the top 25 news stories that they don't want us to know

Don't say you didn't know.... top 25 news stories that don't make the news.

• #1. Over One Million Iraqi Deaths Caused by US Occupation
• # 2 Security and Prosperity Partnership: Militarized NAFTA
• # 3 InfraGard: The FBI Deputizes Business
• # 4 ILEA: Is the US Restarting Dirty Wars in Latin America?
• # 5 Seizing War Protesters’ Assets
• # 6 The Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act
• # 7 Guest Workers Inc.: Fraud and Human Trafficking
• # 8 Executive Orders Can Be Changed Secretly
• #9 Iraq and Afghanistan Vets Testify
• # 10 APA Complicit in CIA Torture
• # 11 El Salvador’s Water Privatization and the Global War on Terror
• # 12 Bush Profiteers Collect Billions From No Child Left Behind
• # 13 Tracking Billions of Dollars Lost in Iraq
• # 14 Mainstreaming Nuclear Waste
• # 15 Worldwide Slavery
• # 16 Annual Survey on Trade Union Rights
• # 17 UN’s Empty Declaration of Indigenous Rights
• # 18 Cruelty and Death in Juvenile Detention Centers
• # 19 Indigenous Herders and Small Farmers Fight Livestock Extinction
• # 20 Marijuana Arrests Set New Record
• # 21 NATO Considers “First Strike” Nuclear Option
• # 22 CARE Rejects US Food Aid
• # 23 FDA Complicit in Pushing Pharmaceutical Drugs
• # 24 Japan Questions 9/11 and the Global War on Terror
• # 25 Bush’s Real Problem with Eliot Spitzer

FOOL

a picture is worth a thousand words. even if it's just one - FOOL.
gotta love these random finds....



21 Inspirational Typography Artworks from DeviantArt

http://www.designflavr.com/resources/21-Inspirational-Typography-Artworks--from-DeviantArt-i116/\

Murs

MURS Hip Hop Official Interview

The South Bay fam Shorty Fatz X Phil Wood. Bicycle

Reef the Lost Cause "I Wonder"

Reef The Lost Cauze - I Wonder from Luis Valbuena on Vimeo.

Somobe Interview x Electric Relaxation Radio

Electric Relaxation interviews my boys, Somobe for WMUR (Morgan State University in Baltimore); check it out.

Quest love 2 year ani. for Connoisseur533 and new brand launch Conn5

"A Day in the Life of a Conn 5 Nomad Expedition" Gumball 3000 Tour 2008

"A Day in the Life of a Conn 5 Nomad Expedition"

Who: 3 amigos

What: Gumball 3000 Tour 2008

Where: SF - Beijing

• 8th August 2008: Launch party in San Francisco.
• Friday 8th August San Francisco: Nob Hill: 12.00pm – 11.00pm (6 hours)
• Saturday 9th August San Francisco: Nob Hill: 09.00am – 1.00pm (4 hours)
• Saturday 9th August Los Angeles: Hollywood Blvd: 6.00pm – 11.00pm (5 hours

Why: impulse; spontaneous road trip; cuz I'm a true nomad w/ a license to dip!

How: Dippin in a 2008 Scion #685 (out of 2500) Limited Edition in that Gold Mica (color) fresh off the line; riding on 19" Stag. with radar detector – we smashin son!

Up at 7:30, out of the house and on the road by 8:00am: We’re headed to the Gumball 3000 Tour 2008 kick off in San Francisco. I didn’t even go out the night before, just so I wouldn’t miss the starting events... That would've been all bad! So here we are Finally! at the top of Nob Hill in San Francisco... All you see is ILL Cars, thousands of spectators... and a lot of cops (of course) That is not all! We got major celebrities, from the worlds of entertainment, Tyson Beckford, David Hasselhoff, Bam Margera and The Jackass crew ... and too many others to name off the top of my head right now.

Back to my story... So I’m seeing million dollar cars, old school cars, new school cars and cars from the Scion Evolution Crew, which is the crew I am member of (shout out to all my crew members).

The first launch sets off at 12:00pm: I notice someone from the Gumball tour left their bag before the take off. So I pick up the bag and take it to Puma Booth (sponsors of the tour btw) I had the rep @ the counter ck the I.D. to see who the bag belonged to, she said she recognized the man on the I.D. from the staff and would take care of returning the bag. So at this point we were good to go. We do some shopping and have a little brunch in The City. 1^st we stop by Huf on Sutter Street. I bought some shoes from the homie (shout out to the Huf Crew!). Then we cop some bomb ass pizza around the way. All of a sudden I have an epiphany… “We should follow the race!” So I call my friend, J.T. from Templebiz to see if he was down to film the next two legs of the race and I would photo the rest. J.T. was down to roll so I pick him up.

We're on the road by 5:11pm: We're smashin down Hi-5 headed towards stop #2, Los Angeles. We are pacing a Mercedes Kompressor doin like a buck 5 (105 mph). All of sudden we see a Hwy Patrol coming in the opposite direction, Radar dectecters are bouncing off the wall, we see the patrol man, flip a bitch and get back on the hwy headed our way! So now I’m really smashing (not really) tryin to make it to the next exit. I hop off the highway, my hearts about to explode. We luck out the cop kept going, he was after the other car pack ahead of us. So we pull into the gas station to fill up the 2008 Scion #685 (out of 2500) Limited Edition in that Gold Mica (color) fresh off the line; riding on 19" Stag. with radar detector (did I mention with lower sways?). Then the driver of the Mercedes Kompressor pulls in, he says "Did you see that? That was so cool! Glad I got my radar!" we all laugh and chop it up for a minute. Turns out, he was a F1 Racer, he had his teenage daughters in the car with him as well. He was actually coming back from picking them up. He claimed they were going to be the next generation of F1 Racers. lol. Cool Kat! As we parted way, he also told me "If you want to pace me back I’m down!" haha.

4 hours later: We're crossing over the Los Angeles city limits.

It’s now 11pm: We are smack in the night life of Hollywood Blvd! The street is shut down with the car show smack dab in the middle the blvd. J.T. and I are ready to get to work. Strapped with our video cams and photog, we start capturing the night’s festivities. We get some good night footage and spend some walking around admiring the cars and all that good shit. But then, we find out we have to be up at the wee hours of the morning, to be at the next Gumball flag drop at 8am. WTF?!

