BMX-NY Presents A Movie Screening: RAG TAG (A Black SGL Film)Friday, November 6th, 2009 @ 8PMHarlem, NYC

Presents

A Movie Screening of
RAG TAG

Hey Bruthaz,

The Black Men's Xchange-New York (BMX-NY) will be screening the Black same gender loving (SGL) film RAG TAG (2006) this Friday, November 6th, 2009 @ 8PM.

We hope you can come out and see a phenomenal film about the SGL experience from a British perspective.

This film ranks as one of my top favorite three Black SGL films of all-time!! Yes! I LOVE the film that much!

BMX's address and film info is listed below.

Be qool y'all!

ROD (aka BIG ROD)


BMX-NY
730 Riverside Drive (@ the corner of 150th Street)
(Entrance is on the 150th Street side of the building)
Suite 9E (9th floor)
Harlem, New York
8PM - 11PM
Google Map
TRAVEL: Take the A, C, D (front of any of those trains) or the #1 train to 145th Street






Rag Tag (2006)
Running Time: 98 minutes / Genre: Drama/Romance
Starring Danny Parson (as Raymond/Rag) and Adedamola Adelaja (as Tagbo/Tag). Produced, written and directed by Adaora Nwandu.

Synopsis:
Despite their radically different backgrounds, young Black British boys Rag and Tag share a close bond - perhaps too close. Rag is from a single-parent West Indian home and Tag is the pride of middle-class Nigerian parents. The two are inseparable until Social Services discovers Rag's mother isn't around and he's taken far from his
London home to Birmingham.

10 years later they discover later as young men that their once
innocent desires have definitively shifted into an urgent need to be together.

Propelled by a fantastic hip-hop score, Rag Tag is an intricate,
lyrical film about love and friendship set against a cultural backdrop that has never before been seen in a same gender loving film.

Filmed in the United Kingdom and Nigeria.
Genre: Drama/Romance.












DVD Purchase: http://www.mukaflicks.co.uk/shop.html

RAG TAG DVD

10 GBP + Postage and Packaging (Roughly $23.00 U.S. Dollars)

PAL DVD, Multizone - will play on computers and newer DVD players
all over the world

Bonus Extras include: 'Making Of' documentary and shots from Deleted Scenes

8 - 10 days delivery from England

CAFE 2009 Cultural Arts Festival & ExpoColumbia, South Carolina

qmocha.com

Cafe 2009 Events

Friday, November 13th

Cabaret at Cafe
Cafe 2009 Official Kick-Off
Drag Queen & King Show
The Cabaret
1101 Harden Street
Columbia, SC 29205
Doors open at 11 p.m.
Show starts at 11:30 p.m.



Saturday November 14th

The following events will take place at
SC State Museum - 301 Gervais Street Columbia, SC 29201
Vendor Expo: Noon - 5pm
(Stop by the SC Pride/Harriet Hancock Center Table)
Our Stories, Our Voices
Literary Forum, Reading, & Book Signing
Vista Room
Doors open at 9:30 a.m.
Forum begins at 10 a.m.

Bodies in Motion
Ball to Ballet Dance Exposition
Auditorium
Doors Open at 12:30 p.m.
Shows start at 1 p.m.

Spit Fire Poetry Showcase
Vista Room
Doors Open at 3:30 p.m.
Show starts at 4 p.m.

For the Love of Harlem
The Highly Acclaimed Stage Play
Auditorium
Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Show starts at 8:00 p.m.

Dr. Joy DeGruy | Be The Healing Upcoming Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome Presentations (New York and New Jersey)

UPCOMING EVENTS

Thursday, November 5th @ 6:00-7:00PM
Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS) and Healing Presentation
Lighthouse Community Center
719 Bellevue Avenue Trenton, NJ 08618

Friday, November 6th @ 4:00–5:30PM
Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome Overview and Q & A Session
Bethany Baptist Church
460 Marcus Garvey Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11216

Saturday, November 7th @ 2:00–2:45PM
Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome Overview and Q & A Session
CEMOTAP
13505 Rockaway Blvd, S. Ozone Park, NY 11420

