Refined and Fly

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

UNDERSTANDING CIPHER

Peace. today's mathematics is understanding cipher all being born to understanding. Understanding is to see things as they are and not what they appear to be. Understanding is symbolic to the Black child, results, perspective, worldview, fruit (which can be sweet or rotten). Understanding is like performing an experiment. You may have an idea or hypothesis (educated guess). Then you try different things to see if your hypothesis is correct by applying what you know (knowledge and wisdom). If you observed a sprint runner and drew up a hypothesis that you can run faster than them (knowledge), in order to test it, you have to race them (wisdom). Whoever wins the race shows and proves whether the hypothesis was correct or not (understanding). If you want to be the fastest runner in the world, you will have to do this many times to build your endurance and speed. You will have to race many people.

Understanding is also having a crystallized vision...like when thoughts (vapor) and words (liquid) slow down to a point of being solid and concrete (ice). It is the point of view from which you do things consistently; your frame of reference which informs how you operate. When one has a vision that can be clearly seen, you know what you need to do because you have been through a process of trial and error. At this point, you know what works and what does not.

Understanding is also symbolic to the stars (children). Stars are a certain distance away so they seem to be far, but you can still see them. They are visible to the "naked eye." That represents the potential of the future, which lies within the fruit or children produced. If our children are prepared and instilled with the proper knowledge and wisdom, they will carry the teachings forward. If not, the application of the teachings will die with us.

When one has a vision, they have a strategy and plan to be implemented to produce future results. One must bring their understanding to a cipher (person, place or thing) and develop understanding of a cipher. One must also see the understanding or perspective of a cipher. Our worldview is that the Black man is God, the black woman is the Earth, and the babies are the best part. One must also have a vision of how you want your cipher to be, be it your household, your local NGE community, your living space, your own body, etc. We have to think into the future to live out what we want to see. If you don't see it clearly, you won't execute it properly.

Peace

Thursday, May 25, 2006

WHEN YOU GET MAD

Peace. The other day, I was listening to the radio and the Ne-Yo song, "When You Get Mad" came on. It has a nice little beat and smooth melodies happenin.' It's like one of those role your windows down on a sunny day and let the wind hit your face with some stunna shades on kind of grooves. Then, I decided to actually listen to the lyrics of the song. Although I know where the brotha is coming from, that shit is promoting some dysfunctional behavior, especially to the babies cause in real life in most situations, if a woman goes off and gets mad and starts yellin' and hittin' on a brotha, she will likely get hit back or at least shook and it is not funny, cute or sexy. I mean, do you hear women making songs about how cute it is when her man gets mad and hits on her? Do we think that's sexy? I beg your pardon, I have never heard of one.

Our people have issues with domestic violence (physical, mental and emotional abuse...from man to woman and woman to man) and although this song does not cause it, it doesn't necessarily promote healthy relationships. I am not one to let a woman off the hook for just "goin' off" on somebody and a man does not have the right to defend himself because she is a woman and has lost control of her emotions. If I hit a man, although he may not do it due to socialization ("don't hit girls"), I fully expect him to hit me back.

Sometimes, me and the God will do the knowledge to rap and R&B videos and turn the sound off and really peep how crazy those images look (try it and see for yourself). When the music is on, you might be into the song and overlook the images a bit, because you are focused on the whole experience (song, words, beat, video). But when you just watch the images in silence, you realize how impactful word sound power is.

Below, I posted the lyrics to the Ne-Yo song for similar reasons. When you read the lyrics without the beat and the melody, you see it for what it is, and realize that the Devil sure has fooled us...

verse 1:
Its just the cutest thang when you get to fussin (cussin)
Yellin and throwin thangs
I just wanna eat you up
I don't mean no disrespect when i start starin
Knowin that it makes you madder
I'm sorry but seein you mad is so sexy yea

chorus:
Could it be the little rinkle over your nose (when you make your angry face)
That makes me wanna just take off all your clothes(and sex you all over the place) yea
Could it be the little way you storm around (that makes me wanna tear you down)
Baby I aint sure but one thing that i do know is every time you scream at me (i want to kiss you)
And when you put your hands on me (i want to touch you)
And when we get to arguing (just gotta kiss you)
Baby i dont know why its like that because your so damn sexy (when you're mad)

verse2:
Baby don't think i dont take you seriously
But i just cant help the fact your attitude excites me (so exciting)
And you know there ain't nothing better
Than when we get mad together and have angry sex (i blow you out)
Then we forget what we were mad about
Ohhh

CHORUS till end of song

Now, you just can't let emotions rule the cipher like that...one minute you throwin' plates at each other, next minute, you in the bed, going from one heightened emotional state to the next. I am the land of understanding, thereforeI have a lot of it for people and their situations, but this has got to stop! Not to mention if babies are in the cipher...what kinds of emotional confusion will they bring into their relationships when they get older from seeing that example?

