Who's the real terrorist?

I wish I had a real comment about this right now. But I don't. The grief from watching this clip has left me speechless and stunned that this level of hatred and psychological violence is still so prevalent in 2008.

Yes, I know that racism, xenophobia, and ethnocentrism exists in this country of ours. But I guess I never get used to seeing it face to face. And guess what... I never want to get used to seeing it. I never want to be comfortable or anticipate it. That way when I see it, the horrific experience pushes me to fight, to insist, to demand respect, safety, and equality for all of God's people.

A message to the racist terrorist that hide behind their Bibles and so called conservative values: You cannot stop what God has declared. The provision is already established in the land. And no amount of hatred, psychological terrorism, and demonic attacks can stop the plan of God from unfolding.

So, while you're sitting up thinking that God is on your side, I hate to inform you that you are mistaken. You are in direct opposition to God.

I pray that God spares your wicked soul. And I also pray that one day, that love of God you think you have, is finally introduced to you in the form of mercy and repentence.

100 THINGS I WISH TO EXPERIENCE BEFORE I TAKE MY FINAL BOW (81-100)

Before taking my final breath, I would like to:

81. permanantly divorce myself from beef and pork.
82. permanantly divorce myself from all carbonated drinks, especially Coke and Mountain Dew.
83. have a beautiful patio, decked out with breathtaking furniture, flowers, and soft lighting.
84. permanantly divorce myself from fried foods.
85. spend a four-day-weekend in the mountains at a charming bed and breakfast.
86. go fishing with my daddy.
87. buy a painting from my friend, Devia.
88. open a loving, protective, beautiful home for foster kids.
89. take Jasmine and Joseph to see snow somewhere in the United States.
90. make enough money that I don't "have to" work for the rest of my life.
91. read the Bible in its entirety in one year.
92. teach at a historically black college or university.
93. prearrange the donation of my deceased body to medical science and research.
94. have a reality television show or documentary that is designed to educate individuals about disability related issues.
95. become excited about attending church again.
96. see my children graduate from college, start their own business, get married, and purchase their first home.
97. do a complete tour of the Hoovver Dam, which includes going into the underground tunnels that were blasted out with dynamite..
98. touch a glacier.
99. touch the outer walls of one of the historical pyramids in Africa.
100. see again. (I know you didn't think I was going to leave that out. **wink** Anything is possible. A. I believe in God. and B. Medical science is progressively magnificent.)

Okay, I'm finished. I think I'm going to paste the entire list, from 1 to 100, in one single post.

Love,

Angie

Another article I grabbed over at the Huffington Post... Check it out.

There are even some conservatives that are rolling their eyes at the McCain Palin ticket.

100 THINGS I WISH TO EXPERIENCE BEFORE I TAKE MY FINAL BOW (61-80)

Before I take my final breath, I would like to:

61. put on a swimsuit and feel totally comfortable.
62. buy as many bras as I want to from a regular department store.
63. stand naked in front of my lover and feel totally comfortable, at peace, and beautiful.
64. somehow get my eyes fixed. (cosmetic)
65. be the owner of a beautiful, diamond filled bracelet.
66. have access to any of the assistive technology that I think would make life easier/more functional for me.
67. get a degree in Biblical Studies.
68. be apart of an effective youth and young adult ministry at a church.
69. go on an Alaskan cruise with someone that will spare no descriptions of how beautiful the surroundings are.
70. make peace with the Gabby situation.
71. be hired as a full-time faculty member at a college or university.
72. live in a midrise or a highrise in the city. (Houston or where ever I'm living.)
73. sit on a quiet beach from sunrise to sunset with someone I love and find incredibly enjoyable. (friend and/or lover)
74. have a swimming pool with heating options in my private backyard.
75. go to a jazz festival on a beautiful island.
76. have tip-top credit.
77. get a facial.
78. get a full-body massage.
79. learn another language.
80. write a $10,000 check to the charity of my choice.