Saturday, November 7th @ 7:00PM
Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome Presentation
Newark, NJ (TBD)

Sunday, November 8th @ 2:00-2:45PM
Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome Overview and Q & A Session
Board for the Education of People African Ancestry
286 Convent Ave. Harlem, NY 10031

Dr. Joy DeGruy is a nationally and internationally renowned researcher, educator, author and presenter. Dr. Joy, as most know her, is a tell-it-like-it-is ambassador for healing and a voice for those who've struggled in search of the past, and continue to struggle through the present. A highly skilled and educated activist for social justice, Dr.Joy reaches people on the community level and has a captivating way of persuading others to search for a deeper understanding of themselves.

Dr. Joy is the acclaimed author of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome—America's Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing, and the newly released, Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: The Study Guide. In P.T.S.S.: The Study Guide, Dr.Joy revisits the topics she covers in P.T.S.S. and provides a detailed mapping of how you can begin the change process in your personal life, employment, family and in your community. She illustrates how—with thoughtful self–exploration—each of us can evaluate our behaviors and replace negative and damaging behaviors with those that will promote, ensure and sustain the healing and advancement of African Americans.

Net Neutrality FAQ: What's in it for You

Net Neutrality FAQ: What's in it for You
Tim Greene, Network World
Oct 24, 2009 3:51 pm

The FCC has approved a notice of proposed rule making on the subject of net neutrality, and here are a few questions and answers to help shine a light on what that means. (See "FCC takes first step toward net neutrality rules") What exactly did the FCC do? The FCC agreed to consider what regulations, if any, to impose on ISPs (Internet Service Providers: Cablevision, Time Warner, Verizon DSL/Fios, etc. - BIG ROD) about the applications and services that they allow, ban or rate limit. The process calls for formally proposing rules and holding public hearings on them. A vote about the rules themselves will take place sometime next year.

What is net neutrality anyway?

It is the common name for creating and preserving what the FCC calls the "open Internet". The FCC is trying to write rules that enforce six principles it says ISPs must uphold to preserve what the commission calls the "open Internet." These rules would tell ISPs to:

• allow sending and receiving all lawful content.
• allow all lawful applications and services.
• allow all lawful devices that don't harm the network.
• allow access to all network, application, service and content providers.
• ensure there is no discrimination against particular lawful content, applications, services and devices.
• reveal practices necessary network management that might limit the other five principles.

Who wants it?

A majority of the FCC, Google and other Internet-based companies, consumer advocacy groups and Internet luminaries such as Vinton Cerf and Tim Berners-Lee. They fear that without rules, ISPs will impose tiered service levels, making the top-level services so expensive as to rule out their use by innovators trying to start Internet-based businesses. They are also concerned that selectively banning certain applications such as VoIP will reduce consumer choice about how to make voice calls. There have been cases where ISPs blocked VoIP and rate-limited peer-to-peer traffic like that used for gaming and file sharing.

Who's opposed to it?

The loudest opposition comes from AT&T, Verizon and other Internet providers. They say the rules would block charging extra for premium services, the financial incentive they need to invest in network upgrades that keep traffic running smoothly. They say the rules would unfairly restrict what they call differentiating services that might justify higher rates than competitors charge. They say the consequences of net-neutrality rules would be one of two things: higher flat rates for services or paying by the byte for Internet traffic. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) also has introduced a bill to block the FCC's net neutrality rules.

What does it mean to businesses?

If net neutrality prompts higher Internet access rates for all-you-can-eat ISP services, businesses would have higher ISP bills. Usage-based fees might or might not increase costs to individual businesses depending on how much they use the Internet. Businesses that rely on the Internet to provide services might face decreased demand if their customers are forced to buy more-expensive services in order to consume their products. For example, a business that sells HD video downloads over the Internet might sell less if customers have to buy premium Internet access in order to enjoy a movie.

What does it mean to carriers?

Carriers fear net neutrality will restrict their ability to make money off their networks to the point that they will slow the rate at which they invest in network improvements that boost Internet performance. They also say they buy into the principles of an open Internet and that no rules are needed.

What does it mean to residential Internet users?

