture

of my brothers and sisters in Haiti

They haven’t seen what lays inside
of Enock Placide’s frame

capturing lush landscapes of his country

born in Gonaives and at age four contracted polio.

Going back home to open an art studio

The ink from reporters’ pens don’t tell the story of Soni

or the book on his life, “Soni Mended’s Wings”

A disabled Brother who was on the brink of homelessness

spent his first five yeas in a crib

Now he dances all over the world to raise funds

for orphanages, Wings of Hope and St. Joseph’s Home

Not men in office but boys from the streets helped create

Looking after their brothers with no government strings

But What I do see and read

Poverty, broken communities & high rate of illiteracy

Gives a green light for a coup de etat

Can’t have a Black independent country so close to its Masta, the US

Who enslaved its people to drag them to the home of contradiction

Haitians, Africans, Jamaicans The Black Diaspora

Making the connection

to decades of oppression from Uncle Sam

From slave boats to US Airforce planes

Repeating history

from Florida to Haiti

White men turning back the clock

with budget cuts at home while invading Black land

But people like Michael Geilenfeld & Rose Anne Auguste

Dig their heals deep into Haiti’s soil

to plant seeds of change

Healing Hands for Haiti strengthen the voice of the disabled

and the melody of Boukman Eksperyans,

calls out demonstrators to the streets

creating their own media, art, justice and society

Independence for Black people from DC to Haiti!
…………….Poem for Haiti
By Leroy F. Moore Jr.

My African American Brothers we must learn from
our brothers of St. Josephs Home in Haiti!! After
the coup de etat of Haitis president, Aristide, I got
on the internet and asked my activists friends for
information about Haitians with disabilities.
Receiving very little, until I found the website of
Peter Eyvindson, a Canadian writer which led me to the
powerful and heartfelt story of St. Josephs Home in
Port au Prince, Haiti, for street boys and the life of
Soni Derazin, a Haitian disabled young man now.
Eyvindson was only visiting Port au Prince but his
heart couldnt let go of Michael Geilenfelds work
and the boys of St. Joseph who created Wings of Hope,
a home for disabled youth. Like many writers Peters
pen is connected to his heart and booth took over to
write the book, Sonis Mended Wings

As tears washed my face, anger boiled inside me
like a pot on a high flame. I was torn between the
mainstream media blasting the people of Haiti to the
uplifting and determination detailing the work and
love of Michael Geilrnfeld, who is the founder of
St Josephs Home and his boys who single handily
created Wings of Hope. This was a personal research
of disabled Haitians for me because after doing the
research of St. Josephs Home, Wing of Hope, the life
of Soni Derazin, I had the rare opportunity to talk
to Peter Eyvindon who is the author of Sonis Mended
Wings and Soni. Mr. Eyvindon and Soni are on a book
tour of the US to rise funds to build and furnish of a
physiotherapy unit at Wing of Hope, a home for the
physically and mentally disabled. At their readings,
Soni dances along with the drumming while Peter reads
from the book. This is amazing if you know Sonis
background. According to Peters book, Soni spent his
first five years in a crib and had not had the
opportunity to learn how to walk or talk. Now,
thanks to the boys of St. Joseph, Soni is walking.
They were in North Carolina making their way home
to Canada when I had the chance to speak to them over
the phone. They are pleased that Poor Magazine, the
San Francisco Bayview Newspaper and Pushing Limits
show on KPFA Free Speech Radio are interested in their
story. Soni told me he is learning to read and also
thank me for writing this article. On March 9th I
received the book, Sonis Mended Wings and will be
writing a book review.

According to Peter it is hard on the boys of St.
Joseph and Wings of Hope right now with the recent
events in Haiti because the orphanage survive solely
on donation and tours of people visiting. After the
recent events in Haiti, the boys have to stay inside
and there has not been any visitors, thus cutting back
on their monetary resources for the every day needs
of the boys plus the day-to-day operations of the
home. i.e. electricity, heat and food etc.. Its also
affecting when and how Soni will fly back home to
Haiti. Stay tune for the words from Soni and Peter
about their experiences on tour and the situation in
Haiti for disabled youth.