Next Morning: We're up and ready for action. We arrive on Sunset Blvd. We decide to stop for cup of joe at the Coffee Bean and we happen to run into the next homie (shout to Jasper from Rogue Status), so we let him slide into the line with us. lol. Jasper and I shoot the shit about... Well we just shoot the shit. On with the story...

(Wait! I gotta give one more shout out to Jasper for the press plug. Us TRUE NOMADS go the extra mile + 300 + $$+ Petro- to get that footage. Lol)

So now we are at the starting line of the race (footage below). We're not even sure at this point where the race was headed. After we get our footage of the flag drop, we hop back in the 2008 Scion #685 (out of 2500) Limited Edition in that Gold Mica (color) fresh off the line; riding on 19" Stag. with radar detector (did I mention I slapped Gumball stickers all over the car?), and try to pace the race. We're pacing behind a Range Rover – but we had a switch up cuz that fool didn't know where he was going. So then we meet up with an Audi and continuing pacing (footage below). In actuality no one really knew where they were going at this point. However, the pace led us to a beach front, where the Gumball Tour pit stopped again, which turned out to be day party for the event. This stop was more plush then the ones before... Women in bikinis, Big Screens, top of the line cars…Some real swagger shit!

Though the race would continue on to Beijing, this is where The Conn 5 Expedition of the True Nomads would end…

24 hours later (from the time we left SF): We're back in the good old Bay Area. Tired as hell! But it was well worth the journey.

Enjoy the footage below… Next Year we're goin all the way baby!

Basketball Prodigy. You have no idea.

Basketball Prodigy

The Architect Just came by with this bannger....

The Architect Just came by with this bannger....

The Man That Put Me On - Interviewing Obama

if it wasn't for this guy, i wouldn't be where i am today and now he's interviewing the next president. thanks sway..... big ups.

Gook: John McCain's Racism

just another reason to be anti-mccain.....

Electric Relaxation Radio

Named after a classic song by A Tribe Called Quest, Morgan State University's number one college radio show, "Electric Relaxation" radio is making a tremendous name for itself in the Mid-Atlantic region. Based in Baltimore, Maryland, Zea Hart was formulated an eclectic play list that is infinite beyond all rational and a great conversation piece for you to follow along with on every show. Electric Relaxation radio is a great alternative to any radio show that is watered-down with top-40 play lists and way too many commercial ads. Expect to hear all of the great hits in the soul, R&B, and hip-hop music genres (both mainstream and independent). Download the very first show of the Fall season 2008:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/19355469b3ef0045/

Chris Rock w/ Bill Maher

New Freebord Videos Snowboarding on cement.

Check out these new freebord



BSV08 "addicted" Flo Greth from flo greth on Vimeo.


Warning BSV'08 from Arnaud Wooloo on Vimeo.

vibe.com interview with Murs.

Editor's Note: Murs, one of Los Angeles' most respected and known underground MC's will be blogging weekly exclusively for VIBE.com. Check back to VIBE.com every Wednesday to get Murs' thoughts on politics, hip hop, and whatever else is on his mind.

Whatuptho? This is Murs checking in with my very first blog here at VIBE.com.
This is where you can tune in weekly to check out my views and rants about today’s politics and what not.

What qualifies me? Not much. No college education or experience in journalism. But I do have an opinion and I’m nice on the microphone. That being said, feel free to comment, correct me, passionately disagree and completely disregard anything said here.

So this week, these GOP mother effers have pissed me off. They are really trying to steal another election. Earlier this week my boy Isa hit me with a link to this Newsweek article about the new voting requirements in Indiana. Basically the article states that you are now required to have a driver’s license to vote. If this isn’t a direct attack on the working class vote I don’t know what is.

What does the ability to operate a motor vehicle have to with your ability to decide who runs this country? Absolutely nothing! But the GOP would have you believe this is an effort to help reduce voter fraud. Bull crap! We all know that there are large numbers of working class folk who can’t afford a vehicle and rely on public transportation. And I would reckon that most of these car-less people would vote Democrat in the upcoming election. Click here to read the article for more details.

But what really infuriates me is that this isn’t just an isolated plot to keep a red state red. They are now trying to do something similar in Wisconsin, a swing state. Obviously, there are no depths to which the GOP won’t go to win. What’s next? The paper bag test? If you’re not lighter than this paper bag, no voting booth for you buddy. I’m sure they can find some Supreme Court case to uphold that one.

This however does prove what we already know. These losers are scared, and act like these only inspire me to handle my business -- which is to vote. Make sure you vote. And make sure everyone I meet -- bus pass or drivers license -- gets out and votes! All my peoples in Indiana and Wisconsin make some noise and let them know we are not going for the “okey-doke.”

Steal an election once (‘00) shame on you, steal an election twice (‘04) shame and more shame on you. Steal this election and gotdammit! I wish something really bad on you and all of your undercover racist, “smile on your face but in the booth you'll never know I voted for McCain”, Prius or Pick-Up driving friends!!!

Murs' new album, Murs for President, is in stores on September 30.

Watch Murs' press conference announcing his candidacy for the President of Hip
Hop.

Who is Sarah Palin??? WOW

Israelis For Obama

Her Space Holiday

Out of the Bay Area comes another band (such as Xiu Xiu) that has been making a huge impact on what I have been listening to lately; his name is Marc Bianchi and Her Space Holiday is his brainchild. There have been many bands I have come across locally that just did not have that flare for me to continue to listen to them. But, Her Space Holiday left a great impression on me the first time I heard the album, "Young Machines" which was released back in 2003. I recently was introduced to his music only a few weeks ago, and I must say that he gets played in my daily playlists ever since the first listen of his music. I don't like to put artists on parallels with other artists, so I will just define how Her Space Holiday's sound is like. Her Space Holiday's music can be defined as putting the true dark lyrics of loneliness and coming of age over indie-infused production creating the brainchild of an original sound.

Only in America...Bill maher

Only in America...Bill maher

SALE SALE SALE.Oct 1,2,3,4

Food For Thought

Essince’s educational fun facts.

Who doesn’t like to learn a little something every now and again?

