For anyone that knows me they know that the DC Tobacco Free Families (DCTFF) Conference changed my life. YES, changed my life!!!! The contacts I made were endless, the information I gained was not only new and fresh but the conference addressed issues, and helped me gain skills that were relevant to me in serving the DC community as a stand-alone volunteer!The DCTFF addresses the needs for youth, organizations, faith-based initiatives, HIV/AIDS, the Latino population, the LGBT community and any suggestions the community wants to hear!
Please check out this flyer. . . And also visit DC Tobacco Free Families website here and for any questions or additional information contact Charles Debnam @ cdebnam@aladc.org Did I mention this is where I met Paul Spires aka “Crucial Thoughtz?” (Team Champions, Star of DCTFF Secondhand Smoke Commercial, Artist, PG Community College) Ashley Blakeney, Ballou High School (Team Champions, Ballou, A Documentary Film) Because I attended the conference I was able to be involved in future DCTFF events like the “Follow the Signs” Workshop given by my newly discovered sister Ms. La Tanisha Wright of the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network (NAAPTN).
Follow the Signs (FTS) is a training program that raises awareness about how Big Tobacco specifically targets Black communities. It was developed by NAATPN’s West Region Director, La Tanisha Wright. Ms. Wright is a former tobacco industry manager. She has expertise in tobacco marketing, merchandising and advertising.
From the first moment I met Paul at the DC Tobacco Free Families Conference in September of 2008 I knew that he was someone I needed to know. Paul has been showing his talent in many ways one of which by getting the word out that secondhand smoke KILLS! (Below is his PSA on the DC airwaves)
After I met Paul I went onto his Myspace and there were a few things that I wasn’t the most impressed with. . . I called him out on it, and he snapped back which was cool. I pulled back and let him do his thing. . . over the holidays I was “tagged” in a note on facebook, with this photo . . . I don’t know if I ever told Paul but it made me cry, ball like a baby:
MUSICAL MATURITY December 20, 2008 The Current state of musical entertainment is childish men and women of all ages are listening to anything We listen to wutever is catchy or sounds good. Well now I’ve found a resolution….I will began to make everysong i write be a message to the audience in which it appeals to. For example, the College song is a message to all students in every level of education from pre-k to seniors and also those who graduated and haven’t enrolled in a College or university. It is songs like dat which will go a long way and i believe it will make other entertainers aware of how powerful our music is. We tend to forget that Music controls the society(believe it or not).Here’s an example,in the Mid 1990′s most songs was about shooting each other and Beefin(tupac-n-biggie,all dat westcoast Gangsta Shit).In Result the Murda rate in every Maajor city Went thru tha Roof. If Lil Wayne was to make a song right now saying i want you to have my baby, the teen pregnacy rate would probably skyrocket. By this time next year Me, Paul Spires aka Crucial Thoughtz will be a well known National Artist.So now is da perfect time for me to set a standard in which i will go by and adjust my approach in compliance with The artsist developement strategy set for me during 2009. Wish me Luck a please try to listen to MY songs and forgive me for i currently have some ignorant songs mixed in with life appreciating songs.Its like common said “we write songs about wrong cuz its hrd to see right”Lets Mature in Music
What Paul doesn’t know is that I am basically his biggest fan. EVERYONE in DC knows Paul. Wherever I go I am not gonna lie, I name drop “Crucial Thoughtz” all over the place. . . when I was Anacostia High School the other week and being accused of being an Undercover cop- all I had to do was mention that I knew Crucial Thoughtz/ Top Shelf and everything was “all good.” (sorry Paul if I have embarrassed you) Paul encourages other youth to go college through his music. Below his hit- “High School” (PS. . Meechie, I just really want to meet you!)
Here is the bottom line, I could sugar coat the things that Paul has gone through but they will haunt me for the rest of my life. But he is “DOIN’ IT” The man is working hard in college, performed at an Inaugural Ball, and seriously there are people all over GW that are nearly fighting to be “one of Paul’s friends.” It is so great, because we are all “fighting” to see Paul succeed.
Paul, you are my HERO. I just wanted to let you know how much I care for you, and absolutely marvel at everything you are doing. You have the most amazing FAN CLUB. I know I am not “hip” or “fly” but I sure as HELL LOVE YOU PAUL! Keep doin’ what your doin’!