100 THINGS I WISH TO EXPERIENCE BEFORE I TAKE MY FINAL BOW (41-60)

Before taking my final breath, I would like to:

41. see Paula, Frances, and Kim living on their own, experiencing peace, fulfillment, and independence.
42. see Joseph, Jasmine, and Gabby go to college and graduate.
43. help Joseph, Jasmine, and Gabby pay for college related expenses.
44. skydive.
45. waterski
45. go to each of the following cities, Chicago, New York, Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Vegas for a full week with the ability to spend as much money as my heart so desires.
46. visit Brazil.
47. earn a masters in professional counseling.
48. become 100% secure with who Angie is.
49. have a totally flat stomach.
50. be disciplined enough to work-out at least four times a week for the rest of my life.
51. consider healthy eating a way of life rather than diet food.
52. walk on a beach with beautiful black sand.
53. fully furnish my house with beautiful furniture and lovely accents.
54. cut my hair again.
55. jog a mile without feeling like I'm going to pass out.
56. not be so emotionally, financially, and spiritually tied to my sisters.
57. manage my stress and anxiety levels better.
58. pay all of my bills on time.
59. have a best selling book on the market.
60. spend a few hours talking with Dr. Miles Munroe

100 THINGS I WISH TO EXPERIENCE BEFORE I TAKE MY FINAL BOW (21-40)

Before taking my final breath, I would like to:

21. visit Naigra Falls.
22. meet Oprah.
23. meet Barack Obama.
24. go somewhere for 72 hours without a cell phone and no access to e-mail.
25. see Jill Scott perform live.
26. give birth or adopt a child.
27. take Joseph and Jasmine on a plane ride to California and/or Florida to go to the beach and Disney.
28. trace my family's history on both sides back to at least slavery.
29. have a beautifully landscaped yard with flowers and even a water fountain.
30. travel to Africa.
31. experience great success with multiple plays on stage and even on screen.
32. have a million dollars of liquid assets.
33. have a personal gym in my home, equipped with all of the work-out equipment that best suits me.
34. go on a cruise somewhere beautiful and not too hot.
35. hire my own personal driver.
36. access regularly schedule maid services.
37. become a member at a church that I love and respect.
38. experience the success of being an internationally respected inspirational speaker.
39. live in the same city as Miko.
40. get my teeth completely fixed.

100 THINGS I WISH TO EXPERIENCE BEFORE I TAKE MY FINAL BOW

I've always wanted to compile a list of the things that I hope to experience before I check out of this thing we call life. And today, after having a chit chat with my friend, Randy, I have decided to go ahead and start formulating my must-do-before-dying list.

So, for the next five days, I'm going to post a list of twenty things that I would like to do while I am still in the land of the living.

Why am I creating this list?
So that I can have a real idea, a plan, a goal of things that I will definitely work towards. And as I accomplish one of the things on the list, I will scratch it off. And guess what... As I discover new things that I wish to experience, I will continue to add to the list.

But for now, I'm writing my first 100 things. And you will get a chance to be the first folks to know what my intentions are. So, enjoy!

By the way, these are not written in any particular order.

Before taking my last breath, I would like to:

1. take care of my debt with the IRS.
2. pay-off my student loans.
3. have a breast reduction.
4. be a mortgage free home owner.
5. witness my plays performed on stage.
6. witness my plays tour the country.
7. finish writing one of my books.
8. publish one of my books.
9. relax in the arms of my soul mate.
10. share a true-love kiss with my soul mate.
11. go to Hawaii and stay at a beach-front resort.
12. set up a scholarship fund for high school students who are blind.
13. know in my heart that I trust my soul mate enough to marry him.
14. marry my soul mate without any reservations, reluctance, and fear.
15. lose myself in an incredible sexual experience withthe the man that I love and the man that loves me back.
16. take my mother on a trip of a life time.
17. buy my father a new truck or car.
18. get a doctoral degree.
19. learn how to swim.
20. have a huge salt water fish tank on display in my home.

Okay... I did one more quiz. Yes, I know that it's not like me to post these here. But it's cool!