While sitting in my African History class we studied 3 main empires of ancient Africa, Ghana, Mali, and Songay.

The Mali Empire was at its height around 14^th century AD. One of its most prestigious rulers, Mansa Musa [mansa means ruler, or king], while on a pilgrimage to Mecca brought so much gold that he actually DEVALUED the Valley of Gold and affected the currency value of the Europeans’ money.

So all diamond-encrusted rappers need to step your game up.

Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansa_Musa for [hopefully] more information on him. But remember boys and girls, Wikipedia is a community encyclopedia and can be changed.

One

Essince

Who Is Somobe?

Somobe is a duo that I had the pleasure of interviewing earlier this year of HipHopRemix.com; they have leaked out a new single entitled "Red, Blue, Green." It is free to download on their Myspace page; do yourself a favor and go and add them as a friend (if you already have not) and download the "Red, Blue, Green" mp3. Trust me, this hip-hop duo is pushing the envelop of what is considered "good music" with their first album, "The Great Communication." It was probably one of the best albums I heard in 2007 (by far). When paralleling Somobe with another group of hip-hop artists, I would definitely like to call them the "two-man Roots crew." I have nothing but great things to say about these cats and their great music.

Check out their Myspace page:
http://www.myspace.com/somobe

No Spring Chicken

I remember when I didn’t have to stretch before playing basketball.

Man, those were the days.

Shoot, I remember when I didn’t need to stretch before I played catch! But at the ripe old age of 22 those days are long gone.

I was out in the gym the other day and I could feel it midway through a pick-up game...

So after a night of sleeping on the floor I was ready for the next, yet still painful day of walking, sitting, and standing.

But to help increase blood flow and avoid soreness here are a few stretches to do before bed and when you wake up.

Trust me...it helps.

Your friend in fitness,
Essince

Connoisseur Spon. event La @ the Roxy

Lil Wayne & Kanye West Spoof

Those boys at Broken Equipment on YouTube with another spoof of Kanye West and Lil Wayne....LOL!

Actor Matt Damon speaks out on the Republicans' choice

Actor Matt Damon speaks out on the Republicans' choice of hockey-mom Sarah Palin for VP. Damon compares her rise to a 'really bad Disney movie' and says it's crazy that this woman could become vice president.

Stephen & Damian Marley "The Mission"

Stephen & Damian Marley "The Mission"

Keith Olbermann calling out republicans for trying to hijack 9/11.....

Special thanks to 12oz. for posting this.

Kanye, I can't blame you...

In Los Angeles International Airport, Kanye West had a photographer taking pictures of him without his consent. Kanye West and his bodyguard proceeded to destroy the photographer's $10,000 camera and also assualted the man. Kanye and his bodyguard were both arrested of course.

Honestly, man...Kanye, I cannot blame you! If I had people taking pictures of me 1,000 times a day in my most embarressing moments of my day, I would have flipped out on the papparazzi as well. That shit is not cool.

On a lighter note, Check out Kanye West's MTV VMA performance of "Love Lockdown"

yeezy (world premiere)
by 23city

I stumbled across Justina a few years ago on Myspace (where ELSE would I find a new musician nowadays?).

Justina’s a DOPE emcee/singer representing New Jersey...but don’t let the gorgeous face and bangin’ body fool you...not only is she attractive, but she’s hot.

Oh, and she’s talented. I bought her mixtape, Italy Miss a few years back in my freshman year of college and she was kind enough to sign it for me, too. It stayed in my CD player for a while...I found it while cleaning my room and it went right back in my player where it belongs.

This video is a different style for her [to me] and a little more ‘pop’ but it’s still cool.

I recommend befriending her on myspace and checking out her radio show, too.

Essince

Enjoy

“Let’s Experiment”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuCv6b29n4M

http://www.myspace.com/justplanet

P.S. she’s on iTunes and still has older CDs for sale on her Myspace

Joell Ortiz "Memories"

Joell Ortiz "Memories"


This man, Joell Ortiz is dropping you a fresh video off his "Whos Nice" mixtape. This video was directed by Rik Cordero, and it a definite good song.

Shes straight from oakland" Dirt Nasty - "Cracker Ass Fantastic"

WaMu CEO Fired: Possible Signs of Bank Closure

Uh oh! With the recent economy being flushed into the toilet and hitting record-breaking lows in the mortgage markets, Washington Mutual has fired their CEO, Kerry Killinger.

Washington Mutual has lost nearly 70 percent of its market value due to the mortgage delinquencies and defaults in this year! Looks like another bank is doomed to go bankrupt; it is definitely time to close my account with them and get another bank. Hell, in these days and times, keeping your money in a safe or under your mattress does not sound so ridiculous with the plummeting market and economy left in the can. I would suggest to any of you that have any accounts with WaMu that you close your accounts with them as soon as possible before their bank closes as many did this year. Remember this, the FDIC can only insure up to $100,000 of your assets that is in a bank account if your personal bank defaults.

Read more on the headlines of CEO Killinger being fired:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080908/ap_on_bi_ge/washington_mutual_ceo

Conn533.Food For Thought. The Science Behind Liberation lab x Connoisseur colab t...

The origins of Freemasonry – as would be expected of such a “venerable secret society” – are shrouded in myth, legend and almost impenetrable obscurity. Since at least the late 18th century Masonic writers have sought to establish a link between the Knights Templar and the Freemasons. Freemasonic lore and symbols have been traced to ancient Egypt and Phoenicia. Yet, despite all the books and articles exploring Freemasonry published over the last hundred years, there is one area that has not received attention. It concerns Freemasonry’s debt to Islamic mysticism and a shadowy tradition connecting the Masons with the Moors of North Africa.

Moorish Science

The involvement of Freemasons in the establishment of the United States of America is well documented. In fact Masons featured so prominently in drafting the American Declaration of Independence that many people believed it a thoroughly ‘Masonic project’. Not only George Washington but also the US founding fathers Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were high-degree Masons. Masonry had a profound influence on the formation of American society, but there was also another secret power which has gone completely unnoticed.

The Kingdom of Morocco under the leadership of Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdullah, known as King Mohammed III, was the first country in the world to recognise the United States of America as an independent nation in 1777. This historic act by the North African Muslim kingdom highlights the relationship then existing between America’s Masonic leaders and the Moors. Before exploring this strange connection further we need to understand the part played by the Moors in the transmission of knowledge to Europe.