*And note to those who post lyrics on web-sites. Please do a spell check before you post them. This had way too many typos.

Peace and Balance in Our Families

Thursday, May 18, 2006

A CYCLE OF FEAR

Peace! Today's mathematics is knowledge build or destroy all being born to born. Today's degree in the alphabet is rule or ruler. A rule is a standard and a ruler is a person who sets a standard for an environment.

8:36 Because the Devil put fear in him when he was a little boy.

Throughout the process of the enslavement of Black people in North America, and specifically Black men, there was a process by which a slave was made. They were stripped of their name, culture, and religion. They were seperated from their families. They were placed in chains around their hands, feet, and neck, restricting their physical movement. They were whipped and beaten senselessly, and some were killed to be made examples out of. They were placed among those who did not speak the same language so that they were not able to communicate to plot rebellion.

Women were raped, beaten and killed, and many pregnant women were hung and had their babies ripped out of their stomachs. These were tortuous conditions that were inflicted upon Black boys and Black men to instill fear of their masters. In order for the Devil to build his civilization and reality, he had to destroy what he saw as a threat. He had to destroy our social equality and keep us a part from their own social equality (8:14). This process borned generations of Black men who live in fear.

If you are afraid of something or someone, you may do anything they say so that you will not experience pain, nor have pain inflicted upon your loved ones. You will not challenge authority because you do not want what you have to be taken from you. This fear has been passed down from generation to generation through mothers and fathers who want to keep their sons out of harms way. Therefore, a young black male is not encouraged to be too rebellious or strong for fear that their strength will get them into trouble later on in life. How can a man live out the knoweldge degree in the 1-10 (Who is the orignal man? The original man is the Asiatic Black man, the maker, the owner, cream of the planet Earth, father of civilization, God of the Universe) if he lives in fear?

Dr. Joy Leary, a fairly prominent psychologist who has popularized the concept of "Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome" suggests that a stress hormone can pass from mother to child through the placenta and we instill fear in our babies as soon as they are born. Think of all of the times you may have seen a Colored parent and their child in the grocery store vs. a Black parent and their child in the grocery store. A colored parent may allow their child to roam about the aisle, smelling the fruits and vegetables exploring their surroundings without fear of danger. A Black parent may keep their child right next to them for fear of them knocking something over and getting into trouble, getting lost, etc (Not trying to make a sweeping generalization, but I have seen it enough to notice the difference).

Don't get me wrong, we must use what we know to build a healthy sense of caution in our children, but it seems as though we are encouraging our children to fear the world around them, which can debilitate and destroy their ability to be productive human beings who can navigate the world with confidence, having a healthy sense of self. Why do we do this? Because it is a survival mechanism that we have inherited from the time of slavery where if a child wandered too far, or if a man was disobedient to their master, their life may have ended.

If a man lives in fear of asserting himself, standing up for what is right, demanding justice or defending his family, how can he be a ruler? He is not living according to his own standard of conduct. What standard is he setting for his children, other than a self-perpetuating cycle of submission to a master in order to keep a job or avoid prison, or to not be viewed as an outcast or one who cannot play the game and blend in to the mainstream. This is part of a longstanding process of castrating the Black male's manhood and ability to define who he is and set a standard of excellence for his family and community.

Below is an article about Area 2 in Chicago, a detention center where at least 135 Black males were tortured. In 2006, similar tactics are still being used today to put fear into Black boys and men.

The root is still the same, but the game done changed.



