By Aaris A. Schroeder
October 18, 2008
Second annual "Edible Crawl for a Cure" produced by MidtownGrid.com and benefiting Cystic Fibrosis is the brainchild of Brian Fischer of Midtown Grid and Darby Flynn of Cystic Fibrosis. This organized 'pub crawl' is a clever way to show locals how walkable Midtown and Dowtown Sacramento is while enjoying appetizers and drink samples at several restaurants and breweries.
The first two places that Team UBO Mag, consisting of James Morales [UBO and freelance photographer], Kris Gupton [Shiny Nickel Art Gallery], John AKA Hiero Morales [freelance tattoo artist], Carlos and Maria Stowers [Server at Sandra Dees and aspiring comic book artist] visited were not serving [Kasbah Lounge was not ready and Sanad's Mediterranean Deli didn't know they were participating]. So we headed to Stone Grill where they were serving mixed, layered drinks and seared beef on hot stones.
Team UBO Mag's favorite places were Rubicon for the beer, Parlare Euro Lounge for the many mixed drink samples and delicious appetizers [can I say spicey and sweet chicken and shrimp with edemame starters?] and L Wine Lounge for the California-style pizza and several samples of house-made sangria.
Our team managed to visit nearly every spot on the map that Midtown Grid provided except for three places because by the time we hit Brew it Up! and then Clarion we were a tad bit too toasty.
This event was even more organized than last year, mainly on the restaurant's side since they learned what people liked, how much food and liquor, beer or wine to provide and where to serve the samples in the restaurant.
Fischer is interested in having a spring Edible Crawl in '09 because of popularity this fall. With local morning show, magazine and newspaper promotions The Edible Crawl was a success! See you all this spring; join Team UBO Mag.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
UBO Magazine, Issue II.Volume I
"Self-Written, Third Person"
By Aaris A. Schroeder
June 26, 2008
UBO Magazine will soon release their second issue of UBO Magazine. The first issue which was due out winter 2008 didn't make it to newsstands due to a lack of advertising funding.
Aaris A. Schroeder has asked Aman Smith AKA Wyzdom, one of the origonators of SacHatesHipHop.com, ShhhTV and part of the Sacramento, CA based hip-hop group Verbal Venom for assistance in creative design and layout of UBO Mag. The last issue was designed by 7evin, a local music engineer, dj and multi-media engineer among other titles. 7evin was a part of Ultra Mega Collection with Schroeder which broke off a nearly a year ago for project concentration.
Schroeder has a few ideas up her sleave to release UBO Mag. For those of you who are interested in advertising, anything will be helpful. Simply ask for a media kit which will include an advertising rate card to purchase low-cost advertising through UBO Magazine. All advertisers will be assisting in the actual production of UBO Magazine.
By Aaris A. Schroeder
June 26, 2008
UBO Magazine will soon release their second issue of UBO Magazine. The first issue which was due out winter 2008 didn't make it to newsstands due to a lack of advertising funding.
Aaris A. Schroeder has asked Aman Smith AKA Wyzdom, one of the origonators of SacHatesHipHop.com, ShhhTV and part of the Sacramento, CA based hip-hop group Verbal Venom for assistance in creative design and layout of UBO Mag. The last issue was designed by 7evin, a local music engineer, dj and multi-media engineer among other titles. 7evin was a part of Ultra Mega Collection with Schroeder which broke off a nearly a year ago for project concentration.
Schroeder has a few ideas up her sleave to release UBO Mag. For those of you who are interested in advertising, anything will be helpful. Simply ask for a media kit which will include an advertising rate card to purchase low-cost advertising through UBO Magazine. All advertisers will be assisting in the actual production of UBO Magazine.
Monday, March 3, 2008
America's Way of Justice Favors Whites Over Blacks
By RBG
www.stillrbg.ning.com
Contributing Writer
March 2, 2008
Legal scholars pondering reports that 1 of every 100 U.S. adults is in jail or prison need look no further than Roger Clemens to see why it is blacks who mainly choke the jails. Men such as Clemens - unlike their counterparts such as, say, Barry Bonds - enjoy a white privilege conveying a sense of immunity from prosecution, or even suspicion.
Clemens' raised right hand seemed steady while he swore before a House committee that he'd never, ever used steroids or human growth hormone. His self-righteous duplicity, however, was too much even for the U.S. Congress. Defending what passes for its honor, the committee has called in the Justice Department to sort through the baseball star's inconsistencies. The more credible Andy Pettitte, as well as the man who admits to injecting illicit chemicals into Clemens' butt, testified to a different set of facts.
