Tag Archives: United States

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Memorial day … in memory of



Most if not all memorial days are full of wonderful events and more often than not they all provide unforgettable programs! 

 In memory of …

my Brother, who served as a US Marine

Graves at Arlington on Memorial Day.JPG

And …  an amazing repeat  of  a show done in 2006; about Pearl Fryar;  a self- made man and Topiary Garden Artist in Bishop, SC;

his amazing gift for making shrubs into magnificent pieces of art was very moving and yes I cried; if you see the show on cable … it tells his story, the son of a share-cropper who listened to his dad and made something of himself… as Pearl says and while his neighbors, friends and some relatives wondered what was going on with this man so obsessed, so determined who truly loved but wanted to perfect his art, it became obvious that his gift…self-taught, was definitely centered from something deep and beyond.  The viewer hears the history and witnesses the progress of his story …his idea of love, peace, and goodwill in a town with racial tension he not only brought people into a town that was suffering economically but some folks from the area who normally avoided each other crossed paths just to see his artistry.

pearlfryar.com

The Garden

Since the early 1980s, Pearl Fryar has created fantastic topiary at his garden in Bishopville, South Carolina. Living sculptures, Pearl’s topiary are astounding feats of artistry and horticulture. Many of the plants in Pearl’s garden were rescued from the compost pile at local nurseries. With Pearl’s patience and skilled hands, these “throwaways” have thrived and have been transformed into wonderful abstract shapes. Pearl Fryar and his garden are now internationally recognized and have been the subject of numerous newspaper and magazine articles, television shows, and even a documentary, A Man Named Pearl. Today, the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden draws visitors from around the globe.

Visitors to the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden experience a place that is alternately beautiful, whimsical, educational, and inspiring. Pearl’s garden contains over 300 individual plants and few are spared from his skilled trimming. His extraordinary topiary is complemented by his “junk art” sculptures placed throughout the garden. Pearl’s garden is a living testament to one man’s firm belief in the results of positive thinking, hard work, and perseverance, and his dedication to spreading a message of “love, peace and goodwill.”

In 2006, the Garden Conservancy and the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden, Inc. formed a partnership with Pearl Fryar. Through this partnership, they hope to preserve and maintain the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden and to further Pearl’s message of inspiration and hope.

Please consider donating to the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden, Inc. to help ensure that Pearl’s garden is cared for and kept open to inspire future generations.

For more information about the Garden Conservancy and its mission to protect exceptional American gardens, please visit the Garden Conservancy website.

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The last one is a c-span(video 2010) story that we cannot continue to ignore, deny or shove under the rug, c-span interviews the author of a book about Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot; 2010

An update needs to be included as the Lacks family, after years of litigation did gain an agreement

NIH makes privacy agreement with Henrietta Lacks’ family http://usat.ly/1esA2JK via @usatoday ~ 2013

Henrietta’s story starts in 1920 her birth and ends sometime in the early fifties, this story seems only to be coming into the light of day and while i cried again while watching this, it is sad, might be unacceptable by some, even after several children, after years of reports, publicity and whatnot the Lacks family seems to be the only one who didn’t benefit from the story of this woman whose cells were used to create a cell line for medical research but got nothing in return.   I first heard about the Lacks story in 2010 while in a coffee shop, then we all heard Oprah and some associates decided to make a movie…hopefully some of the revenue will be given to the family.   It is a story that makes you gasp, gets you upset, mad and it will make you cry and wonder how the science community got away with not paying Henrietta Lacks and or her family for her contribution.   If I understood the interviewer the Lacks family has recently gotten more PR about their Mother’s story but it’s unclear if anyone paid money for all the stories and or tv programs about her. It is a story that appears on the surface a story of unintentional theft of her cells then used by a scientist who did not tell her or her family even after it was evident that the cells were unusual, that they were used and what effect they would eventually have on science today.I understand that back then technology may not have been as advanced but it did advance and still if the reports are correct, the science community gave Henrietta nothing or her family. It happened in a time when minorities were treated very poorly and even if the reports state that standard procedure was this that and the other .. .the 70″s gave way to new ways to handle science technologies; it’s time to pay Henrietta Lacks and her family back.

Just some things to remember

… Happy Memorial Day

~ Nativegrl77

~ Culture & History

Mom’s Day


NWLCfamilyFamily-Pregnant-Mother-120

 johnOceguerafamilyshot

Mother’s Day is a special time for new moms. But it can also be a stressful time for new parents facing the responsibility of caring for a newborn or infant.
Physicians from FDA’s Pediatric and Maternal Health Staff offer five tips for new moms, including important advice on how to safely store and give medicines, and how new mothers can take care of their own health.
More Information:
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

On This Day … Alex Haley wins a Pulitzer Prize for Roots


Image result for 1977 - Alex Haley Received A Special Pulitzer Prize For His Book "Roots."

Born on August 11, 1921, in Ithaca, New York, Alex Haley was an American writer whose works, including Roots and The Autobiography of Malcolm X, centered on the struggles of African Americans. He died in Seattle, Washington, on February 10, 1992.

