Obama Says "He'll Pay' ... $2,500 A Year To Go To School

Reprint: (ARA) - Where there's a will, there will always be a way. So the economy is crashing around us. Everywhere, dust is settling over the graves of greed. And yes, now really is a good time to both, STAY in college and to start or return to college.

Think: "Multiple Income Streams." The Obama administration's stimulus bill is supposedly designed to get the economy moving again. Most of the bill's $70 billion for education will go to low- to middle-income individuals.

"A major part of the bill is a $13.8 billion tuition tax credit boost called the American Opportunity Tax Credit," reports ARALifestyle. "This tax credit reimburses 100 percent of the first $2,000 of educational expenses for lower income students. For the next $2,000, students will receive a 25 percent reimbursement. In short, lower income students will receive $2,500 in education reimbursements per year.

The bill also features other benefits for low-income students. Families that do not earn enough to pay income taxes can receive a $1,000 education refund.

"These kinds of incentives from the government don't come along very often," says Janet Hill, financial aid and education counselor at ClassesandCareers.com, a free online education service. "If people have been thinking of going back to school, now would be the time to do it. If they are hurting financially, they can easily get the money they need to get a degree." These benefits are set to expire after the 2010-2011 school year.

Fortunately, thanks to a growing number of online education options, degree-seekers can take advantage of President Barack Obama's stimulus bill without leaving their jobs. Sites like ClassesandCareers.com have helped nearly 500,000 degree-seekers get their stimulus money and enroll in online universities."

But the consumer has to be cautious. The word went out that there weren't enough medical professionals. People flooded little medical colleges by the thousands ... and now there are too many of them. Same with IT professionals like Graphic Designers and "Computer Technicians." NPR recently ran a story advising listeners to imagine fifteen Empire State Buildings of empty office space. That's how many empty office space is presently in Silicon Valley. Research. Do your homework. Question what you'd REALLY like to do. Avoid standing in the line that's already crowded.

That set, Hill continues, "We help people learn how to take advantage of this bill," says Hill. "All they have to do is visit our form and fill it out. We guide them through the rest."

If you are a low-income individual and want to get money to go back to school, visit ClassesandCareers.com, fill out their form, and indicate which schools you may be interested in. An education advisor will contact you and help you get your share of President Obama's stimulus money to go back to school."

One word of caution children ... the country is still built upon mountains of debt. Read the fine print and ask before you sign. Take time before you decide.

Free College for Black males???

This information is too important to post only once. Please, if you know any black males who dream of going to college but see no way of being able to afford the cost, 13 Black Colleges and Universities are working with Clemson University to send them to school absolutely FREE.

The text below is reprinted directly from the "Calll me MISTER" website. Click and view all the links on the left side to view the program in greater detail. The goal of the program is to increase the number of black male teachers in under-served and rural communities. There was a time when I would have even balked at going into places like the Mississippi Delta to teach ... but these days, being able to live and work (earning a decent salary) at a very esteemable position in a rural area is pure GAME. I repeat over and over that owning a home with a few acres on it within a 45 minute radius of a city or college town is the number one choice. (If you don't know, read past posts to learn why.) But before I digress, read about the program below. Each link takes you to a different site.)

"The mission of the Call Me MISTER (acronym for Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) National Initiative is to increase the pool of available teachers from a broader more diverse background particularly among the State's lowest performing elementary schools. Student participants are largely selected from among under-served, socio-economically disadvantaged and educationally at-risk communities.

The Call Me MISTER program is contributing to the talent pool of excellent teachers by identifying and supporting students like Mr. Mark Joseph (shown here), who are literally "touching the future" by teaching children. Mark's teaching degree was made possible through the Call Me MISTER program.

The project provides:

• Tuition assistance through Loan Forgiveness programs for admitted students pursuing approved programs of study in teacher education at participating colleges.
• An academic support system to help assure their success.
• A cohort system for social and cultural support.

“Call Me MISTER” was developed by some of our State’s visionary educational leaders who sincerely believe we can build a better tomorrow by getting you involved today.

Maintained by MISTER@clemson.edu
Copyright ©2009 Call Me MISTER, 203 Holtzendorff, Clemson, S.C. 29634, (800)640-2657"

Supporting Our Own Slavery

Recreated from Luther Brook's "Heteplandproject"

Drug money saved banks in global crisis, claims UN advisor

This is from an interesting article originally printed in "The Guardian." I love President Obama and I hope that it's simply too early to evaluate which direction he's going ... "the same old trip," or is he shrewd enough to give the Military Industrial complex what it wants in exchange for breaking off something for the people who elected him later? We'll just have to wait and see.

Luther Brook's reprint of The Guardian's story (below) points out the lie behind our "Drug War." It's been close to 30 years and more Americans are in prisons than in any industrial nation on earth. UN Drug Tsar Antonio Maria Costa, estimated that the "Drug Industry" is a $325 billion dollar industry ... and that's probably a low-ball figure. Just ONE example of how dangerous our current drug policies are is privately owned prisons that drain money from the public treasury and places those funds in private pockets.