From the first moment I met Paul at the DC Tobacco Free Families Conference in September of 2008 I knew that he was someone I needed to know. Paul has been showing his talent in many ways one of which by getting the word out that secondhand smoke KILLS! (Below is his PSA on the DC airwaves)
After I met Paul I went onto his Myspace and there were a few things that I wasn’t the most impressed with. . . I called him out on it, and he snapped back which was cool. I pulled back and let him do his thing. . . over the holidays I was “tagged” in a note on facebook, with this photo . . . I don’t know if I ever told Paul but it made me cry, ball like a baby:
MUSICAL MATURITY December 20, 2008 The Current state of musical entertainment is childish men and women of all ages are listening to anything We listen to wutever is catchy or sounds good. Well now I’ve found a resolution….I will began to make everysong i write be a message to the audience in which it appeals to. For example, the College song is a message to all students in every level of education from pre-k to seniors and also those who graduated and haven’t enrolled in a College or university. It is songs like dat which will go a long way and i believe it will make other entertainers aware of how powerful our music is. We tend to forget that Music controls the society(believe it or not).Here’s an example,in the Mid 1990′s most songs was about shooting each other and Beefin(tupac-n-biggie,all dat westcoast Gangsta Shit).In Result the Murda rate in every Maajor city Went thru tha Roof. If Lil Wayne was to make a song right now saying i want you to have my baby, the teen pregnacy rate would probably skyrocket. By this time next year Me, Paul Spires aka Crucial Thoughtz will be a well known National Artist.So now is da perfect time for me to set a standard in which i will go by and adjust my approach in compliance with The artsist developement strategy set for me during 2009. Wish me Luck a please try to listen to MY songs and forgive me for i currently have some ignorant songs mixed in with life appreciating songs.Its like common said “we write songs about wrong cuz its hrd to see right”Lets Mature in Music
What Paul doesn’t know is that I am basically his biggest fan. EVERYONE in DC knows Paul. Wherever I go I am not gonna lie, I name drop “Crucial Thoughtz” all over the place. . . when I was Anacostia High School the other week and being accused of being an Undercover cop- all I had to do was mention that I knew Crucial Thoughtz/ Top Shelf and everything was “all good.” (sorry Paul if I have embarrassed you) Paul encourages other youth to go college through his music. Below his hit- “High School” (PS. . Meechie, I just really want to meet you!)
Here is the bottom line, I could sugar coat the things that Paul has gone through but they will haunt me for the rest of my life. But he is “DOIN’ IT” The man is working hard in college, performed at an Inaugural Ball, and seriously there are people all over GW that are nearly fighting to be “one of Paul’s friends.” It is so great, because we are all “fighting” to see Paul succeed.
Paul, you are my HERO. I just wanted to let you know how much I care for you, and absolutely marvel at everything you are doing. You have the most amazing FAN CLUB. I know I am not “hip” or “fly” but I sure as HELL LOVE YOU PAUL! Keep doin’ what your doin’!
I have been meaning to blog about this issue for quite sometime but today my good friend “Crucial Thoughtz” (as seen before on many of my posts) just released his new DC Tobacco Free PSA on Secondhand Smoke: How would you like to be paying a small fortune for a studio apartment only to be plagued by second-hand smoke? You go to bed coughing, sneezing, mentally unstable from yelling at your neighbors that you can’t locate where the plooms of smoke is coming from? You wake up coughing, sneezing, congested, gasping for air?Imagine also if you had asthma and allergies! That is what it is like living in the CLARIDGE HOUSE, here in Washington DC. I think what my favorite part is that after sending countless e-mails to the “Community Manager” he has literally done nothing. But my favorite is the bottom of his signature line on his e-mail states this: P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
It has been a true slap in the face. He doesn’t live here, nor do the “Board Members.”
After a law student and myself passed a petition around and not spending day and night on the issue because we are both in school- we figured that the board would at the very least have the courtesy of meeting with us. NOT AT ALL. They gave us TWO MINUTES each. They nodded to appease us.