Moor is the classical name in Europe of the Muslim people of North Africa. In Spain, where Muslims ruled for over five hundred years, Arabs are still called Moros. The term “Moor” came to be synonymous with “Muslim” in many contexts, for example the Muslim communities in the Philippines are known to this day as Moros. The Supreme Wisdom of the Moors, much of it derived from ancient Egypt, has come to be known as “Moorish Science”.

The Moors provided the vital link between ancient and modern civilisation. The light of knowledge which illuminated the Moorish lands of Spain and Sicily was instrumental in dispelling the gloom of ignorance that enveloped mediaeval Europe.

“It was under the influence of Arabian and Moorish revival of culture,” writes Robert Briffault in The Making of Humanity, “and not in the 15th century, that the real renaissance took place. Spain and not Italy, was the cradle of the rebirth of Europe. After sinking lower and lower in barbarism, it had reached the darkest depths of ignorance and degradation when the cities of the Saracenic world Baghdad, Cairo, Cordova, Toledo, were growing centres of civilisation and intellectual activity. It was there that the new life arose which was to grow into a new phase of human evolution. From the time when the influence of their culture made itself felt, began the stirring of a new life.”

The Orientalist Stanley Lane-Poole acknowledged the great impact Moorish civilisation had on Europe when he wrote:

For nearly eight centuries under her Muslim rulers Spain set to all Europe a shining example of a civilized and enlightened state. Art, literature and science prospered as they then prospered nowhere else in Europe. Students flocked from France and Germany and England to drink from the fountains of learning which flowed only in the cities of the Moors. The surgeons and doctors of Andalusia were in the vanguard of science; women were encouraged to devote themselves to serious study, and a lady doctor was not unknown among the people of Cordova.1

The 19th century French writer on the esoteric sciences, Gerard Encausse, known as “Papus”, noted how “the Gnostic sects, the Arabs, Alchemists, Templars” form a chain transmitting ancient wisdom to the West. This explains why within the Ritual of Freemasonry there is the admission “we came from the East and proceeded to the West.” A Masonic author Bernard H. Springett says:

The plain fact that much of what we now look upon almost entirely as Freemasonry has been practised as part and parcel of the religions of the Middle East for many thousands of years, lies open for anyone who cares to stop and read, instead of running by. But it is frequently and scornfully rejected by the average Masonic student…2

So we find that just as Europe borrowed considerably from the learning of the Moors, European Freemasonry took its “secret wisdom” from the Muslim East.

With the end of Moorish rule in Spain, the Europeans began to colonise Africa, Asia and the Americas. In time European Christians conquered Muslim territories and the great debt Western civilisation owed to the Moors was quickly forgotten. By the 18th century European Christians saw themselves as the predestined rulers of the world with a divine mission to “civilise” the heathen. Western historians conveniently ignored the immense contribution of the brilliant and energetic Moorish civilisation in delivering Europe from mediaeval barbarism. We can only conclude this is a result of the pride and presumption of Westerners, which prevent them from recognising the truth or importance of their debts to the East.

Seekers of Truth

The founders of the American republic, as high-degree Freemasons, were aware of the importance of Moorish wisdom and culture to the birth of Western civilisation. This may explain why Morocco was the first nation in history to recognise the United States, and what’s really behind the story of George Washington being presented with a Moorish flag. Some researchers believe this flag consisted of a red background with a green five-pointed star in the centre of it. The star or pentagram, which the Moors called the Seal of Sulaiyman and coloured green to honour Islam, also figures prominently in Masonic art and architecture. The layout of the city of Washington D.C. – designed by Freemasons – incorporates the pentagram.

When Freemasons travelling in the Moorish lands encountered Sufis, the mystics of Islam, they soon recognised a common bond. “Sufi-ism,” said Sir Richard Burton, was “the Eastern parent of Freemasonry.” John Porter Brown, an American diplomat in Turkey in the mid 1800s, was a Freemason who wrote sympathetically of the Sufi path. In The Darvishes, he admits finding it “rather strange that the Dervishes of the Bektashi Order consider themselves quite the same as the Freemasons, and are disposed to fraternize with them.” Brown commented how in Turkey Freemasonry had come to be generally regarded as “atheism of the most condemnable character.” A position not unlike the one held by Papus, the celebrated French occultist and Gnostic bishop, who tried to counter the Masonic lodges which, he believed, were in the service of British imperialism and the international financial syndicates. Papus also viewed Freemasonry as a diabolical perversion of the ancient secret tradition and atheistic at heart.

When Madame Blavatsky (1831-1891) set out in search of hidden wisdom it was to the Moorish land of Egypt that she journeyed. Blavatsky claimed to be a disciple of the Masters Morya and Koot Hoomi. The researcher K. Paul Johnson convincingly shows her tales of the “Masters” to be modelled on real people, many genuine occult adepts. Prominent among them Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani, a Sufi scholar, tireless political intriguer, and the leader of radical movements throughout the Muslim world, whose travels enigmatically paralleled those of Madame Blavatsky for more than thirty years. Best remembered for co-founding the Theosophical Society and helping to popularise Buddhism and Hinduism in the West, Blavatsky also proudly wrote of “living with the whirling dervishes, with the Druze of Mount Lebanon, with the Bedouin Arabs and the marabouts of Damascus.”

Madame Blavatsky’s “Masters” are very close to the Sufi tradition of Khwajagan (Persian: “Masters”). Ernest Scott states “the Khwajagan teachers are entirely corporeal and literal, having been physically located in the Hindu Kush area since the 10th century. The Hindu Kush range is in Afghanistan: geographically, it forms the Western extreme of the Himalayas.”3 Scott quotes from a paper by a Turkish writer who describes how members of the Khwajagan:

...intervene from time to time in human affairs. They do this, not as leaders or teachers of mankind, but unobtrusively by introducing certain ideas and techniques. This intervention works in such a way as to rectify deviations from the predestined course of human history. This inner circle, it is claimed, concentrates its activities in those areas and at those times when the situation is critical for mankind.”4

Certainly Madame Blavatsky’s teacher Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani, who was raised in Afghanistan, fits the description of a Master Adept. His life is described as a mysterious odyssey that led through lands as far apart as India and America. Received by heads of state in Cairo and Istanbul, he moved in both underground radical circles and the highest centres of power in European and Oriental capitals.