 Quotes

“Either you deal with what is the reality, or you can be sure that the reality is going to deal with you.” – Alex Haley

“The money I have made and will be making means nothing to me compared to the fact that about half of the black people I meet—ranging from the most sophisticated to the least sophisticated—say to me, ‘I’m proud of you.’ I feel strongly about always earning that and never letting black people down.” – Alex Haley

“In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.”  – Alex Haley

 Early Life

Alex Haley was born Alexander Murray Palmer Haley on August 11, 1921, in Ithaca, New York. At the time of his birth, Haley’s father, Simon Haley, a World War I veteran, was a graduate student in agriculture at Cornell University, and his mother, Bertha Palmer Haley, was a teacher.

For the first five years of his life, Haley lived with his mother and grandparents in Henning, Tennessee, while his father finished his studies. When Simon Haley completed his degree, he joined the family in Tennessee and taught as a professor of agriculture at various southern universities. Alex Haley was always remarkably proud of his father, whom he said had overcome the immense obstacles of racism to achieve high levels of success and provide better opportunities for his children.

An exceptionally bright child and gifted student, Haley graduated from high school at the age of 15 and enrolled at Alcorn A&M College (Alcorn State University) in Mississippi, where he says he “was easily the most undistinguished freshman.” After one year at Alcorn, he transferred to Elizabeth City State Teachers College in North Carolina.

In 1939, at the age of 17, Haley quit school to enlist in the Coast Guard. Although he enlisted as a seaman, he quickly became a third class petty officer in the inglorious rate of mess attendant. To relieve his boredom while on ship, Haley bought a portable typewriter and typed out love letters for his less articulate friends. He also wrote short stories and articles and sent them to magazines and publishers back in the United States. Although he received mostly rejection letters in return, a handful of his stories were published, encouraging Haley to keep writing.

At the conclusion of World War II, the Coast Guard permitted Haley to transfer into the field of journalism, and by 1949 he had achieved the rank of first class petty officer in the rate of journalist. Haley was soon promoted to chief journalist of the Coast Guard, a rank he held until his retirement in 1959, after 20 years of service. A highly decorated veteran, Haley has received the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal and an honorary degree from the Coast Guard Academy. A Coast Guard Cutter was also named in Haley’s honor: the USCGC Alex Haley.

for the complete article … Go to … www.biography.com/people

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

6 Things Not To Say To a Mixed Person


~ my 2cents ...

the fight is constant … to retain both our constitutional democracy and republic


So, Today is a day to close your eyes breathe in through your nose slowly and deeply then release your breath slowly exhale through your mouth… be still stay calm  repeat if needed

just another rant …

It has been a big week and or month for what seems to be a comeback of the tea party, gaining a lot of airtime and most of the interviews have them spewing a conspiracy theory about not only who should get impeached, but how the FBI our government law enforcement is now tainted. I guess this should not surprise anyone but the idea that Republicans in Congress who used to be respected at some point have chosen to ignore the obvious paper trail or digital one and the words coming outta the mouths of respected career service workers just seems too coincidental for me.  I want to know what if any association do these folks have to all things done said acted upon by the trump admin.  In 2013, only 18% of the public identified themselves as members of the tea party, but in this era of trump it seems they are back showing their true colours very loudly but have now transformed into something worse?

We all read how Republicans still believe or want voters to believe and blame any bs happening in this current government on President Obama and as we moved through the impeachment process and Presidential Primaries then the election, kooks who were voted into office now appear more unqualified than ever before and need to be voted out asap what with all the hearings and NOW Covid19, voters are getting another chance to see exactly what they voted for and seriously the democratic party did a great job in selecting members of Congress during midterm2018 …  a tidal wave.

The notion that any republican member of Congress should remain seated in Congress while backing alternative facts and spewing what sounds like foreign propaganda is offensive. The old Tea Party was angry and misinformed but this new group of tea partiers or trumpist is much more willing to ignore the obvious including congressional duties, regular order, norms the rule of law and have seemingly been spitting on Our Constitution on the regular.

It’s tough to believe these people are actually buying that trump is actually governing with the constitution and rule of law in mind. It has got to be something else going on especially since he hasn’t really done anything for his constituents but to them.  Again, just my opinion.   I understand being upset about the politics of it all in general, but the fact is some  were mad that 53% voted an African American into the office POTUS and if you were watching the impeachment debates etc it was clear republicans are still blaming him for whatever they won’t take personal responsibility for while others continue using xenophobia and racism to incite fear, promote exclusion and have crossed the lines of sanity … will folks get it in this era of Covid19

I will say it again, most if not all of the new group of Republican members of congress seem like misinformed trump operatives, others are racists and then there is a small group of misguided individuals. This is just my opinion.  There are quite a few solutions including impeaching trump but registering new voters and getting out the vote is important, remember that the mid-term elections have always been a no big deal vote and that got changed as the #Midterm2018tidalwave switched out republicans in Congress for the democratic party as the fight for the right to vote beat out gerrymandering in the courts, yet the battle continues on. The struggle is real.

Nativegrl77