My favorite was then speaking to one of the on-site “managers” who stated: “you see we can’t ask private owners of condo’s to not smoke in their condo’s” 1. SMOKERS are not a protected class Protected Classes are: Race, Religion, Sexual Orientation, Color, National Origin, DISABILITY, Age, Veteran, Sex, Familial Status (for housing purposes) 2. Smoking is a Nuisance Something that interferes with the use of property by being irritating, offensive, obstructive or dangerous. Nuisances include a wide range of conditions, everything from a chemical plant’s noxious odors to a neighbor’s dog barking. The former would be a “public nuisance,” one affecting many people, while the other would be a “private nuisance,” limited to making your life difficult, unless the dog was bothering others. Most cases in court have been upheld that have gone to court in regards when individuals have sued smokers that are infringing on OUR (non-smokers) lives. 3. DC Fair Housing Act (B) a refusal to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services, when such accommodations may be necessary to afford such person equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling; or (3) section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; (1) Any person who willfully fails or neglects to attend and testify or to answer any lawful inquiry or to produce records, documents, or other evidence, if it is in such person’s power to do so, in obedience to the subpoena or other lawful order under subsection (a), shall be fined not more than $100,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. So I most likely will just be walking on down to file a complaint.
It is as if they don’t think it is a “Big Deal” oh but it is!!!!
Ventilation Technologies Are Ineffective No U.S. science agency has found that ventilation systems reduce occupational exposure to secondhand smoke to an acceptable level.
The 2006 Surgeon General’s report concluded that exposure of nonsmokers to second handsmoke cannot be controlled by air cleaning or mechanical air exchange.
The current Surgeon General’s Report concluded that scientific evidence indicates that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Short exposures to secondhand smoke can cause blood platelets to become stickier, damage the lining of blood vessels, decrease coronary flow velocity reserves, and reduce heart rate variability, potentially increasing the risk of heart attack.
I have been meaning to blog about this issue for quite sometime but today my good friend “Crucial Thoughtz” (as seen before on many of my posts) just released his new DC Tobacco Free PSA on Secondhand Smoke: How would you like to be paying a small fortune for a studio apartment only to be plagued by second-hand smoke? You go to bed coughing, sneezing, mentally unstable from yelling at your neighbors that you can’t locate where the plooms of smoke is coming from? You wake up coughing, sneezing, congested, gasping for air?Imagine also if you had asthma and allergies! That is what it is like living in the CLARIDGE HOUSE, here in Washington DC. I think what my favorite part is that after sending countless e-mails to the “Community Manager” he has literally done nothing. But my favorite is the bottom of his signature line on his e-mail states this: P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
It has been a true slap in the face. He doesn’t live here, nor do the “Board Members.”
After a law student and myself passed a petition around and not spending day and night on the issue because we are both in school- we figured that the board would at the very least have the courtesy of meeting with us. NOT AT ALL. They gave us TWO MINUTES each. They nodded to appease us.
My favorite was then speaking to one of the on-site “managers” who stated: “you see we can’t ask private owners of condo’s to not smoke in their condo’s” 1. SMOKERS are not a protected class Protected Classes are: Race, Religion, Sexual Orientation, Color, National Origin, DISABILITY, Age, Veteran, Sex, Familial Status (for housing purposes) 2. Smoking is a Nuisance Something that interferes with the use of property by being irritating, offensive, obstructive or dangerous. Nuisances include a wide range of conditions, everything from a chemical plant’s noxious odors to a neighbor’s dog barking. The former would be a “public nuisance,” one affecting many people, while the other would be a “private nuisance,” limited to making your life difficult, unless the dog was bothering others. Most cases in court have been upheld that have gone to court in regards when individuals have sued smokers that are infringing on OUR (non-smokers) lives. 3. DC Fair Housing Act (B) a refusal to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services, when such accommodations may be necessary to afford such person equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling; or (3) section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; (1) Any person who willfully fails or neglects to attend and testify or to answer any lawful inquiry or to produce records, documents, or other evidence, if it is in such person’s power to do so, in obedience to the subpoena or other lawful order under subsection (a), shall be fined not more than $100,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. So I most likely will just be walking on down to file a complaint.
It is as if they don’t think it is a “Big Deal” oh but it is!!!!