The idea of living ‘spiritual guides’ or masters is central to Sufism. In the words of Sir John Glubb Pasha: “Sufism cannot be defined in words, nor can it be comprehended by the human intellect. It can only be imperceptibly ‘caught’ or imbibed by association with a Sufi master.” The Sufi master is revered by his disciples for being in contact with a level of higher consciousness, his mission on Earth directed by higher powers. Studying the lives of some of the greatest Sufi masters we often find them to be wandering holy men (& women) whose actions are usually misunderstood by orthodox believers. The shrines of Sufi masters are centres of trance dancing, exorcism, and miraculous healings.

The Sufi tradition is integral to Moorish Science.

Sufi masters are also renowned for communicating with their followers through dreams. There are numerous stories of Sufi saints appearing in a disciple’s dreams and using telepathy to direct followers to undertake a special mission.

Mission to America

A few years after Madame Blavatsky founded the Theosophical Society in New York in 1875, the Master Adept Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani turned up in America around 1882. Two Americans of African descent, who are rumoured to have studied under al-Afghani, were the parents of the man who would one day establish Moorish Science in the United States.

Noble Drew Ali (born Timothy Drew) early in the 20th century took a job as a merchant seaman and found himself in Egypt. According to one legend, Noble Drew Ali made a pilgrimage to North Africa where he studied with Moorish scholars and received a mandate from the king of Morocco to instruct Americans of African descent in Islam. His association with the ruler of Morocco is significant when we recall the historic relationship between this Moorish country and the early United States.

At the Pyramid of Cheops his followers believe he received initiation and took the Muslim name Sharif [Noble] Abdul Ali; in America he would be known as Noble Drew Ali. On his return to the United States in 1913 he had a dream in which he was ordered to found a movement “to uplift fallen humanity by returning the nationality, divine creed and culture to persons of Moorish descent in the Western Hemisphere.” He organised the Moorish Science Temple along lines similar to Masonic lodges, with local temple branches and “Adept Chambers” teaching the esoteric wisdom derived from the secret circle of Eastern Sages, the Master Adepts of Moorish Science.

Noble Drew Ali is said to have made a historic visit to Washington, D.C. in order to reclaim the Moorish flag and obtain official recognition to call his people to their true faith, “Al Islam”. The US president, believing that African Americans would not embrace Islam, gave Noble Drew Ali full authority to teach Moorish Science in America.

By the end of the 1920s, membership in the Moorish Science Temple had grown substantially. With increasing numbers of African Americans rallying behind Noble Drew Ali the Moorish movement soon came under the scrutiny of the FBI. In 1929 several Moors, including Noble Drew Ali, where detained for questioning by the Chicago police. Released from custody, Noble Drew Ali fell ill and never recovered. Many Moors suspected his death the result of a severe police beating.

Following the inexplicable ‘death’ of Noble Drew Ali, the Moorish Science Temple continued and gave rise to unique Islamic groups among the African American community. Much of the known history of Moorish Science in North America is extremely complex and obscure.

By the 1950s some white American poets and jazz musicians came into contact with Moorish Science. The North African cities of Tangiers and Marrakech held a magic attraction for the leaders of America’s counterculture, with writers like William S. Burroughs spending years living in the Moorish lands. The Moorish Orthodox Church of America was formed by white Americans who held Moorish Science passports and had ties with certain “Wandering Bishops” of the Old Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.

Joseph Matheny, the American author and media theorist, first encountered Moorish Science when he was researching time travel and quantum consciousness. In his book Ong’s Hat The Beginning, the Moorish Orthodox Church is called “one of the most secretive and mysterious religious organisations ever known to man” and:

a revolutionary and heretical sect of Islam that carries on an ancient tradition which sought to counterbalance the forces of orthodox Islam. Despite the controversial and dubious nature of the MOC, part of their tradition has been to serve as the torch bearers of freedom against the tyrannical and repressive aspects of the Earth’s patriarchal power structure as our planetary consciousness shifts to the Age of Aquarius and sets its site on unlimited freedom and the expression of life in all of its true wonder and beauty.

Years before the “War on Terror” and Bush’s invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, this writer attended a lecture organised by people associated with the Moorish Orthodox Church. The speaker, a Moorish Sheik returned from a long sojourn in the East, claimed Freemasonry is built on a twisting of the truth of Moorish Science. It is the secret power behind the West based on the Supreme Wisdom derived from esoteric Islam. The European colonisers usurped the knowledge of the Moors and created a nefarious system of control that blinds man to his true identity. Freemasonry was identified as a chief player in the world “Babylonian” system, the mastermind of the institutions of indoctrination that prevent the full knowledge of the True God to be known. Moorish Science is the effective counter to the Freemasonic imposters and a force for Truth, Love, Peace, Freedom and Justice. The Sheik also revealed how Afghanistan and Iraq figure in sacred geography and numerology, and mentioned a secret war between the Anglo-American and Asiatic powers.

Is there a struggle between occult brotherhoods to influence human destiny? Are the dramatic events taking place in the world, from the continuing strife in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan, to the rivalry between the forces of Atlanticism (Britain and the USA) and Eurasia (Russia and China), just surface manifestations of a deeper conflict? Certainly the strange saga of Moorish Science and the Moorish Orthodox Church adds weight to the observation made by one of the 20th century’s most controversial mystics:

...There is a history behind our so-called history that you cannot even conceive of. History has a deeper base. The periphery that we know as history is not the reality. Behind our so-called history continues another history, a deeper one about which we know nothing.5

Kid Cudi...