Flat monthly rates that are common now would likely remain, but ISPs might charge more for them. Or they might shift over to billing for the amount customers download, forcing customers to think twice about what they use the Internet for. At the same time, they would be able to use the Internet to make phone calls without worrying that the traffic would be blocked.

The rules would have the biggest impact on what services?

Without rules, ISPs are most likely to limit bandwidth hogs – gaming, streaming video - and VoIP. Many large ISPs such as AT&T and Verizon are also voice carriers, so VoIP riding the Internet is a threat to their revenue streams. The flip side is that providers of VoIP services that rely on the Internet ought not to be hindered by the ISPs.

"Loupe" - A Black Same Gender Loving Play AtThe International Dublin Gay Theatre FestivalOctober 24th-31st, 2009 (Ireland!)

LOUPE

IMDLALO PRODUCTIONS, ZIMBABWE

Comedy Drama - 24 Oct (16:00, 20:00), 25 Oct (16:00), 26 Oct (17:00, 20:00), 27 Oct (20:00), 28 Oct (20:00), 30 Oct (20:00), 31 Oct (16:00, 20:00)

at OUTHOUSE THEATRE @ 105 Capel Street
GOOGLE MAP

Prices (euros): €10.00 / €13.00 / €15.00
Jump To Online Booking (Tickets)

Set in a homophobic environment where fear is the order of the day family bonds are put to the test as sexuality and political intolerance foster hatred. Kilem and Sizwe are blood brothers but when their realities are challenged a trail of destruction follows.

This is a moving comedy that will leave you in tears and stitches. It’s never easy to be different it’s easier to follow the crowd This nerve wrecking heart breaking story takes you through the nuances of Zimbabwe politics and takes a magnified look at the troubled society. Winner of the Zimbabwe National Art Merit awards 2008 for Best actor Tafadzwa Muzondo and Best production the show will definitely give you an insight into a different world.

“The play to watch, it will stir your emotions and make you chuckle aloud… hilarious yet touching… certainly a great show” HIFA-LUTIN…

“tackled homosexuality, promiscuity and partisan politics with a remarkable flow and fluency… refreshing in the lighting effects, the stage arrangement and blending of the two man cast that had the audience hugging and praising the actors” THE STANDARD

"Passing Ceremonies" at Nuyorican Poets CafeA Play About Black SGL LoveNovember 5th - 21st, 2009 ONLY! (NYC)

Juneteenth Legacy Theater
Lorna Littleway Co-Founder
and
Sugar Valley Theatricals
present

Passing Ceremonies

by Steve Willis
Directed by Sue Lawless**

Starring
Bryan Webster*
& James Edward Becton, III*
With Armand Valdes & Tom Martin

A story about same gender loving Black love, set in the hereafter, where poets Bruce Nugent and Essex Hemphill meet. Backstage.com calls it a "promising new play" with "sharp characterization." "Bryan Webster's glistening performance... mixes humor, intelligence, perception, and grace."

In a cafe somewhere between "earth life and paradise" poet, essayist and activist Essex Hemphill (1957-1995) meets Harlem Renaissance writer and visual artist Richard Bruce Nugent (1906-1987) and together they try to figure out if they really belong "on the other side". Essex is anxious to finish a project he was working on shortly before his death: a book on the lives of older black gay men. He wants to interview Bruce, but Bruce insists that it is now impossible for Essex to complete the book. Throughout the play, the two spar, lament, Hemphill share stories about their passions, and challenge those left behind to "pick up [their] weapons." Juneteenth Legacy Theater & Sugar Valley Theatricals present Steve Willis' Passing Ceremonies, a poetic, fantastical tribute to these two icons of African American, Same Gender Loving literature.

9 Performances Only
November 5th-21st, 2009
Thursdays-Saturdays
7:00PM

TICKETS ON SALE NOW
for
Passing Ceremonies
At the Nuyorican Poets Cafe
236 East 3rd Street
(between Avenues B & C)

Reservations: 212-780-9386 or nuyorican.org

These performances of
Passing Ceremonies
are generously funded by
The NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
and
The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council

*members AEA **member SDC

Go Virtual for Safer Online Shopping

Go Virtual for Safer Online Shopping
To foil online fraudsters looking to steal or sell your regular credit card number, you may want to use a virtual credit card instead.