Drugs and crime chief Costa went on to say that he has uncovered evidence that the $352 Billion dollars of confirmed criminal drug money was effectively laundered by large US and European legal financial institutions. But even more alarming was the report that "the (drug money) was the only liquid investment capital" available to some banks on the brink of collapse last year."

The report further stated that "poppy/opium crops were stopped by Taliban completely in 2001 because it was "un-Islamic". It was only after we invaded that it restarted and crops have increased in size every year since we invaded.

NOTE: Afghanistan is yet another poor country that never invaded by the United States. In 2005, Canadian ex-Minister of Defense Gordon O'Connor reported that heroine is again being produced in that country. The much-demonized Taliban had stopped it. Okay ... so if the poppy/opium production is $300 billion+ industry and Afghanis are dirt poor... who's running it all???

In terms of President Obama's current policy towards I'm not in favor of this quick, knee-jerk reaction that is coming from so many on the Left. The race is early and "our horse" still has a long way to run. But let's face it, all this is occurring within the cauldron of the "American Empire" that has been built on U.S. Banks and our "New Roman Empire Military Forces."

The problem is one of priorities. Have our ruling classes become so greedy that they are blind to how their empty, bottomless desire is running the country into economic and moral ruin? Silly question isn't it?

As we look for solutions to our current state of economic and moral decay, we have to realize how important drugs are to keeping us imprisoned and existing in lives of hopelessness and lovelessness. I don’t care if it’s marijuana, Crystal Meth, Cocaine or heroine, you can’t yearn to enjoy any part of “God’s Full Bounty” if we’re choosing to live in the Hells of addiction and demoralization.

New Ag Blog

Well, now that I'm off that truck, I've begun working on a blog devoted just to agriculture. "WHAT'S a BROTHA FrOm Berkeley doing blogging about FARMS?"

Urban Farming
I don't care if it's raising a garden in your backyard, or developing a small "farm" inside the city limits with the intention of providing your neighborhood with fresh vegetables, fruit and meat ... the time to plant is NOW!

Check out the amazing opportunities posted on my newest blog. Everything from the 200 Agriculture related career fields that are currently going wanting for college educated people to fill them ... to stories about a 70 year old Detroit man who makes a living shooting Raccoons and selling the meat and skins to his protein starved neighbors.

Check it all out on: greenfred

Green Jobs

The Recovery Act
President Obama's number one priority upon entering the White House, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was signed into law on February 17th. The act is intended to revitalize the U.S. economy, and includes crucial investments in transportation, infrastructure, education, and energy.


The Recovery Act totals $787 billion, including billions that can be used to green the economy, create green jobs, and build green pathways out of poverty.


$6 billion in has been allocated to the Weatherization Assistance Program, which will go to weatherize homes to make them leak less energy.
The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants means that every city, county, state and tribe in the country will receive some portion of over $3 billion to spend on projects that reduce energy use or conserve resources.

$500 Million for Green Jobs Training will be allocated through competitive grants for green jobs training. Both advanced skills training and pathways out of poverty programs are eligible for grants.

Green Jobs Training Grants The federal recovery package allocated $500 million to be given out in competitive grants for green job training programs across the county. There will be grants available for advanced
skills training and for pathways out of poverty programs.

A Green-Collar Job Strengthens Urban and Rural Communities. Essentially, the new green economy will be more "hammer and nails" than high tech. Still, to get all that cheap energy being produced in Texas up to an icy home in upstate Maine, the entire United States power grid is going to have to be updated. That's a LOT of jobs. All kinds of jobs. Be well Space Travelers.

CHange

I haven't posted for a while. I'm undergoing a major change. The truck driving was interesting ... but it's time to start a real life again. I saw enough of the country and went "gaw-gaw" over enough farms to KNOW I want to live on one.

Personally, I'm putting my hopes on updating my marketing skills. New Media Marketing ... Going to take a minute, but running away from life ... just ain't no life at all.

I will be developing some new "Green" blogs shortly. Stay tune. Share your thoughts. Find someone to love. Meditate. Pray. Enjoy the journey. Peace.

Hypocrisy In The Hood

Interesting. We arguably in what may be called the middle phase of a Black Civil War. This ... "Civil War between the "Thug Kulture" and those who identify with the more positive aspects of the Black Community are, and have been at odds for a long time now.

Naturally, this is only one front of a larger "war" ... a spiritual war we're all deeply embroiled in regardless if we know it or now. (SEE: "Materialism, addictions, criminality, domestic abuse, racism, sexism, pornography ... et al...)

You might say it's the old story of man's inhumanity to man. Since the early 80's, we've been slowly seduced out of our collective humanity. Driving that truck, I witnessed people from Rock Hill, South Carolina to Portland, Oregon ... depressed and hardened towards each other. Last Christmas was the meanest I've ever seen.