For my Latinos In San jose. And My Brotha In florida, ill be back soon..lol PitBull Remix

Jah

This is 1 of the photos i took for a uk Tattoo MagazineSkin Deep Magazine for My Family Death Before Dishonor Tattoos

Photos: KareemJahron i was Blessed to be able to capture a photo Spread For my family over at Death Before Dishonor Tattoo's to be featured in a upin coming issue of Skin Deep Magazine
Skin Deep Tattoo magazine has been in the newsagents for over eleven years now and has established itself as the UK’s best selling tattoo magazine. www.skindeep.co.uk/


So i cant put up any other photos i took until the mag goes to print.
But this how we do in the place where apple computers 1st jumped off. and adobe. Shit they even say this is the brain of the world...picture that.
Here is a little history on our side of the world.
Immigrants from Taiwan, China, India and Israel who were trained in the United States as engineers moved to Silicon Valley in the 1980s and 1990s and then back to their respective homes to cross-pollinate cultures and industries.
They have been marinated in Silicon Valley and learn how the start-up culture works here. Then they started going back to places like Taiwan, India and China to start companies, or maybe set up a development lab or work with policymakers to set up venture firms.
They are the best and brightest from places like India and China, and they've been sucked into the Silicon Valley labor market because it's grown so fast and absorbed so much skill.
For example, we see Israel providing security and networking software now. There's also been a shift from Taiwan, a Silicon Valley sibling. It started out in the 1980s providing low-cost assembly and manufacturing, and over time became a Silicon Valley partner because companies there innovated in process and manufacturing to such an extent that their expertise is unparalleled in the world now.

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Art show TONIGHT!!!

SEPT. 5th 2008 - BOOK RELEASE at CONNOISSUER 533!

THE SASSYTRUTH BOOK by Marlon Sagana Ingram
Is a true story of one man’s unorthodox journey in the fashion industry. With a patchwork of funding, street savvy and tons of fun, the clothing line Coconica emerged and thrived. Promoted as a street club wear line, Coconica had instant success with local and international markets. For six years it sold in four major stores throughout the Bay Area, New York, Japan, and Europe. As a thank you to Coconica fans and as a do-it-yourself guide for young fashion designers, The Sassy Truth Book is the grand finale of Coconica’s journey.
video
"It's a great coffee table reader, perfect for any business minded human."
- Ramon Silva, media director Collecthat.com

"Simple to the point, and Ultra Inspirational!"
- Navin June Norling, artist Bed-Stuy Studios

"This book is beautiful, but I am still hateing!"
- Momar Clemons, ceo Liberation Lab

MURS Press Conference

MURS Press Conference explaining why he will destroy all the fake ringtone bullshit hip-hop that is being displayed in the game today.

MURS for President out September 30th!

Nov Ganon Featured on MF Doom New Mixtape!

This kid does it again! Nov Ganon drops an exclusive on the MF Doom x Mike Wattz mixtape, "DOOMED."

Nov Ganon EXCLUSIVE---"Nettle Leaves"

Go download the mixtape on IllRoots.com

HOLY FIXIES!!!!!!!!!!.......

'Nuff said. Now watch the video.

Fat Girl by U-N-I

U-N-I "Fat Girl"


U-N-I with an installment from their debut street album, "Fried Chicken and Watermelon." No disrespect to the big girls...they need love to. Check out their album when you get a chance, and add them as a friend on Myspace! Watch out for "Love Supreme;" that album is fire! If you like Pacific Division, Dom Kennedy, Blu...you'll love these cats!

http://www.myspace.com/unimuzik

What The F*@# is Hyphy?!

Every corner of the country seems to have its own style of hip hop. The East Coast has its grimy, street hustle, the Midwest became known for its rapid-fire delivery and melody, the South its hustling, dope, flossing, and club scene, and the West Coast made its mark with gangsta rap. But now the West, well, a certain area, is known for another style and sound all its own; HYPHY.

I know a little about the Hyphy movement because I was fortunate enough to work with CA’s own, DJ Vlad on his first documentary release, Ghostride the Whip, which tells the story of the Bay Area’s scene.

I’ve included the following mini-dictionary to at least get you up to speed with some basic words and phrases*.

Get Stupid/Go Dumb - To get hyphy – to be wild or free-spirited, or lose all your inhibitions
Hyphy - Hyper, wild, or crazy
Bay Area – the San Francisco Bay Area including cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with a few other, smaller cities
Ghostriding the Whip - To get out of your car and dance along the driver’s side while the car moves along without you inside
Gouda – money
Ride the Yellow Bus - To take “going dumb” to the third level (i.e. to be very, very wild or free-spirited)
Stunna Shades - Very large sunglasses
Thizz or Thizzin’ - To be on ecstasy
Yaddidamean – Do you know what I mean?

This is the trailer to Ghostride the Whip. Enjoy and get out to the nearest movie store and pick this up.




Enjoy,

Essince
--------------------------
* Dictionary Sources:
• http://youthradio.org/galleries/hyphydictionary.shtml
• http://www.urbandictionary.com/

3 WHITE SUPREMACISTS ARRESTED FOR OBAMA DEATH THREAT

3 WHITE SUPREMACISTS ARRESTED FOR OBAMA DEATH THREAT

Connoisseur533 Fam Quest Love Nike!

Innovator Series: Overtime with Gamechangers
Sometimes it's OK to eavesdrop. Questlove of The Roots and Andre Iguodala, professional basketball player, inaugurate the Nike Sportswear Innovator Series with six short videos documenting them in their hometown of Philadelphia on the occasion of Questlove's Air Force 1 release. Chilling out in the privacy of Questlove’s music studio, stacked to the ceiling with LPs and miscellaneous drum parts, Iguodala asks him about designing the Air Force 1 “Nike Air Questo,” the wildest thing he’s ever done for a pair of kicks and staying in the game after 20-some years. It’s one of those conversations worth overhearing.

Nike Pop shop,My dude from the bay . Running ting. Whats upper Mr. Wang! yall Say whats up when u go to the spot.

Nike has opened a unique retail installation in the heart of Hollywood at the Montalbán Theater. Starting in August and running until October 31st, the historic theater will play host to special programming by Nike Sportswear, and starting today, consumers will be able to buy select Nike Sportswear clothes and shoes from the space, including icons like the Windrunner, the AW 77 hoody, the Nike Dunk, Air Mad 90 as well as the NSW collection.