Baseball and some other professional sports and pseudo-sports - football, wrestling, speed skating, bodybuilding, track and field - are awash in illicit drugs designed to enhance performance. Can it be that the athletes punished as poster children for drug abuse, such as Bonds, Marion Jones, Jose Conseco, Ben Johnson, etc., are either Latino or black?
Les Payne Les Payne Bio | E-mail | Recent columns
Yes, for this is the American way of justice. This racial pattern of enforcement imprisons one of every nine black men between the ages of 20 and 34. This '06 national figure was disclosed by the Pew Center, which ranks the United States as the world's lone incarceration superpower. Its 2.3 million inmates in jails and state and federal prisons far outdistanced China, which has a population four times greater. The U.S. prison rate also tops that of other "police-state" nations such as Russia and former Soviet republics.
Concentrating on the overall incarceration, however, the media downplay the vastly disproportionate impact of the harsher sentences that courts hand to African-Americans.
Another recent study revealed a stark contrast in the way blacks and whites are jailed for drug offenses, which account for a high percentage of prison populations. The Justice Policy Institute studied drug arrests in 198 of the largest U.S. counties, making up over half the nation's population. All but two of these counties incarcerated blacks at a higher rate than whites. Suffolk County, where my wife and I raised three children, sent black drug offenders to prison at a rate some 36 times that of whites.
Such a shameful, national disparity in incarceration rates, according to the institute, occurred even with a pattern showing no appreciable difference between whites and blacks in illegal drug possession, use and sale. Some 8.5 percent of whites were found to use illicit drugs in '02, compared to 9.7 percent for blacks. Despite this similarity, African-Americans, the report found, were "admitted to prison for drug offenses [at] nearly 10 times the rate for whites."
Much has been made of the federal sentencing policy - softened by a recent Supreme Court decision - that punished crimes involving crack cocaine at a 100-1 ratio compared with powder cocaine. This Draconian law was mocked in this space as if, say, during Prohibition Congress found that whites drank mainly Coors and blacks Colt 45 and the lawmakers then proceeded to enact a policy punishing crimes involving Colt 45 some 100 times more severely than those involving Coors.
The sinister court system reaches well beyond even the de jure strictures of policy to ensure, de facto, that blacks are hauled off to prison at a much greater rate. Some 24 percent of crack cocaine users were reportedly black, for example, and 72 percent were Latino or white. Yet, the institute says, "more than 80 percent of defendants sentenced for crack cocaine offenses were African-Americans."
This disparate rate of black incarceration appears to result from unfair police and court policies at every level. "Cash-strapped" states that last year spent some $50 billion on corrections, so called, reaped no clear benefits in recidivism rates or overall crime, the institute concluded.
Treating blacks the same as whites - whether it's Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens - would be a cost-effective way out of this national shame of incarceration. Besides, it's the right thing to do.
Visit STILL RBG at: http://stillrbg.ning.com
www.stillrbg.ning.com
Contributing Writer
March 2, 2008
Legal scholars pondering reports that 1 of every 100 U.S. adults is in jail or prison need look no further than Roger Clemens to see why it is blacks who mainly choke the jails. Men such as Clemens - unlike their counterparts such as, say, Barry Bonds - enjoy a white privilege conveying a sense of immunity from prosecution, or even suspicion.
Clemens' raised right hand seemed steady while he swore before a House committee that he'd never, ever used steroids or human growth hormone. His self-righteous duplicity, however, was too much even for the U.S. Congress. Defending what passes for its honor, the committee has called in the Justice Department to sort through the baseball star's inconsistencies. The more credible Andy Pettitte, as well as the man who admits to injecting illicit chemicals into Clemens' butt, testified to a different set of facts.
Baseball and some other professional sports and pseudo-sports - football, wrestling, speed skating, bodybuilding, track and field - are awash in illicit drugs designed to enhance performance. Can it be that the athletes punished as poster children for drug abuse, such as Bonds, Marion Jones, Jose Conseco, Ben Johnson, etc., are either Latino or black?
Les Payne Les Payne Bio | E-mail | Recent columns
Yes, for this is the American way of justice. This racial pattern of enforcement imprisons one of every nine black men between the ages of 20 and 34. This '06 national figure was disclosed by the Pew Center, which ranks the United States as the world's lone incarceration superpower. Its 2.3 million inmates in jails and state and federal prisons far outdistanced China, which has a population four times greater. The U.S. prison rate also tops that of other "police-state" nations such as Russia and former Soviet republics.
