Daily Toast

Peace FAM:

Daily we gather aroung the "virtual community fire" known as the internet to lift our glasse to salute those who came before us. I decided that we needed to create a ritual where we lift up our personal Ancetors. My personal favorite part of libations has always been where we salute those ancestors that we rose from, and I feel that often we overlook them for the bigger names that we learn in our classes. I wanted to set a space and a time where we focused exclusively on our persoanl ancestors. In my studies I have learned that "hell (at least the closest thing we had to a hell) for an African was being forgotten." That is why I am diligent about making sure that we mention there names every morning. What started as me celebrating my ancestors turned into building up a community list, and group of people that have introduced the concept of Toasting into their lives.  Through this process which has been going on everyday for the last 17 months we have introduced the idea of using the Nguzo Saba to replace the days of the week, we discuss health and healing, and most importantly NationBuilding.
We invite you to join us as we Toast our Ancestors Umoja-Nia 5:15 am EST and Kuumba & Imani when you can catch me. We stream live on FB, spreaker.com/ha2tim, and youtube.com/ha2tim. The only thing you need is a glass, some water and a health drink for the Toast. The show last between 30 minutes & 1 hour. Come take the challenge and maybe you can become a #dailytoaster.

Why #kwanzaa365 is on GNJ

Peace Tribe:

In GNJ we practice our principles 7 days a week. We are in a constant state of Nationbuilding. We have decided to take possesion of one of most important elements in this world, time. We have taken possession of our time, and using our principles we have structured our days into a weapon for liberation. Since days of the week are used, I figured we might as well put the principle of Kujichagulia to work, and define the days in a way that will empower us and our children. By taking possession of the days of the week, we symbolicly take control of our time, and with that our lives. We use the power to define to change  the titles of the days of the week into something that we can use to keep us grounded in our culture. Rather than calling on the names that have been given to us we use the Nguzo Saba. This plugs us into our principles which empowers us.
For those of us who take this serious, the principles are more than something that we recite during the Kwanzaa. These principles have to flood our very existence in how will deal with each other and the world. Principles inform us and link to that which is higher and that thing is culture. Culture is the driving force of a people and it is the tool that they use to elevate and maintain themselves. So join us as we strive to work and build a better future for ourselves and our children.

Join the Tribe "GNJ"

Peace FAM

It is a pleasure to sit  down and struggle through a post, I have not been posting on my blog because of all the shows and other activities. I stay busy building a legacy, it is my responsibility to leave a foundation for those that come behind me. I am striving to blaze a trail. I believe that we owe it to our personal Ancestors to celebrate them daily, and this is why I have chosen to start the "Daily Toast". For those that have Ancestors that they would like to add to our list feel free to send your list to us by texting #dailytoast to 614-300-1875. You will receive a form that will allow you to add yourself to GNJ's phonebook. You also be able to put yourself on our various list and I will take some time to explain the list here:
*Our #gnj list is the #dailytoaster list. These are Family members that receive all information about what is going in with GNJ as well as within the Conscious Community here in Columbus. This group recieve text for all shows and also when ever there are perks they are the first to get them.
*Our #kwanzaa list  plugs you into all the cultural appropriate events that we catch wind of. So if you have an event that you want to send it out to our growing list hit us up. We focus on cultural stabilizing events.
*Our #ffgf connects you to our show Folktales For Grown Folks which airs every Kujichagulia (will explain for those that do not speak the language in a post later) @ 9pm. You will receive a text letting you know that the show is starting as well as receive a link to our spreaker station.
*Our #tribalquotes connects you to the Tribal Quotes our show that airs every Ujamaa @9pm.

So join the Tribe sign up to our SuperPhone so that we can keep you in the loop.

Belonging To A Conscious Community (Tribing Up)

Peace FAM:
I spend a lot of time thinking about our communtiy, and how to best structure it so that we can build something that is lasting. I truly believe in legacy, and understand that I am responsible for the next 7 generations at least. This is why I get up and do my show, because I am trying to add value to my community and build it. For me this is a lifestyle and as uncomfortable as it can be sometimes I know that it is my responsibilty. I have to reach out and build with like minded folks, as well as battle with some that disagree, but the conversation must be waged. I believe that if we do nothing we are condeming our futre generations to continues servitude to a system that will always put their needs last. We must develop structures that will defend our future, and demand from the powers that be, what is owed to us. We must build instituitons that are for us, and controled by us if not, we will end up as a foot note in history.
Human beings are social creatures, and that is one of the secrets of our success on this planet. As a community we have to re-learn how to build these social structures. For years I have been talking to my FAM, about tribing up. Because I believe that is the structure that will save us. Tribes combine and becomes communities, communities combine and become cities, cities combine and become states, and states combine and become nations.
As a community I often wonder about what is stopping us from being able to move through these steps, and here are a few of my thoughts. Checkout the video:

The Path Of The Warrior

Peace FAM:
 Sitting here on this beautiful Holy Day that has been set aside for one of our Ancestor Martin Luther King, I can't help but to reflect on the warrior path. There are many misconception about this concept, and many people are probably confused on why I would write an article talking about the warrior path & mentioning MLK. For me personally The Honorable Martin Luther King is a perfect example of  a person on the warrior path. Most of us define the idea of warrior by what we can do, but the warrior path is about what we won't do. I have been quoting Amos Wilson for the last few weeks, and I ran across a definition that he gave for manhood, but this definition is not limited to men. This idea that he puts out is good for warriorship as well. He states that "being a man is the mastery of impulses", I believe that this is the key to warriorship as well. Being able to face pain, and a ability to suffer are all good traits for a  warrior, but all of them pale in comparison to mastering impulses. An impulse is a sudden, involuntary inclination prompting action. Being able to master and reign over an impulse requires a great amount of power, an internal strength that can only come from some one that is committed to something. To resist an impulse which is a natural rising of energy that demands your attention and needs to be addressed immediately, is unnatural. I would to say that it is supernatural. To be able to face impulses that arise in life and death situation, and rule over them. To be faced with major temptation in our regular lives and be able to resist, is once again unnatural, and calls for us to call on strength that is beyond us. One who is truly on the warrior path knows that they are never alone, and they have the ability to call on the axe' of their ancestors, the love of their people, the strength of their cause, and the power of their Higher Power to pull them through. This divine ability is gained through attaching oneself to a transcendent cause, and allowing that energy to flow through you and into the world.
Now back to MLK, he was able to fight impulses, and even deeper he was able to inspire other people to do the same. Now FAM I must ask you can you Master your impulses.

Folktales As Tools Of Liberation

Peace FAM:

I'm sitting at my computer preparing for my presentation to the village and I just need to get a few thoughts down, and figured I was over due for another post on my blog. It has been a long time since I have sat down to actually write, I am use to talking to the cameras as I stream my thoughts, but at this moment I need to organize my thoughts, and prepare to talk to my larger family. It is always a humbling thing for me to be invited to share my perspective. In order to get my thoughts across in the proper way I want to use this platform to construct a discussion about the power of tales, myths and legends, and their importance to our freedom struggle and personal growth.
Folktales are just stories that have moved beyond the first teller of the tale. Folktales are born when a story grows beyond the original teller. The tell and the characters of the story grow and move into the pantheon of the people from which the tell was told. These stories act as conduit of information that can assist the people in their quest for survival. I would argue that stories are technology, and I personally believe that stories were the first techonology developed by our people to assit them in their over all quest for survival. In these stories our ancestors would put "jewels of wisdom" for future generation, that would reduce the learning curve of the next generation. In other words each generation would adapt and change the stories to leave information that was important for the next generation to recieve to heighten that groups chances of surviving and eventual move them to a state of thriving.
Their are two major methods of passing information the first is the one that we are familiar with and it is the method that we are exposed to when we enter school. This method is the analytic method of passing on raw information, through dates, time and other raw information. This method is useful and become more useful when we developed ethods of writing tthat made it easy to hold on to this information, as well as access it. The problem with this method is that it is dry, and only a small part of the group would be able to maintain the information over long periods. The second method and the one that I will focus on in this discussion is the relational method. This method would structure information in such away that the retention of it was simplier, because the individual would be able to develop a relationship with the information. This is the story format, and the first method that we devloped to pass on information.
The relational method is what cultures use to pass on the lessons of life, that all of the members need to know in order to survive. Folktale, stories, myths, and legends are all story methods that all cultures use. Checkout the podcast and let me know what you think.  https://www.spreaker.com/user/4374999/per-ankh-brother-ha2tim

Daily Toast- Kujichagulia 95171

Fermented Cabbage Stew

This week I focused on showing you how to ferment some foods. I chose to start with cabbage, because it is easy and very healthy. I decided to add other food to it just to create a stew like feel. I was planning to use this food to help me break my fast, as well as give you some useful information that you can use to take some control of the food you eat. Even if you do not grow your oen food you can take charge of the nutrients you get from your food. If you cannot afford frsh vegitables, and only can get canned they can be fermented as well.

I love the fermenting process because it gives the consumer some power. You get to decide what flavor you want to bring out, how long you want it to last, and etc.. Check out the video and take some time to do some of your own experiments, and feel free to share. I am always looking for tips and ideas to try.

The Hidden Power Of Fermented Food

Peace FAM:

Y'all know that I am in love with the fermenting process. I actually believe that this the true practice of alchemy. So it is a pleasure to share this process with you. So checkout the video and learn, and if you have some information to share please do because our community is in need of this art.
This is right about the time I started really losing weight during the fast, but we made it.

Let's Talk About Quiona

Quoina pronounced (ken-wah), is a gluten free, high protein, that contains all nine essential amino acids. This wondrous seed is easy to cook and can be added to your daily diet for any meal.
I have eaten it in a like cream of wheat, I have and it in soup, and as just plain side.