True to its legacy as the oldest functioning theatre in Hollywood, Nike Sportswear at the Montalbán will host film screenings every Tuesday night starting on August 12th with the L.A. premier of Beautiful Losers, a documentary film, which celebrates the spirit behind the influential DIY cultural movement. Other screenings include Adam Yauch’s Gunnin’ For That #1 Spot and a special showing of the classic documentary Tokyo Olympiad. Additionally, the film programming experiences will be extended with themed workshops, where Beautiful Losers’ curator and director Aaron Rose will host “MAKE SOMETHING!!, a series of community and youth-oriented creative workshops that works with public school art programs and youth mentoring programs, The work created in each location will form a continually evolving exhibition, which will be open to the public to view.
www.nikesportswear.com

Common Ft/ Pharrell "Announcement" Video

Common Ft/Pharrell "Announcement"

This video was just launched a few days ago; it is good to see that there are still some artists that can make good music videos. Little X directed it; this video is hella fresh!

Suge Knight Arrested In Las Vegas

Suge Knight Arrested In Las Vegas
August 27th, 2008

Marion “Suge” Knight, co-founder of Death Row Records is in a Las Vegas jail today after he was arrested on drug and assault charges.

According to the Associated Press, Knight, 43, is accused of “beating his girlfriend while brandishing a knife.”

Knight was hit with multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, battery domestic violence and illegal possession of prescription drugs.

According to the report, Las Vegas police responded to a report of a vehicle striking a curb. When they arrived on the scene, Knight was found standing over his girlfriend with the aforementioned knife in hand.

As of press time, neither Knight nor his attorneys commented on the charges or the arrest.

Author: Anthony Springer Jr
hip hop dx

Gumball 3000 Connoisseur533 Coverage

Bam




Gumball 3000 - Off Road San Francisco Part 1







Gumball 3000 - Off Road San Diego





Gumball 3000 - Off Road San Diego



So this is a video i thought was raw crowd footage. just hear what some of these cars sound like.Loud



Gumball 3000 - Off Road Shanghai

This is what happins in Vegas After a long day on the Grind...

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po

I don't even skate, but this new DC Shoes Commercial is tight as hell.





Damn...I think this was like '91...I was in first grade when this came out...
Bo knows everything!





The Jordan XII commercial from '98..."Frozen Moment"...timeless...





Spike Lee and Mike...Jordan V....
IS IT THE SHOES?!

Young Buck Confused?!?!

Those cats from Broken Equipment Productions add another installment getting at Young Buck's sensitive side as of late. Another funny add, guys!

Thanks BOBBY HUNDREDS

So im chillin in my hotel and i turn on my iTunes. Then BAM 7,270 songs from Mr Bobby Hundreds.. Thanks Bro U made my stay @ the vencian. Fun.lol

Killah Priest @ Voodoo Lounge on Sunday Aug. 24th......

Last night Poeticali Distherbd which features Connoisseur533's very own Marcus as 1/3 of the group opened up for Wu Tang Clans Killah Priest @ The Voodoo Lounge in downtown san jose. Needless to say they both had one hell of a performance. If you haven't seen them perform live yet or heard their music you're defintely missing out. Also Killah Priest dropped some classic gems on us.

check out myspace.com/PoeticaliDistherbd for more info.

Poeticali Distherbd








Killah Priest

K-Ci & JoJo Drunk!

This shit is crazy...K-Ci and Jo Jo from Jodeci were performing in Sydney, Australia last night drunk as hell. Look at what happens in the middle of the performance. This is another reason why...kids, do not mix a lot of alcohol and performing!

"Green Light"-John Legend & Andre 3000

"Green Light" by John Legend Featuring Andre 3000

I just found this video a few minutes ago; this song is just in time to end the summer of right. Add this to your iPod for that weekend playlist. Andre 3 stacks and John L....SMOOOOTHHHHH!

Download "Green Light":
http://www.zshare.net/audio/174695629e6c7864/

LA Resurrection

Written by Kevin Robinson, Jr.

Los Angeles has become a hotbed of talent as of late with new hip-hop acts such as U-N-I, Pacific Division, J*Davey, Dom Kennedy, TiRon, Inverse, Ayomari, etc. I have recently in the past year realized that the music that is coming out of LA (as far as hip-hop) are all being made by cats that are in my age range of 20-24 years of age. Here's a video from Dom Kennedy, "Watermelon Sundae." This is the complete summer soundtrack all in one song. The nirvana sets in as soon as the beat drops; what better way to portray the feel-good So Cal vibes of this song than having a video at a pool party.


"Watermelon Sundae" by Dom Kennedy"

2008 scion commercial

So there are a# of cars in this scion commercial, that are in our ScionEvolution crew.

Its a movement Trust!

7 Daize

Hailing from the Bay Area comes a female/male duo with the talent and charisma to take them beyond the heights of many Bay Area artists that have come before them. Gyrl Ab'strakt and DJ Cleve have come together bringing the fresh new sound of hip-hop that this generation has been lacking; substance. With their release EP, "Mr. and Ms. Pakman," they take the listener on a auditory vacation that lasts far beyond the seven songs it displays. This group is gearing to drop their debut full-length album soon and will be dropping a weekly exclusive song to add to your iPod to keep you bang your head. With 7 Daize, you can expect to hear something that the game has been missing for a long time, a true essence of clarity. The hip-hop without the preservatives and fillers is what 7 Daize brings to the forefront. When listening to their music, expect only the true sheer elements of hip-hop music. Be expecting to hear a lot more from this group in the near future.

Check out their Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/7daizemusic

Rick Ross

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RAWSSSSSSSSSSS!

Obama Ballin...

If you havent already seen this.Lmao Obama Obama (Lil Wayne "A Milli" Re make)

Rick Ross Theory

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Connoisseurs,

I decided to be a little more philosophical this week in my writings by introducing to you all something I thought about at work when I was bored.

Conspiracy Theory: Rick Ross WAS a prison guard AND became a cocaine kingpin using his possible police connections* [author’s note: understand difference between police officer and corrections officer] as protection to conduct business and avoid arrest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pbGmn3L48I
(the interview)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS4goLA-Igo
(the evidence)

It honestly doesn’t mean anything to me either way. I just find it interesting that in a culture based on false images and characters that a possible “dark past” could danger a man’s career…which was based on profiting off of narcotic sales. Hooray for hip hop.

Noodle on THAT.

Essince

Gumball3000 Bam Photo by: KareemJahron

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Viva La Bam!

Kanye West - Champion

Yes! This really is the official video for this song....

Gumball 3000 - 2008 : Hollywood Photos vIdeo Coming!!!!