Concentrating on the overall incarceration, however, the media downplay the vastly disproportionate impact of the harsher sentences that courts hand to African-Americans.
Another recent study revealed a stark contrast in the way blacks and whites are jailed for drug offenses, which account for a high percentage of prison populations. The Justice Policy Institute studied drug arrests in 198 of the largest U.S. counties, making up over half the nation's population. All but two of these counties incarcerated blacks at a higher rate than whites. Suffolk County, where my wife and I raised three children, sent black drug offenders to prison at a rate some 36 times that of whites.
Such a shameful, national disparity in incarceration rates, according to the institute, occurred even with a pattern showing no appreciable difference between whites and blacks in illegal drug possession, use and sale. Some 8.5 percent of whites were found to use illicit drugs in '02, compared to 9.7 percent for blacks. Despite this similarity, African-Americans, the report found, were "admitted to prison for drug offenses [at] nearly 10 times the rate for whites."
Much has been made of the federal sentencing policy - softened by a recent Supreme Court decision - that punished crimes involving crack cocaine at a 100-1 ratio compared with powder cocaine. This Draconian law was mocked in this space as if, say, during Prohibition Congress found that whites drank mainly Coors and blacks Colt 45 and the lawmakers then proceeded to enact a policy punishing crimes involving Colt 45 some 100 times more severely than those involving Coors.
The sinister court system reaches well beyond even the de jure strictures of policy to ensure, de facto, that blacks are hauled off to prison at a much greater rate. Some 24 percent of crack cocaine users were reportedly black, for example, and 72 percent were Latino or white. Yet, the institute says, "more than 80 percent of defendants sentenced for crack cocaine offenses were African-Americans."
This disparate rate of black incarceration appears to result from unfair police and court policies at every level. "Cash-strapped" states that last year spent some $50 billion on corrections, so called, reaped no clear benefits in recidivism rates or overall crime, the institute concluded.
Treating blacks the same as whites - whether it's Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens - would be a cost-effective way out of this national shame of incarceration. Besides, it's the right thing to do.
Visit STILL RBG at: http://stillrbg.ning.com
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Community Activism: World View Mix Tape Gone Festival
By Aaris A. Schroeder
Editor-In-Chief
Sometimes it takes a movement to get a reaction from society. It also takes just one person to start the whole thing. This is what AWKWORD solo artist based in Stamford, CT who is currently working with Gr8 Skot [formally of The Arsonists] and formally of indie hip-hop group Sub-Way Stiles is constructing. One thing about AWKWORD that the public should know is that this guy is a community activist. Not only is he a talented emcee spewing consciousness to his community or that he is pro-active as a Jewish-American talking about his experiences in life, AWKWORD also is an amazing photo artist and journalist. This guy can create art with his words and eye.
Originally, AWKWORD wanted to get several producers from all over the world to help remix his music for a remix tape. But he took note of the camaraderie and desire everyone had to work together.
“I could connect people [artists and fans] from all over the world, despite the wars, the inequalities, the cultural differences,” says AWKWORD whose album directly shows the similarities and differences in hip-hop from all over the world, all on one mix tape.
AWKWORD has had the chance to share his ideas with producers and artists from nearly 50 countries. So the contest has begun. AWKWORD is asking musicians, producers and artists to check out www.myspace.com/worldviewmixtape for more information and contact him at AWKWORD@gmail.com to request an a-capella for their remix. You will then be directed to send your finished music to AWKWORD via www.yousendit.com
The reason for this entire project is not just to create a diverse, rich mix tape for the people but to inform radio stations, TV networks print publications, websites, blogs and corporate sponsors about “World View” the mix tape. AWKWORD plans on selling the mix tapes for a low cost and donating 100% of the proceeds to Guns 4 Cameras [G4C].
“I use my story to encourage youth to 'Aim To Live', that's why I started the non-profit organization Guns 4 Cameras, to get guns off the street and give youth the opportunities I wasn't afforded,” says Hezues R', founder of G4C whose non-profit agency has young people turn in their guns in exchange for video cameras. G4C uses hip-hop for marketing and entertainment. The point is to get kids off the streets and being creative instead of destructive.
The passion behind AWKWORD goes further than just trying to make a difference. AWKWORD goes all the way with everything he does, whether it is beating up racists, homophobes and women abusers when attending high school, making love to his girlfriend or emceeing.