Chicago's Abu Ghraib: UN Committee Against Torture Hears Report on How Police Tortured Over 135 African-American Men Inside Chicago
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/05/09/1415210
For nearly two decades a part of the city’s jails known as Area 2 was the epicenter for what has been described as the systematic torture of dozens of African-American males by Chicago police officers. In total, more than 135 people say they were subjected to abuse including having guns forced into their mouths, bags places over their heads, and electric shocks inflicted to their genitals. Four men have been released from death row after government investigators concluded torture led to their wrongful convictions. [includes rush transcript]

Extraordinary rendition. Overseas prisons. Abu Ghraib. Guantanamo Bay. Practices and places that have become synonymous with the abuse of detainees in US custody are getting renewed attention at the United Nations this week, where the UN Committee Against Torture is holding hearings on U.S. compliance with its international obligations. But there is one name expected to arise this week that few people in this country will have heard about – and it’s the one that’s closest to home.

It’s called Area 2. And for nearly two decades beginning in 1971, it was the epicenter for what has been described as the systematic torture of dozens of African-American males by Chicago police officers. In total, more than 135 people say they were subjected to abuse including having guns forced into their mouths, bags places over their heads, and electric shocks inflicted to their genitals. Four men have been released from death row after government investigators concluded torture led to their wrongful convictions.
Yet the case around Area 2 is nowhere near a resolution -- to date, not one Chicago police officer has been charged with any crime. ..

Read the rest of the article by going to this site http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/05/09/1415210


Peace

Sunday, May 14, 2006

HEY MAMA

14:14 Q) What is the meaning of MGT and GCC?
A) Muslim Girl Training and General Civilization Class, a name given to the training of women and girls of North America. How to raise children. How to take care of their husbands. How to keep their house. How to cook, sew, and in general, how to act at home and abroad. These training units were given to us by our Prophet and teacher of Islam, W.D. Fard.


Although I don't really get down too much with the holidays of this civilization (besides the benefit of getting a day off from work at times), you should celebrate your mother...not just this day, but every day! Why? Because she brought you into this world that's why! You didn't get here physically, as a child, by yourself, and we know that wisdom is the way. Although my Old Earth is not a part of the Nation of Gods and Earths or really any particular culture or religion, she was a damn good mother, and when she was married, from what I was told (my parents divorced when I was a baby), a good wife, and she did many of the duties in the aforementioned degree. She was my first example of womanhood and motherhood. She nurtured me in her body and gave me what I needed to be born big and healthy! She helped me develop my self-esteem. She taught me how to be strong. She taught me the importance of being a good person and accomplishing what I set out to do. She went to my sports events and plays and an endless amount of activities. She even came to my first rap performance in a smoky club in San Jose...and she has asthma! That's dedication to me, and I will always love my mother for all that she has given me and all that she has taught me. She gave me my start in this world. Even when we don't agree (the older she gets, the more judgemental she gets and the more she curses), we are learning to agree to disagree and she truly wants the best for me no matter where I'm at.

So, if you haven't already, start appreciating your Old Earths, Mother Earths, and Mothers of Civilization. She changed your stinky diapers. She made sure that you were fed and clothed and did what she had to do to put you first before herself. She went through nine months of labor, and often times, an agonizing delivery of pain in order to bring you into this world safe and sound. She wiped your snotty nose. She made lunches for you when you went to school. She met with your teachers. She defended you when you were in harm's way. She made sure you were in the house before the street light came on so you would not fall into danger. She gave you advice. She showed you how to treat a woman (at least pre-KOS). She washed your dirty clothes. She cleaned up your dirty room when you were outside playin. She praised you when you were right, and served you justice when you were wrong. Through her example, good or bad, she taught you how to be a mother (ladies) and she taught you how to support a mother (men). All this can be a heavy load, especially if she is working and especially if there is not a man in the home to support her, but she pulled it off and you are who you are today! All praises due!

Peace

Thursday, May 11, 2006

WELL, WHAT DO YA KNOW...

Peace! Today's mathematics is knowledge knowledge all being born to wisdom. Today I focused on a mental self-analysis.

What is the foundation of what I know?
What is it based on?
Is it something that can be qualified or quantified that can be shown and proven?
Do I really move based on knowledge or feeling and emotion?
What is my thought process?
How do I mentally counteract negative or toxic thoughts?
How do I mentally reinforce positive thoughts?
What do I know that I can put into practice better?
What do I need to know in order to increase my skill set so I can put that mental energy in motion so that I can say more, teach more, share more, and do more?
Is what I know right and exact?
Is it correct?