You Are Balanced - Realist - Empowered

You feel your life is controlled both externally and internally. You have a good sense of what you can control and what you should let go. Depending on the situation, you sometimes try to exert more control. Other times, you accept things for what they are and go with the flow. You are a realist when it comes to luck. You don't attribute everything to luck, but you do know some things are random. You don't beat yourself up when bad things happen to you... But you do your best to try to make your own luck. You have a good deal of power, but you also know the pecking order. You realize that working the system does get you further. You know who to defer to and who to control. When it comes to the game of life, you play things flawlessly.

The Three Dimension Luck and Power Test

At Least Eight Reasons Why Ending Life is not an Option for Angie

1. Although I think that the depression gene is indeed apart of my DNA, one thing I am totally sure of is that "quitting" is not apart of my genetic, emotional, or spiritual blueprint. As much as I contemplate a mindless dive into the abyss of an unsure eternity, the truth is that I would never, never commit suicide. As much as it hurts me to live each day of this life of mine, I will continue to live the life, taking a breath every chance I get, and always hoping that each breath I take will lead me to a greater and more extraordinary opportunity.

2. Because there are some pretty important folks depending on me to live. Who are these folks? My mother, my father, my sisters (all three of them), and my friends: Miko, Alicia, Heather, Randy, Chad, Devia, Brian, and Phyllis. All of these people need me. And I certainly need them. We have this little pact called friendship. And friends don’t check out sooner than they are supposed to.

3. There are some people that I want to give a great deal to before I die. (Like who?) Jasmine, Gabby, and Joseph deserve to get all that I can give them. Each of them provide me with the boost that I need to keep living, to keep fighting, to keep building, to keep wishing, to keep believing, to keep insisting. I love them for that. I love them just because.
And if my second nephew was here, he would be the fourth person that I would insist on living to give to. But he, in his short time here with us on Earth, gave to me, most likely more than I would've ever given to him. Thank you Braden for your gift to me. (One day, I'll explain.)

4. I would disappoint so many that truly believe in me. I know that B.J. would be so deeply disappointed. And so many others in my circle of loved ones would be devastated if I took that suicidal path. I can’t disappoint them like that. I love them too much to do that.

5. I can't give up because I can't have that shame around me. My pride or whatever it is won't allow me to fail in the face of others. Just can't do it... Won't do it... I'm not a loser. And I certainly don't showcase and put my failures on display.
(This is why my battle with obesity has been such an issue for me. I hate for my failures to be so damn evident to others. But I'll blog on that another time as well. In fact, I'll tackle the subject of weight in the next 48 hours.)

6. I insist on holding on, fighting, living because I truly believe in God. I promise you that if I didn't believe in God, I would be out of here. God is truly the reason why I have the courage to rise from my tears to face the dark clouds of life. I believe that God, in all of his love and grace, has created the provision that I need to continue on this journey of life, and to continue with the certainty that my destination is victory. (That's enough right there to make me want to shout "Hallelujah!")

7. And like Mary Mary said, "I just can't give up now. I've come too far from where I started from." Yes, I know that lyric derived from the James Cleveland classic, "I don't feel no ways tired." But since I sho'nuff feel tired, that song really doesn't speak for me. But Tina and Erica put it down for a sistah named, Angie. Ain't no way that I'm going to give up after all the crap, the trials, the tears, the bloodshed, the battles that I had to endure. Trust me, you don't go through what I've been through to give up in the middle. Hell no!

8. And lastly, I cannot give up because I truly believe that I was brought here to this planet to make a true and definite impact. And the interesting thing is that this hardship of mine, this disability that gets on my nerves so much, is what I believe is the very thing that equips me with what I need to make that impact.

**Oh, I have one more reason. Because I need to see Senator Obama and Michelle in the White House. Obama 08-16!**

"I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."
- Mahatma Gandhi

Here's a little something that you should read.

I have a lot that I want and need to say about the recent weeks of the presidential election. But tonight, I really have to place some energy and time doing some preparation for my classes tomorrow. But tomorrow, after I get back home, I'm going to let it all hang out. Be sure to come back and check it out.