Erik Larkin, PC World

Even if you're diligent in protecting your PC from every online hazard imaginable, you may not be able to do much about the biggest threat to your data--and to your finances. Thieves can tap into millions of financial records belonging to companies that charge or process credit cards.

The good news is that you can make your recorded credit card number worthless to any thief. Virtual credit card numbers--which you can get from some banks, PayPal, and a new online service--allow for additional fraud protections.

Banks typically offer fraud liability protection to guard against stolen or misused card numbers, but the hassle of proving your innocence and dealing with the aftermath might be just as painful as losing your money. Virtual credit card numbers keep you from having to deal with either scenario. Merchants process virtual numbers just as they would a standard card number, and you can use the numbers for online or phone purchases that don't require showing your card. However, if you're buying will-call tickets or anything else that requires you to present the card used to make the purchase, you shouldn't use a virtual number.

Virtual credit card numbers may be your best defense against credit card theft these days. A regular credit card number has real value on the Internet's black market, and data breaches in which criminals steal such numbers are on the rise. In August, the U.S. Department of Justice charged a Florida man with taking part in a huge heist of financial data from credit card processor Heartland Payment Systems. By the time authorities caught that suspect, the damage may have already been done: The stolen numbers almost certainly changed hands and appeared on underground sites that offer card numbers for a mere $2 each.

A crook who steals a virtual credit card number, however, gets only a meaningless string of numbers. If you have a credit card (not a debit card) from Bank of America, Citibank, or Discover, or if you use PayPal, you already have free access to the feature. A new online service called Shop Shield also provides various levels of protection.

All of those offerings add an extra step to any purchase, since you must first create a new card number through a banking site, desktop software, or a browser plug-in. That extra step is worth it, though, as every virtual number is tied to the first merchant that uses it, so any subsequent charges to the same virtual number are denied. Other options may allow you to set a spending limit or an expiration date.

How to Create a Virtual Card Number

Bank of America cardholders can create a virtual card number by logging in to the online banking site, clicking the View Options link to the right of the credit card account, and then choosing Create a ShopSafe account number. From there, you can set a spending limit and expiration date. Head to Bank of America's site for more on ShopSafe.

If you have a Discover card, you create a virtual number via Discover's Secure Online Account Number page. Discover also offers downloadable software for Windows that runs from the system tray. (Click the Download Now button under Desktop Version on the same Web page.) The software can pop up to allow you to create a virtual card number when you're making an online purchase, and it can fill in forms.

For Citibank, log in to online banking and click on Virtual Account Numbers in the upper-right corner. You can also download software by logging in to citicards.com or universalcard.com, selecting Get a Virtual Account Number from the 'Tools and Services' drop-down menu, and then clicking Download Now. Citi's software works much the same as Discover's desktop app does.

PayPal users can grab a browser plug-in for Internet Explorer or Firefox (only for Windows) by logging in to their account, choosing Products & Services, and then clicking the PayPal Plug-in link under 'More Products and Services'. The plug-in adds an icon to the upper-right corner of the Web browser with drop-down menu options to create a Secure Card virtual number and perform other PayPal tasks.

Virtual Numbers, Virtual Profiles

You can tie Shop Shield to any credit card or checking account. It creates not only a virtual credit card number but also a faux e-mail address, name, and other contact information for use with the number. You can create such profiles either at the company's site or through a Firefox add-on (installed as part of your signing up at the site; an add-on for IE is in the works). Once installed, the add-on recognizes shopping sites and autofill forms. Shop Shield offers a free level of service linked to checking accounts; a pay-as-you-go service for debit and credit cards ($1.99 per use, plus a $0.49 charge for transactions less than $25); and an "unlimited" service for checking, debit, and credit-card accounts, priced at $99 annually.

Soon, you'll likely be able to add some benefits of virtual numbers, such as spending limits and merchant restrictions, to regular credit cards and debit cards. MasterCard, which bought the company that licenses the software used for most virtual credit card offerings, says it is working on a service with both features. In the meantime, virtual credit card numbers will keep potential data thieves chasing a moving target.