Ventilation Technologies Are Ineffective No U.S. science agency has found that ventilation systems reduce occupational exposure to secondhand smoke to an acceptable level.
The 2006 Surgeon General’s report concluded that exposure of nonsmokers to second handsmoke cannot be controlled by air cleaning or mechanical air exchange.
The current Surgeon General’s Report concluded that scientific evidence indicates that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Short exposures to secondhand smoke can cause blood platelets to become stickier, damage the lining of blood vessels, decrease coronary flow velocity reserves, and reduce heart rate variability, potentially increasing the risk of heart attack.
I am constantly referring to the “youth of today” which in general means the young people ages 12-19 which in DC means majority are Black living in the DC area. How Does HIV/AIDS affect the “youth of today” in DC? Very seriously.
Our community risks losing a new generation to HIV.
Washington, D.C. has one of the highest AIDS rates in the country. But very few of those infected are getting the treatment they need. Between 1,000 and 1,500 infected young people live in the Washington, D.C. area. Yet only 100 of them are receiving medical care.
Across the nation, half of all new HIV infections occur among people under the age of 25. But as many as one third of all HIV-infected young people do not know they carry the virus.
With so much ignorance, and such limited healthcare, young people face the highest risk of infection. They also live in a culture that heightens those risks. Adolescents tend to distrust adults who could help them, yet face intense pressure to become sexually active at an early age.
How do we help young people to protect themselves?
MetroTeenAIDS speaks to youth in their own language and in their own space. With our team of specially trained young people, working alongside professionals, we reach out to them in schools, nightclubs, youth centers, shelters and the streets.
Thank you to the people that I know are currently serving the youth at Metro TeenAids: Kafui Doe and Gorkie Balthazar (pictured below L-R Gorkie, Kafui, me)
I have personally had the opportunity to meet amazing youth that are doing amazing things in their lives from fashion, to art, to rap, to sports these are the leaders in the DC community and I would like to share a few with you.
Thank you to Ashley Blakeney, Aaron the Bomb dot com, India Fresh, Chiron Hunt aka Chevy, Crucial Thoughtz, Rashad Tucker, TeVaughn Riot Brunson, Shomari Eccentric.inc, Daniel Lavish Adonis Johnson for leading the community “youth of today” and always offering to be leaders in the community or to reach a little higher!
I am constantly referring to the “youth of today” which in general means the young people ages 12-19 which in DC means majority are Black living in the DC area. How Does HIV/AIDS affect the “youth of today” in DC? Very seriously.
Our community risks losing a new generation to HIV.
Washington, D.C. has one of the highest AIDS rates in the country. But very few of those infected are getting the treatment they need. Between 1,000 and 1,500 infected young people live in the Washington, D.C. area. Yet only 100 of them are receiving medical care.
Across the nation, half of all new HIV infections occur among people under the age of 25. But as many as one third of all HIV-infected young people do not know they carry the virus.
With so much ignorance, and such limited healthcare, young people face the highest risk of infection. They also live in a culture that heightens those risks. Adolescents tend to distrust adults who could help them, yet face intense pressure to become sexually active at an early age.
How do we help young people to protect themselves?
MetroTeenAIDS speaks to youth in their own language and in their own space. With our team of specially trained young people, working alongside professionals, we reach out to them in schools, nightclubs, youth centers, shelters and the streets.
Thank you to the people that I know are currently serving the youth at Metro TeenAids: Kafui Doe and Gorkie Balthazar (pictured below L-R Gorkie, Kafui, me)
I have personally had the opportunity to meet amazing youth that are doing amazing things in their lives from fashion, to art, to rap, to sports these are the leaders in the DC community and I would like to share a few with you.
Thank you to Ashley Blakeney, Aaron the Bomb dot com, India Fresh, Chiron Hunt aka Chevy, Crucial Thoughtz, Rashad Tucker, TeVaughn Riot Brunson, Shomari Eccentric.inc, Daniel Lavish Adonis Johnson for leading the community “youth of today” and always offering to be leaders in the community or to reach a little higher!
And also visit DC Tobacco Free Families website here
Because I attended the conference I was able to be involved in future DCTFF events like the “Follow the Signs” Workshop given by my newly discovered sister Ms. La Tanisha Wright of the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network (NAAPTN). 