“When I was a senior in high school, I realized I could connect my lifelong passion for poetry, my love of rap music and [the] hip-hop culture, as well as my desire to make positive change in this world. My lyrics are not preachy; they are hardcore [however] there is a message,” says AWKWORD who created Diversity Day and a Holocaust Remembrance Day when he was a senior in high school. He wrote two songs about these events as well.
AWKWORD represents all that is awkward in the world, another of the many reasons he is so passionate about this cause. He believes that people’s voices need to be heard and that there are a lot of injustices not only in America but across the world. This makes it a lot easier once the project is put out there for the public and the independent music industry at large to get people involved in the album release party. AWKWORD has selected S.O.J.A., a Florida-based producer to assist him in getting the album completed. Ares Designs will be designing apparel made of recycled fabrics for a DJ-ed fashion show. All of the apparel will be auctioned off at the end of the evening and all proceeds for the event; whether admission or mix tape sales will all go towards G4C.
The World View Festival will take place August ’08 in Brooklyn, NY in Park Slope, at Southpaw, a 5,000 square foot, high-class location. Currently donations to cover pressing the album, paying models and other people involved in the making of this project and album are being accepted to run this project. Hezues R' will be speaking on behalf of G4C about his organization and the entire event will be DJed and there will be live hip-hop performers as well.
“AWKWORD is always up to something but by getting Kosha Dillz on it, [AWKWORD] probably looking for some ‘worldview’ controversy, a good decision on his behalf,” says Kosha Dillz about being a part of the World View mix tape venture.
Although the album deadline is for March 1, the release of the mix tape and release party will be in August. For more information about this event and how you can get involved to sponsor, be a part of the mix tape, DJ, donate time, services or money or just want to know how you can attend the event and help with guerrilla marketing, contact AWKWORD directly at one of his many websites: www.myspace.com/worldviewmixtape, www.myspace.com/seethelightthealbum, www.myspace.com/AWKWORD
--
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
2nd Saturday Oak Park Cleanup
By Aaris A. Schroeder
Editor-In-Chief
Every 2nd Sat. morning, Brian Fischer who created 100 Minds, who is also a major part of MidtownGrid.com and works close in his Oak Park Community with the youth, churches, Business Association started one of the biggest events in Oak Park’s history. Fischer and his 100 Minds as well as many others work with Oak Park to sustain a more eco-friendly, community-garden-driven safer community. Fischer started with his own, working to get prostitutes off the streets and into healthier jobs and lifestyles and works with the community to build independent businesses so that Starbucks, Jamba Juice, SafeWay and Wal-Mart don't take over this fragile community. Oak Park will march throughout Oak Park with local high school students and the local community leaders, picking up garbage. In the past, they have shut down liquor stores, where there are too many on one street. Brian is has been looking for local people that want to get involved with the youth.
This means, getting down with them and rapping with them about what they are about, what they want to do with their lives, where they are right now and talking about the struggles and wins you have had in your life all while picking up garbage off the street. This allows the local youth to respect their neighborhood and have a sense of pride. It will also allow them to see that there are positive things happening in their community that they can be a part of aside from playing b-ball in the park or playing video games after school.
If you feel you can impact the youth and do something positive for your community, come on down and walk the Oak Park turf.
Editor-In-Chief
Every 2nd Sat. morning, Brian Fischer who created 100 Minds, who is also a major part of MidtownGrid.com and works close in his Oak Park Community with the youth, churches, Business Association started one of the biggest events in Oak Park’s history. Fischer and his 100 Minds as well as many others work with Oak Park to sustain a more eco-friendly, community-garden-driven safer community. Fischer started with his own, working to get prostitutes off the streets and into healthier jobs and lifestyles and works with the community to build independent businesses so that Starbucks, Jamba Juice, SafeWay and Wal-Mart don't take over this fragile community. Oak Park will march throughout Oak Park with local high school students and the local community leaders, picking up garbage. In the past, they have shut down liquor stores, where there are too many on one street. Brian is has been looking for local people that want to get involved with the youth.
This means, getting down with them and rapping with them about what they are about, what they want to do with their lives, where they are right now and talking about the struggles and wins you have had in your life all while picking up garbage off the street. This allows the local youth to respect their neighborhood and have a sense of pride. It will also allow them to see that there are positive things happening in their community that they can be a part of aside from playing b-ball in the park or playing video games after school.
If you feel you can impact the youth and do something positive for your community, come on down and walk the Oak Park turf.
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