If you do not take the time to knowledge your knowledge and study your thinking, then you will not know the root of your wisdom, and your wisdom may be determined by thoughts that you are unaware of or thoughts that you need to reconcile or address. Doing the knowledge means to look, listen, observe, and respect:

Look- What mental visual images do you have? This can be in dreams or even daydreaming. Where do these images come from? Where do you see yourself mentally?

Listen- to hear something with your ears. Take time to hear yourself think, even if it's 10 minutes a day in the bathroom or while you're stuck in traffic. Use those moments! You may learn something about yourself. What do your thoughts tell you? What thoughts do different sounds trigger (i.e. a song that makes you think of a memory or time in your life)? What sounds can you expose yourself to to put yourself in a peaceful and positive mental state (i.e. meditation, calm music, nature). What sounds put you off balance or make it hard to concentrate (i.e. gunshots)

Observe- study your thoughts. Read and process the information you do have to make sure it is the information you need

Respect- one should have a healthy esteem toward the accumulation of useful information because it will help you and others grow through your expression of it (wisdom). The more I know, the more I can do and say


Today's degree in the alphabet is king/ kingdom. What are the roles and responsibilities of a king? If a person calls himself a king, do they have a kingdom ? Do they have an environment they are responsible for (it has become very cliche' to refer to each other in those terms, and it is peace to reaffirm positve roles through our history to enhance self-esteem, but kings were responsible for people, places, and things There were things they had to do in order to be king). What are the qualities of a king (with more heart than a scholar but is smarter than a warrior (I Majestic Allah)). Does he manage anything? The king is accountable to the kingdom. Although being a king may seem like an ego boost, if you are really manifesting that quality then it is a responsibility of making decisions that are in the best interest of the growth and development of the kingdom. What resources does the king bring to the kingdom to maintain it and help it grow? Is this person qualified to be a king? Do they have the knowledge, skills and talents for the job?

A king has to be a diplomat, a warrior, a peacemaker, and an educated individual who knows how to communicate (charisma and inspiration). A kingdom must uphold the rule of the king so that the kingdom functions properly. A king sees his power manifested through those in the kingdom. Your power is shown and proven through your effect on the people. Never underestimate that. A king may put out a directive, but it is up to those in the kingdom to ensure that it happens. If the king loses loyalty from the kingdom, and if the kingdom stops entrusting that person to provide good orderly direction, and therefore stops listening to you and does something else (rebellion), then you may be a king in theory (title and name), but in practice, you are not looked to and respected as king and your days are numbered.

11:36 What does that have to do with the abovementioned question number 10?

On this day, I see this to mean two things:
1) You may be trying to communicate something, but a person may not understand what you're saying or see where you're coming from. If you knowledge someones' knowledge, you may be able to better understand their wisdom (whether it's clear or not). If a person's wisdom is shaky, it maybe because they are either nervous speaking publicly, or they are not yet comfortable enought with the information to communicate it swiftly. You also have to think, " Why would they say that," "What do they know that I don't yet know?"

2) Stay focused mentally. In that mental self-analysis, or whenever you are analyzing something, you have to ask, " What does this concept or dynamic have to do with this one (i.e. what does knowledge knowledge have to do with king/ kingdom)," "Am I confusing someone with my wisdom because I have not reconciled my own thoughts," "Am I clear and focused mentally so that my wisdom is fluid?" When a person asks you what one thing has to do with another, it is either due to their lack of knowledge about the subject matter and provides a wonderful opportunity to drop some heavy science, or you may have said something that is un-alike or off-topic than what you previously said or the general conversation itself.

11:14 Q) Have you not heard that your word shall be bond regardless to whom or what?
A) Yes, my word is my bond and my bond is my life and I shall give my life before my word shall fail

I see this as an oath about simply keeping your word. Do what you say you are going to do. If you can't do it, try not to say that you will, and I still have to work on this cause I want to to do a lot. I want to say yes to everything, however when I do that, and can't follow through, that only lends itself to disappointment and resentment. Knowledge your knowledge so that when people ask you a question, and you are not sure of what the answer may be, instead of answering it and saying, "Word is bond," and leading someone in the wrong and potentially dangerous direction, tell them that you will find out the answer, or point them to someone who knows. Try not to let the need to sound smart, or your pride get in the way, cause you're really providing an obstacle to someone knowing the truth because they have to sift through the wrong information that you gave them which they really thought was true because you sealed it with, "Word is bond." People use that term all the time, and was especially popularized through hip hop, however, many people really don't have a true understanding of that concept because people lie all the time! People snitch and break codes of the street, community, ethics, family, etc.