But in the meantime, you should really check out
this article I grabbed over at the Huff Post, entitled "Silence in the Face of Hates Makes McCain and Palin Unfit to Lead". After reading it, come back here and comment if you would like. Let me know what you think.

Tomorrow, I'll share my thoughts on the content of this article and a lot more. Until then, be blessed.

Peace and blessings,

Angie Braden

Obama2008 - 2016

You teach regular people?

I had every intention in the world to write about this a couple of months ago when the question was first posed to me. But somehow, I kind of forgot about it. However, I was reminded of the question when my nephew, Joseph, asked me this weekend. So, I thought I should certainly write about it at this point.

A few months ago, my father was bragging to my uncle, letting him know that his daughter was now an instructor at a college. I guess the news stunned my uncle for more reasons than one. Uncle John quickly responded to the news with a question that I'm sure was sincere, but nevertheless still birthed by ignorance. Here's how the conversation went.

Uncle John: You teach at a college?
Angie: Yes...
Uncle John: You're teaching blind folks at the college?
Angie: So far, I haven't had a blind student. I teach whoever enrolls in my class. And up to this point, all of them have been able to see.
Uncle John: What, you teach regular people?
Angie: Regular people?
Uncle John: Yeah... You teach folks that can see? How do you do that?
Angie: Well, since I'm not teaching them how to see, I don't think I'm going to have a problem with teaching them.
Uncle John: I'm serious. How can a blind person teach folks that can see?

Now, don't get it twisted. My uncle is one of my biggest fans. And he and I have a cool enough relationship that he feels comfortable telling me exactly what's on his mind. So, I wasn't the least bit offended. I finished our conversation by offering him up a quick lesson on how a blind person is "capable" of teaching sighted folks in a classroom setting.

Although I wasn't offended, it struck me that my uncle was probably not the only person that would be wondering how a blind person was "capable" of teaching sighted folks anything. I can only imagine the number of people that have that question bouncing around the walls of their mind, but are too afraid to ask me.

The only other person that had the nerve to ask me about the "way I teach sighted folks" is my darling nephew, Joseph. This weekend, I was explaining to him that I am a teacher. I told him that I teach grown-ups at the college. Well, Joseph, being exactly who he is, asked basically the same question as Uncle John.

"You teach folks that can see? How do you do that?"

I was kind of shocked that Joseph asked. But he and I have the same kind of relationship that me and my uncle have. If Joseph wants to know something, he just asks me.

So, why did his question shock me, you might ask. Well, because Joseph has never spoke about my blindness in a way to distinguish my abilities from his other sighted family members. I guess Joseph, who is about to turn seven in a few days, is now starting to understand what blindness means and how it truly impacts his auntie's life.

I explained to Joseph that I use my computer to help me teach. Since he knows that my computer has speech on it, he understood how my personal computer equipment could help me get around some barriers. He then asked me, how do I check their work. I told him that I get someone to help me do the things that I just "cannot" do by myself. That seemed to fulfill his need for info about me and my ability to teach "regular people".

In the coming days, I'm going to write a post that discusses how my students, those "regular people", respond to having a "irregular teacher".

**Note to the reader: Please know that I am completely clear that those that do not have a physical and/or mental disability are the least bit "regular". And I also know that people who are indeed disabled are as regular as you can get.**

What number are you? I was the number 5.

I grabbed this over at , one of the best personal bloggers out here on the blogosphere. Normally, I never do surveys. But this time I did. And it was pretty darn accurate. Check it out. Let me know what your number is.

You Are 5: The Investigator

You're independent - and a logical analytical thinker. You love learning and ideas... and know things no one else does. Bored by small talk, you refuse to participate in boring conversations. You are open minded. A visionary. You understand the world and may change it. At Your Best: You are sharp, inventive, and creative. You have the skills to lead the world. At Your Worst: You are reclusive, weird, and a bit paranoid. Your Fixation: Greed Your Primary Fear: Being useless or incompetent Your Primary Desire: Being competent and needed Other Number 5's: Bill Gates, John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, Bjork, and Stephen Hawking.

What Number Are You?