Now, the Obama Inauguration is at hand. Many of the people who will be clapping and pounding themselves on the back will be "folks" who love to refer to themselves and others as, "Niggas."

It's been a long, dark night ... a Holocaust of killing each other ... of terrorizing black neighborhoods by the very black men and women who should have been defending and building it up. "I gotta get my bling on."

It's going to be interesting to watch. Obama wasn't elected by black people, but he is a Standard Bearer for people of every hue and strata. The forces of darkness are going to come quick, fast and in a hurry to divide and conquer the Liberal Left. There will be confusion. But in all the things I hope for ... paramount in my mind, is the death of Thug Kulture and the transformation of da Nigga.

I'll be out of touch for a while. Peace. Be aware of the larger war we're all in. In other words space travelers ... "Be ye as wise as the serpent, and as humble as the dove."

Dick Gregory

Dick Gregory may be the only person on the planet right now who I can listen to talk about the current state of racism and oppression in America. It's just too late to discuss being a victim or to pay too much attention to the illusionary, "Oppressor."

If every human being is a spiritual being having a human experience, then being a "victim" ... or a "perpetrator" are merely roles we either choose to play or "attach" to and have difficulty letting go of. (This is only background babble because by now, most folks know this already... at least intellectually, if not emotionally.)

Dick Gregory has worn many hats. Among them being, social activist, comedian, writer, and entrepreneur, grandfather, and spiritual adviser ... but the thread that weaves them all together is that he is a healer. A "social counselor" that tells both the emperor and the field hand that they have no clothes ... that they've forgotten who they are ... and like the father, chides them to the point of awareness that yes, they can and must ... do better.

Please play the video below. Like Dr. Phil, John Bradshaw, and Jesus Christ, I too agree that the burden of unnecessary guilt and shame lie at the heart of America’s ills. I hope you’ll "YouTube" all his videos. He speaks to the healing heart of us all ... black, white, yellow, brown, red … male, female ... et al ...

Black Renaissance on Pine Street

So I'm eating breakfast at this cafe on Adeline in Berkeley. The guy at the table next to me has just finished a bowl of something ... some kind of greenish cooked cereal or some sort of Split Pea soup. A short stack with home fries follows. (Hmmm ... interesting. Either this guy is from some Eastern European country or he's just a very hungry fellow who knows how to eat.)

So I strikes up a conversation. Turns out the couple are far-left Berkeley types. Not many left these days. I tell him a bit about me, and then he pauses, and tells me about this brother down in the Lower Bottom (a.k.a. "West Oakland") who is creating this whole movement around black art, music and writing.

It takes me a week, but I find the scrap of paper deep in my pocket, and read, "Marcel Diallo's" name on it, along with the words, "blackdotcafe magazine".

Google then name in, and BaM! There's all these stories and links about a new urban revival of da creative arts in an area once labeled Oakland's Buttermilk Bottom. West Oakland. Once home to Pullman Car Porters, Southern Pacific and Sante Fe trains, Chinese Cleaners, and a strip of African American bars and night clubs linked to the infamous "Chitlin Circuit" that ran under the South's Cotton Curtain, up to Harlem, across the Midwest, and even out to Northern and Southern California.

So, here's this Marcel Diallo sitting next to actor Don Cheadle. (Ya gotta click on some of these links and read this stuff..) They're talking about how developer Rick Holliday came up with the idea of renovating the dead heart of West Oakland's 7th & Pine Street area. The surprising part of all this to me is that this has been going on for some time ... and like the West Oakland Farmer's Market, far too few people know about it.

I'm sooOOOOoo glad to read about all of Diallo's work ... even though it's a bit too urban for me. But it's important ... because like the cliché says ... "the artist, the poets, and the musicians create the consciousness of the race."

We've had 30 years of Korporate State control of the music. Started in the 70s actually ... when they took the stage out and this thing called, "Disco" suddenly appeared. All that great, REAL, music ... gone. The Great Communicator (Ronald Regan) came in and university scholarships began disappearing. A tragic thing called, "Homelessness" appeared in both America's cities and its rural areas. Drugs began pouring in from "no where" and high school drop-outs were suddenly getting all the contracts that people like Aretha Franklin, O.C. Smith, and James Brown once had. The Giants of Rhythm and Blues suddenly couldn't BUY a job ... but high school drop-outs like "Too Short" and "Snoop Dog" couldn't find pockets deep enough to hold all the money that was thrown at them.

Like Aristotle once said: "You write the laws, but let me write the songs because the youth will act out the songs."

It's been a long, dark, night upon the land folks. We need visionaries of every hue at the table ... writing, sculpting, painting a path to a New Renaissance that will stop the killing, free some souls, and fill some hearts, minds ... and stomachs.