And this also includes, keeping your word bond with yourself! For example, if I say that I am going to stop eating candy or exercise more, and I don't follow through, then that shows a level of lack of importance I am placing on my will regarding my own mind or body. So you have to do right by you as well. Sometimes we may follow through more with other people than we will with ourselves because it may seem bigger or more important when you disappoint another person, because we care what others think about us (even if its' just a little bit). But all processes start with you, and if I can't make my word bond with me, then what does that say?

People are always doing the knowledge to you and if you consistently repeat a pattern of "breaking your word" then your word means nothing, because your ways and actions are not consistent with what you say. What you say is one thing, but people really look at what you do. If you are consistent with keeping your word, then people will view you as an honorable person with integrity, one that they can depend on. You are bonded to your word and you are associated with your word, and your words ways and actions are usually what people use to determine your character, hence your word being bond and your bond being life.

Peace!

Thursday, May 04, 2006

BLACK GIRL MEMORIES

Peace! Today's mathematics is culture. This morning, I was strollin' down memory lane, thinking about my childhood. Peridoically, I meet with a group of Black women from different "faiths," and belief systems. I realized that some of the experiences I had are probably similar to other Black women in North America (give or take a few geographical differences) because we share a similar frame of reference. So I decided to put together a list of a few "Black Girl Memories" that I and other Black women may share. Some may be more specific to my experience as a California girl and some are more general. And don't hesitate to add on your own Black Girl/ Original Woman memories. Since we deal with all the human families of the planet Earth, we may all have some similarities, and if not, we can learn from and appreciate the differences. I was born in 1978 so the memories only go back but so far...and I'm from the West Coast :-) Since I got knowledge of self as an adult, these memories are all pre-KOS. Do you remember...


1) Your first time getting a perm or your hair pressed? Did your mother burn your ear trying to get those edges (oooh, the oppression!). Burn baby burn!

2) If you didn't have a pool, did you put on your swimsuit or leotard, turn the lawn hose on and run across the sprinklers?

3) Playing a whole bunch of inappropriate games for young children (Hide and Go Get It, House, Doctor)

4) You know you had at least one pair of hammer pants! (Don't front...you at least thought about it)

5) Summertime, wearin' matching biker short outfits with Keds or Diadoras?

6) Wearin' all kinds of beads, bollies and scrungies with 10,000 braids in your hair?

7) Waiting hours upon hours to get your hair done at the shop, cause your hairdresser overbooked her schedule trying to do 5 heads at a time?

8) Turnin' 13 and thinkin' you were grown cuz you were a "teenager"

9) Wanting to be the main girl (not just a back up dancer :-) in a LL Cool J, Guy, or damn near any popular male rapper or singers' video

10) Lyin' about your age when someone tried to get at you (maybe that was just me )?

11) Trying to will bigger hills and mountains into existence (ya'll know what I mean)

12) Goin' to your first sideshow and parkin' lot pimpin' at the gas station (if you ain't from the Bay Area, you might not understand)

13) Playing double dutch and Chinese Jump Rope? Remember Pop Ups?

14) Lee Press on Nails?

15) Cross Colors (somebody could spot you a mile away with those bright ass colors and those twirlin' fan hats!), Damage (ripped patches...why?), and Girbaud jeans

16) Supersonic, Oaktown 357, and B Angie B (people used to call me that!)

17) This isn't funny, but this is no lie...didn't crack touch at least one person in your family? (sometimes we laugh to keep from cryin')

18) Sneakin' to listen to Too Short and dancin' to 2 Live Crew

19) Having some public and private school experience, couldn't you find fast girls at either place?

20) Don't you have at least one uncle who was always on some otha ish at every family function?
(mine is Uncle Poochie from Plaquemine, Louisiana. He always wore cowboy hats and boots, danced as he came to hug and kiss you...B.U.T he always got the party started and made us laugh)

That's what I got for now and I'll continue to add memories as I think of them.. Feel free to add on, and brothas, this includes you too. I know ya'll have some memories in common that cross boundaries. Peace!