Jasper » ROGUE STATUS Kareem Connoisseur533

Rain "I'm Me"

Rain "I'm Me"

This North Carolina emcee...I spotted him on 2DopeBoyz.com....Good song...

"Dope Boy Fresh" by Jay-z [prod. Kanye West]

First single off the Blueprint 3...."Dope Boy Fresh"...produced by Kanye West...

Summer Madness

What’s good, fellow connoisseurs?

I’m here to update y’all on some happenings.

* side note: see the new Batman movie *

I want to give you all a summer relationship tip. I’m in a long-distance relationship (2 months passed, one more to go). One thing y’all need to be hip to is Skype. Make calls from your computer to any computer in the world free and you can use it to call from computer to phone for incredibly cheep, too.

Throw in a webcam, a few sexy outfits, and an empty room and you and your significant other can keep the fire going. Trust me.

If we were closer and this was a different type of blog I’d show you. Haha. Jodan desu! [Japanese for ‘It’s a joke’…my girl’s Japanese].

Also, being an emcee that had a show a week ago in Kent, Ohio, I can’t tell you how great it is to support your local artists. Summer is a great time to go out and check some local artists doing their thing. You might see the next [insert current performer] and get a chance to see some up-n-coming clothing and artists.

Support the independent artists!

Keep it fresh,

Essince

Gnarls Barkley!!!

Gnarls Barkley "Reckoner" (Radiohead Cover)

Radiohead is already a tremendously great band and Cee-lo and Danger Mouse adding their own version to this song makes it that much greater. I wish I could find the mp3 version of this.

Nov Ganon

Written by Kevin Robinson, Jr.

Brooklyn, New York has been the home of some truly pioneering talents in the realms of hip-hop. The concrete cracked and destroyed but yet still as strong as the culture that deprives throughout Brooklyn to scanning the cityscape of broken windows and brownstone buildings in the distance gleams like the true essence of hip-hop. These are the stomping and birthing grounds of some serious new emcee's. Fresh Daily and Mickey Factz are some of the names stirring quite a buzz not only in NYC, but throughout the hip-hop world. But, amongst this bunch rises a young cat, Nov Ganon, (also from Brooklyn) with the rapid-fire spittery and complex word play of a 21 year-old renaissance. I recently was referred to his Myspace to check out this cat's music, and was impressed by far. The electronic-infused production followed and complimented with the witty lyricism of Nov Ganon proved that this kid will definitely have the originality to stand alone in the music world beyond hip-hop. In the age where music fans are drowned and consumed with PlaySkool keyboard Nintendo-esque beats and kindergarten lyrics speaking of misogyny, jewelry, and drugs, Nov Ganon stands alone as an iconoclast going against the grain of conformity.

Add Nov Ganon as a friend:

http://www.myspace.com/novganon

Download "Get Loose!"
http://www.zshare.net/audio/16626352e9c05eb8/

Horitaka, Horiyoshi, tattoos, state of grace tattoo, japanese tattoos San Jose

Ten years ago, when tattooer Horitaka traveled to Japan and sought out tattoo master Horiyoshi II with hopes of starting a back piece, he had no idea what he was truly beginning. "I wanted him to do my back piece, which is now finally completed, and we just hit it off," Horitaka explains. "If you had told me at that time that I would become an apprentice of his, I would have never believed you. The last 10 years have been magical."

Horitaka, 34, was born in Japan and raised in the United States. Thankfully, his parents taught him Japanese, which helped later in his study of Japanese tattoo culture and traditions. Enamored with tattoos, he started collecting in high school and eventually began tattooing in 1998 before landing his coveted apprenticeship. Now an iconic tattoo artist of his own right, Horitaka is a pioneer in the tattoo industry with eight published books and his own shop, State of Grace, in San Jose, CA . The shop's small, select staff specializes in traditional Japanese tattoo artistry as defined by their master, Horiyoshi II , who designated State of Grace as the only shop in America associated with his name. Horitaka embraces the mentality that tattooing is more than a mark on the body and he likes to think of the art as a philosophy. "We try to express a culture," he says.


The extensive collection of Horitaka's own tattoos almost completes a full bodysuit. "It's hard to say which one means the most to me. I think they all meant something at one time or another, most certainly when I got them. For better or for worse, it is a record of my life." A prominent part of his bodywork that stands out is the back piece inked by Horiyoshi II ; it's an image of the Japanese warrior Toyotomi Hideyoshi on horseback, tattooed by both machine and hand.

"I've been fortunate to study with some really amazing people," says Horitaka. He shares that knowledge with his numerous books and involvement with conventions. "I just aim to do my part, things I can be proud of, in trying to protect the industry. For example, I can't stop all the lame-ass, corporate conventions out there, but I can be part of a good one in San Jose." Just don't expect him to have all the answers: "I am still an apprentice of Horiyoshi II and have been for the last 10 years. He's much more than a tattoo teacher to me. He teaches me about life."












Inked Magazine
By: Jimmy Im, photos by Jonathon Sprague
Date: 07-22-08

Connoisseur Featured Artist .Insa

So there’s an internal fight between consumerism and being an artist?

Insa: Exactly. My new work, like the sneaker fetish stuff is deliberately trying to address the issue of consumer fetishism and the role of us as buyers and how driven we are to be represented by products. And the relationship between what we want and what we need. I don’t think it’s very healthy.

Isn’t it a tribal thing though –tattoos, trainers etc..

Insa: Yeah definitely. It’s a way of representing who you are through clothes and shoes but I think we’re in such a flooded market where you buy your way into cool. In most sub-cultures you should have to work hard to show you are part of that culture and not just buy into it. It’s like if you can afford to buy “this” pair of trainers then you are instantly cooler than the next guy who didn’t buy the really hot kicks, when no you’re not you’re just an idiot with money, it doesn’t make you any cooler…” (ATM.mag May.2008 issue)

Check your local over-saturated boutique/store.

Connoisseur/533
Fashion*Art*Culture*Boutique

NAZ AND JAYZ-ROCK THE BELLS from the Kind folks over at www.thatshiphop.com

Termanology

Termanology "So Amazing"

This shit is hot!

Mickey Factz - ;Rockin n Rollin Remix" (feat The Cool Kids),